RhiannonBW

I love to see the disappointed look on trick or treaters faces when they get a small Kit-Kat and some penny chews and a look that dares them to ask for money! A couple of years ago two of the local 'yoofs' turned up at Christmas, sang one line of 'We Wish you a Merry Christmas' and stood there expectantly with their hands out. I told them if they could learn the whole song then they would get some money for proper carol singing. Two days later three of them turned up with a whole song and dance routine to 'Jingle Bells' - more than happy to give them some money for the entertainment and initiative shown. Rhiannon x

Remember the good times, and be thankful that she has gone with dignity. A vet once said, when asked how he coped with euthanasia, that he regarded it as a privilege to be able to give a loved animal a quick and painless death. Rhiannon x

All NT members should be getting their voting papers through with the latest copy of the magazine. You need to vote against the resolution (if you're against it that is, which I presume most huntspeople are) or give the Chairman your proxy vote. Rhiannon x

Hi All I don't know how many National Trust members we have on this site, but some members have put forward a resolution to force any hunts granted licences to hunt over NT property to give details of times/routes/dates, etc. so that the sabs can interfere, oops sorry, monitor the hunts to ensure they stay within the law. The NT executive are against the motion as they do not believe it is up to the National Trust to enforce the hunting laws, but to ensure that they are not outvoted by sabs, make sure you send in your vote against the resolution. Rhiannon

I have one of these and it's a fantastic gun for the money. You forgot to mention chrome-lined barrels?? Rhiannon x

Not many happy endings but a lot of bloody stupid people, most of whom would qualify for a Darwin Award. I can't really see that it is much of an argument against alternative treatments. Rhiannon x

A few years back I had a ruptured disc in my back. Docs told me I would need 6 weeks off work post operation. Using aromatherapy and homeopathy I was home one day after the operation when all the other patients who had the same operation were only just beginning to get out of bed. I was back at work after 2 weeks - had to beg the doctor to sign me back on. I could have gone back earlier but the GP refused to sign me on, despite the fact I was obviously fit enough. Also, I used non-drug methods to control the pain in the months preceding the operation and the consultant sent me for a scan the day before as he could not believe how little the disability was affecting me - the scan showed that the situation had greatly worsened since my previous scan, and the positive mental attitude that the alternative treatments were giving me really made a difference to my ability to function normally and continue working. Considering how much bad backs cost the country in time off work, the £320 I spent over the months on my treatment seems a small price to pay for keeping mobile, keeping working and keeping sane. It's also worth noting that my then GP and physiotherapist hadn't noticed that I had a slipped disc which developed into a ruptured disc, despite me being unable to walk because of the pain. It took a cranial osteopath to tell me that I needed to insist on an MRI scan because there was more going on that a pulled muscle. If I hadn't sought alternative solutions I'd have spent a few more months crippled and in dreadful pain. When mum had breast cancer she used a combination of alternative medicine and modern stuff too. The alternative stuff certainly made a difference to her state of mind and positivity. I've also been having acupuncture throughout my IVF/pregnancy treatment. My obstetrician has said that acupuncture does seem to have positive benefits. So I'm all for a mix of modern medicine and alternative treatments. If you get the right consultant/doctor then they are happy to work with the patient to find the best approach to treatment. Of course, it also goes without saying that there are a lot of charlatans working in alternative medicine, and finding good ones is hard. Reiki used to be the pyramid selling scam of the alternative movement - you paid £5,000 to train as a 'master' (often in a couple of weekends or less) and then you could flog the 'reiki attunements' for several hundred pounds a time. Caveat emptor! Rhiannon x

How wonderful that she's so interested. And of course, it's always nice to see another female keen on shooting. Rhiannon x

It also depends on whether the house you're buying is empty. We bought a wreck back in the 90s, and were able to get the keys a week early even though we hadn't officially exchanged, as the house was a repossession and the estate agents were nice. We weren't allowed to do any work or move anything in, but it meant we could get the builder in to measure up and get his quote in for all the work that needed doing. We had to drop the keys back at the Estate Agents every day though. Rhiannon

You need to put in a Freedom of Information request to the Council to check what their inspection/repair criteria are, and how often that particular road should be inspected/repaired. Only if the council have not maintained it to their own standards will you have a claim. We damaged a tyre hitting a pothole and weren't able to claim. When we were at the tyre place, the owner said he'd had loads of people with damaged tyres - the winter weather really wrecked the roads in the Midlands. Rhiannon

Beastie Boys? Was that the same tour where the promoter took everyone's water pistols off them at the Birmingham gig following a complaint from some little old lady that there were people walking around with machine guns? I've done a bit of on tour catering so have seen quite a few bands. (Did some work with the Welsh boys, High Life, many, many years ago, and a little bit of work for Sugar & Spice more recently) Best gigs I've seen - someone else has mentioned OMD, who probably a bit surprisingly, are one of the most amazing live bands ever. Muse were pretty good, as were Good Charlotte (who win the award for nicest band ever), and I caught a little bit of the Progidy the other day and they were pretty good too. Prince is also amazing live. Rhiannon

Had a similar problem a few years ago where I used to work. One of the engineers had hit a fox cub and broken its back leg, and proceeded to bring it into work. We phoned the RSPCA who said they could come out in a couple of days if they weren't too busy (!) and that wildlife were low on their list of priorities. So I took the cub to my local vet who put it out of its misery. Our local vet will treat wild animals for free (though 'treating' does usually mean euthanasia), but at least they know how to do it quickly and painlessly. My ex-boss told me off for taking time off work saying that the suffering fox cub was not my problem. Can't you see why she's an ex-boss? In the situation where it's on the motorway, then I'd phone the police as it becomes a hazard to traffic if cars are swerving to avoid it, though I guess a truck driver may have run over the front end to finish the inevitable. Rhiannon x

I completely agree that Scotland should keep all of the tax it raises, and also stop expecting subsidies from the rest of the UK. (And can they take their useless politicians back with them at the same time!) Rhiannon

I have a Winchester Classic Doubles 12g 28" shotgun, and a Webley Viscount air rifle. At the moment I can't shoot the shotgun due to being pregnant, but am continuing to shoot my air rifle whenever I'm not too tired. I normally shoot clays at Hereford & Worcester Shooting Ground. Rhiannon x

Sorry, coming late to this discussion. I am 5'4" of slight build and I have a 12g Winchester Classic Doubles. I have also shot a Fabarm and found that had light recoil. I shoot 24g cartridges when shooting clays and have also shot 32g and 36g out of it. Up to 28g has hardly any recoil at all because the gun is so beautifully balanced. As someone has already said, check gun mount first. Holding the gun incorrectly can lead to horrendous bruising - when my tutor offered my padding I declined as it's a quick way to remember to hold the gun properly! Also a couple of those sponge pads which you use for cleaning (the ones about 6inches x 4 inches and half an inch thick) can be put under the bra strap to soften any kick back if absolutely necessary. If your wife holds the gun firmly but not over-tightly into the soft bit between the shoulder and boob she should have minimum kick back. It might be worth coughing up for a lesson with a decent instructor who has experience of teaching women. I've seen a few women at shoots at game fairs who've obviously never had any proper instruction, standing as if they're waiting in a supermarket queue and then wondering why they're knocked backwards by recoil. Guns I've found horrendous for recoil are Browning, Miroku and Baikal, though other women use them without a problem. Again, if you arrange a lesson, your wife might be able to try out a few different guns to see which one is best. Great to see another woman wanting to get into the sport. Rhiannon