Today I'm happy about......

[William the White]

Anymore interested? Pre-show nosh followed by post-show drinks? Anyone fancy organising it as i've no idea on venues in Bolton

Anyone fancy that Persian gaff?

Have you road-tested it, Bruce?

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

I'm in.

[Bruce Rioja]

Anymore interested? Pre-show nosh followed by post-show drinks? Anyone fancy organising it as i've no idea on venues in Bolton

Anyone fancy that Persian gaff?

Have you road-tested it, Bruce?

Not personally, Will. However, LeverEnd has and he gave it a glowing write up in the foodie thread.

That, it being a cock's stride from the theatre and there not being a lot else to choose from.

[William the White]

Anymore interested? Pre-show nosh followed by post-show drinks? Anyone fancy organising it as i've no idea on venues in Bolton

Anyone fancy that Persian gaff?

Have you road-tested it, Bruce?

Not personally, Will. However, LeverEnd has and he gave it a glowing write up in the foodie thread.

That, it being a cock's stride from the theatre and there not being a lot else to choose from.

Just looks a bit grim from the outside, that's all.

I know they are routine options, and you are right there's nothing out the ordinary in the centre but the Olympus or Pizza Express?

[Bruce Rioja]

Anymore interested? Pre-show nosh followed by post-show drinks? Anyone fancy organising it as i've no idea on venues in Bolton

Anyone fancy that Persian gaff?

Have you road-tested it, Bruce?

Not personally, Will. However, LeverEnd has and he gave it a glowing write up in the foodie thread.

That, it being a cock's stride from the theatre and there not being a lot else to choose from.

Just looks a bit grim from the outside, that's all.

I know they are routine options, and you are right there's nothing out the ordinary in the centre but the Olympus or Pizza Express?

It does, but it's also got plenty of good reviews on Trip Advisor. There's the tapas place on Bridge Street too, don't forget. Cliff Morris's vision of a Parisian Cafe culture appears to be struggling a little.

[bwfcdan94]

I have just received the news that I have secured a 12 week work experience placement(once a week for 12 weeks) in the accounts department at Blackwell's book shop in Oxford. It has given me a huge boost especially given I was 1 of 3 candidates, the placement is on Monday's and will be from 8:30 to 4pm (with an optional hour for lunch). I am nothing short of absolutely ecstatic and such news came at a time when I needed something to life me. I can now pest HMX at least once every week now. As a few have pointed out to me in recent days life throws the good and the bad at us and after a few sh*t days today was a great day .

Excellent news Dan. Take it slow, listen a lot and don't be telling them that Oxford's shite.

Actually I even mentioned in my interview what a nice city Oxford.

[Bijou Bob]

The Harley is back from the garage, complete with shiny new mot. It sounds llike rolling thunder

[Lost Leopard Spot]

...just discovering that Denmark have made kosher/halal killing illegal. Yayhay, one more country to add to the select few which see sense (Norway, Sweden, Poland, Estonia). More than makes up for the giraffe gaffe, welcome to the civilised amongst us, Denmark.

[Prufrock]

Do you have proper stuff on that Spotty? I tried to figure out where I stood but couldn't find anything that wasn't pro-islamic organisations saying it was a kinder way to slaughter, or suspiciously anti-islamic sounding organisations saying it's not.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Do you have proper stuff on that Spotty? I tried to figure out where I stood but couldn't find anything that wasn't pro-islamic organisations saying it was a kinder way to slaughter, or suspiciously anti-islamic sounding organisations saying it's not.

Sorry cannot help with regards to sources. I have only my own experience to guide me. I was brought up on a farm and saw cattle being killed humanely, and was shocked, when I lived in Hendon, to see barbaric kosher slaughter of lambs in the orthodox Jewish community. The two methods do not compare, one is functional and causes least distress to the animal, the other is truly revolting and the squeals of the victims alerts the others in line and panic takes hold amongst them. And although slaughterers are inured to what they do, the savagery evinced by the kosher butchers was something to behold.
[note, if you're a goat, sheep, etc. then halal and kosher are the same thing: basically your throat is cut and you're bled to death, although throat being cut doesn't quite sum it up, nor is it carried out in so clinical a manner]
Edit: unless you meant sources for the story: which came from today's Times, p30, wherein the countries where it is already banned are named.

[Hoboh]

The Harley is back from the garage, complete with shiny new mot. It sounds llike rolling thunder

Vance and Hines or Screamin' Eagles?

[Puskas]

Do you have proper stuff on that Spotty? I tried to figure out where I stood but couldn't find anything that wasn't pro-islamic organisations saying it was a kinder way to slaughter, or suspiciously anti-islamic sounding organisations saying it's not.

I don't think the RSPCA are massively anti-Islamic - this is their statement (issued jointly with the British Veterinary Association and the Humane Slaughter Association).
http://www.rspca.org.uk/utilities/statement/0114_4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
References are given at the end, but, unfortunately, no hyperlinks. I'm not sure the journals would be free to read, anyway...

[William the White]

While in Sudan I witnessed the slaughter of lambs by throat cutting on many occasions. The deaths seemed to me to be calm and quick. On a number of occasions - when going on a community picnic (not an uncommon event) - two live sheep would be taken along. One for 'breakfast' (round about 10.30), One for 'lunch' (round about 2.30). The lamb to be slaughtered second showed no signs of fear when witnessing the death and butchery of the previous one. The butchery would typically take up to an hour, with every bit of the sheep other than its bones eaten. The meal would typically start with the liver eaten raw in lime juice and chili, followed by intestines stewed with tomatoes and aubergines. In the meantime 'lunch' would calmly continue chewing the grass with no signs of distress. This puzzled me at the time and continues to do so.

In those days I ate lamb - and this was the most delicious meat I have ever tasted. I don't put this down to the method of slaughter but to its freshness. It is possible, of course that god prevented the sheep feeling any pain, as the butcher, before cutting the throat would always say 'Allahu Akbar' - 'God is great'.

PS Is the happy thread the best place for this?

[LeverEnd]

Nothing better to bring a smile to the face than a lovely picnic tale Will!

[Wandering Willy]

Hooking up with an old mate tomorrow.

England v Ireland in the New Inn in Headingley.

It'll get ugly.

[bobo the clown]

Hooking up with an old mate tomorrow.

England v Ireland in the New Inn in Headingley.

It'll get ugly.

over 30 years since I was in there !! See if my half-pint's still waiting will you ?

Bryan's chippy after and maybe take in a film at the Cottage as well.

[Wandering Willy]

Hooking up with an old mate tomorrow.

England v Ireland in the New Inn in Headingley.

It'll get ugly.

over 30 years since I was in there !! See if my half-pint's still waiting will you ?

Bryan's chippy after and maybe take in a film at the Cottage as well.

Bryan's is still open - not a favourite of mine.

It'll be the Kajan Valley or Naffees - or their reincarnations.

Pop out for some milk and get yerself over!

[bobo the clown]

Naffee's. Oh .... My .... God.


We (many of the Uni football team) used to go there most Thursdays after training. I think a meal cost less than a £fiver in todays money !! After using it faithfully for the best part of a year, so hardly strangers and certainly liking the place, one drunken evening someone decided we should "do a runner".

About 10 of us got up and "escaped", saving us maybe £50 all told and meaning we could never return. .... oh, and Mick Potter's coat was left behind, probably costing more than the bill.

I haven't mentioned that Johnnie Boyd was in the bog when we ran out have I ??

[clapton is god]

New James album due 2nd June - arena tour to follow.

[Bruce Rioja]

New James album due 2nd June - arena tour to follow.

You can include me out of that then.