amsterdam

No you're not central, you're in a fairly residential area called Oud Zuid ("Old South"). On the plus side it's a nice area; quiet and pleasant to stroll around. The Bilderberg has a good reputation and you're close to the Amsterdam Hilton - scene of John Lennon's famous Bed-In (mentioned in the Ballad of John and Yoko) and where the Netherland's most notorious rock star, Herman Brood, famously committed suicide by drinking himself off his chops one night and jumping from the roof! You're also not far from the Leidseplein (apologies for earlier misspelling) and the museums. There are loads of small theatres around Leidseplein so you'll be able to catch a show or two; just check at the tourist office. I've heard good things about "Boom Chicago" which is kind of a comedy/improv show (all in English), but I haven't been myself. For more high-culture, you probably need to go to the Muziektheater on Waterlooplein (a short taxi ride); it's home of the national ballet and the national opera. I saw recently that in December the ballet is Sleeping Beauty and the opera is Fidelio. They do sell out, though, so might be worth having a look at their website and booking in advance if that is the kind of show you're looking for?

"Eat lead, Fritz!" "Die, Britischer pig-dog!" Class...

What are you after? Amsterdam is an interesting city in that for a small city it offers everything from high culture to sleaze (and all in a safe environment)! Food is generally rubbish and the weather is cold at the mo. Disagreeing slightly with Toadhall - AVOID the Grasshopper and the Bulldog chain - rip-off places (and agree with DSM that Teaser's (Babes and Beer) on Damrak is in that category). But Toadhall is right to mention Stones - an excellent bar. Go in the front entrance (behind the Kempinski hotel - opposite the C**kring gay nightclub) around 8:30pm, have a few pints and chill to their top music, then leave about 9:30pm via the back exit (oo-er missus!) and you'll experience an adult version of Mr Ben... Cultural stuff is all around the south of the city (follow signs for Museumplein, just below the Leidersplein); there you have the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum - both world class if you like that sort of thing. Anne Frank museum is central, near the Oosterkerk; it's a strange place - I've been there quite a few times and sometimes I feel very moved and other times just nothing - it's an emotional thing I guess (not really a lot to look at, but more to reflect on what horrors the human race can inflict on itself). Pieter Corneilzstraat (sp?) has some good shopping for the ladies and the Vondelpaark is nice (and safe) for a wander. Let me know where you're staying/what you want to do for the weekend and I'm happy to give advice. Enjoy!

You're right; one of the best stadia in the division, no doubt. But I expect they'll build a treatment room soon...

Wow - Turkish! An Alan Bennett for the 21st century! Dune - the likes of Aldi and Lidl are not really "down-market"; in fact (over here at least) they are well-known for stocking one or two loss-leaders to attract the more affluent consumers - their own label prawns and coffee for example are considered to be of excellent quality. And Jillyanne - lucky we're all so perfect on here, no??! ;-)

Liquid - it's not a question of "hating" people, it's more a sense of astonishment at how they manage to dress themselves in the morning; buttons are damned complicated contraptions... But I agree with the sentiments of Hatch; seriously, what value do some of these people add to society? And it's OK for the government to say that they want everyone to get a job, but what business in their right mind would employ these people? DP (thanks for the advice a few days ago, btw, very useful to go back to the agency) - agree totally and ties in with DSM's comments... God (who I don't believe in) knows I try to be a socialist (note the small "s"), but COME ON mongs, I need some support here!! What makes it kind of scary is that I do a lot of work in "emerging" markets where even the poorest people in society aspire to intelligence and education (not necessarily the "scrounging students" argument). The complacency of the UK in dealing with this underclass is going to bite them on the bum very soon. OK, I'll go and change my shirt - hmmmm... Brown or black??!

This... BTW - why is this in TMS? Surely it's a discussion for the Lounge?? I really don't understand how some mongs cannot understand the simple processes of life; for example, you go to the ATM to withdraw cash - IT'S NOT THE FINAL STAGES OF "WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE"!!! The question "Do you want a receipt?" does NOT require the same level of contemplation as the connections board in Only Connect. Equally, when the checkout person in the supermarket announces the total price, why look flustered and confused?? Did you think it was free or something? Did you not make a rough approximation in your head as you went along? A final point; I've been watching the "World's Strictest Parents" series and (I know, I know it's cut to deliberately show the "entertainment") those kids, and their biological parents, really, really, really need removing from the gene pool. Rant over.

BTW Phil - sorry I can't send a PM, but just asking for some quick advice, if you have a minute? I've been approached by a recruitment firm about a role in Dubai, that includes the statements below - any comments (I don't think paying road tax influences the decision one way or the other, frankly!)? But I doubt some of the other comments. Is Dubai going to hell in a handcart, or is it a millionaires' playground (or, most probably, somewhere in between)? My other half is not keen, but the job is interesting, so I'm a bit meh..(Ahhh, English; the language of Shakespeare...) "There are a few of preconceived ideas about the status of Dubai now, and whether it still has the fantastic advantages to living and working there since the credit crunch in late 2008. Well, like the UK, and now that the dust has settled, it has been described as a ‘best kept secret’ from those who are expatriates who are still living there, and for those who have recently decided consider opportunities in the UAE. There have been a lot of positive changes including that the cost of living has been reduced significantly – almost by 50%. Other benefits include tax free salaries, no road tax and petrol is a tenth of what is costs in the UK ."

Same here - glad someone started a thread! I've even had a few Oz mates send me messages such as "Fair play, the better team won on Saturday", which is most unusual; I was expecting things along the lines of "effing jammy Poms"... Contrite Roo-****gers - whatever next? I was down there when they murdered us in the Ashes (2007/8?) and STILL their press were critical of their performance - God knows what they are saying at the moment! Well done egg-chasers; proud to be English!

You are a faster typist than me, obviously - fair play to you!! And LVSaint - +1

Maybe your username explains your agenda? Why are you "now convinced" that he is technically inept (I assume that's what you mean) and lacks bottle? Unless I was dreaming, I distinctly remember Adkins saying even after the 4-0 game against the Daggers that he wasn't satisfied and we needed to work on a few things. I accept that this is an internet forum and everyone has a right to express their views, but honestly?! Some of the drama queens we have on here...

Would never laugh, mate, these guys were all heroes and deserve our eternal respect; not saying Tobruk and Alamein were picnics in the park, but my own granddad was out in Burma and from what I've read, how these guys survived (both physically and mentally) was incredible. Heroes - every one of them.

That's actually the case! You can smoke tobacco in the street (but not dope), and you can smoke dope in the hash cafes (but not tobacco)... "Odd" is a bit of an understatement!!

I'll probably get slated for this, BUT a VERY good source (my fictional friend who "works" at St Mary's) has it on very good authority that both Cortese and Adkins don't doubt that DC is one of the best strikers we have; HOWEVER, they also believe that he'll be back in the treatment room soon. Not saying I'm ITK or anything, but if the Echo get hold of this then remember you heard it here first....

According to Wikipedia , despite being the best striker at the club when fit, he lives in the treatment room.

No-one seemed to know him, they could see that he was just a fool...

I'll probably get flamed here, but I've always been a bit ambivalent about Shilts... No doubt that he was a cracking keeper on his day for both Saints and England (I'll ignore his dive over the ball against Poland in 1973); but in any interview I've seen with him, he never mentions his time at Saints (1982-87 (something like that?) when he was arguably at his peak) - even though he got a First Division Runners Up medal with us. I know it's more natural for him to talk about his successes with Notts Forest and his "spiritual home" of Leicester, but you'd think he'd give us a mention occasionally (AND he's on this site's banner...). Even Osgood (more associated with Chelsea) and Ball (likewise with Everton) regularly had a fond word about Soton. Can he truly be regarded as a SAINTS legend?

I'll be around at that time

I have a Rex Goliath...

There's another thread you could start Dr Who? - "What perks of the job do you get?"!! I used to get free fags at PMI and BAT - and cigarettes as well!

Worcester 1965-66 Bletchley, Buckinghamshire 1966-74 Carcavelos, Portugal 1974-75 Parede, Portugal 1975-76 Paris, France (duh!) 1976-78 Bath Road, Soton 1978-80 Shaftesbury Avenue, Highfield/Portswood 1980-83 Streets of Paris 1983-84 Newcastle (about 6 places) 1984-92 Croydon, Surrey (2 places) 1992-95 Lausanne, Switzerland (3 places) 1995-2001 Nederhorst Den Burg, The Netherlands 2001-2003 Hilversum, the Netherlands 2003-2007 Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea 2007 Hilversum, The Netherlands 2007-2010 Schools: Wellsmead Juniors St George's Ecole Bilangue Bitterne CofE Merry Oak Itchen College

Red Funnel Ferries (Soton) Tomy Warehouse (Soton) Prince Regent Pub (Soton) Prinny's Nightclub (Soton) Simpson's Malt (Abingdon) Kimberly Clark (Prudhoe) Rowntree's (Fawdon) Nestle (Croydon) Philip Morris (Lausanne) BAT (Amsterdam) Starfish (Singapore/Port Moresby) Self-Employed (Bogota/Dar-Es-Salaam amongst other places)

They have no moral right to exist, let alone preach! I will out myself as an "aggressive atheist" (as someone mentioned above (as if that were a negative thing?)), and I do hate to be dispiriting, but there is no Santa Claus, no Tooth Fairy, no Spaghetti Monster and no God - the fact that a large percentage of mature, intelligent people feel the need to believe in them is dispiriting... Richie, I mean no disrespect to you, but your Christian religion IS providing the moral basis for the wars against Iraq and Afghanistan, and Yahweh (the god to whom you refer as "Our Father) promotes anything BUT love, tolerance and understanding. The other point that jarred a little with me your quote that "You cannot expect a religion to change thousands and thousands of years of history to accomodate say more liberal views"; Christianity can, by definition, be no more than 2,000 years old (and I believe most sources date the New Testament to around 400 A.D.) so you're hardly up there with the Greeks, Romans, Babylonians, Egyptians, etc. (What do you mean, you don't believe a man could kill his father and then marry his mother? It's been known for thousands of years...). Even (wrongfully) ignoring all the scandals re: child abuse and hypocrisy, religion and religious opinions inhibit scientific progress and rational thinking. I accept I won't change your opinion on a site dedicated to support of a football team, but I WOULD urge you to think, and open your mind to alternative theories... But I agree with you about the MK Dons match (smiley thingy!)

Agree, JRM; Not sure you can even do justice to Hamburg, Berlin AND Munich in 5 days? By the way, Dog, here's the Dutch train equivalent: http://www.ns.nl (should be an English version offered on the homepage). If you decide to pass through NL, then let me know!

What's your rationale behind those cities, Dog, and your plans? Amsterdam, Hamburg and Berlin are (so-called) "cool" cities, so you could party most of the night, then around 5 a.m. get the first train to the next place (sleeping on the train will save the costs of hotels) and it's probably do-able for 5 nights (assuming you're reasonably young!). Munich and Budapest are a bit "different" - both wonderful cities, but perhaps not as "full-on" as the others on your list. Plus Munich is horrendously expensive (although admittedly I’ve only been there on business and stayed at the Konigshof). Budapest is a very handsome and cultural city (or two cities actually Buda and Pest), but probably worth a separate visit (if you’ve blown 3 days partying in Amsterdam, Hamburg and Berlin, you may be a bit knackered to wander around!) – Prague may be a closer compromise? London – Amsterdam – Hamburg – Berlin – Prague – Berlin/Hamburg/Amsterdam – London could be done with a day/night in each?