What's your family been up to now?

[Sergio Mendacious]

I'm really concerned about my parents, most specifically my mum.

She's 75 this year, my dad is 76 going on 77. They decided to move from my childhood home to a old folks community — independent living in a complex, but I think there's scope for more support when they need it. I had my doubts about it, and they took a proper bath financially for no real reason. I've not been there, as they've always come over here (North Carolina) to visit, but it's a new build, with all that means.

Got a call this morning — my mum never calls without warning, so I thought "something's up." She sounded really relieved to hear me, and explained that she had attempted to transfer £1800 because she got a text saying my phone was broken and I needed desperately to pay the mortgage. So she tried to transfer the money to a UK account that was just posted in a text. I asked why she didn't try to contact me before that, and she said "the text said you wouldn't get it because your phone was broken." Didn't even try to call my wife either.

This was all taking place at 3am our time.

Finally thought I had it straightened out, and she said "but is your phone broken?" She said this to me during a phone call. 

Not sure what to do.

[westlondonmist]

41 minutes ago, Sergio Mendacious said:

I'm really concerned about my parents, most specifically my mum.

She's 75 this year, my dad is 76 going on 77. They decided to move from my childhood home to a old folks community — independent living in a complex, but I think there's scope for more support when they need it. I had my doubts about it, and they took a proper bath financially for no real reason. I've not been there, as they've always come over here (North Carolina) to visit, but it's a new build, with all that means.

Got a call this morning — my mum never calls without warning, so I thought "something's up." She sounded really relieved to hear me, and explained that she had attempted to transfer £1800 because she got a text saying my phone was broken and I needed desperately to pay the mortgage. So she tried to transfer the money to a UK account that was just posted in a text. I asked why she didn't try to contact me before that, and she said "the text said you wouldn't get it because your phone was broken." Didn't even try to call my wife either.

This was all taking place at 3am our time.

Finally thought I had it straightened out, and she said "but is your phone broken?" She said this to me during a phone call. 

Not sure what to do.

The missus' grandparents fell for a few of these in their 80s. Most of the time they got their money back with help from the bank.

I think you need to contact the management company, they should be educating these people about scams and should be able to provide support if they get texts or calls asking for money. 

[deathrey]

Yeah I'd be contacting the support where they live and letting them know. I'd also maybe contact any trustworthy family that live locally to have a chat/check in with them.

You could also contact their bank and make them aware what's happened and that your mum could be susceptible to scams, they can put extra checks in place for any large money transfers

[Sergio Mendacious]

Those are both good calls — I actually suggested that my dad give the bank details they were given to the fraud department, get it flagged. Might as well.

Trustworthy family, tho — that's a nice idea. 

[Chest Rockwell]

You can get a Power of Attorney set up for financial matters if they're happy for you to help them. Then at least you can manage their banking directly without friction. I know it's not super practical with you half the world away, but it might be better than nothing. 

[Ironic Indie Lad]

Some of you may recall my stories of my father in law and his eating habits.

Sadly he passed away over the weekend.

One of the things he was totally obsessed with was full sugar Coca Cola. When he was staying with us, my wife was always on at him for how much of the stuff he drank. When we would do the shopping and bring it home, the sight of Coke Zero or Pepsi Max being unpacked would just devastate him. He would immediately leave and walk to the corner shop to get his own supply of the real deal.

He was very unwell at the end and ready to go. One of the last things he ever said was that he was just going to drink as much coke as he wanted then go in peace.

I've posted some amusing stuff about him in the past but in all seriousness he really loved my daughter more than anything. I wish they could have had more time together. 

 

 

Edited April 15 by Ironic Indie Lad

[Lorne Malvo]

Just now, Ironic Indie Lad said:

One of the things he was totally obsessed with was full sugar Coca Cola. When he was staying with us, my wife was always on at him for how much of the stuff he drank. When we would to the shopping and bring it home, the sight of Coke Zero or Pepsi Max being unpacked would just devastate him. He would immediately leave and walk to the corner shop to get his own supply of the real deal.

 

A man after my own heart. Diet/Zero/Max etc is the devils work.

Sorry to hear that @Ironic Indie Lad, hope you're okay.

[BomberPat]

my Dad does some work as an extra for TV, and thought he had reached his peak as "dead body (covered by sheet)", but has just very proudly informed me that he has now been cast as "old man in pub".

[Devon Malcolm]

6 hours ago, BomberPat said:

my Dad does some work as an extra for TV, and thought he had reached his peak as "dead body (covered by sheet)", but has just very proudly informed me that he has now been cast as "old man in pub".

[westlondonmist]

14 hours ago, Devon Malcolm said:

I'm glad it's not just me that had this scene spring into his head when he saw the above

[Carbomb]

Nothing particularly egregious, but my little sister re-watched a specific episode of Futurama last week, and has since been calling everyone in the house a "jive sucka".

[Gus Mears]

Lizzie turning 100 this week churned up a memory I'd buried of when my mum briefly got possessed by Her Majesty.

All the rigmarole of her dying and people queueing up for hours like mentalists to see a corpse happened while I was on the honeymoon of my ill fated marriage. Result was that I didn't see my mum until the day of the state funeral.

I should have got an inkling something was up when she messaged me asking if I wanted to watch it live, to which I replied I could not be arsed in the slightest. She got weirdly mardy about this, despite never showing any interest in the monarchy beyond quite liking Duchy Original biscuits. I think she'd also been sending vague messages about how sad it all was the previous week, which I probably replied to with a thumbs up while 5 rum punches deep.

Anyway, I go round after the funeral and she's weeping. I give her a hug. She starts speaking in the Queen's accent. I thought she was taking the piss, but no. She's relaying details of the funeral in the Queen's accent, asking if I want a cup of tea in the Queen's accent, inquiring as to how the honeymoon was in the Queen's accent. 

The Ukrainian refugee living with her at the time pulls me aside and says she's been doing this for about 3 days. She's ready to go back to Lviv. I ask my mum if she realises her accent has entirely changed. She seems slightly bemused by this but admits Her Maj's passing seems to have had a larger impact on her than anticipated while crying some mote. I was gutted when Bowie died, but I didn't start talking like Jack Sparrow in tribute.

At this point I'm wondering if she's had a stroke or fallen down the stairs. I decide in my medical opinion the best idea is to give it a couple of days. Thankfully she had returned back to normal by the end of the week.

But the centenary did give me a brief worry of a relapse until I spoke with her this morning. Delighted to report she sounded like a woman in her 50's from Wiltshire and not Celia Imrie.

 

[davertfnewman]

My gran used to speak like the queen too... mainly through the opening sentence of answering the phone, then it would drop once she realised it was one of us calling her ("What do you want?!").

[Lorne Malvo]

On 4/26/2026 at 4:12 AM, Ralphy said:

My Nan also did this, she would answer the phone and immediately put on a very posh, queen like voice, until she realised it was a family member, and switch back to a standard thick black country accent, it was hilarious to be honest. This was on landline without caller ID numbers etc, so she had no idea who it was until the other person spoke 

 

My Black Country nan also did the same. Always made me laugh. 'Hellooo' in the poshest, most drawn out voice going, followed by 'oh, what do yow want?'

[davertfnewman]

Very much a Hyacinth thing and very much a West Midlands/South Staffordshire thing. My gran could put a 'h' on most words that didn't need one when she was keeping up appearances.