The Friendly Cafe - Open for chinwaggin'

[Bruv]

FourPart;1495887 wrote: Oh, well - at least I get an extra hour at double time.


You can always tweak the plumbing if you ever get short in future.

[G#Gill]

FourPart, what an eventful shift !!!! Seems you were on the ball (ball cock ?) getting stuff organised and getting assistance in. Well maybe you could be 'working from home' for a few days ? Saves a long ride to and from work dunnit ! Where was the little dutch lad when you needed him ? :wah:

[ZAP]

"Well, a fairly uneventful night at the office tonight - the usual dead spots, followed by a few minutes of madness." 'Fairly uneventful'? That sounds pretty EVENTFUL to me! lol

[FourPart]

Last night working from home was a nightmare. Non stop from beginning to end. All calls diverted to my crappy mobile, which takes about 30 secs to answer a call or to switch between screens, which is pretty stressful when the thing won't stop ringing, and even when it does, as soon as you start doing the entries on the system for the details of the call, it's going again. Personally I prefer the formality of the office, rather than the chaos of my living room. It helps to focus the mind. At least when in the office you can tell when there's other calls coming in, as you can hear them. When on the one at home you can't tell, so don't know if you need to hasten the call on. On top of all the calls coming in, I had to arrange coverage of 2 carers who had gone off sick, with limited carers at best of times, on a Sunday night (even fewer), when what ones there were were already overloaded with calls of their own. Mind you, miracle worker that I am, I did manage to get all calls covered.



I've also just been informed that the air conditioning engineer had been round & said that the state it was in we were lucky it hadn't exploded & sent the whole building up, and that it was fortunate it had been spotted in time.

[Wandrin]

Will saving the company gain you a bonus, or is it considered part of the job function?

[G#Gill]

You'll no doubt be feeling very tired now, FourPart ! Well done, and I hope they are grateful for your adaptability and fortitude, and also that you noticed the problem in the first place, saving them huge disruption and even possibly injuries ! I wonder if they will say 'Thank you' :yh_smiley

[FourPart]

G#Gill;1495942 wrote: You'll no doubt be feeling very tired now, FourPart ! Well done, and I hope they are grateful for your adaptability and fortitude, and also that you noticed the problem in the first place, saving them huge disruption and even possibly injuries ! I wonder if they will say 'Thank you' :yh_smiley
Oh, they've done that all right.

[G#Gill]

So when are you getting the big bonus ?

[FourPart]

G#Gill;1495957 wrote: So when are you getting the big bonus ?
I should be so lucky. Mind you, a simple acknowledgment of appreciation does go a long way.

[G#Gill]

Yes, sometimes it is nice, and reward enough, getting a sincere thank you from the boss !

When I was in my late teens, I had passed all my exams at college and became a secretary. Well I was really a shorthand/typist - my typing was a lot faster than my shorthand, as it happened ! :wah: If I remember rightly, my shorthand (Gregg shorthand) was around 70 words a minute and my typing was >>>>>>>>> woosh ! :wah: In those days most offices hadn't progressed to electric typewriters (they were fairly new at that time, and expensive), so we typists had to do the best we could on the old manual "thump the keys hard" machines !

I had a short stint with a lace manufacturer in what was called The Lace Market, in Nottingham, and I didn't get on at all well with the senior office manager (a bitter middle-aged spinster) and I saw a similar position advertised at another lace manufacturer, so I gave my notice in and went to work at this other place. It was not so large a company and it turned out that I was the only office staff in the building ! :wah: There were about half a dozen lace jenniers, all very busy all day winding lace onto cards using wooden jennier frames. I remember there were some wonderful lace patterns to choose from and much of the lace was made in man-made fibres at that time - made for easy washing.

After about a month, I was informed that the company was moving premises, to a larger property, so I had to organise everything to do with the office ready to transfer to this other building. Being the only office staff, I had to work very hard, and over a few days there were numerous boxes in neat labelled piles on one side of the office awaiting transportation. I took the opportunity to really get the office properly organised and a proper system of filing etc. so that any item could be instantly 'found', saving a lot of time. I was very proud of my new office and I quite liked the new 'factory'. There was a proper 'canteen' instead of a small room with a table, a sink and a kettle ! :wah:

The new office was running along very smoothly and the 'boss' was very pleased with how I'd sorted everything in such a way that even he could lay his hands straight away on whatever he needed at the time - something he admitted that he had never been able to do till then ! I had a decent typewriter, and adding machine and all things needed for a smooth running, busy office. I was well pleased with my efforts and I thought that my 'boss' was also very pleased with my efforts. The new office was immaculate !

However, after about 2 weeks I was called in to the boss's office, and to show his true appreciation he gave me my notice of one week, saying that my P45 would be ready for me at the end of the week when I was going to leave ! To say I was shocked by this action is a an extreme understatement ! It would never have happened these days, with 'unfair dismissals' well in place. You just cannot 'get rid' of staff when you feel like it, and for no good reason. On my last day, the 'boss' gave me two week's pay - something that he didn't have to do, as I should have only had one week's pay.

I cannot remember the unconvincing reason why he had decided to part company with me, but I did find out a couple of weeks later on from somebody who was aware of my job, what had happened, and was a friend of mine, that the 'boss' had installed his niece in the office. Definitely a case of nepotism if ever there was one ! Well, had I known this during my last week there, I have no doubt at all that I would have 'reorganised' all the office files etc. and serve them right ! As it was, his niece ensconced herself in a well-oiled and immaculate comfortable office, with everything at her fingertips ! :-5:-5

I have always thought that was a dirty trick to play on a young, keen woman. I felt very 'taken advantage of', and it took a long time for me to come to terms with how somebody could show their gratitude in that manner ! I hasten to add that that was the first and the last time I was ever 'used' like that. Once bitten and all that. :yh_shame

[Bruv]

Let it go Gilly let it go girl.

Confession time............I got the sack once for nicking reclaimed glass, I think the statute of limitations saves a prosecution.

Working as a glass cutter, glass sealed unit maker, I 'invented' a method of splitting glass units, with a jig saw, my guvnor was well pleased.

So I thought it OK if I reclaimed some glass, saving him loads of money,I could share in the invention by taking the odd piece or two.

I confessed after a 'new' looking sheet of glass was found stashed amongst the scrapped glass outside the premises for later pick up.

[G#Gill]

Oops !

[FourPart]

They saw right through it.

[G#Gill]

FourPart;1496153 wrote: They saw right through it.


:yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl Bit sharp for a Sunday weren't you, FourPart ?

[G#Gill]

I've spent a lot of time today, sending emails to the council concerning non-lit street type lights on a pedestrian footpath. They keep passing the buck, the County Council to the Borough Council. Oh well, maybe they will galvanise themselves into activity if a compensation claim goes in when somebody trips over the potholes on the path in the dark, and breaks a bone or two ! :-5

[G#Gill]

The day has been strange. It's been quite warm outside and there has been quite a bit of sunshine which brightens the world somewhat. So why do I feel miserable ? Is it because I've just been told that somebody wants to stay in Europe because they feel young at heart and want to be in with the younger element in this country, who will probably vote to 'remain' cos they can't see what is happening? Or is it that I've just watched a miserable 'soap' on TV ? Or is it that I'm hungry and my hubby's cooking supper and I've been told to sit down here and wait till he's got it ready ? ............. Yep, I think it must be the hunger ! :p :-3

[Bruv]

G#Gill;1496233 wrote: Is it because I've just been told that somebody wants to stay in Europe because they feel young at heart .......................

[G#Gill]

Now, Bruv, would I think for one minute that you would make me miserable ? Never !!! I didn't mention any names did I ?

[G#Gill]

Ayup, watch yer backs the religious lot are attacking us again ! :yh_rotfl

[Bruv]

G#Gill;1496347 wrote: Ayup, watch yer backs the religious lot are attacking us again ! :yh_rotfl


Filling a vacuum I think. Not a lot of action in here lately.......memo to self......must try harder.

[FourPart]

Bruv;1496352 wrote: Filling a vacuum I think. Not a lot of action in here lately.......memo to self......must try harder.


If only it were as straightforward as that. The Religious mind seems to be a vacuum that could do with filling.

[G#Gill]

I have managed to get a rather severe cold ! It is making me feel rather low, because I keep having to blow my nose ! Where the heck does all this fluid come from ? I slept downstairs last night because I find that I sleep better in a sort of upright position, and also I'm coughing quite a lot. It sounds awful to me, so I can't imagine what it would sound like to my hubby when he is trying to sleep ! Anyway I shall probably stay in the sitting room and sleep in a chair again. I don't know where it has come from but it sure is a wicked bug ! I haven't been out at all in the last week or so, but my hubby did some shopping the other day so I suppose somebody sneezed at him. He has sneezed a few times today, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. :-5

[Bruv]

Take a few shots of your favourite spirit,whisky or rum, with hot water and sugar (if you must) and knock yourself out in a warm envelope of blankets, then sweat.....sorry....perspire it out, and sleep like a log.

Or get down the Doctors first thing tomorrow and get it sorted out........I insist.......us old timers need to look after ourselves you know.

[AnneBoleyn]

Mucinex. A British product. The very best thing for congestion. Feel better soon.

[G#Gill]

Thanks for all our sympathies and advices. I may well try the whisky drink and I may ask my hubby to look out for Mucinex. Thanks all.

[AnneBoleyn]

Perhaps Mucinex is a brand name here & is marketed under another name where you are, don't know, but swear by it.

[FourPart]

There is one thing I am assured by colleagues at work (and I'm more than willing to take their word for it, as it seems to be a commonly held tip in the Care industry), and that is to rub some Vicks Vapour Rub into your feet for a chesty cough. Don't ask me why. I don't understand the logic of it, but apparently it works.

[ZAP]

I hope you're much better today. Here, I'll fluff up your pillows and get you a cup o tea with honey, honey. :-4 (((hugs)))

[LarsMac]

Bruv;1496429 wrote: Take a few shots of your favourite spirit,whisky or rum, with hot water and sugar (if you must) and knock yourself out in a warm envelope of blankets, then sweat.....sorry....perspire it out, and sleep like a log.

Or get down the Doctors first thing tomorrow and get it sorted out........I insist.......us old timers need to look after ourselves you know.


A bit of lemon juice in that concoction helps, too. But, when I am dealing with a cold, I just add a shot of Whiskey to my morning coffee. Not sure how much it helps, but after a few cups, I don't care so much.

[G#Gill]

I'm afraid I have a very sore mouth which means I cannot manage the sharpness of whisky even if we had any ! Also I cannot manage anything with tomato purée in it. Gawd I'm a mess ain't I ? I just hope I can get rid of the stuffed up nose and this damned cough! As you can see, I don't do ill ! I did try honey, and I love honey ! I have got some Benylin Expectorant which I think must be fairly similar to Mucinex. Trouble is it makes me very sleepy, but I suppose that's not a bad thing. At least I ain't coughin' if I'm asleep. Well not very much anyway. ENUFF of all this rubbish.

It has been very cloudy all day and quite cold. Mind you it is to be expected, after all it is now June 'is bustin' out all over' ! Summer !!! Ah don't you just love it - balmy evenings, lovely warm days (I think the temp climbed to a wonderful 45 f today ) no wonder eyes gorra nasty cloggy code ! I hope it will be a bit warmer tomorrow ! :-5

I need :-6:-6:-6

[G#Gill]

FourPart;1496463 wrote: There is one thing I am assured by colleagues at work (and I'm more than willing to take their word for it, as it seems to be a commonly held tip in the Care industry), and that is to rub some Vicks Vapour Rub into your feet for a chesty cough. Don't ask me why. I don't understand the logic of it, but apparently it works.


I heard that a while back when I was on Skype talking to a friend in Australia. She said the same thing about Vick Vapour Rub. I've never actually tried it, possibly because I don't have any Vick Vapour Rub, but I do like the smell, and it clears yer tubes too ! But that is if you rub it on your chest like what it is designed for ! Maybe I'll get my hubby to get some Vick next time he's out shopping. You never know ! :sneaky:

[ZAP]

I hope you get to feeling better soon! Maybe this will warm you up--it was 111F here today. The thermometer on my patio says it's 115 at 6:30 pm.

[G#Gill]

ZAP;1496542 wrote: I hope you get to feeling better soon! Maybe this will warm you up--it was 111F here today. The thermometer on my patio says it's 115 at 6:30 pm.


Thank you Zap ! Unfortunately I don't like it too hot - middle 70s is perfectly OK, but anything much higher than that and I run for cover in the shade. :-6

[ZAP]

G#Gill;1496550 wrote: Thank you Zap ! Unfortunately I don't like it too hot - middle 70s is perfectly OK, but anything much higher than that and I run for cover in the shade. :-6


It's very dry here in the desert and I 'm ok when it's in the low 80's. Then I stay in where things are air conditioned. Years ago I could take much higher temps.

[G#Gill]

It has been 28 f in parts of England today, and possibly similar tomorrow. But it will probably be a little different during the day as we have been warned that there could be thunderstorms occurring from time to time. I have to go out on Tuesday so I do hope it will not rain then.

Why are people fascinated with weather ? Sad, really. Although when we ran our charter/trip boat business we really had to keep our eye on weather forecasts. We would always try to plan ahead if there was the threat of rain at the time when we would be running a private charter. Our customers would be really surprised if we had made alternative arrangements for an evening river trip when there was heavy rain occurring ! We had an arrangement with a riverside pub which had a function room which they were quite happy to allow us to use on wet nights, particularly if we had the jazz band on board as well ! They never charged us for the room, but they of course had the benefit of bar take. We used to load up the passengers at our start-off jetty, trundle down river to the pub (about 20 minutes journey), whilst the jazz band would go by road to the pub and be set up and playing by the time our boat arrived ! At the end of the evening's charter time. we would load the boat up once more with our passengers and trundle back up to our 'start' jetty where our customers' cars were parked. We never had any complaints about the slight change of the evening's agenda, but we did have one or two amazed people who thought we were wonderful saving their evening so satisfactorily !

We made quite a few friends during the running of our business, over the years! We received one or two surprising presents from grateful customers too. I must say that the occasions when we were able to 'rescue' evening charters like we did, were very gratifying. We used to say to each other "We've done another Houdini, tonight!" and have a congratulatory drink together. It was such a shame that the recession killed our business off, a case of the least necessary (or leisure) business would be the first to be affected. Companies who booked us for their annual treats (and there were quite a few), had to tighten their belts and resist unnecessary expense. We just could not manage to survive on public trips and the odd private birthday party trip. Sad that, really, because I bet that had things been a little kinder to us, we would probably have still been trading up to about 5 or 6 years ago ! It was a lovely business to be in.

Attached files

[Bruv]

Are you sure your name isn't Annie ?

[G#Gill]

Bruv;1496635 wrote: Are you sure your name isn't Annie ?




Cheeky monkey !! :p :wah:

[G#Gill]

I'll have you know, Mr. Bruv, that that beautiful vessel that we used to have, was one of the Dunkirk 'Little Ships', rescuing soldiers (French and British) from the beaches and taking them to bigger ships. Vital as the bigger ships couldn't get near enough to the beaches, and the water was too deep for the soldiers to wade out to the bigger ships.

Our vessel stayed there, helping, for 6 days and then loaded up with around 200 soldiers and alongside Princess Elizabeth, a paddle steamer, managed to reach British shores and disembark her precious cargo successfully. During maintenance in dry dock, we wondered about a couple of rivetted patches above the waterline ! We do know that all the 'Little Ships' came under fire from German aircraft. We also know that our vessel's sister ship was sunk during the Dunkirk evacuation.

[Bruv]

Blimey you are older than you look........I can see you now................in your tin hat.:yh_rotfl

[G#Gill]

Bruv;1496646 wrote: Blimey you are older than you look........I can see you now................in your tin hat.:yh_rotfl


Bruv you daft bugger !!!! We bought this vessel in 1986 !!! It was actually built in 1928 as an estuary ferry boat for a river in Cornwall/Devon and she was bought a few years later for work on the Thames. She was used as a passenger carrying vessel then when war broke out she was taken over by the armed forces and used as a fire fighting vessel along the industrial areas of the Thames. She had quite a busy war time career, during which she went with hundreds of other 'little ships' to rescue the allied army from the beaches of Dunkirk. After the war she returned to her original work of passenger vessel. She was sold off the Thames and brought round the coast to the River Trent at the Humber Estuary and brought to work as a passenger vessel at Nottingham in around 1970, she was sold again around 1983 but still worked as a passenger vessel. She went back on the market in 1986 that was when we bought her.

[G#Gill]

I suppose I should get going and write the threatened 'soap' about a river business ! I've got so many true stories to tell - funny, even hilarious and some sad, even tragic happenings. I keep saying I must sit down and devote at least 5 hours each day to get a start on a first episode - needs to be fairly involved and attention grabbing, to encourage readers to want more. I must have at least eight years of story to tell, and all from real life and perfectly true ! I wouldn't have a problem with story lines, as there were plenty of 'goings on' during our stint in the charter/trip boat business ! :wah:

I keep making decisions about it, but then something crops up to distract me and occupy my time elsewhere. At least, so far I've managed to get a list of the main central characters, all taken from the real people but with names changed of course ! With details like personality, brief history, birthday dates, etc. Now all I have to do is briefly set up the first story line and off I go !

At this time of year we would have been fully booked each evening and the designated 'day off' would involve visiting the Cash & Carry and stocking up, and also meeting the brewery delivery at our store to take on all the 9 gallon barrels of bitter and lager ! (the bigger barrels were far too big to get into our 'beer hatch' ! I wouldn't be able to lift them into our Volvo Estate either. I could just about manage to lift the 9 gallon barrels though ! Yes I was quite strong in those days ! :wah: Ah, those were the days

[Bruv]

Why not start a blog ? An on going story of river folk, has a nice ring to it.

[G#Gill]

Well it's not a bad idea, Bruv, but I wouldn't want folk to be tempted to 'borrow' my words with C & P ing. I have posted some bits about running our charter/trip boat business ( one or two 'happenings' ) on other threads and if I remember rightly, on another site, but I have always put the copyright sign next to my pen name in the hope that anybody reading them will respect the copyright. But nothing is really safe is it? So I fight shy of writing too much on any public sites.

[LarsMac]

During my first trip to the UK, our company office was in Marlowe, right by the river. I remember seeing a couple of such boats tied up there, and my co-worker told me they they did dinner cruises and such. I thought it sounded like fun, but never got the time to take one.

Would love to hear (read) some of your tales, Gilly.

[Bruv]

G#Gill;1497464 wrote: Well it's not a bad idea, Bruv, but I wouldn't want folk to be tempted to 'borrow' my words with C & P ing. I have posted some bits about running our charter/trip boat business ( one or two 'happenings' ) on other threads and if I remember rightly, on another site, but I have always put the copyright sign next to my pen name in the hope that anybody reading them will respect the copyright. But nothing is really safe is it? So I fight shy of writing too much on any public sites.


Another J K Rowling in the making by the sound of it.

[G#Gill]

Bruv;1497497 wrote: Another J K Rowling in the making by the sound of it.


Don't think so, she diddle write soaps did she ? Besides I couldn't hold a candle to that writer ! :yh_youkid: :yh_blush

[ZAP]

LarsMac;1497471 wrote: During my first trip to the UK, our company office was in Marlowe, right by the river. I remember seeing a couple of such boats tied up there, and my co-worker told me they they did dinner cruises and such. I thought it sounded like fun, but never got the time to take one.

Would love to hear (read) some of your tales, Gilly.


Me too Gilly Girl!

[ZAP]

Ok. Haven't been on in a while because I've been: San Diego to Kansas City. There for 2 weeks. Then Kansas City to Las Vegas for 8 days. Now I'm in Pittsburgh for 2 weeks. While in LV I did get to see my saxophone-playing friend, David Van Such, the greatest sax player that ever lived! (along with his flute and violin) and some other friends from when I lived there. I had very limited computer access for the past 2 weeks but I should be ok now. After this I'll go to San Jose and Santa Cruz for some more music on the beach.

[G#Gill]

Just for those who are not familiar with this musician !






What a talented musician, Zap ! Sorry but I couldn't find a video of him playing the flute !

[G#Gill]

Zap, I've come to the conclusion that you have a very large percentage of gypsy in you!

:driving: :yh_rotfl :-6