The Wrong Bus

So I went into town to meet a friend for lunch. All was going well until I got to the bus station to get the bus back…

It was easier to just copy and paste my Tweets… (follow me on Twitter @christinepeel1)

Scary nutter at bus stop.

Accidentally sat near scary nutter cos wanted front seat on top deck of bus.

Scary nutter appears to be high.

He’s fallen asleep.

He’s passed out and fallen off the seat. Ran downstairs to tell driver.

Driver stopping at next stop.

He’s coming round.

Driver offered to call ambulance but he’s refused.

No idea what he’s saying #incoherent

He’s mumbling and playing on his phone.

The woman who was making out she could understand him has got off the bus. Hope he doesn’t start talking to the next nearest person (me).

I think I might be on the wrong bus #unrelated

I’ve moved downstairs in case it doesn’t turn towards Seaton Delaval.

Can’t see the high guy any more.

I’m not used to getting buses.

It didn’t turn right.

Walking home.

Anyone going from new hospital to Seaton Delaval by any chance?

Walking is a waste of time without the dog.

Why did the driver let me get on when my return ticket was for a different bus?

May as well turn Runkeeper on #walking

Saves going to the gym today I guess.

Could be worse. Could be raining.

Never getting the bus again.

Coat now in bag #wrongbus

Going past the new estate.

Missed the hashtag off the last tweet #wrongfuckingbus

Walking past the nature reserve.

On the plus side I’m finding paths I never knew existed

And I’ve just walked into a tree whilst tweeting #wrongfuckingbus

Probably only another mile to go #wrongfuckingbus

Another nature reserve #wrongfuckingbus

The bus from East Cramlington to Seaton Delaval that I took the executive decision not to wait for just went past #wrongfuckingbus

I’ll probably get home and remember my car is on town #badday

Almost home…and no, I don’t live in a petrol station but at this point I wish I lived in the pub #wrongfuckingbus

If I hadn’t been on #gardeningleave none of this would have happened #wrongfuckingbus

It took 46 mins to walk home. It takes 45 mins on the *right* bus from town #wrongfuckingbus

Finally fucking home #wrongfuckingbus

Even my watch is taking the piss #wrongfuckingbus

 

Puppy Training the Positively Pets Way

When we had our last dog, a 10 year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel called Minty, we were never able to let her off the lead without having to pull her out of foxholes by her tail or chasing her across fields and over drystone walls before rugby tackling her to the ground if she escaped.

I am now 5 weeks into a Puppy Training class run by Jenny Adams from Positively Pets with Kody, our new Cavalier, who was 16 weeks old when we started.

Jenny explained in Week 1 that it’s important that a puppy is let off the lead at the earliest opportunity whilst he still has a major attachment to you and less likely to run away. If you leave it too late he will no longer have that attachment and is much harder to train to recall. This was our mistake with Minty.

We’d inadvertently done the right thing by letting Kody off the lead as soon as we got him at 11 weeks old and this has made such a difference. Coupled with the advice, knowledge, encouragement and practice the course has given us, dog walking has become a much more enjoyable experience.

Walks were OK with Minty but, because there was rarely any danger as she was always on a lead, most of the time would be spent playing with my phone and not really interacting with her very much at all.

Because Kody is already off the lead 95% of the time when it’s safe, usually in country parks or footpaths across fields, he has to have more of my attention. I need to look ahead and behind to see if there is anything that may distract him or be a danger, like people or other dogs and I’m constantly checking where he is and calling him back if I’m concerned or just for practice. This makes the walks more interesting for both me and Kody as we’re interacting with each other all the time and we’ve formed a close bond very quickly because of it.

Many dog owners will do this stuff anyway and scoff at the idea of training classes but for me it’s given me what I needed: the confidence to let Kody off the lead with the knowledge that he’s going to come back.

I’ve enjoyed every minute of the classes and we’re now booked on the Juniors class which is the next one up.

Thank you so much to everyone at Positively Pets for such an enjoyable and informative few weeks which has made owning a dog a much better experience and we both look forward to seeing you all at the next class.

Like Positively Pets on Facebook by clicking here.

Kody at 21 weeks enjoying Plessey Woods Country Park.

 

How Not To Get A Puppy

In November 2005 we got our first puppy. We’d just relocated and I was going to be between jobs and renovating the new house so, because I was going to be around most of the time, it was the perfect time for us.

The top three breeds on our ‘Wanted’ list were a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, a Shih Tzu and a Bichon Frise.

Not knowing any better, I went on a site called Epupz and bought the fist one I could get that was going to be ready to leave it’s mum soonest. It happened to be a Blenheim Cavalier.

I paid a deposit and was assured by the breeder that I could meet the puppy’s mum on collection – the only question I’d heard I should ask.

I arrived at the agreed time at a house on a run down Leeds estate where most of the houses had cast iron gates across the doors and windows.

I was shown into the living room which, notably only contained a huge £4k TV on the wall and 2 sofas along with 2 indoor rabbit hutches of the plastic tank variety. In one was a little of 10 English Bull Terriers and in the other a little of 8 Cavaliers. No other dogs were in the house and I was informed that the Cavaliers’ mother had been sold the day before (make of that what you will). The puppies were only 6 weeks old.

My puppy was handed to me along with a small amount of food and I drove home. When we arrived home and I put her on the floor ,she could barely walk on her own and it was obvious she’d never been out of the tank.

However, she thrived and became a much loved member of the family.

Minty was diagnosed with Mitral Valve Disease, a congenital problem common in Cavaliers, at the age of five. Luckily she showed no symptoms until after her tenth birthday, when she died suddenly from heart failure after being ill for two days.

Minty’s Kennel Club Registration Certificate shows that her parents had been health checked but this did not necessarily include heart tests as this is not a requirement of the registration process.

We’ve been incredibly lucky with Minty as she only had symptoms for a very short time and the end came very quickly. Many other dogs suffer for years with Mitral Valve Disease and other common Cavalier problems.

This heartbreak could be prevented if all breeders were responsible and conducted valid health tests on their dogs before breeding them, and not breeding dogs that are shown to have problems.

I now know that anyone buying a pure bred dog should demand to see health certificates for both parents before buying a puppy and that the mother should be at least 2 1/2 years old before being bred, in order that any health problems would be apparent. Also, the mother should be available for viewing either before or at the point of collecting the puppy.

There are many other factors that should be taken into account and even when precautions are take there are no guarantees but it is vitally important that puppies are only bought from reputable breeders, preferably on recommendation from people who have had their dogs in the past.

We’re privileged to have had so may happy years with Minty and she has left a huge hole in our lives, but I hope that her story will encourage others to not fall into the same trap that I did and buy only from responsible breeders.

To sign the petition asking the Kennel Club to only register puppies whose parents have both been MRI and heart tested, please click here.

RIP Minty.

 

 

An Open Letter to Bailey Caravans

Below is a complaint I sent to Bailey Caravans on 18th October 2012.

Having had no reply I asked for it to be escalated to CEO level on 20th November and have still had no response.

If the caravan is not collected before Christmas 2012, according to Bailey estimates of 10-12 weeks in the workshop, I will not have it back for the 2013 caravanning season starting at Easter. This will be 25 months after the fault was detected, during which time the caravan has been available to Bailey for 8 months that I have not been using it.

Hi

I have a Bailey Ranger 460/4 and during the annual service in February 2011 at United British Caravans in Newcastle upon Tyne it was found that there was a damp problem which would be fixed under warranty. I agreed that arrangements could be made for it to go back to the factory for the work to be done and the then service manager suggested that this would only take a couple of weeks.

Being somewhat sceptical, I contacted Bailey direct and received an email (possibly from xxx xxxxx) saying that on average a caravan is at the factory for warranty work for 10-12 weeks and suggesting I delay the work until I’d finished with the caravan for the season so that it wouldn’t infringe upon my enjoyment of already booked holidays.

I duly dropped the caravan off at UBC on 7th October 2011 so it could be returned for the work during the winter when I didn’t need it.

In January 2012 I contacted UBC to see when I was likely to be able to collect it to be told by the new service manager, xxxx xxx, that it hadn’t even been collected for the work yet.

He eventually gave me a date of 8th March 2012 for the caravan to go for the work, which I declined for the same reason I’d been advised by Bailey in 2011, as I’d potentially lose 12 weeks of my caravanning season.

I said I’d be finished with the caravan on 28th August 2012 and it would be available for the work to be carried out after that.

I spoke to xxxxx in the service department at UBC on 28th August to confirm that the caravan was now available and called again on Friday 12th October, having heard nothing again.

I’m now told that there’s a communication problem between Bailey and UBC and there are still no plans to collect the caravan.

I am very disappointed at the service I’ve received both from Bailey and UBC for the last 20 months  and ask that the caravan is collected for the warranty work urgently so I know I’ll have it back before I need it again for the new season in the spring.

This is the first Bailey caravan I’ve had and is the best I’ve owned in over 25 years of caravanning and I would love a new Orion but I’d be reluctant to consider another Bailey because of the customer service issues.

I look forward to your early response with an indication when my caravan will be collected for the work to be done.
Kindest regards
Christine Peel

How to Have a Happy Oven Cleaner

Tip 1: Do not have an argument while your oven is being cleaned. More to the point, do not expect the person cleaning your oven to take sides as she does not know which side will be writing the cheque.

Tip 2: Do not ask your wife why she is unable to reverse onto the drive as well as the oven cleaner just did. The oven cleaner was a driving instructor for 12 years in a previous life.

Tip 3: Do not let your dog run away with the oven cleaner’s sponges. This will piss the oven cleaner off.

Tip 4: Do not let your dog run off with the oven cleaner’s scraper blade. It is sharp. The dog will die.

Tip 5: Do not leave the oven cleaner to look after your husband who has dementia while you nip to the chippy. The oven cleaner does not like being surprised when she pops to the toilet and there is no lock on the door.

Tip 6: Do not show the oven cleaner how to switch the light on in the oven while she is removing the lamp covers for cleaning. She may be electrocuted.

Tip 7: As the oven cleaner walks in the door, ask if she’d like a cup of tea (milk with one sugar) and a biscuit (chocolate) with a slice of cake (no cream). Or mince and dumplings.

Tip 8: Do not make the oven cleaner park her van 3 streets away if it’s raining. Move your car off the driveway so her hair doesn’t go frizzy.

Tip 9: The oven cleaner can cope if your hot water is off, she carries a kettle in the van and can make her own tea. However, she needs to know in advance if the cold is off too so she can bring her own water as well.

Tip 10: Feel free to sit at the kitchen table and chat to the oven cleaner while she works. Please bear in mind that her favourite subjects are pets (her own, not yours), kids (again, her own, not yours) and caravanning. This may be boring for you, in which case please go and watch the telly.

Tip 11: If you have a super cute and cuddly dog, please bring it in at the end for the oven cleaner to hug. The oven cleaner likes cute animals.

Tip 12: If your elderly husband needs to use the downstairs toilet with the door open, please warn the oven cleaner before she goes to get something from the van and she will stand outside in the rain until he is finished.

Tip 13: Do not cook scones just before the oven cleaner arrives and neglect to tell her the oven is hot. A burned oven cleaner is not a happy oven cleaner.

Tip 14: The oven cleaner will notice that your oven is a massive range cooker even if you told her on the phone that it is a single built-in oven. She is trained to spot these things.

Tip 15: Do not allow your 3 children to sit on the floor behind the oven cleaner watching every move she makes. If you want a childrens’ entertainer, get a clown, if you need childcare, get a nanny.

Tip 16: Do not show the oven cleaner how to open the oven door. She cleaned 800 ovens before yours and knows how to do it.

Tip 17: If your kitchen is dark the oven cleaner might put the light on. Do not switch it off every time she goes to get something from the van to save electricity.

Tip 18: If you pop out for fish and chips while the oven cleaner is there, bring some back for her (with salt and vinegar), it’s the least you can do.

Tip 19: Do not turn the main cooker switch on at the wall while the oven cleaner is busy cleaning the oven. She might die and your oven will still be half dirty.

Tip 20: When your oven cleaner is finished, throw a ‘Come and See My Clean Oven Party’ and giver her card out to all your friends. If they all book you might get a discount next time.

Response to My ‘Dear Tesco’ Complaint

Dear Christine

Thank you for your email and I apologise for the delay in our response.

I was most concerned to learn of the unacceptable standard of customer care you received when visiting our Hexham store. I can fully appreciate why you are so disappointed and would like to offer my sincere apologies for the upset this regrettable incident has been clearly caused.

May I begin by assuring you that we know how important it is to provide our customers with an excellent service each time they visit our stores. I am therefore very sorry for the problems you had encountered with the checkout operator not acknowledging you, offering bags or assistance with your shopping, not asking for your Clubcard and also putting your transaction through on your Mastercard when you stated you wanted to pay by cash.

I’d like to assure you that your comments have reached the Store Management Team at the same time as the Customer Service Centre and they will address this matter with the person concerned, to see what lessons can be learned for the future.

As this is not typical of our normal standard of service and I am confident that should you return to our Hexham store, you will not experience any further problems of this nature. While I realise there is little I can say to alleviate the upset and disappointment that has already been caused, by way of an apology, I would like to send a £10.00 Tesco Moneycard to you with my best wishes. If you can kindly send me your full name and address and I will arrange for this to be sent to you

We know that as a business we can only be successful if we listen to our customers’ views and comments, both on the product we offer and your experiences in our stores, so thank you again for getting in touch.

Kind regards

XXXX XXXXX

Tesco Customer Service

Dear Tesco…

Having just returned livid from a shopping trip, I discovered that on the bottom of the receipt are the words

‘How did we do?’

Visit http://www.tescocomments.com and tell us about your shopping trip.’

Big mistake. Huge!

Dear Tesco

I am very disaappointed in the service I received at the Hexham store this afternoon.

The checkout asssistant didn’t respond to my “Hello”, neither did she offer bags nor help with my packing. When she’d finished I gave her a coupon for £5 off and whilst she was putting it through the till I realised I hadn’t given her my clubcard (she hadn’t asked if I had one), which is my Tesco Mastercard. I handed her cash for the transaction and explained that the Mastercard was my clubcard.

She put the card through the till and it was apparent that the transaction had gone onto the card. She gave me a piece of paper to sign, which I did, thinking that this was to authorise the cancellation of the transaction, but she said the transaction had already gone through and there was nothing she could no about it. Had I known this I wouldn’t have signed. She offered no apology of any kind and threw the cash back at me without even bothering to put it in my hand.

I explained that I hadn’t wanted to pay by card but she just said “oh well, there’s nothing I can do about it now, it’s gone through”.

I was pushed for time and there was a queue at the Customer Service desk so I had to leave the store without taking the matter further.

I choose to pay by cash in order to control spending and am now going to have to do a 30m round trip to the bank to pay the cash in so that I can pay my credit card bill. This will cost me time and fuel as well as inconvenience as I don’t often travel to where my bank is located.

I shop in various Tescos on a weekly basis and have never come across such appalling service in all the years I’ve been a customer.

For your information the data on the bottom of the receipt reads as follows:
10/02/12 14:26 5184 023 1140 9315