I prefer "Mr Grumpy" myself

DHL!!! I have ordered a new mobile phone for Louisa from Google in Dublin on 8th September. The phone started its journey in The Netherlands on the 9th September. It then went to Belgium and arrived in Shannon over night. Not bad going, even though the original acknowledgemt said the phone would arrive yesterday, (10th). I have this morning received an email from DHL stating that the delivery is 'on hold'. I rang the telephone number given, but that is not recognised!  . Yet the tracking information shows either that the package is on hold, or, that it will be delivered tomorrow, depending which bit of the site you read. Why do companies have to make things so complicated! I will have to wait until tomorrow to see if it will be delivered - or await further emails.  . No wonder I am what is called 'a grumpy old man'!

One sun-dappled afternoon, five-year-old Sylvia sat cross-legged amidst a sea of wooden toys in the Castle's airy morning room. A sprawling farmyard and village lay scattered across the plush carpet, sunlight streaming through large arched windows to glow warmly over the intricate scene. Beside her, Rusty lay curled up, his tawny coat gleaming in the sunlight. His tail thumped softly against the carpet as he watched Sylvia's play with drowsy interest, ever-present and protective of his young mistress.

Sylvia's stubby fingers traced the smooth contours of a sturdy stone barn, then moved to a quaint farmhouse with glinting windows. Stables, a chicken coop, and a pigsty dotted her miniature world. White-painted fences and grey stone walls snaked across the carpet, their gentle curves mirroring the undulating grounds beyond. A duck pond shimmered, reflecting overhanging trees, while painted figures stood outside the village's general store, bakery, post office, school, church, and pub.

As Sylvia pushed a green tractor laden with hay bales across the plush carpet, she felt the familiar tickle of wool fibres against her bare feet. The room smelled of old books and beeswax polish, with a hint of lavender from her mother's perfume.

Her gaze fell on her two wooden passenger trains. She paused, her brow furrowing. One engine gleamed in rich dark green, while the other sported a different shade of green with chocolate and cream coaches. The colours tugged at a memory, and she ran her finger along the smooth, cool surface of the toys.

Next to the passenger trains sat a new addition to her toys: an early birthday present brought by Sir George on his last visit, a goods train with a variety of wagons and vans. Sylvia noticed their colours and the tiny writing on their sides: light blue vans for the Castle Estates, dark blue ones for the Castle Brewery, and bright orange for the North Cornwall Pasty Co. She smiled, recognising the family businesses she often heard about.

Quote from: Roy L S on September 10, 2024, 10:25:05 AM

Quote from: lil chris on September 10, 2024, 09:07:10 AMJust a warning to anyone buying from Rails of Sheffield, there is a option for delivery by DHL, don't bother it's DHL express and it does not give you a time, Your Delivery Will Be By End Of Day...... so stuck in waiting, I should have paid more for DPD.
Chris H.

I believe DHL stands for "Drop, Hide, Lose" 

Unfortunately when shipping to a lot of the Pacific Islands (PNG, FIji, Samoa etc) they are the only choice.

Well a update, not got the parcel today has promised. I kept checking the tracking and it showed they had the parcel from just before 5.00am this morning, deliver just said today before 10.00pm. Well all of a sudden the order status went to ON HOLD, so I rung Rails they were a waste of time. I kept going on the tracking then mid afternoon I got a phone call from DHL, they were having operational issues so now it coming tomorrow, no time so another day wasted staying in. The local DHL is very good, this DHL calls itself DHL Express, I asked the guy when he rung what does that mean...lol. So Not Happy at all, whats the point of paying extra for worse service, Apparntly Rails have stopped using DPD which gave you a time slot, so PO or the other PO office service forgot the name. I do not like using po the guy on the local van does not bother trying a neghbour, just shoves  a card through and drives off so you have to wait for next day or go and collect. So maybe no more Rails for me.
Chris H.

Reading the "Other Hobbies" section of this forum...
https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?board=159.0

Your laptop's slow performance and lengthy update times might be due to several factors, such as outdated drivers, excessive background processes, or a need for system cleanup.

I really like to travel, I want to visit a new country at least twice a year

Quote from: lil chris on September 10, 2024, 09:07:10 AMJust a warning to anyone buying from Rails of Sheffield, there is a option for delivery by DHL, don't bother it's DHL express and it does not give you a time, Your Delivery Will Be By End Of Day...... so stuck in waiting, I should have paid more for DPD.
Chris H.

I believe DHL stands for "Drop, Hide, Lose" 

By contrast is my experience with Arcadia, and that of my 2 fellow Watford based modellers/ operators of my layouts. If we phone an order to Tim before lunchtime, Karen will box it and take it to the Post Office that afternoon.  The delivery is either next day or the day after. And that is dear old Royal Mail.  His prices are competitive.