Yes, if you are using it away from the main supply then a battery is required.

Thanks EC that's what I thought. The reason behind my question was, it isn't an integral to the operation of the laptop to have a battery, except when I wish to use it away from the mains...

Okies Sprouty

Have you ever noticed the HD channel is just slightly behind the 'ordinary' channel?

Yes, they work without them. 

Yep, odd isn't it   

Thanks and sorry I didn't explain very well, what I wanted to know in the first place

Well it is to me, who is not technologically gifted. I just thought it was my old telly that was slow

Nope, it's just the way it's fed. It's like that on Eurosport and other HD channels too  

You see, I have enhanced my knowledge already this evening

I think it's like a kind of a 'bandwidth thing'  takes more to feed HD so is slower 

It's because the HD encoding takes longer then the SD encoding.

Wow! Sprouty and EC don't overload my brain with 'tech-talk'

Haha!  

"Can you find the time to donate £3 this Xmas?"

NO I CAN'T  - stop spoiling my Xmas!!!

I saw that. I felt really sorry for the little girl. They know exactly how to tug on the heart strings.

"Her name has been changed to protect her identity"

Like we're gonna go to Africa and ask for her!!

New Years eve day I had a piece of paper come through the door saying I had to pay excess of £1.09 on parcel and could collect it from local Royal Mail office on receipt of the above money. Fair enough...however it was not on an official  'surcharge card' but on an A4 sheet of paper

Royal Mail cuts???

I had to pay £25 import duty on a pipe from USA !!!!!!!!!

I would have bought British

But it was gorgeous - its a display pipe, not to be smoked

The one I saw was for a little girl in this country.

I find it a bit hit and miss. The majority of the time my imports get through, but every now and again they do me for import duty. 2013 was a good year as I had not one surcharge and I imported good costing as much as £160.

Just bloody jinxed myself now haven't I  

No, probably scam. Be careful 

It ought to be cold plated for that excess

It would be even better 'gold' plated 

It has my local office stamp on it and I have ordered something.

I just googled the address and its right but the phone number they have written on by hand is incorrect

Go on the PO site and see if there's anything on there. It might be part of the PO being sold off and things have changed 

The phone number is not my area and not the one listed on PO site either

I shall go down to the stated office, I have been there before and see what's going on

Why do programmes have to try and create jeopardy in the misguided impression that this is what is needed to get us to watch.

Examples:

Gok Wan in panto. Can't he overcome stage fright. COME ON! this guy is on the catwalk almost very week. He is an attention seeking *****! Of course he can pull it off.

Kirsty & Phil. The property market is in turmoil and can they help people in these turbulent times. Pfft what a load of cods.

In that respect Made in Chelsea, Geordie Shore and TOWIE are honest in their approach.

It's all manufactured.

"Can Ashley Banjo unite a town through dance?"

Can he F---

Upselling

Really getting on my boob s right now. Virtually every shop seems to want to try to sell you more items when you reach the checkout.

I see the benefits of self-scan and Interweb shopping now 

I know what you mean.  I recently purchased a frock (a rather jolly, red affair) from a well known high street shop.  When I went to the till to pay, the sales assistant said 'we also have this in black' and called an assistant over to show me the black number.  When I replied that I preferred my original choice of red she said that she'd asked because I may want both.  A lot of fannying about with a queue building up behind me.  I don't blame the sales staff, though, they are probably told to try and flog as much as they can

And you can't buy a newspaper from W H Smith without someone trying to offload a sack-load of 'special offer' chocolate onto you

Oh, that really does me nut in    same as when you go in a 'normal' shop they'll ask you if you want phone top ups   I feel like shouting......NO! I'm on a bloody contract! 

Yeah, that is a particular annoyance.

I actually ignore them now and just say "do I put my card in here"?

"Do you want fries with that?"

Erm - did I ask for  flippin' fries?