Back in business

We've now moved house and now at last we have a land line and internet access - it only took BT nearly a month to "fit us in"!

And on reading the newspaper the day after we were connected, I read that MP's are trying to get out of paying some taxes.  Yes, I know you're amazed!  Apparently, when they hire an accountant to fill in their tax forms they think the fee they pay should be tax deductible (it isn't for any other employed person).  The so-called "Independent" (quotation marks mine) Parliamentary Standards Authority think MP's shouldn't pay tax on the fee and are arguing with HMRC over it.

But that's not all, the "Independent" Parliamentary Standards Authority, when they think there's a tax MP's shouldn't pay, they pay it for them.  Which actually means WE pay it for them!  Can other people have an "Independent" watchdog that pays taxes for them??

AND, is the tax paid by IPSA for MP's a taxable benefit?  I bet it isn't!

Attention flagging?

Oh dear!  They showed the South Korean flag on the giant screen when it was North Korea on the pitch!  Did the person in charge of the screen miss day one of the flag recognition course?  Given the degree of 'friendship' between the two neighbours it was fairly disastrous.  I wonder if anyone today is looking for a "New Korea"?  (best to say that out loud to get it, by the way).

And another thing, whilst we're talking about the Olympics.  I read in the paper that half of our athletes won't be out at the opening ceremony.   Now I've done no research on this, but wasn't the idea that the opening ceremony was about the contestants from all the countries parading together to start the games?  But now there's so much emphasis on the 'extravaganza' that the fact that 50% of the athletes won't even be there doesn't seem to matter.  Sad, really, isn't it?

And finally, in honour of the games, I'm thinking of changing our answering machine so it kicks in after five rings ...

Retiring, but not shy!

Hi everyone!  I've just retired so I've dcided I ought to start blogging again!  Having said that, we are moving house soon and BT can't come and fix up our new telephone line until 20 August, so I can't do much until then.

It's was quite an emotional weekend, especially with a special service at Laindon on Saturday, where people from previous churches spoke; then on Sunday, a baptismal service, which was a very exciting way to end my ministry at Laindon.

There was a retirement cake, of course, which had decorations including an armchair, slippers and a Bible.  The previous week I'd had a birthday cake and the decoration on that was a vicar!  So we thought we'd sit him in the chair - see picture!

Unfortunately as we are moving house, there's not a lot of sitting around at the moment!

P.S. I know I need to update my profile, it's in hand!

Too Much Energy Needed to Swap Tariffs!

We've heard from Chris Huhne at the Lib Dems conference today that energy companies are going to have to make it easier for consumers to spot cheaper deals and switch suppliers. Take our situation for example. We've been with e-on for nearly a year now - the deal was good at the time I took it out. They have written to me to say the deal I had with their SaveOnline 3 tariff is coming to an end and they are transferring me to their Energy Online tariff. This they will do automatically if I don't get in touch; as they say, "you don't need to do anything else, we'll take care of everything."

But it then says, if I don't want to renew, I should have a look at their website where they are sure there's a deal just right for me.

So I have a look, and there is one, namely SaveOnline 10, which seems just about the same as what I'm already on! So I ring them up and ask why they haven't suggested I go onto this tariff. Ah, well, they tell me, that would involve going on to a new contract and they are not allowed by the watchdog to tell me about it!

Either there is something very badly wrong with the current regulations or they are lying! Or maybe it's a bit more complex. Maybe they make the most attractive tariff a new contract, so they don't have to tell me about it. Then they can try to 'con' me by automatically moving me to a more expensive rate.

Whatever the truth of it is, something needs doing about all this! With my estimated consumption for a year, this is how the monthly figures work out according to the spreadsheet I have created in order to try to compare prices:

Current tariff (which I'm on at the moment):	£80.45
New tariff (that they will put me on if I don't do anything):	£96.83
Alternative tariff (according to their website):	£90.07

As Chris Huhne said today, "We want simpler tariffs." Indeed we do!

(sorry about the big gap above, but the nice blog editing program seems to want to put lots of extra lines in before my table; even though I delete them, it puts them straight back! The trials and tribulations of blogging!)

Birthday

It's my wife's birthday today and we began it with breakfast in bed - Buck's Fizz and croissants! Then we went up to London and on to the "London Duck Tour". If you've been around Central London you've probably seen it - an amphibious craft from the second world war, now painted yellow and a tourist ride around London. Two other modifications, they've put a roof on it and removed the machine gun from the bonnet!

The great thing about it is, not only does it tour round the roads of Central London, it also drives in to the river and we went from Vauxhall Bridge (where there is a slipway) up to Westminster Bridge and back. See photo below to prove it.

Then we had lunch in Strada at the Royal Festival Hall (with a little help from Tesco vouchers). Finally we walked back along the river to Tower Bridge, then to Fenchurch Street Station and the journey home.

A very pleasant day, rounded off with supper at home. We weren't very hungry after out 3 course lunch, but fried egg on toast fitted the bill nicely! And completely scuppered any last shred of my wife's diet today. But it is her birthday! Back to yoghurt and Ryvita tomorrow!




Westminster Bridge with County Hall (where I worked many years ago) and the London Eye.

Living Less Safely?

I went into Wlkinsons (other cheap shops are available) and bought a pair of cycle clips. I know you don't wear them if you're young and trendy and riding a bicycle, but if I don't use them, I manage to get grease and dirt onto my trouser leg from the cycle chain.

To my surprise, they aren't "cycle clips", they are "trouser bands". Nothing like a new name to make something (a bit) more fashionable!

But then I noticed the card they came on (see below). There are two cyclists, and NEITHER are wearing cycle helmets!

What with that AND the proposed abolition of "Sell by" dates, are "health & safety" a little on the back foot? Maybe life is becoming a little more exciting again!

Eating out

For our wedding anniversary we went out for a meal to a nice restaurant. Although it was Tuesday evening, most tables were taken and I think most (if not all) of the people had booked.

My wife had read an article about how people can't be without their mobile phones, even when eating out. So we looked around, and there they were. Quite a number of people had sat down, taken out their phones and placed them on the table next to the cutlery. What is this "I can't be without sight of my mobile phone for a minute" complex that so many of us seem to have? I'm sure they weren't all "doctors on call" or afraid the babysitter couldn't cope.

I must confess that we did have our phones in our pockets, but we had no contact with them during the meal at all - honest!

By the way, the chef is clearly taking the mickey on this wonderful county. Obviously he has seen The Only Way is Essex on the tele. On the dessert menu was

Essex rhubarb fool tart

Every word an insult!