Early Risers.

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Arthur Itis was in full voice this morning but is now a lot quieter. A bit nippy this morning and the forecast is for a frosty night but then the weather turns milder for the holidays. Now time to run a bath, be back later.

[PupCam]

Morning All!

 

Grandson day today   Get the Brio out!

 

In addition I may extend the shed's Tidy Tool Technology or, perhaps more usefully, continue to cut up the old shed into Mondog size bits in readiness of a Tidy Tip invasion.

 

Fingers crossed that our daughter and her partner are on their way to stay for Christmas before any changes to our freedom are announced!    

 

Have a good one!

 

Alan

[Erichill16]

Morning All,

The most I paid for a meal was probably last week.

I bought 20 pies from the local butcher (to warm up)  and 20 bags of chips for the MRC Xmas bash. Cost £60.

Robert

 

[tigerburnie]

Morning, flippin' dark up here still, you all mention fish and chips, but where's the deep fried Mars Bars.............................or Bounties.........? As a fisherman I don't fry fish(indeed with no Gall Bladder I don't fry anything anymore) a fresh, as in caught within' an hour or so of eating, fish should be grilled on the bone and eaten with bread and a bit of fresh salad or if pushed curly fries out of the freezer(oven cooked of course) lol. Mushy peas are minging(I do eat them, but they are minging) and pickled eggs really are the devils food(along side mushrooms) Best food I ever ate was free, I was on a breakdown on the Brent Bravo oilrig just before Christmas in 1982, on arriving at the galley the steaks looked nice, "I'll have one of those" I said, "you're a big yin" he said, "have 3 ". A slice of cheese cake for afters?", nope just take the whole 8 inch cake and then grab a bowl to collect a self served fresh ice cream as you walk into the mess area where they were trying to play pool, but as the rig was rocking in an 80 mph storm the balls were rolling all over the table.

[AndrewC]

12 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

I do hope you have Marty Moose glasses for your egg nog punch bowl. (They are readily available, because of course they are.)

 

Was a cat kibble Jello mould served? (Enquiring minds ...)

 

I trust that the outdoor lighting is the equal of Chez Griswold.

 

At the time the movie was released we had a cat. It climbed in the Christmas tree and chewed through the wires on the tree lights. Seeing the movie in the cinema, I will confess to laughing so hard that I almost lost bladder control when the cat was discovered under the chair.

It has become a family tradition to fill each other's FB timelines with quotes from the movie. If we had the space I'd love to get the giant inflatable Eddie's RV for the garden. 

 

 

We also have a toy squirrel in the tree. Squirrrrrrrrrrrrrel  

 

One bone of contention is that Sky have chopped the movie to bits. If you haven't seen it before or want to watch again, you'll have to do it with a DVD or streaming service. 

 

Back later, sh*tter's full. 

 

[petethemole]

Solstice blessings to all ERs.

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

A quick look in before I head off to my consultation about my latest PSA results. There was a slight rise since my last test, up from 0.24 to 0.30, so up 0.06, so I’ll have to see what they make of that. 

 

Back later. 

 

Brian

[pH]

37 minutes ago, tigerburnie said:

Best food I ever ate was free, I was on a breakdown on the Brent Bravo oilrig just before Christmas in 1982, on arriving at the galley the steaks looked nice, "I'll have one of those" I said, "you're a big yin" he said, "have 3 ".

But did you eat them all? My brother-in-law started work on a pipelay barge in the North Sea in the mid-1970s. He was appalled to see people taking two T-bone steaks, eating the absolutely-delicious sides of both of them and leaving the very-delicious sides.

[Tony_S]

33 minutes ago, pH said:

But did you eat them all?

I was always encouraged when young not to take more than I could eat and not waste food. So even now on cruise ships at teatime (where even professional cake consumers would be happy) I won’t overload my plate. I can remember once seeing a very elderly couple take a plate piled high with sandwiches and cakes to their table. I was silently disapproving and then impressed as they demolished their mountain. So they did eat all they had taken. 

Edited December 21, 2021 by Tony_S

[PhilJ W]

Hello again. My fancy electronic bathroom scales have stopped working so this afternoon I'll be looking for some old fashioned spring loaded ones. The electronic one needless to say has only just run out of warranty. Another muggatee and a check on what I'm following on RMweb then off to have my ears lowered.

[jamie92208]

On 21/12/2021 at 09:18, monkeysarefun said:

Yes, the naval base is just to the east of the opera house so that gets counted.

Bondi beach is traditionally the Christmas destination of every European backpacker on Christmas day, this year it will be strangely empty but at least I won't get mooned by a drunk Brit backpacker like what happened in 2015. Or have to listen to Wonderwall sung  about 500 times.

Who mentioned the naval base.

 

Taken in April 2019 from the Manley ferry.

 

As to plates piled high, we had a pair of very fat twins and a rather large club treasurer who were famous for overloading their plates. We arranged one year to announce who could go to the buffet in a particular order with club members last.  There was a good queue for the bar and I waited till the three of them had just got to the front of the queue before announcing that club members could go.  Their faces were a picture.

 

A visiting layout operator was of similar appetite and actually queue jumped for seconds before everbody had got their firsts.  This was noted so when expenses were paid the next morning his layout had a large deduction for excessive food consumption.  He had a total sense of humour failure.  We were very amused.  The other members of his team were also amused.  

 

Jamie

1

Edited April 21, 2022 by jamie92208

[monkeysarefun]

18 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

Who mentioned the naval base.

Thats the one!

 

Actually a few years ago (2009?) a navy diver was in training  just  around the corner from there, outside the opera House and got attacked by a Bull Shark, lost an arm and a leg. This was pretty much in the heart  of the city, I was wondering if any  other major cities in the world have had a wild animal attack someone  inside the  CBD?

 

Unlike the more noble ocean dwelling sharks - great whites, tiger shark etc  Bull sharks are ar5ehole sharks, hanging around  in estuaries, canals,  inlets  and up rivers.  They will  often take dogs  that venture into the water for a paddle, most people in the know wont let their dogs loose on the harbour beaches, but there's always someone who doesn't realise the danger , sadly.

[Gwiwer]

2 hours ago, petethemole said:

 

Solstice blessings to all ERs.

 

Merry meet. Merry part. Merry meet again. 

Have a cool Yule. 
 

Merry Pancha Ganapati

 

3 hours ago, AndrewC said:

Squirrrrrrrrrrrrrel

The Evil Skwerl.

[polybear]

12 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

.......though I will say that the tension around a particular tennis player in the PRC continues to be in the headlines.

 

Yes we get occasional updates too - seems she disappeared for a couple of weeks and then posts that her story had been "mis-interpreted"......

Yeah, right, and I'm a Hippo.  She's been "got at" and "persuaded" to change her story.  I'll bet that that if she ever does appear in the West again to play Tennis then you'll not be able to get within a hundred yards of her because of "Security Personnel"

 

11 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Wrong

Wrong

Wrong

https://www.greatbritishchefs.com/how-to-cook/how-to-make-triple-cooked-chips

 

Better than soggy “chippy” chips any day. Why can’t [don’t?] so many chippys make decent crisp chips? I’ve had more than my fair share of soggy chips from a chippy during my many years living in the UK.

 

So Bear has to wait an hour and a half for his chip butty?  Hmmm.....

 

11 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

What’s with the avocado on the side?  

 

Kermit fell in the liquidiser....

 

9 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Kudos to the BC provincial government!

 

Our lot would still be doing a risk assessment before putting the cones out....

 

8 hours ago, TheQ said:

...........£7 for jumbo sausage and chips, with an extra £1 for a bread roll, and mushy peas at £1:60. And a pickled onion 50p..

 

 

Bear's large chip roll (which is a long - rather than round - bread roll filled with chips) and a jumbo sossie comes in at four quid.  So it's starting to look like I could've been unduly hasty......

I can't get over thinking that four quid is four quid??  though.....

 

8 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

All these price comparisons going on seem to be targeted towards what is the cheapest. I would be intrigued to know what is the most anyone has paid for a dinner (either work related or privately paid).

 

Work related?  Not sure - maybe forty quid or so a head;  it was always a source of extreme annoyance that the Sales Team etc. used to get away with murder when it came to expenses, whilst those who are working outside in all weathers at 10'oclock at night in December (a.k.a the Trials Teams) would be interrogated for going over a certain limit - which wasn't high.  As an example, on my last jolly to Korea the Sales Guy plus the Korean Rep. got thru' five hundred quid's worth of Whiskey in one session.....

 

6 hours ago, TheQ said:

GEC (1988-2001 ) most expensive meal £12, that's the most they would allow in our division.. Embarrassing when you go out with others from a different division and they have a much larger allowance. (You could only pay for / claim for yourself).

 

I recall working with a couple of ex. Ferranti Edinburgh Guys (at the time they were called GEC) who told me they weren't even allowed a soft drink on their evening meal bill - and the limit for that was very low too.  A bit awkward when you're staying in a reasonable Hotel in West Wales (where choice is very limited) and that limit is easily wiped out by a bar meal.

 

6 hours ago, TheQ said:

Myself also about £30 each for a meal.. and SWMBO complains that's too much..

 

 

Not sure what my biggest personal spend would be - hols in Italy would probably be the culprit, and I doubt it would be more than forty quid or so for two (and certainly only on occasion).  Being - and travelling with - a non-drinker helps no end....

 

4 hours ago, PupCam said:

Morning All!

 

Grandson day today   Get the Brio out!

 

 

It's good to know that Puppers is under suitable supervision.....

 

4 hours ago, Erichill16 said:

Morning All,

The most I paid for a meal was probably last week.

I bought 20 pies from the local butcher (to warm up)  and 20 bags of chips for the MRC Xmas bash. Cost £60.

Robert

 

 

Now that's gotta be mates rates.  In my local as a on-off that lot would easily be the wrong side of a ton.

 

4 hours ago, tigerburnie said:

A slice of cheese cake for afters?", nope just take the whole 8 inch cake and then grab a bowl to collect a self served fresh ice cream ......

 

Now that's Bear's kinda chef.....

 

4 hours ago, tigerburnie said:

as you walk into the mess area where they were trying to play pool, but as the rig was rocking in an 80 mph storm the balls were rolling all over the table.

 

...oh, hang on....not so sure that cheesecake was such a bright move after all....

 

2 hours ago, Tony_S said:

I was always encouraged when young not to take more than I could eat and not waste food. So even now on cruise ships at teatime (where even professional cake consumers would be happy) I won’t overload my plate. I can remember once seeing a very elderly couple take a plate piled high with sandwiches and cakes to their table. I was silently disapproving and then impressed as they demolished their mountain. So they did eat all they had taken. 

 

I've heard reliable stories of a certain person who clears food like you'd never believe.  Apparently at one "do" he had so much on his table that some thought he was sat at the Buffet....

He went to the Bar and came back clutching three Pints (all for him) and his fingers were loaded with Onion Rings.

Only in his 30's as I recall, and people that know him are amazed he's still alive - the general opinion is he's very much on borrowed time, sadly.

 

In other news.....

Bear spent a productive morning stripping paint from the plaster; the newly acquired Paint Stripper did help - but it took time, several coats plus scoring with a stanley knife.  The days of "bubble up before your very eyes Nitromors" are sadly no more.

I also spoke with Martin the Plasterer - fortunately he's still spreading and will come up to see the job just after chrimbo.

Edited December 21, 2021 by polybear

[The Lurker]

Greetings all from a chilly Sidcup. It’s the day before we go away for Christmas- a shared “cottage” on Buxton which was deferred from last year. There will be 10 of us. Lateral flows tests are at the ready but aside from colds all are well currently.

 

I am quite partial to a decent meal and have eaten at the Fat Duck and Le Havroche and Le Manoir and Le Coq d’Argent to name but a few. My usual companions are two guys I used to work with the best part of 30 years ago, I tend to try to forget how much I spend on those meals especially as we tend to have decent wine! Our trip to Le Coq d’Argent might have been the most expensive as it involved us getting the Eurostar from Waterloo as a day trip - shows you how long ago it was; all three of us were single at the time; but however expensive it was, it cost one of the others more because he lost his return ticket and had to buy a replacement!

 

 

[TheQ]

40 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

 

 

 

Work related?  Not sure - maybe forty quid or so a head;  it was always a source of extreme annoyance that the Sales Team etc. used to get away with murder when it came to expenses, whilst those who are working outside in all weathers at 10'oclock at night in December (a.k.a the Trials Teams) would be interrogated for going over a certain limit - which wasn't high.  As an example, on my last jolly to Korea the Sales Guy plus the Korean Rep. got thru' five hundred quid's worth of Whiskey in one session.....

 

 

I recall working with a couple of ex. Ferranti Edinburgh Guys (at the time they were called GEC) who told me they weren't even allowed a soft drink on their evening meal bill - and the limit for that was very low too.  A bit awkward when you're staying in a reasonable Hotel in West Wales (where choice is very limited) and that limit is easily wiped out by a bar meal.

 

 

 

yep After they got taken over by GEC their allowances got cut to just above ours.. (IIRC their direct opposite to me had an allowance of £15 for his main meal.. Before then they got a lot more.. 

And yes drinks weren't allowed. Accounts even phoned a Chinese takeaway to check if I'd had alcohol with my meal... 

Breakfast was what ever the hotel charged... There was a strict limit for the  hotel cost too, and lunch time was a limit of £6.

 

Every purchase was separately accounted for on the claim forms, each with a 12 digit number for the task you were claiming against.. First 6 digits the contract it was against in my case Foxhunter radar, the second 6 digits the actual task which changed every time I went out..

 

 and the company cars / hire cars insurance stopped for use the moment you got back to the hotel after work (shortest route) and didn't restart till you left for work in the morning.. You couldn't carry a non company employee as they weren't insured for that..

Edited December 21, 2021 by TheQ

[iL Dottore]

2 minutes ago, polybear said:

…So Bear has to wait an hour and a half for his chip butty?  Hmmm.....

Nah, the first two steps in the triple-cooked chips are done during food prep earlier in the day. The last step, the final frying, is done just before serving. Once tasted, it’s hard to go back to soggy chips.

 

In reading various ER posters experiences with expenses and allowances, I realise how generous my former employer was: partly because there’s quite a demand for experienced drug developers* (so, “keep ‘em happy & keep ‘em in the company”), quite a lot because of Swiss Corporate paternalism (you value and take care of your people [and work them hard]) but also because, I believe, many British companies tend to both undervalue and underpay (most of) their staff.

 

When I was working in the UK, the MD of the British affiliate was quite old fashioned and believed in taking care of his workforce and treating us like adults. I wonder if there are many of his like left? And although, back in the 80s, I was well paid (by UK standards), when I moved to Switzerland in 1989 I tripled my salary (and a friend who moved to Germany doubled his - though his UK salary was higher than mine). Even adjusting for a higher cost of living, it was an advantageous move for me.

iD

 

* in these days of Covid if you have solid experience of virology, immunology, vaccine development or vaccine production you can pretty much write your own salary cheque (or so a number of my virologist colleagues claim)

[AndrewC]

Travel expenses, what a minefield that can be. One company I was contracting with had a policy of using the corporate jet when ever possible. Sadly for me their schedule never matched the project's needs. If the flight was more than 4 hours you were to book business class. There was also a minimum car class you were expected to rent. The company didn't want their people seen in peasant class or driving a glorified dodgem. I got in trouble for not expensing enough on meals. It was hard as breakfast was Texas sized and part of the hotel booking. Never bothered with lunch. Dinner was mostly being taken out by the traders or project managers on their accounts. 

 

Compare that to my last employer. £25 a day meal allowance, 1 drink only, £5 for breakfast if you had to travel before 8am. Hotels had to be booked through the corporate travel office. (Wagon Lits) Again I got in trouble once, as it was a last minute trip and the office couldn't get me a booking in Inverness in time. I went online, got the same hotel as the rest of the team and paid less than half of what the corporate rate was. I spent another project in Swansea. We used to go to a Tapas place next to the hotel on 2-4-1 nights. Food would come to about £10 each with £15 on beer. The manager of the place would just put £25 - food, on the receipt. Sorted. Above that we just paid our own way. 

 

On the subject of chippies. I really hate mushy, mangy chips. I'm with ID on that. Our local one went from bloody awful to really good and back to awful again. The chap who bought it and made it good, took a cash offer and swanned off back to Cyprus. The current one took a 5 hygiene rating and whittled it down to a 2 within a couple of months. Haven't been back since. I noted looking at the plethora of signs on the window that he as now got a 4, and cod & chips are on a bogoff for the princely sum of £12. 

[tigerburnie]

5 hours ago, pH said:

But did you eat them all? My brother-in-law started work on a pipelay barge in the North Sea in the mid-1970s. He was appalled to see people taking two T-bone steaks, eating the absolutely-delicious sides of both of them and leaving the very-delicious sides.

Nothing went to waste, I didn't get to this size wasting food lol(18 stones, but on a diet to shrink a bit)

[Ian Abel]

Chewsday...

 

Yesterday was quiet.

The evening was a meeting with my buddy who's back from Arizona for the holidays, while the Mrs and his wife had their Book Club Christmas gathering across town.

 

Today will be quiet again.

 

-12 first thing and overcast with light snow. -6 the expected high.

 

Carry on.

[Gwiwer]

2 hours ago, polybear said:

I've heard reliable stories of a certain person who clears food like you'd never believe.  Apparently at one "do" he had so much on his table that some thought he was sat at the Buffet....

He went to the Bar and came back clutching three Pints (all for him) and his fingers were loaded with Onion Rings.

Only in his 30's as I recall, and people that know him are amazed he's still alive - the general opinion is he's very much on borrowed time, sadly.

 

I came across a chap whilst at university who might have fitted that bill.  Known as a drinker of some repute (and of quite some volume) I once asked him how much he might consume in an average evening's session.  

 

"Oh just two or three" he replied in a quietly musical Welsh accent.   " ......... gallons  ....... "    

 

Back in the day I believe a pint of Abbot or Sam Smiths at the SU bar was something like 30p.  

 

This chap could also eat for his country.  Especially if it involved a fry-up of some magnitude.  But he was no stranger to awaiting "shutters" at the SU food bar after lunch - a vegetarian outlet which was rather good and very cheap.  He would then start at one end and finish all the unsold food dish by dish!!!  Mixed green salads, beetroot and nuts, butter bean lentil and chick-pea stew ..... you name it he troughed it.  

 

I know he survived to graduation.  I'm not sure how much longer he lasted as we lost touch having nothing much in common beyond a taste for a good ale served cheap.  

 

Speaking of food there is a Waitrose delivery imminent.  Not one of our regular sources of supply but this was a Christmas Week delivery slot secured moons ago when there was no guarantee of anything by this time of the year.  I have adjusted it to be a back-up for the rather larger Ocado delivery which is due tomorrow, rather than our usual Friday because there was no availability for Christmas Eve, meaning we might end up with more pigs-in-blankets than we need, the fridge may have the part-used jars of pickle and sauce temporarily removed to accommodate more milk and vegetabilia and the Basket Formerly Known as Brexit will be restocked with tins and packets.  

 

Postie was encountered earlier and was presented with his Christmas card.  I'm sure he will be delighted with the contents which is in respect of our appreciation for his sterling work again this year.  After four years we also finally know his name though he has known ours all along of course from the addressed mail.  He mentioned that many homes he called at were now isolating with at least someone positive for Covid which troubled him rather.  Precautions are one thing.  But rather like my own line of work when you encounter - even at reasonably safe distance and for short times - a significant number of people you do wonder about things.  

 

Speaking of things I note that the numbers testing positive remain stable for now after a few days hovering around 90,000.  This might yet be a pause on the way to far higher numbers or it may be a genuine plateau.  As the government themselves say we are awaiting more data.  By my own rough calculations of the other day the positivity rate also remains stable at around 1:16 (was 1:15 then 1:17 the last time I checked) as tests also remain at a much higher level than previously.  

 

Perhaps there's a light in that tunnel already?  We can hope.  

[polybear]

2 hours ago, TheQ said:

yep After they got taken over by GEC their allowances got cut to just above ours.. (IIRC their direct opposite to me had an allowance of £15 for his main meal.. Before then they got a lot more.. 

And yes drinks weren't allowed. Accounts even phoned a Chinese takeaway to check if I'd had alcohol with my meal... 

 

I recall one Hotel in Wales where they'd write everything on the bill in pencil, then come check-out time on a Friday morning there'd be queue of guys all taking turns to tell the receptionist what they wanted written in ink on the Bill in order to disguise the drinks.  And then the Boss (as in Head of Dept.) was seen coming down the stairs.....

We all backed off....he went up to the counter and the Receptionist says to him:

"Would you like a forgery as well?"

Oh sh1t......

 

2 hours ago, TheQ said:

..... and the company cars / hire cars insurance stopped for use the moment you got back to the hotel after work (shortest route) and didn't restart till you left for work in the morning.. You couldn't carry a non company employee as they weren't insured for that..

 

I recall one job where Bear's Section Leader decided to take his "bit on the side" with him for the week - which I was less than happy with (and I'm guessing his wife would've been even less happy).

I went out of my way to ensure I paid for nothing over the odds - including making sure I paid my Hotel Bill VERY early on the Friday morning to make sure he couldn't slide anything onto my bill (we'd had several evening meals in the hotel).  To say he was less than impressed I'd done that was an understatement - but I simply said I wanted to beat the early morning rush.  I also noted he'd done a couple of hundred private miles over the weekend in the hire car - again uninsured.

The HoD knew something had been going on too - the Hotel had charged him for a double room rather than single - and he'd been on the phone to ask why.....

Anyway, Bear's S.L. managed to talk his way out of it by saying he'd been getting grief off his wife because he'd been working away a lot - so he took his wife with him.  The Head knew it was B.S. - but to prove it he'd either have to phone the wife and ask if she'd had a nice time, or put me on the spot - and our mutual Boss knew what had been going on and had already taken me to one side and warned me not to stick my neck out for him (I wouldn't have anyway).  So S.L. got away with it (and not for the first time by all accounts) but no doubt got a b0llocking for the bills and insurance issue.

 

1 hour ago, AndrewC said:

Hotels had to be booked through the corporate travel office. (Wagon Lits)

 

Ah yes, Carlson Wagonlits - we had them too.  Hotels had to be "within company policy etc. etc." but often they'd book somewhere 20 miles from where you were working in order to achieve it; telling them the overtime driving to and from the Hotel to place of work for numerous people didn't seem to compute with them.

Then it went computerised.....

And the system would try to do things like book you into a "suitable" Hotel within 5 miles of Gosport.  If you weren't sharp you'd miss the fact that the Hotel was on the Isle of Wight...

[Coombe Barton]

... case of the disappearing sellotape ...

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2021/12/21/plateau/

[TheQ]

55 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

I recall one Hotel in Wales where they'd write everything on the bill in pencil, then come check-out time on a Friday morning there'd be queue of guys all taking turns to tell the receptionist what they wanted written in ink on the Bill in order to disguise the drinks.  And then the Boss (as in Head of Dept.) was seen coming down the stairs.....

We all backed off....he went up to the counter and the Receptionist says to him:

"Would you like a forgery as well?"

Oh sh1t......

 

 

I recall one job where Bear's Section Leader decided to take his "bit on the side" with him for the week - which I was less than happy with (and I'm guessing his wife would've been even less happy).

I went out of my way to ensure I paid for nothing over the odds - including making sure I paid my Hotel Bill VERY early on the Friday morning to make sure he couldn't slide anything onto my bill (we'd had several evening meals in the hotel).  To say he was less than impressed I'd done that was an understatement - but I simply said I wanted to beat the early morning rush.  I also noted he'd done a couple of hundred private miles over the weekend in the hire car - again uninsured.

The HoD knew something had been going on too - the Hotel had charged him for a double room rather than single - and he'd been on the phone to ask why.....

Anyway, Bear's S.L. managed to talk his way out of it by saying he'd been getting grief off his wife because he'd been working away a lot - so he took his wife with him.  The Head knew it was B.S. - but to prove it he'd either have to phone the wife and ask if she'd had a nice time, or put me on the spot - and our mutual Boss knew what had been going on and had already taken me to one side and warned me not to stick my neck out for him (I wouldn't have anyway).  So S.L. got away with it (and not for the first time by all accounts) but no doubt got a b0llocking for the bills and insurance issue.

 

 

Ah yes, Carlson Wagonlits - we had them too.  Hotels had to be "within company policy etc. etc." but often they'd book somewhere 20 miles from where you were working in order to achieve it; telling them the overtime driving to and from the Hotel to place of work for numerous people didn't seem to compute with them.

Then it went computerised.....

And the system would try to do things like book you into a "suitable" Hotel within 5 miles of Gosport.  If you weren't sharp you'd miss the fact that the Hotel was on the Isle of Wight...

There was one hotel where one of our guys helped set up their first computer system. Needless to say it was very well trained on what to put on a bill...

 

We didn't need a computer to cockup our hotel bookings, the secretary could do that all by her self..

I was supposed to be booked into the Golf hotel in St Andrews (winter rates we couldn't normally be booked in there) and she booked me into ... The Golf hotel. Woodhall Spa.. Lincolnshire...

 

Ps John's graph back up my experience, the most likely not to be taking precautions are to 20 to 30 year olds..

 

Edited December 21, 2021 by TheQ

[iL Dottore]

4 hours ago, TheQ said:

yep After they got taken over by GEC their allowances got cut to just above ours.. (IIRC their direct opposite to me had an allowance of £15 for his main meal.. Before then they got a lot more.. 

And yes drinks weren't allowed. Accounts even phoned a Chinese takeaway to check if I'd had alcohol with my meal... 

Breakfast was what ever the hotel charged... There was a strict limit for the  hotel cost too, and lunch time was a limit of £6.

 

Every purchase was separately accounted for on the claim forms, each with a 12 digit number for the task you were claiming against.. First 6 digits the contract it was against in my case Foxhunter radar, the second 6 digits the actual task which changed every time I went out..

 

 and the company cars / hire cars insurance stopped for use the moment you got back to the hotel after work (shortest route) and didn't restart till you left for work in the morning.. You couldn't carry a non company employee as they weren't insured for that..

Blimey! That’s hardly an incentive to give up your weekends, evenings and holidays for work related travel. 

Because a lot of my work involved meeting consultants at congresses (usually the only time consultants would be available) it did mean giving up weekends and missing birthdays (one important Congress I always went to always conflicted with my birthday). Having to do that on under £50 a day would have meant an exodus of highly qualified and experienced people. 

Because we were treated like intelligent adults, we repaid the trust by not abusing the system (the only time I heard about the head of our department being unhappy with someone’s expenses was when - it was rumoured- a very senior colleague of mine took out a very senior consultant for the purposes of finalising the details of a very expensive clinical trial over dinner and my colleague managed to spend $250 on one bottle of wine).

 

But all the above rather pales in comparison with the cost of investigating the safety and efficacy of a potential new medication. In one study we had a safety signal that we needed to evaluate and our safety advisory board recommended a certain course of action, which resulted in me going to senior management and asking them if they could fork over an extra $10 million to put the recommended course of action into practice. A short explanatory presentation was demanded of me.

 

I got the $10 million.

Edited December 21, 2021 by iL Dottore