Birthdays on the 29th February.

Does your birthday, or anyone you know's birthday fall on the 29th of February? If so, what day do you or they, celebrate a birthday on when it's not a leap year?

I have had this discussion with two people in as many days and they both say, if it was them, they'd choose to celebrate on the 28th of February. I find this mind boggling. If you're born on the 29th of February, it's the day after the 28^th right? I understand the argument about being born in February and therefore wanting to celebrate in February, but if it hadn't have been a leap year on the date in question, they would have been born on the 1st of March. It's a fact. Mind you; that then begs the question, should people born on the 1st of March celebrate their birthdays on the 29th of February when it's a leap year? After all, it is the day after the 28th of February, which is when they were actually born. Interesting, but it would open up a whole can of worms which I tend to like to steer clear of; so, back to my original question. Which day would you choose to celebrate on, if your birthday fell on the 29th of February? I'm sticking with the 1st of March; it's the only logical answer. J

Bottled Water or Tap Water?

Do you drink water from the tap or do you go out and buy bottled water?

It is argued that bottled water is purer and therefore healthier for us than tap water, but around 25% of bottled water is just glorified tap water, taken directly from local water supplies. Sometimes it's treated and sometimes it's not. It's then bottled and sold to us at an outrageously increased price. A litre of water out of the tap costs less than 1p, yet you could pay as much as £2 for a litre of bottled water. You do the maths.

In the UK, tap water undergoes many processes to bring it up to the standards set out by the UK Water Supply Regulators. It is equally as good as most bottled waters and very often fresher. Don't forget, bottled water could stay in its bottle on a shop shelf for as long as two years before it reaches its ‘sell by’ date. Wouldn't you rather drink it fresh out of the tap?

I get why people might buy bottled water in a pub or restaurant. If you're driving and don't want a juice or fizzy drink, or just don't drink alcohol, then water is a great alternative and yes, you''ll be paying a shocking price for it, but then you'd be paying a shocking price for a juice or beer too. Let's face it, if you buy a bottle of beer in a supermarket, you'll pay a fraction of the price that you'd pay for the same drink in a pub, but that's how it is. You're paying for being on the premises and spending time with friends or colleagues away from work or home. So, paying for a bottle of water in a pub, I'm cool with. These days you can get all sorts of different waters in bottles but I remember when, if you asked for a water you would only get Perrier ("nothing else will do") Is that stuff still around?

Perhaps you buy bottled water to reduce limescale in your kettle? I'm all for that, but there are cheaper ways of doing it, like using a water filter instead. Filtered water is a great alternative to bottled water. It is designed to work with tap water so no extra energy is required to filter the water. This bypasses some of the environmental problems of the bottled water industry, such as the production of the plastic bottles, -approximately only a third of which get recycled- or the glass that consumes so much energy to make. Filtered water is also a lot more economical than bottled water although not as cheap as tap water, but, it’ll keep your kettle free from limescale provided you replace the cartridge each month as instructed. It is also said to remove more chemicals than any other purification method.

All said and done, water is water. I am quite happy to drink it out of the tap at home even though I have a water filter which I use -as mentioned above- to combat the limescale in my kettle. I've got no problem paying for bottled water in a pub and am equally happy to pay for a bottle in a restaurant. What’s your view?

GinoCarl - Men's Hairdressers in Hendon

Have you ever searched around for a good  gent’s hairdressers in your local area? Well; if you happen to be in North West London and fancy a change, I think I have the answer for you. ‘GinoCarl’ hair salon for men, in Hendon Central, just about ticks all the boxes.

We all have a different outlook on getting our hair cut; to some it’s a two weekly chore that just has to be done, others like to make it a relaxing experience where they can sit down and have a chat while being smartened up a bit. Then there are those who want make it bit of a social thing. But whatever type you are, you’d probably like to find a hairdresser you enjoy going to and stick with them. It’s great to be recognised by a barber or stylist who remembers your name, knows how you want your hair cut and knows what team you support so you can discuss football for the entire duration of your hair cut - or another topic you can discuss comfortably, as you’ll be talking to someone you’ve come to know as a friend rather than a hairdresser.

So why Ginocarl? First off, it’s important to appreciate that you get what you pay for and unfortunately, there is only one Carl in the salon and he’s the best. (Sorry Paolo if you’re reading this, but you come a close second). Carl started hairdressing as an apprentice with his late father Gino at the family business ‘Bernard and Gino’ at the age of 14 when he was still at school. After school he studied at the London College of Fashion where he completed his exams with no less than a distinction. He was later asked to teach at the college, which he did for several years part time while still working with Bernard and Gino. So he’s good! But if you want to have your hair cut by Carl not only will you have to pay more, you’ll also have to book in advance! “Hold me back” I hear you say! Well, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. With Carl, you can just about guarantee a great haircut every time. He spends hours talking to his customers about football and current affairs and as a result is always kept up-to-date with the latest goings on around town.

Then there’s Paolo who I kind of see as the shop’s jester. He doesn't wear a ridiculous costume with bells on it, but he does come out with some hilarious tales at times and often bursts in to song when you're least expecting it. He's a good hairdresser who did his apprenticeship at Harrods and started working with Carl in the 90’s. A very entertaining character who gets a hard time from almost everyone who walks into GinoCarl's salon. However on his day off he is strangely missed.

Then you have Bernard. Yes, the same Bernard who used to be partner with Gino in the 70’s and 80’s. He went on to run his own hairdressers in Golders Green after the amicable split with Gino, but years later, during retirement, he decided he’d like to go back to work, part time for someone he knew. So he now works for his former apprentice.

And another person well worth a mention is Angelina. She only comes in on Saturdays and is still known as the shampoo girl even though she joined Bernard and Gino in the 80’s and now does more than just shampoo. Born in Portugal, the youngest of 9 children, she’ll entertain you with her family stories which are both funny and sad, often at the same time.

So why else would you want to go to GinoCarl’s hairdressing salon? Apart from the fact that you'll get the best hair products used on your hair, (which they sell separately and make great gifts if you don't know what to give someone who's got everything) you'll get a free friction massage if you ask for one. Yes, believe it or not it’s free. A friction massage improves blood circulation to the scalp which is thought to improve the growth of the hair. I think they’re slightly insane for not charging for it but there you go.

Would you believe the coffee at this hairdressing salon is another really good reason for going there? It’s not unusual to go to a hairdresser’s and be given a free cup of washed out coffee, but at GinoCarl you’ll get a pukka Italian style Cappuccino or Espresso, which would rival any of the cafés on the same street selling a similar drink. At GinoCarl you won’t be paying for it, and if it’s a double espresso you want, then a double espresso you will get.

You’ll be walking into an air conditioned salon; so it's warm in the winter, and more importantly, cool in the summer, and you’ll find a whole host of friends and locals who just pop in on a regular basis for a chat. I like to call them the’ usual suspects’ and will mention them again below.

Then there’s the music in the salon. While you’re having a haircut, you can request just about any type of music of your choice, (unless someone gets in there before you, although people are rarely concerned with what’s playing). There’s one particular guy who likes to have a hot towel treatment while listening to opera music. Each to their own right? Well it’s always nice to have a choice.

GinoCarl also has a TV to keep the kids entertained while they get their hair cut, which was actually originally bought in 2010 for the World Cup!

Maybe you’d like to take part in GinoCarl’s lottery syndicate. It’s for customers and staff. They’ve never won anything but there’s always a first time and if you happen to go in on Grand National day, you might want to take a crack at the sweep stake that always takes place. Again it’s for customers and staff, but you’d do well to get there early or the ‘usual suspects’ will get there first!

So if you’re looking for a gent’s hair salon in Hendon or NW London. Ginocarl is the place to go.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I wrote the above Blog, sometime in 2012. Since then, GinoCarl Men's Hairdressing Salon in Hendon, has become a unisex salon in Hendon. If you are familiar with the area, you might have wondered what ever happened to "Simon Hair and Beauty". Well I can tell you that they have now moved across the road with GinoCarl, and have their own ladies' section.

Simon and Nikki work along side each other and specialise in ladies hair. They offer all the benefits of a ladies hairdresser, including hair extensions (with real hair) and now you get the added bonus of the GinoCarl experience.

So if you're looking for a Ladies'  Hairdresser in Hendon, GinoCarl is still the place to go. ;-)

Outrageous allotment rent increases!

RXU77QG6DBX2

My mum got a letter last week informing her that the Council have put to public consultation their proposals for allotment rent increases for Council managed sites. The basic rent, which does not include water or society fees, would rise from £59 for a 10 pole plot, to £140 for Barnet residents and to £280 for non-residents! How can they possibly justify an increase of 137.3% for Barnet residents and 374.6% for non-residents? I thought allotments were supposed to be a cheap hobby for the elderly! And that’s not all. A Luxembourg-based organization describes the functions of allotment gardens something like this:

·        Providing a better quality of urban life for the community.

·        A leisure activity for families where they can experience sowing, growing, cultivating and harvesting their own healthy fruits and vegetables.

·        A place for children to play and discover nature amidst towns and cities.

·        Where working people can relax after the stress from their jobs.

·        Where the unemployed can feel useful and grow vegetables at 'minimum cost'.

·        A place for disabled people to participate in social life and overcome loneliness.

·        Where senior citizens can spend time with people with the same interests and find self-fulfilment during the period of retirement.

So it’s not just for the elderly. It’s a fulfilling place for almost any member of our society and I agree with all the above. Under the Allotments Act, a local authority is required to maintain an "adequate provision" of  land, usually a large allotment field which can then be divided into allotment gardens for individual residents at a low rent. So why is the rent being increased by an outrageous amount?

What happened to reasonable rent charges as required by law?

The Allotments Act 1922 states:

"'Section 16 required allotments authorities to exact a 'full fair rent' for allotments".

The Allotment Act 1950 states that allotments authorities may charge such rent "... as a tenant may reasonably be expected to pay for the land".

Is it reasonable to increase the rent by almost 375% in some cases?

My mother is in her 70’s, she is a pensioner and the plot she rents from Barnet Council (and has been renting for over 30 years) is a great joy to her. It is her main hobby, it gives her healthy exercise - which the government are recommending through advertising campaigns which don't come cheap - she gets to eat healthy fruit and vegetables which she grows herself and it’s a cheap leisure pursuit.

If Barnet Council’s proposal to increase the rent gets passed, her allotment rent will be increased by 337.5%  as she currently gets pensioner's rates'. And that’s another thing. The council are also proposing to abolish any discount for older people! Why? In the Allotments Act 1950, section 10 makes provision for the allotments authority to let land "... to a person at a less rent, if the Council are satisfied that there exist special circumstances affecting the person which render it proper for them to let the land at a less rent".

What's changed? The council were satisfied that pensioners were entitled to pay slightly less before, so why not now?

It seems to me that the council are trying to drive all of the poorest and most vulnerable people off the allotments and turn them into a luxury for the rich!

Unexplained seizures? It could be epilepsy.

If you are having unexplained seizures which your GP, or other medical expert, is putting down to stress because he or she has no other explanation for them, I would strongly suggest you take a look at the Epilepsy Society website.

The reason I suggest going to this website is because I have a friend who was suffering from seizures for several years before he was eventually diagnosed with epilepsy. He was having, what we at the time called, "funny turns". They began by occurring several months apart, but gradually became more frequent. To me, the symptoms were bizarre, as I had never come across anything like it at all. My friend would turn very pale as if all the blood had drained out of him, he'd start smacking his lips together and stare blankly at his hands all the while, moving them around as if he'd never seen them before. He was unaware that I was in the room and didn't answer any of my questions. After several minutes of this totally out of character behaviour, my friend would slowly come out of it. He'd look around the room as if he'd just materialised from another universe and complain that he didn't know what was going on. He didn't know what day it was, what he had just been doing, where he was living, in fact his short-term memory was completely lost for about a quarter of an hour. He knew his name, where his parents lived, where he went to school and anything I asked him that was to do with his distant past, but anything within the year or so was gone. Shortly after the seizure he'd start to remember things until he'd eventually say he was back to normal, but actually he rarely was. It would take the rest of the day for him to get himself together again, and as the seizures became more frequent, it would take up to two days.

After plenty of persuading from me, (about two years!) Graham eventually went to see his GP to find out what might be wrong with him. His GP referred him to a neurologist who sent him for an EEG and an MRI scan, both of which came back as normal. Well of course they did. Graham wasn't having a seizure at the time of either scan so there was no abnormal activity registering in his brain.

As a result of the scans, the neurologist sent Graham to see a psychiatrist, which suggested that the problem was psychosomatic in nature. The psychiatrist had a 2 hour consultation with Graham, during which time he asked standard questions such as, "Do you drink?", "Do you smoke?" and, amazingly, even "Do you suffer from epilepsy?"!! No one had ever mentioned the possibility of epilepsy, so as far as Graham was concerned the answer to this question was 'No'.

After the consultation, the psychiatrist wrote to Graham's GP with three possible diagnoses:
1. Dissociative Amnesia
2. Unexplained medical phenomenon
3. Factitious disorder (in other words - He's making it up)!!!

The psychiatrist then referred Graham to a psychotherapist. He attended his sessions twice a week for about a year. The journey took an hour round trip and Graham drove there and back each time.

After a year of therapy there was no evidence of any improvement in Graham's condition, in fact the seizures were becoming more frequent and the post seizure effects were lasting longer. I had started taking video footage each time Graham had a 'funny turn', because by now he was recognising the signs that warned him he was about to have a seizure. (We now know them to be 'auras'.) He took this footage in to one of the sessions with the psychotherapist who found them to be very interesting and concluded that the cause was all stress related.

I eventually persuaded Graham to go and get a second opinion. It was like pulling teeth! He doesn't like upsetting people and by asking for a second opinion he felt like he was suggesting they'd been wrong in the first place. (Which we now know they were, of course!) So he went back to see his GP. This time he took the video footage with him. The GP barely looked at it and dismissively asked "What do you want me to do? Are you saying you want a second opinion?" Graham almost said "No", because he didn't want to cause any unnecessary trouble. Luckily, he didn't and his GP referred him to a second Neurologist.

So, several weeks later, Graham took his laptop to the hospital and went to see another Neurologist. After watching the video, the Neurologist asked if Graham would be happy to spend some time at the Chalfont Centre for Epilepsy. He didn't have a problem with this so was sent to see a third Neurologist at Chalfont, for yet another consultation. This is where things started to get interesting. Firstly, as soon as the Neurologist at the Chalfont Centre watched the video, he told Graham he should not be driving and would have to inform the DVLA that he was a potential danger on the road. As you can imagine, this didn't go down very well. No other Doctor, Psychiatrist, Neurologist or psychotherapist was of the same opinion, yet this one medic was about to take Graham's driving licence away for, as yet, no explained reason. The next thing the Neurologist said was that Graham's seizure he'd just watched on the laptop, was atypical of epilepsy! In other words, probably not epilepsy at all but caused by stress. However, he thought Graham would benefit from a few weeks at the Chalfont Centre where he would be placed on an EEG for an extended period (several days) in an effort to 'catch' a seizure.

Graham was at the Chalfont Centre for almost three weeks. The first week was uneventful, but on the second week, he was put into his own room, attached to an EEG and monitored by video around the clock. As luck would have it, he had two seizures (one while sleeping!) whilst being monitored and guess what? The official diagnosis was: Complex Partial, Left Temporal Lobe Epilepsy.

So why did it take years for this condition to be discovered?! Once diagnosed with epilepsy, Graham started trawling the net for more information on his condition. He was flabbergasted to see on site after site, that some of the common signs of Complex Partial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy are smacking of the lips, confusion, a vacant stare and short term memory loss!! These were obvious signs in the video footage I took! And not only that, but these were the very symptoms that Graham had been complaining about all along!

Graham's seizures are now being controlled by medication which he will have to take for the foreseeable future. There are many side-effects to anti-epilepsy medication, but he's been lucky enough to get away with little more than a bit of drowsiness. Sadly, the medication hasn't helped his memory problems and he continues to have the memory of a goldfish at times! He has his driver's licence back as he has been seizure free for over a year (though getting it back took four months!) but if he has another seizure (or even just an aura) at any time, it will be an instant ban and he will have to go another year seizure-free before the licence is returned to him once more. If he ever decides he'd like to try coming off the medication he'll also be banned from driving for six months - so you can guess how soon that's likely to happen!

Is it possible that YOU could be suffering from epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a neurological condition where there is a trend of seizures that start in the brain.
There are more than 40 different types of epilepsy, so not everyone who suffers from it has the same type of seizure. Often, the seizures bear no resemblance to the type-cast, convulsions, thrashing around or jerking movements, that we imagine as soon as the word epilepsy is mentioned. Indeed, some sufferers have seizures without anyone being aware of it other than themselves. Some people go blank and stare vacantly for several minutes, others may become confused and behave in an unusual manor, some will be unaware of what is happening for a while, but all of them will start in the brain.

After some thought, and with Graham's consent, I have decided to publish one of the videos I took of him while he was having a seizure. I hope it will help someone who is having similar issues but has no idea what is going on with them.



Please feel free to comment.

Skiing during term time.

I have a four year old boy who loves going on holiday. Who doesn't? I take him as often as I can which includes skiing in the winter and swimming in the summer. The problem now is that he's registered at a school and the only way we can get away during term time, is to put in an application to the school head before booking anything, and hoping he says it's okay to go. My little boy is not 5 years old yet. While he's still 4, he skis for free. We went away in January and I got permission from the school, but they won't give me the okay to go again in March. I have to wait until the Easter holidays, in April when the snow has all but turned to slush and worse, my little boy will be 5 and I'll have to pay for his travel, accommodation and lift pass! Not to mention the fact that the holiday itself will be twice as much over Easter. Am I being unreasonable here? He's in reception! He completed nursery last year and to-date, he's never had a day off sick. When he's older and goes for a job interview, will he be at a disadvantage because he went on two skiing holidays at the age of 4 when he was in reception? I think not.

So what about when he's 5? Am I still going to be wanting to take my little boy out of school during term time? For skiing yes, and I've listed my reasons below, but just once a year as he won't be free anymore. In summer it isn't such a problem. In the summer a hotel by the beach with a pool can only hold a certain amount of people, so when it's full it's full. You don't have to worry about over crowding in the pool, or there not being enough room in the restaurant to eat. But when you go skiing it's a different story. The slopes have no limit to the number of people on them at any given time and the busiest times are, of course, during the school holidays when parents are allowed to take their kids away for a week or two. My problem with this is that the more people skiing down the same run, the more dangerous it becomes and the less enjoyable. Then there are the queues to get on the lifts where you could easily be waiting in the freezing cold for 20 minutes just to get on. How is that fun? You've also got the added disadvantage of the travel prices being almost double compared to any other time during the ski season, and the lift passes go up during high season too. Great!

So let's take a look at the advantages of going skiing during term time. Firstly, it's a hell of a lot cheaper. Secondly, there are rarely queues for the lifts so you get a lot more skiing done, instead of waiting around feeling cold and miserable. Thirdly, it's a lot less dangerous on the slopes with less people around and fourthly, it's a lot more fun and you get value for money.
So I'll be requesting a week out every winter! Who's with me on this?

Are you being ripped off by a letting agency?

A few years ago, I had an empty property that I needed to let to cover the mortgage, so I place an advert in my local paper and the response was pretty poor. Actually, the only person to call me about the property was an estate agent in my area. (Let's call him MA). He told me he could have my property filled within two weeks of our phone call. Sounded great! I left it with him and didn't bother advertising it anymore. Sure enough, I was getting calls from him almost straight away, asking if I could show prospective tenants around the house. MA never went around himself and never sent any of his staff around. In fact, he never even saw the house; he just left it to me to show everyone around. Admittedly, it was something I didn't mind doing, but it'll soon become clear why I have a bit of a gripe about it now.

Within two weeks I had a good tenant in the house and everyone was happy. MA asked for 10% plus VAT, of the yearly income on the property, for finding the tenant, which I was happy to pay. I chose not to take him up on his offer to manage the property as I was quite capable of doing that myself. Contracts were signed, monies changed hands and that was that. Well, until a year later when the tenant was due to move out. I got a letter from MA reminding me that the contract was up and would need to be renewed. The tenant had decided to stay, so new contracts were issued (in fact, they were simple templates which were amended and sent out) papers were signed and MA asked for 8% of the yearly income on the property. A 'finder's fee' again, I was told, but 8% plus VAT? What choice did I have? So monies changed hands and that was that.

Until the following year when I received another letter from MA saying contracts had to be renewed and he wanted a further 8% plus VAT 'finder's fee'! Outrageous! He hadn't even seen the property to show anyone around. It wasn't as if he'd worked really hard trying to get anyone in there. The tenant was very happy where she was and had no intention of moving out for a long time. So I asked MA how long I would have to pay this 'finder's fee' for and would it be reduced? His reply was simply that I read the contract that I'd signed with him the first year. So I did. And there it was in black and white "...If the family of the tenant renew the agreement, a further fee of 8% of the annual rent, plus VAT will become payable at the outset of the new agreement. These fees are also payable on any subsequent renewal in future year... “Well that was me gob-smacked! How could I have missed that? I suppose I was just so keen to get someone into the property covering the mortgage, that I didn't read all the small print. I was stuffed really. So I paid up again. :-(

After three years of paying the finder's fee, I tried reasoning with MA, asking about reducing the amount I was paying. I was quite willing to pay a fee, after all, they had found the tenants in the first place, and yes I had signed an agreement, but I didn’t realise it was an infinite agreement that I’d have to pay until the tenant left or in this case died, because she wasn’t going anywhere. But, no, they wouldn’t budge. So when year four came around, I refused to pay. I was going to write my own contract and get the tenant to sign that, unless MA met me half way. (even half the fee -£600 was good money for printing off an edited template. It even got posted back to him! He never saw with either myself or my tenant after the initial papers were signed) but oh no, he wouldn’t have it and instead of arranging to have a chat and see how we could sort things out, he took legal action against me and took me to court.

What a blooming palaver! I had to prepare my defence, submit my own statement and it was almost a year before the hearing took place. Was it really worth the hassle when I didn't really fancy my chances in court? I was tempted to just pay up again, but the problem was, I knew I was right! Still, his contract appeared to be airtight and my chances of winning were slim to none. The best I could hope for was the Judge agreeing that it was an unfair contract and perhaps reduce my yearly payment. But what did I have to lose by going to court? Not that much really. If I lost, I’d have to carry on paying, and okay I’d have court costs to pay, but it was a small claims court so it was a minimal amount - maybe a couple of hundred pounds. If I won, there was a very slim chance I would be released from the contract, with nothing more to pay. Slim indeed, but still a chance. On the other hand, if MA lost he could potentially lose a hell of a lot more than me! And if he won? He wouldn't be any better off than if we hadn't gone in the first place. That was good enough for me. So I was going for it!

However, the day before the hearing was due to take place, I got a call from MA, suggesting we call the whole thing off. I was quite relieved to hear this and expected him to negotiate a new annual payment with me. But no, he said something like ... you know you're not going to win. I don't want to waste half a day in court, so why don't we just forget about it and I'll wave the court costs?... er, hello! Do I come across as a complete moron!? I suggested MA reduce my annual fee to £500. He said no way, so I said I'd take my chances in court, and he hung up.

So we went to court. It was a short hearing and, in hindsight, it was clear that the Judge had looked at both our statements (which we'd submitted before the hearing) and had already decided how it was going to pan out. He went through the usual routine of letting both sides give their evidence and then he laid down the law...
I was being fleeced and the case was dismissed...
That's not quite how he put it, but that was what it boiled down to.

Well I can tell you, I almost fell off my chair! MA stormed out of the room faster than a speeding bullet, slamming the door behind him. Not only did he have to pay all the costs, but he never got another penny out of me. I would have gladly settled for paying £500 a year, a day earlier, now I had nothing to pay. And guess what? My tenant is still in the house several years on. :-)

So the moral is, if you know you're right, go all the way with it. And if you're a greedy son of a gun, you'll probably end up with nothing!