Good And Bad Doctors
I’m listening to a program on BBC Radio 5 called How Do You Cope?, which is discussing doctors. And what makes a good one!
I am reminded of the story of the birth of our first son.
He was born in a London teaching hospital and delivered by a student doctor, who obviously didn’t do a bad job and made no mistakes.
The next time I saw C, she told me, that she’d had a visit from the Professor, who asked after her and her experience.
He told her, that the doctor was a problem for the Medical School, in that they felt he had shown the ability to make a very good surgeon, as he had the right attitude and physical skills. But he was having difficulty in passing exams.
I sometimes wonder, if that would-be doctor became a brilliant surgeon or left the medical profession early.
Was Gordon Brown Partially Responsible For Labour’s Defeat In The 2019 General Election?
When automatic enrolment into pensions came in, I was very much in favour, as I feel everybody should have a pension.
There is a section called Automatic Enrolment in the Wikipedia entry called Pensions in the United Kingdom.
If you read the section, this is the last paragraph.
Between the introduction of auto enrolment and April 2016, “the overall proportion of eligible employees saving into a workplace pension increased from 55% to 78%” with the largest increases found in the private sector.
Consider.
- When I started work in the 1960s, the average man and the few women on the factory floor weren’t very well educated. But now, they are much more likely to have a few good qualifications.
- Most too will be computer-savvy to a level, that would have been unimaginable to their forerunners in the 1960s.
- Newpapers too, from the Sun and the Mirror to the Times, \guardian, Telegraph and FT, now offer easy-to-read financial advice to help everyone manage their money better.
Many working people today have a pension, that although some didn’t want it, they probably feel could be a help in retirement.
So did Labour’s reckless or ambitious spending plans, frighten many of their traditional supporters?
They certainly frightened me!
Would the election result have been different, if Gordon Brown hadn’t started the modern pension with the Pensions Act of 2008 and had left well enough alone?
As my quote said earlier in 2016, just over three-quarters of eligible employees are saving into a workplace pension.
Some may have been subscribing for over ten years now and they will feel protective of that amount pf money!
Will The Queen Be Amused?
The picture shows another terrible bus livery in dark colours.
Try spotting one of these in the distance with dodgy eyesight!
There seems to be a design competition, to see who can design the most camouflaged bus!
When I first saw this bus, I thought it was advertising Crown’s new paint for the Army!
Top Class Service With A Smile
I only went into this busy Leon on Tottenham Court Road for a hot chocolate and a gluten-free cake.
As it takes a minute to make a hot chocolate, the young lady at the counter, suggested I sit down and she’d bring it over.
Which she did with a smile.
I’m Not Dreaming Of A Wet Christmas
I took these pictures yesterday, close to my house.
I have a feeling that a Wet Chistmas, is what we’ll get in London.
Eco-Friendly Party Bag Wrapping
I usually do the party bags for Christmas Day and these pictures show how I wrap the goodies.
Note.
- The cotton drawstring bags come from The Clever Baggers.
- I found the little plastic pots called Mini Bites in Robert Dyas.
- The Mini Bites have a screw lid, which is easier to open than most packaging.
They have lots of reusable possibilities.
- Last night, I found that the capacity of one Mini-Bite is ideal for frozen peas for one.
- I keep shoes in the cotton bags.
- I shall be using a Mini Bite to hold a selection of my daily pills.
- As the pictures show, they hold a sensible portion of nuts, sweets or chocolate.
- Are they a daily pack of forbidden foods, like chocolate and sweets?
We need more packaging ideas like these!
See Fist-Fighting Mice On The London Underground
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Ian Visits.
An extraordinary picture is being shown.
Abellio To Lose ScotRail Franchise Three Years Early
The title of this post is the same as this article on Rail Magazine.
This is the introductory paragraph.
The ScotRail franchise managed by Abellio will end in March 2022 – some three years earlier than planned, Scottish Transport Secretary Michael Matheson confirmed on December 18.
I don’t live in Scotland, so perhaps I shouldn’t comment too strongly.
- When I’m in Scotland, I find the performance of ScotRail little different to Greater Anglia, which is also managed by Abellio.
- In the last three or four years, I have only suffered serious delays a couple of times on Greater Anglia and one was severe weather-related and the other was the usual suspects trying to steal the overhead wires.
- In that period, I can’t remember being delayed seriously in Scotland.
- I was also in Scotland for the Commonwealth Games and the rail service coped well with all the visitors.
But Scotland has suffered more than its fair share of Network Rail and train delivery problems.
- Late delivery of electrification.
- Poor design of the Borders Railway.
- Problems with the new Class 385 trains from Hitachi.
- Problems with the delivery of the Inter7City trains.
- Disruption caused by the rebuilding of Glasgow Queen Street station.
Is another factor, the endorsement of the SNP in the recent General Election?
I have a feeling that this enforced divorce will be a pension pot for lawyers.
Northern Welcome New Link Between East And West Yorkshire
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Rail Technology News.
This is the introductory paragraph.
Rail Operator, Northern Railway, is celebrating the improved links between East and West Yorkshire today (Dec 19) following the introduction of a new service on the network, providing a direct service between Halifax and Hull.
The tone may be a bit self-congratulatory by Northern, but it is to me a very necessary service.
- The trains run hourly.
- Looking at today’s early morning Saturday service, it appears to have doubled the frequency to and from Leeds.
- Families and friends are more spread out these days..
- Events like football matches and concerts bring in supporters and attendees from a lot further, than when the rail services were carved in stone.
I shall be very interested to see the figures for ridership on this new service..
The Suffolk Experience
Over the last few years, Suffolk’s cross-county service between Ipswich and Cambridge has gone from an hourly single-car Class 153 train through two and three-car Class 170 trains to the proposed four-car Class 755 trains.
Greater Anglia may be having trouble introducing the Class 755 train, but the proposed capacity increase is there. They are also proposing to double the frequency on the Eastern section of the route.
Nationwide
Hopefully, we’ll see more improvements in services on routes like these all over the country. Certainly, Northern and Greater Anglia have been increased threir train fleets to provide more services.
I would also like to see a nationwide capacity standard for routes like these between cities and large towns.
The Anonymous Widower 