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Off Topic The Review Thread

Discussion in 'Queens Park Rangers' started by Stroller, May 27, 2017.

  1. Steelmonkey

    Steelmonkey Well-Known Member

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    Working my way through this wonderful book Mrs Steels bought me for Chrimbo...

    20220109_182204.jpg

    You can pick it up, open it at any page, and wonder how Mark E Smith ever had any friends! Some of his quotes are brilliant, he didn't suffer fools, and certainly didn't give a **** what anyone thought of him <laugh>
     
    #3021
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  2. sb_73

    sb_73 Well-Known Member

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    Belated Christmas present from my daughter arrived today, from Pottery Throwdown presenter, and potter, Keith Brymer Jones. Also ex punk singer.

    F85C523B-9A20-48F0-BC5A-72BD3D824A51.jpeg
    she tried to get the one labelled ‘****’ but they had sold out……it’s actually a very nicely made mug, the writing is embossed rather than printed.
     
    #3022
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  3. Stroller

    Stroller Well-Known Member

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    Went to see the Agatha Christie play Witness for the Prosecution at the old County Hall last Night.

    please log in to view this image


    It's staged in the old council chamber - which is a perfect setting - and our seats were in the second row, about six feet from the stage.

    It's an ingenious plot and I defy anyone to predict the outcome without having read the book or seen the film. I had seen the old Billy Wilder film with
    Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich and Charles Laughton, but this still didn't spoil my enjoyment.

    Great fun.
     
    #3023
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  4. sb_73

    sb_73 Well-Known Member

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    I saw that film quite recently. All of the acting in it was quite odd and definitely of its time. I’m sure a modern staging would be more appealing to 21st century ears.
     
    #3024
  5. Stroller

    Stroller Well-Known Member

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    This production very much retains the 50s vibe, including accents (without going full Harry Enfield), but I rather enjoyed that.
     
    #3025
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  6. sb_73

    sb_73 Well-Known Member

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    Strictly wine and food ponces only……

    The WHITEBROOK restaurant with rooms, Monmouthshire. Dinner, bed and breakfast.

    https://www.thewhitebrook.co.uk/

    Incredible. First time I’ve really got wine pairing, where the wine and food make each other better. 8 courses and 6 different wines (two ‘palate cleansing’ courses). A real foodies experience, the kind of meal to remember for years. I’ve had a few tasting menus with wine pairing experiences in the past, but this was the best.

    When the wine pairings were explained to us before we started even I was thinking ‘we’re reaching peak ponce here’ - we had wines from Alsace, Morocco, Slovenia, Savoie, Armenia, and a French dessert wine. But they all worked brilliantly - and none were on the wine list, all specially chosen for the food being made that night (it changes daily according to availability of local ingredients, hence only sample menus on the website).The Moroccan Chardonnay (not a wine I usually like too much) and the Armenian red from a grape they have been making wine with for literally thousands of years, were stand outs, but it was the pairings which were amazing.

    A real treat, the sort of thing it’s good to do but not too often, once or twice a year at most, it would be a disgrace to get blasé about this type of experience. Plus I’m guessing it was incredibly expensive (price not revealed to me, it was my birthday treat. And man I deserve it).

    Save up and go.
     
    #3026
    Last edited: Jan 23, 2022
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  7. Steelmonkey

    Steelmonkey Well-Known Member

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    Hope your birthday treat went well - the Rs win the icing on the cake
     
    #3027
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  8. Stroller

    Stroller Well-Known Member

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    Sounds great. That's going on my list.
     
    #3028
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  9. sb_73

    sb_73 Well-Known Member

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    17B6CC31-233B-482F-97B7-C8A160CA4147.jpeg
    breakfast a bit more trad. Not sure why it’s sideways….
     
    #3029
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  10. Steelmonkey

    Steelmonkey Well-Known Member

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    Cos your hungover? <cheers>
     
    #3030
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  11. Staines R's

    Staines R's Well-Known Member

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    Dunno where to put this but last few days of isolation I’ve realised how much ****e I’ve been watching on tv and what a waste of my time it all is.
    Therefore decided to get back into learning Spanish again and becoming more fluent.
    Got a basic knowledge from previous attempts and living in Guatemala for a bit and hoping to be far more advanced within the year.
    Downloaded the Duolingo app and paid £50 for Duolingo plus, which seems really good and very addictive. Been studying an hour plus for last few days and aiming for at least 30mins each day when back at work.
    Anyone else used the app and had results ?
     
    #3031
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  12. Wherever

    Wherever Well-Known Member

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    The problem with duolingo is that it teaches Mexican to Americans. Babble teaches Spanish.
    Bueno suerte para ti
     
    #3032
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  13. SW Ranger

    SW Ranger Well-Known Member

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    Often in and around Monmouth, but never picked up on the Whitebrook. Does look very good!
    Glad you enjoyed Sb and Happy Birthday!
     
    #3033
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  14. sb_73

    sb_73 Well-Known Member

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    I was using the Duolingo app to brush up on my increasingly rusty Italian. I think it’s pretty good, if you have the self discipline to use it regularly and for a decent amount of time. I don’t.
     
    #3034
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  15. sb_73

    sb_73 Well-Known Member

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    Worth a visit SW, tucked down a single track road between Monmouth and Trelleck. It gets fully booked well in advance apparently, so probably not one to turn up at on the off chance.
     
    #3035
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  16. Staines R's

    Staines R's Well-Known Member

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    Good point. To be honest I’m quite happy with the Mexican/South American teaching as that’s all I had anyway…my ex teacher was Colombian and it’s in South/Central America I’m more likely to visit rather than Spain.
    I checked out Babble and was more expensive plus I got a bit irked that they tried to charge 1 price on internet and 1, more expensive price, on the app. Also reviews put Duolingo as far superior. We’ll wait and see
     
    #3036
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  17. Staines R's

    Staines R's Well-Known Member

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    It’s a way of keeping me away from my demons mate…..the cost of the app is less than a days gambling debts so early days but feeling pretty motivated so far.
    Still trying to get my head properly around ECGs but finding that mind numbing lay dull
     
    #3037
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  18. sb_73

    sb_73 Well-Known Member

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    I think if I had a trip to Italy planned I would have been much more motivated. Start organising a break in a Spanish speaking place, that’s sure to give you extra bounce.
     
    #3038
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  19. Staines R's

    Staines R's Well-Known Member

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    Already toying with going back to Mexico next year
     
    #3039
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  20. sb_73

    sb_73 Well-Known Member

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    Reebok ZR11 treadmill.

    An early lockdown purchase, this machine gets used 3 or 4 times a week for about 40 minutes each time. It’s not very sophisticated but has done a job in keeping me moving and is much easier on the Achilles’ tendons than road running (for me anyway).

    However, this morning the treadmill attempted to assassinate me.

    It started speeding up alarmingly with no warning, then slowing down equally rapidly. After 3 or 4 cycles of this odd behaviour, including me pulling the ‘emergency stop’ cord a couple of times as the machine calculated that a newly minted 61 year old would enjoy a gentle 15kph jog, accelerating to that speed from 10kph in approximately 1.5 seconds, I decided to turn it off. Now Error 03 is showing, which you have to turn to the Internet to discover (not mentioned in the manual) is a speed sensor/motor issue. No **** Sherlock. Turning it off and on again unlikely to solve the problem. And I notice that treadmill engineers/service people do not come cheap.

    Might replace it with a better version rather than spend a third of its cost getting it fixed.

    Reebok ZR11 Treadmill not recommended.
     
    #3040
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