Because I was his science teacher. Fairy nuff, methinks 

Quote from: Newportnobby on January 17, 2026, 08:49:12 AM

Quote from: kusojiji on January 17, 2026, 07:40:39 AMAll you guys with all them passports! Kinda like a spy movie! 

Yeah - I can imagine @Bealman lifting up a floorboard and fetching out ½ a dozen passports before deciding who he's going to be - Aussie, British, Sunderland or summat else

The longer I think about this, the funnier it gets. Back in the day, you did need a passport to get into Roker Park.

These days, of course, there's a new bridge over the river to the Stadium of You-know-what

My gov passport was just a different color, nothing special. I need to have a passport as I am a "green card" holder here in Japan.

Adult Social (Don't) Care. Their directive is obviously to take as long as possible and make things as difficult as they can to avoid having to offer any kind of help.

Mum's mobility is very poor and she is now housebound. The plan was they were going to widen the backdoor to allow wheelchair access and install a metal ramp as there are a number of steps down to the garden path, a slope upwards and then a step out. The front access was a non starter.

It took them the best part of a year to undertake assessments, send out numerous engineers and surveyors then put the work out to tender. By the time they had finally agreed everything it was too late as mum's mobility had passed the point of even trying to go out.

She has had a few tweaks indoors, a higher toilet seat and grab handle in the shower. She is well known to ASC.

She needs one more grab handle just outside the shower so a request was put in. Weeks later and many non returned calls they finally called today to sort the grab handle.

"Can your mum get into our office for an assessment?"
No, if she could manage that she wouldn't be needing a grab handle.
"Ok, well assess her via a video chat".
But she's not got a mobile phone or the internet.
"You'll need to go round then".
Why do you need to so another assessment, she's only going to get worse?
"We have to do one for every new piece of work".
But it's only a grab handle and you know everything about her except she now has dementia and dad passed a couple of weeks ago.
"Nevertheless, we need to make another assessment".
But the last one resulted in a 3 month wait.
"Yes, that is our turn around time".
Forget it, I'll sort one when I'm next there.
"In that case we will cancel your mothers case".
Ah, another one closed, do you get a pat on the back for that.

Unfortunately it seems the only way to get these things sorted is when the relative gets a hospital admission. As soon as they get a hospital admission and they talk about returning them home the magic words are "I don't believe they will be safe at home and an assessment is needed"

At that point the brown and sticky hits the rotating blades very fast indeed

Angry and happy. Happy that Ovo got just fined over 2 million, sad it wasn't a lot more.

Got into the new house this week. First day - no power, meter is on pay as you go and cut off as it seems the previous payees did a runner. Ovos own app errored and their support people couldn't fix it, so as not staying there kicked it over to the next day whilst they set it back to pay monthly

Next day, no power, took an hour on the phone to get them to sort the meter out. Looks like the electric meter may need replacing as the buttons don't seem to work

Two days later we get a letter from Ovo threatening a warrant to kick the door in, because the gas meter is "faulty", with a fake claim about a welcome letter and the wrong account details.

Another hour on the phone with them and they insist the meter isn't faulty but have no idea what's going on so it becomes a formal complaint.

Now they are desperately trying to refuse to answer whether they and their agents sent out a letter lying about a meter fault in order to try and collect the previous occupants debt.

Their agent is FCA registered and has their name on the letter so I'm going to see if I can drag them through the FCA complaint process for making fraudulent claims. And if it turns out it was fradulent I'm going to have another go at Ovo and compensation too.

Sooner this sorry lot is nationalized the better.