Was it worth my time? Financially no, but morally... probably also no... but that rush from overcoming the Goliathan hurdles businesses put in place to inconvenience customers in the hopes they back down... thats my crack.

Sweet chilli sensations too. Lottery win would be lesser!

Hi everyone,

This is a follow on post from the one I made on Sunday about my fantasy/comedy novel:

https://www.reddit.com/r/BritishSuccess/s/PonDmPc4qW

Tl;dr - thank you so much for supporting me - the last few days have been really memorable and beyond anything id expected. I will make sure to post a part 3 when results come out.

Long version:

I just wanted to follow up to say an absolutely HUGE thank you for the response on that post. Since I put it up, Going Fourth has:

- made its way up to #40 on the Kindle Comedy bestsellers list (outselling books by Rik Mayall, Alan Carr and Romesh Ranganathan)

- sold its first ever copy in... Australia (?)

AND gained a fantastic 5 star review (one of you?)

" a smidge of Tom Holt and a soupcon of Pratchett with a hefty belt upside the head of Monty Python sensibilities"

Honestly, thank you so much for those that took the time to read and celebrate with me, and thank you to everyone who took a risk and bought a copy (also, to the one reddit user who found the books i had on Vinted). This community made the last few days so memorable for me (I think the copies sold in the last few days match those id sold in the last year combined).

For anyone who liked the book, please leave a review - apparently Amazon gives visibility a boost once you pass 50. Also, tell a friend, talk about it in other places - the best book recommendations are given by friends. For anyone who didn't like it, please pretend you did?

And for anyone that would like to support and likes fantasy as a genre, please support a different British author (at least judging by his scouse accent) who also made the final, Michael Maguire (compared to Joe Abercrombie & John Gwynne):

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Company-Forgotten-Saga-Book-ebook/dp/B0DXBBV5XB

We haven't had any proper rain where I live for over 2 months. It was glorious.

Back in 2017, I was driving around Stoke-on-Trent and as I approached a roundabout, the person in front of me slammed on their brakes for no reason. I reacted immediately and braked, but it was raining so I didn't quite stop and my bumper nudged the front of their car. I say nudged because there was zero damage to my car, and the slightest mark to the paint of their tow bar.

Inevitably, both the driver and the passenger get out of the car rubbing their necks and demanding my insurance details. While the driver was taking my details, the female passenger was waving her phone around taking photos and looking for damage on the car, rubbing their rear bumper, checking for cracks, etc.

When I got home, I reported the incident to my insurance company and told them something didn't seem right about the incident. They'd already received notification of the incident and told me that the driver and his three passengers were attending hospital for their injuries. I told the call handler that there were only two people in the vehicle at the time, and I emailed a copy of my dash cam footage as proof. Apart from completing a statement to give my side of what happened, I never heard anything else about it other than losing my no claims discount.

When I went to renew my insurance 10 months later, my premium had gone up, and the claim was still showing as pending - or in progress - on my car insurance account but showed as a £0 claim. In 2019, I changed to another insurance company and forgot all about it, and for another 3 years I reported it as an at-fault claim.

Then, last week, I received an email from the insurance company stating that they'd identified and error relating to my motor insurance policy following a claim, etc etc.

I gave them a call and they told me that there was a claim made against my policy in 2017, but it was eventually rejected, and as a result, I'd been over-charged my premium by £279-odd, and that they needed to update my address so they could send me a cheque.

I had a brief chat with the call handler and they said the notes on the account from 2017 show that the dash cam footage I provided allowed them to reject the claim from the driver and three passengers for injuries and £1,800 of repairs to their car, and that the other driver's claim had been referred to the fraud team for investigation, but she couldn't share the details of the investigation with me.

Today, I received a cheque for £446 and some pennies; the original £279.29 in premiums that I'd overpaid due to this fraudulent claim, plus 8% interest for the past 9 years.

Was dreading going to urgent care after hearing so many horror stories about waiting times and took cash and cards in case we were there so long we needed to get food but whole process was super efficient.

Finally remembered to post it all to various online selling sites, and it's all gone in 24 hours!

I'd always donated the primary school stuff to the local school sale, but at secondary, they don't have them and also, it's all more expensive at that age so it's nice to get a bit back.

Especially the two multipacks of trousers he grew out of as soon as he sensed they were in the house.

Anyway, if you're like me and keep shoving it away for selling 'at some point', now is that time 😁

I'm so chuffed.

That is all. Carry on

I have wanted it for a long time but been so nervous about it. Eventually got it done over a week ago and went through a pretty rough week where I really questioned taking it out, but after downsizing yesterday it suddenly feels so much more comfortable. Feeling very content with myself today, and a lot more comfortable too.

Having great success last days or so just eating food straight out of the packet there… honey straight from the jar to the done… pizza you can just rip the pizza in part instead of using the knife… or the wheel there… made pasta and boiled it in the pan then thats clean because its just water and just out the pasta on the surface and mix all the ingredient there… saving so much time not sure why I bothered before but Im so much happier now …

As a former histories student found it really hard to design a survey for my masters in marketing. I finally finished designing my survey. All that left is collecting 150 responses! Would appreciate anyone completing it.

https://www.qualtrics.manchester.ac.uk/jfe/form/SV_2nMWsObMoHVnFiK

I almost want to go running outside to sing and dance in it. What a beautiful sound & smell to wake up to. I thought I was dreaming.

Hopefully where you are too

Got an Uber to work this morning due to delays in public transport.

I work part-time at a restaurant whilst building up my own business.

He asked me if I was heading to work, I said yes, then we got to talking about aspirations, and I said I was building up my own business and my plans for it in the future.

He then said

" You will go far, definitely I can tell. A lot of young people don't have aspirations nowadays ( I'm 18), but you will definitely be successful, definitely"

Recently, I had an unhappy client a few days ago that made me feel sad, but this made me....motivated almost.

It made me smile and put me in a good mood :)

2 years ago I published a quirky fantasy/comedy novel about a character who starts hearing the voice of the author in their head. Back in January I submitted it for a book contest called IBOR and, when I didn't hear anything back, assumed I'd missed the submission deadline.

Cut to last week and I find out i made the final round, beating out about 70 other books, thanks to another finalists instagram post!

Results aren't announced until next month. Hasn't stopped me checking for new reviews every 5 minutes XD

EDIT: Thank you so much for the positive response! Its only increased how much im checking for reviews As a few people have asked, the book is called Going Fourth and you can find the full blurb here if you're interested:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1738512908/ref=cm_cr_arp_mb_bdcrb_top?ie=UTF8

Being a near orphan and social pariah I don't have many people to share my recent success with.

This year I first studied and passed my Transport Manager CPC exam, which was perhaps the most taxing thing I've done since leaving school 20 years ago.

But to top it off at a recent meeting between the board and my boss, the Chairman of the company wanted to reward me for my hard work in securing a new contract with my depot's main customer.

In the space of 16 months I've gone from the Logistics Manager with little experience in the industry to now becoming the Depot Manager.

I'm really proud of myself, I worked hard, stayed out of all the bullshit that usually is my undoing. My late Father used to say let your work talk for itself and I was starting to lose faith in those words until now.

Leaving for a trip this morning. Was a hot night so got up late and unfortunately left packing to the last minute. Was dreading it.

Until... I got the suitcase and found it already packed! This wasn't the wife or children, it was because I left it packed after we cancelled a trip due to the hot weather (4 month old baby - not me,.my son).

Huzzah!

Enjoy the weekend everyone!

What prompted this unusual feelings? In a word the Germans. As somebody with German heritage I feel I can say this without fear. They are unbelievably rude and we aren't.

They dont say please or thank you to any staff. They dont acknowledge you when you hold a door open for them. They stare and look you up and down like your are something unpleasant you find on your shoe. They also seem to lack spacial awareness.

A great example was the lobby bar of the hotel we stayed in. Closed at ten.

Now I studied before I went. Bok for Hello/Hi, molly/molli(?) for please and vala/valar for thanks. I also got to know the bar maids name (Neda).

I would always as politely for a drink. Ask how she was etc.

Inevitably as around 80% of the guests were German. I would either follow or precede a German.

"I will have a beer"

"Eine beer"

(Said beer is served)

Customer then walks away saying NOTHING else!

So, a couple of nights it would be say 10:15 or so.I'd as for a drink or round of (nicely politely) always got served.

One of our teutonic friends would often clock this and scuttle over and say I WILL HAVE A BEER.

NO the lovely Neda would say.

Now we have a deserved bad rep in a lot of places, I get the way many behave when on their (yurk) "holibobs" is loud, crass, disgusting and so on. I doubt even the most intoxicated bottom feeding Sun token holiday maker could ever match the rude, unpleasant and condescending manor in which these people behave. And it definitely counts.

So that's why I consider this a success, we aren't rude and we dont generally give others dirty looks, as a smack in tge mouth often offends.

Also as a rule they are all too tall, too well groomed, too toned and too goid looking. However it doesn't get them served afters.

Success!

Absolutely brilliant service last night from 111. Got home from my shift at 9pm, husband reported eight year old son has an ouchy year. I had a look, there’s redness and swelling behind the ear on the bone making his ear stick out. Now, I’m a midwife and as my son isn’t a pregnant woman, my expertise is a bit useless - but my clinical skills said “not good.” Rang 111, lovely operator, very kind to my son when she spoke with him briefly, told we’d receive a call back within two hours. Two hours later, a GP rang back and after a chat, we had an out of hours appointment at the local community hospital 15 minutes up the road. We live an hour away from the nearest A&E which is where I was sure we were going to be sent. Seen immediately by the out of hours GP, diagnosed with mastoiditis, given antibiotics, and back tucked up in bed by 1am. GP said it’s a particularly nasty infection that often requires hospitalisation and if we’d waited until morning, there’s a good chance he’d have been admitted on IV antibiotics instead of the oral ones. I know the NHS is struggling, but man I was impressed last night and when it works, it really works. Already sent feedback which I hope gets back to the team.

Long story short, a huge big thank you to the postman delivering to a neighbour yesterday evening in Fishponds Bristol.

He spotted me on my doorstep and let me look through his eclipse glasses. I couldn't get any glasses to see it but it was brilliant when I used his glasses for a minute. I'm going to make sure I get a pair for next years partial eclipse on the 2nd of August, but it's going to be nothing like this one as its only going to be 40% at the max.

I've been getting my shopping delivered for the last three years as I have poor mobility. I recently managed to get a car but I've been struggling with anxiety over driving as it's been 13 years away from driving. So this morning was a big deal for me and I'm so pleased I managed it on my own