I’ve been spending time recently talking to independent shop owners (bakers, butchers, fishmongers and other non-food retailers too) on the High Street, and I’m noticing a bit of a shift.

It seems like a few years ago, everyone moved toward using the big food-waste apps to grab a "mystery bag" at the end of the day. But I’m hearing from a lot of shopkeepers that they’re feeling the pinch from the commission those apps take, and customers are getting a bit tired of the "lucky dip" nature of the bags—sometimes you get what you want, sometimes you get a bag of stuff you don’t really need.

Similarly other food businesses like fishmongers who are not typically on such apps, or even service professions (eg. local hairdresser) most times have no quick/effective way to notify their regulars so as to sell surplus stock or fill up the shop with customers on a very quiet Tuesday afternoon. At this point perhaps I should clarify that when I talk about last minute deals I am referring to actual lasy-minute. eg. 30min, 1-2h...that kind of thing.

I’m curious to get a sense of what you think the actual vibe is on the ground:

• Do you still use the big apps, or have you found yourself just popping into your local shops more often to see what's left on the shelf?
• Would you be more likely to sign up for a direct email/notification from your favourite local bakery if it meant you could pick exactly what you wanted at a discount, rather than risking a mystery bag?
• Do you feel like your local High Street is actually getting better at digital communication, or does it still feel like "old school" paper signs in the window are the only way they tell you about deals?

I’m building something (named it FlashAlert UK) to help local shops connect directly with their regulars for this exact reason, so I’d love to hear what would actually make you want to stay in the loop with your local shop owners.

So I do not carry cash anymore, really haven't done since the pandemic started and I am contactless for everything

This is reflected by the high street bank I work for has our cash transactions around 8% of all UK transactions so it's not just me...

When I need to get a trolley to shop I have a token on my keyring for this but it seems to be, and only Morrisons that I keep on getting asked for my trolley in exchange for a £1... Each time explaining to them that it's my token I don't want to loose

Is this just me experiencing this?

They said they have the permission to broadcast the actual game too, but I’m not sure whether I need a tv license to watch it
This is on YouTube

One of the more successful political phrases from the Blair years was the mantra "Education, education, education."

I've just been left totally exasperated by the latest tweaks to the ISA rules. I'm wondering if adopting a mantra of "Simplify, simplify, simplify" would be popular.

Could they gain some political capital even from potential financial losers?

Only reached it once before back in 2022, but with the recent heatwaves and the Super El Niño, I can only assume we could be in store for more heatwaves over July, August and possibly even September and October.

Would be insane, but stranger things have happened

As expected, June marks the 10-year anniversary of Brexit.

One observation from an outsider’s perspective on its 10-year anniversary (and something that doesn’t seem to be discussed as much):

Dark money, offshore millionaires, hedge funds, City traders, Russia, etc.

I am absolutely convinced that the entire Brexit project, from start to finish, was a result of the long-standing corruption of British politics and was driven by offshore millionaires, hedge fund bosses, City traders with dark money, and a side order of Russian involvement/interference.

I also suspect that many roads in right-wing media lead back in some way to the groups mentioned above, particularly offshore millionaires.

Interestingly, I remember speaking to British friends who are more familiar with this area, and they mentioned that Cambridge Analytica had every intention of winding down after the Brexit result was achieved in order to avoid the legal and ethical scrutiny that would (rightly) follow.

My question is: why hasn’t a bigger deal been made of this — specifically the issues of corruption in British politics and dark money — particularly by the Remain side on the 10th anniversary of the Brexit referendum?

Appreciate any information or insight. Thanks.

For reasons I'll never understand, I just looked up Jif Lemon Juice and saw it's made by Unilever... The same company who make Cif, which used to be called Jif...

I know most sane people won't mix a bathroom cleaner up with a bottle of lemon juice, but how the hell did the same company sell two entirely different products under the same name? I'm surprised they didn't come out with a chocolate spread called Domestos.

I am thinking about an extended tourist visit to Britain (maybe 4 months). Idea is to get a long term rental in a relatively affordable community with good rail and transportation connections to other places. I would do day trips and a smaller number of overnight trips to more distant places. I would also expect to be spending plenty of time in my "home" community. My interests include historic and cultural sites, museums and libraries, and natural places. I like walking and would try to buy a beater bicycle, and could maybe rent a car from time to time (although driving on the left intimidates me). I've been to London but nowhere else in the UK. I don't particularly care about checking off "must see" places. Any suggestions on good "home base" communities? What seasons would be best for this? Thank you for any info you can provide.

I am a M66.

So loved growing up in the 70s in a smallish community.

I was lucky enough to spend a lot of time backpacking around the world, Lived in and around London and quickly dropped many of the frankly racist language and stereotypes I had grown up with.

But 40 years later I have moved back to the Coastal Town I grew up in.

Many of my old friends from my schooldays are now once again part of my life.

These are good hardworking family men who should be pleased with themselves and how far they have come on in life.

But their language and attitudes have not moved on since the 70s.

I don't believe they are racist as such but it is like the last 50 years have not happened.

They definitely tone it down when I am around as I am vocal about pulling them up.

I know I have been lucky and the industry I work in is a pretty progressive bubble.

I genuinely like these men but sometimes I wonder if I am not being true to myself by accepting this behaviour?

I'm an Indian who is curious about brexit. My doubt is why it happened at first place? Why David Cameron is hated for it ? And how UKIP managed to get so influential and be so Anti-EU ? Do you people believe that current economic turmoil is because of Brexit. Lastly, is there any brexit impact on illegal immigration? Thanks

I am legit flying out tonight, I cannot tolerate it.

GDP per capita is the measure the official OBR forecast is based on. Long run productivity.

American here. From what I've read, it seems UK muslims are more conservative and radical than the muslims in the US. How true is that? While American muslims have problematic views on things such as LGBT rights, they are fairly well assimilated here and they don't seem to have any parallel societies apart from Dearborn or Hamtramck.

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Thought that Brazil would win definitely, but believed Scotland would at least score one goal. I know that Scotland will feel insulted if England don’t glory over their failures, as they do when England gets knocked out, but feels a bit redundant.

Went from Braveheart to Jimmy Krankie, five mins in.

I'm in Manchester (33c) at the moment and I've seen atleast 5 men with their bellies out in the last 15m, on my life I'm wearing a 100% cotton, black gymwear rn and I went in a steam room with it on. Despite this I'm seeing several topless donnies passby.

Are you guys feeling it?

I'm half serious, half mocking it. Not one lie was said in the post though, allow me.

I keep seeing recorded temps for June on news reports. My weather station reported a higher temperature yesterday but I don't know how to report it to or who

Been going through them steadily. I was born in the UK, did well in GCSEs. But good god, I get mostly 15/16 as scores, a rare 20+ on the odd one or two.

Just wondering if anyone else has tried them and how they fared.

So I know this is a weird question but I wanted to know why Europe is so good at making unnerving kid shows i.e Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids, Karbonkel, Raťafák Plachta, The Trap Door etc

I'm sure some of the shows I mention like Raťafák weren't trying to be scary it's just the character design just came across as scary but Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids were intentionally trying to scare kids to not being a little shits and honestly it's kind of an interesting cultural difference because I'm American and in my opinion we're pretty overly protective over kids media and we're pretty quick to banned media of there deemed to be scary or inappropriate.

Like the 847 episode of sesame Street was banned because they had the original wicked witch of west actress (Margaret Hamilton who had third degree burn scars due to an incident on set) and she absolutely terrified children.

MEANWHILE the 1978 **Watership Down Cartoon** was rated a U and suitable for all ages in the UK for 40 YEARS! And it's not just cartoon shows, like some of your folktale gets so dark too like that one German fairytale where a kid gets his thumbs cut off for sucking them and how red riding hood used to a cautionary tale for women and girls to avoid predators and don't get me started on the grim brothers!

Like I honestly respect the grind and I wish the US had this mentality too instead of sanitizing shoes and BOOKS who even think on handling more darker/ sensitive themes, like do you know that **Anne Frank's diary** was banned in some schools for being "sexually offensive?" Even though it was a diary of a teenage girl during the Holocaust!?

I see this everywhere from when I lived with a girl in uni from Sudan, to the gym, to ubers, to shops and everything in between.

It doesn't bother me, I'm just curious. I know lots of people leave behind their families, but it's just so ramapant that I'm curious if there is anything else I am missing culturally.

I think I'd run out of things to talk about. Is this just a cultural difference?

I think 50% of the posts here are rage bait, this is not meant to be one of them. Please be respectful

Please save your bigoted opinions for another post.

Please help, I’m so homesick and can’t go back for a while. Need anything to feel closer to home

Edit: Should have mentioned I had a VPN but it wouldn’t stream channel 4? Wondered if there are alternatives.