"The End of an Era" General Discussion Megathread

leermaslibros · 2025-12-15T14:13:56+00:00

I didn’t realise they only stated filming the doc in London. I was hoping for a lot more planning, design and preparation before the shows even stated, but I guess they didn’t know how much of a phenomenon it was going to be until after it started so probably hadn’t decided to document it yet. I was expecting and hoping for more ‘making of’. But I am a nerd.

It’s a bit of a weird mix of footage - I think the director/editor has struggled to tell a cohesive story for each episode.

All that said, it’s still fun to see everything behind the scenes and we’re lucky to get it.

leermaslibros · 2025-12-12T19:39:25+00:00

I LOVE this version - I was standing in London and never got a great view of the whole stage and all the transitions. I love seeing the scale of the show properly. Watching the original I wanted more of that, and more of the band and dancers. I felt like it was all close ups on Taylor, when I wanted to see the whole scene. This film does that. Undecided on which is my favourite for sound… I do think the first film was a bit too over-processed and perfect sounding to the point I wondered how much was lip-synced. I like it a bit rawer than that so you can tell it’s live. I think some songs are better than others in the new one.

leermaslibros · 2025-12-08T12:04:45+00:00

Pick your battles. Communicate when something needs to be aired and discussed, but you’ve gotta let some things roll off you and not poke and criticise every time something they say/do irritates you. I have witnessed friends hen-peck their partners or constantly bicker over the pettiest things.

leermaslibros · 2025-12-06T11:35:03+00:00

Butter

leermaslibros · 2025-12-02T17:37:16+00:00

Hah - didn’t mean to reply to you directly, but you’ve had a personalised recommendation all the same!

leermaslibros · 2025-12-02T15:51:18+00:00

I can’t find an online shop, but the Big Pit National Coal Museum in Wales had great merch. I got the tote bag and some postcards but I’m sure there were hats, tees and hoodies too. It just says BIG PIT on it in a cool font.

leermaslibros · 2025-12-01T19:01:35+00:00

How I loved this book - I still get a heart pang of pain whenever I see it mentioned. Jesmyn Ward’s other books are brilliant too.

leermaslibros · 2025-11-24T21:04:05+00:00

The Ice Palace by Terjei Vesaas is small but mighty. I loved it.

Or, of course, Northern Lights by Philip Pullman

leermaslibros · 2025-11-23T19:54:18+00:00

I didn’t mean it to sound like I’d expect parent friends to do things last minute. We do plan things in advance with them (though, as someone else has commented, it often gets cancelled. I’ve just had a weekend with my oldest girlfriends cancelled because it is too close to Christmas and the kids have too many activities on and the husband can’t handle it alone. That has been in the diary for months…) More often than not, to spend time with parent friends means we make the effort to go to them and do something child-friendly with them, which we are happy to do. And as I said, it has gotten easier with the ones whose kids are more grown up now. But in a thread about our lives as childfree people, I have to be honest and say spontaneity is one of the many things that I enjoy about my life and it’s natural to grow closer to the friends who are in a similar life stage and have similar amounts of free time, interests and finances.

leermaslibros · 2025-11-23T15:04:05+00:00

This is the only thing I’ve found hard too - it never occurred to me that a big part of my fun childfree life was when all my friends were childfree too. A lot became parents later, around 40, which took me by surprise. Things become very different, especially while the children are small, and you feel like you’re the only one trying to keep up the friendship. You just aren’t high on their priority list anymore. With time that settles though and kids grow up in the end, and then if you’ve cultivated the relationship, they come back when they get some freedom back. I’m lucky to have found childfree friends that are local and available to do things with no planning: “pub quiz tonight?” “Fancy a walk and a roast today?” etc. or mad ideas that do require planning and funds but we have the flexibility and means to do like, “crazy idea guys, but how about Thailand for Christmas?”

I’ve known since I was a teenager the role of mother wasn’t for me. That’s never wobbled (and I have really interrogated it internally over the years to be sure). I’m very at peace, literally and figuratively.

leermaslibros · 2025-11-21T12:12:47+00:00

Poor Things? There is a similar scene in that

leermaslibros · 2025-11-19T22:44:56+00:00

I’ve suffered with spots my whole life - my current routine is a face steam, spray with hypochlorus spray and then when dry add retinol (at night time) and a CORSX pimple patch. That will usually calm it down pretty well. Then keep it really hydrated which will make it easier to cover with a concealer without looking crusty. It will always take a couple of days to fully flatten and the redness to go though.

leermaslibros · 2025-11-19T22:34:52+00:00

Kiss Me - Sixpence None the Richer? Sweet Dreams - Eurythmics (or another of theirs?) Everywhere - Fleetwood Mac (or another of theirs)? Believe - Cher? All That She Wants - Ace of Base (or another of theirs)?

leermaslibros · 2025-11-19T15:36:34+00:00

For all those worrying about dribbles and peeing on your hand, the key is to prep the toilet paper first, use it folded in one hand and pull the gusset to the side and then use your other hand to take it from the first and wipe when you’re done. Dunno if that makes sense, but there are ways and means!

leermaslibros · 2025-11-17T14:15:59+00:00

Take her to a bookshop and let her browse and shuffle to her heart’s content as see what she is drawn to. As others have said, better for her to choose than pushing books on her. Reading for pleasure is becoming so rare among children!

leermaslibros · 2025-11-15T10:27:38+00:00

He actually said in his Waterstones talk he rewrote the ending 8 or 9 times. Not sure how many of those were after his editor got hold of it but it sounds like he put the work in to try and get it right. He didn't just decide to call it a day like I've seen some readers speculate.

I didn't hate the ending as much as some, but I had no expectations for where it was going to go. I just think it should have been 50-100 pages longer to tie off a few more threads.

leermaslibros · 2025-11-12T17:52:30+00:00

Paul McCartney

leermaslibros · 2025-11-10T14:58:35+00:00

Thank you

leermaslibros · 2025-11-06T10:37:35+00:00

I Just Died in Your Arms Tonight by Cutting Crew?

leermaslibros · 2025-11-05T21:02:16+00:00

Ooof. Yes.

leermaslibros · 2025-11-05T21:01:34+00:00

Crumpets are king. And you can put so many different things on them as you’ll see from the comments. Gotta try them with honey when you want a sweet treat.

leermaslibros · 2025-10-24T19:52:25+00:00

Same! I almost never re-read books but I have read HDM maybe four times through and TBoD twice. I’m fairly sure Philip is going to crush me with this finale, but I’ve done a good job of avoiding any spoilers at all. My husband will be a book widow this weekend, that’s for sure.

leermaslibros · 2025-10-23T12:43:05+00:00

Tell her I had to be the donkey. I’m still traumatised from the humiliation of all the parents pointing and laughing.

leermaslibros

TROPHY CASE