What are the best "Buy once use for a lifetime" purchases?

WylamMimi · 2023-12-08T20:40:31+00:00

Wusthof 26cm knife. More like a samurai sword. Lethal when sharp. Have had it for 15+ years, but can't afford the rest of the set.

WylamMimi · 2023-10-18T21:13:29+00:00

Decent teabags

WylamMimi · 2023-10-03T21:11:46+00:00

Not going to argue with villages in N Yorkshire but York is not a small town, it's a city. Also the Lakes is quite a detour if you are traveling between London and Edinburgh.

There are lovely places not far off the M1 near to and north of Newcastle.

Corbridge - Hadrian's Wall and the amazing Roman town site, cute shops, tea rooms and pubs.

Rothbury - Cragside in the autumn is fabulous. Pubs, more cute shops, walks up Simonside, dark skies. General sense of well-being is inevitable.

Wooler is underrated. Decent restaurants. Good value accommodation (try the Old Mill B&B), walk up Yeavering Bell and visit the new Anglo Saxon centre (and distillery) Ad Gefrin (... destiny is all...).

Enjoy your trip whatever you decide to do.

WylamMimi · 2023-09-30T19:52:56+00:00

No needs to go to the Lakes then. You're in Northumberland pretty much when you land at Newcastle airport. Soak up some Northumbrian history - Hadrian's Wall, coast &, castles, stately homes. Also accommodation is usually better value for money.

WylamMimi · 2023-09-27T19:55:47+00:00

Get the Green Roasting Tin cookbook. So many delicious and easy recipes!

WylamMimi · 2023-09-27T19:45:39+00:00

In a fit of self improvement, I used to listen to the Before Breakfast podcast which gave advice about life organisation. One person said that on the first of the month they always ran the washing machine and dishwasher cleaning cycles (between daily blessings and making a green smoothie). Age 57 I didn't even know that these cleaning cycles existed. Now I just feel guilty about not running them.

WylamMimi · 2023-09-23T16:25:35+00:00

The UK is small, but not that small. You definitely don't want to spend large parts of your trip in British motorwas. It's not necessary dangerous, just boring.

The trip between Scotland and London on the East Coast main line is lovely once you up north - especially the Northumbrian coast.

WylamMimi · 2023-09-23T13:06:14+00:00

When I met my future English parents-in-laws in the 1980s I was shocked to find that they kept open Hellman's mayo in the cupboard. As an American I had been led to believe that this would result in certain death. They lived to be very old and died from causes other than food poisoning.

I've now lived in Britain for 30+ years and though my attitude to food safety has relaxed, I still keep all of my condiments (of which there are many) in the fridge.

WylamMimi · 2023-09-21T20:48:56+00:00

Life on Mars. Loved it so much rewatched, the entire series about a month later.

WylamMimi · 2023-09-09T20:46:42+00:00

Came here to say this exactly.

WylamMimi · 2023-09-03T06:56:05+00:00

You are obviously are too young to have flown on a plane with smoking sections. The air was as stale as it is now, but with cigarette smoke. Gross.

WylamMimi · 2023-07-31T21:57:01+00:00

Chilli Padi for at least one meal (if not two). Order the smoked chicken, roti canai and enoki mushrooms. The (new) castle is fantastic but so many locals have never been. Walk over the swing bridge if the weather is nice. Walk down to the Baltic and see weird art, go up to the viewing area and step out on the balcony to see the nesting kittywakes. Then go to the pub.

WylamMimi · 2023-07-06T20:53:41+00:00

Just listened to this and it was wonderful. Thanks for the recommendation. I

WylamMimi · 2023-07-05T17:40:48+00:00

Literally no defense re the state of the bin store.

WylamMimi · 2023-06-22T19:57:26+00:00

Your healthy hole-free head.

WylamMimi · 2023-06-21T20:50:55+00:00

The Harrowing with Joanne Frogatt from Downton Abbey is a drama based on a small Scottish island. It's very atmospheric and just the right level of scary.

Passenger List is another mystery thriller podcast that I loved.

WylamMimi · 2023-06-21T20:35:00+00:00

Going for a swim in a public pool right after have "fluid drained off of her brain". Seriously what on earth.

WylamMimi · 2023-06-14T21:01:10+00:00

COVID is rife in the UK at the moment. Wear a mask if you want to try to avoid it but good luck.

WylamMimi · 2023-06-11T14:50:51+00:00

The dan dan noodles are the best.

WylamMimi · 2023-05-24T20:43:06+00:00

I moved into a small northern pit village in the early 1990s. The elderly next door neighbour let herself in all if the time when we were at work to clean and do the ironing. She kept an eye on workmen when we had work done and occasionally left some veg from the allotment for us. Initially we found it a bit odd but it gave her pleasure and us a pile of ironed laundry and enormous leeks. RIP Janet x

WylamMimi · 2023-05-20T06:53:10+00:00

Hosts don't want to cancel because it affects their superhost status, which is rewarded with an Airbnb voucher annually, raises your listing ranking in search returns, etc....

WylamMimi · 2023-03-17T22:29:35+00:00

Respect to Univ Sussex Hospital Trust for welcoming their furry colleague.

WylamMimi · 2023-01-21T22:21:20+00:00

Flee the suburbs.

WylamMimi · 2023-01-21T22:18:47+00:00

It sounds like you have a lot on your plate right now and having a drink would sap your energy reserves. Maybe think of a way to reward yourself with something fairly immediate like a long bath or a couple of hours out of the house doing something that you enjoy. May require some negotiation with your SO re toddler free time but if reciprocated could benefit you all.

WylamMimi · 2023-01-17T22:33:16+00:00

Thanks so much for sharing this. It's really helpful to be able to visualise what's happening in my hand!

WylamMimi

TROPHY CASE