A woman has gone viral on social media after revealing a genius hack she discovered for protecting oak dining tables and people are absolutely loving it.
Real oak furniture is known for needing a little more care and attention than other forms of wood when it comes to maintenance as it doesn’t like extremes of heat and cold, it won’t thrive in air conditioned rooms or conservatories, can fade easily when exposed to direct sunlight, and dry out with heat from radiators.
Which is why this hack is bound to save a lot of people a lot of hassle, and many are eager to try it out.
The DIY fanatic took to the ever-popular Facebook group DIY On A Budget Official – which currently has over two million active members across the globe – yesterday to share a photo of her dining table and reveal her tip with others looking to keep real wood furniture in the best condition possible.
She wrote: “When I got my new oak table, I didn’t want to put one of those mats on or a table cloth, but at the same time I couldn’t trust my husband not to put hot stuff on without a heat mat, or my daughter not to draw on it, but I still wanted wood on show…
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“So off I went go my local carpet shop with a wood sample and measurements, got me some floor vinyl, perfect,
“Your welcome.”
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And it certainly went down a treat.
In just a few short hours after sharing, the post went on to amass over 11.7K interactions and thousands of comments from other group members impressed at how simple and cost-effective it is to replicate, and thanking the woman for the tip for sharing the clever hack.
In response to some of the questions asked, as well as addressing criticisms over the vinyl potentially covering up the table’s character and charm, she followed up to explain: “The table is extendible [and] as it’s oak, it colours with age so I was told I need to extend it regularly so the middle colours the same,
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“But as I cover it, it should match the middle without having to keep opening it up,
“Also, I like to keep a table runner on it [and] if I did this without the vinyl on, the table would discolour with a stripe down the middle,
“Again, the vinyl stops this problem.
“I appreciate scratches and marks create character, but as I bought all my oak furniture as forever furniture and intend on keeping it till I die, I want to look after it”.
You can find more tips via the DIY On A Budget Official group here.
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Erling Haaland breaks yet another Premier League record after nine-goal thriller
Danny Jones
Erling Haaland has broken his umpteenth record since arriving in the Premier League and donning a Manchester City shirt, becoming the fastest player to reach 100 goals in the competition.
Let’s be honest, are any of us surprised?
While yet another goal from Haaland and entering himself into the 100 club was a notable narrative on the night, the real headline, however, was that scoreline, as City barely escaped by the skin of their teeth.
Despite persisting questions surrounding the Blues’ defence, it was nevertheless a landmark moment for the Norwegian number nine, who remains the most prolific striker on the planet. Here’s how he did it:
Commenting on the achievement on social media, the big blonde bagsman simply wrote, “When football takes you to places you could never have imagined” – signing off with a ‘100’ emoji, of course.
Despite it being reiterated that he doesn’t think too much about the various milestones he continues to surpass with each passing game, he admitted he knew about this particular one and was visibly chuffed with being in such good company.
For context, it took Haaland 111 matches to score his 100th goal in the division, which is 13 appearances quicker than the next fastest Premier League legend, Alan Shearer, who took 124 games to reach the tally when the modern era of the top flight first began three decades ago.
You can see who else has achieved the feat and how fast here:
Even more impressively, this wasn’t the only rather incredible statistic that came from the fixture either, as he walked away with a frankly ridiculous bit of pedigree among the strikers’ union.
As well as his opening goal, which well and truly opened the floodgates (at both ends, as it turned out), Haaland was caught offside in a PL away game for the first time in more than TWO whole years, the last occasion being against Sheffield United in August 2023.
To quote a post we saw on X, “Do you know how crazy a stat this is?…”
If you didn’t manage to catch the game on Tuesday night, we seriously recommend you watch the many highlights from the win over Fulham down below.
More Metrolink disruption expected as further tram strikes have been scheduled
Danny Jones
Further disruption to the Bee Network is now expected during an already full-on time of year, as more Metrolink tram strikes have been scheduled over the festive period.
Put in the simplest terms, members of Unite the Union have said: “The dispute is over driver fatigue and fears that their shift patterns and lack of rest breaks are putting them and passengers at risk.”
As a result, they have now pencilled in protests on 19, 20 and 31 December, holding walkouts from their usual timetable.
A largely empty St Peter’s Square tram stop is a fairly rare sight to see. (Credit: The Manc)
In addition to the other pair of strikes planned for this coming weekend (5-7 Dec), the latest trio have been specifically timed in and around key dates on the city’s calendar.
As well as the return of Manchester’s firework display on St. Peter’s Square, the walk-outs will also coincide with a Manchester City fixture at the Etihad Stadium, as well as notable live music gigs like Jools Holland and Manc band, Doves.
Naturally, tens upon tens of thousands are set to use the Bee Network and trams, in particular, to travel to these events – reiterating just how important properly investing and staffing the Metrolink and other arms of Manchester’s public transport service is.
The most recent update from the union continues: “Unite has repeatedly raised issues with management, but has been told there is no funding available for improvements to working patterns.”
Their General Secretary, Sharon Graham, said as part of the most recent statement: “Driver fatigue is a serious problem. Our members are raising serious concerns about their and their passengers’ safety, but Metrolink management is burying its head in the sand.
“Management must sort this problem out once and for all. It can’t try to fob drivers off by putting profits before safety.”
Here are some of the scenes from the demonstrations earlier this year:
⏰HAPPENING NOW; when Transport for Greater Manchester wouldn't come to the table SO the strikers brought the table (*and chairs) to them! We're ready when you are TfGM. pic.twitter.com/io1OFHED8I
Union members have also clarified their position surrounding ‘fatigue’; it isn’t just the fear of possible risks in operating a tram whilst being “exhausted”, but both the wider mental and physical toll that working the current shift patterns has on workers.
One driver quoted as saying: “My colleagues are tired, but the fatigue is also giving them cold-like symptoms and many have been going off sick with stress, which adds to problems with staffing levels.”
So, if you’re planning on using the Metrolink this holiday season when travelling around for Christmas shopping or even just going home, make sure to keep the strike dates in mind.
Elsewhere, the Bee Network has also provided more information on the designs to bring tram lines to Stockport town centre. Read more down below.
Emily Sergeant -
29th December 2020 
