Champerton New Year

As the sun sets on another year I thought I should at least try to get in one more addition to my blog!

I'm not sure if anyone actually reads this stuff but at least it keeps me amused and off the streets!

All I really wanted to say though is that I hope you all had a Champerton Christmas and I pray that 2007 brings with it a little more peace for everyone.

On a very significant day for Iraq maybe we should all be thinking of the ordinary Iraqi people, and pray for them at this momentus moment in the life of their nation - that the turning of this page of history will herald peace and calm for that desperately troubled land.

We can at least hope.

God bless you all!

Champertastic!

My friend Philippa (you remember - her with the shoe fetish) is from Leeds.

She's been back a few times recently to visit her parents and to catch up with her many friends. She reports that there is a definite movement within this noble circle to re-instate the use of 'Champerton' in everyday use within the county of Yorkshire. Well that gets a thumbs up from me and Tigger!

Go for it guys - today Yorkshire - tomorrow - THE WORLD (manic laughter!)!!

Champerton!

'Whadda *#&%*@# liberty!'

It's taken a while to throw off the full devastating effect of the Man Cold - but something happened this week that inspired me to get on the old blog soap box once again.

As I was walking to work on Monday (at a very silly time of day) it started to rain. Being a sensible sort of chappie I delved into my rucksack and produced my battered but trusty brolley. Once on the train there isn't really anywhere obvious to store a dripping wet brolley apart from under the seat.

Well - you've guessed it - I left my trusted old friend on the 0605 from Ipswich. Not a very Champerton thing to do you will no doubt agree! Not a problem I thought - the trusted and dutiful staff of 'One' (daft name) Railways will hand it in and I will simply poodle along to Lost Property at Liverpool Street (open from 0700 until 2300 7 days a week) and be re-united with my missing item. Champerton!

Now... the 0605 arrives in London well before 0700 hours so rather than wait I decided to go to work and explore the ins and outs of retrievig said lost item.

Well - let me tell you - I can now understand how they can afford to appoint a 3rd party company to run their lost property office for 16 hours a day, 7 days a week - it was going to cost me £2.00 to get my own property back! Ohh - and that's not all! If you are unlucky enough to leave behind your CD player they'll fleece you for a fiver, your mobile phone will set you back a tenner, and if you part company with your laptop they'll stuff you for 20 quid!! However - under 16's school work, medical items and kiddies toys are exempt - so that's all right then!

As a matter of principle I refuse to pay - which probably means my principles will eventually get me very wet until Santa brings me a replacement (hint hint!).

The charge is apparently to cover ' the cost of retrieval' and is in line with guidelines agreed by all UK train operators - which sounds like a perfect stitch-up to me!

Obviously they have taken a leaf out of the Chancellor's book - because these charges can be described as nothing less than a tax on honesty!!

To mis-quote James Blunt - 'Goodbye my brolley, goodbye my friend....'