Sky Blue Thinking?

I posted a wee while back about my disillusionment with Virgin Media and how they didn't seem perturbed when the lovely Marion (thereafter referred on this blog as The Guv'nr) decided to change our cable television, Internet and telephone provider. After a wee bit of research, the Sky TV deals seemed particularly attractive and we changed provider about a month ago.

So far, so good as far as Sky are concerned. We opted initially for the basic tv package but found that despite the dozens of channels available, it would be beneficial to pay £5 extra each month for a much greater choice. Thus, we decided during the week to go for Sky Entertainment.

Now, The Guv'nr and I have not been blessed with much luck recently when it comes to new technology. Our new 'smart' tv wasn't smart enough to pick up our Wi-Fi connection when we purchased it last summer and the smart mobile phone I purchased towards the end of last year - admittedly at the lower end of the scale - wasn't so much smart as clueless (it confirmed to me the old adage of you get what you pay for as being absolutely true)

It was with this in mind that The Guv'nr and I decided, with some trepidation, to upgrade our Sky TV package. We opted for the sadly all too common form of communication to enable this action - we did it on line (remember the days when people actually spoke to each other?) However, our fears were completely unfounded. Seconds after clicking the mouse to confirm we accepted the terms and conditions, Sky Entertainment was on our not so smart television screen. As easy as clicking the mouse.

Which, as Virgin Media may wish to note, is how it should be

Storing up Trouble

When I moved away from Dalkeith last year, most of my worldly goods were packed into black backs and transported to my new abode on a gradual basis. So many things accumulate over the years and it's quite staggering to come across old forgotten items which were bought on a whim with the idea being 'that will come in handy some day'. It seldom does, of course, and it was small wonder the loft of my old house was creaking with the weight of such junk over the years.

Even today, having moved all my stuff out and having sold the house, there are things of mine now ensconced in my daughter's loft. What would be ideal, of course, would be somewhere to store such things - somewhere easily accessible, safe and secure.

I'm sure my beloved elder daughter will be talking to me about my rubbish valuables now taking up space in her loft. The trouble is, I've already forgotten much of what is there - and in my new abode in Leith, I don't have a loft.

What's that? Why don't I just throw these things out? Well, that's a consideration. However, when I do eventually get round to looking at them again, I have a strong suspicion I'll be keeping such and such for sentimental reasons; and, I can't really throw this out because it reminds me of; oh, and I simply can't chuck this....

Which begs the obvious question - if they aren't going to be thrown out, what are they doing in my daughter's loft in the first place?

Answers on a postcard, please. Which I'll store in my daughter's loft...

The Botswana Connection

 

A colleague of mine at work was telling me the other day about her plans to return to her homeland of South Africa to spend Christmas and New Year. Although she loves living and working in Scotland, she is obviously excited about going home to see family and friends – at the time of the year when people tend to focus more on their families.

Now my feelings about Christmas and what it has turned into are well-documented throughout this blog. When my colleague enquired if I was going away for Christmas I gave the standard reply of no, it will be the usual routine. She suggested I should consider getting away from the festive hullabaloo one year and, although naturally biased, she recommended South Africa. But she also ventured a neighbouring country for the true taste of Africa – Botswana.

With Scotland voting next year on whether it should become an independent nation or not, I was interested to read that Botswana became independent from Britain in 1966. It has a population of two million people and what I found particularly interesting was the fact that when it gained its independence 47 years ago, it was one of the poorest countries in Africa. Today, nearly half a century later, it has one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

Tourism plays it part. Although much of the country is desert, virtually all Botswana’s famous wildlife areas are located in the north of the country. Safaris in Botswana are a must when visiting the country and there are classic viewing areas home to phenomenal concentrations of Big Game, as well as some of Africa’s finest camps.

 

A country, many of whose citizens were affected by poverty but strove for independence from the British government. A country that relies on its wonderful scenery and thriving tourist trade. And a country whose economy continues to grow as a result of independence.  

Geographically, Scotland and Botswana are thousands of miles apart. But as two countries with untapped potential they may be closer than we think…

Portrait of a Dad

 

You won't be surprised to learn I received this from elder daughter. Thank you, Laura....

Queue? Aye!!

Perhaps it’s an age thing. Perhaps it’s my status as a grandfather of three. Perhaps both these factors have combined to festoon grumpy old man status upon me. But I suspect I’m not the only person to mourn the passing of etiquette on the streets of our wonderful capital city. Rudeness, ignorance and a self-centred approach seems all too common in an age where people simply must rush to get to their destination.  

Preferring to sit in the passenger seat of life, I use public transport to make my way to the drudgery of work during the week, the joy of family commitments at the weekend and the not always joyful commitment of watching Heart of Midlothian FC attempt to claw their way back from a negative points total. Lothian Buses, it has to be said, do a splendid job in providing a comprehensive bus service in Edinburgh. Not everyone may share my view, of course, but in my experience their buses are reliable and efficient. My problem is waiting for a bus and an art that seems to have died on the streets of Edinburgh (and very likely the streets of every other city and town in the land) – queuing.

My daily routine is to leave the house bleary-eyed at 8.00am every morning and head for a bus in Leith to take me reluctantly to the office. It’s very much Reginald Perrinesque - same routine, same time, same place. At the bus shelter there are the familiar faces who also go through the same routine as yours truly and there is the occasional flicker of a smile or nod of the head to acknowledge ‘yep, here we go again’. We wait patiently glancing at the bus tracker which indicates the number 14 bus is ‘due’. The bus tracker is a fairly recent invention which can have sinister tendencies. It lulls you into a false sense of anticipation when it flashes on its green screen that your bus is ‘due’; more seasoned bus travellers now assume that ‘due’ can mean the bus will arrive as much as three, four or five minutes later, depending on traffic.

Inevitably, just as the much-yearned for bus approaches the bus stop, there will be someone rushing along the pavement who shows a total disregard for those of us who have waited for what seems an eternity and plonks themself in front of the bus stop at the street kerb. When said bus duly arrives, this ignoramus is first on the bus which can be quite infuriating if he/she takes the last remaining seat.

This is something that seems to be happening more and more. I’ve sadly accepted that me offering my seat to someone on a bus may invoke an outburst of ‘do you think I’m too weak to stand?’ in much the same way as holding a door open for a member of the opposite sex can be unfairly labelled as sexist. However, the etiquette of recognising people who have stood at a bus stop far longer than you and have the right to get on the bus before you seems to have disappeared.

I used to think it was mainly tourists who didn’t bother queuing and simply jostled their way past long-suffering city dwellers who have just spent ten minutes or so willing the numbers to come down on a large metal pole adjacent to the bus stop.  However, it isn’t just visitors to our city who behave this way. My Monday morning blues deepen when a callow youth will appear from nowhere blissfully unaware of the half dozen or so folk standing in frustration at a bus stop and simply stride on a bus whilst checking their Facebook newsfeeds on their mobile phone.

Princes Street, as you might expect, is quite bad for this as are the Bridges but I’ve also experienced this outside St. James Centre and at various points in Leith - particularly Great Junction Street and the foot of Leith Walk.

Now this may seem like the rant of a grumpy old man but I suspect it’s not just people of my age group (early 50s if you must know) who are sick to the back teeth of such ignorant behaviour.

 It happens all too frequently and a restrained reaction from those of us standing open-mouthed at the arrogance of it all more often than not doesn’t make a blind bit of difference – nor, in my experience, does ‘Jist hud oan there, fella – there’s a bloody queue’ All you get is a vacant look accompanied by a shrug of the shoulders with a ‘so what?’ attitude.

I haven’t yet been refused entry on a bus because some lout dived on before me and the rest of the queue and took the last available space. But I’m sure it’s just a matter of time.

To paraphrase a well-known BBC television programme hosted by Stephen Fry, the next time someone pushes in front of me to get on a bus, I will likely respond by dragging back the offender with the words ‘Queue? Aye!! Now get to the back of it!’

 

If You're Thinking of Using BT...

...you may wish to consider my email to BT below. My mother has recently moved house  - and has been without her BT landline and broadband services for a few weeks. Below is my attempt to get BT to do something about it.

Sirs,

 

I am emailing to complain in the strongest possible terms about the order below and your customer service.

 

I am the son of Isabella Smith, the customer in the email below. She is 76 years old and recently moved home to sheltered housing accommodation. I have helped her with the transfer of her BT telephone and broadband service from her previous home to her new one. Here is a summary of events so far.

 

20 July - completed on-line transfer of service. My mother received a confirmation email to advise an engineer would visit her at her new home on 20 August - three days after she moved in.

 

20 August - despite being advised an engineer would call between 1.00pm and 6.00pm no one called. I tried to phone the BT number 0800 800 150 but, after an hour of 'queueing' could not get to speak to anyone.

 

21 August - spent another hour after work trying to get through on 0800 800 150 - still didn't get through. I sent a strongly worded email.

 

22 August - 8.00am - finally got through (after making myself late for work) and was told an engineer would reschedule a visit for 9 September between 1.00pm and 6.00pm. When I advised that an elderly woman not having a land line for another 3 weeks wasn't acceptable I was told this was the first available date.

 

7 September - my mother receives two emails from BT confirming an engineer will visit her between 1.00pm and 6.00pm on 9 September.

 

9 September - I took a half day off work to be at my mother's home for the engineer calling. No one called. There was no text message or call to my mother's mobile to advise. I phoned BT at 7.30 and after having to wait 20 minutes to speak to an advisor, was told the engineer's report stated my mother's telephone line would be activated at 12 midnight - this despite no one calling or contacting her to advise this.

 

10 September - my mother still has no phone line. It had not been activated as promised. I called BT yet again at 5.00pm after my work and was told by another advisor that a BT engineer had called at my mother's home at 7.00pm on 9 September. This a blatant lie - I was with her at that time and I can assure you no one from BT visited or made any contact.

 

I was told by a BT advisor that an engineer would call round to my mother's on 30 September - nearly 3 weeks later! I replied this was completely unacceptable and that an urgent appointment had to be made. The advisor told me she would speak to her supervisor and phone my mother in half an hour (I had to go out and was already late for a meeting) No one phoned - but my mother received a text message advising that an engineer would visit her on 30 September.

 

Quite frankly, my mother has been treated appallingly by BT. She has been a loyal BT customer for several decades now and has her phone line and broadband services from you. She has paid a full year's line rental in advance in June and has not had a telephone line for nearly 3 weeks - with another 3 weeks delay this will be 6 weeks in total. Obviously, she has had no broadband service for this period either.

 

My mother is nearly 77 years old. She has various health problems including angina and high blood pressure. She lives alone and a land-line telephone is essential. None of this is her fault yet she is being treated like a second class citizen rather than a loyal BT customer.

 

I am extremely angry and demand this is resolved as a matter of urgency. BT have treated my mother with contempt and have blatantly lied to me, her next of kin.

 

PLEASE ENSURE HER TELEPHONE AND BROADBAND SERVICE IS ACTIVATED AS A MATTER OF URGENCY. The order details are below.

 

If not, I shall be seeking legal advice over this matter.

 

Mike Smith (son)

Turning Your Front Room Into Your Office

I had the pleasure of meeting former Hearts star Rudi Skacel in Edinburgh last week. The man who has played in and scored for two Hearts Scottish Cup winning sides was spending a long weekend in Scotland's capital city and he was accompanied by his partner Eva.

Eva is keen to write a book about the great man and, knowing I had written a couple of books (still available in all good bookshops etc) she sought my advice on such matters. Years ago, before the internet, getting such a venture off the ground would have been fraught with problems. However, communication is now better than ever and with things such as Skype and webcams the world has become a much smaller place.

She spoke about self-publishing and there is no doubt this is far easier now than in days of yore. You can even turn your front room into an office and publish your work from there. And if you class it as a business there are no shortage of communication companies lining up to offer you special deals. Companies such as talktalk business broadband offer special rates for businesses  - even for small would be self-publishers such as Eva.

I can imagine a book about Rudi would sell thousands in Edinburgh. He will always be a hero to the thousands of Hearts fans who continue to worship him even though it's been over a year since he left Tynecastle.

I wish Eva and Rudi the best of success with their venture.