Early Risers.

[Smiffy2]

There is now an excellent pub in Scampton village called the dambusters. It does good food and is full of memorabilia. The owners have a black Labrador with the same name as Gibson's. It's well worth a visit. And no, none of my family are involved in running the establishment.

 

Jamie

 

How very clever of them...

[Gwiwer]

Regarding poetry, I will only plead

 

 

PLEASE . . . . NO  Paula Nancy Millstone Jennings 

 

John

You haven’t listened to a recital of Vogon poetry, have you?

[lightengine]

Wasn't it Jim Davidson in the 70's said about the white guy living in Brixton with a dog of the same name and calling it in at night?

How we tittered!

I wonder what jokes he does now?

I never found him very funny especially his "Cinderella" theatrical.

[Tony_S]

How very clever of them...

One consequence of the attack on the dams was that post WW2 such attacks are considered to be war crimes as are attacks on flood defences.

[Horsetan]

I have given up temporarily and am now drinking champagne in the office. So is everyone else.

[jamie92208]

I have given up temporarily and am now drinking champagne in the office. So is everyone else.

I sincerely hope that it's well chilled.

 

Jamie

[Simon G]

Today has been pretty much carp all the way.  No 2 son was told earlier that his foot wasn't broken and it would be put in plaster for 2 weeks.  Now, he has been told that it is broken and the plaster cast will be on for 8 weeks.  As he was due to go on holiday in 6 weeks, he is not happy.  He is currently still in the LGI waiting to be released.

 

As I had feared, DisUnited Utilities were a no-show for the second time in less than a week, and also with no phone call to let me know that they weren't coming.  I called them twice, at 2pm and 4pm to try to get an update, but was put through to the 'overflow' phone team, who could only take all my details and promise to pass them on to the relevant team.  This has resulted in precisely nothing.  They just seem to be serially incompetent.  I fully accept that they will get emergencies and need to divert resources, but it is the complete lack of communication that really annoys me.  If I don't hear from them first thing tomorrow, I will be demanding the contact details of their customer services director so I can go the top of their tree.  This usually has more success than dealing with the poor sods in the call centre.  Rant over!

 

The weather here has finally warmed up to the mid 20s here today, so I have spent as much time outside in the garden.

[Tony_S]

I sincerely hope that it's well chilled.Jamie

We are having roast lamb with roast vegetables this evening. The drinks may well be chilled,though.

[Simon G]

I sincerely hope that it's well chilled.

 

Jamie

After the day I have had, I am most certainly not well chilled!

[Black Marlin]

After the day I have had, I am most certainly not well chilled!

 

I know the feeling...

[Tony_S]

...

 

As I had feared, DisUnited Utilities were a no-show for the second time in less than a week, and also with no phone call to let me know that they weren't coming.  I called them twice, at 2pm and 4pm to try to get an update, but was put through to the 'overflow' phone team, who could only take all my details and promise to pass them on to the relevant team.  This has resulted in precisely nothing.  They just seem to be serially incompetent.  I fully accept that they will get emergencies and need to divert resources, but it is the complete lack of communication that really annoys me.  If I don't hear from them first thing tomorrow, I will be demanding the contact details of their customer services director so I can go the top of their tree.  This usually has more success than dealing with the poor sods in the call centre.  Rant over!

 

The weather here has finally warmed up to the mid 20s here today, so I have spent as much time outside in the garden.

Have you tried posting about your displeasure with UU on their twitter page? Assuming they have one it seems to work better than letters to chief execs!

I was concerned that if I put my French environment sticker where their video suggested it would be in the area now likely to cause an MoT fail (still a few years away, the car is only six months old!). So I sent an email yesterday asking for,guidance and received a reply this morning cordially inviting me to stick on the left hand side. I had noticed lots of contradictory advice on UK motoring sites so I thought why not ask the people who issue them. I apologised for my email not being in French.

[tetsudofan]

I'm guessing that was before Biggin Hill - I saw them around half 5

 

…. and think they were down the coast at Hastings before they got to Folkestone, busy weekend for them on the south coast.

 

Keith

[Simon G]

Have you tried posting about your displeasure with UU on their twitter page? Assuming they have one it seems to work better than letters to chief execs!.

I am not on Twitter, but your suggestion made me look on Facebook, and they have a page there, so if I don’t hear from them early tomorrow, I may try that. Thanks for the idea!

[PhilJ W]

You haven’t listened to a recital of Vogon poetry, have you?

Oh, you wrote recital, I didn't see the 'i'.

[New Haven Neil]

Evening.

 

Sorry to hear about your son, Simon.  I sincerely hope the word 'Lisfranc' isn't used in his diagnosis - if it is, you had better PM me. 

 

A breezy but hot day sur le rock without an Ikea, with scorchio predicted, nay, guaranteed tomorrow.  A huge pile of Gaugemaster boxes awaits attention in the morning, the spirit was a touch lacking this afternoon!

 

Essential good wishes distributed to all in need.

[Gwiwer]

Broken or not broken feet I can certainly empathise with.  The toe has behaved itself significantly better today and is apparently self-mending.

 

Being roasted and not well-chilled I can also empathise with.  The new oven arrives a week on Friday which will allow roasting of joints other than our own once more and possibly in slightly cooler conditions too if the seaweed-wranglers are to be believed.  I shall do my best to remain chilled and professional tomorrow but having seen the timetable of what we intend to run I can confirm that a very large number of people will be severely inconvenienced if they travel.  It looks even more grim on Saturday - the first full summer Saturday of the season - with next to nothing expected to run on the main lines serving the resorts of Bournemouth and Weymouth, few trains to Portsmouth and none at all beyond Yeovil to Exeter.  "Do not travel" is the warning being promulgated for Saturday; if you must then please expect severe disruption and inconvenience.  

[Purley Oaks]

Today has been pretty much carp all the way.  No 2 son was told earlier that his foot wasn't broken and it would be put in plaster for 2 weeks.  Now, he has been told that it is broken and the plaster cast will be on for 8 weeks.  As he was due to go on holiday in 6 weeks, he is not happy.  He is currently still in the LGI waiting to be released.

 

Maybe your son should try chatting with the hospital - depending on the type of holiday they may be willing to take the cast off just before so long as he rests a lot and doesn't strain it too much. Worth a punt?

 

Sorry to hear about the ongoing United "Utilities" shenanigans.

 

Have just finished making a veg chilli and homemade refried beans, not that I've fried or refried anything. Gabe has made a chilled margarita and I'm about to plate-up in Jamie-speak.

 

A beautiful day and a beautiful evening, hope yours is too.

 

Mal

[Tony_S]

The roast lamb and roast veg were very nice but the kitchen was too hot to eat in so we were all respectable and ate in the dining room.

Next doors children have a swimming pool erected for the summer which means they are very popular. It is near our house as the other neighbour is a miserable git who doesn’t approve of happy children.

Aditi didn’t partake of the red wine I found to go with the lamb, as she may set off for,a swim but not at the neighbours!

 

Simon, you could just get a Twitter account until you had embarrassed UU. Then delete it. Set up a gmail account first, use it to join Twitter and ignore it thereafter. I quite like Twitter to find out what is happening locally before the local news services deign to report.

[Horsetan]

... having seen the timetable of what we intend to run I can confirm that a very large number of people will be severely inconvenienced if they travel. It looks even more grim on Saturday - the first full summer Saturday of the season - with next to nothing expected to run on the main lines serving the resorts of Bournemouth and Weymouth, few trains to Portsmouth and none at all beyond Yeovil to Exeter. "Do not travel" is the warning being promulgated for Saturday; if you must then please expect severe disruption and inconvenience.

 

The last time I went to Weymouth (last year), I drove all the way. It took the same length of time as Waterloo-Weymouth (3 hours door to door), plus I could park outside where I was staying. 70mpg. Edited July 25, 2018 by Horsetan

[Tony_S]

The last time I went to Weymouth (last year), I drove all the way. It took the same length of time as Waterloo-Weymouth (3 hours door to door), plus I could park outside where I was staying. 70mpg.

I don’t think I should confess to the mpg my new car is reporting! Ivan would probably denounce me as some sort of eco-thug. It is better (slightly) than the previous diesel though!

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. I am planning to visit the Bluebell Railway on Saturday, it looks as if an early start is on the cards. What with having to use the Dartford crossing which will be chock-a-block by 8 and then the joys of the M25, I'll have to study the map for any alternative routes.

[Simon G]

Evening.

 

Sorry to hear about your son, Simon.  I sincerely hope the word 'Lisfranc' isn't used in his diagnosis - if it is, you had better PM me.

No mention of Lisfranc yet, but I will ask soon. He is finally back home, but had a lot of trouble in getting up 2 flights of stairs to his flat, using crutches. I don’t think he now plans to leave the flat for a few days until the pain eases.

 

After my last post about United Utilities, they called back once and realising how p*ssed off I am with them, I got referred to their escalation team, and another chap called me and promised to get a new date tomorrow. More importantly, I have a name and his telephone number, so have a focal point to contact. Facebook or Twitter posts will come if this gets me nowhere.

[newbryford]

Today has been pretty much carp all the way.  No 2 son was told earlier that his foot wasn't broken and it would be put in plaster for 2 weeks.  Now, he has been told that it is broken and the plaster cast will be on for 8 weeks.  As he was due to go on holiday in 6 weeks, he is not happy.  He is currently still in the LGI waiting to be released.

 

As I had feared, DisUnited Utilities were a no-show for the second time in less than a week, and also with no phone call to let me know that they weren't coming.  I called them twice, at 2pm and 4pm to try to get an update, but was put through to the 'overflow' phone team, who could only take all my details and promise to pass them on to the relevant team.  This has resulted in precisely nothing.  They just seem to be serially incompetent.  I fully accept that they will get emergencies and need to divert resources, but it is the complete lack of communication that really annoys me.  If I don't hear from them first thing tomorrow, I will be demanding the contact details of their customer services director so I can go the top of their tree.  This usually has more success than dealing with the poor sods in the call centre.  Rant over!

 

The weather here has finally warmed up to the mid 20s here today, so I have spent as much time outside in the garden.

 

Just go on their Twitter or Facebook accounts and kick off there. 

Nothing better than a full public mauling to get them off their backsides.

 

It worked with me with an energy company whose unfortunate initials are FU....... (which I used to good effect in my public posting - 10 or so weeks of wrangling was resolved in less than one week)

 

Edit: just read your post above - go for it anyway!

 

Cheers,

Mick

Edited July 25, 2018 by newbryford

[bbishop]

Evening all,

Cycled to the RAH for a Prom this afternoon. Beethoven P5, decent enough, but the pianist didn't get the transition from the 2nd to the 3rd movement quite right. Then a solid enough Brahms S2. By the by, this is when we miss Jock.

Cycling to Southwark Bridge was mainly on side roads and through parks, then on cycle paths to the RAH. Came back to Sharing Cross, avoiding the idiots walking on badly lit cycle paths!

Keep well all, and keep hydrated.

Bill

Edited July 26, 2018 by bbishop

[The Stationmaster]

Here you go Simon -

 

https://www.unitedutilities.com/corporate/about-us/governance/our-executive-team/

 

She has been Customer Services Director since April 2016 and states that she is a 'Accountable for managing all aspects of Customer Service for United Utilities 7 million customers ... '

 

Prior to assuming her present role she was Head of Transfomation Change and Organisation Development from April 2012 to March 2016 and this role included transforming the efficiency of customer service (but I don't know in which direction?).  And prior to that she was Head of Organisation Development and HR Operations from July 2010 to October 2012 (a bit of an overlap there it would seem) and she had been Head of Engagement, Learning and Performance from April 2007 - June 2010 this role included developing a step change in employee performance (again it is not clear in which direction).  She can be found in a couple of promotional videos on Google telling us all how wonderful United Utilities are thanks to her efforts..

 

Hope this might help a bit.

Edited July 25, 2018 by The Stationmaster