Mark Albrighton

We're still talking about how we do our hair are we? Didn't realise so many on VT go for the aerodynamic look. Just for the record, I shave mine myself. Grade 2 all over, small scissors to trim around the ears. I use a separate pair of clippers for my beard, trimmed to suit my grade 2. Back of my neck is tricky, but these days I can do a decent job of it if I'm patient. This whole process usually occurs once a week, and takes around 20-30 minutes.

Yeah but in that case, surely Grandpa Joe already knew what the chocolate factory was like and would have no need to see it again, while poor old Grandpa Noname doesn't even get a look in as well being ignored by his grandson. Perhaps Grandpa Noname worked at the chocolate factory as well, I don't know. But Charlie clearly didn't give a shit either way.

Also - "distinctly average"??? "four minutes"???

My speed dating was in the upstairs of All Bar One. See, if my experience was as good as yours, I would have tried my luck at another speed dating night soon after. I had zero interest in the saliva on my tonsils but it was a worthwhile evening regardless.

The amount of times I switched off the radio in anger when I heard the klaxon in injury time in a game we were winning, knowing that all the other West Midlands games had finished and Paul Franks was heading live to Villa Park. I'd have to hum the "E, double D, double O, L, A, N, that's Ed Doolan" jingle to cheer myself up.

I always thought that was a purely WM radio jingle. For me, that klaxon noise will forever inspire both hope and dread in equal and confusing measures.

Snap.

Quite a few attractive girls on Holby these days.

I was expecting it to be terrible but I found the whole experience quite good fun. If I remember correctly there was around a dozen women there, three minute date for each one. I'd say I found around half of the dates attractive (based solely on looks and those three minutes). One thing it taught me though, it's amazing how long three minutes appears to vary, depending on the company!

Best ABBA tune is one of SOS, Mamma Mia or Supa Dupa.

I was on POF for about a week, but I found it dispiriting, although that could have been just the mood I was in at the time. Xela, have you ever tried speed dating? I went with some mates a couple of years ago and it was a good experience. It ultimately came to nowt for me, but I really enjoyed it. I was pleasantly surprised at the number of nice, attractive girls who turned up. At the very least it's an easy, fun bit of warm up for getting back out there properly (if you felt you needed the practice that is!).

But single, yeah? The relationship thread is always there for you mate, ready and waiting. Currently pissing me off but shouldn't - The BBC and their "it's the FA cup.....anything can happen!!!" advertising.

Looper is a decent film, Levitt, Blunt and Willis all very good. However- That grumble aside, an entertaining watch.

I suspect that Stevo doesn't believe in "shit tests" because without realising it, he's passed every single damn one of them. Hitch doesn't fail.

Yeah there is an argument for that. Whether deliberate or not, if he indeed painted himself out of that portrait of the four of them, it's telling as to how he might have seen himself. The father Patrick, outliving the lot of them, was fairly interesting too.

I've read Wuthering Heights (one of the characters's dialogue is written in 19th century Yorkshire dialect which I found near impossible to understand) and Jane Eyre (a much easier read). Been a number of years since I looked at either though. But echoing your point about knowing a lot about them, I find the Brontes themselves more interesting than their work.

Yeah Austen, Shelley and the Brontes are the first spring to mind for me. I'm not massively fussed if people know them or not, but it just felt like I was the weird one for simply knowing who they were. I know who Branwell Bronte is as well but I thought mentioning him would further confuse matters

Ha! It came up cos their mate was texting a Charlotte (I had seen who he was texting but they hadn't). They asked me who and I was trying to be subtle in front of their mate so I said "one of the Bronte sisters". For some reason when I hear Charlotte I think Bronte I guess. These guys aren't stupid by any stretch, but they looked totally blank at me when I was trying to explain who they were (the best I could do was to say "Wuthering Heights" and that the song is linked to the book-only one knew the song, mind). Mind you, in our early twenties, my fairly clever mate had no idea who Oscar Wilde was. And in our late teens, when I referenced Alice Cooper, he replied "who's she?".

In the pub last night, I mentioned the Bronte sisters in passing and these two guys (both around 23 years old) had no idea who they were. Can't help feeling that them not knowing who the Brontes are is perfectly normal and I'm the weird one for being aware of them (and even more so for mentioning them in a pub).

I live a couple of miles away from an air base and subsequently have to endure an air show once a year, Red Arrows etc. Constant deafening noise yet somehow a plane is rarely in sight. And the traffic is terrible so getting away that day is much harder to do. And happy birthday DK82.

Sorry to hear that mate. As a wise man once said - if that chick don't wanna know, forget her.

In my experience, girls particularly like being called "pretty". The slightly archaic compliment resonates a bit more with them rather than something more contemporary such as "you're well fit" (which I also find has a place in modern courtship). Stevo, for some reason I can't see this picture, but following the subsequent consensus of others, I'm sure it's safe to say "nice one playa!!".

Oh, you!

Had to say it out loud, but I got there eventually. Help yourself to a like.