Moments of joy in your day today

[Robjon]

9 minutes ago, MikeTheThinker said:

It feels like so much longer

 

Is that meant in a good way... or a bad way?   

[MikeTheThinker]

19 minutes ago, Robjon said:

 

Is that meant in a good way... or a bad way?   

The offers a clue

[WolfyWesty]

Bought 2 watches from an auction house (liquated stock) for £50. Sold both for £165. 

 

Think I may have found something to keep an eye on. 

[Ootohere]

Eating a smokie from my favourite shop at the harbour side this morning and fish bought for the fridge and freezer for the rest of the month.

 

[AnnoyingPentium]

3 minutes ago, roottoot said:

Eating a smokie from my favourite shop at the harbour side this morning and fish bought for the fridge and freezer for the rest of the month.

 

 

I presume that's up in Arbroath?

[AnnoyingPentium]

Found my spare key... finally. Picked up my "spare" coat just before heading out a walk there and it started jingling...

 

 

 

[BJM]

After a couple of weeks of emails, online recording and phone calls, a brown envelope dropped on the doormat this morning.

 

HMRC have finally admitted that they have c*cked up my tax code for the last 4 1/2 years, that they owe me several hundreds of pounds return tax and a cheque was posted to me yesterday.

[Lady Elanore]

4 minutes ago, BJM said:

After a couple of weeks of emails, online recording and phone calls, a brown envelope dropped on the doormat this morning.

 

HMRC have finally admitted that they have c*cked up my tax code for the last 4 1/2 years, that they owe me several hundreds of pounds return tax and a cheque was posted to me yesterday.

 

You are having a better time with HMRC than I am. I seriously overpaid my personal tax in January (long story) and as there is a letter missing on the reference I used, they don't even know I've paid anything.  It's in the correct HMRC account, but they won't let me speak to anyone. I wasted several hours on a phone line to be told, I had rung the correct number, but they couldn't put me through to the people I need to speak to...genius! "Don't worry, they will ring you with in 3 working days". After a week I rang back and lost a whole afternoon on hold, to be told "ah right, I'll let them know and they will ring you within 3 working days...although it will probably be a week or two in reality". That was 2 months ago! 

[BJM]

You have my deepest sympathy.

This all started last September when I realised something wasn't right. They agreed there was an error, and amended / corrected my code for the future.

It's the overpaid back tax that was the problem. Like you, phone calls were promised that never happened, and for 2 or 3 months I couldn't even access my file via the Govt. Gateway, and went round in circles trying to sort that out

(not HMRC's fault of course, I have to contact online support etc. etc. etc.)

 

Having got that sorted - it took about 2 months - life got in the way and I sort of suspended further contact for a couple of months, and started again in February.

They had all the usual excuses, pandemic, staff WFH, claimed they had lost my file and had no record of anything  - I CAN NOW LOOK AT IT ONLINE WHY CAN'T YOU????.

Anyway, I finally got through on the phone about 2 weeks ago (to a helpful person called Michelle)

To cut a long story short she sorted out the "missing" file, apparently went through the calculations and referred it upstairs, got it agreed, and Bingo the letter arrived this morning.

(I assume it was she who put this to rights as she was the last person I spoke to and although she put me on hold several times when she went off to do whatever it seems to be sorted now.

 

I hope that you also have a successful outcome, although my feeling is that I was lucky to deal with an individual who was prepared to help, rather than have any faith in the system.

[Lady Elanore]

My brother quit the DWP after nearly 40 years with them (DHSS etc) purely because of Covid working. He carried on going in to work and was about the only one in his section, apart from his boss. The others allegedly worked from home, but my brother ended up doing a large amount of their work for them as they couldn't access certain things, or perform specific duties. They also refused to come in to carry out their duties. As he said, you could see what time they logged on and off, but it was fairly apparent that they didn't do a full day's work, even though it was hard to prove. I might have taken his words with a pinch of salt, but he has a good work ethic and is incredibly dedicated to his job and his professionalism. The DWP has lost a 'pain in the bum', stickler for procedure and great worker, in one fell swoop.

 

Upshot is, the 'moment of joy in his day' was he simply resigned and took his pension a little early  He's never looked back and seems happier than I can remember him being. 

[mac11irl]

i just managed to run (most of the way, bit of enforced walking) to the top of the "Holy Year Cross" sth of the town. 

3.5k of just uphill from my front door. 

 

nice view too 

ive cycled it a good few times, but this was my 3rd time running part of the route, first time making it the whole way

 

legs will be s reaming at me tomorrow!!

[Gaz]

A friend I've known for 37 years had a double mastectomy a couple of months ago.  She's just got the all clear - cancer free 😎 

 

For all the right reasons, it's still surprising how upsetting good news can be!

 

Gaz

 

[Lady Elanore]

Simply this. I'm a huge fan of these guys work, Check them out if you've not come across them before.  (they have a new vid out today, but this is my fav)

 

 

[AnnoyingPentium]

48 minutes ago, Lady Elanore said:

Simply this. I'm a huge fan of these guys work, Check them out if you've not come across them before.  (they have a new vid out today, but this is my fav)

 

 

Love these guys too. Have you ever heard The Floppotron though?

 

 

[Lady Elanore]

I like the floppotron, but it doesn't have googly eyes, or pipe cleaner arms 

[AnnoyingPentium]

Found £90 in my stash, I thought I had cashed it all in. Excited is an understatement.

[Baxlin]

Just remembered this thread, so not actually today’s news, but last weekend I met up with a few RAF mates, most of whom I’d not met since 1969/70.

 

Really enjoyable weekend at the Union Jack Club, London.

[skomaz]

6 hours ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

 

Love these guys too. Have you ever heard The Floppotron though?

 

 

 

Flippin eck...   I've got one of those casino keyboards on a shelf in the next room...   Still works perfectly

[AnnoyingPentium]

2 minutes ago, skomaz said:

 

Flippin eck...   I've got one of those casio keyboards on a shelf in the next room...   Still works perfectly

 

My Gran has a boxed one that was my Dad's. He got it for his Christmas one year in the 80s.

[skomaz]

Just now, AnnoyingPentium said:

 

My Gran has a boxed one that was my Dad's. He got it for his Christmas one year in the 80s.

 

Sounds about right...   I'd have got it as a kid in the early 80s too

[Gaz]

With effect from 4pm this afternoon I am now working my two-month notice period 😁😎

 

Not sure yet if that's me officially retired, or whether I'll look for something else... in a while.  For the moment I plan to have a much needed break.

 

Huge relief.  Mrs Gaz okay with it too 

 

Gaz

 

[mac11irl]

may have to download the video, and put it on a large screen...

this morning around 7am out for my first hilly morning pedal in weeks/ months.

bottom of one hill, about to tackle the big horrible one, about 200yds away

5 deer wandering across the mountains

[AnnoyingPentium]

Went a wee run to Dumfries House today in the Fabia for a wee wander round 'auld charlie's hoose' so to speak, and of course, the obligatory soft drink and sweet item.

 

[Breezy_Pete]

This:

 

[AnnoyingPentium]

4 minutes ago, Pete_Ex-Wino said:

This:

 

 

I just love the sound of that song, everything is so crisp and powerful.