Sue

What was the nature of your overcharging, PR?

Oh come on, it's quite big, a pond is quite small :))

When I said that I had worked at King's in the past and had never received any info about discounts with local businesses with my payslip, they said that this scheme was "just starting in this area". ??? :-S

I was phoned recently by someone asking me to sign up to a scheme which apparently offers "benefits" to NHS staff and is just starting up in the East Dulwich area. They claimed at least three local people had recommended me as a "complementary therapist" and that if I offered discounts to NHS staff this information would go out in payslips of staff at King's. They told me of other local businesses who had already signed up, including, bizarrely, the dental practice I go to (I haven't checked this out yet) and that make-and-paint-your-own-pottery place. I would have thought that was a breach of confidentiality. They said they couldn't email me information about the scheme (can't remember why) and couldn't post it because "that would be too expensive" - however they managed to send out a hard-sell guy in a car, presumably that was much cheaper than the post. They said that of course the NHS couldn't be seen to be spending money on a staff benefit scheme, so I would have to pay to be in it - they wouldn't divulge the amount on the phone. To cut a long story short: I am not a complementary therapist. I do have a sideline selling magnotherapy wristbands, after I used one successfully myself for arthritic symptoms and migraines. Most of my business is mail order from recommendations, and I am quite sure there aren't any local people who would have recommended me as I have never sold any locally. The only place I have been described as a "complementary therapist" was when I was offered a free entry in a local directory (where this category was the only place my very part-time business would fit). The guy who came to see me went through a process like a double-glazing salesman would - is anyone else involved in the business with you, if so they must be present, you must sign up today, can't have time to think about it etc etc etc., he had official-looking letters from HR people at King's and Lewisham hospital, etc etc.. (I think these were genuine, I recognised the name on the King's one as I used to work there). he said "what sort of percentage increase would you be looking for" etc etc etc Anyway - no way would I sign up to something without being given time to consider it, and the minimum "investment" (his words) involved was hundreds of pounds. Is this genuine? I googled Medicare before agreeing to see this guy, and they do indeed seem to be being used by both the NHS and DVLA. But the way they are going about things makes me very very suspicious indeed. Anybody else been approached? Can anybody shed any light?

bigbadwolf Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Get yourself down to the Crapitol (J.D > Wetherspoons) on London rd Forest hill for an > afternoon session that involves sitting in a > deathly silent shithole where the only other > drinkers livers paked in years ago and are only > being kept alive by the heat of the radiator and > ramnble random and bizzare Mick Oirish drivle into > their pint glass pausing only to give the dog a > 'Top up'. You'll then feel the overwhelming sense > doom and wasted opportunity sweeping through your > body only being broken from the spell once you've > seen a pidgeon shit in your pint. > > Beers cheap though. xxxxxx Hey, that sounds good :)) Weekend solved then :)-D

Yes Firezza, had them at a party once, head and shoulders above other pizza deliverers (is that a word?)

Mick Mac Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The seats in the back needed refurbed/replaced at > least 5 years ago. I'm not sure if they have > because I no longer go in that part - but I'd say > the pub is really well positioned and could have a > big catchment if it got its act together and did a > proper refurb. > It only seems to be busy on sports events. xxxxxx But the lack of a "proper refurb" is why it's such a great place. Though OK, they could do something with their planting out the front, and also the Ladies :)) And if they brought back the Adnams Broadside instead of the bitter, that would definitely make me go there more. But I like both the bars as they are. I noticed at the weekend that they had done something to the ceiling in the "old" bit, but it still has that unreconstructed feel :) Edited to say: If Dan was the guy who kindly gave me his Little Miss Sunshine tee shirt, respect :)

Went to the checkout yesterday with a basket of stuff including a bottle of wine which was supposed to be ?3.99 - half price. I paid by debit card. Glancing at my bill on my way out I saw I had been charged ?7.99 for the wine. Yet this was for a wine which was on a massive display with "half price" in enormous letters over it! On returning to the checkout, I was asked to sign a slip saying "- ?7.99, product unsuitable" - I crossed out the "product unsuitable" and wrote in "wrong price charged." Instead of having ?7.99 refunded via the card and ?3.99 charged to the card, I was handed four pound coins - and no copy of the slip, I afterwards realised. I have no idea how the other ?3.99 was accounted for given that apparently the whole ?7.99 had been deducted from the till. I am honestly not carrying out a vendetta against Somerfield - I still shop there, after all! - but this is the third incident I have personally been involved in (card cloned - my bank more or less admitted it was from there - no cashback given, overcharged) and I have witnessed others (no cashback given - like me, the guy realised before leaving the store). Am I just unlucky? Or is it my own fault for being nitpicky and looking at my bill? :-S Edited to say: Even more nitpickingly, I think it might have said "product not required", not "product not suitable"

MrBen Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > > Until that happens I'm sorry but it will remain a > faded backwater pub that about 4 people drink in > with silly wall paper out front and a velvet > morgue in the back. xxxxxxxxx We were in there at the weekend and it was absolutely rammed, it was lovely to see it so full :) Glad other people are discovering its charms :)

tropica Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > > I'm afraid it does go astray quite often when > there is a replacement postman. > A fortnight ago we found some of our neighbour's > post shoved into our paper recycling bag. We could > only presume that the (holiday replacement) > postman couldn't be bothered to walk back a few > yards when he realised that he hadn't delivered > all their post. > >xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Have you reported this? If not, it will just continue to happen :-S

bob Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Sue why would the sender send us copies which we > got in two days if it was sitting on someone's > desk???? > Bob S xxxxxx Well there could be a number of reasons, but life's too short - but just one, different people involved :)

:))

bob Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Lenk > We phoned the company after 3 days they confirmed > it was posted on the 13th so it look's as it's > down to our good old postal service. > Bob S xxxxxx Unless they can prove when it was posted, I'm inclined to think it may well have been sitting on someone's desk somewhere. Mail really doesn't go astray that often, though of course it's very noticeable when it does.

I use Barry Road frequently, including at night, and I don't feel unsafe. This kind of approach, whilst no doubt meant well, is just encouraging people to feel unnecessarily nervous. Vulnerable due to overgrown trees/bushes at a bus stop?! On a busy main road?! Whatever next (no, don't tell me :) )

Can franking machines be falsified? Are you sure it was actually posted when the date stamp says? Edited to say I obviously didn't mean the machine could be falsified but I've had a hard day :))

I see Ray is still sticking to American spelling ... Center? Favorite?

On the radio yesterday (erm, I was in the car) there was a whole piece about Pollack being renamed because people are too embarrassed to ask for it. It wasn't even 1 April. What a load of Pollacks.

We got really close to the heron on Saturday, it was right by the path. Have only ever seen it on the island before. Sadly however a family came and started throwing bread at it and it flew off :-S

They do kindly put in info about our music events :) And I like the new layout of SE22 I live off North Cross Road and get both SE22 and Living South delivered regularly

HonaloochieB Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- >> Yeah PGC, that Suzie Quatro with her 'Can The Can' > nonsense. Got right up my hooter so it did. xxxxxxxxxx Hey lay off, HB, Can the Can was great :)) :)-D

njc97 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Sue - I agree. I had a superb sunday lunch in the > mag last weekend but my only gripe were the > potatoes. Over boiled and not crispy enough. xxxxxx Yeh it's a shame, I should have said something really as that was the second time I've had an excellent roast in the mag spoiled by soggy potatoes, and the rest of my lunch was wonderful.

dazeykat Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Sadly, no sparrows or song > thrushes in my garden though. Does anyone else > have them? xxxxxx I had loads of sparrows last year, not seen many this year though.

Stamp collecting, bridge, golf, taking photographs of buses and cataloguing them. Not. Probably if you were going to do any of those you would be doing them already though. Edited to say: An ex of mine spent hours doing three of those, and an ex work colleague from Basingstoke did the other. Buses. Had a whole room of his house devoted to the photos. I shared an office with him for over a year. He also smoked a pipe. In the days when smoking in offices was allowed. It was a very small office. Hey, you could take up pipe smoking as a hobby. Clan is a good pipe tobacco, mmmmmmmmm.

People crunching apples. People sniffing. People who say "to be honest" when they're clearly not.

Michael Palaeologus Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Surely just a 40 or a 185 or a 176 to E&C, > Bakerloo to Paddington and then the express > train? > > S'alright for you, I have to get there for 5am - > now thats a bugger. xxxxxxxx 185 doesn't go to E&C - goes to Oval, Vauxhall, Victoria. Hope you made your flight Michael P!