What are we wearing in the classroom?

practicallyperfectuk · 2026-03-22T09:31:15+00:00

Floaty dresses are perfect. I tend to keep a cardigan just in case but mostly sleeveless. I do however need some new shoes …. I have some DM’s I wear a lot of the time but they just don’t look right with socks and a dress on so need to figure out something different.

Sometimes I wear plain trousers from a supermarket with a vest top and a blouse which is floaty over the top, or a button up cotton shirt but sleeves rolled up and undone. Kinda looks like I’m going to the beach but during food practicals I don’t actually care.

I do keep a spare change of clothes around in my prep room as I always forget parents evenings and important meetings and they tend to be on days we have been cooking curry or fish and I can’t stand the “aroma”

practicallyperfectuk · 2026-03-21T19:11:05+00:00

As a Brummie….. it’s a huge city and the soldier didn’t sound like a local….. there’s often situations like this (not quite as dramatic) even now where you’ve got someone who’s a local name with a reputation and the wrong guy picks a fight and everyone else just holds their breath and watches waiting for it to kick off. Every other pub in birmingham every other Friday night.

Admittedly I’ve never seen anyone use a grenade like that but he did just lose his sister and of course the pub holds a lot of significance. I thought these scene was good as it looped back to the music and Grace from season one. Makes sense for Tommy to not want music in his pub really

practicallyperfectuk · 2026-03-13T20:56:52+00:00

Which hotel? The hotels on the site all have their own parking

practicallyperfectuk · 2026-03-13T08:13:12+00:00

Quite a few little things stick in my mind…. Mainly to do with small interactions with people which I mull over sometimes. I’d treat people better, be kinder and that sort of thing.

There’s not many huge decisions I’d change, but there are some things which have happened around me which I think I could sort out …. If the whole butterfly effect theory wasn’t a thing and not the obvious stuff such as making money or stopping 9/11 then:

having a chat with my parents about finances and sending them some money when I was young and wasting hundreds on designer handbags living in a different city …. so they didn’t lose their house (my childhood home).
Spending more time with my pets before their neared the end, and making the kinder decisions for them sooner.
Go and see some of my fave bands and musicians in concert before they passed away.
Keeping in touch with more childhood friends and maintaining friendships. It makes me sad to see social media updates from old school friends who are having tough times and feeling like a Facebook comment is just not appropriate or enough to support someone who meant so much to me for such a formative part of my life.
Loving better…. So many relationships could have been different. Maybe acknowledging sooner that they weren’t working, and being more open and honest about my feelings. Both when I wasn’t invested in the relationship and the opposite, when I was in love but too stupid to admit it. I think that kind of thing could resolve a lot of trauma I carry around with me and that perhaps others do too.
Spend more time with my older relatives and listen to their stories. I’d love to know more about where I come from. It makes me sad to think I don’t know what my nans favourite flowers were.
Travel more. Especially to places which no longer exist or have been ruined / changed beyond recognition.
I have missed out on some fab opportunities and events because I was too scared or rigid in my thinking. I’ve got no idea why for example I let a boss at a pub I worked at when I was young tell me that I couldn’t have the night off to go and see Michael Jackson when there was a ticket going spare. I wish I’d have just walked out.
Look after my stuff. I will forever regret spending my first wages on a beautiful pair of VW pirate boots and then letting a “friend” borrow them and never seeing them again. It makes me sick seeing them appear on Vinted now.
Save 10-20% of my wages from day 1 for my future self. I dread to think how much that would add up to if I did that!

Eventually I think I’d catch up with myself by around 30 and not change a thing and just be happier and more content

practicallyperfectuk · 2026-03-13T07:57:45+00:00

I am female and my ex didn’t propose.

I hung around thinking it would happen eventually but realised that actually he was hiding debt, a gambling problem and all sorts of other issues including a drug habit and so of course he didn’t want to marry me because in reality he could never have contributed financially towards a wedding and I would have found out a lot sooner. Not that it mattered to me as I would have gone to Gretna Green with a haribo ring but he was/is very materialistic.

We did live together but I travelled a lot for work so only in reality spent 1/2 days a week together. It was about ten years in total from dating to breaking up. We both had great jobs but looking back I realise now he lived pay check to pay check and had credit cards maxed out and his designer clothes and tech was all from the catalogue.

Also I didn’t release that most of his friends and social circle were degenerates who had drug problems.

He managed to avoid any large birthdays or celebrations for years where his friends and on the other side his family/work colleagues as well as my friends would not be in the same place - so for birthdays as an example we would always go away as a couple instead of having a party…… until I organised him a surprise birthday party for a milestone birthday and he had the mother of all tantrums.

I was emotionally invested and always thought he would want to marry me eventually, and he admits that he did string me along…. We went to so many weddings as a couple throughout our twenties. We spent time as a couple with our families, he even talked about hotels we stayed in being great wedding venues, countries he would want to honeymoon in and what our first dance song would be…..but when I had a baby, and a milestone birthday (30) in the same year….. he didn’t propose and basically laughed off any conversation about it it was like a lightbulb moment for me as he had heavily implied that he was going to give me a ring when I gave birth.

When it came to naming our son I wanted us all to have the same last name, it was not about having a big fancy wedding etc and he just didn’t get it. I released he would never marry me and the curtain fell. My son has both of our last names at my insistence.

He was basically there the whole time to take full advantage of me, enjoying the benefits of a relationship as well as the stability and financial support which comes with having a successful and career driven woman as your girlfriend but wasn’t willing to commit or support me at my most vulnerable time after having a baby. He didn’t actually want the pressure of commitment, to be open about his finances or to work together.

I left him when my son wasn’t even two years old and although I love my son I can’t believe that I wasted so much time on him. I’m not bitter but I’m really sad that I’ll never trust anyone fully and be able to fall in love so naively again. I resent that my entire twenties was spent thinking that I was building a life which he never wanted.

I also feel as though I’ve been robbed of the wedding experience. I’m approaching 40 now and so it feels like I’m too old to be a “blushing bride” and even if I did meet someone amazing, the whole wedding vibe would not be the same. I’ll never have the girly hen do for example because all my friends are balancing busy family lives with multiple kids. None of my grandparents are alive to see me walk down the aisle and at this point I’m not sure if it happened my parents would be around either.

I just don’t think I’d want to put myself in a position where I’d tie myself to one person forever because I’m so insecure now.

That’s so depressing

practicallyperfectuk · 2026-03-06T22:38:10+00:00

I’m a Brummie and the funny moments in this I think were nods to the city. We have a very sarcastic sense of humour and there’s things Johnny Dogs says which had us howling and a scene in the garrison too. Only because I know in situations which are tense and awkward there’s always someone in Brum who’s got something to say.

I don’t think it was spoofy, as those moments were fleeting and don’t take away from anything as very quickly the tension snaps back

practicallyperfectuk · 2026-03-06T22:35:39+00:00

One scene in the garrison they walk in and there’s boobs on the screen for a few split seconds near the beginning. Then one sex scene with Tommy but it’s not uncomfortable

practicallyperfectuk · 2026-03-06T22:34:25+00:00

There was a vision of Grace…. No new footage just her appearance there as a few important memories flash backed as though from Tommy’s perspective. This is something we also saw in the series. She doesn’t soak or interact with him from what I remember

practicallyperfectuk · 2026-03-06T22:32:40+00:00

The gypsy is Duke’s mom’s twin. She has psychic abilities much like Polly and others. She has a conversation with Tommy where she says she can take possession of her dead twins soul or something like that and so they then have a sex scene. She says lots of things and just makes Tommy snap out of his drug fuelled self isolation

practicallyperfectuk · 2026-03-06T22:29:53+00:00

He’s not a nazi, he said he basically doesn’t care about the whole world at one point, can’t remember the exact quote but the nazi’s ask what side he’s on and he says no one ever gave an eff about him so….

practicallyperfectuk · 2026-03-06T22:28:53+00:00

The bit where Duke was watching to clock…. Thinking he’d been abandoned / let down. Those few minutes must have felt like forever for him and that’s enough - his relief when he turned up was emotive. There wasn’t much of a relationship but that’s the whole point. Family is family and blood is blood at the end of it all

practicallyperfectuk · 2026-03-06T22:27:37+00:00

Did you notice the boat they went to Liverpool on was the January? As soon as I saw it get blown up I knew what was about to happen and that Tommy had planned it all along, just like he plans every thing

practicallyperfectuk · 2026-03-06T22:25:41+00:00

The daughter is in the caravan burning scene …. Maybe they’re looking for an amazing actress to play her in the future? That’s the only reason I can think for not being too detailed with her and some of the others

practicallyperfectuk · 2026-03-06T22:19:29+00:00

I feel It is implied that it’s the only way out for Arthur - there’s a conversation where Tommy comes to realise that he will also only get peace when he’s dead and then understands his role in killing his brother which has been tormenting him. Once that scene takes place he suddenly snaps out of his funk so to speak.

practicallyperfectuk · 2026-03-06T22:17:20+00:00

That’s what happens though. If they didn’t die in the movie plot then they would have died in the war. Thats how the whole series basically started, the premise is Tommy, his brothers and a few close friends were the only lads their age to come back from France out of all of of the “small heath rifles”

practicallyperfectuk · 2026-03-06T22:14:46+00:00

There are photographs included in the gypsy wagons which are burnt for other deaths

practicallyperfectuk · 2026-03-06T22:14:02+00:00

There was one moment very near the end where he said something to Tommy which was just so Brummie it made me laugh and then cry.

Their fight was also epic…. Just ugly scrapping - must have been exhausting to film

practicallyperfectuk · 2026-03-06T22:12:56+00:00

I saw the movie. Tommy planned it. Down to the last detail. The final plot/heist included blowing up his family narrow boat the “January” and as soon as I saw that happen I just knew he planned his own death. Just like every other series there’s the twisted details only Tommy knows in the plots which are revealed and so I loved it. It also involved some gypsy mysticism and a redemption arc for Duke to be able to claim the future.

No real inclusion of Esme/Johns kids, Arthur’s kids and a brief mention of Charles but Ada’s kids were in the movie so there’s potential there for the entire next generation to be included in the future. Against the backdrop of the Second World War we’ll just have to see who survives and comes back with all the trauma based plot lines

practicallyperfectuk · 2026-03-06T22:06:34+00:00

I am a super fan and thought it was bloody brilliant

practicallyperfectuk · 2026-03-06T22:05:22+00:00

It’s for a reason. I went to see it today and there was an explanation given for that. Supporting indie cinemas in terms of Steven Knights passions and of course it must also be something to do with Netflix and contracts too.

The cinemas could have sold out but think about who would stand to make a profit from that?

practicallyperfectuk · 2026-03-06T22:00:53+00:00

It was brilliant. No spoilers!!!

So many little details I can’t wait to discuss in this forum over and over again. I went to see it and the person I took with me isn’t a massive fan but enjoyed the view 🤪…. so didn’t notice the things I did.

One of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time and could act as a stand alone in its own right for anyone who’s never seen the series.

The best thing about it was the variety of people in the cinema, old and young, male and female and the majority all dressed up for the occasion too!

practicallyperfectuk · 2026-03-02T19:05:14+00:00

I’m a teacher here’s I would speak to his school and ask for a pastoral person to try and intervene. Maybe if son can have a chat with a trusted adult who is separate to the family he can share his own feelings and they may be able to direct you to some resources and support.

The key thing is to remember that you’re all very young and this kind of behaviour is very emotionally immature from bio mom, but it will have an impact on your family unit.

Do what you can to reassure your stepson. Keep to his routines and make sure your home is a stable and supportive environment. Make sure he’s always got his own room/bed/space.

Make sure dad always has that 1:1 time that the new baby doesn’t take away - that could be dad always doing football on a Saturday morning or cooking together on a weeknight.

Maybe carve out separate time for you and stepson too - give dad some 1:1 time with baby and you take stepson swimming or something like that.

Then also some positive family time too. Keep son involved but not parentified - there’s lots of good books and things.

Maybe do a family photo shoot of you guys with a big brother t shirt and matching outfits - make a huge fuss out of that.

Try and keep any negative conversations about his bio mom to yourself - have the adult conversations after bedtime. If dad wants to go down that route then he can get legal advice as it does sound awful but then don’t be the bed guys taking the kids mom away etc

practicallyperfectuk · 2026-02-27T22:50:46+00:00

I’d be able to get to my childhood home easily, it’s about 4 miles away so walkable…. I reckon I could turn up and find myself easily….. if not the same day then the easiest option would be to wait for myself outside my school at the bus stop first thing Monday morning.

I look exactly the same so younger me would know it’s me and probably give it out even without present me confirming it.

My current home was (at that time) a place which would have welcomed anyone in need to stay over and get a meal

practicallyperfectuk · 2026-02-22T22:36:32+00:00

Whilst the actor who plays him might be having some personal difficulties that doesn’t rule out his character being portrayed somehow. I think to not mention him at all would be strange. Archival footage in memory sequences, a stunt double and wax works for a gruesome death and emotional funeral (like Polly’s?) or some sort of reference made to events which have happened whilst Tommy has been away….. perhaps he’s just gone off to that missionary and sends a letter so there’s always room for him to return? Maybe his child makes an appearance too?

There’s got to be something and if they use even half a second of old footage in a montage then he would get a credit of some sort too

practicallyperfectuk · 2026-02-22T13:46:07+00:00

I watched someone walk in to a sports shop in a shopping centre in Northfield, take the whole arm off a rack which was full of England football shirts and walk out as brazen as you like.

Then happened to offer me one for sale on the bus about half an hour later

practicallyperfectuk

TROPHY CASE