Cacoepy

I knew you’d like my new shoes (as no one ever said).

I have an issue with the way some people (mainly Americans or lazy speakers) say ‘new’.

Just saying:
The Spanish alphabet contains a letter ‘n’ with a tilde or virgulilla above it and it’s known as an enya or ‘ñ’.  It’s often described as sounding like the ‘n’ in onion.  It’s not too far then from ‘knew’ or how ‘new’ should be pronounced – two distinctly different English homophones.

So, although perhaps not exactly what we might call homonyms, new and news should begin with the same sound as the enya mentioned above. They should never be pronounced ‘noo’ or ‘noos’! Perhaps we should have an enya too?

Rant over.

#132fee

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Shopping rant.

Let me just say I have no problem at all with the new rules regarding the wearing of masks – none at all.

Like others, I have been known to wonder why HMG did not impose the rule earlier, but as masks could not be had for love nor money at the outset, I have not voiced that thought. As soon as masks became more widely available we bought some and I have now worn a mask in shops for several weeks already.

Click image for link

Nevertheless, what is it about the new requirement to wear masks that makes everyone think that they can shop as a family group again?

I’ve just been to Aldi and although the tills were quiet (unnervingly quiet), the store was packed with family groups hogging the aisles and crowding around their trollies to chat with other families they chanced to meet (blocking the aisle EVEN more). And don’t start me on the non-evident social distancing.

Generic image of shoppers – not local Aldi

We have had four glorious months where only one person per trolley was allowed in the store (the rule was much the same in other stores too).  So, each household had a nominated shopper who, if deliveries from larger stores could not be arranged, would take their list and strategically shop for JUST what they needed. The nominated shopper would clinically plan their route around the store (using the one-way system), would precisely locate what it was they needed to buy and be in and out of the store almost as quickly as the tills allowed. It was absolute bliss.

Now, although there is a traffic-light system to enter our Aldi, there is no ‘number-of-people’ per trolley counter. It makes shopping by the (still) nominated shopper (me) immensely frustrating.

[I do understand that some people need help with their shopping. I have no problem with that, but when ‘hubby’ comes along to JUST push the trolley and the tribe of kids, of all ages join in the fun, it is annoying. Rant over]

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Is this still available?

Is this still available? Why do people ask that of online sellers and then not pursue the inquiry?

Because we have recently been clearing out what was our old house, now vacated by Betony and family, we have had quite a few things to get rid of.  We’ve made several trips to  charity shops (and the tip) but some items are simply too valuable to go via that route.

So, as it’s worked for us before, I have been listing quite a few items on Facebook’s Market Place.  These are then shared with various other Facebook Groups to widen and localise the spread.

However, I’ve had an uncounted number of “Is this still available?” messages, all of which I have replied to.  At first, I would give them my phone number and ask for them to text me (or send a direct message; DM), to discuss the need for further contact details – I now simply say ‘Yes – are you still interested?”. 9.5 times out of ten there is no answer.  At all.  Why?

Where a sale has been agreed, the sale has gone off without a hitch and some things have ‘gone’.  However, we do still have a number of things that really need re-homing soon.

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Local Charities:

https://www.kirkwoodhospice.co.uk/

https://www.forgetmenotchild.co.uk/our-shops

All credit to artist – stolen by me from FB

 

 

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Demonising Pensioners (rant)

Why is it, every time we come close to an election (local and EU are both planned for this month) that pensioners are demonised as a drain on society?

The recent news from the house of Lords [http://tiny.cc/tj105y] comes as no surprise but it is alarming and everyone should take note, not just pensioners.

A report from the House of Lords Committee on Intergenerational Fairness and Provision has made wide-ranging recommendations on benefits for the elderly, calling for much of the help for older generations to be curtailed.

Lord True is the chair of this particular Lord’s committee.

You will all be/get old one day. 

You will all (in the main) have paid into society for all of your lives: via National Insurance, income tax, V.A.T., petrol tax etc.

I know that when I started my post-compulsory educational life (at 15) I expected to pay into a national health system (the NHS itself is a whole ‘other’ blog post) along with the subsequent pension, that then required 45 years of input.  It was my insurance policy for old age.  The 45 years changed over time, but by whatever measure you use, I paid IN to the system and am now benefiting from that by taking OUT no more, no less than I expected.

• I get a basic national pension, (reduced by who knows what % because I also had the foresight to fight for my work-based pension rights. See below #4),
• I get free bus travel (see below #1),
• I get free prescriptions (see below #2) and …
• I get a winter fuel allowance (see below #3).

All of which are under threat by the discussions now taking place.

#1 – Free Bus travel.

This is a benefit that I hadn’t expected at the age of 15 but one I became aware of as my life progressed. Once anyone reached the age of 60, they used to get a free bus pass. I got mine because my age ran alongside that of women who were being forced to wait, incrementally, until they were 65 to collect their pensions (again – see #4).

• Without the pensioner bus pass subsidy, I suspect there wouldn’t be many off-peak buses running and that the peak-time buses would be far more expensive – meaning that even those who pay now, would pay even more.
• Without the pensioner bus pass, far fewer old folk would get out and about. I’m lucky, I live in a village where most things are available to me (all kinds of shops, an Aldi, pubs and restaurants) but many are not so lucky. Even getting out to meet other people is something older folk need to do. Otherwise, they become isolated, reclusive and progressively ill. Unfortunately, many pensioners could not afford to ‘get out and about’ with bus fares being what they are.
• Without a pensioner bus pass, pensioners who by nature of their age are becoming more infirm, would not be able to easily visit their doctors or to attend their increasingly distant hospital appointments.
• Without my own pensioner bus pass, the weekly walks I have with John would be far less exciting. One of us would have to drive, adding our four wheels and fumes to an already overcrowded infrastructure.

#2 – Free Prescriptions

Free prescriptions have been on and off for everyone throughout my life, not just pensioners.  They are a political hot-potato.  At the age of 60, they again became free. As we reach old age, we require more health preserving drugs and medicines. These help to stave off the infirmity mentioned earlier. The free drugs and medicines given out are generic, so no (much more expensive) named brands are available this way – why should the drug companies be made even richer! I do not abuse the system and fully understand why folk get upset to hear of (e.g.) paracetamols being prescribed. However, I believe that this is changing and wait to see exactly how it all pans out.

#3 – Winter Fuel allowance

This one came as a surprise at 60.  A nice surprise, but one that for me was not strictly necessary. I used the £200 to buy wood for my log burner in the first few years and if it helped those who DO NEED THE SUPPORT, I would be happy to give it up (the same would apply to post-75 free T.V. licences mentioned in the report).

#4 – Pension v benefit

This one makes me furious. The U.K. does not have the best pension in the world and there are many sites on the internet which contradict each other about how the pension is calculated. Nevertheless, it is a pension. It is something that most workers pay into for their entire working lives – it is NOT a benefit.

Women, who used to be allowed to retire at 60, now have to wait until they are 65. Soon (next year) both men and women will have to wait until they are 66 to retire and changes are even planned to increase that age. https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/money-legal/pensions/state-pension/changes-to-state-pension-age/#

There are more changes planned. From 2019, the State Pension age will increase for both men and women to reach 66 by October 2020.

The Government is planning further increases, which will raise the State Pension age from 66 to 67 between 2026 and 2028. (via AgeUK)

This might (just) have been fair if the person was told at the beginning of their working life that their retirement age would change – rather than towards the middle or end of their working life.

And all of this is despite the UK’s life expectancy rates stalling https://www.bbc.com/news/health-45096074  We’re still getting older, but at a slower rate. Nevertheless, we are not staying healthy longer and demanding that an aging population stay at work even longer simply seems to be a way of ensuring that age expectancy reduces, rather than stalls. 

Can YOU imagine being a manual worker; told to work for up to (and eventually more) two years (seven in the case of women) before collecting their pension?

Retirement image courtesy of https://pixabay.com/images/search/royalty%20free/

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