Best Of

I went here today. With my older daughter

She loves history, churches, geology, poetry, and surreal jokes



Which is kinda handy as these are many of my favourite things as well

Did you go up it? It costs, but it's worth it. Some of the paintings open up and you can look down...

It's just so incredibly beautiful

I've only beem once before, and that was about 25 years ago. So this was almost like my first visit

Stunning. Just stunning. When I first went in I thought, OK, this is like one of the great French cathedrals - Amiens or Reims - very lovely, but lacking Noom

And then we got to the Octagon and the Noom comes from the sheer effrontery of the architecture. The absurd, dreamy idea of this floating geometrical ceiling-from-heaven, my God the Noom kicks in then. Oh yes. Verily, and yea

Also, the Lady Chapel. Also, the fact it was founded in about 670AD by an Anglo-Saxon princess. Also, the Anglo-Saxon warlords and bishops interred in one of the prettier chantries, including some earl who died at the Battle of Maldon. Also, the presence nearby of Grimes Graves in the Breckland (which we both visited for the first time)

We had a brilliant day out. England can still wildly surprise on the upside, and then some. 90 minutes from the North Circular!

Ely must be in the top ten most-beautiful-cathedrals in the world

I believe when it was built, Ely was surrounded by water. Imagine approaching it in medieval times. The cathedral mirrored by its own reflection. Must have been stupendous.

Yes my wife was singing in Ely cathedral a few weeks ago, magical location

You have a wife???? Who sings in a choir?

Mate, you've been posting on PB for about 107 years, and today we learn you have a wife

This is a bit like Nick Palmer "Swissnick" Day, only with wives and more wholesome

To be fair @HYUFD has mentioned his wife on occasions and I think it is wonderful she sings in Ely choir

Thanks, we are also due a new arrival in November too so can't post as much as I have been

That's wonderful news - your first?

Yes

I went here today. With my older daughter

She loves history, churches, geology, poetry, and surreal jokes



Which is kinda handy as these are many of my favourite things as well

Did you go up it? It costs, but it's worth it. Some of the paintings open up and you can look down...

It's just so incredibly beautiful

I've only beem once before, and that was about 25 years ago. So this was almost like my first visit

Stunning. Just stunning. When I first went in I thought, OK, this is like one of the great French cathedrals - Amiens or Reims - very lovely, but lacking Noom

And then we got to the Octagon and the Noom comes from the sheer effrontery of the architecture. The absurd, dreamy idea of this floating geometrical ceiling-from-heaven, my God the Noom kicks in then. Oh yes. Verily, and yea

Also, the Lady Chapel. Also, the fact it was founded in about 670AD by an Anglo-Saxon princess. Also, the Anglo-Saxon warlords and bishops interred in one of the prettier chantries, including some earl who died at the Battle of Maldon. Also, the presence nearby of Grimes Graves in the Breckland (which we both visited for the first time)

We had a brilliant day out. England can still wildly surprise on the upside, and then some. 90 minutes from the North Circular!

Ely must be in the top ten most-beautiful-cathedrals in the world

I believe when it was built, Ely was surrounded by water. Imagine approaching it in medieval times. The cathedral mirrored by its own reflection. Must have been stupendous.

Yes my wife was singing in Ely cathedral a few weeks ago, magical location

You have a wife???? Who sings in a choir?

Mate, you've been posting on PB for about 107 years, and today we learn you have a wife

This is a bit like Nick Palmer "Swissnick" Day, only with wives and more wholesome

@leon where have you been? @hyufd has talked about his wife numerous times and posted here when he got married. If memory serves me right she works for the church at Oxford Uni. Do I have that right @hyufd?

She did, she now is in rural ministry

I went here today. With my older daughter

She loves history, churches, geology, poetry, and surreal jokes



Which is kinda handy as these are many of my favourite things as well

Did you go up it? It costs, but it's worth it. Some of the paintings open up and you can look down...

It's just so incredibly beautiful

I've only beem once before, and that was about 25 years ago. So this was almost like my first visit

Stunning. Just stunning. When I first went in I thought, OK, this is like one of the great French cathedrals - Amiens or Reims - very lovely, but lacking Noom

And then we got to the Octagon and the Noom comes from the sheer effrontery of the architecture. The absurd, dreamy idea of this floating geometrical ceiling-from-heaven, my God the Noom kicks in then. Oh yes. Verily, and yea

Also, the Lady Chapel. Also, the fact it was founded in about 670AD by an Anglo-Saxon princess. Also, the Anglo-Saxon warlords and bishops interred in one of the prettier chantries, including some earl who died at the Battle of Maldon. Also, the presence nearby of Grimes Graves in the Breckland (which we both visited for the first time)

We had a brilliant day out. England can still wildly surprise on the upside, and then some. 90 minutes from the North Circular!

Ely must be in the top ten most-beautiful-cathedrals in the world

I believe when it was built, Ely was surrounded by water. Imagine approaching it in medieval times. The cathedral mirrored by its own reflection. Must have been stupendous.

Yes my wife was singing in Ely cathedral a few weeks ago, magical location

You have a wife???? Who sings in a choir?

Mate, you've been posting on PB for about 107 years, and today we learn you have a wife

This is a bit like Nick Palmer "Swissnick" Day, only with wives and more wholesome

To be fair @HYUFD has mentioned his wife on occasions and I think it is wonderful she sings in Ely choir

Thanks, we are also due a new arrival in November too so can't post as much as I have been

Congratulations comrade deputy chairman!

I went here today. With my older daughter

She loves history, churches, geology, poetry, and surreal jokes



Which is kinda handy as these are many of my favourite things as well

Did you go up it? It costs, but it's worth it. Some of the paintings open up and you can look down...

It's just so incredibly beautiful

I've only beem once before, and that was about 25 years ago. So this was almost like my first visit

Stunning. Just stunning. When I first went in I thought, OK, this is like one of the great French cathedrals - Amiens or Reims - very lovely, but lacking Noom

And then we got to the Octagon and the Noom comes from the sheer effrontery of the architecture. The absurd, dreamy idea of this floating geometrical ceiling-from-heaven, my God the Noom kicks in then. Oh yes. Verily, and yea

Also, the Lady Chapel. Also, the fact it was founded in about 670AD by an Anglo-Saxon princess. Also, the Anglo-Saxon warlords and bishops interred in one of the prettier chantries, including some earl who died at the Battle of Maldon. Also, the presence nearby of Grimes Graves in the Breckland (which we both visited for the first time)

We had a brilliant day out. England can still wildly surprise on the upside, and then some. 90 minutes from the North Circular!

Ely must be in the top ten most-beautiful-cathedrals in the world

I believe when it was built, Ely was surrounded by water. Imagine approaching it in medieval times. The cathedral mirrored by its own reflection. Must have been stupendous.

Yes my wife was singing in Ely cathedral a few weeks ago, magical location

You have a wife???? Who sings in a choir?

Mate, you've been posting on PB for about 107 years, and today we learn you have a wife

This is a bit like Nick Palmer "Swissnick" Day, only with wives and more wholesome

To be fair @HYUFD has mentioned his wife on occasions and I think it is wonderful she sings in Ely choir

Thanks, we are also due a new arrival in November too so can't post as much as I have been

That's wonderful news - your first?

'Treasury officials consider shake-up that could see tax paid by sellers of homes worth more than £500,000.'


https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/aug/19/explainer-potential-property-tax-stamp-duty

The sellers having made a five hundred percent profit on their home after 25 years coughing up would be more equitable than the poor old buyer having to front stamp duty at purchase.

This policy would be devastating for Labour in London and home counties marginal Labour seats, the AVERAGE London house price is now over £500k, the same in Hertfordshire

As it stands ANY government taxation kite is shot down by the hostile media and the Conservatives. I have no problem with a sales tax for a property that I have potentially nominally profited by £600,000 over 25 years (mortgage interest repayments notwithstanding).

We now seem to operate in a culture where we demand better social and civil services, better and more expensive defence but without any attempts at a taxation quid pro quo.

We want our cake and we want to eat it.

There have been years where my property went up in value by more than the wage I was being paid. The former attracts no tax, the latter does. Do we want to incentivise people to work, or to indulge in property speculation?

Anyone who suggests charging capital gains tax on private homes is signing their political obituary

Maybe because most people are greedy and want everyone else to pay for them. If I earn £100k this year I would pay £31,400 in tax and NI, if I earned £50k and my house increased in value by £50k then I would pay £10,500 in tax and NI. Why are we taxing work more than sitting on your arse?

I am not sure you quite grasp the politics of this

It highlights the stuckness we're currently stuck with.

The politics of any tax rises are ugly, as are the politics or real (not pretendy) spending cuts. And the ruses that have bridged that gap for decades, and have caused us to become accustomed to a lifestyle we haven't earned, have stopped working.

The only real answer is to not start from here.

I would suggest if we hadn't had covid or the war in Ukraine then we would be in a very different place

The 500 billion or more cost of these events has been traumatic for the country and all politicians who simply do not have the answers

I went here today. With my older daughter

She loves history, churches, geology, poetry, and surreal jokes



Which is kinda handy as these are many of my favourite things as well

Did you go up it? It costs, but it's worth it. Some of the paintings open up and you can look down...

It's just so incredibly beautiful

I've only beem once before, and that was about 25 years ago. So this was almost like my first visit

Stunning. Just stunning. When I first went in I thought, OK, this is like one of the great French cathedrals - Amiens or Reims - very lovely, but lacking Noom

And then we got to the Octagon and the Noom comes from the sheer effrontery of the architecture. The absurd, dreamy idea of this floating geometrical ceiling-from-heaven, my God the Noom kicks in then. Oh yes. Verily, and yea

Also, the Lady Chapel. Also, the fact it was founded in about 670AD by an Anglo-Saxon princess. Also, the Anglo-Saxon warlords and bishops interred in one of the prettier chantries, including some earl who died at the Battle of Maldon. Also, the presence nearby of Grimes Graves in the Breckland (which we both visited for the first time)

We had a brilliant day out. England can still wildly surprise on the upside, and then some. 90 minutes from the North Circular!

Ely must be in the top ten most-beautiful-cathedrals in the world

I believe when it was built, Ely was surrounded by water. Imagine approaching it in medieval times. The cathedral mirrored by its own reflection. Must have been stupendous.

Yes my wife was singing in Ely cathedral a few weeks ago, magical location

You have a wife???? Who sings in a choir?

Mate, you've been posting on PB for about 107 years, and today we learn you have a wife

This is a bit like Nick Palmer "Swissnick" Day, only with wives and more wholesome

To be fair @HYUFD has mentioned his wife on occasions and I think it is wonderful she sings in Ely choir

Thanks, we are also due a new arrival in November too so can't post as much as I have been

'Treasury officials consider shake-up that could see tax paid by sellers of homes worth more than £500,000.'


https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/aug/19/explainer-potential-property-tax-stamp-duty

The sellers having made a five hundred percent profit on their home after 25 years coughing up would be more equitable than the poor old buyer having to front stamp duty at purchase.

This policy would be devastating for Labour in London and home counties marginal Labour seats, the AVERAGE London house price is now over £500k, the same in Hertfordshire

As it stands ANY government taxation kite is shot down by the hostile media and the Conservatives. I have no problem with a sales tax for a property that I have potentially nominally profited by £600,000 over 25 years (mortgage interest repayments notwithstanding).

We now seem to operate in a culture where we demand better social and civil services, better and more expensive defence but without any attempts at a taxation quid pro quo.

We want our cake and we want to eat it.

There have been years where my property went up in value by more than the wage I was being paid. The former attracts no tax, the latter does. Do we want to incentivise people to work, or to indulge in property speculation?

Anyone who suggests charging capital gains tax on private homes is signing their political obituary

Maybe because most people are greedy and want everyone else to pay for them. If I earn £100k this year I would pay £31,400 in tax and NI, if I earned £50k and my house increased in value by £50k then I would pay £10,500 in tax and NI. Why are we taxing work more than sitting on your arse?

I am not sure you quite grasp the politics of this

And by the way any care my wife or I need at our advanced years 81 and 85 will be entirely funded by our home and saving the taxpayer many thousands of pounds

I think DM_Andy nailed it with "most people are greedy". We can recognise that something is political suicide even as we explain why, on paper, the measure could be good for the country.

The trouble is almost everything fits this description. I'm feeling very low about the UK after the ludicrous WFP fiasco.

I went here today. With my older daughter

She loves history, churches, geology, poetry, and surreal jokes



Which is kinda handy as these are many of my favourite things as well

Did you go up it? It costs, but it's worth it. Some of the paintings open up and you can look down...

It's just so incredibly beautiful

I've only beem once before, and that was about 25 years ago. So this was almost like my first visit

Stunning. Just stunning. When I first went in I thought, OK, this is like one of the great French cathedrals - Amiens or Reims - very lovely, but lacking Noom

And then we got to the Octagon and the Noom comes from the sheer effrontery of the architecture. The absurd, dreamy idea of this floating geometrical ceiling-from-heaven, my God the Noom kicks in then. Oh yes. Verily, and yea

Also, the Lady Chapel. Also, the fact it was founded in about 670AD by an Anglo-Saxon princess. Also, the Anglo-Saxon warlords and bishops interred in one of the prettier chantries, including some earl who died at the Battle of Maldon. Also, the presence nearby of Grimes Graves in the Breckland (which we both visited for the first time)

We had a brilliant day out. England can still wildly surprise on the upside, and then some. 90 minutes from the North Circular!

Ely must be in the top ten most-beautiful-cathedrals in the world

I believe when it was built, Ely was surrounded by water. Imagine approaching it in medieval times. The cathedral mirrored by its own reflection. Must have been stupendous.

Yes my wife was singing in Ely cathedral a few weeks ago, magical location

You have a wife???? Who sings in a choir?

Mate, you've been posting on PB for about 107 years, and today we learn you have a wife

This is a bit like Nick Palmer "Swissnick" Day, only with wives and more wholesome

@HYUFD has mentioned it a few times before.

Indeed, I think I remember him posting from their honeymoon.

'Treasury officials consider shake-up that could see tax paid by sellers of homes worth more than £500,000.'


https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/aug/19/explainer-potential-property-tax-stamp-duty

The sellers having made a five hundred percent profit on their home after 25 years coughing up would be more equitable than the poor old buyer having to front stamp duty at purchase.

This policy would be devastating for Labour in London and home counties marginal Labour seats, the AVERAGE London house price is now over £500k, the same in Hertfordshire

As it stands ANY government taxation kite is shot down by the hostile media and the Conservatives. I have no problem with a sales tax for a property that I have potentially nominally profited by £600,000 over 25 years (mortgage interest repayments notwithstanding).

We now seem to operate in a culture where we demand better social and civil services, better and more expensive defence but without any attempts at a taxation quid pro quo.

We want our cake and we want to eat it.

There have been years where my property went up in value by more than the wage I was being paid. The former attracts no tax, the latter does. Do we want to incentivise people to work, or to indulge in property speculation?

Anyone who suggests charging capital gains tax on private homes is signing their political obituary

Maybe because most people are greedy and want everyone else to pay for them. If I earn £100k this year I would pay £31,400 in tax and NI, if I earned £50k and my house increased in value by £50k then I would pay £10,500 in tax and NI. Why are we taxing work more than sitting on your arse?

I am not sure you quite grasp the politics of this

And by the way any care my wife or I need at our advanced years 81 and 85 will be entirely funded by our home and saving the taxpayer many thousands of pounds

Oh, I get the politics, I wasn't disagreeing with you about the politics. But the parasitical attitude of "I will never contribute towards this society" really annoys me. Even more so when it's combined with utter smugness.

I went here today. With my older daughter

She loves history, churches, geology, poetry, and surreal jokes



Which is kinda handy as these are many of my favourite things as well

Did you go up it? It costs, but it's worth it. Some of the paintings open up and you can look down...

It's just so incredibly beautiful

I've only beem once before, and that was about 25 years ago. So this was almost like my first visit

Stunning. Just stunning. When I first went in I thought, OK, this is like one of the great French cathedrals - Amiens or Reims - very lovely, but lacking Noom

And then we got to the Octagon and the Noom comes from the sheer effrontery of the architecture. The absurd, dreamy idea of this floating geometrical ceiling-from-heaven, my God the Noom kicks in then. Oh yes. Verily, and yea

Also, the Lady Chapel. Also, the fact it was founded in about 670AD by an Anglo-Saxon princess. Also, the Anglo-Saxon warlords and bishops interred in one of the prettier chantries, including some earl who died at the Battle of Maldon. Also, the presence nearby of Grimes Graves in the Breckland (which we both visited for the first time)

We had a brilliant day out. England can still wildly surprise on the upside, and then some. 90 minutes from the North Circular!

Ely must be in the top ten most-beautiful-cathedrals in the world

I believe when it was built, Ely was surrounded by water. Imagine approaching it in medieval times. The cathedral mirrored by its own reflection. Must have been stupendous.

Yes my wife was singing in Ely cathedral a few weeks ago, magical location

You have a wife???? Who sings in a choir?

Mate, you've been posting on PB for about 107 years, and today we learn you have a wife

This is a bit like Nick Palmer "Swissnick" Day, only with wives and more wholesome

@leon where have you been? @hyufd has talked about his wife numerous times and posted here when he got married. If memory serves me right she works for the church at Oxford Uni. Do I have that right @hyufd?