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As I've been working from home this year I've got to know the regular postman.  I know it's rare these days to get the same one from one day to the next.  Now we're approaching the season of goodwill, is it still "the done thing" to give him a small present and if so, how much?  Is £5 considered mean; if he got that from every house on his round then it would be a reasonable sum.

He's pretty good, often ringing doorbell if something looks like it won't go through letterbox, instead of trying to force it.  Did have to stop him knocking glass in door and politely suggesting he used the bell......

The bin men aren't getting anything as I take my rubbish to the local tip.  

I remember story about four UK tourists in Rome being charged equivalent of £54 for their icecreams.

Most common rip-off place is Venice.  If you want to pay £12 per cup of coffee then sit in the square.  Go into the back streets away from the lagoon and you can get a calzone and coffee for that price.....

Loose cannon!!  In the words of Nellie Boswell "engage brain before opening gob"........

Interesting that Mrs Trump and Junior Trump will remain in NY so that he can stay at school there.  Admirable decision but it's going to cost in personal protection.

Seems our friends across the Channel are looking for a change too.  Pity Sarkozy lost as he recently said that the EU should "get over" the Brexit decision and start working on change.  Rumour coming from Germany that Frau Merkel is running for a fourth term.  It's going to get interesting.... 

It's a step in the right direction.

Yes, there is a problem with elderly people not having the correct i.d.  OAP bus passes usually have a photo on them so that could resolve the problem.  Many organisations will accept this with another form of i.d. such as a utility bill (proof of address).

I raised the issue of proof of identity recently when my mother's medication was given to her neighbour by the local chemist.  He is not her appointed representative and the chemist didn't call her first to check it was okay.  There is a great system in Spain (and possibly other countries?) where you have an i.d. card which is scanned when you collect a prescription.  No card, no drugs!!

And most of it is true.

The "black sheep of the family" served time in an open prison.  Main thing I remember from his bragging was five separate TV rooms, so there weren't any fights over what to watch. Yes, it was that long ago!

Okay, the Daily Mail may not be everyone's favourite but I think they've got this one right......

I recommended the Business Traveller forum site yesterday. Don't know if you've signed up yet, but someone has started discussion on same subject. Could be someone you know?????

Clive

Parking in Resort World is free up to 3pm.  Not sure if it applies to weekends as well, but their website will tell you.  

My next NEC trip is for Big Airport Sale 2-6 December (no not bidding for an airport, but duty free sale). Entry by ticket only, available on website (bigairportsale.com).  Parking is free and right by Resort World.

Thanks  for your reply.  

You may find the Business Traveller forum useful.  Although a lot of the guys (and ladies) on there are probably older than your target audience, you may find some of the younger generation or millennials as I think they are now called.  Subject to travel commitments, they are willing to assist (we're talking silver and gold frequent flyers here!!).

Whatever your age, male or female, travel security is the priority these days.  It is amazing and concerning how few travellers consider their safety for all elements of their trip.  The older traveller may adopt the attitude "I've been there lots of times so I don't need to know about the safety concerns".  The younger traveller may take the stance "it's not going to be any different from my lads' holiday in Ibiza".  Both attitudes are wrong.  

The hotel must provide a safe environment.  My area of interest is solo female travellers so we want a safe and secure environment.  No giving out our room number when we check in and ground floor rooms are a no-no.  Properly locking doors and peep holes in doors are a must.  Yet some hotels still think all they need to provide is a fluffy bathrobe and expensive toiletries to keep us happy.  

Younger business travellers probably prefer having the latest tech, including a realistic robot checking them in and virtual assistants to handle their every need such as voice activated systems to run a bath, close the curtains, turn on TV; the possibilities are endless.  Plus all the latest gaming.....

A few of my thoughts.  Good luck!

Barney

I agree that you should go all out to get fair compensation.  Look at it this way, if you had caused the problem then somebody would be very quick to seek the same from you.  

If you have the manufacturer's admission of liability in writing then that's a good start.  You can then build your claim with medical reports, written evidence of business/income lost and damage to reputation/stress/confidence (all impact on your earning ability), also sleepless nights/shouting at the cats.  Can your PL company provide details of any legal support similar to when you claim for injury through your car insurance?    Haven't used one myself, but some of the "no win no fee" companies who advertise on TV may handle this type of claim.

When I claimed for whiplash it certainly opened my eyes to just what you can list as affecting your normal life as a result.   The doctor (not my own) examined me then asked a lot of work-related questions, was I still able to do normal tasks like washing-up, dressing, housework; he even asked if my sex life had been affected! The solicitor was provided by the insurance company.  The guilty party's insurer tried to blame for stopping at the junction.....

Good luck Barney.  Yes, you may have to do a lot of the work yourself but there's nothing wrong with seeking rightful compensation not only for injury, but lost earnings, stress, etc.  Realise your problem is more serious so apologies, I may have stated the obvious above.

Rachael

It's down to a number of things.  The value of the Euro being a key factor.

Being fleeced by taxi drivers is common wherever you are, as you discovered not all of them are doing it and it usually happens on arrival because you're seen as being "easy pickings" (keen to get to hotel, etc).  On a business trip to Edinburgh I was advised to use the Airport bus, at the time it was £7.00 return against £20 each way in a taxi.  Taxi drivers in Cyprus were the best I encountered at charging widely varying fares for the same journey.   They even blockaded the airport when a bus service started.......

Yes, as two girls travelling together it's more common but don't be afraid to ask the fare before you get in or use a regular airport bus service.  The only place I haven't been ripped off was in Barbados, possibly because they respect their tourists more than some other destinations.