Terry Pratchett ~ Going Postal Around The World ~ and on Facebook

Anyone who knows me - or has read my profile - will probably guess that I - along with millions of other fans - was left totally devastated at the news of Sir Terry Pratchett's untimely death.

As we started to turn up on the Facebook group page 'Discworld Monthly' we started to feel less alone and shared our grief as well as a few happy stories.

After a while several people - elsewhere - came up with the idea of keeping Sir Terry in the 'overhead' ... Pratchett fans won't need GNU Terry Pratchett explaining, non fans can find plenty of references on t'Interweb.

Anyhoo, someone within the group decided to give away a Discworld collectors item by drawing a name out ... I didn't win, boo hoo. But along the way - and I think someone else mentioned it too - I had the idea that if I won it then I'd keep it a week and send it on to someone else drawn out of the hat.

Then we realised that it wasn't exactly practical, so since then we came up with the idea of sending a book to each other - using proper snail mail - where we could fill it in with a few details ... our names, where it's been, our first Terry Pratchett book, what his books meant to us and anything else we wanted to add. We'd also take photos and upload them to the Facebook page.

There are also suggestions of a travel bug or something like ... this Sea-Turtle-Cachekinz.

If anyone is interested in joining us and keeping Terry Pratchett Going Postal then click here ... Terry Pratchett ~ Going Postal it's never too late to join in ...

Langley Mill Post Office Closed - Temporarily

Just a little post to let people of Langley Mill know that the post office is closed until Thursday February 5th for refurbishment.

I espied the scrap of paper - masquerading as a notice - in the window of this sorry establishment on my way to Chavsda where I went to stock up on the few things I can't get from Lidl.

Of course it's not going to affect me in any way because I do all my post officing in Eastwood, where they manage to string whole sentences together without scowling at you.

Gawd knows what they're refurbishing as there was next to nowt in there to refurbish, we'll have to wait and see ...

Christmas Opening Times For Langley Mill Asda And Post office

click on photo and it will enlarge

I thought I'd better remember to do the opening hours for the Christmas holidays. It's amazing how many people search for this information and trip over my blog

Asda usually have little cards with opening times that you can pick up at the checkout, but I was told by a lady at Asda last night that they were printed incorrectly so hadn't been used ... I'm not sure if this is true as my neighbour has got one :-/

Anyway, I took the above photo of the sign there.

.....

Post Office opening:

Monday 24th ........... 9.00-12.30
Tuesday 25th .......... CLOSED
Wednesday 26th ..... CLOSED
Thursday 27th ......... 9.00-5.30
Friday 28th .............. 9.00-5.30
Saturday 29th ......... 9.00-12.30

Latest Doings In Langley Mill Oct/Nov 2012

As observed by my fellow grumpy ALI ... I don't want anyone to miss these:

1. I see not many local motorists are prepared to pay the new charges on the former AVBC car park (free). We now get idiots parking anywhere they like on the road and side streets causing a hazard to other drivers ! ... on - Cromford Road Car Park 
2. Just noticed we know have 2 illegal car washes in Langley Mill, the one that opened up on Dean Street months ago has only just applied for 'retrospective planning approval' for their 'car valet business' 5 days ago (11th Oct.) according to AVBC Planning Dept. website. So much for following the legal rules and regs. ... on - The Real Pictorial Langley Mill 
3. Well one high street shop has been sold at auction and we ALL await what delights it will offer to us over the coming Christmas period, that's if it opens by then. I refer to what I still call Sutcliffes newsagents, over the road from the Railway Tavern on Station Road. It was a pleasure to see the smiles on the faces of both of the mature ladies who used to serve in his shop (John Sutcliffe) many years ago when I used to say 'good morning girls' as I popped in to pay my paper bill back when 'papers were delivered, happy days ! ! ! ... on - Latest Doings in Langley Mill 
4. The date that I heard regarding the opening of McDonalds was early in the New year, maybe February, but all this bad weather we are having could have an effect on that, we shall see! ... on -  Bad Manners Maketh The Post Office 
5. I've heard the rumour by a few people locally that the access to the new McDonalds will be over a new bridge crossing the river from the rear of Lidl on the Access 26 site. Looked on the Borough Planning website but unable to spot any details, all I could see was the additional erection of 'pedestrian barriers' on the 3 approaches to the Asda racetrack and adjustment to road markings. I keep my eyes peeled to see if any trees suddenly get felled, to give us more proof of this rumour becoming fact! ... on - McDonalds Gets Go Ahead for Langley Mill - Again 
6. Keep your eye on the car park on Saturday 1st December 2012 for new developments ! ! ! ... on - Cromford Road Car Park
7. Now I believe that Asda made a large donation for the upgrading of the Pottery Lane footpath when the store was granted planning permission. We are now entering the twilight months of 2012 and STILL no sign of an ounce of tarmac being deposited on that sorry path. Now perhaps some Councillors might think that the peasants of this parish will have short memories and forgot all about the £50K+ that is sitting in some bank account and hoping they could put it to better use elsewhere. Well I have news for them, my memory is a damn site better than that and will be keeping a close eye on what, if anything, happens in the New Year ! ! ! ... on - Pottery Lane And Another Moan About Slurry Corner ...

Price of A Stamp

It was a crumbly friend's birthday last month, I purchased a nice non-sarcastic card and my grumpy old man was despatched to post it - on his way to the bookies.

Because in distant times the local post box was set on fire, grumpy always takes mail into the Spar/post office at Winthorpe. This occasion was no exception, he duly handed over 50p and left the card with the person behind the post office counter.

A week later I phoned the birthday girl to tell her that the weather was wonderful, the sea was sparkling in the sun and we had a lovely sea breeze ... I do this to people because I can and because I'm nasty.

She thanked me for her card and said that she'd got it just the day before, making it a week late. She'd received a card from the Royal Mail, telling her that there was unpaid for mail waiting at the sorting office - which due to their greed and stream-lining - was now miles away at Ilkeston, rather than Heanor.

Off they went to fetch it ... it cost her £1.50 plus petrol to simply collect a 50p - I'm cheap as well as nasty - birthday card, which had already had the correct postage paid for. Grumpy went to the post office in Spar to tell them, and to be fair they've since reported it to the area manager and given him his 50p back. And if my friend gets her £1.50 back I'll be sure to mention it.

Hmmm, because of the extortionate price of postage, I'm thinking of getting a year's supply of birthday cards and giving them all out in January when we're at home - or even better (meaner) I'll dish them out with Christmas cards for the recipient to save until the required time ...

Bad Manners Maketh The Post Office

A visit was made to our local post office the other morning, you know the one I mean - next door but two to Asda. The place was absolutely thronged with ... one customer, aka my grumpy old man.

He'd gone to renew his road tax. He shoved his envelope containing all the necessaries through to the nasty b***rd that works there, and he shoved it back saying 'you're not disabled are you?' ... This didn't bother grumpy in the least - he just took out the contents and passed them through individually. Because unlike the rest of us - with slightly thinner skins who'd rather go 2 miles out of our way for the services a post office has to offer - grumpy just ignores him, declaring that he's the same with everyone.

He went on stoically to exchange pleasantries while he was being served - as this is the kind of person he is - but clearly this type of behaviour is frowned upon in this particular establishment, Grumpy remarked that it was cold in there (zero heating for customers) and you couldn't hang around. Mr post office replied 'well we don't want you to hang around.'

Definitely time for this grumpy post office person to bog off into retirement so the place can get some custom back. Other post offices in the area are aware of this, ahem, gentleman's deplorable customer service methods, and are quite pleased that we all go further afield.

Langley mill post office was for sale last year, with the price being dropped at least twice. All seems to have gone quiet on that front which is a damn shame, because we could really do with someone who wants to do the job - maybe even with a smile ...

Update 9th February 2012:
The post office is still for sale ... now at a much reduced price of £175,000 ... will someone please buy it!

Langley Mill Post Office For Sale

Now it's fairly well established that I'm nosy. So nosy in fact that by doing a bit of online searching [as you do] - whilst away on holiday from my beloved computer and laptop but armed with the MWg zinc ii and an intermittent reception - I found out that our post office is for sale for £250,000 [more recently reduced to £239,000 ... and again £215,000 ... a year later £175,000].

This should please a lot of people - well, everyone in Langley Mill that I know to be honest - because the people currently in the post office aren't exactly Mr and Mrs Popular [unlike the couple who run it when they're on holiday]. Of course, all the people I don't know in Langley Mill may have an entirely different opinion [this is allowed].

I haven't ventured in there myself since 2003, because I personally found them to be rude and patronising. I used to sell stuff on ebay, but gave it up simply because I couldn't face the 'well put it on there then!!!' when reaching out to put one of my parcels on the scales. Then being made to put on a load of stamps [which I licked, yes I know there's a wet sponge thing], while the queue behind me collectively sighed. After a few episodes of this licking and sticking he implied that the stamp gum was made from horse bits, this ensured that I turned a delicate shade of green - being a vegetarian - I vowed never to go back ... I haven't ... And I know I'm not alone.

I know this may seem a bit wussy and mardy of me, but I used to be very sensitive until I toughened up on attaining grumpy old woman status around the age of 48. Yeah, I don't believe me either, I'm still a wuss.

The grumpy old man however is completely oblivious to rudeness, he's the sort of person who announces [in the PO when being told what services they offer] that he won't pay his bills in there - thank you very much - because his pensions go straight into his [soon to be next door] bank account and he pays everything by direct debit including the TV licence. He is simply in there to post something ...

Langley Mill Post office

Post Office Opening Times:
Mon - Fri ... 09.00 - 17.30
Saturday ... 09.00 - 12.30

Address:
Unit 2
Asda
Wesley Street
Langley Mill
NG16 4ED

[My GOM has just been to ask at the PO for their address as people keep searching on here for it]

For anyone that doesn't know already, the new post office at Langley Mill is open ... yet another grand opening [if they had one] I wasn't asked to officiate at. I'm starting to feel just as unimportant as I actually am [ha ha].

Anyone hoping to go to the new post office or that big shop next-door-but-two to them via the top of Bridge Street should really try to find a different route unless they're wearing wellies. We came back from visiting friends over the bridge this morning and there was a sludgy pond at the bottom of the ramp yet again - ugh, wet feet - made worse by Heanor Haulage keep going over the footpath with muddy wheels whilst they go about their business of noisily clearing crap, erecting fencing and making bonfires.

And a big thanks for the latter, I thought it was snowing again until I noticed that some of it was going up, then realised that it was your bloody ash, so another day of no washing because I can't have the window open for the dryer hose ... you stink Heanor Haulage - but not quite as much as me because I've just been hanging out of the window taking photos of your bloody bonfire - oh bugger, more washing!!!

Where was I? cough, cough, wheeze. Oh yes ... If you do happen to carry on down Pottery lane expecting to go anywhere via Wesley Street, forget it because Asda seem to OWN this street and have fenced it off at the top [this was pointed out by the somewhat annoyed friends we visited]. Also we'd all like to know when the improvements to Pottery Lane - that we were promised by Asda at the earliest 'we want to build YOU a store at Langley Mill' meeting - are going to happen.

The grumpy old man has been out every night this week, he decided to treat me last night and took me [and my debit card] with him. Don't get too excited because his idea of taking me out was to go to Asda, last time he took me out for an evenings entertainment, we went to Tesco, the time before that - it was a bit special, being a Friday - was Ikea. Hmm, my cup runneth over ...