bridge too far

But those stalling tactics can work in your favour. I already mentioned this in the previous thread - my SiL applied and was promised a result within a certain time frame (I think they're obliged to settle within a set period). Well, they didn't and my daughter (his wife), who is a compliance / complaints manager, chased them up. When they eventually coughed up, they paid a significant amount of 'interest'.

Very clever!

Well put, Sue

I guess you just take your orders elsewhere? That'll learn 'em.

No, I really don't. I can also understand and sympathise with both sides of the debate

I don't really have a view one way or the other (for a change!)

I've been under the misconception (if you'll excuse the pun) that it generally takes a woman AND A MAN to make a baby.

And M & S http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18156496

Was this reflected in the previous month's figures?

Rallyboy - I think I love you! You make me laugh so much

along with Clinton Cards last week.

Aah - so he's setting out his stall early in advance of contract extension negotiations.

Strange excuse that one. Even I, now retired and rarely using my car, fill my car up more than once a month! Goes with wrong snow, public holidays (that were supposed to INCREASE spending) etc.

Economical with the truth, as ever. That's not what she said at all. What she ACTUALLY said was she "shivered" when she thought of what might have happened to the UK "if no such fiscal consolidation programme had been decided" after May 2010. She didn't mention Labour mismanaging the economy at all. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18165420

But: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18171600

from this article: TUC general secretary Brendan Barber agreed that the slower rate was "a relief to millions of people", but pay was still failing to keep up with prices. "With earnings growing by just 0.6%, people are still getting poorer every month," he said.

My only comment was as follows: Maybe not now, but likely to be arthritic in later years if it hasn't healed properly. Quite how that equates to encouraging him to make a claim is beyond me, but no doubt the correlation exsists in your tunnel-vision mind.

Where did I imply that? Or have you, as usual, made an assumption without actually reading what I wrote? I was pointing out to the OP that sometimes fractures cause problems in the long term. Did you have any useful advice for him? You should take Gemmel's advice I think.

Has the firesale spread out of control? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-18159549

And a lot of GPs offer / volunteer / are required to do sessions in A & E.

Yes it did work out for the best - but let's suppose he was unable to find other work. He would have had no recourse to law if these proposals were in place at the time and would have been unemployed with no recompense through no fault of his own. It does beg the question as to why this particular head teacher has a high turnover of staff and why it hasn't been investigated. Here's another report on the change of heart by Dave - similar to the Guardian article: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/cable-forces-uturn-on-fire-at-will-job-reform-7771343.html?fb_action_ids=3863955767737&fb_action_types=news.reads&fb_source=other_multiline#access_token=AAADWQ6323IoBAEQeYDsKV86LZBdgLGqDwx9CPTOf8p5WfgWWlndkGV37ZBCsZAMJnon1vIVZBRTHpaK9INBdnUJT6P2HllMsEXiR4ZCnGcQZDZD&expires_in=6387

Very good

I think changes to current legislation could seriously impact on people who, for whatever reason, don't 'fit'. My SiL is a teacher and he was, in effect, driven out of his previous post because the head teacher took a dislike to him. He hadn't done anything wrong and went beyond the call of duty, so to speak, by running after school sports training and other unpaid work. Fortunately for him, he found another post where he is held in very high regard by the head teacher, colleagues, children and parents. He's doing nothing different. He could have been out on his ear if the first head teacher had had her way, even though he'd done nothing wrong - if there had been no employment protection in place. Interestingly, her school has one of the highest turnovers of teaching staff in the county. So the rules need to stay to protect the innocent - and I bet there are more of those than there are shirkers.

I think I'm right in saying that one of the reasons the car industry is doing so well in this country is the flexibility of the workforce. The recent announcement about the new Vauxhall production at Halewood (?) suggested that the UK won over other European countries for this very reason and also because of the high productivity rates. Aggressive approaches such as those proposed will be counter-productive IMO.

Gas Street Basin is (or was) very nice if you like canal boats. Years ago, we cruised underneath Spaghetti Junction - bit bizzarre!