mike1949

I do apologize chop, but it just seemed a strange intro. As you live in Pompey, dare I say your in the Andrew?

This is where I would normally say "Good night all" But I won't, because MOD Steve "Foamy" will only say, "You've already done this before" So to Steve, Golf, Oscar, Oscar, Delta, November, India, Golf, Hotel, Tango.

You have just come in between two replies. I think you had better explain yourself Mallory, no offence, but NSD and I were on something totally different, as in consumer rights, maybe I am missing something.

Totally agree with you there nsd, But generally if you got something, maybe small, and you take it back they will quite happily give a refund, no questions asked, but try that 20/30 years ago. At best they would give you a credit note so you can spend it in the shop.

Does that qualify as an intro???

What I do like about today's consumer society is that if you buy something now, as apposed to thirty years ago, if you've got a problem with the goods or it didn't work you can take it back and they will replace/refund with no questions asked. Try that thirty years ago. No Chance!

Golly, gosh Paul.

My daughters memories of coming on the back of the bike when we got to where we were going was "Why do you keep nodding your head dad?"

Don't know about you lot, or what club you support, but I think there is a bit of White Hart Lane there. But when me and my lad come down once a year to "the smoke" we tend to support , well, we have to walk through Bishops Park to get there. Half way through the park there is a couple of "well established eating places" But next to one of them is a small vendor that does the best cup of tea I've ever tasted. Although it's a good day out, I have got to be honest, I'd rather go to my local club "CTFC" or even "STFC" "Come on you blues" ( Not a London club.)

The only bike I can afford at the moment is the village one.

Yep, done it myself. One Sunday afternoon cleaning the bike didn't realise I flicked kill switch on with cloth, thought I'd just check bike starts ok for Mon morning...............anyway, exactly as Norcot done.

Twice I've tried to ride off from work with my disc lock still on, luckily everybody else had gone home. It's a weird feeling when that happens because it happens so quick your lying on the ground wondering what happened. Now everytime I park the bike I position it so i have to pull it backwards when leaving.

Blimey Ian I think youv'e opened a can of worms here!

I think we're quite lucky out here in the sticks as apposed to the big cities, you can't go five miles without coming across a village/hamlet.Quite often when I'm on a ride out I tend to stop at a local shop to have a sandwich and coffee and just watch the world go by. When I pull up on my own I think I am more of a novelty, but I can understand their concern if about twenty or more bikers pull up. I presume in the States you have long stretches of nowhere which would be great to blow the cobwebs out, but do you also have small villages like us?

No Mailee, it's not. There's a clue in where I come from (Chippenham) and it's only about five miles from there.

Blimey Steve, us matelots didn't start drinking till about 20:00

Deffo Paul, what amazed me it's only about five miles from where I live and never knew it. It's one of these villages which is off the beaten track. I will definitely be going there when I finish work on a sat morning with an hour to spare.

It's these little gems that go unnoticed; you can't tell by the photo but where I was parked was the village shop/village hall car park. I bet you don't get many benches outside shops like that. Do any of our members from abroad get little places like this? Sacha?

When I finished work this morning I went for a ride and ended up in a village only five miles from where I live, called in the village shop which I'd never been to in my life. I might be wrong but it looks like a local village shop run by the locals, it's in an old church. Although I have never been there before the lady couldn't have been more helpful, when I asked if she sold sandwiches she said no, but I will make you one, and when I asked if she sold hot coffee she said no, but I will make you one. How nice is that? The amazing thing though is that it is so quiet and serene there, but only half a mile away is the M4 Motorway.

I think Foamy gets all his quotes from Mills & Boon

Hi Ian, first of all I retire in April 2014. Personally I can't wait, I've been working non stop since I left school in 1964 when I was 15 years old. It would be great to meet one day, but, believe it or not the place I work for, a family owned business, where the lady in the accounts office is "THE BOSS" . Also she doesn't portray that image, she is a fantastic lady/employer. So, at the moment, we are so busy, as in we are a small plastic injection moulding company supplying to Germany, Spain, Romania, USA, China, Scotland. and of course to all the sheds in Britain, i.e. B&Q, Homebase etc. What I'm trying to say is that I would like to meet, but not yet. (hope no offence taken) because at the moment we are working all the hours under the sun, I hope you understand.

Believe it or not, I'm an ex submariner. Also my name is Mike and I was born in 1949.

They are multi-functional Slice, I do use them to clean my spectacles as well.

Iv'e got one of them Steve, but it's only good in the rain to clear your visor like a windscreen wiper. It's no good in dry weather to cleat insects.

Lidl W5 spectacle cleaning cloths, brill!