New year trivia/Updated

hello blogging friends

  This will not be extensive, the power here is still on and off so I will simply say, watch this space there is much gnashing of teeth to come.

 So I will wish you all a Happy new year and tell you what we experienced in our tiny corner of the globe.
Storm hit us on the night of Monday into Christmas Eve/ With much blowing and gnashing we were entrusted with Gods full might. A tree came down and tiles fell off the roof and of course the power went which it has done on and off ever since but for all that we came off pretty lucky.

 Christmas morning it was still a little blowy and so I was up at 3 am sitting in the dark with just candles to light my way all very festive and unable to open pressies ans the little one was asleep. still she would, be awake around 7 wouldn't she? No the one time you want her awake she sleeps til 9 but then her face more than made up for my solitude in the dark.Anyway the turkey was relegated to the now silent freezer and we boiled bacon in the gas hob just in case the power went half way through the cooking process and Christmas day was spent assessing the damage.  

 This might sound pretty primitive but we were so much better off than some who five or six days down the line have experienced no power and floods so I can't complain. well I can we have started to get the estimates for the repairs. One roofer failed to arrive despite his assurances he would. another came yesterday and without getting up there came out with an estimate which beggars believe. I know we are at their mercy but it is there inflated prices that push our premiums up every year. We have another coming at 8.30 today and even he said he was busy and had been working ever since boxing day so you can guess what his prices will be like.

 I am thinking of asking the insurance company to allow me to do the work, what do you reckon would they pay me £780 pounds or pay a roofer who has inflated their price, so the lowest estimate so far is £33276.
 if this is happening to me who many others are being ripped off. Oh well back to wood cutting that tree will burn nicely next year.  

Christmas is cancelled

Morning all

 I tried to make this point some time ago but it appears some thought I simply bemoaned the fact we had no lights. Well that is true but the disease that inflicts this city goes far deeper. Its all about money and how our elected councilors waste what we give them.

 So Canterbury has no lights and the reason is we can't afford them. Not strictly true, two parts of the city do have lights one is a privately owned shopping center which the councilors think is the best thing ever to happen to the city. The other part has been funded by individual shop keepers all very laudable but why does the main street remain in darkness? Is it to save money or is there some grand scheme to force shoppers and visitors else where. Perhaps i can shed some light (get it a pun)

 £40, 000 is what is required to light the three shopping centers under the councils control, small change in the grand scheme of life.How to fund it in a time of austerity appears to have stumped our elected fools. here are my ideas,.
 1) All fifty councilors could take a thousand pound pay cut, after all we the tax payer fund their wages.
2) They could have used the £50,000 wasted on paying architects for planned alterations to the mayors parlour which had already been dismissed as unworkable
3) use the 103,000 pound earmarked for repaving an area of the high street which does not need repaving
4) save the 17, 000 set aside for mayoral robes and regalia which isn't needed.
5) or use some of the 3 million pounds stashed away in a contingency reserve.
6) our council wasted £100, 000 on a planning dispute which their own planning department said they could not win. Now they must pay a large local companies legal costs.

All told i make that 3, 330,000 they could have saved yet they winge about spending £50, 000  to attract shoppers to our city instead of others. Already our shopkeepers are feeling the pinch by this scrooge like decision many might fail come January
 Bah Humbug is too kind for those who are supposed to be working in our best interests.  There has been much publicity over this matter if you feel as we do in Canterbury please send our council your views address them to John Gilby leader of the council or the chief executive we have a chance to end this at the next elections please support a light-less city.
D

Dead men Lie

 Yes I know you are all getting mightily bored with this damned book but this is important to me .

 I have numerous friends in my circles and I need every last one of you to read this blog and act on it. You see Dead Men Lie is to be re-launched bigger, better, bolder than before. I need you all to pass this on to at least another three people each.

 Why I hear you ask, the answer is simple that is what Google+ is all about surely to pass on information to assist others and  add to everyone's knowledge. I do so I read almost all the posts that come my way some I dislike some I comment on some are not my interest but I do not ignore them not intentionally.

 Now I have you attention Dead Men Lie is almost ready to be road tested after ages in the repair shop, it will soon be back on sale as I said far better than before it went in for drastic reshaping. To kick start sales I will be offering it free of charge for a period of time much against my better judgement but I have bowed to superior pressure.

 Also we are launching Dead Men Lie in Rye on June 4th  invitations will be going out but if anyone is in the area drop in and say hello. Why Rye  well it is where Stormouth was based upon, why June 4th, it was the date of the all important ball where those who have read the book will know so much occurred.

 Please read, please re-post to your friends, please buy and please tell me what you think of my efforts.
Cheers Dave