the_topiary

Washing machine brands, who is good?

Posted by deleted_by_reddit@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 6 comments

Washing machine brands, who is good?

Posted by deleted_by_reddit@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 6 comments

Washing machine brands, who is good?

Posted by deleted_by_reddit@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 6 comments

Washing machine brands, who is good?

Posted by deleted_by_reddit@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 6 comments

the_topiary@reddit

I got mine from John Lewis, it's a rebranded Electrolux. A little more than your ceiling (and slightly smaller capacity as it's only me) but it's been bulletproof and has washed all sorts of things, wetsuits, trainers, pillows etc without so much as a blocked filter. JL do make larger capacity ones too, and their delivery and warranty is brilliant.

What to do about not getting paid while on jury service?

Posted by Royal_View9815@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 198 comments

the_topiary@reddit

My employer at the time said they weren't going to pay me for it, and that if I wanted to have any income I'd have to take the time spent at the courts out of my annual leave allowance.

ULPT request: Kids banging on my door

Posted by PaknBowlsnFillnHoles@reddit | UnethicalLifeProTips | View on Reddit | 255 comments

When is the last time you had a big cry?

Posted by lifeofpiranhas@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 148 comments

the_topiary@reddit

Some while ago. My dog was poorly (he'd been to the vets and was end of life) but I had to travel quite a long way for a professional exam. I failed it, headed home, and the first thing I had to do when I got back was bury my dog. He died alone, in the garden, waiting for me to get back. I absolutely sobbed.

What strange old burdens are on your property?

Posted by Mu99az@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 253 comments

What type of foods still remain on the 'I will never try' list for you?

Posted by YchYFi@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 262 comments

What hobbies have allowed you to form strong friendships?

Posted by cherrycinnamon12@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 42 comments

the_topiary@reddit

Music. I taught myself the saxophone and joined a windband when I was in university. Almost 20 years later I'm still there every Wednesday and practically all my friends are also from it.

Has anyone had experiance, positive or negative, with portable air conditioners in the UK?

Posted by Hiraeth_08@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 76 comments

the_topiary@reddit

Mine is like having the vacuum cleaner on, but the pitch is lower. It's possible to ignore it when working but not possible to get any sleep with it on, as it's just too loud. The compressor kicking in and out is like a fridge ×10. I don't have a portable split but I'm considering it for this year.

Has anyone had experiance, positive or negative, with portable air conditioners in the UK?

Posted by Hiraeth_08@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 76 comments

the_topiary@reddit

Extremely loud, not as effective as you might think, but a lifesaver when it's just too hot. If you can get a second hand one that you don't mind making a shroud for (or if you're brave, modifying the case of), I would recommend you vent the incoming air for the 'hot' side as well as the exhaust air. That will stop it using cooled room air to vent the hot, and will make the whole thing more efficient by preventing it drawing in hot air from elsewhere in the house. Better still, consider getting a portable split system so the hot side is outside.

How different is ‘work you’ vs ‘real you’?

Posted by underarock12@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 171 comments

What’s a completely normal British thing that confuses foreigners every time?

Posted by Jakevans97ss@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 84 comments

What multi portion food item do you regularly polish off in one go?

Posted by TSC-99@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 395 comments

the_topiary@reddit

Cadbury giant buttons, but ONLY if the production code says 'OBO'. Otherwise they taste like crap. And also jaffa cakes. They last literally seconds and I've had to force myself to buy them only when they're on sale.

Would you pay to save the tooth?

Posted by Surely-Blue@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 145 comments

the_topiary@reddit

Friend of mine is a dentist and said that whenever possible you should try to keep teeth. Otherwise the adjacent and opposite ones move around and can cause all sorts of problems down the line. To be honest though for the amount you're being charged for the root canal and crown, you might as well look into getting an implant.

What Supermarket till has the best UX?

Posted by LE-NRY@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 111 comments

the_topiary@reddit

Going for the rogue option and saying Lidl. Their DIY tills allow you go through really quickly, and you can scan Lidl plus whenever during the process. Lidl pay makes it much easier too.

ULPT What's the Ghz level that annoys younger people, but not adults?

Posted by The_Big_I_Am@reddit | UnethicalLifeProTips | View on Reddit | 7 comments

the_topiary@reddit

No-one can hear in gHz, but they can in kHz. The human range of hearing is generally between 20-20,000Hz (or 20kHz), and as we get older we hear less from the top end. Start around 18kHz and work down from there. Assuming you're a reasonable amount older than the people you're trying to annoy, you should aim to bring the frequency down until you can just about hear it and then go up a bit until you can't. There are devices you can buy that generate incredibly loud, high pitched noises, but often they're in the average person's hearing range so they can be annoying.

Those who have completed Jury Duty in the UK - what aspects about the process surprised you?

Posted by izbiz88@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 255 comments

How long do you sleep for?

Posted by LeaderLost1744@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 416 comments

Who still uses a 'manual' toothbrush?

Posted by zippy890@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 362 comments

the_topiary@reddit

I use a manual toothbrush in the office when I brush my teeth there (sometimes I shower at work after cycling in, or if I've eaten a stink-food lunch I brush my teeth afterwards), but an electric one at home. I prefer the manual tbh, you can give your teeth and gums a proper scrub (yes, I know you shouldn't).

What were the mid-late 90s and the early 2000s like in the UK?

Posted by Loose_Avocado4670@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 566 comments

Why do some people complain about their town/city centres being ‘dead’ yet they refuse to accept change/contribute to the local economy?

Posted by Over_Locksmith9670@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 178 comments

the_topiary@reddit

Amazon and ebay are both bastards for that. I used Amazon to buy some fish food because I ran out and thought I'd bought more (but hadn't). For six months afterwards Amazon thought I had some sort of fish food fetish and advertised it literally everywhere.

Are you being affected by Storm Dave?

Posted by Pinecone_Porcupine@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 350 comments

Does your work have a no phone policy?

Posted by ExplanationPutrid205@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 185 comments

the_topiary@reddit

Where I used to work we weren't allowed phones on the shop floor because of data protection, but now I'm expected to have my phone on me in case a colleague needs me for something.

What's the best perk your employer could offer you?

Posted by eat_play_love@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 265 comments

the_topiary@reddit

Giving me a workload I can actually achieve in the time I'm paid for, rather than my having to work 50 hour weeks for 35 hours pay. I guess that's not a perk though, so I'd pick flexible working.

Does the time change affect you?

Posted by Significant-War-491@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 115 comments

ULPT REQUEST: Be a legal menace to downstairs neighbour

Posted by mochicake228@reddit | UnethicalLifeProTips | View on Reddit | 45 comments

the_topiary@reddit

(Assuming they're a couple) Get flowers delivered to them that say "I just wanted to say that I still love you [name of woman], Love [man's name that isn't the guy].

If you have a window in your bathroom, what is your system of use?

Posted by Flaky-Walrus7244@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 110 comments

What’s a very British thing you’ve noticed slowly disappearing from daily life?

Posted by SavingsProgress195@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 532 comments

What’s a very British thing you’ve noticed slowly disappearing from daily life?

Posted by SavingsProgress195@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 532 comments

the_topiary@reddit

The variety of fish for sale has got less too. It's just cod, salmon, haddock or basa in pre-packaged plastic things now, whereas I remember being able to get trout, bass, ling, monkfish, swordfish and other exciting types of fish quite easily.

90s kids - what do you miss most about the 90s?

Posted by Neat-Suspect-6666@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 137 comments

the_topiary@reddit

There was a sense of optimism for the world that I don't think has been the same since the mid 2000s. It felt that things were really getting better, you could achieve great things in your life. Plus there was the ability as kids to go out with your friends, do something embarrassing and not have it photographed and put on social media. There was a more obvious social contract too, so if as a kid you went out and were a little scrote, it was acceptable for you to be told off by whichever adults were around. Technology was advancing at an incredible pace, but wasn't as easy to use as it is now. It taught a generation of problem solvers skills they can use all the time. Roads weren't quite as busy which made walking and cycling to friends' houses much safer.

Would you call the police on an old persons driving?

Posted by Specific_Pomelo_8281@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 648 comments

the_topiary@reddit

After my grandfather pulled out of a T junction into the path of an oncoming van, because he had the wrong glasses on and it was slightly foggy, he needed his leg set and broke a couple of ribs. Mercifully; the van driver was completely fine. We sold his car before he even made it out of hospital. Was it the correct thing to do? No. It wasn't. Was it the right thing to do? Yes. It was. He had a strong community of friends and relatives around him (despite living in the arse end of nowhere) and got lifts, things delivered etc. It actually saved him a lot of money in then end as he wasn't paying for diesel, tax, insurance etc.

Am I the only person who feels nothing from Original Source Mint shower gel?

Posted by CodedWheat@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 65 comments

You’re given permission to take any single item from a UK gallery or museum to keep at home. What are you taking and why?

Posted by BearMcBearFace@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 747 comments

the_topiary@reddit

SR.N4 from the hovercraft museum. Just so that I can take a line-of-sight journey to basically anywhere, and bring my friends, their cars, their friends and their cars too.

Should you leave your pants on during a massage?

Posted by stiefelundcats@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 182 comments

What is the closest you've come to death and survived?

Posted by PaddedValls@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 299 comments

the_topiary@reddit

Diving training. First time: The tidal current was stronger than the dive leader anticipated, and we had been underwater slightly longer than planned. Trying to swim back toward the shore the waves started to get choppy and I was swept along the shoreline away from the cove we were supposed to be getting back into. I was turned around by a particularly strong wave and was hurled repeatedly against the jagged rocks, back first. Wearing what's essentially a bomb on your back and being flung against rocks when you have almost no energy to swim left, and not enough air to make it if you try to dive again was scary. Second time: Diving in a flooded quarry. I was young and dad (who, at the time was well-insulated with a layer of blubber) decided to cheap out on drysuits and get wetsuits for us both. I was a scrawny teenager at the time with no body fat and the suit he got was much too big for me. Down we went, in October. Water temperature was something like 6°, there was a windchill on the surface too. Water was flushing through the suit so I got extremely cold, and then back ashore the wind made it worse. Eventually I felt fine, but the dive leader noticed I was slowing down and had gone blue, rushed me into the nearest pub and got me to sit by the fire. Hypothermia is weird... Anyway, I remember the way he told off my dad for being such a cheapskate and economising on something so important. Also, glandular fever. I got the fever rather than the tiredness and lost three stone in a fortnight, went down to just a little over 6 stone. Lymph nodes like grapefruits, unable to eat or drink without throwing up. I should have gone to hospital but could barely sit up in bed. Still, eating to put the weight back on was fun.

Who the hell eats a raw crumpet?

Posted by ukbakeslotsofcakes@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 371 comments

Do you ever "just go for a drive"?

Posted by Tiny_Wafer2266@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 837 comments

the_topiary@reddit

I used to do it quite a lot, but not so much any more. Fuel prices haven't helped, but also traffic. Nothing better than just trundling along a fairly empty motorway with the tunes on for an hour or so, particularly when you need to just get away for a while and have some alone time.

What would you realistically do with 20k?

Posted by Vladamir_pootinn@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 418 comments

What time do you get up, leave for, and start work?

Posted by ggracie7@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 822 comments

the_topiary@reddit

Up at 0630, out of the house by 0645. Arrive at the office at \~0705, shower here, sort out the carnage in my inbox, head over to lidl at 0800 to get breakfast and lunch for the day. Then start working at about 0830, start getting paid to work at 0900. Keep going all day, stop for a quick lunch at my desk, stop getting paid at 1600, stop working at 1800, get back home at 1840. It's awful and it's destroying my mental health, but that's what working in a University does.

What old practices from your school days should come back, and what belongs in the past?

Posted by ShockingHair_63@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 112 comments

the_topiary@reddit

I remember a fairly similar question a few weeks ago which I answered then. Grew up in the 90s and went to a state secondary school in the Home Counties. PE was torture if you didn't like rugby, football and cricket. I've never liked team sports and was never very athletic. I loved trampolining, swimming and badminton, but those were sports which (while the school could provide) were reserved for year eleven. By then, the undermining comments, the having to go out in the thinnest PE kit ever while it was sleeting and the teachers dressed as the Michelin man were saying 'it's not cold', the shouting, the 'you mustn't wear glasses' and then a 'what do you mean you can't see the ball?' had done their damage and I hated PE with a vociferous passion. We did a trial term of going into a gym with weights and machines, which could have set us up for gym membership and good exercise habits after school but because like the other activities it set up the bespectacled non-athletic introverts to fail, I can't bring myself to go in to a gym because it terrifies me. So, I think there's a lot that PE lessons did wrong in the past, and I'm glad that they're not the same today. In other lessons though, I think the biggest habits that have changed is that parents used to believe a teacher in preference to a child, whereas now I think teachers' major struggles are against parents who see school as responsible for their child's upbringing rather than teaching them lessons that they can then supplement at home. And that their little darling could never do anything wrong. Yes, I know that society isn't the same any more and lots of parents aren't able to dedicate the time necessary to supplement their children's education like we had in the 80s and 90s, but they can surely potty train their kids and teach them the alphabet before they start school? They can surely teach the child what's right and wrong? They can surely help encourage a child to read and imagine and play with their friends?

Have you received any inheritance from your family?

Posted by 39thAccount@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 808 comments

the_topiary@reddit

In the early 2000s I inherited some money from my grandfather (who was a frugal man when he was alive) which was just enough for me to pay to retrain and change career. However my sister and I have both otherwise made it on our own and are clear to our parents that we're not expecting to inherit anything, and that they should be able to enjoy the fruits of their labour themselves.

What's a flavour or scent that used to be commonplace that you never come across any more?

Posted by 360Saturn@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 325 comments

the_topiary@reddit

Feux Orange was amazing. I managed to track some down on ebay a few months ago that was found in a disused petrol station. £25 each but so worth it for the nostalgia.

What's the oldest tech that you're still using?

Posted by AlephMartian@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 364 comments

Am I right to think a neighbours house looking directly onto your garden would be terrible?

Posted by Three_Cats_In_1_Coat@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 1379 comments

the_topiary@reddit

The sensible answer: I'd ask them if they would put up a frosted film on their window so that they get the light but not the view, and/or if I could fix a trellis to their wall to grow something that climbs. If the windows have been there for >20 years they'll have the 'right to light', and you can't block their windows so a trellis is out of the question. Given the cost of them, I'd be willing to let them choose a film and I'd buy it for them. The fun answer: Naked sunbathing would stop them being tempted to look out. Especially if you were also looking in at the same time.

Do you accept cookies?

Posted by madeonworkstime@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 105 comments

the_topiary@reddit

I use a browser extension that automatically goes through the page to reject cookies. And for sites that make you pay to reject, I just don't go on them.

Do you remember anyone who had an "accident" in school?

Posted by Busy_Wall_1098@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 107 comments

the_topiary@reddit

I was in primary school in the early 90s. We had sex education with a video that probably even people in the 70s would say was unnecessarily hairy. Someone in my year 5 class was physically sick from watching it.

Gays of UK - would you be comfortable holding your partner's hand in the UK?

Posted by dalehitchy@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 933 comments

the_topiary@reddit

Perhaps in the mid 2000s I would have, as back then societal acceptance felt higher and any negativity could be reported to the police with a reasonable confidence they'd do something about it (ie actually turn up, and they had some campaigns then too), but I absolutely wouldn't any more. There's too much risk involved and the last few years feel as though we're going backwards in terms of acceptance and tolerance.

Is it bad to refuse to take anymore of the neighbours parcels?

Posted by -binkers-@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 68 comments

the_topiary@reddit

I have a magic porch. If next door gets something delivered to them and they're not in, most of the local delivery people know to put it in my magic porch and next door can come and get it whenever they're ready. I don't go out of my way to take it to them though, and if it's something enormous I'll put it on the windowsill so they can see it's there. Works okay for us. It's only once every few weeks though. If it were all the time I'd ask them to get one of those parcel bins and just lock the porch door as well as the front door.