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Pretty much everything you've said is what I've listened to my wife telling me since she started! I remember during the Covid times, the GPs (at least in our local Trust) refused to do home visits and delegated to the nurses many of their roles. Unsurprisingly many of those roles remain as a...

Said that about nursing! My wife is a fantastic nurse and goes way beyond her job spec every day. Although her course was free, she had to do three years of university first which was not done in the past. She didn't enjoy it and didn't want to be up at night writing dissertations or theorising...

I read last month that a single month's interest payment was something between £8 and £9 billion... that's the same budget we give the Ministry of Justice in funding for an entire year. Still remember the words of Osbourne in 2010 saying he'd eliminate the national deficit by 2015 :LOL:

I still work to provide a vital service (for the NHS) in what I do, but yes I wholeheartedly agree. I think it was Tony Benn who said our economy is based on moving money around for a fee. Trouble is we never remained competitive and what we do make now tends to be niche and specific. My Dad...

One of the biggest regrets in my life is not learning a trade after school. I was part of the generation Tony Blair pushed to go to University. I have a big interest in history, so mentioned this to my teacher at the time and they said "right, get applying for History courses". I enjoyed it...

Bizarre! I'm sure I remember an old episode of "The Secret Life of Machines" with Tim Hunkin, in which switches were discussed. I don't remember self-activating switches being discussed!

I replaced all the faceplate sockets in my home although they weren't that old (all dated 2004) some were sparking/crackling and not making proper contact when the switch was operated. I replaced them all with brushed steel BG (British General) faceplates. The one in our bedroom used to switch...

I've used Thompson's Driveway Seal before -- I needed two tubs and only just had enough then! So the concerns over coverage are right. Despite this, the driveway looked brand new after it had been done! I think I did it sometime in 2020 and it still looks fresh, but has of course faded.

I was selected once and spent three days in the 'waiting area' with others but never got picked to form a jury. Shame, as it was quite a high profile murder case! My Dad got selected last year (at 70) and made up some reason not to go, and was excused.

Second hand goods for the win! The only large appliance we've ever bought new is our fridge freezer as we wanted one to fit a specific gap. Everything else (dryer, washing machine, dish washer, oven etc.) was all second hand! Gave it all a good, thorough clean and you'd never know! Most have...

Agree with @foxhole -- decking oil is better. It will still fade over time. I bought some from B&Q for this gazebo I built in 2019. It had largely faded by 2021 to the point where it was just a yellowy grey. I've no doubt it was protecting the timber, but the aesthetics were diminished.

I wouldn't bother doing it. Paint is probably the worst covering as it will start flaking off in no time and they'll then be left with panels of patchy paint. You'd be going round every year to re-paint it. Pressure treated panels are best left as they are. I put a whole run of new posts and...

Sad to see the original 1930s windows taken out :cry: The timber on your soffits may well be original. My 1940s house has timber soffits which look just the same, and they are as uneven as yours with broken/flakey paint. Totally normal looking at your pictures. One day I'm going to scrape the...

On the face of it, it is good news that it's down (or not rising as fast as it was doing), step in the right direction I suppose and nice to get a break from the diet of bad news. Looking at the official figures though, it seems the prices of many goods and services have either stagnated or...

Yes somebody referenced it earlier in this thread and I've registered an account with them. Just reading at the moment -- reading and watching videos beforehand is helping me visualise things.

Agree the system doesn't really work. I can't remember which election it was, but didn't UKIP get the third highest number of votes but didn't get a single seat? What adds to the problem is the massive political disengagement amongst the population -- turnout figures are alarmingly low. Two...

There was actually a recent rally in the town under the banner "Refugees Welcome" which in itself isn't a bad thing, but it's the complete ignorance amongst the placard wavers of any potential problems and the sheer naivety that any who come here do so purely to fit into society and contribute...

Two hotels (which were functioning, profitable venues!) were closed to house them my way. The staff were given 24-48 hours’ notice then effectively sacked. Both hotels owned by French hotel companies, which I can’t blame for wanting to take a nice payment from the Home Office, but of course it’s...

Just have to do it on non-windy days :LOL: seriously though I don't have any space at the moment, although the bottom of the garden is paved and quite sheltered. I'll gauge it on the days I want to do it. In time or if it turns out it's not possible, I'll either have to do a shed extension or...

Makes sense to me! At this stage, it's just about getting a feel for it and learning a technique, so that's why I'm settling for a second hand welder (seem to be a few being sold locally on FB Marketplace). I have a steady hand and I'm not bothered how long it takes me at this point -- just...