G.A.W. Associates Ltd

Christmas has come again

2010-01-27T14:51:00.000Z

A lovely brass tide clock was waiting for me at the Post Office on our return today.

A great present from some colleagues (who really shouldn't have but I am VERY glad they did.)

It will be mounted in Tuffle Bird before she goes back in the water and will be a constant help in getting back to shore before the tide goes out.

Big Brother is (may be) watching you!!

2010-01-21T16:11:00.000Z

Had a text from O2 this morning apologising for sending me maternity wear offers. Did they just know they had done this to an incorrect user type or had they read my BLOG / Facebook?

Potty Time

2010-01-19T12:43:00.001Z

In my continuing search for all things potty please see the following.

User Profiling comes of age

2010-01-16T13:15:00.000Z

Just received a text message from O2 (Mobile Service Provider).

Their user profiling service obviously isn't working too well.
"Do you want 15% of maternity Wear?"
I know I've put on weight over Chhristmas but this is hardly appropriate for a 65 year old Male
(who is used to getting 30% off anyway!!).

Boat Show

2010-01-09T10:49:00.003Z

Drove to Boat Show yesterday with Gaz. Handed out a few Apropos fliers. Had some Welsh (caramel) Vodka (just a taste) then (after a pastie and a pint) drove home.

First day back at "work"

2010-01-04T10:44:00.000Z

Did some design work around the Thaxted kitchen, utility, bathroom, en-suite(s) and cloakroom to see what would fit in (more what wouldn't). Magnet have some good 3D design software on their website but unfortunately you can't export it to other drawing packages. Best you can achieve is a screen capture. Good enough for a family discussion though.

Boxing Day

2009-12-27T17:42:00.001Z

At the beach with all the grandkids.

Is it me? Or has the BBC lost the plot?

2009-12-12T10:08:00.005Z

Do you get pi**** off with the BBC?

Who the hell is running it these days?

Bet it's a thirty something prat with a sociology degree.

Bring back Moira or even Sylvia Peters (who?).

Yesterday one of the main stories was that more and more people are using their mobiles whilst driving. I couldn't believe it but the Beeb fuzzed out their faces and number plates on the film. WHY? They were breaking the law. Their faces should have been left visible for the police to track them down and confiscate their phones and their cars. It's no use telling me that they aren't allowed to identify people they film when only this morning they showed a pensioner (I assume) WITHOUT his face being obscured, queueing up to collect his money at a post office. Did they ask his permission?

PUBLISH AND BE DAMNED!!

Whilst we are on the subject of pensioners, yet again the BBC jumps onto the stereotype bandwagon by tending to suggest that it is only oldies who have trouble with supermarket unmanned checkouts.

I know of several hundred pensioners who know more about technology than many folk half their age.

STOP ASSUMING!!

Another thing. How many bloody times do we have to be told about Tiger Woods? I would suggest that every 15 minutes over the last 2 days on BBC Breakfast is overkill. He's only a bloody golfer.

STOP FUELLING THE "CELEBRITY" CULTURE.

Poor young Carol was out in the garden again, muffled up to the eyballs competing with the weather, traffic, and bin men noises. WHY? What does being outside contribute to anything. Has a risk assessment been done? What are the implications for her catching pneumonia and then suing the Corporation with the consequences that we (the viewers) end up paying out of our license fees.

BRING HER BACK INSIDE

It's our (exhorbitant) license fee.

START TAKING SOME NOTICE OF YOUR AUDIENCE

Grumpy Old man? Not a strong enough description.

I'M ANGRY AS HELL

Official Progress on Thaxted

2009-12-11T16:31:00.003Z

Received a copy of the letter (in favour of our plans) sent from UDC's Conservation Officer to the Architect.

Now we can go ahead and submit full blown plans to UDC's Planning Department for consideration and hopefully approval.

Had a constructive meeting with a potential groundworks contractor to quote for laying a concrete slab throughout the groundfloor and laying drains etc.

Met Electrician on-site where he installed a new consumer unit and temporary power sockets. Wrote to Electricity Company asking for a power connection.

Heavily into MS Project planning the sequence of work packages.

Sunday & Tuesday

2009-12-08T15:22:00.003Z

Sunday
Took Meg, Adam & Gus for lunch at ASK and Meg / Adam (Gus had a party planned) to pictures to see "UP". Great little movie (mini Mailman / Scout and wierd chocolate loving bird). This is the best way to move a house.

Tuesday (don't remember what we did on Monday)
Took Gaz and Dee to picture framers in Castle Camps, on to Thaxted then to Prezzo for lunch.

Thaxted Phase 1 - Clear the decks

2009-12-01T09:15:00.003Z

Spent yesterday helping (just a little) the guys clear out the building.

You wouldn't believe how much muck there was behind the plasterboard or how insecure the roof looks where previous renovators have cut through tie beams and purlins and rafters. Still, all that will be addressed when the tiles come off and we remodel the roof. This morning joined a conference call to Bain Munich which seemed to go quite well.

Barclays Bank doesn't know what Customer Service means

2009-11-26T13:19:00.001Z

Being a good boy I was clearing my desk of all the rubbish that I don't enjoy doing.

Amongst the pile was a request from Barclays to fill out an information form for the company plus one form for each Director.

The information requested included:-

Names of account(s) holders;
Sort Code;
Account Number(s);
Date of Birth;
Mother's maiden name etc. etc.;
Signatures.

It required that these forms were returned together with copies of our passports VIA 2nd CLASS POST.

In short, all the information the ungodly would need to clone our identities and strip our accounts bare. Would you trust the post these days? Who can you trust to display even a modicum of professional competence? Who have they got at Head Office thinking through these procedures? What about Risk Analysis?

I decided to hand deliver the lot to my local Branch so, if anything goes wrong and they loose the information (highly likely on past performance) then they will be TOTALLY responsible.

If you have been similarly approached I would STRONGLY recommend that you take a similar stance.

Suddenly Life Gets Busy

2009-11-26T11:38:00.000Z

Due to see the Architect again this afternoon.

Yesterday I started building my family tree on Genes Reunited (must have been bored). Seems like a lot of work for not much result. However, I came across an email address of someone who might be able to help. Emailed him and sure enough, he already has some of the information I have been missing and seems prepared to do some more digging for me. (Wonder if I know him from when I lived up-North?)

Had a call from Cognolink. Seems that Bain and Co (Telecomms Consultancy) want me to do some work for them in Munich (mostly over the phone though - no such luck as a paid for trip to the fatherland - long time since I was there visiting Siemens).

2009-11-25T03:11:00.000Z

Gaz recommended that I take a look at http://www.iamtheclient.blogspot.com/ can't believe he (if it is a he?) gets away with some of the language but it is VERY funny and I don't think that you have to work in advertising to get the messages.

To the Docs this morning for a short session. Further one booked for early next month. Then to the project - meet the man from the Water Board. He fitted a new meter in no time, had a pint next door and came home.

Not half bad Spanish omlette for tea. Slept through "I'm a Celeb". Woke up at 3am and decided to do this until bored (round about now).

Maintenance Trivia

2009-11-23T13:48:00.001Z

Dishwasher repair man came this morning. Excellent service.

Have you tried Repaircare?

Go to repaircare.co.uk for fixed price repairs including all parts and labour. repaircare.co.uk

Highly recommended.

Lazy weekend

2009-11-22T11:51:00.003Z

Dee and I have both been feeling a bit crap lately - hence a lazy weekend doing absolutely nothing (well I did polish some of the brass fittings I took off MABEL).

Went for a takeaway Chinese last night. There were 2 Cherry Pickers in the town square - guess they were starting to put up the Christmas lights.

Yesterday afternoon there was considerable activity opposite the Cross Keys Pub (ambulance, police etc.). Don't know the full details but it seems that a middle aged chap "fell" out of his first floor apartment window into the street below. Unfortunately he didn't make it to hospital. The area is still taped off as a "crime" scene.

As time goes (doesn't drag too much) by.

2009-11-18T10:58:00.003Z

Last week was Holloween (hate American type holidays but kids love 'em so I'll not hammer on about it).

Went to Walton at the weekend to get both boats out of the water.

Got all dressed up in oilies and found that MABEL (tender) was not where it should have been so I couldn't get out to Tuffle Bird. Investigated further.

Found both boats in Halls Boatyard. They had pulled them out a week early (probably anticipating the high winds at the weekend. So I stripped all the brasswork off MABEL to clean up over the winter and to make it easier for the boatyard to refinish the deck and woodwork.

Due to meet with the architect this afternnon to agree a layout for the ground floor of Thaxted.

Tomorrow - repair man (for dishwasher) coming and the Gas man commeth to Thaxted on Friday to quote for central heating installation.

2009-10-30T13:46:00.002Z

Spent the whole morning and fore-noon on the phone trying to get new gas, water and electric supplies to the building. You wouldn't believe how difficult that can be.

Phones kept running out of battery power as I held on, and on, and on.

These utility companies probably earn as much from folk like me calling them than from supplying power etc.

Best company to deal with? British Gas - Lilliana & Mathew - very helpful. They gave me appointment times and dates to fit meters without continually refering me to someone else .

Water - that's a different story. 3 Valleys (Veolia) won't do anything over the phone and insist on an application form being completed. So you have to download it, print it, fill it out, scan it then send it back (fortunately via email but no guarantee it will be accepted).
Why is life so hard?

Thaxted Project Kick-off

2009-10-27T10:35:00.002Z

Project started with selected Architect (Peter Purkiss) and I (not much me) measuring the building and site on 22/10/09 for him to produce scale drawings.

Completion is due this Friday (30/10/09).

Meeting with site clearance company (30/10/09).

Meeting with UDC Conservation Officer scheduled for Friday 13th October (Ooo err missus).

Griff Rhys Jones launches refurbed lifeboat at Walton-on-The-Naze

2009-09-05T15:05:00.005+01:00

Griff Rhys-Jones met his wife, Jo, a graphic designer, while working at the BBC. He has described their first meeting by saying.....

"The day we met, I was semi-naked and she was throwing water over me."

The couple have two children, and live between homes in London (previously in Islington, now in a Grade I listed former office block in London's West End) and Holbrook, Suffolk.

The family have a chocolate-coloured Labrador called "Cadbury". Rhys Jones owns a 45-feet-long, 50-year-old blue wooden sailing yacht named Undina.

A former heavy drinker, Rhys Jones is a teetotaler: "I don't drink so going to a party can become very tedious. By about 11 o'clock everybody goes to another planet and you're not there with them, so I tend to avoid that sort of thing."

Great David Bailey Quote

2009-08-27T12:42:00.003+01:00

Meg pushing Owen and Adam at the playground.

Kids buzzing around the pond like flies at the W&FYC.

Saw David Bailey on the news this lunchtime.

He has a new pics from a mobile phone exhibition (with Nokia).

He gave a great quote which will be recorded for posterity in a better place than this.

"Everyone might take one great picture in their lifetime.
I'm going to take two - I have an edge."

I'm not claiming the above are great photos but I like them and that's all that really matters.

I like Aussie plain speaking

2009-08-25T12:52:00.002+01:00

Isn't it time UK politicians used "plain" English too?

The current and previous Australian Prime Ministers - speaking on migrant attitudes and the rights and responsibilities of being Australian

Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia , as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks.

Separately, John Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd - Australia gave this speech!

Quote:
"IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It.
I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali , we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians. This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom.
We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society . Learn the language!
Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools.
If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.

We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.

This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom,

THE RIGHT TO LEAVE.

If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here.

So accept the country YOU accepted."

Sail to Ipswich

2009-08-19T20:47:00.006+01:00

Beautiful day yesterday. Sailed to Ipswich then moored up overnight and had dinner at the Royal Harwich Yacht Club.

Container ship loading at Felixstowe and Stena Ferry (long distance) heading out of Harwich for Holland.

Dee's Birthday

2009-08-13T22:12:00.004+01:00

Good day(s) with nearly all the family (Tim at work) in Walton for the celebration. Gus's first trip on Mabel out to Tuffle Bird. Coke and olives on board.

2009-08-11T10:36:00.003+01:00

Should have taken by proper camera to Maldon yesterday. Augie and Felix just visible centre frame in the splash area. Good (liquid) lunch. Good day out. Heard the kids played musical beds last night and Miche hasn't been allowed to go shopping yet.