r/Glasgow Tools

BaldyBiker

Reddit URLhttps://www.reddit.com/user/BaldyBiker
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Interests:

  • I ended up in the QEUH the week before Xmas with Covid (Got discharged on Xmas day) and believe me busy doesn't cover it. I was originally sent to the Maryhill CAC for a test but they didn't even bother doing a test as my breathing & blood oxygen was so bad they just arranged for an ambulance to the QE. Nearly 15 hours before my bum hit a bed as the place was packed and staff working flat out. 3 hr wait for an available ambulance to take me from Maryhill, 9 hour wait sat in a chair in the SATA ward (hooked up to portable oxygen) reception area, moved to a bed in there for a couple of hours and eventually moved to the ward I spent the rest of the week in (7b Resp' ward). The staff are knocking their pans in looking after folk like me (and I was one of the lucky ones) at great risk to themselves and frankly these cockwombles spreading bullshit fake news should be prosecuted, named and shamed. A good hiding wouldn't go amiss either! by BaldyBiker (Thu 18th Feb 2021 7:18pm)
  • Couldn't fault a thing about the care I got. Even the food wasn't too bad lol by BaldyBiker (Fri 19th Feb 2021 9:29am)
  • Unless of course they're in the habit of not checking their mirrors before turning / changing lane in which case they're fatal accident waiting to happen. Maybe folk saying don't be a grass or not classing checking mirrors as "extreme" should try a day (even 20 mins) on 2 wheels (with an engine, not the fuckin lycra brigade) and see if they still have the same opinions.... by BaldyBiker (Thu 23rd Dec 2021 3:56pm)
  • Problem is when you're only ever in a car you just become almost oblivious to all the dodgy driving in the road, it Just doesn't have the same impact on you as it does on a bike. by BaldyBiker (Thu 23rd Dec 2021 5:55pm)
  • If you're open to an intensive course you could drop John Carstairs a message to check availability at [https://www.intensive-driving-school.com/](https://www.intensive-driving-school.com/) They're on Facebook as well. by BaldyBiker (Fri 24th Dec 2021 5:33pm)
  • Didn't realise about the beer tokens on purchases so thanks for that. Only got the the thing at Xmas there. A bit of a gimmick for when we've got folk up but I'll still be trawling the supermarkets for beer deals when I'm drinking on my own like a saddo in the man cave / shed lol by BaldyBiker (Wed 29th Dec 2021 5:49pm)
  • Thanks, knew about that one but looking for something closer to home if possible. If nothing around here I'll probably be using that one. Not too far for the wife to drive to resupply me :) by BaldyBiker (Wed 29th Dec 2021 5:46pm)
  • Cheers for that :) Seems Rutherglen & Cambuslang's a bit of a perfect draft blackhole. A wee word with my local DayToday is in order I think. Probably no enough room for kegs and the stockpiles of Buckie right enough :( by BaldyBiker (Wed 29th Dec 2021 7:01pm)
  • Cheers I'll pop in and see. Think we're going down to Camby tomorrow for food shopping anyway. by BaldyBiker (Wed 29th Dec 2021 8:19pm)
  • I take it for returning via BeerHawk you need to box them up or something? I know it's free returns with them but no sure where I'd get boxes to suit. by BaldyBiker (Wed 29th Dec 2021 8:17pm)
  • Yip but closer to home would be better as I don't drive (well only 2 wheels) and saves the wife moaning about having to go to Blantyre. Looking like I'll just have to put up with her moans though lol by BaldyBiker (Wed 29th Dec 2021 8:14pm)
  • If you're still looking then Glasgow test centre has these available ​ Glasgow Friday 14 January 2022 Morning 9:00am 10:00am 11:00am Afternoon 12:00pm 1:00pm 2:00pm 3:00pm 4:00pm by BaldyBiker (Fri 7th Jan 2022 11:50am)
  • I've got a home / garden workshop and the signal from my virgin hub is so weak I usually just turn my mobile into a hotspot and connect via that. Get about 90mb download and 20mb up on average with it and very rarely (less than once a day) does it drop. If you've got unlimited mobile data could that be an option for you if coverage is good? by BaldyBiker (Fri 14th Jan 2022 11:15am)
  • It's possible the drive is fine and it's the external box that's the problem. I had that exact issue with a seagate 1tb external ssd just a few months ago. Light was coming on showing it was getting power from the USB ok but PC wouldn't recognise it. Burst the box open, took the drive out and stuck it in the PC and it's still there working just fine today. Worth checking out as if you go down the data recovery route it's almost certainly going to have to come apart anyway. by BaldyBiker (Mon 28th Feb 2022 6:07pm)
  • Ah fair enough. I just burst the case mine was in to get to the actual drive. Was one of the push together type cases with the little internal plastic clips that are all but impossible to get apart without breaking so I just burst it to bits. Can get new external housings for the drive for about a tenner. All irrelevant anyway if you don't have access to a PC you could drop it into to try though. Fingers crossed you get it recovered. One of the worst feeling in the world when a drive with important stuff dies on you :( by BaldyBiker (Mon 28th Feb 2022 10:01pm)
  • Definitely worth taking the time to backup. I've learned (eventually) the hard way after numerous drives have died on me over the years. Use online (OneDrive & PCloud) and offline now just to cover all my bases. PCloud's a good shout if you have sensitive material to back up as the Crypto folder option is a good feature. by BaldyBiker (Tue 1st Mar 2022 9:38am)
  • I just passed back in May there using "John Carstairs Intensive Driving School". Was John himself that taught me but there's quite a few different instructors there. I'm 48 and hate driving with a passion but still had good craic with him and passed with 3 minors. Been on the roads on 2 wheels for way over 20 years so he had quite a few "issues" with me to iron out lol. Only does intensive / semi intensive courses though with lessons usually being 3 - 4 hour blocks but I did a couple of 2 hour slots as well. Definitely not the hour here and there type if that's what you're after. Best of luck. by BaldyBiker (Wed 13th Jul 2022 6:32am)
  • Should have said I did an auto license which made it an absolute doddle but they cover both auto & manual. Can't really see the point of manual with cars all heading the way of being auto anyway unless you're going to need manual for driving vans. trucks etc etc. by BaldyBiker (Wed 13th Jul 2022 6:35am)
  • Would thoroughly recommend "John Carstairs Intensive Driving School". Passed with him back in May there and I absolutely hate driving. At 48 I definitely left it late but spent 30 years on 2 wheels so had a fair few bad habits to iron out. He and his other instructors only do longer lessons / intensive courses but I personally found that much better than an hour here or there. My lessons were 2 - 3 hours at a time. Ex military so doesn't get in a flap about anything and not the shouty moany type. He's on Facebook and you'll find his FB page and website googling the name. If you message him via FB and explain your situation he'll get back to you quickly. No idea how far ahead he's booked up though. Best of luck with the driving :) by BaldyBiker (Tue 9th Aug 2022 7:41am)
  • Well from what I've seen house prices are still mental. Ex-council 2 bed end terraced house which I would say needs a new bathroom, kitchen and every room modernised had a home report value of £110k, was listed at offers over £100k and closed last week at £136.5k. Crazy money. Good news for me as I'm selling essentially the same type of house I have on the same street and was expecting maybe 90-95k for it but same valuer that done the other house I mentioned reckons it'll home report at £120k and expect to sell for £140+. Looking at the historical sales data the valuer left me closing prices are pretty much double what they were 8-10 years ago. Honestly, speaking as someone with a teenage daughter, the younger generations are pretty much fucked for getting on the property ladder unless things change drastically! by BaldyBiker (Sun 28th Aug 2022 9:53pm)
  • Cathkin, G73 by BaldyBiker (Mon 29th Aug 2022 10:17pm)
  • Been a biker for 30 years and now a car driver at the ripe old age of 48 for a few months and always give cyclists the space they need on the road. However there's a fair amount of pure fannies on bicycles out there as well. Thanks to one of said fannies I've now got a scratch on my previously totally minted ZH2 cause the fud decided to slide down the inside of me while I was sitting waiting to turn left on the lights and he lost his balance / footing and toppled into the side of me. Thankfully didn't take me down but when I parked up later noticed a gouge in the sc intake cowl that could only have come from him. That was today at the junction of Mill St & Burnhill Rd / Ruggy Main St. If said fanny happens to read this then well done you total bellend. Gloss plastic panel that will no doubt cost a stupid amount to replace. Indicator on, sitting well left of centre and yet the clown who went straight on decided sitting to my left was a better idea than to my right which he had plenty of space to do. There's no question there's a lot of decent considerate cyclists out there but I honestly do think percentage wise there's a much higher % of cyclists who are dangerous / inconsiderate on the roads than there are car drivers (as a % of the total on the road obviously) or bikers. by BaldyBiker (Wed 31st Aug 2022 9:07pm)
  • So if a cyclist runs a red light or otherwise rides dangerously and causes you to plow into them in a car you're driving safely you're at fault? Utter nonsense. If a pedestrian steps out into traffic without looking and you plow into them in a car you're driving safely you're at fault? Utter nonsense. A car driver is at fault when they're at fault, it's really as simple as that. The same goes for bikers, cyclists & pedestrians. by BaldyBiker (Wed 31st Aug 2022 10:25pm)
  • Obviously those down voting me for being 100% correct are the stereotypical self entitled pricks you often (but not always) find riding bicycles like fannies. by BaldyBiker (Thu 1st Sep 2022 5:46pm)
  • Feedback I'm getting from estate agents selling a house for me at the moment is that the market is definitely cooling off rapidly at the moment with more sellers slashing prices, myself included. To be honest the asking prices have been mental for a long time now and a correction is well overdue. I had the house listed (offers over) at 10k below the home report value and after about 10 days of high activity in viewings they dropped off a cliff after the latest interest hike. Just dropped it to offers over 25k less than HR value and interest picked up sharply today. Would say there's no chance in the current market now of getting close to the HR value which in my opinion was stupidly high to start with. Personally I'd avoid buying just now if you can unless you get a cracking deal on a place well below the HR value as house prices are pretty much dead cert to drop significantly. by BaldyBiker (Wed 28th Sep 2022 2:30pm)
  • Have you tried The Dogs Trust? They do (we'll they did 2 years ago) puppy classes over at Mount Vernon. We took our pup there and ot was great. Also Pawsitive Steps in EK (Wilson Place) do puppy classes as well as doggy day care. They're on Facebook and are great. Our dog goes to their daycare. by BaldyBiker (Wed 28th Sep 2022 2:58pm)
  • Got to say we found the classes great for initial socialising of our pup. Was 15 or so other dogs there , all similar ages and all shapes & sizes and pretty much with the same mindset of wanting to explore and play. The training is definitely basic in that it's the fundamentals they should be taught as a puppy that it's geared to but we had plenty of time during (and before & after classes with a lot of the owners) to just let the dogs have a wee play. Definitely get the dog walking and meeting people / dogs outside though. Just a shame there's so many lockdown puppies (now dogs) out there that were never socialised from the outset that are now either aggressive or fearful of people and dogs. by BaldyBiker (Wed 28th Sep 2022 6:16pm)
  • Sure, G73 (Cathkin) by BaldyBiker (Thu 29th Sep 2022 8:10am)
  • When the weather's decent go for a blast on the bike. When it's shite, go for a drive somewhere I've never been or somewhere I like but haven't been in ages. Went down the Dalveen Pass and back up via the Mennock Pass the other day. Fantastic way to kill a few hours and lighten the mood especially when the roads were dead. Amazing watching all the red kites down that way and even a few standoffs with the sheep in the roads made me chuckle! by BaldyBiker (Sat 15th Oct 2022 11:38am)
  • As others have said, contact the likes of Clyde Marine. Done my cadetship with them 30 years ago and they're still on the go to this day so they know a thing or 2 about it. I was an Engineer but if you're set on joining the dark side then they do Deck cadetships as well. If it still works the same way it did back then you'll be sponsored by a company (in my case Mobil shipping) who you'll do your sea time with as you work towards your first ticket. I wouldn't bet on becoming a Captain of anything substantial until you've got at least 20 years experience through the ranks under your belt though. Best of luck if you go ahead with it. by BaldyBiker (Sun 30th Oct 2022 5:26pm)
  • As someone else said, Cathkin Braes gives a great view of the whole city. Big grassy area around Queen Mary's seat is probably your best bet. by BaldyBiker (Mon 31st Oct 2022 8:28am)
  • Suppose it depends on the sellers situation. They might want to sell but not need to sell. If they've got their eye on moving to a more expensive house / area then they might actually need to get the over inflated value they've been told to expect by the estate agent in order to get what they want. If they don't get it then they might just stay put. I just sold a house I inherited a few weeks back and was told to expect 10-20k over the HR value and ended up selling for 10k under which to be honest was still about 20-30k more than I thought it was worth prior to getting the HR done. In the month previous to me listing the house for sale, the same size / style of house on the same road in far worse internal condition sold for about 15k more than mine did despite their HR value being far less. Difference is they sold pre-Truss and me during the complete clusterfuck of her premiership. Definitely not the sellers market it was earlier in the year. by BaldyBiker (Wed 2nd Nov 2022 8:40pm)
  • What about a wee table top tumble dryer? Should be able to get one for about £150 and just chuck the vent hose out of a window when it's on. Had one about 25 year ago when we were in a tiny wee flat in the Saltmarket and it worked a treat. Sure they've improved over the years. by BaldyBiker (Sun 13th Nov 2022 5:05pm)
  • Wish I had one now instead of a full size one. That way I could lock it in the garage to combat the wife's "fuck the cost, bang it all in the dryer" blasé attitude lol. by BaldyBiker (Sun 13th Nov 2022 6:30pm)
  • ALK Autos in Rutherglen. Been looking after our cars for 20 odd years now (previously known as CSR Autos) and they are honest and fair. by BaldyBiker (Sun 13th Nov 2022 6:54pm)
  • 😂😂 by BaldyBiker (Sun 13th Nov 2022 6:56pm)
  • 100% of our clothes can go in the dryer. Whether they should or not is another matter. by BaldyBiker (Mon 14th Nov 2022 1:56pm)
  • Hot water from a combi boiler system is totally fine to drink as it's direct from the same mains pipe your cold water is and is as fresh as your cold water is. It's supplied and heated on demand so it's exactly the same water you'd get if you turned the cold tap on or the hot tap on (other than what's been sitting in the pipe since you last turned the tap/s on). Obviously going to be a good amount cooler than hot water from a boiled kettle but safe all the same. If your hot is from a tank the that's a different matter. by BaldyBiker (Sat 19th Nov 2022 10:58pm)
  • No been in ages but used to love the place. Actually had my first gainful employment there as a 13/14 y/o selling speccy games (then c64, ST & Amiga) on a stall on the top floor of the building directly opposite Pearsons Electrical. Think back then the other building was known as Pearsons Market. Best part of 35 years ago ffs. Place was absolutely heavin' back then. Used to blow pretty much every penny I made in the Arcade which last time I was there had become the barras shed company or something like that. by BaldyBiker (Wed 7th Dec 2022 9:52pm)
  • That will have been one of Ian Sweeney's concoctions. Went from selling dodgy disks to selling sharks of all things ffs. Couldn't make it up, only in the barras lol. by BaldyBiker (Wed 7th Dec 2022 10:52pm)
  • Yeah he was a bit of a player in the barras back on the day. Made his money (rumoured in the 7 figures and I believe it), got fed up with being pinched every year for dodgy discs and moved on. Had the pet / aquarium shop on Bain St just outside barras selling illegal sharks among other things and last I heard he got into the fireworks business with a big place in Hillington years back. Used to run with a big bear of a bloke Sammy and lanky Billy brannan. Knew them from when I was a kid working a stall in there and they were still there at it 10 years later lol. by BaldyBiker (Wed 7th Dec 2022 11:21pm)
  • I did it for about 3 maybe closer to 4 years then buggered off to join the merchant navy. Although it was dodgy I had a great time doing it lol. Started by working for a bloke called Russell and ended up taking over it with my mate when he got fed up. There was another stall on the ground level of that building doing mainly Amiga & ST by the time I left. I'm sure it was the main guy from there that went on to open the wee gaming shop in the red brick building (now painted black last I was there) that done the chipping of consoles and what have you when that all came about. Got my first dodgy chipped NTL cable cube thing from there for free telly lol. by BaldyBiker (Thu 8th Dec 2022 7:14am)
  • Yeah, right on the corner of London Rd & Kent street beside the archway. Used to be puggy and games machines and also Bingo which was in the same building but through to the side of where the arcade was. Building still there ok but Barras shed company now, or at least was last time I drove by. Probably had about 15 or so video games in the place. Was a great wee arcade. Was 100% there through the 80's and I'm sure very early 90's but I buggered off to the merchant navy in 91 and probably wasn't in the barras for a good 10 years straight. by BaldyBiker (Thu 8th Dec 2022 8:20am)
  • Main guy at the bottom stall was a lad called Jason (99% sure that was his name), blonde floppy hair. They did indeed do onsite copying for Amiga & ST. Speccy & C64 was a different matter. Hours spent at night with double tape decks copying the games for the next day lol. by BaldyBiker (Thu 8th Dec 2022 9:53am)
  • Pretty sure wee sweeney was the man behind the "Blobby" compilation discs if you ever mind them. Sure blobby discs were more apps/utils based although both them and the sweeny discs contained both depending on what was out. by BaldyBiker (Thu 8th Dec 2022 9:55am)
  • Never tried the bingo myself lol but spent waaay too much time & money in the wee arcade. Had some crackin games in there to be fair. Think back then games like Operation Wolf, Rampage, Out Run etc were like 10p a shot. Probably about 2 quid a throw now in the arcades! by BaldyBiker (Thu 8th Dec 2022 11:45am)
  • ah, you gave into the dark side mate, that was your first problem lol. Engineer myself. Had many a good session in Annie Miller's and Sharkey's back in the day. Early 90's so may or may not have been before your time. by BaldyBiker (Thu 8th Dec 2022 11:17pm)
  • I sat my 4th's ticket 95 so was there 91 - 95. Small world. Been out the game 20+ years now but most the lads I served my time with still on the boats. Served my Cadetship through Clyde Marine with Mobil. by BaldyBiker (Thu 8th Dec 2022 11:25pm)
  • Personally after nearly 49 long wet cold miserable years in Glasgow I'm looking forward to moving away in a few years. Not the heat (or lack off) that bothers me, it's the rain. Lots and lots of rain. It's soul destroying for me and just about everyone I know in Glasgow feels the same. Wouldn't want to live somewhere that's roasting hot and arid but somewhere like the East coast of Scotland which in many places get 50% less rain than Glasgow. Might be a tad cooler but less rain and slightly lower temp would do me lovely. Obviously cold and dry(ish) lately but with the current Gas & Leccy bills I'm non too chuffed about that either lol. by BaldyBiker (Mon 12th Dec 2022 5:21pm)
  • Know a lot of people with pretty bad colds, myself, my wife & my daughter included. Doubt it's flu with us or our friends that feel the same way though. Had flu bad about 15/16 years ago and really did feel like I was dying and so did the wife. 2 weeks before we could get out of bed. Nowhere near that with how we are just now thankfully. by BaldyBiker (Wed 21st Dec 2022 4:18pm)
  • It's a massive commitment and something you really do need to think long and hard about but if do then it can be very rewarding. Not single so can't comment from that side of things but our neighbour is and she works fulltime, pops home each lunchtime to take her dog out and it works for her. Her dog is very chilled and lovely natured, non destructive and just sleeps most of the time when she's out. You'd definitely need to read up a lot about what types of dogs do best being left on their own for longer periods. That said it still doesn't mean it'll turn out like the "norm" for that breed. We've got a cockapoo who are known as velcro dogs and nothing could be further from the truth with ours. He's not clingy or cuddly, happy on his own and doesn't suffer from separation anxiety at all. In fact when we say we're going out his just takes himself off to his crate (left open 24/7) and he's usually still there when we get back after however many hours. Our boy goes to daycare 2 days a week (just dropped him off earlier) and it costs £50 for the 2 days. That's from 7am to 5:30pm but we never put him in for that long. He goes purely for the social side of it as I work from home and so does the missus for 2 days a week. A good daycare is a great way to socialise your dog and ours can't get out the car and into the place quick enough in the mornings. Best of luck whatever you decide. by BaldyBiker (Thu 22nd Dec 2022 9:12am)
  • Not being funny but have you tried unplugging, leaving it off for a few mins then back on? I was only getting 70/80 mbps yesterday morning when it's usually about 900. Done the usual test through Virgin and came back all ok and checked for any known network faults but there were none. Unplugged it for a few mins, put it back on and speed back up to into the 900's. Personally my hub gets switched off at night and back on in the morning but I know some folk that leave theirs on 24/7 so it might be worth a shot if it's been a while since you rebooted it. by BaldyBiker (Thu 22nd Dec 2022 1:53pm)
  • He's working from within a Hairdressers in the Forge Market now. Not sure what it's called but he's definitely there as he did my daughters tongue piercing a couple of days ago. I know absolutely nothing about piercing but he's done around 10 on my daughter (ears, belly b and tongue) and a couple on the wife and know neither of them would go elsewhere while he's still around. by BaldyBiker (Sun 1st Jan 2023 6:37pm)
  • I'll ask the wife / daughter when they get home the name of the hairdresser's he's in just now and let you know. My daughters only 14 and he's been so good with her over the past few years with her ears first, then the belly and now her tongue. She fannied about with her nose when it was done and twice took it out and couldn't get it back in and twice Kenny replaced it with a new stud or whatever it's called and wouldn't take a penny for his time or the new thingy. Can't beat that kinda service. He always makes sure she knows exactly what she needs to do to keep things clean while they heal as well. Shame the way he and the others were treated when it all went tits up. He was telling the wife they were all offered their old places back (after being kicked out with like a days notice) but at a massively increased rent. Talk about taking the piss when times are hard enough for small businesses eh! by BaldyBiker (Sun 1st Jan 2023 6:52pm)
  • He's in Unique Hair & Beauty. Thursday to Sunday and he's there from 11 (ish) each day. Wife said he's able to answer messages on his Facebook page. by BaldyBiker (Sun 1st Jan 2023 6:55pm)
  • Welcome :) by BaldyBiker (Sun 1st Jan 2023 7:03pm)
  • Contain-It down at Polmadie. Great facilities and always found them cheaper than safestore etc. by BaldyBiker (Tue 3rd Jan 2023 10:03pm)
  • Lunch & Dinner, although at school I had my lunch when the dinner bell went and when I was a youngster I was always told to be home by tea time for my dinner. by BaldyBiker (Sat 7th Jan 2023 10:14pm)
  • Fuckin hell, is that just for electric? No way I could afford that. One man band so I'd be working for feck all paying those kind of rates. Sick of working from home but gas is "only" 10p or thereabouts and electric 36p and I can still claim a portion of the usage back on my tax return. Just sooo fed up working from home or living at my work depending on how you look at it! by BaldyBiker (Mon 9th Jan 2023 9:39pm)
  • Even at 70p it's a no from me. Country's going to be wasteland unless these prices are brought under control rapidly. by BaldyBiker (Mon 9th Jan 2023 9:44pm)
  • Those kind of leccy prices, your in the range where running a diesel generator to generate your leccy would be cheaper! Actually something I've been considering at home. Can run red diesel in a domestic setting but obviously could never ever use that for powering anything in my workshop..... ;) Not quite at the stage where it's cheaper with domestic rates at the moment but not a kick in the arse off it either. by BaldyBiker (Mon 9th Jan 2023 9:42pm)
  • Honestly it's mindblowing the costs these days. Wee businesses will be going to the wall left right & centre this year with the way things are going. Hope you survive ok but if I was paying that sort of monthly bill I'd be dead on my feet trying to pay that and earn a decent wage. I make everything to order so not like I can just drop prices to shift stock. Materials like stretcher bars, ink & canvas all pretty much doubled during the covid crisis as it was so prices already way up on 2/3 years ago without having to find an extra 800-900 a month for the utilities. Scunnered! by BaldyBiker (Mon 9th Jan 2023 9:51pm)
  • Sounds about right for hourly rate. We've been using Duffy Toshner in Cambuslang the last few years (family bereavements, estates etc) and it's £200 + VAT p/h. £50 + VAT per letter which I found out when I chased up the lack of updates & correspondence. Essentially saving me money by leaving me in the dark for weeks on end. Too much bother to just ping me a wee email every now and then I guess. by BaldyBiker (Tue 10th Jan 2023 10:30am)
  • What about up the east coast to say Arbroath by train. Can have a wee days out in the likes of Montrose, Carnoustie, Stonehaven etc. Almost certainly get much drier weather than anywhere on the west coast. Bit cooler but I'd personally take dry and cool over wet, mild and miserable any day. by BaldyBiker (Tue 10th Jan 2023 11:32am)
  • Been up to Arbroath quite a few times with the wife and always enjoyed it. Although we drive and get about that way the train will take you right through the centre of Montrose etc. Like it there as well. Nice to get away from the city and have a poke around all the wee independent shops you find in these places. How many have survived the past couple of years remains to be seen right enough. AirBnB usually have a good selection of reasonably priced lets in Arbroath and there's also a caravan site just on the outskirts that seems reasonably priced when there's availability there. by BaldyBiker (Tue 10th Jan 2023 11:45am)
  • That they are. Even I enjoy it and heights is not something I'm good with. by BaldyBiker (Tue 10th Jan 2023 12:35pm)
  • Guess there's at least a couple of wee fannies here that don't like Arbroath lol. What kind of sad wee twats downvote all my posts simply because they don't seem to like the suggestion, which ironically the OP seemed to like. Schools are supposed to be on strike tomorrow, not today. Get your homework done ya wee plebs. by BaldyBiker (Tue 10th Jan 2023 4:31pm)
  • That about Arbroath smokies being totally overrated? Or maybe that's just me cause I'm not really a fish kind guy. by BaldyBiker (Tue 10th Jan 2023 5:24pm)
  • Sounds like it could be the external frame sealant has failed. Had this with our old windows (about 18 years old) and used to drive me nuts until we got new windows in. By the time we got new windows 3 were whistling away every time it was windy. by BaldyBiker (Wed 11th Jan 2023 3:13pm)
  • Hire a van and do a few (if needed) dump runs. Just make sure you take ID with you showing you're resident in an area able to use the dump you go to. Explain the situation to the staff at the dump who will almost certainly question you on arrival and you're good to go. No fees to pay as it's not trade waste. Had to do the very same thing in November there after my dad passed and the house was sold. by BaldyBiker (Thu 12th Jan 2023 12:51pm)
  • Boulevard do a 4 hr hire for £40 or full day hire for £65. Used them a lot (EK depot) and if you tell them it's for crap / dump runs and ask for a scabby van you don't need to worry about scuffing or dinging they'll usually oblige. Never once had them come out to check over the van once it's returned as usually the ones we get are rough as a badgers arse (cosmetically) to start with which suits me as it's for flinging crap into anyway! No sure where you are but they have a depot in EK (Wilson Place) and another in Drumchapel. by BaldyBiker (Thu 12th Jan 2023 1:19pm)
  • Should say that's for a tranny van or similar size. by BaldyBiker (Thu 12th Jan 2023 1:20pm)
  • Get yourself registered with a few recruitment agencies and you'll be earning before you know it. Granted the money won't be fantastic but it's a wage and there's a ton of work out there if you're not fussy and will give things a go that you might not have ordinarily thought of trying. by BaldyBiker (Mon 16th Jan 2023 7:20am)
  • Yeah you can google or go on the likes of Indeed and search for jobs. Lot of recruitment agencies list vacancies on there and it will also give you a list if you like of agencies covering Glasgow. Total Jobs is another job site. Some of the City centre based agencies that does general kind of vacancies like production and warehouse staff include A1 Jobs, Global Recruitment, Brightworks and BlueArrow. Tons of agencies but some are more specialist that focus more on say Temp & Perm vacancies in certain industries or trades. If you're just looking to earn some quick money whilst you look for something permanent in whatever field of work it is that you'd prefer to be doing then you're probably better getting on the books of a few of the more general agencies like I mentioned. by BaldyBiker (Mon 16th Jan 2023 10:36am)
  • Should really phone up the agencies and get registered with them as most of the work through general work type agencies is ad hoc so it's a case of them phoning up those registered and looking for work to see if they're available on the day or usually next day. Might be a shift for a day or a full week or more work. Longer term contracts, even though not permanent will likely be listed on the places like Indeed and Total Jobs. by BaldyBiker (Mon 16th Jan 2023 11:16am)
  • Legends Sports Bar (Old Sweepers) in Cambuslang? Think they still do functions. by BaldyBiker (Mon 16th Jan 2023 4:46pm)
  • Never heard of this [simd.scot](https://simd.scot) map before but having just checked out where I live I wouldn't give much weight to the results. My street seems to be a reasonable enough 6 but at the end of my street there's a small development of around 10 house and some flats which are rated 2 . The last sale of one of those 10 or so houses was for £670k I think it was. They're massive, the residents are loaded and it's certainly a far from deprived area. The flats are also very expensive. Not many of them and think they're all upwards of 300k. by BaldyBiker (Tue 17th Jan 2023 11:09am)
  • Inchmahome priory is still closed with no visitor access to the site but not sure if that covers the whole island as well. by BaldyBiker (Sun 22nd Jan 2023 5:39pm)
  • We've got the historic Scotland membership, that's the only reason I know. Loads of sites been closed for up to a year plus now for high level repairs. Think they're slowly but surely getting there with more sites due to open again later this year. by BaldyBiker (Sun 22nd Jan 2023 7:07pm)
  • Head to Grangemouth, commandeer a laden container ship and sit back and relax. Chances are it would have stores that would last years, fresh water, enough fuel to run a genny for years giving power etc etc. Would no doubt have a decent workshop for crafting all manner or zombie killing weapons. Hard to think or a safer and better place to go in a zombie apocaypse than a fuckin big ship. by BaldyBiker (Wed 25th Jan 2023 9:41am)
  • Junction 2 on the M74 by BaldyBiker (Thu 26th Jan 2023 1:14pm)
  • Public transport is all well and good if it's pretty much on your doorstep. If it's not and you've got to trudge half a mile or more in the pishing rain, howling wind, freezing cold, day in day out only for the fucking thing to not turn up on time or at all you'll quickly realise why there's so many cars on our roads. by BaldyBiker (Thu 26th Jan 2023 9:16pm)
  • A1 Jobs on Hope Street might be able to help, they're a temp agency. by BaldyBiker (Tue 31st Jan 2023 8:16pm)
  • Started P1 in '79 as well and also had the buttered digestives. My granny used to thinly slice a mars bar and put that between two buttered digestives to make "sandwich" with them. Loved them as a wean :) by BaldyBiker (Sat 4th Feb 2023 10:32am)
  • A wee quick zap for about 10 seconds in the micro makes all the difference! by BaldyBiker (Sat 4th Feb 2023 11:11am)
  • Think we got our first micro towards the tail end of my primary school years, 84/85 maybe. My typical lunch through my high school years was a wee mini pizza zapped in the micro until it pretty much fused itself to the plate and then slapped in a piece! Those wee 5" or whatever they were frozen pizzas that you got in a bag of like 6 or something. No seen them in decades. by BaldyBiker (Sat 4th Feb 2023 4:32pm)
  • I'd be lost without the micro. Well probably hungry more than lost lol. I can't cook to save my life and as for the wife, lets just say after 27 years of married life I can safely say when she's making dinner it either pings or rings. Pings when it's done in the micro or rings when the delivery driver hits the doorbell. by BaldyBiker (Mon 6th Feb 2023 11:14am)
  • What a load of absolute pish. So my wife's a selfish cunt for taking her car into work (she works right beside Central Station) when she needs said car for her job as client visits are part of her job / working day. Or do you suggest she spends 45+ minutes waiting & getting on a bus should it decide to turn up to take her to the office to then do the same return journey home to get her car, to then do a client visit, then get the bus back to the office, then bus again home at the end of the day? Fuck off ya muppet. by BaldyBiker (Thu 9th Feb 2023 9:39am)
  • Wonder how many of them are down to pedestrian error and how many down to drive / rider error though. by BaldyBiker (Thu 9th Feb 2023 2:11pm)
  • If you're going to the expense of paying someone to do it then I'd recommend budgeting a bit more than "under a tenner" for the TRV and get decent quality ones. If you're looking for a quick fix so you're not heating all your rooms then just shut the lockshields and leave the TRV's as they are. Just keep note of how many turns each lockshield is open so when you open them again your system is balanced, assuming it is to start with that is. by BaldyBiker (Thu 9th Feb 2023 2:44pm)
  • Totally agree about the number of bad drivers out there and it's something I've become more acutely aware of in the past 8 months or so I've been driving a car myself. Spent over 25 years on 2 wheels (motorbike) and only went for my driving license last year at 48 y/o. Riding a bike, I ride like everyone is a fanny out to kill me / don't see me and that defensive riding saved my skin many a time. What really surprised me is having to also drive like everyone is a fanny and don't see me as well. All that said, I've had 100's of near misses over the years with pedestrians on the bike that were 100% their fault and more than a few of them would have been contact if I'd been in the car. Far worse this past 5+ years when 90% of the younger generation walk about with their eyes on the phone and not paying attention to what's around them. by BaldyBiker (Thu 9th Feb 2023 3:38pm)
  • Personally I'd opt for a branded TRV every time. I've always fitted Drayton or Danfoss and honestly never replaced one because they've failed. I'm not a plumber (Marine Engineer to trade) but always done my own plumbing & radiator installs at home. The lockshield is the other non trv valve on your radiator. It's likely just got a cap on it rather than an actual fitted handle / head that you can turn but you might be lucky and have useable heads that you can close off the valve with on at least one of them that you can pop off and use to shut the others. If not if you have a shifter just use that to turn it off. by BaldyBiker (Thu 9th Feb 2023 3:47pm)
  • Also depending on what TRV's you have fitted (branded?) you can buy and fitted replacement heads with the actual valve body in situ. Just unscrew the TRV head off and screw the new one on. The TRV head is just a temperature controlled actuator that expands and pushes a spring load valve / plunger down to open the flow of water. Taking the TRV head off won't result in any water coming out. You can check if the TRV head is away or if it's the valve / plunger that's buggered by taking the TRV head off and checking is the plunger moves freely manually by BaldyBiker (Thu 9th Feb 2023 3:52pm)
  • 4 killed by cars, 1 by a cyclist and 1 by a bus. There's a lot of shit drivers out there but there's a lot of shit cyclists and a lot of dithering pedestrians as well that don't pay attention. I only just passed my driving test last May (at 48 y/o) but have spent over 25 years on 2 wheels (motorbike) and seen more than my fair share of car, motorbike, bus, taxi, cyclist and pedestrian wankers to know it's not all down to car drivers. by BaldyBiker (Thu 9th Feb 2023 4:01pm)
  • Not at all but it always seems to be car drivers that get blamed. Cyclist kills pedestrian... it's either 1 or the others fault, nothing to do with cars. Bus kills pedestrian.. again no car at fault. Of course when someone points out the faults of other more championed modes of transport like cycling or buses they get downvoted for speaking the truth. That feature was about 6 deaths in 2 weeks. Cars are used in about 65% of all journeys made on Scotland's roads and were involved in 67% of those accidents. Cycling accounts for about 3.5% of journeys but a cyclist was involved in 16.6% (1) of those accidents and buses make up about 7% of all journeys and like cycling were involved in 16.6% (1) of the accidents. So for that story no matter what way you look at it car drivers were not the most "at fault" group. I hate driving, hence why I never bothered until last year at 48 and still ride my bike rather than take a car whenever possible but the fact remains there's complete fannies on all fronts, cars, buses, cyclists, pedestrians etc. by BaldyBiker (Thu 9th Feb 2023 4:41pm)
  • So the cyclist that killed the 89 y/o mentioned in the article was on a death machine? Try telling that to all those screaming out for less cars and more cycle lanes. Tear up the current cycle lanes and replace them with pavements is it? Or the Bus that killed the 79 y/o is a death machine? Sod improving death machine public transport. Dig up the bus lanes and replace with more pavements. Education (for all) and stiffer penalties for all who cause death or injury has to be the way forward. Current penalties are a joke in this country. by BaldyBiker (Thu 9th Feb 2023 7:09pm)
  • That would completely tank the city centre. Drive businesses out of it, reduce footfall and finish off many small businesses that rely on workers for lunchtime trade etc. Mon-Fri. Plenty of workers in the city centre require a car to carry out part of their job on a daily basis. Ban cars and those businesses have no option but to move out. Without buses in the city centre how are shoppers meant to get there and get home with their purchases? Walk in the pishing rain with everything they bought to get outwith city centre limits to catch a bus? by BaldyBiker (Thu 9th Feb 2023 7:23pm)
  • My wife works directly opposite Central Station in an office with 10 other people who all need their cars to do their job. They can't have their car parked nearby they can't do their job, therefor the business relocates and trade to surrounding cafes etc. is lost. Multiple that by god knows how many similar businesses and it would devastate the city centre. No laughing matter unless you're total fanny like yourself. You obviously have some sort of fanciful utopia dreamt up for the city centre but thankfully you're just a delusional dreamer and far removed from anything that will actually happen in reality. by BaldyBiker (Thu 9th Feb 2023 7:32pm)
  • What exactly do you mean by car culture? The use of cars? because without the use of cars we'd all be living like fuckin cavemen again and that's a fact. Of course pedestrians have the right to feel safe when they're behaving in a way and in a place that they have every right to feel safe. It's not car culture that's responsible for someone being killed or injured by a car when they step out in front of traffic without paying due care and attention and get hit UNLESS the driver is doing something wrong and breaking the law or not paying attention. That's called stupidity or carelessness. Drivers & cyclists for that matter can't mitigate against every possible situation that someone might put themselves into harms way / their path even if they are following every rule in the book. by BaldyBiker (Thu 9th Feb 2023 8:21pm)
  • Take a look around this post and others on this sub and all you get is people droning on and on about banning cars from here there and everywhere and turning everything into cycle paths and pedestrian only zones. My reference to pubic transport and cycling being more championed is in reference to this. I know the cycling infrastructure and public transport networks are shite but that shouldn't mean it's open season on car drivers as most car drivers drive through necessity, not for fun. The roads are shite and the costs are high but that's where we're at. All this bashing car drivers and saying shite like the city centre should be car free is pure pie in the sky. In an ideal world yeah, but ffs it's never gonna happen in 50 years let alone anytime soon. Ban cars from the city centre and within a year it's a desolate wasteland and business and retail just moves out to new "centres". by BaldyBiker (Thu 9th Feb 2023 8:32pm)
  • Totally agree with you but if you're a car driver that hits a pedestrian at fault it's still your fault because you drive a car in many peoples eyes. Can't win on 4 wheels these days. I'm a biker first and foremost but sick of the whole concept going on here that pedestrians can never be at fault for getting themselves wiped out. One thing being a biker taught me is self preservation above all else. I see kids every day when I pick my kid up that just walk across roads looking at their phones without a care in the world. Amazed I've not seen one killed or seriously injured. by BaldyBiker (Thu 9th Feb 2023 8:38pm)
  • Been to cities all over the world where there's far far fewer cars than we have on our streets because they've been built that way from the ground up or developed that way over decades and decades. Business that require staff access to vehicles don't base themselves in city centres where there's no car access. Glasgow's not that kind of city. In the distant future it may be but considering the speed anything gets done in this country under this government, don't bank on it happening in yours or my lifetime. We have an appalling public transport system with public transport not even a distant consideration when new housing developments pop up here there and everywhere. Considering we live in the 2nd wettest part of the UK (beaten only by Cardiff i believe) can you imagine what banning cars from the city will do to footfall when so many people need to walk in the pissing rain for up to mile just to get to a bus stop and even then may need 2 buses to get there. Rail network coverage is even worse. It would cripple footfall. Once we have public transport like so many other top cities around the world have then we could realistically start moving towards a car free city centre but until then it won't happen or if it did it would be devastating. 3 times in the past 6 months I've had to drive into the city centre to pick my wife up because she's been unable to get home after works dinners or night out. Waited hours for taxis that don't show up, no available public transport past about 11:30pm. If cars were banned she and no doubt hundreds off others over the course of a weekend would be left stranded for god know how long with god knows who roaming rat arsed about the streets. Not just retail that would suffer, hospitality would take an absolute battering as well. by BaldyBiker (Thu 9th Feb 2023 10:07pm)
  • What I'm saying is if Glasgow as it is just now or even remotely like it is just now pushes forward into a car free city centre it would tank, which a lot of people in this sub are screaming out needs to happen now or in the near future. We're decades and massive investment in public transport away from anything like a car free city from happening. I'm not against it at all in the future (although won't be in my lifetime I suspect) but this constant car/driver bashing is ridiculous when a large portion of cars in the city centre don't really have a choice due to either work or totally inadequate public transport to get them there & home. I don't venture into the city centre much these days but when I do I take the train but need to drive to a station and park & ride. There's no parking facilities at my nearest station so need to drive 3 miles to the next one and hope there's a space to park. If everyone who drove into the city centre decided to use public transport instead starting tomorrow the system couldn't cope, not by a long shot. by BaldyBiker (Fri 10th Feb 2023 6:45am)
  • So in general you'd like to see car ownership just disappear if used for leisure? If that was the case then 10's of thousands of businesses would just disappear. by BaldyBiker (Fri 10th Feb 2023 7:18am)
  • I suppose the people you refer to just teleported there or every one of them walked from where they live to get there? Come on, at least be serious with your arguments. Losing cars to the city centre will undoubtedly lead to a massive fall in footfall for business UNLESS there's a proper fit for purpose alternative public transport alternative. We don't even have a fit for purpose pubic transport system just now let alone one to cope with massively increased numbers and one that has been expanded massively so it's convenient for people to access. Even with major investment there's still going to be significant numbers of people who would be left without easy access to public transport that would take them to the city centre so there needs to be a total rethink / development of park & ride so those that need to drive to access public transport. A car free city centre only works if access to it is convenient enough for enough people to sustain the businesses in it. Can't see too many folk willing to get soaked to the skin and spend and hour or more faffing about on various buses just to get to the city centre to have a browse, maybe buy a couple of odds and ends and a bite to eat etc. No, these folk would just shop online and drive somewhere if they wanted to eat out. by BaldyBiker (Fri 10th Feb 2023 9:34am)
  • No i don't actually. In fact I've stated numerous time I hate driving which is why I only sat my test at 48 to help out my father out who gave up driving voluntarily as he felt his eyesight was not up to it. So, if you're going to run your mouth at least pay some attention to what folk say before doing so, otherwise you just look like a complete wanker. by BaldyBiker (Fri 10th Feb 2023 10:01am)
  • I made a point about footfall dropping if cars are banned from the city centre because it's a fact that 1000's of people for one reason or another go by car. You retort to footfall not dropping is saying people aren't in Argos in their car ffs. Hardly serious or relevant is it? For the record on the very rare occasion I venture into the city centre these days I go by train using park & ride. The exception to that is if I need to go pick the wife up because she can't get home after a meal / night out because there's no public transport late at night and taxis are a total joke these days. by BaldyBiker (Fri 10th Feb 2023 2:02pm)
  • If you banned cars tomorrow then yes, we'd all be fucked. Or perhaps you would cycle fuck knows how many miles to go and run Torness on your own? Like it or not, the world revolves around transport and our country and cities have been built around transport. It's took us near enough 100 years to get to where we are, it's not a quick fix getting rid of cars from where businesses that need cars operate even if that is a city centre. I hate cars and driving but it doesn't mean I'm some delusional muppet that blames cars / car drivers for everything even though without cars and car drivers we would all be fucked, yourself included. Someone posts a topic about 6 pedestrians being killed in 2 weeks and it's all finger wagging at car drivers and calling them death machines but then when someone points out that 2 of the 6 never involved a car (bus & bicycle) it's suddenly all... wait it's still finger wagging at car drivers. by BaldyBiker (Fri 10th Feb 2023 5:15pm)
  • So what's your grand plan then for when shipping and transport become unsustainable? We're going to be car free, ship free, plane free, train free but we've lost pretty much all our manufacturing industries and skills along with it so what do we do? Everyone will need to be 100% self sufficient or they're dead. You fall ill, you need to treat yourself as no cars / ambulances available to take you to the hospital. You're dead. You have a bad harvest or your livestock get sick and die, you starve. Are you starting to see just how ludicrous your post is yet? by BaldyBiker (Fri 10th Feb 2023 5:25pm)
  • Hey I'm not the clown saying they'll be no transport by the end of the century. You're bored because you've made a tit of yourself. by BaldyBiker (Fri 10th Feb 2023 5:29pm)
  • You talk about car production and shipping being a unsustainable within 77 years which essentially means everyone on the planet will need to be pretty much self sufficient and then proceed to offer absolutely nothing to back that up. So essentially you're saying in 77 years everyone will be stuck where they are in the world with access to only stuff that's produced locally to them. Or do you think producing buses, huge transport trucks, giant freight ships, transport planes, freight trains etc. will all be sustainable and it's just cars for some mythical reason won't be produced? Honestly I'm genuinely curious as to what your vision of the this future looks like in your head. by BaldyBiker (Fri 10th Feb 2023 6:02pm)
  • If you're looking to do an intensive Auto course then try John Carstairs Intensive Driving. They're on Facebook and online. For some reason Google has them down as permanently closed but very much still on the go, just bumped into John himself a few days ago at Asda. I done an intensive auto course last year with John (there's 3 other instructors as well) and found him brilliant. Really easy going guy that knows his stuff. I'm 48 so definitely left it late in life to start driving but had been on motorbikes for 20+ years so a lot of bad road habits to iron out lol. Best of luck with whoever you go with. by BaldyBiker (Tue 21st Feb 2023 6:33am)
  • George S Munn Funeral Directors on Fishescoates Avenue, G73. Always had great service from them. Used them for my grannies, grandpa, Mum, Dad, Uncles, proper family favourite! Lovely people to deal with and found pricing reasonable. Didn't try to sell us anything we didn't need or want. by BaldyBiker (Thu 2nd Mar 2023 8:19am)
  • Got a new boiler fitted tail end of last year by The Online Boiler Company. Vokera EasiHeat 29kw, mag filter ,wireless thermostat etc. £1189 supplied and fitted. 5 year warranty and fitter took care of registering it all with Vokera and we had confirmation of warranty back from Vokera themselves within a week. Output in kw bit lower than the Baxi it replaced but heats the house better which is no surprise as Baxi one was 23 years old. 3 bed house with 7 rads. by BaldyBiker (Thu 2nd Mar 2023 7:49pm)
  • Taking / picking up my daughter from school (high school) and see what seems like 25% plus of the kids puffing them and know my daughter (15) uses them. Caught her numerous times and can't seem to get through to her the problem with them. I vape (a lot) myself but have never used the throwaway ones. Got me off the fags after smoking for about 22 years so I'm not anti vape. Difference is these kids are getting hooked on them having never smoked a fag in their lives. Couldn't believe the strength of them either. 2% ElfBar which seems to be what the daughter always gets hold off is 20mg/ml nicotine. I use 3mg or 0mg in mine and I've been vaping for over 10 years. No wonder the kids are getting hooked on them rapidly. I know 2 shops within spitting distance of her school that openly sells them to the weans. They need banned from an environmental point of view if nothing else. I've had my current refillable vapes for must be 2 years now and still going strong. Cost of them is ridiculous as well. 2ml of fluid in them and 6 quid a pop. I get 10ml of fluid for a quid ffs. by BaldyBiker (Wed 15th Mar 2023 12:25pm)
  • I grew up in a different time from my daughter. Smoking was wide spread and pretty much the done thing. I got addicted and have used vapes to get off the fags after being on them (and thus nicotine) for 22 and I'm now on down to using 3mg / 0mg in my vapes to get totally off the nicotine before hopefully kicking the hardest part which is the habit. Think I'm perfectly fucking placed to warn her about the dangers of getting addicted to any substance don't you? She's 15, not 4. Should be / is old enough to listen to reason and not blindly fall in with the crowed but she is. Peer pressure and all that. by BaldyBiker (Wed 15th Mar 2023 1:59pm)
  • What I'm trying to do. Do you feel the same about booze? So essentially every parent of a child / teenager below 18 that touches booze should lead by example and abstain from consuming alcohol? There's certainly more litter and more bother caused by underage drinking than vaping but nobody is crying out for all parents of under age kids to stop drinking. I advise my daughter of the dangers of both booze and vaping / smoking (which she's never tried) but I can't force her to listen to me or her mother. Lot of peer pressure on kids which trumps parental advice in most cases. If parents not doing what they don't want their kids to do was an answer to things the world would be a better place but it's not that straightforward. Guessing you're not a parent. by BaldyBiker (Wed 15th Mar 2023 2:24pm)
  • Well done, genuinely. Even more so if it was because of addiction rather than just a lifestyle choice. by BaldyBiker (Wed 15th Mar 2023 4:56pm)
  • I know and it's sad and annoying. Difference between then (in my youth) & now is huge though in terms of available information regarding health / dangers of smoking & vaping and a general pushing towards a healthier lifestyle / population. Government has been driving people away from smoking for decades (good thing in my opinion) and now it seems history is just repeating itself with vapes which is terrible. by BaldyBiker (Thu 16th Mar 2023 11:26am)
  • Sat & passed using "John Carstairs Intensive Driving School". John himself was my instructor but he has other male & female instructors working for/with him. Couldn't fault the guy. No idea what his availability is like but he's on Facebook and online. Give him a call or a wee message on FB. I absolutely hate driving but he got me through my test ok at the ripe old age of 48 although in fairness I'd been on the roads on 2 wheels for near 30 years before taking to 2 wheels. Best of luck whoever you go with. by BaldyBiker (Tue 4th Apr 2023 4:38pm)
  • Pay in the Merchant Navy is definitely good (as long as you don't work out your hourly rate!) from the outset as soon as you get your first ticket (Engineering or Deck) but it's feckin hard graft and from personal experience you see the world but don't see much of it. On the engine side of things you can expect a typical working week to be upwards of 84hrs a week. If deep sea that can be 7 days a week for 4-5 months at a time without a single day off. Pretty much the same on the deck but less physically demanding. On the likes of ferries you'll still be looking at upwards of 84hrs a week but maybe only 2,3 or 4 on/off. 90-100 hr weeks were a pretty common thing for me (engineer). Turnaround time in port can be as little as a day for huge (20000+ TEU) box boat or VLCC/ULCC. On tankers you don't always even get in port. Joined one once at at SBM and paid off at the same SBM 5 months later having never set foot on land the whole trip. Brutal! Going in as a rating is probably easier in terms of work / hours but less pay obviously than an officer. Tend to get a bit more (not always much) time up the road though when tied up. by BaldyBiker (Thu 6th Apr 2023 2:45pm)
  • Oban via Inveraray and back via Tyndrum & Callander is a nice enough drive. Done it last weekend with a wee overnight in Oban for good measure. Just keep your wits about if you if heading up that way. It'll be heaving with campervans and bikers this long weekend. Another nice wee jaunt to kill an hour or 2 is down Elvanfoot, take the Dalveen Pass (A702) down to Carronbridge, head up to Mennock and then take the Mennock Pass up to Leadhills. by BaldyBiker (Fri 7th Apr 2023 7:47am)
  • Rutherglen / High Burnside and the usual dogs we meet / know from around are a few cockapoos (us included), few labradoodles, spanish waterdog, dalmation, french mastiff, giant schnauzer, few staffies (none aggressive), load of german shepherds (most are aggressive), various spaniels, a few frenchies, labs, golden retrievers, rotties (4 in one house) and various other breeds / cross breeds. That really just the dogs from our estate and the neighbouring estate. Real mixed bag. Going into Fernbrae meadows I'd probably say cockapoos / doodle mixes are the dominant types you see. Guess the hundreds of Lhaso Apsos that were kicking about 15/20 years ago have all died off now! by BaldyBiker (Thu 13th Apr 2023 9:48pm)
  • Not so much I hate Glasgow in any kind of isolation to other cities, I've just had my fill of city living period. Only sticking around until my daughter is finished with school / education then we're off somewhere more remote. Nice wee village somewhere on the east coat to escape some of the rain and most of the bams. Just scunnered with life in Glasgow in general although I imagine most if not all cities are much the same. Wee bams still doing the same shit they were doing 40 years ago when I was a wean. Battering folk for no other reason that you're from a different scheme / area. Their parents done it therefor they must uphold the family tradition of battering folk because they live outside the scheme / area. Never even realised that was still a thing until my daughter started high school a few years back and started mentioning people chanting for skull team , fleeto etc etc. Glasgow / any city for that matter definitely not where I want to spend my last however many years I've got left in me. by BaldyBiker (Sun 23rd Apr 2023 6:30pm)
  • Coulter's Wood near Carmunnock / Cathkin Braes is a great spot for off lead walking and training. It's never busy, we've walked it many times and never seen a soul. Fenced off pretty much the entire way around it although there is a path with no gate that leads onto Cathkin Rd. We usually just keep ours on the lead until we pass that and then he's off for the rest of the walk. There's some deer and usually loads of rabbits in the place although they tend to scatter whenever you get anywhere near close to them. It's a private wood but public allowed to use it. There's enough parking for 5 or 6 cars on the bend just after the main carpark for Cathkin Braes and there's a gated entrance to the wood just right there on the bend. Wee burn runs through the wood which is good for the dog cooling off in the summer. by BaldyBiker (Tue 25th Apr 2023 8:03am)
  • Quite a few FB groups that organise regular ride-outs (slow riderz already mentioned) but although a member of a few of the groups never done a ride-out with them. Last year it seemed almost a weekly thing that someone would bin it on one of these rides. Not saying it was always the riders fault but defo think a few cases were down to ambition over skill. Few MCC's kicking around Glasgow and surrounding but again not my thing. All seem to be Support21 clubs now and again each to their own but not my scene. I just like to pootle about doing my own thing, stopping off when and where I fancy rather than blasting from A to B on an organised ride-out. by BaldyBiker (Fri 28th Apr 2023 3:43pm)
  • Sounded like all hell was breaking loose, loads of police, at least 2 ambulances and yet no-one seems to have a clue what happened. It's bizarre. Usually someone hears something but nope, not a peep. Hopefully it was all a fuss about nothing but with having a 15 yo daughter that cuts about cathkin, fernhill etc. I like to try to keep in the loop of what's going on about the place. by BaldyBiker (Mon 12th Jun 2023 8:15pm)
  • Harley's Rider training has a good reputation and been around a long time. I did my CBT & full license with them well over 20 years ago and they're still around (although changed location) so must be doing something right. Best of luck. by BaldyBiker (Tue 13th Jun 2023 7:59am)
  • Thanks mate. Got DS Windscreens doing it at home tomorrow for £180, supply and fit which is better than I thought it would cost. Still a sore one though :( by BaldyBiker (Sun 18th Jun 2023 6:49pm)
  • Unfortunately not covered. Cheapest policy (not now lol) I could find as the car is a wee 16 y/o banger I used for carting the dog & me up to my workshop. That's basically all it's used for so thought I'd be a tight arse and get the cheapest policy going. Didn't factor in my panning in my own feckin window mind you :( Got a place doing it tomorrow for £180 supply & fit at home so not as bad as I feared. by BaldyBiker (Sun 18th Jun 2023 6:46pm)
  • Our cockapoo has cammo onesies's and no even the XL Bully's dare to bother him out and about so you'll be fine mate :) by BaldyBiker (Tue 25th Jul 2023 9:52am)
  • What a load of pish. Maybe true of the knuckle draggers that have never ventured past their own scheme but most folk take people as they find them and the same goes the world over on the most part. by BaldyBiker (Tue 25th Jul 2023 11:26am)
  • Last time I was in a pub in Glasgow it was about a fiver for a pint of lager and thought that was extortionate. Can't mind the pub but was on Battlefield Rd and that was about 5-6 years ago. Only go to the pub if we're away somewhere for the weekend or on holiday and can just walk back to our digs. Can't be arsed ending the night waiting hours on a feckin taxi home. Stick with my beer machine even though that's up to about £4.50 a pint now for Kwak :( by BaldyBiker (Sat 29th Jul 2023 10:54am)
  • It is indeed but think they meant to type 2R, as in 2nd floor Right, otherwise it was just be R if they meant to type E I'm assuming. Flats are just lettered A to F, no numbers on them on the database. by BaldyBiker (Tue 19th Sep 2023 10:27am)
  • Thanks mate, that's what I figured it would be but always nice to have it confirmed, sort of :) Will fire it off and hope she gets it ok. by BaldyBiker (Tue 19th Sep 2023 4:23pm)
  • Thanks. That's 2 out of 2 replies for Zen so I'll be giving them a buzz on Monday. Hope the carnage caused in the estate getting CityFibre put in has been worth it :) by BaldyBiker (Sat 14th Oct 2023 5:47pm)
  • Good to know, thanks. Brawband seems a bit gimmicky but never heard of any of the others either, other than Vodaphone. Been with Virgin since before it was Virgin (ntlworld, showing my age) but finally had enough. Last 6 months or so has been shocking. Spend as much time using my phone as a hotspot as I do on the broadband due to the upload speed being non existent half the time. by BaldyBiker (Sat 14th Oct 2023 5:45pm)
  • Not one of the CityFibre ones for where I am as far as a I know. Just going by who CityFibre says can provide services to me. I had Plusnet dialup many many moons ago, didn't realise they were still a thing these days. by BaldyBiker (Sat 14th Oct 2023 6:27pm)
  • Honestly the download speed isn't all that important for me as long as it's decent. Got 1gb download with Virgin but in reality nothing we use can / does supply that sort of speed down the line. by BaldyBiker (Sat 14th Oct 2023 6:40pm)
  • Not been out for a meal in EK before but my workshop's about 30ft away from Yakitori and it smells incredible and always seems to be busy. by BaldyBiker (Tue 21st Nov 2023 9:56am)
  • The landfill's been shut down since 2013. Smell and flies used to be a real problem but not for years now. Was so bad at one point Pizza Hut at Kingsgate had to close due to the flies. Can't say I notice any smell at all from the place these days and I drive Cairnmuir Rd daily. Still a bloody stupid place to build a house when you've enough money to build a mansion anywhere you like really. He was already worth tens of millions (if not already 100+ million) when he was staying in a nice but modest looking (all things considered) house on Brownside Rd. Quite why he felt he needed to go from that to the monster house he's in now is anyone's guess. by BaldyBiker (Sun 10th Dec 2023 12:24pm)
  • Hopefully mid-week or Sunday night they'll be less parties and quicker service :) Mind you they open 7pm - 3am 7 days a week for a reason I guess.... by BaldyBiker (Mon 11th Dec 2023 11:08pm)
  • Thanks mate. We'll probably go on a Sunday or mid-week to hopefully avoid any groups of wallopers. I used to spend a fortune in the arcades in my youth (especially the barras one) so I'd be quite happy with a few pints and a few games (heaven if they have 1942) and let the missus get Point Blank out her system lol. Was even thinking of buying her the actual arcade machine but at 2.5k, nah, a night in the pub playing it will have to suffice! by BaldyBiker (Mon 11th Dec 2023 11:07pm)
  • Looked into doing that myself with an old PS1 but it's the space we'd need that we don't really have. Only spare bedroom is teeny and garage full and not insulated (concrete one so baltic). Looking at the prices people are asking for "retro gaming CRT TV's" these days makes me greet with the amount of perfectly fine working ones I gave away of dumped over the years! by BaldyBiker (Tue 12th Dec 2023 9:49am)