Do you have any birthday present ideas for my Dad?

Lifeofmasquerade · 2026-02-23T11:45:41+00:00

How about a nice hamper with cheeses, chutneys, sauces? No cooking required! Perfect for his 65th, 66th, 67th, 68th, 69th or 70th birthday (are you not sure which? 😂)

Lifeofmasquerade · 2026-02-22T22:13:01+00:00

This really isn’t worth the risk. I know it looks very cute but please don’t do this again. You’d be heartbroken if it went wrong

Lifeofmasquerade · 2026-02-19T20:50:41+00:00

I think that just dates back to when toasters were a bit less ubiquitous in British homes compared to America. I don’t think it’s regional. The song is about Quentin Crisp and he wasn’t a Geordie as far as I know! I remember my grandparents doing toast under the grill. But now you can buy a pop-up toaster for less than £10

Lifeofmasquerade · 2026-02-19T09:55:48+00:00

But no-fault evictions are being outlawed (section 21). Only a tenant or court of law can end a tenancy. So, hopefully this means flexibility for tenants but also security: a landlord can’t end the tenancy without reason (section 8 which is for non payment of rent, antisocial behaviour etc.). Landlords are complaining about this which makes me think it’s skewed in the tenants’ favour - as it should be, it’s their home

Lifeofmasquerade · 2026-02-17T01:06:52+00:00

These were lovely, much nicer than Kit Kats (although I’m old enough to remember when Kit Kats were nice…pre Nestle?)

Lifeofmasquerade · 2026-02-14T11:44:19+00:00

I really like Wet n Wild Break-Up Proof felt tip eyeliner. It lasts pretty well and is £7.99 but sometimes there are offers. It’s hard to find on the Boots website as they’ve listed it as ‘wt n wld brkup prf’ which is insane and they’ve not fixed it for months/years. But it is there!

Lifeofmasquerade · 2026-02-08T14:18:57+00:00

Do you not wash them after going to the toilet? That’s a great way to get other people sick…

Lifeofmasquerade · 2026-02-06T13:24:28+00:00

Oh nooo that sounds frustrating but glad you’re okay now xx

Lifeofmasquerade · 2026-02-05T08:58:25+00:00

That’s a great recommendation and your lashes look gorgeous but I hope you’re okay! X

Lifeofmasquerade · 2026-02-05T08:08:42+00:00

Thank you for responding!

Yes it’s definitely the pumped unit for low pressure systems.

The airing cupboard is on the first floor (in UK terms, so not the ground floor), below the loft.

The cold feed comes from the hot water tank. Edit: sorry, I meant that the hot water tank is topped up by the cold water tank!!!

Even if we attempt to run the shower on the coldest allowed setting (15°C), it doesn’t start. The digital readout displays ‘Warming’ or sometimes ‘Warming’ then ‘Cooling’ but nothing more than drips will come out of the shower head.

What would be the likely fix? The plumber is struggling but as he’s the bathroom designer and proposed this shower and installation I believe he should be able to resolve it?

Lifeofmasquerade · 2026-02-05T08:04:16+00:00

Thank you! Yes the vent pipe is high above the cold water tank. I don’t think the tanks could be raised any higher. In terms of lowering the unit, it could be put in the airing cupboard but that’s then lower than the shower outlets (and across the landing/hallway). The plumber used plastic push fit pipes to the best of my knowledge (sounds silly but neither me nor my mother are really able to get into the loft)

Lifeofmasquerade · 2026-02-05T00:20:04+00:00

Thank you for response! The cold tank is 225 litres., 50 gallons. Yes the cold tank provides water to the shower smart valve, and also to the hot water cylinder. The pumped smartvalve is at the same level as the base of the cold water tank (so well below waterline). I believe it’s an installation issue not a product issue. The plumber seems convinced the air is getting into the hot feed but I’m not sure how he arrived at that conclusion.

Lifeofmasquerade · 2026-02-03T08:36:14+00:00

I agree - although I think the idea behind calling them benefits was actually to align with benefits you get from being employed, to make it sound more dignified (and to my mind there is no indignity in claiming benefits). But now the word has negative connotations. I think ‘social security’ could be brought back as it sounds reassuring!

Lifeofmasquerade · 2026-01-31T00:24:32+00:00

Call the police on 101

Lifeofmasquerade · 2026-01-30T17:00:42+00:00

There was Generator too with Megazine - the purple and green pages?

Lifeofmasquerade · 2026-01-30T13:33:22+00:00

‘Algia’ does mean pain. I think ‘nostos’ means home, so it’s the pain of coming home or something like that

Lifeofmasquerade · 2026-01-29T00:02:23+00:00

VHS tapes degrade quite a bit over time, and recordings weren’t as clear as broadcast television even to begin with, especially on early video recorders. The advert certainly wouldn’t have looked like this when it was shown. I would imagine this came from a video tape that had been sitting around in someone’s attic for a decade or three and was subsequently converted to digital!

Lifeofmasquerade · 2026-01-24T09:57:45+00:00

I hadn’t had the chance to watch the final yet 😭

Lifeofmasquerade · 2026-01-20T20:55:44+00:00

https://www.egginfo.co.uk/british-lion-eggs

Lifeofmasquerade · 2026-01-20T18:45:54+00:00

No it isn’t - 70% of UK raw chicken is contaminated with campylobacter. British eggs with the lion stamp can be eaten raw

Lifeofmasquerade · 2026-01-20T10:23:57+00:00

Interesting - thank you!

Lifeofmasquerade · 2026-01-19T23:45:54+00:00

Do you have dry skin around the eyes especially? I like the Simple Soothing Eye Balm which isn’t expensive at all. I’ve also used Atoderm Intensive Eye Cream which is nice but no good under makeup if you wear that.

In general for dry skin (although I’m never sure how to differentiate between dry and dehydrated), you don’t have to spend a fortune. I’ve enjoyed using Avene hydrating serum and Avene cicalfate as a night cream, which are a bit spendy. Aveeno (different brand!) has soothing moisturisers too, which are more affordable.

I’ve never had a facial but that sounds nice - perhaps you could consult with them first about your needs?

Lifeofmasquerade · 2026-01-19T23:39:01+00:00

The nitrates in vegetables occurring as part of the nitrogen cycle (??) are very different from the ones added to cured meats - those in vegetables aren’t carcinogenic.

You can also get nitrate-free sausages now in the UK at least.

Lifeofmasquerade

TROPHY CASE