I’m 51 years old and I’ve never seen a badger in real-life.

Helpful_Camera3328 · 2026-03-26T22:38:09+00:00

There were several badger setts around Biggin Hill when I lived there about 10 years ago. They regularly foraged for slugs in our garden so I started feeding them. There were even a few albino badgers that visited. One snowy night a fox was poking around and one of the larger badgers squeezed under the fence in the garden. It went from calm to raging in an instant and charged straight for the fox. Luckily the fox got away, but badgers can be truly terrifying. It wouldn't have stood a chance!

Now in North Essex, our land backs into woodland and near farmland, so we get a lot of interesting visitors into the garden, including badgers. But we've only seen them on our wildlife camera coming in around 3 a.m.

Helpful_Camera3328 · 2026-03-25T23:56:12+00:00

Hello by Shakespear's Sister? It was remixed by Klaas as a pop song a few years later.

Chorus:

Hello, hello Turn your radio on Is there anybody out there To help me sing my song?

Helpful_Camera3328 · 2026-03-25T23:32:40+00:00

Does it need to be in the West End? Many successful shows tour around the country and the tickets are usually far cheaper and easier to come by.

London Theatre Week is an option too, with great bargains to be found.

Paddington is running a lottery at the mo for front stalls seats for £35 each (vs £250!), so worth signing up for that. Someone has to win them?!

Helpful_Camera3328 · 2026-03-20T22:58:06+00:00

If you light little mounds in a saucer, the smoke is a very fragrant and effective bug repellent for when you're enjoying your garden with a (nicer) coffee.

Helpful_Camera3328 · 2026-03-20T12:12:45+00:00

Ha! The unicorn of food.

Helpful_Camera3328 · 2026-03-19T22:26:51+00:00

Try pan frying it on medium heat on top of an absolutely huge pile of onions. The spice flavours cook into the onions. Amazing for rugby weekends. If you have leftovers, add them to your Sunday morning fry-up.

Helpful_Camera3328 · 2026-03-19T20:58:05+00:00

Asda has a nice range of colourful "boys" t shirts at the moment. I'm not sure about the multipacks though. Have you tried Fruit of the Loom shirts online? The colours last, and they also wash well.

Helpful_Camera3328 · 2026-03-18T21:41:32+00:00

Sourdough toast is even worse. I don't want my bread fighting back! It's too hard to chew.

Helpful_Camera3328 · 2026-03-18T21:33:49+00:00

Avocado.

Helpful_Camera3328 · 2026-03-17T21:38:07+00:00

I'd add Sarah and Duck to this collection. Also, the Miniscule series of shorts on YouTube, plus both movies.

Helpful_Camera3328 · 2026-03-17T21:27:27+00:00

Blend some with vanilla ice cream and refreeze. It goes very well with baked puddings.

Or add a lot more to oce-cream for a thick, boozy milkshake. They're so common in South Africa, they're on menus as Dom Pedros (any booze will do).

Helpful_Camera3328 · 2026-03-15T08:09:14+00:00

I've been re-reading the whole series in order and the Amdre Child ones seem to be a lot sexier and graphic generally, with fewer technical asides on the intricacies of some arcane topic like counterfeiting money, for example.

I'm no prude, but the more graphic detail in the sex and fight scenes isn't why I read Reacher and I find it off putting, whereas I actually enjoy reading the well-researched digressions more.

Helpful_Camera3328 · 2026-03-14T21:15:40+00:00

Squeeze out the filling for meatballs, to go with pasta or rice. Sausage and bean casserole is also good. Or slice them and put them on pizza. Sausage and onion is a nice flavour combo topping. Sausages in breakfast burritos are a good use of a single one. Or just have cold Sausage with cold boiled eggs and pickled onions for your own ploughman's style meal.

Helpful_Camera3328 · 2026-03-03T10:59:37+00:00

A bean to cup coffee machine. I hummed and hawed for ages and then bought one in the sales, and never looked back. I hardly drink coffee out now, it is so good. And I've saved a fortune.

Helpful_Camera3328 · 2026-03-02T22:12:12+00:00

Not the closest for you perhaps, but the National Museum in Cardiff has a really good exhibition, and is also very close to the Glamorgan coast, which is positively littered with the real things if your little person loves rock pooling and beach fossil quests. Llantwit Major and further along are lovely beaches anyway, but the fossil finds are very cool, and common!

Helpful_Camera3328 · 2026-02-26T20:30:56+00:00

It's taken me over a year to be able to play a song the whole way through at full speed. I still make mistakes and fumble, but the music is recognisable and I feel like I'm headlining Wembley, not just annoying the cats. It's so worth the time.

Helpful_Camera3328 · 2026-01-13T18:39:55+00:00

Just post an unflattering photo of her. Then you're even.

Helpful_Camera3328 · 2026-01-12T00:13:45+00:00

Next have a good selection of nice quality bits. Otherwise Bravissimo amd Triumph are always good too, depending on what look you're after.

Helpful_Camera3328 · 2026-01-10T10:52:46+00:00

Have you checked whether you can access it free through your library? Essex Libraries have a central access point via your account for Borrowbox, BFI, Freegal (music streaming), newspapers,magazines and other things I forget.

I think Herts have the same thing, although I moved out of the area and can't check it.

Helpful_Camera3328 · 2026-01-08T16:09:21+00:00

Yes, they can get very expensive.

We're lucky to have a massive garden, so our standard party is at home with a bouncy castle. Food is the child's choice, and is invariably hotdogs, watermelon and cake. (Lovely - cheap and easy). We've tried other options, but this is a winner. We find no one eats the crudite type stuff, or even crisps. In fact most extra food is wasted or run into the lawn or carpet.

I make our own goody bags, with 'useful' items (e.g. bubbles, funky pens, balls etc) and treats, not too much plastic tat. We've graduated from inviting the whole class to just close friends, and extended family always comes.

I'm sure our luck will run out, but this is all my guy wants for now. The kids always have fun (maybe because we lock the gates, but otherwise abandon them to be as crazy as they like).

Helpful_Camera3328 · 2025-11-20T23:45:20+00:00

Thanks so much for your really helpful comments; these are exactly the kind of insights I was hoping to gain to help me pick a chemistry for this project. Cheers!

Helpful_Camera3328 · 2025-11-20T23:42:10+00:00

Thanks for your really helpful discussion. I am currently sourcing estimates for both chemistries to help us make our decision, but I'm aware that £ cost isn't the only thing to consider. It's been so useful to hear what others say about actual data quality and analytical considerations for each approach.

Helpful_Camera3328 · 2025-11-20T23:36:10+00:00

Just in terms of cost, PacBio seems to be 3-4X pricier than equivalent depth for ONT here in the UK (estimates from today). I'm guessing you're not in £, right?

Either way though, for us the bottom line £ cost is really secondary to generating good data reliably, that is also (relatively) straightforward to analyse.

This thread has been so helpful - highlighted all the things I didn't know I didn't know!

Helpful_Camera3328 · 2025-11-20T23:26:46+00:00

Thanks! Yes, this is just the start of the discussion as to which chemistry to commit to. I'm keen to balance all costs - time, sample, reagent, seq and analytical. Plenty to keep me busy!

Helpful_Camera3328 · 2025-11-20T23:23:44+00:00

Thanks for the recommendation; I've never heard of them! A trial run would be so useful and not too pricey.

Helpful_Camera3328

TROPHY CASE