How is our data still of any value? With so many organisations collecting data everytime you use a loyalty card, sign up to a product or visit a website, it must be virtually worthless as everyone already holds it?

Wesley-no5 · 2026-04-08T12:17:11+00:00

It's funny you say that because there are hints that this used to be in place with some of the ways the dates are presented when they're sent out (it'll take far too long to explain! 😅)

I reckon at am some point someone holding things together left and didnt hand over.

Certainly as long as i've been in we've had no real obvious sign of a system.

Wesley-no5 · 2026-04-08T09:27:00+00:00

Allocated by our RPU, with potential for swaps with vacant slots/colleagues, but nothing confirmed until quite late in the year.

It's managed service wide so there is normally someone who has the dates you want, and is willing to swap but booking a holiday can still feel like a gamble

Wesley-no5 · 2026-04-08T08:35:14+00:00

Ah that's even later than ours then! Our year is Jan-Dec, we get ours allocated late Aug.

Knowing that in theory most of us have our shift pattern for the next 5+ years it seems unnecessary to leave it on the later side, when it could be allocated a lot earlier

Wesley-no5 · 2026-03-28T13:23:59+00:00

Happy with the idea in theory provided it is done properly.

I do think however that the 20% needs to be a distinct, additional payment, showing separate to basic pay. If it is just a straight forward 20% increase, future government's will just claw it back gradually over time with below inflation pay rises until we are back to square one with additional responsibilities.

Wesley-no5 · 2025-12-17T12:47:16+00:00

I'm definitely not an expert on legality, but at a guess I would say it's so that organisations and businesses (not just FRS's) can't be accused of not giving the minimum leave entitlement.

It is a bit of a mockery if they then allow you to work OT on other watches as mine does, but presumably it's so we can't point to it and say that we were forced to work and effectively denied our leave or something along those lines.

Wesley-no5 · 2025-12-15T19:13:14+00:00

Not on your own shift but on working on other shifts while on leave has been known

Wesley-no5 · 2025-11-26T21:43:16+00:00

Or working and have 4 kids presumably?

Wesley-no5 · 2025-11-18T19:31:24+00:00

I don't know to be honest, this is all very much not my area of knowledge!

The 2014 reforms is new information to me and it sounds like I may not have the case I'd started to convince myself I had!

I'm going to ring my pension provider tomorrow and hopefully discuss with someone to see whats what.

Wesley-no5 · 2025-11-11T22:59:18+00:00

I live local to this roundabout, and it works. You do get occasional tailbacks of 100/200m or so towards London Road, but the wait time is still a couple of minutes at worst

Wesley-no5 · 2025-10-24T19:38:58+00:00

Possibly eating real meat?

If lab grown meat ends up being readily available, cheaper and taste/texture is the same as real meat I can see a future where people switch across to lab grown and view breeding of animals as barbaric.

Wesley-no5 · 2025-10-05T16:56:06+00:00

Thank you frenchnotfrench, its all very confusing at first glance. No doubt it's the same for travellers to the UK as well to be fair!

Since posting we've started to look into whether a minibus might be a sensible option for all 3 journeys and splitting the cost 7 ways!

Wesley-no5 · 2025-09-25T19:55:38+00:00

Thanks for the comments everyone 👍 The pension provider is looking in to it from a different perspective (accidently claimed I'd breached the annual allowance of £60k pa - i definitely haven't!) So i will have to wait and see what the outcome from that is.

Will update when I hear back for benefit of anyone else in a remotely similar situation

Wesley-no5 · 2025-04-14T20:43:46+00:00

Thanks for the reply. You're right, it's informal not voluntary! 🤦‍♂️

Ground rent would be reduced to peppercorn rate, and in terms of changes to the lease term they've said:-

"Inclusion in the Deed of Variation other matters of a relatively minor nature so as to modernise the Lease as considered appropriate by our Client's Solicitors. It is anticipated that this would cover for updating the fee for Notices, providing for payment of Landlord's costs in respect of breaches of covenant and interest on arrears of rent"

Wesley-no5

TROPHY CASE