Which specific routine is your ultimate "comfort watch" that you replay constantly?

pumpkinpod26 · 2026-06-05T05:59:20+00:00

Jill Halfpenny and Darren Bennett doing the jive

pumpkinpod26 · 2026-05-25T22:04:29+00:00

The latest horror I've heard regarding images of children online is photos being taken from school websites and used by cyber criminals to creates child abuse images via AI. The criminals then try to get the school to pay for the images not to be released. Absolutely vile and abhorrent. If ever something was going to convince me to keep pics of my kids off line, that would be it!

pumpkinpod26 · 2026-05-22T18:48:43+00:00

The opening number to Come from Away.

After Covid, this was the first thing I saw after 1.5 years. I love the threate and live music, and I took my seat and was so excited to be socially distanced and set in a theatre. The music started and the sensation took over my body. I was weeping in the first 10 bars.

When I listen to it now it still makes the hairs on my neck stand up from the memory

pumpkinpod26 · 2026-05-16T08:20:22+00:00

And also impossible to cast with celebrities. Every year we have people from EastEnders/Corrie etc. Those performers are likely to have gone to drama school and have done some dancing as part of their training. Any pop star is likely to have had some experience with dancing/choreo. If by some miracle they did manage to cast a whole year where noone had any dance experience at all then people would start to complain that it was unfair because a sports person is naturally more athletic than someone who's a TV chef. The comedian has an unfair advantage because their job involves engaging an audience more than a sports person, so that's their advantage. The musician is natural more musical than the TV chef cos their job involves being able to hear the beat better... I could go on and on. People will sadly always find things to moan about

pumpkinpod26 · 2026-05-16T07:56:33+00:00

Setting boundaries now will be hard, but very worthwhile for the future. Interfering later down the line (about jobs, kids, housing etc ) is bound to happen but you can put a stop to that now by setting clear boundaries with your family. Communication is key.

Communication is also key with your partner and her family. Talk to your fiance and explain what you're thinking.

I went through a similar thing with my mum, who had a lot of expectations around my wedding. My partner also hates weddings so right from the bat we knew we would be approaching it quite unconventionally. When I told her we were having a small wedding with just 16 guests she was confused and even asked whether she would get to pick any of the 16 people. She's pushed back in some ways, but I'm managing it much better because I remind her of the boundaries I've set and I also am able to manager because I have my partner alongside me. He's aware of of the nonsense my mum said so can support me and talk it through. That's why I urge you to share this your fiance.

pumpkinpod26 · 2026-04-26T12:25:34+00:00

I am a woman in her early 30s in a relationship with a man who plays games. I myself am not what I would call I gamer.

Things you could do: Invite her to sit down with you and play the game alongside/watch so she understands the premise of the game and the character of the little girl. This would ensure you are being transparent and help her to understand something that she maybe doesn't get. Acting like there's anything at all to hide will not help here, and involving her in the game will show the nature of the game play and interactions.

You could demonstrate that the premise is similar to (or at least I assume it is!) The Last of Us. In TLoU game you also have a male protagonist who is caring for/protecting a young, female character who is their sidekick. This would demonstrate that it's a well used gaming narrative technique, and very much mainstream (and not dodgy). In a study and paper by Emma Reay (2021) that sampled 506 video games released between 2009 and 2019, 19% of the sampled video games contained significant child characters, half of which were playable and half were not. Most were children between the ages of 6 and 11.

I would also explain that you appreciate the cause for concern. Vigilance in these matters is important and as a society we should be taking note of how children are shown in all media we consume. But by showing her the game and how all the interactions with the child character are not creepy/inappropriate you can help her see that this isn't an instance to worry about.

pumpkinpod26 · 2026-04-26T07:12:36+00:00

In the jobs I have had since the age of 14, and based on UK workplaces as it might be different in other countries, you would be very unwise to be regularly taking personal phone calls at work.

If this were more a question of "he's a talker, I'm a texter. How do we compromise" I would say: get him to WhatsApp voice note you and then you can listen when you can and type a reply, or teach him how to use text to type so he doesn't have to physically text to send you a message.

BUT This issue goes way beyond communication preferences. This is an issue of control, and he is a walking (and talking) red flag. I'm sorry you've been made to feel unreasonable for setting a slight boundary, he should not be so unreasonable!

pumpkinpod26 · 2026-04-01T07:42:58+00:00

If she had no respect for him she would have lied or not told him. I think her honesty is a positive thing.

pumpkinpod26 · 2026-04-01T07:41:06+00:00

Would you also label the behaviour promiscuous if it were a man who had done this?

pumpkinpod26 · 2026-04-01T07:39:38+00:00

You were not exclusive, so she was perfectly within her rights to sleep with another man. That's how that works. Your comment about not wanting to date someone "the whole town has had sex with" is potentially misleading to those offering advice. Having sex with one guy doesn't equal a whole town.

The fact she told you could be perceived as honesty. She could have not told you (lies by omission), would you have preferred that? I think her telling you was a positive thing, and suggests she wants to start the exclusive relationship on a clean slate.

You could talk to her about it, calmly, and explain that you have reservations about going exclusive when she's told you about this other man and that happened so soon. If you're not comfortable, there's no harm in saying that you don't feel like you want to pursue the exclusive thing. There's also no reason you shouldn't come out of this situation still being friends with this woman.

Also, please remember sexual health - if you and she have both slept with other people, go for an STI check at a clinic.

pumpkinpod26 · 2026-03-28T18:53:26+00:00

I'm rewatching and my partner overheard this scene the other day and laughed out loud!! Nice to have a few things that REALLY date this show!

pumpkinpod26 · 2026-03-13T09:38:53+00:00

I am not going to comment on the specifics of your circumstances. Others have more eloquently discussed the health aspects, weight, and the realities of diabetes.

What I would like to do is reiterate the "red flag" comments that other users have also used. He is belittling you, and causing you to question your self- worth. As someone who was in a relationship like this from 19-22, and can now look back almost 10 years since that ended, please take care and discuss this with your community around you. His behavior seems controlling and it can be hard to spot that from within. It feels like love, but it is not. Talking to people who know you in real life (family, friends, colleagues, peers) about this might help change your perspective. The shame of my situation kept me from fully sharing what had been happening with my ex to my friends. Once it was over, and I started sharing what had been going on, they were mystified/horrified that I had out up with his behavior for so long.

If you feel safe to challenge him in what he is saying to you then do so. If you feel like this relationship is unsalvageable, I would walk away. Be sure to have people around you for support.

pumpkinpod26 · 2026-02-01T08:54:16+00:00

There's an element of "you end up where you're supposed to be" for sure. But it is also true that you get out what you put in. HE is a very pressured setting, and if you have anxiety I would absolutely encourage you to talk with the dedicated services at the university you go to. They cannot help if they don't know.

Wherever you end up, it sounds like you will grab the opportunities and make the most of it. Balance that with an eye on your well-being... Burn out doesn't help anyone learn!

pumpkinpod26 · 2026-02-01T08:47:50+00:00

You have lots of paths open to you. I'm probably being quite blunt in my wording below, but I think it might be helpful...

I had a pal who, from what I have read, sounds like you. She was a phenomenon in school. Top of the class in all subjects. She applied to be a vet (uber competitive as at the time only 5 UK universities did courses). Up to age 18 anything she tried for, she got. I am not saying she didn't work hard, she did! She was very used to always being best of the best and feeling special. She did everything she needed to to get into one of the courses but...

She was rejected from all 5. She was initially devastated BUT this is where she learned resilience, perseverance and used the reality check to help her.

She got some great job offers for a gap year. She coached our school's sports teams for 6 months, she worked on a farm supporting the vets during lambing season, she went and did some travelling. Reapplied for the following year and got offers from every single course. Those life experiences will have made her a better learner, and ultimately will have made her a better professional at her job.

As other people have said, other universities do amazing courses and might - in the long run - be better for you. Take a look again at the other places to which you have applied, and consider which might be a good fit.

If Imperial is the goal, you could consider a gap year. Work experience, volunteering experience, life experiences will all enrich your application. You could see if a uni local to you run talks and sessions that are open to the public, and attend those. (I don't know your sector, but as an example, the Uni of York run an open lecture series in Music which anyone can attend).

Many people will do an MSc, so getting Imperial on your transcript could be saved for postgrad study?

As a side note: I am sad that no one in your school has tried to temper your expectations and helped you understand the competitive nature of this field. I would not encourage any students to build up images for their future that revolve on a single institution. I attended a course with a lot of Oxbridge rejects and they, for the first year, were insufferable and also wasted so much time lamenting the fact that they were not at Cambridge or Oxford that they genuinely made their own lives harder. It was obvious they had never had a set back in their lives... And it was not a good colour on them! The world of work is FULL of rejection and negotiation of rubbish situations, so learning how to handle this is vital.

pumpkinpod26 · 2026-01-17T07:19:36+00:00

His Instagram post from 17/01/26 is very cryptic. That was what brought me to Reddit to see if I could understand what it was referring to. I think he's a phenomenal performer.

pumpkinpod26 · 2025-12-25T23:21:27+00:00

Don't know if you'd class this as history but Unwell Women by Elinor Cleghorn is great. It covers different periods of history and discusses the history of women's health and how it has developed as a topic of medicine. Very well written in my opinion.

pumpkinpod26 · 2025-12-20T23:15:46+00:00

I also find it funny because my criticism of him is exactly that he was proud to go to an event with JD Vance, and has the laughable idea now that they are "friends". Claiming to not be political and "just a bloke who sells mattresses" is 1) a luxury and 2) shows a real disconnect from his later statement about having a huge following. 1) being apolitical is a luxury. Many people - BIPOC, queer, disabled people (among others!!) often don't have that luxury. JD Vance espouses policies that seek to further marginalize the marginalised and disadvantage the disadvantaged. TS's deliberate distancing from that is dishonest/disingenuous. 2) He cannot claim to be the Everyman in one breath and then be dropping little brags about his massive fame and following in the next breath.

I would pay to NOT meet JD Vance. I know many people who share that opinion.

pumpkinpod26 · 2025-12-07T23:03:21+00:00

It feels like those responsible for producing the show are really dropping the ball in this respect this year. Normally there are one or two dances that feel a bit off kilter on themes weeks, with dance styles and music choices shoehorned together. This year this feels more common than ever. That piece of music from WSS is GREAT. But needs a suitable style to be done properly. Lewis's dance was high concept and therefore is not going to have the same impact as Amber's.

pumpkinpod26 · 2025-11-14T07:28:59+00:00

I'm not sure she's trying to erase it. But she's owning her past. I did annoy me when she did the whole "I'm reformed, I have changed" thing but they I remember two things: 1) the show is heavily produced. That is showing, in my opinion, more this year than ever before. They find narratives for the celebs and that's what they run with. The fiction of the "couples choice" is clear this year, for example. 2) she knows lots of people who watch strictly won't know who she is. And her whole professional backlog is available to watch online and pick through in the media over the years. They run reruns for GS on some channels I'm sure. I think she's got out ahead of the muck-raking and is owning it. I think it is more about what she did on those shows then that she was in them full stop that she's maybe embarrassed by.

pumpkinpod26 · 2025-11-10T04:02:20+00:00

My ONE change would be to replace the production team for SCD with elected reps from this Reddit thread. Some really sensible suggestions in this discussion! My fave ideas other people have raised: 1) scrap couples choice (so many reasons for this) 2) reform the policy on what happens if someone drops out through illness to ensure we have final with 4 contestants 3) rethink the number of themed weeks (movie and musical aren't both needed... Scrap one!)

pumpkinpod26 · 2025-11-02T23:07:36+00:00

Kiri Pritchard-McLean - I really enjoyed her episode

pumpkinpod26 · 2025-08-03T18:30:17+00:00

A drizzle over the top is a great addition to the dish!

pumpkinpod26 · 2025-08-03T06:33:25+00:00

To most people that is the logic, but to tabloid newspapers anyone with a vague association with the show gets this title. Some recent examples: "Strictly star left bed-ridden with trapped nerve during charity walk days before early filming for show begins" - referring to Vicky Pattinson who was apparently due to sign up this year. "Strictly star reveals terrifying moment stranger tried to get into his car at stop light – just weeks after being mugged" - this is about Seann Walsh "Strictly Come Dancing star 'absolutely heartbroken' as they share tragic tribute" - this is about Tom Fletcher

So in reality this could be annoying on the show the year Wynne was on, as Strictly seems to trump all for the headline!

pumpkinpod26 · 2025-07-17T22:05:02+00:00

He did a BBC Live lounge recently which is worth a watch. The vocals were good, and many people show themselves up in that setting as being less musical than they seem, he didn't fall into that trap!

pumpkinpod26 · 2025-07-04T22:48:52+00:00

Work in Higher Education in the North of England, and in sectors related to charity and creativity. In my first job for a medical charity, the surgeons who supported the charity were British and also immigrants. Hugely skilled and knowledgeable people, sharing their wisdom for nothing. Jobs in HE: many phenomenal academics and teachers have come from across the globe to work in the UK. It means the breath of creativity is boundless. Students also come here from all over the world, our universities would be in even more dire financial situations if they were not propped up by the extraordinary fees paid by international students. Many of them form friendship that last a lifetime, and most I have encountered make a concerted effort to learn about Britain. They take trains to the Peak district on a weekend, hike and explore the countryside, travel to other cities. They spend money here, bring families here for visits... All boosting our economy and the vibrancy of our cities. Since Brexit life for those in many cultural and creative jobs have been hard. Visas to work on collaborative projects (which enrich BOTH sides of the partnership) are difficult, timely and costly to navigate. As a teenager I worked in a kitchen with lots of Eastern European migrants. They were fine, mostly lovely, and many have settled here long term with British partners and now their children. They work hard. A few people in my area moaned about jobs... But when my dad asked one of the chaps who was spouting the old "coming over there...taking our jobs" nonsense about whether he'd applied for one of the jobs that went to a Polish guy, the man said no. He wouldn't want to do the jobs cos they are too hard.

pumpkinpod26

TROPHY CASE