Mikes weather bits & Photo Blog: Bertha passes by & more Fun Factory and pergola frolics!

The weather people get it right

because they predicted that the remnants of tropical storm Bertha might hit us. The South of England seems to have been hit worst again while we got a soaking and some of the high winds for a couple of days

More "nanny state" tactics with

Wine being the subject of politicians wanting to put health warnings on the labels.
The story indicates there's an "All parliamentary party group on Alcohol Abuse" so i guess they have to suggest something! No doubt we will be treated to one of them going into re-hab soon, lol - - -

The RSPCA, not I must admit a charity I would give even just one bean to support, has made itself look rather stupid

by putting down a perfectly healthy cat belonging to the people in the pic at left. The cat, a Turkish Van specimen was reported to the RSPCA by a"nosey neighbour" and despite the protestations of the owners the charity put it down because it had matted hair. The story relates how the cat refused to be groomed and this caused its hair to be matted. Nothing will bring back the cat but the owners intend to sue, I do hope they are successful - - -

Closer to home
We received this letter the other day about our "Unauthorised Pergola and raised decking structure" and are “invited” to apply for planning permission.

We decided to resolve the situation by lowering the offending half

So that it adheres to the local planning rules for deck and pergola height.

One plus point we commented on is that our newly planted laurel bushes will have grown almost 18 inches overnight - - - lol

We have already dismantled the offending item and apart from a couple of “modifications” things don’t look too difficult to lower it to the level of the other half

Some Fun Factory (Matlock Sainsbugs) antics worthy of note. A commercial colleague, “lets call him Darren” drove almost all the way from the Matlock shop to the Mansfield one to attend a course. Getting stuck in traffic he phoned ahead only to be told the course was the 11^th of Sept not Aug!! - - - getting ribbed back in Matlock for his faux paus - - - not at all!! - - -

A customer caught my eye yesterday, I wandered up to him and before i could say anything

he pointed to the day glow yellow ticket (here posed by a colleague, "lets call him Matt in the pic at left) which we use to indicate an item is currently out of stock and said. “Is this out of stock then?” he asked, pausing in case he was going to say something else I could not resist saying, “That’s what it says on the ticket sir” adding “We unfortunately didn't receive what we ordered on the overnight delivery” by way of an explanation. “Oh ok” he exclaimed and wandered off - - -

I was told another "gem" by a colleague from the fresh dept, “Lets call her Karen” she explained she was asked about one of those offers where an item is priced at say £1.45 but the shelf edge price label might indicate that you can have 2 for £2.50. The customer seemed confused that he could have 2 for £2.50. After the third time of explaining it to him she evan began to question the information herself!! The customer left saying “No I don’t think ill bother this time” Mmmmmmm - - -

Here's a pic from the top of the garden earlier