10 pin bowling with church 20/02/2014

Went 10 pin bowling at Trethorne for the first time in what must be 10 years!

The company was wonderful and it was a fun evening. Stella and Lainie were in attendance as well as it was half term.

What I did find surprising was how you forget how to do such a simple thing as chuck a ball accurately at 10 pins! What is that all about? Sue and I were crap on the first game but at least I tied the second with Mervyn but only with 101 pins. When we were playing regularly I would have hung my head in shame at that score so will not even tell you what I got in the first game!!!

We had a lovely meal between games, not that I really needed it being on a diet.

Below are a couple of pictures taken by Rachel who must be thanked for organising such a fun time for all!

What a mixed bag of friends?

Lainie ready for action!

Flood Relief Concert 15/02/2014 raising £8000

Due to the amount of flooding on the Somerset Levels and the longevity of it the decision was made by Launceston MVC and 4 other choirs to do a charity concert (suggested in the first place by Chris Hitchins) to try to raise some funds for the victims.
I think I can safely say that the support and generosity was astounding considering it was arranged in less than a week and raising a staggering £8000!
I am going to put on here a picture and report from the local paper and a news item from the choirs website!

http://www.launcestonmalevoicechoir.co.uk/support_news.html

Chris Hitchins is front row second from left, I am on there so look?

LAUNCESTON MALE VOICE CHOIR

PRESENTATION OF £8000 CHEQUE TO THE ADDINGTON FUND

Ian Bell of the Addington Fund was presented with a cheque for £8000 by Brian Jennings, Chairman of Launceston Male Voice Choir on Wednesday 5th March 2014, to help the victims of the floods on the Somerset Levels.

£7000 was raised through a combined impromptu concert by five Cornish male voice choirs, and the Tetcott Ladies choir, all arranged in under a week, Lynne Pett from the Launceston branch of Barclays Bank also presented a cheque for £1000 from the Bank’s Charity fund to this very worthy cause.

“All of those taking part have been overwhelmed by the generosity and support we have received. Bringing together six choirs, totalling over 120 voices to perform a two hour concert in a matter of days was no small feat” said Brian Jennings. “With the magnificent support from our our choir friends from Burraton (Saltash), Tintagel, Pelynt, Liskerrett (Liskeard) and The Tetcott Ladies, we thrilled a packed house, who gave more much needed cash. We have also received many large anonymous donations”.

Ian Bell assured the choir members present that ‘every penny’ of the monies raised would be spent on flood victim support, both now and in the aftermath, as this tragedy is likely to last for at least another year or more.

Most of the choir members have very close connections with the farming community, and as such, although not involved, wanted to ‘do something special’ just to show those who had suffered so much that they too cared.

The Gathering! Frome 08 & 09/02/2014

Well for the first time in six and a half years we were all together again! That is the five children of Thelma and Dick Cotterill, yes even Rob appeared with Keaton! Hell he has grown, well I suppose that a young man of 20 would! You do not realise how time goes on when you see so little of them over the years!
We all met at the Premier Inn at Frome which has a public house attached called the Frome Flyer. This is very necessary as far as our family is concerned with the amount of alcohol we seem to consume when we get together. It was mostly a very pleasant evening except for the usual suspect and his nasty snide remarks toward me that as usual I chose to ignore rather than give him the satisfaction of rising to his "bait".
The rest is told in pictures!

The Five of us Cotterill Siblings

The 5 with Keaton.

Keaton was taking the photo and this is the rest of those attending.

Weight, Angina and secrecy!

Well now that Sue knows I suppose the rest of the world might as well!

I went to the doctors on the 7th January as my angina had been giving me some trouble since mid December. Not wanting to worry anyone until after Christmas I decided to keep it to myself and covertly take the spray as and when required! Well I found that quite easy so after going to the doctors decided to continue keeping it to myself.
That was OK except that the doctor had told me that having put on about 4 stone (had gone up to 19st 2lb or 122kg in foreign money) since giving up smoking about 2 years ago it was putting too much of a strain on my heart and to lose 2 stone very quickly OR she was going to have to arrange a bypass operation! If I did not I was going to be "kicking up daisies" sooner rather than later (general gist of conversation, my words not hers)! Also I was very strictly told not to do anything that was going to cause me the slightest stress until I had at least lost the 2 stone and reduced the blood pressure. Ummmm, how do you do that when you have a 9 year old child to entertain after school and still keep it to yourself?
Well tried it for 3 weeks and all was going quite well until I really did feel ill and felt close to passing out one day when playing with Lainie, so after that I decided I had better spill the beans to Sue. I had even lost 6lb in weight!!!!

To Be Cont..............As of today (05/03/14) it looks like I will have plenty of time to! explanation follows!

Feeling Down

Not something I normally do but feeling really low. Reason? I cannot really put my finger on it but is a combination of things that have happened over the past couple of weeks.....

1) Disappointment in my children that only Lisa thought I was worth sending as much as a Christmas card to!

2) The only one that thought I was worth a phone call was Sharon! I know they have their own families to cater for but it does not make it any easier!

3) Perhaps feeling a little sorry for myself after being diagnosed yesterday with skin cancer! I suppose that only compounds it but at least that is hopefully only going to be disfiguring and not life threatening.

Well I am not going to worry anyone with number 3 until after the new year, they never read this so let them at least have a happy new year!

Happy New Year To All Who Read This

Life goes on

Well it seems life has been quite quiet and mundane since moving here. I have become the ripe old retirement age of 65 and Stella has become 40!

Lainie continues to get forever taller. I think Stella is putting something untoward in her shoes as Lainie will soon be outgrowing everyone except me!

I am still very much enjoying singing with the Launceston Male Voice Choir

Pictured here during one of my first concerts and in case you can't find me I am in the back row, third from the left, just before Colin, the wild man of Borneo!

Two more concerts to go, one at South Tawton in Devon then at the White Horse public house in Newport, Launceston and then we come to the Christmas social evening and singalong on the 18th of December. We then have a 3 week break and then back to it again.

I am very much looking forward to the Annual choir Dinner at Trethorne in February before we start on concerts again.

Landlord Problems! (Past NOT Present)

Over the period we spent, before finally moving we were having trouble with our landlords at Pendruccombe, as it seems the last thing that they wanted to do was spend money on repairs!

Let me elaborate and go back to the beginning!

Very shortly after moving in here we noticed noises coming from one or two of the windows which are double glazed. Not only were there wind whistling noises but also drafts especially from the french windows overlooking the Tamar Valley and Dartmoor and also the bathroom window!

Well having complained to the agents about this problem it was also noted that a hinge was broken on the bathroom window creating a half inch gap around about half of the small window and also there was a gap around the large window which we had to stuff with paper!

Overall it was proving to be a real nightmare and the electricity bills were astronomical! We were there a total of 10 months and paid over £1,400.00 in electric!!! Hence the main reason for the decision by us (Glyn mainly) to move before next winter. We consider this rather too much as it was only to heat the one room and did not really do that efficiently when the winter set in.

I am so glad that we did as having met Lisa from the letting agents today (21/11/2013) it appears that no attempt has been made to rectify the situation with the double glazing despite many promises to both us and her by the owners.

Where we are now is totally different, we have gas underfloor heating, very efficient glazing with not a sound, no matter how strong the wind is!

Happy warm times at last.

Must add that the owners here are great, the slightest thing wrong and they are there and it is sorted, they are lovely people as well!

Oh as a post script, it had better be, as Sue has threatened to leave me if ever I decide we are moving again! Well if she gets too much like her mother I know just what to do then!!! Ha Ha!

St. Giles-on-the-Heath Concert and choir update

Well I have been in the Launceston Male Voice Choir now since February and still enjoying every minute, nay every second of it.
There is a very full program of concerts up until the Launceston Show at the end of July then a 3 month break to get ready for the Royal Albert Hall concert on the 2nd November 2013.
Thought I would add a few Photos of the St. Giles-on-the-Heath Concert on 19th May 2013

See the Choir website for more concert news

http://www.launcestonmalevoicechoir.co.uk/index.html

BI & BII sections with the chairman for the evening

John Beare the Musical Director with the TI & TII sections

Most of the TII section

And Yours Truly!

Tesco Launceston Pharmacy. The End! Part 3.

The straw that broke the camels back, nay the sledge hammer really!

Let me explain, but before I do I will point you to the fact that this is part 3 so will trust to the fact that as a dedicated follower of my blog you have read parts 1 and 2 ha ha!

Well I called in on Wednesday pm as I was in the store as expected they confirmed that they (the prescriptions) had arrived but as yet had not been filled as they had not had time! So I told them that I would be making a special journey to collect them on Thursday sometime before lunch and could they please have them ready for collection and left.

Thursday arrived and went I was not feeling so good in the morning as had not slept well due to coughing so never got along there until Friday pm, at 1455 to be exact to pick them up and also Stella needed a bit of shopping, then to get her back to pick Lainie up from school!

IMAGINE MY SURPRISE WHEN THEY WERE READY!!! AH BUT I COULD NOT HAVE THEM? UNTIL I HAD HAD A REVIEW OF MY MEDICATION!! 

I was aghast and told him (Israel to be precise) that I have a review of my medication by my doctor every 4 to 6 months and I am not having a review by him! 

This was pointedly ignored and he proceeded to take me into a side room for the review! I found it very embarrassing being led into a side room like a naughty schoolboy, well I am only 64!!! 

At this point I pointed out to him that my daughter was waiting for me out by my car and we had to get my granddaughter Lainie from school. This was also ignored and he carried on as though I had not spoken!

By this time steam was coming out of my ears and without being rude I informed him that I was not happy. I was then told by Israel that "I had to have this review of my medication every year"!!!

I sat through it almost in silence otherwise I think I would still be there now.

Well I got out eventually and we got to the school to pick up Lainie by the skin of our teeth.

As a result of this I have today rang the surgery and arranged for my repeat prescriptions to be delivered to another chemist and I am happy to make the trip into town every 4 weeks to pick them up with complete confidence in the fact that THEY WILL BE READY FOR ME TO COLLECT WOOHOO!!!! 

Also of course my blood pressure will be returning to normal as we will never have to endure the atrocious customer service and manners (or lack of them) of Tesco Launceston again. 

Oh I wonder if someone should tell Israel that I will not be having one of his "must have" reviews ever again either! 

Why am I all of a sudden feeling so relaxed, laid back and chilled?

Tesco pharmacy part 2

Much against my better judgement I let Sue persuade me to continue to let Tesco deal with my prescriptions as their customer services have assured me that the problems I have had in the past have been addressed and there will be no problem now, so yesterday (Bank holiday Monday) I put the repeats into the doctors so they will be sorted today (Tuesday) and go out to the chemist first thing tomorrow Wednesday). Well with it being a bank holiday it will be a day late so will leave an extra day to be sure and that takes us up to Thursday.
I will make a special trip there on Thursday to get them!

Cornwall International Male Voice Choral Festival

Well after a day of great anticipation I turned up and met Sue outside the Central Methodist Church and she told me she was going to sit upstairs. I had some doubts that that would be possible as it is a favourite spot for many! Well as luck would have it there was just the one seat left so she had about the best view in the place.
Well needless to say all went well and the audience were treated to a great concert.
We retired to the hall for refreshments after and I was as dry as a bone having put a bottle of water out to take with me and forgetting it ha ha!
You can see on the left what we sang and I felt we did particularly well.
Well what happens when you have about 90 people all in one place that just love to sing? they sing of course! So after we were refreshed an impromptu concert started, first with the Warwickshire lads singing a song or two, then us and then we joined together and sang Trelawny and because there was no pressure and relaxed it was so enjoyable! Then not to be outdone the St Petersburg boys sang a couple of ditty's.
I got home about 2300 knackered but happy and slept like a log!
Hope to add a picture or two when Sue brings them home from Stella's!

Tesco Pharmacy's effect on my blood pressure! Part 1

I will explain!
Ever since we lived down here I have done my repeat prescriptions on line every 4 weeks.
Over the weekend I put in my prescription and on a Tuesday turn up at the nominated chemist and pick them up, relatively simple and always went without a hitch, turn up, ask for prescribed drugs, receive said drugs and leave!
That is until the day I decided to use the newly opened pharmacy at the extended Tesco Store that I can actually see out of my flat window! I mistakenly thought that it would be so much easier to walk to the store and pick them up thereby saving fuel etc.
What I had not taken into account was the absolute crap customer service that seems to permeate all departments at Launceston Tesco and it seems the pharmacy's practice is to ensure that each and every customer HAS TO WAIT AT LEAST 20 MINUTES TO GET PRESCRIPTIONS!
At first I thought it was because they were new and so teething troubles but as it continued from month to month it seemed to be getting worse rather than better!

I decided in January 2013 to keep a diary to record the worsening situation and so bought one with that in mind at the very store and thereby this is an accurate record of events. Oh did I mention that I collect anything from 9 to 12 prescription items per month.

January 13th 2013 filled in repeat form on line for myself and my wife.

Tuesday 15th arrived at Tesco 1530 to pick up prescriptions and told they had them (prescriptions) but they had not been done could I do my shopping and call back? I told them I had made a special trip and did not need shopping and was told "you will have to wait then"
I then asked how long  and was told "about 20 to 30 minutes"!
I then informed them I would return the following day!

Wednesday 16th arrived at Tesco 1130 having run out of insulin so had no option but to get prescriptions today. Told they had not been done so waited 25 minutes and collected them and left. Not even an apology, blood pressure through the roof! (did not check date on scripts)

Forward to February 10th and filled in script form.

Tuesday 12th called Tesco 1600, not done so calling back tomorrow!

Wednesday 13th called on the way back from the dentist at about 1230, still not done but doing them as I left as I had kicked up such a stink! (I had to leave or go hypo as I need to eat at 1300)!

Thursday 14th went shopping for a few bits with Sue at 1000 and guess what, they were half done and had obviously stopped doing them when I had left the previous day. Requested politely to see the manager and was told that all the management were either in a meeting or away so no-one was able to see me!!!!! (scripts dated the 11th)
My blood pressure was up through the roof again but I did at least get my prescriptions filled after the 20 minute wait again!!!! I remained polite at all times even though steam was coming out of my ears!

March 10th filled in form with feeling of impending doom.

Wednesday 13th left going to Tesco until today with the hope it may be done, fat chance had to wait 35 minutes for it but at least I got it. (Date on prescription 11th so Tesco had on 12th at the latest)

Well here we are at April and Tesco's last chance?

Sunday 7th filled in form as normal.

Right we are determined to be fair and as I have plenty of drugs to last me we decide to leave it until Saturday 13th to collect them!

So with a determination that not only will we change the pharmacy back to the old one but we will do as much shopping elsewhere because of the really crap customer service over the whole store!

I called into the store and you will never guess what, or perhaps you will? They were not ready!!!!
After making my feelings very clear and a 20 MINUTE WAIT I left. (scripts dated 8th)

This morning my wife has done another shop online at Asda Bodmin that is being delivered on Wednesday, we get our fruit and veg in a box from Abel & Cole each week and all the rest from the Co-op in town, and that Sue can get to when at Stella's so we no longer go to Tesco unless really stuck.

THE THING THAT REALLY GAINS IN ALL OF THIS SEEMS TO BE MY BLOOD PRESSURE AND OF COURSE THE ANGINA!!!!

Wednesdays?

Yes I have been quite busy on a new venture which has kept me busy on Wednesday evenings 1930 to 2130, and for the last umpteen weeks learning songs.

I have been doing something I have wanted to do for years, as many of you will know I have always loved singing but have never really been able to fit in anywhere because I was too low for tenor and too high for baritone which made it appear that I was crap!!!

Well at last I fit in, you see in a Male Voice Choir there are 4 levels of pitch, Tenor I, Tenor II, Baritone (Base I) and Base II, so as a second tenor I fitted into a slot that was just perfect for both me and the Choir. The choir is a TTBB one.

Oh by the way they are called Launceston Male Voice Choir and you can find all about them here. http://www.fed-cornishchoirs.org.uk/website/Launceston/index.html

It has been a busy week with a Concert with St Josephs School last evening and then sadly the funeral of an ex choir member and supporter today (Friday).

The event last evening raised over £1,000 for the nominated 2 charities and another £500+ for Clik with a retirement collection.

Ready for the fray ha ha

Goodbye Yahoo?

I can not remember when I last had any other homepage except yahoo!
Today I have cancelled yahoo as my home page and gone over to the BBC, and why? Well I have got so fed up with advertising on yahoo, I am aware that they have to get in some revenue but I draw the line when every time you open a page there is a banner advert taking up at least half of the page that you can no longer cancel so have to work around it.
Luckily the toolbar has all the things I need from them like email, favourites and other things like direct links to Amazon and eBay.
You can do so much with the BBC homepage in making it all things local.
It is a very busy time at the moment with the first concerts for the choir coming up and having a stinking cold does not help!

I do not often comment on here about the news or politics but I have been saying for some time that the banks in this country appear to be omnipotent, they seem to do as they please and the government are powerless to do anything about it. I am commenting, of course, on the country giving billions of pounds to the banks for them to lend to persons and businesses and instead of increasing their loan business the have said thank you very much to the government and loaned less than they were lending before!! See what I mean, why are the people of this country putting up with this? It is beyond my understanding!

Another quiet day?

Well as we have not heard anything from Stella so it seems that it is going to be another quiet day. Mind you with the temperature hardly rising above zero for the last few days I do not particularly want to go anywhere except I really have a yearning for a Chinese takeaway, alas we do not have one that does a delivery service so unless Stella returns today we will be deprived of one for yet another day?
Just looking online at the old homestead in Darts Close, Cook has, it seems modernised the bathroom and fitted a new kitchen and carpets but still cannot let the place! At £595 pcm it is a bit rich mind you with no public transport to speak of and other 2 and 3 bed properties in the same village up for rent at £525 to £550 pcm, http://www.primelocation.com/to-rent/details/26948418 if you want to see what he has done?
Well Stella arrived here about 1510 and then went and dropped her stuff back home and got a lovely chinese at the same time. LUSH!!!

A quiet week

Well it has been a quiet week so far with Stella away on holiday with the car!
Sue has only been out of the flat once all week when she went to Tesco this morning and I have doubled that when I went to get some milk on Tuesday and then went to choir practice Wednesday evening. We now have the list of concerts from now until July and practices leading up to the big one in November!
I have pretty much been keeping myself busy with the church mag being published this this week and the directory ready to print but awaiting paper for that and the stapler!
I also have been very much praying this week for a dear dear friend who's marriage is breaking up. I feel very much that she is wanting to fight and save her marriage but her husband is very much influenced by a so called friend who tells him what to do! I is usually the case that my friend and her husband will sit down to talk, she will talk, he will listen then go and ask his friend what he should do and follow her advice instead of growing a pair of balls and telling her to get out of his marriage! I have felt for some time that there is three people in that marriage and nothing can survive that situation....
I wonder if Stella will be back today or tomorrow or even Sunday? Well there is a bit of a tale to that and as I have time on my hands I had might as well tell it!
The plan was that Stella borrowed the car to go to Bognor Regis on Monday to see her friend Sandra, stay with her brother on Monday night and see her sister Lindy on Tuesday, stay with her brother again Tuesday night and drive back home on Wednesday. Well her mother got a text Wednesday about lunchtime to say that she had called in to see a friend at Portishead on the way home, then all went quiet! Well Wednesday went and about 1400 Thursday I get a text to see if it is ok if she stays until Friday. I told her to stay as long as she wants but she has to be back at work, and Lainie at school Monday hence the question at the start!
I only had one request and that was to let me know in plenty of time if I have to arrange to get a lift to church on Sunday (oh and I mean before Sunday morning Stella)? I wonder if she has remembered that it is her week for meet and greet!

Fantastic Sunday Sermon

Why was it a fantastic Sunday sermon, because for the first time in years I heard every word without having to struggle and strain woohoo!! Well done Mervyn and hearing aids.
At this point I was planning to put a link to the sermon, but alas it has not been put on the web site yet but will do it as and when? http://www.launcestoncommunitychurch.co.uk/#/sermons if you wish to hear others?
Not a lot more to say about yesterday except we had a lazyish day at home although the weather was nice, oh and Stella collected the car on her way home from work as she is away from Mon to Weds which I think will be stretched to about Friday lol!

WOW! WOW! WOW!

I have just come in from being out in the garden with my new aids and it reduced me to tears! I could hear the birdsong again clearly enough to recognise, not just the loudest but ALL!!
Many of my readers will know of my love of our feathered friends, and those of you who do not will know now lol.
Why did I not succumb and do this years ago.........
Thank you again God for the Birds and their beautiful song!!

Apart from that it has been an odd sort of day, Sue came with Lainie and cooked a roast dinner, watched a dvd this afternoon and not much else except make a card for Becky.
Becky who has an 18th birthday party tonight that we were supposed to be going to! It is a black tie job though which means posh clothes?
Well Sue and myself have grown so much in stature (yes we have got fatter) since we last needed or used posh clothes that neither of us have any that still fit us and so we have decided not to go, we are going to have to go on a spending spree shortly as we have a wedding to go to on 8th April so we have to be kitted out properly for that, I may even stretch to a suit if I can find one to fit in a charity shop? I would think that the cances of that are about the same as finding a pile of rocking horse poop!!
Well Sue is at Stellas tonight for the last time for a week as it is Stella's last day of work tomorrow and then she is off to Bognor for a few days on Monday.

15th FEB, The Big Day

To start the day right this is what I got up to out of the window, such a magical sight that photos cannot really do justice to!

That is it for now, will add more later if time?

Today is the day I got my hearing aids!

Had a quite normal morning after the mists had gone and meeting Sue at Tesco, having a very nice Chinese for lunch, costing all of a fiver also from Tesco!

Then off to Plymouth to have my hearing aids fitted, I have been so looking forward to this moment and boy what a difference!!! I did not realise how bad my hearing had gotten! Oh as a reminder to self and warning to any in the area that read this, give Tavistock a wide berth for at least 6 weeks as road works all over the place!

Called in at Stella's on the way back to show Sue that I can hear again!

Then off to Splatt to pick up the 7 seater and to help transport the youth club to Plymouth Ice Rink, I do enjoy being around young people and watching them enjoy myself, it was nice to have something to do and to feel useful. Also it reminded me of when we lived in London and how Louise was so good at skating.

A safe journey was had all around and I arrived back home around 2300, tired but happy and I could hear a pin drop!!

As a footnote I had to try it when I got in? I usually have the TV on 30 volume, I could hear it on 5 but think a good level is 10 and that is a third of what it was, won't Sue and the neighbours be happy lol.

Valentines Day

Well here we are the 14th Feb and St Valentine has ignored me again thankfully although Sue did buy me a couple of orchids the other day as they were going at 3 tenths of the original price of £10, oh and I bought her a freezer today so I guess we are doing ok ha ha!
Well Stella is working so Sue is down there nights as it is winter. When the weather is warmer it is planned that she will walk there in the mornings before Stella goes to work.
I am still not missing those 2 (fb and twitter) by the way as have been out most of the morning, busy counselling and doing other things this afternoon and out at MAC this evening so again not had time.
Well another busy day tomorrow as well.
It is going to be an extra special day tomorrow so watch this space!

As a footnote the Wray twins came out of hospital today ref http://sulynn-glynsuesblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/twins-to-amy-and-micheal-wray.html

Ash Wednesday

Well today has been the first day of Lent and also the first day without social media! I have not really missed it as I have had plenty to do to take its place.
As it is late evening now I will finish this tomorrow if I get time to fit it in!!!
Never had time!

Lent 2013

As a rule I do not usually give anything up for lent but this year I have had a real nagging feeling that I am spending far too much time on social networking sites such as facebook and twitter to the detriment of other, more important things.
So for the duration of lent, that is Weds 13th Feb until Easter Sunday the 31st March 2013 I am disabling both sites so that there will be no temptation to sneak a peek!
I intend to put on here now and again how I have filled my days in the absence of the above....

Twins to Amy and Michael Wray

I was so please that on the 1st February at 1730 Edward Wray came into this world and shortly after at 1731 Harriet his sister was born at Chesterfield Hospital.
We had so hoped to go up to see them this weekend but the weather forecast for Sunday to Tuesday is atrocious for them and we must be back Tuesday for commitments Wednesday!

Edward Wray

Harriet Wray

A very happy family

This is such a joy after the sadness of March last year, not only does God replace the one that was lost BUT HE DOUBLES THE JOYOUS GIFT.
Twins have never been known on the Cotterill side and I do not think they have been known on the Ayling or Wray either so it makes it extra poignant!

If you, dear reader, wish to know of the sadness of last year here is the link. http://sulynn-glynsuesblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/georgina-catherine-wray.html

Cook v's Cotterill (rent deposit adjudication)!

After much procrastination and trying to get me to settle for a lesser sum without adjudication below is a copy of the full adjudication which is legally binding by all party's and the money is back in our account anyway so enough said ha ha!!

If you want to see the saga from the start it is here http://sulynn-glynsuesblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/the-deposit-saga.html

I did no more than filled in and returned all the forms and put the rest firmly and squarely in The Lords hands to try and stop me worrying about it, as usual it was a "boomerang struggle" which I eventually got rid of!

DEPOSIT ID: 11779427

IN THE MATTER OF AN ADJUDICATION
UNDER THE DEPOSIT PROTECTION SERVICE ADR RULES BETWEEN:

ROBERT COOK Landlord
And
GLYN COTTERILL Tenant

DECISION

Tenancy Agreement
1 At all material times the papers show that Glyn Cotterill (hereinafter ‘the Tenant’) and S Cotterill entered into an Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement with Robert Cook (hereinafter ‘the Landlord’). The property is located at 9 Darts Close, St. Giles-On-The-Heath, Launceston, Cornwall, PL15 9RS. The tenancy commenced on 4th May 2010 for an initial term of six months.

Reference to Adjudication
2 A dispute has arisen between the parties over the Deposit paid to the Landlord at the commencement of the tenancy which being unable to resolve they have agreed to refer to adjudication under the ADR Rules of the Deposit Protection Service (DPS Rules). In accordance with the DPS terms and conditions, I confirm that I am qualified to adjudicate this claim, being a UK qualified solicitor.

Submissions and Evidence

3 The parties have made the following submissions:

i) Submissions by way of ‘Landlord’s/Agent’s Evidence Form’ together with supporting documents dated 29th November 2012 and Final Comments dated 28th December 2012.

ii) Submissions by way of ‘Tenant’s Evidence Form’ and supporting documents dated 13th December 2012.
4 I have been provided with the following evidence by the parties: Tenancy Agreement dated 4th May 2010

Copies of correspondence including emails Photographic evidence dated 23rd November and 4th December 2012

The Deposit

5 The Tenant paid a deposit of £600.00 to the Landlord at the beginning of the Tenancy. The sum of £453.17 is currently in dispute.

The Dispute

6 The Landlord seeks payment of the following sums:

Damage to roller blinds £112.80
Damage to window locks £210.00
Damage to flooring £130.37

7 The Tenant disputes that any of the disputed sum should be retained and requests the return of the balance of the deposit.

Reasons for Decision

8 All the parties are conversant with the facts of this case and the issues raised. I do not propose to recount all the facts of this case in the same manner and order as the parties have done in their respective documents, save where necessary for the purposes of this Decision. I have also carefully considered all documents submitted by the parties in support of their submissions, and the parties should be reassured that the fact I do not refer to a particular document or point specifically, should not be construed to mean that I have not considered that document or point.

9 I note in particular the obligations placed on the Tenant under the terms of the Tenancy Agreement in clauses: Particulars, 1.8, 4.2.1, 4.3.1, 4.3.3, 4.6.1, 4.6.2 and 6. I do not propose to recite the wording of these clauses in this decision as both parties have a copy of the Tenancy Agreement.

10 The burden of proof in respect of the claim rests on the Landlord to establish on a balance of probabilities that the Tenant was in breach of the obligations under the Tenancy Agreement, and that the sums claimed are reasonable costs incurred or likely to be incurred as a result of the Tenant’s breach.

11 Adjudication decisions can only be reached on the basis of the evidence received by an adjudicator from the parties. It is the sole responsibility of each party to ensure that all relevant supporting evidence is presented to the adjudicator before the decision is made.

12 The Landlord submits that at the end of the tenancy two roller blinds were broken, two window locks were damaged and vinyl flooring in the kitchen was ripped and stretched. The Landlord wishes to claim £453.17 in order to compensate him for the replacement of the damaged items.

13 The Tenant disputes this claim and states that the damage to the window lock and vinyl flooring was pre-existing. In relation to the alleged damage to the blinds, the Tenant states that the mechanisms of the blinds were faulty from the start of the tenancy and that the blinds were removed from the windows and stored safely during the tenancy. The Tenant states that no damage was caused to the blinds during his residency.

14 In considering any claim for damages, I compare the condition of the property at the start and the end of the tenancy. I do this in order to establish if any damage has occurred during the course of the tenancy and if it is attributable to the Tenant, and if any repairs and replacement of items are required to return the property to the condition it was in at the start of the tenancy, fair wear and tear excepted. To do this, I compare the check in and check out reports as these documents are the primary source of evidence of the condition of the property at the start and the end of the tenancy. If the check out report shows that the item is not in as good condition at the end of the tenancy as it was at the tenancy start, then the Landlord may be entitled to claim.

15 I have not received a copy of the check in report to establish the condition of the property at the start of the tenancy. I also have not received a copy of the check out report to compare the condition of the property at the end of the tenancy.

16 To support this claim the Landlord has provided a number of photographs. These photographs have been submitted electronically and having checked their ‘properties’ folder I am able to verify that they were taken on 23rd November and 4th December 2012. According to the documentation provided in this dispute the tenancy ended on or around 3rd November 2012. In the circumstances, I am unable to accept the photographs that taken almost three weeks after the end of the tenancy as valid check out evidence.

17 It is for the party bringing the dispute to provide sufficient evidence to show their entitlement to a deduction from the Tenant’s deposit. In the absence of any substantive evidence to demonstrate that the claimed damages were caused by the Tenant during the course of the tenancy, I am unable to confirm that the Tenant should be liable for the deductions claimed. The Landlord’s claim therefore fails and I direct the return of the balance of the deposit to the Tenant.

Decision

I NOW having considered the submissions of the parties and the documents provided to me

HEREBY DECIDE AND DIRECT that:

i) The Landlord’s claim fails

ii) The Deposit Protection Service shall return the balance of the deposit, namely £453.17, to the Tenant.
Well that is the end of the matter, thank you Lord!

Hearing Aids for Glyn!

In early December 2012 after many hints and much nagging (only joking) about my hearing I felt it was about time I did something about it! Duly I made an appointment with Dr Michelle Wells who duly started the process by referring me for a test in Plymouth.
I received a phone call about a fortnight later to arrange an appointment in mid January 2013 for the said test.
It appears I only have about 30% hearing expected of a person my age and I am in desperate need of not one but two hearing aids.
Well to cut a long story short on the 15th February 2013 I am to be fitted with them.
It means that from that date I will no longer have the excuse of "selective hearing" as my family call it!!! I call it deafness and that has been confirmed he he..........

Christmas Day 2012

We woke early as usual and had unexpected visitors about 0800, we were supposed to pick up Stella and Lainie on the way to church about 1015 but excitement got the better of them it seems as they decided to walk here!
So how did the day go after that, I think I am going to tell most of it in pictures, after the present opening we went off to church for a short service and then home for a wonderful lunch!
We then had a quiet afternoon playing games and Glyn spent part of the time reading the inside of his eyelids!

And so the big opening starts!!



A special present for Grampy painted by Lainie's own fair hands



From the look on her face I think Stella wanted this!

Grampy loves his Blackberry!

The opening fest continues

 

A pub for Christmas? Lilliput Lane of course!

And so to lunch with stuffing and even bread sauce!


 

In all it was a lovely day with Stella and Lainie staying overnight and having a good Boxing Day as well........

LCC Family Service and Christmas Lunch 23rd Dec 2012

3 Days later we had a Family Christmas Service with Christmas dinner for all after the service.
We sang Carols and worship songs before Ali Bailey took over to lead a very informal Nativity play involving the young people and Sunday School!


Appearances can be so deceptive, (Lainie as an angel)!



Most of the Nativity cast and carers

The choir sang

Frank and May Bate gave prizes to the Sunday School children.

Lovely dinner cooked by the ladies of LCC organised by Di Studdart

Of course the silly games for after, this one being Reindeers!

Such a wonderful fun day that was enjoyed by all, yes even me with the silly games haha!!

Angels on Assignment 20th Dec 2012

Well after many weeks of rehearsal we were ready for the performance!
Unfortunately the weather was against us as it was lashing down with rain which kept a lot of the visitors away, such a shame for those who had done so much to try and make it such a success, especially Becky Bailey who had done all the organising and and rehearsals!


The Choir and Cast that you should be able to work out from the programe below

Angels On Assignment

A Christmas Evening for All the Family.

Welcome to an evening of Christmas songs and entertainment provided for your enjoyment by Launceston Community Church.

Angels On Assignment

“Angels On Assignment” tells the story of the events that led up to the virgin birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It tells of the excitement and participation that the angels of heaven might have felt about this holy event in 6 acts.”

Big Thank you to…

Organiser - Rachel Bate - Music and Play Director – Becky Bailey - Stage Management – Lucy Prout - Sound - James Bloye

Costumes supplied by – Sherry Bosdet and Stage Fright

The Actors – Cast List
 Narrator – John Harris

Angels  Michael – Chris Biddle / Gabriel – Di Studdart / George – Elliot Jane / Sue – Rachael Parsons / Fred – Suzannah Strong

Mary and Joseph  – Tracey Porter – Sheridan Bate

Shepherds 1 – Glyn Cotterill  2 – Mervyn Bate

Three Wise Men  1- Aaron Prout 2 – Ross Prout  3 – Greg Prout

The Choir (Angels)

Alto and Tenor  - Amy Ellicott - Donna Wilton - Rosemarie Lane - Sue Cotterill - Glyn Cotterill - Chris Biddle - Henry Bailey - Mervyn Bate

Soprano - Rachael Parsons - Di Studdart - Alison Bailey

Instruments - Piano - Rachel Bate - Flute - Amy Bailey - Guitar- Dan Strong.

This evening is hosted by Launceston Community Church, who meet here at St. Josephs School every Sunday morning at 10:30am. If you want to know more visit our website

www.launcestoncommunitychurch.co.uk

You are invited to join us afterwards for a festive supper

Refreshments - Rita Prout ------ Programmes - Glyn Cotterill

Also there was an addition by Rachel Bate entitled

“Life-Changing Words - Mary's Song”

Voice 1 – Suzannah Strong -  Voice 2 – Rosemarie Lane - Voice 3 – Elowen Hill

Playing catch up (again)

(This is really dated 02/02/12 but I wanted to keep it on top lol)
My word has it been 6 weeks or more since I was last on here!! It looks like I am having to play catch up? Time flies so fast when you are having fun, or so they say!
I am going to have to think very carefully what has happened between then and now, so lets see?
1) Angels on assignment (choir and acting) (Done)
2) LCC Family service and Christmas lunch (Done)
3) Let me see, ah Christmas here (Done)
4) The dreaded hearing test? (Done)
5) Oh and the house deposit outcome (Done)
6) Twins to Amy and Michael Wray!!! (Done)
If I try to do at least one story a day, by the end of February (with the ones Sue will find) I should be all up together HA HA! and pigs fly?

Saga unfolding

We now have the amounts and the landlords evidence in the rent deposit saga and have updated the post accordingly and will add more as it unfolds here when I have answered the lies he has told about us!!!!

Hee-haw

Isn't it strange how some things grab you and yet others pass you by?

Lainie (age 8) sang a song at her carol service that I have not been able to stop thinking about with my weird sense of humour! See also: Nazarene Gossips from Dec 2011

I can just imagine this being recited (not sung) with inferences and inflections on certain words, it would be so funny!

A song and poem depicting Christ’s birth as seen with the eyes of the donkey that took them to Bethlehem!

Hee-Haw!

Hee-haw, hee-haw
doesn't anybody care
There's a baby in my dinner
and its just not fair

Jesus in the manger
lying in the hay
far too young to realise he's getting in the way
I don't blame the baby
not his fault at all
but his parents really should respect a donkey's feeding stall

Hee-haw, hee-haw
doesn't anybody care
There's a baby in my dinner
and its just not fair

After all that journey
with my heavy load
did I ever once complain about that dreadful road
I can cope with the backache
and these swollen feet
all I ask is some respect and one square meal to eat

Hee-haw, hee-haw
doesn't anybody care
There's a baby in my dinner
and its just not fair

"Be prepared", I told them
better book ahead
Joseph said "Don't be an ass" and took a chance instead
Now they've pinched my bedroom
people are so rude
I can cope with that but not a baby in my food

Hee-haw, hee-haw
doesn't anybody care
There's a baby in my dinner
and it’s just not fair

I have searched and been unable to attribute it to anyone so will list as Anon?

Richards new job

Had a phone call from Richard this afternoon and he has a job with the NHS direct as a telephone advisor! Looks like he is starting on the first Monday of the new year for 5 weeks training and then in at the deep end!!

WELL DONE SON!

Settling in Slowly.

Well we have been here now for 4 weeks 4 days and have most things sorted? There are still one or two things that are posing a problem!

The major stumbling block is that I want to get rid of all of my egg cups to a charity shop and Sue thinks I should keep some of them! If we had retained one or both of the display units I would have agreed with her but they are just too awkward to display without them. Strange thing is if we had kept the shelves we would have had room to put them up, as I made them to measure with my own hands I do not want to keep the egg cups without them! Does that seem or sound odd? (Comments below please).

The one thing I am looking forward to is sorting Star Wars! Many years ago, must have been about 2000 or 2001 I got a Star Wars part works that came in about 150 or 200 parts and every week you were supposed to sort into their volumes and chapters, well as time went on of course they became more and more until it became a very daunting task, well they have now come to light again and are in the hall awaiting my attention and we have floor room in the lounge so when I have a free day I will get stuck into it with relish. Note to self, must be done by Christmas!!!

More to follow when time.

The Deposit Saga!

Well it has nearly been a month now since I was last on here and four and a half weeks since moving! Everything except the deposit is sorted at our last home in St Giles-on-the-Heath, namely that the landlord is trying to retain £453.17p for things we are supposed to have damaged, but have not as they were all problems that already existed (except the mysterious second window) when we moved in. Let me list them for a future memory jog for me!!!

We will start at the beginning and state that on several occasions when we first moved into Darts Close we asked for an inventory so that all of the following faults could be noted, none was ever forthcoming! We now know why!!!

Shortly after we moved out the agents (Kivells) warned us that there may be a problem as Mr Cook the landlord was alleging that we owed him for 500 litres of heating oil as he alleged there was well over half a tank of oil there when we moved in. I went back with the comment that if that was so how did I put 850 litres of oil in a 1200 litre tank only 3 weeks after moving in. It seems that Mr Cook then mysteriously comes upon a communication to me stating how much was in the tank? Less than one quarter! Odd that! He then comes out with the following problems!

1. He says that we knackered 2 roller blinds? Well the one in the front bedroom the mechanism never worked where it was so OLD, the one in the rear bedroom was just taken down and stood up in the corner of the room as when I changed the knackered curtain track (at my own expense as he refused to) the blind impeded the opening and closing of the curtain! £112.80p

2. He states that we also damaged 2 windows which no longer open? Firstly, we from day one were asking for the rear bedroom window to be sorted as it did not open as there was no key for it and ALL other windows in the bungalow opened correctly so we do not know where the second window is located!! £210.00p

3. We allegedly ruined the flooring in the kitchen by tearing it in several places. My only answer to that is that the day we moved in there were 2 tears in the flooring noted by us and that on the day we moved out there was still only 2 tears in the flooring! £130.37p

So how far have we got with this?

The Deposit Protection Service are holding on to the disputed amount of the deposit and have released back to me the balance. We are now waiting for the landlord to put forward his objections to me receiving the rest and this MUST include PROOF. This is going to be a interesting exercise! One thing I can assure all my readers of is that he will get no money he is not entitled to from me even if it means it goes through the courts!

Mr Cook has changed estate agents from Kivells and I have my suspicions why, I have not spoken to them yet to confirm this so will not state here yet!

So watch this space as the saga enfolds!

Here we are again?

Well here we are again after quite a traumatic time all round?
Strange how we both thought that this place had more room than it actually has and it is again like trying to fit a quart of belongings into a pint pot of room!!! Perhaps there is a lesson there that we are being taught? as if we have not learned it in the past, see here: http://sulynn-glynsuesblog.blogspot.co.uk/2011_06_01_archive.html and if we have not learned about possessions from that I fear we never will ha ha!
Well anyway dear readers we are settling in, we have all rooms inhabited (of sorts) though we have not got the dining room table up yet and we have a hallway full of boxes to work through (70% Sues and 30% mine) but we are getting there.
Outside the window changes so much from day to day!

Just before I get stuck in thought I would just give you a couple of pictures of that view that I have to suffer looking at every day!!! As you can tell it is such a hardship ha ha!

New address from 30/10/2012

Glyn & Susan Cotterill

9, Pendruccombe Court

Tavistock Road

Launceston

Cornwall

PL15 9HF

The phone number is not changing!

We are now installed and if the petrol heads among you need a number Tavistock Road for your sat nav it is 23!

All is well

Due to being busy not having much time to get on here!
We are very much all go for the move, it is obviously the right one as we had everything sorted financially and clerically within a week! just packing, packing and more packing now! oh and also some things to get rid of!

God won! We are moving!

As usual God gets His way (as He should), everything, as usual, just fell into place although I did start to worry a little when we had not heard back by 1500 that we were acceptable!
I am going to try and upload a picture of where we will be living, have tried several times the other day with no success, so here goes,

Well how about that then, first time worked. There is another one I am going to try to get on and that is one of the view at the back, out of our bedroom and lounge windows!

Oh dear this is becoming a habit ha ha!
Another thing about living here is that BT reckon we will get an average of 17 Megabytes per second in internet download speed, that compares to 30 kilobytes per second here, for those that I have just spoke double dutch to it means about 800 times faster!!! That is of course if BT are to be believed?

Notice was duly emailed and sent recorded delivery yesterday afternoon to the landlord and we move into the flat on the 30th or 31st October 2012 and hand the keys back to this place on the 3rd November thereby allowing us a few days to fill the holes from picture hanging and painting 3 rooms so that we should then get our full deposit back?

Will continue this as time allows

To move or not to move? that is the question!

Today we went to look at a very nice flat.
 http://www.kivells.com/residential-lettings/propertydetails.asp?ID=DLAU901293&office=18&Bedrooms=2


Well it is now Friday and as I was up early again I thought I may have some time to catch up on what has been going on?

There is a conflict going on inside me! My brain tells me not to move but my heart says that it is right and gives me peace over it. You, dear reader, would have thought by now that I would have learned not to fight God when He does something in His perfect timing, going by past experiences!
On the other hand Sue has every confidence that I will come to the right decision in the end and God will win out as He always does! IN THE END!

Car Problems

For some time now we have been having a bit of bother with the engine temperature sensor that has occasionally beeped at me and lied to me saying the engine has overheated! Well a couple of times it got so bad that I just had to get it sorted, I had been reluctant to do this thinking that it was going to cost a small fortune but when Jamie investigated it it seemed that it was a relatively simple 5 minute job and the part was going to cost £14.00p!
Consequently I took the car in on Tuesday and was all done for the grand total of £20 and thanks Jamie!

Stella starts Alpha

Well tonight Stella started the Alpha course that has started at Jenny Hill's.
This in a culmination of many years of prayer on my part and so to get her there as early as possible I picked her up from work and took her there which meant she was there at 1935 instead of about 2000 if she had had to walk. I shall do this every time Stella is working on a Monday.

Sharon and Peter's visit and Sue's Chocolate Cake

Well they say good comes from bad so as we did not go away Sharon and Peter called in to see us as Pete had some work in Newquay, Torquay and Bridport.

Stella worked an extra day today so we had Lainie here for the day.

Sue baked a chocolate cake with a recipe that Lindy left when she was down last. The cake is absolutely lush apart from the fact that it has 3 eggs and so I can only have a very small piece at a time due to my intolerance of eggs, everyone except me enjoys this fact. I find it quite amusing really but people will only know so if they bother to read this! Recipe below.

Chocolate cake which is lush

 Chocolate Cake, recipe from Lindy

6 ½ oz Unsalted Butter, chopped

9 oz dark/milk chocolate chips

7 ½ oz self raising flour

1 ½ oz unsweetened cocoa powder

13 oz caster sugar

3 eggs lightly beaten

Chocolate topping

¾ oz unsalted butter, chopped

4 ½ oz dark/milk chocolate, chopped

Pre heat oven 160c / 315f  or gas mark 2 – 3

Grease 22cm / 8 ½ inch spring form tin and line base with baking paper

Place butter and chocolate bits in a bowl and melt, stirring frequently, over a saucepan of simmering water

Sift flour and cocoa in a large bowl

Combine melted butter and choc mixture, sugar and eggs, then add 250ml / 9fl oz water and mix well, add to flour and cocoa mixture until well combined.

Pour mixture into prepared tin and bake for 1hr 30mins or until skewer comes out clean from the centre of the cake.

Leave in the tin for 15mins before turning out onto a wire rack to cool

To make chocolate topping place butter and chocolate pieces in a bowl and melt over a pan of simmering water. Spread over the cake

When cool find a nice comfortable seat and ENJOY