Thread 32 - Corona Cohort 'May' the Mumsnet force be with them for their venture to exams

[OrangeCinnamonCroissant]

This is a thread for supporting all young people post GCSEs 2020, regardless of their educational setting. It is respectfully requested that all are supportive and helpful to each other. If you want to start a debate, e.g state vs private, please don't within this thread. Please also be sensitive when responding to threads about grades.

Some of us have been here since first thread back in yr10, some will be new. Everyone has been friendly and helpful in the past. Everyone is welcome. It is hoped this will continue.

Our DS/DD may go down various paths (such as employment, apprenticeships, higher ed) We have decided for anyone interested they will most likely find us within the Further Ed board.

Previous Thread 31

CONGRATULATIONS ZEBRACAT !

@Heifer if you want a SUPER easy dessert you can make tiramisu in about 10-15 minutes by mixing ready made custard and mascarpone (roughly equal quantities) which you layer with sponge fingers dipped for a few seconds in a coffee and alcohol mix (supposed to be amaretto but I use brandy, and you might have some whiskey to hand to make it an Irish coffee twist!). I do sponge fingers - creamy stuff - sponge fingers - creamy stuff. Dust cocoa or drinking chocolate on the top and you are done. I like to put a layer of banana slices in for a Baniramisu, but it is a flexible format!

@mango0 sorry to hear you DD got a rejection too. DS's GF did not mind as it was not her first choice, but was annoyed that she could have Firmed weeks ago and booked accommodation at Nottingham if Edinburgh had not sat on it for so long! DS is coping well with the wait.

My DD (y11) finished for study leave yesterday, I feel somewhat detached from it all TBH, she may well stay on for 6th form in any case and still has the prom, I don’t think it has sunk in that this is it, sort of.

DS doesn’t have study leave and wouldn’t want it, so life goes on as usual for him for a bit longer (no exams this coming week). It’s going to hit me a LOT harder when he walks out for the last time, I am deeply emotionally attached to his school (it’s a special school for those that don’t know and it has been life-changing for him and us). Whereas I have what I would just call normal levels of attachment to DD’s school, I’m fond of it and it’s been great but that’s all.

We are very boring and hold the Sainsbos order with cat food or bulk quantities of diet coke. We do click and collect and I normally pick it up but I made DH go the week I only got cat food, the driver is a regular and really nice but I felt so silly, whereas DH doesn’t know him and will probably never see him again.

Thanks for the heads up on this @Volterra . DS hasn't mentioned this and I will need to collect him at the end of June and drop him back at the beginning of August so will check where it covers and whether I need to pay ...

Am I the only person who doesn’t do online shopping?! I hate it, much prefer to shop in person. But I do Aldi for my main shop, which is half an hour max to get around.

I’m sure all the would-be Birmingham/Aston parents are aware of the clean air zone in Birmingham? It doesn’t necessarily affect UoB students unless you’re coming from the north but it would definitely impact Aston.

I rarely do online shopping - I get so frustrated when the key ingredient for the meal you'd planned isn't delivered and you then have to try and design a meal around what's left. I don't like not being able to select my veg and meat either.
I tend to go to different supermarkets and do small shops a couple of times a week.

@ealingwestmum ddv never got a choice which one was first. Maybe she should ask? She’s got Spanish first although she did say that was probably the better way round as ‘her hand will be dead after three hours of writing in English’ 😂

I don't online shop. The shelves are v bare in the local Sainsburys and it's depressing. At the best of times, it looks like an 80s East German supermarket....

But it sells giant post it notes!

Our car is exempt for the Birmingham CAZ.

I would if she can NCT; that’s the exact reason DD has chosen that order!

When we had our night out in Birmingham recently public transport wasn't feasible, DH checked two websites for the CAZ one said it was ok one said it wasn't (2013 diesel) so we took mine which is a small hybrid but was a squash for 5 adults.

I started doing click and collect shopping in lockdown 1, we couldn't get a delivery slot and doing the weekly shop in store was a faff with queues, social distancing etc. I prefer it to delivery as you don't have to stay in (we both work outside the home) but we don't do it every week now, do some in Aldi (ours is cramped with a horrific car park) some in Waitrose and some in Sainsburys all are within a mile or so of home. Big advantage of C&C is that you can pop into the store while you're there to pick up missing items, things you forgot etc as ours is picked from a different store. I detest online clothes shopping though.

You couldn't get home delivery or click and collect slots for love nor money round here . It's probably better now but I am just not organised enough.

I've been doing online food shopping for well over 20 years - I wouldn't have thought it was around then - but we've been living here for 15 yrs and had it well before then. (just googled and been going since 1995). Probably because I can't drive, it just works for me. Sainsburys are pretty good about what they deliver too - had the very odd moan but not bad consider how often I use it.

Thanks for the heads up re Bristol emissions. I'm surprised (but relieved) that DHs car is free.

@NCTDN and @Seeline the Bristol emissions zone is fairly small, so definitely worth knowing about so you don't accidentally drive through, but I don't think any of the university is in, but some of the private halls will be.

Ds1 just got me to test him: list 3 examples of .... for 10 marks....Bernstein, parental education.... colonisation in history. I was in my element. Loving this....

@Heifer my Tesco order is usually held with a box of Diet Coke. We love having our groceries delivered, I hate shopping in store.

@mango0 i had just turned 20 when I had DS1, we are the youngsters in this thread!

We're doing online groceries less and less again now, it does save a bit of time bit not all that much as I drive past all the supermarkets on the way home from work and they are all very close to home anyway. Now there are no masks or other restrictions there is less benefit to online.

I love online shopping for some reason, I am resentful of our local supermarket.
I know thar we can send online shopping to our darlings halls, I'm not sure I trust her not to be in bed.

I would never leave the house at the weekend if I didn't go to supermarket! It's my wee trip out. Sadly.

You probably all know this but whilst on topic of shopping, Tesco Clubcard vouchers can be used for railcards.

DS is out near Frenchay for UWE so if we are visiting we usually drive into the city for lunch etc so quite likely to enter it! Luckily, my car seems to be exempt from charges but at least I know to keep checking now.

I’ve been almost exclusively online supermarket shopping since 2008 and almost exclusively Ocado. A bit of flirting with Waitrose but not much. Family of 6… how much is that over 14 years?!?! I know I’m one of their best customers because a friend of mine was a director of Ocado until recently who told me I was top tier 🤣🤣🤣

Marmalade car insurance booked.

Now DH has decided he wants to go abroad this summer but not keen on flights and airports. This appears to be My Job.

I did Ocado regularly years ago but stopped because I just didn't like online grocery shopping, they sent me a £20 voucher recently so I did one delivery but not likely to make it a regular thing. I find whatever slot I pick we both invariably then find we need/want to go out (DH and I are restless types who head out at any excuse, me to my allotment and him to cycle, plus all the endless taxiing of teen DCs).