By tim, on September 16th, 2011 at 2:16 pm I love Derby. Apart from the three years I spent at Warwick University I’ve lived here all of my life.
So it really, really annoys me when this is the first impression that visitors to this great city of ours get as they walk out of the railway station. Dead plants.
They did look really good before last winter’s bad weather, but not any more.
So come on East Midlands Trains / Network Rail or whoever is responsible for the front of the station. I calculate that it wouldn’t even take a day’s revenue from the station car . . . → Read More: Welcome to Derby – a view from the railway station
By tim, on July 27th, 2011 at 9:23 pm Those of you that don’t like my rants, stop reading now.
OK, you’ve got this far. I want to tell you about my recent experiences with attempting to buy premium bonds from NS&I. And before you all tell me it’s not a good investment, yes, I know that, but it’s a better investment than the lottery. And I bet most of you play that (I don’t). I’m also hopeful that my experience might serve as a warning to others before they manage to walk into the same customer service black hole that I’ve just stumbled into.
Up until 2 or . . . → Read More: NS&I – redefining customer service, but not in a good way
By tim, on June 27th, 2011 at 7:24 pm This morning, I called Barclaycard and cancelled my card.
It's my one man protest about the shameful actions of Barclays in closing the Egg facility on Pride Park, leading to 659 job losses in Derby by the end of the year. They certainly know how to kick a city when it's down. Their announcement came hours after 3,000 people at Bombardier learnt that their jobs were under threat due to their failure to win a contract for new trains which went to Siemens in Germany instead.
Now, I admit my protest is going to be pretty ineffectual, but it does . . . → Read More: Back to the 80s – my one man boycott of Barclays
By tim, on June 19th, 2011 at 7:01 pm We live in a world that demands simple solutions to complex problems.
There's a problem with runaway dads not supporting their children. Simple fix, according to David Cameron – stigmatise them. They're as bad as drunk drivers. Problem solved!
Some employers might be reluctant to take on disabled people. Simple fix, according to another Tory MP – make them work for less than the minimum wage. Problem solved!
There are too many teenage pregnancies. Simple fix, according to Nadine Dorries MP – give girls abstinence lessons in school. Problem solved!
Family relationships are breaking down. Simple fix, accord to John . . . → Read More: Silver bullets
By tim, on January 17th, 2011 at 8:32 am I had a quick scan through the newly opened SD226 course website this morning. At least I can now print off the study calendar and think about how I need to juggle my time between now and October on SD226 and DD307. On the face of it, the assignment dates don’t appear to clash too badly with one exception. And of course, the exception would be for the assignments due after the weekend of the Goodwood Festival of Speed (for which a ticket to attend it was my big Christmas present). Sigh.
I had a quick look into the course . . . → Read More: SD226 course website has opened
By tim, on December 30th, 2010 at 10:54 am My SD226 course materials arrived yesterday afternoon, while I was being treated to a carvery lunch by my mother at Bartlewood Lodge. Lots of people appear to like the place, but it’s not really my scene.
Still, it helped to complement the surreal tone of the day where some people seemed to think it was ok to drive around in fog with no lights on (and get upset because I *had* got mine on!) and when others decided to park in blue badge spaces when they (a) didn’t have a blue badge and (b) were definitely not disabled, except in . . . → Read More: SD226 arrives
By tim, on November 15th, 2010 at 7:43 pm As a way of distracting myself, I’ve been looking through Education at a Glance 2010: OECD Indicators and becoming increasingly convinced that UK politicians of all parties are missing the point about the funding of higher education.
The OECD’s stand-out conclusion?
Even after taking account of the cost to the public exchequer of financing degree courses, higher tax revenues and social contributions from people with university degrees make tertiary education a good long-term investment.
The £2.9bn cut per year to university teaching budgets is therefore far worse than it seems. If students are put off going to university because of . . . → Read More: A plague on both your houses
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