Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

And Harrogate!

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

We're Home!!!!! Just arrived in our little village and will be heading off to the pub for tea. Thank you all for arranging the glorious weather. It was a little foggy this morning as we pulled up to the dock, but that didn't last too long.

We had a great time on the ship and I managed to meet up with Pombat and Britwhore. The receptionist at the purser's desk must have thought he had a crazy woman on board when I asked him to help me track them down. I didn't think approaching people and asking them if they were Britwhore would have gone down too well and it might have resulted in me sporting a black eye.:lol:

As we were driving through Southampton I could smell the lovely scent of the grass and it reminded me that it is one of many things that I will now be able to enjoy.

I am pleased to report that sun also made its way up to Scotland, so I might be having my first homecoming drink on the pub patio!:drinkwine::drinkwine::drinkwine:

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Thanks for the update and I would like to know more about your voyage. Hope you enjoy your first tea!:thumbsup:
Cheers

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

thanks Cheers, I'll update you later. There is nice glass of wine, with name on it, waiting for me at the pub. I will now have to undertake the arduous task of walking a few yards down the street to retrieve it.

As they say on Coronation Street - Laters........:lol:

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Congrats on getting back safe and sound if1.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

IFI thanks for the update on your voyage and a great big welcome home,
Good for you, I really do envy you coming home in great style on the QM2
you lucky thing you :)
Now its time to celebrate, enjoy your wine :drinkwine::britflag:
BTW I hear you on the lovely smell of the green green grass of home,
Take care,
Rodney.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

How exciting and congratulations!! Home is calling me faster than ever. I hope your return is smooth and happy. When I get to Northern Ireland...i will only be about 21 miles from the Scottish coast :-)

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Thanks to everyone for the welcome home wishes. it has been all go since we got back. Last night we went to the pub and received a warm welcome. Nobody questioned our sanity on moving back to the UK, instead, I found people sharing their views on the merits of the village and the amount of things to do. I think I may have unintentionally auditioned for the village choir and we have been offered a spot on the allotment waiting list.:lol:

This morning, OH went of the village shop and the butchers to gather some provisions and we are all stocked up for a bit. There was a bit of excitement on our street as a solitary sheep had made its way into the village. The local garage owner helped to herd it to safety.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

When do you think you will be back? I really want to visit NI & I at some point.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Cheers, I have posted a bit of an update on the Cunard QM2 thread:)

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Oh my goodness, this made me laugh out loud!
How lovely that you are home and happy. Congratulations!:thumbsup:

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

IFI ---- in reading this post of yours it made me think, you talk about the village your in and the lovely people who seem so happy and contented and even proud of there village, and as you say nobody questioned your sanity on wanting to move back home,
So it made me think of all this talk you hear of lots of Brits moaning and groaning about this and that,
I think most of those who moan about there lot in life are mostly people who live in large cities or towns, but people who live in villages out in the beautiful countryside seem to have a different mentality and approach to life,
Just an observation?
Anyway your post certainly got a few chuckles from me too,
Glad your settling in and loving being home.
Rodney.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Rodney, I think you may be onto something. IMO, regardless of where you are, cities can be very lonely places even although they are crowded with people. Unless you have an established group of friends or are particularly outgoing, it can be difficult to meet people. From my experience there is less of a sense of community in some cities (or parts of cities). I don't imagine village life will be perfect, but I intend to approach it with a positive attitude and make the most of it.

In the pub the other night, you could feel the pride that people felt in the Olympics. I am so glad we made it home to share in some of that.:)

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Me too IFI, Im so glad Im home and that I was able to watch the British Olympics in Britain, rather then still being in America and watching the American Olympics that just happen to be taking place in London.

You know I think the reason I was able to settle down quite quickly over here was not just that I still have some family left here, but because I came back to my home town, the town I was born and raised in, I walk around the streets and there all very special to me, I know all the areas that I used to go to as a kid, I feel comfortable here, Ive been away for the best part of my life but I feel a very warm welcome back from the town itself, not so much the people cause I have little contact with them, if that makes any sense to you, so coming back to a place that used to be your home can easily become your home again with little effort. people say Portsmouth has changed since Ive been away but I honestly dont see the changes at all, well nothing Major anyway, it still feels like it did when I was young, its like putting on an old comfy pair of slippers :) :thumbsup:

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

I agree, when we came back to the ery small town we had left from some 4 years earlier it was just like we hadn't been away, we met many of the people we had known before we left, they just asked us how we had been in Spain, and it ws then back to the usual discussions of the weather, amazing just how many people recognised us.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Yes I understand Mike but you must realize that 4 years away from your town in England is just like a short holiday compared to the 36 years that I was away from my town, and of course you would be bumping into people that you knew before you left, ----- I walk down the high street and Im sure I must pass people that I knew before I left when I was a young man of 29 but they wouldn't know me, and I wouldn't them either after so long away, people change in all that time,
Glad you are back home though, I bet you are pleased that you are no longer living in Spain at his time ;)

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Rod,
I've probably asked before but again, do you have a foreign accent???
When you talk to people do you get the look that you are not one of them???
Cheers

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

I know exactly what you mean. I left South Shields in the northeast as a child in 1966. My only visits back were an 8-week stay back in 1970 and another 1-week visit when my Grandmother died in 1977. It would be 33 years before I returned at age 52 to a place I'd last seen as a teenager. Many of my family were gone by then but fortunately I was able to visit some. Walking around my old neighbourhood I was stunned at how easy and natural it felt even with all the changes, it was just like I'd been away on holiday for awhile and I felt more comfortable in myself than I had in a very long while. If that's not home I don't know what is.:wub:

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

This is exactly how we felt. We're not from this particular part of Yorkshire (in fact my husband is from Lancashire :eek:) but I spent all my holidays as a child in this part of the country, so coming back just felt like coming home. The stone walls, the hills, the friendly people, the cosy pubs ... all of it just as we left it and all of it so welcoming. We've both said several times that we feel as though we went on a long holiday and now we're back.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Well cheers,
I never really got an American accent, but of course when I first started to live in the U.S. all the English slang I brought over with me I quickly through it all out the window ----- after I realized Americans would be staring at me and saying something like ehhhh do you mind running that by me again :eek:
You know like when your saying something is expensive Brits say its dear?
they use fortnight for two weeks, and if they have a light meal at night they call it tea? they go to the precinct instead of the mall, and you better ditch the boot and bonnet and use trunk and hood mighty fast :) other wise you will for sure get a few weird looks, when your drunk in UK your pissed, if your Pissed in the U.S. your angry, and if your really pissed off your freaking angry, well you know the list just goes on and on,


And then you got all the different pronouncing of words to change, OMG thats another kettle of fish ------ Cor Blimey!!!!!! what a to do!!!!

So Nope cheers never did get a U.S.accent, well maybe a little I suppose, lets just say this --- in America they all knew I was English when I talked ------ and over here ----- well I have been asked if I am Canadian, I have been asked if I come from somewhere in North America, and some ask where in the States I come from? ----- so go figure!!!!
OK now I have to go out with me Mum and do the shopping ------ so too-doo-loo for now ----- pip pip ----:)

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Chip, Chip!:cool::cool::cool:

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Are American banks above the law?

I closed my account at US Bank a week ago and today I got a call to tell me they processed a debit today and I have an overdraft. How can I have an overdraft if I closed my account? Why is my account open after I closed it?
The debit is for a automatic payment for my insurance. Why are they paying it. I already switched the payment to another bank.

Get this for American customer service.... Last Friday I go to the bank drive-up window and there is a car in front of me so I wait and when it moves I pull up and the drive up teller tells me sorry we close at 5:30. I look at my clock and it says 5:31??? I was there before 5:30! The little princess repeatedly says sorry to me. So I run to another branch that is open later and I close my account. So instead of making a deposit, I withdraw my balance to close my account. A week later this happens....:frown:
I was told there would be a $35 fee for insufficient funds. I said the account was closed a week ago. She said the $35 would go to collection if I didn't pay it.:confused:

Cheers

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

No they are not above the law, just badly trained workers. I am guessing you already know what you will be doing next week: spending your free time in a branch demanding to see the manager, not the clerks. Hold your ground. I have been in similar situations more than once in the US banks, and got the mistakes (theirs) sorted by refusing to budge until I was satisfied. Good luck - keep us posted. :)

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Cheers that is just crazy.
Have the insurance accepted the payment? Have them return it and see what happens next seeing you had transferred the payment to another bank they would have been payed twice!
I wouldn't accept the answers they are giving, take it higher up, go in in person and make a fuss.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

I sure hope you got the name of the teller and the person you spoke with today... Just go to the offending bank, speak to the Manager and stand your ground, you need to get your message across.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Hi Cheers,
I agree with Rosie, MITF, and Fish,
Its absolutely crazy,
I have had a few problems over the years with U.S. banks, mostly with overdrafts that were there error, and even once when it was my error, just overdrawn by a few dollars thats all on all occasions, and each time I was charged $25 to $35 overdraft fee depending on which bank it was, plus $5 per day for each day my account was overdrawn,
So just like you Cheers I would get pissed off, so I would immediately go into my branch and ask to talk to the manger ---- most of the time I only was able to talk to the Assistant Manager ---- cause the Manager was probably out playing golf :p
So I would always stand my ground and I would never back down, but of course I would be polite, and every single time they would reverse all the charges :) so I would say thank you, and I was happy, but then again I think they took into consideration that I had been many years banking with them, like between 10 to 15 years,
So go into your branch cheers ----- and make sure its the same branch as you opened your account at, I think that makes a little difference too, and ask to talk to the manager, and dont let the teller try and control the situation, as for all decisions like that they have to ask there manager anyway ------ so better to talk to manager right from the get go!!!!!!

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

I've been awake thinking about this. I talked to someone in the branch yesterday and she said she was the manager. It is a few bank employees, 3 at the most, in a small branch within a grocery supermarket.

After thinking about it I think there is a cover up. I talked to a call center and they wouldn't do anything. So next step........Get some names. Who did I talk to, to close my account? Start an investigation.

I will play the "senior card" if I have to. I will also contact the government agency that regulates the banking industry if necessary.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Cheers,

Did you not get a receipt or some paper stamped "account closed"?

You should have some kind of proof that you closed it. Also, do you bank online? That may help you in some way if you can print out your activity.

But I can tell you that this happened to me, but in a different way. I closed an account and had just returned some items to a store which I had purchased with the debit card attached to that account. They processed the refund and it automatically re-opened the account I just closed.

Your most important pieces of evidence will be:

1. Some sort of documentation, with date etc. showing that you did close the account

2. Documentation showing that you directed the insurance company to take the payment out of a different checking account beforeyou closed the other one. This is even more important I think, because this is what caused the problem, this payment going to the wrong bank. That company is actually at fault and you need to get them to admit it and they can even call your other bank or fax them telling them that it was their error.

Then you need to get the name and phone number of the District Manager for that bank branch, contact them and tell them what occured and they should take care of it. You should call that branch again, ask for the actual branch manager, not the assistant, ask for their name, and tell them that you want to speak to their DM. That manager may decide to fix your problem right then rather than get the DM involved. If you don't get anywhere with the manager, just call customer service and tell them that tou want to speak to the DM.They will likely take your name and number and have the DM call you back.


I hope this helps.:)

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

There is no hurry
I will go back to the branch and get some names of the people involved.
I may try to find an organization who represents seniors.
I will write to the CEO.
I will get the name of the government banking regulators

Cheers

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

No. But I have the proof that I withdrew all my funds to close the account.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

I closed the account on Friday August 10. I notified the insurance agent on Tuesday August 14th. Unfortunately they, the agent, are slow to notify the insurance company. No matter, the bank account was closed.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Unfortunately, if something comes through to your account, even if you closed it, the bank automatically re-opens it. In a way, you were lucky that they paid it for you. I assume they did. If they didn't and the payment wasn't received by your insurance company, they might have canceled your policy.

The fault may be with the insurance agent or company. But with auto withdrawal payments you do have to give them a few days to switch the bank you want them to take it out of. They can't change it instantly.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Everything seems to favor business!
Someday they will consider the individual.
Some banks and credit unions bend over backwards for the customers some could careless.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

You should call your insurance agent and tell him what happened. Tell him you expected that they would have changed the bank from which you wanted them to withdraw the payment right away. Perhaps he will reimburse you the overdraft fee or contact the bank and tell them that it was their fault and maybe the bank will reverse the fee.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

You're welcome.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Sorry.
I'm working on this. I will keep you informed
Cheers

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Does anyone have an iPad?
I have question about getting the Adobe Flash Pad?
cheers

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Cheers, further to my email, I just checked and their is an app for RM, so that should solve your problem. good luck:)

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

OK
Sounds a little complicated ?
I don't feel comfortable with apps at this point. I will have to get my feet wet!
I love my iPad so far. It is the greatest!
I must admit I haven't used it much because I was afraid of it but I' m really into it this morning.
Cheers

Re: OVER 50's & 60's Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Me too, I love my iPad, but hate,typing long replies on it. Google RM iPad app or got the app store on your iPad and download it. the app is free, but you will need to sign into your acct. it will prompt you along the way.:)