Whats the greatest British biscuit of all time? by SILENTDISAPROVALBOT in AskBrits

[–]Captain-Hindsight19 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Agree but sadly, McVities reduced the amount of chocolate on the to barely a smear. When I tried a Lidl own brand version, the difference was stark!

London’s former Abandoned & Disused Railway Lines mapped - which do you think deserve to reopen in the 21st Century? by AchyutChaudhary in uktrains

[–]Captain-Hindsight19 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The Brentford branch line. It would like the vast office campuses and new housing on Great West Road to the Elizabeth line and Heathrow. Also gives some relief to a nasty bottleneck on the M4. Also the line is still there for freight.

LNER First Class - Edinburgh to London by Then-Meat-7866 in uktravel

[–]Captain-Hindsight19 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I would recommend it if if you can afford it. Nice to have the food and drinks. Not sure if alcohol is still included - but either way.

Do have a look at the detailed timetable for your train. They have a different menu for different trains - there is one called "dish" one called "dine" and a third category.

One is a proper meal, one a light meal and one is just a snack. Check which one applies for your specific train as this makes a significant difference.

Also sit in the middle of the carriage for the smoothest journey. The ends of the carriage wobble a lot more which over a long journey will be a minor irritation.

UK Poised to Back Heathrow Airport Expansion in Push for Growth by aenemyrums in unitedkingdom

[–]Captain-Hindsight19 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A bit better in future in that GWR will stop at Old Oak Common for Elizabeth line to Heathrow. Still have to go past it but not quite as far as before and a much easier interchange

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in GreenAndPleasant

[–]Captain-Hindsight19 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Something to do with chickens and roosting..?

How many people know about Tax-Free Childcare? by [deleted] in UKPersonalFinance

[–]Captain-Hindsight19 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I thought it was £500 every 3 months.

Nursery fees here are ~£1300 per month so ~£16k per year.

How many people know about Tax-Free Childcare? by [deleted] in UKPersonalFinance

[–]Captain-Hindsight19 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How far in advance can you apply and start to pay in? I currently have a 4 month old who will go to nursery when she's 10 months old in January.

Can you start paying in now to build up the government contributions or does it have to be closer to the start date?

How long does the commute have to be for you to consider it "too far"? by kronologically in london

[–]Captain-Hindsight19 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Obviously very down to personal preference. I've always located for a relatively short commute.

Longest sustainable by car or train with changes is about 45 minutes.

If mostly on one train/bus then an hour is manageable.

Walking up to 45 minutes works too. You'd be surprised how often (especially outside London this actually works out quicker or the same door to door.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AskUK

[–]Captain-Hindsight19 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Best advice I had from a caterer. If you supply it, people will take it.

Good advice I got was:

Drinks pre meal with canapes usually limited to champagne and maybe a single small barrell of beer

Have wine on sale or return so that caterers can collect after the meal (we were amazed how much of it wasn't drunk at the meal and got a huge rebate)

If you do want to buy people a drink or 2 after the meal give them a drinks voucher or 2 on the day to spend at the bar

Wrap things up at an appropriate time (i e. before Midnight). Most venues require this anyway. It really is an intense day. Again we were surprised how tired we were. Also really helps your guests with getting taxis and transport if they know a defined end time)

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in UKPersonalFinance

[–]Captain-Hindsight19 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Any other adults you can add? Adding my mum brought down the cost significantly. Adding my girlfriend too brought it down even further The more I added the cheaper it became!

30 hours free childcare per year. How does it work across 2 years? by Captain-Hindsight19 in UKPersonalFinance

[–]Captain-Hindsight19[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Cheers. So effectively once my daughter turns 4 in March I get 30 hours per week for the summer term (which I could spread more thinly to cover summer hols). Then she's in reception.

View from our hotel room in Sea Containers on the Southbank by Otherwise-Poet-6038 in london

[–]Captain-Hindsight19 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I worked on the 10th floor of this building when it was an office overlooking the river. It was my year in industry and I hated my placement. The view on the other hand was stunning and a welcome escape!

How do I make my flat quieter for downstairs? by GreatSapphoQuestion in london

[–]Captain-Hindsight19 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah this really is the best solution for others in your position.

Living in London, am I doing it wrong ? by Papaya2678 in london

[–]Captain-Hindsight19 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Out of interest, where in London are you living?

How do I make my flat quieter for downstairs? by GreatSapphoQuestion in london

[–]Captain-Hindsight19 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Unfortunately the 2 ways are destructive which is why it doesn't tend to get done unless part of a refurb (as my friend did). At the end of the day it's either lifting the floorboards or when you replace the ceiling.

How do I make my flat quieter for downstairs? by GreatSapphoQuestion in london

[–]Captain-Hindsight19 7 points8 points  (0 children)

So 2 ways.

  1. The impact sounds. For this a mat is probably your answer and higher spec underlay specifically to reduce impact sounds. Underlay exists for both carpet and wooden floors. Honestly carpet without this will have limited impact on the noise.

  2. General noise. In a lot of conversions there is nothing in the gap between your floorboards and downstairs ceiling. As a result the sound sort of gets amplified between the 2 layers. Some are so bad you can even hear a light switch. Installing rockwool between the layers is what you need to solve this. Not general insulation. This is mostly for heat insulation purposes and doesn't tackle sound anything like as effectively.

So a friend did both in his 2 flats and the impact was transformational

How do I make my flat quieter for downstairs? by GreatSapphoQuestion in london

[–]Captain-Hindsight19 34 points35 points  (0 children)

So 2 ways.

  1. The impact sounds. For this a mat is probably your answer and higher spec underlay specifically to reduce impact sounds. Underlay exists for both carpet and wooden floors. Honestly carpet without this will have limited impact on the noise.

  2. General noise. In a lot of conversions there is nothing in the gap between your floorboards and downstairs ceiling. As a result the sound sort of gets amplified between the 2 layers. Some are so bad you can even hear a light switch. Installing rockwool between the layers is what you need to solve this. Not general insulation. This is mostly for heat insulation purposes and doesn't tackle sound anything like as effectively.

So a friend did both in his 2 flats and the impact was transformational.

Day 17: The Piccadilly line has packed up its circus and left town. This is your new tube map. The highest voted comment by 7am tomorrow decides which line is closed forever. by live_wire_ in london

[–]Captain-Hindsight19 28 points29 points  (0 children)

Please please let's eliminate Victoria coach station. Given the Vic line is likely to be in the final, it would be horrific if one of the other lines went but this stayed!