The World's End!

I did eventually get hold of a helpful person who works at the power company yesterday evening. Mark (for it is he) was most concerned about my errant radiators and said he’d get someone on to it right away, it was completely unacceptable - I was to expect a phone call to set up a visit.

This morning I rang to give them my mobile number, in case they rang and I wasn’t in. The chap today (George) had no idea what I was talking about. He couldn’t even find my account…

‘But I talked to Mark last night and he arranged it all…’

Turns out, Mark was talking through a hole in his a... hat. I am not on their boiler system yet. As a ‘new’ customer, I must wait a month before they will come and look at it. Which I knew. So when you really might want to use the cover - you’re not covered! Mark had apparently been making it up as he went along… George looked at the notes he had made during the phone call. Incredible.

However, I have had three successful, professional, efficient, polite phone calls this morning. None of them from a power company. My doctor rang me for a chat about my Vitamin D pills, which I can stop now - I should be well topped up (not that I notice any health benefits…) I mentioned that I hadn’t yet had a letter from physio, and she said that’s part of The Government Cuts, but one that the public don’t notice. Unless, of course, you need physio. I was very impressed that she took time out to ring me.

Then the letter came from the physio department asking me to ring and make an appointment, which I did. They apologised for having to go to January 2014, but that suited me.

While I was browsing the council website, I noticed a department for dealing with graffiti. The telephone box at our hedge has graffiti on it, so I rang and got a charming Aussie chap, Shane, who said he’d sort it. Lo and behold, the council workmen (three of them) were there painting over it before midday!! I went out and congratulated them on the excellent service.

AND the wifi seems to be working, the SoundTouch playing Christmas Carols this morning when Uncle A came to admire the new (clean) windows. So, apart from the delinquent Mark, all good things today!

Popped out to a DIY store to get a few things this evening, then popped on down town. Parked illegally, and so was in a bit of a hurry to get a shot. The cobbles setts would look better wet, but it was 14 degrees and dry!

One of these pubs was a regular folk music haunt when I came up to the big city with my pals from Ayr. The other is famous for two murders in 1997. Two girls were last seen there and their bodies found a few days later. A colleague recently told me that she was in that pub that night. She could have got talking to the (probably) personable chaps, and indeed, perhaps did. Creepy.

The name comes from the fact that it was literally, ‘the world’s end’ as the city was protected by the Flodden Wall, and outside that was The World - a scary place.