You're so right - and all other comments re: Lakeland Gold etc. - bang on! Gordon - the Castle Dairy no longer exists but there are still plenty of top places and new ones still appearing!

Deja vu by day in Kendal is absolutely brilliant and the Eagle and Child at Staveley - top. Or, even the Hawkshead brewery shop at STaveley which is now doing top tapas.

Keep going. I think they're great. Try the Linda Wallander ones as well.

The Boot Inn at Boot in Eskdale - marvellous food and well kept real ale (according to my hub). Treat yourself and stay over. It's a great pub. Infusion on Finkle Street in Kendal - posh Italian, but they're not snooty. Really good food and efficient, friendly staff. I agree about Zefferelli's above - the meal and cinema deal is great and their food is really good!

can't beat this imo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYTpRWlQnf0...feature=related

I've just ordered this to keep us entertained on holiday - “We Don’t Know What We’re Doing” – Adventures with the extraordinary fans of an ordinary team" - thanks Colin - I'll report back. Also ordered this as we're into going to the Highlands and islands: Searching for Crusoe: A Journey Among the Last Real Islands by Clarke, Thurston. Recently finished "As I walked out one Midsummer Morning" by Laurie Lee - an outstanding book - I would recommend this to anyone. I deliberately took ages to read it because I didn't want it to end. I want to go out and order everything he ever wrote now. Depressing, but eye opening and brilliantly written, I'm currently reading "If this is a man / The Truce" by Primo Levi which is about living in Auschwitz as an (Italian) Jewish prisoner of war in WWII. To say it is harrowing doesn't do it justice. Suffice to say it's taking me a long time to read, but I would totally recommend it.

No idea, I don't live there. I prefer Narnia.

We went to see Prince Caspian on Saturday night. Great special effects and thoroughly entertaining!

I recommend Cortez in Kendal. It's a Spanish tapas restaurant - bit pricey but lovely decor and great food so worth it for a bit of a special meal out.

I recommend "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel which tells the story of a boy (the lone human survivor) shipwrecked along with a hyena, an orang utang and a Bengal tiger. Very well written and captivating in my opinion. For serious crime stuff which is written in a really credible and enjoyable way, i recommend Henning Mankel starting with "the Man who Smiled". If you like it you'll have to follow this up with the next 6 or 7. I've just ordered "This Thing of Darkness" - sounds great!

He wouldn't get a look in. I must say that I thought England played really well tonight and am pleased that we beat a decent side despite already being through. What's more amusing to me is where both Rangers and Celtic currently lie in the Scottish league. Come on Hearts!

I tend to support any of the British teams and was in Scotland when they got defeated on Saturday afternoon. What amused (and saddened) me was that on BBC Scotland, their pundits were saying that they struggle because they're only a small country. Is that really true in comparison with others of similar size, such as Croatia (pop. 2005 estimate 4.45 million), Slovenia (pop. 2005 estimate 1.96 million), Norway (pop. 2005 estimate 4.6 million) and Slovakia (pop. 2005 estimate 5.38 million)? Mind you, we're pretty good at making excuses for the England squad when we need to... The only time I feel like not supporting Scotland is when in the company of Scotland fans who go out of their way to support whoever is playing against England.

I thought Lawro had withdrawn from definitive predictions (which is boring) and now reserves the right to change his mind once the team is made public? He'll probably change his mind 10 times between now and Sunday depending on what the media have to say... I think we'll win 2-1 and that Shearer will score a penalty. One of our goals may also be scored by somebody clever like Boomsong. Both sides to finish with less than 11 men, definitely 10 for Newcastle and possibly 9 for us by the end.

If he had half a brain, he could give half sensible answers probably, without making himself appear a complete prat. However, apparently, he hasn't. He used to run all over the pitch for Leicester years ago as well and not achieve very much. Plus ça change!

Now that's well handy - thanks.