Dear Marmite
It is over a week since I wrote to you. That is partly because I have had guests -orginally from Singapore- to stay. People you know! It was lovely catching up and talking about Singapore and about you too. So, as you see, I haven't entirely forgotten you.
My friends were kind enough to accept my place as it is or were polite about the state of the power shower and the heating system not to moan. My home is still a work in progress and a little help from some expert tradesmen would move things on faster. My heating system could be better. I have checked out how to bleed radiators and the ones I have done are certainly better. I lack the tools to do them all so that is the next trip to B&Q planned.
I have painted three bedrooms and plan to do the hallway next, starting downstairs. I now realise how much energy COVID took out of me when I painted my bedroom while suffering. The other two were a doddle by comparison. Anyway, I digress... back to telling you about my friends.
Margy came over from Cambridge on a bus to Milton Keynes. Public transport over here is both expensive and unreliable. One of her connections didn't run so she needed to wait half an hour for the next one. This would be unheard of in Singapore.
Susan came by train. This wasn't a problem fortunately - no excuses for delayed trains on this ocassion, at least. We must await future developments of things like having the wrong type of leaves on the line as winter approaches and drivers going AWOL.
I think our expectations of public transport over here are so low that we expect to hear the odd bizarre anouncement. Not only is it unreliable, it is also quite expensive. This brings to mind how little we are doing to reduce carbon emissions... investing in cheap, reliable transport systems could be a good start. I certainly couldn't exist without a car, especially as I have just got my umpteenth flat on my bike - errgh.
I recently experienced weather when driving locally that actually scared me. The rain came down so hard it was like being in a carwash. The wind blew across the road like a hurricane and for a short while I really couldn't see the bonnet of my car, leave alone the road. It was worse than a downpour in Singapore - much worse, and that is saying something. Had I had been on my bike God knows what my fate would have been.
Margy, Susan and I went for a trip to Bletchley Park. It is an amazing place and even more amazing for the fact that 9000 people worked there at the peak and nobody in the community were really sure what went on inside the brick huts. It is the home of the first computer - Colloseus. My grandson. Dylan reckoned I would have got a job there because I do crosswords every day but I'm not so sure they needed people who could do the Guardian Quickie.
You will be pleased to know that M&S have set another date for me to expect a replacement cushion cover. They have also said they will offer me £50 of vouchers and £100 compensation. This, I have not agreed to. I have told them that the last place I will actually shop is their shop so how would them giving me vouchers compensate me. Watch this space for further twattery. I continue to imagine what else they could possibly do.
I am sure, Marms, your thoughts about M&S dealing with me must be similar to mine. I have told you so much of the silly things they have done, it is a soap opera!
Sending you all my love...
XXX
No comments:
Post a Comment