drat01

Marks and Spencer pyjama section

That's the bit I can't figure ... A plane suddenly went dark and nobody scrambled the jets It even seems to have been tracked by military radar , presumably as an "unknown " and still nobody went to take a look at it ... Common Theory in the bar just was North Korea - I did want to jump in and say No but the guy saying it the loudest was 6'8" so I just nodded ........

If you like food I am currently stuck in Rodney Bay, St.Lucia, for a couple of nights. Lots of very nice eateries that are not outrageously priced. Certainly somewhere that I could come to for a two week beach chill, and enough to see on the interior of the island for a couple of day's change. I believe that Virgin offer some reasonable packages. I enjoyed St Lucia last year. Rodney Bay is probably the best "Caribbean" beach on there IMO. You managed to get inland at all? Loved some of the little villages drinking a Rum and talking to the locals about Banana's :-) Only the drove up from Hewanorra. Chilling today then full on work Mon/Tue, with an island change on Wednesday. Bloody work gets in the way on these trips doesn't it :-) Have a Piton (beer) on me ...

Yeah Tony sorry my post was harsh, I apologise As an "island" Bali was special IMO (and many others) you just need to get away and get around is my advice. As said Kuta is a place you go to once and laugh at the aussies For me though Bali has got a lot of all sorts of things that typically interest most people on holidays from beaches, to treks, to scenery, to friendly people, to cost, to culture even - especially if you have not travelled much in the Far East

OK - as per previous post Bali is great - do a bit of research, and you can be like "wow" etc. Go to Kuta even for one day and see a drunk Aussie or two. We did a lot of travelling around the pace and loved it - we did a via HK trip so had a few days there on the way out Cape Town I was down there this week and it's superb. The surrounding areas are great also - Fish Hoek is a particular favourite place of mine, not overly scenic but still a great place. Camps Bay is probably the best (and liveliest) beach area around there. A lot depends on when you go to CT because you can get all four seasons in one day in Winter etc. I'm down again this coming week so will ask some of the local guys re good "locals only" places etc

If you like food I am currently stuck in Rodney Bay, St.Lucia, for a couple of nights. Lots of very nice eateries that are not outrageously priced. Certainly somewhere that I could come to for a two week beach chill, and enough to see on the interior of the island for a couple of day's change. I believe that Virgin offer some reasonable packages. I enjoyed St Lucia last year. Rodney Bay is probably the best "Caribbean" beach on there IMO. You managed to get inland at all? Loved some of the little villages drinking a Rum and talking to the locals about Banana's :-)

I'd rule Bali out if you want "special " tbh Though you could go do the Komodo dragons which would make it worth while I disagree with Tony :-) You have been once mate and you were in Kuta for some of that, it's like going to Magaluf and saying Spain is crap. Bali has got some jaw dropping places - base yourself in Ubud for instance and trek around a bit. Some of the beaches are also awesome with friendly people etc

OK so give a few more hints as to the criteria, where from? when? how many people etc? Some of us do travel also you know :-)

Ha i am eating a greek salad and i am not in greece

Sorry mate but with all respect that is complete and utter tosh The reality is Fox Hunting is not a major political topic, the fact that the Tory party are now doing exactly what you accused the Labour party of doing previously shows a complete and utter hypocrisy. There is no desire, or need for its re-introduction so why are some of the core Tory supporters making it a big issue. Is it not more a case that they are trying to appease the few core voters in some rural areas (possibly avoiding de-selection etc). I would have a large wager that if a public vote was made on this then most would be happy for its continued banning Fox Hunting is pretty much a privileged past time, despite what may Tory supporters would have you believe. If you want to partake in this most barbaric pastime (its not a sport despite what they may say) then you certainly need a large amount of financial collateral behind you. As said this is more evidence of a lot of the Tory party trying now to defend their own position because their leader is basically gone. Ashcroft tweeted again about the Labour lead in the opinion polls and whatever happens now in the future Cameron has failed to deliver on the many millions of (tax avoided) money he has put in to the party. Edit: But I have no desire to argue with you young sir :-), so we will leave it with me being right and you being ......... :-))

The bloke in the red shirt knows it ...........

There is no general public desire for the re-introduction of Fox Hunting (which is IMO a quite barbaric activity anyway), and the fact that the Tory party are making this a "flagship" activity at the moment shows a complete and utter lack of understanding of the majority of the public. Just because a few of the core votes for them, i.e. the "country set" still cling on to this as some sort of "sport" shows that they do not act for the majority rather they act for a key few supporters. It's the same in their general policy making, we see it with some of the biggest donors to the party being rewarded with contract for health care, which is just an erosion of the NHS and a move to a private health care, a long term Tory aim. No wonder Gove, Boris and Gideon are showing they want to be the next leader because Cameron is now clearly a liability. Never mind he can spend his retirement visiting his cums Coulson and Brooks in jail

and

Someone just asked me the time so I told them. Thanks a lot they said and walked off. They were wearing a red t shirt but I could not see what brand it was. Shorts were pretty standard and the flip flops were like those you could get from any shop. I suppose they didn't have a watch on because they didn't want a tan line or maybe they just don't own one?

So doing a bit of reading today it looks as though the Tory members already looking past Cameron as leader - have they given up the next election already ?

No they don't according to the "Star" this morning. Some of the quotes re evidence being left in corridors, guns being handled, watches being stolen etc make you wonder how they can prove without any doubt that he is guilty. What did make me smirk was an article from a local "pastor" who was outside the trial claiming he was innocent and it was Satan that caused her to be killed. Can't beat a bit of old school religious rational thinking :-)

If I recall from another thread quite a lot of VT'ers have cricket bats / baseball bats etc by the bed with the view that they will batter anyone that breaks into their house... The logic was they would protect their family, possibly you'd check but that hesitation may be the difference between you surprisingly the intruder or not .. Add in some fear factor , the make up of the person and so on and it's plausible that you might just react..... And then In SA many appear to use guns instead of bats An example of SA is that at most Gvmt and official buildings there are signs about handing in firearms while in the building. There is a very large gun (protection) business here and again people are judging what they are hearing in the trial against what happens in the UK for example Reading this mornings paper is interesting as the locals now are starting to blame the inept initial police evidence gathering for the uncertainty of the trial.

I'm balanced because I have a chip on both shoulders :-) ........ I am sure someone would have said that :-) On a more general point it's interesting that even people who have little affinity to Benn's political beliefs have commented about his style of political "behaviour". Surely this shows the public are crying out for a return to political figures who are more about serving the people they represent rather than themselves. The political world at all levels is full of bullies and ego-tistical Walter Mitty types across the whole political spectrum and that is why so many now in the general public despise them and what they stand for. There is a massive void in the political world at the moment and it will be interesting if it is ever filled or is allowed to be filled. I despise comments re Milliband's apperance for example, what in the world does that have in terms of relevance. Osborne looks like a "window licker" someone put on Twitter recently, I just wanted to reply so what, that is not what makes him objectionable it's his behaviour and beliefs. Ah well back to a week of watching the start of the run up to the SA elections, now that is a eye opener :-)

and so the thread descends ........... Surely its not a Benn vs Thatcher thread

Going to a football match with apparently the largest crowd anywhere in the world this weekend :-)

Apparently there was one of our US staff based out of China on the flight

The maid has just been to my room to offer me the turn down service. I said "no thanks", my how we laughed

absolutely mate - life is "cheap" in Africa that is certainly the underlying fact.

The fact that we don't have medical remedies for certain illnesses and conditions ...........

Depends on how paranoid you are I guess, no one makes the greatest decisions of their life as soon as they've awoken especially if its a sudden event You may not, plenty of other people would. I wouldn't, my missus most definitely would. I think it's really hard to judge these things that are being mentioned. S Africa is a very different culture to the UK and few of us really know that much about Pistorius and his psyche. For my money he's guilty but some of the arguments presented appear to me to highly speculative and that is a key point Gareth. Most of my mates down here have massive evil dogs for protection and all have loaded guns ready to use - basically they don't ask questions often as that will typically be too late is the way of thinking.