My Broadband Lacks Muscle
I get all my broadband, TV, mobile phone from EE.
Usually, it works fine and I can watch football and Formula One, when I want to.
Occasionally, I get picture break-up, when I watch something popular.
Even more occasionally, the picture and sound is lost and a No Signal message appears on the screen.
And then, a couple of weeks ago, I was unable to watch the FA Cup Semi Final on BBC1. I just got the dreaded No Signal message.
Yesterday, was the Tuesday after Bank Holiday Monday.
- I was watching BBC Breakfast, when the signal disappeared about 09:00.
- Despite two calls to EE and a visit to their shop, by 18:00, the signal had not returned.
- I was reduced to watching the news on either my television in the bedroom or my computer.
- And then at 18:30, the signal returned miraculously and I was able to watch the television normally.
It has performed immaculately since.
So What Happened?
I had no problem on Monday, but Marks and Spencer did as this article on the BBC, which is entitled M&S Customers In Limbo As Cyber Attack Chaos Continues, explains.
Did this this cyberattack mean that everybody had spent the Easter weekend checking their systems?
Whether they did or not, when the City started up again after the Easter Holiday, they needed so much capacity, my television signal over broadband was switched off.
Only when City workers adjorned to the bars and restaurants at 18:30 and switched off their systems, did I get my television signal back.
Next Monday, is Another Bank Holiday
I don’t know what will happen! Do Openreach?
No Football On Monday
I like watching football and thought I might catch a live match on Bank Holiday Monday. After all London is a big city with tens of clubs from the Premier League downwards.
But on perusing the fixture list on the BBC’s web site, there is no match from either the Premier or Football Leagues, except Manchester United against Chelsea, which I obviously have no interest in at all, as I don’t like prawn sandwiches or live in Surrey, Ireland or Russia.
In the Conference, I wondered whether Barnet were at home, but sadly they are at Braintree. The only match within reach seems to be at Welling, where they are hosting Salisbury. I did check the Welling web site to see how to get there, but instructions on getting to the ground were difficult to find.
As it seems we might even have decent weather on Monday, it seems that the curse of the Bank Holiday might have struck again.
I can’t even go to my friendly Crown Post Office to buy a stamp, as they’re on strike.
The only good thing about Bank Holidays, is that there isn’t more of them!
Margaret Thatcher Day
The BBC is reporting that some Tory MPs want the August Bank Holiday to be renamed Margaret Thatcher Day in honour of the late former Prime Minister.
I think that not everything about Mrs. Thatcher was either good or bad but even if I was a massive supporter, I would not want to see the renaming.
Renaming the day would set a very dangerous precedent and every interest group would want a day named after their hero, so the arguments would go on ad infinitum, when there are more pressing problems facing the country.
But then most politicians don’t know a bad idea, when they see it!
Upper Street Was Quiet
I know, it’s a bank holiday, but Upper Street was unusually quiet.
Upper Street Was Quiet
You couldn’t say Carluccio’s or Waitrose were busy either.
And now it’s started raining.
As I’ve said many times before, when I become the dictator, bank holidays will be the first thing to get banned.
The Bank Holiday is Not Good for Zopa Lenders
I’ve just looked at my Zopa statistics over the Bank Holiday weekend and the amount of money requested by borrowers has dropped by nearly 20% since Thursday. A similar thing happened last year, but in the last part of the Bank Holiday week borrowers returned to finance those cars and other goods they’d seen over the weekend.
Lenders seem to have kept up their funds in Zopa.
So perhaps now might be a good time to borrow from Zopa, as there is plenty of funds available.
Planning for the August Bank Holiday
As I’ve said before, I hate bank holidays.
For next Monday though I have a plan. Whilst I was travelling in Tottenham, I saw on the map a building named as Markfield Beam Engine and Museum.
I shall be going as it is in steam on the Monday.
I could even go to the football in the evening at Ipswich!
But the aim is to enjoy myself and judging by the way they are playing at the moment, a team made up of eleven fit men in the North Stand could do better.
Bank Holiday Effects On Zopa
My repayments from Zopa over the last week or so have been rather erratic, with a lot of payments failing from otherwise good borrowers, quite a few loans being cancelled and other non-normal occurrences. I also didn’t have any repayments for several days, probably because the banking system was virtually shut down. I don’t think there is anything to worry about as the system seems to be levelling out to normal behaviour. Today for instance, I had the highest daily level of repayments ever.
It’s Bad Friday Today
I’ve always hated Bank Holidays. I can remember as a child, that unless there was football at White Hart Lane, I’d generally be left to my own devices. At least when my father had his print works, we’d generally go down there and do something. You can never have said he didn’t have a work ethic.
When C and I had the children at home, it wasn’t as boring, as usually we’d find something to do. After the kids had left, we’d often go racing or shopping at somewhere like Bluewater. But generally we’d arrange to be away, as after all everything is crowded. Although on one memorable Bank Holiday with sunshine everywhere, we did decide to go to the Norfolk Coast with the dogs for a swim for her and perhaps a paddle for me. But we got sea-fog and were back home by one after one of the most miserable Bank Holidays we ever spent.
Today, I’ve nothing planned and will probably go for a walk or to a museum or art gallery. It’s the same on Saturday and Sunday. But on Monday, I’m off to Swansea to see Ipswich. But after last night’s disaster at Portman Road, that is unlikely to be a happy experience.
And what with the Royal Wedding and May Day coming up, this few next weeks has the impression, that it is not going to be very fulfilling. But saying that I do have friends coming for the wedding.
Giving Up on Ipswich Against Forest
I was late back from Upper Street after breakfast and shopping at Waitrose and it is now too late to make the last train to Ipswich, as especially with a coach in the middle, there’s a high chance it will all end in tears.
I should have allowed more time, but probably it’s another consequence of the quadruple weekend Bank Holiday.
So they’ll have to do without me!
A Recipe for Disaster
Tomorrow, I’m attempting to get to Ipswich to see them play Nottingham Forest. The East Anglian main line through Chelmsford is shut as far as Ilford, so you have to take a tube to Newbury Park station and then get a special bus to Ingatestone, where you get the train to Ipswich. It started to go wrong today with a serious road crash outside Newbury Park. Earlier this evening, I was passing Liverpool Street station, so I went in to buy a ticket. I said that I wanted to be in Ipswich by 15:00 and wanted to return home any time after 17:00, so could I have a Cheap Day Return. The man in the ticket office didn’t think he could sell me one and wanted to charge me about £46.00 for the return. He said that I might get it cheaper, if I nomininated particular trains. But when there’s a coach service in the middle, I’m reluctant to do this.
When I returned home, I phoned National Express East Anglia and they said that Cheap Day Returns will be available.
But what with coaches, a Bank Holiday and new fares coming in, I think we have a recipe for disaster, so I’m looking at serious alternatives, including going to Cambridge and getting a train to Ipswich from there. It will be more expensive, but probably a lot more reliable. It’s also a few minutes quicker and I could have lunch in Cambridge on the way out or dinner on the way back.
The Anonymous Widower 