March 2011

So there I was at the level crossing, gates downs, clay train nowhere in sight so I thought I’d switch the engine off and listen to the radio. Eventually the train arrives and passes the gates are raised and my battery is dead. No phone, no wallet, loads of traffic that I’m holding up even more but thankfully there was a garage right on the other side of the crossing. In fact of all the places I could have broken down at least I was right near help. So I nipped over the line popped in and asked for help. I explained I couldn’t pay straight away but would call later. Less than five minutes later engine running again following a great jump start. Excellent, or it was until I got home and found that that had cost me £58. Standard call out charge apparently.



Now I know I should have asked first, I know that they are trying to run a business, but nearly £60 for a drive of less than 100 yards and 2 minutes labour? I doubt that they made any easier money than me that day. So I’m fed up, I’ll never use them again and if anyone asks me my opinion of local garages I’ll not be adding them to my list of good guys.



Which makes me wonder about good customer service. Maybe I’m being unfair, after all they came out and fixed my car, but if they had told me in advance what the cost had been, I’d have declined, found a phone and called Steve out. In straightened times, a smile goes a long way and costs nothing. Keeping your customers in the loop, giving them options, even if it might mean you lose the sale, will mean you’ll gain their gratitude. Hopefully, they’ll come back to you for something else or maybe they’ll just tell others how good you are.


It’s funny isn’t it? I can’t tell you which garage it was because that wouldn’t be “fair”, I can tell you about good service but not tell you when I feel let down. It’s all part of our sense of fair play. I made a mistake by not asking the price, they gave me a service so to complain would be churlish. And yet… Still I’m glad that it’s this way. I’d rather we all praised people to the hilt and named them but kept quiet about those we were less impressed with. But there’s lots of companies out there, that play exactly by the letter of the law, 90 day warranty means just that if your washing machine dies at 91 days then tough. Or that the excess charge was clearly laid out on page 14 of the small print. I’m sure we’ve all been caught out and left to feel stupid about it but it does rankle.


Incidently, just to make clear I am not talking about the garage at Twydreath Highway by the railway line. They are lovely chaps and I’d recommend them in a heartbeat.

I’ve had a great weekend but it became obvious to me that it’s been a while since I’ve been out to play. I’m exhausted now and wondering if maybe age is more than just a state of mind. I got my first reminder of how long I’ve been out of circulation when I went to buy Steve and I a drink and the total came to £6 something. I say six pounds something because quite frankly when the barman said 6 my brain went into paralysis and a weird buzzing noise filled my ears, with a sort of dumb shock I handed over my £10 note and left with change that did indeed only include 3 shiny coins plus shrapnel. Sitting down with Steve I studied my small glass of wine, I deliberately chose the small option in case it wasn’t nice and at Steve’s pint of Doom Bar, with a certain amount of awe. We were in a nice country pub (I won’t name names) but it wasn’t somewhere where I expected city prices. In fact I had better not go to a city pub now without my cards, cash probably won’t be enough.

We were gradually joined by other friends who had all come out for a friend’s birthday party. It was great to see so many of us in a pub, in the evening, with no children, that in itself was a celebration and we all made the most of it. We also met some new people who were great company; it’s always such fun to discover new conversations and ways of looking at the world. A loud and happy evening eventually came to an end to be naturally followed by a delicate morning. Of course in the past I would spend such mornings being quiet and gentle, no sudden movements and the only strenuous exercise being to switch the kettle on. But not now. Not now that my boys play rugby and I have a dog that needs a walk. So dodging showers and it really lashed it down this morning we got Harry walked, the children suited and booted and made it to Truro – (it would be an away match) with only minutes to spare. The ground was very soft in fact the lower field had clover and reeds growing in it – not good signs! Our U12s were beaten by, I’m afraid to say, a very good team, but if you’re going to be beaten at least let it be by the best. Our U10s however won their match as convincingly as the U12s lost theirs so balance was restored and as both of my boys scored a try there was peace on the drive home.

Of course returning home still meant no rest for us as it’s back to school tomorrow so uniforms to be ironed kit to be scrapped down then washed, bags to be packed, homework to be checked, projects finished off all done at full volume. And in the middle of all this I’m trying to finish off my VAT return. Well I’ve done it now or else I wouldn’t be typing this. So a nice hectic weekend to round off an enjoyable half term, I hope everyone had a s good a weekend.

Doing battle with the green eyed monster at the moment. I think I’m winning but every now and then it grabs me by the ankles and trips me up. Whilst I’m lucky in so many ways and have so many things that half the world might be grateful for I can’t help but look at those with more than me and think envious thoughts. Which is silly because I already have so much. But the start of the holiday season always seems to kick it off as I look at those lovely brand news cars towing jet skis and the like as they overtake me on the A30. Wandering around Truro in my walking boots and dog walking coat I look at families dressed to the absolute nines and think that it would be nice to dress my children in the latest styles (well it wouldn’t because they’d either rip them, stain them or grow out of them before I could blink an eye) but it’s nice to fantasize!

The problem with living in a tourist area is the sudden influx of people who view our home as a holiday resort, so of course they’re dressed up to the nines, they have literally pushed the boat out and like all of us on holiday they spend money with ease. This doesn’t mean they have lots of money on a day to day basis just that they have saved up and are now spending. They probably don’t behave with such financial abandon at home but that’s not the image I see. I just see the “what the hell, let’s have another one…” and so I get a little green.

Of course the thing that makes me really green are the second homes. Now let me make things really clear, I have nothing against second homes in principle, good grief if I had the money I’d have a second home in a heartbeat. My second home would be on the Lizard, oh and one up on the north coast, and one on the Norfolk Boards and one near Cley. The point is, oh I forgot and one up in the Hebrides, and finally one on St. Martins; that’s St. Martins on the Isles of Scilly not the one in the Caribbean. Oh what the hell, I’ll have one there too. Whoops less of a second home more of a holiday portfolio. I guess my point is that those with second homes really do have more money than me and every so often I have little human moments and think “not fair.” I think it in a very small voice but I still think it. It’s then that I have to get a grip and remember what I say to the boys, we are happy and we are healthy, if we had to drop one of those to be wealthy which would it be? Of course my boys are smart and point out that you can be wealthy, happy and healthy, at which point we all sigh.

And as we sigh, we collect the boys from school and head to the beach to catch some waves and have a barbeque tea. Or we scramble over the moors, not caring what we look like as we explore waterfalls and stone structures. Or we breathe deeply enjoying the sun above us or the wind in our face and the glorious surroundings that we live in every day and our sighs get a little less envious and a little more contented.

Of course if anyone out there reading this has a spare second home they no longer want, I’ll happily take it off their hands.