Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, Crepes in this petty pace from day to day

[CointreauVersial]

Anything but the C-word!

Mrs S - but on the bright side, he will still be in your life.

I am also looking forward to GBBO and Dr Foster. I need wine having had a uni choice row with DD2 (3 London based choices - because she thinks she's a cool city girl). I never met anybody so stubborn - she is going to have to live hard knocks to understand life. I just had DD1 come online to say she had been contacted by DD2 and got annoyed with her as well - glad it's not just me then.

Crem - I wouldn't go for the kitchen aid thing - sounds a bit weird to me.

Rudy - sounds a nightmare to have inlaws for an entire month.

Hope all the sick crepeys are tucked in with lemsip ready for bake off.

Yes, he will, and I will almost certainly see more of him - will probably go out for a drink with him this week, and will drag DH along too. But we have done some bonkers things over the years - when he was living in West Africa, we used to meet up for lunch in Paris (before I moved there), and there won't be any of that any more, it will just be like a more normal friendship. I think that is what I will miss.

I can understand your bereavement, MrsS, but maybe you could jointly set a challenge to keep the bonkersness in your friendship by meeting up in weird and wacky places still.

Sympathy to all sick crepeys. Listen to Sister.

Liars League sounds fab, and I would be up for a Crepey night out there any day of the week. I googled it:

www.liarsleague.com/liars_league/forthcoming-events-themes.html

Thank you Sister Auriga for the wise advice. I did cook this evening, but nothing strenuous, and I'm now having a medicinal wine on the sofa, curled up in a furry rug. Sniffles not helped by Bake Off (totes emosh; even Mary wiping away a tear).

Oh dear Dr Foster. That scene was excruciating.

Hatty, are you worried that your DD2 might find it more than she can cope with in London? Also expensive for accommodation I'd think. But there are lots of us here to support!

Hope all the sick crepeys watched the medicinal BakeOff final - very touching and inspiring at the end

I might have to do a DF bonanza, having missed most of the episodes. I too had GBBO tears in my eyes.

MrsS, all totally understandable.

Still worried I made an arse of myself.

You wouldn't want to be invited to that dinner party would you ? Toe curling!

What do you think would be more sensible Hatty? Why do you think London not a good idea?

Loved Dr Foster - brilliant acting. Bake off good but I don't think sticky buns is worthy of the final. Also was rather partial to cute Indian doctor - was surprised he was actually a doc as he looks so young (or is it that I'm so old!).

BTM - it would be lovely to know you were all around in the event of an emergency. That is so sweet, thank you.

Basically, London is horribly expensive and DD2 has no idea what living in London is really like, although she is going at half term for a visit. She is slightly young for her age and will only just have turned 18 when she starts uni. I feel she would be much better off on a cosy campus - such as the one in Devon! Also, her results indicate that it is unlikely that she would get offers from the two London biggies so it is a waste of time putting both of them on her UCAS, plus she wants to add a third which is still a good uni but knock off one of her campus choices. (I suspect a boy she likes is at the third). I feel she ought to choose one or the other aspirational choices not both. She has now said she will get a job in London in addition to her uni course and everything will be fine. I think she is very naiive but as we all know, at that age they know everything and we know nothing!

Hope all the ill crepeys are feeling a little better today and NU safe trip home.

Hatty, I agree about sticky buns - the only way to make them special was to have loads of cream and gunk. I didn't think they looked very tasty. Totes emosh indeed.

I agree about not having two very aspirational choices especially in the same place. You can only go to one uni anyway, as we kept telling dd when she wanted four back-ups. The place you mention is where dd is and has quite expensive accommodation I think, compared with her second choice (one not very near anywhere....). She does really like it there but it is small. And they are now making very high offers in some subjects. She was also was only just 18 when she went and it feels very safe. I think lots of students work part time in London but that probably takes its toll.

Haven't finished Dr F yet but blimey am glad I am not a patient at that surgery!

Bake off brought a smile to my face in my ailing hour of need. And more than a few tears at the end. ( Get the great Berry, crying as well! I bet Hollywood was blubbing too, in a corner off camera...) The right person won...and I'm loving the outpouring of good will from the nation in these troubles times. It did my heart good. I did watch DF in the end as I couldn't sleep. Great tense drama but imho I still think the character wasn't quite believable...

hatty all London Crepeys would look out for DD if she did end up here at uni. The expense is considerable I imagine, and the grade issues could end up a show stopper but I wouldn't let the bigness of the place bother you. I was at UCL, very sheltered and naive...a terrible scaredy cat, but I loved every minute of it...was in a hall off Totty Court Road. Some of the best years my life.

I did sleep a bit better last night helped by a hefty dose of co codamol. Still full of it but have to rouse myself as teaching later.

Hatty, I agree with Rose re the size and busyness. If she wants a city experience, could she also consider some non-campus uni's in cities like Leeds/Sheffield/Mancs/Birmingham? I know my DD lives in London, but she is very clear she does NOT want a campus uni - same as me at that age, and I came from suburban countryside. Small and safe isn't for everyone

I am dying to catch up on Dr Foster!

Now DD1's turn for the lurgy...

One year of Lancaster nearly killed me - so glad I didn't do a campus Uni for my first degree....

I watched second half of GBBO - she is FAB, and first half of DF but couldn't cope after the dinner party scene - I mean really?! I will finish watching it at the weekend.

I watched DF and loved the dinner party scene. I have been to some excruciating dinner parties in my time - I met DH at one. The host was known to be a wife beater, his wife was a nervous wreck and flinched every time he moved his arm. There was a couple there who were going through a very public splitting up - not airing dirty washing, but doing the whole machine load, spitting across the table at each other, him telling her she'd have to go back to the Philippines as she had no right to stay in the UK. DH and I were the only normal people there. And there was another one where two people got down and had sex under the table (they weren't together) and everyone just carried on as if nothing was happening. More Muscadet, anyone? Another joint?

Hatty - DD1's friends from Paris found London absolutely overwhelming. I think they were thinking of something Paris-sized, but English speaking, and of course, London isn't.

Loved the Bake Off, and a very worthy winner. DD1 has converted everyone in her boarding house to it, despite initial scepticism - "A competition about cakes? You Brits are weird!"

Mrs S - this is exactly what I think about London and many of the"Frenchies" have this experience. However, Rose and BTM, you have cheered me up and UCL will be going down on that form - whether she gets an offer is another story.

MrsS at your dinner party experiences - sex under the table ! I have only been at one where a couple argued and we found ourselves welded to the spot unable to slip away. I think now I'm over 50 and officially more grumpy and assertive I would just make my excuses and go. What a difference the menopause makes).

Lalsy - agree the Exeter halls are outrageously expensive - especially as many seem self catering.

Sympathies to everyone with the lurgy. What excellent advice from Sister.

MI, I did my fourth training session earlier this week and completely dried, etc. Came from nowhere - I'd prepared just as much and was covering the same points. Was awful. Am meeting good friend and experienced trainer soon to talk it through, will pass on any useful points. Am sure, though, that it wasn't anything like as bad as it felt to you.

Hattie - DD at Sheffield feels it's a nice mixture of definitely city but a manageable size. Also pretty good value I think.

Addle - I went to Newcastle and loved it - plus it is near my parents. I have suggested the northern towns but for some reason they all want to go westwards and 50% went to London last year. I think in some ways, they are a bit afraid as "the north" is perceived as too English for kids who have no experience of the UK.

You'll all be pleased to know that DD1, who admittedly is in a bit of a protected academic bubble, has gone round telling everybody how she loves living in England and everybody is much nicer than in France .

I went to Liverpool, from a semi-rural, home counties location, and absolutely loved it. It was the making of me. There is a residential campus a couple of miles away from the university, which is near the city centre. Best o both worlds.

Waiting for another thunderstorm to arrive - the settled weather of our first ten or so days seems to have disappeared. It is still lovely in the morning, though, so we're getting our beach fix.

Hatty, I am glad you are feeling happier about DD2's choices. It's a shame she is so against the northern cities.

I hope the lurgy sufferers are feeling better? I loved Sister's advice. I must admit, apart from last year, I have found the flu jab a bonus, but we all know that they got it wrong. I will be having mine on our return.

So, question: who, what is Dr. Foster? I have never heard of it/him. My TV viewing tends towards sport and totally unrealistic American crime series. I am, though, also watching a really good European series called, I think "Crossing Lines" which is based in The Hague.

My lurg has reached its zenith, I hope, with a nose so blocked I can't swallow without creating a weird vacuum at the back of my throat. I have also lost about 50 IQ points.

Took DS to Moorfields today, and bought him lunch, as promised, even though we were out of there by 11am. In a quiet Pret a Manger, he asked me: "Mummy, when the daddy puts seeds to make a baby in your mouth, do you swallow them or crunch them up?" It suddenly became very important to leave, immediately.

NU - Dr Foster is a post-Bake-Off five-part drama involving unfaithful husband, plotting neighbours, and a lot of meaningful staring into the middle distance. All a load of old tosh, but enjoyable. Slightly disappointingly simple ending, though. I was expecting all manner of other ends being tied up - what was the drunk old doctor all about, then? Why was Ros such a weirdo? Why was their son's hair dyed?

Herbs I think it's time for you to have a frank and thorough discussion! Or get a book

Indeed. I have cued up on YouTube.

In grip of major wobble about teaching. I can only do it if I dedicate ALL my time to preparation. I have other people's stuff but u just don't know what I am talking about. The students patently have no confidence in me. I can't do this.