Putting the Boot Sale In …

Hmmm …

Now that’s a thing …

Well …

Possibly a thing …

I’m in ‘Drift Off and Burble’ mode, aren’t I … ?

You can tell by the dots … … … … … …

»»•««

At any rate … ?

I thought I’d mention that I nipped quickly up to my local branch of Londis, just past Brentwood Station.

Of course, there was something I wanted to do, along the way.

You see, I’d noticed a lot of activity in Brentwood Station’s carpark, which I can see from my front room window, and thought I’d take a look.

Well, I had noticed a lot of activity, there, last week: but thought it was people parking, to catch a train down to the protests in London, last week.

Boy, was I wrong.

Turn’s out the station car-park’s been the home, for a couple of weeks, to the Lazybones Car Boot Sale …

Now, I’ve got to admit, I had a look around, on my way to Londis, as this boot sale was on the way.

Granted, there wasn’t MUCH, there …

But I think I caught it just at the end of trading.

Which mean’s it’s probably something to get to, nice and early, given there’s not much online about it … !

Good luck to ’em … !

The Gazette, The Station, and Feeling Conned …

You know, it’s been a while since I’ve written to the Gazette.

And been published, at any rate.

But …

Remember me writing about the petition signing event — rather quiet event, I should add — at Brentwood Station, a while back … ?

My word, but that’s generated some comment: elsewhere, if not here …

And I’ve a confession to make …

I couldn’t resist putting in my tuppence ha’penny worth … !

Well, you wouldn’t, would you … ?

So here’s what I wrote to the Gazette, this time.

Dear Editor,

Can I make an admission, here, and admit that I feel vaguely conned … ?

By the Brentwood and Ongar Conservatives … ?

I was at their petition signing day, after being invited along by the owner of Vegas and I’ve got to admit, I believe that a lot of signatures were gathered by yours truly.

On the day itself … ?

I could well be wrong, here, but it seemed to me that — on the day — the only people actually collecting signatures for the petition were myself and Billy.

The three members of the local Conservatives — along with Councillor McKinley, herself — seemed more interested in handing out flyers advertising their own meetings.

And when I raised the idea of maybe asking ward councillors from other parties along, to at least give the impression of cross-party support … ?

I was politely and graciously fobbed off.

Now, all questions aside of who’s stealing credit from who, or whether the much-needed lifts can be installed at the station — something I doubt, given the station’s layout — I feel vaguely conned.

Now, I’ve often said I can’t stand the coalition government: mostly on the basis of Conservative involvement in it.

This … ?

Only reinforces my personal belief that voting Conservative … is voting for nasty pieces of work.

Now, I don’t know if that’ll make it into next week’s Gazette — lord knows they’ve devoted enough to it — but I hope so.

I think I may have a point.

Even if it’s a heavily disguised one about politicians jumping on bandwagons …

An Afternoon Off, At The Station …

Hmmm …

Interesting way to spend an afternoon off …

I’ve got to admit, I bumped into Bill, this morning, on the way back from work: that’s him, in the bottom photo.

He’s the chap that runs Vega Hairdressing, just around the corner from my place, and what he told me interested me.

Seemingly, the local railway station is planning to do some upgrading.

But not planning to install lifts for those who are disabled or pushing prams: something that strikes me as difficult to do, but certainly worth making a point about.

He’d dragged Councillor Louise McKinlay along, as well.

Who — considering she’s the Council leader — got a bit of an ear-bending from your’s truly, about the council’s use — or non-use, I should say — about open source operating systemsª.

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Which reminds me, I’ve still got to talk to Councillor Chilvers* about possibly putting Ubuntu onto her PC …

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At any rate, we managed to get a few signatures on the petition we were waving: including from my old boss, Will, over in the local off-license.

Whether it has any effect?

I guess we’ll find out at some point.

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At any rate, one last thing … ?

I’ve got to admit, I managed to pick up this week’s Gazette: their front page had this on it.

So I sent them a letter …

Dear Sir,

I’m writing to you after reading your front page article about the unknown man found dead in Rayleigh Road, this week, and I think — think — I know what may have happened.

I could be wrong, but …

I can remember reading — three or four years — about a local man who’d died after heading home drunk one night, falling into a ditch — in the Rayleigh Road area — and drowning in the inch or so of water at the bottom of the ditch he was in.

And believe something similar’s happened to this unknown chap.

Now, I’ve down a lot of bar-work, over the years.

I’ve served — and refused to serve — people who’ve been been as drunk as lords.

Most of whom have got home safely.

But I’ve also wondered if that chap that drowned in a ditch in Alexander Lane was someone I’d served. And can’t help but wonder, now, if a member of staff in should likewise be wondering if this recent death …

Was of someone they’d served.

I wonder if they’ll publish …

* Who I phoned earlier, to let her know what was going on.

ª Ubuntu, in particular …

Those BLOODY trains!!!!!!!

Hmmmmm …

No, that’s the wrong way to start this post, I think.

I’m thinking that the right word is …

Well …

Nothing else for it …

AAAAAAAARRGGHH!

Those BLOODY trains!

I ASK you!!

You may — or may not — remember that I said I had an interview, this morning?

In Chelmsford?

For a company called Appliance Warehouse?

I was heading off to it, this morning! On what was a wet, rainy, bloody miserable day, I’ve got to go to an interview. Still, it was one that I was fairly hopeful about, even though the company’s office was quite some distance from Chelmsford station.

And guess what happened … ?

The train — the 9•12am, that would’ve given me plenty of time to get there — got delayed.

DELAYED!

•••••

I …

WAS …

FUMING!

And, in the frantic ring-roundª to try and get a contact number for Appliance Warehouse — which was futile, as I couldn’t get one that was accessible from a mobile — I missed another train.

Now, as you can imagine, I was — and still am — MIGHTILY hacked off!

In part at myself.

After all, I could’ve salvaged the day, by making damn sure I had the contact number to let Appliance Warehouse know I’d be late, but was on my way.

Which was exactly what I’d done, a couple of weeks ago, when I’d had the interview at the Chelmsford Co-Op.

But I’m also annoyed that the train was delayed in the first place.

And also very much annoyed that — on getting back to Brentwood Station — I was point blank refused a refund.

What I’d been planning to do was get home — after getting a refund for the ticket — re-arrange the interview, go back to Brentwood Station and then repurchase a ticket for the relevant day.

Not the best compromise, I know, but at least it would’ve shown my prospective employer that I was capable of improvising around a set-back.

The refund was refused.

Or, at least, I was told to refer that complaint to National Express’ Customer Services department*.

Near enough identical, to my way of thinking.

I can’t help but think that going that route would lead to a bureaucratic run-around, that would’ve seen the passing of weeks, before I got any sort of cash back.

THAT’S the thing that’s really annoyed me: the £6•30 I spent on the ticket is a lot of money to someone on Jobseekers Allowance.

It’s meant that I’ve had to come home, and phone the chap who’s supposed to have been interviewing me, this morning, to let him know that there’d been problem’s with the trains, and that I’d not be able to make it into another interview until this coming Monday, at the earliest.

That’s when my next benefit check comes in.

I don’t think he was especially impressedº, going by the tone of his voice, but he did, at least, promise to try and phone me back with an alternative date.

Which he hasn’t done.

Can’t say I blame him.

After all, given the rates of unemployment in the UK, today, companies have their choice of prospective employees: ones that can actually make it to an interview stand a better chance of getting the job in question.

•••••

So, right now?

Right now, I am still angry about this morning’s events.

Like I said, earlier, in part at myself, for not thinking of a simple thing like taking a phone number along with me: which tells me that’s something I have to make sure of, in future.

But, BOY am I annoyed at National Express!

•••••

* By a chap who’s name badge identified him as ‘Nacer’ — or possibly ‘Naser’ — , if the quick glance I had of it was correct.

º I know — in his shoes — that I’d not be. To be frank, at the moment, I’m thinking I’ve blown my chances of either getting the job, OR another shot at an interview with the company. Especially as the interviewer hasn’t phoned me back.

ª Actually, I owe a BIG ‘Thank You’ to Sue, Ruth, Simon, Elizabeth, Maggi, Lorna, Anna and especially Gwen, Stef and Adrian, for trying to help out, finding the contact number.