Quick easy family meals

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/5939/tomato-and-thyme-cod

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2998/speedy-moroccan-meatballs

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1940/20minute-seafood-pasta-

Main themes:

Pasta for carbohydrates

Fish

Chicken / turkey

Egg

Tins of chopped tomatoes

Herbs

Future Wheels - Smart Glider

Please comment if you have actually had a problem with your Future Wheels Smart Glider, I'd be most interested to hear. 

We have heard today that Future Wheels Ltd in Jersey have gone into Liquidation, they have also issued a product recall on the Future Wheels Smart Glider as it does not meet UK safety standard for the charger and the battery control panel in the actual board.

It's a shame to read this at the Future Wheels Smart Glider has been a great board, the kids have loved using it since Christmas Day.  We even did a 'walk' of 7 miles with it up and down hills on one charge!

It has got a proper plug on the charger (JY-422000 on ours) for the Smart Glider but the charger has not got proper markings on it including the makers details and any certification.  Going to check the fuse rating on the plug though, should be just 2 or 3A and not full 13 amps...

Future Wheels appear to have gone to all lengths they could to prove the device but have not been able to, they appear to have been badly let down by Chinese suppliers that have alleged compliance to CE regulations, but in reality this is simply not true.

I've read that the Smart Glider JY-422000 charger was also subject of product recall in Australia as it did not meet their safety standards either.

Luckily we deliberately purchased our Future Wheels Smart Glider from a high street retailer, Selfridges in our case, so that we had protection about this type of thing.  Feel sorry for anyone that has purchased from online retailers that may also go into liquidation.

Facebook Fraud

Be aware of http://wap-uk.topikoo.com/

Topikoo use 'surveys' and games in Facebook in order to fraudulently subscribe you up to their subscription services.  You then get £4.50 or another figure taken from your mobile phone account for a service that you did not subscribe to. During an unassociated survey on line you slip in a button that doesn't do what it says, and then allege that a service has been subscribed to, and Facebook provide a mobile number to you to charge an account.

Very underhand Topikoo.

http://wap-uk.topikoo.com/ should be disgusted by their actions.  Facebook should take their lack of action by Topikoo and it is well known for over 12 months that Topikoo are acting in a fraudulent way.

Moreover Facebook should be hauled over the coals for giving out peoples mobile numbers to third parties like Topikoo.  They are not permitted to do it.

Topikoo has been given 5 days by me to refund the amounts illegally charged to my mobile bill.  If Topikoo do not take action by this date the matter will be passed to Phonepluspay who are the ombusman for mobile services in the UK.

The service that is used for Topikoo is Tekkalab and it is managed by Fonix.

You should all be ashamed of your actions or associations:

http://wap-uk.topikoo.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Tekka-Lab-131438380217686/ be shamed

https://www.fonix.com/ you should be ashamed of your association.  All of you are allowing illegal use of your software or services.

My information has been provided from a very reliable and well known source.

Facebook should be the first to step forward and stop the use of these companies due to their illegal activities.

Topikoo you really are the pits, I hope that the law catches up with you sooner or later, but I suppose that you will have spent a lot of your earnings by then.

Update - the money, well the £4.50 has been refunded as the subscription was cancelled within the 14 days cooling off period required for all internet transactions. Make sure you put your claim in immediately. The cancellation time was based upon the text to cancel the service that we didn't actually subscribe to in the first place. Original comments still stand, all involved should look at what they are doing or inadvertently supporting in the pursuit of profit.

Fountain pen alternatives

Fountain pens are great to write with but have the negatives of being relatively fragile with the chance of getting ink on you. Those who love fountain pens however use them as they are such a pleasure to write with compared to any other pens.

Writing with a fountain pen is more of an event that using a biro or ball point pen, roller ball or some other alternative. There's just something about taking the cap off your fountain pen that adds to the occasion whether you post the cap or place it on your desk.

I had the misfortune to buy some roller ball pens today that claimed to 'write like a fountain pen'. Well you can be totally assured that they do not by a country mile. How foolish of me to even think that they could be considered in the same thought as being similar.

What I need is a list cost fountain pen that I can use daily that I don't worry about dropping, preferably not using cartridges though.

Does anyone have any ideas out there?

Update - so no real alternatives out there from what I have tried.  I've been trying various gel and liquid ink pens but none of them have truly ticked the box, nothing can replace a lovely free flowing fountain pen.  Love live the fountain pen!

Company Car Review

Time to choose a new company car after just over 3 years with my Octavia 1.6TDi estate. I tow a caravan that is 1,200kg (max plated weight 1370kg) and have 2 children 8 & 11.

I've looked at:

BMW 3 series touring - very well finished, lovely interior bit boy not that big. Not keen on the whole BMW image thing either. Didn't drive it, although I'm sure it would have been best to drive of then all. Company Car tax very high as emissions not that good on them, even the efficient dynamics version, then coupled with high list price means it's of the lost as soon as it went on it.

Audi A4 Avant - what a busy showroom, struggled to get hold of a salesman to open one up. Space OK, interior was very good, on a par with the BMW. Didn't bother with great drive as tax to high again due to poor emissions and high list price.

Toyota Aventis Sport Tourer - loads of room in boot and cabin. Nothing exciting about the car although the current version looks better than any of the old versions. Didn't test drive as 2.0 diesel is simply not powerful enough especially when you consider extra car weight over the Octavia.

Skoda Octavia 2.0 Estate - disregarded as weight is lower than my current Octavia so would be a problem for towing as I'm already marginal on weight. Otherwise would have been a good choice again with its massive boot and lower P11d value.

VW Passat 2.0 estate - I've driven these, they are ok but nothing exciting and emissions not that good. Just didn't interest me. Also due for an update, especially demonstrated by the fact that they are still using the old 140hp engine.

Ford Mondeo - emissions not good, other finish not that high a standard. Mundano

Volvo V60 D4 sport tourer - Had a test drive of the D2 as couldn't wait a further 2 weeks for the D4. Car was OK, well finished although the dash and centre console isn't the nicest design, it's just plonked into all Volvos and it shows. 

Couldn't stand the electric parking brake, no auto hold and was a long reach down on the right. Steering was feel-less. Not small. This one was my favourite before the test drive due to very low tax and good power and weight for towing.

Vauxhall Insignia Tourer - A late entry to my list. Good tax now with good weight and size for caravan. Power is OK at 136hp or so. Booking a test drive. Parking sensors are extra on all but the Elite model which is surprising. Reviews of the new model are OK - could be the one.

Test drive was OK. Handling is taught which was nice after the soggy V60. All the controls are in the right place, with plenty of space in the car. Only negative was a real diesel grumble when pulling away, it disappeared as fast as it started and the engine was refined and quiet when on the move. The gearing felt quite high but would soon get used to that. Importantly the hand brake switch is where the handbrake used to be - I really don't understand why everyone doesn't put their handbrake switches there.

Which will be my next company car? Request now placed, just got to wait and see if it gets ordered.

Update January 2016

So no new car ordered in March 2014, have been stuck with a BMW 520d since instead - hate the damned thing.  So had a another round of looking at cars in summer 2015 in hope that a new one would finally get ordered.

Jaguar XE - want an estate and there is no chance one is appearing apparently.  Went to look at one in the showroom, the space in the rear is tiny, no room for size 11's for sure.  The cabin was great up front though. Didn't bother with a test drive as car too small for me.

Passat new 2015 version - Nothing exiting but it's the one that got specified.

My previous company cars have been :

BMW 520d 2011 - Auto gearbox is shocking. I don't like auto's anyway but really BMW, the change quality is appalling, worse than a learner on a first lesson in a manual. Upside to that is oversteer is easily attained when exiting junctions apparently.

Octavia vRS estate Tdi - great size and power but struggled to put that power down. That became tiresome, 1.6TDi much more pleasant to drive day to day and doesn't keep get you doing silly speeds. The power was relaxing on the motorway though. Would have been good for towing except for the traction issue which would have been tyre shredding.

MG ZT tdi - What a great car, the handling was fantastic, I had only driven 20 metres on the test drive before I knew I had to have it. Used to wear the rear the as fast as the fronts the handling was that will balanced. Miss that car more than any other Company car.

VW Passat 1.8T SE - Very comfortable smooth engine. Battery would go flat if left for more than 1 week and dealers couldn't fix it. VW UK not interested. A service coordinator even told me I shouldn't leave it parked for so long! So much for VW reliability.

Vauxhall Vectra 2.0 petrol - Was OK, even handling was fine until you pushed to speeds that you shouldn't be doing on the road. Engine was great.

BMW 5 series Thule roof bar feet for sale https://www.gumtree.com/p/car-part-accessories/thule-foot-pack-753-fitting-kit-3089-for-bmw-5-series-saloon-2010-2015/1238612651
Thule 753 fitting kit 3089 foot pack

HS2

It's difficult to believe that the HS2 train rumbles on. There is still no convincing arguments being put forward for it. The cost benefit analysis is based upon an average salary of £70,000 which goes to show the figures are totally phoney and the train is for London City fat cats.

It's usual for trains to have stations for passengers to join and alight from services, strangely this is omitted from the HS2 plans. The line doesn't link up to the existing HS line to the continent so greatly reducing its usefulness. The line doesn't link with existing transport links in Birmingham, it's half a mile or more from the existing train network. It doesn't link with Birmingham Airport. On fact it doesn't really link with anything that is useful.

What it does successfully link though is countless sites of beauty, many lovely English villages. Not sure about the point of that though.

Even for us in The Midlands the deceased journey time is of no relevance, from Lichfield we can already get to London in only 70 minutes. If we used HS2 it would take at least 30 minutes longer and involve changing trains. Not everyone, on fact most people do not travel just from the centre of one city to the centre of another. This fact appears to have been ignored in the HS2 planning, perhaps because it would destroy the cost benefit calculation......

I would love to hear people step forward calling for this train line to go ahead with some real reasons but to date I haven't heard anyone. It's clear that at every event to promote the HS2 only those against the line turn out, this should send a clear message to the HS2 company that there is no call for the line.

Part of the future capacity requirements or forecasts must be wrong as more meetings are moving to non travel modes such as webinars so people don't need to travel as much. I know a number of people that work from home but in many countries without the time wasted travelling, this is only going to increase as technology moved forward faster than anything else these days.

One of the reasons put forward for HS2 is the capacity on the trains to London. Strange that as these tasks run with spare capacity, the full ones are the ones taking London traffic. This demonstrates that additional capacity would only add the the North South divide.

So politicians, it's time to start taking note of he feelings of your electorate, and not following your party line. We elect you to represent us not the conservatives, labour and liberals. Watch out or UK IP could be giving a lot of you a shock at the next election.

An update in 2016

The saga rolls on, HS2 Ltd are now being questioned for failing to properly respond to queries. Demonstrates to me what a sham the whole thing is, especially with a report that is not published.  There is only one reason for not publishing a report in these circumstances, and that it when the details and findings do not match with what the government wants it to say.

There is still no case for HS2 that has emerged, still not met anyone that wants a faster or more expensive train journey to London which does not shock me. I know of even more people that commute from Lichfield to London daily, and poeple that have moved from the South to Lichfield because of its great links to London. In fa

http://westfieldfreshair.blogspot.com/2013/08/no-new-railway-in-120-years.html

New Cinema near Lichfield and Burton on Trent and Derby

Just heard today about The Red Carpet Cinema

Sounds a fantastic place to go near Lichfield, Burton on Trent or Derby for a proper film experience.

Looking forward to first visit.

Update - Have now visited at long last, shall be going again in future, and avoiding those overpriced multiplexes.  What a great experience.

Eagerly await the new Bond movies for next visit.