I only watch Emmerdale and Corrie, which is two too many for some people, I know. But it seems to me that all conversations in these two soaps begin in one of two ways. The first is "Are you OK?"...
By what right do schools fine parents for taking children out of school during term time? Perhaps 'fine' is technically the wrong word. I thought only courts could fine people when an offence,...
Back in the 50s I read a story, probably in one of the Wide Range Reader Books, about a man who persuaded all the men on a ship crossing the Atlantic to let him shave them before they arrived at New...
My Land Registry Land Certificate shows my wife and I as "Proprietor" (not Proprietors) of our house with Title Absolute. Form 19 (JP) "Transfer of Whole to Joint Proprietors" was used to transfer the...
I'd like to know what £1000 20 years ago would be equivalent to today. I've been online, of course, but the calculators don't give me what I want to know. To be clear, what I want to know is the...
I have an old calculator powered by two AA batteries. The display is hard to see, but when you hold the calculator at the right angle the display appears, but then it disappears. It will do...
I have been quoted a level pension for my wife guaranteed for 5 years of £1532 p.a. If I want it to be index-linked it will begin at £770 p.a. She is 60, with no health problems apart from...
Last year I sent a round robin Christmas letter to several friends by email. I am with BT/Yahoo mail. I wanted to know to whom I had sent the emails, so I did a search. The only one I came up with was...
I've just read "The Invisible Man" by H G Wells. My book was printed in 1940 by Collins. A few words puzzled me. Since it was written in or about 1897 this is no surprise. In chapter 7 Wells writes: "...
My Sony Hard Disk Recorder SVR-HDT500 is 5 years old. When it was switched on, a horizontal white line used to 'blink' for several seconds before becoming a steady white line and transmiting a...
When you bet on horses or enter the Lottery, you know the odds against winning, but when you enter one of these TV show's prize draws, you have no idea of the odds against winning. I know that the TV...
Years ago, several ITV shows had cash prizes for one person who answered a "competition" question, e.g. What is the capital of France? (a) blue (b) Paris (c) chocolate. Now there is no question to...
I get really annoyed with TV presenters who wave their hands about when they do a piece to camera. I'd like to know is it their natural way of talking or does some crazy director tell them to move...
For the last two or three weeks I have to keep logging on with BT Yahoo Mail every few minutes and it is driving me nuts. When I complained they said it was for my own security and only takes 5...
We had a new white plastic bath fitted a few years ago. It came with a white plastic panel to cover the side. The bath is still brilliant white, but the panel is now a cream colour. Can I return the...
When you say "bar steward" instead of b*stard, or "sugar" instead of ***. It's not a euphemism. The word 'mincing' keeps coming into my head, but that's not it. I'm sure there is a word for it, but I...
