dulwichgirl2

Zeban, I can assure you that "when I was young", return tx anywhere, including notoriously expensive destinations such as Australia or south Africa were c. 400.

Don't know what to say. It is clearly appalling behaviour and I'm sorry if you had put effort into the garden. :-(

Whether it would be better to buy depends on your view on UK house prices. Mine is pretty negative ex london but less negative central london. Maybe country cottages move in line with prime london if extremely desirable ie not in line with their local price index. I'm not convinced. Factor in massive rises in borrowing costs and check that any fix you take out reverts to a rate above base rate as opposed to LIBOR. (sorry if this is basic stuff for you.)

It's an interesting idea and one which I looked into a while back re verbier before we had children and became poor. The Swiss market understood it but the UK one is focussed as you say on a few weeks here and there. You could of course find an nice place and then negotiate as they should value the guaranteed occupancy, lack of hassle, reduced cleaning costs etc. and you should get a much better rate than the weekly rate for sure. I'd look in Dorset perhaps or maybe the Cotswolds. Both are very pretty. I'd be interested to learn if there are websites for this as well nowadays actually.

Wow, those tickets are a lot. Yes, I forgot lunch. Pret a manger sandwich: blt used to be around 1.89 and now is over 3 I think. An americano used to be under a pound. Return plane tickets anywhere in the world used to be around 400 pounds. Holidays have really gone up. My husband's shirts have gone down in price though.... Not sure about suits.

Are you noticing it?! I am. Maybe it is increasing years but... 1. Any item of confectionery is about 70p. 2. Transport - constantly increasing. Eg tube pass 1990 for zones 1 and 2 was 364. I remember it as it was around a pound a day. Nowadays, a small fortune. 3. Haircuts - wash and bd around 30 quid at least. 4. Men's shoes. Church's used to be my husband's automatic choice. Now it is an investment for twenty years. 5. Starbucks or similar coffees. 6. A non snazzy night out eg a curry. 50 quid for two. 7. Don't even get me started on flats....

With regard to previous queries on who would care about these stats., the answer is that a lot of people would. For example, anyone who realises ED house prices are linked to there being some vg schools around, anyone with a child at either, anyone considering either school and, lastly, anyone interested in the fact that a mixed sex group has done better than the stereoptypical all girls one in controlled social economic circumstances. I tend to think that mixed education has to be better than all girls but had veered towards all girls on the grounds of achievement: accordingly it is fascinating to see that I'm wrong and a mixed group can do better academically while, I am convinced, reaping other benefits as well.

That is awful re the Victoria place. Can someone enlighten me - are there better or longer lasting types of immunity? Is it better to get it than be immunised? From the GP's comments, above, it seems like the answer is, "yes".

By the way when interviewing nannies we have made clear to them that we are quoting a gross wage is their tax etc comes out of that. Obviously the amount we pay per hour is commensurately higher. The benefit to us is that we dot get involved in their invariably messy previous tax position not do we take the risk of tax increases or their having other income that is weirdly taxed. Nannies are one of the few occupations where this strange net referencing still goes on and it is in the employer's interest to quote gross and get them on the same footing as most other providers Of services.

Londonmix, her employers do not pay her travel costs. I did not say this. I said that I was citing travel costs as the same type of example as your clothing example. Ie something needed to work but not deductible. Pls don't lecture me on basics like the taxation of benefits in kind when you are failing to pick up very clearly put points. I am not sure if you have got the main point - the revenue and she have agreed that her childcare costs are deductible as she works on an emergency basis.

Her body has had terrible trauma from a three day labour and section. It is not surprising that it has closed down, maybe temporarily, on the production of milk. Mummies need to get well and be well before they can give give give to babies. I would try the ideas outlined above but also remind your friend that formula feeding is fine, really, while trying to help her with her preferred option. She has to think of herself and get well in order to be the best possible mummy to her little one.

Immac?! Blimey!

There are some gorgeous houses in DH certainly. What is your favourite street?

Aqueous cream - very good make up remover, inter alia, for my hypo allergic eyes. Nappy bags - multi purpose Dead remote controls - toys Other side of printed out paper - drawing Shirt stiffener cardboard - drawing Christmas cards - when we get there! - good for cutting up and pasting. Large plastic storage buckets - generally useful and pack on top of each other.

Side rail as already suggested...

Londonmix, capito and agreed re clothing. I was citing travel costs in the same way. My point re my friend is that she has come to this agreement with the revenue, hence why it is of interest to post. (by the way, she wldnt be my friend if she were non declaring benefits in kind - that is fraud, put plainly.) the have allowed her to claim these emergency ch costs because of the whole nature of her work being very last minute and therefore some costs are deductible which would not be so for other people. Wretched phone!

The difference is that childcare is an absolutely necessary expense of working cf a gardener. Otoh, you may say that the train fare is a necessary and undeducible expense for the employed person. (note though that it is deductible for the selfemployed.) A friend of mine does supply teaching often a a moments notice. She somehow gets occasional credit for her chdcare costs but I think this is a tacit acknowledgement of the fact that if she can not work there will be a class of 30 nutcases causing havoc or indeed 30 other parents taking time off! Pls ignore lack of apostrophes and commas. iPhone is too hard work and wwants to insert its own!

Many thanks. Unfortunately the timings won't work but it is a good thing to hear about. Ps we saw Matilda and LOVED it. Excellently done. Disappointed to learn TLK is not as enthralling.

In your first post, I think you meant "wouldn't be totally pointless", londonmix?

We found with TT that you got hardly any goes on the equipment at all. They pack the class and you need to move quietly and calmly around as it is quite a small hall. Fair enough and a good discipline to learn but we found other classes or park open spaces more fun.

I need ten children's and 4 adult tickets. Not cheap as we have dinner as well after that. :-( Does anyone have any great ideas/know of great offers for cheap tickets? Would be very much appreciated!

Wod, I am afraid that your apparent inability to differentiate between an additional non transparent 250 cash and a payment for better advertising I find quite concerning. It is rare I encounter someone with zero moral compass so I have to assume you are winding me up.

We should lobby for childcare to become a fully deductible business expense* but with the current parlous UK finances i don't hold out much hope. * ie the total cost as opposed to how childc are vouchers work.

Haha. But it's true. Horrible story: in kings waiting for a scan, a grandma and thre year old come in. Three year old uses the f word. Grandma jumps to correct the poor child with, you guessed it, "don't you f' ing use that word fxxx f'ing again". It was very sad and reminded me of all the things that most depress me in life - luck, chances, birth etc.

Does anyone else find these phones' predictive function a mixed blessing?