Things that annoy you beyond reason...(Vol 4)
Discussion
yellowjack said:
Nope. Bikes are forbidden on my wife's rare days off. A rule I respect because I know which side my bread is buttered... 
Tempting to go back by myself though. It's a big old park, and the area around it isn't too bad either. We'd been to the Roman Villa at Lullingstone earlier on too. I know! I know! I'm just sooo rock'n'roll.
Both English Heritage and the National Trust membership - Christ! You've got it bad. Same as us!Tempting to go back by myself though. It's a big old park, and the area around it isn't too bad either. We'd been to the Roman Villa at Lullingstone earlier on too. I know! I know! I'm just sooo rock'n'roll.
There's loads of 'em over this way, so membership pays off quickly with a family of 4+. Ightham Mote is great, ditto Bodiam, etc etc. Then there's some good hills too if that's your thing (cycling wise). Personally I stay off roads wherever I can - too risky. You can cycle from Groombridge to Crawley (WOW !!!) along the old railway which is nice enough, or Polegate up to Heathfield and back. We're spoiled.
But elements of the whole NT approach annoy me - they help to buy some enormous mansion, eg Knole, allow the family to remain in quite a sizeable chunk, renovate the whole caboodle and provide all the staff to do so, but only open about a third of the property and even then only for a few hours per day, leaving a rather handsome private garden completely off limits too. I'll get my mate Jeremy Corbin onto it pronto to see if we can't insist all the 'private' rooms are opened forthwith and us commoners invited round for tea.
The Don of Croy said:
Both English Heritage and the National Trust membership - Christ! You've got it bad. Same as us!
There's loads of 'em over this way, so membership pays off quickly with a family of 4+. Ightham Mote is great, ditto Bodiam, etc etc. Then there's some good hills too if that's your thing (cycling wise). Personally I stay off roads wherever I can - too risky. You can cycle from Groombridge to Crawley (WOW !!!) along the old railway which is nice enough, or Polegate up to Heathfield and back. We're spoiled.
But elements of the whole NT approach annoy me - they help to buy some enormous mansion, eg Knole, allow the family to remain in quite a sizeable chunk, renovate the whole caboodle and provide all the staff to do so, but only open about a third of the property and even then only for a few hours per day, leaving a rather handsome private garden completely off limits too. I'll get my mate Jeremy Corbin onto it pronto to see if we can't insist all the 'private' rooms are opened forthwith and us commoners invited round for tea.
Not just EH and NT! We've currently got annual membership at The Savill Garden, Windsor Great Park, and we've only just given up Historic Royal Palaces membership too. As you say, though, "free" days out once you're past the membership fee. It's easy to do too. There's loads of 'em over this way, so membership pays off quickly with a family of 4+. Ightham Mote is great, ditto Bodiam, etc etc. Then there's some good hills too if that's your thing (cycling wise). Personally I stay off roads wherever I can - too risky. You can cycle from Groombridge to Crawley (WOW !!!) along the old railway which is nice enough, or Polegate up to Heathfield and back. We're spoiled.
But elements of the whole NT approach annoy me - they help to buy some enormous mansion, eg Knole, allow the family to remain in quite a sizeable chunk, renovate the whole caboodle and provide all the staff to do so, but only open about a third of the property and even then only for a few hours per day, leaving a rather handsome private garden completely off limits too. I'll get my mate Jeremy Corbin onto it pronto to see if we can't insist all the 'private' rooms are opened forthwith and us commoners invited round for tea.
I know what you mean about the NT/EH approach too. Too much emphasis on the 'richer' parts of the houses, and not enough on the 'staff' areas. Although this is being addressed in some properties.
If you can get up Basingstoke way, the NT property 'The Vyne' currently has it's roof off in a £5.4m restoration project. There's a scaffolding walkway around the whole of the roof, and you can go up and have a mooch around. If you're interested in the architecture and building technology it'swell worth a trip up. What you can see obviously changes as the work progresses, but it's a perspective you're unlikely to get again. No big formal gardens, and not too much parkland, but it's lovely all the same. That, and Polesden Lacey, are our 'go to' local properties if my wife can't get a full day away from work.
Yesterday we went to Fishbourne Roman Palace. Not EH, but half price entry with an EH card. Down by Chichester.
As for cycling, I've got the Surrey Hills on the doorstep, plus the Basingstoke Canal, Wey Navigation, Downs Link etc, so feel equally spoiled for choice when it comes to a day out on the bike. Lots of MOD training areas that have hosted MTB races too.
yellowjack said:
Nope. Bikes are forbidden on my wife's rare days off. A rule I respect because I know which side my bread is buttered...
Tempting to go back by myself though. It's a big old park, and the area around it isn't too bad either. We'd been to the Roman Villa at Lullingstone earlier on too. I know! I know! I'm just sooo rock'n'roll.
The contemporary building over the villa, and all the internal stuff, shop etc... I built that Tempting to go back by myself though. It's a big old park, and the area around it isn't too bad either. We'd been to the Roman Villa at Lullingstone earlier on too. I know! I know! I'm just sooo rock'n'roll.
ClockworkCupcake said:
I'll get flamed for this, but the total obsession by the motoring media with oversteer and going sideways. It's utterly, utterly irrelevant on congested British roads.
It's probably fun, in the right circumstances, but it's probably lethal on any public road and on a track you'll get your arse kicked while you're fishtailing around. Willy Nilly said:
ClockworkCupcake said:
I'll get flamed for this, but the total obsession by the motoring media with oversteer and going sideways. It's utterly, utterly irrelevant on congested British roads.
It's probably fun, in the right circumstances, but it's probably lethal on any public road and on a track you'll get your arse kicked while you're fishtailing around. 
king seat belt locks up solid!V8mate said:
yellowjack said:
Nope. Bikes are forbidden on my wife's rare days off. A rule I respect because I know which side my bread is buttered...
Tempting to go back by myself though. It's a big old park, and the area around it isn't too bad either. We'd been to the Roman Villa at Lullingstone earlier on too. I know! I know! I'm just sooo rock'n'roll.
The contemporary building over the villa, and all the internal stuff, shop etc... I built that Tempting to go back by myself though. It's a big old park, and the area around it isn't too bad either. We'd been to the Roman Villa at Lullingstone earlier on too. I know! I know! I'm just sooo rock'n'roll.
We really enjoyed Lullingstone, but it's just not a place where you can spend a whole day. It's in a lovely spot though - no wonder those Romans built their farm/villa there.
You say you built it. So I'm presuming that didn't include fitting out the sound and light show and display cases, etc. Have you been back to admire your handiwork since completion?
yellowjack said:
V8mate said:
yellowjack said:
Nope. Bikes are forbidden on my wife's rare days off. A rule I respect because I know which side my bread is buttered...
Tempting to go back by myself though. It's a big old park, and the area around it isn't too bad either. We'd been to the Roman Villa at Lullingstone earlier on too. I know! I know! I'm just sooo rock'n'roll.
The contemporary building over the villa, and all the internal stuff, shop etc... I built that Tempting to go back by myself though. It's a big old park, and the area around it isn't too bad either. We'd been to the Roman Villa at Lullingstone earlier on too. I know! I know! I'm just sooo rock'n'roll.
We really enjoyed Lullingstone, but it's just not a place where you can spend a whole day. It's in a lovely spot though - no wonder those Romans built their farm/villa there.
You say you built it. So I'm presuming that didn't include fitting out the sound and light show and display cases, etc. Have you been back to admire your handiwork since completion?
Yep, I was the PM for the whole project, which included everything, including all the interactive stuff. It was completed 10 years ago, and included some very whizzy stuff!
It was a real favourite amongst my projects and I actually got to go down onto the villa itself, which was just amazing.
Some serious feats of creative engineering to get it done too: the builders were not only not allowed anywhere near the monument, they weren't even allowed to get it a bit dusty! And yet they had to remove the old cover building and completely replace it. The scaffolders built a cover frame across the monument, from the top walkway across to the other side, but without themselves standing on the remains. I've never seen such clever use of cantilevers to get that built, and it supported the roof teams too!
Photo is really dark... because it was very dark in there
... but you can see the underside of the scaffold frame here (photo taken from the far end of the site - looking back towards the shop/entrance); the dark mass below is the 'pit' with the villa in it.
RizzoTheRat said:
lord trumpton said:
- People that wear woolly hats in summer
I passed a guy out running last night wearing a woolly hat. It was 28 degrees ffs!Edited by nonsequitur on Friday 19th May 10:21
nonsequitur said:
RizzoTheRat said:
lord trumpton said:
- People that wear woolly hats in summer
I passed a guy out running last night wearing a woolly hat. It was 28 degrees ffs!Edited by nonsequitur on Friday 19th May 10:20
RizzoTheRat said:
nonsequitur said:
RizzoTheRat said:
lord trumpton said:
- People that wear woolly hats in summer
I passed a guy out running last night wearing a woolly hat. It was 28 degrees ffs!Edited by nonsequitur on Friday 19th May 10:20
I'm annoyed!
"Talent Acquisition" people.
They update their Linkedin profile to say "we're hiring" and can I get hold of them? Pah!
Linkedin's new feature of being able to see when the message recipient has read your message helps increase my irritation!
Have tried twice by 'phone - the first time the guy in Estonia was not able to transfer my call and the second time - just now - after holding for four minutes am told to email "support@"!
Can you guess the company? It's one of those "disruptive" firms.
"Talent Acquisition" people.
They update their Linkedin profile to say "we're hiring" and can I get hold of them? Pah!
Linkedin's new feature of being able to see when the message recipient has read your message helps increase my irritation!
Have tried twice by 'phone - the first time the guy in Estonia was not able to transfer my call and the second time - just now - after holding for four minutes am told to email "support@"!
Can you guess the company? It's one of those "disruptive" firms.
The new coffee mugs at work have annoyed me
Previously, we had mugs with a flat side profile. At the time when it was my turn to make a round of tea and coffee for those in my little area of the office, I could happily carry all 4 mugs in one trip, 2 mugs in each hand with no spill risk
But now, new mugs have been delivered and they have a tapered profile. No longer can I hold two in the same hand without the risk of spilling, meaning 2 trips are necessary from the kitchenette area, or, pour a chunk of the drink away to give a lower level of liquid.
This is tedious, yes, but suits the thread topic
Previously, we had mugs with a flat side profile. At the time when it was my turn to make a round of tea and coffee for those in my little area of the office, I could happily carry all 4 mugs in one trip, 2 mugs in each hand with no spill risk
But now, new mugs have been delivered and they have a tapered profile. No longer can I hold two in the same hand without the risk of spilling, meaning 2 trips are necessary from the kitchenette area, or, pour a chunk of the drink away to give a lower level of liquid.
This is tedious, yes, but suits the thread topic
Shakermaker said:
The new coffee mugs at work have annoyed me
Previously, we had mugs with a flat side profile. At the time when it was my turn to make a round of tea and coffee for those in my little area of the office, I could happily carry all 4 mugs in one trip, 2 mugs in each hand with no spill risk
But now, new mugs have been delivered and they have a tapered profile. No longer can I hold two in the same hand without the risk of spilling, meaning 2 trips are necessary from the kitchenette area, or, pour a chunk of the drink away to give a lower level of liquid.
This is tedious, yes, but suits the thread topic
Don't they provide you with a trolley these days?Previously, we had mugs with a flat side profile. At the time when it was my turn to make a round of tea and coffee for those in my little area of the office, I could happily carry all 4 mugs in one trip, 2 mugs in each hand with no spill risk
But now, new mugs have been delivered and they have a tapered profile. No longer can I hold two in the same hand without the risk of spilling, meaning 2 trips are necessary from the kitchenette area, or, pour a chunk of the drink away to give a lower level of liquid.
This is tedious, yes, but suits the thread topic
ClockworkCupcake said:
Shakermaker said:
meaning 2 trips are necessary from the kitchenette area, or, pour a chunk of the drink away to give a lower level of liquid.
Perhaps some sort of tray might alleviate your annoyance? 
Shakermaker said:
A tray? Have you seen how thin our budget apparently is, now that they have bought all these new mugs I'm not getting a payrise...
Just retain one of those cardboard trays you get in fast food outlets and coffee shops. 
Although obviously no powerfully built company director true PHer would ever stoop so low as to frequent such establishments.
Gassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff