Twirly

Surely this represents a conflict of interest? How can you represent both parties in the deal?

When the bus "regulates" the service by pausing at the bus stop before the one you want to get off at - which in my case is usually the one nearest the train station, and is where most people get off. Regulate it at that stop and save your passengers the frustration of missing the next train!

Robert Poste's Child Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Loz Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > Going off the kids name subject a little (I > blame > > LN), but when working in Berlin there was a > Herr > > Titz working in the office. > > > > This was not helped by the fact that Germans > tend > > to answer the phone with just their surname. > > I worked for a German company and had a colleague > whose surname was Kuntz (true). I had a colleague in our German office whose last name was Wankum.

I once had to explain to a travelling Canadian why Brits sniggered when he introduced himself as Randy.

Good idea, but I agree, a link would be very helpful.

And another one done

What does that even mean?!

That wasn't what I was doing and when I used the same solicitor 15 years previously, he had been good.

Oh mine did lots. Lots of emails asking questions which I diligently answered, sometimes multiple times. This was followed up by an email asking ME to collate my responses! They received a very choicely worded email back telling them politely to do their job, and if they wanted one email with all the answers in, to just send one with all the questions in. He backed down pretty rapidly.

I can't believe that I am writing this, but having recently sold and bought, both sets of estate agents were, on the whole, brilliant. Admittedly my flat sold in 4 days, and I expected them to lose interest after that. But they nursed both deals all the way through. The weak links in the system turned out to be my solicitor (whose standards had clearly slipped since I last used them), my buyers common sense, then my lender being unable to read plain English and deciding there was a problem with my purchase, despite the surveyor telling them 4 times that there wasn't. The estate agents were great. Now I need to go and have a lie down to recover from the shock of praising estate agents...

Definitely sounds as if you need a referral to a specialist. Hope you get one and get better soon.

Loz Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Really? I prefer the machines. They're very fast > and efficient if you can use them properly. I hate them. "Unexpected item in the bagging area" every single time, even if there is nothing there. And if you lift your bag up to adjust things they say it too. I would have listed them as a pet hate here, but I don't think my rage is irrational!

How are you feeling Louisa? Any better?

A few years ago I had a bout of gastro enteritis. Initially I was told to avoid all dairy, and when that didn't work, was told to take nothing but water for 24 hours. That seemed to do the trick. But you should probably get medical advice, if your GP can't help call NHS direct.

I ended up hiring a couple of cars up in Scotland last year as I couldn't face driving all the way up there! I can't recommend a particular company (though both the ones we used were fine), but I would recommend booking through http://www.travelsupermarket.com/ I was researching costs, and found that the same companies cost almost half if I went through travel supermarket! For the first trip I didn't use TS, but booked directly through Atlas Choice, and they were fine. The second one I think we hired through holiday autos, but you get the actual car from a local company so it is a bit more of a lottery.

On a similar subject, anyone who takes up more than their fare share of the double seat on a train or bus! It's not usually down to their size, since I've sat next to plenty of generously proportioned people who seem to fit in just fine, but also plenty of very slight people who seem to spread themselves out to take up as much space as possible. It's to do with attitude and slouching (spent half an hour on half a seat on the bus this morning, very uncomfortable, but I've got a knee problem at the moment so need to sit rather than stand).

OP, well done for admitting your fault and learning from the posts on here. I suspect that fines/charges for these spaces are in place as, unfortunately, so many people won't obey societal rules without being beaten with a big stick. I have no issues with parent and child parking, or the fines, for the record. And whilst I've never had a problem finding a space in that Sainsbury's car park, there have been plenty of other car parks where I've just had to have a bit of a drive around waiting for a space to become free. Maybe you could try that tactic next time.

Just out of curiosity, what is the position if the tree comes down and damages your property? Are they/their insurance responsible?

Congratulations Otta, hope you'll be very happy there.

How did it go? Sorry I didn't see this earlier. I cooked a lovely mushroom and cheese pie for my pie loving husband last night. And btw, if any veggies want to have that almost parmesan experience, the Sainsbury value Italian hard cheese is made without animal rennet, and personally I can't tell the difference.

The market was always quieter in January and February, post Christmas when people have less money and the weather is bad. Am sure it will be back soon.

I suspect that what PinkyB means is that eventually those first time buyers on fairly average salaries with 10% deposits will be priced out of London, and they are often the people who keep things running (teachers, nurses, shop workers, cleaners, etc.) And the market needs those people. Another issue in a few years time will be those professionals graduating with ?30k worth of debt who won't be able to buy for a few years, unless the bank of mum and dad help out. That might dry up some of the first time buyer market and calm things down too, but it's hard to say.

Penguin68 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > It is not often realised that on horseback the > police get a much better view over fences and into > gardens, allowing them to spot lurkers and hiders > more easily. This is a better perspective than > they can get on foot patrol (not that we see that > nowadays very much) and a much better perspective > than from inside a car. When the stables were in > the Whately Road station they used to patrol quite > regularly. I used to see them almost daily too, when I lived on Oakhurst Grove, the sound of the hooves was quite comforting, but then I have a fondness for horses. I missed them when they left. I suspect that there isn't a connection, but it's interesting that post-removal of the stables/regular patrols of mounted police, crime does seem to have gone up in the area (or at least our awareness of it on the EDF). It's good that they are increasing patrols though.

rahrahrah Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > This is interesting: > http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/feb/02/lo > ndon-property-market-bubble-cool-down-ey-item-club It is. And as I said earlier, it's those rich foreign buyers again. If this is correct, then it is up to the government to do something about it, but I suspect they won't, and it will be the poorer people who live in London who suffer. Those who have stretched themselves now before they get priced out of the market altogether, whilst those rich foreigners flit off with their profits to the next investment opportunity in the next country...

Purely anecdotally, but I think that more properties are coming onto the market now in the area in which we have bought, as I am still getting alerts for Wallington, Carshalton and Cheam. I seem to be receiving more alerts, and more with two properties on. Luckily of us, I've not seen anywhere else I prefer the look of! I wouldn't say the market was flooded, but I have been wondering if people have heard that the market is more buoyant, and therefore post-Christmas have put their properties up for sale. Presumably this will have an effect on the supply/demand/price equation. Are many more properties coming on the market in ED yet?