"The Calf's Head" at Worston (a bit east of Clitheroe.) We went there early Saturday night, 5 mains, 4 puddings - £51. Service was sparky and one that was wrong was corrected within minutes. Decent food too; and some decent ale.

Just got back from Manchester University and "Noah & The Whale" Really rather good if you like that sort of thing.

That's not me BTW. When I see a rat I scream & stand on a chair. I'm OK with cameras though. I just pucker up.

Everyone should read at least one Terry Pratchett book. Fabulous; funny; thought-provoking; the lot of them Go on and do it.

This is quite nice & quite cleverhere

Why? Can't you just collect pine cones instead?

Probably duplicating earlier posts but.. "The Damned United" by David Peace. It's a semi-fictional account of Brian Clough's 44 days in charge of Leeds United. We're going back to 1974 here. Just to replay for anyone who is interested: Clough made Shearer look like Grabbi in his playing days at Boro & Sunderland. Got himself seriously crocked. Managed Hartlepools United (yes, the "s" was there then) with Peter Taylor before both moved to Derby County. They got promoted in their second year and then went on then to win the old first division; into the European Cup and got knocked out at the semis. Clough & Taylor then fell out with the Derby County board, resigned & took up a job with Brighton & Hove Albion. Then dirty dirty dirty Leeds came for him (Taylor refused to go.) Clough had to deal with the legacy of Don Revie at Leeds & crashed. A cracking read. The postscipt does mention that Clough & Taylor later took Forest to two European Cup wins in 1979 & 1980

I too saw Slumdog Millionaire today. Great big thumbs up from me too. Go and see the film then read "Q & A" (the book) in that order.

My 13 year old daughter took me to see "Twighlight" at the weekend. Probably a good film to go and see with a teenage girl (who is a close relative I hasten to add. Oh! unless you are a teenage male. Or a teenage female...............at which point he knew he had lost the plot and stopped) I liked it. Action, love story, modern vegetarian vampires, a town called "Forks." What more could you ask for?

Birthday present off my sister. John Peel "The Olivetti Chronicles" It's a collection of his (generally) brief and pithy pieces for various newspapers, magazines & other publications - "Radio Times" to "The Observer" to "Sounds" over a period of 30 years. Never less than interesting.

I've just got that, never heard of them before a recent positive mention in the press. It's taking a while, I think I've played it 4 times but it's getting better. It reminds me a bit of "Low" period Bowie at times...

Very true, but there's also the very real cost of having to let land lie fallow for a few years so that all the artificial fertilizers have time to leach out and then, here in the UK, "The Soil Association" will then certify the product as organic. And then the size of the crop per acre falls. ("Farmers' Weekly" passes by me on a regular basis.) Oh dear. Misogyny is such a burden.

OK, here I go. I've been vegetarian for 25+ years and I've got to agree with Theno that vegetarian food in most places is a rip-off. Chinese is usually a no-go as they usually put slivers of pork into everything. Indian vegatarian is usually OK, the carniverous alternative will be tasteless factory meat which should make the consumer feel guilty for eating it. There are very few decent restraunts which actually make the effort to cater for vegetarians. The ones that do are probably you carnivores need to go to. If they have the nouse to actually make the effort for us lentil-munchers then you can probably be assured that they have put some effort into preparing something worthwhile. This is only personal opinion but whenever I've gone out with family & friends, the better my choice, the better the carnivore meal. It was a cashew nut roast for me, don't knock it, you lot don't do turkey every day do you? Still sick as a parrot after todays result.

I've been having one of my retro moments. This one involving Elvis Costello. I know that he started off 30 years ago but "This Year's Model;" "My Aim Is True;" "Armed Forces;" & "Get Happy" are timeless gems. Oh well, just my opinion.

Thanks for the recommendation CS. It's a really good read. Danny Boyle has just made a film of it - "Slumdog Millionare." Something completely different.......... "What happened When" by Tim Taylor. He's the series producer of TV's "The Time Team" It's a romp through the history of Britain from the Palaeolithic to the present day. So, if like me, you struggle to place the Iron Age in relation to The Romans & the Bronze Age in relation to The Anglo Saxons then have a go at this. It's surprising how many times this island has been visited and colonised by different people over the past few thousand years.

AESF, What was it exactly about this story that promped you to post it on here? Yours quiveringly Colin

some more to talk about

Keep dropping them there fantastic hints. It's his best.

Cheeky Sidders' date='Nov 16 2008, 20:49 ' post='692911'] On your recommendation I've just ordered "Q & A" from Manchester library service. "The Steep Approach to Garbadale" was read about a year ago. I enjoyed it. Got to agree that it doesn't have "that underlying sense of menace" that Banks can generate. But then again that chapter in "Dead Air" where the writer is hiding in the wardrobe of the house is like nothing else I've ever read for tension & menace.................

Back up to the top: "43 Years With The Same Bird" by Brian Reade "The Bird" being The Liver Bird. He's a Liverpool supporter. Don't let that put you off, nor the fact that he's a Daily Mirror writer. I got it out of the library on spec, sort of expecting some "we're great we are" account. It isn't really, it's a good rampage through his 43 years of supporting Liverpool, pretty much as we support Blackburn (although, it has to be said, with a few more European Cups.) I've read it and never once did I think "you're a cocky scouse t**t." You start reading it and, as football supporter you're with him all the way. You'd need a heart of stone not to suppress a lump in the the throat over his accounts of Heysel & Hillsbrough.

Best post in ages. Well done T4E!

Cats That Look Like Hitler Click on "Best Kitlers" & No2 has it

That may not quite be the link you intended to post. Certain members' members may be aroused by that. Let's sit back & see

"Eh?" again. This time from me. Thank you Phillipl for pointing out the vacuous assumption.

Bazza, Thank you for your response. You have taken my quick comment that "Afghanistan is not poor because of the religion of its people" and started yourself off on one. It's all yours mate.