Early Risers.

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

Sorry to hear that Debs has encountered the stupidity which comes from the folk in some organisations at the time of a bereavement - obnoxious little sh*ts who behave like that deserve to be publicly named and shamed prior to their appointment for hanging, drawing & quartering.  Some can be very helpful - when I visited the local bank branch to advise them of my father's death they very helpfully asked me if I was telling them officially or would it be helpful to leave that for a week or so; the latter course was quite useful.

 

Anyway to brighter things - maybe.  During yesterday's train spotting shopping/menu planning expedition the local delivery office put a card through the door advising there is a parcel now awaiting collection.  The parcel is addressed to 'Mr' and neither laddo nor I are expecting one so I shall venture to the 'delivery office' later this morning in a sense of considerable inquisitive excitement to ascertain what has arrived.  As no toys are expected (I think) it will no doubt probably turn out to be a load of Rule Book amendments which I shall then have to hump up the hill instead of having a cheery chappy in a pretty red van doing that task for me.  But the alternative could be far more interesting as it might involve some information regarding changes a certain 'leisure' railway has in mind which I am required to pass a 'competent' eye over - fortunately if it is that it will not be the parcel of complete plans for a putative railway reopening which I had to assess earlier this century and which filled a substantial box.

 

So part of my day is duly set and I trust you will all enjoy yours or at least find some improvement on the part of those who might be hindering your life.

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Weather as reported by Tony, only the car being parked in the shade is still frosted. Not to worry as by the time I need it the frost should have gone. My friend (with the little boy) who I am taking to exhibitions keeps asking me if I want a contribution towards costs. He is a single parent with three children two of whom are special needs. As he cannot work he's on a limited income but he feels embarrased about my not asking for any payment. What do ER's think I should do? I am considering asking him if he'll pay my entrance fee at shows but your looking at £10 just for him and his boy to get into some shows, perhaps where accompanied children have free entry I could ask him then.

 

Did you get a name for that little sh!t, Debs?

What company?

Do you have a contact number for them?

Name and shame the company!

[DDolfelin]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Weather as reported by Tony, only the car being parked in the shade is still frosted. Not to worry as by the time I need it the frost should have gone. My friend (with the little boy) who I am taking to exhibitions keeps asking me if I want a contribution towards costs. He is a single parent with three children two of whom are special needs. As he cannot work he's on a limited income but he feels embarrased about my not asking for any payment. What do ER's think I should do? I am considering asking him if he'll pay my entrance fee at shows but your looking at £10 just for him and his boy to get into some shows, perhaps where accompanied children have free entry I could ask him then.

 

Name and shame the company!

 

Can't answer for you, Phil, but, if you can afford the expenses, just tell him what pleasure it gives you to be able to do it.

[DDolfelin]

There are words to describe such morons, unfortunatly Andy wont let us use them. How do such people get into public faceing roles?

 

From what I know of Andy, he will be first in the queue in the event of a communal kicking session.

If Debs supplies the information there is a world of hurt awaiting this inadequate.

[Judge Dread]

Nearly everyone is, Tony, but the odd unsavoury person is around in all walks of life I suppose.  I used to deal with some of them...in Court!

So did I!  "Mind the first step from the dock down to the cells, it is a little on the steep side". Fortunately those courts in Hull's Guildhall are nought but museums now.

H&S, as BarryO would say "Pah"! 

[Andrew P]

Resultant of not being able to avail myself of the well regarded "Tell us once" service, I`ve had to make individual calls to the {many} bodies, agencies, incorporations and organisations, individually advising them of John`s death and often with a concomitant change in the arrangements going forward. Several have been very helpful, sensitive and responsive; others have been a polar opposite; one utility company agent just kept repeating whilst becoming increasingly stentorian: "we have to speak to the account holder......we can only speak with the named account holder".......after 10 minutes of that intransigence; I crumbled into tears; and cried out: "You can`t; he`s dead.....he`s left me alone and I`m lost!"

 

The DWP staff are clearly trying to help me, but at the moment; I.T systems, permissions and protocols are in the way.

Go and talk to your PM he might be able to help Debs.

 

Wishing you luck.

[New Haven Neil]

Well, attended the old farts club, there were six bikes parked up - sometimes don't get that many in summer, and while its dry here today its bloomin freezing!  My winter hack is in disgrace, running like a bag of spanners.  Said spanners will be thrown at it this weekend to see what ails it.  Old age I suspect, although it's only 40.

[Gwiwer]

Good morning all from a sunny and chilly Hill. Windscreen scraping has not been evident locally but would surely have been required farther from civilisation.

 

Aunt will be farewelled on the 30th; mother has already said she does not feel able to make the journey. We spoke yesterday and simply talking on the phone resulted in breathlessness. The cause is under medication but at 91 and with failing strength and resolve she is not really responding.

 

Step-niece has her 18th birthday on the Isle of Wight today. Although invited we are unable to be there. Said step-niece somewhat surprised the folks by asking if her boyfriend could stay with her after the party. Boyfriend? What boyfriend? The one she has apparently kept well-enough hidden for quite some time and figured that at eighteen she could now be open and honest. I gather the answer was in the negative.

 

More parcelage is due. Festive Spirit in two seperate deliveries and a third which I have just received word of is on its way from Camborne and contains a gated item.

 

Just had a chat with mother while writing this. She is determined to be at her sister’s funeral and is looking at hiring a wheelchair so as to avoid any walking. Where there’s a will, eh? They bred ‘em tough in that generation

 

Avagoodun.

[AndrewC]

Good morning afternoon all from the bigley boringest borough. Another day of crap. 

 

Debs, please name and shame. I find a blast on social media has an amazing way of working to correct such muppets. If it is my supplier then I'll be taking my business elsewhere, so please do share. 

 

Yodel are currently off my Christmas card list. For the third time in 12 months they've had to return our Zooplus order due to damage. I'm really hoping the sh*tgibbon that dropped it had to clean up all 20kg of cat litter out of his/her van. In this case he just quietly pushed the "you were out" card through the door and I caught the barsteward. He had to admit the parcel was wrecked. I don't think the supplier cares as they get reimbursed, so effectively selling 2 times the stock on one order. 

 

No POE for me, major fustercluck breaking out. It may be a late night. meh

 

For the rest, enjoy the day and the weekend. 

[Gwiwer]

Oh dear. Delivery sh1tgibbons get another mention. Here’s hoping my deliveries are in the hands of someone more careful. A few days back I discovered a package on our back doorstep. Nothing to do with the cat but white van man who clearly hasn’t worked out that these are the back doors (they open onto a path not the front lawn and road) and as he or she couldn’t find flat 2 (it’s upstairs so the back door opens to the balcony) I was the lucky recipient of something left without announcement. We all know each other so it was no problem to then take the item home but why can delivery people not at least make some effort? What if I had been away for a week?

[The Lurker]

Greetings all, it was a cold and frosty one at the top of Sidcup Hill this morning.

 

Not been around for a few days - pressure of work etc. We have had internal shutters fitted to a few windows, doing away with tatty curtains and so on. Mrs Lurker is happy. We've visited a few sixth forms with Elder Lurker; his enthusiasm for what he might study was amazing in its absence....

 

Sounds like Debs is having a rotten time with the administrators of the world; I would like to blame on the "computer says no" generation but judging by some of the comedies of yesteryear, the same sort of people existed before.

 

I won't comment too much on the joys of Anyram's school, but his tales and the tales of Mrs Lurker have reinforced my view that schools are filled with people whose self-importance and opinion of self-competence far outweigh reality, plus the jobsworths. It would seem that those who try to do a decent professional job are forever caught in frustration between the two types.....

[Smiffy2]

First of all, support for Debs. You don't deserve to be treated like that.

 

Secondly, support for Rick. He's making light of it (relatively) but it must be stressful.

 

Thirdly - deliveries. I ordered some shirts from one of those companies that sell stuff for the >ahem< larger gentleman. Subsequently I get an email saying that my goods will be delivered between 12:34 and 13:34, yesterday.

At 12:33 I hear a gentle tapping on the door, followed by the doorbell, then more tapping. On the doorstep is the deliveryman, who asks my name and offers me the parcel. Then he says "Oh" and takes it back. "I'll have to wait a minute before I give it to you".

 

One minute later the doorbell goes and he gives me the parcel.

 

Now that's a bit funny, even silly, but of course he's on a contract that says that if he doesn't deliver in the stated window he either loses money or even gets fined. So if he's running early he has to stop and wait...

 

What have we come to?

[Horsetan]

.....I ordered some shirts from one of those companies that sell stuff for the >ahem< larger gentleman. ....

 

This outfit?

[Smiffy2]

Nope.

'Big Clobber'

[New Haven Neil]

First of all, support for Debs. You don't deserve to be treated like that.

 

Secondly, support for Rick. He's making light of it (relatively) but it must be stressful.

 

Thirdly - deliveries. I ordered some shirts from one of those companies that sell stuff for the >ahem< larger gentleman. Subsequently I get an email saying that my goods will be delivered between 12:34 and 13:34, yesterday.

At 12:33 I hear a gentle tapping on the door, followed by the doorbell, then more tapping. On the doorstep is the deliveryman, who asks my name and offers me the parcel. Then he says "Oh" and takes it back. "I'll have to wait a minute before I give it to you".

 

One minute later the doorbell goes and he gives me the parcel.

 

Now that's a bit funny, even silly, but of course he's on a contract that says that if he doesn't deliver in the stated window he either loses money or even gets fined. So if he's running early he has to stop and wait...

 

What have we come to?

 

A digital age issue - on or off, binary logic.  Right time or wrong time, no allowances.  It seems I am about to become a luddite, and recommend that these things be done away wit, and common sense of human decision installed instead.  Maybe this would also help dear Debs in her current predicament, she doesn't exist yet is standing there before these idiots.

[Smiffy2]

Precisely that, Neil.

[BoD]

If Debs doesn't exist does that mean we can talk about railway modelling?

[Tony_S]

The response from organisations can be so varied. We had experience of a now defunct (I wonder why) building society's probate department insisting on speaking to the account holder.

[New Haven Neil]

If Debs doesn't exist does that mean we can talk about railway modelling?

 

Risky.....

[81C]

Nope.

'Big Clobber'

Perhaps it might be of use to me Dick the waist line has expanded a tad. 

[emt_911]

All of the work admin has finished for the day, so, although I'm at home, POETS has happened.

 

Time to do some work for myself.

 

Back later

[Horsetan]

If Debs doesn't exist does that mean we can talk about railway modelling?

Schrödinger's sheep?

[Ian Abel]

Morning all <yawn>...

 

Not among the ER missing, but the past week+ has been busy and with limited "sensible" access to forums such as this.

 

Commiserations to Debs especially, bureaucrats can be amazingly heartless and intransigent, even given sensible facts. Incompetence knows no bounds it seems

 

Had a great week in the UK, although it became far too short as we tried to visit one family member/friend per day staying overnight with each! Not enough time with any, sadly, but lovely to be with them all. The packed schedule left me with no chance to visit the Tolworth show, and I didn't even get to a train shop, so NOTHING model railway related this trip

Highlights included;

Visiting the 747 simulator (primary reason for the trip), these guys had a goal of 15,000 pounds for the week for Mental Health UK, and made a whopping 25,000!!!!

Managed a visit with my brother and his family, barely happened as they only replied with their "availability" the day we left for the UK

Great visit with the mums best friend who is 94, sadly she had a mild stroke the day we got back, but is mentally 100%, just some mobility issues with her left side.

 

 

Getting back we were thrust into more caring for my MiL and arranging to get her out of her rehab location and back to her apartment, then YESTERDAY I discovered ER was down the only chance I had to try and post

 

This time it seems the jet-lag returning manifesting itself as both of us being dog-tired by about 8:30PM, I've nodded off the last two evenings about 7PM!! How "old" is that.

 

Looking forward to a relaxing weekend - we wish - and having dinner with the kids/dogs tomorrow.

 

Wintery weather here now, highs in the 1-4 range, lows in the -2 to -7 range. Right now overcast and 2.

 

Hope everyone in ER land is faring the best they can, wishing everyone well...

Edited November 17, 2017 by Ian Abel

[New Haven Neil]

If Debs doesn't exist does that mean we can talk about railway modelling?

 

Been doing this.  Took the risk on posting.

 

D'oh, forgot the photo.

 

Edited November 17, 2017 by New Haven Neil

[Judge Dread]

Been doing this.  Took the risk on posting.

Are you represented? Would you like to speak with the duty solicitor?