Just your average Brit

[Gob]

If your surname is Smith, you got up at 6.45am today and you're planning a summer holiday in Spain, you're not alone.

A study has provided a snapshot of the typical Briton in terms of name, spending and lifestyle.

And its revelations that the average adult is most likely to be called Smith, drive a Ford Fiesta and take a Spanish holiday suggest that there is little to choose between most of us now and in the 1970s and 80s.

The analysis of just over one million customers by insurance giant Aviva came up, not unsurprisingly, with Smith as the most popular surname, followed by Jones and Williams.

We will rise each day between 6.30am and 7am before leaving our home - most commonly called The Cottage - before driving to work. As a family we are most likely to have a Fiesta, however increasingly there are two cars on the drive. The second most common choices are a Vauxhall Astra and a Vauxhall Corsa.

Most often, Mr or Mrs Smith will eat their lunch at their desk, and recreation is most likely to include shopping for clothes rather than exercise.

The vast majority of us - 71 per cent - do not go to the gym, cycle, jog or swim even once a week.

While far-flung holidays to the Far East, the Caribbean or even Australia are more common than a generation ago, the research found that Spain remains the favourite option. Florida is also popular for those who can stretch their finances.

Despite the boom in housing estates and city centre apartments blocks, the average home remains an Edwardian three-bed detached property.

And the trappings of electronic gadgets, jewellery and clothes accumulated over the years will have an average value of £28,000.

Certainly, technology has changed our lives, if nothing else making our homes more attractive to burglars.

The most common items in home insurance claims over the past year were 32in Toshiba televisions, Samsung laptop computers and Sony PlayStation games consoles.

Aviva's David Tyers said: 'In some ways it's comforting to know that over the past decade some things have remained very much the same.'

He added: 'Who would have thought that in the days of loft extensions, the good old-fashioned "The Cottage" would still be the most common house name?'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z0pjgv0AKt

[loCAtek]

Is EastEnders still running!?

[Reality Bytes]

Is EastEnders still running!?

Oh yeah - but getting more than a bit deperate these days not that I watch it, I prefer Pobol Y Cwm

Pobol y Cwm (People of the Valley) is a Welsh language television soap opera which has been produced by the BBC since October 1974. The longest-running television soap opera produced by the BBC, Pobol y Cwm was originally transmitted on BBC Wales television between 1974 and 1982 and later transferred to the Welsh language television station S4C when it opened in the November of that year. It was briefly shown in the rest of the UK in 1994 on BBC2, with English subtitles, although the series could occasionally be spotted on BBC1 in London during periods of regional optout in the mid-late 1970s. It is consistently the most watched programme of the week on S4C.

Five episodes are produced every week, with an omnibus edition shown on Sundays. The show is set in the fictional village of Cwmderi, supposedly located somewhere in south west Wales roughly between Llanelli and Carmarthen, though little effort is made to ensure that all the cast speak with Carmarthenshire accents. Most of the village activity centres on the pub, the Deri Arms. Outdoor filming for the pub used to take place at The Sportsman's Rest in Peterston-super-Ely.

While most of the cast are unknown to the English-speaking world, Ioan Gruffudd – who later became an international film star – played the part of Gareth Wyn Harries between 1987 and 1994. Other well-known faces who have appeared include Rachel Thomas, Huw Garmon, Gillian Elisa, Adrian Chiles, Aneirin Hughes, Robbie Savage, Gwenno Saunders (of The Pipettes) and Michael Aspel. In October 2006, Imogen Thomas made a cameo appearance. The character Meic Pierce (Gareth Lewis) is the 8th longest serving character in british soap history.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/pobolycwm/

Best moment this week was Sheryl bitch slapping Sioned - that was one heck of a slap best I've seen in a soap in years

[Daisy]

There's only one soap worth following in the UK.

The Archers

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/archers/

Best bit of the last week, the wheel falling off the trailer when Jazzer was transporting his pigs.

[Rick]

I've enjoyed many shows from the UK.

But my very favorite was All Creatures Great and Small...

[Big RR]

Mine was Monty Python, but then that was one of my favorite shows from anywhere.

Following that, The Prisoner and The Avengers stand out.

[Andrew D]

Mine was Monty Python, but then that was one of my favorite shows from anywhere.

Following that, The Prisoner and The Avengers stand out.

I agree.

[Gob]

The Prisoner is available as a 5 DVD set, I bought it last year. Love that!

I'm a big Archers fan, I get it over the net these days.

[Big RR]

There's also an Avengers collection including all the episodes; something well worth owning as well as i've never seen it onTV in reruns.

[Gob]

Oh dear, will Emma Peel still live up to my fantasies of yore?

[The Hen]

I think so.

[kristina]

I wanted to grow up to be Emma Peel...

[Gob]

Purdey was hot too!