Sorry but this is a moan.

Peripheral

Dedicated Member
I was reading the new input on these forums yesterday, Monday, at 10 AM when WHAM, the internet disappeared. We picked up the phone to call Sky to find out what was wrong but the phone was dead. We do not have a mobile phone. We are both listed as high risk. We are self-isolated. There we were, stuck in the house, unable to make contact with the outside world. What would we do if we needed a doctor? In the afternoon, I saw my neighbour on her drive having a smoke. We aren't the best of friends but we were desperate so I waddled out of the front door. She works for Virgin and I thought she might know what was wrong. I explained what had happened and she told me that all Sky and Virgin users in the area had the same problem. Both companies were working on the problem and that it should be sorted by 11:30 PM last night. It wasn't. There are three lights on our modem, all green when everything is OK. Yesterday we had two green and one RED. We sat, with long faces, waiting all day for that red light to turn green. At 5 PM today, Tuesday, it went green. The internet was back. and the phone worked. We were without contact for 31 hours. It seemed like 31 days. Apparently, the phone cables at some point had been cut and it involved a very big repair job. I don't know if it was accidental by some workmen or sheer vandalism. For two days we had kept checking the local news on Yorkshire TV. but not a word was said about the problem. I have noticed that the news on Yorkshire TV is something that happened two or three days before. I do wonder how many older people were caused stress because of the problem? With the virus, we have these days, I am in disbelief that no one seemed to give a thought to lonely old people and reassure them with a mention of the problem in the news. We are not all rich enough to pay for mobile phones.
Not very often I have a whinge but these last two days have been a nightmare. GLAD to be back. Peri.
 
Glad you are back online Peri so sorry to hear about your ordeal . That is a great and very sensible idea Barry a pay as you go phone would be perfect in that situation because whilst the internet/landline cabling would be impacted the phone masts would be unaffected . Well worth checking that Tesco's mobile network has good coverage near you Peri if not you can always order from Carphone Warehouse they may offer you different networks and you can pick the best coverage for your area
 
Get that mobile phone. All in all, while you were undoubtedly under a lot of stress, it all turned out well. Next time it might not turn out so well.
 
Glad you're back online now Peri!

A pay as you go mobile phone is about £15 from Tesco (or the like) so even if you're not rich it may be a good idea to have one in for emergencies!
We have one of those somewhere in the house but the only time it was used was when I was in a care home four years ago. We had to pay so much a month and if it wasn't used we lost the money and had to pay more for possible use over the next month. This episode was the first need for a mobile. Think I might invest in some homing pigeons. Better still, I will buy some Tom Toms.:geek2:
 
We had to pay so much a month and if it wasn't used we lost the money and had to pay more for possible use over the next month

That doesn't quite fit with Pay as you go sounds more like a contract phone Peri , pay as you go is what it says you buy a cheap handset and a ten pound top up [Carphone Warehouse have a Nokia basic phone for £4.99 plus £10 top up] and that gives you so many minutes talk time . If you run it down then you simply pay another £5, £10 or £20 to top up your minutes but if you don't use it then you don't lose it . With it being only for emergencies that initial £10 top up when you buy the phone is going to last for ages . Hope this helps you Peri.
 
That doesn't quite fit with Pay as you go sounds more like a contract phone Peri , pay as you go is what it says you buy a cheap handset and a ten pound top up [Carphone Warehouse have a Nokia basic phone for £4.99 plus £10 top up] and that gives you so many minutes talk time . If you run it down then you simply pay another £5, £10 or £20 to top up your minutes but if you don't use it then you don't lose it . With it being only for emergencies that initial £10 top up when you buy the phone is going to last for ages . Hope this helps you Peri.
Thanks, Captain. That certainly sounds a good idea. We will look into it.
 
We do not have a mobile phone. We are both listed as high risk. We are self-isolated. There we were, stuck in the house, unable to make contact with the outside world. What would we do if we needed a doctor?
Dunno if you have pre-paid mobiles there but its where I'd start - cheap emergency backup..
 
We found an old cheap mobile that I used when I was in the hospital four years ago. My managing director put a new 'Pay as you go' sim card in and so we are now fully covered. I bet we never have to use it.:eyesroll:
 
We found an old cheap mobile that I used when I was in the hospital four years ago. My managing director put a new 'Pay as you go' sim card in and so we are now fully covered. I bet we never have to use it.:eyesroll:
sods law Peri :frown2: We went on holiday, tippled down for first two days. Soon as we got a brolly and a Pakamac it started sunshining.
 
Soon as we got a brolly and a Pakamac it started sunshining.

If you'll indulge me I have a funny story about a brolley and golf.Playing with friends we were on a hole just about as far away as you could get from the clubhouse and shelter when the heavens opened . We all donned wet weather gear except my friend who is one huge guy much bigger than Crusher . He pulls out a Berghaus anorak but he hates being constricted so he has cut the sleeves out with kitchen scissors leaving the edges as cut [a bit like Fred Flinstone's clobber] and he proudly announces he will be staying dry as he won a state of the art brolly the previous week at a golf day he'd been to.

He's beaming as he draws the brolly from his bag undoes the fastening and presses the button to put it up , "no struggle with opening up this baby all automatic" he proudly announces . At that the canopy and part of the stem shoot 20ft in the air and he is left holding the handle and what's left of the stem with the rain teaming on him .

We are frantically trying not to say or do anything although inside we are collapsing with laughter . He throws the stick down as the canopy floats merrily away on the wind. He then turns around and utters " Don't say a £$%^& thing !!" puts the ball on the tee water dripping from his nose and hits the ball to the left side of the fairway . We dare not say or do anything because he is seething and at 6 foot 8 you don't do you but its really really hard . We hit our tee shots making sure we all go as far right as we can so we can set off in a different direction and allow us albeit muted to laugh our heads off . To be honest we couldn't hit the ball after that we were solid gone and decided to rap picked up and told our friend that we should all just walk in .

As luck would have it he had to dash off and we spent the next hour in the clubhouse bar in tears of laughter unable to move , jaws and sides aching . Of course when other members asked why we were in such a state we were the soul of discretion - not . After a few days our friend calmed down and saw the funny side so next time at the club people's fear of upsetting him and incurring his wrath went and he took all the ribbing in good heart , just as well because I would not like to be on the end of his temper if he didn't.
:)
 
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You want to be like me Peri. I only have a cheap old phone but I have it on pay as you go. I also have a phone top up card, so I can just go to any newsagents, post office, supermarket etc. to top up. I just give them the money and the card to swipe through the till machine and that's it. I can put as much or as little as I like in then and it just takes out what I use, when I use it. I put £50 in when I went into hospital last year, so I could keep up with family and friends. I still have £46 something in it now. It could be a year or more before I need to top up again.
 
If you'll indulge me I have a funny story about a brolley and golf.Playing with friends we were on a hole just about as far away as you could get from the clubhouse and shelter when the heavens opened . We all donned wet weather gear except my friend who is one huge guy much bigger than Crusher . He pulls out a Berghaus anorak but he hates being constricted so he has cut the sleeves out with kitchen scissors leaving the edges as cut [a bit like Fred Flinstone's clobber] and he proudly announces he will be staying dry as he won a state of the art brolly the previous week at a golf day he'd been to.

He's beaming as he draws the brolly from his bag undoes the fastening and presses the button to put it up , "no struggle with opening up this baby all automatic" he proudly announces . At that the canopy and part of the stem shoot 20ft in the air and he is left holding the handle and what's left of the stem with the rain teaming on him .

We are frantically trying not to say or do anything although inside we are collapsing with laughter . He throws the stick down as the canopy floats merrily away on the wind. He then turns around and utters " Don't say a £$%^& thing !!" puts the ball on the tee water dripping from his nose and hits the ball to the left side of the fairway . We dare not say or do anything because he is seething and at 6 foot 8 you don't do you but its really really hard . We hit our tee shots making sure we all go as far right as we can so we can set off in a different direction and allow us albeit muted to laugh our heads off . To be honest we couldn't hit the ball after that we were solid gone and decided to rap picked up and told our friend that we should all just walk in .

As luck would have it he had to dash off and we spent the next hour in the clubhouse bar in tears of laughter unable to move , jaws and sides aching . Of course when other members asked why we were in such a state we were the soul of discretion - not . After a few days our friend calmed down and saw the funny side so next time at the club people's fear of upsetting him and incurring his wrath went and he took all the ribbing in good heart , just as well because I would not like to be on the end of his temper if he didn't.
:)
So funny!! But maybe the best thing that could have happened!! If that storm had turned into a thunderstorm, lightening is OFTEN drawn to the highest metal object -- which might have been that brolley.
 
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