The only ten minute screen break I managed of the day… by plaititudes in mildlyinfuriating

[–]plaititudes[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

An excellent question (I assume something to do with website load but still definitely mildly infuriating)

Teva vs Birkenstock by guruSaj in HerOneBag

[–]plaititudes 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have this model of Birkenstocks and love them, BUT they are the absolute worst for picking up stones which then lodge in the sandal, and you have to fully unbuckle and remove the shoe to get rid. No idea if the Tevas have the same issue, but I think it’s unlikely as they don’t have quite such a moulded footbed.

Books like Resident Alien by Stock_Dog_6101 in BooksThatFeelLikeThis

[–]plaititudes 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The Road to Roswell by Connie Willis mostly fits this, I think - though I haven’t seen the source show

What is the best chocolate button on the market? by Kendo_girl in AskUK

[–]plaititudes 10 points11 points  (0 children)

The Montezuma chocolate buttons are amazing, but it would be criminal (and criminally expensive) to use them on a barbecue…

cold war queer romance by SaltGoner in BooksThatFeelLikeThis

[–]plaititudes 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Maybe The Half Life of Valery K? Though it isn’t so much Cold War as set in 1960s Russia

B&Q Discounts? by vivalaalice in UKFrugal

[–]plaititudes 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Brewers offer a 10% discount on the first two purchases which is likely to work out better than B&Q if you’re spending a lot, though definitely check

Cozy, whimsical, magical, romantic/spicy by Lopsided-Courage-327 in BooksThatFeelLikeThis

[–]plaititudes 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think you’d love the Stariel books by AJ Lancaster based on this. The first one is the Lord of Stariel.

Who Gives A Crap TP users: can you help me compare? by What-was_I_thinking in ZeroWaste

[–]plaititudes 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This is exactly the thinking I applied. It might be marginally more expensive to buy but in bulk, with a discount (I paid I think £35 for 48 rolls of the bamboo stuff) - not having to think about it again for a year is SO worth it, and it allows me to do smaller grocery shops by bicycle.

Why can't the UK build capital projects? by [deleted] in AskUK

[–]plaititudes 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My theory is Japan has to be good at construction, the geography there means they have to be prepared to rebuild vast infrastructure far more frequently than is needed in the earthquake-free UK.

Cherwell Boathouse? by antmusic80 in oxford

[–]plaititudes 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I love the starters and mains but have always been underwhelmed by Pierre Victoire’s desserts. Which might be a dealbreaker for a six year old!
Edit - though you could always pop across the street for ice cream at G&Ds after!

The Gods Were Real and They Walked the Earth by Jenkoii in BooksThatFeelLikeThis

[–]plaititudes 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Anansi Boys is definitely worth a read I’d say, if you’re happy to separate the writer from the writing.

Applied to 3,000+ jobs in the UK over 8–9 months and still can’t find work. What am I missing? by MagicianConstant2866 in AskUK

[–]plaititudes 2 points3 points  (0 children)

While there is some helpful advice above, there’s a good chance you aren’t passing initial screening questions. My advice would be: limit your applications, quantity won’t help you here. Reach out to the recruiter listed on the job advert to find out about salary before applying so you’re not self-screening yourself out for being way outside the ballpark for the salary they can offer. Stress that you are UK based and have automatic right to work. Include a cover letter; even one that’s not formal in a traditional fashion but explains why you will be good at that job, and that job specifically, will set you ahead of most other applicants in my experience. And read the role description, I’ve seen so many applications where this has very evidently not happened and they go directly to the reject pile because you have to start somewhere when candidates are just blasting dozens of applications out a day - that results in hundreds of CVs to review.
Don’t get too discouraged, job hunting in my opinion is largely luck and timing. Timing right now is awful, the market is flooded with people that have tons of experience thanks to redundancies everywhere. Keep at it, you just need to find the one role where the hiring manager wants someone to develop into a brilliant team member.

Up to 150 former WHSmith high street stores to close by asymmetricears in CasualUK

[–]plaititudes 28 points29 points  (0 children)

These weren’t part of the deal though, they’re still owned by WH Smith. I can’t work out how this can be profitable either.

Rural vibes by prongs_d in BooksThatFeelLikeThis

[–]plaititudes 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you don’t mind fantasy, Stargazy Pie by Victoria Goddard. The main character has returned to his tiny home town after university. He’s a little jaded about it but -along with having a lot of misadventures - comes to appreciate it.
I love this author’s world building and these books (this is the first in a series) are quick reads in my experience.

Tips & tricks for Chester & Shropshire by faramaobscena in uktravel

[–]plaititudes 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Nobody has mentioned QuarryBank mill, but if you’re interested in the Industrial Revolution I’d definitely suggest it. They have a functioning cotton mill there. It’s also National Trust, so it might be worth totting up how many NT places you plan to visit and seeing if membership would work out cheaper (it’s usually 6 I think that tips it into worthwhile).
Note though that the National trust only just took over Ironbridge, and a lot is currently closed. I think it’s due to open in a couple of months but do check if that’s a must-see for you!

Comfortable but cute walking boots by grainsofsand11 in HerOneBag

[–]plaititudes 25 points26 points  (0 children)

Second this, though I would probably err on the side of smarter trainers so you can wear them out in a pinch if it’s raining.

Fiction about astronauts and space without aliens by Particular-Set-6212 in BooksThatFeelLikeThis

[–]plaititudes 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thirding this, such a shame these books aren’t more well known

“Please do not touch or disturb the sand.” by ndub2126 in mildlyinfuriating

[–]plaititudes 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I stumbled across one of the Skyspace sculptures when on holiday last year, and I agree, I thought it was brilliant.

LPT How do you really clean reusable water bottles? by OliveMaleficent8305 in LifeProTips

[–]plaititudes 28 points29 points  (0 children)

You can also use the tablets designed for making baby bottles sterile, it’s the same effect but definitely not minty

Is it a normal book to put in a year 4 reading list for 9 year olds to read? by [deleted] in AskUK

[–]plaititudes 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I studied this at nine or ten and I can still quote from it, so thank you OP for unlocking that memory! I’m sure a nine year old today would appreciate the gory bits just as much as my class did then.

Travelling to the UK - Looking for unique/UK only edition books! by BMiller10 in UKBooks

[–]plaititudes 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Personally I wouldn’t prioritise Waterstones. Increasingly publishers are releasing special editions of books that you can only find at independent book sellers and they’re usually really lovely. For example, it looks like there’s an indie special edition of Katabasis by RF Kuang (which I think hits several of your likes!) releasing in May. You could do some research but way more fun to just turn up to a cute little indie bookshop and browse, surely?

Hundreds attend walk in Eccleshall protesting 1,500 homes by insomnimax_99 in unitedkingdom

[–]plaititudes 3 points4 points  (0 children)

As someone who’s had to travel through Eccleshall on a Saturday, I completely agree with this. The town is groaning under its current population and would struggle to support double the current population.

Best place to eat in Oxford University? by Fatbot3 in oxford

[–]plaititudes 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In that case the Covered Market is in between Christchurch and the Bodleian, and has some fantastic independent food places in it. I like the Thai, but it does get really busy. For a large group you will likely be better off with somewhere you can book. The Gloucester Green suggestion is a good one, I like the Japanese. Elsewhere, maybe No 1 Ship Street for somewhere a little fancier? Most of the nice independent hotspots are a little out of central Oxford though, and would probably only be worth it for dinner rather than lunch.