Luke

I don’t know the answer but I do know that the current system is awful. Only this week our local doctors surgery has changed its system. If you want a same day appointment you have to go on a list and then travel 10 miles in the worst traffic imaginable to see someone. who may only be a nurse. Our local surgery has plenty of nurses who used to d…[Read more]

Take a competent builder with you to get an idea of cost to rectify, then add 15% for the unforeseen. I wouldn’t be put off if the cost of works is within your budget. Also, the housing market for flawed properties is in the doldrums, why not put in a very cheeky low offer, they have reduced the price once, why not some more? Good Luck.

My three have two dog runs on concrete with a big hutch at one end and hay bales and a big log at the other. I give them other toys too from time to time but they mostly eat them in the end!

To get around them not having access to grass I pick grass, dandelion, chickweed, docks, sow thistle, groundsel etc for them twice a day as well as veg…[Read more]

@frogface I don’t see it in that way. The way I see it, is that the food manufacturers are producing foods that are surplus to requirements and are making you and a quarter of the population (NICE Epidimiology Report 2012) unhealthy. That in turn is causing you and that population to have health problems that need medical care which costs the NHS…[Read more]

@frogface Social responsibility.

people should definitely be counselled to help heal whatever trauma is affecting they ability to lead a healthy lifestyle – and also educated by dietitians so that people can learn how to eat healthily. No joke, I would support this as it has been proven that lots of mental health issues contribute to obesity.

I also have a theory that if the…[Read more]

The UK the most obese, are they being serious? Has anyone looked at most of those Italian women who’ve reached that certain age? Man, they’re huge …. and they seem to assume male plumage too!

Personally, I’d much prefer our only slightly chubby ladies, thanks just the same!

.S. This is what the folks at Positive Money have to say about QE…

http://positivemoney.org/2014/06/was…-easing-video/

“So why does the government cancel essential projects because “there’s no money”, while at the same time the Bank of England was able to create more new money than the entire government spends in 6 months? Why is it that…[Read more]

The point of the original piece — which I’m not yet convinced by, and need someone to explain why I shouldn’t be — is that there is a potential alternative source of money other than taxation.

Art Nouveau said that “government printing physical money leads to inflation, and then hyperinflation”. First, the Positive Money piece implied that…[Read more]

i know how it feels. i used to do trialthlons and had to give them up due to injury. It’s a very difficult transition if you are someone who is used to pushing and challenging yourself. But at the end of the day, you could do yourself worse damage by being reckless with your body. Being harsh, the prep you are doing is nowhere near enough to be…[Read more]

Thanks all.

We do have a gas boiler but also have an (unlinked) carbon monoxide monitor in the utility room where the boiler is and that’s not going off. It’s also serviced annually before we turn the heating on so it’s due a service in the next few weeks. I don’t think they’re combined smoke/CO alarms, hence the separate CO alarm, but will…[Read more]

just remembered the time I had a, frankly barking, guest to stay. To get rid of her, as she was showing no signs of leaving, ever. I had to pretend I had been called away on business, pack up, put the dogs with my neighbour, etc and usher her out as I was ‘going away’. I then had to hide up the road for hours till I was sure she had gone. Guests,…[Read more]

Despite having a lovely home to go back to etc….she still stayed longer than intended didn’t she? So she must have been enjoying herself…..perhaps your more relaxed lifestyle is more attractive to her than you think.

You’ve poured your heart out in this post and it’s obvious that you value her friendship, so if she is a good…[Read more]

The receptionist has no right to insist that you do not see the doctor….next time she does this ask her which medical school she qualified at.

My wife didnt convert her license when she passed and has just relearnt at 34 after a 12 year gap. Dont accept a poor teacher you dont get on with you’ll waste your time. Can you sweet talk someone to let you drive a 4×4 round a field? Get a feel for things?

I go through phases of having very vivid dreams, usually coinciding with me feeling stressed or anxious or lonely, so yes, I do tend to analyse them (even though they’re not generally nightmares), because it helps me work out something I need to do/get over/man up about. They usually involve lots of things and people from my real life, all mashed…[Read more]

Usually related in some way to something that is going on in the day. The worst for me are the repetitive dreams which tend to happen if I’ve been working on something really complex at work and they reflect that.

The horses tend to feature too and stay true to character – the comforter, the scared one, the thief, the destroyer of things and the…[Read more]

That’s really sobering and very sad. More shocking as they are vulnerable people with learning difficulties – no case worker to fight their corner I presume. There must be somebody who can help them get benefits, maybe you could go along with them and try and get them seen to. Just a thought…

It’s shocking what the most vulnerable people have…[Read more]

How awful! You say your dad is getting frailer and has memory problems (has he been to the Memory Clinic)? Depending upon his needs, he may be a vulnerable adult, which is a whole new ball-game, but old age alone doesn’t make a person a vulnerable adult. Is he able to meet all of his needs independently (cooking, medication, self-care)?

She…[Read more]