A new 'tougher' thread... and so it continues

scrabbles_2

smileyt wrote: »

Well done to Mr VP! :j:j
My hoover has gone kaput. I washed the filter, emptied it, cleaned the brushes and it still smells of burning when I switch it on. So I have reserved another one from Argos and will pick it up tomorrow. I would have loved another dyson but don't have the money so I am getting a Vax, at half-price (and about a quarter of the price of a dyson).

Possibly a bit late now, but if anyone else is in the market I really recommend getting a Henry (not to be confused with Henry Hoover, who is a cat ). We got ours because I figured there's a reason why every commercial cleaner and every tradesman in Britain (more or less) use them. They are fab! They're cheaper than most equivalents, they go on forever and they're easily fixed. If you know anyone who works as a cleaner you'll be inundated with 'free' bags for it (even after you plead with them not to risk their job for something so small) but even if you don't you can get away with not using one. And I was really surprised by how well they work; not just at picking up big stuff but at getting right in there as well. They're British made and most of all, they are adorable and actually make you want to hoover :rotfl: In our house it is now referred to as 'feeding Henry'.

mardatha wrote: »

The ladies in here would make a far far better govt than this shower of out-of-touch uncaring halfwits we have in power. At this rate things will go back full circle to Dickens day.
I totally agree that they want people on benefits to be public enemy number 1 - it takes the eye off them and lets them get away with more underhand sneaky goings-on. Wouldn't surprise me in the least if somebody had a wee quiet word with the BBC to make sure the benefits family were "suitable" and not too deserving.
This lot seem to think that what they say IS, so if they say tomorrow that black is now white, then it will be
What angers me most is the cretins (look in the Arms and Discussion forums lol) whose spite and envy relishes other people's hard luck and who seem to gloat. They, like the Tories, should remember that anybody can lose a job and anybody can hit hard times.
Maryb, I will go and look for that book, ty.

It really bothers me that in the 21st century we still have people who have to rely on food banks. Our local doctor's surgery is a collection point and you should hear them in the waiting room! Moaning that the recipients don't deserve help, and making extremely nasty comments about... well, you can guess :mad:. Even many people relying on benefits kick downwards, given the chance.

I think plenty would be happy to force people to go in front of a board, prove that they are 'deserving' poor. I worked for JCP for a very short time and can tell you that very few people have the empathy to understand that benefit claimants are just like them, but for circumstance. They tend to think that all these undeserving people should get as little as possible, whereas if they were to face some calamity tomorrow, they would deserve the moon on a stick. These people are, unfortunately, the middle ground that every political party must [STRIKE]suck up to[/STRIKE] ... [STRIKE]pander to[/STRIKE] ...[STRIKE]bribe[/STRIKE]... appeal to for their votes.

I'm pretty sure the BBC worked hard to find the most extreme case outside of London they could.

Not so long a go a couple living not so far from me committed suicide in despair at their poverty and the mess that had been made of their benefits. Their plight had been going on so long that the BBC even had archive footage of them begging and pleading for someone to help them. It had been made over a year before. The couple were known to DWP, to social services and to the foodbanks. And yet somehow they "fell through the net". THE net? Sheesh, like there's only supposed to be one? Here is a link to the story. I wouldn't normally link to the Mail, but it was what I found first. How the heck can this still be happening?

I avoid the Arms. If I wanted to hear self-important morons spouting out their cretinous ill-informed opinions I'd go to a real pub. At least then I could console myself that the speakers were drunk.

scrabbles_2

GreyQueen wrote: »

People have been telling pharamcists for 20 years or more that they can't afford all the medicines they've been prescribed and what is the least-worst one they can do without?

I've been there. And I don't particularly consider myself hard up, not compared to a lot of people. During my recent illness I was pathetically grateful for having signed up to a prepayment - I had 10 prescriptions in 14 days. I was on SSP at the time - that's 50% of my TOTAL income I may have paid out if I hadn't had the prepay.

And, like I say, I'm not especially poor...

modern_millie_2

Morning all, really interesting posts atm - I am reading a book about the 70s currently, and it's struck me that in many ways we were better off then - I had a govt scheme 'job' then, youth opportunities programme I think it was called, I earned about £27 per week as an 18 year old, out of this could afford a decent bedsit, food and bills. Learned useful skills working in a community centre which gave me a lot of confidence in looking for other work. Where is the equivalent to this now?

One of my daughter's friends is 19 and at college. In theory lives with Mum, but Mum is never there. She calls in once in a while to bring food. Currently he has no central heating - oil has run out - no coal or logs. Discovered this when he came over a couple of nights ago - gave him some logs, dinner and offered to lend a kettle - his is broken - but he said he can afford to buy one. Luckily for him, he has £30 per week in term time as we are in Wales. Assume if we were in England he would have nothing. Politicians seem to have no idea. And he is a young person who is trying to do something with his life!

And breathe! Pass the bread pudding Byatt, I need sustenance!

modern_millie_2

Forgot to say, thanks for the reminder about the N. Shute book, Maryb, must reread.And Mrs C, fingers crossed on the house. Have been in your position, scary but ultimately liberating.
Must learn to edit!

ginnyknit

GQ no wonder your BP is rising as you type, it must be very difficult doing your job and seeing all those who give the rest of us a bad name :mad:

When I was working OH's prescription bill was getting to £50 a fortnight and we were sinking fast. Its only thanks to dear old MSE advice that we got through, months of no benefits at intervals and dire straights indeed. Enough to try a saint and I ain't no saint.

In the past we have taken in friends of the kids who are in dire straights but they are all grown ups now and you would think they had made their way in the world but not so with redundancies and cut backs a few of them are struggling a lot. One of Ds's friends had his head screwed on and saved for years, married late, worked hard and bought his own house. Now he finds he has to work 7 days a week just to keep up and now the roof has died on his house and doesnt know what on earth to do. I feel so sorry for him because he did it all the right way and has been very supportive to his and my family.

I cannot remember who said it on here but we are heading back to Dickens days and I fully expect the government to be issuing booklets like they had during the war on how to feed your family - oh but the supermarkets are already doing this for them aren't they?

Byatt

I second Scrabbles' vote for Henry the Hoover, (made me :rotfl: with your comment of it not being Henry Hoover the cat! I wonder how he is...), but I have a Henr!etta (pink), and it's fab. The hose is flexible and stretches for miles, and takes ages to fill the bag. Well, that might be more to do with how little I hoover,:o:p but I definitely prefer it to the D$son I had.

As for the bread pudding, it is just for during this very cold weather and a cheap way to fill me up. Honest. ;)

edit; you are all extremely eloquent; the writing on here is inspirational and such well reasoned arguments without resorting to being nasty or rude.

Mardatha, no truer words said, anybody can lose a job, anybody can need benefits.

Mrs_Chip

Weather here grey wet and cold, but not as cold as it has been thank goodness. Mr C has Left London early, he would rather deal with the daytime traffic than take a risk and get stuck in the snow later. Hopefully he will get far enough west before the warm front meets the cold front! So need to feed him tonight with something nice and warming.

Just been in to check on Mr OG, he is very philosophical mood as he approached 93rd birthday. He has spent the last couple of days putting his affairs to rights, and finds he has more money than expected and is contemplating a holiday...!

Sorted his broadband for him (a true silver surfer!), I don't know how he would have coped with the indian call centre, they are extremely helpful but the combination of his poor hearing, the terrible line and the accent is a fatal one. My hearing is perfect (I checked it recently in Specsavers as I had had a few complaints from Mr C!) and I struggled at time to understand what the lovely lady was saying. Mind you, he had to give permission for me to have access to his system, and with his false teeth, I could hardly understand him either! Poor lady must have thought she had a right pair on the line!

As Mrs OG is up at the Big House for a few day, he and I are going to get the bus up to the next village for lunch, then a quick stop into the butchers to get a nice bit of meat for Sunday lunch (hopefully cooked and eaten at the big house), I feel like having a small celebration re the house (x'ing everything and not tempting fate) and it will be a nice pre-birthday lunch for Mr OG.

Thanks for the kind thoughts re the house sale. We are in the very lucky position of not needing an estate agent, and there being no chain. Also the buyers are just next door, and very relaxed about timescales and what we leave behind, so although I think they have got a bargain, it suits us too.

And a bit of luck I was not expecting - some of you will remember the tale of our oil tank and it's demise. When the new on was in and filled our heating would not fire up - it appears that the chap from next door (who split our old one) had fiddled with a vital knob when he came to help sort out the leak. I had, I thought, tuned on the oil supply, but actually had turned it off (weirdly, turning off feels loose and on feels tight, totally counter-intuative!). So we called the boiler peeps out under HomeServe. I felt a total fool when the poor engineer, who have driven for miles to get to us, just turned the knob the other way! We had just recently taken out HomeServe cover and he gave us a claim form, but said as it was 'user error' they were unlikely to pay out - but today we got a full refund of the £96 call out charge! Things like that never happen to us!

Anyway I have gabbled enough, must get ready to get the bus. I hope everyone stays safe and warm, GQ have a few lemonades for us and make sure you wear you thermals under the posh frock!

prepareathome

GreyQueen wrote: »

:)Today's cunning plan involved a lie-in until nearly 9am as I was dangerously-whacked out yesterday at work and was really struggling thru my shift. Gotta keep fresh as I have a Posh Do tonight and will be putting on my glad rags (half-price Oxfam LBD ) and tripping up the road in my heels to celebrate a big occasion in a special person's life. I rarely go out in the evenings because I'm too exhausted to function but I will MAKE AN EFFORT and circulate and be amusing. If I have to sneak out before the last hurrah, and I will, so be it.. x

Do what I used to do, take a bag with 'sensible shoes in it and hang it up with your coat, or shove it down the sleeve if no special place for coats, or if you take boots shove one down each sleeve. That way you will know you can at least walk home without the risk of falling over because of heels and its slippy or snowy, and ensures dry feet.

Enjoy yourself, you deserve a night out where you can be poshed up...........

Right I better go and get ready to go out, head is a bit wheeeeeeee as pain levels are up and so had to take more oxynorm and recently its been not to bad so not taken them and boy does it hit the head if I haven't taken them even for a couple of days, and still got pain but dare not take any more for 4 hrs. Still not got out of bed yet, so better move myself as sleeting out there just now and temp is dipping lower

Have written a list of where to go, what I must say at some places, and what to buy at others as otherwise would not buy or do what I must.

stay warm and safe everyone

D&DD

:T:T Woohoo way to go you non smokers keep it up!!!!:D

Byatt had a little chuckle at the bread pud saga we're the same in this house we love it

GQ snow is due here tonight glad to hear I'm not the only one who still gets excited

Very interesting link Mardatha if a little scary I'm torn at deciding wether this recession is as bad as the 70's and 80's (when we lost our home) I think a lot of people back then did without the luxuries that people simply will not live without now so its very hard to judge..

As you know I live now on a social housing estate but everyone I know has blackberries,sky,cars etc but I often get knocks at the door to 'borrow' food go figure..

Big bro just phoned mum to say MrT where he lives (posh area) is like Beirut..no fags,bread,milk,fresh stuff.
My sis in law always jokes when anything happens 'We're coming to you' I do try to encourage her to think ahead a bit but its obviously never going to sink in.

Garden is ready for the snowman building tomorrow,hats and gloves are dusted off and my thermals are already on:rotfl:

Edited to add a HUUUUGE well done MrVP aw so pleased for you and MrsVP XXX

smileyt_2

Minihauk wrote: »

Please forgive a long time lurker.

Smileyt - I believe Dyson offer a service call - an engineer comes to your house, services your dyson, replaces parts that are necessary and leaves you with an almost brand new vacuum. I think it is about £50, so a new dyson for less than the price of a new one. It's almost like a lifetime guarantee (at a cost). If you haven't already got your new one, it may be worthwhile looking at that.

Back to lurkdom ......

Minihauk too late but thank you! My parents visited this morning and as they have a car I took advantage and got a lift to Argos. I bought a Vax for £79.99 as that was the cheapest decent hoover they had in stock. It came with a six-year guarantee, though. And now that you've de-lurked you are not allowed to go back into lurkdom!

Scrabbles what a terrible thing to happen to that poor couple in your link. I expect David Ca-moron spared no sympathy though - he probably thought, "Good, that's two less scroungers living off my taxes." I have to say that if I ever find myself in that kind of position, I will take myself off to Downing Street, tip off the media, and end it all in front of the Tory b****rd.

I also went to Asda this morning. Bonios have gone up from £1.38 to £1.68 a box :eek: in the space of a fortnight. Fortunately there was a special offer on, two boxes for £2. So I bought six - that should last for a good couple of months at least. Resisted a copy of "Mollie Makes" magazine, even though it had the most beautiful crocheted gloves on the front. I might have a peek at the website and see if the pattern is on there. I was hoping to go to the stitch and craft show at the Trafford Centre on Friday, but having just had such a huge vet's bill and the expense of a new hoover, I can't afford it. Well, I could probably afford the ticket (although that's expensive enough!) but could live without the temptation of all those stalls of craft goodies!

Got a free packet of parsnip seeds in with a DT Brown's gardening catalogue recently ... will give them a go but not today - sowing seeds in the snow is not a good idea :rotfl:Time to start saving the loo roll tubes .....