After the Interval...

Well, it has been a long time coming, this new post, so I'd better make it worthwhile.

The great news is that I have a new granddaughter, Abigail Elisabeth, born on the 7th of July 2012. I have not seen her yet, but in a matter of days I shall be able to gather her up, for real! We travel to Norway on the 23rd. Another early start and late finish will be the order of the day, but that is the way of the airline.

Speaking of which, when travelling to Norway on previous occasions we have used the Scandinavian national airline, SAS out of Heathrow. This time they had no seats available for the outward flight, only homeward, which was weird. However, there is another carrier, Norwegian, which uses Gatwick. It is apparently a budget airline, but the two flights are only a couple of hours each so what the hell? It means being at Gatwick around 7 am with a 4 or 5 hour stopover in Oslo and arriving in Bodø around 7 pm - a long day. We are looking forward to seeing everyone again, and particularly Abigail. I wonder what she'll think of my beard. Since her other grandpa has one, perhaps she'll think that all grandpas come with beards!

We have had so much rain this year (it's raining again as I write) that there are now so many jobs to do in the garden I fear that I cannot get to even the more urgent ones before the colder weather hits. More than this is the impact it may have on all of our lives. Some plants may drown, and some species of insects may not be able to reproduce effectively. Take butterflies and moths, for example, eggs maybe washed off the plants where they are habitually laid, or the caterpillars may get washed away, or their food plant not thrive in the wet. Eggs of other insects are at risk too, even those laid underground, from floodwater if not from the initial deluge. Then there is the problem farmers face. Even if their crops grow in unaccustomed conditions, the continual rain may have flattened them or prevented timely ripening which will affect the harvest. That will have an impact on food prices. And it's not just the UK, the changing weather conditions are being experienced world wide.

I am not an avid follower of sports, although I appreciate a well contested cricket match, or a boxing tournament, but I must say that the Olympics in London were outstanding.

Before the event kicked off there were plenty of doom-sayers predicting problems with transport, ticketing, accommodation, catering and more. I am delighted that during the two weeks of the games they were all proved wrong! From the Opening Ceremony the superb organisation and logistical expertise of the authorities was a joy to behold, simply by being invisible. There were few doping revelations, and those athletes who were foolish enough to indulge were quickly dispatched home, as were the oriental cheats. Of course the icing on the cake was that Team GB were superb, not only in achieving more medals than for more than 100 years, but in the dignity they showed in triumph and failure. All the athletes, from every country taking part deserve our praise and congratulations for the true Olympic spirit which they displayed in striving to be

   

And as for the British Olympic Committee and Lord Coe? Outstanding! I enjoyed every moment I watched, every triumph and disaster. As our Gold Medal winning boxer Nicola Adams memorably said, it made my day! Rio? HERE WE COME!!!!                                                                                           

Number One cat's health is, on the whole, very robust, but of late she has had a recurring sniffle which causes her to sneeze violently. The vet is aware and from time to time prescribes an antibiotic to prevent the infection settling on the cat's chest. She is also on tablets to treat an over-active thyroid, but remains in very good health with a good appetite. She plays, hunts, and sleeps like any other cat. Not bad for an age anywhere between 13 & 15 years. Anyway, we took her to the vet on Tuesday for the sniffle, and the waiting room was full of cats! One of them had been brought in by two young women as a stray that they had found around their stables. Two days previously the cat had approached them mewing, but they had simply acknowledged it and went about their business. The following day they saw it again.  It could hardly lift its head, was very emaciated, and vocal in the extreme (hoarse by this time) with distress. The vet's nurse established that the cat was micro-chipped, but although given 3 separate numbers by the chip register none of them was working. Additionally, the address for the chip was some 50 miles away! Seemingly moggy had been abandoned. People have such evil in them. Anyway, the vet took the animal which would receive treatment, and if it was found to be viable the two young women volunteered to give a good home to it. People have such good in them. I wish them and pussy a happy life together. I do hope the cat is OK

                                                                                                                               

 

Customer Service

Customer service in the UK seems to be akin to a dirty word. We have all, I'm sure, experienced the terse or casual direction to something wanted in the supermarket, or the seemingly ubiquitous excuse of "it's the computer" when querying a mistake. And have you ever tried telephoning a large company or a public utility? All you get is a series of options to push this or that button depending on the nature of your enquiry. BT must be among the worst for that, and they run a telephone company!

The last time I had cause to call out BT for a line fault I discovered as the engineer was leaving that he had actually made the situation worse. By the time I reached the door to call him back, it was just in time to see his van drive off. Eventually another engineer came a few days later, called the work done by his predecessor "rubbish" and proceeded to replace it. It took a third engineer and his supervisor, many days later, to trace the original fault to a broken extension cable which they replaced. I have had no trouble since, but why did it take them so long to find and to rectify the fault? In the event they decided that they would pay for the work as it was their faulty installation and fault locating which were to blame.

That is not the point. The original call was to report a faulty line. The first guy replaced the line from the street to the house. The second guy replaced the junction box where the extension line enters the house (he also used a box intended only for internal use, so that rain entered it and shorted-out the connection). It took the third guy and his supervisor to realise that the original extension cable was broken and needed replacing, together with the leaking junction box. If the first chap had properly tested his 'solution' and the second one had paid attention to his training on the use of various junction boxes I, the customer, would have been better served.

Across many walks of life opportunities present themselves for improvement in customer service, and generally they are not difficult to see. People, by whom I mean those whose job is to serve the public in some way, need to be encouraged to go the extra mile, to go out of their way for their customer and be pleasant about it. I have long felt that the traditional hierarchical corporate structure would be better inverted so that the staff who daily face the customer occupy the most important positions on the company family tree. It is they who represent the company's image, who have to take the flak when things go awry, and upon whom to a greater or lesser extent the fortunes of the company depend. Sure, the company directors bear the ultimate responsibility, but how many of us actually see them or care who they are? The person in the shop or on the telephone to us, however, is very real and we tend to judge their company by the service we receive on a personal basis.

Training is key. Take a company like MuliYork. Some years ago I replaced our three-piece suite, and went to MultiYork to do so. We were able to spend as much time in the shop as needed without hindrance, swapping cushions for comfort and softness as the whim took us before making our choice. We paid a deposit. Four days before promised delivery we were required to pay the balance, and on the day of delivery we were given a two-hour time slot when delivery would be made. It happened like clockwork. No being pounds out of pocket for weeks while waiting for delivery, no waiting in all day in hope, no wondering if the delivery would ever come, just good solid customer service. If they can do it, why not others?

We have recently bought a new bed. I elected to pay on order despite the delivery date being some three weeks off, but had no complaint about the service and advice received from the shop and its manager. However, when delivered on the appointed day the bed was damaged. Not by being dropped, but by water. It was raining hard that day and the van leaked, and furthermore the tail-gate was so ill-fitting that spray from the vehicle's rear wheels entered the goods compartment. That was bad enough, but the plastic covering of the bed was damaged too so that water had penetrated and soaked the fabric. Maybe these thing happen, but as the driver knew of the tail-gate problem, why had he not taken precautions? Ours was the second bed damaged in that van that day at a cost to the company. The customer service took a further nose-dive when we were asked to arrange a replacement order, to wait for a further 3 weeks for delivery, and then (and only then) to phone back with a claim for compensation!!

Abroad the shopkeepers and company employees are mindful of the fact that ulimately the customer keeps them employed, and so they will go out of their way to see that satisfaction and ease of the customer is well served. It requires some effort, some training, and an awareness from every stratum of the company that the customer pays the bills and no-one is more important. Until we ditch the culture of "I work for the company and it pays me to do so" things will not improve. What is needed is for the front-line staff, those whose job is to deal directly with the customer either on the shop floor or on the telephone, to be properly recognised for the vitally important impression they create. Paying peanuts attract monkeys, so reward them properly, treat them as VIP's make them the focus of continuous serviced-based training and revere them. Equally, discipline those who fall short of the required standard. Teach the executives of the company to test each new idea, innovation, system or change in terms of the customer, in other words think like the customer instead of expecting the customer to fit the corporate model.

The rewards are great for both sides. Let the revolution begin.

Incidental

While browsing some of my books I came across this sonnet. It is to me very evocative of a number of birds we see around where we live, and I find it quite beautiful.

Autumn Birds

The wild duck startles like a sudden thought

And heron slows as if it might be caught

The flopping crows on weary wings go bye

And grey beard jackdaws noising as they fly

The crowds of starnels wiz and hurry bye

And darken like a cloud the evening sky

The larks like thunder rise and suthy round

Then drop and nestle in the stubble ground

The wild swan hurrys high and noises loud

With white necks peering to the evening cloud

The weary rooks to distant woods are gone

With length of tail the magpie winnows on

To neighbouring tree and leaves the distant crow

While small birds nestle in the hedge below.

John Clare

New for 2012

Happy New Year!

Why is it that many things, good & bad, come in threes? and why altogether? We live in the age of the most sophisticated communication media ever, where technology governs in some way every aspect of our lives, and yet things happen that are beyond our ken. I reported the loss of five of our pond fish, presumably to a heron, and that we were continuing to protect the remainig goldfish; well! they're back!!! At least, two of them are. The Wife was checking the pond on about New Year's Day and lo! the two large koi had returned. There has been no further trace of the three light-coloured fish however. We can only surmise that a heron has taken the three causing such trauma in the large koi that they sounded and hid in the foliage, emerging only some three weeks later as thopugh miraculously. Hooray!!!

Then there was the roof. Entering the loft I found two clear signs of water ingress. Two large patches of water-staining on the loft lining and water dripping from the tiles. Inspection of the outside by our local man about repairs revealed an abundance of moss on the roof, some of which has apparently lifted the tiles allowing water to seep in. Furthermore, the ridge of the roof is of a peculiar construction where the ridge tiles are strapped onto a plastic frame which supports the top rows of tiles and is itself secured to the roof trusses. At first inspection it appears that two things have occured, 1 the moss mentioned above, and 2 the plastic has been cut short allowing water to ingress since the house was built! I have commissioned the repairs, but will have to wait until February for the work to be done. Let's hope for a fairly dry January!

Finally, there has been the wind. For nearly a fortnight we have been battered by strong gales gusting up to (we're told) 112 mph. although we didn't lose any trees, it has destroyed my garden gate and some of the flimsier trellis work. It was the work of an our or two to replace the trellis, but the gate needs a new one. Since the lower hinge no longer supports it, I removed the gate and blocked the opening with the dustbins. Portia, number one cat, was not happy. Feeling vulnerable to attack or interlopers she mounted guard from one of the garden benches and was there through thick and thin, stopping only briefly for food. I have taken pity and replaced the original gate pro tem until the new one arrives, but that could take up to a month. We shall have to live with it, emptying our rubbish into the bins via the front door, and the window cleaner  will have to come back!

A neighbour, whom we have known for more than 20 years, invited The Wife & I to dinner last night. There were just the four of us, and an excellent meal was followed by a most convivial evening. The wine flowed, the conversation was funny and stimulating and wide-ranging. We came home just after 11 feeling good. Our own (postponed) soirée is pencilled in for the Saturday before St Valentine's Day. Further news later.

End of the Year

Wow! is it really some months since I was last here? How time flies!

Whatever has occurred in the interval since my last post cannot have been of any note, can it? What I do know is that our famous British weather has lived up to its reputation - the summer was cool and wet, the autumn warm and dry, and so far winter has been unseasonably warm. Christmas is upon us and according to the forecasts we could be having picnics.

My study badly needed redecorating. I calculate that it has been some 15 years, and the wallpaper was peeling. So, armed with the necessary enthusiasm I resolved to tackle the whole job, carpet and all. It is not easy, or ideal, to decorate without removing the furniture, but available space in the house was taken up by my books so there was little choice. Soon there was paint and paper everywhere as I was dabbing it here, dabbing it there. I wasn't actually stuck to the floor but some lines of the old song certainly rang true. Now it is done. It only remains for a new blind to be bought and fitted (after a disastrous first effort involving wrong reading of measurements), and I think it looks first rate.

On Saturdays we like to have breakfast out. Our usual haunts are The Copper kettle in Andover, Caffé Nero in Winchester, and either Costa Coffee or Debenhams in Basingstoke. Recently though we have found another place in Winchester, run by Raymond Blanc. It is a little more expensive, but the quality of the food and the service certainly makes up for it. Last Saturday though was different. Because of the proximity of the date to Christmas we decided to go early to Winchester to ensure a parking spot and avoid the worst of the crowds. Breakfasting at Raymond Blanc's establishment was disastrous. The wrong drinks were delivered, the boiled eggs were raw, cutlery had to be sought (they tried supplying desert spoons and forks - for boiled eggs?) and other people were delivered goods which they had not ordered. Eventually the chaos was sorted (for us, anyway) and recompense offered as money off the bill. A great shame as until then the venue had been a good experience. We shall try again, but if the situation is unimproved we shall not return.

It is now four days before Christmas and all the shopping is done! Presents are wrapped, food and drink bought. Forgive me if I'm a little smug. Cooking still needs doing and the decorations put up, and of course the fresh fruit & vegetables bought, but we are readier and more relaxed than for some years. On Saturday to come (Christmas Eve) we are visiting our local Indian restaurant. The Wife & I ate there recently for the first time in a while and were impressed. Saturday should be good, convivial, and jolly. Food and drink will abound no doubt, but I hope that it will not give cause for another entry here.

For the last several years we have hosted a neighbourhood gathering one evening before Christmas. Drinks and nibbles are served and a generally happy and pleasant evening is enjoyed by all. There are something like a dozen people who attend and for four hours or so it is better than an over-the-garden-fence chat. This year we had to cancel the event at the last minute. One neighbour received terrible news about her son which depressed the neighbourhood too, and cancellation was obviously the thing to do. The lady herself is away now staying with a daughter. We shall arrange another evening, perhaps in the Spring, for the annual gossip. In the meantime our thoughts are with our lady neighbour.

Another disaster has befallen us. Actually it is a bit of a mystery too. Every day or two The Wife checks the pond fish. A couple of weeks ago she missed the light-coloured goldfish, but as the weather was very cold assumed that they had sounded like whales. After another couple of days she reported it to me and further investigation revealed the absence not only of those three fish, but of the two large koi as well. The reddish goldfish remain but current thinking is that we have been visited by a heron. Until last year the pond was overshadowed by a magnolia tree. We felled it because the roots had begun to push over the pond's retaining wall. We never gave a thought to the fact that the space was now available to a heron because there is still a pergola on one side of the pond and other bushes at either end. During the Summer, of course, the pond is adorned with plants and waterlilies which would shield the fish. Oh, well, one well-fed heron! The fish stock will be replenished in the Spring, and security of the pond improved. In the meantime, to protect the remaining fish I have laid garden trellis panels across the pond. Let's see the little devil fish there now!

Looking at my diary for 2011 I see that the year has been remarkable. There have been triumphs and disasters and the making of new friends. We have acquired a new daughter in law, two step-grandchildren, two lovely and charming Norwegian friends, and a step-dog. We are to be repeat grandparents in about July 2012 and are thrilled. Hopefully we shall be able to visit Norway next Summer to see her/him and to celebrate our younger step-grandchild's confirmation. Next year, too, I shall turn 70 and am busy thinking of the best way to celebrate (is that the word?) the event. Ten years ago I was treated to a wonderful day out in London, and five years ago Number One Son and his then wife came over especially to be here for a special meal out at an up-market restaurant. Watch this space...



Tragedy & Disaster

In sombre mood I have to record the untimely death of Fanta. Fanta was a pussycat who lived with his owners a little way down the road. He had a near sibling, Tango. As may be guessed they are/ were both ginger cats, but Tango is short-haired while Fanta was long-haired with the most luxurious tail I have ever seen on a domestic cat. We got to know him a little (he was shy) as he visited for breakfast each morning. His owners moved from our cul-de-sac to a ribbon road, and within weeks Fanta was run down by a car and had to be put to sleep. He (or she, we were never able to tell!) could have been only 4 or 5 years old. RIP

In a more light-hearted vein, let me turn to waffles. Following the gift from the Norwegians, we made waffles. At least that was the intention. The mix was ready, the waffle maker was seasoned and hot, and the audience (me!) stood by. The Wife carefully placed a ladle full of the mix in either side of the waffle maker, filling the mould, and closed the lid. Panic!!!!! The lid rose slightly as the mixture expanded and ran from the front & sides of the iron. Attempting to lift the lid to see what was going on made matters worse as the half-cooked mixture now clung to both top & bottom surfaces with the uncooked centre oozing apart under tension. The attempt was abandoned at this point, and instead we had waffle-mix pancakes with the remaining mixture cooked in the frying pan; but we still had the cream & jam, so not all was lost!!
An inquest was held. It was decided that too much waffle mix was loaded into the mould and that the mix should not, perhaps, have been left standing for a while before use. It was further decided that the waffle maker had not been properly seasoned with oil before use. Having taken two days to clean the iron, it is now thoroughly seasoned and lies inert and brooding on the counter-top in the kitchen challenging us to try again. The weekend beckons. Watch this space!!

The rest of the week is more or less routine. Being something of a good Samaritan one day, I trimmed a neighbour's rather overgrown shrub that was blocking light. I had thought that the trim was straight, but once down the ladder I can see that it is more like a donkey's hind leg. Never mind, it will grow out and next time I will use a line for a straight edge. I have also made a start repairing the summerhouse roof. Close inspection shows that I may be just in time. I was ably assisted by Portia, as you can see, cutting the template & measuring the roofing felt.

We also have a new garden bench, which will make better use of a neglected corner of the garden. On reflection, we may swap it for a slightly longer bench from elsewhere in the garden; it might be more aesthetically pleasing.

Phew! Now that they've gone...

I do not mean to suggest that the Norwegians weren't enjoyable in any way, they were, but Phew!

Before I get to that I have to say, "Yippee" because the car wash guys are back in the supermarket car park. And just in time too with the Norwegians visiting in just two days time. A wash and brush-up for the car, new tyres postponed, and we're all set. We also have new neighbours. I haven't met them yet, but The Wife has and says they're very nice and looking to buy locally. Lady Neighbour is heavily pregnant, a teacher, and expecting her husband to join her when their flat is sold.

On Monday evening the Norwegians arrived; Number One son, New Wife, and two granddaughters with enough luggage to move home. It had been arranged that we should meet at The White Hart and have a family meal. Being a nice evening we thought that meeting outside over a leisurely drink would be nice, but flying ants decided to swarm about three weeks early, and so we were driven inside. However the meal was excellent, with dietary considerations well catered for. Introductions between Number Two son and Daughter in Law were effected and they seemed to hit it off quite quickly. The rooms at the hotel are excellent, the first time I have seen upstairs, and were both en suite. The adult's room was inside a sort of cupboard, but it turned out to conceal a corridor leading to other rooms too, so that was alright. During the week we had reports of the excellent service and accommodation  provided by the hotel, so that is definitely a recommendation.

On the last day Number One son had a phone call from the hotel to ask why they had left their luggage. It turned out that the booking had been made one night short! Panic ensued with visions of people sleeping in our conservatory and getting us all up at 4.00 AM for the departure. However, the hotel were able to offer an alternative room, and peace returned. They evidently got away OK on Monday morning.

While here, The Norwegians decided to have a day in London to visit The Tower, and to eat gluten-free fish & chips! By all accounts a successful visit despite the fact that the elder daughter decided that morning to sport an obscene t-shirt, which the security guards at The Tower deemed unacceptable for a Royal Palace. In the event a jacket covered everyone's embarrassment and they were allowed to stay. Obscenities on clothing of adults is offensive, but on that of a 15 year old girl is worse. Royal Palaces have by-laws about such matters.

On the Friday we all went bowling. Scoring was chaotic because of glitches in the computer system, but the final print-out proved that the boys had beaten the girls by just 13 points! And that despite the fact that the boys were outnumbered. Go fellas!!

Saturday saw us climbing the tower of Salisbury cathedral, The Daughter-in-Law for the first time, and judging by the number of photos enjoyed the experience.

Very kindly as they departed the house for the last time this visit, Number One Son and The Daughter-in-Law made us a present of an electric double waffle maker. I am so excited! The strawberry jam and the creme fraiche have been purchased, and the waffle ingredients too, but as yet no waffles! This is psychological torture. However, I am promised waffles over the weekend. I can hardly contain myself...