Knitting

Knitting is something that your granny would do, sitting in her rocking chair by the coal fire….. Isn’t it?

Instead, I find knitting has once again become a craze since the likes of Russell Crowe (yes, I said Russell Crowe) Sarah Jessica Parker and Julia Roberts revealed that they too enjoyed knitting –

It wasn’t until three weeks ago on a wet Sunday afternoon I received a panic phone call from a very good friend of mine who lives in London that I remembered how relaxing and therapeutic knitting can be.  My friends Mum belongs to a church and the ladies of the church had decided that this year’s Christmas present to the local residence of the old people’s home would be knitted blankets.  So they set about this wonderful task, only to realise as they came to make up the blankets (from knitted squares) that the originally thought 10 residence where now in total 35.  – Being few in number the knitting circle, realised they had a much bigger job on their hands than they originally thought. So the distress call went out and managed to wing its way as far as Oxfordshire & West Sussex.

Without a second thought, (apart from where have I put those needles and have I got any wool) we leapt to their aid.   – Hence in true style of the DC household – I couldn’t find either the needles or the wool, so visited our local Urban Angles and purchased what was needed. Now on a cold evening I can be found curled up on the coach with my 10 year old daughter knitting for England, The next generation has started to be taught the pleasure that you can get from knitting, the wool entwined through your fingers and the occasional click click of the needles as one stitch is moved to other.

This thought then reminded me of many years past, when as a little girl I had been sent to my grandmothers for the school holidays and must have been bored (as young children have a habit of being), that my grandmother took the time to sit down and show me how to knit.  Much to my amazement the knitting on the needles grew quite fast (and quite often when I’d gone to bed). Nothing too adventures was tried, a scarf, a teapot stand and I think somewhere we even tried our hands at making a blanket (but I’m not sure where that ended up), and here am I now passing that skill on to my own little girl.  Who I am very pleased to report is getting as much enjoyment out of knitting as I had at her age.  We do on the odd occasion (every two rows) have to stop and count how many rows she has now completed. 

I hope one day that my daughter will have the time to stop for 5 minutes and pass this skill on to her children. 

BT

What is a reasonable amount of time do you think, for BT to mend a fault?

12^th October I entered work only to discover that our broadband line had stopped working.  On having a lengthy conversation (20 mins) with BT man, we discover that the line is dead, a fault at the exchange, so they tell me.  “But don’t worry madam, your call is very important to us and I will have this problem sorted for you within a couple of minutes”.  “Wow impressive” or so I thought.  BT man checks again and informs me that this will take a little longer than he had first thought and it would need to be bumped up to a higher level of technician as the fault is at the exchange rather than with the line to the property.  But not to fear, he would have a technician out to us so quickly that it would be sorted in no time. If you could just hold the line I’ll let you know when someone can come out and sort……………………..

“Madam, thank you for holding – your technician will be with you by the 17^th October”

“What 5 days?”

“Madam, unfortunately this is the soonest we can get to you”

17^th October I entered work in the happy thought that after 5 long days and night’s we would have our internet back – phew!  WRONG !!!!!!!!

Back on the phone to BT another lengthy conversation (34 mins) with BT man we discover that the BT line has been mended, however, there is now a problem with the internet.  “But don’t worry madam, your call is very important to us and I will have this problem sorted for you within a couple of minutes”. “ Wow Impressive” (only joking) BT man checks again and informs me that the network problem is once again at the exchange, but now that they are aware of this they will have it mended in no time.  If you could just hold the line I’ll let you know when someone can come out and sort………………………………………….

“Madam, thank you for holding – the problem will be sorted within 48 hours”

“What 2 days?”

“Madam, unfortunately this is the soonest we can get someone to your exchange to sort” 

20^th October I entered work happy in the thought that after 7 long days and night’s we would have our internet back – Thank God!  WRONG!!!!!!!

Back on the phone to BT I tried 4 times within the day to call BT and the line just rings, however, my call is important to them but someone will answer my call shortly.  Nevertheless by 5.30 no one had answered my call and I would have to start again tomorrow.

21^st October I entered work with dread and horror, what would today, without internet be like (8 long days and nights)

Back on the phone to BT I tried and I tried, but yet BT still wouldn’t pick up, my call to was important to them, but today they were receiving a high number of call’s

5.30 came and went – and the weekend was fast approaching and still no communication with BT.

24^th October, Just in case, I started work at home this morning reading and answering email’s, sorting out the banking and trying to sort everything that could be done, that would need any connection with the internet or email system. 

I laughed with my husband, saying that when I got to work everything would be up and running and I hadn’t needed to do all this…….. Wrong!!!!

24^th October and we still haven’t got Internet (12 days now) This is now become fast beyond a joke, (after all this is business internet – not home internet) So again, back on to BT

“Don’t worry madam, your call is very important to us and I will have this problem sorted for you within a couple of minutes”. 20 minutes later “I am sorry madam, but I am unable to sort your probably from this department and now need to bump you up to the next level.

“Don’t worry madam, your call is very important to us and they will have this problem sorted”. 

“Thank you for holding, and yes I can see what the problem is, We need to get a technician out to you, so that they can check the line from the exchange right up to and including inside the property to see where the actual fault is” “We will get a technician straight out to you and he will be able to resolve the problem” – “excellent”

“So when can I expect this technician?”

“He will be with you on 26^th October between 1pm and 6pm”

“Two days – is he walking?”

“Madam, unfortunately this is the soonest we can get someone to your exchange to sort” 

To be continued………………..