It was getting tough in 2006 and the workhouse still threatens us in 2011

[Deleted User]

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Gigervamp

I love Cowbridge, although the shops are expensive! Mind you, the charity shops there are good, you get a better class of tat! :rotfl:

RAS

Red_Doe wrote: »

Read something which worried me about tougher times coming (or should that be arrived?), don't know how accurate this article is but if it is, then that is worrying.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/jobcentres-to-send-poor-and-hungry-to-charity-food-banks-2356578.html

Not read that but on the benefits forum people often turn up in a complete mess because of benefit problems which mean they have little or no money for food. I often refer them to the Trussel Trust or other foodbanks near them.

The problems are worst when they have just applied for a benefit and have to wait for it to be processed; that can take 4-8 weeks with no money coming in.

Or when they have to report a change in circumstances, which results in the benefit being stopped for weeks until the new assessment is made.

The most difficult group are relationship breakdowns with children involved. All the problems associated with a change of circumstances with the potential for nastiness.

Although parents fleeing domestic violence are allowed quick access to benefits, there are a lot of abusive relationships where violence is not present. One parent will have complete financial control and will be dictating family life.

When the other parent splits with the children, because the CB is paid to the first parent, the parent with the children cannot claim any benefits for them until the first parent confirms that they are living permanently with the other parent and gives up the CB. Or at that point, the parent who has left the family puts in a malicious claim for Cb to scupper the parent who has ended the relationship.

This can go on for years; one woman in the forum had just had a second unfounded claim for CB made against her and other unfounded allegations made all shortly after she had some sort of run in with her ex. Every time her benefits were stopped, for upto 14 weeks, before being reinstated.

katieowl_2

THIRZAH wrote: »

Kate

I think we both used to post on the "Frugal Living" forum? Glad to hear you like living in Wales. I wondered how you were getting along.

We are still near Manchester but I shall be heading south to stay with DD1 in a couple of weeks as she has just had her first baby.She had to have a caesarian and as she lives in a second floor flat with no lift life is going to be difficult for a while.

OH Hi :hello: Gosh bumping into everyone here today! LOL!

Is that your First Grandchild? How exciting!

Yes I LURVE Wales. I lurve not having a mortgage anymore too.

The B&B opened this Easter, and our first summer has been busy. Rinty was our first guest!

My kids are all here now too...My eldest is working in Aldi in Cardi, and moved here with her BF. My son after several attempts at sixth form, and a stretch on the dole has started college doing carpentry. Middle one is just starting last year of uni.

Kate

Rowan9

mardatha wrote: »

I was up near you today wmf - was in Jenners havin the hair cut and then in John Lewis fondling their wool

I love the cafe next to the hairdressing saloooon. I know it's all plastic and modernised etc and not the olde worlde place but you still get your ladies who keep on their hats while they're having tea and a good yap. I often go in there and it was always my meeting place with DD when I lived south and flew up for weekends when she was at uni. There is a lift that opens facing the settees and it was always exciting watching for the person who was arriving. John Lewis little knitted things for premie babies often tempts me to pick up needles again - they have a free pattern (photocopies) I think. Still have my chunky cable knit under the spare bed though so that might be my frugal winter activity. There are a couple of pubs here which do a knitting evening so I might go along. Imagine the pattern after a few! Anyway, that wouldn't be so frugal!
Kittie - will light the candles when we come back in and concentrate on joining in. Power in numbers. Liking the wine production! I've peered in the window of the homebrew shop and might go up there with DH this weekend. That's the plan. He isn't keen, never having been a wine maker. He doesn't know the sheer joy that is the plop airlock noise;)
Sunshine evening here and lots of peeps out walking dogs and playing with children.
Off out with our dogs in a mo. Tea tonight is highly skilled cuisine - fish fingers, baked pots, broccoli, cauli and carrots. Have just had a bowl of the soup to keep us going 'til after dog walk.
W

THIRZAH

Yes it's my first grandchild and I have been knitting almost non-stop since I found out she was pregnant. That might have been because two days after she announced she was expecting the company where both DD and SIL work announced that they were shutting down. At least my granchild won't be cold!

A few months later they decided not to shut down completely but to keep a few staff on including SIL on but DD got her redundancy on the day she started maternity leave.

Red_Doe

Well done HJ, am so pleased it turned out ok for you and OH. (now relax and take some time out for yourself if you can!)

ceridwen

kittie wrote: »

I am lighting a candle between 5 and 9 tonight and join me if you like. I am going to do a little bit of visualisation as I want to strengthen my protective shield of white light. It is quite hard to send the negative vibes back at the moment but I won`t allow them to enter my space

Ok, now take this in and get the knowledge all in one go, as it is drips and drabs that are so de-energising
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/8720479/Debt-crisis-live.html

It is only words and don`t forget that misery likes company, so no `what ifs`. Our lives carry on

I have had a positive and productive afternoon, making wine ie 30 bottles, from a kit. Its a brilliantly nice wine by ken ridge, a chardonay and we are just getting to the end of the 5 litre kit I made a few months ago.We liked it so much that we bought the 30 bottle kit. It will only cost £1.27 a bottle and I`ll be packing most in wine boxes and some in bottles and it will be ready from 4 weeks, hehe that is winter sorted

Some items are also packed up for oxfam again, I decided today that I had better move out the clothes that have grown too small for me. In the process I have tidied 2 cupboards and found a load of christmas presents bought last january in the sales.

I lived in wales for 35 years, first near ruthin and then near cowbridge in the south for most of the time. I was never accepted in the north but we only stayed for 2 years, south was very different and lovely, very warm and welcoming. My first impression was someone talking to me in a supermarket queue, I loved it.

Dare I read that article you give a link for Kittie?:cool: It has been getting increasingly hard to "stay positive" for the last couple of years or so - I think its mainly because other people are more "down" than they used to be and its "catching" (ie rather than because of stuff to do with me personally iyswim). It is difficult to stay positive these days - even if one's own life is "rattling along as normal" and hopefully will stay that way (fingers crossed very hard - because "bad stuff" can happen to any of us out of the blue).

I admit to being surprised at some things "elsewhere" - downsides being things like being thrown out of a place just for being a woman (that was some time back - and not sure if they still legally could/being "studied" by everyone in the pub when I went in (ie because they were all male). Quite recently I've been elsewhere in the country and accepted I wasnt going to have much choice of places to have a meal out - but didnt expect that ALL there would be would be one pub of a type I would walk straight past in my home area.

The "plus side" to some other areas of the country I've been in was that I was surprised to find just how many "strangers in the street" would get into quite lengthy conversations/etc compared to my own part of the country (where a couple of sentences in passing would be about par for the course - but I DO have quite decent length friendly conversations with total strangers in my parents' not-quite-so-urban-as-my-own-area and have made friends just from "chatting in the street" (which wouldnt happen in my own bit of this area).

NUALABUALA - I had thought the "plus side" to the Celtic Tiger current situation would be developers being "halted in their tracks" from grabbing every bit of land they can see - and that is a "silver lining to that cloud". I AM hoping that - if things get even worse here that our local developers will also get "stopped in their tracks". They're after "everything and more" round here still at the moment...:(. So hopefully we get the "up side" - as well as the "down side" if it comes to it. Journeying around here consists of "They've just got that/they're after that/they've been beaten in their attempt to get that....:(". Never mind estate agents and bankers - developers are "top of the Please GO Away List" hereabouts LOL

HariboJunkie

Ladies I am sincerely very, very touched by all your lovely comments. :A I admit to getting something in my eye when I read them again just now. ;):D

You are a great crowd altogether. :beer:

I expect that it will be a while before our money hits our account but the mental victory is enough for me tonight. :cool: and OH and I are planning a wee night out as a celebration this weekend. :T

No gin tonight unfortunately Red as I'm on strong meds atm. Flipping typical. :rotfl:

Loving all the talk of the "home" towns. I am a huge fan of Auld Reekie and never miss an opportunity to visit. I too fondle the yarn in John Lewis and love the wee knitting shop in the Grassmarket.

As I said earlier there are many jobs dependant on developers and when developers go bust many people lose their livelhood.:(Our company would lose half our income if developers (both large contractors and self builders went under) Rather than blame the developers I personally would look at local planning laws and the councillors who approve developments as no one can develop land if they can't get planning permission.

Congratulations on your new grandchild Thirzah. xx

SDG31000

Evening everyone
Well done HariboJunkie You have done so well. Here's hoping you get the money very, very soon.
Hello THIRZAH and congratulations. My DMIL says that being a Grandma is the most fun ever, so I'm sure you will enjoy every minute of it.

Dinner is simmering away in the kitchen and smells wonderful. I made stock using a turkey drumstick and the suspect veg from the bottom of the fridge, then drained it, stripped the meat off the drumstick and added in fresh veg, tarragon and garlic. Yummy and cheap
I'm feeding the masses again on Saturday, but we are doing a Pudding Club night for a change. It was DH idea. I said that we can't just feed everyone pudding, but I've been out voted by everyone else. So I have a bowl of rhubarb and vanilla mush in the fridge to turn into a fool and my friend M is making crumble. I think of making rice pudding, sticky toffee pudding, a cheesecake and something chocolate based to keep the kids happy. We might all end up in a sugar induced coma at the end of it, but it should be fun.

I have lived in the Midlands all my life. I grew up in a "village" between Dudley and Wolverhampton and officially come from The Black Country. I came to Leicester to go to Uni, met DH and never left. We now live in a suburb, but have lots of shops, a library and a leisure centre 10 minutes walk away. I love the idea of living in the country, but in reality I think I would go bonkers within a month. If not then the hayfever would finish me off.