Friday 17 June 2011

A BUSY, MIXED AND EXTRAORDINARY DAY!

Friday - end of the week, a relaxing day before the weekend.   What's in the diary?    Blimey - got to pick up Mrs. ........ for the Vol. Car Scheme and take her to the hospital for a small operation.   What time?   pick up at 7am to be there for 7.30am  - AM????    Swallow rice crispies, no time for a pikelet!    quick slug of tea and off to pick up our client.   Arrived at her house at bang on 7am and she was ready and waiting.   Into the car and off we went.   Traffic starting to build up but no serious problems and we arrived on time.  Arranged that client would get hospital to phone me when ready to come home.  I then drove back to Penkridge and was home before 8am to sit down to pikelets and coffee.   Checked greenhouse and watered a few plants.  Phone call at just gone 11am to say Mrs. ..... ready for collection.   Off again and collected and returned her home. 

Back just before 1pm to hear from my wife that PENKRIDGE HAD HAD A BANK ROBBERY.   Well organised by the sound of it - obviously a team had been watching and waiting for the Security Van to arrive at Crown Bridge and then hey presto, the car nipped into a parking space (conveniently made available),  one of the occupants jumped out with knife and within a very short time left an empty container in the middle of the pavement as they drove off south with ..........    Getaway car discovered on a local estate.  Police are asking for any witnesses to come forward from the incident in the village centre or or any other suspicious vehicles or people seen around.   Lets hope the Street Cameras we have around the village can help identify and catch the robbers.   Anyone take any photos with their Phone cameras?

Then a visit by Bob Maddocks with proof copies of a new book that Great Marsh Publications will be selling shortly (still secret but an important historical publication that all those elderly people who went to Penkridge schools will want to acquire).   Then my plan was to take a trip round Penkridge to deliver a few items to people.   But first another check in the greenhouse but it was interrupted by my wife who said there was a man at the door asking to see me.

It was a salesman, who insisted to my wife that he speak to the head of the household otherwise he might be breaking the Data Protection Act (that’s a new selling point!).   It turned out that he was selling for Scottish and Southern Electric whereupon I said that they were not exactly my most favourite Energy Company in the country.   He didn’t ask me why but immediately said I was confusing his firm with Scottish Electricity – which I hadn’t of course.   I then got the usual speel that all my neighbours had signed up to his firm and then began actually showing me the copies of their Agreements and giving me their names.  So much for confidentiality and the Data Protection Act!   I must make a point of telling all my neighbours that this man is going round breaking their confidential agreements and they can take the necessary action.  

I have actually just signed up to Co-operative Energy and have been checking my meter readings and working out whether I am in fact making the savings I was hoping I would.   Still not done all the comparisons with other suppliers yet though, but it looks like I can beat SSE, especially if one takes into account the dividend/points that one gets as well.  (I am a part owner of the Co-op movement and all their profits are shared with their members).   Check them out if you are considering changing your energy suppliers.   Incidentally, I am also considering Solar Panels for my south facing roof.  More of that in the future but if anyone in Penkridge has already got them I would be pleased to hear of their experience.

Well, the weather today hasn't been all that I had hoped but there have been some surprises.   I wonder what tomorrow will bring!   Or even later today - the day is not over yet!

Newsman