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Well, we’re back. Not just from Bideford, North Devon, but back at that special venue — the Atlantic Racquet Centre (ARC), where our son played his first ever tournament just over a year ago. Back then it was U8s, big nerves, little rackets, and a slightly confused parent brigade googling what “Red ball” meant. Fast… Read more
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A tennis parent’s tale from the Millfield Grade 4 U9 Compass Draw 🚗 Destination: Millfield Prep Last Saturday, we packed the car with bananas, tennis bags, and enough snacks to feed a small army, and headed to Millfield Prep School—a venue known as much for its prestige as for its particularly bouncy indoor courts. The… Read more
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(Short answer: Yes. Long answer: Keep reading, there’s a chart.) 1 | The headline offer On 22 May Whitehall confirmed a 3.6 % consolidated rise for Agenda for Change staff (DHSC, 2025a) , nudging a Band-5 midpoint to £33 487 (NHS Employers, 2025). 2 | Does 3.6 % even keep you whole? 3 | League table: nurses v. doctors v. teachers… Read more
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“Plan like a grandmaster, hustle like a student nurse on free pizza day.” Disclaimer Opinions expressed here are my own and do not represent my employer or the NMC. Everyone loves asking how I keep tripping over jobs I like. Spoiler: there’s no enchanted stethoscope—just a very un‑glam combo of long‑game plotting and downright sweaty… Read more
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AS ALWAYS FIRST THINGS FIRST: NMC Social Media Compliance Disclaimer This article represents my personal professional reflections as a registered nurse in Somerset. It has been written in strict accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Code of Professional Standards (2018) and the NMC’s Social Media Guidance. Specifically, it complies with section 5 (confidentiality) and… Read more
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Disclaimer: Contains scenes of misread signposts, soggy socks, and unexpectedly long hikes. No sheep were harmed in the making of this blog post. May Half Term Madness – Into the Rain We Go! May half term. That beautiful time of year when families across the UK pack up their wellies, raincoats, emergency snacks and “definitely… Read more
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Just a quick note before I disappear for a week — it’s half term here in Somerset (and across the UK), which means it’s officially time to pack the car, forget something essential, and head off on a family adventure! We’re off to the Lake District for five days of fresh air, sheep spotting, maybe… Read more
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Disclaimer:This blog entry reflects my personal professional experiences and insights and is written in line with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Code (2018) and NMC guidance on the use of social media and media engagement. No patient-identifiable information is included. The views expressed are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my… Read more
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For many of us in the board gaming community, May signals more than just warmer weather—it means one thing: the United Kingdom Games Expo (UKGE) is back at the NEC in Birmingham. Running from 30 May to 1 June 2025, this year’s UKGE promises to be bigger, busier, and better than ever. And for me… Read more
The adventures and life of a Specialist Nurse in Upper GI and Bariatric surgery. If you then double and triple this by having a primary school age child AND being married to another Nurse then you have double the trouble….aehm I mean fun. Hobbies are playing chess, board games and being taxi for our son!!!
Unless otherwise indicated, all the names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents in this blog are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Pseudocyst 