Giant TCR 1

Advantages: Price, Components, Performance
Disadvantages: Lack of "street-cred"

...When I was little, I got a TCR racing set for Christmas. In those heady days, TCR stood for "Total Control Racing". Something like a Scalectrix, but without the slots, so the cars could change lanes. In July of this year, I bought a new bike, a road-racing bike from the Chinese manufacturer "Giant". It too is called TCR, but this time round I've no idea what it stands for. What I do know is that, for the money, it's a fine piece of machinery and over the next virtual page or two, I'll tell you exactly why. Spurred back on to my bike, after more than 10 years of neglect, by a declining level of fitness and an expanding waist-line, I started riding again at the beginning of this year. For the first 6 months I rode my mountain bike on the roads of Essex in an attempt to get fit. My fitness did improve, but every weekend I would be... Read review

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Advantages: huge play area
Disadvantages: Expensive

...Giants den Huge warehouse on the easily found Team Valley trading Estate, this has been opened a few years now, and is usually busy?one of those places to go to when it's raining and you need something to amuse the kids. The whole area is divided into sections for under 2s, which is basically ball pools and Little vehicles to drive in a specially enclosed area, an area for under 5s, which is more of the same but with some slides and climbing frames added, and then there is the real "I am" things. These include a giant slide 3 storey climbing frame, as many nets and tunnels as you can negotiate, basketball area (there are coaching nights), PS2 and x box areas complete with some of the latest games and a mini village with small road system. Definitely something for everything if nerves can take it!! PARTIES We have. Over... Read review

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Advantages: Nice story and pictures
Disadvantages: - - - - -

...~~~~ Once there were giants ~~~~ Once there were giants is written by Martin Waddell, illustrated by Penny Dale and published by Walker. ~~~~ Martin Waddell ~~~~ Martin Waddell lives with his wife Rosaleen. He is twice winner of the Smarties Book Prize (for Farmer Duck and Can't you sleep little bear?), he has also won the Kurt Maschler Award (The park in the dark) and the Best book for babies award (Rosie's babies). ~~~~ Penny Dale ~~~~ Penny Dale has illustrated many books for Walker as well as illustrating her own stories (these include Bet you can't!, The elephant tree and Wake up Mr B!). For this book she asked her friends and neighbours to model for the illustrations and then imagined what each person will look like as they age. ~~~~ Other books by Martin and Penny ~~~~ ~ Night night, cuddly bear ~ Rosie... Read review

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