The Writing on the Wall: Thoughts on the General Election

It really makes me cross that the General Election is the only time when I feel like I have a voice concerning the important matters affecting this country. I keep hearing about how I can make a difference with my vote, how if I don't vote, I won't be able to help change things, but I am not sure if it's enough. The cross on the paper is all very well, but are the candidates really aware of what I am saying with my vote? I have been wishing for some time that I had a medium to be heard, some way to make the government listen to how life is on this side of the fence. It's not that I think I am more important than anyone else, the opposite in fact. It's not about me.

Robert Downey Jr; A Beacon of Hope!

I don't generally get involved in celebrities. I don't read shiny magazines and I could not name two characters from TOWIE if my life depended on it. I just don't care. I'm sure they are lovely people, but I'm just not that interested in other people's lives. I also don't take a lot of notice of what I read in the papers. Let's face it, a lot of it is probably made up and I can't help thinking that people like Jordan, Victoria Beckham, Gwyneth Paltrow, whoever is making this week's headlines, are just people trying to raise a family. Probably with the same issues and parent-worries that the rest of us have. Something happened yesterday, though, that made me want to write this post and I hope you will go on to see why it matters so much to me.

Is Customer Service Dead? Not in John Lewis!

I made a promise to myself this year. I won't call it a resolution, because that will render it destined for failure, but I promised myself that I would no longer accept bad service. Until recently, Great Britain represented all that was correct and well mannered about human beings. Our expertise in etiquette and proficiency in politeness were the envy of the world. It was all about the customer who, until recently, was 'always right'. It was about care and thought and making people feel valued. Walking into a shop guaranteed you a friendly smile, a polite welcome, all the makings of an enjoyable shopping experience. Then, it happened. Slowly, but surely, austerity crept into the marketplace. Shavings were made throughout the retail industry and it showed. Shops lost staff, the remaining staff began working harder, longer hours.

Sensible Censorship: Young Adult Literature

I've been reading a lot lately about censorship and children's books. Censorship is an issue around the world and Young Adult fiction features prominently, accounting for six of the ten most challenged titles last year alone. As always, with any healthy debate, there are arguments for both sides. Literature is an important part of our culture and a valuable tool to allow young people to share in other people's experiences and develop a more rounded view of the world. Also, censorship in general is something that should be considered very carefully. Do we have the right to dictate what young people can, or can't, read?

What Has Happened To The NHS?

I have always been very understanding of our Government-run services. I am fully aware that it's a difficult job, with limited budgets that have to be shared out amongst, often equally deserving, candidates, but I am becoming increasingly bemused by the lack of common sense involved in serving the most basic needs of our nation. Take, for example, something as simple as a GP appointment. This is no criticism of the staff I see, they all do their best, but there is something very wrong with the current system at my surgery. I have long term medical needs and these are the hoops I have to jump through, in order to see my doctor;

Depression, Postnatal and Beyond.

A new study, conducted by researchers in Australia, has really got me thinking. It was about depression, and how new research shows that mothers are more likely to suffer depression when their child is four, than when they are newborn. You can read more about it here. The focus for many years has always been on the post-natal, first few months after giving birth and, in my experience, access to the right services to deal with mental health issues falls away dramatically after this time. In the very early months, Health Visitors and other professionals are trained to look out for the signs that you might not be coping. They know what questions to ask and can arrange help fairly quickly, should things go wrong.

Thanks Natwest!

Last night, I noticed I had a missed call on my mobile. The message requested I call the Natwest Fraudline about suspected fraudulent use of my bank card. I was not concerned, because I've had this call before, and it turned out to be a genuine transaction. However, I thought I'd better humour them, so when I remembered, the next day (oops!), I gave them a call. What followed was a recorded message containing a list of (fairly mundane) transactions I had made, using my debit card, in the previous couple of days. Petrol: £5, Tescos: £12.98, Tescos: £3.40, more Petrol: £5, Sainsburys... I concluded at this point that I have a really serious Supermarket habit... Western Union £402! Erm, Pardon?! Panic set in. The voice carried on blethering. Co Op... Aldi... I'd stopped listening. What was going on??!!

ASDA: A Shocking Display of Apathy

Dear Asda,

I tried very hard to avoid having to blog about this. I phoned, I tweeted, I used the fiddly little feedback form on the website, but you don't seem to have any medium to convey a serious complaint at all. Sometimes a standard 'Have a free delivery code' ping-back response is simply not enough. Sometimes, things go wrong and how you deal with them reflects how you operate as a company and how much you care about your customers. So, after pleading with you to give me an email address to communicate with you, in order to keep this a private matter, here is the email you refused to accept. Incidently, I don't think it shows a company in a very good light, when they don't have an email address. Makes me wonder what it is they're afraid of.