November 11, 2012 – 7:59 PM
A problem with some of today’s politicians on every side of the House is that they do not have a discernible “hinterland” and as Kitty Muggeridge said of David Frost they “Rose with out trace”. The younger politicians seem to have slid into politics via public relations, short lived media jobs and think-tanks.Very few of them appear to have got […]
November 11, 2012 – 6:59 PM
The Arts Council of Wales announced that they were withdrawing funding by letter dated 29 January 2008 and the Welsh Jazz Society appealed against the decision on 2nd April 2008. In January 2008, as a result of a three year review of a number of ACW funded organisations, the Arts Council of Wales wrote to the Welsh Jazz Society giving […]
November 8, 2012 – 8:35 PM
Karl Marx said “History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce”. Arnold J. Toynbee in “Civilisation on Trial” asked the question does history repeat itself? and his conclusion “seems to be that human history does turn out ,on occasion, to have repeated itself up to date in a significant sense even in spheres of human activity in which the […]
October 21, 2012 – 7:39 PM
Mr Gove motivates 12 year olds by telling them their qualifications are worthless. I often wonder what drives politicians who cherish the dotty idea that the past is somehow a golden age. They always remind me of the relative who hits the Wincarnis Tonic Wine before lunch. Mr Gove’s well worn notions that have failed the test of time, will like, the […]
September 30, 2012 – 8:10 PM
The ‘Woolwich’ was originally the Woolwich Building Society before it demutualised and became a PLC in 1997. In August 2000, Barclays took over Woolwich PLC in a £5.4bn acquisition and the Woolwich joined the Barclays Bank Group of companies. My mother was with the Woolwich and in October 2003 I asked the Woolwich if they could transfer some […]
September 30, 2012 – 7:37 PM
In December 2009 I was plagued with correspondence from TV licensing. TV licensing used to be handled by the BBC and is now outsourced to the Capita Group. To say the Capita Group and their employees were coy about revealing this fact to me is an understatement. The correspondence starts with receipt of a communication telling me […]
September 30, 2012 – 7:35 PM
I wrote to the Chief Executive of the Capita Group and then the BBC. The way these companies operate is unique; annoying, frustrating and vexatious but unique. The company responsible for this episode washes its hands of the entire matter by referring me to the BBC. What a marvelous position to be in – making money with out responsibility. The other information […]
September 13, 2012 – 8:07 PM
I tried to settle an outstanding payment to Virgin Media for £18.35 but it was hard work and a fruitless exercise. I wrote to Sir Richard Branson and the problem disappeared with the receipt of an email 4 days later. Life would be a lot easier if people could just identify the problem, solve it, apologise and everyone is happy. “in a voice redolent of a […]
September 10, 2012 – 6:48 PM
On December 5th 2011 I wrote to Royal Mail Retail to cancel the office mail pick up and asked if they could do a cheaper streamlined service. I wrote again on the 30th December and again on the 18th January 2012. I received no reply. As you will see from the letters it is amusing not to get a reply especially […]
August 28, 2012 – 7:54 PM
In January 2008 some Herbert somehow managed to use my identity to take out a credit card with Citibank. I was alerted to this fact by receiving a credit card cheque book in January. I called the bank and was assured this was a fraudulent credit card and I was told to obtain a credit report, check with the local sorting office and […]