Woke this morning to the first ice of this winter.
Saturday, 10 December 2011
Tuesday, 6 December 2011
Smaller Staples
You might think, as She who must be obeyed does, that I spend all my time on the Internet. That is not true, as my spend at Staples for paper and ink jet cartridges illustrates. Over the past three years I have, according to the company itself, spent about £350 in various of their stores around the country. I thought the other day that it was about time to check the status of my Rewards. Dreaming how I could spend my 2% cashback I called Staples Rewards office and was informed that I had not spent enough to qualify for anything at all. Apparently in the small print there are conditions which I had not read regarding the level of spend in each calendar quarter. They have recently changed the scheme reducing the spend level and changing the discount to 10% but only on paper and ink jet cartridges. That sound like good news until you see how they are financing it -
You might think, as She who must be obeyed does, that I spend all my time on the Internet. That is not true, as my spend at Staples for paper and ink jet cartridges illustrates. Over the past three years I have, according to the company itself, spent about £350 in various of their stores around the country. I thought the other day that it was about time to check the status of my Rewards. Dreaming how I could spend my 2% cashback I called Staples Rewards office and was informed that I had not spent enough to qualify for anything at all. Apparently in the small print there are conditions which I had not read regarding the level of spend in each calendar quarter. They have recently changed the scheme reducing the spend level and changing the discount to 10% but only on paper and ink jet cartridges. That sound like good news until you see how they are financing it -
By a 13% reduction in the contents of the ink cartridge
Sunday, 4 December 2011
I agree with de Gaule
Every year since UK has been in the Common Market we have paid more into the organisation than we have taken out. Some years this has been in a ration of 2:1. Mrs Thatcher clawed some of this back but Mr. Blair partially relinquished this rebate.
When the Euro was created we, wisely, declined the invitation to join. Events recently have demonstrated the great weakness of this arrangement: it has always been run by politicians rather than economists. When it was established the applicants were set financial and economic convergence criteria to achieve in order to join. Italy did not meet the criteria but as a founding member of the EU it was politically unthinkable to exclude it. France then insisted that Greece should be admitted as it was philosophically unthinkable for a European organisation to exclude the country of Socrates. A single currency area by definition must behave as a single economic area: funds must flow from the strong to the weak area within the zone. If not, the individual countries remain individuals. Germany has a strong economy: if it left the Eruo its currency would strengthen significantly reducing its economic competitiveness. so why is it reluctant to pay the debts of its weaker members?
I have always been a strong supporter of a well-planned and executed customs union. However, when we were given the opportunity to vote in a referendum 35 years ago I read through the Treaty of Rome and concluded that I could not agree with the political implications of joining what was then called the Common Market but which has morphed through the European Economic Community to the European Union. Next stop is United States of Europe.
During our recent visit to Lille I was reminded of how Chales de Gaule kept the UK out of the organisation and the newspaper headlines
Every year since UK has been in the Common Market we have paid more into the organisation than we have taken out. Some years this has been in a ration of 2:1. Mrs Thatcher clawed some of this back but Mr. Blair partially relinquished this rebate.
When the Euro was created we, wisely, declined the invitation to join. Events recently have demonstrated the great weakness of this arrangement: it has always been run by politicians rather than economists. When it was established the applicants were set financial and economic convergence criteria to achieve in order to join. Italy did not meet the criteria but as a founding member of the EU it was politically unthinkable to exclude it. France then insisted that Greece should be admitted as it was philosophically unthinkable for a European organisation to exclude the country of Socrates. A single currency area by definition must behave as a single economic area: funds must flow from the strong to the weak area within the zone. If not, the individual countries remain individuals. Germany has a strong economy: if it left the Eruo its currency would strengthen significantly reducing its economic competitiveness. so why is it reluctant to pay the debts of its weaker members?
I have always been a strong supporter of a well-planned and executed customs union. However, when we were given the opportunity to vote in a referendum 35 years ago I read through the Treaty of Rome and concluded that I could not agree with the political implications of joining what was then called the Common Market but which has morphed through the European Economic Community to the European Union. Next stop is United States of Europe.
During our recent visit to Lille I was reminded of how Chales de Gaule kept the UK out of the organisation and the newspaper headlines
- NON!
Charles de Gaule was born in Lille
Saturday, 3 December 2011
Every Little Bit Helps
Ten years ago the major museums and galleries removed the entry charges for permanent exhibitions. In London alone there are 46m visitors each year to these establishments. If a charge of £1/head were introduced the exchequer could pocket £46m/year without causing hardship to anyone. Perhaps even £2 at peak times. For the cost of a few turnstiles the museums woould benefit considerably. If they used the Oyster card it could be made even more painless.
It is not much of a vote winner though, is it?
Ten years ago the major museums and galleries removed the entry charges for permanent exhibitions. In London alone there are 46m visitors each year to these establishments. If a charge of £1/head were introduced the exchequer could pocket £46m/year without causing hardship to anyone. Perhaps even £2 at peak times. For the cost of a few turnstiles the museums woould benefit considerably. If they used the Oyster card it could be made even more painless.
It is not much of a vote winner though, is it?
Friday, 2 December 2011
Where are the men of vision?
When Lord Coe led the bid by London to host the 2012 Olympics one of the elements which swayed the vote away from the rival bid from Paris was the plans by the Olympic Park legacy Company to morph the world-class facilities into local resources. Despite no Olympics since Los Angeles in 1984 having made a profit, the IOC believed them.
We are now less than one year from the 2012 Olympics, the budget of £2.4bn is now nearly £10bn and OPLC have not even been able to find a satisfactory customer for the main stadium - the most marketable property on the site.
Six months ago the Wellcome Trust made an offer of £1bn for the whole site - lock stock and barrel. They have a 20 year plan to create a Global Hub for research and innovation in the areas of health and sports science creating 7000 jobs with close liaison with Loughbrough University and UCL. But they want it all - good bits and bad bits. The OPLC seem to think that because the houses will be attractive to builders that the whole site is equally attractive. They have already disproved that premise. And why should we listen to the Wellcome Trust? One good reason, in the current parlous state of our economy is this: The Wellcome Trust is the only organisation in the country, outside our government, which has the AAA credit rating. It is more financially sound than Greece, Italy and Eire put together. They must have been doing something right over the last 75 years!
Why must people in public office be allowed to make short-term decisions regardless of the long term future of the country? When the swimming pool was being designed the local authority offered to buy it after the Olympics for the local community but they would need it to be easily adaptable to leisure use like the addition of flumes. Their wishes were ignored and it will not be viable for local use. If you are wondering why the Olympic housing stock will need the involvement of builders to sell it is because the units built for athletes do not have kitchens and all the other facilities expected by normal people.
When Lord Coe led the bid by London to host the 2012 Olympics one of the elements which swayed the vote away from the rival bid from Paris was the plans by the Olympic Park legacy Company to morph the world-class facilities into local resources. Despite no Olympics since Los Angeles in 1984 having made a profit, the IOC believed them.
We are now less than one year from the 2012 Olympics, the budget of £2.4bn is now nearly £10bn and OPLC have not even been able to find a satisfactory customer for the main stadium - the most marketable property on the site.
Six months ago the Wellcome Trust made an offer of £1bn for the whole site - lock stock and barrel. They have a 20 year plan to create a Global Hub for research and innovation in the areas of health and sports science creating 7000 jobs with close liaison with Loughbrough University and UCL. But they want it all - good bits and bad bits. The OPLC seem to think that because the houses will be attractive to builders that the whole site is equally attractive. They have already disproved that premise. And why should we listen to the Wellcome Trust? One good reason, in the current parlous state of our economy is this: The Wellcome Trust is the only organisation in the country, outside our government, which has the AAA credit rating. It is more financially sound than Greece, Italy and Eire put together. They must have been doing something right over the last 75 years!
Why must people in public office be allowed to make short-term decisions regardless of the long term future of the country? When the swimming pool was being designed the local authority offered to buy it after the Olympics for the local community but they would need it to be easily adaptable to leisure use like the addition of flumes. Their wishes were ignored and it will not be viable for local use. If you are wondering why the Olympic housing stock will need the involvement of builders to sell it is because the units built for athletes do not have kitchens and all the other facilities expected by normal people.
Thursday, 1 December 2011
Why should the Chief Executive of BW miss his targets six years in a row and still get a bonus greater than some of his staff's annual pay?
Why should any of the directors get a bonus when the BW remuneration committee has said there will not be a bonus this year?
If you share my concern over the fat cat rewards for incompetence and under-performance then click on the heading above and read the e-petition.
If you agree with it please sign it and see if we can put a stop to at least some of the nonsense at BW.
If everyone who signed the petition to stop HS2 sign this one it will be debated in parliament. So come on you land-lubbers - support the water gypsies for a change
Proud to be a NIMBY
The government is proposing to build a high speed railway - HS2- between London and Birmingham which will reduce the journey time by 20mins and will cost the equivalent of £1000 per head of population. Whilst discussing this recently I was called a NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) because I do not support the idea. This was intended to be derogatory. It was, in fact, inaccurate on two points. Firstly I no longer live on the intended route of HS2. Secondly my objection is to the rail link entirely regardless of any route it takes. I am not alone in this objection: there is even support within the House of Commons.
In the National Trust Magazine recently Simon Barnes of The Times made the case for a Society for the Protection of Nothing Very Special.
Sing me up Simon.
If the NIMBYs don't fight for these kinds of minor treasures who will?
Some of the Not Very Special contryside which HS2 will destroy,
The government is proposing to build a high speed railway - HS2- between London and Birmingham which will reduce the journey time by 20mins and will cost the equivalent of £1000 per head of population. Whilst discussing this recently I was called a NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) because I do not support the idea. This was intended to be derogatory. It was, in fact, inaccurate on two points. Firstly I no longer live on the intended route of HS2. Secondly my objection is to the rail link entirely regardless of any route it takes. I am not alone in this objection: there is even support within the House of Commons.
The Stop HS2 movement summarise their opposition succinctly as:
No business case
No environmental case
No money to build it
Of course their case would receive much more support if the project was going to wipe out a national treasure - Blenheim or Stonehenge for example.
All it will damage is :
The Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
4 Wildlife Trust Reserves
10 Sites of Special Scientific Interest
50 areas of Ancient Woodland
Nothing very special, then.In the National Trust Magazine recently Simon Barnes of The Times made the case for a Society for the Protection of Nothing Very Special.
Sing me up Simon.
If the NIMBYs don't fight for these kinds of minor treasures who will?
Some of the Not Very Special contryside which HS2 will destroy,
Saturday, 26 November 2011
William Sheller en Solitaire 20 Ans Deja
Twenty years ago this month I was working for an American company in Paris, moving mainframe computers around Europe and beyond. When I phoned the logistics company I used in Paris I often had to wait for the person I required. During this period the phone system was linked to a local radio station - Cherie FM . By putting my phone on hands-free operation I was treated to music while I worked. There was one song in particular which I took to but never caught enough of it to identify either the title or artist. My solution was to pop down to the record department of the Samaritaines store near Pont Neuf and la-la the tune to an assistant who identified it successfully as Un Homme Heureux by William Sheller
Earlier this week we made a trip to Lille and attended a rare concert by William Sheller. Even at twenty years older the performance was splendid. Here is a sample of that song.
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
Hello Again!
On our way up or down the Grand Union we often stop near the Tesco supermarket at Leighton Buzzard and take a walk around the town.
Amongst the things it is noted for is the house where Mary Norton wrote the series of children's book The Borrowers.
It is now a school.
Note for younger readers -
these are telephone kiosks which we used before the cellular phone was invented
Almost next door is All Saints' Church which is famous for its medieval graffiti.
This depicts Simon and Nellie who fell out over whether to boil or bake some fruit and flour for the impending visit of their son and daughter-in-law. Nellie is seen here pulling Simon's ear before deciding to compromise by both first boiling and then baking the ingredients. The resulting cake was well received and has led to the claim that SIMon and NELlie invented the SIMNEL cake which we traditional eat on Mothering Sunday.
Not far from the canal is this handy reminder of the commercial activities of Leighton Buzzard with graphic depictions on both sides of each disc.
Like the Canal
But perhaps these are the ones you were waiting for.
Leighton Buzzard was once a centre of bra and parachute manufacture.
And on the site where Tesco now stands, Morgan Coachworks applied the Weyman technique developed in Paris first to building car bodies and, when WWI broke out, to manufacturing the Vickers Vimy bomber. Although it was too late to take part in the war it became famous as the chosen plane for many successful world record attempts.
In 1994 a replica of the Vickers Vimy was built and successfully recreated the world record flights - England to Australia; England to South Africa and USA to England. This machine was given to Brooklands Museum who have kept it airworthy and here is a film clip of it flying.
On our way up or down the Grand Union we often stop near the Tesco supermarket at Leighton Buzzard and take a walk around the town.
Amongst the things it is noted for is the house where Mary Norton wrote the series of children's book The Borrowers.
It is now a school.
Note for younger readers -
these are telephone kiosks which we used before the cellular phone was invented
Almost next door is All Saints' Church which is famous for its medieval graffiti.
This depicts Simon and Nellie who fell out over whether to boil or bake some fruit and flour for the impending visit of their son and daughter-in-law. Nellie is seen here pulling Simon's ear before deciding to compromise by both first boiling and then baking the ingredients. The resulting cake was well received and has led to the claim that SIMon and NELlie invented the SIMNEL cake which we traditional eat on Mothering Sunday.
Like the Canal
But perhaps these are the ones you were waiting for.
Leighton Buzzard was once a centre of bra and parachute manufacture.
And on the site where Tesco now stands, Morgan Coachworks applied the Weyman technique developed in Paris first to building car bodies and, when WWI broke out, to manufacturing the Vickers Vimy bomber. Although it was too late to take part in the war it became famous as the chosen plane for many successful world record attempts.
In 1994 a replica of the Vickers Vimy was built and successfully recreated the world record flights - England to Australia; England to South Africa and USA to England. This machine was given to Brooklands Museum who have kept it airworthy and here is a film clip of it flying.
Monday, 7 November 2011
Hello Boys!
(This post is for Chris, Paul and Ivy who live on their narrowboat in northern France)
If you recall my post - Flying Boats -of 11 October 2009 (still available in the archive) the Vickers Vimy flown by Alcock and Brown on the first non-stop transatlantic crossing was the source of much personal embarrassment. But that is no clue to the answer to my query as I have never knowingly been embarrassed by a Wonderbra.
A large element of the Vimy superstructure was wire and fabric but that is not really a clue either.
Maybe I'll keep you guessing until tomorrow.
Meanwhile, enjoy th pictures
(This post is for Chris, Paul and Ivy who live on their narrowboat in northern France)
What do these pictures have in common?
If you recall my post - Flying Boats -of 11 October 2009 (still available in the archive) the Vickers Vimy flown by Alcock and Brown on the first non-stop transatlantic crossing was the source of much personal embarrassment. But that is no clue to the answer to my query as I have never knowingly been embarrassed by a Wonderbra.
A large element of the Vimy superstructure was wire and fabric but that is not really a clue either.
Maybe I'll keep you guessing until tomorrow.
Meanwhile, enjoy th pictures
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