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

[Mrs Pingu]

In a meeting with a customer today, one of them told me that something I'd pointed out was "a revelation", which was a new point in my career 

[Beardy]

Dr Beardy’s nephew has just got engaged. In Brazil. He only met his Fiancé in real life three weeks ago. They’ve known each other on line for quite a while, but it’s still come as a bit of a surprise to everyone. 

Dr Beardy’s sister asks why her boys can’t just meet a teacher in Yorkshire! She currently has sons in Montreal, Madrid, San Palo and Skelmanthorpe. Theres no news on where the boys in Brazil plan to set up home, but as they’re both registered and experienced healthcare professionals I don’t think they’ll find difficulty settling where ever they decide to. At least the wife of the boy living in Yorkshire is working in a school!

We’ve had quite the exciting evening in family what’s app groups. 

[Regulator]

I got an invite from ARCC Innovations to an open day yesterday but didn't manage to make it.  B

I know you're supposed to support local business (and these guys are only a few miles down the road from me in Pampisford) but they're taking the p*ss with those prices...

[Adam]

In the past I've looked at their products in detail and they are extremely well made.    Plus they're a lot lighter than Brompton's own electric offering.

It is a Bosch motor and you do get what you pay for.

[CAMRAMan]

I converted my Brompton for <£600 with a Wooshbikes kit. Still at the same price, but with an improved battery set up. It's perfectly functional, if a tad crude on the controls.

https://wooshbikes.co.uk/?hubkits

[T42]

In the past I've looked at their products in detail and they are extremely well made.    Plus they're a lot lighter than Brompton's own electric offering.

It is a Bosch motor and you do get what you pay for.

I read somewhere that they started life as power-steering motors, which speaks to their reliability. Can't have those things conking out on the Autobahn at 160 kph.

[T42]

Just found a pay slip from 1975, when I was a senior systems analyst at Univac.  Salary was £312/month and I was married with one child: income tax took £74.  My take-home pay would just about cover a trip to the supermarket nowadays.  Back then we ate a lot of pasta.

Oh aye, and we all lived in a shoe-box in t'middle of t'road.

[Wowbagger]

My take home pay as a newly qualified teacher in 1975 was just short of £130 a month.

[Flite]

My take home pay as a newly qualified teacher in 1975 was just short of £130 a month.

And in 1969, it was £69/month, and that included extra for having a degree and a PGCE!

[Beardy]

Given that my take home pay as a newly minted 1st year apprentice, ie not qualified in anyyway at all, in 1978 was £33 week (so roughly £135pm) it’s hardly surprising that teachers have complained about being badly paid.

ETC to £33pw because I’ve remembered I was required to pay £11pw to my mother as this was a third of my take home.

[TimC]

As an RAF Pilot Officer (and qualified pilot) in 1977, my annual pay was £1650, or around £35 a week. In 1980, after M Thatcher gave the military (and, IIRC, many other public services) a 29% pay rise, it was about £6000 pa as a Flying Officer.

[barakta]

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.

[perpetual dan]

I'm at a cafe in Wisborough Green, with a bike loaded for camping. I'm parked next to a group of sleek, black, skinny tyred, underseat pack optional style bikes. I'm feeling quite out of place, but ready for this tea!

Sent from my SM-S911B using Tapatalk

[T42]

My take home pay as a newly qualified teacher in 1975 was just short of £130 a month.

And in 1969, it was £69/month, and that included extra for having a degree and a PGCE!

My 1969 starting salary was around £50/month.

[rafletcher]

I e just been patching, with gaffer tape, some mouse damage to my Tesco “Bags for life”. They are made from material that is a strong fabric mesh base covered with a plastic substance. I have 3 that cost IIRC £1 each, plus a couple of similar bags from Super U from a holiday in France. I’ve had them over 10 years and they get used weekly. They are excellent, but Tesco discontinued offering them many years ago, and now they just sell plastic things along with all the other supermarkets. It’s a shame as there’s nothing truly durable available from them now.

[rogerzilla]

Walking back across the recreation ground with a kebab last night, I had to go past some pikey kids playing football and, predictably, a Harvey Price lookalike asked, "Are you a nonce?".  It's not surprising that schools can't get male teachers, youth football can't get referees, and scout groups are dying out.

[T42]

Put not your trust in Google Maps.  MrsT elected to take a walk this morning, but my dodgy back was playing up so I stayed behind.  Some time later I saw that Maps put her about a km away and heading home so I thought I'd go and meet her, so I set out.  About a km later she wasn't in sight so I hauled out my phone and checked Maps. Surprise: it showed her already at home - and she already had been when I left. We just hadn't heard each other.

Still, the wee walk loosened up my back a bit.

[ElyDave]

Mrs ED had bought me an intro to foraging course for 2023 b'day, but for various reasons ( local authority arseholeness in the main) the first opportunity was today. A very great fun afternoon, very knowledgeable guide, great follow up notes and we are thinking of a later autumn fungi-filled date.

P.S. I now also, 2024 B'day, have a three day bushcraft course with Mr Ray himself to look forward to

[mrcharly-YHT]

Walking back across the recreation ground with a kebab last night, I had to go past some pikey kids playing football and, predictably, a Harvey Price lookalike asked, "Are you a nonce?".  It's not surprising that schools can't get male teachers, youth football can't get referees, and scout groups are dying out.

to which the only response is

"Sorry, no. Did you need one?"

Erm, Harvey Price is a blind kid with Prader-Willi syndrome. Maybe not the best example to use.

[rogerzilla]

Harvey's a legend for what he said about school bullies.

This kid did look just like him from about 10 years ago.

[citoyen]

This kid did look just like him from about 10 years ago.

Bit of a weird and irrelevant thing to mention though.

[Cudzoziemiec]

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

Date: circa 1977. Income: 10p per week. Outgoings: The Beano - 8p, packet of crisps (ready salted or salt n vinegar) - 2p. Occasionally I put the 2p aside for... I don't know what.

[citoyen]

Date: circa 1977. Income: 10p per week. Outgoings: The Beano - 8p, packet of crisps (ready salted or salt n vinegar) - 2p. Occasionally I put the 2p aside for... I don't know what.

Very similar to me, except the Beano didn't come out of my 10p. I never put any money aside - it was always spent in one go on a Friday morning visit to the sweet counter at Martin's the newsagent. You could get a lot of sweets for 10p in those days.

Was the Beano really 8p in 1977? Sounds a bit high to me. I would have guessed 5 or 6p.

[Cudzoziemiec]

It was definitely 8p but possibly the year was more like 1978 or '9. I remember calculating it some decades later and being struck how the differential between comic and crisps had shrunk (though possibly back then I was buying some tiddly little bags of crisps that no longer exist).

[citoyen]

It was definitely 8p but possibly the year was more like 1978 or '9. I remember calculating it some decades later and being struck how the differential between comic and crisps had shrunk (though possibly back then I was buying some tiddly little bags of crisps that no longer exist).

Because this intrigues me, I've just been looking at the cover prices on some vintage copies of the Beano on ebay...

1960 - 2d
1966 - 3d
1970 - 4d
1972 - 2p
1977 - 5p
1980 - 8p
1985 - 16p
1988 - 20p
1993 - 35p
1998 - 45p

In 2024, the cover price is £2.99!

Information on contemporary crisp prices is harder to come by.