Life

Nerdy hobbies for adults worth starting

A nerdy hobby is one with a learning curve and a community that cares about the details, such as miniature painting, card models or a Raspberry Pi. The way in is one first project: a free Warhammer shop session or £23.50 squad, a £10.50 card shelter or a £10 Pico kit.

BY Doug Silkstone21/09/26

Life

Black Friday 2026 UK dates and a calm plan

Black Friday is the sale on the day after American Thanksgiving, 27 November 2026, with Cyber Monday on the 30th. With the price you'd happily pay written down before the sales start, the countdown clocks lose most of their power.

BY Doug Silkstone21/09/26

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Life

Christmas flowers and plants worth giving

A bouquet for the flower lover, an amaryllis for someone who forgets to water, or a Christmas cactus they can keep for years. Here's how I'd choose a gift that feels right for the person receiving it.

BY Doug Silkstone14/10/26

Tech

Klaviyo alternatives for UK Shopify shops

Klaviyo now charges for every profile it can email, so a Shopify shop's bill grows with its checkout customers as well as its subscribers. Shopify Messaging covers the basics for little, Omnisend is the closest cheaper rival, and Privy suits shops whose first job is growing the list. Klaviyo is $100 a month at 5,000 profiles.

BY Doug Silkstone12/10/26

Tech

The best CRM for a UK small business

A CRM keeps every customer, email and deal where the whole team can see them. Pipedrive suits small sales teams, Zoho CRM gives the most for the least, Copper suits Gmail businesses and Capsule is the simple British option. HubSpot's free plan is fine for two, then the price climbs.

BY Doug Silkstone12/10/26

Tech

The best newsletter platforms for UK writers

Substack is free until readers pay, then keeps 10%; beehiiv, Kit, Ghost and the rest charge a flat fee instead. I work out which costs less at 1,000 and 10,000 subscribers, who brings you readers, who lets you leave with them, and what UK writers need to know about VAT and consent.

BY Doug Silkstone12/10/26

Tech

The best Typeform alternatives in the UK

A form builder turns your questions into a page people fill in. Tally is the best free Typeform alternative for most people, Fillout suits forms that take payments, book calls or collect signatures, and SmartSurvey keeps survey answers in the UK. Typeform starts at £252 a year plus VAT.

BY Doug Silkstone12/10/26