FranFace

Maybe look at Yorkshire? The Yorkshire Dales is varied in outdoors-y options, pubs aplenty, and various towns/cities within accessible distances for different types of job opportunities.

Based on what you've described - drinking alone, and drinking a bottle of wine several times a week - it would appear that this person doesn't have a healthy relationship with alcohol. Every situation is individual, and food and drink are complicated topics because they're influenced by many factors (including cultural considerations). But a person drinking in the way you describe definitely is at much higher risk of damaging their body, becoming dependent on alcohol, long-term mental health issues, etc. It's very likely that this person is using alcohol as a crutch for other issues (whether they realise it or not), so it's not as simple as saying "stop". But if they're open to it, it would be in their best interests to start a conversation with their GP about how they might be able to reduce their reliance on alcohol. The NHS website also will have plenty of advice. Best of luck.

Seconding the Yorkshire tea bag. Maybe some Kendal mint cake. Stottie bread roll. A diy cream tea kit (scone, mini jar of jam, mini jar of Devon clotted cream). A Yorkshire pudding! I think I'm hungry 😅

We gave our kids MP3 players, there's still some out there which suits children well. Then they got a bit older and they got tablets with YouTube Music available too.

Mine really love collecting them and having them to fidget with, but they were never bothered for putting string through them to play a game of conkers.

Jack's Mum (Dame): It's no good Jack, we're out of money. Jack: Oh Mum, you must have something tucked away. Jack's Mum: 👀 😂😂😂

I've noticed my kids saying "I guess" where I would say "I suppose so".

Genuinely went looking for this one 😂 Such a classic

I'm a huge Austen fan, but have trouble reading the difference in language. For anyone in the same situation, I 100% recommend the audiobooks (Rosamund Pike reads some on Audible), total game changer and utterly hilarious and wonderful 🥰

Knowing I can access the NHS and 111 (I'm an anxious wreck and knowing I can get advice if one of us is ill is v reassuring).

If you have immediate health concerns, consider NHS 111, you can fill in the enquiry online or give them a call. And they'll tell you if you need to go to out-of-hours care or whether it can wait until a standard GP appointment/when the clinics open. I hope you're okay and feeling calmer soon.

For easier reference, I recommend certification logos. Watch out for companies awarding themselves made-up ones (Cadbury's springs to mind), but established and externally awarded certificates can be a helpful reference point. For example, the Fairtrade logo is a good reference point for lots of daily items (eg tea, coffee, sugar, chocolate, bananas). Part of the requirements for certification is proof of proper environmental care. And if you eat fish, look for the MSC / ASC logos - this was especially helpful for me as I love mackerel, but stopped buying it because it's not available under MSC any longer, meaning that it can't be fished sustainably at the moment. Both of these certifications I have found to be robust and available enough in my daily decisions to know I'm making a difference. Other things I know for sure I can't afford to always choose guaranteed sustainability (eg clothes, car, meat), but it all helps. Though if you find yourself with a bit more money, I can also recommend the Fairphone as worth having too. I can't suggest re skincare, but the suggestion of Ethical Consumer can likely help you further there. All the best!

My bro got this for Christmas! We thought it would be novelty giant packaging filled with standard Toblerones, but it wasn't 😁 the pieces were GIANT, had to cut them with a knife. It was glorious, can recommend.

I was most proud of this one: Costume party for 6 year olds. We got paint-your-own photo frame kits (Hobbycraft) to put in party bags along with some sweets. At the start of the party, got the kids together and took a group picture in their costumes. While the party was going on, we printed up the pics on the printer, cut them out, and put them in the photo frames before the party finished. Everyone loved them. We still have the one we kept for my lass to paint of her and all her mates, really nice keepsake 😊 But of course it takes more than one pair of hands available at the party (the grandparents took the lead on this while we wrangled the kids 😄).

ART ATTACK! It was SO chill. Gutted to realise that it's not available on dvd or streaming, my kids would absolutely love it.

1995 Pride and Prejudice all the way - necessary sick day viewing 🥰

👌

Yes, our plugs are tops! I saw a YouTube video by Tom Scott explaining why they're so good, and it was really interesting 😄

YES! Prawn cocktail ftw 👍

The NHS, hands-down. It's not perfect, but it's wonderful. A literal life-saver and I'm forever grateful.

I think it's more common here in church and faith schools, not something I've seen within homes (even if religious households). But that doesn't mean you can't 🙂 I think the Christingle Orange is more common in C of E homes, and I've seen the single advent candles (with numbers 1-25 down the side), again more common in Christian homes than part of the wider secular traditions.

Winterglow by Grant-Lee Phillips Warm This Winter by Connie Francis (or cover by Gabriella Cilmi Also recommend any of the Christmas covers by Postmodern Jukebox (eg Last Christmas in the style of the Andrews Sisters)

Taking the kids to their party invites 😂 but otherwise I may go to the cinema, or I'm a fan of a good long walk (esp with music to listen to).

I've had a good and reassuring experience from reporting a reception staff member for unkind and unprofessional behaviour. I suggest getting the complaints policy (usually available on their website or on request), and just send an email in. Like you might expect, the NHS has policies governing how/when they have to come back to you, so you have an outline of what to expect. And as usual with any complaints, keep your wording calm and your expectations reasonable. GP staff do a hard job, no question, and it's a massive responsibility. But equally, if you've had an interaction that was unprofessional, unreasonable, or obstructive, it could well be happening to other patients who are less resilient and less able to cope with such a push-back. So I think it's definitely worth getting something down in writing, for the record at least.

Hair mascara. I loved colouring wisps of hair blue or red before going out 😄

Flippin love Charlie Brooker.

https://groceries.asda.com/product/seafood/john-west-kipper-fillets-in-sunflower-oil/910001058344 Can recommend.

On hols, maybe. Me and the kids have tinned kipper quite often for dinners, lovely in tomato pasta.

I think that's a great opening gag 😄 The worst best man's speeches I've sat through are the ones which leaned too heavily into the bawdy/smutty observations, especially of the bride. Read the room, her granny doesn't necessarily want to listen to that. Yes, the groom and the best man might have that sense of humour, but it's a speech for a different audience. Affectionately ragging on the groom whilst talking up everyone else (bride/bridesmaids/everyone who made it happen) is usually a solid way to do, the audience are here for all those things and will back you 👍

Pull leaves off a hedge when I go past. No idea why 😄

Speaking, no. Typing, I use 'def' absolutely all the time. Yorkshire, approaching 40 ☺️

From Eurovision this year, the Liverpool Songbook. Especially the ending 'You'll Never Walk Alone' performed with the Ukrainian choir. Wow, mind-blowing.

I'm a beer drinker, and can recommend (at least to my tastes): Lo-Rider (Brew York's, 0% IPA) Heineken 0% Guinness 0.0

I had this at a previous workplace. I can't speak for your work, but mine were nice people so I felt confident that they weren't being dicks and I did have something to address. For me, it turned out to be a mix of untreated clinical Anxiety plus buying cheap deodorant. Recipe for disaster! Regarding the rest of your shift, just get your head down and push through. I've been there! (and gave the feedback to my manager on a subsequent conversation that the heads-up she gave me would have been better received at the END of my shift ahead of the next one, rather than leaving me in paranoid anxiety for the rest of my day!). After today, maybe have a word with the doctor - if you're being thorough in your hygiene but still having issues, they should be able to help you try out some solutions. For me it was therapy (plus nice deodorant from Lush :) ). But there are other options depending on what they find. I'm sorry this happened to you, it's a horrible feeling. I hope you're feeling better and more resilient soon.

Chemist, and I think I'm the only person I know who does 😄 I'm nearly 40, and I just hung onto it because that's what I remember from childhood, and it sounds less American (to add to that, I'm not anti-American or anti-language development, I just like the sounds of Chemist better 😊)

"Do you have a flag?"