Good Quality Collectables Wanted

If you have any of the following types of items, I’d be interested in buying them:

Ÿ Coins - Presentation Sets & Old British Coins

Ÿ Toy Car s (Matchbox, Corgi, Dink y, etc.)

Ÿ Dolls & Teddy Bear s

Ÿ Vinta ge Toys: Hor nby, Aeroplanes, Corgi, Etc.

Ÿ Jigsaws (Must be complete)

Please Note: Items MUST be in good condition.

Call Viv on 07734 580210 COLLECTABLES

BT changes

MANY FOLK may not be aware that BT are going to change their system this summer from its present form to digital form of speech on the telephone. This information appeared in the Leicester Mercury, in very small print.

Whilst BT are going to help some of their customers with the changeover, you have to satisfy one of several criteria ( for example, be over 75 years old). Although the news in the Mercury is of interest, it appears that there may be an increase in the cost of your standard items on your telephone bills, so please be aware.

Name & Address Supplied

Fast Broadband

HAS ANYONE in the village experienced this ‘fast broadband’ yet? I have.

Last December’s telephone bill arrived and the cost of the new fast broadband has increased from £82 per quarter to £136.00. Another section in my bill was zero, but is now £12.50.

Altogether, including the VAT, my quarterly bill has increased by around £100.00.

When I contacted my supplier about the increase - which I was never notified about in advance - I was politely informed that if I didn’t pay, I would be cut off, may well lose my telephone number, and my credit rating would be affected.

Not surprisingly, I chose to find a new supplier.

This almost feels like a scam or ‘blackmail’ - what do you think?

I advise everyone, especially if you have school age children or students who need internet access to shop around for a new supplier.

Name & Address Supplied.

A friend’s recipe business “Cooking with Spices” has not been successful. His bank have called in the bay leafs.

Played football last night on a pitch surfaced with rubble and broken bricks. We won 3-1 on aggregate.

Consonant please. Now a vowel. And another consonant. Alphabetti Spaghetti can take a long time to serve in my house.

When you put your car in for its annual MOT test, you are, of course, hoping it will pass without any issues. There are going to be some things that are difficult for you to check in advance – few people would be aware of suspension problems for example – but there is plenty you can review yourself.

Can you see?

Wipers must properly clear water from your windscreen and should not leave any smears on the driver’s side. Check there are no splits in the wiper blades and that your washer jets work. Basically, anything that obstructs the driver’s view – including chips in the windscreen larger than 10mm and stickers – will result in a fail.

Got your number?

Is your registration plate intact? And even if you don’t have time to wash the car before an MOT, do ensure both number plates are clean and legible. Can you spare some change?

Use a 20p coin to measure the tread on your tyres. Insert it into the tread grooves on the tyre and provided you can’t see the outer band on the coin, your tyres are above the legal limit. Many premium tyres have tread-wear indicators – projections within the tread grooves designed to give a visual indication of the degree of wear of the tread. Also do a visual check for uneven wear or bulges.

Buckle up

Ensure all your seatbelts function correctly, there are no rips or fraying, and there are no related dashboard warning lights. Also check that the driver’s seat can move and lock securely in any position.

Lights, action

Ask someone to walk around the car while you have the lights and indicators on, and are pressing the brake pedal, to make sure everything is shining bright. Remember the light over your number plates too, although you’ll get away with only one light working – front or back – for a pass.

This is exhausting

You won’t have the tools to check that your exhaust meets emission standards, but again, with the help of a friend, rev the engine and ask them if they can hear any rattles or see excessive smoke, and look under your car to check that the pipe and baffle connection is intact.

Toot toot

Test your vehicle’s horn – but not while your friend is under the car checking the exhaust or you might have an ex-friend! But remember the Highway Code says not to sound your horn on any restricted road between 11:30pm and 7am.

Not perfect but…

You may get some warnings of ‘minor defects’ but could still get a pass on your MOT. A couple of examples are “Rear Registration Plate Lamp Inoperative” and “An obstruction within the driver’s field of view”.

Furthermore, ‘advisories’ simply indicate that although something is fine now, it could soon need your attention. An example would be where your tyre tread is getting low, but for now is still good enough to pass.

The Last List of Mabel Beaumont ... by Laura Pearson

Mabel Beaumont’s husband Arthur loved lists. He’d leave them for her everywhere.

‘Remember: eggs, butter, sugar’. ‘I love you: today, tomorrow, always’.

But now Arthur is gone. He died: softly, gently, not making a fuss. But he’s still left her a list. This one has just one item on it though: ‘Find D’.

Mabel feels sure she knows what it means. She must track down her best friend Dot, who she hasn’t seen since the fateful day she left more than sixty years ago.

It seems impossible. She doesn’t even know if Dot’s still alive. Also, every person Mabel talks to seems to need help first, with missing husbands, daughters, parents. Mabel finds her list is just getting longer, and she’s still no closer to finding Dot.

What she doesn’t know is that her list isn’t just about finding her old friend. And that if she can admit the secrets of the past, maybe she could even find happiness again…

A completely heartbreaking, beautiful, uplifting story, guaranteed to make you smile but also make you cry. Perfect for fans of My Name is Ove, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, and The Keeper of Stories.

Archaeologists can always tell if their finds come from before the Iron Age as they are still wrinkled.

How many vampires does it take to change a lightbulb? I don’t know but you really shouldn’t be in the dark with a vampire.