https://www.gov.uk/alerts

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8739rrez23o

... I came across some Himalayan Pink Salt crystals. As can be seen on the label, the product was formed over 250 milion years ago. It's just as well that it was dug out of the ground when it was as after all that time, it only has a 2 year best before date on it!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yvpx20le2o

If you are worried about IHT for your children, then investigate a 'Deed of Variation'. This allows a beneficiary to change how their share of a deceased person's estate is distributed after their death, and this is treated as though the deceased person made that decision themselves.

https://geeksaroundglobe.com/denmarks-new-ai-law-lets-you-copyright-your-face-and-the-world-might-follow/

If you have an interest in football, you can join the loop by announcing your interest in the post below. You must be invited to join the loop.
https://www.scooploop.com/thread/new-loop-41ba8

Today I used the UK's first mini roundabout, and possibly the first one in the world.
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https://www.benfleethistory.org.uk/content/browse-articles/streets-and-roads/the-worlds-first-mini-roundabout-was-installed-in-benfleet

Bless me Father, for I have sinned. I have been with a loose girl."

The priest asks, "Is that you, little Joey Pagano?"

"Yes, Father, it is."

"And who was the girl you were with?"

"I can't tell you, Father. I don't want to ruin her reputation."

"Well, Joey, I'm sure to find out her name sooner or later so you may as well tell me now. Was it Tina Minetti?"

"I cannot say."

"Was it Teresa Mazzarelli?"

"I'll never tell."

"Was it Nina Capelli?"

"I'm sorry, but I cannot name her."

"Was it Cathy Piriano?"

"My lips are sealed."

"Was it Rosa DiAngelo, then?"

"Please, Father! I cannot tell you."

The priest sighs in frustration. "You're very tight lipped, and I admire that. But you've sinned and have to atone. You cannot be an altar boy now for 4 months. Now you go and behave yourself."

Joey walks back to his pew, and his friend Franco slides over and whispers, "What'd you get?"

"Four months vacation and five good leads..."

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMbtoIKOqnw/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c80d9e8ep7do

My wife had said she didn't fancy anything for dinner tonight, it was going to be fajitas, but they've been deferred until tomorrow. There is a rack of ribs in the fridge that managed to attract my attention, but I wasn't quite sure I wanted them tonight.

Then the doorbell went. "Who is that", I thought, "I'm not expecting visitors".

So, I opened the door and there was my next-door neighbour standing there, holding out a container full of freshly cooked chicken curry she had just prepared.

Impeccable timing, Impeccable food. I do like living next door to Sikhs. Such gentle and kind people.

Watch this programme about the discovery of pulsars by Professor Jocelyn Bell Burnell, in which she reveals the treatment by her male colleagues, and the press.
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002h45s

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgr94xxye2lo

https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/articles/cz60081dpyxo

If you like good music and you weren't watching BBC4 tonight, try to catch up on iPlayer if you can.

It was such a delight to listen to. Played by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and conducted by Domingo Hindoyan, it was a superb performance.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002gv5c/bbc-proms-2025-dvoraks-new-world-symphony-at-the-proms

Some hospitals now have phone charging stations where you can safely leave your phone charging for free.

We have all seen QR codes, but what does QR stand for? No googling or AIing obviously.

Whilst in Wick recently, I walked the length of the shortest Street in the World (see pictures).
It is six feet and nine inches long.
We were staying in the hotel on the street, the only door there leads into the bistro attached to Mackays Hotel.

We were there for a wedding and stayed three nights. I was taken by the breakfasts. There were various options including a full Scottish, but I opted for smoked haddock with a poached egg, sitting in a cream and butter sauce - delicious.

We stayed at various hotels and B&B while we were in Scotland, only one was a slight disappointment, the others were excellent including an Indian run hotel with a superb restaurant serving Indian/Scottish fusion food.

I arrived back yesterday. Lucky to have got back as we had just boarded our aeroplane, doors shut and awaiting start up, when the captain came on to advise us that the radar had failed in the London area, and we were on a delay of over three hours. She kept us regularly updated and took on more fuel for while we were sitting in Inverness and for possible stacking when arriving at Heathrow as well as delays getting on stand if aeroplanes had not left their stands when expected. In the event, because we were ready to go, when given an earlier nod, she got us airborne very quickly meaning our delay was, luckily, only about 90 minutes.

The government will be sending a test emergency alert on Sunday the 7th September 2025. It will play a 10 second siren and vibrate. It will not be received by phones using 2G or 3G. Phones using an Android version earlier than 11, or iOS earlier than 14.5, are unlikely to receive the alert. Phones connected to WiFi only will not receive it.

In the past, a drawn match could be decided by the toss of a coin!

Due to an attachment to TV camaras, the adverts that viewers see, can be changed for each channel and country.

https://www.essex.police.uk/news/essex/news/news/2025/july/chipping-in-to-save-cash/?utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery

Just got back from Sidmouth in Devon. It's a lovely place, lots of shops - not the usual town square shops, lovely gardens, beach - lots of swimmers, no seaside amusements! I've never seen so many dogs!
https://www.visitdevon.co.uk/sidmouth/

https://link.butterfly-conservation.org/m/1/71172733/p1-b25199-6e6112adf56842e9abea09d33bbfaead/2/847/0f26758e-0bec-4e48-b61c-1a53559dad90

I have responded to your post, but doubt you can see it, so I have created a post as a response.
If you were commenting on a post by a person where blocking is involved, you can only see the post but cannot comment on it.

I am still a member, just checked.

Will you be going for a traditional roast and veg, or will you be thinking of more exotic flavours?

And what about your pud?

What do you enjoy?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5ygv2n8jy2o?at_campaign=crm&at_medium=emails&at_campaign_type=owned&at_objective=conversion&at_ptr_name=salesforce&at_ptr_type=media&at_creation=%5B89357_NEWS_NLB_ABC_WK27_THU_10_JUL%5D-20250710-%5Bbbnews_peoplecanhugsycamoregaptreeagain_newsengland%5D&app-referrer=deep-link

Have a look at, or perhaps join the Arts and Creativity loop.

https://www.scooploop.com/loops/arts-and-creativity

Then join the Gardeners Group;Down to Earth loop:

https://www.scooploop.com/loops/gardeners-groupdown-to-earth

Then, if you are not a member, join the Pastime loop:

https://www.scooploop.com/loops/pastime

https://youtu.be/sGyRmUTR_sM

https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20160113-why-do-you-get-eye-floaters

https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u193491675?at_objective=conversion&at_ptr_type=media

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oN3Y_iKmgZA

I was ordering stuff on Amazon yesterday and decided to have a look at herbs and spices they were selling.

I came across dried, ground Basil.

What surprised me was that I could buy 100gms for £4.15.

Even more surprising was that I could buy twenty times that amount (2kgs) for a mere 15 pence more!

They had other amounts at different prices but I now have enough powder to last a couple of lifetimes. So if anyone needs any....

By Joshua Jones - The Sun

'THE absence of line judges at Wimbledon will be a sad sight.

For as long as I can remember, the men and women decked out in their Ralph Lauren outfits have been part of the furniture at the All England Club.

Yes, they provided some mild entertainment on the court when one would call "fault" with plenty of extra, and unnecessary, gusto and volume that boomed around Centre Court, prompting a snigger from the fans.

Then there was the ongoing game of dodgeball they had to play when a big serve nailed a mammoth ace down the line and they had to take rapid evasive action or take a whack to the top of the head.

And challenges provided some audience participation, excitedly joining in the clapping countdown before the inevitable "oooh" when the graphic showed just how close the ball was to landing in or out.

Purely objectively, Wimbledon's decision to replace line judges with Hawk-Eye Live makes total sense.

The accuracy and consistency of calls in real-time will speed things up, save time and should mark the end of arguments over the tight incorrect calls - well, until the technology malfunctions.

And Wimbledon's hand was somewhat forced to ditch tradition for their standing in tennis.

The Australian Open and US Open already use electronic line calling and the ATP Tour is adopting Hawk-Eye Live across all of its tournaments from 2025.

Wimbledon's refusal to comply would leave them lagging behind and exposed to the threat of needless controversy over human error.

But the impact - as is so often the case in these decisions - has ramifications further down, below the surface with very little impact on Wimbledon's Championships or the players.

It is on the line judges themselves.

Approximately 300 officials - aged from 18 to 80 - covered more than 650 matches at Wimbledon.

A fraction travel internationally with the circuit but the vast majority of those are part-time line judges based in the UK, earning up to £180 per day to work at the prestigious tournament and their chance to play their part at Wimbledon.

For many, they will help out at British tournaments throughout the year, spurred on by the possibility of taking to the lawns of the All England Club.

But it is understood many of those officials would be reluctant to work at the lower-level tournaments without the carrot of Wimbledon dangling in the summer.

That in turn will put a major stumbling block in the pathway for British tennis umpires, who grind up through the ranks to reach the pinnacle of the sport.

Like football with referees, tennis needs umpires and line judges.

So the inability to call "out" at Wimbledon could prove to be a major "fault" for the future of the UK's tennis officials and therefore the state of the sport on these shores.'

... I remember a dinner date with a girl who was a county champion chess player , and when I asked her to pass the salt , she took 20 mins .

I would like to share this link with you
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/articles/ckgj184pdrno