A random thread for small things that don't really warrant a thread of their own

[Cudzoziemiec]

So my memory must be from '79 or '80. But I also remember that occasionally, instead of the Beano, I would buy Whizzer and Chips, which actually cost 10p – so my whole pocket money! I think it was a bit longer than the Beano and had this pretence of being two comics in one, you could be either a Whizzer or a Chippite (no, I can't remember which I was) so, although it was really not such a good comic, I sometimes bought it instead.

[Flite]

My pocket money wasn't metric!
But I did get one of the old thrupenny bits for getting out of bed when called at 4.15am on a Sunday morning, and another thruppence for eating breakfast and getting into the car efficiently by 5am.
Guess what sport my parents were involved with??

[Kim]

Information on contemporary crisp prices is harder to come by.

This sounds like a job for the Freddo Index, but it seems that Freddos were on hiatus from 1979-1994 (which explains their absence from my childhood^[1]), at which point they were re-launched at the price of 10p.


_{[1] We had the Wildlife Bars instead.}

[Wowbagger]

These need to be listed alongside what your rent, then essential bills + food were.

I worked out I'm paid almost nothing more than I was per hour accounting for inflation 15 years ago. I'm going to be asking my boss on Tuesday for a payrise, which will be refused, but I'm asking anyway cos they are Taking The Piss. I have 15 years experience and a postgrad qual so they need to pay me better for the difficult job I do.

When we were married, our first residence was a sea front flat in Westcliff. It cost us £7 a week in rent. We lived there for 2 years and when we bought our first place, the mortgage was £66 a month. It wasn't long before Thatcher put that up to >£100 a month by increasing the mortgage rate to 15%

[Jurek]

The Hare Krishna people came to Forest Hill yesterday.
That's a first IME.
They were distributing glossy leaflets.
And orange peace.
Two men and two women.
Dressed in their traditional robes.
With decoration down the centre of their foreheads and bridge of their noses.
Contrasting with her traditional robes, one of the women was wearing platform soled Doctor Marten boots.
I guess if they encountered any bovver, she would be the nominated individual to deal with it.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Aren't orange peace actually lentils?


The shakedry with reflective om, please.

[TimC]

These need to be listed alongside what your rent, then essential bills + food were.

I worked out I'm paid almost nothing more than I was per hour accounting for inflation 15 years ago. I'm going to be asking my boss on Tuesday for a payrise, which will be refused, but I'm asking anyway cos they are Taking The Piss. I have 15 years experience and a postgrad qual so they need to pay me better for the difficult job I do.

For several months in 1977 my Mess bill (accommodation, food and alcohol) exceeded my pay. There was an element of over-indulgence involved, but the pay was rubbish. At that time, a married Flight Lieutenant (Captain in Army talk) with two kids living in married quarters qualified for Housing Benefit. It was that statistic that brought about the relatively huge pay rise in 1980.

[mrcharly-YHT]

Last year I contacted the local outdoor ed centre about volunteering to help on DoE and other activities.

They got back to me today, asking me to fill in a form.

It is a full employment application form. Wants current and previous employers, education history and permission to contact my current employers.

Erm, no.

If that is really what they are insisting volunteers go through, no wonder they have a shortage.

I have a Certificate of Disclosure. You need the number off that, ID to verify I am who I say I am, and relevant qualifications (mountain leader stuff, which I don't have).

I'm not going through the mess of trying to explain to a faceless HR person that, no, I am not applying for another job.

[Beardy]

I don’t want to say that I’m indecisive, but if I said I wasn’t it would be a lie!

After much deliberation I bought a paramo smock (well technically Mrs B did for my birthday). It wasn’t straight forward because I had to make decisions about which style, what colour, what size and the like. It was actually quite traumatic, and of course I suffered buyers remorse after the event because I thought I should have made different decisions. However, once I was allowed to wear it (did I mention it was a birthday present  ) I really liked it. It was a Velez Adventure Light Smock for those.that are interested.

After a couple of weeks wear, I had a trip that required me to use a rucksack, which, given it’s an outdoor garment I thought nothing of. After the trip I noticed that the back looked like it had melted a bit. Hmmm. I thought it would ‘heal’ itself as I wore it over the next few outings. It didn’t, and the making was bad enough for Dr B to comment on it. I birthday was 10th March btw.

So I sent an email to Paramo asking for their advise/take on it. I sent the email on Saturday, and someone from customer services replied at 8:20 on the Monday morning asking me if I would return the smock because it should not wear like that. After a couple or theee back and forths with email, I had a returns label and on Thursday I sent it back to them. It arrived with them late yesterday afternoon.

This morning I’ve received a further email from them saying that they recommend that I’d be better off with the standard weight rather than the light weight smock if I’m going to regularly use a rucksack, but that would be £20 more. Or they’ll just send me a replacement. I’d like to get arsey with them about asking for another £20 but a) that would be just arsey of me, and b) at no point have they said it’s my fault for misusing the garment and are actually offering me a better solution with no actual loss to me. All in all, it’s pretty good customer service in my book. Well it would be if…

You see, now I’ve got to go over the whole decision making process again. Which isn’t easy for me. Ind I’m now considering upgrading further and paying more to get the double zip smock I talked myself out off because I really needed the lightweight smock. Now it’s been suggested that the l/w smock is not the best option for me, getting the expensive fancy smock makes more sense. Honest.

Drat them and their good customer service.

[Cudzoziemiec]

If you're going to use it with a rucksack, I'd pay the £20 and get the heavier weight.

But which colour do you want...?

[Beardy]

I agree it’s a no brainer to go for the heavier weight, but that now means the Evolution is back in play. Yes it’s more expensive again, but…

As for colour, well I’m bound to make the wrong choice there. I especially liked the limited edition l/w adventure that I chose first time around and that’s not a colour way that’s available in ether the Adventure of the Evolution.

Did a say I can be a bit indecisive?

[Cudzoziemiec]

Blimey Beardy! Well, having looked at Paramo's website, I can tell you that the Evolution model is rather a bold fashion-forward statement and therefore not becoming to a modest, retiring chap like yourself. It is also MUCH more expensive. So the standard Velez Adventure Smock would be indicated. As for red, green or brown, take your pick, then pick again. Remember, at the end of the day, it's a present from Dr Beardy (Mrs) to you, so you should accept and be grateful for whatever she decides. Sorted!