York Language Tuition - my new website

For my birthday this year, Kate and Kev said they'd do a website for me for York Language Tuition so I could start to promote my services as a teacher of English as a second/foreign language. Now it's nearly there I'm getting so excited. I've really had a buzz out of the teaching I've done so far, since finishing the CELTA course and can't wait to do more. I would have enjoyed the teaching on the course much more if it hadn't been for the terror of being assessed!

The starting point for the website was discussions with Kate and Kev - http://www.byitsizepro.co.uk/ -trying to work out what I wanted and what was most important. They listened, they asked lots of questions and really made me think about what I planned to do. They're certainly more than just website designers as they have a good grasp of business issues too. Gradually it began to take shape and they asked more questions, asked me for little chunks of wording to go into the different sections (or pages). We talked about colour and design and they got me looking at other websites to get an idea of things I liked and didn't like: I found that really useful.

Now I'm getting impatient to see the finished product (or nearly finished product) as well as wondering whether I'll get any teaching from it over the next year. I'll update this as soon as the website is available for me to see.
12th November
Well, it's really live now - put a link on facebook and some really positive comments - Kev and Kate, you have done such a fantastic job and whatever the outcome for York Language Tuition, I hope it brings you in some websites to do. Anyone coming to you for their website will get first class, professional results. http://www.yorklanguagetuition.co.uk/
Also has separate email address: info@yorklanguagetuition.co.uk

Over one year on and in some ways not much has happened. I've had quite a bit of teaching over the spring and summer - mainly groups of French and Czech teenagers and have also picked up some one to one work. I really enjoyed working with a Japanese mature student through the summer. He really just wanted to improve his English conversation. At the moment I have one person from Poland who has lived here for 5 years but now wishes to focus on improving her English with a view to improving her job prospects, as well as improving her conversation skills for social purposes. I find one to one teaching interesting in many ways and quite different challenges are presenting themselves each week. I'm now getting Kate's help (www.byitsizepro.co.uk ) to find ways of sourcing more students through my website at www.yorklanguagetuition.co.uk

Dog attacks - what can be done?

Day after day I read in the papers or hear on the news about someone being attacked by a dog. Headline news, even for what may be deemed 'minor injuries' (they won't seem minor to the person who was attacked of course). How do I feel about all of this? Mixed reactions:

• sometimes upset - it's always an extra reminder
• occasionally a sort of hurt feeling - was mine so trivial it didn't ever get a mention? I know it wasn't at all trivial and I know I didn't want any publicity.
• very often angry that it keeps happening
• and angry that the dog that attacked me is still there, able to and likely to attack again. I do react differently to hearing that 'the dog has been destroyed' or to no mention of what has happened. Upset when the dog is destroyed because it's usually caused by lack of training so it's sad but aware that it should be the only outcome. When I hear no news of the outcome for the dog I wonder why and wonder how the victim of the attack is feeling.

So what should happen? I really don't have an answer to this one except that after any unprovoked attack and probably after any attack, the dog should be put down. The alternative is to risk it happening again.

Should we be bringing back dog licensing - not at a cost that will cause problems for existing owners who would struggle to pay a big fee, but an amount that will at least cover not just the cost of providing the licenses but at enough to cover the costs of monitoring dog ownership. This might require an increase in the number of dog wardens and it might of course result, in the short term, in more abandoned dogs. I'd suggest phasing the licence fees in - starting at a lowish level but increasing over a 10 year period. Perhaps pensioners could be exempt.

Licensing the dogs could be a bureaucratic nightmare but I can't see why this task can't be undertaken by the dog wardens. As well as have to buy the license, individual dogs should all be checked - this is where the nightmare starts I fear! There should also be a requirement for all dogs to be micro-chipped.

Some action also needs to be taken to prevent irresponsible breeding. I don't want to go into detail about some of the situations we came across when delivering pet food but it made me aware that it's not just the 'commercial breeders' who are likely to produce unhealthy and potentially dangerous dogs.

What does upset me and make me angry is that no-one really seems to care enough to do anything. When my attack was first reported to the police and we get a reaction of "it's unlikely anything will be done", what hope is there? When the magistrate in the case of the dog that attacked me can simply say 'keep the dog under proper control in future' what hope is there? When I'm told by the criminal injuries compensation board that I'm not entitled to anything because no crime has been committed, what hope is there?

It may be a battle I should take on but I don't have the strength - it has been bad enough, and still is, dealing with my own situation and all the correspondence from the solicitor, victim support (waste of time), criminal injuries compensation board (see above for another waste of time), reports for the police, visits to independent consultants re the insurance claim etc etc etc. All the way through, I think I've hoped someone else would take on some of my battle for me, that maybe someone would have questioned the magistrate who made that stupid, irresponsible decision and conveyed to the dog owner, the full extent of my injuries.

But I still love dogs in general and of course my own two gentle monsters in particular.

France or Spain - where do we want to live?

Around Christmas 2007, we began talking about the possibility of moving to Spain and throughout 2008, had several trips to Spain, beginning our house hunt. We had a dream of living there but maybe hadn't thought seriously enough about what we'd live on.
Events of December 2008 (the dog attack) put everything on hold and caused us to reassess - so perhaps that was a good thing. We'd also had a trip to France in the meantime which had reminded us how much we love France and so we began to wonder - should we be thinking about moving to France, not Spain.
So this is designed to set it out clearly - reasons for each, reasons against each. What's holding us back from either. Should we give up and stay here?
SPAIN - what do we like/not like?
Weather of course BUT is it too hot in July and August? It's the 'less grey' that seems important and even when they have a bad winter, it's shorter and not as cold and wet and miserable as here.
Original thought - I expect Kate to end up there
Lovely beaches (even though I'm not a big beach person, I do like to see them and occasionally walk on them!)
Scenery - mountains in particular.
Eating out is cheaper than France. Cost of living generally is probably lower than France. But not so sure about the food shopping in Spain - not the actual availability of goods but the supermarkets themselves.
Struggling with the language
We'd probably get a mortgage much easier if needed (is that a good reason to go there????)

FRANCE
Weather is great probably from April to October but might get miserable days through the winter. Warmer than York but not as good as Spain. Would probably enjoy the summers more.
We prefer the houses in France - a bit cheaper in the parts we're looking at and they have more character generally. Also there are more with gardens and reasonable amounts of land.
I can already get by in French and would soon learn much more. Mick would probably find it easier too.
The French people - don't ask me why or what it is.
Vineyards - yes I know they have them in Spain too, just not like France
Again, we don't know why, but we both prefer driving in France
Access - easier to drive to France than Spain, as well as being able to fly.
French markets and French bread!
STAY HERE?
Weather is awful most of the time!
Not sure how we'll afford to stay here.
Family and friends are mostly here though.
Don't want to leave my Mum at the moment, especially while she's having treatment and really don't want to be so far from Fran as she probably wouldn't come.
Mick still happy working and we do need the income so we can't move permanently yet.
We really want to do SOMETHING.

Learning to teach English to speakers of other languages

Finally I did the course. After a delay of nearly two years I've been able to do the CELTA course which has qualified me to teach English as a Foreign/Second language. The original reason for doing the course was to help me find work when we moved to Spain. That may or may not happen but in the meantime, it's another avenue of possible work for me here.

On June 21st I began the 4 week intensive (and oh, yes, it certainly is) CELTA course at Action English Language in Leeds. I really enjoyed the course though there were moments I was so tired I just wanted to curl up somewhere and cry. But I wasn't alone in that! Most of the other students were in their early 20s and following the course, planned on heading to all sorts of exotic destinations to teach - currently there are students from my course in Korea, Brazil, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Russia, China and yes, the most exotic of all - Leeds!

So, how did I find the learning process? What surprised me? What was really tough and what did I feel I coped with well?
The learning process
First, I was glad that I'd started the on-line TEFL course and had a bit of background and had started a bit of grammar revision. Yes, I know what language to use where and when but I'd forgotten so much of the 'labels' for words because it's not something we need to know in everyday life. Who actually cares whether you're using a preposition here and a conjunction there and whether it's an adverb or an adjective? But it matters when you're teaching as it's necessary to explain the why as well as the what.
The actual process on this 4 week course consisted of mornings spent learning the theory - how to teach the different parts of the language. Within each how to teach was revision for ourselves of the grammar and language components. When I say theory, that may imply cold facts, reading books or having 'lectures' but it was all very interactive - helped to keep us awake and on our toes as well as making it all much more interesting. We even had a Greek lesson to demonstrate how it's possible to teach a language to absolute beginners.
The afternoons were spent either teaching or observing the other students teaching. Terrifying at first but good to get straight into it. In the first 2 weeks, our part of the course (the 12 of us were split into 2 groups for the teaching) were with a pre-intermediate mixed nationality group which included a Russian, a Saudi Arabian, a student from Bahrain, one from Libya and French and Spanish students. We spent the second 2 weeks with an Upper Intermediate group - a bigger group, again mixed nationalities: French and German again plus Chinese, Eritrean, Kurdish, Iranian, Vietnamese amonst them. In both groups, the students were in the UK for a variety of reasons. There were a few women here because their husbands were studying at the University, a couple of asylum seekers and within the group were some sad stories - those who couldn't go back to their home country for instance.
We also had four assignments to complete over the four weeks and these proved much more difficult than I expected. Having achieved good results in my degree course and a distinction on the equally tough Counselling Skills Certificate (it didn't feel as tough because it was spread over 20 weeks) I expected to cope well with the assignments. I was shocked to get the first one back and to have to resubmit: I still feel that it was more about being unsure about what was really wanted. Once this was made clear, it all seemed so much easier!
But I got there. Exhaustion nearly took over a couple of times but having others who were so much younger, experiencing similar feelings, was a great help.
What surprised me?
Lots of things - most of which I can't remember now. If I hadn't already started the on-line TEFL course I'd have been very surprised that I suddenly needed to learn the phonetic alphabet and use it with the students (particularly the upper intermediate group). I was surprised at the focus on pronounciation and how it got me thinking about how we do actually say some words and phrases in everyday speech.
What did I find tough?
The assignments, as mentioned. The long hours of working - there from 9 till 5 (with about 2-3 hours travelling a day on top) and then 2 - 3 hours working at home in the evening and most of the weekends. A couple of weeks, I found myself working till about 10pm on the Sunday. Unheard of for me! Using the cd players and technology caused me some fears - irrational fears of course - it was just the thought of having to use this technology and whether I'd cope. I did use it and I did cope. Getting the lesson plans the way they were expected to be took a while to grasp and just when I thought I'd got it.......
And where did I feel I coped well?
Getting through it, being able to stand up in front of the groups of students and actually do what was needed. Maintaining professionalism throughout including the simple things of being on time, being involved with the learning, joining in with the other students. After what I'd gone through in the previous 18 months, to be able to do all that was an achievement and it made me feel good to do it. I felt I built up a rapport with the students we were teaching - got to know them a bit as well as trying to teach them. Once I'd realised my major problem stemmed from focusing on how I was feeling rather than focusing on making sure I did the best for the students, it all became easier and smoother. My fears ceased to matter so much.
I'm just happy to have done it and to have passed the course.

If I thought the 4 weeks was tough, then finding work at the moment is tougher. But I expected that and have been aware all along that finding teaching work in this country isn't easy. For the young, free and single, there is so much work available all over the world.

But, only 2 days after the course I got a call from a local "Homestay" organisation asking if I was free to do 5 days teaching to some French teenagers, starting the next morning.

Of course I did it: no syllabus; no idea of the level of the students; no idea what they had done or if there was anything specific they wanted help with; no books or other materials. Luckily I had lots of material from the course and other things I'd already started putting together and managed to adapt it to each group. It was very good experience and so different from the teaching on the course.

On the course we were teaching mixed nationality groups of adults, living in the UK who were all very motivated to learn. So to suddenly go to a group of French teenagers who were more interested in having a holiday in York than learning any more English was great experience. With a mixed nationality group, their only common language was English. Not so of course with the French group. Then about 4 weeks later, I got another small job teaching a group of Czech teenagers - quite different again, very polite and much keener to learn (still teenagers of course!). But more useful experience.

Restaurant reviews

I thought it was about time we started 'reviewing' any restaurants/take aways we visit. Partly as a reminder to ourselves but, should anyone else ever read this, a bit of information too. However, I feel I should add that I'm always wary of other peoples' recommendations for eating places. What I love, you may hate. The reviews will be as brief as possible, not going through all the menu options or, necessarily, even what we ate unless it seems particularly relevant. Some of the reviews are based on a few, or even numerous, visits.







I'll start with one of the frequently visited places:







The JINNAH, Malton Road at Flaxton.

To say we have visited this restaurant (and some others in the Jinnah chain) frequently would be something of an understatement. So, clearly we like this one - why

• Food of course has to be top of the list. Quality meat, freshly cooked without lots of colourings which are seen in so many Indian restaurants (we've had many a very red curry). We've taken many friends to the Jinnah and we believe most have become fairly regular vistiors themselves. The Naan breads are soft and fluffy - not the flat, dry things often served.




• Service and customer relations: we've not yet been to any restaurant that meets the standards of the Jinnah. From our first visit we were made to feel extremely welcome and by the second visit were treated almost as friends. Very quickly, they picked up our birthdays and we all get cards every year. We also receive, in the post, notifications of special events - Xmas, New Year, 5th November celebrations etc. Good marketing on their part.




• Putting it right - on the rare occasions there has been something wrong, it's put right quickly with an apology. Examples of this - wrong main course brought to Mike on one occasion. The owner took over, went into the kitchen, cooked the correct one, and delivered it to the table; a take away which had an item missing - next visit, not only did we get a free take away but a bottle of wine was added.




• Attention to detail - this applies to the food and the service




• Space, comfort and ambience: we never feel cramped or that other diners are on top of us. There are two separate lounges, one mainly used as the pre meal drinks area and the other as the post meal coffee lounge. The latter is too comfortable so we've often stayed longer than intended!

Recommended dishes - it's obviously a very personal choice but I would advise speaking to the waiter who takes the order, giving them a clue of your general tastes for Indian food and they will guide you. Or, simply choose from the menu - each dish has plenty of explanation.

The Spice Mill, Riccall

You may gather we like Indian food. The Spice Mill opened a few years ago in an old mill in Riccall and the setting is very pleasant. Inside the style is contemporary but space is limited and it can feel a little cramped when busy.

We feel the food there is excellent but sometimes the service is lacking. We've often had quite long waits either to order, between courses or, most often, for coffee after the meal. Our main grouse with them has been with take aways - I don't think they've ever got all the items ordered correct - sometimes things actually just missing. As a result, although it is the nearest good one to us, we haven't used it for a while.

Caesars at Sylvanos, York

An excellent Italian restaurant. Typical Italian ambience - quite noisy. We love the food there - again, very typical of most Italian restaurants in the area. Value is ok too, not as overpriced as some. The restaurant, since being managed by Ruby who used to work at the Jinnah, has certainly improved its service. I won't go on about specific dishes. Just - we like it.

Maxis - Nether Poppleton, York

Another restaurant we've been to quite a bit over the last 10 years or more. Good quality Chinese food and usually very good service. A fairly standard menu which we used to find more expensive than many others in the past. Over the last year or so they've had some good set menu deals which vary in price depending on the day of the week - Thursday is good value.

However, last Sat (Oct 2010) we rang to book a table for 4 - wanting 7.30 but were told it would have to be 7 or 9pm (no problem, Saturday night, places get booked up) and that if we chose 7pm we'd have to be out by 9pm. We didn't go. If I'm paying for a good meal I do NOT want to be rushed. I'M the customer. I appreciate that they have to do as many meals as possible, they're in business to make a profit but don't they realise that putting the customer first, thinking about what the customer really wants, will help them succeed. Although we like the food there, we won't be rushing to go again now. So how many 'meals' have they now lost?

Thida Thai, Rougier Street, York

So, on Saturday night, we wanted somewhere else to go and by this time, had got the taste for a Chinese but we've not been too impressed with others in the area. So we decided to try the Thida Thai.

On arrival we were seated at a table near the front of the restaurant and within minutes realised that every time the door opened we'd be blasted with cold air (we weren't that near the door) so we asked to move - no problem. The restaurant generally wasn't over warm but it's pleasant despite the tables perhaps being a little close together. There's also no real space to wait if you arrive and your table isn't ready.

Excellent food - the four of us had the Thailand set menu which was £18.50 each. The starters included chicken satay, veg spring rolls, prawn and chicken toast, chicken balls (2 large pieces of chicken on a stick) and pork won tons (tasty pork in filo pastry parcels). These were all set on a large dish on a bed of raw veg and some sweet chilli sauce and decorated with flowers and leaves made from carrot and swede. There were separate dishes of various sauces and dips.

The main courses on this menu were a sweet and sour pork - very tender pork, a Thai red curry (I'm often vary of these as I'm not a great coconut lover but this was delicious), a beef dish (I've forgotten what it was called ) using pieces of very tender tasty beef, a mixed veg dish and egg fried rice. Mick and I felt it was the best Thai meal we'd had and will certainly go back.

The service was, as usual in Thai restaurants, very attentive. The only minor disappointment was that they came with a large bowl of rice which the waitress served onto our plates and then took away. By the time they came to ask if we wanted more, we'd almost finished the meal. We'd have been happier for them either to leave the rice with us or at least to ask again sooner. The tables aren't enormous so if you go with 4 people and all have different dishes there could be a space issue (not unusual).

We were pleased to have time between the courses and didn't feel at all rushed but I'm sure things could have been served quicker if we'd asked. We couldn't resist the banana fritters at the end and they were happy to provide mine without the coconut pieces.

Overall, quite reasonable value and a definite thumbs up for the food.

Sangthai, Escrick, York

Yes, another Thai restaurant - this one we have visited quite a few times, probably over the last 5 years or so. We've always been satisfied with the food and the service is ok. Personally, I think it's really lacking in ambience but maybe if you're there with a larger group, it's quite different. We were there on one occasion with 2 friends and asked if we could have separate bills - not possible!

It's good quality Thai food and the portions are more than adequate.

Dog attack 2

Consequences and effects


So many.


First there are the physical effects: one year after the second operation the consultant told me that things are now 'as good as they're going to get'. He can't do any more repair work - any repair could cause more damage than he's actually repairing - and the healing of the scarring probably won't improve now. As for the 'mis-match' each side of my lips, that's it now. Inside my lips it's all swollen - the consultant said 'it's not swollen, just differently shaped'


So what's worse, when I know how bad it looks and that I look different or when people say 'oh, if you hadn't told me I wouldn't have noticed anything' and from those who did know 'it's healed well, I can't see anything now'? I don't know. It's bad knowing how it looks and seeing it every day but more than that, I can feel it 100% of my waking time. It's not painful, there's never really been what I'd call pain. But it's sore and I have little sensation in most of my upper lip, a little of the lower lip and parts above the upper lip. More of that in a moment.


But when others say they can't see anything, it starts me thinking that I'm imagining things, it feels like they're trivialising the whole situation, almost that they're saying 'it's nothing'.





The lack of feeling and the swelling inside my lips: that causes difficulty with drinking and eating and sometimes with speech. Not a major disaster but it's something that does have quite an effect on daily life - eating out is no longer enjoyable, it's difficult. I no longer drink tea as I like my tea HOT and my lips don't tell me if it's too hot! So I stick to black coffee and wait for it to cool a bit before I even start it. As for the occasional difficulty with speech - I'm aware that when I speak my lips aren't forming the letters in the way that they did. One of my plans, just before the attack, was to do a course to teach English as a Second Language. I'm not sure I can do that now. Other plans included going back to working with young people but my confidence has gone.





The worst is the anger. What am I angry about? A list may help me.


I'm angry

• that the dog owner didn't warn us or try to control his dog



• that he showed no concern at the time or since



• that a dog attacked ME when I love dogs



• that the courts merely ordered him to keep his dog under proper control. They are so stupid and don't care



• that the dog has been left free to attack someone else



• that the dog's owner is now in blissful ignorance of everything I've experienced



• that I have to provide evidence of everything for the solicitor in respect of the claim. It feels like we are having to open up our lives and yet I'm the victim



• because I hate the word 'victim'



• that I've lost so much of the future I planned - new career etc



• that Mick had to run the Trophy business mostly on his own from December to when we sold it the following May, as well as trying to do his own job and, early on, care for me too



• that we then sold the business for much less than we would have accepted in normal circumstances. We hadn't been in any rush to sell and I'd have happily kept on running it if we hadn't found a buyer at the right price



• that I'm now nervous around some strange dogs and won't take my own out for walks on my own



• that when the GP (who has been fantastic) referred me to counselling, I waited 10 months and then was offered Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, not the counselling I had needed. Following Mick's complaint we were told that they can only speed things up in 'exceptional circumstances' - the circumstances seemed pretty exceptional to me.



• that no-one else appears to have cared enough to fight against the stupidy of the court, to tell the dog's owner more about what has happened and make him properly aware of the severity of the attack and it's consequences


• that, if no-one else cared enough to fight, then it's not important to anyone else.



• that I have to keep dealing with all this stuff from the solicitor and have to ask for help rather than have it 'taken over' and sorted out for me.


• that, nearly 17 months on, it's still causing me problems and I have no idea how long it will take to resolve the claim.

• that I'm now having to go through 'speech therapy' (more to help with drinking and eating difficulties caused by the lack of muscles and loss of nerves)

UPDATE - September 2010

I finally did the CELTA course and I'm now qualified to teach English as a Second/Foreign Language. Just doing the course in Leeds helped my confidence immensely and I've really enjoyed the couple of bits of teaching work I've had since then. I'm busy hunting all the time for more work and I'm sure I'll get some.

The anger is not as bad lately but still surfaces occasionally - usually when something triggers it. It may be the sight of my saxophone in its case and the knowledge that I'll never be able to learn to play it properly now. Sometimes too, hearing a saxophone can have the same effect.

It can be just a day when the lip area feels extra sore or extra tight and stiff or when I'm trying to put lipstick on and it just won't go on properly.

It can be the thought of that dog, still presumably there and still a threat.

It can be a communication from the solicitor re the claim - or lack of communication when I'm expecting to hear.

But I'm dealing with it better than I did and I hope that once the claim is resolved that I can begin to put it even further behind me and get on with my life.

See - dog attacks for updates

Customer service - the good and the bad

I've ranted a bit about episodes of bad customer service and thought maybe I should have a bit of an overview of various episodes, but not forgetting those GOOD moments. The times when you really feel 'Yes, I'll come back here'.




I got a bit carried away and started almost doing reviews of various establishments - restaurants, B & Bs, shops, car service places etc. But that made me think - what is it that makes good service and what makes the very very bad.

A lot of this is SO obvious that I then wonder why we see so much of the bad and so little of the really good. I'll start with the obvious and the simple.............

• Smiling - not silly false plastic smiling, but smiling like it's really meant. Smiling like you really want these customers to come into your establishment.





• Acknowledging - busy, on the phone? Easy enough to smile, maybe indicate in some way that the person has been seen and that you will deal with them as quickly as possible




• Doing what has been promised - whether it's calling back at a specified time/day, delivering when agreed - the clue here is don't promise unless you're sure it can be achieved.




• The old old one - the customer is always right. That doesn't mean rudeness, verbal abuse or worse should be tolerated from any customer of course.




• Don't pass the buck. Even if it's not your responsibility, do what you can and if you have to pass the customer on to someone else, explain why and what the other person can do.



• Really listen to what the customer is saying and make sure the customer knows you've heard.


• Little things can mean a lot: maybe remembering something a customer has mentioned on a previous visit. This shows you've really listened (see above) and shows you're interested and that the customer isn't just a number, or worse, an inconvenience!

What's been good just lately?

Premier Inns - yes a budget hotel chain. We stayed at one near Carlisle for 2 nights when attending a wedding. The facilities were much as expected but the customer service was outstanding. Every member of staff smiled - a genuine smile. We were, on every occasion we entered either through reception or into the separate restaurant, greeted quickly. Service was efficient as well as friendly. But there were also the little extras - at our first breakfast, the person greeting us and showing us to a table discovered we were going to a wedding. Later when going to our car to head off to the ceremony, she was crossing the car park and called out 'enjoy the wedding'. A small touch but it showed she'd listened and was interested enough to remember and comment despite the number of guests she must be greeting every day.We then had a night at a Premier Inn near Dover, on our way to France - same again. The person who checked us in did so in an efficient and friendly way, doing everything she had to do, with a lovely manner. We then found out it was her last shift and she was finishing at 11pm, for good. Yet she'd still done all the extra bits and really seemed to care that we would enjoy our stay.

Low Nest Farm, near Keswick

I really don't know where to start with this one - it's just SO good, in every sense. We found this place just over 2 years ago when I did a search for dog friendly B & Bs in the Lake District. And what a find. As this is about customer service, I won't talk about the wonderful facilities, the beautiful rooms, the fantastic scenery and the absolutely perfect breakfasts...... But if you want to feel cared for, if you want to feel you (and your dog/s) are important, then go to Low Nest Farm. Not that you'll find it easy to book as it's always so full. Mainly with repeat business which says it all. We've been five times so far - twice with other people and would have been more if there had been vacancies when we were free or if we'd had the time and money to go.

Now a few mentions for the poor, the unacceptable and the totally unbelievably bad........... first, you can read, if you're so inclined, a couple that I've already written about under 'B & Q' and 'car insurance'. I may quote odd bits from these and mention others as well. A very recent one is BT Vision and I think as that deserves a post of its own, I'll only mention here that many of their call centre staff appear to be robots, with no sense of humour and can someone explain why a department at BT has "no access to phone lines" so they couldn't transfer me.

Car insurance - why did I lose the second car discount when I added another person onto my insurance and then even in the next year, when there was no-0ne added? Answer from Churchill insurance : because you do.
B & Q - wanting to change a B & Q still sealed tin of wood stain for a different colour (cos it wasn't what it said on the tin - I'd already opened another one). Why wouldn't they let me initially? Answer: because our policy is not to make any changes without the receipt. Further comment - but it's a B & Q product, we couldn't have got it anywhere else. Blank look. But it's our policy.............

Gardening without worms

I love gardens. I love flowers. I love fresh veg straight from the garden............... but, I hate digging and stuff and I hate hate hate worms. Even typing the word makes me shudder. So apart from a few rare moments, gardening for me has been limited to cutting odd things back, pulling out a few weeds (and, I have to confess, then leaving them on the grass for some kind person to pick up later).

But we have a greenhouse, why haven't I made use of that. Worm free gardening. I've dabbled a bit with the hanging baskets but now, just maybe, that's all changed. A few weeks ago I sowed some seeds in trays in the greenhouse and now have runner beans, peas, lettuce and tomatoes beginning to grow. Ok, so when they're ready to go outside, Mick will have to do that bit, but at least I've started them off. I've also now got some flower seeds growing, in the hope that I can provide my own plants for the hanging baskets this year. Pictures and updates to follow.

22nd April - even the flower seeds are peeping through now and the runner beans, in particular, look really strong. Not a worm in sight.

29th April - some of the seeds are doing very well - this means the runner beans will need to be planted out into Mick's raised beds that he's redone for the veg. That could mean worms so this may be where Mick takes over. At least until the beans are ready to pick - I can do that without fear of worms leaping out of the soil at me.

Well, I've not updated this through the summer for lots of reasons but I'm thrilled that we've had lots of lovely veg etc this year and I did manage to get some flowers from seeds to put in the 6 hanging baskets I did. Unfortunately, I didn't get pics of them all - next year.

We're still enjoying the tomatoes and cucumbers (thanks to Caroline for the latter, they've been great) and have some lettuce still growing. Our peas did nothing this year, despite trying a second sowing of the seeds but the green beans were quite good and we had some delicious potatoes - more of those next year I think. We certainly need more carrots too but I think we'll try some different ones. Onions - enough to last the winter probably.

My lovely little apple tree - the first I've ever had of my own - produced loads of apples which were so tasty. But BAD news - the wasps seemed to get at so many of them. So next year, some protection for my apples is a must. Something also got ALL our gooseberries - bushes covered in berries one day, gone totally the next. Not even a trace. We've no idea who ate those but I hope they provided a good meal! We were really looking forward to the gooseberry pies too.

It's now October and we're still eating the cucumbers and tomatoes. We still have a few lettuce growing as well. Our parsnips and swedes are doing well so we're looking forward to eating some of those, maybe at Christmas. If we're going to be here throughout next year, which is likely, I think we should grow much more next year and really benefit from lots of fresh, cheaper produce.

November - finishing off the last of the cucumbers but tomatoes all gone. Mick found some potatoes today when he was digging that patch so they were a welcome and very unexpected addition to our meal this evening. I think we need to start planning for next year (I'll do all the hard work of thinking and planning and Mick can do the easy bit - the digging).

Car insurance

Another little rant which should perhaps be entitled ' How to lose customers'. Mick has used Churchill car insurance for many years, so last year when I was selling my business and the van with it and buying a new small car we used Churchill for mine too, getting a 2nd car discount for doing so.

In early March my granddaughter wanted to be added onto my car insurance to get some driving practice.

Phone call to Churchill: the longest I could add her for was 6 weeks because my car insurance ran out on 22nd April. They couldn't quote for after that. So, ok, 6 weeks it would be. Cost - £132 FOR 6 WEEKS! One of the reasons for the high cost (which I didn't quite take in at the time, I must confess) was that by adding someone else onto my insurance we lost the 2nd car discount. WHY?

They asked if I wanted them to send the next year's quote out with her added and I said 'No, I'll let you know if that changes' (at that cost for 6 weeks, no chance!). So, early April, the renewal letter arrives. Of course, she's included. Seven hundred and stupid pounds. Phone call to Churchill: explained, very pleasantly that I had not wanted her included, would they quote without. Two hundred and something but didn't really register the exact amount as I'd forgotten what the previous year had been (£190). Asked whether I wanted to accept that I said 'yes, ok' until they then asked for payment details. I said that it's not due for over 2 weeks so I shouldn't be paying now. But they stated that if I was accepting it then I had to pay for it then. So of course, I DIDN'T accept it after all. Luckily. 19th April: Phone call to Churchill with the intention of accepting and paying. But I had the sense to check the amount - £277 or £25 pm if I wanted to put it on D/D. Queried the enormous cost, nearly £90 increase. That's because you've lost the 2nd car discount now, came the eventual response after some checking. Why? Because I'd added my granddaughter on. But she's not on there now I explained, as patiently as possible (i.e, not very patiently at all by this point!). I said that at that cost I would be looking elsewhere.

The voice at the other end said she'd look into it - much more than 5 minutes elapsed during which time I was already looking on line for alternative quotes - response was then that there was nothing they could do, that by adding her in the previous year for 6 weeks we'd lost the 2nd car discount. When I then asked why, as we were still insuring 2 cars, she reverted to the ' that's the way it works'!!!!!

She repeated that nothing could be done. Ha ha. Oh yes it can. My car insurance with them was then cancelled as of 22nd April. I got a number of FAR cheaper, like for like quotes, and took one with the AA at £170ish, £15.10pm saving me £10 a month. £120 saving over the year. ALSO let them know that when Mick's car insurance is due for renewal, it won't be with Churchill. Two bits of business gone + anyone else we tell. But do they appear to care?

This is the same insurance company who will not insure my granddaughter on her own mum's car. Why? Kate has the same car as I have, a Fiat 500 BUT she had a chrome kit added and Churchill will not insure a young person on any car that's been modified. Well, I guess the addition of a chrome kit does increase the risk of there being an accident when a young person is driving????????????

I'll put it all down to just another occasion when I've realised I've turned into a grumpy old woman. Or maybe not. Maybe I just expect good service from a company who actually wants my business.

DOG ATTACK

My initial reason for wanting to write this was in the hope that I'd be able to get rid of some of the anger and pain I still feel following an unprovoked attack on me by a dog in December 08. So I'll start with what happened and events since.

At that time I was running a franchise of Trophy Pet Foods which involved the home delivery of pet foods and accessories. Mick helped on his days off from his job. On 8/12/08 we were both out and had arranged a taste test with 2 dogs at a pub. We had not actually met the dogs but in conversations with the dogs' owner (also landlord of the village pub) he had told us he had a Labrador and a Flat Coat Retriever. As we have both of those breeds ourselves we were looking forward to meeting his dogs.

We arrived around mid-day as agreed and he directed us to the gate leading into the backyard of the pub. As we were entering, the Labrador came bounding towards the gate and the owner (Alex) asked Mick to hang onto him to stop him getting out. The other dog ( a black, probably Flat Coat Retriever/Labrador cross) was at that time being held by Alex but not appearing particularly aggressive.

After a very brief discussion with Alex about what the dogs were currently being fed and trying to ascertain whether he was keen to help the very overweight Labrador lose weight, we put a selection of the Trophy foods down for each dog to eat. As anticiapted, they ate the lot, quickly!

I then continued the discussion with Alex as to which was the most appropriate food for each dog. During this time the Labrador was happily wandering round the yard and the black dog came to sniff around my legs. I had no concerns about this as it was a daily event and I'm quite used to being with dogs. I'm also always careful never to do anything to appear to threaten a dog or make it nervous. At this point Mick was slightly behind me, putting away the 'taste test pots'.

The next thing I knew was that the dog was in my face. Much of the next 10 mins or so is somewhat of a blur - I recall Alex taking the dog away, Mick asking for a first aid kit (how fortunate he was with me and that he's a paramedic), Mick asking for scissors to cut the dressing, Mick asking for some water and Mick saying he was getting me to A & E. No doubt I was in shock but I certainly didn't realise the seriousness of the attack at that point and didn't think I needed to go to A & E. Luckily I couldn't see that a big piece of my lip was missing and another bit hanging loose. Poor Mick had to witness all this. I recall suggesting we should do the next delivery on our way to A & E. No doubt if Mick hadn't been so worried he'd have laughed at me.

At A & E I received excellent care and treatment from all the staff there and then from 2 consultants who came down from the maxillofacial department. They examined and dressed a deep puncture wound in my hand and after all the anti-tetanus, anti-biotic injections etc, they took me to their department where facilities etc would be better. One of the consultants then 'tacked up' the little bit of loose skin from my upper lip and discussed what he could do. Then brought in the senior consultant who decided on a different approach.

I still hadn't seen my face and it was suggested that I should look in the mirror. Not pretty. it was decided that I should stay in hospital overnight to have intravenous anti-biotics and then return on Friday 12th for an operation. The consultant wanted to be sure there was no infection before doing the operation. The operation involved doing a graft from my lower lip onto my upper lip causing me to spend 5 weeks with the lips grafted together, leaving a very small gap on one side for food and a straw for drinks. For the first few days I had a feeding tube and wasn't even able to drink through a straw for the first 36 hours.

I stayed in hospital for 5 days and then returned the following week for the stitches to be removed.

After that I was able to eat only foods which I could pick up and put in through the small gap using my fingers (no, Mum, I can't eat ice cream!!!). Over the 5 weeks we became very inventive - Christmas dinner was mainly ok - no cranberry sauce with the the turkey though and gravy separately through a straw. Tried a tiny bit of Christmas pud (cream through a straw) but too sticky to really be able to pick up and enjoy. No mince pies. But chocolate - that was easy. Toast was ok too, if cut into thin fingers. No fried or poached eggs, but omelettes, cut into thin strips, no problem. Meats too, if cut into small pieces or strips, quite manageable.

5 weeks after the operation I had to undergo a further operation, just under a local anaesthetic, to have my lips divided. Then a further visit 10 days later to have the stitches from that operation removed.

So what are the long term effects? How do I feel? What's happened since? What's happened to the dog? Well, here goes................

As responsible dog owners we reported the attack to the police, little interest at first but eventually they took a statement and eventually it was decided to prosecute. But what a farce. The dog's owner didn't even bother to attend the first hearing and was simply asked to attend on another date. We were told this hearing was just to set a date for a plea hearing and that nothing would happen. In fact, at that hearing, he told the court he normally keeps the dog on a muzzle and the court decided that was good so he was simply ordered to keep it under proper control in the future. Who monitors that? No-one until it attacks again. Are they stupid? Yes, clearly. To us it is obvious that if he stated he normally kept the dog on a muzzle, he knew it was dangerous. So why did he let it wander, muzzle free, when we were there? Why does he allow it to escape from the pub's back yard by jumping over the fence if he knows it's a threat? Why did he not even warn us?

So now I worry constantly about the dog attacking someone else, particularly a child. Whenever I see reports of dog attacks (it's usually the incidents where a child has been killed that hit the news) I worry that the dog will attack again. Once a dog bites, it is known that it is likely to do so again. Reports of such attacks are upsetting for all the obvious reasons but then I get angry. I could have been killed. Does it take a death to cause a dog to be put down. I love dogs and we've said all along that if one of our much loved and adored dogs did anything like that, they'd be straight to the vets. I don't know how we'd cope with that but we couldn't risk keeping an animal like that. Ever.
Other long term effects and feelings since in Dog attack 2

B & Q

Just a little rant about customer service and customer relations. Maybe this should really be titled 'How to lose customers and boost the trade for Homebase'.
Two weeks ago we visited B & Q - on a Wednesday to benefit from the oldies discount now that I'm 60. We bought some Golden Chestnut wood stain for the big shed and a spray thingy to apply it to the shed. We also bought some wood stain in the same colour for the big gate, but to be applied with a brush.
Such fun: prepared the spray thing; started spraying; not good. First, the spray thing is rubbish as it's not possible to get a fine enough spray so it comes out far too thickly. Second, I was stupid enough not to cover the paving slabs round the shed - they look so pretty now. But third and worst of all was the supposedly Golden Chestnut. Did not do what it said on the tin. Colour not what it was on the tin. It's yellow, maybe even orange. No chestnut in sight. But having started we thought we should finish so a first coat of this revolting colour (well, maybe quite a nice colour in the right place but NOT on MY SHED) and did so using a paint brush.
Not wanting to have a yellowy orangey gate at the front of the house it seemed sensible to return the wood stain bought for the fence and exchange it for a more appropriate colour. Half way to B & Q (half an hour away from us) I realised that I didn't still have the receipt. No problem we thought, it's a B & Q product, the seal on the tin was unbroken and we only wanted an exchange for a different colour, not a refund.
Wrong. Young woman on the returns counter was quite firm. Not without a receipt. Why? Because we don't do anything without the receipt. Not feeling in the mood to argue and with Mick clearly not saying anything at all, let alone persisting with the request, we left. By the time I got to the car I was seething but clearly Mick wasn't feeling as strongly about it so we headed back home.
I seethed for a further 10 days. This morning we went back to B & Q, with the intention of demanding to see a manager if necessary. Same reaction initially until I pressed the point about the fact it was a B & Q product, so couldn't have been bought anywhere else and that the seal was intact. Finally she said 'well I was going to say that if you promise not to bring the replacement back, I'll let you change it' . No idea what that was all about but we did the exchange. Now to find out what we think of the new colour.