Olemorris

I just had my car (a 2.0 Mondeo) serviced at Lookers Ford. They did an oil change and charged me £45.40 for 6 litres of what they described as "semi-synthetic 5/30" diesel oil - that's not including labour. I'm not an engine oil expert, so seeking some advice here from anyone who knows. To me, £45 quid seems way over what 6 litres of engine oil should cost. Anyone know if they're inflating the cost of materials or am I getting steamed up for nowt?

Indeed Barnie, why he's leaving at this time doesn't appear to be common knowledge, and I agree with you that there may be all sorts of issues that understandably contributed to his decision. I also agree that we need to see the wider picture. I can also accept that my comments seem to be critical of the head - but I was using the information presented to us to make my judgement. That information was the letter sent home to parents from the governors stating he left to "pursue different interests and prioritise his family" after glowing accolades about what a wonderful head he is and his great achievements at the school - with which incidentally I agree. But I don't feel comfortable with what we all know is often used as a euphemism for "some other problem issue" being used to fob us off. If it is a personal health issue, then that would be entirely acceptable and understandable - so why not say that? - no need for details. Why mention "different interests" and "prioritising family"? Arguably that's an issue perhaps for the governors and how they presented the information. But it's nagging away at me that the reason for the resignation is different and perhaps of importance to parents concerned with the management of their children’s school. I have to add I have absolutely no evidence for that - just that the reasons stated in the governors' letter, and the mid-term resignation of a dynamic and competent head with 19 years of leadership experience, just take some swallowing.

BTW Raggy, they once returned an American check to me because it was "out of date". The actuality was that because it was an American, writing an American check, they used the US date format. Whoever was dealing with cheques in the foreign department really ought to have known that.

ta for all your replies. i am currently waiting for Lloyds TSB to sort out a foreign currency issue - still not responded after a week - apart from an auto-response style letter to say they will respond within 8 weeks - how helpful and reassuring is that!!

Over 12 years with Lloyds as my business bankers I have had continuing poor services, botched service, left-hand-not-knowing-what-right-hand-is-doing service, countless business managers (the last one managed a whole 3 months), mistakes, and all the usual frustrations of being left holding a phone while they try to get the right person almost every time I call. Anyone else experienced similar things, or am I just unlucky .....

Well all these accolades seem to miss a rather pertinent point. If Mr Chapman is such a shining example of "vision, energy and leadership" as the governors’ letter sent to parents states, why quit suddenly half way through the school year “to pursue different interests and prioritise his family” ??? Smacks of giving up when the going gets a bit tough - which is understandable, (and certainly the talk amongst the kids), but hardly resonant with the example I'd like set to my children who attend High Storrs.

ta to you also batmong

thanks beansforyou

my kids came home from school saying that their teachers told them we should "listen to the radio" to find out if school will be closed tomorrow. Does anyone know which station this might be? Hallam fm? BBC sheffield? Or better still is there a website or other source of info that will post details of school closures? It would be a reet pain to get the kids to school just to find I have to bring them home again. Ta

Better get down to Tesco fast and stock up with Easter eggs - only 3 months left!!! OMG I just heard Sainsbury are selling Hot X buns 2 for price of 1. Let's consume our way out of recession and into obese oblivion

Posts prob don't get much stranger than this (well maybe they do) but my elderly Mum is coming to stay with us this Xmas and I left it too late to organise loaning a commode from the Red Cross. We have our own "chamber pot" bit but need the chair arrangement. Is there anyone out there with a commode we could hire for 9 days over Xmas? I can come collect, and return it very clean. Or we'd happily buy it off you if you had one sat in a cellar somewhere that you didn't need anymore. Thanks.Reply or pm me ...

Thanks - we usually go there so will keep my eyes open

Anyone got any spare courgette plants I could buy, swap, beg or steal? I'll come pick 'em up and everything. Or have you seen any for sale anywhere - every garden centre, Moor market stall, and shop I ask says they're in short supply this year. PM me please - Ta

At the best of times I'm a cynical old fart but I think this thread would cheer anyone up - hope it does it for you M^rk. What a great bunch of decent folk all you respondents are ... this is not chemical talk btw

Well I'd like to think it says I'm fairly well read and take an interest in different folks' view of the world - particularly as there was a Dawkins/Gould spat thang going on. Was that what you meant, or was there something else, perhaps a little prejudicial in your comment?

Brilliant book -when you've finished try some Richard Dawkins - The Blind Watcmaker is pretty good

Nice perspective Ragtag - one I mostly agree with. However unlike "the ancients" who of course tried to fathom how they came into existence, and can be excused for seeing the invisible hand of God behind it all, we have more of an idea about that these days and have pretty good evidence based explanations of most things. These explanations of our day to day world, which have been a battle-ground between religions and science over the centuries, have seen religions re-adjust and make more and more awkward defences of their postions - culminating in the latest Christian perspective "intelligent design", or a retreat into fundamentalism. Either position is, as you say in reference to a universe teeming with Gods, quite ridiculous. It probably stems from an innate, evolutionarily reasonable but rationally bankrupt position of human beings simply wanting to believe in something bigger and better than themselves who has a master plan and will take care of them when they die. There are loads more reasons for "belief" of course, but no room here to extrapolate .... Why, I wonder constantly, don't folk just get it .. any ideas?

I'd say there's a nut case for them

If you assume there is intelligent life in other places in our universe, do you think it would believe in Gods? If, yes, then which Gods? Same as our lot? Different ones?

It was fiction - one of Roald Dahl's short stories

Just get over it. The council must waste thousands removing that stuff. Just leave it. Most people don't notice it, it rots/erodes/disappears after a year or two, doesn't do any harm except as a minor eyesore - there are more important things to worry about.

Ms Tetley - of course - thanks - how stupid of me

About 12 noon I saw a very bright orange/yellow disc, low in the southern sky over Nether Edge, fairly stationery but occasionally seemed to move behind clouds. It was really wierd because when its light fell on me, there was a strange warm feeling, almost like some cosmic energy source was really impregnating my body. It wasn't quite enough to make me want to throw off my clothes and bask in its pure light, but like it really had that possibility, maybe if just a little stronger.... Then it disappreared and it started drizzling - perhaps if we all just believed enough it would come back and visit us ..... anyone any idea what it could have been???

I have a 5 year old and want to take her sea fishing to experience some of the thrills I had doing this when I was a kid in the south. Can anyone recommend a location on the east or even west coast where we might expect to catch something on the first trip. I'm not after a 20 lb cod - a pout whiting or dab would do - just somewhere that's fairly certain to produce a result to whet her appetite and spark an interest.

I saw one again in our garden about a week ago. I got a good enough look at it to be pretty certain it was a parakeet - a ring necked parakeet I reckon from the description someone sent me on the last time this issue was posted. Washington road is close enough for it to be the same one that's just hanging out in Sharrow.