Cheers grumps, no more two wheels since a virus affected my sense of balance in 2001, I keep looking at race bikes to restore and race in historic grand prix but then i remember that my sense of lean angle and wheels drifting is delayed by the virus and therefore it would be a recipe for crashing. Even lying on my back under the car and then lifting my head off the floor leads to dissiness (akin to raising your head of the bed when very drunk and the room spins backwards) I had to learn how to walk again and even now can spontaineously meander to the side, learning to ride a bicycle was fun, all done from memory regarding lean angle etc but if the rear end slides out too much and i don't react in time to catch it, the result is gravel rash and mud sandwiches. Furious cycling speed is a thing of the past and I suspect it won't be long before my granddaughter leaves me in her dust trails on her bike either.

have fun

dave

Thanks for the laugh, Dave - that's created a wonderful image. Actually, I do get younger as the day progresses. I'm 93 first thing, but by lunch-time I'm only 60 - then by tea-time I'm my real age of 69.

Do you still do 2-wheels?

try wearing shorts and a cap, if questioned, reply you suffer from premature ageing syndrome and that last week you only looked forty.

no thunderstorms on wednesday as a reliable forecast, manchester weather is almost un forecastable.

I did a week's course in Salford one July in the 1980s and it rained every day with a thunderstorm on Wed. Is there a thunderstorm every Wed.? I think you should move the Pennines further east, then it would rain more on Doncaster.

I'd not heard of enemas for fun - some strange people about.

About borrowing a Beastie - it seems as if every adult is a pervert unless proved otherwise. I've been tying to get on an 'A' level course only running in schools, but "illegal to admit over 19s". What happened to "Community Schools"? That's another reason for a good moan. Where's the next one?

Hi Frank, unfortunately I live in Ingerland "Manchester" where the rain falls in all directions at once. Aberdeen is the only place i have seen rain gutters fitted to the sides of buildings instead of the eaves! I'm not old enough to remember ITMA (1955 baby) but I can agree with the statement though, some use enema's for recreactional enjoyment!! a few good beers and a curry would give twice the enjoyment surely? as to the young one, can't you borrow one?

ps sun's out in manchester and the rumour of days holiday to celebrate

regards

dave s

Dave, are you old enough to remember ITMA? There was a character called Mona Lott who always finished by saying: "It's being so cheerful as keeps me goin'." Well, I reckon a good moan is like an enema, but not as unpleasant - it clears the sytem for happy thoughts and deeds.

Snag about "a young person" - my young relatives live far away in that foreign country called "Ingerland".

I remember NW Scotland as the place where it rains sideways. A 3ft high rock kept me perfectly dry.

Hiya Old frank, I once drove a "land crab" to the extreme west coast of scotland in a blizzard to fix a fault in an electricity switching yard, made it there and back but the heater was feeble and restarting it was touch and go after I had parked it for 4 hours whilst fixing the power line. Tough old motor but i never wanted to own one, I bought a volvo 144 and did 157k in it before passing it on, even fitted an LPG system to it and overdrive.

So hang your key up when not using it and ask a young person to tell you where you left it.

best wishes and have a grumpy day

dave s

I had the key in my side pocket with nothing else. If this system really is progress then we shouldn't need to take precautions against such obvious faults. Its range is over 50 feet in line of sight, which is a ludicrous distance. The designers must still be wet behind the ears.

[I once locked myself out of a Maxi. The mechanic, who took 20 minutes to get in, said that it was far harder than any modern car.]

Dear Old Frank, it's almost impossible to engineer out human stupidity and when you mix it with old age, it becomes your worst nightmare. I've just recently started the "did I lock it" routine, only to go and open it then close it! I 've even locked myself out of the house 5 times this year, so i now have keys with the neighbours, fortunately it only happens when I'm distracted in thought with something else but I suspect it will creep on into all aspects as I get older still, it's not just the grey hair that is continuing to go so are the grey cells. But seriously, anything placed in the back pocket is subject to great pressure when sitting down, so you could of easily bent or broken the key fob, so if your no longer going to use the keys, hang them up somewhere safe and write down where you put them just in case you forget.

All the best from Old Dave s