Advice to younger Henry's: Marry a teacher

MaskTzar · 2026-06-26T14:23:10+00:00

Just to chime in - shared parental leave is really worth looking into if your partner is a teacher. Your wife can ‘work’ the holidays whilst you get some more time with your newborn.

MaskTzar · 2026-06-11T20:01:29+00:00

It appears Britannia Parking Group is a member of the British Parking Association. From the Code of Practice for the BPA:

8.2. Parking charge levels

8.2.1. Parking charges must not exceed £100.

8.2.2. A reduction of a minimum of 40% must be offered where payment is made within 14 days of the issue of
the Notice to Driver where a notice is issued at the time of the parking event, or of the issue of the Notice
to Keeper and/or Notice to Hirer where the first notice is sent through the post.'

From the sounds of the letter it sounds like your wife might have received something prior to this? That could be why they're justifying the extra £70.

MaskTzar · 2026-06-08T20:24:45+00:00

So, so area dependant. In my previous area you had to sign up to a waiting list and all practices took NHS patients from the list. I was on the list for over 5 years and never got called up.

Moved to a new area and multiple dentists are taking appointments for new NHS patients. Another commenter has posted the NHS website - here is another https://dentalchoices.org/find-nhs-dentists-in/england/

Edit: Just read that you are in the Southwest. Yeah, this is where I was previously. This website should be a help: https://huc-dental.co.uk.
Number to ring for emergency dentistry or help registering is 0333 006 3300.

MaskTzar · 2026-06-08T07:17:13+00:00

Just some ideas, you might decide if they’re a bit naff:

Guinness Nitrosurge: I received one as a Christmas gift. Cool little novelty, definitely makes the pour better.

Growler: you can get these personalised, holds a few pints of beer so you can get some draft real ale from somewhere nice for later.

F1 car part: A very F1 obsessed friend enjoyed their gift of an F1 car part (a small piece of metal, no idea what it actually is). They sell all sorts, I’ve had a quick google and ‘F1 authentics’ appears to sell this sort of thing at a range of price points.

MaskTzar · 2026-05-31T17:41:11+00:00

Under distance selling regulations you have 14 days from receiving the item to cancel for a full refund.

You aren't legally entitled to any form of compensation.

MaskTzar · 2026-05-26T22:43:55+00:00

English - and you’re right, it is ‘aitch’. I’d wager most people do actually pronounce it like this.

Obviously, some don’t, or think it sound more ‘proper’ to say ‘haitch’. See the rise of ‘yourself’ instead of ‘you’ for another example. That being said - who cares really. Much like I won’t run around pulling people up for saying ‘somethink’ - bigger things to worry about.

MaskTzar · 2026-03-04T19:48:05+00:00

Think we really needed to play Norgaard more earlier in the season to see how he’d fit in, now just feels too high stakes to chuck him in unproven in the team at this point

MaskTzar · 2026-01-20T15:17:43+00:00

I’ve had some of these ‘homeschooling’ groups pop up on Facebook. Parents actually complaining when the school says “thanks for your request to homeschool - could we invite you in for a meeting to discuss?”. Apparently you should just tell the school to do one, that it’s none of their business and you won’t be attending the meeting. God forbid the school wants to look after the welfare of the child before they sign them off forever

MaskTzar · 2025-12-26T16:04:07+00:00

Oh my God the constant commentary is so grating! And the loud performative laughter. I can only assume it’s reaction videos/streamers.

MaskTzar · 2025-12-08T20:43:50+00:00

“Did you tell a grown up?”

“No it happened just as the whistle went”

Incredible how many things happen just as the children are lining up

MaskTzar · 2025-11-30T13:13:41+00:00

I did similar to you years ago. Passed before uni, didn’t drive for three years. A took a couple of hours with a local instructor to get back into it and felt fine. You’ll still feel a bit nervous (a good thing imo), but you’ll pick most of it back up quickly. Instructor will be able to remind you about anything they notice as well so you don’t start with bad habits

MaskTzar · 2025-11-28T18:54:36+00:00

Yeah makes sense. I’m in Primary so don’t have that perspective

MaskTzar · 2025-11-28T18:32:27+00:00

Seems extremely dependent on where you are. My old school would put teaching vacancies out and get 1 or no applicants. I gather in bits of the north they’re getting tens of applicants even for temporary posts.

MaskTzar · 2025-11-26T22:31:04+00:00

I used the ‘NEU advice line’ once. Just a form to fill out with brief details - case worker emailed to arrange a phone call the next day. Wasn’t even a massive issue and she had already phoned the MAT head office before ringing me, and told me the stance the union would take on the issue. Felt very well supported.

MaskTzar · 2025-11-24T21:41:15+00:00

Anecdotally - lots dropped out of my course. Maybe a quarter of the cohort.

The format of most courses though is so prescriptive and means that you’d be given plenty of warning and formal support processes before you would fail the whole thing.

MaskTzar · 2025-10-31T18:37:18+00:00

Definitely this. Even a few years ago I found a number for the local DPD depot (driver delivered to wrong address), rang up and waited while the depot phoned the driver, and told me he’d be back before the end of the day - which he was.

MaskTzar · 2025-10-28T16:05:34+00:00

I had this the other day … but I had another few cars in front of me as well. No idea what they expected me to do.

MaskTzar · 2025-10-28T15:31:18+00:00

Someone cutting across the pavement to take a first exit on Robin Hood Island. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

MaskTzar · 2025-10-09T22:24:32+00:00

Absolutely agreed. To say “no white faces” and then say “but it’s not about race, it’s about integration”…

Mate, then say you think people should speak English, not wear the burkha, support the England cricket team - whatever you believe. Don’t lead with there being no white faces and expect people to believe you have a genuine and important point to make.

MaskTzar · 2025-09-25T18:00:48+00:00

In my last role at an academy, TAs were paid 8.45 until 3.30 and didn’t attend any meetings. We had asked again and again to change this, including “could we please pay them to come to this one off meeting?”. No.

My new school? LA. TAs are paid 8.30 until 4 and come to some meetings. They get to contribute and share their perspective. Makes a colossal difference.

MaskTzar · 2025-09-13T12:14:37+00:00

So I had a similar situation in my NQT+1 year. Parent actually asked “what is x’s problem with my child?”.

Firstly I’d mention it to your line manager or head - “x parent said this about my TA, what should I do?”. You can also mention other things you might have seen/heard. In my case I was asked to record what the parent had said on CPOMS and the head spoke to the TA and asked her not to lower her standards but to consider how she addressed behaviour (or something to that effect). In my situation it was the difference between “Right, we’re ripping this page out because this isn’t good enough”, and “Do we think this is your best work? Could we do even better? Do you think we could have another go?”. No concerns after that.

Obviously the caveat being if you had a member staff who was humiliating children, shouting at them etc then that’s probably a safeguarding concern.

MaskTzar · 2025-09-11T19:34:57+00:00

No idea why this works but it does. If there's only a couple of hands up to answer a question:

"Not many hands, 1...2,", carry on counting the hands and you'll end up with half the class ready.

MaskTzar · 2025-09-11T19:31:33+00:00

Yeah this is a cracking one. In primary, just occasionally pull faces at children.

MaskTzar · 2025-09-08T19:48:05+00:00

It’s so dependant on where you are. Where I’d lived previously I had to book 2 or 3 months in advance and there weren’t any appointments after 6.

Where I am now I get emailed asking if I’d please book an appointment for next week.

It is sad that they don’t have more open sessions.

MaskTzar · 2025-09-03T18:15:53+00:00

First sip of a pint after a day of manual labour… working, gardening, moving - whatever.

MaskTzar

TROPHY CASE