mattgreen

I take part in the following activities in the Peak District:- Hill/Mountain walking Mountain biking driving my LandRover on unsurfaced roads The only thing I don't do is ride a horse (and that's because I'm frightened to death of the things - mind of their own...!) There is a great deal of confusion around various rights of way which doesn't help an already emotional and controvertial debate. Just to clarify, the track from Redmires to Stanedge Pole is a Byway Open to All Traffic (BOAT). BOATs are defined on OS Maps as -+-+-+- and are legally defined by the local highway authority on something called the Definitive Map. You can view the Definitive Map at the council offices. Vehicles on BOATs must obey the same traffic laws as on a normal road - you must be taxed, licenced, insured, MOTed etc. Driving dangerously is an offence, driving wthout a licence is an offence, driving a non-road legal vehicle is an offence. The track from Stanedge Pole down to the car park (along the Edge for part of its length) is a UnClassified Road (UCR) or Other Route with Public Access (ORPA), shown on OS maps as red dots. It is defined legally by the highway authority (Derbyshire County Council) on their List of Streets - this again can be viewed at their offices and states all Streets adopted by the council. Normal road traffic law applies on this section too. There are associations whose aim is to promote sustainable use, by motorised vehicles, of these routes, encouraging their members to be considerate. They also campaign against the blanket bans and prejudical opinions of other lobby groups. The Green Lane Association (GLASS) and The Trail Riders Fellowship (TRF) are the two main organisations - I can tell you that their members are just as exasperated with those who choose to ride/drive routes with no legal rights or those who choose to seriously damage tracks and land. They are also exasperated with the lack of enforcement of EXISTING laws. For example, it is illegal to ride a motorbike along a bridleway, but many people complain of such action without very much being done. Their websites are worth a look as they seem balanced in their views:- http://www.glass-uk.org/ http://www.trf.org.uk/

Here's a novel way to avoid speed camera fines... ....DON'T DRIVE FASTER THAN THE SPEED LIMIT.... Call me crazy but it's worked for me. Once I ignored this advice and I got 3 points and a fine . We have laws to (help) create a civilised society - if you disagree with a particular law, write to your MP, lobby your local councillor, keep trying...form a pressure group, stage a protest, stand at the next national or local elections or support someone who has the same views/opinions as you believe in. You can't just break a law because you don't like it. I've heard that murderers have been whinging on about how they "feel so oppressed that the poice are out to stop them".....hrummmpphhhh.

PS Dave, there are many tricks people use to help memorise things, have a search on the web but don't forget, the human brain is pretty good at learning these things subconciously anyway - I find that by doing a route a few times I get pictures in my head. For example, I know that to get to Meadowhall from Nether Edge I want to aim for Queens Road (big B&Q) via Abbeydale Rd (big arterial roads are easy to remember) -> then the ring road past the Station (obvious landmark) -> Park Square (obvious landmark again) -> Wicker Arch via the new link road at Victoria Quays then follow the signs to Meadowhall. I can't remember every road name, junction and turn but my mind has a loose plan. A lot of it happens subconciously I think.

Hi Dave, there's no substitute for having a go, so here goes... "I want picking up from Union Road @ Nether Edge and dropping at the airport..." What route would you take me on? If everyone on the forum gave you a 'route' - you'd pick it up in no time! Well done for deciding to start your own business... If you want more routes let us all know! Matt

You've taken the most important step to being self employed - asking others how they did it! You'll soon see that it isn't as impossible as it may feel. I left full time employment as a technology consultant and went freelance 12 months ago. I got an accountant to help me set up my company and use agents to find work though I'm branching out into finding my own work through networking. There is tonnes of help and support available. A really good book to get is "Start your business Week by Week" by Steve Parks... ...he has a website that is a place for support and help --> http://www.flyingstartups.com The book really helps you take it a step at a time and takes away a lot of the worries you might have. I would also go and talk to the Sheffield Enterprise Agency (http://www.senta.co.uk) and Business Link (http://www.blsy.com). they are very helpful. What's your business idea?

Hello, I definitely recommend you have a read of this book:- "Don't send a CV" by Jeffrey J Fox http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0091884276/qid%3D1122557404/026-2631571-0470058 Although the title may seem a little off-putting it is excellent at helping you understand why companies hire people, what they're looking for and what they're not looking for. I've read it and the advice is excellent, it's also very easy to read and quite cheap too...the best £7.99 you can spend. Good luck and feel free to post your CV on here or email it if you want someone to proof read it. Matt

What are you going to run your car on when the oil runs out? Electricty of course...oh no...can't do that, power stations run off oil... Come to think of it it's a close race as to whether the fumes would have killed us all by then anyway...

Thanks everyone - I'll look them up. Matt

Hi, with contract parking you pay per month or 3 months and get a permit to park. it tends to work out cheaper than using the pay and display every day. matt

Hello fellow Sheffielders, does anyone know of anywhere in the city centre/West St/Devonshire Green region that does contract car parking? Thanks in advance, Matt

Hello, Blundells are the agent handling the sale (http://www.blundells.co.uk) If your interested in renting one, let me know! Matt

Hi, I lived in Sheffield for 4 years while at the University and now we (myself and wife) have lived in London for 5 years but are selling up to move back! I think that Sheffield is much more friendly, it has almost anything you would expect from a large city in terms of facilities, whilst not as extensive as London you can do most things. I actually prefer Sheffield nightlife as it's a bit more intimate and less anonymous. After a night out in town a taxi home to one of the suburbs will cost you nearer £5 than the £45 that I have to pay now. The new city centre living and revival means that you can live a city centre life for suburban London prices - I don't know many young people who can afford to live in central London flats? I won't miss the tube or rubbish trains (though northern trains are just as cr&p - you don't have to use them!). I think I'll like London more as an occasional tourist... ...on the whole I'm looking forward to moving back. All the best!

PHYxxx means it's a Physics department student - David Hughes is a world renowned astronomer and astro-physicist who teaches in the Phyisics/Astronomy dept. If I remember correctly, David Hughes built a v.expensive satellite that was lost at launch when the rocket it was on blew up!

Has anyone been to the bars/food places/shops in West One yet? What do you think of them? We're buying a place in there but haven't had chance to look around yet. Matt

...unfortunately Richard, the car/oil/petrol lobby is very powerful in this country - hence they closed the railways and made people get into their cars!