Insignificant Things That Make You Happy.

[Noggin]

I also went out on my bike, first time for a while because of other grown-up life stuff.
It was lush. Sunshine, dry roads, almost all the overtaking opportunities were lacking in incoming traffic, passed a fair few bikes as well, who I'm sure had their reasons for tootling, but made me happy as I zipped past on the toy Duke.

One of the best things about the baby Duke was zipping past people One time less the overtaking but that a big superduke couldn't catch and pass me through some lanes - he later told a friend he got duffed up by a girl on a 690 Duke, Duncan took the greatest of pleasure telling this guy it was a girl on a 390 Duke

My bestest experience was coming off the M4 to the M32 with my old riding buddy. Me ahead for a change. I got to the lights ahead of cars etc and had been aware that another bike was coming down too. Only, I knew those lights pretty well and knew they were about to change. So I didn't actually stop and was ready to Go go go!!

The other bike was only one of my dream bikes, a rather lush looking RC8 - having been beaten squarely off the lights onto a roundabout by a girl on a baby Duke, he dumped the clutch and passed me 'sort of' in control of the resulting wheelie!! He then hooned it the rest of the way round onto the M32 and disappeared. I was laughing too hard to even consider the fact that I'd never catch him - I had to pull over onto the hard shoulder cos the laughing tears meant I actually couldn't see where I was going

My riding buddy was angry cos the guy hadn't intended the wheelie so he felt that it was dangerous for me as the wheelie was barely controlled. I didn't give a shit - he'd passed and hadn't crashed himself or me, and he'd full on proper made me howl with laughter!


Most of my really stupid and happy bike memories are with that riding buddy. He and the memories till make me so many years later. Although I do miss him so much, it's a bonus to have all the memories to remind me how good things were on bikes then

[Noggin]

I've just watched the MotoGP in French for the first time in months.

Just shows how much my language skills have improved since the course started. Actually understood enough to enjoy watching/listening today

[Saga Lout]

We went to another Uni open day today - over in Leeds. I'll not share my feelings about the bit of the city centre that we saw, for fear of causing offence. It was a shit-hole.

However - youngest had directed us to a park-and-ride which we used, was great. Bus ticket price was £2.50 (return!) for the two of us. According to my phone we were charged 10p. What a day!

Don't get your hopes up, I think they all do that. The correct amount will show up on your account in a day or so.

[Count Steer]

We went to another Uni open day today - over in Leeds. I'll not share my feelings about the bit of the city centre that we saw, for fear of causing offence. It was a shit-hole.

Really? That's a bit of a surprise. Haven't been for years but kept reading all about how Leeds was getting money spent on it, regeneration of the centre etc etc. Doesn't sound like it's working.

However, a niece was at Uni there recently and had a good time. Would have stayed there but moved to Sheffield for work and enjoyed that too.

[ChrisW]

Really? That's a bit of a surprise. Haven't been for years but kept reading all about how Leeds was getting money spent on it, regeneration of the centre etc etc. Doesn't sound like it's working.

However, a niece was at Uni there recently and had a good time. Would have stayed there but moved to Sheffield for work and enjoyed that too.

Like I say, we only saw part of the centre. I saw loads of new building going up around the periphery on the way in, some of it stalled. Our city centre experience was walking the length of Boar Lane to and from the open day shuttle bus & this stretch seemed a bit dirty, seedy, rough, quite a few drunks (at half nine in the morning).

Hey - maybe we were in the wrong bit or maybe it's better than it used to be & the investment is working, albeit slowly!

[Count Steer]

Really? That's a bit of a surprise. Haven't been for years but kept reading all about how Leeds was getting money spent on it, regeneration of the centre etc etc. Doesn't sound like it's working.

However, a niece was at Uni there recently and had a good time. Would have stayed there but moved to Sheffield for work and enjoyed that too.

Like I say, we only saw part of the centre. I saw loads of new building going up around the periphery on the way in, some of it stalled. Our city centre experience was walking the length of Boar Lane to and from the open day shuttle bus & this stretch seemed a bit dirty, seedy, rough, quite a few drunks (at half nine in the morning).

Hey - maybe we were in the wrong bit or maybe it's better than it used to be & the investment is working, albeit slowly!

It's quite likely that big chunks of it are still rough but areas like Edgebaston always seemed green and pleasant. The proper centre seems to have had an upgrade. (It's got Harvey Nicks don'tcha know!). Heck, they could have been visiting Bradford*!

It's probably a bit like Newcastle, as long as you stick to Jesmond, Fenwicks, the Uni and the Poly/Uni you don't see the rough bits.

It's just a city.

* Which used to have a store to rival Fenwicks and Harvey Nicks. The delightfully named Brown Muff & Co. It also has the finest building a Waterstones has ever occupied - in the old, gothic Wool Exchange.

[Horse]

Worth checking on the location, quality and cost of rental properties, for years 2 & 3.

[ChrisW]

It's just a city.

Yep, indeed - and it's also possible that, whilst we may not have seen the nicest bit of the centre, I was feeling a touch over-protective.

Worth checking on the location, quality and cost of rental properties, for years 2 & 3.

I wasn't massively impressed with the year one accommodation - there's only 3 or 4 on campus The rest are 2, 3, even 4 miles away and they also seemed a bit economical with the truth when it came to the bathroom arrangements in the ones that we visited.

[MingtheMerciless]

A soggy dog walk on Dartmoor.

[Count Steer]

It's just a city.

Yep, indeed - and it's also possible that, whilst we may not have seen the nicest bit of the centre, I was feeling a touch over-protective.

Worth checking on the location, quality and cost of rental properties, for years 2 & 3.

I wasn't massively impressed with the year one accommodation - there's only 3 or 4 on campus The rest are 2, 3, even 4 miles away and they also seemed a bit economical with the truth when it came to the bathroom arrangements in the ones that we visited.

I can ask what my niece did about accommodation in Leeds. I think, after the first year, she'd made a few friends and they all rented something together.

But yeah, cities, we think they're dangerous but 'Saturday's Nights All Right for Fighting' was written about....Market Rasen. TBH I felt safer in a few cities* than I did in a Notts mining town. It was only when I went back that I realised just how more dangerous the place was than I had reason to believe**.

* and I've been drinking in pubs on the Bigg Market in Newcastle on a Friday night.

** more tales to tell another time.

[ChrisW]

I can ask what my niece did about accommodation in Leeds.

Don't go to any trouble but first-hand experience could be handy, thanks.

[KungFooBob]

The best thing about Leeds is it isn't Bradford.

[Count Steer]

The best thing about Leeds is it isn't Bradford.

Remind me, where do you live?

[Mr. Dazzle]

I visited Leeds earlier this year, one of Mrs. D's photos was in an exhibition so we went up to see that.

I'd deffo go along with the 'urban regeneration' comment, the bit we walked through was obviously new with the obligatory shopping centre + underground car park. Probably a Westfield centre.

Everyone talked funny.

Stuff was too cheap.

[KungFooBob]

The best thing about Leeds is it isn't Bradford.

Remind me, where do you live?

Barnsley.

The best thing about Barnsley is it isn't Rotherham.

[cheb]

Are all these places mentioned on the losing side of the Penines?

[Count Steer]

Are all these places mentioned on the losing side of the Penines?

Well, they might be losing, but they have captured an 'n'.

+ I'll see your Leeds and Bradford and raise you a Blackburn, Preston, Burnley....but I expect you're thinking Manchester is in Lancs these days.

[cheb]

It's all the grim north anyway, either side.

Or so far south it might as well be France.

[Horse]

I wasn't massively impressed with the year one accommodation - there's only 3 or 4 on campus The rest are 2, 3, even 4 miles away and they also seemed a bit economical with the truth when it came to the bathroom arrangements in the ones that we visited.

We looked at 5 Unis, and Halls at 3 of them. Quality varied, to say the least.

Foal has just returned home from a year in [privately run] Halls in Bristol. £10k for a grim room in a shared flat in a massive block.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Or so far south it might as well be France.

The English city I grew up in used to have a little market selling stinky cheeses, baguettes and wines every other Saturday. Not any more though