(Or: When Did a Lifetime of Grafting Stop Being Enough?)

Picture this:
A woman in her late seventies.
Worked all her life. Lost her husband. Can’t afford to heat one room of her council flat.
She rings the council for help.
Gets told there’s a waiting list.
Watches the news that night—someone newly arrived, no ID, housed in a hotel, three meals a day.
You tell her it’s all fair.

This episode’s not about hate. It’s about how broken things feel.
Because it’s happening all over—decent people, who've done everything right, being left behind while others jump the queue with a lawyer in tow.

I’m not storming the gates—I’m just asking:
When did pensioners become expendable?
Why is speaking up labelled ‘offensive’ instead of 'bloody obvious’?

It’s spiky. It’s honest. It’s Bloomers.

Pull up a chair—if you can still afford the heating to sit by.

Episode 4: Supermarket Sweep – Part 2
Ready, steady… whinge! In this trolley-load of nonsense, we dive back into the aisles for Part 2 of Supermarket Sweep. From kamikaze trolleys and passive-aggressive shoppers to self-checkout chaos and festive confusion in spring, it’s a full-on rant-fest down at the local store.

And yes, you may hear a familiar voice in the mix—this episode includes a cheeky nod to the legendary Dale Winton. Rest in peace, Dale—you always knew how to bring the sparkle to a checkout.

So grab your loyalty card, dodge the ‘unexpected item in the bagging area’, and let’s roll.

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/track/albert-behar/noir-as-the-night?msockid=1c49680ff7bd6b6631507a69f6066aba

A follow-up to “The Job Application Battle”
Welcome to Episode 2.1 of Bloomers Unbuttoned and Slightly Frayed—your weekly dose of grumbles, giggles, and grim realisations. This time, Bloomers reports back from the frontline of a government-run MOT course for the over-50s.

Featuring animal icebreakers, career despair leaflets, Glen (who may or may not have committed a crime), and the emotional impact of “good news stories,” this episode is a comedic survival guide for anyone who's ever attended a workshop and thought: Am I the only one losing the will to live?

Expect sarcasm, soul-searching, and a stack of handouts you’ll never read.
Spoiler: He felt OK when he arrived.

Music by: Kevin MacLeaod

Four Beers Polka

Kevin MacLeod: Four Beers Polka

Welcome to the third instalment of Bloomers Unbuttoned and Slightly Frayed, where this week’s battlefield is… your local supermarket. From kamikaze car park manoeuvres to trolleys with a death wish and customers in full bedtime attire, Bloomers is back with another rant-filled ramble through the aisles of absurdity.

Expect tutting, clunking wheels, and questions no one’s brave enough to answer—like why your child is standing inside the trolley, or why Halloween turns up in May.
It’s observational comedy with a side of passive-aggressive rage. Just how you like it.

Music from #Pixabay:

https://uppbeat.io/t/albert-behar/down-on-my-luck

Artist: Ludosoundx

Welcome back to Bloomers Unbuttoned and Slightly Frayed—your favourite spot for heartfelt rants, British banter, and that unmistakable feeling of "Oh good, it’s not just me."

This is Episode 2: "The Job Application Battle"—also known as Whinge 2. Because nothing says “fast-paced and dynamic” quite like being asked to solve algebra problems for a job filing paperwork.

Today we dive into the CV circus, the logic test lunacy, and the joys of being told you’re not the right “culture fit” because you didn’t describe yourself as a rockstar in your cover letter. Oh, and did we mention the 120-question personality test? Just to answer phones.

So pop the kettle on, polish up your LinkedIn despair, and join me—Bloomers—as we trudge valiantly through another utterly baffling part of modern life.

Let’s moan together. It’s cheaper than therapy.

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/albert-behar/down-on-my-luck

License code: V1QNORAUO1SNXFCU

Join me as I moan about the pifals of job hunting

Welcome to Bloomers Unbuttoned and Slightly Frayed—a podcast where humour, warmth, cynicism and whimsy meet in a cup of lukewarm tea. Hosted by Bloomers (aka Steve Bloomfield to those who still call him by his Sunday name), this is your safe space for grumbling, giggling, and good old-fashioned British banter.

Each episode takes a sideways look at life’s small absurdities—from forgotten holidays to job hunting circus acts. If you’ve ever sighed at the news, moaned at the telly, or muttered “I’m always OK, don’t let this face fool you,” then congratulations: you’re one of us.

This weeks episode - St. Georges Day - or lack of it!

So unbutton your metaphorical bloomers, pull up a chair, and prepare to be slightly frayed.

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