Have you taken up falconry Stu?

I've dabbled for years but only with owls (it's a long boring story). I think I've had Teapot for around 25 years and he's probably approaching 30 now.

Here is is Bob https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAMmVs2rrfJzsAY7wUSiYwWETmfYs9Iyqm0gppkKMX3FLIwzn_YzCaqyCn2pq7KmY_ymHeK7gotYfeFPVxYtowuqTBWB69meYj3NV8Pq2MqJ1HDdoY3f6Mo9hMO-7diRouTX-w8KGH1gWEn0QqNMpqRrhHwl1L8NOkvsp25uH4Ql6NWH8UhJNeLRqk4cUX/s3475/Joolze_Dymond_Stuart_Wright_B...

He's residing all des' res' in the barn currently but once he's back home I'll take some Bob.

Cheery because after some time, the sun has finally hit the yard. That might not sound like much but having the sun return to the Towers is something of a special moment each year

Also, I'm building Teapot the owl a new house and it's coming on nicely

It's a usb light Richard, just plug it into the battery be be amazed

A brief message from my contact ...

NRW have done some ‘restructuring’ effectively putting the trails under recreation and the centre under commercial so it could be that they’re going to get a private investor in to run the cafe and centre - that way NRW have no outlay for wages etc

I suppose the trails themselves could remain open but I worry the secondhand bike market will be flooded with lightly used 170mm travel ebikes

I know the bloke who manages the shop at cyb, I'll see if he knows any more.

It's probably the perceived "faff factor" I generally consider myself too lazy to use a tent as I see them as involving faff. Not just the actual pitching / striking but packing and drying out, etc. I can have a tarp up in under a minute, down in less and then simply stuff it in my pocket...

I may be wrong but I can't help thinking that generally (elsewhere perhaps rather than here), I see less and less reference to the use of tarps and generally more focus on tents - albeit often lightweight models. At one point, tarps were almost universal issue but are they disappearing and becoming ...

Its why we go directly to Dee

You're really not wrong John

Always nice when you can speak directly to someone with the authority to actually make a decision rather than a monkey who simply wants to pass the buck.

I've carried a small knife on the odd occasion but don't recall ever really using it as I found that I can carry out most of the tasks I might use it for, with the handle of my spoon

I would also like to add .... 'the people you go with'

Gatewood Cape I imagine.

Nice work Allen, did you by chance slip a few BB200 clips in there too

and then Strata Florida

Careful, you know what happens when you throw electrical appliances into the bath.

i reckon it is possible Shaf but you'd need to train your body for it. It's a process which can take a while and isn't always pleasant.

Might be worth chatting to Richard Shaf.

Chew and me flew to Milan as it was much cheaper than flying into Torino from Manchester. Rode mostly through the night and the following morning to arrive like fresh daisies ready for the off the following day. Flew back from Nice. Carried CTC plastic bike bags with us which we'd cunningly modified...

Mostly today ..... https://scontent.fbhx4-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/419757226_709502364606454_3467275310677324441_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=dd5e9f&_nc_ohc=xvUQyGI2Nc4AX9yYMln&_nc_ht=scontent.fbhx4-1.fna&oh=00_AfD_-h5v-e3CvEdXlVj8oI-Dxgtw-fFSob0VqwPD1DkFfw&oe=65ACB...

Plenty

What, like Iron Maiden?

I hope not, although it might explain the continual desire to run to the hills.

Apparently, this is a picture taken by a dog walker who says a strange creature was following him in the woods not far from Aberystwyth. Wasn't one of you lot doing yoga was it? https://www.cambrian-news.co.uk/tindle-static/image/2024/01/12/13/16/hoax%20email.jpg?width=669&height=445&crop=66...

When I was up between Xmas and New Year, the coffee was noticeably dead when using the lovely soft water out of the tap at my folks. You need some minerals, just not as many as I have down here... I could send you some of ours Bob - straight out of the ground it is, no filters, additives or sweeten...

I may have one going spare Dave. Dee bought it for going on the back of her motorbike but it turns out not to be 100% waterproof. I'd need to check that it has wheels though.

The cheery news is it's not raining and I've managed to remove the faulty (totally jammed) ignition barrel from the van - don't you just love sheer bolts, especially when they're fitted in a confined space and recessed

I've seen some right idiots driving some of them roads (when on the bike or even driving to work).

Did I wave?