Don't want one.

 Aye up, me again. Here comes trouble. 

 "An annual standard colour TV licence currently costs £174.50/year and since 2020 most over-75s no longer get their Licences for free. "However, there are a few exceptions, including if you're claiming Pension Credit (either Guarantee or Savings credit), in which case you're entitled to a free TV Licence each year." And it comes as it's just been announced the cost will rise to £180.

Article in Birmingham Live.  Don't bother to read it. It's full of adverts. 

This is just another one of their tricks to reel people in. They are telling you that you may get the licence free if you are on pension credits. So, people apply for pension credits in case they qualify. By doing that they are admitting that they watch the telly. Aha, let's see if this person is already watching the telly, let's see if they are paying for a licence. 

It's a roundabout way of getting you to admit you have a telly and that you are watching it. Offer something free and you've got them. 

I have no need to claim for pension credits, and even if they give me a TV licence I wouldn't want one. For those who are struggling to cover their costs, claim if you need to. 

Catch ya later. Toodle pip.   ilona

Living off grid in Iceland.

Good evening.

Here is another recommendation from me.

Denni has had an interesting life, having spent many years in the US as a film maker. He is now back in his homeland living in a remote location in Iceland. If you fancy going on holiday there, he offers B & B to paying guests. A holiday with a difference.

Ben Fogle journeys to Iceland to stay with Denni Karlsson.

At the moment you can watch videos on yoootoob free of charge, but the BBC are looking into ways to change the rules. Because they are losing so much money by people not renewing their TV licence, they want to try and grab some of that back. 

I had a coffee with my friend at her house today. They sit in their big kitchen on easy chairs watching videos on a big screen on the wall. She said we don't watch any TV programmes because there is nothing interesting on. I said, stop paying for a licence then. 

That's all for now. Toodle pip.   ilona

Turning into my dad

 Every evening my dad sat on his comfy chair with a tray on his knee, and ate his dinner. He timed it so that he could watch the news, followed by the Tonight programme with newsreader Cliff Michelmore, while eating. That was followed by several cups of tea. We had to either be quiet or leave the room, while this nightly ritual took place. 

I am now going to make my lunch and sit down at the computer to watch UK Column news which goes out live on a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, at 1pm. It's raining so I am keeping busy indoors today. 

I can't find a picture of my dad, but this one will do. A nice young man gave me some instructions on how to play with his balls. 

Catch ya later. Toodle pip.  ilona

The secret of budgeting.

I have a mug of coffee every morning, sometimes I have a second mug around about lunchtime. I have got my sugar down from two spoons to one, but I just cannot get it any lower. Coffee is too bitter for me without any sugar. 

I read a book recently which said there are lots of different kinds of sugar, more natural ones which are better than the refined white sugar which is said to be deadly. I spotted this in Aldi and thought I would give it a try. It's made from the nectar of the coconut flower, it's unrefined and dehydrated. Ingredients ; organic coconut sugar. A 100% natural alternative to sugar. Worth a try I thought, but it's not cheap, £1.69 for 50 x 5g teaspoon servings. 

I put some in my coffee and it tastes just fine, I couldn't tell the difference. 

This is how you save £150.50, by not buying a TV licence. They send me a letter every two years asking me to confirm if my circumstances are still the same, or if there are any changes which mean I need to get a licence. I tell them I still don't watch live TV, still don't watch BBC iplayer, on any device. Don't watch programmes at all on a TV set, because I don't have one.

So, my new healthier sugar might cost more money than the conventional white stuff, but by not buying a TV licence, I can buy 89 bags of coconut sugar for the same price. A good deal I think. Swings and roundabouts, balance one off against the other. That is the secret of budgeting.  ilona

A new jacket, and a confirmation

Hello. A small lamp came home with me a few months back, found at a car boot sale for 20p. There was a box of oddments on the floor so I had a rummage through it. It now has a new look, it was cream coloured pottery, and now has a multicoloured woolly jacket. I started at the bottom with a crotchet circle, then kept going round and round, increasing the chains around the widest part, and decreasing as it got narrower towards the top. The electric flex has an on/off switch half way along it so I had to put the jacket on and work round the flex. Without a switch, I could have just taken the plug off and pushed it through before it got too narrow. 

Now it has a pretty base. I have a shade but it is very old and doesn't go with it. I can either strip the fabric off and recover it, or look for another one in a charity shop.

A letter arrived today, confirming that I don't need a TV licence. They contact me every two years and each time I say, still the same, with the addition that I do not watch BBC iplayer. Anyone who is giving up watching TV and tells the licensing people for the first time, will get more letters asking if they are watching. They don't give in easily and will pester for several months. I don't get any bother now.

Hey, it's the weekend and the sun is out. Time to get off the computer and go out. Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

PS. Note to the Walking Group. Don't forget to come back tomorrow with your mileage. Thank you.

Fan of Heartbeat

Hello. Not a lot happening here today. The usual Monday morning Crafty Club, numbers down a bit, people must be busy with other things. This afternoon a friend came round and we had a coffee and natter. She comes to the village every week day during term time, to walk two dogs belonging to a teacher couple. They pay her to do this, as the dogs would be on their own too long otherwise. After that I did a Jade dog walk, that is the last one now, as her regular walker is back from his hols, and will take over tomorrow. Jade will be pleased, as Ken lets her off the lead to run in the fields. I have kept her on the lead as I don't want to be chasing after her if she decides not to come back.

I've got a bit hooked on watching the old Heartbeat shows on yoootooob. I love the Yorkshire setting, the characters, and the storylines. It's easy viewing, a little bit of drama with a splash of humour. The village of Goathland is used for the filming, I've been a couple of times, it's a lovely place, and great for walking. To all the blog readers outside the UK, Heartbeat is a glimpse into village life in the 1960's. Mind you, there seems to be quite a bit of crime going on, I'm sure it's not like that for real, ha ha. It's got the pub, a shop, a garage, a police station, farms and cottages.

I've found a short clip, it's one of five that goes behind the scenes. Have a look, and if you think you might like it, give one of the episodes a try. Each one lasts about 45 minutes. Let me know if you like it.



I'm going to get myself a mug of hot choccy and watch another one.

Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Linky to Rip off Britain

Hello. Just watched myself on the tele. It was pretty good actually even if I say so myself. Only one gripe.....I didn't smile enough !!! GRRRR. And I looked pretty dowdy, that's because it was winter when it was filmed, and I was wrapped up to keep out the cold.

Here is a link to the programme on iplayer. I am on near the beginning, they gave me a big build up, and again near the end. I fast forwarded the middle bit.  Probably UK only at this point, it may come on yooootoooob later.

Catch you later. Toodle pip

Will be interesting to see how they sort this one out.

Hello. This is going to be interesting, an article in the Guardian about charging people to watch BBC iplayer on a computer. The Government is to rush through legislation to close the iplayer loophole which allows people to watch BBC shows on catchup services without having a TV licence. As you know this is what me and millions of others are doing, perfectly legally. 

Apparently the BBC are losing out on £150 million a year. I think they maybe should have thought of that when they joined in the rush to build their internet site. Surely the present situation was predictable, they broadcast programmes which can be seen live, and an our later on catchup, and people can access either from their computer. You do need a TV licence if you watch live TV. A detector van will pick up the signal if you are watching on a conventional TV set, but I'm not sure how they can police it if you are not receiving a signal from an aerial on the roof of your house into your computer. 

It will be interesting to see how they are going to get people to buy a licence. I don't think anyone will be flocking to buy one. You don't need a licence to watch the other channels because they raise their revenue through advertising, so what's to stop people saying they only watch the other channels? How are they going to prove that you are watching BBC? 

It's going to be one hell of an administration and technical nightmare to sort this out. There are so many different devices to watch TV on, and not all are static and connected to a socket on the wall. How will they be able to keep a check on every one of those, especially when millions of people are on the move. Is everyone going to need to get a licence irrespective of whether they actually watch BBC TV or not? I can't see that happening. We already pay for broadband, or maybe an extra charge will be added to that, but then there is a lot of free access to wifi now. Maybe will we be able to opt out of the BBC television web site? Perhaps they will block it and you have to buy a code to unlock it. I will watch with interest on how this story unravels.  You can read the full article here.   

In the meantime, I am not worried about what might or might not happen. I see television as a want, not a need. When I first had a computer I didn't watch television on it. Then I found out I could watch programmes on catchup and I thought it was a nice little bonus. I don't watch much at all, only the odd one or two that interest me. So they can do what they like, I am not bovvered.

I can still get my entertainment from Yooootooob. Watch as much as I want from all over the world.

From ITV.

From Channel 4.

And Channel 5.

I have also been snooping around the net, and there are lots of other sites where you can get free television from all over the world. Sorry, but I won't be buying a licence.

Look at the time, I've been waiting for the rain to stop, must get up off my bum and do three miles.

Thanks for popping in. Catch up soon. Toodle pip.

Oooo errr, my bed is wonky

Hello. I've done a bit inside and a bit outside today. This morning I added some more strips to the curtains, both of them are at this stage, the patchwork creeping closer to the edge. I have used up most of the scraps now, and will probably have to cut a few more pieces to complete the job. 

It's been sunny today so I've made a start on the outside job of reducing the sizes of the raised beds, replacing the rotten pallet wood with bricks. Oooops, something's not quite right here, there shouldn't be a gap on that corner, ha ha. A slight adjustment is needed. A big black cloud came over so I abandoned ship and went inside. Just as well, it started snowing. I want to get these sorted out so I can start planting for spring. I'm having a change and growing flowers instead of vegetables. I need to find out which plants the slugs don't like.

I have a big bill to pay this month, the credit card statement is a whopper. Car insurance is on it, £100 for animal treatments, blood test, injection, and flea treatment for all of them. Then there's Tesco for food and petrol. Just when you think you are doing well, a big hand appears and grabs a big chunk of it. And that's not all, the car needs taxing by the end of the month, and it's time for a service. Early next month the utility bills will come, it's a busy time for money going out. No worries, I have the funds to cover it all.

I've been watching a smashing short series on BBC iplayer, there are three programmes, it's called The Real Marigold Hotel, has anyone else seen it, if not I recommend it. It's about a group of eight senior citizens who go to India to see if it is a good place to retire to. It's like a travel programme/reality show, but interesting and good fun. The first episode is on yoootoooob, it's 58 minutes long. Beware there is a short scene 15 minutes into it of a market where they choose a live chicken for their dinner. You can guess what happens to it.



If you don't want to watch the whole thing, here is a short trailer.



Thanks very much for your Valentine wishes, and thanks for popping in. Catch up soon.
Toodle pip.

A stitch in time, takes all day

Hello. I'm a bit late tonight. I have been sewing like crazy all day, working on the bag of many colours. I was hoping to put the pics on here tonight, the bag is finished, but the photo's do not take well with a flash, so I'll have to take more tomorrow in the daylight. I took it with me to Crafty Club and worked on it, then sat all day at the computer watching catch up while I stitched. 

There were some interesting programmes on iplayer. First Dragons Den which I like, some crazy business ideas are pitched in the hope that the Dragons will back them. One woman was offered the full amount by Peter Jones but he wanted 30% of her posh drinks business. She wouldn't go more that 25% so the silly woman turned him down. Big mistake, she had a good product and he could have done wonders with getting it out there in the stores. Then I watched a documentary about Anthony Hopkins, what a nice man, and very talented, and another about Omar Sharif. After that I watched two episodes of the Bake Off programme, not the whole programme but the Extra Slice follow up programme. I like Jo Brand, she makes me laugh. And after that I watched a documentary about Frank Sinatra, I never knew he sang a duet with Elvis Presley, then followed by a Doris Day documentary. I stopped that half way through it because that was when I finished the bag, and had to make a phone call. Next I have to clean Heidi's litter box out, and walk Rocky, and feed Bugsy, then maybe I will go to bed. 

A house is not a home without a cat. This is Mayze waiting for me to come home. She is a sweetheart mostly, but she has bullied Heidi in the past. I wondered if that was what made Heidi poorly. Heidi is much happier now she has her own territory in the living room, and Mayze is keeping out of her way. 

We've had some smashing sunsets over the last few days. As usual I rushed to the back of the church to take some snaps overlooking the river.

Love the reflections in the river. There are some houses which overlook this view, wish I could afford one, they are much more expensive than mine. Wouldn't it be lovely to be able to sit on a balcony and watch the sun go down.

Walking back up the street, I turned to see if it was still there, and it was.

Got lots to do this week, dog walks, dentist, and getting ready for the holiday, and cleaning house for the cat sitter. Rocky is by my side, tail wagging, he wants to go out, so I'll say toodle pip for now. Thanks for popping in.

Waving the flags

Phew, hasn't it been hot today. I have ventured out but not for long, it felt like I was being baked in an oven. Best off indoors so I got on with a bit of sewing. On Monday I cut out all the pieces for a strip of bunting, 21 flags, 42 pieces, using mainly oddments of fabric which needed using up. Today I sewed them all together. 

If you want to have a go at this, here's what I did. I haven't made bunting before so I guessed the size of the flags. Each one has two pieces. I made a template out of a cereal box and used that to cut out the pieces. 

Then I decided to add some tassels, so I cut three pieces of multicoloured wool 8 inches long, for each one, tied a knot in the ends and added a bead.

Make a sandwich with the fabric, bottom piece right side up, tassels in the middle, another piece of fabric on top, right side down.

Machine two edges, trapping the tassels at the bottom point. You could use one tassel if you like, it would be easier.

Turn it the right way round and iron flat.

Then make as many as you like depending on how long you want your bunting. I have 21.

Luckily in my bit box I had a long length of turquoise ribbon. I folded it in half along the length and ironed it flat. The open top edge of the flags is sandwiched between the fold of the ribbon. Pin them in place, I left a one inch gap  between each one. Sew a very neat line making sure you go through all the layers. And there you have it. This will look nice in the summer house. I might make some more. 

Look what I've got. My friend has too many rucksacks and she asked if I want one. This will come in handy, it's a medium size, half way between a day sack and my big sack. This will be useful for a few days away. It's a good fit and lightweight, with lots of pockets. Perfect. I have got some very nice friends.

That's all for tonight folks. It's cooling down a bit now, I have to water up, and Rocky wants a walk. See you soon.
Toodle pip

Did something go wrong? No, I just got bored.

Hello. 

TV Licensing usually send out letters every two years to those who inform them that they don't need a licence. I've just had one, blimey the last two years have flown by. They ask if my circumstances have changed, am I watching  live TV. They ask me to get in touch with them if  I still don't watch live TV. I rang  and confirmed that I still don't watch TV. They sent me another letter saying they will get in touch again in two years, and that someone may visit me to check. I look forward to that. Just make sure that he is about 6 feet tall, lean and fit, drop dead gorgeous, single, and has loads of dosh. 

Talking of TV, which I don't watch, (I watch on the computer), I had an email from Channel 4. They asked me why I didn't watch the whole of the programme 'Hidden Villages'. What a flippin cheek! Surely it's up to me if I stop watching a programme before the end, I don't have to report to them why I switched it off. They sent a link to resume watching. Nothing went wrong, Channel 4, I just got bored with it, and I have other things to do besides gawping at a screen which no longer holds my interest.  

They want me to check the FAQ's, to find out why I stopped watching. I had a look and couldn't find the 'I got bored with it', answer, so I thought stuff it, I don't have to explain anything.

Still on the subject of TV, I caught a bit of it while I was at Janet's looking after her cats. In the mornings I took my breakfast with me and sat with a cat on my knee, then in the evening I made a hot chocolate and had a flick through the channels, with another cat on my knee. It was hard to find something interesting. One programme I thought was utterly bonkers, why would anyone want to watch someone else watching TV. People sitting in their own homes on the sofa, watching their own TV, and millions of other silly buggers watching them. Bonkers.

No rain today YAY. The top is finished, all sides almost the same height, give or take an inch or two. There is one corner where the two sides don't match up, but I'll sort that when I come to put a roof on it. I spent the afternoon painting, looking quite good now. I got some info about where I might find some long timbers for the roof supports. I need some eight feet long. I'll go and check it out.  

Three doors which definitely need painting, these two,

and this one. When they are done I'll see how much paint I have left, the white ones are not too bad, so I might leave them.

Crafty Club in the morning. I'm off to cut a few squares for the patchwork sewing machine cover I am making, so I'll say Goodnight and Toodle pip.

PS. Just found two lovely comments from Jayne, on older posts, and I'm chuffed to little mintballs. She has been ploughing through the 2009 posts, good on yer Jayne. Thanks for reading.

Promoting our wonderful island

Hello Blogger Buddies. Sorry I didn't post yesterday, needed to catch up on a few things, and last night I decided to chill out and watch a bit of tele, which has given me the idea for this post.

So, this post is sponsored by the wonderful places visited by Julia Bradbury in her programmes, Wonders of Britain. I love finding out more about our beautiful island, reading travel books, looking up places on the internet, and reading maps. I think I have a pretty good knowledge about my country, then I learn something new and it makes me want to go there and see it for myself. The programmes about the Scilly Isles inspired me to go there, and numerous other places I have read about and visited have been ticked off my list. I like to pick up a book and read about places I have already been to as well, it  refreshes my memory of the trip and puts a smile on my face,  ahhh yes, been there.

My passport ran out a few months ago, I thought about renewing it, but won't bother at the moment. I like roaming around the UK, plenty of places I haven't seen yet. So, this is a shout out for good old Blighty, singing the praises of our wonderful homeland.

Julia is a very easy to listen to presenter, she injects enthusiasm for the subject matter with her body language and friendly disposition. I watched two programmes back to back last night, a wonderful couple of hours of free entertainment. I'll list a few of the places she visited here, with a few links, if you want to know more.

Wonders of Britain Series 1 episode 1   Beautiful Buildings
Wonders of Britain Series 1 episode 4  Industrial Revolution.
These links are on the ITV player and will not be available forever. 21 - 28 days. May be available on yoootooob (haven't checked) or may be repeated at a later date on the ITV site.

So where did she go.
Castle Howard, a stunningly beautiful stately building in North Yorkshire. The house is closed at the moment, due to open on the 21st of March. Visitors can walk around the grounds for a lower entrance fee during the winter months. Open every day except Christmas Day. I want to go there.

Eden Project in Cornwall. A brilliant place to visit, I have been twice, if I lived nearer I would go more often. It boasts the worlds largest rain forest in captivity, stunning gardens and world class sculptures. Always something going on, ice skating at the moment. Open most of the time, except a few dates in Jan - Feb. Check the web site.

Caernarfon Castle, a world heritage site, the most impressive castle in Wales. Check here for opening times and prices. I want to go there, it looks amazing.

Royal Crescent, Bath.  I have been here and I love it. There are thirty grade 1 listed houses arranged round a great lawn. It was built between 1767 and 1775. A must to see if you are in Bath.

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. This has been called The stream in the Sky. The structure has 19 arches with the River Dee running below it. You can cross on a narrow boat, or if you are feeling brave you can walk across. The views are out of this world. On my list to visit.

All photo's taken from the relevant web sites.

I'll come back tomorrow with a few more places to visit. No need to travel anywhere else, we have it all here.
Toodle pip.

She's a gudun, that Jack.

Read this with a Yorkshire accent.....Eee by gum, she's a reet plucky lass that Jack, int she? No, Jack doesn't talk like that, she is from daan saaf, that's doon sooth if you are from Scotland. I love accents, don't you. Did you see her on Question Time this week? I watched it on the BBC iplayer catchup last night.

Most of you have probably heard of the blog, A girl Called Jack, she is the young lady who struggled to make ends meet as a single mum, and invented a whole load of cheap recipes costing pennies so they wouldn't starve. She's been in the news a lot these past few months, having found her niche as an ambassador for Anti Poverty. Good on her, that's what I say. She isn't afraid to stand up and be counted. I wish I had had that gumption when I was her age.

She's come a long way from being a skint mum, to sitting on the panel at Question Time, she should be proud of herself. I see a rising star there. She sat on a panel with Kirsty Allsop, and some stuffy politicians, and gave her views live to the whole nation. Millions of people had their eyes and ears open to catch her words. She were reet gud was Jack.

Here is a link to her blog, there is a link to the programe on iplayer within it. Oversees readers may not be able to access it at this moment, but keep a look out on yoootooob for it. It hasn't been uploaded there yet, but it will appear eventually.

Got to go. Toodle pip.

Inspiration for us all.

I was a bit late back last night after visiting my sister, then my uncle. Sis and hubby have a new bungalow, well not new exactly, it needs a lot of work doing to it to make it habitable. They have downsized, and are now living in their caravan, on site while the work is being carried out. All the rooms are bare, it will be a new bathroom, kitchen, and a conservatory built on the side. A big task to undertake. It's a bit like those tele programmes where someone buys a wreck at a knockdown price at an auction, then proceeds to turn it into a little palace. They have got a lot of work on there.

Ninety year old uncle is still getting on with his life, still as sharp as ever. When I told him about my sore ankle, it's more the heal actually, he got his ancient medical books out so I was able to look up the symptoms, and read what treatment is needed. I think I have a sprain, still a bit sore, and need to elevate the foot and put a cold compress on it. Easier said than done, I hate being immobile. Still, needs must and I have been sitting here with my leg on the dining room table, with a bag of peas on my foot, sewing, and watching catchup tv.

I've been reading about a new Channel 4 programme called Fabulous Fashionistas, it was broadcast on Tuesday night. My sis was also raving about it saying how good it is, so this morning I sat and watched it while I got on with the patchwork.

I have to say, it was pretty darn good. It's about six older women, in their seventies and eighties, who refuse to give up and die. They are living life to the full and having a ball. People often say I inspire them, but who inspires me? Women like these on this programme do. They all don't give a damn what others think of them, they are all fashionable, they go to work, one has a husband 27 years younger than her, they are just amazing. I must say, I felt like I was a teenager, 64, phew, just a spring chicken. These women are busy, they exercise, they look after themselves, and they love life. They mad me laugh, and I shed a tear. Definitely women to aspire to.

If you have a spare 47 minutes, have a look at it. It's on 4oD and yootoob, so everyone should be able to see it. I guarantee you will love it.

Fabulous Fashionistas on Channel 4oD

Fabulous Fashionistas on youtube

Happy viewing. Toodle pip

Hat's off to the hard workers

I had a rather unsettled night last night. Normally I start rounding up the kitty cats at about 8pm on these light nights, if they are in the door is shut and they stay in. If they are out the cat flap is set for entry only, no exit, so when I hear it clatter and I have a headcount of three I know it's time to lock up and there is no escape for them. It has all worked well until recently, when clever Heidi has worked out how to lie on her back and lift the cat flap, and hold it up while she slides out underneath it. She did this last night while I was waiting for Mayze to come in, but came back after about an hour. so no worries, she was in.

But where was Mayze, I searched high and low but no sign of her. I was searching the garden with a torch, and gave up at 12.30am, I was so tired I went to bed. I set the cat flap so she could get in, she has not yet worked out how to do Heidi's trick. This morning there was still no sign of her, she hadn't come back. This was very unusual, because she is usually in well before time.

I put the computer on at 10am and started to make up a missing cat poster to put up around the streets. At 10.30am the little madam comes strolling in and goes straight to her food bowl. Panic over, wonder where she went!

I had an email today, from someone at The National Centre for Craft and Design, remember I wrote about my visit. They have seen my blog and wrote to ask if I would like to volunteer. That is something I would like to do, but Sleaford is a bit too far away to travel backwards and forwards. I will think about it, but maybe it won't happen, nice to be asked though.

The weather has turned horrible again, windy, cloudy, and cold. The sunflowers are under the plastic sheet to protect them, they are doing well, gaining an inch or two every day. I have been a bit lazy indoors, was going to go for a walk but decided not to, and watch free tele on the computer instead. There are a few programmes I like, not many though, not enough to get a licence and a real tele. I had a letter from the licensing people last week, asking me if my circumstances had changed, was I still not watching live tele, or do I need to get a licence. I replied with a phone call, still the same. So they wrote back to confirm that they will not write again for another three years, but they might send someone to check. That is fine by me, I have nothing to hide.

Anyway, what was I watching? Although I have been out of the workplace for almost five years now, I am still interested in how businesses work. I like a programme called The Undercover Boss, where the head of a company goes into the workplace to see what is going on at grass roots. There have been quite a lot of programmes made, and I haven't seen all of them, but they are all on yootoob, so plenty to catch up on.

This morning I watched Phil Couchman, the CEO from DHL Parcels, look into the different parts of the business, from the call centre, to the van drivers, to the hub at East Midlands Airport where most of the international freight comes into the country. I find anything to do with the transportation of goods very interesting, and parcel delivery is something I did for a while. I know first hand how hard the drivers work, 100 - 150, and more, drops and pickups in a day is no mean feat. It's punishing work, multi drops is something I couldn't hack for very long, it was doing my head in, as well as physically knackering me, and I wasn't even old then. For everyone who has had problems with deliveries, they should watch this programme, then they might not be so keen to have a go at the drivers.

Anyway, I digress, the real reason for writing this is that the programme shows the human side of  people who value their jobs, people who want to do well for themselves and the company they work for. It shows the hard working people who want to get on in life, which is refreshing given that we hear so much in the press about the benefit scroungers who sit back and expect everything to be given to them without lifting a finger. I am a firm believer in working hard, what you sow, you reap. Granted the opportunities are not as abundant as in past decades, but there is still some work out there.

What struck me about the employees who took part in the programme, they were all smiley, all pleased they had a job, despite the hard work they had to put in. The loaders pushing heavy trolleys on and off the aircraft were often off work with a bad back. The people in the call centre had to sit for hours at their desks taking call after call, with a four minute time limit before they had to move on to the next one. The van driver who had to do more walking than driving in the city, because of parking restrictions. And the driver trying to find places in the countryside with his battered paper A - Z map book, and still do a hundred deliveries.

Towards the end of the programme the CEO Phil went out with the London van driver. He was a young Brazillian lad, who was smiling the whole time, despite the fact that he was working on a self employed basis with no guarantee of work. His story was that he came to this country when he was 21 because his parents were destitute, and he couldn't find work. He came here to work, and my goodness he does work hard. He sends half his wages home to keep his parents. That story brought a tear to my eye, a devoted son who is doing the best for his parents. I'm not going to tell you how the programme ends, all I can say is that I was blubbing with him when he discovered that the trainee he was working with turned out to be the head of the company, who recognised what a hard worker he is, and how he was going to be rewarded . I wish they would do a follow up of his story, he would be a brilliant role model for youngsters who haven't had a good start in life.

If you feel so inclined you can watch it on yootoob. I can't embed it here, it won't let me, but you can follow the link. It lasts 47 minutes, but if you don't want to bother, that's fine, it's not everyone's cup of tea. I hope my write up about it has entertained you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0v5-8ZssrDw&feature=c4-overview&playnext=1&list=TLpIGVfLWZk7Q

Toodle pip.