The reality – I am a Senior Citizen now!

It's only Tuesday and this week has highlighted the reality that I am a 'Senior Citizen'!

Claiming my state pension.

With the date of the completion of my sixty-fifth year approaching I investigated, with the aid of the internet (I'm a silver surfer), the procedure for claiming my state pension. By now I should have received an authorisation letter inviting me to complete my claim, online if I wished to, but I haven't. The advice on the Government website is that if the letter doesn't arrive then a telephone call to the pensions office is needed.

I telephoned the helpline with the aim of getting a copy of the missing letter. After a long wait, holding on the line for a real person to answer, I was connected to an extremely helpful lady. I gave her my name and explained my predicament.

“That's not a problem, Mr. Sampford, If you have ten minutes free at the moment I can help you complete your claim,” said the nice lady.

“I'm happy to apply online, later this month, if you can give me a code number or something to authorise me to start my claim when I'm ready.”

“Whilst you're on the phone why not do it now Mr. Sampford? It won't take us long.”

“Well, I don't have all my documents in front of me that I might need.”

“That's not a problem, I can wait if you need any. Let's wait and see if any are needed.”

“OK.”

“Can you confirm your full name.”

I answered the six or seven questions that were put to me.

“That's fine Mr Sampford we've completed your application. If you would like to hang on, I will calculate what your pension will be.”

I only wanted the authorisation to complete my claim online at a later date; but, after an eleven-and-one-half-minute phone call, I'd claimed my pension, knew how much it will be, and when the first payment will be. I'm certainly not complaining about the excellent service I received, from the very, very, nice lady. But, I wasn't ready to have my progression into the reality of being a state pensioner brought home to me so soon. I wanted a little more time to prepare myself.

Concessionary Travel – Bus Pass.

 

Although Natalie and I had been eligible to have a 'free bus pass' for sometime we had not bothered to apply for one before today. I had downloaded the application forms from the County Council's website a few months ago but left them hiding in the filing cabinet.

Yesterday evening, spurred on by my pension encounter during the day, the decision was made, to go the whole hog on the road to senior citizenship, to claim for our old person's bus pass. The application forms were completed; in black ink and with all writing within the designated boxes; copies of the required supporting documents made, and a passport type photograph of each of us found.

Based on our not too distant experience of bureaucracy within local government; admittedly in Spain during the past six years, but that is possibly another story; we decided to get to the council offices as soon after 09:30 hrs. (opening time) as possible. We decided to take a chance and not carry emergency food and drink supplies in case of a long wait – we would have done in Spain.

We arrived at City Hall at 09:42 hrs. – according to the purchased parking ticket – and entered the building with a degree of trepidation: which office did we need to find; how long would the queue be; had we brought all the correct documents; when would we see daylight again.

We need not have worried. We were dealt with by friendly and efficient members of staff. Only twenty-five minutes had gone by when we walked out of the building with our new bus passes tucked safely away amongst our many other plastic cards.

What was worrying though was the way I looked admiringly at my new symbol confirming I'm a Senior Citizen now.

Is a Senior Railcard the next stop?

© Elliot Sampford 2013

The Museum of Lincolnshire Life.

We (Natalie & I) have lived in and around Lincoln for forty years but had never visited the Museum of Lincolnshire Life until August 2013.

Location.

It is situated on Burton Road, Lincoln, housed in a former military barracks that were built in 1857 as the home of the Royal North Lincoln Militia. The buildings were in continuous use for military purposes until 1963. Close by is the City's impressive 'Cathedral Quarter' which includes the Cathedral and the Castle.

Main Entrance - Museum of Lincolnshire Life

Having eventually found somewhere to park our car, within reasonable walking distance; we entered the red brick Victorian Grade 11 listed buildings via the main entrance archway, above which is the regimental badge of the original occupants.

The staff manning the entrance and gift shop gave us a friendly welcome. We were given a leaflet explaining the route we should follow to get the best experience from our visit. I mentioned our forty-year delay in calling in and the amiable assistant said “I'm sure you will find the wait worthwhile.”

The exhibits displayed cover the period from 1750 to the present time encompassing examples of agricultural and rural life, local industry, transport, military history, and Victorian life at home and work.

Bedroom

The walkabout starts in the domestic zone with room layouts for the bedroom, kitchen, parlour and finally the washhouse. For visitors in their senior years the artefacts on display should bring back memories, the majority good but some not so, of life in their early years, and those of their parents and grandparents.

Kitchen

Parlour

Wash House

Sadler's Workshop

Royal Lincolnshire Regiment. 

Passing through the stable, the saddler's and blacksmith's workshops, you arrive at the military galleries. This interesting area shows the history of the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment and its forebears. Details are displayed of the daily life of soldiers through the years, the uniforms worn, the equipment used, the campaigns that were fought throughout the world, the stories of gallantry and the medals awarded.

The tour continues into the weakest, disappointing transport area containing a few exhibits of modes of travel. Amongst them a small number of bicycles, motorcycles, three horse-drawn carriages and a 1920 Bullnose Morris car.

Can you remember where you rode these bicycles? 

 A tank called Flirt.

Stepping into the industry and agriculture gallery the most impressive exhibit is the genuine First World War tank called 'Flirt'.

Lincoln was renowned for its engineering skills and was the birthplace of the military tank. There are examples of industrial engines, steam engines and farm equipment designed and built by indigenous companies; whose presence now only exists in the city and the county as names of streets and buildings.

The final section is the commercial area. Here one can reminisce amongst the Victorian and Edwardian shops of the Ironmonger, Basket Maker, Printer, Post Office, Draper, Chemist, and General Store.

Goal achieved.

The museum's aim is to 'reflect the history and culture of the people of Lincolnshire': it achieves that. Our two-hour travel back in time was an enjoyable and informative experience. The welcoming assistant was correct: our visit was worthwhile.

© Elliot Sampford 2013

An easy abundance on the eye.

On a overcast day this rose is a piece of sunshine in my garden.

 © Elliot Sampford 2013

Judicial Hanging!

Fifty years ago, on the 15^th August 1963, Henry John Burnett was the last man to be hanged in Scotland.

At the end of his three day trial, for the murder of Thomas Guyan, he was found guilty on the 25^th July 1963. The jury took only twenty-five minutes to complete it's deliberation and reach it's verdict of guilty on a 13 to 2 majority vote.

It was at 08:00 hours, in Craiginches Prison, Aberdeen, that Harry Allen, Chief Executioner in the United Kingdom, carried out the sentence of the court. The entry for cause of death on the Death Certificate of Henry John Burnett was 'Judicial Hanging'. It's a curious fact that the gallows used were the newest in the UK having been built in 1962. Not only was this the last hanging in Scotland but also the only hanging in Aberdeen for one hundred and fifty years.

Harry Allen was appointed Chief Executioner in October 1955 following the retirement of Albert Pierrepont, the long-serving hangman in England who executed at least 400 people. For fourteen years prior to his appointment as Chief Executioner Mr. Allen had acted as assistant to Mr Pierrepont.

On the 20^th December 1961 Mr. Allen carried out the last execution in Northern Ireland. This was of Robert McGaddery, in the Crumlin Road Gaol, Belfast. On the 13^th August 1964; just two days short of a year after that of Henry John Burnett; he officiated at one of the last two executions in the United Kingdom. He undertook the execution of Gwynne Owen Evans in Strangeways Prison, Manchester. At the same time, close-by in Walton Gaol, Liverpool, his colleague Robert Leslie Stewart (Joint Chief Executioner) terminated the life of Peter Anthony Allen. The two deceased had been found jointly guilty of the murder of John Alen West.

A further execution of note on the 15^th August was that of Josef Jakobs in 1941. Found guilty of being a German spy, he was executed by firing squad in the Tower of London. His was the last execution in the Tower of London.

A year after the executions of Evans and Allen, capital punishment was suspended as a result of 'The Murder(Abolition of Death Penalty) Act 1965'. Capital punishment for murder was abolished in 1969 in Great Britain and in Northern Ireland in 1973.

The inclusion of capital punishment, Judicial Murder, within the constitution and legal system of any country is abhorrent. No civilised, humane country should have the death penalty as a form of punishment within its legal system. Only barbarous states and countries, execute, murder, convicted criminals. Any religion that sanctions the use of the death penalty is a barbaric faith.

 © Elliot Sampford 2013

Revolving 'Storm door structure'.

Image courtesy of  FreeDigitalPhotos.net

How many of you wonder, as you complete your half-circle journey when using one, who invented the revolving door.

Well, the answer is a Swiss-American gentleman called Theophilus Van Kannel – Born 1841, Died 24 December 1919 – is considered as the inventor of the style of revolving door as we know it today. It was on this date one hundred and twenty-five years ago (7th August 1888) that he obtained the United States patent number 387571 for his invention of a 'Storm door structure'.

However, the first world patent was in fact granted, six-and-one-half years before that to Theophilus, to H Bockhacker, from Berlin, who obtained a German patent on the 22^nd December 1881 for his 'Tür ohne Luftzug' (Door without draft of air). It was Van Kannel's design that became the commercial success.

The door was not invented, as some people believed at that time, to stop horses entering into buildings.

It was devised as a means; to prevent wind, dust, snow, rain and other weather elements from entering the internal space when it is used to access a building; to allow persons to pass both in and out at the same moment in time without colliding into each other; the exclusion of street noise intruding into the building; and to reduce the adverse effect of the difference in air pressure inside and outside of a property has on opening conventional hinged-doors in the entrances of a multi-storey edifices. The original design and specification was for a three partition door system. To enable long objects through the revolving door a partition included a hinge facility to allow it to be folded back.

In more recent times additional benefits have materialized from the system. In the control of air-conditioned environments; being an aid to energy efficiency; by keeping warm air in, and cold air out, of a building. In security control the system can be used to manage the flow and speed of persons entering or leaving an area. Within the partitioned sections a scanner can be installed to unobtrusively examine people and their possessions.

Which way do revolving doors circulate? The answer is – in countries which drive on the right-hand side of the road the rotation is normally counter-clockwise whereas in those countries (Australia and New Zealand for example) that drive on the left it is clockwise. It means one travels round with the door the same direction as round a roundabout when in a vehicle. However, to add to the confusion, in the United Kingdom it can be either way. In the City Hall in London they seemed not to be able to decide which is best so installed a duo-counter-rotating revolving door.

For the 'Usefulness of his invention' Van Kannel was awarded the John Scott Medal by the Franklin Institute in 1889. The 'Storm door structure' wasn't his only invention. He went on to develop the 'Cherry Stoner', a 'changeable fulcrum door check', an aid to help close hinged doors automatically, and a fair ground ride called 'Witching Waves' – this was a predecessor of the dodgem type rides – which was installed on Coney Island, New York, in 1907.

I wonder if you will think about Theophilus Van Kannel next time you use a revolving door at the supermarket, department store, office building, or airport.

Amazon.co.uk did not tell me the truth!

I am not at all happy with the service from Amazon.co.uk. When I ordered on the 24^th July the website showed there were three of the item I ordered in stock. Amazon.co.uk confirmed receipt of the order which works on the basis that the item I ordered was in stock and that it would be delivered five to seven days later. On the 25^th July I'm told that my delivery had been dispatched – which means it must have been in-stock – and I could expect the item today and that amazon.co.uk had taken payment as my 'contract to purchase' had been completed. Yesterday (31^st July) I received a telephone call asking me if I would consider accepting a different make and different model with different specifications as an alternative to my ordered item. I confirmed that I wanted what I had ordered and what had been stated as dispatched to me.

Today I'm informed that the item I ordered had not in fact been dispatched, even-though a payment had been taken from my credit card, because they didn't have any in stock.

On the 24^th July 2013, having placed an order on Amazon.co.uk, I received an email with the subject line: 'Your Order with Amazon.co.uk.' They wrote to me: 'Thanks for your order, Elliot Sampford.. . . Delivery estimate: 29 July 2013 – 1^st Aug 2013.' They confirmed: 'This e-mail is only an acknowledgement of receipt of your order and your contract to purchase these items is not complete until we send you an e-mail notifying you that the items have been dispatched to you'. Fair enough.

On the 25^th July 2013 I received the email entitled: 'Your Amazon.co.uk order of . . . has been dispatched.' this confirmed that my contract to purchase the item was complete. The email went on to confirm: 'Dispatch Confirmation Order # xxx-xxxxxxx-xxxxxxx . . . We thought you'd like to know that . . . Your order is on the way, and can no longer be changed . . . Your estimated delivery date is: Thursday, August 01, 2013'. The email also confirmed that payment had been taken for the order: 'Paid by Visa: £xxx.xx.'

On the 30^th July 2013 I received an email from Amazon which said: 'Dear Elliot Sampford, Thank you for placing your order with us. I tried contacting you on the telephone number that we have on file xxxxxxxxxxx but could not get through to you. In order to fulfil your order in timely manner, we instructed our supplier to process and dispatch your order directly to you. They have contacted that there is an issue with the order which we would like to discuss with you. Kindly provide your best contact phone number and a convenient time, or contact us on 084568001708.

Today I received the following email from Amazon: 'Dear Elliot Sampford, It was a pleasure speaking with you earlier. As discussed, I am sorry that we could not supply the exact item that you ordered. I have initiated a full refund for the transaction.

Why was my order accepted for an item of which they had no stock? Why was I informed that a product that didn't exist had been dispatched to me? Why was payment taken for an item that didn't exist?

I am not at all satisfied with the service from Amazon.co.uk and supplier.

I find it totally unacceptable to be mislead by any supplier of goods or services. Especially one that takes money for something that cannot be supplied because it doesn't exist.

I expect to see the refund due to me  on my credit card account tomorrow.

I wonder if any of my readers have had similar problems.