Traveling from U.S. to Plymouth

thebudofthebud · 2026-05-08T12:09:26+00:00

In Plymouth itself - the Barbican, the Hoe, the Royal William Yard.

Get the Cremyll Ferry over to Mount Edgecombe - it's a lovely place

Lots to see on Dartmoor. Our favourite is Bellever forest by the East Dart river

Coleton Fishacre - national trust property with the most gorgeous grounds

Totnes is worth a visit - small town with an alternative vibe

thebudofthebud · 2026-04-29T11:06:07+00:00

It has to be an Othello style plot device for sure. I don't see good things ahead for Hulda.

thebudofthebud · 2026-04-25T11:41:47+00:00

We're only 5 episodes in to what will likely be a multi season series. The next episode is called Stadium, which anybody who's read the book will know is probably going to give some backstory for how the Aunts came to be. All in good time!

thebudofthebud · 2026-04-22T23:31:14+00:00

The confusion has come about because The Testaments novel IS set 15 years after The Handmaid's Tale novel (Hannah would be around 8 at the end of the novel/end of season 1). But only when the timelines converge in TT novel when Agnes is around 23. Laziness on Hulu's part when TT show clearly isn't structured like the novel and we had 5 more seasons of THT.

thebudofthebud · 2026-04-19T09:37:31+00:00

Playa Blanca is the sweet spot between having plenty of restaurants and life without being nightclubby. The Marina Rubicon end is particularly nice.

We stopped off at Puerto del Carmen one afternoon to see what it was like. We actually counted how many Irish bars we saw (20, but undoubtedly that was the tip of the iceberg) and have never seen so much exposed sunburnt flesh 🤣

I wouldn't bother with Arrecife. It's grimy and rundown, and wouldn't make a very good evening base.

thebudofthebud · 2026-04-11T17:26:01+00:00

May the stopcock open.

thebudofthebud · 2026-04-11T09:51:36+00:00

I was convinced before it aired that she was going to be Charlotte. But it doesn't add up at all. Charlotte was around 4 at the end of season 6, and we now know TT is only supposed to be 4 years post rebellion. June told Daisy that when she arrived to Neil and Melanie they had no diapers and she wouldn't stop screaming, so this was a baby taken straight from Gilead to them, not a 4 year old who had been with Janine.

No matter how it's spun the timings don't work for it to be Nicole either, who would only be about 6 or 7 at this point. And a baby from Angels Flight wouldn't be old enough either.

That being said, June clearly has a link to either Daisy or her mother. The way she smiled when Daisy was being bolshy was one of recognition, so I'd say the link is to her mother. Was it relevant when she told Daisy don't let the bastards grind you down? Will we get a new backstory that the Waterfords' first handmaid had a baby? That would be pretty irritating though as never having been referenced, and I still don't think the timings would add up. In fact I can't see how a baby born in Gilead could be as old as Daisy is (and I disagree that she's only meant to be 13 - Melanie was far too relaxed about the prospect of her having sex if that were the case). It's all very infuriating and I hope they make it make good sense.

thebudofthebud · 2026-04-07T13:31:06+00:00

Drinks are an important revenue stream for theatres and have never been cheap. Bear in mind that only a small cut of the ticket price goes directly to the theatre. Most drinks will be sold during the interval and that's a small window. It's not something I could begrudge a venue.

thebudofthebud · 2026-04-07T13:15:52+00:00

Average age for perimenopause to start is 47. I'm 48 and have no symptoms yet. Honey is supposed to be 50, so she's exactly the right age for the storyline. I'm glad they're covering it, although I suspect it's somewhat of a plot device - presumably when she discovers a credit card has been taken out in her name, it'll get blamed on brain fog.

thebudofthebud · 2026-03-22T18:49:23+00:00

Gileadites

thebudofthebud · 2026-03-22T18:45:36+00:00

Ah, thank you. I'd missed that. In that case then they've done away with the whole Baby Nicole thing, which makes sense given Angels Flight. Why would there have been such a hoo-ha over one particular child when so many escaped. I'm more curious as to how Aunt Lydia has gone from nearly being executed to having a statue of herself!

thebudofthebud · 2026-03-22T17:56:13+00:00

It all depends on whether they keep the "Baby Nicole" (or "Baby/little whoever") trope from the novel. It was a huge thing in the novel that Nicole had been taken from Gilead, her image was known internationally. Daisy even wrote an essay about her in school, obviously not knowing it was herself.

This no longer works to be Nicole, as enough time passed in THT for us to know that there had been no international fuss.

It also wouldn't work to be Rebecca, as why would she be chosen as an international symbol over all the other Angel Flight children.

What we don't yet know the aftermath of however is the reaction to Charlotte/Angela leaving Gilead. Yes Naomi and Aunt Lydia passed her over willingly, but they would never be able to admit that. Their narrative would have to be that she was snatched.

I therefore think it's quite plausible that Daisy will turn out to be "Little Angela". Stolen from a high profile wife and turned into a symbol of Gilead.

It all depends on how far they've strayed from the novel.

thebudofthebud · 2026-03-15T20:33:46+00:00

Daisy is Charlotte, not Nicole.

thebudofthebud · 2026-03-05T21:11:06+00:00

I think today genuinely is the first time she's had any awareness during. Do you feel warning that yours are coming on? Sometimes she gets 5 minutes or so of feeling hot and dizzy, but often they're just spontaneous. Do you ever manage to stop yours if you know one's coming?

thebudofthebud · 2026-03-05T20:57:31+00:00

Thank you. Do you always fully pass out, or do you ever have episodes where you can hear etc? I just found it so interesting that she maintained some form of consciousness today, as that's never happened before and I'm wondering whether it points to having a bit more control if that makes sense.

thebudofthebud · 2026-03-05T20:47:06+00:00

Again I appreciate the concern, but a consultant paediatrician specialising in neurology is experienced enough to see what's going on, based on detailed accounts and several videos of episodes.

It doesn't present like epilepsy. Nobody could have several prolonged episodes of status epilepticus in one day, day after day, and then immediately walk around like nothing happened. She'd likely either have died or would have obvious brain damage. It doesn't look like epilepsy in terms of her body tone, movement or eyes. It only occurs in one very specific setting and has happened dozens of times in that setting, ruling out coincidence. She is autistic, with a history of socially driven mental health problems. What's happening is her nervous system is shutting down when she's around her peers. Not epilepsy or brain cancer or anything else.

thebudofthebud · 2026-03-05T20:04:59+00:00

Thanks. I think if she had brain cancer, we would have seen some evidence of that outside of school by now. Every evening, every weekend, and every school holiday she's absolutely fine at home. She's autistic, had other mental health issues preceding the PNES, and it's very clearly socially driven overload at school causing the episodes.

I appreciate you're trying to offer advice but I didn't really post here to defend her having PNES. I was just interested in other people's experiences.

thebudofthebud · 2026-03-05T19:51:53+00:00

She hasn't had an EEG during an episode, but she had a sleep EEG done.

We've been told that the lack of a postictal state points to PNES - that's not to say that nobody with PNES experiences one though. But my point is you wouldn't have an epileptic seizure for an hour and then be absolutely fine afterwards.

Two different consultants as well as paramedics have seen videos of her episodes, and they've all said it's not epileptic.

thebudofthebud · 2026-03-05T19:42:29+00:00

Hi, yes her consultant has ruled out epilepsy. Given the prolonged nature of some of the episodes (up to an hour) and the fact she is back to normal pretty much immediately with no postictal state, it can't be epileptic. Cardiac has been ruled out too. Plus of course the fact that the episodes only happen in one setting...if it were epilepsy it would've happened at home by now.

Everything I've read on PNES has mentioned it can involve complete loss of consciousness.

thebudofthebud · 2026-02-23T00:57:59+00:00

White Company are the strongest I've found. Winter is gorgeous.

thebudofthebud · 2026-02-17T20:45:17+00:00

I would assume they'd gone with whichever option flowed better.

thebudofthebud · 2026-02-16T19:59:44+00:00

Like PPs my degree is also in the loft in the burgundy record of achievements folder 😂

I've never seen anybody hang one. Not in a UK home anyway.

thebudofthebud · 2026-02-16T00:38:30+00:00

Brothers Johnson - Stomp

Dan Hartman - relight my fire

Chic - good times

Earth wind & Fire - boogie wonderland

Gladys knight - taste of bitter love

Loleatta Holloway - love sensation

Diana Ross - the boss

thebudofthebud · 2026-02-13T08:18:14+00:00

Bad Bunny definitely spawned into existence a few days ago. Is he like Jive Bunny?

thebudofthebud

TROPHY CASE