You've been incredibly unlucky, BB. We have had such a mild winter that your system must have frozen up on one of the very few possible occasions this winter. As ever, don't let the b-stards get you down. Point out to them how much larger the insurance claim will be if they stress you into having an...

Crumbs, Keefy, I think you would have a shock if you came back to Blighty! £5 in your petrol or diesel would hardly be enough for a trip around the block, about 3.5 litres. I have no idea how people afford to smoke nowadays. A two pack a day habit would cost not far short of £100 per week. Cheap swe...

@ Horus, I wouldn't know what a mobi file was even if it jumped up and bit me on the behind :ni: I'd be all ears for an explanation if you are game :D @LLL, I think our generation were brought up to be more economical with our food shopping. I rarely bother with processed foods and prefer to make pa...

I could never be without reading material but I find I haunt the bargain bins for remaindered stock and I have been revisiting the classics free on my kindle. I will pay almost any price for a book I really want but I resent paying £6.99 for a rubbishy paperback I'll finish in an evening. I tend to ...

I've never had a burrito but I can't say I have ever liked the idea of refried beans. I had Mexican food in a restaurant in Spain some years ago and thought it was fabulous. I tried one of the allegedly Mexican restaurant chains back here in Britain and it was awful. Just a burger bar with delusions...

Many happy returns, Keefy! Your efforts are much appreciated. Thanks for all your work on the forums.

I have to confess that the wall clock in my kitchen is already an hour ahead because I failed to adjust it. It gives visitors a fright. "Oh goodness is that the time already" :ni: . It depends on how welcome they are as to whether I confess or not. Our clocks don't spring forward until the...

Horus is absolutely right, Jayway. What is under discussion here in Wales is organ donation only, definitely not the whole body. I like the idea of a national database but again, would those too disorganised to carry a donor card bother to enter their names on a data base?

Spot on, WI. I would rather my organs were of use although I think most of them are pretty knackered and any recipient might think they were having a poor bargain. The real problem here in Wales will be that if we go to an assumed consent situation unless otherwise stated we will be at variance with...

I tend to agree, Grandad. Many people who would donate have never got round to carrying a card and many people die whilst awaiting transplants. The situation has become much more critical of late as medical advances mean that many organs of the body can be transplanted. If people object on religious...

Here in Wales many issues relating to health are devolved to the Welsh Assembly Government. They are currently debating the issue of organ transplant. At present one can opt in by carrying a donor card but the new proposal is to assume consent to donate unless one carries a card opting out. Public o...

Sorry if I offended, Horus, but my points were intended to be general rather than personal. We belong after all to the same generation and ultimately we would want things to be better for our children than it was for us. On the whole I do believe that is so. You clearly know your history so sorry if...

Strange you should hark back to the post war era and complain about the welfare state in the same breath. The welfare state arose from the Beveridge report in the early forties and was implemented by the socialist government elected in 1945. The remit of the report was to tackle the "five giant...

Sorry, LLL, I rather think I shot from the hip but I was incensed by the notion that life was so much better a hundred years ago. For very many it was nasty, brutish and short. I hold no particular brief for the government, of whatever party but what is the alternative? Anarchy? We need some form of...

Firstly, LLL, where do you find these things. It smacks of a chain letter and the only response chain letters merit is the breaking of the chain. This tells you all you need to know in the final few sentences. It harks back to an era very different from today in every respect. Do you want to turn th...

Beautiful, Horus. A real pick me up for the spirits.

Would you rather it was deposited in a bank in Iceland and lost? You may not enjoy football but many do and most clubs have outreach programmes putting them right at the heart of their communities. Most weekends council parks are brimming with teams of all ages taking healthy exercise, learning the ...

It costs a lot to mount these international events, usually more than they bring in in revenue. The Irish simply can't afford to win. In fact they may be hoping that they are never invited to participate again. That can be the only logical conclusion of that particular choice. But, Humperdinck? I am...

I don't believe that foreign aid is ever our tax dollars "given away". It's usually part of a complex system of purchasing political and/oreconomic influence. For example, I "give" you money to buy a dam and power station but as part of the package you have to "buy" the...

Hi Phantom, we are just letting the boys have a little romp,puffing up their little chests and claiming their superiority. We know the truth of the matter. They can't even navigate their way to the cupboard where the toilet rolls are kept. How many times have I settled down to watch a favourite tv p...