Lisa O`Brien

Thank you Jane. I'll try to answer as best as I can. Yes, the privately rented rooms include utilities, insurance and wifi. The commute to the halls would maybe be a tenner a day, but might be a bit less. I know that near Queen's University there are some quite expensive shops, including grocery shops. I think the nearest supermarket is a Spar. In West Belfast, it is generally a working class area. There are countless low cost shops, free advice centres for locals, community groups etc. The Uni accommodation contract is for either 38,39 or 51 weeks, depending on what you are studying. My son's course lasts for 38 weeks, so that would be the contract he takes. For some incredibly unfair reason here in Northern Ireland, students are only allowed to take out a maximum accommodation loan of £3,475 a year. That works out at having about £91 a week to spend on rent for the 38 weeks, roughly. With the private rented, you can take out a rental on a place ( most places) for a minimum of 3 months at a time. So if you don't like somewhere you are not committed to living there for the full academic year and can find somewhere else to live. ( If you CAN, that is). I am assuming he will be the only one if he does go ahead with renting Queen's University accommodation, because from what we have heard, the very vast majority of students studying at St. Mary's do NOT use Queen's University accommodation, but rent out a private flat close to St. Mary's University College. Which is fine, provided he can find a private landlord that is reputable, etc. As it is private there won't be the same conditions, or maybe the same standards that the uni accommodation will have. The cheapest university accommodation is £85 a week. That includes utilities and wifi but nothing else. Yes, I personally like the fact that in halls there will be 24/7 security etc. There would be none of that in a house share with 4 other people. As you can see, there are lots to consider.

Many thanks for your reply. Sean contacted the accommodation at Queen's University Belfast and asked them about what would happen in September to his £300 deposit should the unis still be closed because of Covid-19? Their answer? "Oh things will definitely be open again, including this university, in September". How can they possibly know that? I know Queen's are one of the unis conducting research into it atm, but even so. I thought it was a bit of a bold statement to make !!

He is 23. Has been working, studying and doing hundreds of hours of voluntary work the last few years. Deferred his uni place last year so he could continue working in a pharmacy. He is due to start his degree in Liberal Arts with History in September. ( That's if unis are even going to be open in Sept). His Uni is actually a University College with only a thousand students. It does not have its own accommodation. So the options are to either take a room in official uni accommodation of the uni his College is attached to. Or privately rent in a house share. The official university accommodation is a long way from where he will be and it will be a fair commute every day in a city he has only visited a handful of times. ( Belfast). Rooms and places are filling up fast, even though it is not a given the university will re-open in September. The uni wants a £300 deposit up front. Most accommodation is around £120 a week. In the privately rented sector, there are much cheaper rooms to rent. Not by a massive amount, but by 20 or 30 pounds a week. Many of them are only asking for a one hundred pounds deposit. Some are asking for a month's rent in advance. One particular estate agents, who have some very nice looking properties very close to where my son will be studying, want a deposit, but say if Covid-19 isn't eradicated /reduced, and the unis DON'T go ahead in September, they will keep the deposit as it is non-refundable under ANY circumstances. So what should he do? Does he take a room in university owned accommodation, which is some distance away from where he will be studying each day, and where most likely , he will be the only student living there from his University College? If things still don't go ahead in September he will get his deposit back. Or does he take a room in a house, that is far cheaper, and very, very close to where he will be studying every day? But then take the chance he will lose his deposit of maybe £400 is unis are cancelled? I don't know about anyone else, but the possibility of throwing away £400 if unis don't go ahead after he has booked his room isn't an attractive prospect. Again, like the uni accommodation, the privately rented accommodation in West Belfast is filling up. If he waits and waits and sees what the Covid-19 situation is like closer to September, there's a strong chance he will end up with nowhere to live come the start of term. Neither of us know what's the best thing to do. Any suggestions? Thanks. ( Sorry for the long post).

Only feedback on it from over a year ago, when he was selling it for £3.99 a bottle. It also says "From £48 per month for 24 months".

I looked on different websites, and the man is still selling No More Spiders for £999.99. So I read different reviews and i've bought a spray called Zeph-air Spider Spray. 6 bottles of it for £19.99. I've not seen another spider since, thankfully. But I can't keep just crossing my fingers and hoping they will stay out. I know they won't forever, so I have to be prepared in advance !!

Thanks Quintus. Don't suppose I can buy bags full of conkers online??

Well unfortunately Biscuit has no interest in catching spiders. She prefers trying to kill small beetles, or butterflies. Sigh.

No.

My son uses a disabled piece of kit we were given. A yellow and black long stick, with a grabby thing on the end. But he has to position the grippy hand part directly over it to grab it first time. Then it's either out the door or flushed down the loo. I'm usually by this stage standing on the sofa, utterly terrified. I'm actually even worse when someone , anyone goes to throw them outside rather than squash it. I always think they are going to throw it at me. Yes, even my son. Or it could be the Pope himself, it makes no difference. If anyone I am near goes to throw it out, I always imagine they are going to throw it at me. ( Very bad experience as a child, that has stayed with me forever).

Just noticed an 8 legged monster under the stairs. Sean to the rescue. Squirted the last of the No More Spiders everywhere, made by a company called 151. Looked on Ebay, Amazon, and independent sellers to buy some more. Everywhere is out of stock. Oh, except on Ebay, where some cheeky bloke is selling a couple of bottles of it for, I kid you not, £999. There is another spider repellent around, that isn't sold out. Have only ever used No More Spiders, so don't know of the efficacy of this other one. Does anyone know of another spider repellent that is as effective as NO More Spiders? Need to get a few bottles in, just in case. Thanks.

I woke up at 5.30 this morning, worried about him. Came downstairs and switched on the news, with the volume off, to see how he was. I have a bit of a crush on him. I think he's cute and cuddly, and charming, and clever, and I would love to run my fingers through his mop of hair. ( Yes, i'm sure you all must think i'm mad).

My thoughts and prayers are with Boris Johnson tonight. The idea of our Prime Minister, being in intensive care, is just too awful to comprehend. I don't care what your political persuasion is. This is our leader, who has been trying to do his best in the most challenging time for our country since the second world war. I truly hope he pulls through.

My son Sean is working. In the main pharmacy in Newry. He said up until a few days ago it was just insane in there. At one point the Pharmacist was literally screaming at customers to stay back as they were surging forward into the shop. Now they are only allowed in two at a time. He said it's a hell of a lot calmer and less stressful now. They have not long been given their protective face masks though. Couldn't get hold of any for weeks.

Not dance, but i've only just in the last month gone back to joining a Slimming World group for the first time in a few years. The ones near me ( and in Merseyside) are all cancelled.

The Moulin Rouge in Paris closed on 13 March. Says they will stay shut until 15 April. A few hours after the Moulin announcement, the Lido did the same. ( For those of you who don't know, the Moulin Rouge and Lido are both owned by different branches of the same family; the Clericos from Italy).

Are any vocational schools going to be open come September I wonder?

Hmm. I'm sure there are many, many people out there; children and adults, who do not care if their cost as human beings is diminished or damaged somewhat, as long as they get "the prize". I imagine for such minded people, they would worry about it's consequences long after having achieved their ambition.

This refers to the flat part at the tip of the shoe. The part of the shoe you actually stand on. From the photo it looks like she is not standing correctly, or standing far enough over, onto the box of the shoe.

Hi. I was just wondering how many years worth of Ballet lessons you have taken before starting pointe work? Normally with enough prior training, being able to "get over onto the box properly" is not an issue, and the transition to pointe shoes is a smooth one, as all the groundwork has already been laid. Forgive me if I am incorrect, but looking at the photos of you en pointe, it doesn't seem to me that you have been studying Ballet for very long ? ( I apologise if I am wrong).

Sorry to read this Pictures. I think you have been on the Forum longer than me. The very best of luck to you, and your DD and to the rest of your family x

No. But just wanted to welcome you to the Forum !

Loved him as Vincent Van Gogh in Lust For Life. One of my all-time favourite films I could watch again and again.

God Almighty. The turn out of her supporting leg !!!

RIP. Although I never saw them dance, I remember that at the time I was at Urdang, LCB was affiliated with the School.

This reminds me of when I was 12 and started at a Ballet School in Manchester. We all did the RAD class on Saturdays. However, there was also a Monday night Coaching Class for an hour; for an extra £40 a term mind you, on top of the £40 a term already being paid for the one hour a week on a Saturday. It was quite obvious the "Monday Night Ladies" were the centre of attention, even in the Saturday classes. The teacher selected which student to stand wherever in the centre. The "Monday Night Ladies" were nearly every week chosen by the teacher to all be on the front row. The "Monday Night Ladies" were always selected to enter any RAD exams before the others. They often demonstrated to the rest of the class on Saturdays particular steps or combinations, and we were all left for quite long periods watching them. There was nothing to do but to be in it to win it. As soon as my mum could afford it, I too was taking the Coaching Class. Usually in the second term of each year. Many took the extra day from the first day of being moved up into a new grade after the exam. We could never afford it. £80 a term, for my mum, who only got about £38 a week to live on, was some serious money.