P&O Cruisers - What are things like where YOU are?

[DamianG]

1 hour ago, Splice the mainbrace said:

Poor son had a bad journey back from London yesterday evening his train was cancelled then the next one was late because there wasn’t a guard, he finally got home at 9 pm and he leaves home at 6.30 am to travel up to London for work. His job has recently gone from working from home in Southampton to 3 days in the office each week, the cost of the trains and 2 hours door to door at each end of the day is rather a strain but it is a good job and career so just has to be dealt with.

 

I've worked with many people in London over the years who have long commutes including a couple from Southampton. I recall a lady who commuted from Banbury every day and another from Grantham, as well as a few who had accommodation in the city Monday - Thursday before returning to their families in Torquay, Coalville, Eaglescliffe etc. for the weekend. The better salary makes it worthwhile but it's still tough going.

 

Fortunately I only have to be in the office once or twice a month. I will be having a stayover in July and the Travelodge and Premier Inns were quoting around £180 per night. Thank goodness the company has stepped in and booked a hotel for me at their expense.

Edited June 13, 2023 by DamianG

[Splice the mainbrace]

2 minutes ago, DamianG said:

 

I've worked with many people in London over the years who have long commutes including a couple from Southampton. I recall a lady who commuted from Banbury every day and another from Grantham, as well as a few who had accommodation in the city Monday - Thursday before returning to their families in Torquay, Coalville, Eaglescliffe etc. for the weekend. The better salary makes it worthwhile but it's still tough going.

 

Fortunately I only have to be in the office once or twice a month. I will be having a stayover in July and the Travelodge and Premier Inns were quoting around £180 per night. Fortunately the company has stepped in and booked a hotel for me at their expense.

We’ve told our son to have a contingency plan in case that all evening trains are cancelled such as keeping overnight things in the office, he has some mates in London so arrange with them that they may get a call sometime and he could sleep on their sofa if necessary.

[DamianG]

13 minutes ago, Splice the mainbrace said:

We’ve told our son to have a contingency plan in case that all evening trains are cancelled such as keeping overnight things in the office, he has some mates in London so arrange with them that they may get a call sometime and he could sleep on their sofa if necessary.

 

I carry a few "essentials" with me every trip to the office. I've had some extra long rides home on occasions but never an emergency stopover (yet!).

Edited June 13, 2023 by DamianG

[kalos]

45 minutes ago, DamianG said:

Travelodge and Premier Inns were quoting around £180 per night.

 

Sometimes you can drop on price wise .The other week we had reason to be in the East 

Mids area on a Sunday afternoon. I said to Mrs K "As a treat we should have a night out"

Knowing she would be thinking Raddison /Hilton  or some other nice place .

To wind her up I booked the Travelodge in the services ,which came at the bargain price 

of £32 with free overnight parking and WI-FI .

If I had booked last week it would have cost over £250 😮 As nearby Donnington had a

Music event on .

The joke was on me as she loved it for the price we paid 🙂

[zap99]

4 hours ago, Adawn47 said:

There are things I buy on line that I can't get locally. Barnsley is not the thriving metropolis it likes to think it is. 

Avril

 

Thinking about it Avril, we could live our lives just like a year or so ago. Get deliveryoo to pop our lunch round. Just like meals on wheels,get a sun lamp and watch travel videos on utube and get folk to tell me about all the things that they do

 I think we will continue going. Out and about

🤔

[Josy1953]

1 hour ago, DamianG said:

 

I carry a few "essentials" with me every trip to the office. I've had some extra long rides home on occasions but never an emergency stopover (yet!).

You've been lucky, when I was working I soon learned that I needed to take extra clothes in my hand luggage whenever I travelled, usually clean underwear and a clean blouse because my work skirts and trousers could be be worn on consecutive days if necessary and  ***'* law says that if it can happen it will happen.

Edited June 13, 2023 by Josy1953

[grapau27]

Good afternoon.

It is currently 23°C in our back garden.

I attended an interesting speed awareness course this morning.

I learned a few things plus I kept my clean driving licence and the course was a lot cheaper than the fixed fine.

I hope everyone is well and enjoying the sunshine and heat.

 

[Snow Hill]

15 hours ago, Yorkypete said:

 

So how would you pay cash into your account?We have one branch where we could do it…six miles away in a town centre with no parking. Where we are in a small town in the USA there are 3 banks!

On the rare occasions I pay cash in I deposit via the Post Office which has the cash paying facility for most banks, cheques I scan in via mobile app. Some banks have machines to allow you to deposit cash
 

The last time I used an ATM to get cash out was in 2021, the last cheque I wrote was in early 2019. 
 

I pay for items either by card, online or my mobile using Samsung Pay.

Edited June 13, 2023 by Snow Hill

[Snow Hill]

Just got back from my morning volunteering session, the temperature gauge on car read 29C when I pulled up at home, I can believe it. On our south facing sheltered patio it is 35.6C, the greenhouse is 40.5C. Basically it’s damn hot 🥵 

[zap99]

19 minutes ago, Snow Hill said:

On the rare occasions I pay cash in I deposit via the Post Office which has the cash paying facility for most banks, cheques I scan in via mobile app. Some banks have machines to allow you to deposit cash
 

The last time I used an ATM to get cash out was in 2021, the last cheque I wrote was in early 2019. 
 

I pay for items either by card, online or my mobile using Samsung Pay.

Many folk like to pay for their copy of big issue by cash and put a few coins in my guitar case. I can then pay that all Into the bank to pay holidays etc.

[Harry Peterson]

5 minutes ago, zap99 said:

Many folk like to pay for their copy of big issue by cash and put a few coins in my guitar case. I can then pay that all Into the bank to pay holidays etc.

There was an enterprising guy round here a while back with no supplies of Big Issue but a copious supply of Kleenex from a large box.

 

Big sign by him, and a pretty good trade: Big Tissue.

[Eglesbrech]

15 minutes ago, Snow Hill said:

Just got back from my morning volunteering session, the temperature gauge on car read 29C when I pulled up at home, I can believe it. On our south facing sheltered patio it is 35.6C, the greenhouse is 40.5C. Basically it’s damn hot 🥵 

I’m having a hot flush just thinking about those temperatures. We are hot here too and I am currently cowering in the shade indoors with the windows open and blinds closed to retain some cool.

 

Keep well hydrated in those tempretures.

[zap99]

1 hour ago, grapau27 said:

Good afternoon.

It is currently 23°C in our back garden.

I attended an interesting speed awareness course this morning.

I learned a few things plus I kept my clean driving licence and the course was a lot cheaper than the fixed fine.

I hope everyone is well and enjoying the sunshine and heat.

 

I would respectfully suggest Graham, that you leave a little more time on your next trip to Southampton. Average Speed cameras are everywhere.🤣..

Ps . Best one so far....silly spell check thinks the M3 is overrun by spleen cameras.

[kalos]

My mate got a photo from a speed camera through the mail.

He sent it right back – way too expensive and really bad quality.😉

 

A true story ,years ago when out in the pubs and clubs me and a couple of lads 

used to pull each others leg with daft stuff .

One beer session (we will call him daft Dave ) came up to us and said ...

"Nar then ,has thar seen  speed camera they put in at bottom of hill ?"

 

Before anyone could say anything one of the lads said "Not a problem if you do 

16 MPH over The speed limit .

He laughed but we didn't and went on to explain "Owt over 30 up to 46 Mph it will 

do you . "

"Thar kiddin us " said daft Dave .

Nope think about squirrels and birds ,they would set camera off all the time but as

most move above this speed, the camera is set to ignore it and cars doing the same 

get away with it .. Do you know anyone who got a ticket going that fast unless it was

a 40MPH  zone or above . 

A week or so went by and we had forgotten all about it until Dave came in the pub 

with his speeding ticket  !!   Telling us it did not work 🤣

 

[brian1]

1 hour ago, Harry Peterson said:

There was an enterprising guy round here a while back with no supplies of Big Issue but a copious supply of Kleenex from a large box.

 

Big sign by him, and a pretty good trade: Big Tissue.

Good idea Harry.Not to be sneezed at.

[grapau27]

2 hours ago, zap99 said:

I would respectfully suggest Graham, that you leave a little more time on your next trip to Southampton. Average Speed cameras are everywhere.🤣..

Ps . Best one so far....silly spell check thinks the M3 is overrun by spleen cameras.

It was a local camera van parked where it was for the first time 😭.

 

[P&O SUE]

11 hours ago, purplesea said:

Our weather is dull and dreary and on the cool side at 14c but none of the rain and thunderstorms that we have had a weather warning for. We desperately need the rain as we still have a hose pipe ban in place from last year.

I've had a sleepless night so feel tired already. I have a hospital appointment up in Plymouth for my radiation treatment late this afternoon so it will be a long day. So no more driving for me for a least a month.

 

sending good wishes for you today x

[P&O SUE]

Very warm here today and I had 2 half hour sessions in my garden with my kindle. Grandson arrived at midday and was a bit grumpy as he isn’t keen on the heat. It felt quite cool in our house and as he had no desire to go outside we spent a quiet time indoors. 
 

 

[9265359]

6 hours ago, grapau27 said:

I attended an interesting speed awareness course this morning.

I learned a few things plus I kept my clean driving licence and the course was a lot cheaper than the fixed fine.

My journey this morning took me through a village and lots of drivers don’t stick to the 30 mph limit on this stretch because there is a long straight stretch between two parts of the village where there are no houses at all.

 

This morning was no exception and the BMW driver behind me was raging and getting infuriated that I was doing 30mph when they wanted to go faster.

 

That is until they saw the speed trap van that I already knew about because of Waze. The speed trap van that had hidden itself into the verge so if you hadn’t known it was there it would have been far too late to do anything about it by the time you had seen it.

 

I wonder if the speed awareness courses mentioned using technology so you know where the speed traps are before you speed past them…

[grapau27]

5 minutes ago, 9265359 said:

My journey this morning took me through a village and lots of drivers don’t stick to the 30 mph limit on this stretch because there is a long straight stretch between two parts of the village where there are no houses at all.

 

This morning was no exception and the BMW driver behind me was raging and getting infuriated that I was doing 30mph when they wanted to go faster.

 

That is until they saw the speed trap van that I already knew about because of Waze. The speed trap van that had hidden itself into the verge so if you hadn’t known it was there it would have been far too late to do anything about it by the time you had seen it.

 

I wonder if the speed awareness courses mentioned using technology so you know where the speed traps are before you speed past them…

No mention about speed traps today.

The biggest eye opener was braking at 31mph you are still traveling at 8mph while at 30mph you had stopped.

Edited June 13, 2023 by grapau27

[purplesea]

Thank you all for your messages and good wishes for today.

Well it has been dull and dreary down here all day, but boiling up in Plymouth.

We arrived at Derriford Hospital three quarters of an hour before my appointment, but it took fifteen minutes to get into the car park, as it was a case of one car out, one in. I was called from the main waiting room on time, but then sat for an hour in the treatment waiting room. Once they got my mask on and had me lined up for the radiation beams, everything went smoothly. Back home now after meeting the mist half way home, which continued to get thicker the nearer we got to home. It is now foggy here. Now treatment is over, I now to have to wait for about six months for an MRI to see if has been successful🤞 I'm feeling fine but would love to murder a glass of wine, but have been advised not to drink for a week due to the medication I'm on😒 Oh well, it is what it is!

Can someone please send some of the sunshine down here?

 

[P&O SUE]

3 minutes ago, purplesea said:

Thank you all for your messages and good wishes for today.

Well it has been dull and dreary down here all day, but boiling up in Plymouth.

We arrived at Derriford Hospital three quarters of an hour before my appointment, but it took fifteen minutes to get into the car park, as it was a case of one car out, one in. I was called from the main waiting room on time, but then sat for an hour in the treatment waiting room. Once they got my mask on and had me lined up for the radiation beams, everything went smoothly. Back home now after meeting the mist half way home, which continued to get thicker the nearer we got to home. It is now foggy here. Now treatment is over, I now to have to wait for about six months for an MRI to see if has been successful🤞 I'm feeling fine but would love to murder a glass of wine, but have been advised not to drink for a week due to the medication I'm on😒 Oh well, it is what it is!

Can someone please send some of the sunshine down here?

 

Pleased you are home now, hope it’s been successful x

[terrierjohn]

2 hours ago, grapau27 said:

No mention about speed traps today.

The biggest eye opener was braking at 31mph you are still traveling at 8mph while at 30mph you had stopped.

I doubt that many speedometers are accurate enough to tell the difference.

[Josy1953]

11 hours ago, grapau27 said:

It was a local camera van parked where it was for the first time 😭.

 

We frequently see a camera van parked near to us but judging by the number of cars that zoom a long that stretch of road it most be really good money spinner. 

Top tip  for Stokies just don't speed along Lightwood Road between Gravelly Bank and Rough Close Primary School.

[Peanut006]

10 hours ago, purplesea said:

Thank you all for your messages and good wishes for today.

Well it has been dull and dreary down here all day, but boiling up in Plymouth.

We arrived at Derriford Hospital three quarters of an hour before my appointment, but it took fifteen minutes to get into the car park, as it was a case of one car out, one in. I was called from the main waiting room on time, but then sat for an hour in the treatment waiting room. Once they got my mask on and had me lined up for the radiation beams, everything went smoothly. Back home now after meeting the mist half way home, which continued to get thicker the nearer we got to home. It is now foggy here. Now treatment is over, I now to have to wait for about six months for an MRI to see if has been successful🤞 I'm feeling fine but would love to murder a glass of wine, but have been advised not to drink for a week due to the medication I'm on😒 Oh well, it is what it is!

Can someone please send some of the sunshine down here?

 

Glad everything went smoothly for you. Hopefully a week will pass quickly then you can have a well deserved glass of wine. Fingers crossed your MRI shows the results you want. Rest up and take care

 

Michelle