What's made you smile today?

[portland_bill]

The @1973 reshuffle of County Boundaries made the Oxfordshire area I was brought up and lived in different

Many established things called "North Berks", as weirdly Abingdon : home of MG Cars.. was the "county town" of Berks (Barkshire of old..)

It's around 5 miles from Central Oxford..

I think the county boundary used to follow the river Thames. Even the western outskirts of Oxford, Botley, used to be Berkshire. Although now Oxfordshire, most of the bowling clubs are still affiliated to Berkshire, and play in Berkshire leagues, which can involve long distances for an evening game.
Where I am, in Faringdon, we're near the furthest boundary, with Wiltshire (Swindon) about 7 miles away, Gloucestershire (Lechlade) only 4 miles away. When I arrived, we were in the Swindon telephone book, Gloucester Yellow Pages, and although Oxfordshire, have a Swindon postcode. Like a lost orphan, we are forgotten for services, but a good cashcow when the County need funds.

Ah, that's right. I was born in Bucks, suddenly became Berks.....was young, and so couldnt care less then, and even less now.
Was about voting, parties needing numbers in their favour, if I remember?

Each constituency should contain roughly the same number of residents, which is why rural areas get one for a large area, and some cities have several. As populations change, boundaries get messed with. That's the theory, but it seems that boundaries only get changed when the changes are in favour of the ruling party, and the boundaries tend to move where safe areas can lose numbers without affecting outcomes, but the shift can sway floating areas. Must be just coincidence.

 

[GettinBetter]

I think the county boundary used to follow the river Thames. Even the western outskirts of Oxford, Botley, used to be Berkshire. Although now Oxfordshire, most of the bowling clubs are still affiliated to Berkshire, and play in Berkshire leagues, which can involve long distances for an evening game.
Where I am, in Faringdon, we're near the furthest boundary, with Wiltshire (Swindon) about 7 miles away, Gloucestershire (Lechlade) only 4 miles away. When I arrived, we were in the Swindon telephone book, Gloucester Yellow Pages, and although Oxfordshire, have a Swindon postcode. Like a lost orphan, we are forgotten for services, but a good cashcow when the County need funds.

Each constituency should contain roughly the same number of residents, which is why rural areas get one for a large area, and some cities have several. As populations change, boundaries get messed with. That's the theory, but it seems that boundaries only get changed when the changes are in favour of the ruling party, and the boundaries tend to move where safe areas can lose numbers without affecting outcomes, but the shift can sway floating areas. Must be just coincidence.

Exactly, the good old days when ballot hacking was discrete, and done quietly. Now with mail & electronic interference its blatant.

 

[porta]

…or it’s due to snobs, like ilkley with a leeds postcode despite it being surrounded by Bradford ones!

 

[GettinBetter]

…or it’s due to snobs, like ilkley with a leeds postcode despite it being surrounded by Bradford ones!

Perhaps that'll be step two?

 

[portland_bill]

His bank decided it was possible fraud...and started asking questions like are you sure the car exists? (He was looking at the car through the window outside)...the whole song and dance taking 3 hours.

Bizzare state of affairs to me as surely just because I can operate internet banking doesn't mean I'm immune to being defrauded if anything it makes it easier to send money to someone you've never met but absolutely no checks at all...but hey because he phones up a man in an outsourced call centre decides it must be fraud...even when the recipient of the money is a registered business.

Sadly, you cannot choose your family, and my brother would not be on anyone's list.
Visiting his house, I found an energy bill, around £4k. That's both gas and electric, but it appears he's not bothered paying anything since he moved in.
There's some funds coming his way soon, but meanwhile, it needs paying. So I paid it, online, and then the trouble started. On screen, a message declaring transfer pending, need to call the bank.
Called the bank, to be told I'm in queue, estimated wait, 40 minutes, but could use a ring back service. 7 minutes later, they called back, but of course had no idea what the issue was, so I have to explain, to a prat reading from a script, not allowed to make his own reasoned decisions.
I doubt many people have not heard of OVO. The transfer was to an account number that my bank recognised as being OVO. Difficult to see how that might be a scam, yet twenty minutes later, we're still quibbling. Then the house phone rang, someone outside wishing to do our flu and covid vaccinations, as partner is housebound. Important, so need to get rid of 'banker', but he won't go away, and is still quibbling. I was rude. Got his attention. Payment authorised.
I can understand if I was sending money to an unknown account in China, or India, or similar, but OVO! FFS! The algorithm highlights the amount and being a first payment from that account, so the process starts, with the idiot tasked with authorising the payment, incapable of using both brain cells at once.
That was with Lloyds. An account reluctantly set up a few years ago, and soon to be closed. Personally I've been with Barclays since 1974, and they seem to deal with such issues rather better.

 

[StevenRB45]

Sadly, you cannot choose your family, and my brother would not be on anyone's list.
Visiting his house, I found an energy bill, around £4k. That's both gas and electric, but it appears he's not bothered paying anything since he moved in.
There's some funds coming his way soon, but meanwhile, it needs paying. So I paid it, online, and then the trouble started. On screen, a message declaring transfer pending, need to call the bank.
Called the bank, to be told I'm in queue, estimated wait, 40 minutes, but could use a ring back service. 7 minutes later, they called back, but of course had no idea what the issue was, so I have to explain, to a prat reading from a script, not allowed to make his own reasoned decisions.
I doubt many people have not heard of OVO. The transfer was to an account number that my bank recognised as being OVO. Difficult to see how that might be a scam, yet twenty minutes later, we're still quibbling. Then the house phone rang, someone outside wishing to do our flu and covid vaccinations, as partner is housebound. Important, so need to get rid of 'banker', but he won't go away, and is still quibbling. I was rude. Got his attention. Payment authorised.
I can understand if I was sending money to an unknown account in China, or India, or similar, but OVO! FFS! The algorithm highlights the amount and being a first payment from that account, so the process starts, with the idiot tasked with authorising the payment, incapable of using both brain cells at once.
That was with Lloyds. An account reluctantly set up a few years ago, and soon to be closed. Personally I've been with Barclays since 1974, and they seem to deal with such issues rather better.

Having worked for an FCA regulated business...rudeness cuts both ways.

Sometimes you can speed the process by being forthright and to the point if it's going round the houses. Other times being plain rude will end in your call taking twice as long because there are things they can decide to insist on extremely politely that normally they'd probably let slide but because you've been rude they can decide to be as unhelpful as possible in the most helpful way.

While putting up with bull is not required generally I go as far as brusque if I'm being shined on.. rude will make it take longer or get to you randomly transferred to someone else to start again.

Of course if you swear most places have a rule that if the customer is abusive they can release the call...and some will bar repeat offenders from phoning in (I used to add and remove people from the barred list). So very much watch what you say if you need them to do something for you.

 

[GettinBetter]

..... Personally I've been with Barclays since 1974, and they seem to deal with such issues rather better.

Ive been trying to shut down and account with Barclays for over a year, ever since they locked my account for not filling in a book of a form in a specific time limit. They left me penniless, or would have done had I not been prepared for such an event.

Asked for the account to be closed three times, each time visiting the closest branch, they are still advising me about statements being ready!!

 

[PuntoHowTo]

Out of interest who is that with?

My dad is very resistant to doing things online and his main bank (ironically the Co-operative) is as a result a nightmare to deal with.

id be interested to know as well, my mum is very resistant to anything online, despite having an iPhone and iPad, she’s the sort of person to had the phone to you and ask you to do it for her. I’ve given up showing her how to do things as she doesn’t listen.
Being able to do phone banking on a trusted number would be brilliant as she’s a prime candidate for falling victim to some kinda scam sooner or later

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Out of interest who is that with?

I'll PM you on that Steven.

My dad is very resistant to doing things online and his main bank (ironically the Co-operative) is as a result a nightmare to deal with.

Both his car and my car came from the same garage. Handover for me took 20 minutes...turned up transferred the money on my phone the checked they had it in their account and once done they gave me the key and off I went.

His bank decided it was possible fraud...and started asking questions like are you sure the car exists? (He was looking at the car through the window outside)...the whole song and dance taking 3 hours.

Bizzare state of affairs to me as surely just because I can operate internet banking doesn't mean I'm immune to being defrauded if anything it makes it easier to send money to someone you've never met but absolutely no checks at all...but hey because he phones up a man in an outsourced call centre decides it must be fraud...even when the recipient of the money is a registered business.

I recently had the phone line drop out half way through buying something with my credit card. I was too fed up to continue so didn't ring back to complete. That was fine, no funds left my account, but the bank's fraud department picked it up and blocked our debit cards. We didn't realize they'd done this so got a surprise when next trying to use the card as it was rejected. It took "the Spanish Inquisition" to get them reinstated. Both cards were blocked because this particular account is a joint one.

 

[bugsymike]

I was with Barclays same branch since 1969, in the mid/late 80s I was running a Vat registered business and had three accounts, private and business with them.
I wished to buy a car at auction some miles away and went into a Barclays bank nearby for a cash withdrawal who were very helpful, merely needed to get acceptance from my branch, the transaction went on for hours, including stupid questions from my branch asking if I was expecting money into my account, I pointed out there was weekly cash and cheques going into that account from my business and had been for many years, also further more there was a deposit account under the same name for much more than I wished to withdraw, even further more there was an unused overdraft limit exceeding the amount for the same account !
Transaction did finally go through, but did nothing to believe that they were helping small businesses.
Later when I wished to take out a loan to buy business premises they spent ages sending one of their "business managers" to inspect the property and then declined the loan on the basis that the property was not worth the asking price.
Less than twelve months later the site was sold for three times what I had wanted to borrow and to add insult to injury I learnt that the Building Society who held my home mortgage would have been happy to loan the money for the business against my home and at a cheaper repayment term!
Later still counter staff were reluctant to stamp and sign my business paying in book when paying in cash and cheques, I rang their head office who said I was within my rights to ask them to do this.
When I explained to the middle aged lady behind the counter, she did it begrudgingly and as I walked away I heard her say in a Little Britain voice "whatever!" I turned back to her and said "Yes Whatever!"
Went home and complained to Barclays who gave me a some of money for her rudeness, but by then I had had enough and closed all my accounts with them.
What annoys me is that banks seem to forget whose money it is that they are gaining interest on whilst sat in a current account and that if anything does go wrong there is no 100% guarantee you will get all your money back!

 

[porta]

I'll PM you on that Steven.

I recently had the phone line drop out half way through buying something with my credit card. I was too fed up to continue so didn't ring back to complete. That was fine, no funds left my account, but the bank's fraud department picked it up and blocked our debit cards. We didn't realize they'd done this so got a surprise when next trying to use the card as it was rejected. It took "the Spanish Inquisition" to get them reinstated. Both cards were blocked because this particular account is a joint one.

 

[GettinBetter]

You wait til CBDCs come in, it's going to be dire for non-conformists, or anybody that doesn't want to pay in the format they have declared.
All the problems mentioned here will pale into insignificance compared to what's coming.

Once they get access to what monies you have spare, it'll be targeted. Don't forget not only banks can create CBDC accounts, and your data/profile will be available to the highest bidders. Not to mention your social profile will be linked to bank access. Behave or you'll get no access to your account.

 

[porta]

Data is already shared, why do you think gas, electric, insurance, water, interest, etc etc are all roughly the same…it’s a price fixing oligarchy, it always has been and will remain so

 

[The Panda Nut]

Internet banking today...

Apparently I'm doing well reigning in my spending according to the spending insights.

I've spent 8 grand less than I had at this time last month.

Some impulse control that not buying a new car every month.

LAST MONTH!! 8 grand is several centuaries worth.

 

[StevenRB45]

LAST MONTH!! 8 grand is several centuaries worth.

What can I say I just like to make it rain..

Pennies usually..but it's the thought that counts.

 

[FiatMatt94]

I'm a very happy boy this morning I've been after a set of wheels for Scarlett for a little while to replace the rusty original bent rims which really are past redemption & I wanted a genuine Fiat set that would bolt straight on without altering the bodywork as I don't like doing that especially on an original car like Scarlett, I had a few wheels in mind so after browsing through eBay I came across a set that interested me, I communicated with a seller & I finally have a set, I've just purchased a set of Cinquecento Sporting rims this morning that by the looks of it require very minimal work usual curb rash etc I'll probably be able to even do them myself, here is a pic of them, they look very straight around the edges & the same on the inside as well although a little grubby but very straight.

they were listed as MK2 Uno turbo but are exactly the same rims as a Cinquecento Sporting, same diameter, width & offset etc & they were only £50 each with postage which seems really reasonable for these rims nowadays as they seem to be a little hard to find , I've always much preferred the look of these over the Seicento Sporting rims especially on a Seicento, I'm thinking of doing them in gunmetal to break up the silver a bit.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

I think gunmetal would look really good.

 

[FiatMatt94]

I thought so too as if I leave them silver it'll be too much of the same colour so it needs something subtle to break it up a little, I've always liked gunmetal wheels & I think with Scarlett's silver paintwork it'll really suit her

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

I thought so too as if I leave them silver it'll be too much of the same colour so it needs something subtle to break it up a little, I've always liked gunmetal wheels & I think with Scarlett's silver paintwork it'll really suit her

The Mazda2 belonging to my youngest boy's wife is white with what I'd describe as lightish gunmetal grey wheels and it looks terrific.

 

[PuntoHowTo]

I thought so too as if I leave them silver it'll be too much of the same colour so it needs something subtle to break it up a little, I've always liked gunmetal wheels & I think with Scarlett's silver paintwork it'll really suit her

LMAO who calls a silver car Scarlett.

Like the wheels, though they are more suited to the Cinq as the Sei has much softer curved lines, the cinq was a box and the wheels worked well with that shape, will be interested to see how they work on the Sei