Salty Sam

[quote user="johnnyboy"] I have researched a lot on the web on this subject and have found some surprising facts that although we were well aware of the dangers of this disease and took sensible precautions, I have still been infected. I was not aware that it can be carried by anything other than Ticks, but it appears that the following can infect you as well: Horseflies. Spiders.( Only those that bite) Mosquitos. Mites. There may well be others that we are not aware of, Bedbugs springs to mind as they draw blood to feed on too, who knows?[/quote] With all due respect johnnyboy, I think it only prudent to state there is no definitive scientific evidence to suggest anything other than the tick can transmit Lyme disease to man. One of the problems associated with tick bites and unlike a horsefly bite, once a tick is attached, we are usually totally unaware of its presence unless we actually find it attached! Fingers firmly crossed the AB's will do the job, and your doctor will arrange a second blood test to confirm you're clear of infection.

Heard on the news that the next World Cup is worth around $1 billion to FIFA![8-)] That's not sport, that's big business!

[quote user="monsieur macon"]...... but if your not born in the village with 10 generations of ancestors then you are definitely an outsider!!![/quote] Plenty of places within the UK are very similar, or worse! [;-)]

Continuing the off-topic theme, many GPS offer the personal choice of setting the overspeed warning. If the audible warning is set for 5kmh over the limit, you'll get warnings as your speed creeps up to whatever speed restriction is applicable for the road you're travelling on, and overspeed warnings when the limit is exceeded. Now of course within France, we cannot benefit from the old system of warnings [Www], but with regular updates most GPS devices will still provide an audible warning when approaching a stretch of road requiring lets say, you paying more attention to your speed! However while concentrating on the GPS, let's not forget the simple instrument on the dash designed to give an indication of your speed, and which will in the greatest majority of cases, indicate a speed higher than that actually being travelled, whereas the GPS will indicate the true speed. So I suppose the simple answer is, stick to what the road speed says, and what your speedo indicates - not what the GPS indicates, and turn the audible warning function off! But if you're one of those who believes the speed camera warning signs are in place within GB as a deterrent, there being no camera actually in place - be warned! One day you just may fly round the corner at your usual speed, only to find a mobile camera unit taking your photograph! Don't forget to smile![:)]

[quote user="Clarkkent"] Also (I may be wrong) - isn't 3D virtually dead in the water? I know that it had an enthusiast (now departed) on this forum but marketing effort on the part of manufacturers and sellers appears to be very low. I would suggest that the OP go for a 1080p LED smart TV from one of the main brands and forget 3D.[/quote] Said exponent of 3D has now shifted his enthusiasm to extolling the virtues of 4K technology (yawn) elsewhere. So I think we can safely assume officially, 3D is dead.[:D] I'll second your suggestion for an LED Smart TV.

[quote user="Russethouse"]According to the lady on the politics show , centuries ago monks managed to maintain the levels...you really would have thought that modern man could come up with a solution to offset all the environmental changes that have been made.[/quote] Noticed this in the Sunday Times which just about sums it up nicely; "so they didn't strengthen the rail link in Dawlish because of a wildlife survey. They wouldn't dredge the levels because of the environment, they let thousands of cows die to save a few badgers, all our rivers are blocked because we are not allowed to clear them. Let's be clear Politicians, RSPCA, friends of the earth, RSPB and environmentalists, YOU are the problem!! LEAVE farmers and country folk to sort out the country like we have done for years!! When you have made your cities (and London is an excellent example) something better than the mess they are in, then we may believe your opinions are worth listening too!!."

[quote user="richard51"] Even though not politically correct, I would definitely prefer to protect homes rather than fields which will recover. Farms are businesses and hey-ho sometimes go under![/quote] Like farms, some people also base their businesses from home. Village shops, pubs, etc may also be peoples homes, but hey-ho from your tone that don't matter!

[quote user="Russethouse"]Just a heads up... For several weeks I have been hearing an intermittent 'swooshing' noise when I turned a corner, but apart from that the car was running fine...next the demisters started to be and less effective and finally on New Years Eve I depressed the clutch and got a boot full of water :-( Apparently the Citroen has valves which let the water from the 'gutters' through, but these can get jammed shut due to dirty water or debris , this causes the water to fill up and get into the fan unit..... We took the car to the local Citroen main agent who on collection said they had another 3 similar incidence this week, and they'd already had one when we took ours in, just be aware ..... The garage removed the valves so hopefully we won't have a repeat....[/quote] Not limited to Citroen. The same problem can occur with some Renault models such as the Scenic. When it does happen the water runs down into the pollen filter housing, which also contains the AC relay switch, so once your feet get wet you're also saying goodbye to the AC system as it will soon fail due to the water ingress, followed closely by failure of the fan unit.

[quote user="NormanH"]We are "all know-alls" now [6][/quote] With this new found knowledge and time-served P&O apprenticeships, returning to GB to compete with the influx of Poles, Bulgarians, Romanians, etc in finding suitable work within the building trade. Can't beat a bit of competition.[:D]

What I found interesting was that GB national newspapers printed misleading figures based on deer research. The media proclaimed that “750,000 deer must be shot”. Amazingly, there was little public reaction to this, whereas the news that approximately 5,000 badgers were to be culled provoked endless newspaper articles, as well as numerous marches and protests. Funny ol' world we live in!

Well done to the teams. A great achievement! [url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25354839[/url]

Paracetamol! Not the best choice for sending one off to greener pastures quickly. [url]http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/andrewmcfbrown/100124371/parecetamol-poisoning-is-a-nasty-way-to-die/[/url]

Thank you Sweet. That's very kind of you. [:)]

[quote]SS, I was typing this when your post appeared. I don’t know if you are aware but EGNOS, a system that supplements GPS, was approved for SOL (Safety of Life) use in 2011 for both land and sea emergency organisations in Europe. It was also approved for ILS landings at airports which do not have ILS equipment.  Yes Q, well aware of EGNOS, and as with WAAS even though both are compatible with each other, they suffer the disadvantage of not working perfectly in undulating terrain or areas with large amounts of cover. Bear in mind the system was primarily designed for aviation and maritime use. All the OS Explorer and IGN maps are available for GPS units these days and I have used mine to within 1M accuracy. That aside it is a tool and one should always carry a proper map and decent compass along with a waterproof case. To be honest if you are walking along a tight footpath on the edge of a drop then both are pretty useless, your eyes are the most important ‘tool'. All teams coming under the umbrella of the Mountain Rescue Committee, have access to both GPS and digital OS, but reliance on GPS alone is never an option, but something that is used in conjunction with conventional methodology of map and compass. While I do agree with you that the eyes are your best tool on a tight footpath on the edge of a drop, unfortunately searches usually entail covering wide areas away from footpaths, and usually it is such areas well away from the 'maddening crowds' that are the preferred areas to spend our leisure time, as well as being the best areas for practising the art of navigation. If you ever consider taking any of the Mountain Leadership qualifications, you'll have to do far better than being within 1M accuracy - without the use of GPS![:D][/quote]

Some wise words there from all concerned. As someone who has been involved in Search & Rescue for over 40 years (with scars to prove it!), I'll just add a couple of things if I may. On the subject of letting someone know. In the "old" days, technology amounted to a pen (or pencil) and a thing called a "Route Card" where one would mark down the intended route complete with bearings, grid references, escape routes, timings, etc. One working copy to be kept  with you and a duplicate to be left somewhere such as a youth hostel, pub, police, camp-site, mountain rescue post, etc. I can remember when it was also possible to leave brief details displayed in a prominent position within a vehicle, with a time and date of return. Unfortunately nowadays, this is an invitation to thieves! The greatest waste of resources in any kind of SAR operation is when someone is reported missing - often after much time has elapsed, and the missing person has either had a change of mind, and route, or made a decision to venture elsewhere without informing anyone. Example; Chap informed his wife he was going to Scotland for a weekend around the Glencoe area. Changed his mind and decided on the Lake District. On the second day, became a victim of the weather and sat it out overnight as unsure of a safe route off the hill. Unfortunately, while he was experiencing an uncomfortable night out, his wife was getting increasingly concerned at his non-arrival home, and subsequently informed the police who in turn passed all the relevant information to the police in Scotland. Chappie made his way off the hill at first light, after finding a spot where his mobile would pick up a weak signal and informing his wife of his whereabouts, and subsequently attended a police station to explain his actions and apologise profusely over the telephone, to the leader of the rescue team in Scotland that had spent a wet and cold night carrying out an initial search! A simple note left somewhere with the most basic of details regarding your intentions will be greatly appreciated should you suffer a mishap, or go astray. If you change your intentions, then a call to the police notifying them you are safe and well will also be appreciated! The grading of footpaths is great, as long as the grading is respected! It's amazing just how many people consider themselves to be "experienced", yet become unstuck when it comes to being able to 'micro-navigate' in bad visibility, or estimate distances, or even read the terrain in conjunction with a map. During Mountain Leader training exercises in GB, one of my colleagues used to joke, "That's the beauty of GB, it's impossible to be lost as you're on an island! Go N,S,E,or W and eventually you'll hit the coast!" Unfortunately for some people though, this would never happen as they simply refuse to believe what their compass is telling them, and yes it is possible to walk aimlessly around in circles! Smart-phones and GPS are fantastic bits of technology. They are however, only aids! Google maps may guide you up and down the motorway, they won't guide you safely off Scafell nor any other summit in Europe! Similarly, I'd never consider using a GPS to guide me off Ben Nevis in winter in bad visibility. A GPS error factor is sufficient to see you drop down one of the gulleys! So again, Smart-Phones and GPS should not be considered to first line navigation tools, or replacements for map and compass. The excuse of "flat batteries" doesn't go down too well either! Mention has been made elsewhere regarding the use of PLB's (Personal Locator Beacons). Worth the expense? That's for the individual to decide, but it should also be borne in mind that the user must be conscious and lucid enough to be in a position to trigger the device. "Experience" in the mountain environment is a little more than the ability of being able to place one foot in front of the other! Finally, to quote " You can call me Betty",  Above all, though, I think recent events are a salutory lesson to us all that we're not to big/old/clever to make the fatal mistake of believing we're invincible. And that there's a fine line (at any age) between being independent and being foolhardy. Says it all really![:)]

Catalpa, perhaps maintaining this thread in its entirety will also serve as something of a harsh reminder of the dangers, whether this be through inexperience, ill-equipped, or simply ignoring the technical grading of a particular route. May it also serve as a reminder that in the event of an accident, many others will put their own lives at risk in order to bring about closure. Yes it is a sad event, but if one person reading this thread heeds something from it and thinks twice about venturing out without following the most basic of advice, then surely this is not a bad thing?

If I could add a couple of points. The most basic of equipment to be carried should be a map and compass, together with at least the basic knowledge in how the two are used together, and the ability to navigate safely out of a potential situation. Unlike GPS, they don't require batteries and are not dependant on receiving a signal! It should also be noted that many mountain 'walking' routes are not well designated footpaths over rolling terrain. Many are graded with degrees of exposure and technical difficulty, with some such as "via ferrata" routes requiring extra kit to safely negotiate passage, and shouldn't be attempted by the inexperienced, or ill equipped!

[quote user="Quillan"]I just had a rummage round the Internet to try and discover exactly what happened i.e. the cause of death etc but cannot find anything. Is there any news of what actually happened and her exact cause of death?[/quote] No doubt the true picture will only come out at the inquest. From elsewhere I read she fell "hundreds of metres" off a route classified as "very difficult", there is a handrail system where it is recommended users "clip-on" as a safeguard while negotiating passage. Unfortunately I can't find the link to the route description .

If I may be permitted to interject before this topic goes way off topic with irrelevant comments! Those who select negative comments about the operation of the Gendarmes should remember one thing, it is a large operation with separate specialist branches covering everything from maritime through to mountain rescue. Unlike UK Search & Rescue, there is no trained network of volunteer teams available to be called upon and just like operations in the UK, the effectiveness of a successful call-out is very much dependant upon the accuracy of the information received in relation to the possible whereabouts or known location of the subject. It is impossible to mount large scale searches based upon hunches or inaccurate information, and if someone is so fiercely independent that they see no reason to inform anyone of their intentions, then it is not the blame of the rescue services that they may appear slow in reacting, for where do they commence a search? Unless you have first hand knowledge of the mountain rescue service, please reserve your negativity and bear in mind those that put their own lives at risk rescuing those that often through ignorance and lack of experience, are willing to put others lives at risk.

A word of warning Jonzjob! Make sure you wear the boots regularly. If not, stupid as it may sound - the soft mid-sole the vibram sole is attached to, could start to decompose and literally will turn to powder![8-)] I had a longstanding battle with the Meindl agent in the UK over such an issue, and they finally acknowledged that if the mid-sole wasn't "activated" regularly by use, then it could break-up. My previous Meindl's were of a different construction, far more comfortable, and past their best but I continued to prefer them over the new boots, so literally I wore them until they fell apart through use. When that day came, that's when I started to experience the problems described with the new boots. On the question of stones and other debris getting in the boot, Stop-Tous gaiters are ideal.

Before signing up for PETA's latest campaign, it might worth considering PETA has one of the worst records for destroying healthy animals - [url]http://www.tntmagazine.com/news/world/peta-kills-more-than-95-of-the-animals-in-its-care[/url]

[quote user="AnOther"]Supposedly IDP's are available over the counter from SELECTED PO's and AA port travel shops only, the reason being that those establishments are authorised to interrogate DVLA records to establish entitlement. [url]http://www.theaa.com/getaway/idp/motidp002.html[/url][/quote] "Supposedly: According to what is generally assumed or believed (often used to indicate that the speaker doubts the truth of the statement)." If you've no experience of obtaining an IDP, please be good enough to accept the experience of two on this forum who have gone through the process instead of trawling the internet looking for a get-out for your original claim.

[quote user="Nelson"]I have on more than once done just that, walked into AA identified myself (provided license) filled in form paid fee walked out with IDP.[/quote] Same here, both via the AA and the Post Office.

[quote user="AnOther"] As an aside an IDP must be applied for to the licencing authority which issued your actual driving licence so in the case of French resident UK licence holders that would be DVLA so I wonder, will they actually send one to somebody in France ?[/quote] Wrong! £5.50 from the Post Office, valid for 12 months.[:)]

Thanks Fay, but all sorted now.