chrisp65

I'm going the full hog tomorrow (well ok, later today), as I'll be rocking the crumpled blue linen suit / shocking pink gingham shirt / brown suede desert wellies look. **** yeah

for future ref: Blorenge, near Usk

I don't think we've ever agreed before!

luckily for me I had mates that thought it was perfectly normal to toss off together.

I do really like Germany actually. Learnt a little of the language, spent quite a few summers there in the past (cheap holidays bunking up in spare accommodation at various RAF complexes). Used to stay at one place fairly close to the border and we would regularly pop across to De Eftling (if that's what it's called?) after being woken up stupid early by German Star Fighters taking off and landing over and over again. De Efteling ! loved it, but looking at google images it doesn't look like it's changed much in 20 / 30 years

You pretend to be German? oui

tell that to the Polish entry in eurovision

I know it is, but (as you spotted) I just threw it out there as a debating point. There's also the tension between the local, the national and the global. Do I want an MP who will work primarily for his constituents, or one who will obey the party whip on national/international issues, even if this is not in his local constituency's interests? And what use is it (say) electing a broadly left-wing local council, if their budgets are largely controlled by a broadly right-wing central government? Or vice-versa. And would we rather have a FPTP system, where you tend to get a clear majority of one party, and a 'you know where you stand' consistency of policy, or a PR system, with an endless succession of hamstrung coalitions, and where a wider range of the electorate's views get some representation, even if some of those are extremist types (of either stripe)? Discuss. I've mentioned it previously but my local MP has worked really hard on a couple of causes close to my heart and has used his connections to get us access to legal advice and barristers we couldn't possibly have known about let alone afford. He turns up all over town genuinely getting involved in lots of community stuff and getting his mugshot in the free papers etc.. He also turns up at events with his laptop and gooseberry letting people know he's working - but accessible. All very commendable. But if I vote for him, he's a tory and they potentially get in again. Luckily for me a good friend I trust completely is standing so I can vote for him instead. But he doesn't stand a chance of winning, so have I wasted my vote?

I am, but I pretend to be German so as not to upset VA.

never eat Dehli Lama, it could be horse

well I grew up in a seaside / fairground town so between run o' the mill paedo's and the annual Radio 1 Roadshow it's a miracle I got out alive To one side we had a few beaches of various quality from sand, through mud to pebbles. There were basically two beach games: sandy beach - light a bonfire, stand around it in a circle, lob in an aerosol can and wait.......when it blew up it generally took out somebody at knee level - a sort of twist on musical chairs pebbly beach - all stand together with two hands full of decent sized pebbles - lob one hand of pebbles in the air vertically and stand their running the risk of them coming down and knocking you out - if you bottled and ran, then the other pebbles in the other hand were all for you - a sort of variation on russian roulette to the back of the island was the steam train graveyard - hours of fun scooping out the white papier mache stuff from the boilers to fashion year round snowmen or bike ramps - later in life it's obvious this wasn't paper mulch but asbestos life was cheap and we were happy

big hands get rid

I see dead people.

If we do it on a Monday, Wednesday or Saturday it's our turn to drive the Anglo/French aircraft carrier too, so we should be wrapped up well before tea.

To be fair, it's not as grim as people saying that they WOULD vote for Labour for any reason whatsoever. See, back in the day I was all for Michael Foot and his duffle coat because I thought that was the way to get my mates in militant tendency more influence. I guess we wouldn't have been obvious drinking buddies back then.

yep, I can't wait for this to happen for real..... cricket pixies belly nipple

biggest cock in football? robbie savage all day long.

This is the thought you dare not say out loud, even in a democracy, should there be some basic test of competence to place a vote. To have people on this forum, capable of operating a modern piece of i.t. kit and capable of writing a passable message in written english yet still saying they wouldn't vote Labour because regardless of policies the leader looks like a wally in selected photos......well it's grim. Yes, it's their right to select a future path for my kids based on how somebody eats a bacon sandwich, but should they? Oh, and whilst I'm at it, Bicksters comment a while back about policy and manifesto being held back pre election is because they want to know what's popular that will get them voted into power rather than what they believe in. Bang On. What's trending? is not a legitimate manifesto stance. Sack off the lot of them.

you must never ever keep cockles and fannyckles in the same sea

cockles

trinity the kids are using Trinity, grade 3 has some decent music to learn and the usual play along CD, but pick the book to suit where you're at as for other music, Coldplay et al issue sheet music that appears simple enough to play along to ('Clocks' being a regular in our house), but it's really down to what you like and yes, the kids are playing music together that they like that's well above their grades, it might not be technically spot on but if it teaches you timing and endurance and you enjoy it, fill yer boots

I would imagine no-one who paid attention to how many recalls they had to make in the last few years Certainly comparable with BMW, Citroen, Chevvy, Chrysler, Fiat, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Lexus, Mercedes, Toyota, Vauxhall and Volvo. If we use that criteria we'll all end up in Smart cars or a Daihatsu. Which I guess is a similar point to the one a few pages back, who pays attention to the NCAP rating? I think this is probably showing me to be a bit shallow, but I'd pick the car I liked before I changed to something else because of NCAP or recall records. Probably should, but wouldn't. Not unless it was catastrophic relentlessly bad publicity, of the kind that saw Lancia just give up in the UK.