2nd year uni (starting 2018)

[HSMMaCM]

The old thread seems to have filled up!

[HSMMaCM]

DD went out for her birthday with uni mates yesterday. One got so drunk she was ambulanced to hospital! So I was awake all night checking in with her thoroughly responsible friend who spent the night at the hospital.

On the plus side ... DD is coming for her birthday spa day with me tomorrow

[HSMMaCM]

In her defence ... the hospital said it might be heat/sun stroke

[Xenia]

Oh dear. I hope the friend is okay.
One of mine got back to his bike last night to find some joker had put a random padlock on it (along with my son's other locks which were on it) at the tube station. We went down to try to get it off with a hacksaw but no success. I can understand someone accidentally locking two bikes together but just to put a padlock on someone else;'s bike to mean they cannot get their bike is so nasty. He uses that bike to earn money from Uber eats and deliveroo.

His friend may be able to find bolt cutters tonight for it.

Amazingly there was a locksmith in a van near by last night who had a go but said iwas too old and rusted padlock for him to pick. At least someone tried to help.,

[Eve]

DS is in Rome this week and called me yesterday, conversation went

DS : Mum I got an email to ask me to pick my choices next year, can I go to Hong Kong

Me; WTF ! Hong Kong??

DS: I can do a semester in Hong King next year, can I go?

Me: Hong Kong? Doing what, how much? Where? Where will you stay? Did I say how much?

DS : don’t know, but can I go to Hong Kong?

Me: we will discuss this when you get home!

.... so don’t know any more other than a semester in Hong Kong is on the cards!

[Eve]

...you have reminded me to check about deposit? I think I paid it, would it be refunded to payee?

DS passed his test and it’s been great that me can drive this summer. He takes DS 2 out in the evenings to play golf and go various trips for me, it’s great.

[LineRunner]

DS was revising for retakes. Had actually had me worried. Then he got an overall 2:1 (just) for the first year, little sod

[Horsemad]

The deposit won't necessarily go back to the payee Eve.
DS's halls emailed him asking for bank details - I quickly gave him mine before they checked his room again & changed their mind!! 😀 We then discovered DH had paid it, lol lol.
I am now £250 richer! 😉 😁

[HSMMaCM]

Hong Kong

Congratulations on the car test

And why would anyone lock someone else's bike! Are they planning to steal it?

DD was supposed to get her timetable today, but apparently not everyone has chosen their modules, so they can't do the timetables until August 23rd. She's not happy.

[Xenia]

We can only think the bike lock was a prank to annoy a cyclist and they were drunk at the time. They didn't accidentally chain 2 together. I doubt they would expect my son would remove his locks later leaving only theirs.

His friend and he went back again last night and had another go at releaing it but we fairly when an [ expert Eastern European bike theief] / [ very helpful man] came along just after mid night, saw them struggling and knew exactly what to do to remove the lock. He then was going to start on my son's two locks and didn't speak any English at all so they had to gesture that they did have keys to those. He got back just after 1am safely with his bike which now has the paint slightly removed which I said was actually not bad - a remembrance of all those people who helped him and like a scar or a pregnancy mark which reminds you of times and he said ah like tihs Japanese philosophy which he then showed me a video of and certainly accords with my own views over these things. I said - the antithesis of Love Island perhaps.....

[HSMMaCM]

I didn't think someone would steal it by waiting for your son to take his locks off 😂. I was just thinking they could do what he did and say "look ... here's my lock and some plonker has put these other ones on" leading the passing lock picker to help him steal the bike.

[ErrolTheDragon]

Wabi-sabi? (Not to be confused with wasabi...) Excellent concept highly applicable to housework.

What a PITA, but glad he's got his wheels back.

[Xenia]

Errol, that's it. It is a concept I already hold dear but had not heard of it being something others had until today when he showed me it on his phone.

HSMM may well be. When he couldn't find his wallet this morning I was saying well that very helpful man who got the lock off for you at 1am might have bit... but it was home and most peopleare good. in fact the number of people down there who tried to help him over the last few days over the bike issue from the local garage men to the hardware shop man just shows how kind most people are in life.

The prankster's padlock is now in my hallway hopeuflly not laced with novichok.

[HSMMaCM]

It's lovely when you have those moments of a community helpful society. Restores your view on life.

[RedHelenB]

Dd1 passed her test just before you g to uni. She's been to stay with my dad and he put her on his insurance for a few days so she could drive him around for a few days after his knee operation. She said it all came back to her quickly and she enjoyed it.

[Eve]

Its great RedHelen the way they relish the freedom and independence once they have passed.

[ErrolTheDragon]

We're over on the other side of the country for a week so we can see DD at the weekends and some evenings after work (our other holiday plans earlier in the year having fallen through) . Lovely day today but she's partying with the other interns this evening.

[Horsemad]

Hey, enjoy seeing your DD Errol

DS has got some work, HURRAH! Nothing very exciting, but it gives him more money and is great for building his confidence, as he's quite shy.

Just got to get his driving sorted & that's my To Do list for the hols sorted

[Needmoresleep]

Driving lessons in DDs University town were a bit of a bust. I had not realised that good instructors get booked out months in advance. The guy with availability turned out to be pretty disorganised. The test had been booked and luckily we were able to get a new instructor sorted for the couple of weeks before, but have topped this up with a few lessons in Central London.

Woah! First lesson involved the Kings Road and the big roundabout near Shepherds Bush, the second saw her going round Hyde Park corner twice. Park Lane is apparently "mental". Neither of us can really recall seeing learner drivers on the road. Despite this she is reallly enjoying it, now knows lots about anticipating minicabs, how to avoid vehicles with sirens, keeping an eye on tourists on Boris Bikes (going round Hyde Park Corner) and when to stay out of bus lanes. She is having a great time, but suspects that some of the road skills won't be of much use elsewhere.

I do hope she passes. The first year was very tough. However a nice flat, a vocational course with lots of placements, and a small car to get to those placements, should suit her better.

[brizzledrizzle]

Despite this she is reallly enjoying it, now knows lots about anticipating minicabs, how to avoid vehicles with sirens, keeping an eye on tourists on Boris Bikes (going round Hyde Park Cornerhmm) and when to stay out of bus lanes. She is having a great time, but suspects that some of the road skills won't be of much use elsewhere.

They'd be good for Bristol in the rush hour.

She's braver than I am, I wouldn't drive through London any more.

[Needmoresleep]

I wonder. I am aware of behaving like Lewis Hamilton's mum when outside London. People don't race to be first off at the lights, generally refuse to give way to people wanting to change lanes etc. Though in fairness I then want to drive at 20mph on country lanes as I find them scarey.

Only in London would a driving instructor says "you need to be more agressive". An overturned police car outside Buckingham Palace had caused traffic chaos.

That said Bristol hill starts are proving a challenge.

[bigTillyMint]

NMS she sounds like a natural if she can cope with all that!
I passed my test at 17 (needed a car where I came from and plenty of hill starts!) But aged 22, my then partners dad got me my first car - a little yellow mini - I had to drive it to our hone in Clapham via the Hammersmith roundabout. Baptism of London fire

Nowhere else in the UK is as aggressive as London!

[Needmoresleep]

Latest installment. Someone stops abruptly and jumps out of their car, forcing her to make an emergency stop outside Harvey Nicks. Several people on mobile phones not paying attention, both drivers and pedestrians. She is demanding I take her out for a drink. She, apparently, needs it.

If she does get a car, I suspect she may leave it in Bristol and take the bus home.

[brizzledrizzle]

Where I learnt to drive and passed my test you didn't have to do hill starts

[ono40]

Hello everyone, I've been missing in action due to work being crazily busy. DS is still in China teaching English, has had a ball and is now able to speak basic Mandarin which has served him well as he has needed to find out things like train times by speaking to people. He is braver than me - especially the food, he has sent some photos of very dodgy looking bowls of food.

Good luck to all those learning to drive - I wouldn't drive in London for anything!

[ErrolTheDragon]

Blimey, that sounds incredibly brave, Ono. DH used to travel in japan a bit and said it was quite daunting because you're rendered essentially illiterate- anywhere using Latin alphabet you can read a timetable or departure board.