Any tree will grow to it’s surroundings. Sycamore (vermin of the tree world) and Eucolyptus are quite fast growing so best avoided. Pots are an option but the trees will become pot bound and will need root reduction and top pruning to balance, similar techniques to the bonsai process.

For open ground planting, Japanese maple are quite sedate in growth and will reward you with spectacular Autumn foliage. As someone mentioned above, dwarf fruit cultivars are very common these days.

His pronouncements on abortion and “failing to see the moral argument” for paid annual leave – means that on his demise, I will celebrate.

I will join you.

their error, your hassle/cost seems to be entirely normalised

This. Most definitely this!

There is a special circle in hell for HMRC. I have had so many issues with them over the years despite being strictly PAYE with no other income. Grossly incompetent is several levels above where HMRC are currently. I would counter that by saying that there are some operatives who soar above the rest unfortunately it is very difficult to get through to them.

Sweet Christmas! Never expected that!

…then there were three.

Seems that the people butchered on Oct 7th don’t count neither does the celebration of their deaths.

I’ll leave you to it.

if Hamas has the possibility of targeting an IDF target or a civilian target they will go for the military one

Can’t believe I have read that. Hamas don’t care as long as the target is Israeli. I take it you have seen the body-cam footage from the Hamas attack? Supporting the Palestinian people is one thing, attempting to justify Hamas is something quite different.

What Hamas did was unforgiveable, Israel’s response is totally unforgiveable. Neither side care who they kill, friend or foe. My thoughts are with the innocents on both sides.

#edit: “I thought long and hard before posting in this thread, I generally avoid them for exactly this binary view of the world. I’ll leave you to it.” – Ditto.

Used to be a big fan of MAH but lately she seems to be playing more “challenging” stuff described above as “self-indulgent mega mix of pretentious experimental twaddle”.

I’d be less complementary and say that she is morphing into the radio equivalent of John Thomson’s ‘Louis Balfour’ character from the Fast Show.

Yeah I read that as sadness.

In which case you read it right.

This place truly brings out the best and the worst in people.

Many notes being made in preparation for the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness.

Not worn formal shirts since COVID kicked of the WFH phenomenon, excepting a couple of funerals.

Main go to was generally Next. Ticked most boxes in terms of fit, value, and longevity.

St. Helens.

Brown bin – general garbage – fortnightly

Black box – glass – weekly

White bag – cans and plastics – weekly

Blue bag – paper – weekly

Green bag – cardboard weekly

Grey caddy – food recylcing

Green bin – garden waste – fortnightly (chargeable @ £30 pa)

Pretty good really.

It’s an impossible situation in a humane society but keeping Tories, US insurance companies and shareholders as far away from the NHS as possible would be a great start.

This, most definitely this.

In my limited experience we seem to waste an awful lot of NHS resources on giving people an entirely undignified death.

This would require a grown up conversation which, in general in this country, we are not capable of.

Big fan of Dell and Lenovo, very reliable and long lasting. Currently got a HP Z-Book. Heavy, don’t like the keyboard, and it has a battery life better measured in minutes than hours.

I bet there are many a computer repaiman that has a very large stash of all sorts of things they have found on customers’ broken laptops etc…

I know of one who has harvested much home produced material.

Yes it is. TJ you know that banning drugs doesn’t work, as you argue in the legalisation of drugs thread you started. What makes you think a ban on smoking will work where banning other drugs hasn’t? All that will happen is a massive black market will be created along with all the crime and associated violence which comes with it.

This. Ban it, push it into the shadows, open another door for the criminal gangs.

I’m an ex-smoker, almost 20 years now. Hate the smell but don’t believe it should be banned. We need a grown up conversation.

Interesting to see the correlation between those who are keen on banning smoking but are also in favour of legalising drugs…

One reason is the insane amount of air-time Farage and his ilk get on national television versus the likes of the Greens etc.

This. Very much this. If we had a bit less air-time given to the hate-mongers and division makers, maybe we could have some adult conversations about the issues facing the country.

Car is a 2009 Hyundai. Battery was fitted brand new last Sunday. Since then it’s had a few trips the last one being Thursday evening. Car was locked up and left till Saturday morning, so about 36 hours.  Just seems really weird that it has drained completely to the point that none of the dashboard lights even come on

Mesh network. Deco from TP-Link transformed WIFI provision in the house and outside into the garden. Reasonable price and additional units can be added if needed, e.g. loft, shed, etc.

Cast your minds back to Jamie’s school dinners I think it was. He removed shite from the lunch menu and introduced healthier options. Cue a bunch of thick as **** mums doing chippy runs for the children. This kind of mentality will stop any meaningful progress.

In terms of exercise look at cycling for example. Reasons for not taking it up as a commuting option often include the “weather”. I was in Copenhagen a few years back in February. Couldn’t move for cycles, same with Amsterdam. It’s a mindset.

On the positive side I am a member of Pure Gym and it is always busy in the evening and includes couples and groups of younger males and females hanging out. In terms of cost, it is a very cheap way of keeping fit and is accessible to most people. It’s not all doom and gloom.

True. They probably stopped at Tebay services for an overpriced beaker of gruel.

Just snorted tea down my nose.

Take it to the kitchen when go to make the Ovaltine!

I think that we have found this week’s “Living Life to the Max” winner.

The silly hedgerow cutting laws dont help, only certain times of the year you can cut hedgerows

Which allows birds to nest and raise their young. Apologies for any inconvenience.

What I find particularly strange is how he simply stands there with bricks flying around, he must have been completely out of his head.

The video clip of him earlier certainly suggests an element of substance abuse.

£10 says random brick guy is on Strictly, Celebrity BB, or similar.

Very well put MCTD.

Seen a couple of them over the last day or so. Could be precursors to the main event?

It isn’t bad, not been great and far from ideal, but it isn’t bad.

Where are you? North west England has been pitiful. Cold, grey, damp.

As I’ve said on previous threads and others have said on here, if this is really the best America has to offer then it is a really sorry state of affairs.

Its not centre left.  Its centre right establishment.  Its just a load of folk who are centre right claim to be centre left.  I find the right wing establishment comfy middle class bias very obvious.

Not been on here for a couple of days so rewound a bit. Noticed the above. I know we aren’t allowed personal insults but I find this a pretty insulting, condescending pile of shite from the usual suspect.

Obviously they are no longer “working class” 

Maybe if we moved away from the ridiculous adherence to the class system and stop putting people in boxes…

There is one less house for people in need to rent at a fair rent because of her.

So we are saying that anyone who took advantage of a Tory policy can no longer claim to be left wing or working class?

Just seen who’s in Stoma’s cabinet.

Is a military coup likely? Trying to keep my spirits up

Hey Dan, I really hope you get some good news soon. Maybe GBeebies will have you back?

Despite what our resident Wish.com Wootten says I’ve seen worse cabinet appointees. Pretty much all of them in the last 14 years without exception.

In the future when I encounter someone I believe to be monumentally intellectually challenged I shall be asking the question, “Are you from Clacton?”

Is the Gossip set on iPlayer? Can only find one track.

Thought The Last Dinner Party were amazing.

Saw that yesterday. Everyone was happy and the kid’s got good skills. What’s not to like?