MOVING HOUSE UPDATE....

 

Just moved house for the third time in 3 years,. Administratively  it's been the easiest move yet, due to advances in IT and forms you can fill in in line, but there are always the inevitable frustrations that lead the over 50s to get to boiling point with private companies who simply can't follow their own procedures and leave the customer high and dry. This is a brief diary of events since 6th June, which was moving day for us:

Our new tardis of a house that withstood the best of what the Luftwaffe threw at it in the blitz, and now just needs some TLC and some shrub roses in the front garden....

 

MOVING UPDATE 1

10.06.2012

Frustration! Downloaded new facebook for android yesterday and now have zilch but title bar on screen. Tried signing out and back in....and cursing loudly. Any sensible and/ or amusingly helpful suggestions out there from younger phone-users who appreciate the occasional lack of basic social media technical knowledge of the over 55s? A young friend of mine, Marcus, came to the rescue, and suggested unloading new software. This worked, but have to keep repeating the process....

MOVING UPDATE 2:

11.06.2012

British Gas 0:1Jane Bancroft (apology gained after extra time..) Promised to come and move electric meter which is 8 ft high and most adults of average height can't access, without employing their pole vaulting techniques, a pad of paper and pen....

BT 0: 0 Jane Bancroft (can't find where I packed the phone)...

MOVING UPDATE 3:

12.06.2012
BT send me 5 emails, all giving different advice, and haven't delivered new hub...hoped to have better news by this evening, but still no landline, broadband or BT vision.....

 :-(

MOVING UPDATE 4:

13.06.2012
I should have known better....Still waiting for BT hub...think Michael Gove moonlighting as their project manager...the words piss-up and brewery spring to mind...engineeer arrived at 6.30pm. Said it was a 2-man job, but that his colleagues's partner had just gone into labour (up a pole?)...so he installed phone line, but forgot to complete the job and left his equipment on kitchen windowsill as he had a "rush job in Widnes". Don't know outcome of birth, but he did come to pick up his meter the next day....but didn't finish the job as told us BT hadn't written it on his job sheet...but at least we have a landline and can connect to internet via laptop. Paul buys an android phone to celebrate and messes up my connections to home hub.....

MOVING UPDATE 5:

15.06.2012
Why can't BT finish what they started? Still no BT Vision a week after moving in. Right...it's "Simply not good enough" time and possible threat to stop direct debit and take up on the enticing offers from Virgin Media....watch this space....

PM: Spoke to charming young man in Delhi. Told me it was very hot in his office. Explained that the error was indeed BT's and that they would put it right free of charge....next Tuesday.....he thanked me for being so understanding (well, it wasn't his fault...) and wished me and my family a happy weekend....

So the outcome is that we are tv less this weekend, which considering there is apparently an outbreak of football (again, so soon after the end of the season?.How do these overpaid monkeys ever find time for a holiday?), we're not missing much and can at least catch up on some movies from Love Film.

Decided to go to IKEA instead and buy a table....the meatballs were delightful and the shop almost deserted. That's the way I like it....

So, this is our first week in Litherland. Pretty exhausted, but have had some pleasant and unexpected surprises...such as an impromtu visit from Cllr John Kelly

 

http://modgov.sefton.gov.uk/moderngov/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=1010

from Sefton Council,http://www.sefton.gov.uk/

I am more than impressed by the way the Local Authority and the Labour Party repond to issues, so, while I'm at it, I have a quick question....

Q: Why are local authority workers here so shocked and flattered when a customer/council tax payer says "Thank you"? Sefton has the best customer services  I've encountered anywhere in the country. Polite, funny, and get the job done. Is this because Sefton has an amazingly astute Labour-controlled council that can actually follow up on issues and find a direct and workable approach to problem solving?

Sefton Plus http://www.sefton.gov.uk/ has one of the best user interfaces I've ever had the pleasure to use and as an ex Local Govt IT development manager, I've seen some pretty bad ones in my time....Bradford, hold your head in shame...

So this weekend,  let's celebrate all that is good in Sefton, and particularly the efforts and achievements of our newest councillors:

Look what Cllr Nina Killen

http://modgov.sefton.gov.uk/moderngov/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=1553 

 

 

and Cllr PeterMaguire

 http://modgov.sefton.gov.uk/moderngov/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=1564

 

 

 are achieving already since being elected. Just brilliant community politics in action.

Pity we haven't got their kind of talent in BT.... ;-)

http://www.sefton.gov.uk/

Just to finish, here are some images of Sefton for all those of you who have not visited the area:

If you'd like to see more of the beauties that Crosby and Sefton have to offer, visit http://crosby365.tumblr.com and view the fantastic photographs by Andrew Hoban :@hobanphoto on Twitter.

Personally, I'm looking forward to a tv-free weekend, BBC World Service and a little light gardening.  I wish you all a happy weekend.

Jane @Janey Bancroft