My Two Pence

The English pottery industry has been in a poor state for some time now.  Though, now it seems that the last stand has finely fallen and the heart of the Stoke-on-Trent pottery industry is set to die.

Stoke-on-Trent was built around the pot kilns and smoky sky’s many years ago.  The culture, economy and people have had pottery in their blood for 250 years and now sadly it looks to be coming to an end.

The loss of jobs shouldn’t be forgotten but I think the whole of Britain should morn in the loss of the great manufacturing giant of years gone past.  A truly global dominator from what now seems history.  I doubt very much that the Chinese or whichever newly industrialised country takes over the production will do the goods justice.  It does beg the question as to whether people will buy Wedgewood if it is not produced in the UK as surely that was the whole point?!

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Well, Christmas is over and we are officially back to work with 2009 moving full speed ahead.

What does 2009 hold for us?  The recession has officially kicked in and unemployment is growing at an unsustainable rate, businesses are going under and Britain is getting depressed.  Christmas brought a much needed holiday to the misery that is the UK at the moment.

The youth of today have no interest in politics and have learnt from an early age that politicians talk crap and have no grip on reality today.   How can they?  Earning £60,000 a year each and rarely mixing with normal society.

I do worry about Britain; it’s true it’s going to the shitter.  The people entrusted to run the country have no idea; they talk of ideals while the rest of us worry how to pay the bills.

I do hope that this year improves as it is going to be a long 2009 if it doesn’t!

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I must have worked hard this year.  I don’t know where the time has gone and I feel exhausted!

Never before have I felt so ready for the break.  In years gone past I have been a real bar-humbug!  This year I am totally prepared for Christmas, my presents are under the tree and I am sorted!  I have a full week off work to chill out and be festive and I for one am going to make the most of it!

My only problem is that no matter what I do, I have to keep one eye on my young puppy dog as he seems determined to open my presents before Christmas morning!

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Do you not think that Christmas television has been terrible this year?!

On Sunday night, as per usual I looked forward to Top Gear at 8pm.  However, when I was channel flicking at 7:30pm I was gutted to realise that it was already on.  Then I noticed that it all seemed a little familiar… they were showing the same episode as last week!

It’s a few days before Christmas and the BBC are showing reruns of a current series.  Terrible!

Not only this, but where are the abundance of Christmas films, programs and music?  These days we are paying more than ever for television services and I think it is about time we got our moneys worth, instead of Terry Wogan, Jonathon Ross and the likes taking the majority of it!

I think that the TV networks have let themselves and the paying public down this year!  Let’s hope that they get their acts together for Christmas 2009!

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My Dad always said that if he ever made it, he would buy a big yacht; could you imagine the shipping insurance on that?  He said he’d only ever buy one if he could afford the top of the range model with luxurious interiors and that could house the whole family.  I bet at the moment we couldn’t even afford the shipping insurance!  It’s all pipe dreams and I am quite sure that unless some kind of lottery miracle occurs this will never happen.

I have decided that the best way forward is to have lots of small achievable goals.  My first point of call is a small, newish, hatchback car with some ultra modern applications such as; power assisted steering, central locking, electric windows and perhaps even remote locking.   Yes, at the moment a three point turn has me looking more like Popeye than Olive Oil and I really don’t need a work out every time I turn my car around!

Then perhaps to be out of debt, though I can’t see that one happening any time soon?  When I went to university they told us that we have brilliant deals on our student loans and that the government had our backs and that the money would come out of our bank accounts as we started to earn more.  Now I have a decent job, mind you not decent enough to be able to afford to pay off a chunk of my student loan off, but somehow I ended up owing an extra £600 on last year?!  I guess I must have imagined it when they said it would be a good rate?!

Oh well, I guess I’m yet another poor old soul that will be waiting on a Lottery Miracle!!

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The Louvre Museum has found drawings on the back of a Leonardo da Vinci painting previously undiscovered.  The drawings are believed to be done by da Vinci himself, though how they have gone undiscovered for so long is not known.

The drawings feature part of a skull, baby Jesus with a lamb and a horse head and were on the back of The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne.  The curator made the discovery on the back of the wooden painting.

The Louvre said:

“This is an exceptional discovery because drawings on the back of paintings are very rare and no example by Leonardo was previously known.  The style of the drawings recalls the style of Leonardo, but research is ongoing to clarify their authorship.”

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Make the most of this Christmas with Free Online Bingo!  I am sure many of you will be getting new laptops off Santa Claus so you can have a crack at internet gaming!  With so much competition in the online gaming industry companies are offering bigger jackpots and free online bingo games.

I am not much of a gambler however, since I received my new laptop I have now become an online shopping addict.  In my younger years I was a high street shopaholic, well at least until the credit card companies caught up with me!

Now I am far more reserved shopping on the high street and only buy things when I really want them and they fit perfectly.  My new problem is that online they look so pretty on the screen and the model makes the clothes look so nice!  I always think that they will look that nice on me and I am hook line and sinker for something that I just don’t need.

The other problem is that the bargain that I have inevitably fallen in love with has a massive delivery charge, which means the bargain is not actually a bargain at all!  Spewing!

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In the news today, Ofgem have announced that they will fine NPower owned by German energy giants RWE £1.8 million. 

According to Ofgem, NPower have not tried to prevent the mis-selling of its energy supply contracts to customers.

NPower have sacked six sales staff following their own investigation in May after allegations people had been misled.  The ruling states that consumers should be fully aware that they are entering a contract.

Following the mis-sells, management failed to follow up the claims of poor door to door sales staff.

Sarah Harrison of Ofgem has said:

“This decision sends a clear message to energy suppliers that failing customers and falling short of licence standards will lead to Ofgem action”.

Ofgem have said that 2009 will bring tougher regulations for door to door sales staff to try and prevent mis-selling.   Suggestions that door to door sales staff should provide written quotations comparing their offer with that of their existing supplier have been mentioned.

A further  17 staff from NPower have been sacked following the investigation that began in April.  Hopefully energy suppliers will begin to realise that they are not invincible.  Though, it is questionable how much effect £1.8 million will have on NPower.

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What is the deal with customer service these days?  Dixons must be the worse customer service ever.  Honestly I got off the phone after being put on hold for approximately 10 minutes by three advisors and was shaking with anger!!!

Apparently the Customer Service Managers at Dixons are too good to come to the telephone?!  There was no way to escalate my problem and when the advisor had gotten sick of me they just put me on hold indefinitely!

Seriously, how do companies like Dixons stay in business?

I’m still waiting for my refund, which has taken nearly a month, after them initially telling me that they had not taken any money from my account.  I seldom check my bank details and only did see that they had debited hundreds of pounds from my account because I randomly scanned through my statement.

I am so annoyed by Dixons and think that they need to raise their game!!!  A company such as theirs should have at least a basic customer service set up!

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This Christmas I can’t wait to huddle around the fireplace! It’s going to be so festive!

Fireplaces actually give the Christmas stockings somewhere to live. It will look so authentic and old school Christmas like. I might even get some satsumas and mulled wine to get into the spirit.

The only problem I face is the crazy husky puppy that I have had recently brought home. I’m sure that he’ll cause himself injury as surely he will not know to stay away. I am told that if he does it once he won’t do it again, but he is so beautiful that I cannot let him run the risk.

We put the Christmas tree up and that was hard enough, try telling a 5 month old puppy that baubles are not for tea. The lights are actually integrated into the tree and I was very worried that he would be electrocuted by trying to nibble on one. He’s at that age where all he wants to do is eat stuff, anything and everything!!!

The biggest travesty is that I haven’t even been allowed chocolates on the tree as the pup will become even more hell bent on eating the tree.

It’s a good job he’s cute!!!

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