I'm sorry for your pain smokes.

For my birthday, I negotiated DOWN. Instead of a fancy dinner I just wanted a burger and fries. So, we went to culvers.
I got the double bacon butter burger. Burger was fantastic, bacon sucked. I got the cheese curds because crinkle fries bless'ed suck, most of the other guests got the fish dinner.  ....

Many Happy Returns, 8ully.

I had to look up ASDA and see that it's a WalMart subsidiary.  Some of the Walmarts in the U.S. have a reasonable food selection with a deli that sells lunchmeats and rotisserie chickens, that sort of thing.  They also have frozen foods but nothing that would fit the description of what you were able to buy there.  Still, we have Trader Joes and they have some really good offerings of frozen ethnic entrees that won't break the bank.  Eating out can be expensive and if the food isn't great, it's a real disappointment when you realize you could have stayed home and enjoyed the meal for a fraction of the cost.

They have a whole Panku street food aisle. It's better than some takeaways, to be honest.

https://www.asda.com/instore/panku-streetfood/

I'm sorry for your pain smokes.

For my birthday, I negotiated DOWN. Instead of a fancy dinner I just wanted a burger and fries. So, we went to culvers.
I got the double bacon butter burger. Burger was fantastic, bacon sucked. I got the cheese curds because crinkle fries bless'ed suck, most of the other guests got the fish dinner.

I actually gave my aunt some light razzing about that when we came back home. I said how mom always orders off the "odd menu" and my aunt realized she got the same thing as mom. (Cod Dinner)

Culvers are known for their butter burgers, cheese curds, and custard. Both of them ordered fish.

Aunt's BF got the Colby double burger and custard. I skipped the custard because I was super full.

As to the cheese curds, they're good, but they fry them with the fish. I don't care for fish, so I was only able to eat half the curds.

All that being said, a casual, VERY BASIC dinner will always trump a fancy, you have to get dressed up dinner. I had to shave my head before the dinner, and it's a little shorter than I'd like. I usually use a 9mm comb, but the mover broke it, so I'm on a 6. When I pulled the hat off, my aunt was shocked.

In high school I was a longhair, I could headbang with the best of them. a 6mm comb does not allow for a long mop.

I did the sopranos joke when I took my hat off "They took the bleachers out last week." Mom and aunt grew up in NJ, nobody got the joke.

The dinner discussion was lively, and Aunt's BF is sharp as a tack. I brought up anti-dog sentiment because there was a service dog in the dining room. Mom and aunt weren't aware of it, but he was. He's got a lovely pit, and has to be on top of such knowledge. (her name is Peewee and she is a sweetheart).

My aunt wants to buy me a new convection oven because she knows of our woes. I find it a bit embarassing. Many years ago, she promised me "The Cake" from Portal, and it hasn't happened yet.

Many years ago, a different aunt had booked a beaucoup Italian place. We'd gone there the previous year, and honestly? Not impressed. Birthday came, we're all formally dressed, which I hate, and they're just straight up closed. (There was a reservation)

My favorite burger joint, which I TRIED to get aelthric to come visit, was right behind fancy pants italia.

So, we went to Angelos. I loved Angelos. But it wasn't good enough for aunt and uncle. My grandpa, who was normally a center of calm, channeled his rank from the 1950's, and said the dinner was still going to happen.

So, we all ordered, got our bags, and walked another block to the American Legion. They LOVED Grandpa at the Legion, he spent a lot of time there. They opened the dining room for my birthday, and we all enjoyed burgers. That aunt and uncle were clearly not having a good time, but no one gave a golly. It's a fantastic memory.

Anyway, I'll take a cheap decent meal over a fancy one any day. Culvers delivered but the curds were a little fishy, and the bacon was dry.

Last night we had decided to get a takeaway as a little treat. It didn't go so well as happens every time we decide to do this. The problem is that by the time everyone has negotiated with everyone else on what to eat and where to order from, you realise that you are going to spend well over £100 and you may as well eat out. TNG was probably the only one who wasn't phased as he had to survive the prices in the U.S for a couple of weeks so £100 was a bargain in his eyes.

Anywho. After all the toing and froing had finished, we decided to go to Asda and get a crapload of stuff from the street food section. We spent £50 and could have fed the 5000 and it was delicious. Sort of a mixture of Japanese and Korean.

The WE you state, I read as, in  the UK we didn't expect this to happen.
But when the majority parties abuse the power and then  lies about what they would do when in power pft people off.
So they voted for the person who stated what 'we' wanted to hear as per trump.
I dont agree with the results and local elections don't always transfer to Parliamentary results, but the way the UK is going, it wouldn't surprise me.
Interesting days ahead, mmmmm

I wouldn't (IMHO) say we are smug, possibly just piffed off with Starmer and co with what they are doing with basically everything. 🤷‍♂️
Just glanced at the news and OMG
550 reform
308 libdemo
224 conservatives
75 Labour
I would hazard  a guess as to why labour is taking a battering