Ex-minister Stephen Byers is caught out demanding £5,000 a day – a day!- for securing access to government ministers and influencing policy on behalf of clients. Other friends of Tony are similarly caught bang to rights prostituting themselves for fat fees. Can anything illustrate better the moral bankruptcy of the political class in this country… Continue reading They Still Don’t Get It
A little while ago, in a fit of new year uncluttering, I signed up via a facebook group to a campaign to stop junk mail. Their website is a treasure trove of advice on how to stop the deluge of unsolicited junk that arrives on a daily basis. I used their web widget to get… Continue reading Thomson Loco
Authors routinely complain about boorish punters at book signings, but I don’t think any of them tried the Uttley solution. The formidable children’s author apparently didn’t like the prospect of dealing with real children: Dimly, she perceived an overwhelming mob running at her and with British pluck she unhesitatingly grabbed her duck-handled umbrella and waded… Continue reading Utt(er)ly barmy
In the brave new world of education, a “voluntary” contribution to the cost of a child’s education is actually compulsory. Sample:It read like a letter from a debt-collector. “Our accounts indicate you have not made a contribution,” it stated. “Our records indicate you have not contacted us.” In fact, it was a letter from a… Continue reading Voluntary = Compulsory
Who’d have thought it? Er… isn’t he supposed to be infallible? You can’t get the staff these days, can you?
I bought some supplies in a nationally known store the other day. I won’t identify the store, but the words “Marks” and “Spencer” appear prominently in their name. The cashier waved the goods across the barcode reader, and then asked me for £24.13. Unusually for me, I had actual cash money on my person, so… Continue reading £5 worse off
My car is being repaired. The insurance company phoned to say it should be ready on Friday. You might predict that such an exchange would go: Company person: Mr Spence? Just phoning to say your car should be ready on Friday.Me: OK, thanks.In fact, it goes like this:Emily (for it is she): Hello, this is… Continue reading Is that all right for yourself?
Over the tannoy in a supermarket yesterday:“Can a member of price integrity go to aisle 24, please? Customer waiting.” Price Integrity? Do you think there’s a Price Integrity team? Do they have team meetings where they pledge to uphold price integrity against all threats? Do they finish with a group hug and a rousing chorus… Continue reading An announcement
In the continuing fiasco about the lost data, HMRC has now offered a reward of £20,000 for the return of the missing discs. This after police searched municipal waste dumps to find them. In other news, the discs brought by a mechanic from Maclaren’s formula 1 team to his new employers Renualt “have been returned”.… Continue reading Am I missing something?
Just wanted to get this in before Private Eye. Obviously worthy of the first spot on today’s BBC news broadcasts…