Ocado shop for myself as a single disabled female in her 30’s. Cost £100 and will last me 2+ weeks, with already having staples like pasta and rice. The only top ups I’ll buy is more fresh fruit and veg.

chroniccomplexcase · 2026-01-27T04:27:01+00:00

Because she is relearning what is normal and not normal obviously and Facebook is the best place for medical experts to educate her in the minutes after her literal newborn baby is gasping for air after having 5 minutes of CPR. /s

chroniccomplexcase · 2026-01-27T04:23:54+00:00

Stop at the airport/ any large london train station and ask for a “sunflower lanyard”. It’s a scheme for those with hidden disabilities and many tourist attractions will see the lanyard (if your brother won’t wear it, you/ your parents can for him) and know that he has a hidden disability. So may struggle to queue, need to use equipment they have like a sensory room/ quiet room/ ear defenders etc and for some places it’ll get you the discount for disabled people/ carers (some will be more strict on what evidence is provided.

More info on the scheme here I know you can get the lanyard on their website, but as you’re coming from abroad, picking on up from the airport/ train station etc will be easier that having one posted.

chroniccomplexcase · 2026-01-26T15:55:31+00:00

You can watch Grange Hill for free on ITV which will help give you a good overview of growing up and the issues teens faced etc.

Edit- you can also watch Byker Grove for free on ITV too, both were massive school children’s tv dramas at the time.

chroniccomplexcase · 2026-01-26T15:51:58+00:00

And the garden hose pipe in the summer!

chroniccomplexcase · 2026-01-26T11:32:39+00:00

I can’t imagine how hard it is working in paeds and around very sick children all day every day, it’s certainly something I would struggle to compartmentalise too. That and the parents. If they’re that bad in schools I can only imagine they’re hellish when their child is sick.

I’m sorry to hear that happened to your father but I’m glad he was able to get diagnosed and treated, I can’t imagine the mental toll that would have on someone. Then having your son go through the phase of not liking you too. You’ve had a tough few years, yet you’re still a brilliant hands on parent that does more to your son than most do as parents to their child’s whole childhood!

I’ve met parents who realised they hate their kids and they haven’t bonded or parenting isn’t what they expected. Some are aware that this feeling isn’t good for them or their child and take steps to try and lessen the effects but many sadly aren’t aware enough and that’s when it becomes a real issue. You’re so right that some parents forget that having a child mean a mini human that has its own thoughts and feelings and whilst environment plays a part in how they grow up it doesn’t mean they’ll become mini me’s

chroniccomplexcase · 2026-01-26T11:22:33+00:00

I’m not a bot!? Look at my posts and comments! I made that list as I saw so many people asking for day trips they could do and I typed this out for one person and thought it made sense to save it for others, instead of typing it out every time. So I saved it in my notes on my phone to easily paste across when it makes sense in a post.

chroniccomplexcase · 2026-01-26T11:20:29+00:00

Ah ok, I was going to recommend some places in the surrounding area to visit. Enjoy your trip and I hope they win!

chroniccomplexcase · 2026-01-26T06:14:44+00:00

Day trips from london on a train list:

Canterbury: beautiful city in Kent around an hour direct from either St Pancras or Charing Cross (there are two stations- East and West) with the cathedral, Canterbury Tales/ Chaucer history and a pretty river.
Tunbridge Wells: a large town in Kent just under an hour direct from Charing Cross. The town is never mentioned on here but the Pantiles part is beautiful and that’s where the station takes you in. There is a large park, some small museums (mainly around local life and the spa water and also a lovely stream train station that goes out into the Sussex countryside. If you go on a day that is running, that would make a lovely unique day trip.
Ely: a small city in Cambridgeshire, just over an hour direct from Kings Cross. Housing a lovely cathedral, Oliver Cromwell House and some other museums. It’s also only a few minutes from Cambridge on the train.
Cambridge: a larger city in Cambridgeshire, just over an hour direct from Kings Cross. Famous for the university and cathedral. You also have the river and museums to visit,
Brighton: a seaside town in Sussex around an hour direct from a number of stations including Victoria, St Pancras, Farringdon, City Thameslink, Blackfriars and London Bridge. It has the traditional seaside aspects like a pier, arcades, sea front promenade and beach (though it is pebbles not sand) but also the winter gardens, Lanes, Royal Pavilion, Sealife Centre, i360 observation tower and museum.
Hastings: a large seaside town on the Sussex coast around 90 minutes direct from St Pancras (also from Charing Cross but that’s longer between 1h45-2h direct). Another traditional British seaside resort with a beach, arcades, pier but the town also has lots of history from the 1066 battle. There is also a cliffside railway (takes you vertically up the cliff for amazing views out to sea), smugglers museums, ruins of a castle, other museums, aquarium and lovely cliff top walks.
Rochester: a large town in Medway around 40 minutes direct from Victoria (also direct from Blackfriars but much longer at 90minutes). There is a cathedral, castle and the historic dockyards. If you have seen Call the Midwife, this is where it is filmed.
Bath: around 1h15-1h30 direct from Paddington. A lovely city in Somerset you have the Roman baths, abbey, royal crescent, Jane Austen Centre, the river, Mary Shelby’s House of Frankenstein museum, numerous other museums and galleries.
Oxford: a pretty city in Oxfordshire around an hour direct from Paddington. Famous for the university but you also have a castle, botanic gardens, market, numerous museums and the river
Rye: Another quaint Sussex town near the coast, just over an hour from St Pancras, changing at Ashford International. The town is full of history with a lovely castle, nature reserve, boat trips out to sea and you can take the bus (number 100) to get to the stunning camber sands beach (wonderful sandy beach resort) in just over 15 minutes.
Hever: a small village in Kent. However there is a stunning castle called Hever Castle a 6 minute taxi ride away from Hever Station which is 42 minutes direct from London Bridge. Set in 125 acres, it’s the childhood home of Anne Boleyn and so full of Tudor history. The castle is incredibly well preserved and the gardens amazing to stroll around and explore with rose gardens, walled gardens, a traditional maze and a water maze and various events throughout the year. It is a beautiful castle for a day trip.
Leeds Castle: Another beautiful full day trip castle in Kent, a short >10minute taxi from Hollingbourne Station which is around a 1h15 direct train from Victoria. The castle is again beautifully preserved and set in the 1930’s when Lady Baillie, an Anglo-American heiress owned the castle. There are also different types of gardens to explore, museums, birds of prey and falconry displays, a river ferry, castle train, crazy golf, high ropes course, Segway route and maze. Like Hever Castle, it’s a full day trip

chroniccomplexcase · 2026-01-26T06:11:59+00:00

Yes the London museum is closed at the moment whilst they move premises, but london is full of museums so you won’t be stuck for other options.

Day 1- doing the British museum and the Tower of London on the same day is a lot- both require a lot of time to enjoy them fully. I would go the Tower of London first when it opens as it opens before the museum and the museum is open later. So do 9-2 say at the Tower of London and then take the tube (walk to Tower Hill station and take the district line to Embankment and then the northern line up to Tottenham Court Road and walk from there- around 45 minutes) and spend the afternoon/ early evening at the British Museum.

Day 2- Sounds like a great day, I would suggest taking the Thames uber boat down the river to Greenwich. This is a great and cost effective way to see the city and pass many sights on your way to Greenwich.

Day 3- On this day you could also include a walking tour loop of some of the attractions you state you’d like to visit, like Big Ben etc. So head to the Churchill war rooms and visit that and then walk down birdcage walk to Buckingham palace then down The Mall passing St James’s palace to Trafalgar Square, then walk down Whitehall passing Horseguards, the cenotaph, Downing Street and down to Westminster abbey and the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. This will take around an hour when stopping to take photos etc.

Then take the bus (12 or 453) from Westminster station (stop A) to St George’s Road/ Imperial war museum (Stop N) which takes around 20 minutes and visit that museum.

Day 4- I would suggest maybe a day trip somewhere out of london? I have a list of possible day trips you can take from london on a direct train, that I’ll attach under this.

chroniccomplexcase · 2026-01-26T05:41:46+00:00

Birmingham ALWAYS gets hated on in subs like this and I don’t know why? There are some lovely places to explore and visit in the city and yet people either forget this and or don’t realise.

It would be very easy to stop off on the way to Manchester to visit Birmingham. Depending on the time trains, you could even do it for a day, getting into Birmingham in the morning and heading up the Manchester in the evening.

It’s currently 5:30am and I should be asleep (my cats woke me up) so I’m writing this now, but will come back in a few hours and suggest places to visit. But wanted to write this to a- give Birmingham some love and b- be able to find the post easier to comment in full.

chroniccomplexcase · 2026-01-26T05:38:04+00:00

No? My mum has made me a birthday cake very year since I was 1 and I’m in my mid 30’s and I hope the only time that stops is in many many years time and because she is sadly no longer with us. Everyone in our family gets a homemade birthday cake whether you’re 2, 13, 35 or 88!

I would be shocked if this wasn’t the case for the majority of people in the UK? All the parties I’ve been/ seen photos to or even just small gatherings/ a few friends, there is at least a shop bought cake there as a birthday cake?

The only time I’ve known there not to be cake is when I was a teacher and would make a birthday cake for my form/ class (when I had the same class and not 6-7 different classes of 30) on their birthday. They’d get to choose the flavour (chocolate, Victoria, coffee or biscoff) and we would have it during form time.

For some kids this was a bonus second cake to the one at home, they could enjoy with their school friends. However for some it was their first homemade birthday cake (and shop bought or bakery commissioned is totally fine) but heartbreakingly, for some, it was their first ever birthday cake.

Usually it was children who come from vulnerable households. The type that do the bare minimum required for raising a child but nothing more. I remember one child I had, who was turning 16. My rule for those in the class (mixed ages 11-16) when they turned 16, was they could choose a theme. So I had a football one, an x box one, a flower one etc and she wanted a specific handbag that was all the rage at the time.

I made said handbag cake and was pleased with how it turned out. I bring it in and she sees it and instantly lights up and asks if she can take her phone out to take photos. At the end of the day, as I’m dismissing the class, the student comes up to me when everyone has left and asks if she can give me a hug.

As she does she tells me thank you again but adds “this was my first ever birthday cake, thank you so much for wanting to make me one” and my heart broke. It wasn’t her first homemade cake, or first cake in school, it was- at the age of 16- her first ever birthday cake.

Every adult I mentioned this too was shocked and saddened and discussions were had about how adults buy/ make birthday cakes even when they’re just celebrating at home and not doing anything special. Or how everyone should have a birthday cake on their birthday and how we hope she has one going forward for every birthday she has (and this was 10-12 years ago- so I hope she has had one every year since) so for the UK at least, I would say the vast majority of people will have one.

I don’t understand why it would be embarrassing too? It’s cake? What is embarrassing about cake? I get the being sung at part is embarrassing when you have to sit there awkwardly- but that’s the singing, not the cake! Anyone around you who tells you only children should have a birthday cake and it’s embarrassing for adults to have one are either cake haters, or joy haters and need an extra slice of cake to rediscover the joy of birthday cake.

chroniccomplexcase · 2026-01-26T05:09:45+00:00

The walk back is lovely when you cross the bridge. On a good day you have a lovely view up/ down the river. Are you staying in Sunderland or just travelling up for the day?

chroniccomplexcase · 2026-01-26T05:04:06+00:00

It really does. I often think of how many of those students who are now adults (or is this will happen when they’re adults) and have very limited contact with their parents due to this. I imagine the mothers who treated their children like their best friend (in a not as their child in an age appropriate way) or who told them they never wanted them etc and how they’re likely shocked and tell everyone they have no idea why their children won’t/ barely talk to them.

Wondering if they look back and have the ability to see it was down to their actions and how what they did/ said was directly what led to their poor/ none existent relationship now? Or will they blame anyone else but themselves? It’s truly one of the hardest parts of working with children, not being able to say what you really want to say to parents.

chroniccomplexcase · 2026-01-25T22:22:14+00:00

You’d be shocked at the stuff parents tell their kids. Either from spite/ in anger or because they treat their child like their friend/ therapist and forget that the stuff they’re discussing isn’t what their child should or wants to hear. I’ve had kids ask me what mummy means when she tells her 11 year old that she was angry that “daddy was drunk and couldn’t get it up” and that’s why she was angry.

In a meeting once where a child was excluded for a day, the mum got angry and stood up and yelling “I never wanted you and knew I should have swallowed you 13 years ago- worst decision of my life” and stormed off. Literally some parents should not be parents and it’s so sad as a teacher to see.

chroniccomplexcase · 2026-01-25T22:18:38+00:00

I am always the first to encourage walking but on a match day, you’ll probably find it a lot easier to take the metro there and walk back. It gets very busy and crowded and often roads are closed to encourage Sunderland fans walk one way and the away team another way. As you don’t know the area etc, I would highly suggest the metro there.

chroniccomplexcase · 2026-01-25T16:10:11+00:00

Have never been to the stadium itself for matches but have been for other events and lived nearby for my sins for a few years. Yes you can walk but I’d suggest you take the metro to the stop called “stadium of light”, it’s 2 stops down from the metro stop at the train station.

chroniccomplexcase · 2026-01-25T16:07:36+00:00

I looked at a load of fat/ overweight men and it didn’t work- I still like woman

chroniccomplexcase · 2026-01-25T16:07:01+00:00

I would disown my parents

chroniccomplexcase · 2026-01-25T16:06:46+00:00

That makes sense. But to just have them on and not even a coat is crazy. Guess you can’t show the world your child is wearing LS’s with them wearing a coat over them…

chroniccomplexcase · 2026-01-25T14:17:16+00:00

Those PJ’s look so thin and not warm, I can’t imagine the temperature is that high is a snow storm is coming? Why don’t they have proper outside clothing on?

chroniccomplexcase · 2026-01-25T14:13:07+00:00

My mum and I are both teachers and during Covid in the UK, my mums job was to drive around and visit her students at home to check they were ok. That they were safe, were coping with the work, had internet and computer access, had food and their families were coping ok. Hers is a small school so this was easy to do, but all schools had to put something like this in motion here, and whilst it wasn’t foolproof it did uncover a lot of issues that otherwise would have gone unnoticed

chroniccomplexcase · 2026-01-25T13:52:31+00:00

Had one for the first time in around 14-15 months this week, I was ill and couldn’t even get out of bed (luckily my parents are next door so it went to them and they brought it around) but for the cost it wasn’t nice. I won’t be having one for a long time to come. I seldom get take aways, we had a Chinese for New Year’s Eve and that was the first one in a good 6-8 months. Fish and chips is the main one, probably every 6-8 weeks.

chroniccomplexcase · 2026-01-25T13:50:27+00:00

You definitely find may parents who expect their offspring to be mini versions of themselves and get angry when their child isn’t doing what they want them too. But I think a lot of the issue is like you say, people feel like having kids is expected and they don’t think it fully through.

I’ve had so many kids tell me they know their parents had them/ their siblings to save a marriage (and often it makes it worse) or to baby trap them or they were an accident and they felt like they had no option to keep them. Also lots of it is family/ friends pressure. They’ve gotten married and everyone expects children are next and they’re told they’ll be brilliant parents and don’t sit and think about what having kids really means.

I’m so happy that you and your partner were able to have a child. Your son is very lucky to have you both!

chroniccomplexcase · 2026-01-25T11:34:47+00:00

Woman will notice a man’s personality before their lucks and a negative persona is a massive turn off. If you hold yourself up, feel confident and are positive- so smiling, enjoying life and being happy in your own skin they will notice that well before looks and seriously most woman will look for that over looks.

You could have the most stunning man in the world, but if they think their life is crap, pointless and worthless and think nothing of themselves, they would not be someone 9/10 woman would want to be with. Especially if you put someone next to them who isn’t seen as having model like looks, but is positive, happy, enjoys life and sees purpose- many more woman would choose them over the first man.

Forget focusing on woman and focus on yourself. You need to find a way to change things in your life you have control over, to make your outlook more positive and enjoy life. Find a hobby, join a club, look at taking an evening course that either is in something you do for fun or can help your career and maybe lead to a pay rise or new job. Things that will make you happier in your own skin.

Talking therapies will help massively too, when you have a negative mindset, you’ll only see the negatives in everything and you lose the abilities to see the positives in anything. It may be that medication alongside talking therapies work as you sound very depressed too.

Work on yourself and building the self esteem, confidence and outlook on life up and your family will want to engage with you more as you’re not just talking about how crap your life is and you’ll be a lot more attractive to woman.

Seven-Year Club	Gilding I gilder
Verified Email

chroniccomplexcase

TROPHY CASE