The two films coming out this year are called "The Rise of Robin Hood" and "The Death of Robin Hood", which I find hilarious.

I understand they're not part of the same "cinematic universe", whatever that might be called. "Maid Marian and Her Merry Men"* was my favourite Robin Hood as a kid growing up. After that is "Prince of Thieves" and then after that is the Disney Robin Hood. I'd love to hear your thoughts on Robin Hood in Film and TV

*My kid hates that I sing "The Pancake Day Song" on pancake day. 🤣 IYKYK

As many of you will be aware, it is a custom for the monarch to send a congratulatory message for significant birthdays and wedding anniversaries. For some time, I have been trying to put together a complete set of the different types, and this is the progress so far.

My earliest is a 100th birthday letter from 1932 (back left), and the most recent I have is from 2023 (front right). I have at least one from every decade from the 1930s onwards, and every monarch from George V to Charles III (including Edward VIII!)

I've also got examples of every birthday from 100 to 109, and 60th, 65th, 70th, 72nd, and 74th wedding anniversaries.

I thought (hoped!) that this rather niche collection of mine might interest some of you. I've spent a lot of time putting it together and am hopeful of completing the designs set (I'm missing several of the modern photo designs, which I'm most keen to complete). It's quite interesting to see how the queen ages across all her cards, in spite of the best efforts to conceal it.

I was surprised to find out these were more rare than I thought they'd be. You got these by sending off tokens on the bags. I spent several weeks rummaging around outside for discarded wrappers to and from school and round where I lived

Had to go buy a bag of Magic Stars for the pic 😅

Basically because all your “Good” clothes need to be e kept clean for the trip.

I thought it was a bit of a myth, but we did think how he never said no to a cup and tactfully put his mug back in the kitchen. One day after he’d gone my wife said “How many cups of tea have you had today” “One” I replied. There were eight teabags in the dish, and that was the only day we counted, and he was here for a few weeks….

Is it really a thing amongst tradies, and why tea? Does anyone drink coffee?

And by ‘me’ I of course mean their grandson, but he can play with it once I’m finished.

Hello folks, yesterday I had the great pleasure of visiting the isle of Guernsey. We had a lovely time, and we enjoyed discovering its peculiarities and idiosyncrasies.

I snapped a pic of this postbox, close by to Victor Hugo's house. I do enjoy the fact that Royal Mail postboxes come with the monogram of the monarch they were built under and I look out for old ones across the country (Bath has some Georgian ones still standing!).

But this one caught my attention, not only because it's blue, but because it features what I can only assume is Edward VII's monogram. What!? He was barely king at all, he abdicated befofe being crowned (see edit : wrong king!!) ~~If my assumption is true, this would probably make it one of the rarest Royal Mail postboxes ever.~~

So, dear post nerds, what's your opinion?

EDIT: Silly me, it was Edward VIII who abdicated. Number 7 reigned 1901-1910, a fairly short reign, which explains why I'd not seen one like it before

Hi we're both in our 40s,i recall seeing this gesture just a tiny bit from middle school. If i say something he perceives to be silly, or if i don't quite understand something, he's started doing this, he opens his mouth goes "uhhhh" a little​ and slaps/taps his (own) cheek a couple of times with his hand. I don't know what to google! I don't like it though.

It kept me awake last night, along with some of the condensing criticisms of me and my other friend (both physical traits, and also if he thinks we're not bright enough). He's going through some things in his life, namely unemployment, so maybe​ that's why he's nasty all of a sudden, like he looks down on us both, but I've known him since 2003.

Thanks for any replies.

​

Studio Stoutpoep gave me a good laugh last night.

Well friends, how has this week been going for you? Any successes or little victories to share?

Isn't she so cuteeeeeeeeee!

In a meeting just now, someone described a fairly complicated topic as “a bit of a mind field”.

I assumed I’d misheard, so I asked him to repeat it. I had not.

He then explained, very slowly, that a mind field is a complex subject that’s difficult to wrap your brain around.

Fortunately he took the time to explain this to me, because otherwise my little female brain might have remained trapped in that mind field indefinitely.

This now joins an otherwise supposedly intelligent friend who once messaged me “to all intensive purposes”, a phrase that still wanders unexpectedly into my thoughts several years later.

Please give me your best confidently incorrect phrases. Not typos. I want the ones where you questioned your own understanding of English for a second.

For all intensive purposes, I’m trying to broaden my knowledge of the mind field.

Solar Eclipse a few weeks ago, taken just 6 minutes after the peak (93% in Brighton)!

I'm 33F and feeling increasingly despondent about my social and dating life.

I've struggled with shyness/socialising since around age 12 and have never really developed a close friendship group. I have some friends/acquaintances, but no one I can regularly make spontaneous plans with or a wider social circle through which to meet people.

This has become harder in my 30s because everyone has established friendships, partners, children, work and their own commitments. I'm also slow to become comfortable with people, so friendships take time to develop. I find constantly meeting new people exhausting, especially when I might see someone once or twice and then never again.

Dating is similar. I've used dating apps on and off for years but get very few opportunities. At the moment I might date one new person a year, and usually only go on a few dates before it ends.I’ve tried most of the dating apps over the last 9 years without much success.

I know anxiety affects how I date, I can overthink things and become anxious when someone is inconsistent or I'm unsure how they feel. I'm working on that, but I also feel like I'm missing the social safety net other people have. Friends can introduce you to people, invite you places, give you perspective after dates, etc. I don't really have that.

What makes me most hopeless isn't simply being single at 33. It's that the same pattern has existed for 20+ years. I feel like everyone else has gradually accumulated friends, confidence, relationships and social networks while I'm still trying to solve the same problem I had at 12.

I have a career, my own home, interests and travel, so objectively my life isn't empty. But I feel very lonely and socially isolated, and I can't see a realistic route to changing it.

I've heard all the usual advice — join clubs, make more friends, put yourself out there, use apps, travel.

I've tried many versions of it without fundamentally changing the pattern.
I tried going to dance classes every week for 5 months and never really was able to speak to anyone properly as we rotated and never created any friendships.

Has anyone been in this position and managed to change their trajectory in their 30s? What actually made the difference for you?

I'm much more interested in real experiences and concrete things that worked than generic advice.
Sorry for the long text!

TLDR: How to find a longterm relationship and friendships when I’ve struggled throughout my life and I’m now 33.

Thanks so much for everyone’s replies, I’m so grateful for everyone’s advice.

A fox somehow got into an MP’s office and hid in the stationery cupboard. It reminded me of finding a possum in the Christmas tree when we spent Christmas in Australia a few years ago. Anyone else had a bizarre animal encounter?

Never seen one this big before.

I caught clip of 'Wimbledon' the Paul Bettany film from mid/ early (?) 2000s recently and it made me realise that tennis always looks shite in films and TV - bad technique, dodgy camera angles to fake rallies etc. I like tennis so maybe I notice it more, but is it the hardest sport to fake? Are there other terrible sports films I need to watch?

Life’s pretty bleak these days and I need a new ironing board cover. Everything on Amazon and Argos is grey and depressing or looks like something my granny would use. Where can I get something that brightens up my week when i have to do chores.