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Repetition of television programs?
I was wondering if you had received any other complaints about
daytime television provision?
My 86 year old mother (a bright and intelligent lady for her age), is housebound and her main pleasure is television, particularly the old films they tend to show. I'm very concerned that channels like film 4 in particular (but not exclusively)show the same films over and over again sometimes within days of each other. It seems to be a source of confusion for her. I was wondering if you had received similar comments?
Thank you for lifting our spirits!
A sincere and heartfelt thank you for your words of poignancy and inspiration, which surely succeeded in lifting one's spirit during these dark and difficult days (Remember, remember the 11th November - enewsletter November).
The oldest joke in the book
With reference to your feature 'Oldest jokes in the book' (MT Oct), the late radio humourist, Frank Moir, believed that he had found the oldest joke of all, which he claimed dated back to Athens in the 6th Century B.C.
I have a complaint
I have never felt the need (or the desire) to communicate with a newspaper before, so this is by way of complaint.
Quiptease - French from English
I enjoyed your column (Quiptease Mature Times, July '11) Catherine. Although I was a French/German teacher I didn't know why there was no 'd' in the French word 'amiral' until you drew our attention to the Aabic amir-al-bahr, lord of the sea.
When in Spain ...
Regarding life in Spain, people over here are often fined 'on the spot' if they have shopping bags on the seats of their cars. Also it is compulsory to have TWO pairs of distance glasses and TWO bottles of water (in case of dehydration).
Something wonderful is happening...
...to Mature Times. The paper is better than ever, more professional, carrying a profusion of bylined articles that are intensely relevant and interesting to we oldies.
An open letter to George Osborne - Barclays' profits are obscene!
Dear George
Barclays have now announced profits of £4.3bn on which they have paid only £113m in corporation tax, 3% instead of a minimum of 28%. They also paid bonuses to staff totalling £1.5bn.
This is utterly obscene, particularly when millions of pensioners who have worked all their lives are struggling to survive on woefully inadequate pensions. Companies and individuals in the USA are taxed on their world-wide income, less the tax they have to pay in individual countries outside the USA. Why on earth can we not adopt this eminently simple and fair system here in the Uk. It would enable us to pay off our debts much quicker and get the economy growing again.
Scissors!
Are scissors an essential part of every household these days? Am I the only one who has noticed that just about everything, even those things to which it makes no difference, are vacuum packed, making it virtually impossible to gain entrance both to food, sweets etc.
Even the area where the pack closes is normally sealed so tight it is impossible to gain access, especially for those who have poor grip.
From
Vickey Way
St Athan
National Pensioners Convention fight 'ageism' in the BBC
For over 18 months the National Pensioners Convention, the only national organisation run by pensioners for pensioners, has been campaigning for a seat on the panel of Question Time. In 2010 we were promised a place but since then there have been editorial changes, and then we were told our representatives wouldn't be able to cope with the lights and the stress of a live broadcast. As a result, the NPC called on its regional branches to stage protests at Question Time recordings.
As organiser of the demonstration at the Exeter recording of BBC TV's Question Time I was impressed by the staff of the Northcott Theatre, who treated us with impeccable politeness, and the many audience members of all ages who expressed their support for our campaign. My team of elderly supporters withstood the cold and rain outside as easily as they could have withstood the hot lights and studio pressure inside. To be fair, I understand that the BBC does not now recall making these ageist comments. As a senior citizen myself, I understand how easy it must be to forget these little details.
Compulsory euthanasia at 65?
My husband and I were appalled by the opinion of the IEA who suggests Pensioners should lose some or all of their hard won benefits. I assume he/she or they are young, rich or certain they will never be poor or old.
My husband had his own business for over 40 years, not lucrative in the way many businesses are today, but he paid into a scheme to provide his own pension. At the time of his retirement, some 20 years ago, it paid an adequate pension. However, with no cost of living increases, its value is now only worth a third of the original amount. In my case, my savings have depleted as interest rates have plunged. I recently received 58p on an ISA of £3,744 for the year earning 0.01%!
Why not come out of the EU..?
Hello there.
If the government really want to save money instead of victimising older people, they should look instead at our EEC payments.
By coming out of the EEC, we would save £60 billions, and also ovoid Euro Zone payments even though we are not in the Euro Zone! The latter would save us £12 billions for Greece, and the heaven knows what else!!
This is £72 billions compared to the small sum the IEA report of £5 Billions!!
We all know OAP's always vote, it would be foolish for our politions to attack older people, they would vote differently at the next general election!!
The decline of cheques
Dear Sir,
As someone who works for London Transport (or TfL, as it calls itself these days) I can sympathise with people like myself who cannot use their chequebook any longer.
If you want to use the tube in London , you cannot use your chequebook because London Underground Ltd will no longer acept private cheques, only company ones. And how long before they get phased out?
The answer to the problem is that if you have a cheque book, you have a bank account, so you can ask for a debit card. if your bank won't issue a debit card, put your money somewhere that will.
Me, I recommend the Co op bank, apart from being very ethical, they also do a comprehensive service and still manage to have a branch in my High Street in Romford.
But a debit card or a credit card does allow you to make major purchases without lugging around vast amounts of cash - and that is a good thing these days. It also helps to have your PIN number disguised or encoded somewhere on your person. That way, you can look it up and use it if you forget what it was, and no one else can use it if they steal your note book.
I hope that readers will find this useful,
Pensioners can't afford?
Dear Sir,
Thank you for your email showing the top stories.
Regarding Pensioners' Benefits - you asked what we thought.
Bus Passes - surely every pensioner could afford £10/15 a year for a bus pass?
Free TV licences - surely every pensioner entitled to this could afford £25.00 a year?
Married couples allowance - what about all those widows and widowers not entitled to this?
Yours sincerely,
Shirley Sutton, East Yorkshire.
Age 76
