Early Risers.

[TheQ]

Ben the frosted Collie led me back from the long walk,  well that's what it looked like . We were being pelted by little white ball bearings by someone..

 

The temporary hatch is made, and given a first coat of paint. it's sat with a hot air blower drying it at the moment.

 

The jib club was modified, it took surprisingly little time, having already done this work once it's easier the second time.

 

TV cabinet had another drawer slot built, the bases of the cupboards installed, and the heater holding  frame work started.

[melmerby]

3 hours ago, PeterBB said:

EoN - what a shambles. 

I don't know what has happened in the change from E.on to EonNext but it's wasn't a good move.

Up until the middle of last year they were approachable, the billing straightforward, reasonably competitive (hence staying with them) and seemed to be generally on the ball apart from when it came to replacing meters.

IMHO The current (sic) incarnation is the pits. The billing is a mess and contacting them is less easy.

[woodenhead]

8 minutes ago, melmerby said:

I don't know what has happened in the change from E.on to EonNext but it's wasn't a good move.

Up until the middle of last year they were approachable, the billing straightforward, reasonably competitive (hence staying with them) and seemed to be generally on the ball apart from when it came to replacing meters.

IMHO The current (sic) incarnation is the pits. The billing is a mess and contacting them is less easy.

The difference is that EonNext uses a unified billing and CRM system - so all contacts and activities are hosted in a single solution rather than traditional seperation of activities.  As EON took on other failed energy suppliers they faced ever more complexity in interfacing with their customers as there would be numerous billing and CRM solutions in play.  Not only does this add to the cost of maintaining them, but it also increases the level of training required for their agents to deal with queries as they have to be able to understand and use multiple systems.  Robotics and AI can help with the latter by offering a unified customer interface, but it is really smoke and mirrors and whilst it reduces training time and complexity for the advisors it does nothing to save money in IT terms as the robotics is just layered over the existing legacy systems. 

 

I've seen how robotics transformed one utility company's advisor numbers downwards and saved milliions, but it would only ever be a stopgap to bringing in a unified billing solution.  Eon have taken the step to unify systems and chose Kraken which is the billing system built by Octopus Energy and now being marketed around the world as a market leading billing and customer relations solution to the energy sector.  The first people onto the solution were the failed energy company businesses EON bought and now the general EON customer base has migrated as well.

 

So far I've had no billing issues since moving to Kraken though I don't like the fact it cannot deal with energy bills in two names, so I am the main contact but they use my wife's name to greet me! and it's email messaging is a little too matey and 'yoof' orientated for my liking.

 

Whilst Kraken will offer different means to communicate with EON I would guess that Covid has had a marked effect on staffing levels and I am sure that like other companies they will place barriers in front of phone lines to encourage you to use FAQ and customer forums to sort issues before web chat, email and finally voice.  I am afraid it is the way of the world, wait for AI chat bots when you are dealing with the police, they are coming.

[Ian Abel]

Moaning  😒

 

Yesterday, late, one of the schola reported she'd tested positive for the lurgy!

Pity that I was sitting just 2 feet away from her in the bar after we sang Wednesday evening!!

Will wait until later today to "test", as that's what's recommended by various folks in the know, given I'd not seen her for more than a week until Wednesday.

 

We had a full choir rehearsal last evening, ran really, REALLY long, so was/am tired anyway <yawn>

 

This AM feeling congested and a little dizzy, so I'm betting I may well test the "wrong way" later.

JUST what I need with the weekend fast approaching - it'll probably be an "avoid everyone and everything" sort of weekend with the current circumstances.

We're supposed to go out tomorrow with Trevor and Meagan, but that may well not happen, especially as she has a very new (6 weeks) niece she visits regularly.

 

"Other than THAT Mrs Lincoln, how was the play..."

 

Will check back later and over the weekend. At least RMWeb is up and rolling

 

Weather here improving, -4 first thing and sunny, expecting a high of 8, then PLUS ONE overnight (miracles!!) and 10 for the high the next 4 days - is that SPRING I see on the horizon!

 

Have a good start to the weekend.

[melmerby]

36 minutes ago, Ian Abel said:

Moaning  😒

 

Yesterday, late, one of the schola reported she'd tested positive for the lurgy!

 

Anybody know what the current variant symptoms are?

I was a bit concerned as I was in Aldi on Monday and some schoolkids came in and a couple of them were coughing and spluttering (seemed genuine) no attempt of keeping in hankerchief or avoiding coughing on anyone.

 

Wednesday: sore throat, stuffed up feeling and headache, no runny nose or cough though.

Thursday: Stuffed up feeling, less of sore throat but still a bit of headache.

Today: I feel fine.

 

I am triple jabbed.

 

 

Edited April 1, 2022 by melmerby

[simontaylor484]

Well after hours of googling and visits to builders merchants I happened across a lead on a builders forum and hey Presto I found the name of the part i am looking for its called a Hush latch and they seem to be around £7.50 each so no doubt I will see if I can fix it first.

I am aiming to stop smoking on Monday by buying a vape machine the day to day costs are mounting up too much never mind the health benefits I have been smoking Polish cigs for the last couple of years but now even that has become unaffordable.

There is always tonight's Euromillions though

[Gwiwer]

9 hours ago, BoD said:

The weather here has developed bipolar disorder.

It’s coming from both poles??? 🤔

 

Grass still had last night’s snow on it at 5am. That’s how cold it was overnight. No matter - the House of Fun required my attendance and warm it was not.  The sort of day when a few folk actually paused to thank us for being out there. 
 

In other news Dr. SWMBO has marked another lap of the sun by having friends visit (indoors) this morning then travelling by tube and enjoying (her word) afternoon tea sitting among strangers. The venue was Fortnum & Mason’s at the Royal Exchange which is at least a particularly airy venue. 
 

 

 

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. The wind is easing a bit but its still cold, the forecast is for a gradual warm up. I will be archiving the 'The Diversion Line' (Farcebook group) on Monday week (11th) and it will only be reopened in the unlikely event of another crash of RMweb. Time to get dinner ready, be back later.

[New Haven Neil]

One aspect of the temporary loss of RMW has been reading LTC Rolt's autobiography, all three volumes of it.  This would have taken months....its......waffly. 

 

Some it really interesting, some of it a rant, some of it revealing that he really didn't know the meaning of poor, even when professing to be so - then admits to sending his two sons to public schools at the same time.

 

He lived an interesting life though.

[simontaylor484]

I have managed to get the powers that be to choose a paint colour for the spare bedroom painting will hopefully commence in the morning 

 

Whilst Rmweb has been down I have read the Autobiography of Gen Sir David Richards a former Cheif of Defence Staff and caught up with a watch list on You Tube erc

[polybear]

Bear here.....

 

A fun afternoon was had applying primer-sealer to the lounge walls.  Four and a half hours of endless fun sh1ttiness.  Still, it's done now so that's another job off the list.  Tick.

Next job will probably be wallpapering.  Or maybe fitting the dado rail.  Haven't decided yet.....

 

Bear's with Eon cos' the previous supplier died - and Martin Lewis is advising everyone to stay put for the moment; when he says "jump" I've a feeling that a certain Bear will be.....

 

As for room colours, well Bear has been squinting at ideas on the web until my eyes bleed.  It's a case of "I'll know it, but only when I see it".  I can't look at colours and visualise what a room will look like; I need to see a room that has that colour scheme - which is complicated by the fact that Bear's room has will have Dado Rail.  Of course the colours on a P.C. don't represent what they look like in real life very well.  Decisions, decisions.....

[Tony_S]

We stopped trying out paint colours about 40 years ago after a few attempts at being creative. Hopefully magnolia won’t go out of production. 

[Gwiwer]

5 hours ago, melmerby said:

Anybody know what the current variant symptoms are?

Not defined anywhere that I can find.  Those described range across the board from "severe respiratory distress" to "none" but more typically are akin to a light cold with dry throat.  Still reports of the loss of taste / smell in some people, it seems.  This is based on UK NHS sources and personal conversations with those recently infected.  

 

In other news Dr. SWMBO has retired to bed having had what she describes as "An excellent birthday".  Of note she has achieved three significant steps forward out of her personal pandemic world; friends indoors, riding the tube and eating out.  All without much fuss though she did twitch at me not wearing a mask on a nearly-empty suburban train.  I applied one later as it filled up.  

[Coombe Barton]

Blogged

 

... Home in daylight today. Combination of the clock change and me escaping before anyone noticed. ...

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2022/04/01/record-cases-calls-to-bring-back-free-testing/

[polybear]

3 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

 

 

 

Multi-storey Cake parking.  Nice.

Do they count how many you scoff and charge accordingly, or do you get to scoff the lot for a one-off entry fee?

Asking for a friend....

[Ian Abel]

Quick update - did a lurgy test and I was found "fit for purpose" i.e. NEGATIVE 😀

 

Jemma dropped off Whitney as she heads out on another 4-day trip. As with most airlines at present, they crews are being maxed out as they are all short-staffed, if she wasn't already on a scheduled 4-day trip she could bid for the extra flights they're looking to get crews for.

Can't be bad, that they pay 200% for those flights!!!!! She already picked up one Wednesday MSP-LAS-MSP <KaChing>

 

Given I'm negative for the plague we can plan a few things to do (or be handed a TO-DO!) this weekend - Tally ho.

 

Edited April 1, 2022 by Ian Abel

[Gwiwer]

20 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

Multi-storey Cake parking.  Nice.

Do they count how many you scoff and charge accordingly, or do you get to scoff the lot for a one-off entry fee?

Asking for a friend....

Fixed price.  £35 standard or £45 with a glass of champoo.  

 

For that you get four finger sandwiches (ours were egg/cress, cucumber, ham, coronation chicken), two scones one fruit one plain plus jam, lemon curd and clotted cream to apply to them, and three cakes from a selection which seemed to differ by table.  So we got the purple chocolate "bomb" while others got a swan-shaped profiterole or something else again.  Pot of tea (your choice from I think ten) and house bubbly if you go for the premium option.  Plenty sustaining enough for us mid-afternoon having had light lunches as we did not require an evening meal at all.  Vegetarian alternatives available.  Booking required.  

 

And the important question "Would we go again?"  Yes.  Not this week but maybe for another special occasion.  

[brianusa]

Usually for this kind of venue a special occasion is required, birthdays, anniversaries, etc.  The Princess Hotel in Victoria is one such big expensive place just over the border in BC and well worth a visit for afternoon tea, priced similarily!

       Brian.

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. The wind has dropped but as we now have clear skies its going to be cold in the morning. As I will be doing not very much tomorrow I might spend an extra hour in bed so I might be a bit late on parade tomorrow.

[TheQ]

Evening Awl, Mr Sandman here.

Drystone walling, and the start of a wooden bit of pier built.

Oh and half a kilo of white sand was spread on a seabed.

Tis darn chilly out there.

Goodnight

 

[iL Dottore]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

…Do they count how many you scoff and charge accordingly, or do you get to scoff the lot for a one-off entry fee?

Asking for a friend....

You get to finish it all off.

But afternoon tea at Fortnum and Mason is between £35 and £70 per person - depending in which place you have it (Tea Room or Restaurant - the Diamond Jubilee Tea Room is the £70 one) if you also have Champagne with it - the price goes up according to the Champagne supped.

You can get an awful lot of machine made artificially flavoured (think synthetic vanilla or lemon) LDC for £70!

Edited April 1, 2022 by iL Dottore
Correct pricing

[laurenceb]

Night awl

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

Well this morning’s planned trip to the Trafford Centre was deemed unnecessary by the management, so I decided to walk to Sainsbury’s instead to get some fruit that we were running low on. Once those and a few other items required were purchased I took the long route home, thus negating this afternoon’s walk. So, I spent the afternoon was spent reading, doing a few sudoku puzzles and surfing t’internet! I think I’m getting used to this retirement malarkey. 

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.