Nina's Blog - Thursday 7th August 2025

Thursday 7th August 2025, 09:57

Two tasks for today: get toothpaste, book somewhere to stay in Nottingham while my car is being repaired.

But first I think I'll revisit Stoke-on-Trent. Last time I was there was only for one night and I arrived fairly late and left early in the morning. The place didn't click with me, perhaps because it was winter. I stayed at a B&B. That also didn't click. It was one of those full of notices about what one is not to do.

I can't find any record of my visit there, no photographs tagged with the name of the town, no mention in any of my saved SW posts, very odd.

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ninalanyon · 61-69, T

Thursday 7th August 2025, 13:27

In Harley's Café having a decent mocha and an oatcake with cheese.

I wanted an oatcake with egg and bacon but the place is cash only and I couldn't find enough cash. The UK is very annoying in this respect; half the country seems to be card only and a good fraction of the rest is cash only because of the high card processing fees. I tried to buy a packet of Ritz crackers in a corner shop on Friday in Headingley but was told that I had to spend at least 2 GBP if I paid by card. So much for competition reducing prices. Back home there is a payment processor (Bank Axxep) that charges a flat rate of a small fraction of a percent with no minimum so even if you buy something costing only pennies the shop doesn't lose out. Why isn't there something like that here?

I nearly missed this place as It's a bit TARDIS like with very little presence as seen from the street. I have more pictures of the inside but the WiFi is too slow to upload them all at once.