It's STILL tough and not getting better - so how are we coping?

Lindy_-_Loo

kidcat wrote: »

Sammy - dont want to add to your problems but once the court grants a liability order costs are attached of about £100, if memory serves me correctly. Councils do have the power to rescind a summons and in extreme circumstances will do so, surely having a baby counts as extreme? Its worth pushing to see if they will remove the summons.

I gave birth my DS2 on 19th July 2007, he was 6 weeks early and in special care - the barclaycard didnt get paid that day - had to be paid in bank that day which was the plan!

Barclaycard charged me and stopped the card, they wouldnt take it into account that I had Ethan because when I explained to them that I went to hospital at 10am and had him 1pm, they said I could have paid before or after that time using the barclays bank in the hospital where I gave birth!

Debt paid and stupidly they keep sending letters offering me one!

Some places dont think having a baby is either hard or time consuming!!

kidcat

Lindy_-_Loo wrote: »

I gave birth my DS2 on 19th July 2007, he was 6 weeks early and in special care - the barclaycard didnt get paid that day - had to be paid in bank that day which was the plan!

Barclaycard charged me and stopped the card, they wouldnt take it into account that I had Ethan because when I explained to them that I went to hospital at 10am and had him 1pm, they said I could have paid before or after that time using the barclays bank in the hospital where I gave birth!

Debt paid and stupidly they keep sending letters offering me one!

Some places dont think having a baby is either hard or time consuming!!

I know banks can be worse than others, however when I was late with council tax due my grandad being hospitalised the council removed the summons and allowed me to make monthly payments - warning me that should I be late again the summons would not be removed a second time

iris

Why not just set up a Direct Debit and save yourself all the hassle?

mardatha

Crickett, am glad youre feeling better pet. I had a bit of a sulk this week too. it must be National Sulk Week. Come up here and have a wee bit of cake !

ginnyknit

Think we are all allowed a sulk guys, somedays its never ending. the last 2 days have wrung me out and Im tired to the bone. Lets hope the weekend is better for us all.

v1ckyt

Hi everyone,
Congrats to all the exam passers and good luck to those who didn't get what they wanted, sometimes this can turn out to be a blessing in disguise. No news on the step-son's results, so thinking they might not be looking too good :-(
I'm plodding along being 7 months pg, went to funeral today, but didn't feel like going back to the wake afterwards, miserable day, just wanted to come home and nestle up with the family.
I have to psyche myself up for Saturdays at the moment as its the day I have to do the changeover at the holiday cottage I look after, 6 hours max to clean it top to bottom, do all the laundry and change all the beds (sleeps 6) so am usually exhausted after that. On the plus side we're never short of a partially used loo roll (can't leave them out for guests, only new ones) and people often leave random bits in the fridge they don't want to transport home. Kids love coming to see what if anything's been left and asking what I'm going to make out of it. Last week it was anchovy fillets and beef dripping, any suggestions n what I can do with that???? It never ceases to amaze me the stuff people on hols buy and don't use up or take home, some poeple leave fridge half full of waitflowers food, still makes me be a bit imaginiative.

Miserable here in Dorset, feels almost Autumnal,
Hope everyone keeping warm and well,
Vicky

lauren_1

ceridwen wrote: »

LAUREN

Re the allotment question - I know of some allotments near me (that dont come under the control of the Council) and had the chance of one when it came up (which I turned down - as its not near enough to me) and I have a good idea who else gets offered one when its available. Because they are offered round amongst a group of friends/friendly nearby others - then no-one has to be asked if they "match the profile" - as its known how people will think on this.

If someone wasnt known anyway then it would boil down to whether people are organic gardeners or no - as the assumption is that everyone IS organic. I'm sitting here pondering what other (unspecified) criteria I fitted to be offered one - and I guess it boils down:
- general respect for the Planet
- a willingness to "muck in" and help out with keeping an eye on each others allotments
- a willingness to swop our surplus produce with each other

I think that the fact that I "tick all the relevant boxes" is why I had a chance if I wanted it.

So - my two thoughts here are:
1. These allotments may not be Council-controlled - so they may be able to set their own criteria for filling "vacancies".

2. Whoever controls them wants to know that new allotment holders will "fit in" with existing allotment holders. The thing to do would be to find out what the "unofficial criteria" are. I suspect they might be the 4 criteria I mention above. Its HIGHLY likely that everyone there already gardens organically and are therefore very worried that they might find that the next "plot" to theirs was taken over by someone who gardened "chemically".

So - my own thoughts are to figure out whether you fit in with the likely "unofficial criteria" list that applies to the ones I know and, if you do, then let them know that you do. If you are an organic gardener - then tell them you are. If you're not - then....errrr....the situation is more difficult and I guess it would boil down to either converting to being an organic gardener or finding some allotments elsewhere where they arent that bothered (because they already have several people there who ARENT organic and there is no "shared culture" ethos prevalent - its run on a more individualistic basis).

******************

So - I hope that no-one takes this the wrong way - as its meant to be a helpful verbalisation of the likely criteria - in order to help solve the problem. Fit the criteria = get the allotment and problem solved.
(I very much doubt that being "posh toffee" - as you phrased it - is one of the criteria......I think its just down to purely practical considerations.)

I think it may have just been the fact that when I handed the application to her I had red/pink dreds/matts, a rather large amount of facial piercings, wearing a blue polka dot tea dress, purple tights (with holes), doc marten boots giving my ds a piggy back. . . . I only wanted to push it through her letterbox not to actually speak to her but she saw me coming down the path.

kezlou

no i think your right Lauren, that allotment woman is shocking. Its the same with a lot of things around here. If you look the part, you can't join or be accepted. I don't tend to dress the as everybody else so i'm deemed different.

Well i got altter off the council tax people demanding that i pay my council tax bill. Shockingly i phoned and said i had paid. They response on the computer it says you haven't. So after 10 mins of saying i have i lost my wig and said "Er i have actually i paid it on Tuesday i coulddn't pay on the first due to my broken knee cap and being on a lot of painkillers. Oh but the bills due, er actually its due until the 31 March 2011 at the end of the financial year. Check the accounts again otherwise i'm phoning the police and making a claim against M" Council for defrauding me out of £126.00. Her response oh one second something coming up yes you have paid in cash. My response thank you very much have a good day now" and put the phone down.

I used to have a direct debit with them but they tried to take the full yearly bill either all once or the annual amount every month. I vowed never again.

Just posted four parcels to peeps from ebay. Haven't made any profit but at least its more stuff out of the house.

Crickett - your mum and dad are stars! Guess what so are you :A.

lauren_1

I tend not to experience much negative attitude to the way I dress as I am a stones throw from Glastonbury, its pretty much normal here.

calleyw

ginnyknit wrote: »

Think we are all allowed a sulk guys, somedays its never ending. the last 2 days have wrung me out and Im tired to the bone. Lets hope the weekend is better for us all.

Sadly know the feeling.

Husband was released from hospital yesterday. He was admitted last friday.

Looks like he had a seizure:( so he now has surrender his driving licence again. Just as we where starting to look around for cars for him.

I have felt so tired I could cry at anything and have been suffering from loads of headaches.

And fallen off the OS bandwagon. Spent loads of money including fuel over the last week:(

Did try to be good by getting bottles of water and freezing them to take with me.

But is no fun being away from home 15 hours a day.

Yours

Calley