Splashy

Cuba ! Been around 7 times. Fantastic value, great country and a little bit different. All inclusive, fantastic food, horse riding and fishing combined for £10, fantastic people. Playa Pesquero in Guardalavaca (look after the cows). Thompson, First Choice and I think Thomas Cook. Largest pool in the Caribbean, All inclusive including ice cream shop, kids club, imported and local drinks included. I have nothing negative to say about the hotel and destination. As I said, I went there for around 7 years, perfect holiday.

If you have a Mac then you can also run Windows on it. I run both in parallel (using Parallels) and it is a great solution for me. Did you know that you can sign up to BizSpark and get loads of Microsoft stuff for free? Windows 8, Office, SQL Server, Project, Visio etc etc. If you have a business it is worth looking at, Microsoft are very generous.

Stolen at 1am as well !! Parked up overnight in an industrial estate.

Just had a look at Wave, does look good. Was slightly worried when I got to the connect your bank account page and it asks for your membership number, passcode etc, etc. I am worried because even with all this information they cannot connect to my account without the pin card reader jobbie, so why ask for this information. I know I could try it out, and maybe it's legit but handing over these details to a website I know nothing about is not something I would do lightly. Think I will look at it more without connecting my bank account. Thanks for the heads up on this, hopefully it will be great.

I can't believe that an illegal act brings members of this forum to conclude that putting airguns on a ticket is the way to go. I started shooting airguns at an early age and it was the 1000's of pellets that I shot that got me into shooting seriously. I moved onto .22 target shooting at a high level and then clay pigeon shooting. For many youngsters it is airguns that bring them into the sport. I teach scouts how to shoot and hope that they too will develop a love of shooting. Any additional form of licensing will result in fewer people taking up the sport. There have always been stupid people and you cannot propose legislation based on the actions of a few. How many deer have been shot with bows and arrows? I would guess quite a few but I would not want to see the sport of archery decimated by the introduction of licensing. When we shooters start to ask for additional controls then people will start listening and it gives the antis so much more ammo. It is already illegal to kill deer with an air rifle of any sort so let the current laws deal with them.

I have only put around 250 rounds through my Maxus Grade 3 but it has been faultless. Never really liked semis but the Maxus looks beautiful. I got the 28 inch barrel and really like it. The only round it failed to cycle was a subsonic (obviously). I have owned a few guns and I can say that the Maxus is not a pile of ****.

I have one place near me that is a 30 mph limit. There is no school and no-one is crossing the road. But there is regularly a mobile speed camera car. In this case it really is a negative thing to have since it is not helping anyone, they just know that they can make some money. If a speed camera is positioned so that the idea is not to catch the maximum number of people and is used so that it can potentially prevent someone being hurt by someone exceeding the speed limit then fair play.

The amount of recoil to a gun is related to the weight of the shot and the speed at which the shot travels. If you have a 24 gram cartridge in 12 bore and a 24 gram cartridge in 20 bore (and they are pushing the shot at the same speed) then the energy directed backwards when you fire the gun is the same. The felt recoil is related to the weight of the gun. So, if both guns were the same weight then the felt recoil would be the same. 20 bore guns tend to be lighter and so the felt recoil will be higher. My 11 year old has used both and prefers the 12 gauge. But it is not that simple. The cartridge choice is all important and that is where the 12 bore has the edge, there is a much bigger choice with 12 bore. My 11 year old was a little put off when using a 24 gram cartridge, but my 12 year old daughter was not. When I used 12 bore Very Low Recoil cartridges (and subsonic) then the felt recoil is virtually zero and yet it made no real difference to their ability to hit clays at sub 40 yard ranges. If you really want a light gun, and I have a 12 bore game gun which is light, then I would recommend a 12 bore which is light. If recoil is really a problem then you can go for a semi auto where the felt recoil is much less. If you go for a 12 bore then you have a massive choice of cartridges which will cater for every need.

In the Somerset Levels ... yes

The talk of involving lawyers or solicitors or "experts" that you have to pay for brings back horrible memories. I paid out £17,000 to a solicitor firm on an employment dispute. In the end I took it upon myself to resolve the dispute. It takes lawyers ages (and lots of money) to get up to speed on your case. In the end it comes down to the law and common sense. Write down a full timeline of everything that has happened, dates, conversations, actions etc. Make it as complete as you can. This will give you a timeline of facts, make sure that you back everything up with phone call records, recorded delivery numbers etc. Then make sure you know your position as regards the law. If your guns were taken from you in response to an allegation and that was subsequently found to be untrue then there can be no reason for withholding your guns. Send a letter to the chief, written in a business like manner, detailing the timeline and pointing out that your guns must be returned to you. Don't go airy fairy on this (not a legal term). Be firm, knowing that the law is on your side. Give a date for the Chief to adhere to, don't leave it open ended. 2 weeks sounds about right. I would state that "unless I receive my guns back within 2 weeks from this date I will be pursuing all means possible under the law to have my property returned to me". If you want any help with the drafting of any letters then just let me know.

What is the best load for Foxes at ranges of around 30m or less. I bought some BB loads and took a shot at a fox at around 20m with the fox head on. The fox looked confused but certainly not hurt. I patterned the load and found massive holes, easily big enough for a fox to get through. I then shot a fox with no. 5 shot and it dropped on the spot. What should I be using for foxes at this range? Should I be looking for a more compatible cartridge for my gun or should I go with the greater shot density.

As I understand it dredging the rivers will alleviate the problems with the Somerset Levels. This would increase the flow of the rivers and by dredging in the appropriate place would cause less flooding. The consequences of this increased flow would move the problem downstream, specifically resulting in the possible flooding of Bridgwater. As a previous poster mentioned, if you build your house on a flood plain, or at least a location that is below sea level, then flooding is a likely consequence of heavy rain. I live in Somerset and can tell you that there is heavy rain!

Devolo AV500 Wifi After much investigation and buying of rubbish units this is the best. You can buy from Maplin.

All this only becomes an issue if your guns are stolen. Say you gave the spare keys to your parents, that would be pretty safe, just don't mark them as "Keys to gun safe at 44 Acacia Drive". I always keep my main keys on myself so if I am out of the house then so are my keys. I don't believe that a burglar is likely to target your house in order to steal your guns, what must be avoided is the situation where someone breaks in, easily finds your keys and steals your guns. That would leave you with some explaining. Most things come down to common sense. If you make it as difficult as possible to steal your guns then everyone is happy. If you ask the question about spare keys then they have to answer with the official response. If you don't ask then neither will they.

They do offer Windows 8 pro

Do you, or anyone you know have some sort of company. Check out BizSpark which allows you to download loads of Microsoft software for free .. including Office, Windows, Project, etc etc

The Maxus has got to be the best looking semi auto available. I know it is not really important but every time I pick up the Maxus I do have a smile on my face since it looks and handles so great.

Start by using Sub Sonic VLR (Very Low Recoil) cartridges. There is virtually no recoil when using these and they are obviously quieter as well.

I love Cuba, Their society harkens back to an age when there was a belief that communism could work. The people are fantastic and the government is really trying to bring itself into the main stream. If you want a fantastic holiday then go to Cuba. I will elaborate should you so wish.

I cannot agree more. I was a bystander and saw only a small portion of the whole picture. The White South Africans forged their future through sweat and tears and it is their bravery that enabled the society to be formed. Im my view South Africa belongs to the Whites as much as it belongs to the Blacks. We cannot judge South Africa by our own standards. I have picked up hitch hikers who have told me that I cannot drop them off at this village since they would be killed on the spot. We are not dealing with a society that we can understand by our own experience. Terrorist or not .. his leadership presided upon a period of change that resulted in a very favourable outcome to what could have been a horrific period in history.

I have also visited Cuba MANY times. With a health system very similar to ours and a society that has been damaged by the US for many years for complex reasons .. don't believe all you hear in the US news.

You are correct in that he was viewed as a terrorist. But our situation would be much better if all "terrorists" renounced violence and instead worked towards a democratic society. There can be much debate about how successful this was but the proof of time has seen South Africa turned into a peaceful society where Whites and Blacks have been able to coexist. When Mandela was released South Africa did not turn into a bitter society and despite all its problems it is still a functioning society.

I was born one year after Nelson Mandela was incarcerated in Robyn Island. At University I attended discos held at the Nelson Mandela building at Sheffield Polytechnic. It was not until 1990 that I went to South Africa and “met” his legacy. I was working at SAPT, the South African equivalent of BT, and ha himed obtained a horrific sunburn on my first day in the country. My skin had burnt and turned hard and very brown. I went to work in the morning and walked into SAPT, looking at the pictures of landmines on the wall. I worked until lunch time and then went outside. There was a carnival atmosphere and I joined in the end of a fun parade. I was not conscious of the fact that I was the only white face in the crowd. When I returned to SAPT they were very concerned since there had been a riot. I was part of that riot and was reminded of the dangers to whites. Cape Town is a very clean city and when I was there that was achieved by washing down the streets (and homeless) using hoses. The blacks I was told were different to “our” blacks, they were slower and inherently unable to be full members of society. I remember calling a waiter over for a drink and getting the slow acknowledgement and sloping gait of the waiter coming over. “Where are you from?”, he asked. When I replied “England” the man changed, he changed into a waiter you would recognize anywhere, “coming right up Sir” and the drink arrived within seconds. I was at a barbecue when the subject of Mandela arose. I’m glad said our host .. “then I can shoot him”. It was difficult for me at the time to understand these sentiments and I found them distasteful. Around a year later I visited South Africa again and things were changing. One of our hosts told us that one of his workers had told him that when Mandela was released then he would be getting a Mercedes. He had been told this and the release of Mandela was to bring untold riches and happiness. The whites in South Africa often lived with a siege mentality and the knowledge that the cure for Aids was to rape a white woman, sowed an environment of fear and dread for any change that could occur within South Africa. Nelson Mandela has proved the test of time. His legacy has ensured that the transition from White Rule to a democratic society has been unbelievably painless. There has been no civil war, no recriminations and even the “Truth and Reconciliation” trials have been carried out with an ultimate dignity and constructiveness. Nelson Mandela’s legacy is that he brought upon immense change through determination and a desire to do so without the need for conflict or recriminations. In my relatively short life I have seen the two sides to Apartheid and I am amazed that Nelson Mandela managed to achieve such a massive change in hearts and minds without the needless wastage of life. You will be missed.

I have to admit that since posting the original thread I was worried about looking at the replies. I was concerned that the thread would be dismissed as being irrelevant or somewhat simplistic. After reading all the replies I am so pleased that there have been some great replies and the one by Blunderbust sums everything up for me. I have a coupe of memories that are seared into my memory. One is of throwing my Skippy annual on the floor because Blue Peter was coming on the TV, my mum told me off because she said I should look after books and presents better. The other memory is of my first stalking outing where I shot a deer and thought it was a good shot. After about 15 mins we went up to the deer to find that I had shot it in the spine and that it was still alive. The stalker I was with dispatched it using his knife in the back of its neck. I consider myself to be a good shot and I'm not sure why I missed but the memory of this will stay with me always. To have not have clean killed was a traumatic experience and whilst antis might say that this is a reason against hunting I can say that I have lost many more sleepless nights over it than you average abbattoir worker where the dispatch of an animal went wrong. I can see deer from my back garden and I could shoot them if i so wished. I do not because there are not many of them and they have no need to be controlled or culled. I instead enjoy watching them and seeing them for the great creatures that they are. One of the happiest memories that I have is of duck shooting with my dog, a Weimeraner called Nula. She loved shooting with me and would jump in the water to retrieve the ducks that I shot. She died recently after 12 years of being a great friend to me and my family. She was never happier than when we went shooting although her appreciation of my shooting skills when shooting rabbits sometimes were displayed by a look of "how the hell did you miss that !". For me it is escapism, it is selfish in that I enjoy doing it, but most of all it is a connection with my inner hunting desire and to me, there is nothing more exciting than the slowing of the heartbeat and the holding of the breath while the quarry approaches after many hours of waiting. It is not the kill but the hunting that appeals to me. But when there is a kill at the end of it, i like to have the satisfaction that it was a good clean kill where the animal did not suffer at all.

My sister and her husband are vegetarians but when I cook a full breakfast including bacon then they will eat it with relish. Meat does taste good and we as a species like to eat meat. Why do the "antis" not criticise wild animals for their choice of meat. We are, after all, just another animal on this planet. I really hope that natural selection takes its course since i don't know of any vegetarian lions.