Early Risers.

[simontaylor484]

Well the rally highlights were certainly interesting cars and tyres ripped apart by rocks on the course and an engine overheat and steering problems. Elfyn Evans son of Gwydaf won and is now at top of championship. Hope we can have a British champion the last was the late great Richard Burns in 2001.

Tommi Makkinen the flying finn even put in an appearance he is now a team principal and apologized to his drivers for the problems they had with cars.

[Tony_S]

24 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

Snap! but mine was in the loft so making a mess didn't matter so much. And the boiler installation expert was Michael.

Our experts were Martin and Colin. Any mess they made they cleared up. They didn’t have to make a new flue hole but did need a new hole for a condensate pipe.  We didn’t want a combi boiler and some of the expensive shower units we had required the new boiler to be an open system so we had new hot tank and header tank. We had a water softener fitted too. All for a lot less than the quite from any of the big gas companies. We had a Vaillant boiler fitted. 
Tony

[Winslow Boy]

2 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

A most efficient visit to my GP this morning.

 

I had an appointment with the "Boy Doctor" (so nicknamed by me as he took over from my friend, and contemporary, and is young enough to be my son) to check liver function after being placed on a new, slow acting, therapy (the therapy will last for a year and has potential for liver toxicity).

 

So I rolled up, masked, walked straight in, sanitised my hands with the practice provided sanitiser, spoke to the receptionist (behind a plexiglass screen) who pointed me to the practice's lab. As I entered the lab, the technician donned a mask and a pair of gloves, sat me down, did a finger stick - taking a capillary tube's worth of blood, put a small band aid on my finger and sent me to the waiting room. In the waiting room the chairs were arranged so that there was a blocked chair between occupiable chairs (so something like OXOXO - where X is blocked). In the 10 minutes I waited for the GP (somehow all GPs, especially the good ones, always run late), the receptionists/admins (two) took calls from patients and made appointments for them (for tomorrow, Friday, next Monday, next Tuesday but certainly NOT for "in 6 - 8 weeks time"...). The boy doctor (masked) collected me and in his office/examination room, we discussed the results of the LFTs (Liver Function Tests) all analysed and results provided as I waited - and, happily, all LFTs were all WNL. We briefly reviewed my NSAID use and mutually agreed to change to a higher dose - long acting version (which was provided to me in the practice, as they dispense - on the spot - certain common medications) and we mutally agreed for another appointment in 12 weeks for a precautionary LFT screen. Briefly chatted about my current project (an Oncolytic virus) and made our goodbyes.

 

No hysteria (they weren't spraying everything with disinfectant every 5 minutes), no needing to try to get past a demon doorkeeper, mutually agreeable appointment times, no needing to cross half the Kanton for a blood test (although there are a few tests, using radioactive or iodine based tracers, that must be done in specialised centres - usually a large hospital), lab results while you wait and - if prescribed a commonly used medication - no need to add a trip to a Dispensing Chemist. So in all, a very Happy Bunny.

 

And then I remembered the posts about NHS GP Visits from ChrisF, The Stationmaster and many others on ER......

Right that's it I'm emigrating to Switzerland. Anybody else is welcome to join me. Will arrange emergency food parcels to include items such Yorkshire tea bags, marmite and selection of cheeses to keep the natives pacified.

[TheQ]

8 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

Right that's it I'm emigrating to Switzerland. Anybody else is welcome to join me. Will arrange emergency food parcels to include items such Yorkshire tea bags, marmite and selection of cheeses to keep the natives pacified.

Ask ChrisF for details how to get there,,, take some pork pies too..

[John Wass]

1 hour ago, PhilJ W said:

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. The gas engineer has been, installed the new boiler so now I have heat and hot water. A few things to do then its a long warm soak in the bath. 

I'm waiting for the same to happen here this Friday after two weeks of no hot water.

[Winslow Boy]

3 minutes ago, TheQ said:

Ask ChrisF for details how to get there,,, take some pork pies too..

Will I need a reference from somebody already resident?

[iL Dottore]

26 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

Will I need a reference from somebody already resident?

Depends. If you have a skill that Switzerland needs, your (future) employer will do all the paperwork and get the appropriate visa (a B Permit to start off with [has many limitations, e.g. only can live in same kanton as where you work] and then it can be changed to a C Permit after 5 years). You can also can retire to Switzerland on the category D national visa if you:

 

• can prove you have adequate resources to support your retirement in Switzerland
• take out a health insurance policy
• demonstrate close personal ties to Switzerland, such as family members living in the country, owning real estate (my Italics) or making frequent trips to Switzerland

 

Whether or not a deep, longstanding and abiding love-affair/fascination with the SBB CFF FFS counts as a "close personal tie" I wouldn't even begin to speculate upon it.

 

iD

 

p.s. If you have to brings supplies of a thick, viscous, brown paste in a small jar, then it has to be Bovril!

p.p.s. in addition to Pork Pies, Black Pudding and Haggis are also most welcome.

Edited September 23, 2020 by iL Dottore

[Gwiwer]

6 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

Right that's it I'm emigrating to Switzerland. Anybody else is welcome to join me.

Me first.  Please!!!

 

This week gets better as it goes along.  Not.  

 

Yesterday I presented myself at the tooth-wrangler as advised by their own staff.  They had no record of my appointment.  They remembered calling me back after the initial conversation to offer me tomorrow morning instead of afternoon which I declined.  They denied calling me to change that to yesterday afternoon.  I was able to show them the call log on my phone which they agreed was their number but they were unable to accommodate me unless I waited two hours for a 15-minute "assessment".  Thanks (and I know you were trying to offer as much as you could) but no.  I have already assessed my broken molar as being broken and requiring more than 15 minutes of time. Also waiting two hours in their premises is not permitted therefore I would have had to find somewhere outside.  Not too hard on a nice day in Richmond as it has the Thames and a rather nice green among other things.  But.  

 

So it was straight back to the Hill of Strawberries on the next train.  I then tried to update the supermarket order for Friday.  Ocado's website was not playing.  It allowed me access to the "Edit Order" function but all attempts to check out were flicked to the "Please Book Delivery" page.  And guess what - there are no slots to be had thanks to the "uptick" (A Gummint Key Word) in panic-buying.  Their customer help line offered only a recorded announcement "We are experiencing abnormal call volumes and the queue is full.  Please contact us via the web-chat link"  I tried.  Web-chat has been turned off no doubt in response to the abnormal number of disgruntled customers.  

 

I found their Facebook page and noted a comment which that platform auto-generates based upon response; "Normally replies within one hour".  So I left a message.  Something like 19 hours later I got a message today telling me that I had been trying to place a new order not edit an existing one.  Untrue - I am a frequent customer who is now well-versed in the ways of their website and knew what I was doing.  

 

By now the site had self-rectified at the point-of-use (no doubt paying some IT people a night's worth of overtime) and I was able to update and checkout as normal before replying to the message telling them that they were wrong and - as per Customer Service Rule 1 - I was right.  The customer always is - allegedly.  

 

Meanwhile I had managed to book a Waitrose delivery in order to cover bases and obtain some items Ocado no longer offers since switching allegiance to M&S.  Now we have both coming on Friday though there is little overlap and there is still some hedging of bets over future availability of deliveries.  

 

If the Swiss are as efficient as their German neighbours are famed for then I for one would be happy to return there.  It is many years since I flew into Zurich, encountered my first trams and was placed on a coach to our Austrian destination which took us by way of Winterthur and St. Gallen and some working vapour-powered traction which long since deserted the British main lines and by then even the London Transport network.  

 

At risk of bursting forth into song in the manner of Julie Andrews I would dearly love to get back to that part of the world.  Maybe even revisit the delightfully-named Palüdbahn-Bergstation which remains the only spot on the planet where I have failed to remain upright on skis.  The fall was staged for a photo; I have naturally excellent balance and was always good on the slopes.  But it's been many years ..... 

[Ref44]

Went to give blood; turned up at the appointed hour to find several people queueing. Within 10 minutes the whole session had been cancelled due to an earlier "incident". This is the third session I was due to attend that has been cancelled this year. I wonder what it is doing to supplies?

[Winslow Boy]

54 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

Depends. If you have a skill that Switzerland needs, your (future) employer will do all the paperwork and get the appropriate visa (a B Permit to start off with [has many limitations, e.g. only can live in same kanton as where you work] and then it can be changed to a C Permit after 5 years). You can also can retire to Switzerland on the category D national visa if you:

 

• can prove you have adequate resources to support your retirement in Switzerland
• take out a health insurance policy
• demonstrate close personal ties to Switzerland, such as family members living in the country, owning real estate (my Italics) or making frequent trips to Switzerland

 

Whether or not a deep, longstanding and abiding love-affair/fascination with the SBB CFF FFS counts as a "close personal tie" I wouldn't even begin to speculate upon it.

 

iD

 

p.s. If you have to brings supplies of a thick, viscous, brown paste in a small jar, then it has to be Bovril!

p.p.s. in addition to Pork Pies, Black Pudding and Haggis are also most welcome.

If I substitute the marmit for Bovril and include pork pies, black pudding and haggis can I cite you as long lost relative and prospective employer?  Can do in depth research into history of ........,.., ( words removed so as to not cause offence to those of a sensitive nature).

Edited September 23, 2020 by Winslow Boy
Forgot the pies

[Winslow Boy]

10 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

If I substitute the marmit for Bovril and include pork pies, black pudding and haggis can I cite you as long lost relative and prospective employer?  Can do in depth research into history of ........,.., ( words removed so as to not cause offence to those of a sensitive nature).

Forgot to mention that I'm fully trained in the black arts of the G word so will be able to turn your estate into a miniature Eden supplying year round supplies of exotic vegetables and fruits such as kumquats, peppers, pumpkins, avocados, bread fruit, pineapples, , oranges plus the more mundane things such as potatoes, tomatoes, runner beans, brassicas, onions etc.

[Ian Abel]

Moaning!

Yesterday I was relieved of what little hair I have, courtesy the Mrs, as apparently I was looking rather "unruly"! Fat chance! I'm too old to be considered that I'm sure

 

We attempted to get our flu shots yesterday, needed to pick up prescriptions so made sense to also get the shot, "high dose" flu shot for us older folks was/is apparently all gone, living in a suburb composed of mostly old farts means you have to be quick off the mark to get them when they're there - getting more towards the end of the week we were told, can't request or be placed on a list for one, you must call and check if they're available, then race there before the other buqqers beat you to it! Oh well

 

Work, once again bit me in the arse with their IT department appearing to play tricks with my VPN access again - when WILL THEY LEARN, I've been doing this for 5 years now.

Refused access, login failed and I'm just sitting here waiting to hear back from the idiots support staff.

 

15 and sunny first thing, headed for 28.

 

Carry on...I'll sit patiently and wait for VPN access <yawn>

Edited September 23, 2020 by Ian Abel

[polybear]

37 minutes ago, Ian Abel said:

Carry on...I'll sit patiently and wait for VPN access <yawn>

 

Visible pantie line?

[J. S. Bach]

4 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

 ...snip... no needing to cross half the Kanton for a blood test (although there are a few tests, using radioactive or iodine based tracers, that must be done in specialised centres - usually a large hospital), lab results while you wait  ...snip...

The doctor that I use is a member of a small PA and the head honcho is, I was told by my doctor, a big fan of nuclear medicine. So when I had to have some test that required a radioactive tracer, it was done right there. He had purchased a large multi-million dollar "scanner" and all I did was report to a different door on the day of the test, no traveling to a distant hospital.

 

As for lab work, most blood/urine work is done on premises. After the second time that I had some done, I decided to eat a meal on my way home; by the time I got home about an hour later, the results were already posted on the MUSC* website's patient portal for my enlightenment.

 

*Medical University of South Carolina

 

 

Edited September 23, 2020 by J. S. Bach
To add MUSC explanation.

[J. S. Bach]

7 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Gas engineer was here first thing and is busy removing the old boiler. I thought it was a simple one for one exchange but no, the old boiler is no longer made so alterations will have to be made to fit the new one including a re-positioned flue. The only thing is I didn't get to clean my teeth before the water was turned off and the mouth is feeling a bit yucky. Thats it for now, be back later.

There is only one shut-off valve for the whole house? I would have thought that every hydro appliance would have its own; both line and load side if necessary.

[PhilJ W]

2 hours ago, John Wass said:

I'm waiting for the same to happen here this Friday after two weeks of no hot water.

Two weeks! My hot water failed on Thursday morning. The Engineer made an appointment to fix the system filter (which was leaking badly) but when he did so he discovered the boiler itself was corroded and needed replacement. This was done this morning, six days, pretty good going.

28 minutes ago, J. S. Bach said:

There is only one shut-off valve for the whole house? I would have thought that every hydro appliance would have its own; both line and load side if necessary.

Every single tap and the loo are fitted with isolator valves. There is a stopcock on the boiler but the central heating had to be drained down before any work proceeded.

[BokStein]

Good evening!

 

Another day of tearing hair out (those of you who know me will know that I don't have much anyway and what there is be too short to make a decent grip!).

 

As for GP surgeries, mine has a resident Countess D and a pharmacy, handily located by the exit; no analysis facilities though. If you plan to arrive by car, they record the registration and call you in as required. Organised, IMHO. How they will conduct a rheumatology check up by 'phone next week will be interesting.

 

How long this excellence will remain is questionable with at least 10 residential developments starting within 2 miles.

 

16 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

Right that's it I'm emigrating to Switzerland. Anybody else is welcome to join me. Will arrange emergency food parcels to include items such Yorkshire tea bags, marmite and selection of cheeses to keep the natives pacified.

 

15 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Depends. If you have a skill that Switzerland needs, your (future) employer will do all the paperwork and get the appropriate visa (a B Permit to start off with [has many limitations, e.g. only can live in same kanton as where you work] and then it can be changed to a C Permit after 5 years). You can also can retire to Switzerland on the category D national visa if you:

 

• can prove you have adequate resources to support your retirement in Switzerland
• take out a health insurance policy
• demonstrate close personal ties to Switzerland, such as family members living in the country, owning real estate (my Italics) or making frequent trips to Switzerland

 

Clearly, Gstaad will feature very low in the destination plans!

 

However, as iD points out:

 

15 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Whether or not a deep, longstanding and abiding love-affair/fascination with the SBB CFF FFS counts as a "close personal tie" I wouldn't even begin to speculate upon it.

 

there may be a slight thorn lurking!

 

 

Edited September 24, 2020 by BokStein

[The Stationmaster]

3 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Depends. If you have a skill that Switzerland needs, your (future) employer will do all the paperwork and get the appropriate visa (a B Permit to start off with [has many limitations, e.g. only can live in same kanton as where you work] and then it can be changed to a C Permit after 5 years). You can also can retire to Switzerland on the category D national visa if you:

 

• can prove you have adequate resources to support your retirement in Switzerland
• take out a health insurance policy
• demonstrate close personal ties to Switzerland, such as family members living in the country, owning real estate (my Italics) or making frequent trips to Switzerland

 

 

Do former girl friends count?

[BoD]

Depends how former and how ‘friendly’.

[simontaylor484]

Would a love of toblerone qualify for Swiss residency.

 

Or a love of cheese (although i dont like the holes so i leave them on the side of the cheeseboard)

 

 

[Dave Hunt]

My visit to the fang wrangler today was a bit of a downer. As I suspected, but hoped I was wrong, the crown that had come loose, and which was one side of a bridge, had done so because the tooth had broken so I'm now without either the tooth or the bridge and there is a rather large gap in my dentition. Of course, I could have a couple of implants for a mere £5,000........

 

So to cheer myself up I went to the market and bought a large pork pie as well as some rather nice salmon steaks but the resultant euphoria was short lived as when I got home there was waiting for me an invitation to visit Telford hospital on Monday morning for a colonoscopy together with instructions on diet from Friday. The preparations on Sunday are not something I want to share here.

 

All in all a real fun day so I am currently cheering myself up with a drop of Scottish happy water and (sorry about this Jamie) an Eccles cake. I think it's working.

 

Good night each.

 

Dave    

[Gwiwer]

14 minutes ago, simontaylor484 said:

Would a love of toblerone qualify for Swiss residency.

 

Or a love of cheese (although i dont like the holes so i leave them on the side of the cheeseboard)

 

 

A fondness for the Swiss Guard, however, would not qualify you for much other than absolution and perhaps ten Hail Marys.   

[Gwiwer]

9 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

Scottish happy water

I can't seem to find that on the shopping list.  Maybe it goes by another name south of the border  

[AndyB]

Swiss Air lost my luggage about 20 years ago. So I've had property in the country for ages. Does that count?

 

[jamie92208]

23 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

All in all a real fun day so I am currently cheering myself up with a drop of Scottish happy water and (sorry about this Jamie) an Eccles cake. I think it's working.

 

Good night each.

 

Dave    

No need to worry Dave. Perhaps the tooth fary has already exacted a pennance. I had a wonderful day out trainspotting and my snap included an eccles cake. Also sanwich fillings made with fresh laid eggs from a neighbour and very nice home grown tomato, also one filled with plum jam made from our own plums. Life is hard.

 

Jamie