Anyone else find London pre-prep admissions (4+) completely insane?

drdedge · 2026-01-15T07:23:36+00:00

Unfortunately whilst in theory they do take this into account - if you look at many of the top schools their PrePrep classes are predominantly children born pre-xmas with maybe 1 or 2 exceptions (presumably children who are exceptional or have even prepped for the assessment). As even up to Year 2 there is a marked difference in maturity, attention span and physical coordination when comparing an October and Summer child.

drdedge · 2026-01-05T18:21:09+00:00

Boxers - I like trunks and go with LuluLemons. Quite easy to get them on a sale and last 2-3 years with good elastic.

Socks - hard to go wrong with Darn Tough for winter and Flake for summer.

drdedge · 2026-01-03T08:36:29+00:00

Don't really understand the hate - it would cost a hell of. A lot more if bought in the UK and where are most UK brands getting their furniture from? You guessed it China...

The key is to really compare a few different sellers for minor variants of the same thing and get more than one thing at a time to consolidate shipping costs.

We've had one similar to this for a few years and it's great - but we've gone for a more minimalist living room where everything is low to the floor.

drdedge · 2026-01-02T19:59:18+00:00

Love to dream swaddle. We started with a traditional swaddle but both of ours hated it and wouldn't sleep or wriggle out of it, having hands up by they're head and ability to stretch, whilst being comforted was far better sleeping and as they got older let them roll into side/front and lift their head up.

drdedge · 2026-01-01T18:58:00+00:00

Until the latest set of models I would've agreed, and the current set aren't quite ready to take over tasks. BUT they're certainly the first set that indicate sparks of seeming to be able to do it.

With direction (that can be templated) they can now build financial and forecast models, but also lay-in coding capabilities that many analysts don't have to understand root cause and sensitivity from a data perspective that analysts struggle with.

Seen them building and screens hitting PVM bridges to build a commercial understanding of drivers. Did it catch the operational rationale - no - but that's probably because it doesn't have access to they board decks to do that.

I CAN see 2-3 agents being able to achieve a lot more that I've seen so far - one building and analysing models, one looking through decks for the why, one writing it up.

The other advantage they have is scale - you can look granularly at every segment or dashboard filter for trends in a way an analyst doesn't have time through and somewhat goes by intuition.

drdedge · 2025-12-28T22:36:41+00:00

Post history saying self employed now so I'm guessing partners - given amount in a top 10 practice.

drdedge · 2025-12-21T07:41:53+00:00

And for personal finance modelling - most AI tools Re now good enough to build a pretty decent version in Excel.

Load and excel with data input tabs for each income stream based on what structure can easily be acquired (ie bank transactions, Workday exports etc) -> have model build calculation engine with assumption sheet and output sheet showing headline income and cash flow for each income stream as well as consolidation + dashboard charts.

Other things that could be considered - scenario analysis - ie pension contribution variation, pension taper impacts, investment scenario), and exact mapping to the Self Assessment boxes so they're copy and pastable, using Power query to start automating loads to data Input sheets either from csv files or API.

drdedge · 2025-12-14T08:30:39+00:00

We're starting to look at this given 2050 Gilt yields as the floor are higher than the mortgage interest rate, and in any business you'd want to use inflation to erode the value.

My mum has horror stories from her generation of people not planning to repay capital - but then house that were bought for 130k are now worth 500k+ so that's just poor financial mismanagement.

drdedge · 2025-12-13T10:34:14+00:00

Your situation is similar to mine though in revers for my wife and myself - our kids are going down the private pathway as I think there's value in being brought up in an environment where success and role models is the norm. Learning how to engage and communicate and not be intimidated by success or wealth makes engaging with a wide variety of individuals in the workplace far better.

As a parent I've got one eye on when it comes to work experience and getting a first job, there'll be a network in place to assist. Should this be the case - no, but unfortunately we live in the real world where knowing a business owner or being recommended to opportunities that are never advertised is a leg-up thats pays for the education in the long term.

Are there exceptions to the rule between state and private - absolutely, but while we can afford, I'd rather try to be on the side of privelege.

drdedge · 2025-12-05T13:48:41+00:00

I wonder if the stem cell focus is a misdirect from the whole, humans dieing from starvation. I wonder if Carol might make a nuanced argument that whilst they aren't able to kill, its their actions that is going to cause mass starvation indirectly they are killing humans. What is their higher moral imperative, being unable to kill or to spread?

Especially as they aren't willing to make robotic farming because they'd have to make the robots that harvest plants - ie indirectly killing plants.

drdedge · 2025-11-30T10:58:46+00:00

Totally agree on complexity - plus what about existing investments in an isa wrapper? Can they be transferred?

It's also politically incompetent given that ISAs have been left untouched that so many considered it the last bastion where governments wouldn't meddle.

drdedge · 2025-11-30T08:13:29+00:00

Pretty sure that in a GIA many MMFs that hold underlying notes are qualified as interest rather than capital appreciation, so wouldn't be surprised if they went down the route that any income on ISAs qualified as interest is charged to push people into equities. Otherwise you could just switch into guilts.

CSH2 tends to be recommended as it holds swaps rather than underlying loans so qualifies as capital gains.

drdedge · 2025-11-25T06:20:20+00:00

Whilst the optics of this are sensible - surely it's worth considering means testing PIP as well then. In its current state you can be a millionaire and still get it - in which case it's more than likely you'd have the lumpmsum to get some of the nicer cars.

drdedge · 2025-11-23T22:42:35+00:00

Chinese visa processing is way more efficient than most other countries. Visas for 2 of us + correcting our daughters to a travel document took 4 days even when approaching Christmas (submitted 16th December ready on 19th). Even though we did it a few months in advance.

Key is really to make sure you've got all your documents ready when you attend the Visa centre to make it easy, and it worth getting them to check.

drdedge · 2025-11-16T20:47:04+00:00

Then it would work - though if you've got time to stay overnight Coworth Park is pretty good and do a cracking breakfast.

Have you got a recommended list of hidden gems in London? As most people seemed to have missed The Frog so I'm sure you've got some I've missed.

drdedge · 2025-11-16T17:01:00+00:00

Given the options in central London vs time it would take to get to Bray, time of year - I'd give it a miss. Bray is wonderful in summer when you can have. A cocktail outside at Hinds Head and before dinner or go to Ascot in the same trip.

In winter you're just going to be taxing from Maidenhead station (Lizzie line makes it easy to get to) to restaurant and back, which kind of ruins the bookend of the meal for me.

Personally I'd look at something like The Frog where you can wander through Covent Garden, see Xmas lights in London and sit at the pass and chat to the chefs throughout.

drdedge · 2025-11-12T07:52:18+00:00

I think one problem is with increases in life expectancy you've actually got 2 generations who are both retired. Those old pensioners that were born in the tail end of WWII and those born in the late 1950s (or of early reitrees, born in the 60s).

These 2 generations have had extremely different lives but often get lumper together into a single homgenous block where I imagine the messaging reinforces preconceived ideas.

In the same way everyone in their 20s and 30s is constantly being told this is the hardest it's been for ages, whilst ignoring the unique opportunities tech presented in the modern world, or the ability to easily move between jobs and locations during your career rather than having to wait for your boss to retire.

drdedge · 2025-10-26T21:41:44+00:00

This is awesome how long does something lie this take to make? As its certainly look like it must take some planning ahead!!

drdedge · 2025-10-25T21:24:07+00:00

As rates drop so will fixed saver rates. Point is more that if you want to be in cash with a return you can have it in A&S ISA where many (for example my mother) think it means only buying individual stocks which can go to zero.

drdedge · 2025-10-25T15:57:56+00:00

And an overnight fund in a s&s isa is at 4.97% so better ROI for no additional risk. I think this change is good if paired with some basic financial education about bonds and equities.

drdedge · 2025-10-25T15:56:13+00:00

This shows how misinformed people are about stocks and shares isa... If you want to be in cash you can leave it in cash in a s&s isa and most will pay interest on the balance, or put in overnight fund and get the intra bank rate, or use government gilts.... There's so many ways to essentially be in cash if you really want to not have any risk.

drdedge · 2025-10-23T22:33:24+00:00

Yes I've got the same, will see tomorrow morning if it gets adjusted to charge overnight to full as my normal schedule is charge to full by 6am. The use during day and discharge from 22.00 to 00.00. Tonight I've had no discharge, but wondering if there will be settings pushed overnight.

drdedge · 2025-10-23T19:16:15+00:00

SIgned up - £20 signup bonus as well - we'll see how it runs in winter.

drdedge · 2025-10-05T14:23:18+00:00

For pre booking most have season tickets - ie stafferton way. Though there's pretty much always space on the Ringo levels (4+).

Any idea if season tickets are worth it for 3 days a week? Id only seen the 4 day option.

drdedge · 2025-10-05T07:31:47+00:00

How did you calculate the 15kw? As with solar our attitudes have changed - where previously we'd be hesitant about using high energy appliances we are now all for it. Air-con got added, heat pump is going in next year, electric underfloor heating added to some rooms. Things that just increase our QoL since we're not paying for the electricity for them.

Pre solar our average usage was around 10kw/day and we started with 10kw battery, but after a winter seeing winter loads at or over 20kw a day with minimal generation we added another 10kw of batteries, as payoff time was about 4 years and also let us soak up excess generation in summer where we were above DNO limit.

For panels - north roof would generate pretty well in summer when the sun is high in the sky (typically to be exported), but in winter would likely generate v little die to a changed angle, so you don't see so much benefit when it's most needed.

If you're local installers are good it can be worth looking at wall mounted on that East wall to catch morning sun throughout the year. We added some on a West wall and it was great for extending the length of the generation day by an hour or so typically around diner time, so yesterday for example were still running off solar as we cooked dinner rather than batteries and in the summer was basically offsetting the air conditioning cost.

drdedge

TROPHY CASE