Bobba

Sadly not. The instructions / procedures letter gave their bank codes etc and paying in reference. Something to be aware of when your wife jumps through these hoops?

It can be a long, long, haul with falls at the final hurdle. For the past 12 years our son has worked in Singapore and now Oz. Wanting to top up his pension the waits for the helpline and in correspondence was like drawing teeth and getting blood from a stone. Finally, the appropriate years plus sum ££ necessary was notified, plus paying in procedures and reference number which he followed precisely. Many weeks after the event a letter for him has arrived here (we’re his UK post box) it said we’ve received £x from you but what is it for? Please advise with any reference numbers. He’s spitting blood. Being in IT and audit trails he has complete transaction records to demonstrate he did what he was told. Yet they still got it wrong.

Thank you. Not a problem for me. I was sat looking at it when in a hide the other day 😎

Advice welcomed please. I’ve no idea.

Not that it concerns me - most fortunately. But I received this from Chase de Vere yesterday. So I thought I would share. copy pasted so apologies for text size etc NICS DEADLINE DEFERRED, AGAIN 13 July 2023 If you were planning to fill the gaps in your national insurance contributions (NICs) record by 31 July, you no longer need to rush or worry – you now have until 2025. As is often the case with financial deadlines, publicity in the form of press stories and subsequent public awareness often arrive late in the day, and in the case of voluntary NICs, this has caused the Department for Work and Pensions and HMRC to reassess its July deadline. Back on 7 March, the government was forced to extend the deadline from 5 April to 31 July. In addition, the Treasury said that all voluntary contributions would be payable at 2022/23 rates – a useful perk when the main voluntary rate (Class 3) was raised by 10.1% for 2023/24 to £907.40 a year. It seemed highly unlikely that there would be any further extension of the deadline beyond July, but in mid-June, the government announced a further deferral, all the way out to 5 April 2025. Why it matters The introduction of the new state pension in April 2016 was one of the most significant reforms to state benefits in decades. If you did not reach state pension age before 6 April 2016, there were two important adjustments to rules relating to pension entitlement and NICs: The period of NICs (including any credits) required to obtain a full pension was increased from 30 tax years to 35 tax years; and The corresponding minimum period for entitlement to any pension benefit moved from just one year to ten. These changes left some people worse off, particularly those with contribution records of under ten years. To mitigate the effects, the government relaxed the rules permitting voluntary NICs to be made to fill in any missing years. These had normally only been payable for a maximum of the previous six tax years, but a temporary extension of the backdating period was introduced to allow voluntary contributions to cover the years from 2006/07 onwards, after which voluntary contributions could only have been made to cover periods from 2017/18 onwards. If you have any gaps in your NICs record between April 2006 and April 2017 – even if you have now passed state pension age after 5 April 2016 – this is now (almost) certainly your last opportunity to fill them. However, it will not always be beneficial to make the top up, so you should seek advice before making any payments. The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate tax or benefit advice.

From reading his contributions on here Mr Ditchman is the last person I would describe as Woke 😳

Some time back when I consulted with a staff member of Wai Yee Hong, a well known Bristol Chinese supermarket, I was advised to go for the deep bowl steel wok as the high sides helped reduce the risk of splashing spreading when cooking.

Me too

I wish, I wish. Sweet Fanny Adams for a long while on my permissions just North of Bristol. Harvest time soon so fingers crossed.

Not a Full English Breakfast without fried bread

I suppose it depends what we read. One article I read suggested they were looking more at self determination along the lines of The Chanel Islands eg Jersey

The Shetland Islanders have been looking at something similar since 2020 even including The Orkneys in uniting the Island groups into greater self determination. Bang goes Scotlands oil revenues in their independence arguments.

CEO Sarah Bentley has quite and didn’t take her bonus, allegedly due to poor performance and sewage spills. Jumped or pushed?

Grade drift ?

Some years back a mate had the same problem over his VW caravanette. He was able to find either from original or current advertising material (I forget which), statements to the effect that “in the event of an accident we will put you back in to the position you were in immediately prior to that accident.” (Indeed, that used to be one of the underlying principles of insurance cover) So he merely copied their words back to them and asked them to honour their word. He is still running around in the replacement vehicle. Whether they found it or paid for one he found I do not recall. so, it may be worth 5 mins trawling your insurers website and docs to see if they make similar statements

I’ve had a tinned bloc of foie gras du canard in my fridge for years. There is a date on the top which I presume is a best before date of 14/09/2018 If I open it and there’s no signs of deterioration should I dare to try it? Thoughts welcomed. Thanks.

If You’re a very lucky bunny don’t overlook that the take limit for bass is two fish per rod per day. And retained fish to be 42cm. - Bass sea fishing guidance 2022 certainly not a jobsworth. Just a marker to protect the innocent.

Milk chocolate powder, sugar and cement powder mixed in a saucer and a saucer of water nearby.

Interesting point. A farming friend rents additional land, all arables, and at one particular entry point there is no gate off of a private road leading to the once Manor House, now apartments. I was once parked in the entrance way across the verge while surveying for pigeons etc. An apartment owner wandered across and somewhat pompously demanded to know who I was and why I was parked on his land. I politely explained I was surveying for farmer X for crop protection. He quietened down and explained that the verge, right up to the hedge line, was owned by and the responsibility of the tenants association the farmer only having right of way access across the land. They often experienced problem parking We ended on a friendly note. I put his initial approach down to the fact that he didn’t know how to deal with the situation and thought that attack was the best line of defence.

No idea. But you can bet his lawyer and team are not on a no win no fee contract

I too mentioned that existing legislation is already sufficient and all was futile when court sentences were so lenient or non existent. In the home possession would be complicated to enforce eg I’ve two chinese meat cleavers in the Kitchen. Great for food preparation but formidable weapons in the wrong hands

“Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive” (Sir Walter Scott- Marmion: A tale of Flodden Field). Meaning, when you lie or act dishonestly you start a problem which becomes complicated, eventually running out of control. The phrase has been around since the 1800’s. Clearly PS should have taken heed of such advice.

Additionally, here in Bristol (I cannot speak for elsewhere) many shop assistants finish the purchase with “that will be £2 then”. THEN ?why “then” has crept in to usage defeats me. It’s meaningless. I’m often tempted to say “ then what?” But I fear it would fall on stoney ground and appear rude - which isn’t me.

There are two High Pheasant II on Guntrader. New £4,195.

Thanks again John. Our bamix came with the bladed processor as standard so I have sent away for the powder disc. As and when it will arrive depends on Royal Mail. Currently we are an area experiencing extreme difficulties with the post. Nothing for days then a paper waterfall through the letterbox. Despite complaints nothing improves.