catmiss

I’m 66 and now retired and have paid for a tv licence since I was in my 20’s. I’m not eligible for Pension Credit and hopefully my pension won’t decrease when I get to 75 so why shouldn’t I pay for the licence? I now have a Freeview box which gives me ample viewing options for the the cost of the licence fee. I think a subscription cost would end up being comparable with other providers and a lot more expensive. I  don’t know what is so magical about being 75, some a lot younger will sit in front of the tv all day whilst some a lot older will be out and about and watch tv minimally 

If news reports are to be believed, and government ministers not outrightly denying, over 50’s and those classified as extremely vulnerable to the virus are to be shielded again nationally should the  infection rate carry on increasing. I’ve spent the last 4 months locked up only seeing family through windows and latterly in my garden and went out for the first time yesterday for a brief visit to the local shops. I think I’ve been shielded from reality, thinking that ‘we’re all in this together’ when what I saw was selfish behaviour- I have doubts that  statistically  all the people in shops minus masks were medically exempt, the several large groups going into pubs were all members of the same household and the number of people getting too close to others were all short sighted.  I’ll carry on a weekly trip out but have resigned myself to a further imposed period of house arrest. 

From what I’ve read the grounds for retrial of a jury verdict are quite specific- either intimidation of witnesses or jury member and/or new evidence. Whilst there are rumours circulating re the former nothing had yet been proven so let’s hope the judge imposes appropriate sentences 

I’ve had a couple of reminders that my routine eye test is due. I’m released from shielding on Saturday and wondering if I ought to book a test. No problems but last test showed early signs of cataracts. Has anyone had a test? What happens with the bit of the test when the ophthalmic practitioner gets really close with the ophthalmoscope when cataracts are diagnosed? Previously this cheek to cheek bit gave me the giggles but not now

I think a lot of these companies contact at random, I’ve had them contact me via my landline and mobile despite never having a driving license or claiming on any insurance or, thankfully never having a car accident 

No difference for me and still see postie delivering daily in my area with added benefit of earlier delivery time 

Had a frightening call on my mobile this afternoon from a Liverpool number supposedly from HMRC saying I was under investigation for tax fraud and if I didn’t press 1 a warrant for my arrest would be issued immediately. Although I terminated the call I was concerned but 101 assured me this was a scam call they were aware of

5 hours ago, El Cid said:

Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Transport thinks the COVID19 crisis is all over, he has gone on holiday to Spain with his family!

Reported to have received warning of pending isolation on return but still travelled because he didn’t want to be seen as having privileged information. Now said to be coming back early to do his 14 day isolation 

I always hand treat heavily soiled or stained clothes with old fashioned green soap and a nail brush and

wash whites separately at 60 or 90 degrees. Miss dolly blue for the final rinse for the ultimate white 

Bob, I think you’re beating yourself up. Look at how much progress you’ve made despite the difficulties you face and the fact that you feel able to open up on here about your feelings  Look at your previous posts- when you’re climbing a mountain sometimes you take big steps forward and have a slide back. Get in touch with all the agencies you’re involved with and be as open with them as you’re on the forum-I’ve a feeling you put a brave face on. Good luck and keep in touch 

tv news says there are approx 140 people who have been deprived of citizenship who will be watching the outcome of the court case and some of them, depending on the outcome, will follow suit. Have we got the expertise to de-radicalise and monitor them?

Mine sound every time I put the dripping in for Yorkshire puddings if I forget to shut the kitchen door 😳

The governments’ enthusiasm for cycling and walking is all well and good but when they are encouraging us all to go out and spend, drink and enjoy subsidised meals out they cannot demonise public transport. Being told to avoid, social distance and wear masks is understandable but deters the travelling public and results in a cycle of lack of confidence-reduced revenue-service cuts. 

I don’t use JL for browsing as much as I used to mainly because they are out of the way and isolated from either of the two disjointed city centre areas, Fargate and the Moor. 

Pedestrians and cyclists sharing pavements don’t mix. whilst walking to the tram stop I swerved to avoid a puddle and an unheard cyclist ran into me, he blamed me for the accident and damage to his bike

before riding off with no way of identifying him or the bike.  The injury I sustained took several weeks of inpatient and outpatient treatment. On another occasion a young female cyclist going hell for leather plowed into a group of us who’d been forced to stop at a minor junction by a car reversing. A couple of people had minor injuries but the cyclist explained she didn’t feel safe riding on the road- it didn’t feel particularly safe being a pedestrian either. The sooner cyclists have designated cycle routes through the main city thorough fares the better 

Thanks Lex, I always tested my alarms on Saturday mornings but this has fallen by the wayside during the everyday is the same of lockdown. I’ll be testing in the morning and finding a regular point for the future 

Obviously an expert -his brain has been starved of oxygen for a long time 

I think there might well be an increase in both cases and deaths when shielding of people extremely vulnerable to the virus and the associated support ends on 1st August coinciding with many of the population returning to the old normal. 

I’ve had calls from supposedly BT, Amazon and Microsoft. I deal with them the same way as I used to do with the previous generation of cold callers........ say my husband (I’m sure other family members would be just as effective) works for the company/in that field, ask for their name/company so my husband could be updated-I never hear from them again 

Listened to BBC Question Time tonight, panel seemed divided re self preservation or sharing and/or subsidising resources

Forget about the dye, just shave it off. The current trend for beards might may young men look trendy but makes middle aged/older men look like they’ve given up/can’t be arsed

16 hours ago, dutch said:

John Lewis is a very nice store that is not used by the lower classes.

A lot of investment money goes to the rich these days but you could always argue that they are the ones paying taxes.

Yesterday in a carpark we met a very nice friendly man with a john lewis logo on his top and asked him about the new development.

He was very happy that these changes made it possible to keep the sheffield location. 

Personally I think that if no decent EU agreement is made while the economy recovers from what is happening today stores like john Lewis will keep on losing ground. 

What do you mean by ‘lower classes’. I feel as though I have stepped back into the John Cleese/Ronnie Barker/Ronnie Corbett sketch. It’s not about class, it’s about individual choice and resources 

The enquires into the Leicester ‘sweat shops’ is beginning to reveal  clothing retailers lack of knowledge re the multiple sub contracts used by their manufacturers 

On 07/07/2020 at 12:30, alchresearch said:

That's my worry for micropubs.    They've been mainly lager-lout free because they don't sell Fosters or Stella.  But as pubs close, they might descend on them.

I think some of the micro pubs might also close due to falling socially distanced customer numbers in often very small premises.

surely the reality tv Kardashians in the Whitehouse is something not even the Americans could vote for