'twas a SMASHING AFTERNOON on the SEVENTEENTH of JUNE

  

 

A SMASHING AFTERNOON on The Seventeenth of June

I really must impress upon myself, once again, the importance of listening to one’s body, no matter what the mind or spirit may tell one. You’d think that I would have learned this lesson after my brain fogged and housebound years earlier in the twenty-first century. As I’ve managed somewhat better, with the help of some home support care, more recently one tends to forget this basic lesson.

This morning I felt quite exhausted, even after a reasonably good night’s sleep, and initially decided it was going to be a very lazy day, as many are,, but then a guilt-feeling part of my mind reminded me that I’ve been having a lot of ready-meal days lately and, it was about time for me to have a bit of home-cooking. I then started wondering why I felt so wrecked and all I could come up with was that going to the hospital yesterday, for a CT scan was a break from my normal routine, any such visits, involving hospitals or dentists, always prove stressful to me, even if the visit goes smoothly. Then, of course the evening before that I had company for my birthday, which I really enjoyed, but then even that was a break from my normal enjoyably mundane existence.

My mind got the better of me and I decided to prepare a couple of casseroles, sufficient to provide a main meal for four to five days. Having completed the hob based component of the meal I placed the two casseroles in the oven. By around 3.00pm I felt ready for some lunch, and the casseroles were ready.. I removed one dish from the oven and stood it down by the hob, ready to serve I correctly thought, but then, as I went to remove the lid a momentary lapse of concentration led to a shattering of the dish as it fell to the floor, spreading itself, chicken, mushrooms, diced potatoes, shards of glass duly scattered over around 3 square metres of floor space.

A smashing casserole indeed.

The snapshot is of the gathered fragments after sweeping them up, an event which then led to my having to wash the kitchen floor, thereby renewing my sense of exhaustion.

VIRGIN MAFIA - A Tale of Media Piracy

 

A Tale of Media Piracy

 Over the past three years, since my wife went into a nursing home, I had tried unsuccessfully to change the name on the Virgin Media contract from that of my wife to my own. After my wife passed away two days before Christmas Day, I contacted the bereavement team at Virgin Mafia, on 8^th January, who changed the name on the account on the understanding that the contract which was valid until August 2026 would remain in place. On that contract I was paying £59.39 per month.

I was somewhat surprised when through the postal service I received, on 8 January, a new contract to sign agreeing to pay £71+ per month. I refused to sign this contract and returned it explaining the reasons in the Business Reply Envelope supplied. On going into the Virgin Media website on on more than 4 0ccasions in the immediate aftermath, the multiple visits because I couldn’t believe my eyes on the initial occasion, I was informed in the most definite manner that my contract had ended. After several unsuccessful attempts to contact  a real human being at the media company, I sought an alternative supplier for my broadband needs. Rise Fibre agreed to supply a faster Fibre broadband router at a cost, initially, of £17.99 per month, no installation fee. A technician will install the new router next Wednesday, 21^st January.

This morning I received an email from Virgin Mafia informing me that, as I was thinking of switching to Rise, I should be aware that as I was still in contract with VM (sice when?) I would be liable to pay an early disconnection fee. In light of what has been happening over the past several days, proving quite injurious to the health of this octogenarian, I have no understanding of the magic by which they’ve found me to be in contract.

Are Virgin Media Bad for One's Health

 Feeling, angry, nauseous and bewildered owing to Virgin Media.

A recently bereaved octogenarian with health problems., I need a phone and broadband to get my medication, contacting carers etcetera but at present I’ve had to cancel my Direct Debit with VM as I was getting nowhere – they’ve tried before to fuck me up but this time they’re succeeding!

I can’t really decide whether Virgin Media are incompetent or dishonest. On the 08^th January this year,  after many attempts to make contact with a Human at Virgin |Media, I finally managed to change the name on my VM contract to mine, which I had been trying to do for the past three years since my wife went into a nursing home. On the 8^th January I was able to contact the bereavement team who  made the necessary change and informed me that I would remain on that contract, on which I paid £59.39 for broadband 125 and a telephone landline (now digital)

Today, through the mail I was asked to sign a new contract, the final digit of the original contract number having been altered from 1 to 2, and asking me to sign and return it. My wife passed away on 23 December 2025 and on 8 January 2026 I changed the name on my account from that of my wife to mine via your bereavement line. The contract does not expire unti August. The cost of the package is £59.39 per month.. Today you have mailed me a new contract saying my monthly charge will be £71.66 increasing to £75.66 in April. I REFUSE to sign this new contract. I wish they could either GET THEIR ACT TOGETHER or try being honest and replacing detatched robotic voices on the telephone with real human contacts for a change.

My wife passed away on 23 December 2025 and around 8 January 2026 I changed the name on my account from that of my wife to mine via your bereavement line. The contract does not expired unti August. The cost of the package is £59.39 per month.. Today you have mailed me a new contract saying my monthly charge will be £71.66 increasing to £75.66 in April. I refuse to sign this new contract. Please get your act together."