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I only normally stalk these threads with interest but I finally feel that I can comment on an issue I know a little about. I know that concern doesn't stop most people and they pass their ill-informed opinions off as fact, but that's the nature of the forum I guess. I've worked in and around the NHS for a good while, and unfortunately have family members who have been dependent most of their lives on the care it offers. The NHS on of the biggest organisations in the country (biggest employer in Europe I read somewhere), an organisation that size is going to have a hefty administrative overhead - hence the demonised "Pen Pushers and Managers". When the government started chucking money at the Health Service they wanted evidence that there was improved service, ie. accountability for the public money spent, which increased the admin/management overhead. This became self serving, bloated and expensive, and created a bigger gulf between clinicians and management and - well is a "bad". Having pushed the odd pen, I can say there's some managment that are dedicated, work very hard and make a positive difference. Some are clowns. Remember at the time (like, 1998) waiting lists were the big political thing in the NHS, so the targets were aimed around this. The penalties for a trust missing targets were harsh so the targets came first. The backlash today is that you can't measure patient care in numbers, if you weren't to be treated in a "targeted" area you're screwed because the resources were being focused elsewhere. Plus for every rule there's a workaround and some Trusts became very skilled at finding loopholes. These are the bad services though, I've seen plenty evidence of well run services which combine patient care and keep our evil, baby eating pen pusher chums happy. IT programme for NHS is important, it was a good idea badl and naively thought out. It was better to say "you can't sell your systems here unless they integrate with the rest of the NHS", which you can argue a Conservative government will end up doing. Some clever soul would have done so and justifiably made a few quid, whilst saving us all a few billion. In perspective how much have we chucked at the banks in the financial crisis, and no lives were saved there! Sorry if I've bored you all but I feel happier having spouted. Labour will be leaving the Health Service bloated and inefficient, but the way the previous government was running it down I wonder what state it would be in if Labour hadn't had a go.

Anyone got a number for the Tinsley depot where I can speak to a real live person? The driver wrote down the wrong parcel number on the delivery notice so I'm a bit stuffed with the automated response thing, and I don't know who the parcel is from. Not sure why I'd expect anyone on the forum to know any better, I'm just clutching at straws.

I drove to Liverpool from Sheffield last night and it put in perspective the good work that's been done in Sheffield to keep most of the roads clear. None of the main roads had been treated, not even the road off the M62 into town. It was absolute mayhem.

I'm in Warrington twice a week, driving is a pain as you have to go through either Stockport or Glossop to get to Manchester which are bottlenecks, and the A57 isn't fun in the winter. I takes me an hour or more to get from my house in Fullwood to the junction with the M67/M60. As the other poster said, Glossop is traffic hell. If I'm getting the train I have to get the bus at 7am to get the 7.35 train, I mix the two to keep my sanity. I've never tried it but you might be able to park at Dore station and get the train from there. Oh, someone said you can - there you go, I might try it myself. It's an arse especially considering it's only 30 miles, but plenty people do it so it's not impossible.

I'm a member there and I've done it a few times - it's a boxercise class. A good one though, good fun. I train in kickboxing a couple of times a week, you can't really compare it - not that I'm belittling it. It depends what you're after really. The guy who runs it used to box in the army, apparently was army champion for his weight and now is a personal trainer and he's really good, enthusiastic, puts on a good session. It's circuits with a bit of punching against pads and I was still pretty knackered at the end (though did my best to pretend not to be...). "Boxing" it aint though, like the other poster says, there's loads of boxing gyms in Sheffield if you want that sort of thing.

If you want advice to a specialist running shop. They'll be able to tell you if you need trainers with any support in and give you a selection of anything suitable. The one I went to gave me cheap, expensive and "moderate" options so they weren't just trying to flogg me the pricey ones. If you're just doing gym work on cross trainers/exercise bikes and the like I doubt it makes much difference as long as they fit. Decathlon do a good range of their own brand.

I'm going on the Thursday and I don't think we've got our tickets yet.

Try decathlon. I got my boots from there, decent pair ,for my standards, of basic Salamons for 80 quid, down from £150. They fitted them, and the staff seem to know their stuff. Last time I was in they had some good offers on skis and bindings.

Infact, I hope this knee-jerk decision to either sack him or put pressure on him to resign comes back to haunt them. Clearly this person has been sitting in the Sunderland boardroom and knows the inside workings of the club.... Punching above our weight in the premier league?! What's wrong with a club having a bit of ambition? And doesn't every supporter of every club think they should be doing better than they are? Who deserves it more, Wednesday, United, Wolves... no team has a divine right to be in the top league. Fulham, Blackburn, Wigan, are there because they're good enough. So no more of this "punching above our weight". We're there because we had a bit of ambition and got promoted, ie. on merit. And might not be there next season, but anyway... Keane was backed all the way by the Sunderland board, I doubt if there was any pressure on him to resign or be sacked. Apparently this new American guy on the board did question that he'd spent 70 million on a team that couldn't defend. Anyone else think this is a fair point? We'll never know why Keane walked, maybe it was because someone in the board had the "cheek" to question him, maybe it was because the supporters had the cheek to complain about a 5 run losing streak and paying to see another poor performance. Supporters are fickle regardless of the club they watch. My view is he decided he didn't need the grief anymore and he's bottled it. He should have got stuck in and tried to turn it round. It smacks of arrogance that he's walked. Rant over.

I'm heading back from Manchester in an hour, anyone know what Snakes and Woodhead are like this afternoon?

I went to the laser clinic with Optical Express. They do the consultation and the follow ups in Meadowhall but you have to go elsewhere (Leeds, Manc etc) for the procedure which is a pain. Everyone is really friendly and professional but my only words of caution are that: once the anaesthetic eye drops wear off in an hour, you're in pain and can't really open your eyes for the next 3-4 hours which made travelling back to Sheffield really unpleasant - you just want to sit in a darkened room rather than in a car for an hour (obviously I didn't drive!). And I had to go back to the clinic for a check up the next day - another journey. That's why I'd say check out this vision center at the hallamshire. Really it's fine after a day, even so it takes a month or so for you and your eyes to get used to it - it's like when you get a new prescription or a new shaped pair of glasses. And you can go blind if it goes wrong, but that's the risk!

So how much is Esporta per month anyway? I've been a member of Greens for a few years, my 12 month contract is up and they want me to pay 50 quid a month now - seems excessive especially, as another poster has commented, it's starting to look a bit scruffy. It would be good if some posters could give details of prices, and whether they as users consider it value for money.

Place sounds interesting. Where abouts is it, what's it called?

Lawrie McMenemy a good manager? Don't get me started! He took us down to the old third division! Grrrrrrr.... I think it'd be harder to find successful managers who had top careers as players. Most of the top managers didn't have outstanding careers as players. It makes sense that if you retire rich and successful, where is the motivation to continue into management? There aren't many top players who've retired in the last 10 years who moved into coaching.

Can't deny it!