Saturday, May 14, 2005
$%&£*!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrr . . . I'm so fed up with officialdom!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why is it that nobody will give you the whole story, but only in small increments? DB returned to work after the long weekend (which we'd spent in Perth, relaxing) to be told that his services were no longer required "as the company was no longer going to pursue that course".
I phoned Inland Revenue to report our change of circumstances, to be told that although he was no longer working, he was on a weeks notice and had holiday pay due, so they couldn't do anything till the official leaving date.
Yesterday, I phoned them again, to be told that they need to know what his last payment was. Last night, this had finally gone into the bank, so I phoned again today, only to now be told that they need to know his gross earnings for this tax year!! This means we have to wait for his P45 and phone again. (No doubt to be told that we need yet another bit of information!)
Moo
I phoned Inland Revenue to report our change of circumstances, to be told that although he was no longer working, he was on a weeks notice and had holiday pay due, so they couldn't do anything till the official leaving date.
Yesterday, I phoned them again, to be told that they need to know what his last payment was. Last night, this had finally gone into the bank, so I phoned again today, only to now be told that they need to know his gross earnings for this tax year!! This means we have to wait for his P45 and phone again. (No doubt to be told that we need yet another bit of information!)
Moo
Escaping!
We had a wonderful weekend away. We farmed the children out to relatives, abandoned the eldest to his own devices (At 16 he doesn't need a babysitter) after stocking the fridge and freezer and finally got away by about 11:30 am on the Friday. We'd chosen Perth, cos it's a part of the country that neither of us have really visited, only driven past.
In 2002, (our last weekend away together) we drove up to John O'Groats and visited (amongst other things) the battlefield of Culloden near Inverness. We were both taken with the atmosphere of the place, so much so, that in October of 2003, I took Janet up there when we toured the Highlands together.
This time we decided to visit Bannockburn on the way to Perth, but were both very disappointed, as it was far too 'clinical'.
We walked up to the monument . . mostly to say we'd done so, as it seemed a waste of time to have gone to the trouble of getting there and not do so, but I didn't revise my original thought, that it looked like a playing field!
We then went via Stirling onto Perth, where we went to the Black Watch Museum. I've never been able to understand why 'the powers that be' want to close this regiment, but having seen the wealth of history involved, understand it even less! I also loved Balhousie Castle, that the museum is housed in.
Before finding the B&B we'd booked into, we went to Scone (pronounced Scoon) Palace, where the Kings of Scotland were crowned. We didn't bother with the Palace itself, but wandered around the grounds and climbed Moot hill, where there is a replica of the Stone of Destiny. (The original was taken to England and kept in Westminster Abbey, but it's since been returned to Scotland and can be seen in Edinburgh Castle)
Saturday, we set off for Blairgowrie. I've been researching my ex-husbands family tree (I drew a blank with my own) and his great-great-grandfather came from there. Scottish certificates are marvellous things, as they give a wealth of information and so we were able to find the road that he'd lived in before he got married. We took photos, although I doubt if the house we presumed was number 7, was the original!
We then took 'the scenic route' up to Aberfeldy and on to Loch Tay, where we went to visit the Crannog Centre. We first heard of this on the programme Time Team, as archaeologists have been excavating a crannog in Loch Tay since 1980 and they featured it. I can't remember now how many they said were in Loch Tay, most are submerged, but you can still see a few, they look like small islands.
It was really interesting (and surprisingly comfortable) inside the Crannog. It wasn't hard to imagine what life 3,000 odd years ago had been like. I quite fancied the idea of 'living oot oor the watter' but it was a beautiful day, I might not have been so keen if it had been cold and miserable!
We wandered back to Perth via the Loch of the Lowes, where we were lucky enough to see a pair of ospreys who are nesting there (..... and lots of ducks) Birnam (the wood of Macbeth fame) and the Scottish Liquer Centre, tasting some lovely whisky liquers.
Sunday we returned to Glasgow via Edinburgh, as I wanted to visit a butcher we'd found the last time we were there. He sells boerewors and biltong, but unfortunately he was closed. We'd intended visiting Linlithgow, but ended up just driving through, as it was pouring with rain and neither of us really felt like walking about in it.
Moo
In 2002, (our last weekend away together) we drove up to John O'Groats and visited (amongst other things) the battlefield of Culloden near Inverness. We were both taken with the atmosphere of the place, so much so, that in October of 2003, I took Janet up there when we toured the Highlands together.
This time we decided to visit Bannockburn on the way to Perth, but were both very disappointed, as it was far too 'clinical'.
We walked up to the monument . . mostly to say we'd done so, as it seemed a waste of time to have gone to the trouble of getting there and not do so, but I didn't revise my original thought, that it looked like a playing field!
We then went via Stirling onto Perth, where we went to the Black Watch Museum. I've never been able to understand why 'the powers that be' want to close this regiment, but having seen the wealth of history involved, understand it even less! I also loved Balhousie Castle, that the museum is housed in.
Before finding the B&B we'd booked into, we went to Scone (pronounced Scoon) Palace, where the Kings of Scotland were crowned. We didn't bother with the Palace itself, but wandered around the grounds and climbed Moot hill, where there is a replica of the Stone of Destiny. (The original was taken to England and kept in Westminster Abbey, but it's since been returned to Scotland and can be seen in Edinburgh Castle)
Saturday, we set off for Blairgowrie. I've been researching my ex-husbands family tree (I drew a blank with my own) and his great-great-grandfather came from there. Scottish certificates are marvellous things, as they give a wealth of information and so we were able to find the road that he'd lived in before he got married. We took photos, although I doubt if the house we presumed was number 7, was the original!
We then took 'the scenic route' up to Aberfeldy and on to Loch Tay, where we went to visit the Crannog Centre. We first heard of this on the programme Time Team, as archaeologists have been excavating a crannog in Loch Tay since 1980 and they featured it. I can't remember now how many they said were in Loch Tay, most are submerged, but you can still see a few, they look like small islands.
It was really interesting (and surprisingly comfortable) inside the Crannog. It wasn't hard to imagine what life 3,000 odd years ago had been like. I quite fancied the idea of 'living oot oor the watter' but it was a beautiful day, I might not have been so keen if it had been cold and miserable!
We wandered back to Perth via the Loch of the Lowes, where we were lucky enough to see a pair of ospreys who are nesting there (..... and lots of ducks) Birnam (the wood of Macbeth fame) and the Scottish Liquer Centre, tasting some lovely whisky liquers.
Sunday we returned to Glasgow via Edinburgh, as I wanted to visit a butcher we'd found the last time we were there. He sells boerewors and biltong, but unfortunately he was closed. We'd intended visiting Linlithgow, but ended up just driving through, as it was pouring with rain and neither of us really felt like walking about in it.
Moo
