Hotel for Harry Styles trip has cancelled our booking (due to building works allegedly)

Where can we stay at this point that's not mega money? Any places less touristy but on a tube line?

Hotels close-ish to tube stn only pls as travelling just myself & 2 teen DD. Don't want to be walking thru London late at night anywhere iffy.

Travelling down from NW if there's any other ideas for how to manage this trip now.

Ta

Hello,

This is just me screaming into the void because I'm having a really tough time and I'm honestly at breaking point.

My partner was away on a business trip from Monday until Thursday evening, so I've been solo-parenting our toddler, who is two months away from turning three.

On Monday afternoon our fridge and freezer died. I had to throw away everything that had defrosted (mush), plus a lot of the food from the fridge. Since then I've been improvising with a big plastic tub full of water and ice cubes that our lovely neighbours keep topping up for us. Another neighbour has a box of our fish fingers in their freezer.

Then I got some test results back from my GP. Thankfully all my samples were clear, and my bloods were fine apart from one Ovarian marker that's very slightly raised (36 when it should be under 35). I've got an ultrasound with the hospital's radiology department first thing tomorrow morning to check my ovaries and have a gynae scan. I'm trying to tell myself it'll all be fine, but I've also been getting stabbing pains on my right-hand side. Maybe it's ovulation pain. Maybe it's stress. Maybe it's something else. My brain is doing what brains do.

This is where shit gets shit.

Last night I was brushing my toddler's teeth when I spotted a little dark brown bug by the bathroom radiator, low down. Took a photo because I thought, "Surely not..." Checked it online after I'd put todfler to sleep.

Yep. Cockroach.

Grabbed it with a bit of tissue, chucked it out bathroom window.

My partner thinks it's probably just one that's wandered in because of the heat and that I'm overreacting. I wasn't willing to take the chance, so I've already paid for pest control to come on Monday.

Then today my stepdaughter came home from school, later when I got in from work she immediately asked if I could help with a bug in her bedroom. My heart absolutely sank. I grabbed the hoover, but the little bugger disappeared before I could catch it. At that point I was genuinely panicking, although I tried not to show it in front of her. She overheard me on the phone to her dad explaining that we might actually have a problem.

I keep.thinking, fucking why? I'm so house proud, the place is so clean. We have a cleaner who comes once a week. I do.in between cleans. My partner has a GP at me for being obsessive and wanting to live in an "Architectural Design" home. I do like things super clean and tidy.

I rang a South African friend, who basically said we should be trying to expedite the pest control process, get one in sooner. My partner still thinks I'm making too much of it.

Then came tonight.

When my partner finally got home from his trip, we went to a local pizza chain. It was fairly quiet because it's being Thursday and what with there a major tournament on.

Our toddler had actually been really well behaved all evening. He's just obsessed with steps and climbing on things, and I think he was tired, hot, excited to see his dad and happy to be with his big sister.

While his dad was paying the bill, he let go of my hand and ran across the restaurant. Before I could catch him, he went behind a woman sitting at another table and pinched her really hard with both hands.

She screamed.

I ran over immediately, apologised profusely and tried to get him to apologise too. Of course he wouldn't. He's not even three and thought the whole thing had become a game.

The lady was understandably upset and said, "That's not cool."

I apologised again and explained that he isn't even three years old. She wouldn't accept the apology and seemed disgusted that he couldn't be made to apologise himself.

I completely understand why she was upset. It probably hurt, especially because - fucking idiot that I am - his nails desperately needed cutting. I'm a day or two behind with them. I feel awful about that.

But I also found the whole interaction really triggering.

I'm the youngest of three, and my middle brother is autistic. Not just on the spectrum, properly autistic. Growing up, whenever he had a meltdown or behaved unexpectedly, I remember all the cold, judgemental stares from strangers. Tonight just took me straight back there.

Maybe that lady has her own trauma too. Maybe she's experienced domestic abuse or something similar so my toddler pinching her was horrendous for her I don't know. . Maybe we were both carrying things in that moment.

I cried all the way home.

My toddler got told off. His big sister was brilliant at explaining why what he'd done wasn't okay.

When we got home I brushed his teeth and immediately got the nail clippers out. I was so determined to sort it that I think I was probably too firm with him. Now I feel absolutely horrible. It feels like I hurt my little boy because I was reacting to a stranger's reaction.

Now I'm sitting here crying my eyes out, typing this, while also needing to set an alarm because I have to be at the hospital first thing tomorrow morning.

Please be kind. I'm really on the edge tonight.

My neighbour stopped my son on his way out last night to ask if he would look after her cat when she is away from tomorrow for 2 weeks, going in twice a day. He said sorry but he couldn’t.

I didn’t know she had spoken to him until she knocked our door and told us. Her cat sitter has let her down last minute and now she won’t be able to go on holiday unless she can find someone else. Nightmare for her, but her cat sitter is ill so it can’t be helped. I said I can’t help her but I text our dog sitter, who also does cat sitting to ask if she had availability and said I’d get back to her if she could do it.

She asked if I would also ask my son again, which I did when he got home, but he doesn’t want to do it. He has just finished his A levels and wants to be free to come and go as he pleases which is understandable. I said that if he has said no then that means he can’t.

Our dog sitter text me back to say she didn’t have any availability for the first week but could do the second week. I text my neighbour to let her know and to give her sitters contact details. She has just text back ‘no good, what am I meant to do for the first week?’

I haven’t replied as although I get she is probably feeling desperate, how the fuck is her cat my problem?

Bit personal I know, but how do you deal with your bikini line?

I get terrible rash and spots if I shave. Can't afford and can't find a waxer I'm comfortable with.

Was thinking about Nair but worry about the chemicals and safety...

Please let me in on your methods!

Ps I know I don't have to, and enjoy the freedom of a full bush but my hair is dark and it goes quite a way over the thigh/inside hip crease and my little one wants to go swimming more so I need a solution!

I know I have a few food issues so I don't know if this one is me being unreasonable or not.

I wandered around a market today with a friend and she bought a sausage roll to eat and a fairy cake style muffin to take home for her daughter. It's 25 degrees outside and the market had been running for about 4 hours by the time we got there.

Aibu for absolutely not eating anything like that, that has sat outside for hours in 25 degrees heat? There wasn't any refrigeration etc. Things wouldn't be allowed to sit out in shops out of fridges for that long so why is it ok on a market? Would you have eaten those things e.g. sausage roll and a cake with icing etc?

There is a group of us who’ve known each other since university. We are scattered all over now but try and meet up around twice a year, usually hiring a villa/cottage somewhere and having a few days to chill and catch up.

One friend has taken to making a music play list for us. This is lauded by everyone as being a kind and thoughtful thing to do. I cannot stand it. Cannot stand it. It was maybe fine the first time but it is actually now putting me off going on any further holidays.

The playlist is extensive but obvious centred around my friend’s tastes, which are not mine. It is fine as background music but we inevitably end up spending the last couple of hours of every evening with the music turned up and two of my friends signing along so loudly that the rest of us are unable to have a conversation.

I have raised this both with my friend and with my other friends. I have been told very firmly that my friend has done a kind and generous thing making this playlist, and we should all be grateful. I appear to be the sole person amongst the 10 of us who has any objection to this.

AIBU or is this actually selfish and not generous behaviour? We have began to discuss booking our next holiday once the kids are back to school after the summer but it is putting me off going.

My friend is a kind and generous woman in many ways and our children are very close to each other, so I don’t want to create bad feeling, but this is really spoiling the holiday for me.

We are all in our 50s and have done these holidays for many, many years but it’s only in the past two years or so that the famous playlist has been introduced.

Hi
My wife has just moved out. She has suffered depression for a few years but thought we were doing ok with it. She fell out with our eldest and hasn’t spoken to him for a few months now. Our youngest is split 50/50 and eldest with me full time. I’m not sure if it’s because of me or our eldest who she doesn’t get on with or depression why she has gone but doesn’t seem right to me? Could also be she’s met someone else which she says she hasn’t.

not sure if anyone has been in this situation before and got any advise? She has also fell out with other family members and doesn’t speak to them anymore either.

According to the BBC KC and PW have released details of the tax they paid in the 2024-2025 Tax Year.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8x2151y8q4o

Apparently KC is in the Top 100 tax payers - The Sunday Times Rich List for 2025 placed him at 238.

I think it’s good they have done this and believe they are entitled to use the same legal tax avoidance measures everyone else can use. I don’t think we have a right to know every detail of their personal wealth but this is balanced against transparency regarding the Sovereign Grant and Duchies.

I have a couple of Birkenstocks in different colors but wanted something a bit more structured that could look good both with jeans and work trousers or skirt.
I like chunky sandals but I am quite short and a size 12 so don’t want anything that makes me look too bulky.
I need them to be comfy - budget up to £120.
Brands I usually like are Sezane, Esska, Jonak etc.

I’m just after opinions on a situation I had on the plane yesterday. 5 of us flying - only 3.5 hour flight so didn’t pay to book seats. Airline put 3 of us together but split the other 2 - me and DH volunteered to sit away from each other. No problem with that, that’s the chance you take if you don’t pay to reserve seats.

However, before take- off someone moved seats leaving an aisle seat right next to DH’s aisle seat so I asked one of the cabin crew if it was ok for me to move there and he said yes once we had taken off. As soon as seatbelt lights turned off I moved and started chatting to DH. The woman I sat next to tapped me on the arm and said quite rudely ‘our son is coming to sit there - we asked’. I was a bit taken aback so just mumbled ‘I asked too’. Obviously I didn’t want to cause a fuss or get cabin crew involved as I didn’t want to sit next to disgruntled passengers for the rest of the flight so I went back to my original seat. The mother immediately put her rucksack on the seat to save it and eventually her son, who was in his 30’s, wandered down to sit there.

Am I right in thinking that they were no more entitled to the seat than me and her rude attitude was really uncalled for?

Hi all,

I've just purchased this dress for holiday and I love it. Its the right amount of girly and floaty but also covers my bloated belly. I'm slim but have hormonal issues and get very bloated.

Any ideas what bra can be worn with it, if any? As it's backless. I'm just worried I'll bend over and my nipples may fall out! I've got in white but think I'm going to get another colour too, just haven't decided which.

https://www.freepeople.com/uk/shop/all-you-need-is-lace-midi/?color=011&new_tab=1&a15_rid=88e6362ae997/U9cwHPJqPN-1281866&type=REGULAR&quantity=1&reviewPage=4&reviewSort=submissionTime:desc&size=XS

So , my boyfriend left me a few days after his birthday. I mean for most of our relationship he always had one foot out the door. I just wanted to build and be committed. He told me so does he. We have a lot of history but he kept getting worse , I can’t put the whole relationship or story on here but recently we were split , he reached out after I went silent , then his birthday came up and I invited him over he was down and we had a great time I thought maybe we were back on track we made love etc , he then struggled with some family issues then a few days went by and I got a long goodbye message…..
blaming things on nonexistent issues….
i then said nothing and we bumped into each other on a beach !
we enjoyed each other , flirted kissed etc , we made love he was telling me that he’s always had feelings and they’re deep feelings. We made love , in the morning I woke up to him telling me he thinks I’m a liar and we didn’t meet on the beach by accident, apparently I planned the whole thing, he went nuts , saying I’m lying , he’s been trying to leave me but I keep coming back even though he participates in it too !
he tells me how much he “loves me”
he’s now left me again … told me I was the one who fucked it , clearly manipulated me…. Used me and I’m just heartbroken as I wanted us to have a clean slate , that’s what I said to him and for him to just commit to the it relationship … he spoke about the so called “drama” he doesn’t like but he literally created it…. I just feel terrible

Humour me, I'm counting down the minutes until I can officially log off work for the day (don't worry, I'm SE so I'm not taking the biscuit!)

Let's play Do you remember when...

it can be about anything that pops up in your head!

So mine is -
Do you remember when it was hot and the back of your legs and thighs got stuck on hot plastic car seats (no air conditioning!) and how excruciating it was to peel them off when you had to get up 😳
I'm pretty ancient though so maybe won't get many Yeses!

My daughter is starting reception in September and has been at a separate private nursery so no connection to the school. She breaks up from her nursery on the 10th of July for summer.

We have had no communication from the school yet, no letter, email, nothing. Is this normal? I have emailed the school on Monday with no response so will phone them later if still nothing. I presumed this was normal until a friend was shocked I’ve heard nothing as she’s already had info about uniform and transitions.

To think Andy Burnham is smug and presumptuous. Just that really and I have no particular political preference, disillusioned with the lot!

I’m 5.4ft and weigh 11stone, I have lost 8 pounds recently over the last couple of months or so by being in a calorie deficit, I would say my body has got used to this as I can no comfortably go without snacking and just eat main meals.
For example yesterday I ate -
piece of toast and a protein shake
Greek yogurt with flax seed and blueberries
for lunch I had a tuna salad
dinner was actually a bbq, I usually let myself have carbs etc for tea.
I’ll usually have another protein shake in the afternoon.

I haven’t been calorie tracking for a while now but I was trying to initially stay under 1500 but I found it miserable, so I’d say it’s around 1800 calories, some days less.

What am I doing wrong ? You would think the weight should be falling off but it’s definitely stalled.

If relevant I do have pcos and bloat terribly from carbs, even the good ones. I also take metformin for insulin resistance due to the pcos.

It’s Prime Day (again!) and, while I love a good deal as much as anyone else, I’m all about finding bargains on things that are genuinely useful and built to last.

Have you spotted anything worth sharing in this year’s Prime Day sale? Add your finds to the thread below.

Here are a few deals I’m eyeing up:

28% off Duux Whisper Flex 2 Smart Fan - was £180, now £130 (lowest price ever according to CamelCamelCamel). Mumsnet's Home Editor, Poppy tested this fan last summer and was really impressed by how quiet it was.

24% off JISULIFE Portable Neck Fan - was £34, now £26. I’m thinking this might be the answer to commuting in the heatwave? Read the review.

49% off Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream was £28 now £14. There have been threads about this cult classic on Mumsnet for years, and at almost 50% off I’m tempted to give it a try.

Take a look at our round-up of top finds in the Prime day sale for more deals from MNHQ.

Have you spotted anything worth adding to your basket? Share it with your fellow MNners below.

Beauty deals:
COLOR WOW Dream Coat Supernatural Spray 36% off plus lots of other products in the range also discounted
58% off LAURA GELLER NEW YORK Award-Winning Baked Balance-n-Brighten Colour Correcting Powder Foundation
39% off Clinique Almost lipstick plus more deals on other Clinique faves

Ways to survive the heatwave:
20% off Levoit 20dB Quiet Smart Pedestal Fans
15% off COSRX Ultra-Light Invisible Sunscreen
23% off Jisulife Table Fan Pro3

More deals we’ve spotted:
29% Kindle Paperwhite Raspberry
31% Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone Air Fryer, you can read our review here
48% off Echodot (Newest gen)

Prices are correct at the time of writing. This post contains affiliate links, which means Mumsnet earns a small commission if you buy something through them. See our terms of use for more info.

I've put kitchen foil on the inside of double glazed windows at the front of the house to keep the heat out. It's really effective because they get full sun. However, Google says it can crack the glass because of the heat so it should be put on the outside.
Does anyone have experience of this either way - cracking or no cracking?

I know these threads cause trouble, but this is how I feel. I can’t help but wonder when does the merry go round stop. It is worth it waking up crack of dawn, kids to breakfast club, nursery, after school club, run home, make dinner, bed, bath. Glass of wine because I’m exhausted.
if I stayed at home I’d save 20k on commuting, wraparound childcare, cleaner, gardener, etc.
fine, I can afford a house, but the maintenance, the upkeep, the bills.
not sure why I’m ranting. Know I’ll get pulled to
pieces. Just exhausted

Fo we all get it? Even the slim people….?

Thought I would make a thread for those due in March 2027, I joined a thread for my previous rainbow pregnancy in 2022 and I found it so helpful. I found out this week that I am pregnant with my second rainbow baby, after losing my first baby at 29 weeks. I am feeling incredibly anxious, more so than in my first pregnancy after my loss. Wishing everyone a smooth pregnancy ahead 🤞🏼

Ds 3.5 has started screaming first thing in the morning. I am a single parent and ex never has him overnight or much at all really. I think this is relevant as I have had to have boundaries to survive and in the past things have been routine driven and worked well.

The screaming is horrendous. I say to him calmly that we can’t go downstairs at 5:30 and we need to wait until the alarm goes off. He just screams. It’s no solution for him to be in my bed either as he screams there too that he wants to be downstairs or outside or whatever.

After explaining to him calmly that mum needs to rest until her alarm, after getting water etc I have resorted to ignoring him. Is this wrong? Am I doing damage? I don’t understand how else to cope with it.

I’m the maid of honour at my best friend’s wedding, and I’m currently trying to organise her hen do.

The bride wants nothing to do with the organisation or planning of it, or to even know anything about it until the day arrives. Though( she has given me a few must-haves, a location and a list of people to invite.

I asked everyone for budgets before I started. One said £100pp for accommodation, another £150pp. The rest said £300-500. The brides sister also refuses to share a twin bedroom.

After weeks of searching I’ve realised I simply can’t find anything I’d actually want to take the bride to within those budgets. Everything in budget is either miles from where we want to be or frankly a bit grim.

I’ve now found somewhere I think she’d genuinely love, but it’s £250pp for accommodation alone if everyone shares rooms. This is the nicest I can find at the lowest cost pp. I plan to keep other costs down by cooking for everyone and keeping paid activities to a minimum, which I know the bride would enjoy as she just wants to relax.

I’m thinking I should just book it and tell people that’s the cost. I feel really uncomfortable with the idea of excluding 2 people. But I don’t see how I can justify booking an awful place I know the bride would be disappointed with and potentially even disgusted by, or a nicer place in a more affordable place that she doesn’t want to go to. But then again, the bride really wants them there.

My boyfriend thinks I’m being unreasonable and should speak to the bride about changing her hen do idea so everyone can come. I think it’s impossible to cater to 15 different budgets and so someone has to compromise, but it shouldn’t be the bride.

Me and my daughter seem to be covered in what looks like insect bites the last few days, feet, arms and back. She has about 8/9 across random parts of her body. I have 4. So itchy :( She goes to a forest school and we do live near some rivers and lakes. Mine come up randomly when outside or at home

we leave our windows open at night because it’s too hot.

I’ve been looking round our house and can’t find fleas, no bedbugs. The bites or spots are random so not in clusters or a line.
is anyone else getting this during heatwave?

I’m getting a bit panicky thinking I’m missing a big infestation in my home.

My husband though - no spots at all.so fed up with this

I met a guy a few months ago who came to do some building work next door. We hit it off when we met and would find ourselves chatting a lot. it was flirty but it didn’t cross any boundaries and he was never inappropriate, as he was at work.

I found him very attractive but wasn’t clear on what signals I was getting so I didn’t pursue anything or put myself out there. when the job came to an end, we had a very awkward goodbye. He found a reason to return to remedy tiny little bits of work and pop by, and at that point, I felt more confident he might be interested so I put myself out there and said I was going to miss his company.

From there we nervously got chatting by text and he confessed after a few days of nice brief chats he thought I was beautiful, and lovely to be around, and he liked me.

We decided to meet up again on neutral ground, I was so nervous, and turns out so was he. The nervous chemistry between us was intense. We had a very awkward first kiss because he is so tall, all the proportions were off and I was on tip toes but we both laughed about it and it did break the ice.

Since then we met more and each time we have spent hours, and I mean hours and hours, just opening up to each other about our most deep secrets, mistakes, parts of our pasts, hopes, dreams, desires, flaws etc while hugging and kissing affectionately, laughing and enjoying each others company.

I have told this man things I’ve never told my close friends! He asks me things about myself, remembers what I like or what I say, seems interested in getting to know me and is kind to me so far. He doesn’t over text though

We got carried away kissing last time and this led to the bedroom and it was very passionate. However he said he was so nervous and it had been quite a while since he last had sex after his last relationship that he had some performance issues so we ended up just lying together laughing and talking.

Red flags

🚩the over sharing

🚩He is 50 and said he doesn’t know if he’s ever been in love before. He says he is looking for someone to share his life with.

🚩His last relationship was a disaster and ended very badly they do not get along

🚩he says he’s very fussy about who he dates

🚩He says he’s been in therapy about his last relationship

🚩He’s had a pretty promiscuous past

🚩He says he wants to have sex but he’s overthinking it and is experiencing ED. He’s very physically fit

🚩He is solvent and financially stable and seems lonely but I do think he might drink a little too much too often but that’s not clear yet - he does seem to go to the pub a lot. So I don’t know if that’s a red flag

🚩He really is going very fast with his feelings (faster than me) he keeps mentioning how it’s taken him by surprise and there has genuinely been an occasion where I felt like he was going to say he thinks he’s falling in love with me.

🚩He talks about the future a lot and things we could do together

🚩He showed me his house (which was really nice) and told me all his finances and it felt like he wanted to impress me

🚩He says he wants to impress me a lot

🚩The compliments I get are pretty big and grand, but not too often to make me feel uncomfortable

Only time will tell but is this a sea of 🚩? Or am I just cynical and been on MN too long?

what should I look out for as right now I am thinking is this too good to be true?