Early Risers.

[monkeysarefun]

3 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

Just had an email from one of our banks asking us if we need help with dementia friendly banking? I wonder if this is just a coincidence or related to us removing all our investment accounts from them last week. 
Tony

 

 

 

If it is indeed the second option, you have got to give them points for that!

[New Haven Neil]

The glorious sunshine tempted me out, did the tip run to dispose of old engine oil, it's been lying around for ages, and the recycling glass.  Went down into Ramsey (bright lights extinguished in daytime) for a few odds and ends and a walk - ah.  It is absolutely BALTIC out there, car showed 6c but it feels little above freezing.  How can this be, it looks so nice out, crisp, great clarity, the lake district very visible ad Ireland looking the other way.  So back home for lunch and coffee, hot.  A bit of TV, well U Toob, now then on to the next task.

[Tony_S]

7 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

 

If it is indeed the second option, you have got to give them points for that!

It certainly seems to have attracted their attention. Pity they didn’t respond properly last year when they froze access to our (a joint account originally just Aditi’s) bank account. The idiots eventually agreed that Aditi’s state and Teachers pension were legitimate sources of income and not money laundering. But we had to respond three times as they failed to keep a record,of the information. So we had provided the information, they hadn’t saved it, and so they froze access to the account. We then decided they were not people we wanted to have ISA accounts with. Our other bank (joint but historically mine) were very happy to arrange an ISA transfer that didn’t lose its ISA status as it would have if we had just closed the account out of irritation. 
Tony

[petethemole]

1 hour ago, monkeysarefun said:

Go to the front desk and yell "Hurry up!  I charge by the quarter hour -  this is costing you!!" 

Rather like my response when accosted by 'chuggers':

"Can I ask you a quick question?"

"Of course, I'm a consultant*, it's my job to answer questions.  I charge £50 an hour pro rata, minmum charge £15.  I've already answered your question so you owe me £15."

I've only once managed to get it all out before they walk away.

 

*I'm not, but I did consider it when I retired. 

[polybear]

2 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

I would definitely advise against doing so as A) Puppers needs his beauty sleep,

 

Ouch......🤣

[woodenhead]

16 hours ago, Tony_S said:

Not a trick question. Years ago I thought many places in Yorkshire must be a bit grim but visits over the years have proved otherwise.  My only visits to the northwest apart from a weekend in Chester have been drive throughs to the Lake District. 
We are hoping to meet some friends who live in Rochdale and visit RHS Bridgewater one day. 
My definition of a nice place, somewhere with some interesting history and where the car will still have its wheels when we return to it after a pleasant lunch. 

Rochdale! It has a nice shiny shopping experience next to the Tram terminus and council offices, that's it.  But get into the hills around it and it's beautiful up on the moors.

 

RHS Bridgewater - looks nice from the canal, not been in myself so cannot comment.

[polybear]

Bear here......

 

Finished soliciting - Will all signed plus two certified copies (one for me, the other for one of my executors); the master will go to the probate office for safe storage.  S'pose I'd better pay the rest of the bill....😢

T & Co done, then back up the bluddygreathill to Bear Towers - kernackered, I reckon I overdid the paddlin' earlier.

T & C's finest spaggy carb** just scoffed, along with three of five a day.  This arvo will be a quiet one methinks.....

 

**iD most definitely wouldn't approve - it certainly achieved Bear splodge status 😃

 

BG

[woodenhead]

49 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

Just had an email from one of our banks asking us if we need help with dementia friendly banking? I wonder if this is just a coincidence or related to us removing all our investment accounts from them last week. 
Tony

 

I was reading somewhere that transferring pensions can result in refusal by the pension provider losing the investment - they have to be sure you are not doing something stupid and can refuse to move the money until they are satisfied with what you are doing.

[woodenhead]

Woke up with a sore throat - someone has given me lurgy it's either Model Rail Scotland, Avanti or the third person who inhabits our dwelling, and usually keeps us awake at night as they chat loudly online, who has had a bad cold with a hacking cough for the past week.

 

The car informed me yesterday it has a dodgy headlamp and I should pop down to the garage soon to replace it.  I do hope the parts department offer to fit it as well, it's an ar$e taking off the whole light unit.

 

Only a three day week for me this week so I'd better get a move on with this week's development targets.

[Tony_S]

36 minutes ago, woodenhead said:

I was reading somewhere that transferring pensions can result in refusal by the pension provider losing the investment - they have to be sure you are not doing something stupid and can refuse to move the money until they are satisfied with what you are doing.

I don’t think the Teachers Pension Scheme will be at all bothered if Aditi transferred her monthly pension from one High St bank to another. What we didn’t want to do was lose the ISA status of the investment account. In the past having to struggle to pay bills when I was ill and not earning, I never thought I would need to know about moving money in a tax efficient manner.  

Edited February 26 by Tony_S

[monkeysarefun]

2 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Puppers needs his beauty sleep,

 

37 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

Ouch......🤣

 

 

 

"OK,  so the induced coma drugs definitely seem to be working -  nurse, hit him with another 6 weeks worth just to be sure!"     

 

 

 

 

Edited February 26 by monkeysarefun

[Sidecar Racer]

4 hours ago, polybear said:

So......

Does the combined wisdom of fellow ER'ers feel that the right and proper thing to do in future would be for Bear to phone Puppers at 0400 on paddlin' days (landline and mobile) to make sure he doesn't miss out?

 

 

 Well personally if you were to phone me at that hour , and assuming I knew where you lived ,

you might well find your lounge floor has a layer of bricks on it and a draft coming through

the ex front window shortly after . And then be very careful when opening the post for a few days .

[monkeysarefun]

 

 

This week I have to install some computery stuff at HMAS Kuttabul which is a naval base on the shore of Sydney Harbour, the next bay around from Farm Cove and the Opera House. There are various travel choices but it was a lovely  sunny tropical morning so I caught the train to St James on the city circle line, then walked the 20 minutes  through the Royal Botanic Gardens. 

 

A  happy way to start the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Tony_S]

8 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

the next bay around from Farm Cove and the Opera House. There are various travel choices but it was a lovely  sunny tropical morning so I caught the train to St James on the city circle line, then walked the 20 minutes  through the Royal Botanic Gardens. 

I can see why so many people went to Australia from South Essex in the past.  Apart from the Harbour bridge and the warship it looks just like the Thames Estuary…

[Winslow Boy]

3 hours ago, BachelorBoy said:

 

I think he's actually British, and not Singaporean. He just lives in Singapore, so therefore is our Singapore correspondent. 

 

Or our correspondent in Singapore.

[iL Dottore]

38 minutes ago, Sidecar Racer said:

 

 Well personally if you were to phone me at that hour , and assuming I knew where you lived ,

you might well find your lounge floor has a layer of bricks on it and a draft coming through

the ex front window shortly after . And then be very careful when opening the post for a few days .

Captain Cynical likes the cut of your jib, young man.

 

Do you do freelancing?

[Winslow Boy]

2 hours ago, tigerburnie said:

Is this the right time to point out I have two sheds..............................................................................?

And there are some people who just don't take a hint.

[Sidecar Racer]

11 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

Captain Cynical likes the cut of your jib, young man.

 

Do you do freelancing?

 

 I'm open to offers !!!!!    😎

[polybear]

18 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

I can see why so many people went to Australia from South Essex in the past.

 

They got caught.

[Tony_S]

21 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

some place in Essex called Jaywick(

Essex is a big county, Jaywick is on a different estuary! I have been to Jaywick and I assure you it looks better in photos than real life. 
Your photos do of course look very pleasant. 

[monkeysarefun]

15 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

Essex is a big county, Jaywick is on a different estuary! I have been to Jaywick and I assure you it looks better in photos than real life. 
Your photos do of course look very pleasant. 

 

 

And to further add to your side of the ledger, the Thames Estuary has   a very admirable lack of Bullsharks  ( the worlds most crap sharks!)

 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/jan/29/woman-seriously-injured-after-being-attacked-by-a-shark-in-sydney-harbour

 

Edited February 26 by monkeysarefun

[jjb1970]

On pensions, I think the UK should copy what a few other countries do and replace our money defined contribution pension system with a retirement savings and investment account where you get the same tax incentive (it comes off gross pay) but you manage it and when you retire you decide what to do with it. Unless it's a defined benefit scheme or your employer drops a big dollop into it pension funds are awful value for money from what I can see. I have a couple of deferred pension funds that have literally done worse than if the money was in a savings account or government bonds.

[southern42]

' afternoon all from red dragon land.

Sunny, not too warm @5.1C. Brrr.

 

Mind agog with family history after 2hr chat over phone last night whilst keeping up with the tail end of some coloured balls being knocked into small holes on the tv. <<Yay, he won!>> Someone has certainly been doing his homework - and, tentatively, I may be linked, somewhere along the line, to dear ole Alfred who burnt the cakes but it is a long shot. 🏹

 

Toot on the flute coming up to quicken up some twiddly notes as it appears, going by the beat box, some are a bit lethargic! Best get the little pinkies to speed up their act!

 

Then it will be amassing some info from one member of the family and forwarding to the other.

 

Take care. Be good. Keep your crown head on.

Polly

[Tony_S]

19 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

They got caught.

Aditi came the other way. The ship she came on in 1958 from India to Tilbury was one of the regular ships sailing from the UK to Australia and back. She had to travel from Delhi with her Mum and younger sister to  Bombay, as it was still called, where the ship stopped to collect passengers. Aditi said the Australian waiters were very kind to them. Aditi and her sister wouldn’t eat the British style food served in their restaurant so the waiters got Indian food from the crew mess. 
Tony

[PhilJ W]

5 hours ago, Tony_S said:

Years ago our hamster Zippy wasn’t eating and the vet said she needed some dental work as her incisors had curled and were growing into the roof of her mouth. So many people told us they wouldn’t have paid for dental treatment for a hamster, they would have just got a new one. What we did discover was that the tooth fairy doesn’t visit for rodent teeth. 

Good on you, how many pets are put down because they have a treatable medical condition? Or even worse allowed to die in pain?

Edited February 26 by PhilJ W