Random Irritations

[Neilds]

Out of interest on what grounds. Last I checked stolen valour and being a Walter Mitty wasn’t a crime in the UK unless it’s being used to defraud people of money.

Unlawful use of military uniform - never heard of it myself.

 

[Golfmmad]

I don’t agree with that at all. I’m not saying it’s possible for all kids to follow one parent ethos I’m explaining personal experience and what I’ve seen in my friends families etc.

State schools where you are perhaps don’t have the facilities. I know that in the Medway towns a lot of schools have lost facilities and use of them so understand totally where you’re coming from. But where I live state schools have vast facilities from football, rugby, hockey, tennis pretty much every ball sport you can imagine as well as having teams in county leagues, climbing facilities, skiing instruction and clubs I genuinely couldn’t name a sport that’s not available to kids round where I live.

My kids live near Huddersfield and their school has so many sporting facilities and clubs similar to what we have, they have organised skiing trips twice a year and so many more options. The issue the schools local to me and where they live isn’t availability of facilities it’s lack of participation outside of school hours even though they run extra curricular clubs, parents simply aren’t taking them. That could be for many reason such as money, work time or other reasons but it’s certainly not lack of opportunity do to a prime minister from 40years ago and blaming it on that is as lazy as not looking elsewhere for opportunities in my opinion.

My son does absolutely zero sports because that means getting off his arse which annoys me, my 14yr old does gymnastic twice a week and walks there as she loves being active and my youngest is wanting my wife to teach her to ski so she can get on the trips and participate, she could learn at school but would rather learn off someone she knows and trusts. Opportunity for kids doesn’t always have to come down to schools providing it though it most often comes down to us as parents to encourage it and take time out of our own schedules to give them the chance to try something.

I completely agree with all of that.
I was talking to my Son in Law the other day who has two daughters aged 20 and 18. From what they say a lot of youngsters now are more interested in keeping fit, going to the gym and eating the right foods. They also say it's too expensive to go in pubs these days. Although they do seem to like the odd cocktail or two!
A lot of today's youngsters are changing attitudes towards their health and well being.
Bodes well for the future!

 

[Hobbit]

I completely agree with all of that.
I was talking to my Son in Law the other day who has two daughters aged 20 and 18. From what they say a lot of youngsters now are more interested in keeping fit, going to the gym and eating the right foods. They also say it's too expensive to go in pubs these days. Although they do seem to like the odd cocktail or two!
A lot of today's youngsters are changing attitudes towards their health and well being.
Bodes well for the future!

Thought I’d read somewhere that gym membership was very much on the increase.


EDIT: up 4.1%

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

Thought I’d read somewhere that gym membership was very much on the increase.


EDIT: up 4.1%

Isn’t everything on the increase though. 4,1% doesn’t seem that much when you consider the rising costs of everyday life.

You can still get memberships at places like the Gym Group and Pure Gym for £20-£30 a month depending on where in the country you are. Still a lot cheaper than a night out so it’s definitely affordable and accessible to pretty much everyone.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Something that has changed since I was younger, current youngsters, 15-late 20's, now see 'going to the gym' as a hobby in itself rather than something you just did. That might seem odd to some but previously no one would have said going to the gym was an actual hobby. It's a good sign.

An increase in any membership of 4.1% is pretty decent. I bet most golf clubs would like that.

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

Unlawful use of military uniform - never heard of it myself.

Yeah I have never heard of that either. There was a big thing about this recently and was ruled by government that being a Walt whilst being annoying and quite frankly pathetic that it was not illegal and that Stolen Valor was not a crime unless defrauding people

However a quick google shows!

The Uniforms Act 1894 criminalises any unauthorised use of military uniforms or any dress resembling such uniforms in a manner intended to impersonate armed forces personnel.

Bizarrely I don’t know a single person that’s heard of that and having that as an existing law shows those in power who ruled no such law existed or that being a Walt wasn’t a crime don’t know their own laws well enough.

 

[Slime]

Thought I’d read somewhere that gym membership was very much on the increase.


EDIT: up 4.1%

Isn’t everything on the increase though. 4,1% doesn’t seem that much when you consider the rising costs of everyday life.

I think Hobbit was referring to the number of members has gone up by 4.1%, not the cost of membership.

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

I think Hobbit was referring to the number of members has gone up by 4.1%, not the cost of membership.

Fair one I misread that.

 

[The Squirrel]

this really irritates me as well. I have only been to the US twice 25 years ago and have not fancied going again - apart from the 3 week honeymoon trip we meticulously planned for May 2020 that didn't happen! We are now going next Oct for a wedding in Richmond, but i am not looking forward to actually being in the US - and the wife will want a couple of days in New York as well. Everything i have heard is that it is expensive everywhere for nearly everything and that there are often taxes and fees that are extra for hotels etc

Stuff that; from Richmond you can either spend time in the Civil War history of Virginia and the Smithsonian and many other museums in Washington ( which are outstanding - easily the greatest concentration of high quality museums on Earth, and ... that rarest of Americvan things - COMPLETELY FREE!) or head south to Jamestown, Yorktown, Richmond, Kitty Hawk, The Outer Banks, then across to Asheville and back up the Appalachians and Blue Ridge mountains. Amazing!
Much like the UK (London vs the rest), the rural bits of America are beautiful, interesting, full of lovely people and feature far less aggressive commercialism than the major metropolitan centres.

 

[The Squirrel]

I've got a California road trip worked out in my head for my 50th, in 8 years time...Pebble was always something I'd considered but it'll be near enough $800, so no thanks. Might drive past it and see if I can get in the pro shop.

There are a variety of reassuringly expensive pro shops and a very good little museum there.
If you do want to play Pebble but $800 is a little steep then do what I did - play their little 9 holer (The Hay). They'll even let any kids on completely free - my daughter loved it! It's ridiculous really - basically a pitch and putt course but with greens kept to the same standard as the championship course - they're so perfect they kind of carress your feet; and one hole is even an exact replica of PBs 7th to have a crack at. The food at the restaurant there is great too!

 

[Crazyface]

If you think it is that simple.... There are clowns everywhere.

Seemingly so. Talking to a fella from Hungary, whilst we were there, although it looks great because of, well, you know what, the people aren't happy apparently.

 

[Crazyface]

Driving home from golf yesterday, 4 “hot hatches” go flying by me doing at least 90 mph and ridiculously close to each other. I watch as they undertake then overtake a number of cars in front before cutting across from the outside lane to a slip road very late causing other cars to slam on their brakes.

It was horrible to watch, how none of them didn’t cause an accident I’ll never know.

Odd how the cameras on these bluddy motorways never seem to catch these types of lunatics, but do catch those who had exceeded the speed limit by a few mph.

 

[Robster59]

Coming back in from taking the dog for his walk, the wind blew the gate out of my hand and the wrong way through the gate opening and pulling the screws out from the bolt and the latch. gate wouldn't close.
Fortunately I managed to fix it, put stronger screws in the latch and bolt, took out the old screws from the hinge fixing to the post, moved it and put in longer stronger screws and all good. Only took half an hour.
Thankfully I had a rechargeable floodlight.

 

[KenL]

I've got a California road trip worked out in my head for my 50th, in 8 years time...Pebble was always something I'd considered but it'll be near enough $800, so no thanks. Might drive past it and see if I can get in the pro shop.

You can. My mate picked me up a poker chip marker, said it was only $5.

 

[KenL]

Unless you're at a public school, the state schools won't have the sports facilities and thus encouragements for kids to do activities.

Absolutely not true where I live or any school I have taught in.

 

[Bazz]

There are a variety of reassuringly expensive pro shops and a very good little museum there.
If you do want to play Pebble but $800 is a little steep then do what I did - play their little 9 holer (The Hay). They'll even let any kids on completely free - my daughter loved it! It's ridiculous really - basically a pitch and putt course but with greens kept to the same standard as the championship course - they're so perfect they kind of carress your feet; and one hole is even an exact replica of PBs 7th to have a crack at. The food at the restaurant there is great too!

Thanks for that, I've got 8 years to save for it or hit the lotto.

 

[chellie]

Odd how the cameras on these bluddy motorways never seem to catch these types of lunatics, but do catch those who had exceeded the speed limit by a few mph.

How do you know they don't?

 

[BrianM]

Wife away to get her hair done, says I’ll see you about 1pm, it better be worth it

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

Wife away to get her hair done, says I’ll see you about 1pm, it better be worth it

Mine had hers done last week, took 4 hrs I didn’t notice the difference but of course I said “hair looks lovely really suits you”

I may not notice the difference or understand the cost but I’m also not stupid enough to tell her that

 

[Voyager EMH]

I've got a California road trip worked out in my head for my 50th, in 8 years time...Pebble was always something I'd considered but it'll be near enough $800, so no thanks. Might drive past it and see if I can get in the pro shop.

It will cost you $11.25 just to drive past. Probably more in 8 years time. Gated community with a toll for non-residents. We gave it a miss.
Go and spend a day at Monterrey Aquarium. That's what we did. Loved it.
Yosemite is fantastic, but very time consuming to do it justice. Three days minimum for that, probably.
Coincidently, this was around my 40th. Ahem, year 2000.
Flew to San Francisco. Over Golden Gate and all the way up the coast to Crescent City.
Oregon/Washington - Crater Lake, Mount St Helens, Mount Rainier.
Idaho - Sun Valley, Twin Falls.
Across Nevada to Carson City, Lake Tahoe.
Mammoth Lakes and Yosemite.
Carmel, Monterrey and back to San Francisco.
Lots of other little places along the way. 19-day trip.
No pre-booked accommodation - just got in the hire car and go. Wouldn't advise that now - different era back then - was a great adventure though.