The Hidden Glasgow Forums

It's quarter past ten in the bomb shelter. The sun's hiding behind an overcast so I can't tell if it's over the yard-arm yet. Sod the licensing laws - you can't buy a bottle of Applewood cider in Sainsbury's just now, but you can pluck one from the stash in Brigit's Bomb Shelter. Very nice it is too...

There's a tub with Frankincense oil in it waiting to be enjoyed.

Less than three weeks to go to my surgery and the surgeon's PA and the hospital are screwing around. The surgeon's PA is at a private hospital in Brighton; I'm going to an NHS hospital in Haywards Heath. I've had plenty of paperwork from the PA to tell me how things will go, but very little from the hospital. Indeed, I've only spoken to the nurse who will be admitting me and as much as I know is this; she didn't know how long I would be in for. She thought I would be discharged after four or five days. I've booked my flight home for day seven. Next, she didn't know who was supposed to be carrying out the pre-op assessment, nor where, nor when.

This leads me to suspect that she's never done this before and has not been adequately briefed. The PA is having none of it... Everything will be alright. This, despite her expressing concerns earlier about not having control over a process in a hospital beyond her sphere of responsibility.

The PA said that it was a new venture and I wondered just how new. I asked her straight out, how many patients had this other nurse admitted for surgery. "That's her business."

I'm booked for surgery that is irreversible. There is no margin for error and I have fuckwits involved. I don't like fuckwits any more than I like wasps. They're OK when they're minding their business, but they're not OK when they're poking their nose into my little world.

I have a letter drafted for the Freedom of Information dudes at the NHS trust that runs the place. If the PA won't tell me what I want to know, I'll get it another way. This PA needs to be very careful. She has an excellent reputation at the moment, but that can change. I don't usually dwell on the fuckwits who've fucked me around and lost, but in recent times, I've nailed South Lanarkshire Council and have the Fraud Act over them like the Sword of Damocles, I've put Prudential through the ICO and won and the joy of kicking TV Licensing is reported in the "hide the telly" thread.

Nearly time to chill out in that tub, methinks...

Add the DVLA to your list ....

Did you see that TV snip about them selling personal details to any company that asks and pays £10....

When you sign the DVLA forms you apparently give permission for this, but there is not a way to say no....

go on, dare you ......

I'll need a bit more to go on than that, but while were at it, I'll say a few things about them.

If you're in the process of gender reassignment, you can send them your change of name instrument (deed poll on change of name or statutory declaration) tick the appropriate box for your adopted gender and include a picture of the new you and they'll send you a new picture licence without any problem. The encoding on the licence (it's to do with the scrambled date and they add a 5 or 6 in there if you're a girly) will be correct. I don't recall sending them a doctor's letter.

However, they insist on having original documents, such as a birth certificate and deed poll. I made a fuss about this because there is no requirement in law to execute a deed poll or statutory declaration in order to change one's name.

So I need to have a pop at them.

It is a criminal offence under the DPA 1998 to disclose certain data. If they're not offering an opt-out clause, they're being naughty. It has to be unlawful; it's just a matter of finding out how and arguing the case. No, I don't have a degree in law, but I see that as an advantage. I've not had my judgement coloured by fusty traditions.

Where there's a will, there's a way... there's always a fucking way... (Sexy Beast, 2000)

I think, this is the telly prog.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00j5k2y/Doms_on_the_Case_Series_2_Money_and_Motoring/

Thanks, LG; I'll have a look at that later (the PC's playing TNT at the mo). I presume it's Dom Littlewood. He's a good lad; his attitude is after my heart.

26 deg C in the bomb shelter. Just what you need to go with your hot flushes. Blurgh.

Aye it's roasting indoors, shame it's hotter and more uncomfortable outdoors. I saw it trying to rain earlier, no danger. Looks like we might be in for some lightening.

Glad it was a bit cooler with us today and was raining as I got out the car for work.

Brigit,
I'm meeting a friend in several weeks for lunch and she always feels the heat.
She thinks it is a combination of her being overweight and her age so I am taking her a few of those wee
water spray things as I thought she could keep them by her bed.
Her OH is like a string bean and she wishes he would put on some weight while she tries to shed some at gym.

Not suggesting you have any weight problems by the way and good luck with your surgery.

Thanks Dot, just a couple of weeks to go now. I'm borderline overweight according to the last BMI thingy I saw. 13st 2lb and 5'11", mind you my legs are carrying a lot of muscle from walking everywhere.

We had a drop of rain in EK earlier, but it's looking like it might be a pleasant evening. Just the one dark cloud out the back, but I guess that'll be Strathaven's problem.

Lone Groover wrote:I think, this is the telly prog.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00j5k2y/Doms_on_the_Case_Series_2_Money_and_Motoring/

Yo, Groovy-Dude, I had a look at this and I reckon DVLA are up to no good. I've not owned a car in yonks so I don't know what it says on the V5, but it sounds like sharp practice to me. Dom's chat with the boss of DVLA was telling. The DVLA guy reeked of bull. I'll add it to the battle orders.

All this talk of picking fights with big business and government offices recently might give the impression that I'm a vexatious troublemaker. I think I'll balance it up.

I've had some dealings with the Information Commisioners Office recently and very good they are too. There's one girl in particular who needs congratulating for the way she handled the case that I gave her. I wasn't expecting much to be honest and experiences of Ofcom and the Press Complaints Commission do little to reassure one when approaching such as the ICO. They've been great and I will be sure to let them know that I hold them in high regard.

On a completely different note: the typical ride on a FirstGroup bus has a driver not quite at one with his gearbox and I fear the brakes must be a challenge for many. Most snatch at them and it often takes three lurches to come to a halt at a bus-stop. Two weeks ago, I left the flat and flagged down the bus that goes past my doorstep. There seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary until we were passing through Nerston toward Cathkin and I noticed that we were making very smooth progress. Our driver pulled up for stops or red lights with precision and he had the better of the transmission. This unflustered progress continued all the way into Glasgow City centre. I didn't think it possible to chauffeur-drive a double decker bus but this fellow managed it. I was sorely impressed. I noted the number of the bus and the registration mark and told FirstGroup about it. Hopefully our wheelman had a pat on the back for his troubles.

Credit where it's due; I've put the bad guys on the spot lately, but I think it's only right to let the good guys know who they are.

BrigitDoon wrote:Thanks Dot, just a couple of weeks to go now. I'm borderline overweight according to the last BMI thingy I saw. 13st 2lb and 5'11", mind you my legs are carrying a lot of muscle from walking everywhere.

The whole BMI thing is a lot of pish.

I fail to see why medical practitioners place so much gravitas upon it.

Taking only height and weight into account without taking things like lifestyle, musculature, physiognomy etc.into consideration just seems like a completely arbitrary way of defining if someone is overweight or not.



Going by the chart above a 6 foot, 15 and a half stone man is obese? What if he's a super-fit rugby winger, training six days a week and playing for his country?

Fucking nonsense.

Good point Doorstop. West Country rugby players carry a lot of weight for their height and it's mostly muscle.

Even our footy players are built of solid non-destructium. Rest him, alas, our friend Simon was measured by the undertaker at 6'0" and eighteen stone. We knew he was carved from granite but didn't realise he was that solid.

Hi was trying to do a bit of research on underground bomb shelters and came across your posts which I read with great interest.
I was in Brighton in 2004 for the same op by the same surgical team...........!!!!!!!!!!
I'd just like to wish you luck and all the best.
I hope you have got something in to relieve the boardom whilst convelecing, eg Zillion piece jigsaw etc.
Take the time to recover properly and don't overdo things your brain will tell you you feel fine and your body ain't.
Take care and I'll keep my fingers crossed for you that all goes well.

Kind regards.........K


"MINDS ARE LIKE PARACHUTES.....!!!!!!!!!!THEY DON'T WORK UNLESS THEY'RE OPEN....!!!!!!

Hi Karritiger; welcome to HG

Fancy that: two girls who've been with Mr Thomas and are into bomb shelters!

Anyway, you've come to the right place if you're looking for things like bomb shelters. This lot gets into all the nooks and corners and we do have threads running about old military installations. It's not a bomb shelter but there's a place near Carmunnock that we keep meaning to have a rummage around in. We keep an eye out for more recent stuff too and we go to the launches on the Clyde. Do pay a visit to the Magnificent Men and their Flying Machines thread; it's full of aircraft past and present. Hope you enjoy yourself here and I'm pleased I'm not alone at last!

My ex sent me a text yesterday. I'd asked her to leave me alone about nine months ago, but evidently she was cidered-up and felt the need to get in touch on the pretext that she couldn't get googlemail to work. My past gives me nightmares and this gave me the wobbles, so I went to the local Police Station.

An hour later, I was home and the doorbell rang and there were two officers. They came in and listened patiently as I explained the situation, asked pertinent questions, drew up a statement and said they'd contact Avon and Somerset to deal with it. I gave them the details of the local beat officer and said that A&S might appreciate the opportunity to pay a visit so they can see what naughtiness my ex-stepson is up to.

This lady and gentleman from Strathclyde were wonderful and I felt quite relaxed after they'd gone. My blood pressure was down to normal levels afterwards.

The thought that my ex may have inadvertently hanged her son out to dry by a bit of late-night silliness doesn't upset me in the slightest. If she contacts me again its harassment.

Doorstop wrote:

BrigitDoon wrote:Thanks Dot, just a couple of weeks to go now. I'm borderline overweight according to the last BMI thingy I saw. 13st 2lb and 5'11", mind you my legs are carrying a lot of muscle from walking everywhere.

The whole BMI thing is a lot of pish.

I fail to see why medical practitioners place so much gravitas upon it.

Taking only height and weight into account without taking things like lifestyle, musculature, physiognomy etc.into consideration just seems like a completely arbitrary way of defining if someone is overweight or not.



Going by the chart above a 6 foot, 15 and a half stone man is obese? What if he's a super-fit rugby winger, training six days a week and playing for his country?

Fucking nonsense.

It looks (and I'm not good on colours) that Doorstop's winger would be overweight as opposed to obese but I take the point about BMI being a simplistic way of looking at the subject but it's also a fairly straightforward way of scaring the shit out of Glasgow's many 5' 2" 15 stone wummen.