It's okay Summer, El and I will keep you company - we're always causing chaos.

I turned on to Ch5 to slag off watch CBB at 9pm - didn't realise it wasn't on until 10pm.

I think calling it Big Brother we could have a case under the Trades Description Act   It certainly bears no resemblance.  Its more like watching a group of actors searching for a decent script.

 

I'm going off to read my book now so I hope if you do watch it you find something of interest, EL I think you have the right idea so far. 

 

Night all catch you tomorrow

^^^^ You've summed it up quite nicely, Squiggle.

Enjoy your book - it's bound to be better than the drivel on Ch5.

Sweet dreams all in here I'm off to bed at a reasonable time tonight, might redeem some naughty step points too

Goodnight Summer, sleep well.

I'm signing out too, got an early rise tomorrow.

Goodnight Skylark and Ros, if you are still around.

Off too, goodnight everyone 

Good morning everyone

 

Summer, have you tried the pudding yet or keeping it for Christmas ?

 

It looks as if today will be nice weather but will be wet tomorrow, and showers for the rest of the week.

 

Have you seen this seriously strange advert?

or

Good morning everyone.  What strange adverts EL what with the weird attempt at Big Brother and now adverts like this I think your theory about parallel universes might be close to the truth and we have all wandered into the wrong reality

Let's hope we soon switch back to the right reality. I don't know what Walls are trying to do with these adverts, though there is probably a Facebook page devoted to the talking dog and his exploits so there may be a fanbase.

 

I'm sorry for those who are long term fans of BB and are disappointed by it so far. As you know I don't watch it but from what I've read, Channel 5 are aiming for those who use Facebook as their main source of conversing, and also Twitter. It's always possible that Channel 5 may introduce live feed for when BB proper starts, but Richard Desmond is a businessman and will base any decision on commercial grounds rather than popular sentiment.

 

But http://www.bigbrother.com/ remains a mystery at present as far as I know. All that is known is that it is an Endomol site, but at present there's nothing there.

Good morning everyone.    Sun is shining here at the moment.  Due to be a wet day tomorrow.  Hubby is out and about quite a bit this week so I should be able to come here more often, hopefully.

 

I recorded the BB launch night programme just to see who was going in, and wizzed through the 90 minute programme in about 7 minutes!!  I've not seen anything since then.  Having looked at a couple of the other BB sites I see there there have been calls to bombard Channel 5 with requests re live feed so I went to their contact us site and sent them an email stating that if they don't bring in live feed for the "proper" BB then the porgramme will flop.  I was very polite!!

 

It's not like me to do something like this but at the time I did it I just felt like making my point; as I'm sure many others have done.  I know it probably won't make any difference but I do feel better for doing it.  If the makers want the programme to go the same way as it did on Channel 4 then that's up to them.  We avid viewers cannot all be wrong!! 

 

Be back later.   

Good morning everyone. Weather here is dry and cloudy.

The more people who complain to Channel 5 the better, Joyron. The drivel they have been showing us over the last three nights is not Big Brother.

El, I saw one of those adverts this morning - very odd.

How's the patient this morning, Squiggle? I hope his arm and leg are becoming less painful.

Squiggle, I too hope your grandson is on the way to recovery and the pain isn't too bad

I spoke to my grandson yesterday afternoon and he said the painkillers were now beginning to take the edge off.  He had done as I had suggested when he got home, put it on a cushion, which is what his Grampa always did after his stroke, it takes the weight and keeps it steady.  Those 2 old guys I mentioned before, who he was in hospital with, helped him out because he couldn't roll a ciggy with his arm in plaster and one said its years since I made a rollie but I'll have a go.  He got on with them well and felt quite sad to be leaving them there, they have both been in for ages.

From what I've heard, apparently there was some sort of sand dance in CBB. If you are interested, this is the original routine, possibly from a 1944 film called Starlight Serenade.

I was just looking at an accountancy website and saw a news item which is also on the BBC business part of the website. I'm posting this item as it could turn out to be very significant news for most of us if it does turn out that we have been overcharged for our electricity and gas. It will be months before we hear what is found.

 

The regulator Ofgem has brought in the forensic accountants BDO to see if energy firms understated their retail profits to justify higher prices.

BDO will look at trading profits, wholesale prices and how the firms hedge against price fluctuations.

The move marks a stepping up of its investigation into the big six energy suppliers.

The six major UK suppliers are British Gas, E.On, EDF, Scottish Power, Npower and Scottish & Southern.

Ofgem began investigating the companies last year, and in March it said it had evidence they had pushed up prices in response to rising costs more quickly than they reduced them when costs fell.

The regulator said it had appointed BDO to gain an independent accountant's view to improve transparency over pricing decisions made by the power companies and give consumers more clarity over how retail prices relate to wholesale energy costs.

An Ofgem statement said: "Ofgem has appointed accountancy firm BDO to provide recommendations on how best to improve accounting disclosures by energy suppliers.

"This follows Ofgem's review of the retail market earlier this year, which identified the need to improve accounting transparency to give consumers more clarity about how retail prices relate to suppliers other costs."

In another attempt to bring shed light on firms' pricing practices, Ofgem last week asked energy firms to explain how they calculate bills that straddle a price increase.

The regulator is worried that firms may sometimes have applied their increased charges to too much of a customer's gas or electricity usage.

Five energy suppliers are increasing prices this year by up to 18%: British Gas, which supplies nine million households, Scottish Power, Scottish & Southern Energy, Npower and E.On.

Only EDF of the big-six has so far held off from announcing higher charges.

BDO's investigation is expected to last four months, with a report expected before the end of the year.

Ofgem will consider any recommendations made by BDO before it publishes it own findings.

Hi xx
Logged in ages ago and my phone hasnt stopped, now i have to go out !
See you all later 

Squiggle, that's good that the painkillers are kicking in for your grandson.

El, lets hope we all get a nice wee windfall from the energy companies when the investigation is complete.

Skylark, I have days like that, you feel like you are chasing your tail and get nothing done.

Good evening everyone.    Just thought I would pop in to bump the thread!!

 

Glad to hear the painkillers are helping your grandson Squiggle.  Thanks for the information El Loro.  I too hope that we get something back from the energy companies; although I doubt that will happen.  They will find some way to explain what they have been up to!!

 

Probably won't be back tonight so I will send you my love and speak to you all again tomorrow. 

Sadly I think I agree about the power companies Joyron, its heads they win tails we lose, like the petrol companies.  Are you watching the rubbish that is purporting to be CBB the new series of CBB?

Hope everyone's doing well in this thread  

 

Nice to see you Joyron.

Well done Joyron for bumping this thread

 

Squiggle, that's good to know your grandson's painkillers are working

 

And now for some really good news - I've just found out that the company which handles the BBC DVD releases will after many many years release near the beginning of October the full uncut first series of Shoestring from 1979 - the detective series starring Trevor Eve. Only two series were ever made as Trevor Eve wanted to move on to other work. The series was set at a fictional radio station (though I recognised that it was set in Bristol) and as it used a lot of music there had been major copyright problems in getting permission. There was a VHS release some years ago but those were cut versions.

 

Shoestring was a precursor to Bergerac and this is the news that fans have been waiting for. Hopefully the second series will also be released.

Shoestring was running recently on Alibi El - quite late though.

I watched it.

I've got to get my Trevor Eve fix somehow, now that the BBC have killed off Waking The Dead.

Good to see you in here, Velvet.

Hi Yogi  

 

I think his production company is bringing The Body Farm to the Beeb.

 

But I've been wrong before 

 

Is that the programme which will feature Eve's character?

I think it might be based on Tara Fitzgerald.

 

Don't ask me where I'm getting this cos I dunno myself  

Well, if you're right and they make the programme, I'll be watching.

evening all Sorry I haven't been in earlier, I got a text from t mobile this morning informing me that I've used 80% of my monthly data allowance already I have spent too much free time at work looking at dogs on you tube this last fortnight I'm only half way through the month too, ooooops! I think my speed will get reduced if I reach 100% so I'm going to try to pop in when on wifi more than when I'm on 3G.. Anyways, hope squiggle's grandson is holding up well is he keeping his spirits up? I've just been out with some girls to see the glee 3D concert movie, which was good fun El, I've stored the pudding, it will need a further steaming of 2 hours before serving. I'm hoping the brandy in it will help mature the pudding over the coming months I'm a very very festive person, I promise to bring you all a pic of the pudding to share a piece with each of you! Joyron, keep popping in when you can for everyone else, and their cute dogs

Hi Summer, I have no idea about monthly data allowances etc, the important question is, can you still come on here?

Yes yogi I'll still be here, where there's a will (and BT openzone sometimes) there's a way It basically means that for the next 2 weeks they might slow my Internet speed right down, while I'm at work anyway.. But home is no problem at all I'm off to bedville now, sweet dreams yogi and sweet dreams any other night owls

Goodnight Summer, I 'm signing out too. My smilies have disapeared.

*waves and hugs*

Good morning everyone

 

There has been a forum system update which affects the time shown here on postings. If you haven't already done so, you need to log out then log back in. You will then see the correct times.

 

In future when the clocks change, we shouldn't need to do anything in changing our systems - at least that's what I've read.

 

I think the weather forecast has changed from last night as although it is cloudy, there's no sign of the expected rain.

 

As I have Freeview, I don't get the Alibi channel so didn't know that Shoestring has been shown on that, but is is quite likely that only cut versions (44 minutes excluding ads instead of 50 minutes) have been shown - there were copyright issues with the music being played by the radio station.

 

It is the Tara Fitzgerald character who is the lead in The Body Farm.

There's now no excuse for not knowing users birthdays if they haven't switched the display off - look at the new Calendar in the menu at the top.

Morning I've just read in the paper about Kate winslet rescuing richard branson's 90 year old mum from the house fire on necker island wow I could cry, she's such a hero and I'm a huge fan anyway! El, that's a great new feature, I love birthday threads on the forum who's is next from in here?!

Good morning everyone, I couldn't get on the forum last night, I tried and tried.

 

I haven't come across data allowance before, when I got my router I was a bit afraid that I would be charged for every second it was connected (and its connected 24/7) but my ISP said no only for downloading and uploading, but I think your system is different. I reckon your pudding will be lovely and mature by Christmas time Summer, I look forward to my virtual piece of pud, can I have virtual cream with mine please?

 

Off to have my hair cut soon, speak to you later,

Today's film tip is To Be or Not To Be (1942) BBC2 this morning starting at 11.40. Stars Carole Lombard in her last film and Jack Benny. A satirical comedy set in Nazi controlled Poland, this is is serious comedy and is highly regarded.

 

Although released in the USA and UK at the time, it could not be shown in the rest of Europe until after the end of the war and not in Germany until 1960.

Well done to Kate Winslet.

 

Most of us have the display birthday option switched off, so we can't really tell.

Good morning everyone. Weather is a bit overcast.

Squiggle, we shall expect you to "give us a twirl" when you get back from the hairdresser's.

Summer, I hadn't heard about Kate's rescue of Richard's mum - well done Kate.

El, I've set my V+ for the film, thank you.

I have my birthday display set to off atm. It isn't until March though, so I have plenty of time to change it.

Morning everyone  
I see we have changed slightly again! 
squiggle, hope your Grandson is feeling well today and not in too much discomfort  
Naughty Summer ! You have used a lot this month, its easy tho if you take your eye of the ball, so to speak !
Hi Yogi and everyone else xx
Hi Velvet .nice to see you here  x