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Snow
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Hi all,
I too use Rapport and have had no trouble lately. I did have £800 taken
by some swine somewhere in France but the nice people at Alliance and
Leicester or Santander gave me it back, new cards and no problems since.
I do check my account regularly all the same.
Rich
Dec. 16, 2010
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Sorry guys, haven't had much to say of late, fed up
with the cold, SAD's beginning to kick in, wish I could hibernate at
this time of year and wake up in the spring, I'm a humbug at Christmas,
could have given Scrooge lessons.
Personally had no problems as yet with internet banking, I
don't use it! Biggest problem was having pocket picked in the Forbidden
City in Beijing last year, apparently it's illegal immigrants from N
Korea, but our hotel was most helpful and using the net we had it
cancelled within the hour, although getting a replacement proved
impossible until we got home, Mastercard International were brilliant,
it was good old NatWest who were a waste of time, they insisted on
checking each potential collection point seperatly which meant that the
further we got from Beijing the longer a replacement card would take to
reach us, I could have walked faster.
Stu
Dec. 17, 2010
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Snow has fallen, snow on snow!
about three inches in Westward Ho!
Which in comparitive terms, judging by the rest of the country, it's missed us again... lol !!!
How am I going to manage to work? I won't be able to see the lines !!
Dec. 18, 2010
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An interesting range of experiences with banks here! We
use credit cards but pay them off before the given date. The Nationwide
Flex Account was our foreign one until the end of October as you could
put funds up front in sterling and there were no conversion charges to
other currencies. Holes in the wall abroad worked well. The blighters
caught on and now charges of 2% will be made. Won't use them again! I
last had some of my cash stolen from my room in Versailles in 1964. I
even slept with the wallet under my pillow. The b****r must have nicked
from my wallet when I was in the shower. He took English money only so
it was not until I landed at Heathrow that I spotted it! Around 5 inches of snow here. I have not left the house yet so these were taken through my windows.
Dec. 18, 2010
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Afternoon guys, Three inches of white precipitation here. Very light, fluffy stuff.
I`ve cleared it off the solar panels, and we are now enjoying 70% - 75% output in this wonderful bright sunshine. (so far).
I am relieved to hear that financial problems with cards have been widespread.
It
does make you feel violated when it happens, now I know what women feel
like when they have been violated .. (lost their cards, not their
Virginity ...)
Regards from sunny Timsbury..
Dec. 18, 2010
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Good evening everybody
Overcast here today with light rain.
Watching TV with a glass of red, come on Pamela Stephenson!!!
Cheers
Steve
Dec. 18, 2010
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Freezing again tonight. -6 C already. Still a nice
mulled wine, a great roast dinner ('er indoors can cook) and a
drop of Greek liquor to round off, who cares? Who is this Pamela
Stephenson? Now I remember Pamela Anderson. Any relation?
Dec. 19, 2010
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Hello alle
I haven't posted anything for ages so I thought I would add nothing useful.
The
Pamela Anderson pic has brought blessed blood and warmth flowing back
to regions that have shown little activity of late....for that bless e'!
Suffolk
-13C last night or at least it was outside this house. Now a sultry
-5C. Snow spectacular and I just got the fruitcage netting off before
the whole thing collapsed.
Mrs W in full Xmas mode with much
punitive Dysoning...laurie Lee said that the vacuum cleaner is the
dental drill of marriage!!! .....and me doing just enough to avoid
censure (as usual). Got the tree in anyway. So that,s a little pressure
off for a moment or so.
Parrotty is thinking about inviting some
of the poor garden birdies in for Xmas but I refuse to allow the geese
or swans here again...she won't let us eat them and too much poo. So
she's pissed off with me.
Do you think the tinybabychildren and their offspring will make it here from Bath?
Relishing the last few hours of unimpeded music/ HIFI playing and listening before life as I prefer it comes to a nasty halt.
God!! I wish I could enter into the spirit of things...am I the onlie grump?
Blessyynngges
Wylltte O' Suffolk
Dec. 20, 2010
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Hi All, Great to see all the photographs and comments over the
months. The weather in this part of the world is also very up and
down, with some snow in the high country. The good thing is that our
dams in this area are all full and the water restrictions have
eased. Of course the price of water, still remains
high. I have mowed my back lawn more times in the last three
weeks than I have in the past 5 years.
I am not a snow bunny but know many that are, so for the bunnies in
the UK, I hope that you are enjoying the white stuff and commiserations
to the rest.
I have had a busy time of it lately and there will be no easing up.
I would Just like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy
New Year, and a very belated Happy Birthday to Sticky, while I have
a chance.
For those who are technocrats (not I) and love the old motor
cars, I have scanned an article from a Melbourne newspaper from last
week and put the article etc in my photographs. Hope you
like it. Cheers and best wishes Ken
Dec. 21, 2010
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Christmas Greetings to all!
With Mrs H I visited that den of iniquity (aka Cribb's Causeway) a few days
back. I was let off the hook and allowed to entertain myself with the
proviso that my mobile was fully charged and switched on (for those of you who
are of a stronger disposition, the mobile phone has become the electronic
substitute for a human dog leash in some marital arrangements). If you
who have had the misfortune to visit this temple to consumerism you will know
that there are few refuges for those who are terminally averse to shopping. So
it was off to the coffee shop in John Lewis - I know, it was a poor call but I
took the line of least resistance, having arrived at the centre by the JLP
entrance. If Chris alludes to serious grumpydome one can have one's disposition
vigorously massaged by witnessing the ebb and flow of hollow-eye humanity
burdened by expensive tat. Then there's the appalling behaviour and woefully
inadequate driving skills (demonstrated particularly by those of the gentler
sex who find themselves manoeuvring monolithic 4x4s) in the car park, and worse
still at the roundabouts and box junctions. Why do I allow myself to be
badgered into such expeditions?
I doubt whether my experiences are foreign to any of you but if there's
anything to start Christmas off on the wrong foot it's a visit to an out of
town mall. My view is that if you can't buy it the local village shops
then forget it. The bills will be less, wear and tear on the car,
minimal, no bridge tolls and no raised blood pressure avoiding the idiots who
clearly believe that highways were made for them and them alone - no, make it a
new year's resolution to treat these places like plague colonies and act
accordingly.
Hey ho,
Have a good one
Mike
Dec. 21, 2010
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Season Greetings to all you Ebenezeers out there,
families, shopping trips, Chelsea tractors et al. non withstanding, I
don't like Christmas either. I had a day off week before last, the idea
being to get a long weekend at home before the "festivities" start, so
what happens 'er indoors whines on about how we've still got presents to
buy for my cousin, with whom we are spending Christmas by the way, in
Essex, a place and a journey I hate with a passion, as much as I like my
cousin it beats me as to why they live in such a soulless place, South
Essex between the A13 and Thames Haven Chris, not rural Essex which
ain't too bad. I digress, my day off decends into a trip to Exeter for
that last bit of essential shopping, actually didn't manage to get a
present for my cousin, bought myself a couple of nice CD's and a couple
of DVD's, (Calexico and Robert Plant CD's, Steve), and Leonard Cohen
Live in London and a Chinese epic for the DVD's, then after a very nice
lunch we came home.
So far the weather has largely missed us, we have had a couple of
spells of snow, 3 inches early Saturday and another couple of inches
Monday morning, but compared to the rest of the country this has been
mild, North Devon's been cut off a couple of times but that's because of
the high ground in the rest of the county.
Still not all doom and gloom, departments Christmas dinner today,
so not much work done this afternoon, actually no work done this
afternoon. Off to Essex on Thursday, be able to listen to crap music and
watch ancient films for the duration of the holiday.
Can't think of anything else to whinge about so I'll go, Happy Christmas to everyone, ......Bah Humbug!!!!!!!
Stu
Dec. 21, 2010
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Hi All. First of all, apologies for not having partaken lately, but I have been to Ireland again. We
went at short notice at the beginning of last week and returned on
Thursday / Friday just keeping ahead of the snow all the way back, lucky
really! Nice to hear from both Ken and Chris again. Thanks for the
write up on the Hampnett car, Ken, very interesting. Also, thanks for
the birthday wishes. Glad things are going well in Aus with the water
etc. Good to hear all are well in Suffolk, Chris, and that Parrotty
is OK even if a bit miffed with her Lord and Master. Don't know what to
make of the pin up photo, what ever possessed the woman, I s'pose its
what is known as growing old disgracefully. I agree totally with your
comments Mike and Stu, re the shopping experience. It's hellish.
Unfortunately mine doesn't even let me off on the mobile phone 'Leash',
being as she suffers from 'Duck's disease' she drags me along to get
stuff off the high shelves in the supermarkets etc. For the uninitiated the condition of DD means her arse is too near the ground. Have
a good time in Essex, Stu, although from what I know of it the two are
mutually exclusive. I used to visit a customer at Greys, once I'de been
there I realised just how it came by its name. Probably the most
depressing place on earth. Having to pass through Dagenham to get there
didn't help. Sorry, I'm rambling again! Anyhow, have a good Christmas, all, and try not to dwell on the preamble too much. Have fun. Sticky.
Dec. 22, 2010
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Good to have been part of the ramblings for a while now.
'er indoors calls this my 'Twitter' whatever that is! She has excelled
with early internet shopping, so I can say I have never visited a Mall,
let alone Cribb's Causeway. I did venture to the Co-op in Corsham
yesterday, but partly as I wanted to check out the junk in Granny's
Attic (a second hand shop) nearby! Even the Christmas meat just arrived
(7.45am!) from Donald Russell in a huge TNT truck. Not sure what exotic
choice she has. It was Kangaroo one year!! We are sorted, except for a
potential journey to Cambridge on Boxing Day. The kids gave me a 'brick'
mobile phone around 1996 but Judy grabbed it and has now progressed to a
minute little thing that I cannot even see the screen on. Her slightly
bigger 'cast off' goes in the car 'pay as you go' but I usually 'forget'
to take it with me when I get out and have only used it about six times
now. (Two of these events were a minor car crash by my daughter who
needed back-up, and when Judy had a detached retina and the optician got
her into Bristol Eye Hospital and treated within 24 hours). Who says
the NHS is crap? Good to have raised the blood levels of some readers,
even if the subsequent image reminds one of mortality!
Christmas! Now there is a subject for a retired headmaster. I cannot
believe my luck at being out of it for 13 years now. Xmas started about
late September in school. Plans for plays, concerts, parties, staff
jollies, decorations etc. As half term arrived the rehearsals were well
underway and carols resounded around the hall each practice. By end of
November the decorations were going up and endless distractions, and
many evenings were consumed with events. At end of term I was taking
down the decorations and disposing of the 30 foot tree (provided by the
local Gypsies [don't ask the source- thanks Lord Methuen]). Here I never
did anything until then so my kids eagerly awaited my arrival home to
put up the tree etc. One year that was Christmas Eve (just like it was
when I was a kid). I really got abused when Safeway donated a fully
decorated tree (collapsible!) to the school one year and I brought this
home. I was so pleased to have done that job in five minutes from
arrival! Scrooge has nothing on me!! Anyway all is in the past and one
day I will find that pagan desert island for the festive season. Until
then enjoy Beltane or whatever and I post a festive picture of my
attempts nowadays (hypocrite that I am) to curry favour with the family!
Thanks for the company chaps, and have a good one.
Dec. 22, 2010
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Graham I think you've got it about right.
Having
just bailed out of the secondary sector after 33 years I was approached
by the head of a local primary school inviting me to be a governor in
order to "fill some of that spare time you now have". Never having
been known to refuse a request from a very pretty face I blindly agreed
thinking that my commitment would be the odd meeting and a chat with Ms
OFSTED every two years or so. Well in the last week (apart from
juggling some stats on CVA) I've attended and taken part in two end of
term concerts, video edited the "Christmas with the Aliens" show,
shortlisted applicants for a LSA post and helped to take down pinned
scenery, cardboard rockets and tens of yards of black mesh that some
bright spark on the staff thought would make one of the Alien scenes
more spooky. Still the looks on the kids made faces made it all
worth while. However, Graham, as a head I suspect that the novelty wears
off fairly rapidly.
Hitting the Teachers' Pension fund has its compensations!
Mike
Dec. 22, 2010
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Mike (whoops!), Your last two comments, put the job in
perspective! Seeing the kids enjoying themselves (and most adults linked
in [except some staff!]) was my motivation, and still has some nice
feedback when I go shopping in Corsham where I worked for 10 years, but
the index linked pension has its compensations too!! A headteacher with a
pretty face? It must be a bloke? I declined to join the board of the
local village school. 5 regular governors' (sub-committees) or PTA
meetings a month was enough when I had to!! The system survived without
me and I saved several hundred trees that would have reached me as red
tape!! Nothing new under the sun. I still have my Nativity script of
'The Space Baby' performed in Hullavington Village Hall in 1984! Silver
sprayed plastic commercial detergent bottles made great Cyberman masks!
One old villager asked me, "Are you taking Christmas seriously?" No
answer to that!!
Dec. 23, 2010
(Edited Dec. 29, 2010)
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ERRATUM re last minute shopping in village stores
This a.m. visited said local store for some paracetemol. Conflict was brewing between two
late shoppers over the last bottle of a particular malt. Raised voices and a rather less than
seasonal exchange of views expressed by both. Perhaps there is merit in patronising a shop with more stock!
Mike
Dec. 24, 2010
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Merry Christmas to you all and a Happy New Year.
Dec. 25, 2010
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The same to you Francis and all others
Mike
Dec. 25, 2010
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A Happy New Year to one and all. I hope no one's suffering with hangovers etc.
Rich
Dec. 26, 2010
(Edited Dec. 26, 2010)
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Hi all. Hope everyone had a splendid Christmas with lots of toys. Not too over indulgent I trust and all are feeling tickety boo. Happy New Year to all. Sticky.
Dec. 26, 2010
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