How far out of London do they live ???

[Clothescloth]

As the presenters are self employed, their travel and accommodation would be tax reductable

 

[Turandot]

I used to travel an hour each way to work in the NHS. I hated just sitting in traffic so would leave early to get there and leave late to get home. Better to stay at work than sit in a jam.

We were told to pick up the phone then immediately put it down when we were 'on a break' which happened at least 6 times a day, not including lunch. We were also told to treat anyone at a lower grade 'in a way that makes it obvious that you are a higher grade' than them (ward manager's actual words). I have an idea what she meant but I believe in treating others the way they treat me. She also told us to 'pretend you didn't hear' patients.

Then there were the consultants... A few were great. Others were so far up their own arses, though. They'd cancel clinics arranged weeks in advance to go and play golf for the day or take an unplanned week off and expect staff to contact all the patients to re-arrange. The cost of sending letters and making calls trying to inform people that the 'consultant is ill/has a family emergency - I'm sure you understand' must have been considerable as staff would also have to put in overtime to catch people sometimes the evening before the clinic was due.

Ridiculous.

Yes I worked in the NHS. I commuted on the very crowded tube. I did ward rounds with consultants many of whom thought they were Gods especially those on A &E.
Now as a receiver of healthcare for some serious conditions I get so annoyed when appointments are cancelled at the last minute . I’m not talking about during Covid but prior to that.

 

[Bettyboo]

I can’t imagine what it must be like to have to commute long distances to work it sounds horrendous to me. I live about two miles from where I worked and used to walk there most days as I don’t drive and we weren’t on the bus route for years.

 

[Clothescloth]

As the presenters are self employed, their travel and accommodation would be tax reductable

Deductable

 

[merryone]

I can’t imagine what it must be like to have to commute long distances to work it sounds horrendous to me. I live about two miles from where I worked and used to walk there most days as I don’t drive and we weren’t on the bus route for years.

Me neither....I live a 10-12 minute walk or 5 min cycle from my work and that's bad enough. I am so glad that I have the option to be able to save time and money. I know people in my place of work who have to get up massively early because of having to take a lengthy bus journey, and not only that, they're reliant upon what time the buses actually go. Most of them end up getting into work a good half hour before their shift starts because the next bus gets them there a few mins too late and of course they have to pay for the pleasure. No way would I do a 4 hour commute...I'd have to move a lot nearer or find a job closer to home. I need my sleep and I resent having to pay to go to work!

 

[Breeze]

I missed my calling! Why didn’t I get an office job with the NHS!!I
I lived on a farm. Used to be up at 4am to help with the milking then catch two buses to my job where I worked from nine till four, teaching. Children had lessons till four back then, not going home at three like now.
Then two buses home in time to cook tea then milking again, out later in the evening making sure all the stock was bedded down for the night. Some nights was up through the night if it was lambing time or a cow was calving.

 

[stratobuddy]

I still vividly remember the commute for my first job at the tender age of 16.

The start time was 0812 but it was difficult to get to as it was a "hush-hush" establishment in the middle of the countryside, high up on the side of a hill.

As far as I remember, I had to get up about 6am, which went against the grain for a teenager.

I first had a 10 minute walk to my nearest bus stop, then a wait for the trolleybus, which took me to the stop for my next bus, a journey of about 15 minutes.

Then it was a wait for the next bus, which ran every 1/2 hour, and that journey itself took about 1/2 hour.

But the worst part was a 20 minute walk up a very steep hill into the depths of the countryside, in all weathers. I remember I bought a plastic mac (about the most waterproof item of clothing at that time) and one day by the time I got up the hill it had been torn to shreds by the wind and rain.

If you were late, you had to see the "big boss" to explain why.

The hours were 44 per week, with just 1/2 hour for lunch, then at 5-30pm I had to do the whole journey in reverse.

But funnily enough, the time of 0812 has always been very significant to me. For example, if I don't really want to get out of bed in the morning, I set myself a target of 0812 !

I missed my calling! Why didn’t I get an office job with the NHS!!I
I lived on a farm. Used to be up at 4am to help with the milking then catch two buses to my job where I worked from nine till four, teaching. Children had lessons till four back then, not going home at three like now.
Then two buses home in time to cook tea then milking again, out later in the evening making sure all the stock was bedded down for the night. Some nights was up through the night if it was lambing time or a cow was calving.

My work was next door to a farm, and the 2 apprentices had to take it in turns as soon as we arrived to walk up and get a bucket of milk, almost straight from the cow. It was a job we both hated, and the other apprentice often tried to dodge it. Perhaps I should have learned from his attitude, as he is now a multi - BILLIONNAIRE and a knight of the realm.

 

[donna255]

When we moved to our location early 00s the boss.took.me.up to the new building to look around. He insisted it was 15 minute bus journey shorter by car. I looked around and said it's the country there are cows in a field over there!

 

[stratobuddy]

My work was next door to a farm, and the 2 apprentices had to take it in turns as soon as we arrived to walk up and get a bucket of milk, almost straight from the cow. It was a job we both hated, and the other apprentice often tried to dodge it. Perhaps I should have learned from his attitude, as he is now a multi - BILLIONNAIRE and a knight of the realm.

There were only 30 people working there, they were all "boffins" and they were all eccentric in some way, except for me, of course.

 

[Brissles]

Yes I worked in the NHS. I commuted on the very crowded tube. I did ward rounds with consultants many of whom thought they were Gods especially those on A &E.
Now as a receiver of healthcare for some serious conditions I get so annoyed when appointments are cancelled at the last minute . I’m not talking about during Covid but prior to that.

I concur with you Turandot. Being a Lupus sufferer since 1993 my condition needs monitoring at least annually by a Consultant, - and it was until about 7 years ago when 'my man' retired. A new Consultant took over and initially she continued my regime, and then gradually the six month appt would be cancelled due to 'study / holiday' leave, so I was lucky to see her once every 15 months, and now due to Covid I haven't actually seen her for 2 years. Thankfully I still have a cocktail of medication every day and 12 weekly blood tests, so I can only hope that someone somewhere is on the ball and keeping an eye on my progress !

 

[Vienna]

My telephone appointment with my ENT consultant has been cancelled 3 times since September. Luckily things seem to be stable for me at the moment but I`m not holding my breath that the appointment will go ahead on the latest date I`ve been given which is January 25th.

 

[Suki 1]

So if they are doing a late shift, then appearing again the following morning, I take it they stay in a hotel overnight - covered perhaps by our exorbitant p & p charges

Yes it has been mentioned by them at times.

 

[Twilight]

I missed my calling! Why didn’t I get an office job with the NHS!!I
I lived on a farm. Used to be up at 4am to help with the milking then catch two buses to my job where I worked from nine till four, teaching. Children had lessons till four back then, not going home at three like now.
Then two buses home in time to cook tea then milking again, out later in the evening making sure all the stock was bedded down for the night. Some nights was up through the night if it was lambing time or a cow was calving.

To answer your question, because what you did was worthwhile & says everything about you.

 

[Glittergirl]

That seems a lot of travelling for fuel, time etc! They must be on a very good salary to compensate this!

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

Freebies alone would make it worth it.

 

[ohnonotshoppingagain]

Under no circumstances would I ever have considered a long commute to work, unless the money made it well worth my journey, and I mean every word of this. I worked in Air Traffic Control for 30 odd years, and I can tell you that my journey each shift took half an hour there and back!

 

[alter ego]

My Mr T is a self employed adviser for the NFU & until the Chinese nasty appeared he worked for three days a week travelling the M5 to Gloucestershire, Wilshire & Dorset. I hate that motorway & I'm delighted that his journeys came to an end; the fact that he's achieved as much working remotely from a spare bedroom as he did in the offices means he'll never have to do them again.

I worked in the family business during the holidays as a youngster and dealt with a lot of insurance people. NFU was the best with CIS a close second. Most of the others were just difficult to deal with.

 

[Twilight]

I worked in the family business during the holidays as a youngster and dealt with a lot of insurance people. NFU was the best with CIS a close second. Most of the others were just difficult to deal with.

He worked for Barclays, then HSBC's Agriculture section & when the NFU heard he was retiring they wanted him as a consultant. I can understand why you'd say that about them; he was trained to give excellent service, when banks had that as a priority & knew their customers, something the mutual have continued long after the banks stopped being interested. He's involved in big farming area & the biggest problem I have is going to their events, as an outspoken animal defender I have a really difficult time keeping shtum. Having said that it has meant that I've lunched with P C & Camilla, someone I never thought I'd be able to be in the same room with but really liked, & she took me on a tour of the gardens at Highgrove

 

[alter ego]

Wow! There's a lot of shoulder-rubbing with the rich and famous going on here.

I'm still waiting for Strato to name-drop the lazy billionaire's name...

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

My late father was in many charity organisations which together with being married in the same year as the Queen resulted in mum and him being invited to several royal garden parties. Mum wasn’t fussed but Dad loved going.