MyBB'ers in the United Kingdom & Ireland

Sinbad said:
What I will say though is see how you feel as the days get longer and brighter. SAD is a real thing.
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Was thinking about this and what I’ve learnt over the last 4 years about staying sane(sort of) through the dark cold period.

Stay fit. Initially only kept active in summer which meant general fitness dropped and we spent summer trying to get back into shape.
- Indoor static trainer for my bike. Cheap and cheerful Halfords thing. Noisy bit of kit but with some cheap moo fit trackers does a pretty decent job.
- Indoor rower, just to break the monotony of cycling.

Force yourself to go outdoors. It’s hard to break default settings which was stay indoors when the weather is bleak. This comes down to gear. As a simple hack I wash cars weekly through winter to keep the grit and rust at bay with the side benefit of acclimation and some brain training to just get on with it.
Similarly doing a short evening walk is pretty effective.

Travel. And I don’t mean the expensive kind. This country is exceptionally beautiful. @killerbyte mentioned his SO falling in love with the countryside. There is so much to see and do for the price of fuel and food. Museums are really good and free. Loads of side benefits to travel and it doesn’t need to be far or out of budget.
 
PaulKempTheSecond said:
Was thinking about this and what I’ve learnt over the last 4 years about staying sane(sort of) through the dark cold period.

Stay fit. Initially only kept active in summer which meant general fitness dropped and we spent summer trying to get back into shape.
- Indoor static trainer for my bike. Cheap and cheerful Halfords thing. Noisy bit of kit but with some cheap moo fit trackers does a pretty decent job.
- Indoor rower, just to break the monotony of cycling.

Force yourself to go outdoors. It’s hard to break default settings which was stay indoors when the weather is bleak. This comes down to gear. As a simple hack I wash cars weekly through winter to keep the grit and rust at bay with the side benefit of acclimation and some brain training to just get on with it.
Similarly doing a short evening walk is pretty effective.

Travel. And I don’t mean the expensive kind. This country is exceptionally beautiful. @killerbyte mentioned his SO falling in love with the countryside. There is so much to see and do for the price of fuel and food. Museums are really good and free. Loads of side benefits to travel and it doesn’t need to be far or out of budget.
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I'll add to this, stuff I've learned too:

SAD lights. Get a decent one and use it in the mornings.

Travel - book some kind of trip to somewhere sunny (doesn't have to be far or expensive - spain, canaries, south of france, italy etc) for around February sometime. This gives you something tangible to look forward to through the dark months, and it really is revitalising when you do it. Obvs this gets easier and cheaper once you have a british passport. Europe visas suck ass. So maybe somewhere like Marrakesh or similar. It's all so close by!
 
Sinbad said:
I'll add to this, stuff I've learned too:

SAD lights. Get a decent one and use it in the mornings.

Travel - book some kind of trip to somewhere sunny (doesn't have to be far or expensive - spain, canaries, south of france, italy etc) for around February sometime. This gives you something tangible to look forward to through the dark months, and it really is revitalising when you do it. Obvs this gets easier and cheaper once you have a british passport. Europe visas suck ass. So maybe somewhere like Marrakesh or similar. It's all so close by!
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Agree, the visa thing is also not that bad. More admin than anything else. Downside being you can’t just decide on a whim to travel and take advantage of the deals that pop up.

Haven’t looked into SAD lights but will.
 
PaulKempTheSecond said:
Agree, the visa thing is also not that bad. More admin than anything else. Downside being you can’t just decide on a whim to travel and take advantage of the deals that pop up.

Haven’t looked into SAD lights but will.
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Only way we've been able to get my wife Spain visas has been to use their concierge service. Could never find appointments - and it seems expensive at like £500 a pop, but by the time you factor in a day off work and the train tickets to london etc, it actually works out about the same.
 
Sinbad said:
Only way we've been able to get my wife Spain visas has been to use their concierge service. Could never find appointments - and it seems expensive at like £500 a pop, but by the time you factor in a day off work and the train tickets to london etc, it actually works out about the same.
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When I was still on my SA passport I had to apply for a Spanish visa. What a PITA. Had to go to the Spanish embassy in Edinburgh as I'm north of Manchester. If you are south of Manchester you go to London. What a trek.

No more of that now with my UK passport. Can just hop on a cheap flight and go to somewhere in Europe at the drop of a hat.
 
gregmcc said:
When I was still on my SA passport I had to apply for a Spanish visa. What a PITA. Had to go to the Spanish embassy in Edinburgh as I'm north of Manchester. If you are south of Manchester you go to London. What a trek.

No more of that now with my UK passport. Can just hop on a cheap flight and go to somewhere in Europe at the drop of a hat.
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I’m planning a trip out to Spain this year to see some family. My son and wife have British passports. So just me on my pleb passport. So will need to get a visa. Head hurry stories though.
 
If you need a new UK passport now is the time to apply before the cost goes up :(

Passport fees to pass £100 mark for first time - here's how long you have to avoid paying more​

The cost of a standard adult passport will rise to more than £100 for the first time next month.

Online applications made for people aged 16 and over are set to rise by 8% from £94.50 to £102 from 8 April, the Home Office has announced.

Passports for children under 16 will cost £66.50, up from £61.50.

Postal applications will increase from £107 to £115.50 for adults and £74 to £80 for children.

The changes are still subject to parliamentary approval, but are likely to pass.
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gregmcc said:
If you need a new UK passport now is the time to apply before the cost goes up :(

Passport fees to pass £100 mark for first time - here's how long you have to avoid paying more​

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Meh, can only do it in 3 years.
 
I know a few of you are into cars. This is an impressive new addition if you like a bit of fun karting.
www.kart.silverstone.co.uk

Book

Secure your spot for unforgettable karting adventures at Silverstone! We have sessions for every racer –Bambinos, Juniors and Adults. Get on Track now!
www.kart.silverstone.co.uk www.kart.silverstone.co.uk
 
PaulKempTheSecond said:
I know a few of you are into cars. This is an impressive new addition if you like a bit of fun karting.
www.kart.silverstone.co.uk

Book

Secure your spot for unforgettable karting adventures at Silverstone! We have sessions for every racer –Bambinos, Juniors and Adults. Get on Track now!
www.kart.silverstone.co.uk www.kart.silverstone.co.uk
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We should organize something. This looks epic!
 
Stunning weather over the last 2 days, decided that tomorrow we will take the packrafts up to the lough I was at last week. Gonna be a mission but will see if its worth it. Would totally hike up for a dip but have a healing tattoo. Did a bit of drone flying around town today.

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Screenshot_20260320_163546_Drive.jpg
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prod said:
My wife and I are sort of battling here lately. We've been talking more and more about going back to SA and sad to say it might become a reality this year. Just can't seem to get ahead in this country under our current circumstances. We also really miss our friends and family and having just had a baby...the effect is like several times worse.

Still waiting to see how the IRL changes might impact us, as the main benefit would be staying for my son, but we just feel like we had a higher QOL in Cape Town than here. Also, people here constantly ask us why we are even here coming from SA (not in an anti-immigration why, more like suprised), they are genuinely confused which is interesting.
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As a non expat still slumming it in SA even though I have the passport.. My only comment is that you have to do what is right for you, regardless of what anyone else tells you.

Sa has a QOL that can be hard to beat if you have the right income and live in the right place but if you have kids it can be a hard sell for some people.
 
prod said:
Oh nice to have official HBO available:

www.hbomax.com

HBO Max | Stream HBO, series, movies, and more

Stream groundbreaking HBO series, hit movies, the DC Universe, Harry Potter, and TNT Sports on HBO Max.
www.hbomax.com www.hbomax.com
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Nice, also available this side. HBO was one of the reasons I have sky tv+, but the ridiculous €121 pm subscription can now be canceled methinks.
 
Sinbad said:
Only way we've been able to get my wife Spain visas has been to use their concierge service. Could never find appointments - and it seems expensive at like £500 a pop, but by the time you factor in a day off work and the train tickets to london etc, it actually works out about the same.
Click to expand...

Exact same, no appointments ever, take the "premium" service and there are loads. Although the lady helping at the embassy was nothing short of awful, got the job done, but my word she hated us
 
PaulKempTheSecond said:
Travel. And I don’t mean the expensive kind. This country is exceptionally beautiful. @killerbyte mentioned his SO falling in love with the countryside. There is so much to see and do for the price of fuel and food. Museums are really good and free. Loads of side benefits to travel and it doesn’t need to be far or out of budget.
Click to expand...
Spot on! Its the reason we got the Stelvio... a bigger more comfortable car for my 6'5 ass to drive as we explore more of the country.
Another trip to Cheddar Gorge and Pooh Corner are on the books. The Tulip Fields are opening up this weekend and my wife has been dying to go, we will be going later in April since we have our anniversary dinner this Saturday and the Thame Country Fair happening on Easter Weekend. But as you said, for the price of fuel and lunch you can see some of the most beautiful countryside in the world.
 
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