other hobbies.

AlanD · Post by **AlanD** » 24 Jul 2008, 1:40pm

I've done so many things in my years including Ki Akido, Mountaineering and Hospital Radio.

Currently I just have time for Model Railways, I'm building the semaphore signals for our clubs new layout.
Scouting, I'm a uniformed assistant with the Cubs.
Spending time with my Girlfriend at weekends, which covers going to Church together, gentle walks and regular visits to the Unicorn Theatre in Abingdon for folk concerts/ Terry Pratchett plays.

I'm off to France on monday for 10 days camping/cycling in Cote D'or. Followed by a visit to Cropredy with aforesaid Girlfriend to hear one of the best bands going, Fairport Convention.

hubgearfreak · Post by **hubgearfreak** » 24 Jul 2008, 2:28pm

hubgearfreak wrote:as for chickens, manx cat, i'd like to have a few just for eggs, we've got a fairly big garden and it's none too tidy, but i'm unsure of how much work is involved

ncutler wrote:Very little work, and if you wanted to go for bantams we would be happy to give you a starter kit. Yell if you want more info. Nick

that's a very generous offer. what is a starter kit?

presumably i'd need a hut/cage arrangement and some birds? is that it? do they eat slugs/ worms and what 3 year olds turn their noses up at, or do they have their own bird food? presumably, the best thing is to go visit someone elses?

hubgearfreak · Post by **hubgearfreak** » 24 Jul 2008, 2:32pm

Alan D wrote:Scouting, I'm a uniformed assistant with the Cubs.

i was a cub, then scout, then a venture. so from 1978 to 1990 i went weekly and enjoyed it all, many, many experiences that my peers missed out on. it's brilliant that it's still going strong

Post by **ncutler** » 24 Jul 2008, 4:01pm

hubgearfreak wrote:that's a very generous offer. what is a starter kit?

Something like a hen and six chicks, and enough feed for a week or so. We wouldn't know if the chicks were hens or cocks, so it's a bit of a lottery!

You'd need to construct some sort of home for them to live in, and you might need a few stakes & some netting to keep them out of the vegetable patch.

This served as a home for our first 6 - about a month old when we were given them, and is still used for new families. They need something a bit bigger after a while, but it doesn't need to be complicated. We always put straw in for them, and half the time they chuck it out, so that's probably optional.

Nick

Manx Cat · Post by **Manx Cat** » 24 Jul 2008, 6:28pm

Chookie hens are very easy to keep.

Last year I had 45. I must admit that was quite heavy work caring for that lot and nearly 50 ducks too.

Feed for them came in 30kg sacks delivered direct from the farmer for £7 a bag. (wheat).

But if you want a couple of chooks for the house they are very very low maintenance. Unlike pig keeping you can feed them any household scraps you want. (cooked potato peelings though, or they will not eat them).

I now only have one chook. She is busy sitting on some eggs, but as we have no cock bird she wont be that lucky. As Im off on Sunday, Im leaving her cooing over her stones and pot eggs.

If you need some pot eggs, I have some.

Mary

morris dancer · Post by **morris dancer** » 2 Aug 2008, 10:27pm

Morris Dance: What is the BTCV?

Dancing is a fab way of keeping fit isnt it. I used do Manx Dance a long long long time ago. But no more sadly. (they all got a bit too serious and megga competitive for me - and I got too fat for my frock!)

BTCV British Trust for Conservation Volunteers, planting trees, hedges, laying hedges, working on footpaths and bridleways, well our group did

and yes dancing is a great way of keeping fit... the mixed side i dance with are great, we do it more for the enjoyment than anything else

Deckie · Post by **Deckie** » 4 Aug 2008, 2:29pm

One of mine is sailing Tall Ships

I'm on the right with my fellow deck hands at the end of two weeks hard graft helping run and maintain the good ship Prince William in the Canaries.

Linking with another thread - we use tallow to lubricate the masts thus allowing the leather collars that hold the yards to the mast to slide up and down. A lovely job thta leaves you with very smelly but soft hands. The only problem is climbing back down the rigging after![/img]

glueman · Post by **glueman** » 4 Aug 2008, 8:23pm

Looks like I'll be joining the chicken fanciers, the eldest boy is dead keen and all his mates seem to keep them. No-one's ever stuck for an egg round here.
I also like model railways in a casual sort of way, realising a beckoning pit of obsession would open up without much tempting so no clubs and only second hand magazines are involved. Fishing is also something I do. And playing a banjo. And painting. All pretty old school - no white water rafting, base jumping or high maintenance blondes on the side.

yoyo · Post by **yoyo** » 4 Aug 2008, 11:35pm

Another ex-bell ringer here, Mrs. Mothy but I wasn't any good at it -much preferred the organ loft where I still reside. Had grandsire triples for our wedding as this was the only method I could learn as my rope sight was so poor!

There is a huge model railway in our house and I am the proud owner of a Swiss double decker train and have an Eddie Stobart engine. This rather contaminates Mr Yoyo's LNER model of Leeds.

Other hobbies include knitting socks using the most interesting yarn that money can buy in Swiss and German wool shops.

Confession time - I love driving my sports' car just as much as cycling :oops:

We are in the process of walking the entire south coast - a long term project.

JohnW · Post by **JohnW** » 4 Aug 2008, 11:58pm

johnmac wrote:
That stupid Steve Wright is back now - can't stand him!

Why do they waste my licence fee on this moron?

Ah, well, they say things come in threes - there's also Jonathan Ross (my intellectual flesh creeps just to type his name) and that king of all "#+$xX*^@ s Jeremy Clarkson.

mhara · Post by **mhara** » 5 Aug 2008, 6:53am

In no particular order of preference, when I'm not being an active activist, these are some on the things that I enjoy to relax -

caravanning (near Looe)

going to the Isles of Scilly (Brompton no problem on the helicopter)

birdwatching, including the wide variety we attract to the back garden.
This is 32 sparrows on the fence and wall waiting for the squirrel to get off the bird-feeeder

gardening - we've been non-herbicide, non-pesticide, wildlife friendly (and getting friendlier) for a few years now.
Pond in front garden three years ago was major turning point.
Putting in more and more local native plants.

Edward · Post by **Edward** » 6 Aug 2008, 9:04am

Hmm, other hobbies. I enjoy watching a good movie, going out with friends or playing a nice round of poker (nice means I win of course

) Reading books & articles about history (I'm currently hooked to the history of Cambridge, don't know why) is also very entertaining.

Beakyboy · Post by **Beakyboy** » 6 Aug 2008, 3:11pm

Only have two hobbies; ferreting and cycling, though not at the same time I hasten to add!

byegad · Post by **byegad** » 6 Aug 2008, 4:19pm

Reading, Model Railways (N gauge German outline layout under construction), Music (I'm teaching myself to play the Bass Recorder), Wargaming (It's NOT playing with toy soldiers, it's recreating Historical Battles.............well OK toy soldiers are involved..), Military History, Ancient History, Camping as a means to cycle other than around home.

I often wonder how I found time to go to work!

Jeckyll_n_Snyde · Post by **Jeckyll_n_Snyde** » 13 Aug 2008, 7:13pm

Other hobbies apart from cycling include :- astro-photography, baking, collecting chess computers/boards (here's a small sample)

amateur radio (taught this for 5 years)

and of course music (especially computer music; Apple Mac's + Pro Tools) note the 80's Simmons kit

oh and keeping cats off the above :wink: