Andi-anna

The NHS actually agree that it should be free and might be in the future when prices drop. They also agree it will save them a huge amount of money in the long term. But, in the short term, so many people will qualify for them that it would actually bankrupt the NHS to provide them to everyone who needs them so they just can't make them available to all.

I have a huge sweet tooth but I can't stand biscoff or anything speculaas flavoured.

Lol if you're talking about those packets of noodles with the sachets of seasoning that take about 3 mins to cook, have you actually looked at the ingredients? There's no meat in those things, you'll be fine XD

Try and do home cooking a couple of times a week if you can for the next few weeks. Make a large amount of whatever you cook and either put it in the fridge for leftovers or freeze it. It really won't take much longer to cook 6 portions of something than it would to cook 1 so you can quickly build up a stock of frozen meals. If you have an extra 10 or 20 minutes on some mornings you can make something in a slow cooker and, kept on low once it's cooked, will keep for about 2 or 3 days. Similarly, rice cookers - you can prepare a large batch of rice to last a couple of days and maybe throw some ready prepared vegetables and protein in a wok in the evening. Or get an airfryer (I don't have one but a friend swears by his - he will put his protein in one drawer, potatoes or veggies in the other and that's it apparently). If you don't have the time and/or inclination to cook from scratch every night, look for shortcuts. Buy pre-cut vegetables, buy some gadgets or appliances that will allow you to cook stuff without having to stand over a hob for half an hour, buy some elements ready made. I know these are more expensive options than cooking from scratch but it will probably still be cheaper than the tesco meal deals and takeaways that you're resorting to now.

I had a craving for treacle tart a couple of months ago. I couldn't find one anywhere. Even looking online, barely any supermarkets stock it anymore.

Try a pocket sprung mattress rather than a hybrid and the higher the spring count the better. I have a Hypnos one and I love it. They're not cheap but a good mattress is definitely something worth investing in. The only thing is I don't think they do any free trial period.

I think it depends on how they were acquired. If it was legitimately, then keep them. If not, and the country it would be returned to has been peaceful for a while, does not have a dubious govt etc, then return it.

Not jokey exactly but some meaningful things which can be done quite cheaply. A playlist of one song for every year starting from the year she was born. I'm not sure if you have something to play a CD on - if not, maybe put it on a usb stick so you can wrap it at least?! Or see if you can find a cheap discman from the 90s and that's an extra gift sorted! Are there any children's books that might be nostalgic for her? You could possibly get a couple of those if so. Maybe think about some of the funniest/silliest memories you have of the 2 of you. Is there an item you could give (or a drink or a food at a push) that might bring back that memory for her? Even if it's only a really random item, you could explain the connection and relive that memory with her. So it would sort of be a meaningful joke gift lol.

I don't curl my hair often as it doesn't hold a curl well for longer than a day. But, years ago I had my hair curled at the hairdressers for an event and she used the thin GHDs. It's the only time the curls didn't drop at all and still looked nice the next day even after sleeping on them. I'm not sure how the new GHDs compare but if the quality hasn't dropped then I would recommend them.

I remember looking for something that can be opened and closed remotely (for a community hall so it wouldn't need people to go and unlock for every booking). I did find some keypad type locks that could be controlled by wifi. I think you remotely change the code and lock/unlock but they were very expensive at the time and probably overkill for a residential home tbh. And if you're renting I doubt your Landlord would be happy with you changing a standard lock to this! But if you own your own home and you are absolutely set on having something like this, then yes there are locks you can control remotely.

I also prefer a tailored style for coats as that shapeless, androgynous look does not suit my body type at all. But it's what you're going to find in a lot of the high street shops that are geared to a younger clientele. Also, you may struggle to find anything much in any shops at the moment because coats are available in the autumn/winter lines whereas we're moving into spring/summer lines now. However, the following shops (from my experience) are going to be the most likely to find what your wife is looking for: Phase Eight, Monsoon, Hobbs, Coast, Joe Browns, Ted Baker, and Jolie Moi.

I haven't been to Port Lympne but I have been to Woburn quite a lot of times as a child and as an adult. The driving safari bit is amazing and you can get really close up to many of the animals. The foot safari is good but honestly is probably geared more towards children and families. You'd probably still enjoy things like the wallaby walk, the penguins and farm animals etc without children but many of the demonstrations and experiences do have a family audience in mind. Leisure activity wise, there is a small pedalo lake (I think it's included in the ticket price iirc) and a Go Ape high ropes course (which costs extra). Is this going to be a day trip or an overnight trip? If Port Lympne is going to be fairly similar and you'll be staying overnight with both options, perhaps you can look at what you can do in each area the following day and use that as the deciding factor?

Tbh, I've personally found that all jobs end up becoming tedious at best after a certain amount of time doing them. So, if it's not stressful and you have a good work-life balance then yes I would.

Derry Girls

I don't wear glasses but avoid specsavers - my parents have both had bad experiences with glasses they've bought from there, although their prescriptions would have been a bit more complicated than yours.

I haven't used the Anker powerbank you linked to but I have a really old that has lasted forever. Having seen how many budget ones my parents have got through (and that's with fairly light use) I'd say stick with a brand with a proven track record.

I think you should be fine, especially as you can squash it down. It's only over by a centimetre on 2 of the sides, and it's under on one side so I very much doubt anyone will even notice really. As long as you are confident it will fit in the box if anyone asks to check.

I'm in my mid 40s and I have very vague recollections of seeing a few episodes when I was quite young but no lasting impressions that stayed with me. I think you'll struggle to find anyone even a couple of years younger than me who will have ever seen it. It's not really a classic comedy here in the UK, I don't think you can even watch it on any of the mainstream tv platforms like Sky or Netflix. So most British people are very likely to have no feelings or even thoughts about it whatsoever.

I think the important thing is to have a balanced diet. I think this can be achieved with a vegetarian, pescatarian or omnivore diet but not with a fully vegan diet for growing children (for example, doctors recommend eggs a couple of times a week for adult vegans to ensure they get enough b12 because you cannot get this naturally with a fully vegan diet at all). I have friends who were raised vegetarian for religious or moral reasons and some who even made that choice form a young age themselves. I also have friends who are raising their children vegetarian. (But they're happy to let their children choose to eat meat if they want to.) None of them have any health issues, none of them are fussy eaters and none of them resent their parents for their food choices! Yes, parents can pass on their eating issues to children but this is true whatever their diet and not limited to people who don't eat meat. (FYI, I'm a meat eater so my answer is not coming from a place of bias.)

With it being on a separate floor, you may well find you end up with a sofa in the kitchen anyway for your daughter to hang out on while you're in the kitchen. So you could have an informal living area in the kitchen and a more formal living room in bedroom 2. From just the floor plans it looks like you might be better off laying it out longways but that could well change based on a number of factors such as is there a natural focal point in the room? If you want to have a small dining area in bedroom 2 as well, or an office or another defined space, then width ways would be better so you can have an easier division of space. Don't let your TV define the layout. If it's too big for the room consider selling it and buying a smaller one. As for the double bed, it should fit in bedroom 4. You won't need access from both sides as it's just for your daughter so you can definitely put it up against a wall and it should be fine. I was going to suggest getting a small 4 foot double but a standard double is only 6 inches wider at 4 foot 6. She's probably going to want a double bed once she hits double figures anyway so you may as well get one from now. I know mattresses should be replaced every 10 years but that's with fully grown adults using them every night so hers could well last another 5 years, or even more, on top of that if you get a decent quality one.

Voraciously! I finished Diary of a Pilgrimage by Jerome K. Jerome this afternoon and am now a few chapters into the new Veronica Speedwell book by Deanna Raybourn. Best (new) read of the year so far has been Theo of Golden if anyone wants an unsolicited recommendation :)

You can join Kensington and Chelsea libraries (which also includes access to Westminster libraries) without an address in the borough - you just need a UK address. You can sign up for a temporary online only account but you will need to go in person to a branch and show proof of ID and address otherwise you will lose access to the temp account after a certain amount of time. They do use borrowbox but their selection on Libby is much better tbh. I'm also a member of Cambridgeshire libraries and they also use borrowbox but, again, the selection is nowhere near as extensive as it is on Libby. Having said that, I have, on occasion, found the odd book not available on Libby but available on borrowbox. I know you can also join Oxfordshire libraries from anywhere in the UK but you will need to go in person to set up account and I don't know what online resources they use. Also, just be aware, it's not necessarily Libby that's rubbish, it's what your library has chosen to allow access to on Libby that might be rubbish. With my 2 libraries, I find they sometimes have very different selections and one may decide to pay for access to a newly published book whilst the other may not.

I also prefer an evening shower as it helps me relax before bed. However, from a hygiene point of view, a morning shower is actually better for you: no matter how clean you are when you get into bed, you will still sweat overnight and shed skin, both of which will encourage bacteria, microbes and other allergens to accumulate on your bed linen. But, otoh, an evening shower has been shown to be beneficial for sleep so it's swings and roundabouts and honestly makes no difference for most people. And tbh, as long as your bed linen and clothes are clean, it's actually better for your skin not to shower every day (if you're not living somewhere like Dubai which is basically a steam oven). Stripping it's natural oils and slathering scented chemicals on it every day can be really, really bad for your skin, let alone repeating the process twice a day!

Rapunzel but with short hair (basically Tangled)? Puss in comfortable trainers rather than boots. A modern day princess with a stuffed frog that she doesn't kiss because she doesn't need a prince :P

Nope they can't do that plus if it is faulty within those first 30 days the assumption is it a manufacturing fault unless they can prove otherwise. And honestly if you can do that much damage to it within 72 hours I'd say its also not fit for purpose! I know it won't help now but next time you receive a parcel that is visibly damaged make sure you film yourself opening it from start to finish, don't just photograph it at each step. A video is much harder to argue against.

Did he own a house or have any other assets? I believe that these are reasonable costs that his estate can reimburse to whoever ends up paying (which I'm not suggesting should be you). Basically, let whoever ends ups as being his executor/administrator deal with the funeral and the costs.

Wet signature definitely. Passports will have your signature printed on to it so it needs to match your old passport (which you may not have a copy of but I'm sure the passport office will at least have the photo page of your lost one on their system). The rest of the letter can be printed rather than handwritten if you prefer.

Lol gl with it and hopefully at least planning it over the weekend and knowing you have something to look forward to can lift your mood enough to get through the next couple of weeks!

If they are just fashion boots, then I would side with your parent tbh. If they are good quality leather or suede boots, comfortable for everyday wearing and walking, and have a supportive sole then I don't think you'd get that quality at a lower price. Everyone always says to get the best you can afford for anything that comes between you and the ground (footwear, mattresses, chairs etc) because these are the things that are going to save you from future discomfort or screw you over if you buy bad quality! But, otoh, I also remember being your age and thinking I couldn't live without a certain fashion item and that I loved it so much I'd use it for years and years but your tastes change so quickly as a young adult that when the next nice thing comes along the older item gets forgotten about. But you don't sound like you squander your money if you're only buying footwear every couple of years so do your research on how well these boots actually hold up and if they are genuinely a good quality, timeless style that you will wear frequently then invest in them.

Just fyi if you mean this weekend, it's the start of half term for most schools. So you are unlikely to find a cheap flight anywhere (I know - I looked to see if I could do a daytrip somewhere next week!). But the miserable weather is going to follow you pretty much anywhere you go in the UK atm. If you can push it back to the weekend of 28th Feb, see how early you can catch a train or bus to Luton or Stansted airport and get on whatever cheap flight you find to mainland Europe. Eurostar is also a good option but it's usually more expensive than a budget flight and will probably take a significant chunk of your budget tbh.

Yes, mine's just turned 20 years old. Had it from new and still under 60k miles on the clock. Some family members keep telling me I should replace it. On the one hand, some updated safety features would be nice, otoh I don't see the point when I only drive a couple of thousand miles a year.

I didn't when I was younger but over the last few years, my tastes have changed and I love some, but not all types. I'm not a fan of the ready made traditional shortcrust pastry ones but I love supermarket bakery puff pasty mince pies. I also love a good frangipane mince pie. But homemade, even with ready mince meat, is miles better than most shop bought.

My local Asda do this a couple of times a week I believe. I've been midweek around 5.30ish - they have some discounted bakery items and early evening they discount them even more to ridiculously low prices eg bags of doughnuts for around 15p. Obviously everything's best before date is the same day but anything I've bought has still been ok for a couple of days.

It's maybe a little late for this weekend but if she's the kind of child who has a big imagination, maybe you could try turning everything into an adventure for her on some of your days. You could set up a treasure hunt in the park for example one day, do a diy version of those treasure trails you can buy either in your town/city or a nearby one, maybe a themed scavenger hunt. If you're not too far from a beach, in the summer you could work together or compete against each other to try and make the world's biggest sandcastle for example. If any of these might sound a bit too babyish to her, you could tailor them to make them more age appropriate. These types of activities don't need to be every single time. Space them out every few weeks so they feel special but also because spending unplanned time talking, playing, and seeing where you spontaneously end up can feel just as special.

I can't imagine how frustrating it must be having family members who experienced it first hand. My ancestors were all in Cyprus so weren't really so directly affected but I still find it harrowing to read or watch any first hand accounts of people who are complete strangers to me, I don't know how I'd cope if it was actual family members and seeing it potentially unfolding all over again. Old age and illness aren't too unlikely though so praying it doesn't get to the stage where we get first hand experience of that suffering.

Yup, I once sent a chicken dish back in a restaurant. I'd had it loads of times before but this one time I had a piece of chicken with a really odd flavour and an off chicken smell. I wasn't going to risk the food poisoning. I've also had a couple of friends send back dishes that came with nuts after they specified no nuts because of allergies. If it the food was off, if it had an allergen I'd specified before ordering, if the order was wrong, if there was something unhygienic/dangerous like a hair or a piece of glass in it, or if it wasn't properly cooked (e.g. still frozen inside, not just that I asked for a medium rare steak and this is a bit closer to medium!) then I wouldn't hesitate to send it back. Otherwise I'd keep quiet too tbh.

Sorry to be morbid, but if one of you died, would you leave your half of the house to the other? If so, go for joint tenants - this is less of a hassle in probate and can save you inheritance tax too iirc whereas inheritance tax always needs to be paid by the beneficiary of a tenancy in common. If you are putting in unequal deposits and/or paying unequal mortgage payments then tenants in common would protect you should the marriage fail (and so would always be better for the person who owns the larger proportion). A tenancy in common can be severed and turned into joint ownership quite easily and simply if you want to further down the line whereas it's not so easy to change a joint tenancy into a tenancy in common I believe. However, in your position, if my spouse and I were paying fairly equal shares, we didn't have children and I would leave them the house anyway then I would just go for a joint tenancy.

Not me you were asking but definitely your leaders and definitely a significant number of the people too. Not Democrats, obviously, and not even all Republicans but that very vocal MAGA contingency does come across as a large proportion of Republicans. We still see voices of sanity and opposition but the fact that so many cannot refuse to believe the evidence of their own eyes and ears is worrying.

Huge parallels between the US today and 1930s Germany. I wouldn't necessarily have said the world was on the brink of WW3 for the past 4 years but certainly, over the last few months, certain actions have crossed the line that suggests the US govt does not care about international law. This makes it seem like ridiculous assertions about how Greenland and Canada should essentially be annexed (which seemed like they were the ravings of a mad old man but which no one ever seriously expected would come to pass) are suddenly looking a lot more dangerous now.

This is a bit tricky because usually rent is divided equally by the number of rooms (regardless of how many occupants are in each room) but bills are divided equally amongst all the occupants regardless of whether they're sharing a room or not. Tbh though, this sounds like a good deal for you. If you say that £2000 is the rent and £800 is the bills, which seems like a logical way to split the total monthly cost, then you should be paying £1000 just for rent alone and an extra £266 for the bills. Whereas your flatmates would pay £1000 rent combined but £532 for the bills so you paying £1000 for everything and them paying £1800 probably works out in your favour so maybe stop nitpicking before they do the sums themselves and work out you're getting a bargain!

When you apply for health insurance, you need to grant the insurer permission to access your medical records - they cannot just check them of their own volition. Some insurances will allow you to the option of a moratorium period instead of allowing them to access your medical records, for example, your insurance and payments will start in March but you agree you cannot claim anything for the first 3 months so you have to wait till June before you can get any conditions checked. This is obviously to put off the 'expensive' people who need immediate treatment such as cancer sufferers. I have a friend who had a few private medical insurances through various jobs and she always chose the moratorium option because she was afraid her work would somehow be able to view her medical records given that they were the ones paying for the insurance. If this is an option for you, you must disclose your hormonal imbalance but you need to check the terms carefully to see if 'symptoms' means anything undiagnosed or if you have to include symptoms of diagnosed conditions or if disclosing the condition implies the symptoms associated with it. Also, that's a high monthly premium for an otherwise healthy 22 year old. Does it have a lot of premium benefits? See if you can find a cheaper one if you get one yourself, then decline your work one and use the money to pay for your own.

It absolutely does. It's getting to the point when more cars have them than not that it actually makes pedestrians and cyclists harder to see because our eyes aren't properly adjusted to the real level of darkness.

Don't amazon vouchers last 10 years or so? I'd probably just save it until my next purchase and put it towards that tbh. But if it was a present or something and I wanted something specifically for myself rather than to use it practically, I'd buy a book(s).

That price is probably based on 2 sharing. If you looked at booking for just one person it would probably be almost the same as the double occupancy price. And even if it isn't, no do not do this.

So many already named but no one has mentioned Matt Bomer yet.

Honestly, of the London museums, the British Museum is probably the least impressive in my humble opinion. I think the Natural History Museum is a must and if you like art then the National Portrait Gallery (and the National Gallery just round the corner although the NPG just has the edge) is amazing. There are so many castles and ruins it's hard to narrow it down - it might be easier to see what's close to other places you'll be visiting. You don't say what time of year you'll be visiting though. If it's in the Spring, for example, you could choose somewhere that you could combine with walk in the grounds if they have a bluebell wood.

I think the only sort of distinction you'll find here are underground public transport systems such as the tube in London but everything else comes under the national rail network so you should be fine.

Left slice is perfect!

No, I've seen a few people out and about wearing masks lately. My first thought wasn't that they're a crazy conspiracist but that they must be a bit ill and are just trying to not spread their germs to others.

I'll swap you any maltesers and galaxy caramels I get in mine for your bountys :P