P&O Cruisers - What are things like where YOU are?

[P&O SUE]

6 minutes ago, Eddie99 said:

Oh Sue - it never rains but it pours.

 

Just on the work issue - I don’t think it’s reasonable of your employers to expect you to transport a laptop like that.  I think you should speak to HR/Occupational Health about it.  
If they don’t/won’t help then I think you should look at either a good backpack or possibly a trolley/case.  Carrying it on your shoulder, that distance, will surely impact your back/shoulder/hip/knees?

It’s also risky for you just to be carrying it in the open.  There are nasty/desperate people out there

 

Oh, sorry, that sounds real doom and gloom.  I just thought it’s one issue you can have some say in

 

I hope you can get some grandson time worked out

Yes I’m looking into a backpack Thank you. I said to my immediate manager I know it’s  not their fault I don’t drive but I choose that place because I could walk it easily. Giving us laptops, then saying saying we had to go in more makes no sense. Also the new office we move to could be two bus rides away! Despite what my husband says I’m resigning if that happens!

[Josy1953]

It's a bit dull here this morning but quite warm so hopefully it will brighten up soon.

We were out last night celebrating my sister's 60th birthday and even though my strongest drink was cucumber flavoured tonic water I have woken up with a dreadful headache.  I think that the noise of being in a busy restaurant where there were 2 parties (my sister's and a large hen party) going on was too much for me so I am planning a quiet day today.

I have to say that the highlight of the evening for me was in the bar where we met before going to the restaurant, my niece's husband introduced DH and me to one of his friends who was in there as "this is granny3 and grandad3 for our kids". I hadn't realised that he thought of us like that even though we do a lot with their children.

[P&O SUE]

11 minutes ago, Josy1953 said:

Don't be sorry for posting a long post because you have so much going on, it is often easier to share with people who are not close and so not affected by your problems.  We all need to get things off our chest from time to time.

Better times are ahead hopefully.  I hope that you get something sorted out about your grandson.  

Thank you Josy.

[P&O SUE]

1 minute ago, Josy1953 said:

It's a bit dull here this morning but quite warm so hopefully it will brighten up soon.

We were out last night celebrating my sister's 60th birthday and even though my strongest drink was cucumber flavoured tonic water I have woken up with a dreadful headache.  I think that the noise of being in a busy restaurant where there were 2 parties (my sister's and a large hen party) going on was too much for me so I am planning a quiet day today.

I have to say that the highlight of the evening for me was in the bar where we met before going to the restaurant, my niece's husband introduced DH and me to one of his friends who was in there as "this is granny3 and grandad3 for our kids". I hadn't realised that he thought of us like that even though we do a lot with their children.

 Aww that’s lovely.

[kalos]

17 minutes ago, Eddie99 said:

Oh Sue - it never rains but it pours.

 

Just on the work issue - I don’t think it’s reasonable of your employers to expect you to transport a laptop like that.  I think you should speak to HR/Occupational Health about it.  
If they don’t/won’t help then I think you should look at either a good backpack or possibly a trolley/case.  Carrying it on your shoulder, that distance, will surely impact your back/shoulder/hip/knees?

It’s also risky for you just to be carrying it in the open.  There are nasty/desperate people out there

 

Oh, sorry, that sounds real doom and gloom.  I just thought it’s one issue you can have some say in

 

I hope you can get some grandson time worked out

 

Fully agree if no suitable case has been supplied and the laptop is the employers property .

A good way to grab the HR'S  attention would be to put a report in the offices First Aid 

report book . ie .." my arm is aching when I arrive at work when I try to use the PC "

 

More than one way to skin a cat as the saying goes 

[kalos]

36 minutes ago, brian1 said:

+1

+ me 

[zap99]

17 minutes ago, kalos said:

 

Fully agree if no suitable case has been supplied and the laptop is the employers property .

A good way to grab the HR'S  attention would be to put a report in the offices First Aid 

report book . ie .." my arm is aching when I arrive at work when I try to use the PC "

 

More than one way to skin a cat as the saying goes 

Most company's have official procedures that management don't want you to use as they have to  investigate issues and report back. If the procedure is on line, difficult to ignore . Things like HR ,H&S, quality. I used the official corporate BA procedure to complain about being on the phone for 88 minutes at a cost of £22. I got a grovelling apology from a senior manager and 22 quid. More important was the annoyance that an official complain caused. Many large companies have a form,or card to report safety concerns. As you say.......that's the way to do it.

Edited May 8, 2022 by zap99

[Eglesbrech]

27 minutes ago, P&O SUE said:

Yes I’m looking into a backpack Thank you. I said to my immediate manager I know it’s  not their fault I don’t drive but I choose that place because I could walk it easily. Giving us laptops, then saying saying we had to go in more makes no sense. Also the new office we move to could be two bus rides away! Despite what my husband says I’m resigning if that happens!

A lot of employers are now doing this just to make a point, not because it is any way operationally necessary. Your lot might be making the point that this is the employee base exactly because they are planning an office move. The “move” is then calculated from old office to new office and not your home base to new office.

 

Do you have a mobility clause in your contract? If you don’t then the move may be unreasonable if the commute to the new base is very difficult/ takes a lot of time/ interferes with your personal circumstances eg care giver etc.

 

If there is no mobility clause then you may be able to push for home working or even a redundancy payment rather than just resign. 
 

[P&O SUE]

Thanks all for those suggestions. I complained about my laptop at first because it was very low on my desk when I mentioned ‘health and safety’ they very soon got me a riser to lift it up. 
 

Trouble is I’m not one to make a fuss usually, I wish I could afford to resign!

[purplesea]

Morning all,

Just had a quick skim through some of the latest posts.

Belated Birthday greetings Avril, and Sue sorry to hear about your father and hope he everything sorts it's self out in due course.

Warm and sunny down here today at a pleasant 15oC. Since we arrived home on Thursdy it's the first sunny day we have had as it's been misty/foggy, so the washing is out.

Off to collect my Tesco order in a short while then visit Mum other than that not a lot planned.

Take care.

Pam 

[Ardennais]

My middle daughter is a teacher and brings her laptop home every night - she’s stuck to it until about 9 every night doing her prep. She also brings home at least one bag full of of books to mark every night. The other two are now back working in their offices 2/3 days a week and again have to transport their laptops and some paperwork/files. It’s not unreasonable. 

Edited May 8, 2022 by Ardennais

[Eddie99]

17 minutes ago, P&O SUE said:

Thanks all for those suggestions. I complained about my laptop at first because it was very low on my desk when I mentioned ‘health and safety’ they very soon got me a riser to lift it up. 
 

Trouble is I’m not one to make a fuss usually, I wish I could afford to resign!

That’s your clue!

Make a fuss!  They’ll take note

[Peanut006]

2 hours ago, P&O SUE said:

Only just catching up Michelle. Hope you continue to stay well and I’m glad you had a good holiday . Annoying about the wait for luggage - by the end of the holiday I just want to go home then!

Thanks Sue

[Snow Hill]

2 hours ago, P&O SUE said:

Yes I’m looking into a backpack Thank you. I said to my immediate manager I know it’s  not their fault I don’t drive but I choose that place because I could walk it easily. Giving us laptops, then saying saying we had to go in more makes no sense. Also the new office we move to could be two bus rides away! Despite what my husband says I’m resigning if that happens!

Backpack or trolley case. I spent 20+ years carrying a laptop around either on commute to work, train or plane. In 2008 my shoulder decided it had enough, I was retuning on a plane from Canada when my shoulder seized up, I was off work for 4 months, I had a severe frozen shoulder, after physiotherapy a couple of cortisone injections I eventually returned to work. A surgeon who examined me an reviewed MRO scans & x-rays showed me the tendon damage in my shoulder, which in his opinion caused the damage and recommended I switched to a backpack to even the weight distribution out.

 

On my return to work the backpack laptop carrier was on my desk the day I returned, however I still suffer from a sore shoulder from time to time. 

[Ardennais]

To be fair, laptops are getting smaller and lighter all the time. I think back to the first one I had and it was quite cumbersome. 

[zap99]

1 hour ago, Ardennais said:

My middle daughter is a teacher and brings her laptop home every night - she’s stuck to it until about 9 every night doing her prep. She also brings home at least one bag full of of books to mark every night. The other two are now back working in their offices 2/3 days a week and again have to transport their laptops and some paperwork/files. It’s not unreasonable. 

I chucked mine in the boot where it stayed until the next day. Not unreasonable. Sue doesn't drive and needs to use public transport. Unreasonable. The employer could provide ' hot, shared 'computers at the office so folk don't get droopy shoulders, or mugged, but won't do so unless a fuss in made.

[Harry Peterson]

I do really feel for Sue in this situation, and there are some pretty clear laws regulating what employers can and can’t do (often dismissed by certain sectors as Health and Safety gone mad until suddenly one of them discovers they really are there for good reasons).

 

Employers vary, though, and bad employers can be vindictive - sometimes successfully because it’s too expensive to take them on. 

 

Know your employer before taking them on. What will be dealt without problems by a company like John Lewis may well be used by companies like Amazon to secure a dismissal in the longer term.

[Harry Peterson]

 

I suspect this might interest quite a few here!

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0017412

 

Staffordshire Oatcakes – a Potteries tradition going strong

The Food Programme

 

In our world of globalised food, there are few things that have remained true local specialities, and the Staffordshire oatcake is one of them. This oatmeal, yeasted pancake is an institution in Stoke-on-Trent and surrounding area, but still hardly anyone beyond the Midlands seems to have heard of them. The oatcake has a history stretching back hundreds of years as a staple food for workers of the Staffordshire Potteries – it then suffered a dip in popularity from the 1960s which led to concerns about its future, but today we hear reports that local production is healthy, and even going up.

In the programme Leyla Kazim visits oatcake bakers in Stoke to hear how they’re keeping this much-loved local staple going strong. And we catch up with Glenn Fowler, the owner of the very last traditional ‘hole in the wall’ shop which closed in 2012, to find out how this Stoke institution lives on through its recipe. But as demand goes up, this is driving more automated production, so what could that mean for the traditional methods and the long-established recipes? And it is time for this overlooked oatmeal pancake to finally gain nationwide appeal?

Presented by Leyla Kazim and produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol.

[Ardennais]

53 minutes ago, zap99 said:

I chucked mine in the boot where it stayed until the next day. Not unreasonable. Sue doesn't drive and needs to use public transport. Unreasonable. The employer could provide ' hot, shared 'computers at the office so folk don't get droopy shoulders, or mugged, but won't do so unless a fuss in made.

I agree that the employer could easily provide shared computers. My point is that laptops these days are light and small. Students and pupils carry them around without difficulty and I can imagine the ‘snowflake’ comments bandied around if they started complaining about carrying laptops. 

[brian1]

1 hour ago, Harry Peterson said:

 

I suspect this might interest quite a few here!

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0017412

 

Staffordshire Oatcakes – a Potteries tradition going strong

The Food Programme

 

In our world of globalised food, there are few things that have remained true local specialities, and the Staffordshire oatcake is one of them. This oatmeal, yeasted pancake is an institution in Stoke-on-Trent and surrounding area, but still hardly anyone beyond the Midlands seems to have heard of them. The oatcake has a history stretching back hundreds of years as a staple food for workers of the Staffordshire Potteries – it then suffered a dip in popularity from the 1960s which led to concerns about its future, but today we hear reports that local production is healthy, and even going up.

In the programme Leyla Kazim visits oatcake bakers in Stoke to hear how they’re keeping this much-loved local staple going strong. And we catch up with Glenn Fowler, the owner of the very last traditional ‘hole in the wall’ shop which closed in 2012, to find out how this Stoke institution lives on through its recipe. But as demand goes up, this is driving more automated production, so what could that mean for the traditional methods and the long-established recipes? And it is time for this overlooked oatmeal pancake to finally gain nationwide appeal?

Presented by Leyla Kazim and produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol.

They've got to do a similar programme about jellied eels now,it's only fair.

[majortom10]

1 hour ago, Harry Peterson said:

 

I suspect this might interest quite a few here!

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0017412

 

Staffordshire Oatcakes – a Potteries tradition going strong

The Food Programme

 

In our world of globalised food, there are few things that have remained true local specialities, and the Staffordshire oatcake is one of them. This oatmeal, yeasted pancake is an institution in Stoke-on-Trent and surrounding area, but still hardly anyone beyond the Midlands seems to have heard of them. The oatcake has a history stretching back hundreds of years as a staple food for workers of the Staffordshire Potteries – it then suffered a dip in popularity from the 1960s which led to concerns about its future, but today we hear reports that local production is healthy, and even going up.

In the programme Leyla Kazim visits oatcake bakers in Stoke to hear how they’re keeping this much-loved local staple going strong. And we catch up with Glenn Fowler, the owner of the very last traditional ‘hole in the wall’ shop which closed in 2012, to find out how this Stoke institution lives on through its recipe. But as demand goes up, this is driving more automated production, so what could that mean for the traditional methods and the long-established recipes? And it is time for this overlooked oatmeal pancake to finally gain nationwide appeal?

Presented by Leyla Kazim and produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol.

That has made me feel hungry will have to and look in the fridge see if we have some cheese and bacon 😋

[kalos]

Yorkshire pud's are still the nations favourite 

 

[zap99]

2 minutes ago, kalos said:

Yorkshire pud's are still the nations favourite 

 

Starting to look forward to our Celebrity cruise in July. We had a look at the MDR menu's. Available every day... escargot.yum, Yum. Come on P&O, they are not too hard to catch. Frogs legs on the other hand.....🤔

[pete14]

2 hours ago, Harry Peterson said:

 

I suspect this might interest quite a few here!

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0017412

 

Staffordshire Oatcakes – a Potteries tradition going strong

The Food Programme

 

In our world of globalised food, there are few things that have remained true local specialities, and the Staffordshire oatcake is one of them. This oatmeal, yeasted pancake is an institution in Stoke-on-Trent and surrounding area, but still hardly anyone beyond the Midlands seems to have heard of them. The oatcake has a history stretching back hundreds of years as a staple food for workers of the Staffordshire Potteries – it then suffered a dip in popularity from the 1960s which led to concerns about its future, but today we hear reports that local production is healthy, and even going up.

In the programme Leyla Kazim visits oatcake bakers in Stoke to hear how they’re keeping this much-loved local staple going strong. And we catch up with Glenn Fowler, the owner of the very last traditional ‘hole in the wall’ shop which closed in 2012, to find out how this Stoke institution lives on through its recipe. But as demand goes up, this is driving more automated production, so what could that mean for the traditional methods and the long-established recipes? And it is time for this overlooked oatmeal pancake to finally gain nationwide appeal?

Presented by Leyla Kazim and produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol.

Thanks Harry. Salivating at the very thought. Shame they don’t seems to sell them here in North Wales. Welsh cakes aren’t quite the same.

[Rupert2251]

This is Glenn selling his oatcakes through the hole in the wall. He used to make dinky ones for the kids as well, our daughter loved going there with her nan and grandad.