Are hydration breaks really neccessary in the world cup? Readers give their thoughts

Readers discuss World Cup etiquette, how to save money and No. 10 North (Picture: Martin Rickett/PA Wire)

Do you agree with our readers? Have your say on these MetroTalk topics and more in the comments

Are they really hydration breaks?

Why in this World Cup, do they keep referring to the what is obviously a TV ad break for US television as a ‘hydration break’? Fred, Hampshire

What does the ‘PM-in-waiting’ want?

It appears as though PM-in-waiting Andy Burnham is looking forward to rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. I’m sure it will be wonderful for those of us in Leeds and other parts of the North to have a ‘No.10 North’ in Manchester as part of his plans to regionalise decision-making – I’m just not sure why yet, though…

What a waste of time and money. We don’t need more deck chair rearrangement, we need a lifeboat – and a General Election. Alex Surtees, Leeds

Do MPs of the North mind travelling?

I’ve never heard of MPs from the North complaining about travelling south for parliament. Burnham is making a big issue of the North/South divide. I suggest he visits some of the poorer places in the South as well as the North.

At the rate he is going, he won’t get many votes in the next election past the Midlands. Den, Dartford

Downing Street in Manchester already exists

There is a Downing Street in Manchester, not far from Piccadilly Railway station, the Mancunian Way goes over it. Maybe a place for Mr Burnham’s local parliament to be built, assuming he becomes PM. Iris, Stockport

Is 10 Central catchier?

I reckon ‘10 Central’ is a much catchier name than ‘No.10 North’. Any votes for that? Devji Vekaria, London

Was Starmer an ‘ideologically empty vessel’

I think Julius (MetroTalk, Mon) has misunderstood my take on Sir Keir Starmer and the Parliamentary Labour Party.

Starmer is neither left nor right wing, he is an ideologically empty vessel pushed around by a largely left-wing grass roots and parliamentary party – like when they blocked his minor welfare cuts. As to Julius’ idea that ‘the vast majority of the Parliamentary Labour Party are Blairites’ – if only! Chris Shepherd, London

‘Join the RAF’

Financial adviser Laura Churchill offers tips on life choices millennials might take to make the best of their financial situation (Metro, Mon). My advice would be to join the military and learn a trade if nothing else works. I joined the RAF in 1965 and learnt a good trade and finally finished working in 2025. John W, via text

Saying thank you at zebra crossings?

Jonathan (MetroTalk, Mon) suggests pedestrians shouldn’t feel obliged to thank drivers for stopping at zebra crossings because that’s what they’re supposed to do. That may be so but many of them don’t so I always acknowledge those who do out of courtesy. Lizzie, Liverpool

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