Good Morning, Whatcha Up To The Day?

[Mups]

Good luck with the injection Mups.

Have woken up with a stinker sore throat, so have had to cancel lunch at Worsley Old Hall. 

Thank you Dex.  
It certainly made my eyes water,  but all done now. 

[Mups]

Good morning all.   
Minus 2 here at the mo,  couldn't get my back gate open because the padlock is frozen solid.

I've had a warning from Virgin that they are doing work in my area today so my internet will be off,  so see you sometime later - I hope!

[dextrous63]

Has to be said Mups, Virgin has had a few dropouts round my neck of the woods lately.

Might investigate other full fibre suppliers when the contract comes up for renewal next year.

JB, did you say you had brsk?  How is that going?

[klondike]

Might investigate other full fibre suppliers when the contract comes up for renewal next year.

That's the thing with Virgin. Everybody is always in contract. They put the price up. You complain. They sell you a bigger package for the new price or occasionally a couple of quid less if you sign up for another 18 months. You don't really want the extra but it seems a better deal so you are hooked again. It's their business model.

They aren't full fibre either. The fibre only goes to an optical node that may be half a mile or more away and then the available bandwidth is shared out over coax using the DOCSIS protocol - more like the cheaper VDSL delivered over phone lines. It has good maximum speeds but poor total capacity and very prone to being overloaded locally - especially if you are unfortunate enough to have somebody on your section running torrents. If they oversell which they often do it takes an age for them to upgrade the impacted area. The street cabinets are poorly maintained and can look a complete mess inside. It's not uncommon around here to see the doors held shut with packaging tape.

[dextrous63]

I thought I was full fibre as the cable comes from the the stuff Nynex installed over a decade ago.

[klondike]

Ah - in that case you maybe do have FTTP. Most VM services are DOCSIS based using the old CCTV cable network. In that case yours should be more reliable and less susceptible to overloading but their business model doubtless is still to keep you forever in contract.

What do you have coming into the house coax or fibre? Coax is about 7mm diameter and fibre about 2mm. True fibre wasn't all that common a decade ago

These are the two FTTP connections I've had. The black one was from Vodafone and the current white live one is BT - I only swapped because Vodafone refused to even match new customer pricing when it came to renewal and BT had both a sale on and there was a large cashback available too. I'll probably be swapping again this March when the BT contract ends.

[Alex]

Trying to keep warm, geez minus 2 tonight I can't wait  🥶

[Mups]

Trying to keep warm, geez minus 2 tonight I can't wait  🥶

Try to hang on another couple of days,  as they say it will be wet and windy Saturday,  then up to 14 degs again next week!!

[Alex]

Bring it on Mups ! ........and to think I once thought of emigrating to Canada 

[Mups]

I drove into the next town today,  its only about 5 miles away.

The River Nene runs through there,  and it is swollen more than I have ever seen it in all the 56 years I have lived round here.
The local Swans look very happy and content,  swimming all over the children's play area,  and along the footpaths, and even in the fields across the road to the river.

There was an accident too,  and the slip road to the A45 was sealed off,  so had to go the long way round coming home.

I was rather frustrated though at having to go to 5 different places -  B & Q, Screwfix, Dunelm, a decorating place, and another place I can't remember the name of -  just to buy one of those little plug-in night lights.
It's no wonder why so many people buy from Amazon now. 

[Alex]

I've been out for lunch today to an old pub in Chester. Ye Old Custom House, very nice too  but my goodness Chester has changed, it's all restaurants, tapas bars and coffee shops now.

[Michael Rolls]

Minus 5 at the moment. My painter starts on the new outhouse door (weather permitting) and my OT visits

[Scrumpy]

Minus 5 at the moment. My painter starts on the new outhouse door (weather permitting) and my OT visits

Hi Michael...  Don't see you on here very often.. I do hope you are keeping well..
It is so cold up where you are..  

  Are you having visitors for Christmas... ?
Or just a Turkey.. I thought i would get that in before Dextrous did..

[dextrous63]

Unprovoked attack, eh?

Does anyone on here want stuffing?😬

[Mups]

Morning all.  Its very bright and sunny today, but thick frost.  -3 last night.

Just got my Ocado order arrive, so best go and start unpacking that first.  Then a couple ofphone calls to sort out, followed by a visit to see the audiologist this afternoon.

Some times it makes me wonder how I cope with such excitement!