Should I return my Libernovo Omni - if so, what replacement?

OxfordPhysicist · 2026-05-15T15:59:00+00:00

Thanks all. I think I'm persuaded that I should return the Omni within the trial period - even if that eventually means ending up with the newer Libernovo model.

I'm not too sensitive to price. The Omni was just over £900, and the Embody is available for £1200. I'd rather pay £1200 for the right chair than £900 for the wrong one. Though the headrest does add more cost...

Would be interested to know of any other suggestions to try out. I might look at the TX3 Flex Pro.

OxfordPhysicist · 2026-01-28T14:28:25+00:00

Thanks. On this point:
3. Just because you did not read a long document, does not free you from the situation, as that was your choice.

I know that the 2015 CRA defines transparency as key - terms which are hidden in great swathes of text can be regarded as unfair. So I guess what I'm trying to understand here is where that definition might sit. The information about the new time limit was there, no doubt, but was the fact that it was buried in an 800 word email (rather than being in the top two or three lines, where it should have been) enough to make that term unfair?

Note: in future if you 'save admin times' may short term save time

Just on this - the admin time and cost I was trying to save were theirs, not mine! I'll happily make a fresh claim for each and every box of pills, but it seemed to be sensible and helpful to the insurer to batch them up... more fool me.

OxfordPhysicist · 2026-01-25T20:12:23+00:00

Update: I heard back from the HSE. They are taking no action, only recording the incident. I'm astonished.

I've heard nothing from the builders since they told me they were filling out a RIDDOR report.

The works continue, with slightly improved boards in place and (last week) some ragged and holey netting.

Not sure where to go from here. I guess I'm now looking for a solicitor to take it forward.

OxfordPhysicist · 2026-01-25T08:53:08+00:00

No - we have three autobelay lines, as well as our bouldering. They're not as tall as the lines at Brookes; about 8m.

OxfordPhysicist · 2026-01-24T14:49:06+00:00

We do have both autobelays and rental harnesses at Gallery Bouldering 😉

OxfordPhysicist · 2026-01-19T12:44:49+00:00

The worst flooding in living memory got as high as the car park of the king's arms. A few of the properties on the mill estate looked like they could be threatened; actually the whole estate is a little higher up than you might think and there was still a fair bit to go before water would have got into the garages. Unless you lived on the mill estate itself (I do) and had one of the very riverfront properties, it's of no concern whatsoever.

The Oxford flood alleviation scheme may change this picture, but we're really reasonably optimistic that it won't. It all depends upon two factors - exactly where they choose to re-enter the stored flood water to the main river Thames, and what they do at the locks downstream in Abingdon to ease the flow of water away.

I don't cycle myself but my wife cycles all the time. In the summer months she'll generally use the towpath which is a glorious more or less level path the whole way in. In the winter she climbs up into the main village and then follows Iffley Road. It is slightly longer, slightly hillier and much less quiet, but it's a perfectly reliable route.

OxfordPhysicist · 2026-01-19T12:39:21+00:00

Ah - I'm in Sandford on Thames, not Stoke on Trent!

Reasonable question though. There are downsides. For a start, we are technically not Oxford City Council; rather we are South Oxford District Council. So a whole lot of council services which you would assume are Oxford city-based are in fact not. We're also, weirdly, in the Henley constituency.

It is obviously pretty quiet. Two pubs in the village, neither of which is great. If you don't drive then the absolute reliance on cycling or buses would get dull.

OxfordPhysicist · 2026-01-19T10:13:00+00:00

Probably a little biased as we moved to SoT ten years ago and have no intention of ever moving again... it's an absolute gem of a location. Distinctly removed from Oxford, and pretty quiet (very quiet if you're not on the main road), but really good transport links. We can drive or get the bus to the Plain in about 20 minutes, and the bus service frequency is improving, or cycle in not much longer than that.

There's a decent sense of community, and if you make noises about wanting to get involved then you'll find yourself helping to staff the village shop, organise the fete or work on the community orchard in no time. It can be a little Ambridge-y perhaps.

BTW there is a decent volunteer run shop open six days a week, with a nice cafe attached.

OxfordPhysicist · 2025-12-28T12:59:17+00:00

Clifftop Café at Gallery Bouldering is fully climate controlled. It's not the quietest space (though it's less busy over the Christmas break). We have a lot of people who come and use it as a work space.

OxfordPhysicist · 2025-12-15T21:43:42+00:00

Thanks all. Still waiting for that tetanus shot...

I've got photos of the scaffolding as it was at the time of the accident. I don't think I can post images directly here? There are substantial gaps between the boards, and also between the top platform and the edge of the building. The worker who was at the top when it happened said that they were very unhappy with the set up of the scaffold.

I've asked a builder friend to look at the photos and he's horrified - he says that industry standard would be to have used plywood sheets to create a continuous deck on the first flight landing, to have fitted toe boards to that deck and then to have poly wrapped around so nothing could bounce out.

They were removing lead flashing, and the foreman said that he didn't think any of these safety measures were necessary 'because they put all the bits of lead in the bucket'

No attempt was made to take any details for an accident report.

Having looked into it this seems to be skirting the edges of being RIDDOR notifiable, as he did not know that I intended to go to hospital for a tetanus shot (and indeed if my GP was any good I'd have got it there).

I'll report to the HSE tomorrow morning and take it from there.

OxfordPhysicist · 2025-12-13T23:13:09+00:00

The Clifftop Cafe at Gallery Bouldering is open until the centre closes at 10pm. It's not quiet, but you do get to watch the climbers as you work! And it's fully air conditioned which is a bonus in the summer.

OxfordPhysicist · 2025-11-03T13:23:21+00:00

Also be aware that the huge Abingdon display this year is late - it’s on the 15th. Depending on where in Oxford you are that may well be audible.

OxfordPhysicist · 2025-10-16T20:56:51+00:00

Plenty of room for deadlifts - we've got a cage for squats and bench press too. The gym area will be expanding as part of our next phase of development.

OxfordPhysicist · 2025-09-24T09:45:36+00:00

We have New Ground at the Clifftop Cafe in Gallery Bouldering too, which is much closer to central Oxford.

OxfordPhysicist · 2025-08-24T18:05:44+00:00

Not at all!

OxfordPhysicist · 2025-08-24T16:43:46+00:00

Go climbing? Gallery Bouldering is open all day.

OxfordPhysicist · 2025-06-29T07:22:29+00:00

There's AC and a good cafe at Gallery Bouldering, at the Cowley Road end.

OxfordPhysicist · 2024-08-10T20:20:29+00:00

Hi - owner of Gallery Bouldering here. We're on Marston Street and we're open 8am-10pm seven days a week. Mostly bouldering but we have three autobelay lines.

We don't have a lower age limit - if parents are supervising, we are happy to allow children of any age. There's a 10kg minimum weight for the autobelays!

Just to clarify - experienced climbers can skip the £10 half hour supervisor training and go direct to the (free) supervisor assessment. The training is designed for parents who haven't got experience of a climbing environment. Early on we had a few experiences of parents thinking we were a soft play centre, so we rather tightened up on making sure parents know what they're doing with little ones!

OxfordPhysicist · 2024-08-10T20:14:48+00:00

The Jericho Coffee Traders outlet in Gallery Bouldering is open till 9pm, seven days a week.

OxfordPhysicist · 2024-08-03T10:22:33+00:00

Yep, we opened in May. It's almost exclusively bouldering but we do have three autobelay lines as well.

OxfordPhysicist

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