**** hectic. It’s been alright since the Easter “holidays” but I’m not looking forward to next week when I need to try to school my two as well.

Single Dad of a 4 and 8 year old. I’d hoped to be able to school both at the same time for a few hours then go back to work, but that didn’t go to plan. I’m just sitting one on my desk beside me while I try to do their schoolwork and keep an eye on my email at the same time.

Their Mum isn’t much use as she only takes them for a few hours in the evening during the working week (and the kids also have homework and dinner to do when they are with her – yes, they have been set daywork as well as homework!)

It’ll be good once it’s all over. I’m busier than ever 🙁

Hey – Going through similar just now, I’m being painted as a d*ck too (and being called it by her many many times!)

The kids and I were homeless for a few weeks until last weekend living in a B&B while she was living in our family home by herself (oh, she’s an alcoholic and that was the reason we had to leave.)

Solicitors involved etc and we have essentially pulled rank on her and forced her out of the house so the kids weren’t homeless – you would have thought that she would also put the kids first, but she is the most bitter vindictive person I have ever met now. Even though I’ve said that on her night with the kids she can stay in the house and I will sleep on a sofa somewhere (she can have a fortnightly supervised overnight – Social services have ruled this.)

It’s hard to do, but you have to just rise above, keep your temper away and keep being reasonable. People will see through her lies and make up their own minds – and if they side with her so be it, that’s up to them.

K

How are they eating? Both my 8 and 4 year old are generally well behaved until they are hungry.

If I don’t get some sort of food into them before 1730 then I may we well be living with two demons.

Born there – grew up down the road, but no idea where the name came from.

I always would have spelt it with a “sh”

Invershneckie (It’s the f**keen business!)

K

My (ex)wife’s an alky so probably not the best to answer this one!

However it sounds like you are planning something like West Coast Cooler which is popular with the ladies over here in Ireland. Seems popular enough, but if you can get the word Gin into it somewhere I’m sure you’d sell more.

Why not both? Stick one of those small cheap one-man tents inside the van as a sleeping pod.

There are support services for you and your parents. My (ex)wife is an alcoholic and I have found the support from social services, citizens advice and doctors excellent.

Short version is that I had to move myself and our children out of the house as they were no longer safe and couldn’t be left alone with her. My own mental health was suffering, and the more I did to try to help her the worse her issues got.

You need to look after yourself and your parents. I’ve learnt a lot from Al-Anon ( https://www.al-anonuk.org.uk/ ) I would highly recommend looking up a local meeting as it has been a huge help for me, and for the rest of the people who go. Ignore the god stuff if you want (I do!) It’s about the support.

Good luck.

Keith

Yes, do it.

Really helps skills and is a great laugh.

Stick at the physio. I shattered my wrist at the Foxhunt last year and got a pile of titanium in it.

While I’ve not done much bumpy stuff this year it’s getting stronger all the time and I’m pretty sure next year I’ll be back on the MTB properly. If you don’t use it you’ll never get it strong enough.

Oh, and buy a wrist support/splint – they are cheap and make a huge difference.

The shifts are hourly and in Belfast up to 23:00. So you’d have a 1800-1900, 2000-2100 etc. So starting at 1800 wouldn’t be an issue.

crymble – a few questions…
– How much is the kit to get started? Do you need to buy more than the bag? Do you need to wear thier kit to ride in?

Free. They supply bags, a jacket, a helmet and a phone mount. Only thing you have to use in the bag, but the phone mount is handy and the jacket is ‘alright’ as long as you don’t mind getting sweaty. In poor light the bag and jacket come into their own as they are very very reflective. Personally I use my own jacket and helmet – as they are better than the supplied.

– How is it paid? Are you classed and self-employed and sort oall the tax stuff out yourself? This would be on top of my normal 9-5 job so definitely above the tax threshold.

Yup, self-employed, so you need to do a tax return and all that jazz. You get paid directly to your bank account.

– How reliable is it to get the jobs? I’d be looking at tues/Weds evenings from about 6pm onwards. Do you need to be there consistently to get a chance? I’ve read terms like “early shirt release” but I thought you just logged in when you were available like taxi25 says?

The shifts are released in phases, generally if you know what hours you want to do then try to book them as soon as they come up, and even if they aren’t free you can be alerted if they become free. Be fast if they do as once you get a shift you can select it to be re-occurring weekly. I believe there are some areas where you can just turn up and log on, but that isn’t the case in Belfast where I work. I do similar to what you are planning and do 1700-2100/2200 but often the shifts will only come up in the few hours before I start – I just have my stuff with me and if they don’t come free then no biggie (this would be a big downside if I had to rely on it for my mortgage.)
If you can work busy shifts (Fri/Sat/Sun nights,) then you can get priority access to shifts. I never have, so I can’t comment on how easy these shifts are to get.

One thing I will say is that it’s hard on your bike. All the stopping, starting, locking, unlocking, rain, dirt etc etc eats through components. I generally ride an old Dawes single speed as I don’t care if it gets damaged or nicked and there isn’t much to go wrong. It’s a good way to kill an evening, get some exercise, get some beer money and generally while reasonably physically hard work it’s pretty good craic bombing about the town.

Keith

Hi – I’m a Deliveroo rider and there are pluses and minusus to it.

– It is flexible, I took a while off, I’m now working again, but on the downside it isn’t “totally” flexible as unless you are doing it really regularly then you are low down the pecking order for getting the shifts you want. I do a 9-5 job as well, but ‘roo a couple of times a week.

– I’m paid to ride my bike……Let that sink in. I am paid to ride my bike.

– It’s hard enough work when the weather isn’t good and doesn’t pay that well – I wouldn’t want to have it as my main job, but I do it a couple of evenings a week. Normally make between £10 and £15 an hour which isn’t too bad. So instead of going to the gym/turbo/training I can do a good session (lots of sprints from lights!) and make about £50.

– I think it opens up being able to deliver to a lot of restaurants who may not be busy enough to justify having a delivery driver (or allow them to do deliveries every night of the week.)

Open to questions from anyone about it too! AME 🙂

Actually agree with this – as there are some really bad riders out there!

As a Deliveroo rider I would hope that they do respond to you, but be wary that they are unlikely to have all of our exact locations unless we are actually on a live job at the time (when not on a job I think our location is just polled at an interval.)

KC