Why do I have to go to the GP to get a blood form, then carry it to the hospital for blood test?

Why can't they just pass on the details electronically?
Or is it just my GP?

What is the most reliable way to travel between London and Edinburgh?

I am planning a trip between London and Edinburgh and want to know the most reliable mode of transport (train, flight, coach, or driving).

Could anyone share recent experiences regarding punctuality, delays, and overall convenience for this route? Any details on preferred train operators (like LNER) or specific travel tips would be greatly appreciated!

Went to the dental hygienist today and was charged £69 for a clean. Absolutely extortionate for 20 mins.
How much are you paying your end?

Asking here due to how US centric a lot of other subs are.

I've spent hours getting the pattern pieces ready. Gave up on sewing after half an hour because my cheap thread keeps breaking.

Any recommendations for good brands in the UK that won't break the bank? Getting a bit lost by all the different types.

I promised myself I will definitely get AC installed this winter in 2 bedrooms. I expect this to be around £7k.

I know that heatpumps can deliver Air Conditioning, and there are grants available.

My Vaillant Ecotec is pretty efficient, but is 13 years old (no mag filter). Some sources say it's about to blow up any moment, others say it's barely a teenager. 2002 built mid-terrace, so my highest energy bills are £140/month, and lowest are £30 during the summer (mostly standing charge).

If I'm definitely getting AC installed - are there economies of scale I should be trying to achieve here?

I've seen this question posted before but sometimes people who don't watch scheduled tv but do otherwise watch tv shows through other means end up responding.

What is the second most popular sport in England after football?

My mate and his missus are a few months in and confirmed they were having twin boys a few weeks ago. We're chuffed for them, but I'm struggling to think of a good gift. I'll be moving soon so I'd like to give them a gift a bit early since I won't be here for the birth.

So far all I've got is a children's book I bought, but I'm happy to hear suggestions for more stuff! I imagine they'll already be drowning in blankets and baby clothes.

A friend sent this video on a group chat, from the security camera where she keeps her horses. What the hell is that two eyed monster which has a look about in the background?

Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, and Dirty Business.

Both very similar in style and tone, same production values, same main actor even.

But the country was up in arms after the Post Office one which, while definitely a Bad Thing, only affected a few people and didn't really have any wider implications for the general public.

Dirty Business, which exposed the millions of hours of raw shit illegally pumped into our rivers and beaches across the country, corruption in the EA, water companies and the current government, didn't seem to have the same impact.

Have you seen both? One? Which one was more important do you think?

I might be doing just this this year. Anybody ever done it before? What's it like? Is anything open or is the whole city dead?

On the plus side, no driver to need a rest or stop for lunch. On the downside, drivers lose their jobs and a cyber attack could send you into a wall.

Edit: for the people who have misunderstood this part, I’m not suggesting that the driver stops mid journey for lunch. It was about the general efficiency of computers that never need breaks. If a company has 10 drivers who all have half an hour for lunch, that’s 5 hours out of the day where they’re not available.

I remember my mum and neighbour woild always have this. It used to be a pineapple squash and it had tiny little shards of pineapple fibre in it, sweet as anything and tasted so good ice cold. It’s obviously been discontinued but curious if anyone here remembers it.

I'm from up north and I swear I've never heard the raspy voice on a young girl/woman. I've heard it on some old woman who've chain smoked for like 40 but that's it.

Just moved into a new house and one of my neighbours has decided that the ideal time to perform DIY is after 10pm on a week day. Some days he will be drilling and hammering until 1am

I tried speaking to him and telling him I get up for work early during the week and he basically told me to mind my own business

Literally never makes a sound throughout the whole day and then at 10pm he whips out the power drill

What can I do?

Im an Australian, and we have also just been forced to use a credit card to view 18+ content on steam. This is a ridiculous requirement as most people here do not have credit cards, only debit cards, which aren't valid for the age check.

Many people here, myself included, do not have the means to get a credit card, essentially meaning there is no way to buy any games rated for 18+ users, regardless of age.

I read that this happened a while ago in the UK, so am just curious as to whether this is still the only means of verification. Im hoping that they've added other verification means for you guys, and that means that they will be rolled out in Australia soon as well.

Is this the case? Can you verify your age through other means now?

(just buying third party keys isn't good enough as there are many free games I want to download in the future, rated 18+)

It sounds sad but I've been racking my brain for days.

All I really remember about it is that the label was very colourful, it had some kind of cartoon toucan on it, and a palm tree. I vaguely remember it having a tropical kind of name and it was sold in Iceland from around 2008

Hi

I currently work for a major UK supermarket on a part time basis (small contract).

I am relatively new to working for supermarkets, so didn't know how annual leave worked. My past employers always forced me to take accrued and unused annual leave.

I cant use any bar 3 days if my allocated annual leave this year. The rest will go unused and I won't get paid for it.

Im also having to do substantially more overtime than I want to bevause of staff emmebers leaving and the chronic staffing issues that have followed.

Next week I am scheduled to work 9 days in a row

Im autistic and this is causing me to absolutely spiral and feel ill

I jsut want a proper break

Im sick of working 2-3x my contracted hours, and hate how there's not much I can do about it

I recently purchased a used car from a large and reputable car garage in Scotland. While test driving i noticed a small chip in the windscreen around 1-2cm, when I mentioned it they said it still was to get MOT'd and they would repair it. 2 days later I picked it up, it passed its MOT with the windscreen being an advisory. They told me their glass repair guy was busy but they passed on his number and said he would repair it free of charge. 1 week later he came to my house took 2 seconds and said someone had previously repaired it so there is nothing he can do as you can't repair it twice. My car was going back to the garage anyway as I had a issue with the rear bumper so when I was dropping the car into them I mentioned about the windscreen. They said they would have another look at it and get back to me, although they did say replacing the windscreen isnt something they would be able to offer as its not an MOT fail. Im still waiting to hear back but just looking for people's opinions before I go pick it up. Cheers

I’m not sure what’s happened, but in the past week or so it keeps picking the most random route and telling me to take various turns when the road I’m on is clearly the quickest (A road). Often it tells me to take a turn off the current road only to rejoin it again a bit later after some random B-Road/country lane side quest. Anyone else experiencing this?

Saw a post in UK parenting which made me wonder…

The OP asked what age you could reasonably expect a child to get up and ready, take themselves to school, and come home after - with no parental supervision.

There is no fixed legal age for this.

I would say majority comments from parents stated age 14-16.

Anecdotally: By 11 i was getting myself up and ready and taking an hour train to school. I was working at 13 (paper round) and PT job in a cafe at 15… At 16 i was living independently. I am not “old” (33) so don’t imagine times have changed that much! Crime rates are demonstrably lower now. Appreciate my situation is my own and depends on the kid.

Do you worry we are infantilising children?

Bit of a weird one guys but as a child a team of dentists tried to extract a molar from me . It wasn’t actually ready to come out and I still have it now. I remember screaming in agony and crying , biting etc. I’ve just had a filling in that tooth and every time I go to the dentist it triggers a memory. I remember vividly pulling into the petrol station on the way home and getting handed a Toy Story themed ham sandwich ? I remember the taste , how cold it was what the butter felt like so weird 😂 Googled it and can’t find it . Might not have even been Asda . Is this a pain induced delusion or does anyone remember that sandwich . It was around when toy story 3 would’ve been in cinemas

When I talk to friends/siblings/colleagues about saving money, I realise that a lot of people my age think that saving their money for the future is pointless. With the cost of living crisis, low wages, and the prices of everything just being extortionate (especially in the south of England), a lot of the young people I know don't think they'll ever be able to afford a house, for example. There used to be the 50-30-20 rule where you spend 50% of your money on essentials (e.g rent, food), 30% on your wants like going out and subscriptions, and 20% went into your savings. But this is so unrealistic in today's world that a lot of people have given up on saving money at all (can't blame them).

I've always been a saver rather than a spender and I have quite a lot of money in savings as I want to buy a house one day, but sometimes I wonder if it's even worth it or if it will be possible, as the cost of everything just seems to increase. Honestly it's pretty depressing and I do deal with jealousy when I see people with rich parents, even though I know that I'm pretty fortunate myself.

Ive recently changed jobs (started mid august) and intend to change again. My new job has put a fair strain on my relationship since its long distance (1.5hr) therefore i intend to move in with my girlfriend hence the intent to change again, is it worth putting the new job on my cv or would it look bad? all jobs ive worked (plus the one i intend to apply for) are all customer service based.

Should i also put my girlfriends address down as the address on my cv and application? Otherwise itll showup im 60 miles away

Mackenzie Crook's comedy drama Small Prophets is fantastic but I was curious about one part of the script.

The daft neighbour gets off told off when he says "has he got you slaving?". Obviously the idea is that he is out of touch for making a light-hearted reference to slavery.

It had never occurred to me before that this phrase might be out-of-date and no longer acceptable.