B1 RMA

How come us pheasants don't get a look in?

Can't wait it's brilliant, I watched the last episode of the last series last night just to get ready. We always record it because of the bloody adverts you'd have thought paying a full subscription to sky you could at least watch something without them all the time. So many plots flying around (excuse pun)

My wife got fed up with trying beds after about 6 weeks but I carried on regardless and concluded that although the Tempur was expensive but not as expensive as some I tried (Jensen and a couple of other high end bed makers) the Tempur suited me better, in particular the one I bought with the softer top section. I travel around a bit and always stay in decent hotels I always come back to my Tempur bed and think hello comfortable old friend. I would say I'd buy another but by all accounts they last forever.

There you go, I read up on the various comments both negative and positive about these beds and there does seem to be a love or hate scenario with them. We did the trial as the bed we liked had a total cost of well over £3K with the proper bed frame so not something I was going into lightly.

No problem, you can recognise the one I have as it has the softer top layer (about 2 inches thick) and only that model has it, hope that helps. I think the Cloud 25 is the nearest. My wife tells me we have had the bed for 8 years now, there is a lot of very divided opinions about these beds but I still maintain it's the best one I've ever slept in.

I bought a Tempur matress about four years ago, I eventually chose the Celebrity matress which was the most expensive one in the range but it was after a lot of trying/laying/research. The one I chose has the thin top layer of softer foam on it with the more rigid foam forming the main body. It is without doubt the most comfortable bed I've ever had. I would never go back to a sprung matress even the many thousands of pocket sprung top of the range matress I had before. I did read comments about it being too hot in the summer but to date I can not honestly say I've noticed it being a problem, the one thing I do reallly like is if you get up in the night for a pee and it's a bit cold when you go back it's still lovely and warm where you have been lying (very nice). I understand that Tempur offer a trial period for them so I'd try to get that offer if you can and see if it suits you. I did have provision to create an air flow under the bed as I tend to 'run hot' as a human which may have something to do with working outside all the time but to date I have not had a problem although I do have air-conditioning in the room.

Think I pretty much agree with you there. The trouble is today everyone expects so much for so little effort. I have found this with employing people today, I always say they want to start at Managing Director and work their way down. Myself, I float above all the hurly burly loosely following the Pratyekabuddha course through life or at least I think it is on account of a clever chemistry student spiking the fruit punch at a gathering I was invited to when two of my close friends were at Oxford. It was obviously a very powerful halucegenic because my friends tell me I sat in front of this very charismatic man crosslegged who had an amazing powerful type aura about him for virtually the whole evening. I can't remeber a thing he said but it must have rooted itself deep in my mind because I have this laid back stress free calm path through life. Didn't I read somewhere that Facebook was the domain of whingers don't know as I don't do it.

They look the same as Morrisons own brand dead cheap and I've been using them for years with good results

Shares are flying up in value at the moment, I've just done a calculation this week and my shares have risen over £1800 in value from this Monday to this Friday. I tend to buy shares in companies I have dealings with through my business whether it be being a sub contractor to a business that has dealings with them hence RR Holdings and QQ both of which have served me well although there is no insider knowledge gained on my part I hasten to add. I must have bought Vodafone at a good time because I am showing a gain on the 3000 I hold. Thing is what to do when it stops the mad rise as gold should have been bought in 2007. I guess the smart thing to do is cash them in at the high hold the cash then buy at the lowest could be an interesing few years ahead. I'm always lending my mates money I only charge 200% interest and if they don't pay I get one of my big hairy arsed sub-contractors to go round and hold them upside down and shake them for a few minutes till the money falls out their pockets then scoop it up, I'm doing a public service and I'm nicer than payday loans people at the end of the day.

She must have been talking to my wife!

I joined the sport maserati forum and got a fairly comprehensive picture of running costs and many people said they had run them for a while without major issues. The Quattroporte I looked at did have a £2K service bill though. It's a pity my daughter is near six foot otherwise I'd have tried to wedge her in the Granturismo and could have dismissed the Quattroporte.

In my recent search for a 4 seater I came across the Maserati Quattroporte which is a nice 4 seater but when I went to look at one at a Maserati dealer the car that really caught my eye was the Maserati Granturismo. Nick Whale has one in a dark red/plum and I really think it is the best looking car on the road today, it's bloody enormous but look at that line along the front wing/bonnet pure motor art. I understand they are not as scary a proposition these days either

    Must admit that I did not try the R8 as the V10 was not in my budget range but will note it for later on. I'm far too tight to buy new cars and prefer to wait until they are about 4 years old and look to see if I can buy one with a manufacturers warranty at about 50-60% of the initial cost. That way if you are a bit indulgent you can actually buy two super cars.

The 911 Turbo has the title of being an everyday supercar. In my many forays into selling the Esprit, the first time I had set my budget at £45K to replace the Esprit. I tried an Aston Martin V12, a 360 Modena and a 996 911 Turbo all secondhand of course. The Porsche came out the clear winner in my opinion and the biggest suprise was the servicing costs in which the Porsche was in the hundreds per year whereas the other two were in the thousands. Just recently I upped my budget to £55K and again the 997 Turbo just came out the best car in my opinion. I always set a budget, drive my choice of cars within two days without any preconcieved ideas of what armchair experts have to say about them and base my choice on pure driving experience, then look into running costs and ask people who run the cars their opinion Pistonheads is useful for this. As a lifelong Lotus man I have to confess to warming to Porsche cars and consider myself not to be a blinkered brand fanatic.

    The postcode is PO17 5JN about 15 mins or less than 10 in an Elise from Southampton

Why not come along to the pub meet at the the Kings Head in Wickham Square tonight and say hello to some fellow Lotus owners. Have you been living in Southampton long as I'm sure we would have spotted you in one of your Lotus cars as us local anoraks have been around this area for a good fifteen odd years and must have spotted you. We also go along to the local Pistonheads meetings do you attend those? Anyway it would be nice to meet you if you can come along and introduce yourself and let us have a look at your Elise.

Thank you Gunter, Your post was both informative and reassuring.

I'll have to check with Paul but I have a feeling it's a bit earlier than the one I had. Sounds good, I am leaning more towards the odd hiring as having a car around all the time means road tax insurance etc.

And I got the phone call right at the start of the second half of the Harlequins versus Exeter rugby game too! Couldn't contact my friend with a V8 by phone so had to drive round to his house for advice. That's interesting David, as I said to Bret the new owner I've never had any issues with the gear change and I wondered if us putting a load of stuff in the boot (base of the Carcoon etc) could have caused the shell to sag and obstruct the movement that's the only different thing in the whole scenario that's different. I know that V8 FOU (Paul) did an upgrade on his to make gearchanges easier due to his injuries following a motor bike accident so I will contact him for any advice he may be able to give to perhaps improve the operation. I'm looking at buying a large four door car or even considering the occasional hire of an estate car as my daughter is starting University in Norwich and we will land up being a taxi/delivery service for the next four years and neither the Boxster or the Esprit would be suitable. I'll probably see everyone at Donnington as we are sorting out the roof and gutter problems there and as you know it's a giant building and we are attacking it in several phases over the next 5 years or so.

Just had a text from Bret, it would appear that the RAC guy popped it back on but I think Bret may choose to have the cables replaced.

Thanks Sparky, he is getting it taken back to his home by the RAC if you could go and have a look tomorrow morning I'd really appreciate it. And of course will be happy to pay you for your time. I'll get the details to you asap. Many thanks.

As you may know my Esprit has been up for sale and the new owner picked it up today at about midday. I have just had a phone call from him stuck on the side of the road as the gear lever has gone all floppy. I popped round to see a fellow V8 owner to ask advice as it seems there are some cables that may have popped out of place. So is there anyone in the Guildford area who may be able to help him as the guy who does the work for me is based in Portsmouth.

    I can not believe you think that the Boxster is not easy to get out of. When I was in the process of buying my Boxster I re-visited the Elise/Exige and again found the massive door cill tiresome and a real negative point, I still get sick when I drive them too but that could just be me. As far as your statement about those seeking status that may be the case for a few but for driving enthusiasts like myself who have had a Lotus car for nearly 40 years I can assure you the ride in my Boxster is every bit as satisfying if not more in some cases than any Lotus I have owned.

I find it interesting on Porsche forums when I suggest that someone considers a Lotus it is generally ignored and in most cases I think never even considered. I'm not sure if the old Loads Of Trouble mantle has well and truly stuck I'm not sure, but as a lifelong Lotus man I find it a lost cause, and in many respects this sterotyping is equally prevelant on Lotus sites about Porsche cars if only people would just go and have a drive in either cars they may realise what they have been missing all this time.

That's the thing isn't it you drove the car and liked the Cayman. All too often people dismiss a car because of it's name/image without actually driving it. Since buying my Boxster I have changed so many people's minds by just letting them drive it.