Applespider

maxxi Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > Do you get a mat to ride on the way down? > If you did, I might actually consider buying a ticket to go up it.

DulwichFox Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Why can't there be areas built for the purpose of > Barbecues... > > I have seen them in the Parks in Berlin.. (Der > Wannsee) You do get them in this country too. There were quite a few at various country parks that I went to growing up. Massive stone-built ones where people would light theirs and then pass their spot on the grill over to the next family since the coals were still hot. In South Africa, they provide really cool little braii (?) stands - what looks like a little cafe style table with a metal circle underneath to hold the mini-gas canister. The gas canister and the grill can be hired from the local shop or brought with you. I'd always thought BBQ'ing in the local parks was banned so have never risked it. If there's no policing of it though, I might grab a couple of bricks to save the grass and try it. The smoke isn't going to be there all that long and if you're far enough away from others shouldn't be too disturbing. Surely less so than playing your radio loudly in the middle of the park as someone was today; if it had been decent music, I wouldn't have minded!

She might not believe that walking around barefoot can cause a noise below. Have you thought about perhaps asking her to try sitting in your bedroom while someone else (or you) walks around upstairs? She genuinely might think that you are making a mountain out of a molehill and looking for something to complain about just because she had asked you to stop the music. I've tried this approach with a previous neighbour who was genuinely surprised when she heard exactly how much I could hear in my flat - and did at least try to move around more quietly!

If they've volunteered for years in the community with their only reward being running 300m with a torch, then if they want or need to sell it, then fair enough. If they've given a couple of hours a week for the last 5 years, then even at ?5K, it's still only ?10 an hour. It's when the celebs who are running with the torch start selling them that I might get more miffed since they've done little to deserve the chance to carry it. I did laugh a little at the description of one of the torchbearers. Described as a real Olympics enthusiast who'd been to the Lausanne museum, and then it said he was 13. I mean, at most he can remember 2 Olympiads... a fanatic, really?!?!

Thanks for the warning. I often cut through the park on my bike to that gate in the evening as the park is closing and will try to be alert. I see a lot of joggers at that time with headphones; I wonder if they'll put up any signs in the park itself.

I'm finding the bbctorchcam strangely compulsive. There are a lot of very excited people out there - and seeing the enthusiasm of people for their local torch bearers and pride on the face of the torchbearers, is quite uplifting. There's so much negativity in the press about the Olympics that it's good to see some genuine excitement Suspect it's a bit late though to start a campaign to get it to come through ED though - this time last year, possibly!

maxxi Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Anyone know if cyclists are still banned from > these lanes? If so how will that be policed? I believe that they've now decided that cyclists can use the ZIL lanes when they are kerbside ones. But that cyclists shouldn't use the 'tidal' ones that are down the middle of the road. Not entirely sure how they're going to police that one either...

Simon - I do agree with some of your arguments and I'm not saying that I'd want compulsory voting. If there was, you would need a way to count discontent other than spoiling your paper which can be counted as incompetence. What bothers me is not those who have chosen not to vote because they disagree with all the candidates or would like to protest but really those who just can't be bothered and then complain bitterly about their local council, their MP etc without ever having tried to change things. At least those of us who voted (but for the minority) can complain and argue that we tried to change things. It's one reason that I would like some form of PR so that everyone's vote does count - even if it's just as a supplementary pool as they do in the Scottish Parliament. Those who feel entirely disengaged by the process bother me too - but more around why they are disengaged and what it would take to get them involved.

Lu - I'm not a Gamesmaker but have a few friends who were told that the portal wasn't entirely correct so it's worth querying by phone if you've got some funny results in there. They knew of one person who had (accidentally) been given 31 days on the trot. Having said that - 3 days x 12 hours fits with quite a few of their shifts so might be correct.

The low turnout is utterly depressing. It's not even 100 years since suffragettes were dying over their future daughters' right to vote. Would they (and those who campaigned for universal suffrage alongside them) have fought so hard if they'd known that the majority of those they fought for 'couldn't be bothered' or 'forgot'. People are still dying across the world to get the right to vote. Makes me so angry when people don't! (6)

roblay Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Just on that, anybody recommend a hotel near > Heathrow (T4) where you can get a room for that > kind of price? I have an early flight too. In T4 check out the Yotel since it's actually in the terminal and you can book it by the hour (so midnight to 5am) if that's all you need. I think I paid around ?55 in early November. Surprisingly comfortable for a cabin bed - it's a little like a first class sleeper compartment on the train but with better bedlinen, a TV, much quieter and a brilliant shower.

RosieH Wrote: > A good > Meatliquor burger doesn't feel any less dirty, but > it tastes deep-down savoury, and when the juices > dribble down your fingers, you want to lick them. > I don't feel that way about the faint film of > grease on a McD's bun. A good Meatliquor burger tastes like you imagine the very first McD's burgers tasted like back in the 50s - and you suddenly realise why people thought it was such an amazing food item that you wanted to keep eating them. Sadly, billions and billions served later, it was watered down to the facsimile of a proper burger, McD's sell now. It's the buns I don't like in McD's though. You need

Take a look at the Maxx Raxx - they can hold two bikes and fold up against the wall when they're not being used. Fairly sturdy to - and since they hold the bike horizontally slightly away from the wall, you shouldn't end up with marks on the wall like you can with the vertical wall stands. Having said that, if you've got a foot or so behind the front door, the vertical wall stands can mean that you can store your bike where it doesn't get in the way too much.

You can usually get a room at Heathrow for ?40-?50 and then take the Tube out the evening before. Also has the advantage of getting a decent night's sleep although that's probably more relevant if you're going to face major jet-lag at the other end!

Unless you're going to invest in one of the metal sheds with a concrete floor and ground anchor, I wouldn't leave a bike permanently in the front garden. And I'm not entirely I'd do it even with one of those. The Abus can be broken with a car jack rather than needing an angle grinder. If you do go ahead, supplement that with a really solid motorbike chain since that really would require two sets of tools to break although if they've got them, tough. agree with Townley - maybe think about other ways of storing it indoors - wall rack, hoist etc.

I had a mixed experience in Run and Become. The first set that they put me in ended up giving me lower back pain after 20 minutes. They were very good about changing them though and I ended up with a pair that I ran my half-marathon in. Had an amazing experience in Sweatshop though (the one nr Fulham) where the guy looked at me standing barefoot, correctly diagnosed that I'd once badly sprained an ankle and identified shoes accordingly (strangely, or perhaps not, the same trainers that I was already running in despite me not telling him)

I've never had a problem either. I generally tend to plug in the old phone to back it up, plug in the new phone and do a software update (it is much easier now that you can do this over the air rather than having to connect to iTunes first) and then do the installation from the backup. I've never lost any contacts - even with MobileMe/iCloud running.

Excellent news that all the bikes have been re-united with their owners. Incidentally, who found them? The Horniman Garden keepers etc? Might be worth dropping them off a box of sweeties or something to say thanks.

Hate the little blighters but virtually resigned to them now. My nice winter jumpers now go into ziplock bags with lavender/mothballs over the summer. I do like the sticky pheremone traps for the wardrobe though... at least I feel like I"m getting my revenge!

One of the odd things in having a residents association would be the need to work with two different councils since the boundaries of Southwark/Lewisham is the white line of the road. Since dealing with one can be difficult, dealing with two together may drive any association working groups to distraction. I don't think we received any flyers about the Horniman... must go and check the recycling pile later!

That's really made me smile... thank you for posting it!

How awful for you. I had my bag grabbed a few years ago outside my house. Don't worry if it takes a while for you not jump whenever you hear footsteps behind you. I'm sure I was still doing it a year later. It did make me a lot more conscious about 'scanning' around whenever I'm walking back late. I got a personal alarm from Victim Support free of charge but must confess that I now don't carry it. Why? Because it sounds like a car alarm and when I did inadvertently set it off one evening, there was absolutely no response. On the night where I screamed, like you, multiple neighbours came out. So, I walk down the road prepared to scream if necessary - now if there was a personal alarm than sounded like a scream without being too easy to set off, it might be useful!

I read that this initially came about because the Closing Ceremony is on a Sunday and the big memorabilia outlets at the Olympic Park wouldn't then be able to open both before and after. The shops in Scotland don't have such limited opening hours on a Sunday and it doesn't seem to have affected much. The shops tend to open 10 or 11 until 5 or 6 on a Sunday and the usual big supermarkets are truly 24 hour 7 days a week.

Louisa Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Nick1962 Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > less than 50% of the poulation voted this mob > in > > that run the country and yet 64% of the > > population(Mori 2009), would, if asked, vote to > > keep the monarchy... > > Hmm clearly not very good at maths are you? 36.1% > voted Tory and 23% voted Lib Dem at the last > election. That adds upto 59.1% of the total number > of votes cast Hmm clearly not very good at reading are you? ;-) Nick's referencing the electoral population of the country whereas you're referencing the number of votes cast. The reasons why voter turnout generally hovers between a paltry 60 and 70% is probably a topic for another thread.

Here's the link to the page that explains the council's reasoning and gives the opportunity for feedback Say your piece here