To Peterborough In An Inter City 125
My paternal grandmother was born in Peterborough and as it was a wet day, I thought that it might be a good place to go to the city for lunch and to take a look at the rebuilt station.
So I boarded one of East Coast’s Inter City 125s at Kings Cross.
The train certainly doesn’t betray its age, even if it’s probably been refurbished a few times since it was built in the late 1970s.
But then after travelling by train in many of the countries of Europe recently, I would rate it, one of the most comfortable Second Class rides in Europe. If not the most comfortable!
When they write the definitive history of the first three hundred years of trains in the United Kingdom, these trains will be the only class running today, that will get their own chapter. But then the author of the book, will be able to sample a ride in one of these trains, as they will defy the odds and outlive everything else.
Now That’s What I Call A Robbery!
I was once called one of the Top Ten programmers in the world and as that was before I wrote Artemis, it is a compliment to the guy who said it, that he spotted my talent early.
I’ve never attempted to steal any money using a computer, but I have certainly had a few ideas, that I’ve kept to myself, or used in the odd unpublished short story. But this report on the BBC about how a series of cash machines were emptied, is completely unbelievable. Here’s the opening paragraphs.
Researchers have revealed how cyber-thieves sliced into cash machines in order to infect them with malware earlier this year.
The criminals cut the holes in order to plug in USB drives that installed their code onto the ATMs.
Interestingly, the crooks emptied the machines of the higher value notes first, so they could be away quickly.
This illustrates one of the big faults of the euro., compared to the pound. There are so many large notes in circulation, that the currency is a criminal’s and a money launderer’s dream. I don’t like large notes anyway!
I suspect it was an inside job, in that someone who worked for either the bank or the cash machine company was the guy behind it all.
But of course, these days, where software is produced under contract by those in far off countries, is it any wonder you get crimes like this?
I wound never put anything more than working petty cash into a bank or building society, as they’re all vulnerable to be taken out by a gang of clever hackers.
And they are a lot less vulnerable if all those in charge of the computer system and those who program it, are actually employed by the company.
Sadly, this is no longer always the case, as various calamities in the banking industry in the last few years has shown.
Analysis Of My 2013 In Zopa
I have been looking at my figures for 2013 for my investment in Zopa. What started as a bit of a fun punt has grown, as I have tended to use it as a dumping ground for bits of money, that I have no immediate use for.
If I look at how much money I have had invested at the end of the last few years, we see the following figures.
2011 – £40870.05
2012 – £103609.57
2013 – £146812.13
Averaging out the amount, throughout the year gives the following figures
2011 – £48962.13
2012 – £57628.61
2013 – £131194.47
The difference between the two figures is because, over the year, I’ve tended to add any unspent money or unexpected monies to my Zopa account.
The earnings for each of the three years are as follows.
2011 – £2862.86
2012 – £2514.18
2013 – £5846.81
Which corresponds to these returns.
2011 – 5.85%
2012 – 4.36%
2013 – 4.46%
Returns are not as high as they were, but that is because rates have softened, since Zopa safeguarded money that has been invested.
But the most interesting figure is how much money has been available to me to take out or reinvest. This is either interest or returned capital. in 2013, I have taken out £4900 and reinvested £76170 back in Zopa. That is a total of £81070, that I could have used to fix the roof, go to the World Cup in Brazil or use for wine, women and song. Obviously once taken out, it can’t be taken out next year.
But it does illustrate one of the advantages of Zopa and I suspect some of the other peer-to-peer lenders. If you need to realise investments to raise cash for an emergency or a long-planned spending, you can withdraw quite large amounts without penalty, by just withdrawing income, income instead of reinvesting it.
There is a corollary to this. If say you have a sum, that you might need, then investing it in Zopa, should give an acceptable return, until you need to withdraw it for another purpose.
It is also interesting to apply Justin Urquart Stewart’s, so-called Rule of 72, that he talked about in this article, in the Daily Telegraph.
There is the old “Rule of 72” which can also help. This number helps you to find out how often your money will double in value. What you do is divide into 72 the rate of return you hope to get. So for example let’s assume you could get 7pc after all costs on your investments in the long term (not an impossible figure) – then 7 into 72 goes roughly 10 times – so your money doubles every decade.
That would mean that as I get 4.5% or so, from Zopa, the money in there will double in sixteen years. I’ll only be 82!
TfL’s Big Problem For 2015
look at this map for the London Overground.
TfL’s Big Problem For 2015
When the Lea Valley Lines come under the control of TfL in 2015, it’s going to give them a terrible problem about how they incorporate them into the maps.
But that’s only the start, as Crossrail will appear in 2018. But that has already shown on a map.
The picture shows the short-lived Lego version at Kings Cross station, this summer.
they’ve also got the problem of what to call Crossrail, if they do change the name. there has been some talk of calling it the Queen Elizabeth line, by such as Boris Johnson. I suspect, it’ll be called Crossrail or something similar like Across or EastWest line, if Boris doesn’t get his way.
If we called it Across, then Crossrail 2 could be called the Diagnonal line!
Of all the wonderful feats I have performed, I think yesterday I performed the most wonderful. I produced unanimity among 15 men who were all quarrelling about that most ticklish subject — taste
I think Brunel would have loved this problem, judging by this quote from the engineer.
It’s not a problem, I would like to have to solve.
Clapham Junction To Clapham High Street
I got the Overground back from Clapham Junction, rather than struggle from Waterloo, which was suffering from engineering works.
what surprised me, was that the train virtually emptied at Clapham High Street station. I would have thought that a bus would have been quicker on this short journey, especially, as you often wait ten minutes for a train.
But the Overground takes eight minutes and the 345 bus takes twenty four. The man on the Clapham Overground isn’t stupid!
An Advantage Of Clapham Junction Station
One of the advantages of changing at Clapham Junction station is the bridge with lots of kiosks. I bought this excellent fresh lemonade for £1.90 at Knot Pretzels.
An Advantage Of Clapham Junction Station
We need more kiosks with lemonade ready-to-go.
An Advantage Of Not Owning A Car
Because I just missed a train on the return from Pokesdown station, I had an hour to kill.
It was enlivened by a few minutes helping this Ipswich supporter find where he might have parked his car for the match, using a map at the station.
He’d driven down on Saturday, stayed in a hotel and then driven over on the Sunday. But he had no idea, of the name of the road he’d parked in. I don’t know whether he had a sat-nav, but it wasn’t much use to him if he had, as it would have been the car.
And then to cap it all, we told him to turn right out of the station. And he turned left!
And others talk about silly Suffolk!
All I have to do is remember the way back to the station. If I should forget, I can always take a taxi or a bus! Or even ask directions for something that has been there for a few years!
An Embarrassing Half Time Entertainment
Bournemouth put on a Crossbar Challenge at half-time, but it was rather unusually embarrassing for the hosts.
One of the travelling Ipswich supporters won the prize, by hitting the crossbar.
I’ve seen this run a few times and most clubs don’t let visiting supports take part for obvious reasons.
We all gave him a big cheer, as he returned to his seat amongst us.
The TfL Journey Planner Knows Best
Yesterday, I went to see Ipswich at Bournemouth, who play within walking distance of Pokesdown station.
That area is served from Waterloo, and if there is a difficult station to get to from Dalston, it is Waterloo. In fact it’s difficult for anybody, who doesn’t start their journey on the Bakerloo line, Jubilee line or some parts of the Northern line. I usually use a bus or buses to get to the station, or bypass it totally and pick up the train from Clapham Junction, after getting there on the Overground.
But, yesterday, I thought, I’d see what the TfL journey Planner recommended.
It recommended taking the Overground from Dalston Junction to Canada Water station, and then using the Jubilee line to get across to Waterloo.
It seemed a bit of a roundabout way, but it does appear to be quickest.
Whilst waiting for my Overground train, I told a driver, waiting for his train to arrive, what the Journey Planner had recommended.
He was as surprised as I was!
One of the other things about the Overground/Jubilee route, is that it is step-free, at all stations.
Vincent Tan Is 66-1 To Be The Next Cardiff Manager
This is according to Match of the Day.
The big question is, could he work with the owner of the club?
The Anonymous Widower 