Finally I have a mortgage I can start to pay off!

Suffolk_lass

Mary Berry Tray bake recipes all seem to use SR flour. They are pretty much bomb-proof successful recipes. I can vouch for cooking her lemon tray bake as both a loaf in a paper case and as individual cup-cakes. The ginger one is lovely too and I regularly make made it for our community lunches and coffee mornings. Do say if you don't have access to her recipes and have a yen for something. All sorts of chocolate and coffee things too and I have the book (of course I do - it is one reason I am not allowed to buy any more recipe books)

themadvix

Ooh, thanks for that SL. It looks like lots of the recipes are online - and I have lemons too, so something lemony would be lovely. DH isn't a huge cake fan (finds it dry - weird!), so that sounds like a nice moist option. He loves ginger too, so will investigate that as well (I'll eat pretty much anything in cake form, so no need to worry that I'm only cooking for him!). My scone recipe uses self-raising (of course), so will bake some of those for Friday's celebrations (milkman doesn't do clotted cream, but I could whip some double, which I can get from him ). I suspect that will be the extent of our food-based celebrations, but it will be nice. I do have some blue bunting, so I'll pop that up (wonder if I still have my Union Flag? - this is where being a minimalist is less helpful!).

I have done some front-gardening today, another edge cleared, and some evening class work, as well as going for my walk. Another piece of work has arrived for tomorrow - not a lot but something (and more to the point, it is indicative that one small income stream is continuing as normal-ish). My coriander seeds have arrived, so I'll plant them up tomorrow too. DH hasn't had any time to do the brackets for the window box yet, so that's still pending.

Jessy103

Sounds like a good idea to put it all in writing and i hope it means you can finally get somewhere with them, vix!

lulabelle1

Hi there, I've been reading through your diary for the last few weeks, but I think I missed the part with the details in regards to the holiday with Virgin. Where were/are you due to fly?
We have flights booked with them in June.... we also have accounts with Nationwide and the insurance that goes with it. So I'm interested to compare notes and thoughts in regards to refunds, credit notes etc

Suffolk_lass

I haven't commented on your holiday money as I don't have any insight or knowledge about this sort of thing. I feel for you though.

In contrast, I think I have already posted somewhere that we were just delighted when one of the non-refundable hotels refunded our pre-paid room (Holiday Inn group) for our Scotland holiday. We were due to eat at the Alnwick Garden Centre restaurant on our way back from Scotland this week. I hope they survive - we have had to cancel two bookings in three years with them. Apart from ferry crossings, I had not booked or paid for anything for the summer yet, so worst case scenario less than £500 down, and possibly claimable from Virgin travel, but we would prefer to defer and go another time.

themadvix

Thanks Jessy.

Lulabelle, we were meant to be flying today Heathrow to Atlanta with Virgin (upper class paid for with points we'd been saving for about 6 years), returning in two and a half weeks from San Fran. Virgin have offered a refund or an open ticket  valid for two years (automatically converts to an open ticket, that's what we've got at the moment). If they go bust, Nationwide apparently don't cover that. If we asked for a refund, our Miles would be refunded - but not a lot of point having them if there's no airline. We will want to fly with them in the future (I'm desperate for that Upper Class flight - DH and friends have all raved about how wonderful it is!) and don't want them to go bust (especially as BA is such a crap airline these days). So for us, at the moment, we've kept the open ticket. We'll keep a close eye on the news though and really hope that the government give them the loan they've asked for - it's not like they're asking for a bailout (like so many others) and they treat their staff well (I get the Branson tax-avoidance issue, but at least he treats his staff well. I bet O'Leary and Stelios and co do plenty to minimise their tax bills too).

With regard to the other bits - in the US there isn't the same protection for consumers (although I've been looking at the consumer rights handbook the US govt produces), so we don't think we're automatically entitled to refunds like we would be here, even though they aren't actually providing the service! So the vouchers are probably a nice gesture, but potentially of no use to us - either because the hotel may not be there, or because it won't have availability/be a reasonable price when we do actually want to travel. And one, in New Orleans, is only valid for a year from date of issue - so less than a year bearing in mind we'd have to claim before our stay began. And the way things are going in the States, I'm not sure what state things will be in in a year's time - I think 18 months is a more reasonable time frame, but who knows. God help us all if they re-elect that utter imbecile.

SL - no worries, I frequently don't comment if I don't have anything useful to add - pensions come to mind and I know you're an expert on them!

Aaargh.... trying not to think about it - it's too upsetting!

themadvix

Morning all,

I've just finished the work for today (but I started early, so a bit better than it sounds!). I have a video call at 11 with my sister and niece and my friend and her little boy (who niece and I visit when I have her). It should be nice, although I'm not expecting it to be a huge success - 3-year-olds have a very limited attention span! I'm looking forward to that. I planted the coriander seeds last night in the end. Other aims for the day are cutting the grass front and back, doing the task set by my evening class teacher, taking something to the PO for DH and replanting my basil, with fresh compost this time! Dinner tonight will be Indian Masala Carrots with Lentils which everyone is raving about on the Riverford customer FB group.

MS things:
* Work
* Clicks

Gratitudes:
* It's sunny
* Video call with 3 year olds
* Cat cuddles 
* I am of course grateful that the worst I have to worry about it the holiday - everyone is well and DH's job is secure. But, you know, first world problems are a real thing!
(Really trying not to think about the Upper Class lounge I am not in at the moment....)....

Have a good day all! 

Jessy103

Hope you had fun on your video calls! It really does suck about your holiday, vix, and the upper class, I really hope you get to go one day, sooner rather than later! X

Jessy103

Hope you had fun on your video calls! It really does suck about your holiday, vix, and the upper class, I really hope you get to go one day, sooner rather than later! X

lulabelle1

Oh what a shame, it sounds like you had an amazing trip lined up. I see what you mean about the flights being booked with miles.... it seems the only option is to do as you have done and take/keep the voucher and use at a future date. I’m feeling hopeful that Virgin will get through this. I agree far better than BA! 

Our whole routing will now be changed as they’ve officially pulled out of LGW. We’ve received an email to advise they will be in touch at some point soon to discuss new schedule or alternative options etc, so I’ll see how the land lies in regards to refund or voucher. Ideally a refund but I also would hate to see them go bust. 

We’d booked our car rental via BA using Avios... you’d think that would be easy to cancel but BA aren’t making it easy and at some point I’m going to need to spend hours on the phone to try and get through to them. 

Let’s hope that this whole mess won’t be worse case scenario and that you’ll be on your way to the States in Upper class sooner than later. 😊