What was your fasting blood glucose? (full on chat)

[gennepher]

Glad you had such a nice moment after what sounds a frustratingly horrendous day.

As for Over reacting @gennepher ...mmhh

I think they got off very lightly.

They've no idea how lucky they were.
you didn't go full grambo....

Thanks @jjraak ....
I needed that woman in that shop to restore my faith in human nature....
And she did.
She gave me the will to get home...

 

[Lamont D]

Thank you @Lamont D
I appreciate what you say.
I remember that area from since 1971, and I knew it very well. I lived near there. It has changed very much architecturally over the years... and now the old Royal is coming down by piece by piece. And TJ Hughes is bring gutted, although the architecture remains.
J used to work at TJHughes. It was at his favourite job. It was building Christmas Grottos. J was lent out to the other major department stores in Liverpool to build or work on their grottos or repair or update them. J's father, a Master Mariner, thoroughly disapproved of J's job.

You take care...

London Road has decent memories from my early teens, as the area had a few venues from the disco scene in the seventies. Seen a few groups, at the big theatres and always went to TJs, especially at Christmas. I once took Mrs L when dating, cos we needed her then new Christmas ornaments, the bus stop for us when going to see someone in Bootle. I should have guessed that it was a expensive day out.
there was a clothes shop that always had the best latest gear.
Of course being fascinated with history and astronomy, the museums, around the corner by St. Georges.
And was there for the new planetarium back when. And the Egyptian collection was always worth a visit with the kids and grandkids.

I would ask which way did you travel back?
I'm totally aware of central Liverpool traffic, especially at those times you mentioned.
But you do have a choice of getting to the A55. And the options can be found on your smartphone, I think you said you can use it.
When travelling North in my last job, anytime we knew it would be heavy traffic, we avoided the city centre. Like the plague..

I do hope you get sorted.

 

[Krystyna23040]

Fbg today 8.3

I presume the stress of yesterday. And my eating was out of kilter...

No wildlife video today...I have been sleeping...and I am going back to sleep when I have finished my cup of tea.

I wanted to share what happened at the eye hospital yesterday and am interested in your thoughts.

It’s taken me a day to process everything from the eye hospital...it felt like such a bad experience, even compared to the other times I’ve faced deafness-related issues.

So, when I arrived, the receptionist couldn’t find me on the system. She sent me to another desk, and that receptionist also couldn’t find me. Eventually, they just told me to sit down. This wasn’t just me; they seemed to be doing the same with everyone, so I’m guessing their computer system was down.

The first person I saw got impatient with me very quickly. I explained I’m deaf, needed her to face me, and couldn’t manage if she added extra instructions mid-test when I couldn’t see her lips. Instead of listening, she snapped at me to "just get on with it."

By this point, my glasses were steaming up—probably from nerves and the pressure of her attitude. I took them off to clean them, but she got cross again and insisted I put them back on. I tried to explain that I couldn’t even see the eye chart with steamed-up glasses, but she wasn’t having it.

Her student came over to help but ended up knocking my cochlear processor off while pushing my glasses back on. Suddenly, I couldn’t hear a thing. As I was trying to reattach the processor’s magnet to my head, the student disconnected it again while still trying to fit my glasses. It was chaos...

I started explaining that it’s not a hearing aid and that the processor must stay connected. Otherwise, I’d need to use my phone to reset the settings. The nurse didn’t seem to care and got even more frustrated. When I finally took out my phone to fix it, she snapped at me for "using my mobile." I tried explaining it’s my remote control for the processor, but she didn’t listen and treated me like I was a nuisance.

When I finally got it reconnected, my glasses steamed up again! I took them off to clean them, and the nurse just lost patience completely, barking at me to "get on with it." By now, I was flustered and stressed, but I somehow managed to finish the test.

The next person I saw wasn’t much better. They showed no understanding of my deafness or cochlear implant, even though I wore my badge stating I’m deaf and lip-read. I also had my hair tied up to make the processor and magnet obvious. I felt like I was wasting their time when, in reality, just a tiny bit of understanding would’ve meant I’d take no longer than a hearing person.

I’ve been going to this hospital for 25 years, and I’ve never experienced such extreme deafness discrimination.

Later, someone else told me I have a cataract in one eye, which I’d suspected. I then saw two ophthalmologists, who confirmed it and discussed an operation. They seemed kind enough but disappeared to consult the main specialist. When the specialist entered, he looked very angry and spoke to me quickly and sharply.

I explained I couldn’t lip-read him at that speed and needed him to slow down. He didn’t care and just repeated himself. I caught some of the words—"it’s very simple"—but couldn’t make out what he was saying. When I finally recognized the words "eye drops," I said, "Yes, I use eye drops."

Out of nowhere, he snapped, "You’re discharged," like he was expelling me! Then he stormed out of the room.

The two ophthalmologists were clearly intimidated—they shrank into their chairs while he spoke and later told me he’s like that with them too. They reassured me that the cataract operation would still go ahead and that the discharge was only from the clinic for my original issue.

Thankfully, the next doctor I saw was much better. He moved the machinery aside when he needed to speak so I could lip-read, which only took a few extra seconds. It was such a relief to feel understood.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t time for a pre-op assessment, so I’ll have to go back in January for that. But at least they measured me for the lens.

By the end, I was completely exhausted—physically, emotionally, and mentally.

What do you think? Am I overreacting? Should I say something formally, or just let it go?

Thanks for reading all this—it’s been a lot for me to process...

Take care.

Hopefully my normal service will be resumed tomorrow...

Creative...a black line drawing put through Kaleider. I quite like it!!!

View attachment 70973

No no no you are not overreacting. That is appalling behaviour @gennepher.

Thank goodness for the kind lady at the cafe.

 

[gennepher]

.

London Road has decent memories from my early teens, as the area had a few venues from the disco scene in the seventies. Seen a few groups, at the big theatres and always went to TJs, especially at Christmas. I once took Mrs L when dating, cos we needed her then new Christmas ornaments, the bus stop for us when going to see someone in Bootle. I should have guessed that it was a expensive day out.
there was a clothes shop that always had the best latest gear.
Of course being fascinated with history and astronomy, the museums, around the corner by St. Georges.
And was there for the new planetarium back when. And the Egyptian collection was always worth a visit with the kids and grandkids.

I would ask which way did you travel back?
I'm totally aware of central Liverpool traffic, especially at those times you mentioned.
But you do have a choice of getting to the A55. And the options can be found on your smartphone, I think you said you can use it.
When travelling North in my last job, anytime we knew it would be heavy traffic, we avoided the city centre. Like the plague..

I do hope you get sorted.

You have good memories of the area.

I was parked on London road, and so I come down Islington, and through the tunnel.

The traffic was at gridlock to Queensway tunnel. But it was moving slightly towards Kingsway, and so I took that option, came home on the M53, then turn off at A41 & on to A550, then A494 ....

Thank you...

 

[gennepher]

No no no you are not overreacting. That is appalling behaviour @gennepher.

Thank goodness for the kind lady at the cafe.

Thanks @Krystyna23040
It was very bad behavior on their part...

 

[dunelm]

Fbg today 8.3

I presume the stress of yesterday. And my eating was out of kilter...

No wildlife video today...I have been sleeping...and I am going back to sleep when I have finished my cup of tea.

I wanted to share what happened at the eye hospital yesterday and am interested in your thoughts.

It’s taken me a day to process everything from the eye hospital...it felt like such a bad experience, even compared to the other times I’ve faced deafness-related issues.

So, when I arrived, the receptionist couldn’t find me on the system. She sent me to another desk, and that receptionist also couldn’t find me. Eventually, they just told me to sit down. This wasn’t just me; they seemed to be doing the same with everyone, so I’m guessing their computer system was down.

The first person I saw got impatient with me very quickly. I explained I’m deaf, needed her to face me, and couldn’t manage if she added extra instructions mid-test when I couldn’t see her lips. Instead of listening, she snapped at me to "just get on with it."

By this point, my glasses were steaming up—probably from nerves and the pressure of her attitude. I took them off to clean them, but she got cross again and insisted I put them back on. I tried to explain that I couldn’t even see the eye chart with steamed-up glasses, but she wasn’t having it.

Her student came over to help but ended up knocking my cochlear processor off while pushing my glasses back on. Suddenly, I couldn’t hear a thing. As I was trying to reattach the processor’s magnet to my head, the student disconnected it again while still trying to fit my glasses. It was chaos...

I started explaining that it’s not a hearing aid and that the processor must stay connected. Otherwise, I’d need to use my phone to reset the settings. The nurse didn’t seem to care and got even more frustrated. When I finally took out my phone to fix it, she snapped at me for "using my mobile." I tried explaining it’s my remote control for the processor, but she didn’t listen and treated me like I was a nuisance.

When I finally got it reconnected, my glasses steamed up again! I took them off to clean them, and the nurse just lost patience completely, barking at me to "get on with it." By now, I was flustered and stressed, but I somehow managed to finish the test.

The next person I saw wasn’t much better. They showed no understanding of my deafness or cochlear implant, even though I wore my badge stating I’m deaf and lip-read. I also had my hair tied up to make the processor and magnet obvious. I felt like I was wasting their time when, in reality, just a tiny bit of understanding would’ve meant I’d take no longer than a hearing person.

I’ve been going to this hospital for 25 years, and I’ve never experienced such extreme deafness discrimination.

Later, someone else told me I have a cataract in one eye, which I’d suspected. I then saw two ophthalmologists, who confirmed it and discussed an operation. They seemed kind enough but disappeared to consult the main specialist. When the specialist entered, he looked very angry and spoke to me quickly and sharply.

I explained I couldn’t lip-read him at that speed and needed him to slow down. He didn’t care and just repeated himself. I caught some of the words—"it’s very simple"—but couldn’t make out what he was saying. When I finally recognized the words "eye drops," I said, "Yes, I use eye drops."

Out of nowhere, he snapped, "You’re discharged," like he was expelling me! Then he stormed out of the room.

The two ophthalmologists were clearly intimidated—they shrank into their chairs while he spoke and later told me he’s like that with them too. They reassured me that the cataract operation would still go ahead and that the discharge was only from the clinic for my original issue.

Thankfully, the next doctor I saw was much better. He moved the machinery aside when he needed to speak so I could lip-read, which only took a few extra seconds. It was such a relief to feel understood.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t time for a pre-op assessment, so I’ll have to go back in January for that. But at least they measured me for the lens.

By the end, I was completely exhausted—physically, emotionally, and mentally.

What do you think? Am I overreacting? Should I say something formally, or just let it go?

Thanks for reading all this—it’s been a lot for me to process...

Take care.

Hopefully my normal service will be resumed tomorrow...

Creative...a black line drawing put through Kaleider. I quite like it!!!

View attachment 70973

Not a good day at all. Keep calm and carry on I suppose despite all the frustration - are they just helpless or hopeless when it comes to individual needs. Smashing kaleidoscope mind.

 

[dunelm]

Good morning everyone from another breezy start to the day here in the dark and dangerous north. Conversations with my mother yesterday on a video call. We are going to France next summer with our youngest son and family; we will fly from Leeds and they from Birmingham, meeting up in Bordeaux and picking up hired transport. Mum is in charge of accommodations. Conversation drifted towards the idea of her buying one of those ceramic plug in heaters that are raved about on what I think are dodgy websites - “save loads of money, blah blah, better than your central heating, waffle waffle”. We talked about trying to overcome the laws of thermodynamics and I suggested it would be just as useful to poke tin foil behind the radiators or wear a tin foil hat. As we hurtle and tilt towards the solstice on 21st I may just have to dig out my woolly vest and thermal shorts. Art bit - big trees. Hope your day progresses favourably. I am being a daredevil this morning, mixing the Aribica level 4 offerings from two separate outlets - crazy I know!

 

[gennepher]

Not a good day at all. Keep calm and carry on I suppose despite all the frustration - are they just helpless or hopeless when it comes to individual needs. Smashing kaleidoscope mind.

Both helpless and hopeless as regards individual needs @dunelm
This is happening very frequently at the moment.

Thank you for the kaleidoscope compliment...

 

[ianpspurs]

Morning all from a run of the mill grey skied, damp, dull mid+ December day in this peculiar limbic (top clue for wokeness) settlement where The Brecks and The Fens don't really mesh agreeably: no country for old men. My posts are more of a nuisance than any kind of help or interest to y'all but here goes. We are off to Cambs, specifically the Old Hurstingstone Hundred of Huntingdonshire where I "belong" while on earth or at least feel as much the real earthly me as I think I ever become. Certainly a more efficacious means of managing bg for me than LC/Keto, IMHO. The plan is to lay a wreath on my parents' grave, deliver Christmas cards via two aunts to my family there and spend a little time with them both. There will be ..... tea. @dunelm thank you for the latest wonderful art. You are being a daredevil mixing those coffees: coffee cocktail for breakfast as an early start to Christmas (either use the whole word or say Winterval, holidays or something ), does it have a suggestive name? @gennepher the more one reads of your troubles with the wider medical profession the more one realises it is a systemic issue. If these positions increasingly need people to be degree level or certainly more qualified why would anyone want to take up those jobs when they could possibly earn more, under less stress, as a checkout assistant? Them's my onions anyhow. I warned you this would be like a wasp ruining your peace, sorry. Now go and enjoy Thursday whatever colour/colours your bins.

 

[Krystyna23040]

5.8 this morning.
Chilly but brilliant sunshine here in Central Norfolk. It must have really rained overnight as the park was waterlogged and quite muddy.

At the entrance there was a huge puddle (about 8ft wide) which was ideal to clean my boots in.

Had an enjoyable splash around in it - on the pretext that I wanted to make sure my boots were really clean.

 

[gennepher]

Good morning everyone from another breezy start to the day here in the dark and dangerous north. Conversations with my mother yesterday on a video call. We are going to France next summer with our youngest son and family; we will fly from Leeds and they from Birmingham, meeting up in Bordeaux and picking up hired transport. Mum is in charge of accommodations. Conversation drifted towards the idea of her buying one of those ceramic plug in heaters that are raved about on what I think are dodgy websites - “save loads of money, blah blah, better than your central heating, waffle waffle”. We talked about trying to overcome the laws of thermodynamics and I suggested it would be just as useful to poke tin foil behind the radiators or wear a tin foil hat. As we hurtle and tilt towards the solstice on 21st I may just have to dig out my woolly vest and thermal shorts. Art bit - big trees. Hope your day progresses favourably. I am being a daredevil this morning, mixing the Aribica level 4 offerings from two separate outlets - crazy I know!

I have a proper ceramic plug-in heater. It is approximately 40 years old @dunelm

It is made of metal outside unlike the current day unsafe plastic ones. The outer covering stays cold when on. And it is very cheap to run and very effective in heating a room. Because of its age I never leave it unattended.

I would never trust any of those cheap plastic ones made in some dodgy workshop in China. I imagined the plastic outer would just melt... And so a big no-no for any modern plastic ceramic heater...

Great Art Bit ...

 

[ianpspurs]

5.8 this morning.
Chilly but brilliant sunshine here in Central Norfolk. It must have really rained overnight as the park was waterlogged and quite muddy.

At the entrance there was a huge puddle (about 8ft wide) which was ideal to clean my boots in.

Had an enjoyable splash around in it - on the pretext that I wanted to make sure my boots were really clean.

Very Peppa Pig. Never too old for splashing in puddles. Our #1 grandson called them Muddy Cuddles (much better than the real title) as he splashed and rolled around in them (JKP bought him a dinosaur waterproof suit for that very purpose after the first time) The best puddles were near heaven: an old ruined Church and graveyard in the village in which we will be taking tea today. We were about 200 yards from where his great, great, great grandparents lived, showed him photos but he was too young really. He and we, probably more, loved those dog walks - we crossed the Meridian line and the Troll Bridge which required feeding it sweets as a toll. That walk was the last walk of both our last two dogs - they loved that walk. Nostalgia ain't wot it used to be.

 

[gennepher]

Morning all from a run of the mill grey skied, damp, dull mid+ December day in this peculiar limbic (top clue for wokeness) settlement where The Brecks and The Fens don't really mesh agreeably: no country for old men. My posts are more of a nuisance than any kind of help or interest to y'all but here goes. We are off to Cambs, specifically the Old Hurstingstone Hundred of Huntingdonshire where I "belong" while on earth or at least feel as much the real earthly me as I think I ever become. Certainly a more efficacious means of managing bg for me than LC/Keto, IMHO. The plan is to lay a wreath on my parents' grave, deliver Christmas cards via two aunts to my family there and spend a little time with them both. There will be ..... tea. @dunelm thank you for the latest wonderful art. You are being a daredevil mixing those coffees: coffee cocktail for breakfast as an early start to Christmas (either use the whole word or say Winterval, holidays or something ), does it have a suggestive name? @gennepher the more one reads of your troubles with the wider medical profession the more one realises it is a systemic issue. If these positions increasingly need people to be degree level or certainly more qualified why would anyone want to take up those jobs when they could possibly earn more, under less stress, as a checkout assistant? Them's my onions anyhow. I warned you this would be like a wasp ruining your peace, sorry. Now go and enjoy Thursday whatever colour/colours your bins.

I would be inclined to agree with you @ianpspurs about it being a systemic issue.

I hope the weather is fine for you laying a wreath and visiting your aunts...

 

[alf_Josiah]

Good happy national bin day Morening fellow posters and painters.

Blood sugars this morning were 7.6, ahh the benefits of being under the weather, I am under strict instructions to do nothing today, dare I? No chance.

If only I knew how use the idiot box remote control. It is a late start for me in Tilehurst Towers, I still have medication to gorge on.

@gennepher
Now here’s a little event that happened some years ago concerning steroid induced cataracts. I lost the vision in my left eye overnight, of I troll to eye casualty at the local hospital, I got examined by two nice young junior doctors who decided to get the consultant in. He arrogantly stormed in to the room and was rude and dismissive to the two junior doctors, by now now I had taken a dislike to him.
He demanded of me that I tell him everything from the beginning,
I replied “in the beginning God created the heaven and earth” the two junior doctors were trying to hide their laughter.
As things turned out the consultant and got on fine, but he was wary around me.

Stay safe all, nasty bugs abound.

 

[gennepher]

Good happy national bin day Morening fellow posters and painters.

Blood sugars this morning were 7.6, ahh the benefits of being under the weather, I am under strict instructions to do nothing today, dare I? No chance.

If only I knew how use the idiot box remote control. It is a late start for me in Tilehurst Towers, I still have medication to gorge on.

@gennepher
Now here’s a little event that happened some years ago concerning steroid induced cataracts. I lost the vision in my left eye overnight, of I troll to eye casualty at the local hospital, I got examined by two nice young junior doctors who decided to get the consultant in. He arrogantly stormed in to the room and was rude and dismissive to the two junior doctors, by now now I had taken a dislike to him.
He demanded of me that I tell him everything from the beginning,
I replied “in the beginning God created the heaven and earth” the two junior doctors were trying to hide their laughter.
As things turned out the consultant and got on fine, but he was wary around me.

Stay safe all, nasty bugs abound.

That is brilliant @alf_Josiah
I love it!
Thanks!

 

[gennepher]

Fbg 7.4

A lot of people have been saying to me, why don't you take someone with you. I have done that over the years, but it is difficult now, especially as I am an older person and my friends get older also, and they have a tendency to die or move away to live with their children. It is one of the facts of old age....

Here is how I have managed over the years...
When my partner was alive, he used to come with me, but when he died, my best friend came with me, but then she has to care for her husband now, she cannot leave him for that length of time, so she's not able to do that anymore.

What I did do, after J died, was ask the eye hospital for outpatient support to be booked. You can book an outpatient interpreter.. .but for each and every appointment I had booked outpatient interpreter support no one turned up. I was given the option of going ahead anyway or changing my appointment for another day., but since it was a long distance away, I opted for going ahead anyway. On those occasions 15 years ago I was seeing young doctors gaining experience, all of who were generally very empathic, very helpful, and gave me all the time I needed...

It is more recently, that is since Covid and lockdowns that the doctors have changed. The eye hospital and the main hospital has closed down because a new building was built and it fully opened in 2022 I think it was. There were none of those trainee eye doctors anymore, just the one main specialist. A lot has changed, a completely new team of staff. There is no evidence I can see of them using trainee eye doctors anymore, although there was one person sitting in with the person who is seeing to me in each different room. Since a year ago, my last appointment, there is now a completely different new team across the whole of the floor...

In the old St Paul’s, they were still using trolleys with the patient's records in buff coloured folders. I was thinking this morning about that and the fact that the records are digital now. No more buff coloured folders. On the front of my folder, I had made a note that the hospital had sellotaped on my folder, which explained I was deaf and how to best communicate with me. So everyone knew straightaway who handled that folder that I was deaf and how to help me. It was a little card that I made many many years ago (2004?) that I used to hand out to people as a bit of a humorous thing about my deafness and to break the ice about it. It had a some pictures on it, that I had drawn. That card served its purpose and worked very well in many situations. As far as I recall, those files used to travel from hospital to hospital depending where your appointments were.

So in the new St Paul’s, there is no card because there are no folders anymore. Obviously, the contents of the buff coloured folders has been transferred, to the computers. But has the transfer of those file contents been selective?

Is there any information at all on the computers at St Paul’s or any NHS computer for that matter about my deafness and my cochlear implant and my hearing needs. There should be an alert or a marker of some sort for when someone opens up the computer that it's the first thing they see that the person is profoundly deaf and has a cochlear implant and has hearing needs, or any other disability for that matter.

This is how I began my letter of concern to PALS or PACT as it is now called.

I expressed my concerns about the appointment as regards hearing and deafness issues, and the specific nurse and specialist doctor. I also praised one of the younger Doctor's who moved his testing equipment aside so I could lipread further instructions from him and then he moved his equipment back. This simple accommodation to my needs I explained, literally took a few extra seconds and made my experience far more comfortable.

Then I made a few suggestions for staff training and improvement, especially as regards hearing impaired people.

I read and reread my letter a few times and decided it was a pretty good advocacy letter. I feel happier that I have done at least this.


I need lunch now. I have done a lot this morning. I want everything to return back to normal.

Just a creative for today, a kaleidoscope of my bed cover again. And hopefully later today I can do some video editing....

Take care

Have a good day.

 

[jjraak]

On the front of my folder, I had made a note that the hospital had sellotaped on my folder, which explained I was deaf and how to best communicate with me. So everyone knew straightaway who handled that folder that I was deaf and how to help me. It was a little card that I made many many years ago (2004?) that I used to hand out to people as a bit of a humorous thing about my deafness and to break the ice about it. It had a some pictures on it, that I had drawn. That card served its purpose and worked very well in many situations. As far as I recall, those files used to travel from hospital to hospital depending where your appointments were.

Mmmhh.

I like how you did that @gennepher .
Very effective.

But I think you're spot on re digital

Be interesting to see if there is only a small note on the screen regarding your deafness ?
Or even if it's on a secondary information page?

One that might easily be overlooked ?


Of course you'll have considered the option to simple repeat the card BUT carry it with you to every appointment & present it at first opportunity to who ever is in charge of your procedure / appointment.

A nuisance indeed, but the best work around to increase the chances your next appointments go smoother for you .

Though why caring for the patient seems so secondary is beyond my understanding.

Good on you for posting in about your shoddy treatment.

It may not change much but it MIGHT point out the current flaws in the system AND please god even if it doesn't help you, it may at some point help someone like you , which I think also makes the effort of reporting it worthwhile.

Well done
Best wishes for a more restful day.

 

[Annb]

I ordered some heavy duty plastic waste bags from Amazon a week or so ago and today the package arrived but it rattled. I think somebody, somewhere, is hoping to put together their flat-pack furniture with my plastic bags but I certainly won't be trying to line my waste bins with the nuts and bolts that rattled in the package.

I'm glad to say that Amazon don't want the nuts and bolts back so they can go into Neil's store of bits and pieces.

 

[Lamont D]

.

You have good memories of the area.

I was parked on London road, and so I come down Islington, and through the tunnel.

The traffic was at gridlock to Queensway tunnel. But it was moving slightly towards Kingsway, and so I took that option, came home on the M53, then turn off at A41 & on to A550, then A494 ....

Thank you...

Yeah, that is the way I would have gone. The old tunnel, we don't call them Kingsway or Queensway. It's easier to remember Birkenhead or Wallasey. And from the old tunnel along the start of the A41 at most times especially peak hour, it is stop, start, stop, traffic lights galore even getting towards Eastham to the motorway by Vauxhall, it is so busy.
Did you know that the A41, goes all the way to central London? I wouldn't like to travel on down that way!
The motorway usually doesn't hold you up much.
And in the original plans, just before Vauxhall, when it goes down to two lanes, there was gonna be a turnoff right, going towards the Dee, and a new bridge over to N.Wales. It didn't happen!

 

[Lamont D]

Good morning everyone from another breezy start to the day here in the dark and dangerous north. Conversations with my mother yesterday on a video call. We are going to France next summer with our youngest son and family; we will fly from Leeds and they from Birmingham, meeting up in Bordeaux and picking up hired transport. Mum is in charge of accommodations. Conversation drifted towards the idea of her buying one of those ceramic plug in heaters that are raved about on what I think are dodgy websites - “save loads of money, blah blah, better than your central heating, waffle waffle”. We talked about trying to overcome the laws of thermodynamics and I suggested it would be just as useful to poke tin foil behind the radiators or wear a tin foil hat. As we hurtle and tilt towards the solstice on 21st I may just have to dig out my woolly vest and thermal shorts. Art bit - big trees. Hope your day progresses favourably. I am being a daredevil this morning, mixing the Aribica level 4 offerings from two separate outlets - crazy I know!

I got one of those heaters for our ice room (front room) and they are much cheaper than using central heating.
But, I do believe that, if we could shackle the power companies and deliver cheaper energy, that would be more appropriate to our purses.