Failure is the Key to Success

Yesterday, 21st May, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith made the announcement to the House of Commons that the Gurkha Justice Campaign have been fighting for for years. All ex-Gurkhas who have served more than 4 years in the British Army will have the right to settle in the UK if they wish.

For the first time I had contacted my MP Andrew Selous, via www.theyworkforyou.com, at the end of April and asked if he could support the vote in Parliament calling for a fair deal for Gurkhas and had an email back that evening to say that he would be voting in support of the Gurkhas. Following the government’s defeat in the Commons over the issue, it was only a matter of time before they had to bow to public opinion.

Tags:Gurhka,Gurhka Justice Campaign

The UK government released new rules today, clarifying the application criteria for Gurkhas who wish to settle in the United Kingdom.

The government had originally denied the automatic right to settle here to any Gurkha who had retired before 1997, but this was overturned in the High Court last year. The judge, Mr Justice Blake, said the Gurkhas’ long service, conspicuous acts of bravery and loyalty to the Crown all pointed to a “moral debt of honour” and gratitude felt by British people. He ruled that instructions given by the Home Office to immigration officials were unlawful and needed urgent revision.

The Gurkhas have served all across the world in the defence of our Country for nearly 200 years. Over 45,000 died in the two World Wars as part of the British Army. They are still fighting in the British Army today.

The governments new rules mean that permission to settle in the United Kingdom for those who retired before 1997 may be granted if they meet one of the following:

• Have spent at least three years continuous lawful residence in the United Kingdom during or after service;
• Have close family settled in the United Kingdom with whom you enjoy family life within the meaning of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR);
• Received a Level 1-3 Award for gallantry, leadership or bravery for service in the Brigade; (Level 1: Victoria Cross; Level 2: DSO/DCM, DSO/DCM Bar, IDSM (India Distinguished Service Medal); Level 3: Military Cross, Military Cross Bar Military Medal, Military Medal Bar, Jangi Inam)
• Completed 20 or more years’ service in the Brigade;
• Have a chronic/long term medical condition which is attributable to, or was aggravated by, service in the Brigade.

Continue reading » Gurkha veterans betrayed by UK government

Tags:Gurhka,Gurhka Justice Campaign

Also known as ‘The right and wrong way to deal with an internet order problem’. This also applies equally to telephone and any other form of distance selling. Here is the sad saga of my dealings with Bristol Cameras Ltd. It is preceded by a couple of problems with internet orders that were well managed and resolved.

Before Christmas, I ordered 2 books from the Aikido Journal website, Traditional Aikido Volumes 1 & 2 by Morihiro Saito. These were books that Jo and I used to clarify our techniques many years ago; we never owned them, but were looking after someone’s library for them. The originals were printed in the 1970s and had been out of print for many years. Occasionally, you would see one or more of the 5 volumes on Ebay, but they would go for in excess of £100, usually a lot more. In early November, Aikido Journal announced that Volume 1 was available immediately. This was a brand-new edition done in the exact style and format of the original books by Saito Sensei. These are hardcover volumes made for durability featuring a semi-gloss paper like the originally published volumes. Anyway, back to the problem, after completing the order for volume 1 and confirming my credit card details, instead of a confirmation, I got a series of database errors displayed. I left a message detailing the problem on the contact form and within a few hours I had received an email back from Stanley Pranin, the editor-in-chief of Aikido Journal, confirming that they had received my order and that it should be shipping on the Monday. I had the same problem when pre-ordering volume 2 and had the same swift response and confirmation.
Continue reading » Bristol Cameras took my money

Tags:Adri's Dream,aikido,Aikido Journal,Bristol Cameras,Digital Depot,Elida Trading,manfrotto,mollenhauer,monopod

We left at just after 9am this morning and had a fairly easy journey. We stopped at Trowell services (J25-J26 M1) where we had drinks and cakes. We arrived at Center Parcs at 11:45. We were very quickly through arrivals where we collected our keys. Then we were off to the car park, this is not as well arranged as Elveden Forest. The car park was full and we spent 15 minutes driving round and round the narrow rows looking for people leaving and avoiding all the other cars doing the same. We eventually found a space and unloaded the bikes. We rode into the village and secured the bikes in one of the many bike parks and walked into the village square.

Continue reading » Sherwood Forest Center Parcs 2008 pt 1

Tags:Center Parcs,Huckleberry's,Sealy Forest Dreams,Sherwood Forest

On Thursday 24th April, the school is having to close to pupils. This is because the teachers, who are members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), are going on strike for more pay. The senior management team and the teaching assistants, who are not in the NUT, will be in school but are advised by their unions not to cover the striking teachers.

It is obvious with the timing of the strike, just as children are about to start their annual tests and exams, that the union do not care about the education of our children, they are only interested in lining their members’ pockets and causing the maximum disruption. The strike was called following a ballot of members, in which a majority of those who voted agreed with the strike, however this majority was less than one quarter of NUT members, so it is apparent most teachers didn’t want to strike.

Continue reading » Teachers to strike over pay

Tags:NUT,teachers' strike

Rant alert!

Jo took her car in today for the oxygen sensor to be replaced. This is the follow up to the last visit, a couple of weeks ago. OK, so Steven Eagell Toyota didn’t manage to resolve it before the end of the summer holidays, but they did provide a courtesy car.

On the way home this evening, the engine management light came back on. Wow, that £300 resolution lasted a long time.

I rang the dealer to let them know that the light had come back on. Jo can take it back in tomorrow for them to reset the sensor and check that one of the other sensors hasn’t failed. Evidently once a sensor has failed, it puts additional strain on the remaining sensors which could cause them to fail.

Now, I know I’m not a car mechanic, but a sensor is just a measuring device and it either returns a signal or it doesn’t. If it were some kind of filter that had failed, I could understand the sensors behind it becoming overloaded, but with a sensor, the others will measure what is there regardless of if the first is working or not. If however, contrary to what Jo was told, there is a detrimental effect from driving the car while the sensor has failed, then its a whole different matter.

Jo is fuming. It’s not just the cost, but the inconvenience of having to take it back and wondering what will have ‘failed’ this time.

Tags:engine management light,toyota dealer