Norn Iron

Gert Moller was a Dutch winger signed by Alan Dicks when we were in the old first division.

When it's spring again, I'll drink again, Gerty from Amsterdam.

2 hours ago, REDOXO said:

https://robinstv.bcfc.co.uk/faq/

After much Gnashing of teeth and cries for help over an extended period, multiple threads and matchday moans etc Jerry has given the clubs definitive answer to what to do when the TV and audio don't work on his Ask The SLO section.

Contact these people as soon as a problem is noticed (BELOW). For those asking for refunds they will only been given if these people are contacted and there is a record. Its no use contacting anyone at BCFC as they will never get back to you and refer you to Them eventually (after years of groans)....HOWEVER this is just for the App! I'm not completely sure what that means if you don't use the App. But I do almost always so I will leave it to others to ask those questions.

However this inbox should be monitored on matchday is what I am advised!

The full FAQ's as above. I'm not sure if the mods feel this is worthy of pinning at least for a while I will leave this to @Dollymarie @phantom but it might really help everybody. (if you wish to alter my comments I am fine with it, just trying to help)

 supporterservices@bristol-sport.co.uk

This is not, I repeat not the address (supporterservices@bristol-sport.co.uk)! 

Thanks Redoxo for making the same blunder that I did. I'm not the only one!

I am still awaiting a response from this address.

The FAQ is ambiguous. Having reread it,  the address for technical issues during the match is as follows from the FAQs

bristolcitysupport@streamamg.com

but you have to scroll a long way past the supporterservices@ answer!

It also says you'll only get a refund if you report it to "customer service". Which one is that? Not one of the two addresses has customer service in the title. See below screenshot for confirmation.

Jerry, if you are reading this, recognise how ambiguous the FAQs are and not only have the courtesy to respond to my PM but sort out our refunds.

I thought peccadillos was a condiment. Bit like Branston but yellow and more mustard!

12 minutes ago, The dastardly red said:

As a side note my contact in Shoreditch called me this morning to tell me that massive turn-ups on huge baggy jeans are poised to become must haves this Autumn season. Also bermuda shorts worn over leggings, although that does seem a bit out there if you ask me.

I do find this thread DastardlyRed interesting but it could end up bring like certain films. You get so annoyed with the plot or characters that you want to switch off but can't as you want to see how it ends up!

Are these trendsetters trying to prove something? What would a psychoanalyst make of them had he/she had an opportunity to discuss with the 'trendsetters'? What will we be missing out of if we don't follow 'suit'?

It reminds me of the early 80s when the BCFC clique was to be found by being a member of the supporters club! Anyone remember joining so that the chairman/whatever could be ousted?

2 minutes ago, The dastardly red said:

Shepherds Bush is in West London, Shoreditch is in East London. I understand your joke but in terms of London the two places are far apart.

As a side note my contact in Shoreditch called me this morning to tell me that massive turn-ups on huge baggy jeans are poised to become must haves this Autumn season. Also bermuda shorts worn over leggings, although that does seem a bit out there if you ask me.

Not exactly the swinging 60s rebellion or the punk movement 76-77 to fashion though is it!

2 weeks ago I was finally able to buy Wrangler Jeans that hadn't been ripped, stone washed, brushed, coloured or had some elasticity added to the weave. In other words I bought proper, straight legged jeans! That's trend setting!

I was in Shepherds Bush on Saturday. That's near Shoreditch. 

The fashion most on show in that area was to wear non-cotton shirts in either red or purple. Instead of a slogan on bandanas, the Shepherds Bush fashion was to go one better and have 2 words emblazoned on the front of said shirt.

It is still popular though to show off the manufacturer's logo on the attire.

If only I could find a photo to show you of what I saw around the green of Shepherds Bush.

My next batch of Public House IPA, brewed and conditioned to the max, will be ready tomorrow. 

I made a similar batch 2 weeks ago. Wow! It was fantastic. However, I kept 2 litres and then bottled into 2 x 2 litres fliptops. They were conditioned but last night put into the fridge. This should kill off any secondary fermentation.

We will be able to compare tomorrow night if further bottling improves the flavour etc compared to a pint straight out of the Pinter.

I have 3 human guinea pigs lined up for this important taste test done 'blind'. The clarity might give it away as that has improved just by being bottled!

Results to follow...

On 21/09/2021 at 16:23, CyderInACan said:

Serious question. Will the current CO2 problems increase the prices of these gizmos?

There are 2 answers to your question!

Answer 1

No.

CO2 is made naturally from the ingredients and not by using a Sodastream! The brewing yeast is added separately to the Fresh Press concentrate/water. The yeast reacts with the liquid to create CO2. Because we do not buy alcohol from The Greater Good, we will not be taxed for any duty that politicians are threatening us with.

Answer 2

Yes to price increase but not re CO2

Pinter Mk2 is due for release in October! It has been completely rebuilt after 1000s of Pinterers' feedback. Consequently the price will go up as the mk2 will have apparently more functions. The Greater Good is being tight lipped over this but a major announcement is due on the 29th of this month. Pinter mk1 will still be able to make all beers from future Fresh Presses.

39 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

I don’t think anyone is calling him a messiah, 

as he was a very naughty boy.....

1 minute ago, Norn Iron said:

I did. We've just brought on Jet, Jacki and John with Sir Alan Walsh linking up nicely with Gerry Gow. Penalty! 

We missed!

1 minute ago, Top Robin said:

Use your imagination

I did. We've just brought on Jet, Jacki and John with Sir Alan Walsh linking up nicely with Gerry Gow. Penalty! 

And still no radio feed! We've missed the whole of the second half. No response to my email either. 

21 minutes ago, Masala said:

That looks good. I'm not far away from opening my boxes up and starting! Kitchen should be finished in about three weeks

I was wondering when you were going to start brewing!

If you have somewhere else to brew, your beer will be ready in time to celebrate a new kitchen!

I thought I'd try the Stars And Stripes.

It is an American Pale Ale. See the photos for more details. I agree totally with the description.

I brewed and conditioned to the maximum days recommended. 
However, whilst I was impressed with the flavour it cannot compare to what I have now! 
24 hours after drinking/sharing a few pints, I bottled the rest (having added a carb drop). I left the bottles covered with a tea towel for 5 days and then placed in the fridge for a couple of hours to stop any extra fermentation etc..
Wow! Talk about clarity. It looked so clear it was if it had been poured in a pint. The taste? Exceptional. Smooth and a well balanced pale ale with just a subtle hint of fruitiness. Loved it.

I still have a 1 litre fliptop bottle left untouched. The photo shows the clarity but look at all the sediment at the bottom. Now that's what I call a real ale!

17 minutes ago, Bristol Rob said:

I hope they are authentic, and a once mild mannered vegan lead singer has stayed in character and become a massive bigot.

No way sis?

3 hours ago, Posset red said:

I think about my future a lot and pensions etc. It’s always hard to know weather or not your putting enough into it. I work for a small local company which pay the minimum 3% and I’m paying 8% but plan on upping that to 15% in October. I turn 30 in October and as it stands will probably  have about £11500 then. Am I on track etc ? Im not even sure what size pot I should be aiming for

There are many versions of contribution calculators, that should be able to give you a better understanding of what is needed. Here's one from the mighty Prudential.

https://www.pru.co.uk/tools-calculators/retirement-contributions-calculator/

The most important decision is when would you like to retire? When you do retire, what would you like to do and how much money do you need?

Imagine you retired at the start of this year. What would it cost you to fund everything for this year? Ignore for the time being, your mortgage when working out your spending as it might already be paid off when you retire. 

With that figure, multiply it by 1.03 for every year between now and your estimated retirement date. The .03 represents the 3% annual inflation rate. However you might think it will be less, say 2%. In which case multiply your figure by 1.02 etc.. if 4% is your inflation rate then it's 1.04. If you're aged 30 today and 58 is your projected retirement date, take your original annual spend and multiply it 28 times using your annual inflation rate. Don't just multiply it by 28 but do it 28 times (Y x 1.03 x 1.03 x 1.03 x 1.03 etc ie annual compound interest)! 

This projected figure will give you a rough idea what you need in your pension pot for that first year in retirement. Comparison with the projected pension pot will become a bit clearer as to how much you need to save. There are other retirement years to consider even before the state pension kicks in.

If in 2001 you had a purchasing power of £100, today you would need £147 to be like for like. Putting money under the mattress for retirement will erode your real purchasing power that's why a pension plan is so important.

Then there's the thought of paying off your mortgage if not already achieved, going on a once in a lifetime holiday, buying a special present to celebrate your retirement. All these will add up but it can be provided by your tax free lump sum! However, it needs investment by your good self. 

It boils down to when do you want to retire and how much do you need to fulfil your retirement needs and wants. Pension plans are flexible and are transportable from job to job.

It really is a good idea to speak to an advisor who can help you out with these figures and the maximum amounts you can invest per year plus of course how much you can actually afford.

35 minutes ago, Ska Junkie said:

@Norn Ironclearly knows his stuff so would know far better than me. 

Thanks for the comment, however, I'm basing it on my knowledge when giving best advice on Pensions from more than 25 years ago! I know so much has changed since I have hung up my hat, but the basic principles of why and when to retire haven't!

I did though have to go through this process of tapping into my Pension Fund. In my case, I had to fight my own provider to get access to my works pension as per the 2015 Financial Services Act change brought in by George Osborne. In my case, it wasn't as simple apparently.

I thought I might do an Erin Brockovich at one point and expose the red tape that pension providers are using to stop people from tapping into pension funds at a young retirement age. Eventually, another indie Financial expert was able to get through the bureaucracy. What George Osborne was trying to do was great. What the providers are doing, deplorable. The Financial Ombudsman was next to useless as well....all of the above is in my opinion of course! No male equivalent of Erin Brockovich either!  Having tried to take on the Benefits Agency in the High Courts regarding registered blind people with Retinitis Pigmentosa, left me mentally exhausted/battle weary! 

Because of the Indie Advisor and that I can get his advice any time in the future, I accept the commission he gets from my fund per annum. 
 It is a very small price to pay for the incredible stress he relieved from me so that I could provide a home, a need and a want and my dream, for my registered blind wife and son. We now own a bungalow that is beyond our heart's desire and all because of my pension. Ok, we may not be living beyond our dreams and having luxurious treats but we have a quality of life back, something we wanted- a house and where it is located.

This is why I stress what do you want from your pension fund when you retire and what is achievable with the fund you currently have?

Martyn Lewis on his excellent moneysavingexpert gives great insight. Here is the link for his overall pension advice.

  https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/pensions

Back again to the basic questions..  Lager Loud and I stress what do you want out of life when you retire? Lager L is more switched on re the financial rules and regulations  especially as he, unlike me, has been in the finance business this century!

I am more than happy to recommend an Independent Pension advisor in South Bristol. Please PM me and I will gladly pass on his details as I already have to another otiber.

25 minutes ago, Reigate Red said:

@Norn Iron, @lager loud, @Ska Junkie thanks for all your discussion it's really been helpful. Looks like I need to devote a bit of time to this and polish up my spreadsheet skills!

Don't be surprised if you see this thread resurrected in six months time   

RR, the first thing I'd do is look to see where you'd like to live in retirement.

If you live in Reigate...

3 hours ago, Ska Junkie said:

Quite ironic, we're going to Jamaica in June.

Thanks NI, I really appreciate your input.

And tonight's lottery numbers are....

If you had called yourself Wurzel Junkie I would have suggested Nailsea!

2 minutes ago, Ska Junkie said:

Thanks ll, I get it now. 

Great SJ!

Would you like me to respond to your response of 17 mins ago?

I think Lager has explained it really well. What I am also trying to say is that when you take into account what can be coming to you at 67 means less money to take out of your pension pot. This means your Pension Pot should still grow far better than having it in a building society account!  You can dip into the Pension pot at any time so you're not handcuffed.

If it was me....I would take my TFLS (tax free lump sum) of 25% from your Pension Pot which plus max allowable of your annual tax free allowance ( the £12570 before you then pay tax on all incomes etc) and I would do this on the 5th April (remember it takes at least 3 weeks admin so start process 1st March. Your provider will advise). I would then take out the maximum annual tax free allowance for new tax year starting 6th April (see what I call Bed and Breakfasting in original post). 

If you think that your total amount of TFLS plus 2 lots of tax free allowances within that 24 hours is enough for pleasure and bills plus a one off treat...brilliant.

I would use the annuity as my back stop to pay normal utility bills, maintenance etc for future years. Remember, if you defer the annuity for even a year before you take it, you will get an increase in that payment to you.

It boils down to what you really want to do with your life.

What are your needs? Will they be covered (bills, more bills, food, insurances, keeping car on the road etc)

What are your wants? (Decent food and wine on your table, plus beer, holidays, season ticket and away trips with BCFC, going out for decent meals, buying Ska albums)

What are your ambitions and dreams? (To go to Jamaica. Travel around Europe. Buy out Steve Lansdown and become the new City owner)?

When you have finalised how you see Mrs SJ and your good self in retirement, then you can plan how to fund it. 

I think you're in a great position to do some of the above now or at 60.  It's a question of cutting your cloth accordingly and maybe going without some of the wants and dreams but to retire far exceeds those you can't do.....in my opinion. 

Your indie financial advisor will ask all the above questions and then submit it in writing ie to show how you plan for the future. It would be a thorough investigation as well.  

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised that you can retire ASAP....should you wish.

And finally Esther (for the oldies), if you have any child tax credits etc...this amount will be included as taxable income. Many a person thinks that they can retire early, forgetting that HMRC will ask/demand all of the credits back for that tax year! Some benefits are also classed as Taxable Income. Carer's allowance for instance. Bah humbug. My £66pw would eat into the 0 tax rate of the first £12,570 Cider City mentioned.

Not all doom and gloom though.... with 6 weeks to go before your 60th birthday, you can apply for your free travel card on the  train and bus here in Norn Iron. We also get free water rates because we have a lot of it. If it doesn't rain after 3 days, drought conditions apply. Therefore, moving here becomes an option as well! Oh yes, house prices are the cheapest in the UK. A standard Totterdown dwelling could buy you a detached house with garage! Mind you despite Easyjet flying to Bristol, they don't fly back Saturday nights anymore. You would need accommodation! Maybe not moving is not an option after all.

BTW, It's great to see such positive responses from City fans to your initial post. 

Having had to go through this process myself SJ, I'd look at it from a different angle. 

You need enough money to get you to 65 or 67 (in my case) for the state pension to kick in.  Going from £66pw for me as a full time carer to £165 pw would be akin to winning the pools!

In our case, looking after a disabled wife meant we needed to tap in to my small pensionpot. I have a few years to go until 67.

At 65, you'll be getting £150pw from your annuity plus the extra government pension at 67 bringing it to £300pw approx.....tax free as well (assuming I've understood your thresholds.)

If you can retire now and can pay off mortgages, car loans and become debt free, it helps in becoming stress free as well.

It's what you want out of life.  Retiring early has health benefits and more time to spend with family plus becoming worse at golf...or any other hobby.

No doubt your financial advisor can give you the figures for retiring early. There are also annuity calculators available on providers websites giving you a clue what your pension pot is worth. Taking the lump sum of 25% but deferring your annuity is another way of looking at it. 

Our small pension pot is accessible any time and should you need an urgent withdrawal, the process will take about 3 weeks to get money into your account.

A great way to legitimately save tax especially for a large lump sum, and with HMRC's blessing, is to not touch your pension pot until March. I called it Bed and Breakfasting when in the financial business!

Remember, it takes a minimum of 3 weeks of admin to process your withdrawal. Take out the maximum allowable, taxband wise, to come out on 5th April. Then take out the maximum allowable for 6th April as it's a new tax year.  Voila! You'll gain quite a few thousand pounds from not paying higher tax for every 100k. You're simply playing the system and using the end and start of tax years for your benefit. Nothing shady at all. All by waiting 24 hours. 

Then there is the choice of which fund you want to invest your money with your the pension pot. It'll range from minimum risk (most providers have one. The Pru call it the Cautious Fund) to ummmm, maximum risk but maximum potential as well as maximum losses (paper or actual)! The government funded website and phone line Pensionwise, can explain more. The beauty of a pension pot is you are in more control. You can treat it as your own investment and can switch providers as well. 

Shop around for a decent Indie Financial Advisor. I can recommend one in the Bristol area should you need one. There is also BCFC's benefactor/owner who might be able to help...no discount is given though!

Keeping the existing annuity provider is a good guaranteed peace of mind option but you might want to transfer that to a drawdown scheme as well!

Options eh? It's great you can seriously plan with what you have.

For me the no1 question is What Can I Do With My Life If I Retire Now? Look at all the pros and cons. Look at what it will mean to you before retiring just before 5th April 2022. All your financial pension issues will then fall into place.

A heads up for their customer service.

Yesterday, I noticed that my brewing dock was becoming more difficult to attach/detach. There seemed to be a hairline fracture on the joint mechanism. See photos. 

I phoned for advice and was immediately told that if they could have photos, I could then get a response as to what can be done.

Within 2 hours they replied that a new brew dock had been ordered and will be posted ASAP.

What superb service. 

I know that as I have the mk1 version, like any new invention there will be issues. Mk2 apparently is in development as a response to pinter owners' feedback.

Can't fault The Greater Good.

My top ten...

Number 6 (The Prisoner)

Randall and Hopkirk (deceased)

Sgt Bilko 

Frasier

Jed Bartlet (President USA)

Virgil Tracy (pilot-International Rescue)

Count Arthur Strong

Cat (Red Dwarf)

Gene Hunt (Life on Mars etc)

Al Bundy (Shoe Salesman. Married With Children)

Because of the thread title..

Ben Ten.

Had to endure it when our son was an infant!  He loved the series though. Real name Ben Tenysson.