A random thread for small things that don't really warrant a thread of their own

[Mr Larrington]

Saw this and thought “What can His Bobness possibly resign from?”

[rafletcher]

In Feb last year a 2 bed cottage in our terrace was sold for £365,000.  The new owner then spent months refurbishing it - knocked through the two downstairs rooms, new kitchen, new bathroom, new heating, all ne decor, landscaped garden with new garden room  etc. etc.  Gotta have been £100k's worth of work.  She moved in last Autumn. Very urban character. Range Rover that just out into the road, plus tow-hook - we have no parking as such, just a grace & favour wide verge opposite courtesy of a farmer who got fed up not getting his tractors up and down.  Then the boyfrien turned up - huge Ford Warrior pickup, same issue parking.

Today it went on the market.  £495,000 for a 2 bed terrace.

Ok, the Tring Triangle has long been priced at that sort of level, but in our village? With acres (literally) of new builds within 3 miles, where a 2 bed 2 bath semi is £435,000 can be had?   We don't have foundations or cavity walls FFS!

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/124604786#/?channel=RES_BUY

[ian]

I am never sure why people buy or rent a property with zero thought about where they'll park their usual oversized vehicles. It's like buying a house without thinking about bedrooms. Oh, what, there're no spare bedrooms, oh well the kids will just have to sleep out on the street somewhere.

I hate to think how much The Asbestos Palace is worth now, despite being a fairly average 60s house. We're doing our best to knock the shine off the refurbishment (after 8 years, it doesn't look so refurbished). I think we spent about £60k on men with hammers. I'm pretty sure despite that, everything else will be similarly, if not more, expensive. Tis madness.

[Beardy]

I’m currently not putting up the guttering (after finishing of the facial) because it’s too bright for me to see the rather pathetic laser beam from my laser level. This means I can have a sit down and watch a bit of le Tour.  The shitvers are shit though 

[mrcharly-YHT]

I don't usually listen to Question Time. Not a fan of Fiona Bruce.  Turned off radio last night when I heard R-M's smug tones on there.

Caught the sat repeat this morning. Oh, what a gem.

R-M getting laughed at and booed by the audience when he spouted utter nonsense (some statement about Blowfish Johnson being an excellent leader and man of integrity).

[hatler]

I don't usually listen to Question Time. Not a fan of Fiona Bruce.  Turned off radio last night when I heard R-M's smug tones on there.

Caught the sat repeat this morning. Oh, what a gem.

R-M getting laughed at and booed by the audience when he spouted utter nonsense (some statement about Blowfish Johnson being an excellent leader and man of integrity).

Do you mean Any Questions and Anita Anand ?

Or did the Haunted Pencil do a double stint this week on Question Time and Any Questions ?  Media slut.

[Mr Larrington]

Not on QT according to the Beeb's webby SCIENCE: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m00190t0/question-time-2022-07072022 An MP from each side, a Torygraph columnist, a former member of Mumford & Sons (!) and Malcolm Tucker Alastair Campbell

[mrcharly-YHT]

I don't usually listen to Question Time. Not a fan of Fiona Bruce.  Turned off radio last night when I heard R-M's smug tones on there.

Caught the sat repeat this morning. Oh, what a gem.

R-M getting laughed at and booed by the audience when he spouted utter nonsense (some statement about Blowfish Johnson being an excellent leader and man of integrity).

Do you mean Any Questions and Anita Anand ?

Or did the Haunted Pencil do a double stint this week on Question Time and Any Questions ?  Media slut.

That was Anita Anand - sounded like Fiona Bruce to me (shows how often I listen to the program).

[rafletcher]

I don't usually listen to Question Time. Not a fan of Fiona Bruce.  Turned off radio last night when I heard R-M's smug tones on there.

Caught the sat repeat this morning. Oh, what a gem.

R-M getting laughed at and booed by the audience when he spouted utter nonsense (some statement about Blowfish Johnson being an excellent leader and man of integrity).

Do you mean Any Questions and Anita Anand ?

Or did the Haunted Pencil do a double stint this week on Question Time and Any Questions ?  Media slut.

That was Anita Anand - sounded like Fiona Bruce to me (shows how often I listen to the program).

Generic BBC Female voice, innit.

[geraldc]

I ventured into the realms of model specific e-bike forums, and associated Facebook user groups. There doesn't seem to be middle of the road. It's either all super expensive Bosch mid drive models for mums/nannies dropping the kids off at school, or people who can't spell too good, looking to use them as faster versions of mobility scooters. I may have made a terrible mistake.

[Mrs Pingu]

I need to buy travel insurance but I lasted approximately 2 mins before losing the will to live.

[robgul]

I need to buy travel insurance but I lasted approximately 2 mins before losing the will to live.

I feel your pain - you want to try being 75, post-cancer (in 2014) and having mild atrial fibrillation - very expensive, if you can find anyone to cover you 

[phantasmagoriana]

I keep reading of huge passport renewal backlogs, so was expecting mine to take months (I'm not planning on going abroad anytime soon, but as it expires at the end of this month I couldn't really wait any longer).

Applied online and posted it 1st class on 5th July. Received new passport in the post today, a week later.

Not sure whether I'm just lucky, or the queues have subsided somewhat after the initial rush earlier in the summer!

[Cudzoziemiec]

Might depend which office yours ends up at?

[Jasmine]

There's an article in the Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jul/09/uk-passport-delays-queue-uk-holiday) with parents applying for passports for 2 children at the same time, where 1 gets a new passport within weeks and the other gets stuck in the system, never to be heard of again. Seems to be random.

Someone I know had to drive to Glasgow for theirs, despite applying months ago. Weirdly, they had to drive to Glasgow, rather than the much closer office in Liverpool. They had originally been told they couldn't fast track at Liverpool because their application was in Welsh. By that logic, one has to question how many Welsh speakers work at the Glasgow office. 

[Wowbagger]

Maybe Dominic Raab got involved.

[rogerzilla]

There is a website called anusticker.de that sells circular stickers of balloon knots/rusty bullet holes/chocolate starfish.  I only know this because I saw an example of their product on a dam handrail at 2100m yesterday.  Very odd.

[Mr Larrington]

I keep reading of huge passport renewal backlogs, so was expecting mine to take months (I'm not planning on going abroad anytime soon, but as it expires at the end of this month I couldn't really wait any longer).

Applied online and posted it 1st class on 5th July. Received new passport in the post today, a week later.

Not sure whether I'm just lucky, or the queues have subsided somewhat after the initial rush earlier in the summer!

Mine took about 2 weeks back in April, when the Grauniad was reporting an average wait of nearer 10.

[Kim]

I just hung out the washing and discovered two bras had clasped themselves together in the wash.  Never seen that happen before.

[Wowbagger]

I just hung out the washing and discovered two bras had clasped themselves together in the wash.  Never seen that happen before.

Where's Eccentrica Gallumbits when you need her?

[Kim]

I just hung out the washing and discovered two bras had clasped themselves together in the wash.  Never seen that happen before.

Where's Eccentrica Gallumbits when you need her?

 

[Cudzoziemiec]

Today I've learned how to spell, and almost how to say, "Ringkjøbing Landbobank".

[hellymedic]

I keep reading of huge passport renewal backlogs, so was expecting mine to take months (I'm not planning on going abroad anytime soon, but as it expires at the end of this month I couldn't really wait any longer).
Applied online and posted it 1st class on 5th July. Received new passport in the post today, a week later.
Not sure whether I'm just lucky, or the queues have subsided somewhat after the initial rush earlier in the summer!

You are lucky, possibly because of imminent expiry.
D's hoping to travel in September. Passport expiry 3/10/2022 but needs 6/12 validity.
Applied online 14/6/22
Passport now printed and awaiting despatch so we'll had a wait of around 5 weeks.
[ETA] Passport has arrived, 31 days after initial online application.

[nicknack]

On my phone wot I am typing this on I use SwiftKey which does a reasonable job of predicting what's coming. This morning I was typing away and I started a sentence with "Just". It predicted my next word as "fucking". Is it taking the piss?

[Mr Larrington]

Watching the slow but steady progress of a parcel I sent the other day:

23/07/2022 - 14:05   Exported from the UK

Porcel Farce have a time machine!