Maybe it was me, seems oK now. Strange without granny, but very serene. And she is very happy at the home, people her own era to talk with, things to do, it's worked out fine. Have a lovely weekend all.

J+J

Hi mac, lovely to see some life on this page again. Yes, granny seems fine, eats everything they put before her, she joins in all the activities, we should have done this two years ago.

Housing!!! WOW!! I never thought that this would be such a project, but I love a challenge. I just got a very nice letter from North Wilts Housing explaining everything I already know about Shared Ownership except what I need to know!! Like why does a family need to be derelict before you are considered suitable to apply for S/O which will cost you at least 600 a month? Why must the buyer pick up all the repair bills if he only "owns" 25% of the value? Why should it make a difference if the applicant is a teacher, prison officer or bus clippie?? Need is need. I think the only conclusion we have come to is that they use the same form for S/O as Housing Need because councils didn't got pipples what can wrote Inglis good enough to makes a noo vorm. However, I am sure that they mean well and they do they best, even if the results are rather disadvantageous to those who spent their lives doing their best for their failies whilst uninvited dark green social settlers reap the crop.

More and more it is becoming difficult to see the advantage of S/O to the purchaser, although councils and developers do very well out of it.... if they can sell them. There appear to be plenty of resales which I take as meaning that the purchasers ould not afford them anyway. I also find that there are many developments taking place where they are either unable or unwilling to disclose a price, probably because they want to see how high they can hike the price to send more money to Iceland.

Victoria has gone to her family for a week, taking little Rebecca along and Alfredo is staying here to help his dad. I have taken next week off, primarily to spend some time with Jacqui but also to try to finish rebuilding my machine. I already have one emergency repair call from a company who bought a bottle sealing from a Chinese company. A little yellow chap with a funny hat came over, said "ying-tong" twice, started the machine and got back on the boat. NOw nobody can fix it because it only ran half an hour and by then the sampan was going past Mauritius!!  I am one of the few people who know how these things work so I will make a funny hat, paint my face yellow, stick my hands up my sleeves and go and have a look. This is the second Chinese machine to do this.

Oh well, let's start the day. Have a great weekend all.

J+J

Oh yes, do you know how the Chinese get the names for new babies? They kick a tin down the street and whatever noise it makes they name the child!!

We got a call from Victoria this morning to say she arrived OK, but the bus broke down for a few hours so she was a bit late. She was checking we are OK!!!  Her home is a long way away, down in the Eastern Cape, in the bush near East LOndon, it is the first time her family will have seen Rebecca. I can tell you how considerate Victoria is. We knew she was going home for a break with Rebecca  and then coming back to get married. Her husband to be is from Mozambique and is a builder. They have a marriage system here that is the opposite of a dowry, a sort of bride price called Lobola which has to be paid first. I believe in some places they do HP as well. When Jacqui asked VIctoria when she wanted to go home for her holiday she said not until we had got granny settled. That was very nice. The home phoned today and it's like you said, mac, she eats everything she sees including all the things that she wouldn't eat here. She complained yesterday that she needed her Novicol laxative and the sister asked what for, she goes to the loo twice a  day!! The main thing is that she is happy and well there and Jacqui is so much more relaxed too. Hot today, 28C so we might have a siesta.

We are still looking at the options for England and the best one seems to be to start well and find a way to maintain it!!

Happy days


J+J

Hot here today. We have been back to the Chinese bottle capper and that is now running again and the owner is very happy. We went for an Indian to celebrate.
Yes mac, the best way for us does seem to be to spend the money or hide it, the system does not cater in any other way. Strange that my two failed friends there do so well out of it. Funny you should make those points about the elderly, the lady who runs that hoe says the same. Evidently granny never stops eating, and all the things she told us she just couldn't manage. I must say it has changed things for us, I no longer have sinusitis and post nasal drip and Jacqui sleeps like the dead and is so relaxed. I see Mr Brown and his darling are heroes now, how quickly we all forget who dropped the country in it. MInd you, I think the credit was a bit too easy in Britain, Jacqui remarked the other day that it was perhaps this that gave us the impression that everyone there is so well off, there was no money anyway and banks were simply lending money they didn't have to people who could not pay it back.

It seems to us now that to contemplate buying into shared ownership would be silly, prices have to drop but who is going to lose?? I am sure the banks don't want defaulted mortgages so what is going to happem?? Will we see people sleeping rough outside empty houses??  We are a Showhouse again this SUnday so Jacqui and I will just have to go out for the afternoon and have a late lunch somewhere, it's tough where we are!!! Time for tea. Oh yes, mac, you might know. Aspirin is supposed to be good to ward off heart attacks but you can't buy it here. You can only buy Ecotrin, which is about 50p a pill. Is it the same there.
Byeeeeeeeee

J+J

Ah!!  remember the days when Life used to be a Bed of Roses. You Do ??  Well sorry, that has all gone now!!
 We have never ever seen such a mess, that has been allowed to esculate so fast, as to be based on greed by the banks!!  Could no one forsee the possibilities, that so many people would lose out on their Jobs, Homes and cars?? Yes!! I know it is easy to critisise and with hindsight too. But those people that are in Control, should forsee the future happenings 

Mac, We tried a water meter, two years ago and the cost worked out More (Strange) and we don't waste, when not wanted. -- Still hard to keep costs Down, at the speed they are going UP ??

Hello folks. Phoenix, nice to see you back again. We have been watching Sky closely and it has all become rather bizarre there, hasn't it.  Now thwy want to limit immigration but they need people with skills. They need skilled people here too but I am far too white to be of aany use. Hot again today and I changed the sand in the pool filter. It should be done evry couple of years but it must be about ten since I did it last.

It is si different without granny, so relaxing. We seem to have so much time to ourselves now. The Rand has dropped to about R17 to the pound so thats either three and a half loaves of bread, or 60 cigarettes or a litre of petrol and two bars of chocalate to the pound. Prices are up but we do get a little more pension. Can't have it both ways.

It is sounding as though things are going back to how it was in the 60's, except there is now central heating, but people won't be able to afford to use it. Just go to bed early, I suppose,
Have a nice weekend

J+J

Hi John and Jackie
You arent a nuisance lol
What I would miss most about living in Reddish is.....
My family,well some of them,the grandchilden
My little job
My friends
My ladies groups
My neighbours
My surroundings of which I am familiar.
The facilities I would be looking for are
Local shops within walking distance
good bus routes
group activities
library.
Can I ask John what are you leaving behind in SA,do you have family there ? I already know about the SUN !!
Its not all doom and gloom here right now the papers and press really do elaborate,and the people who have lost money are the shareholders mostly from the banks that the government has made nationalised.I didnt know that when a bank or building society is nationalised they dont have to pay you for your shares.(so only one winner there)
Some bills have come down,but the big ones wont like the rates,they will have to claw back the money lost in investments of our money ! I am sure it will hit sooner or later.I feel it wont do the youngsters any harm to find out how to manage meaning how to ecconomise.
The good news is woollies the shop have toys for kids for christmas buy 2 get one free on all the toys
!!!!! shame I am not a kid lol
The sales have started early too !