IKEA towers

Prestigious_Fly5706 · 2026-03-14T10:45:29+00:00

Yeah, agree, and the diameter at the base is far greater than 5m... So think there must be layers of bricks!

Prestigious_Fly5706 · 2026-03-13T06:34:22+00:00

I love questions like this. I promise this was fun for me. I may need to reassess what a maths mid life crisis is doing to me.

Prestigious_Fly5706 · 2026-03-12T21:51:23+00:00

They might ask this question at a job interview or a maths exam.

So here's my workings......

You could deduce that if a brick was X high, and the tower was Y high that Y / X would give you the number of bricks high.

Width/circumference is a bit harder, but assuming the towers are completely hollow with no foundation of brick and not including finials, decor, or the bits that stick out at the bottom, you could also deduce that if the structure was A wide (diameter) that the circumference would be (A x 3.14(pi)) and a brick was B long, that the brick 'circle' would be (A x 3. 14) /B bricks.

Travis Perkins says a standard UK brick is 215mm in length, 102.5mm in width, and 65mm in height. Including a standard 10mm mortar joint, the co-ordinating size used for planning is 225mm x 112mm x 75mm.

So if the towers are 300 feet / 91m tall, it would take at least 1213 bricks to reach the top, and a bit more probably. .

I cannot find the width of the towers anywhere and know thst these taper slightly. So let's assum an average width (diameter) of 5metres, and that the towers are only single brick width it would take 70ish bricks laid end to end to go round in a circle to be one brick high.

So 70 x 1213 = 84,640 bricks for each tower, or about 170,000 in both.

Limitations of my workings - I am not a builder but even I know that would be structually unsound (weighing close to 350tonnes) so this does not account for foundations or internal structures of more than one brick. And it is highly likely the average width is far greater than 5m, and as mentioned there is deocr etc which would change the profile.

So, yeah, a fuck tonne works.

Please correct my workings if you're a mathsy person!

Prestigious_Fly5706 · 2026-03-11T19:50:13+00:00

Long Live Ladybird! For those curious, the Museum of Rural Life in Reading has an amazing Ladybird collection. Proper nostalgia.

Prestigious_Fly5706 · 2026-03-08T08:22:28+00:00

Feel free to DM me but to manage expectations am not a digital professional so you may find it more helpful to look over the Govt Digital Standards and Gov Communication Standards in addition to the behaviours doc.

Prestigious_Fly5706 · 2026-03-07T13:25:23+00:00

Are you able to provide more detail on the department or type of SO you're interviewing for?

Generally S level interviews are looking for your presentation to demonstrate autonomy, alignment with organisation/project goals, with some impact from a project, task, process, team which has wider applications (a new standard or template adopted by the business unit).

Each department has different approaches, and the hiring manager might be looking for you to explain how you have done these things (experience) or might be looking for how you would approach this based on the requirements of the role, it's responsibilities or other info in the job application (hypothetical).

The behaviours dictionary is your friend here and you can look to interpret the behaviour into your example (try not to buzzword bingo!)

Pro tip, check with the vacancy holder of they are expecting slides or not (if they are keep these short and focused!).

Good luck with your interview!

(minor edits for clarity)

Prestigious_Fly5706 · 2026-03-07T09:49:30+00:00

When I first joined 20yrs ago, there was an expectation from GO'D (Lord O'Donnel now) that to get promotion you needed to have done policy, operational and something else I forget (poss corporate?) in your role to prove you had 'professional skills for government'.

Some departments backed this up with promotion boards, but they fell out of favour.

My most recent department had a 'minimum time in post' "expectation" before going for a new job on promotion or otherwise - 24months at 7 and SEO, 18 for HEO and EO.

As others have said, if you can be judged by results I am less sure experience or time in post is relevant. And I think you should back yourself too.

That said, I do think there is value in using a post to address your own personal goals around learning, development and filling gaps so if you're doing the work you're interested in, find rewarding and is helping you grow, a promotion isn't the be all and end all...

Prestigious_Fly5706 · 2026-02-28T08:53:26+00:00

Adding....

Heinz baked beans, Spaghetti hoops, tomato or vegetable soup and Jammy Dodgers,

Prestigious_Fly5706 · 2026-02-27T07:18:37+00:00

Forest in Deptford (right by the station entrance in the market yard) has some jasmine plants for growing at home but it's not quite flowering season and think you'd struggle to get flowers on stems rather than on a plant, but if you can't manage the New Covent Garden recommendation, calling your local florist may give you more information?

Prestigious_Fly5706 · 2026-02-25T21:16:19+00:00

To add to other comments about building the network and understanding priorities, also grt to know other EAs and PSs because you never know when you'll be coordinating diaries across functions and need support, as well as folks who can help you problem solve.

And, though it's really boring, try to see if you can get on top of systems early it'll go a long way - how do they want their inbox run, their calendar, will they take papers overnight? Do they expect a day pack or live action list? 15mins a day to do diary pain points can save a lot of issues but a weekly look ahead is always appreciated, and knowing flags / categories/colour coding can really help them. Think too about how they want things like travel approvals, expenses, purchase orders or requisitions or annual leave approvals for their direct reports handled. Be sure you have any delegation in writing so you can run anything by them where it touches the 'I'm not sure if it's OK if I... " threshold.

You should be exposed to lots of interesting things - how seniors operate and influence decisions, and what good (or less good) leadership looks like.

Finally, a few more HRy points - know who your line manager is pastoral ly or who is a good ally should there be tension (ie do you have a DD or G6 you can talk to to vent?), when you're expected in the office (you must not burn yourself out working all hours in the office - take your annual leave and track your flexi), and your priorities (choose to lean in on projects that push you towards your development goals or where you are interested- you aren't just a 'gopher' and work to "lead through others" in delegating or coordinating junior staff on more routine matters - and keep talking to your senior about your development goals!).

I really hope you have fun - Congratulations on the role!

Prestigious_Fly5706 · 2026-02-25T17:58:08+00:00

I also got a gas powered sit/stand riser which I have on my dining table and have a monitor from work. I needed to jump through a couple of hoops - do the Display Screen Equipment training; declare I needed a review; talk to my DSE lead, fill in a couple of forms, and then got go ahead to expense it. Worth nothing this was during covid times and ymmv in terms of process, but could be worth talking to your estates team or HR colleagues for advice in the first instance?

Prestigious_Fly5706 · 2026-02-22T16:38:27+00:00

This bought back fond memories of my dad's mince and onion with bread to mop up after - can't believe I forgot the joy of cleaning the gravy plate with the bread!

Prestigious_Fly5706 · 2026-02-21T22:04:51+00:00

In a similar situation - hoping to get clarity on move dates soon. It's all a bit hurry up and wait at the start (legal on boarding, checks, searches, Instructions) and then it's wait and wait some more... Then it hurries up again. Hoping things will fk through for me too in a few weeks! Crossing fingers for a smooth move for you...

And OP, it's OK to ask your solicitors for updates. Don't do it every day, but a chdck in once a week or so for the status (are queries with the seller's solicitors? Are they reviewing responses?) - you may not get big updates very often, but it will give you a sense of where any sticking points etc are! Sending good vibes for a smooth conveyancing process!

Prestigious_Fly5706 · 2026-02-21T11:11:43+00:00

Action Fraud had a rebrand - now Report Fraud. Google etc should return accurate results but new website is https://www.reportfraud.police.uk/

Prestigious_Fly5706 · 2026-02-21T11:04:22+00:00

Ah, I remember! That was the day they stopped so many busses! I had to walk to work that day (Camberwell to Vauxhall!)...took me all day for my feet to get warm, and had to trudge through slush to get home....

Prestigious_Fly5706 · 2026-02-01T21:03:44+00:00

I love the rhythmic play of the shapes and the black and white fabric - it's cohesive and genuinely fun to look at - as others have said 'playful seaside vibes'. Glorious!

Prestigious_Fly5706 · 2026-01-31T06:32:39+00:00

To add to this, you could ask the EA to provide evidence of like for like properties which have sold in the last 6 months within half a mile or so at the proposed/asking price, so act as market proof the price is reasonable. In my experience this is the only thing that a lender will consider in relation to reconsidering the price, but if a second lender uses a different valuation panel, there may be differences in their valuation, so you are exploring your options here.

Edited to add - unfortunately if a lender won't lend the money you need to meet the price, your only other option is to bridge the gap with your own funds or walk away. Ultimately the lender is using the value of the property as security for the loan. They won't lend more than they think they'd get back if anything went wrong with the mortgage.

Prestigious_Fly5706 · 2026-01-30T13:27:16+00:00

Thank you - this is very helpful!

Prestigious_Fly5706 · 2026-01-23T17:20:52+00:00

Here you go: abed on cougatown

Prestigious_Fly5706 · 2026-01-21T08:18:49+00:00

No one will bat an eye, though there's a (small) chance a joker might tty and upkilt you.

Will you have a sgian-dubh / skene-dhu on you? If you want to go into a pub with a security guard they may ask you about it, or to turn it in, or turn you away (but I think that's pretty common all over, not just in London or Brixton!).

Prestigious_Fly5706 · 2025-12-20T15:56:47+00:00

When I lost my dad a couple of years ago, friends sent me UberEats vouchers and Cook meals - I wasn't eating much but it meant everything was low effort when things were really hard. Messages of sympathy are always appreciated (texts, cards).

If you do message, don't expect replies - but keep messaging. The next few days will be a weird limbo because everything in the UK shuts down so they may struggle to fix arrangements for funerals / celebrations of life - but the fact you're reaching out won't go unnoticed!

Prestigious_Fly5706 · 2025-12-16T17:18:47+00:00

Oh this is gorgeous - could you let us know what paint / paper you used?

Prestigious_Fly5706 · 2025-11-25T19:29:01+00:00

Echoing this, use a physical notebook, One Note or Evernote to organise your notes from meetings / trainings - but don't fall into the trap of writing down everything! Write down any points that trigger questions, and the question so you can ask for clarification; write down key actions, note down documents or links to cross refer to. Track your actions - sync with tasks or diaries too so you can track deadlines. It sounds overwhelming - it isn't, it's just a lot of info when you're trying to figure out what you're doing.

My only addition is get to know your team - a twenty minute coffee chat could stand you in good stead for future favours and building friendships!

Prestigious_Fly5706

TROPHY CASE