On 19 May I blogged that I my wife had saved her Tesco shopping receipts for a couple of months so that we could plot the real inflation rate. Well this has taken longer than I expected because, after I had inputted six weeks items onto a spreadsheet I pressed the wrong button and buggered it up! Still I have now completed the task and as expectedthe really savage rises are all in one area.
Politicians, particularly those that prefer the nanny state approach to leadership have recently been waxing lyrical about the benefits to be obtained from healthy eating. Children must be educated away from processed food and fast food outlets and introduced to 'greens'. There is only one problem about the benefits of eating vegetables and that is they cost so much. Here are the findings of my research into this.
Broccolli up 45%, Cabbage up 53%, Cauliflower up 76%, Leeks up 74%, Peppers up 15%and White Potatoes up 25%. In the last week or so Butter, Milk and Cheese are also beginning to rise but I am waiting on that one because I think there may be more to come.
So now we know under a NoLab government the less well off will not be able to eat healthily no matter how they may wish to. These rises have come in just 8 weeks so when will it plateau out. I intend to keep up with this study because I think that it is important to see just what is happening in this country particularly when we are continually being fed the line that Britain has a single figure inflation rate. Yeah and Gordon Brown is also the best Prime Minister to be never elected... and the worst!
Saturday, 31 May 2008
Tuesday, 27 May 2008
My Home Town
Council Tax continues to spiral year after year but the public sees little return for their money. Twenty five years ago I settled in Loughborough close to the world famous university and at that time it was a pleasant little market town close to the Charnwood Forest. It had a council work force of gardeners who kept the roundabouts, the flower borders on the main roads and the town centre park in wonderful condition.
The many park areas in the town were regularly maintained, the brooks kept under control and frankly it was a delight to live here. Since then everything has gone downhill and now frankly the town is a disgrace. The reason is that Charnwood Borough Council handed over maintenance of the towns grass areas to the County Council and since then they have ignored us. Protest letters are often sent to the local paper but nothing happens.
Loughborough must be the nettle and weed capital of the East Midlands. Narrow paths are overgrown, former flower beds are a wilderness, the roundabouts a disgrace and the grass is often left to grow for far too long. The waste bins overflow with dog faeces which have been carefully collected by diligent owners but nobody can organise a regular rubbish collection.
A large number of students will always bring problems and the litter left by these people alongside the waste bins which they dismantle every weekend, the broken glass and the pizza and burger cartons lie for days in the streets.
The roads are chock full of traffic bumps, mini roundabouts and traffic lights which often makes a journey through Loughborough a nightmare. They have succeeded in turning some minor streets formerly normal thoroughfares into nightmares. It is incompetence on a grand scale, a criminal waste of public money and yet nobody seems to care.
Some time ago I blogged that nine of our County Council officers were on salaries exceeding £100,000 and the Chairman receives over £150,000. How they can consider themselves worth at least half as much again as an MP beats me but the real insult is that the million pounds that these nine are lifting out of the public purse is being wasted.
Last year I wrote to the local paper and for a while there was a ripple of response but how does someone expose these incompetent local officers? Who seems to care? How can the local councillors ignore the decay surrounding them and thereby lies the problem. Councillors seem to lose their courage and their common sense the minute they get elected. It is high time they had a few of these officers on the carpet and told them to pull their fingers out.
What on earth some of the visiting Olympic athletes will think of this shit hole when they visit in four year's time. Just in case you think that is irrelevant the university has been bidding to host major Olympic teams for the 2012 Olympics. I just hope that the prospect of this ignomony concentrates a few minds because I tell you what: if this town is allowed to descend into further decay nobody will be able to repair it in time for the Olympics!
I would seriously expect Paula Ratcliffe as she stings her legs on the overgrown nettles and steps over the uncollected dog pooh to move her training camp to altitude. The problem is that the rest of us have to stay here.
The many park areas in the town were regularly maintained, the brooks kept under control and frankly it was a delight to live here. Since then everything has gone downhill and now frankly the town is a disgrace. The reason is that Charnwood Borough Council handed over maintenance of the towns grass areas to the County Council and since then they have ignored us. Protest letters are often sent to the local paper but nothing happens.
Loughborough must be the nettle and weed capital of the East Midlands. Narrow paths are overgrown, former flower beds are a wilderness, the roundabouts a disgrace and the grass is often left to grow for far too long. The waste bins overflow with dog faeces which have been carefully collected by diligent owners but nobody can organise a regular rubbish collection.
A large number of students will always bring problems and the litter left by these people alongside the waste bins which they dismantle every weekend, the broken glass and the pizza and burger cartons lie for days in the streets.
The roads are chock full of traffic bumps, mini roundabouts and traffic lights which often makes a journey through Loughborough a nightmare. They have succeeded in turning some minor streets formerly normal thoroughfares into nightmares. It is incompetence on a grand scale, a criminal waste of public money and yet nobody seems to care.
Some time ago I blogged that nine of our County Council officers were on salaries exceeding £100,000 and the Chairman receives over £150,000. How they can consider themselves worth at least half as much again as an MP beats me but the real insult is that the million pounds that these nine are lifting out of the public purse is being wasted.
Last year I wrote to the local paper and for a while there was a ripple of response but how does someone expose these incompetent local officers? Who seems to care? How can the local councillors ignore the decay surrounding them and thereby lies the problem. Councillors seem to lose their courage and their common sense the minute they get elected. It is high time they had a few of these officers on the carpet and told them to pull their fingers out.
What on earth some of the visiting Olympic athletes will think of this shit hole when they visit in four year's time. Just in case you think that is irrelevant the university has been bidding to host major Olympic teams for the 2012 Olympics. I just hope that the prospect of this ignomony concentrates a few minds because I tell you what: if this town is allowed to descend into further decay nobody will be able to repair it in time for the Olympics!
I would seriously expect Paula Ratcliffe as she stings her legs on the overgrown nettles and steps over the uncollected dog pooh to move her training camp to altitude. The problem is that the rest of us have to stay here.
Sunday, 25 May 2008
Knife Crime
It never ceases to amaze and annoy me when a constant stream of discredited politicians are paraded every Sunday morning on programmes like the Andrew Marr show. All the NoLab mandarins grinned their way through the morning all proclaiming their support for Gordon and of course none of them are plotting to get rid of him.
Meanwhile another family appears in tears mourning the stabbing of yet another decent lad by villains with knives. How is it that nobody on the political spectrum can come up with any measure to stop this senseless waste of young lives? Our PM thinks that we are all so concerned about his bloody economy that this mass murder being committed on our streets is of no concern. He never mentions it. Has it never occurred to him that if he did revise some of his policies on Law and Order then he might gain a vote or two.
We must regain the streets and that means putting police on them. We must punish the knife wielders which such ferocity that they will be petrified to carry one. How I hear you ask? Well how about draw a knife and you lose a hand? OK I can hear you all gasp and shriek about the barbarism of the suggestion. Why? Is killing an innocent teenager not barbaric? Are the perpetrators of these crimes not barbaric?
We have all gone soft and many of the people who are still entering our country unchecked know it and they will take every advantage. What will it take before the general public will eventually rise up and demand protection form the knife wielders. I suspect that it will eventually be the murder of a politician or children of a politician that could trigger the necessary measures and that may be too late for many ordinary families.
Meanwhile another family appears in tears mourning the stabbing of yet another decent lad by villains with knives. How is it that nobody on the political spectrum can come up with any measure to stop this senseless waste of young lives? Our PM thinks that we are all so concerned about his bloody economy that this mass murder being committed on our streets is of no concern. He never mentions it. Has it never occurred to him that if he did revise some of his policies on Law and Order then he might gain a vote or two.
We must regain the streets and that means putting police on them. We must punish the knife wielders which such ferocity that they will be petrified to carry one. How I hear you ask? Well how about draw a knife and you lose a hand? OK I can hear you all gasp and shriek about the barbarism of the suggestion. Why? Is killing an innocent teenager not barbaric? Are the perpetrators of these crimes not barbaric?
We have all gone soft and many of the people who are still entering our country unchecked know it and they will take every advantage. What will it take before the general public will eventually rise up and demand protection form the knife wielders. I suspect that it will eventually be the murder of a politician or children of a politician that could trigger the necessary measures and that may be too late for many ordinary families.
Friday, 23 May 2008
Gordon Brown
I suppose it has all been written already but I am beginning to shudder every time I hear or see Gordon Brown infront of a TV camera. He just doesn't get it does he? He is quite prepared to destroy his own party rather than do the obvious and honourable thing. He has recently lost so many local election seats and it has been followed up by a disastrous by-election result. Why can't he see that HE is the problem. He is not up to the job and it is becoming more and more obvious.
The British people instinctively know what is wrong with their country. Everything that we ever stood for is being destroyed by NoLab zealots. In fact it has been destroyed and we will never, ever get it back. The strength of the family unit, our sense of values, our humour, our NHS, our Education, our Post Office, our Transport system, our Police Force, our Civil Service our safety, the safety of our children, our dental care, our passports...it just goes on and on.
How have we allowed ourselves to be blinded by this crowd who have sold us out to Europe because make no mistake our own elected representatives have very little power left.
At the moment David Cameron is in pole position because the British people are like sheep and are led by the mainstream media into believing that we only have two choices NoLab and Tory. Well I am not convinced that the Tories are the answer and I'm afraid we will soon enough realise that not much will change. A tinker here and a tinker there but nothing major will be done to change the political spectrum.
In another ten years we will still be throwing billions at Europe for no return. Immigrants will still be pouring in and let's face it what does it matter now? Our security has been breached so badly that it would take a major change of policy to throw out all the illegal immigrants and our political parties don't seem to have the stomach for it. NoLab will still preach the mantra of the Human Rights Act which at every turn seems to favour the criminal and the sexual minority whilst ignoring the views and wishes of the family unit and the sexual majority. Common sense is ignored as politicians continue to hide behing the Human Rights legislation.
I look forward to hearing a few more Tory concrete policies but I am not holding my breath. David Cameron is a very lucky guy in that Gordon Brown is such a poor media manipulator it is almost pitiful to watch him trying to fend off the painfully obvious. What he will do with this penalty kick without a goalkeeper is still up for grabs.
The British people instinctively know what is wrong with their country. Everything that we ever stood for is being destroyed by NoLab zealots. In fact it has been destroyed and we will never, ever get it back. The strength of the family unit, our sense of values, our humour, our NHS, our Education, our Post Office, our Transport system, our Police Force, our Civil Service our safety, the safety of our children, our dental care, our passports...it just goes on and on.
How have we allowed ourselves to be blinded by this crowd who have sold us out to Europe because make no mistake our own elected representatives have very little power left.
At the moment David Cameron is in pole position because the British people are like sheep and are led by the mainstream media into believing that we only have two choices NoLab and Tory. Well I am not convinced that the Tories are the answer and I'm afraid we will soon enough realise that not much will change. A tinker here and a tinker there but nothing major will be done to change the political spectrum.
In another ten years we will still be throwing billions at Europe for no return. Immigrants will still be pouring in and let's face it what does it matter now? Our security has been breached so badly that it would take a major change of policy to throw out all the illegal immigrants and our political parties don't seem to have the stomach for it. NoLab will still preach the mantra of the Human Rights Act which at every turn seems to favour the criminal and the sexual minority whilst ignoring the views and wishes of the family unit and the sexual majority. Common sense is ignored as politicians continue to hide behing the Human Rights legislation.
I look forward to hearing a few more Tory concrete policies but I am not holding my breath. David Cameron is a very lucky guy in that Gordon Brown is such a poor media manipulator it is almost pitiful to watch him trying to fend off the painfully obvious. What he will do with this penalty kick without a goalkeeper is still up for grabs.
Monday, 19 May 2008
Coming soon - the real inflation rate .
My wife has saved her detailed shopping bills from Tesco for the past eight weeks. I am creating a spreadsheet so that we can track the real cost of shopping at Tescos and highlight where the real damage is being done to pay packets.
Stand by I think it will be an eye opener.
Stand by I think it will be an eye opener.
Customer Service - Abbey National (continued)
You will remember that on Saturday I was not very pleased with Abbey National. When I told my brother he predictably replied 'I don't believe it' but wait till I tell him what happened today!
I rang NatWest to try and obtain a closing balance. A perplexed Customer Service person asked why I wanted a closing balance on an active account. Pause...deep breath... 'This account was closed on 9 May because my wife's card was declined.'
"I don't know why it was declined it must have been a random decline because your account is perfectly healthy. She should have presented it again"
"Have you not heard from Abbey that we wish to close the account?"
"No Sir."
Pause... another deep breath, 'Right if you do here from them bloody ignore it I want this account to stay right where it is."
I then rang Abbey to discover that my Customer Service Manager who had asked me to provide her with a closing balance on Monday had gone on two week's holiday! I did speak to someone else who informed me that only two of our direct debits had been switched. I told her to cancel the whole transaction as we were keeping the Natwest account because I couldn't wait for any more cock-ups. She also informed me that it was our responsibility to contact any employers or pension providers even though we had specifically been told that they would do it!
Could anything else go wrong? Well the piece de resistance came when I rang Charnwood Borough Council to get my direct debit for Council Tax reinstated with the NatWest. The official informed me that they had never heard from Abbey and the direct debit to the NatWest still existed!!! As it stands I have actually not physically lost out at all (so far) but the stress levels and the cost in time have been ridiculous and it has all been caused by inefficiency at a crass level.
Do you know I strongly suspect that they will try and charge me for services rendered or overdraft facilities or anything where they can make a buck out of this whole fiasco. Beware folks these people promise everything and deliver nothing.
In the immortal words of Gordon Brown speaking to Tony Blair , 'I will never trust anything you (they) say ever again.'
I rang NatWest to try and obtain a closing balance. A perplexed Customer Service person asked why I wanted a closing balance on an active account. Pause...deep breath... 'This account was closed on 9 May because my wife's card was declined.'
"I don't know why it was declined it must have been a random decline because your account is perfectly healthy. She should have presented it again"
"Have you not heard from Abbey that we wish to close the account?"
"No Sir."
Pause... another deep breath, 'Right if you do here from them bloody ignore it I want this account to stay right where it is."
I then rang Abbey to discover that my Customer Service Manager who had asked me to provide her with a closing balance on Monday had gone on two week's holiday! I did speak to someone else who informed me that only two of our direct debits had been switched. I told her to cancel the whole transaction as we were keeping the Natwest account because I couldn't wait for any more cock-ups. She also informed me that it was our responsibility to contact any employers or pension providers even though we had specifically been told that they would do it!
Could anything else go wrong? Well the piece de resistance came when I rang Charnwood Borough Council to get my direct debit for Council Tax reinstated with the NatWest. The official informed me that they had never heard from Abbey and the direct debit to the NatWest still existed!!! As it stands I have actually not physically lost out at all (so far) but the stress levels and the cost in time have been ridiculous and it has all been caused by inefficiency at a crass level.
Do you know I strongly suspect that they will try and charge me for services rendered or overdraft facilities or anything where they can make a buck out of this whole fiasco. Beware folks these people promise everything and deliver nothing.
In the immortal words of Gordon Brown speaking to Tony Blair , 'I will never trust anything you (they) say ever again.'
Saturday, 17 May 2008
Customer Service - Abbey National
On 14 April I wrote about the pleasant experience that I had in the Local Abbey branch after completing the forms to change the current account from NatWest where I had banked for 50 years. I take it all back.
The transfer has been a disaster. We arranged to close the NatWest account down on 10 May. They closed it on 09 May so my wife had a card declined for the first time in her life. Abbey then granted us an overdraft which we did not want and did not request. We don't do overdrafts!
Two weeks after we completed the forms my wife discovered that her employer had not been informed of the change of accounts for salary payment purposes so I asked the local branch why this had been and was informed that everything was fine but the employer would be sent a reminder.
On 16 May I went to withdraw cash and discovered that we still only had the overdraft facility and the money that was in the NatWest account had disappeared into the ether. Well it wasn't with the NatWest and it wasn't in my new account so where was it? We have now been forced to use the overdraft to survive! I am going to wait and see if they will be cheeky enough to try and charge us for this.
I entered the branch to enquire where my money had gone. There was nobody on reception and only one young girl behind the counter. Eventually I got a message to my customer advisor who was dealing with another customer. After waiting 45 minutes to see her I had to leave because my parking ticket had run out.
This morning we received a letter from the department in Bradford who are dealing with the transfer (dated 13 May) stating that they are now dealing with the standing orders and informing our various employers and pension providers that we have a new account. This is a month after we filled in the forms! My local branch have no idea where our money from the NatWest is!! Today I was asked to obtain a closing balance from the NatWest which 'should help' to sort the problem out. This is a matter of a few thousand pounds that has gone missing and nobody knows where it is.
Abbey National, don't go near them folks because frankly they are completely incompetent! No wonder our banking industry is in such a mess if this is an example of their efficiency.
The transfer has been a disaster. We arranged to close the NatWest account down on 10 May. They closed it on 09 May so my wife had a card declined for the first time in her life. Abbey then granted us an overdraft which we did not want and did not request. We don't do overdrafts!
Two weeks after we completed the forms my wife discovered that her employer had not been informed of the change of accounts for salary payment purposes so I asked the local branch why this had been and was informed that everything was fine but the employer would be sent a reminder.
On 16 May I went to withdraw cash and discovered that we still only had the overdraft facility and the money that was in the NatWest account had disappeared into the ether. Well it wasn't with the NatWest and it wasn't in my new account so where was it? We have now been forced to use the overdraft to survive! I am going to wait and see if they will be cheeky enough to try and charge us for this.
I entered the branch to enquire where my money had gone. There was nobody on reception and only one young girl behind the counter. Eventually I got a message to my customer advisor who was dealing with another customer. After waiting 45 minutes to see her I had to leave because my parking ticket had run out.
This morning we received a letter from the department in Bradford who are dealing with the transfer (dated 13 May) stating that they are now dealing with the standing orders and informing our various employers and pension providers that we have a new account. This is a month after we filled in the forms! My local branch have no idea where our money from the NatWest is!! Today I was asked to obtain a closing balance from the NatWest which 'should help' to sort the problem out. This is a matter of a few thousand pounds that has gone missing and nobody knows where it is.
Abbey National, don't go near them folks because frankly they are completely incompetent! No wonder our banking industry is in such a mess if this is an example of their efficiency.
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