National Express East Anglia ......continue to be consistent

Last week I wrote how every train journey I have taken this month had
been delayed. Today, the last day of the month is no exception. Thanks
National Express! Late again, sigh.

National Express East Anglia Rebrand

In East Anglia I think 'National Express' should think about maybe
removing 'Express' from their name.

I really am starting to sound like a young Victor Meldrew but quite
frankly the whole National Express East Anglia' train service
experience is quite shocking.

Every time this month I've boarded a train this month I've experienced
a delay, which is quite frankly annoying when trying to run a small
business. These days I'm actually having to factor in enough time in
my journey planning for National Express to screw up.

Wednesday morning I borded a train jouney to Norwich which included a
change trains stop further down the line. That's fine, but when
National Express East Anglia terminate the train one stop before I'm
due to get off of it and change that kinda screws things up. The
thing that has annoyed me the most is that nobody has bothered to tell
the passengers what is going on. I had a gentleman sitting a few seats
behind me who was missing a connection and will be an hour late for
his meeting, to my right I had a really nice elderly lady confused and
concerned as she has no idea how the change in services will get her
to her destination.

I on the other hand arrived in Norwich 20 minutes behind when I should.

It has been over 10 years since the railways were taken over by
private companies. On this track since them we've had 'First Great
Eastern', 'Anglia Railways', 'One Railways' and now 'National Express
East Anglia' as the brand running the line.

Come on guys, get Network Rail to fix the signals, refresh the track
where it needs it and to stop this constant 'damage to overhead wires'
problem replace the trains with Diesel locomotives or put a power rail
in like the trains run on in Kent.

I'm sick of delays, and all that I see as visible changes in the last
10 years is repainted stations, rebranded and resprayed carriages and
increased ticket prices.

Bring back 'First Great Eastern', yes they were bad, but atleast they
invested in brand new trains with air conditioning so you could sit in
some kind of comfort during a delay.... Those trains since National
Express took over (under the 'One Railways' brand are now dirty, and
the carriages with toilets in them absolutely stink.

What we need is choice. Network Rail should own the train that pulls
carriages that are owned and opperated by different companies,
those carrier companies will then be competing for passengers to
board their carriages on the same train. A 12 carriage train should
have three companies selling seats in four carriages each, all boarding
from the right portion of the platform for their particular carriage.

The railways are a monopoly still, and the east anglia line needs
heavy investment.

E2BN Conference

Today and tomorrow we're showing our stuff at the E2BN Conference in
Wyboston near Bedford.

Colchester Zoo

Yesterday Jus and I went to Colchester Zoo. For just under £40 each we
can visit as many times we like over the next year, and have access to
other attractions too around the country.

Colchester Zoo gets better each time I go, the large and visible
variety of food the animals have along with large realistic enclosures
is pretty impressive.

'More Than' Car Insurance Moving House - We Do More?

Moving house is an expensive game and it seems that companies all try
and get in on the action taking more than they really should.

The lastest money grabber is 'More Than', the car insurance company
who Jus phoned to tell them she had moved. They took her new address
details and then told her that there was a £15 administration fee for
updating her record.

Sky Television, BT, the water company, electric company, gas company,
buildings insurer, contents insurer, TV licencing, local council, our
gym and even a national cinema chain we pay monthly membership to did
not charge an admin fee to tell them we moved.... so why is it an
insurance company who claim to do more think they should?

Now come on 'More Than', with a slogon like 'We do more' what exactly
have you done for £15? Answered the phone, updated a record and sent
out a letter! And all in less than five minutes!

So when renewal comes round for that particular car I'll be doing more
than usual to find an insurer who does a bit more to keep their
customers sweet.

MacBook Pro Kernal Panic

After a rough patch of kernel panics and fear of losing my work,
photos and music my MacBook Pro is humming along again. Big thanks to
Hais and Alex for their help getting it back on again!

Junk Mail and Leaflets

This is just one days worth of junk mail and leaflets at our house. Am
we alone in getting this much? I dread to think just how much waste is
created, I don't even look at it.

Texaco - I'd rather drive on empty

I was in Bromley yesterday visiting one of the Primary Schools taking
part in one of the trials of one of our new pieces of software.

I drove to the school with my car flashing frantically for fuel.

Justina and I once drove about 50 miles through Belgium in a snow
storm with the same flashing light trying to tell me off, so when I
pulled up at a petrol pump and saw the Texaco logo I knew it would be
ok to drive further to find fuel without giving a penny to 'no sir, we
won't pay for the damage our carwash has done to your car' (5 years
ago) Texaco.

Boat

Came back tonight to find a boat being captained by a Lego man afloat
in Jus and my gardens newly dug pond, launched by parents no doubt.

Worried about Freddie the Frog......, he was not home and had not left
a note.

Close up on Frog

Jus is really getting into Gardening

Filling the Pond

Digging the Pond

Pond & Frog

Spent all day digging a pond and as we filled it a frog jumped in. Any
suggestions for a name?

Piriteze V Tesco - Hayfever Relief

When Hayfever began for me this year I bought Tesco brand and for two
weeks I suffered little. Last Saturday while in Kent I ran out of
tablets, and with no Tesco nearby I ended up paying double the price
for a box of Piriteze from a co-op. I used the box all week and
suffered from sneezing and sore eyes which caused huge discomfort.
This Friday I switched back to Tesco, and not even a sniff.

Millie

She has grown a lot since this picture taken six months ago. She is a
very long cat with a great little character.

Molly

She is almost full grown now, I wish she would not insist on sitting
on the ironing board when it is out.

Cleveratom Mug Spotting

This sighting in RUGroom sink, Norwich.

St. Georges Court, Witham

Justina and I owned obe of the upstairs flats in St. Georges Court.
When we moved in the place was a right mess and we spent about eight
months from the time we got the keys to the moment we moved in, it
was expensive sorting the place out.

One big problem was the wooden decorative balcony which was 20 years
old, rotting and dangerous, so much so that part of it collapsed in
high winds and needed removing.

For nearly two years we lived there meaning to sort out the balcony
issue, two days before we moved out we finally became the proud owners
of a smart iron balcony which I designed and incorporated the name of
the courtyard. I hope the new owners are pleased with it and the
problem of delivery drivers, postmen, pizza companies, electric meter
reading company and other people struggling to find St. Georges Court
appreciate the trouble (and cost) I went to to signpost the community.

It was a nice place to live, and each time I pass I look up at our
first place and admire the balcony that was ours for just two days.

Patrick Gordon

Our annual meal in The Chequers in Pampisford. Note Patrick still has
his SEEVEAZ/Ultralab Summer School 2002 hoodie, in great condition.
Do you still have yours? (if you had one!) and if so, how is it?

Norwich train cancellations and delays

Surprise surprise.

National Express East Anglia

Surprise surprise

Riverview Witham Demolished

Built adjacent to the Maldon Road playing fields this elderly
residents home has been here as long as I can remember..... although
now it is a pile of rubble (including the remaining pictured). This
was always the best looking residential home in Withan, recently
updated, and now rubble. I predict it will be replaced with ugly
looking flats.

Playschool

I left playschool 24 years ago, and was sad to walk past it today and
find it had been demolished. As a kid I remember my parents referring
to places and buildings they remember from their childhood nolonger
existing, and now it is my turn.

Free calls on mobiles exclude 0800 and 0845

I feel a bit of a mug as I have an iPhone I am really pleased with,
but feel annoyed about the classification of the so called 'free
minutes'.

With my iPhone package I get 1000 free anytime any network calls,
which is great....... unless I need to call a freephone 0800, a
localrate 0845 or a premium rate 0870 number.

It appears that numbers I have been calling; including 0800 (phoning
in my gas and electricity readings), 0845 (my business main number)
and 0870 (business advisor) have all appeared on my mobile bill as
charged calls, apparently excluded from the free minutes allocation.

Because my business has a local rate 0845 number I now have to phone
in on the fax number (an 01245 regional number) when I am out and
about in order to call into the office using free minutes.

If somone I need to talk to is on an 0800, 0845 or 0870 I'm now only
calling them from a landline (unless I can look up an alternative
number on the brilliant saynoto0870 website (I've written about it on
this blog, search for saynoto0870 in the search box (on the right))).
Annoying.

So, o2, please make it clear what numWbers are excluded from the free
minutes on the iPhone and make atleast 0845 (local call rate) part of
the free minute allocation.

Another experiment

I took this photo at Diss and sent it to my blog by email straight
away to see what time it would appear published.

Experiment

I'm sending the below picture taken on the train this morning to my
blog from my iPhone at 8.04am to see what time it actually arrives on
the blog.

Happy Retirement Dad

Justina made this tasty cake to celebrate the retirement of Dad. He
was in his last job 29 years retiring from it one year early.