Moan, moan, moan----get it off your chest or have a chat

[David Shaw]

They say that the fishing is better when it is raining.

[Paul T]

crap fishing here then.  They keep saying we're going to get some (rain that is, not fishing), and it keeps on bypassing us.    Frustrating.

[Anthony Darby]

We've had a week of more or less constant rain.

[David Shaw]

Don't worry, Anthony, the forcast is for the same next week; no need to do any watering

[Ragged Robin]

Anthony, A bee in the sun hoping you will be in the sun soon 

[Anthony Darby]

In reality a drone fly Eristalis tenax, a relative of the narcissus bulb fly.

[Ragged Robin]

In reality a drone fly Eristalis tenax, a relative of the narcissus bulb fly.

- so not anything to be happy about at all - oops!

[mark smyth]

Nothing to worry about. This fly isOK

[Anthony Darby]

Yes, they are good pollinators and the larvae are aquatic (rat-tailed maggots) and indicators of polluted water.

[Ragged Robin]

well that's a relief 

[Tony Willis]

have you noticed the Sky adverts offering a free box if you sign up?

We have been with them 18 years.

A couple of weeks ago our box died so I called the help(do not want to help) line and was told it was £65 for an engineer to come out so I said I would cancel. Oh dear the lady said if you go through to somebody else they might offer a discount. I thought okay and she then said there is a twenty minute wait so I gave up.

I tried to cancel on their on line service but naturally this did not work.I then rang to cancel and I know it is difficult to believe but I was through on the 'we do not want you to cancel 'line in about 10 seconds. Any way when I said I wanted to cance amazing to say they would repair the box for free, but I still said I would cancel.
I said the box was broken but the man on the line said I still had to pay a months cancellation and because I had paid until 1st August I still owed 10 days.
I then received a cancellation letter saying they hoped I would come back in the future because they really loved me.I cancelled my Direct Debit but today I received a threatening letter saying just because I had cancelled my Direct Debit did not mean I had cancelled my subscription and I would be charged extra for being invoiced.

Is it any wonder I left them (I may still regret it)

I had already signed up with Virgin.

A Virgin man is calling tomorrow to connect me up for TV Broadband and telephone. I have little faith in this so this note is a way of saying goodbye for the for-seeable future as I expect to be cut of and cast out into the wilderness for some time.

[Maggi Young]

Best of luck with the changeover, Tony. At least we won't need to  worry if we don't hear from you for a while.... we'll know you are out howling at the moon in frustration. 

[Tony Willis]

thanks Maggi

we have only had the 5 channels for two weeks.I do not watch much tv but not having the sports channels has driven Mrs W. mad.

[Martin Baxendale]

Aaaaargh!!!  After going to all the trouble of exchanging pollen through the mail with Tony to cross-pollinate our Lilium chalcedonicum flowers, I go out today and find that the recent torrential rain had bent one of the chalcedonicum stems right over so the solitary flower was on the ground....and completely eaten away by a slug or snail!

I put pellets down this afternoon and am now going out with a torch and a pair of old scissors to see if I can find the culprit and exact revenge. It's not going to be pretty and may take some time.

[Martin Baxendale]

When I say the chalcedonicum flower was eaten away, I mean of course including the stigma and the ovary, so no chance of seed from that one. I put Tony's pollen onto both flowers, so hopefully the remaining one won't be eaten, struck by lightning or anything. It's now tied to a cane and surrounded by a sea of little blue pellets.