“This Is the life”

As consumers we believe in the dream or product that a corporation or company are selling us. No matter what media platform we use we are bombarded with images both visual and verbal and often they are hard to ignore.

I consider myself a loyal customer of P&O for a considerable time.  They first appealed to me because they sold themselves as being a British tradition in cruising that catered for all the family and in the main they do, I had up until 2016 been satisfied with the service I had received.

Their advertising slogan “This Is the life” is inviting and before you know it you have been drawn in to the dream.  In August 2016, I was looking for a cruise that ticked all my boxes and I found one on Ventura (N729).  The cruise was only twelve nights and I was looking to extend it to a fortnight.  The previous cruise (N728) was described as a two-night mini break and I thought this was perfect, I booked the back to back cruises and thought no more of it.  As the months and weeks past my excitement grew.  These two cruises were extra special because it was my best friend’s birthday while on board ship and I had planned a variety of surprises for her to celebrate her day.

I am an infrequent visitor to several cruise forums and I saw nothing to alert me that something might be amiss.  The only comments I found were that Ventura looked dated and in need of a refit.

Embarkation was efficient and quick taking around thirty minutes from car to ship.  Lunch was fine, and our cabin was clean.  I saw no issues with the décor.  We spent the next couple of hours unpacking and settling in and did not leave the cabin until the muster drill.  It was at this drill that my friend and I noticed passengers bringing alcohol and filled glasses into muster station along with their life jackets; I was horrified!  I know many passengers find the drill boring, but it is important as it could one day save your life.  It was after the drill that I realised what N728 was, it was full of hen and stag parties.  The lifts smelt like a brewery and I was verbally abused in the lift, being called a spastic.

Back in my cabin my friend and I prepared for sail away and tried to make the best of a bad situation, looking forward to N729.  Dinner that night was smart casual, but you would never have thought that with the variety of novelty sailor costumes and bride’s veils worn in the restaurants.  Their behaviour was not only loud but extremely rude to the waiting staff; this was not the P&O that I had come to love and respect.  That evening we went to the Headliners show “Paradise City” after dinner and then to bed.  This is unusual behaviour for us as we like a cocktail before heading to the casino. 

The next day we were in Zeebrugge and for a while some normality on board.  That night was worse with large groups of people moving from one bar to another and all inebriated and swearing if you didn’t move out of their way.  That was a formal night and again many were inappropriately dressed, but no one refused them entry into the restaurants, regular cruisers will know that after 6pm the ship reverts to a dress code.  After dinner we went and saw an Adele tribute act and she was fantastic.  Shame a group of drunk hens got up and left half way through her act; they must have needed a top up of alcohol.

The following morning thankfully, they all disembarked, and piece rained once more.  Being only a handful of transition passengers left on board I took my chance and spoke with reception about the two-day mini break.  The officers referred to it as a “party cruise”, while other crew refer to them as a “booze cruise” and that explains why no duty-free alcohol was sold on board.  For other passengers like myself and the young families on board I felt sorry, this is not the standard we expect from P&O.  But when they offer a suite at only £329 what do you expect.

I was young once and like everyone to have fun but many of the under 25’s were binge drinking and had no consideration for their fellow passengers.  I am just thankful that an emergency never happened, many couldn’t walk straight so how would they find their muster station.  The people who really suffered were the bar staff, waiters and reception they seemed to work double hard and were often spoken to rudely.

A few days after we returned I contacted P&O to discuss N728 and several other issues that had arisen during N729.  The lady I spoke with was very helpful and let me off load.  From the conversation it appears they have had many complaints about two and three-night mini breaks and in response P&O have a new code of conduct which comes into being on 1^st January 2018.  I was offered £50pp on board spend on my next cruise, which I excepted.

I was not looking for any compensation, but it was a gesture of good will from them.  People have said I should have pushed for more, but it wasn’t about the money.  P&O have lost far more than me in reputation alone.  This is their 180^th year in service and I personally thought they would never have stooped so low as to want to be associated with hens and stags.  I knew of several couples who were using it as a taster to cruise and from their own experience vowed never to return.  Back on dry land I have a couple of friends who were considering booking a two-night mini break as a taster but have decided not to book after hearing our experience.  I hope that P&O do in force their new code of conduct for everyone sake.

Bluecrest Health Screening

Yesterday 13^th March I received an envelope through the post addressed to me and inside was an invitation advertising private health checks to help me avoid heart disease and stroke.  The invitation then goes on to say that they have organised a clinic and they write to a small number of people in my area for whom appointments are available; my clinic date is April 10^th 2017.  If I wish to take up the appointment I just must call them.

The invitation includes four side of facts about stroke and heart disease.  The team doesn’t only check for my risk of heart disease and stroke but check my liver, kidneys, iron levels, metabolism, muscles, calcium, bone health, energy levels and apparently much more.

It is painless apart from a blood sample and I will eventually receive a report which I can show to my GP if I wish.  The readings in my report will be marked green for perfectly normal, Amber means the result is outside of the expected range, not necessarily anything to worry about but worth mentioning to your GP and then red is further outside of the normal range and you may want to contact your GP to go through that reading with them.

The invitation then goes into detail with what happens at my screening and certain words are underlined such as Blood Pressure, Blood Test Results, General Health Markers, Liver Function Test, Kidney Function, Gout, Full Lipid (Cholesterol) Profile, ECG Test, Biometric Analysis, Standard, Haematology Profile, Prostate Cancer Test and Ovarian Cancer.

Finally, I can have all this for just £129 and then they give comparison with BUPA and Nuffield.

I hate this kind of post and I know they probably sent the same letter to hundreds of people in my area.  I can ignore it, I have a good team of professionals looking after me but some people who receive this are vulnerable and may fell pressurised into taking up the invitation and spending money they may not have. 

Bluecrest have underlined keywords and to me this is just scaremongering.  I would like to know how they choose who they send this invitation to.  I have a congenital disability and other health issues my friend is healthy and we live at the same address and yet she has not received one which makes me wonder if they are just choosing people who already have health concerns.  I will be contacting them put just wanted to warn people they are in the area.

Pitch Black!

On Christmas eve all the lampposts in my close went out and  because it was the Christmas holidays all the councils and housing associations were closed until 3rd January 2017.  Emergency callouts usually only cover loss of power, heating and water and because of this I didn't try and call anyone.
By the 3rd we had been without light for ten nights and living so rural it was pitch black outside, even torches didn't help.
On the 3rd I called the county council in Norwich who informed me it was my housing association who were responsible.  Just hearing that filled me with absolute dread, knowing it would be an uphill struggle to get something done.  If it wasn't for the fact that I can't be out after 5:00pm because it is pitch black outside I would have let my neighbours deal with it.  So I plucked up courage and called explaining that all out close lights were out and had been since Christmas eve. the advisor had little sympathy  and said she would log it.  I said I felt in was a health and safety issue because no one can see where they were going and it was dangerous for the elderly and disabled who live here.
Stupid me, I thought it would be dealt with that day. By 3:45pm I could see that no they had not been fixed and that meant another night of darkness.  I called just after 4:00pm and at first the advisor said no one else had called except me.  I suddenly heard another voice in the background saying that another five people had called, that's six out of ten properties.  Like always I was fobbed off  by them saying it was on the list with their contractor TT Jones.
Go forward another twenty-four hours and guess what, still not fixed!  So I'm back on the phone to my housing association again who tell me that residents have said it's only three lampposts!  By this time I'm banging my head on my bedroom wall trying to explain we only have three lampposts and if they wanted to listen to my call the previous day they would hear that I did say all our lampposts.  Then the icing on the cake was when she smugly informed me it had be logged as a normal callout and could take 28 days to be fixed.  As you can imagine I blew a gasket and explained that being disabled I was now housebound between 5:00pm - 8:00am because my carer can't see to get my walker in and out of my car and it must be difficult for young mum's with babies as well.  Eventually my nagging got the advisor to escalate it to an emergency and should be done with 48hours.
Another twenty-four hours and I now looking outside my window complete darkness.  For stargazers it must be wonderful with no light pollution, but for me it's another night stuck indoors.

Adopted Through The Church of England

I can understand why bureaucracy is part of our lives and in my case it has protected me from birth.  I was adopted as a baby and when I felt the time was right I wanted to trace my birth mother,  it has been an uphill struggle for over eighteen years often with everything I try hitting a brick wall.  Like most adopted people I didn't feel a need to trace my birth mother until I hit my thirties and I contacted social services and started the ball rolling. 

I went and had an assessment that is a legal requirement before they issue you a form that entitles you to get your birth certificate.  Your adoption file holds all paperwork to do with your adoption and sometimes if your lucky your birth mother or family may have put in letters, but it my case there was only one piece of paper the Guardian-ad-litem's report on application to adopt.  It states that my birth mother Joan Irene Dawson at her interview said that she placed me for adoption through a Mrs Letts and gave an address because she was not in a position to bring me up in a satisfactory manner.

To say I was disappointed would be an understatement because most of the information I had been told many years before by my adoptive parents.  I knew her name, her address and I was told it was done through the Church of England, which is now in doubt.  A few years ago I had exhausted all leads including her marriage to a gentleman with the surname of Whatley.  I understand they divorced in the 70's.

From my parents I had been told a few facts which now seem very odd after speaking to someone this morning on the phone.  I was born at the British Mother and Babies Hospital in Samuel Street Woolwich in November 1963 and ten days later I went home with my adoptive family.  I had no social worker pre or post adoption and my adoption went through in just over 18 weeks, I understand this is short period of time in the adoption procedure.

My mum had told me that my birth mother had become a nuisance being seen hanging around the area where they lived in Greenwich and she had left me presents of a layette pram set in yellow but also a present for my brother and a large sum of money which they were advised to return by who I don't know.

My baptism at St Alfege Church in Greenwich in April 1964 seems to have been complicated affair.  My godfather Canon Ronald Diss baptised me and this mysterious Mrs Letts was a godmother.  This is what I do not understand because she wasn't a family friend and when I pushed my parents they just clammed up.  I was also warned by people not too ask too many questions.

This morning in the phone conversation it was suggested it might have been a private adoption.  Which I understand is illegal and my parent wouldn't have had had kind of money.  I truly hope that that I get some answers this time.

My Vote to Make Britain Great Again

It was three weeks ago today that I voted by post on the EU Referendum and I am both happy and comfortable with the choice I made.  This referendum was not about choosing a political party but a yes or no on whether we stayed part of EU.

I made my choice to vote leave for many reasons.  One reason was I felt that the UK was very much ignored in Europe by the bureaucrats making the decisions without involving our government.  It often seemed that we were left out of discussions and fell into line and often compromised being told of decisions after they were made. They often talk of us being a strong powerhouse within Europe but it often doesn't feel like that with Brussels, France and Germany telling us what to do.  They would be the first to complain if we told them how to run their countries.

I consider myself to be British not European and like many people I am proud of my ancestry.  It is interesting that looking at the individual results and it is obvious that there is very much a divide in our country.  Like many communities that are rural I do feel very much isolated and ignored by all political parties.  Watching extensive media coverage this morning they talked about areas in the north that feel abandoned but Norfolk or Suffolk were never mentioned once except to show Great Yarmouth being in the top five areas to vote leave. Norwich was the only area in this region to vote remain.

Immigration like a lot of people was an issue for me and I do want control of our boarders back.

I am not stupid and I knew that our economy may take a battering for a while but I believe it will recover and we will be all the stronger for voting to leave I want the Great Britain that my parents and grandparents talked about.  I was only eight when the UK voted for the common market but I have now been able to vote for what I want for my country.

I was completely taken aback this morning when I checked my tablet for the result.  I like many leave supporters didn't think we would actually win and I feel that some of the fault must lie with Jeremy Corbyn.  Like many people I fell his campaign showed lackluster and unlike David Cameron who tried to rally his supporters I felt that Corbyn didn't really want to get involved in the remain campaign.

Finally, the decision has been made and there is no going back.  As a country we have to pull together and become the the great country we once were and can be again.  I have many friends who voted on both sides and instead of throwing mud it is time for us to pull together and become the country we are meant to be Great Britan!

My mum would be ashamed

 I have for a long time been trying to write something about my adoption but I have found it an almost impossible task to do.  I have never been ashamed of my adoption, in fact I have always been extremely proud of  my adoption and have never tried to hide it.  It is part of who I am and I could not have asked for more loving and caring parents who gave me every opportunity they could.
They were always proud of me and of how I coped with challenges of living and working with Cerebral Palsy (CP).
My Mum over the years became disillusioned.  For many years I have been treated like an outsider in my own family and it still continues after her death in 2014.  On many occasions she tried to tackle the issues but never got anyway but in her heart of hearts she knew what they were.
She always wanted my brother and me to be close and as children we were but that closeness died some years ago.  She hope that he would be there for me when they were no longer around but that is not going to happen, it's just as well I have such wonderful friends who have become my family.
It is funny how things happen and I believe that the universe plays a part in destiny. I apparently have a great-niece called Grace who I only found out about yesterday (8th) who was born five weeks ago but no one thought I like to know; but I'm not family I forgot.

Today I got the biggest insult of all through the post and that was an invitation to a reception to celebrate his marriage.  Being as I am his only sister and I am the sole representative of parents who are no longer here. I just assumed it would be the full invitation.  I have RSVP to say I cannot attend because I am unable to find suitable disabled hotel accommodation nearby and as I cannot travel long distances (he lives 200 miles away)  I cannot go but it would have been nice to have been asked.  That just affirms  everything that my mum knew and what I have known for many years but didn't want to.
I have my family, my friends who love and care for me and accept me for who I am and that is all I need.  They do not see adoption or disability as a stigma but I cannot say the same for my family.  I just have to move on from this otherwise it will eat me up.  I have so much in life to look forward to and so much positivity around me.  I don't know what the future holds but I know I am loved by all my friends.

My Handbag Collection

For as far back as I can remember I have always had a mini obsession with handbags.  They don't have to be expensive (but they often are!), but have to be interesting enough to grab my attention in their design, colour and material.  
I do have a particular interest in vintage handbags especially the Art Deco period and I have been able to purchase a couple of original 1930's handbags from a vintage clothing and accessories shop near to where I live called "Past Caring".  It was established in1988 and sells authentic vintage items specialising in 1900's - 1960's clothing, accessories and jewellry. 

The first of my handbags was a 1930's evening bag which was in near mint condition and is covered in silver gelatin sequins which I knew nothing about until I did some research online.  I discovered that in the 1930's a process to electroplate gelatin produced a lighter-weight version of the metal disc.  There is one problem with the gelatin sequins and that is that they disolve if come in contact with water or even sweat from a hand.  As you can imagine this bag only comes out on high days and holidays and I ihave used it once on my last cruise and it survived intact.  It is one of my favourite evening bags just because it has survived so long and is in wonderful condition and it shows that someone loved and cared for it because it is still here seventy odd years later and I intend to be its custodian for my lifetime.  
Having such a wonderful vintage clothes shop in my vicinity is deadly as I can't resist just popping in to see if there is anything new that will interest me.  My second Art Deco handbag was also purchased from the same shop in March 2015.  The bag is Black satin and has beautiful floral designs on the front and reverse in sequins and pearls.  It is in excellent condition for its age and again this bag was much loved by its previous owner and went on my last cruise, it is a bag that can go with several outfits.  
Over the past year I have popped into "Past Caring" and from time to time I have picked up the odd item but nothing major until yesterday (16th March) when I was in Holt having lunch with friends and we thought we would just pop in to the shop.  At first nothing caught my eye until an Art Deco bag was pointed out to me by my friend Karen and if it had not been brown (it looked black in the display) I would have bought it. 

Yellow vintage bag with Kate Spade Bag

However, sitting on a corner display was a lovely bright yellow box bag made from rafia with silver metal and detail and pale green interior.  It is from the 1960's and I know that is a bit later than what I usually like but it is fun and quirky and in near mint condition, it does not have any labelling but is extremely well made and has obviously been well looked after.  It is more a day bag, a summer bag and it makes me smile so it is definately cruise bound.  

Not all bags that I cruise with are vintage and I have just acquired a new clutch bag form Accessorize which is ivory in colour and exquisitely embellished with faux pearls, jewels, sequins and scores of beads.  It also has a wrist strap.  I first saw this bag a few days back in-store but it was damaged and sadly this is often the case with this retailer and so what I have learnt to do is to order online and have items delivered.  My new bag arrived in perfect condition and is another addition to my cruise bag collection.  
My last and final bag is my Kate Spade bag which is now sixteen years old and was purchased from SAKS on Fith Avenue when I was in New York in 2000 with my Mum, it was a gift from her.  It is a beautiful deep red colour and is only used on special occasions and taking on a cruise seems to fit the bill.  This bag can be used as both a day bag or evening bag and adapts to any occasion.
I could go on and on about my handbag collection, I have had so many over years that I have lost count but I wanted to share just a few that have a special place in my heart.  Some are expensive but others arn't it is their design, colour or even history that attracts me.