Working on new projects

I have not posted on this site for ages, largely to do with my work and personal circumstances.  I may, in time, come back to regular posting here, but for the time being I will be busy on a few projects I’ve started recently.

My Family and Other Gubbins is the blog I am writing exploring the world of health and social care and offering tips and advice based on personal experience handling care for family members.

I am also developing a campaign for personal hearing equipment (not hearing aids) called Hear Here.  More of this later.

and finally,

I am writing a news blog called Sutton the Inside, offering news and analysis on political, community and social stuff going on in Sutton.

Thank you for taking time to stop by and I hope you find my latest projects of interest.

Another rant

Well, in one day …

Thames Water are now sending out a second crew to dig a second hole in order to locate the stopcock.  I asked that when the crew get here they check in with us, so we can make sure the van doesn’t block resident parking areas etc, and to just say hello.  ‘They won’t be talking to you, they don’t talk to customers” I was told.  Oh, that’s alright then – by all means come onto private land, park where you like, inconvenience who ever you like, do what you like for as long as you like.  Why would you think that it would be at least polite to make contact with the residents when you arrive?

Then Epsom and Ewell Borough Council regarding the waste bins.  I’ve already asked for additional food waste bins for the neighbours, this request needs ‘checking’ for reasons I could not have properly explained to me by the customer service department.   I then receive an email that they are doing the bins switch (for their new scheme) and that staff have already been on site to check what can be done.  Can we talk to anyone about this?  I ask.  No, we don’t talk to residents about this – all the flats are different and if we spoke to everyone it would take too long (I paraphrase).  So you did not factor that issue in to the delivery programme and roll-out of the scheme then?  Clearly not.

Is it just me?

The era of stupid

We’ve lost the mains stopcock at the flats.

I call out Thames Water to locate it.

A chap turns up and draws a blue line round an area.

A crew turn up and dig a trench.  They are unable to find the mains pipe which I am told means they cannot find the stopcock because they have to dig back from the mains pipe in the trench to find the stopcock.  They are not able to dig beyond the blue lines drawn on the ground – a new chap needs to come out and draw new blue lines in order for a new crew to visit and dig a new trench.

Today I see a van and two chaps from Thames Water outside the window – I ask them what they are doing.   Filling in the hole they say.  But we have not found the stopcock yet, I say.  No, we are nothing to do with that, we just have to fill in the hole, they say.

I ring Thames Water.  I ask why the hole is being filled in when it may very well have to be re-dug that area to find the stopcock.  Customer Services is equally baffled and has passed on all details to the our job project manager, who is to call me back with details of when we will get new blue lines drawn and a new crew to dig a hole.

Finally, the crew filling in the hole left behind the plastic guard rail that were left up to warn people about the hole.  Presumably the removal of these rails will require another crew to visit.

This is a complete waste of time and effort, quite apart from the waste of money.   Our water charges include the cost of running this nonsense.

Exasperated of Epsom!

 

What’s the point?

A couple of weeks ago a two bicycles were abandoned where I live.  I got in touch with the police and reported the incident.  At the time I was asked if I could go out and check the number stamped on the bike.  By the time I got out there the bikes had been moved again so I was not able to check – but I had taken photographs.  I sent the photos to the police anyway just in case a description given to the police linked with the picture sent.

Today I found another bike.  Armed with the information I got from the last incident I got out there, scrubbed off the mud and took down the number.

I rang 101 and was put through to Epsom Police station.

  • Me: I have an abandoned bike to report
  • Policeman: can you bring it in
  • Me: no sadly I cannot as I have full time care responsibilities and can only get out when I have someone else here to cover me
  • Policeman: well we can’t come and get it
  • Me: I know that, I have the number off the bike
  • Policeman: well you will have to bring it in
  • Me:  I don’t know why I bloody bother, I really don’t.

Can someone tell me what’s the point of these numbers if, when you get one off a bike, the police are not interested enough even to take-down that basic information from you?

Exasperated of Epsom!