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

I wouldn't buy the cheapest gun you see just to get one. If you wait the right gun will turn up. As someone has said, wait, save up a bit of money and go and chat to your local gun store and get a feel for a few guns. They will also then be able to keep an eye out for you too. R

What did the gun owner think his gun safe was for? Storing his slippers? I can't believe anyone would be stupid enough to leave a gun and cartridges within reach of young children in the home unless they were having some supervised teaching, e.g. gun mount/etiquette, though from their ages I would think they were still too young for this. The report says the father was outside mowing the lawn. Guns belong in gun safes when they're not being used or transported to be used. It's such a senseless crime. If the father had put his gun away in a locked gun safe, then there would not be a dead child, another child forever carrying the stigma of 'murderer', and a father who is probably punishing himself more than we or the law ever could for his own crass stupidity. All because the father couldn't take two minutes to put his gun away properly. It's all just so very, very sad. Rhianon

Having one stepson in the Army, and another about to join, like most people I fully support our troops, even if I don't support the policies that have put them over in war zones not of our own making. However, should campaigns to show support for our troops be using urban myths? It's a lovely story but http://www.snopes.com/glurge/daughter.asp shows it has changed slightly several times. My hubby always says thanks to soldiers (old or young) whenever he sees them, and so do I. Rhiannon

I shot a 100 year old air gun at my local club a few weeks back. Whilst wonderful to hold such history, it was a little underpowered and the pellet only just managed to break through the card at 10m. I still managed to get a bullseye though I think it was more luck than anything. Great fun though. Rhiannon x

I'm glad there's a lot of sunburnt men out there. First sign of sun the chavs usually whip off their tops, subjecting us to the sight of their scrawny white bodies. It wouldn't be so bad if they didn't strut around thinking they were some kind of Adonis. Euggghhh! Always makes me feel queasy when I see it. The absolute worst is when they do it indoors in supermarkets and shopping centres. Rhiannon

I dropped my application in personally at Lloyd House (West Midlands Police Headquarters) and asked if it would be possible to chat to someone about the best position to place the safe. A very nice gentleman came down and agreed that my proposed safe position was acceptable, so once the interview was arranged hubby fitted the safe for me. I think the FAO appreciated us making the effort to get it installed beforehand as it saves them two journies. As long as there are no 'issues' about you getting a SGC (e.g. past convictions) then you should be fine. Rhiannon

What annoys me is the focus on past slavery means we forget that there are still people being sold into slavery today. If you're buying cheap chocolate, chances are the beans were harvested by 'bonded labour' which is just a euphemism for child slave labour. That's what we should focus on getting rid of - modern day slavery. I feel no guilt at all about the black slave trade, even though my ancestors made a lot of money from it at one point. Another one of my ancestors was a big campaigner against the slave trade so I guess that evens things out. I'm always surprised that many people think it was just 'big bad white people stole black people and made them slaves', when the truth is, slavery involved and still involves people of all colours and all religions. Rhiannon

vegan shoes= plastic = not very good for the environment. But it's okay because it's mostly marine creatures that get killed and they aren't cute and fluffy are they? And of course, none of the dyes or chemicals used in their clothing ever cost the life of an animal did they And the cotton they wear never involved slave labour or people getting routinely sprayed with pesticides and fungicides? Unfortunately vegan usually equals ignorant. Rhiannon

Lord Baden-Powell commenting on why bees make a good role-model 'They honour their Queen and kill their unemployed' Rhiannon

If it's a Ceilidh then it's scottish dancing, so wear something that will swirl around as you're giving it large on the dance floor. Last time I went to one of these I wore a dress with a tartan scarf over the shoulder. Wear something comfy and something that won't slip up or down, so the boob tube's out, but maybe if you've still got the ra-ra skirt you could wear that with a long-sleeved top? Ra-ras are back in at the moment, so you'll also be showing your sartorial knowledge. Hope you have a lot of fun. These things are usually very enjoyable but very knackering. Rhiannon