Tuesday 23rd August

Stirred around 0525hrs; Struggled urgently out of the £300 second-hand recliner and off for a WRWW and WRHD session. A bit painful and bloodied during and afterwards, Tsk! I cleaned myself up and started fretting way again. Hoping Olive would be alright with her visit to the Queens Medical Centre for her blood change? Will Deana have any good news from British Gas about the bill? (Not a lot of hope, more a prayer really!), then got some new pains stabbing at me under the left arm ribcage. Humph!

Made a drink and took the medications. Washed the pots in between several WRWWs.

Laptop on, some nice emails of support received. Finished the Monday post, then started this one going. Cross fingered I tried out Facebooking.

Went well for a while.

Spilled some of the contents of the pan of minted garden peas on the kitchen floor… used the new spinning mop to rectify the ensuing mess.

Popped over to see Olive, but she’d already gone out.

0910hr: Returned and did the ablutions, then to the Community Hut to see Deana.

All locked up, so, back to the foyer and a chinwag with some tenants, then out to the bus stop and we caught the L9 into town.

Had a nice conversation with a lady tenant on the way. She even helped me with the crossword bless her.

In town, I walked down and through the Nottingham beach.

Glad to report this was being used a lot more today – the rides and food stalls (As opposed to the beach which was free!) were not being used much at all.

I arrived at the Tram Stop on South Parade opposite the slab square. Swiped my bus-pass and waited amongst the obviously experienced passengers, who were already juggling with each other to gain the optimum position to scramble onto the tram, in the hopes of finding a seat free and knocking the likes of me out of the way.

Which they did with great aplomb when the tram did arrive.

Luckily for me, I only had to stand for about four stops, before we arrived at the Asda Store.

By the time I’d trudged down the winding steps to the store’s car park, I had needed a rest, so stood opposite a big black SUV with a well-built swarthy youth was sat in the driver’s seat.

As a genuinely disabled lady arrived in, to park parallel next to him, for some reason he hit the gas and belted backwards running into the woman’s car with the rear of his, and shot off at great speed. The poor lady was a bit nervous and upset. I went to her to see she was okay. I was joined with seconds by several other shoppers who had seen the incident, on lady had taken the index number, and tended to the woman.

Into the store to search for one of the Nordic Bacon blocks with seasoning like I got the other week from there, they had just two packs left, so I bought them both.

Got some fresh garden peas, and apples too.

I met BJ in the shop, he was looking good and in fine form.

When I came out, a policeman was talking to the lady, I asked her how she felt, she’d recovered well from the shock. I informed the officer of the description of the geezer driving the car, and that he did not have a disabled card on show in his window.

I walked to the front of the store (More hobbled really) to avoid the steps back up, and caught a tram into town. The weather had turned sweltering, and the masses on the tram were joined by another ten or so sweating, irritable parents with their sweating grumpy kids.

I was lucky I reckon, to get off the bus uninjured!

But lucky, that an L9 bus was due out just as I arrived at the stop.

Even the L9 bus was crowded by the time we’d gone two bus stops further on. When we arrived at the flats, I had a job to get free with the lady next to me decided not to get up, but just twisted her healthily and plump legs around to leave me about four inches twixt her ample knees and the luggage rack tp squeeze through.

Battered and bruised I escaped into the daylight. Hehehe!

Up to the twelfth floor and called at Olive’s, too early, though, she wasn’t back yet.

To the flat and a WRWW, kettle on and took the late midday medications. Realised I’d not finished cleaning the Crock-Pot porcelain dish, so I did.

No email from Deana about the British Gas situation yet, so I walked down to the community hut, no one in. Back to number 72 and made another cuppa and got the laptop on to update this.

The day had turned out a hot one; indeed, the wind dropped, yet as I took a photographicalisation of the gravel footpath outside that led up to the Woodthorpe Grange Park next to my favourite copse, no sign of human life was espied!

Perhaps they were at the Nottingham Beach by now?

Checked the emails to see if Deana had any news, nowt in the inbox yet.

Then disaster! The laptop screen went blue with a complicated message telling me I had a virus and was to ring a given number immediately! This was not from McAfee and looked like a con-job – but the laptop would not let me escape or close or do anything – the warning remained on screen!

Force closed the laptop – waited and rebooted and the when I restarted the Warning Screen, and Google opened immediately again! Panicking now, I force closed again and left it for half an hour and tried again – the whole system was slow, but it seems whatever it was causing me the hassle had gone.

Phew?

Went to see Olive at her flat. She looked terribly tired yet was in good spirits, bless her brave, beautiful soul. I found out she was to go back in later, what she thought was pain from her hips, was something to do with her backbone, and they were to investigate. The blood transfusions should make her feel a bit better in 4-5 days.

She told me some stories from the War years and her childhood that fascinated me. I made a fuss and took my leave as soon as I saw her eyelids drooping, gave her a big kiss and cuddle and departed, feeling better in myself knowing she’d come through okay.

Back to number 72. Checked the emails and found one from Deana with a copy of the last email she’s sent to British Gas;

I received an email from Grace Winearls regarding a complaint I made on behalf of Mr Timothy Gerald Chambers 72 Woodthorpe court, Chestnut Walk , Sherwood, Nottingham, NG5 4DZ stating that she couldn’t speak to me has they had no permission from the account holder and if I wanted to call when the account holder is with me then you could add me to the account , every time I call British Gas Mr Timothy Chambers always gives permission for me to speak on his behalf and I’m sure if you checked the account you would see that I have spoken to your customer service team on numerous occasions for Mr Chambers , Mr Chambers is very hard of hearing and struggles hearing what is being said and what he is being asked hence why I do the phone calls for him , I have further reasons to now make another complaint  I AGAIN made a phone call to customer service on the 10^th August 2016 and spoke to Ricmondo. Mr Chambers has again had another letter asking for £250.32 for account number 08467, Mr Chambers pays direct debit £58 a month for account number 0695 and has done since 14/12/15 . After being on hold by Ricmondo on and off for 55 minutes I was told that Mr Chambers would receive no further letters demanding money or sending in the debit agencies until someone had been to look at the meter I asked for a letter stating this for Mr Chambers peace of mind and a letter to tell Mr Chambers when the inspection of the meter would take place I was told yes to both neither have happened, and again Mr Chambers has received a letter asking him for £250.32  , I rang British gas yesterday and spoke to a man on customer service I asked to be put through to the complaint department he told me he couldn’t and I had to speak to him I explained I was fed up having a three way conversation with customer service and whoever they were supposed to be speaking to  and I wanted to speak to someone in the complaints department , I was put on hold for 10 minutes has I now time all calls made to British gas he came back and said that there wasn’t a complaints department, I asked why it states on the bill  if you’re not happy with anything contact the customer complaints team , I find the customer service team very unhelpful every person I have spoken to have been unable to resolve this problem , Mr Chambers has also been on the trust pilot website and stated his problems British Gas wrote on his review they would contact him he has yet to hear from them . how much longer is this going to go on ? what more can myself or Mr Chambers do to get British Gas to resolve this problem ? I will send a copy of this letter to the complaints review service has I feel this matter has not been dealt with in an efficient way Mr Chambers and myself have been constantly fobbed off with this issue.

Yours sincerely

Deana Walker – Independent Living Coordinator

Then later, I got an email from BG about this fictitious account!

How can I have two different numbered accounts and only have one meter?

I am getting pissed off with this now, the worry of their threat to send an actioned warrant team and Debt Recovery Agents is not fair, not surprising my ulcer is starting up again! Humph! Thye tell me I might lose my credit rating, and they might send a team to remove the non-existent meter and replace it with a ‘Card Prepayment one’ and they can legally force entry to do so, too?

I am confused, worried and frustrated now, more than ever. I’ll mention the idea of us talking to Nottingham MP Christopher Leslie, perhaps?

Got the nosh on.

Rather overdid it a tad I think with the amount, but, feeling so depressed, I just wasn’t bothered at the time.

Thank heavens that Olive was getting through the day, cheered me up a bit.

Put the gogglebox on and sat like Little Lord Pontelroy with the tray on my knee.

Couldn’t concentrate on the TV, and sleep avoided me like the plague!