What are you all up to

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  • Malcolm Mehta
    Malcolm Mehta Forum Participant Posts: 5,660
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    edited February 2017 #2132

    My wife knows this hence her interest in keeping accurate accounts.

  • Whittakerr
    Whittakerr Club Member Posts: 3,474 ✭✭✭✭
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    edited February 2017 #2133

    Nice. I live the other way towards fir tree flash.

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,196 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2017 #2134

    What a beautiful start to the day here, seems as though yesterday's storm blew the grey away. 😆. Still a stiff cold breeze here but so far glorious sun. Checked outside,  luckily a little bit of sweeping but most of the leaf debris has been blown tidily by the wind so dustpan and brush job 😃. The hinges bashing carried out on she'd door already is good just the screw to replace on one hinge, how lucky am I?  Hubby saw the funny side - thankfully 🙄 First load of washing out and blowing next lot almost finished. Hubby back on painting I'm into town to do a few bits once tidied up here.

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited February 2017 #2135

    Not carvery that I am aware of (unless perhaps on a Sunday?). Best known for the salad bar available with any meal. I typically choose something light as I enjoy the salad bar. 

    We were going to a show one weekend, but the rain meant it would probably be a washout. Not bad were I lived but arriving at Leigh all the fields were flooded but the rain had stopped. Rather than dissapoint the kids we went for a walk at Pennington Flash and a play on the swings etc. We spent a couple of hours there from around 9 am as the kids had breakfasted early and were raring to go. About 11am I suggested we went to the harvester for coffee and maybe some lunch around mid day. They don't serve lunch before 12 but from 9 till 11 serve breakfast. There were at least half a dozen large family groups having breakfast. For unlimited cooked and unlimited continental about £6. I think unlimited tea/coffee and orange juice is around £2 but there is some inclusive deal I think. Kids are £2 and includes a drink

    The unlimited continental is £3 and £1 for kids. The families seemed to be making a brunch of it. The fare looked good.

    We have always found the staff helpful and good with the kids. Easier for mum/dad than having the grandparents round for lunch I suspect.

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited February 2017 #2136

    It was 'orrid at 8am Bakers. Now dry and sun shining. OH will be off in about 45 mins to join a local walking group for a 3 or 4 mile walk followed by coffee. She goes twice a week to two local walk groups. I don't go as it is a chance for her to have some space and make new friends. 

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,311 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2017 #2137

    Malcolm I am sure you can see what he is doing. First of all agreeing to reduced hours and a day off. Then oh I can't get anyone Monday and could you just work that one late. Now Fridays and Saturdays. I wonder how long it will be before you are back to your 12 hour shifts, 7 days a week. I am afraid the guy is just using you, relying on your good nature.

    At the very least tell him what time you need to finish to get back before the barrier locks, and inform him if a delivery comes in 1 second after that time, he will be delivering it himself. Let's face it he is not going to get rid of you, who else is he going to get who is such a reliable worker.

  • Malcolm Mehta
    Malcolm Mehta Forum Participant Posts: 5,660
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    edited February 2017 #2138

    An hour and a half to go before we do our first commute from Redhill to Worthing. It will make a change from our previous routine and at least we have lovely weather today for our journey. We'll also be able to get to know how long it takes without the caravan in tow.

    Although we start work at 12, we only need to be within 20 minutes of Worthing town centre at that time because we are allowed 20 mins. to get to the restaurant to collect the food for delivery to the customer. That's assuming we get an order straight away. Often enough its 20 minutes to half an hour before the first order comes and sometimes not until an hour after the start time.

    It takes time for the office to process the order. They have to check all the details are correct before they put it on to the computer system and if it's a new customer they always phone the customer back after receiving it online to check that they have the correct phone number and delivery address details. Sometimes the customer doesn't answer the first time so they have to keep ringing back until they get an answer.

    Once all these procedures are completed, the order is then sent to me. That's why there can be several minutes delay between the time that the order is received by the office to the time when I actually receive it. Delivery usually takes about 45 minutes. This includes time travelling to the restaurant, time waiting in the restaurant for the food to be cooked and time spent driving to the delivery address. At peak times it takes longer because of having to wait 20 minutes to half an hour in a KFC or Macdonalds queue before they even start processing the order. Some orders are complicated because of customer food allergies etc. or because of special requests. For example, if a customer orders a Big Mac with no gherkins, this is not a normal Big Mac and so has to be prepared separately.

  • Malcolm Mehta
    Malcolm Mehta Forum Participant Posts: 5,660
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    edited February 2017 #2139

    Yes, we thought that too as soon as he asked us to work late on Monday. So Monday is back to the way it used to be instead of the 7 p.m. finish. 

    Luckily, there were a lot of orders last Monday and time goes quickly when you're busy. What I hate is when its quiet and we're expected to hang around until 10 p.m. with nothing to do and no earnings. Most weekday evenings used to be like that. I recall one evening when we had to hang around from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. with nothing to do and then suddenly after 10 p.m. an order came for a town centre delivery worth just £3 delivery fee! Not exactly a very profitable call out seeing that we have to travel 6 miles to the town ventre to collect the order a further one mile to the customer address and then another 6 miles to get home afterwards. On such a delivery we probably make a loss after taking into account the running costs of the car. Granted, at that time of night the restaurants are quicker in processing orders because of less customers, so it takes less time but it means we have to work half an hour to 45 for two of us to earn just £3 all of which goes in costs. I did ask the boss to raise the minimum delivery fee to £3.50 which he agreed to do but it never happened! Fuel prices have gone up over the last year but they have kept the delivery fee the same and on some days reduced it. 

  • Malcolm Mehta
    Malcolm Mehta Forum Participant Posts: 5,660
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    edited February 2017 #2140

    When they reduce the delivery fee, it comes out of our earnings and not the company profits. Thats where it gets unfair. If they want to give the customer a better deal, they should reduce the cost of the food, not our delivery fee. They buy the food from the restaurant at the restaurant price and then charge the customer a higher price per item thereby ensuring a large profit for themselves. The bigger the order, the more profit they get because they profit on each item of food sold.

    When I complained to the chief boss, he just said to me that looking at the total delivery fees that I was paid last month, I was earning more money than he was! So I told him how much I had to pay out in fuel and car repair costs. 

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited February 2017 #2141

    I always used to put a lashing round the headsail rather than rely on the roller drum to stop it unfurling. I've seen too many sails thrashing themselves to bits on moorings. I'm surprised that sails aren't removed for winter lay-up though. Part of the yard requirements at my club down here.

  • Yertiz
    Yertiz Forum Participant Posts: 324 ✭✭✭
    edited February 2017 #2142

    Malc, just to quote you

    Yes, I'm a lot happier now that my hours are shorter and I get one day off per week. Previously, what I didn't like is having to work up to 11 p.m. every night without any days off. A 7 hour day plus one day off is much more easily manageable.

    As SteveL has already mentioned the tide is already turning and it's only been a few days since the "NEW" working hours were agreed.

    Don't think it will be too long before you're back to square oneundecided

    I bet when you were working in China you never envisaged the current situation at all??

    Glad you've arrived safely at Redhill.smile

  • IanH
    IanH Forum Participant Posts: 4,708
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    edited February 2017 #2143

    So Malcolm, you asked them to increase the delivery fee to £3.50 and your employer agreed to that. But he didn't do it.

    Then he reduced the fee on some days.

    Good boss you have there Malcolm!

    What does it say the fee is in your contract with him?

    I see you hope to reach the £18,600 earnings figure. You get £140/week state pension (£7280/year) and £50/month private pension (£600/year) so that must mean that you hope to be paid at least £10,720 by your slave master employer.

    Does that cover the cost of buying the extra car, insuring it, taxing it, fuel for it, servicing it? Plus all the repairs you had done on the Shogun while wearing it out?

    How much wage does that leave for the two of you, working about 2500 hours per year each?

  • IanH
    IanH Forum Participant Posts: 4,708
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    edited February 2017 #2144

    p.s. Have you found your tent poles yet?

  • Goldie146
    Goldie146 Club Member Posts: 2,448 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2017 #2145

    Opening post this morning - quite good and not as good.

    Car service cost less than I thought (still plenty though!)

    Water bill - ouch! I had forgotten how much water cows drink when they're housed in winter. I had to get out the equivalent quarter bill for last year to convince myself it was right.

     

  • ABM
    ABM Forum Participant Posts: 14,578
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    edited February 2017 #2146

    Sitting  here  watching  the  rain  lashing  down  --  just  showers  but  Hecky Thump  they  are  driving  straight  onto  my  window,  making  a  right  racket  surprised  Must  venture  out  later,  so  it  will  be  waterproof  with  hood  &  a  scarf  or  two ( really  must  get  used  to  this  after  having  the  Spring  Shearing  &  Beard  Trim )

    Hoping  to  see  your  'Ladies'  at  the  T.V.  show  on  Monday  Goldie  but  an  extraction  at  dentists  1:15  so  it  might  be  a  bit  on  the  tight  side  !! 

  • Malcolm Mehta
    Malcolm Mehta Forum Participant Posts: 5,660
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    edited February 2017 #2147

    No, not yet. So can't put the awning up. Just one pole missing.

  • Malcolm Mehta
    Malcolm Mehta Forum Participant Posts: 5,660
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    edited February 2017 #2148

    No, it doesn't cover the cost of repairs to the Shogun. 

  • KjellNN
    KjellNN Club Member Posts: 8,671 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2017 #2149

    If you cannot find the missing pole amongst your kit, perhaps it is lying hidden in the grass at your previous site?

  • huskydog
    huskydog Club Member Posts: 5,460 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited February 2017 #2150

    Malc, go out a buy a broom handle and shave it down to fit inside your pole

  • Metheven
    Metheven Club Member Posts: 3,987 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2017 #2151

    There might be one in the toilet block Malc innocent

  • Goldie146
    Goldie146 Club Member Posts: 2,448 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2017 #2152

    I Player is your friend!

  • Malcolm Mehta
    Malcolm Mehta Forum Participant Posts: 5,660
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    edited February 2017 #2153

    We searched thoroughly before leaving and couldn't find it. It looks like we might have to buy a new awning. We're planning on an inflatable air awning.

  • Goldie146
    Goldie146 Club Member Posts: 2,448 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2017 #2154

    A new awning just because one pole is missing?

    Baby and bath water come to mind.

  • Yertiz
    Yertiz Forum Participant Posts: 324 ✭✭✭
    edited February 2017 #2155

    As Goldie says Malcolm, more expense!!

    Not sure an air awning would suit your lifestyle, I don't think that they the best when it comes to leaving up in all weathers??

    You can also guarantee that as soon as you buy one the missing pole will turn up surprised

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited February 2017 #2156

    As you are shortly going to your seasonal pitch Malc I would suggest replace the pole and put your existing awning up for the season.

  • Rocky 2 buckets
    Rocky 2 buckets Forum Participant Posts: 7,101
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    edited February 2017 #2157

    Good move Malc, enjoy your life. The inflatable will be easier to erect & take down. It could help to invest in the storm straps too. Life is for livingsmile

  • Metheven
    Metheven Club Member Posts: 3,987 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2017 #2158

    Excellent strategy Malc, remember 'Viv' all those years ago. Spend, spend, spend, it makes people happy laughing

  • milliehull
    milliehull Forum Participant Posts: 4,762 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2017 #2159

    We have been over to the storage site today to check the van after storm Doris.  Luckily apart from looking rather dirty all is well thank goodness.  Mr H put the new felt on the shed roof this morning so all is now shipshape.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited February 2017 #2160

    Hope you all have a good weekend, with or without awning poles...wink

  • KjellNN
    KjellNN Club Member Posts: 8,671 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2017 #2161

    Is that not a rather drastic solution?

    The pole cannot have disappeared into thin air, it must be lying somewhere.

    Lots of caravan or accessory places sell spare poles, so you should be able to pick one up fairly easily if necessary.

    Meantime I endorse the broom handle idea, Wilkos have decent wooden ones.

    I know this as last year when we went away in September we decided to only take our Fiamma canopy plus one side piece.  After carefully checking I had packed the correct side, I discovered on arrival at our second site (The Firs near Belper) that i had packed one wrong pole, the poles are handed.

    So I had to make one that fitted using a broom handle, otherwise we would not have been able  to use the side panel.

    BTW.....approach the site warden, quite often they accumulate an assortment of awning bits, they just might have a pole that would fit, or could be cut to fit, worth asking.

    They will also be able to direct you to the nearest place to buy a pole.