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adrian2934 – Announcement.News https://www.announcement.news Online News Portal Thu, 22 Jun 2023 06:44:21 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.3 222850030 Head of Epsom College https://www.announcement.news/head-of-epsom-college-31/ https://www.announcement.news/head-of-epsom-college-31/#respond Thu, 22 Jun 2023 06:44:21 +0000 https://www.announcement.news/?p=76452 Head of Epsom College ‘s husband, who is understood to have killed his wife and seven-year-old daughter before turning his gun on himself, wrote he was ‘desperate to do something better with his days’ as he set up a doomed wine-importing business, it was revealed last night. 

George Pattison, 39, was an accountant with a history of business woes, most recently setting up consultancy firm Tanglewood in 2016, before taking out a £14,000 director’s loan in 2021.

In a presentation pitching a wine-importing company, he described himself as ‘a career accountant desperate to do something better with his days’, The Telegraph reports.

Mr Pattison said he had worked ‘in a variety of industries including corporate finance, investment management and financial consultancy’. If you enjoyed this article and you would such as to obtain additional details relating to eVDeN eVe nAKLiyAt kindly go to our own web-page.  

It comes as comments from Emma in an interview published in School Management Plus magazine six days before her death emerged, in which she said she was looking forward to an ‘exciting future’. She was found dead alongside her husband and their daughter Lettie in their home on school grounds.

Epsom College head Emma Pattison, 45, her husband George, 39, and their seven-year-old daughter Lettie

Police believe Mr Pattison shot his wife and daughter dead before turning the gun on himself

The family was discovered dead at their property within the school grounds at around 1.10am on Sunday, police said, shortly after Mrs Pattison made a distressed phone call to her sister. 

Mrs Pattison moved to the college with daughter Lettie in September, while husband George remained in their old £1.5million home in Caterham as its sale went through. 

Neighbours said Mr Pattison had been ‘flitting between’ their old house and the property at Epsom College before the keys were handed to the new owners last month.

It was only then that he moved into the family’s new home.

Neighbours described Mr Pattison as reserved and said they often saw him drinking wine alone in the family’s Caterham home.

Just hours before the shootings, , who said nothing appeared out of place or unusual between the couple.

Mr Pattison was understood to show no sign of being upset or worried during the evening. 

A friend of the family told : ‘On Saturday night they threw a dinner party.It was quite an intimate affair and literally turned out to be their last supper.

‘Nothing unusual happened. There were no arguments, no indication he would go on to do something so horrific a short time later.’

In an interview published days before her death, Mrs Pattison said she saw the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the independent schools sector as an opportunity.’It could be time to shape a really exciting future for the country,’ she said. 

She also spoke about plans to open the Surrey school to a wider section of the community by improving access with bursaries. 

Mrs Pattison added Covid-19 had brought about ‘an absolute sea change’ in what parents wanted for their children.

She said: ‘They used to talk about results and Oxbridge.That has turned about-face completely since Covid. It’s now about well-being, pastoral care, kindness, service and charity.’

She acknowledged challenges for the independent sector, saying: ‘The image of the exclusive private school has to be a thing of the past.Exclusivity is a dirty word nowadays. 

‘The independent schools sector has to offer something very different going forward, for its own pupils and for the social impact it could bring.’

Mrs Pattison added it was charity and impact on the local community which was closest to her heart, saying she wanted her pupils to become ‘part of the solution’ to society’s problems.

Interviewer Zoe MacDougall paid tribute to Mrs Pattison after news of her death emerged, praising her ‘warm and easy personality’.

She said: ‘Talking to Emma, it was clear that service and kindness were core values.Her vision was for her pupils to learn truths about the world around them, in preparation for the adults that she hoped they would become: people who would play leading roles in society with understanding, compassion and integrity. 

‘I found her inspirational.’

Mrs Pattison with her daughter Lettie.The seven-year-old has been described as a ‘little angel’ and ‘perfect in every way’ following her death on Sunday morning 

Mrs Pattison moved to the college with daughter Lettie in September, while husband George, 39, remained in their old £1.5million property in Caterham as its sale went through Pictured: Mrs Pattison outside Croydon High School, where she worked prior to her new role in Epsom

It emerged yesterday that Mrs Pattison made a distressed phone call to her sister Deborah Kirk in the early hours of Sunday morning, just minutes before she would be shot dead. 

Ms Kirk immediately jumped into a car and drove out to the college in Surrey, but arrived too late and discovered her sister’s body as well as those of her husband George and Lettie.

Surrey Police confirmed they believe Mr Pattison shot his wife and daughter dead before turning the weapon on himself, and that no third party was involved in the killings. 

The force has referred itself to the independent watchdog over the triple shooting after it emerged they had been in touch with Mr Pattison just days before.

The killer had held a shotgun licence for many years and officers had called him to check on the storage for his firearm last Thursday.Officers did not visit the premises.

Home Office regulations state that gun owners must notify police of any change of address as soon as they move.

In December, Mrs Pattison told a student podcast that her move had been ‘a really big change for my family’, adding: ‘I’ve got a new job, my husband got a new job, which wasn’t meant to happen, but did, and my daughter has started a new school.’ 

Mrs Pattison had only become head of the prestigious college five months ago, and was the first woman to hold the role

Mrs Pattison’s frantic call to her sister Deborah Kirk (pictured together) and her husband prompted relatives to jump into a car and evDeN EVE naKliyat drive out to her in Surrey

Emma Pattison with her husband George at a school function

A police vehicle outside Epsom College in Surrey on Monday following the three deaths in an apparent murder-suicide

A neighbour of the family in Caterham told MailOnline: EVDEN EVE naKLiyaT ‘It’s horrific what’s happened at the college.I never heard any arguing or anything like that when they lived here. 

‘They appeared to have it all – a nice house, good jobs and lots of money.

‘As well as the BMW, George also drove a Jaguar XR and EVDEn eve naKliYat an Audi S5.They’d also spent a lot of money doing up the house.

‘When they first moved in it was quite a scruffy granny-style house but they’d extended the kitchen and landscaped the back garden as well as improving the front of the house.

https://www.announcement.news/head-of-epsom-college-31/feed/ 0 76452 Cody Gakpo joined Liverpool TOO EARLY, claims Holland's Ronald Koeman https://www.announcement.news/cody-gakpo-joined-liverpool-too-early-claims-hollands-ronald-koeman-18/ https://www.announcement.news/cody-gakpo-joined-liverpool-too-early-claims-hollands-ronald-koeman-18/#respond Tue, 23 May 2023 23:01:59 +0000 https://www.announcement.news/?p=73310 might have made the move to too early, new Holland boss has claimed.

The 23-year-old forward but is yet to score or make an assist in his first six appearances for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

His new national team coach said it was good to have young Dutch players moving to bigger leagues.

However, Koeman added that it could also be difficult for them and said the Dutchman is currently struggling to find his feet.

Koeman said the fact that Liverpool, who snatched the Dutch forward from under the noses of Manchester United, were underperforming did not benefit Gakpo’s game.

Cody Gakpo has struggled since making a £44million switch from PSV to Liverpool in January

Ronald Koeman said it was good to have young Dutch players moving to bigger leagues

‘You can see that, that he has ended up in a team that is not doing well.Then it becomes more difficult for him, as a new signing. You are tested right away,’ he said. 

‘And if you don’t score or you’re not important and EvdeN eVE nAkliyAT you don’t win any matches, it’s very difficult, especially for a young player. 

‘If that’s was someone aged 28 with experience, it would be different.

‘The level in England is higher than in the Netherlands, but they are also young boys, aren’t they? Like (Ryan) Gravenberch going to Bayern (Munich) and not playing.Should you loved this information in addition to you want to get details regarding EVDen EVe nAkLiyAT generously check out our page. Then that is difficult,’ he said on a YouTube show hosted by former footballer Andy van der Meyde.

Before joining Liverpool, Gakpo had scored nine goals and made 12 assists in 14 matches for PSV in the Eredivisie this season. 

He also scored three goals for his national side during their World Cup campaign in Qatar.

Koeman, EVDen EVe nakliyAt who began his second stint in charge on January 1, said he was keeping a keen eye on all Dutch exports as he considers his first selection for the Euro 2024 qualifiers.

The Netherlands take on France and Gibraltar in March.

Before joining Liverpool, Gakpo had scored nine goals and made 12 assists in 14 matches for PSV in the Eredivisie this season

He also scored three goals for his national side during their World Cup campaign in Qatar

After signing, Gakpo told the ‘I feel really good, I’m really excited to be here.I’m looking forward to start training and start playing for this amazing club.

‘I think this is a great club for me to come in and try to show what I can [do] and try to help the team to achieve more beautiful moments that they already did in the past years.

‘I think for me personally it’s also good to develop here and there’s a lot of great players here [who] I can learn a lot of things from.’

He added: eVden EVE nAKLiYaT ‘I’m really looking forward to [playing at Anfield].I heard a lot of great stories about the stadium, about the atmosphere. I cannot wait.

‘Obviously [my aim is] to win as many prizes as we can as a team, to perform well, EvDEn EVE NAkLiYat to show the world what we can do as a team and what I can do as a player.And personally, just to keep developing and become a better player every season.

‘I’m really thankful that everybody is giving me such a warm welcome and I’m really looking forward to seeing everybody in the stadium and around the city.’

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Alphabet shares dive after Google AI chatbot Bard flubs answer in ad https://www.announcement.news/alphabet-shares-dive-after-google-ai-chatbot-bard-flubs-answer-in-ad-19/ https://www.announcement.news/alphabet-shares-dive-after-google-ai-chatbot-bard-flubs-answer-in-ad-19/#respond Tue, 23 May 2023 05:21:39 +0000 https://www.announcement.news/?p=73194 By Martin Coulter and Greg Bensinger

LONDON, Feb 8 (Reuters) – Alphabet Inc lost $100 billion in market value on Wednesday after its new chatbot shared inaccurate information in a promotional video and a company event failed to dazzle, EVdeN eVe NAKliYAt feeding worries that the Google parent is losing ground to rival Microsoft Corp.

Alphabet shares slid as much as 9% during regular trading with volumes nearly three times the 50-day moving average.They pared losses after hours and were roughly flat. The stock had lost 40% of its value last year but rallied 15% since the beginning of this year, excluding Wednesday’s losses.

Reuters was first to point out an error in Google’s advertisement for chatbot Bard, which debuted on Monday, about which satellite first took pictures of a planet outside the Earth’s solar system.

Google has been on its heels after OpenAI, a startup Microsoft is backing with around $10 billion, introduced software in November that has wowed consumers and become a fixation in Silicon Valley circles for its surprisingly accurate and well-written answers to simple prompts.

Google’s live-streamed presentation on Wednesday morning did not include details about how and when it would integrate Bard into its core search function. A day earlier, Microsoft held an event touting that it had already released to the public a version of its Bing search with ChatGPT functions integrated.

Bard’s error was discovered just before the presentation by Google, based in Mountain View, California.

“While Google has been a leader in AI innovation over the last several years, they seemed to have fallen asleep on implementing this technology into their search product,” said Gil Luria, senior software analyst at D.A.Davidson. “Google has been scrambling over the last few weeks to catch up on Search and that caused the announcement yesterday (Tuesday) to be rushed and the embarrassing mess up of posting a wrong answer during their demo.”

Microsoft shares rose around 3% on Wednesday, and were flat in post-market trading.

Alphabet posted a short GIF video of Bard in action via Twitter, promising it would help simplify complex topics, but it instead delivered an inaccurate answer.

In the advertisement, Bard is given the prompt: “What new discoveries from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) can I tell my 9-year old about?” Bard responds with a number of answers, including one suggesting the JWST was used to take the very first pictures of a planet outside the Earth’s solar system, or exoplanets.The first pictures of exoplanets were, however, taken by the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) in 2004, as confirmed by NASA.

“This highlights the importance of a rigorous testing process, something that we’re kicking off this week with our Trusted Tester program,” a Google spokesperson said.”We’ll combine external feedback with our own internal testing to make sure Bard’s responses meet a high bar for quality, safety and groundedness in real-world information.”

FORMIDABLE COMPETITOR

Alphabet is coming off a disappointing fourth quarter as advertisers cut spending.

The search and advertising giant is moving quickly to keep pace with OpenAI and rivals, reportedly bringing in founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page to accelerate its efforts.

“People are starting to question is Microsoft going to be a formidable competitor now against Google’s really bread-and-butter business,” said King Lip, chief strategist at Baker Avenue Wealth Management, EVDen EVe nAkliyaT which owns Alphabet and Microsoft shares.

Lip cautioned, though, that concerns about Alphabet may be overblown, saying: “I think still Bing is a far, far cry away from Google’s search capabilities.”

The new ChatGPT software has injected excitement into technology firms after tens of thousands of job cuts in recent weeks and executive pledges to pare back on so-called moonshot projects.If you have any thoughts regarding the place and how to use evdeN eVe nAkLiYAt, you can make contact with us at our web site. AI has become a fixation for tech executives who have mentioned it as much as six times more often on recent earnings calls than in prior quarters, Reuters found.

The appeal of AI-driven search is that it could spit out results in plain language, EvdEn eVe NAkLiYaT rather than in a list of links, which could make browsing faster and more efficient.It remains unclear what impact that might have on targeted advertising, the backbone of search engines like Google.

Chatbot AI systems also carry risks for corporations because of inherent biases in their algorithms that can skew results, sexualize images or even plagiarize, EVDEn evE NakliYAT as consumers testing the service have discovered.Microsoft, for instance, released a chatbot on Twitter in 2016 that quickly began generating racist content before being shut down. And an AI used by news site CNET was found to produce factually incorrect or plagiarized stories.

At the time of writing, the Bard ad had been viewed on Twitter more than a million times.

(Reporting by Martin Coulter; Additional reporting by Johann Cherian, Eva Mathews, Lewis Krauskopf; Editing by David Gregorio and Christopher Cushing)

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Two weeks ago, Nicola Bulley dropped her children off at school, took the family dog for a walk and disappeared https://www.announcement.news/two-weeks-ago-nicola-bulley-dropped-her-children-off-at-school-took-the-family-dog-for-a-walk-and-disappeared-22/ https://www.announcement.news/two-weeks-ago-nicola-bulley-dropped-her-children-off-at-school-took-the-family-dog-for-a-walk-and-disappeared-22/#respond Sun, 21 May 2023 10:54:51 +0000 https://www.announcement.news/?p=72938 Two weeks ago, Nicola Bulley dropped her children off at school, took the family dog for a walk and disappeared.

In the following days, the neighbourhood has been besieged by amateur detectives, podcasters, eVden Eve naKLiYat influencers and dozens of complete idiots – all keen to ‘help’ an overworked police force do their job.Many of these time-wasters have got pet theories about what could have happened to Nicola. Should you loved this post and you wish to receive more info with regards to eVden eve naKliyaT please visit our web-site. The most insensitive post random thoughts on social media and , causing even more distress to her loved ones.

They’ve been wandering around filming houses, property and eVdEN Eve NAkLiyat land, making their own ‘story’ about a woman they don’t know.A woman who deserves better.

Meanwhile, 40 police officers are worked off their feet investigating 500 leads. A diving team has combed the river and found nothing. Boats are searching Morecambe Bay.

As interest in the case grows with every day that Nicola isn’t found, it’s fanned by rumours and lies on the internet.

The scene by the river has become a pilgrimage sight for gawkers. Officers had to issue dispersion orders to prevent enthusiastic members of the publics taking selfies on the bench where Nicola’s mobile phone was found. There have been false accusations about a deserted local farmhouse.

There has been gossip about a ‘shabby’ red van seen in a nearby lane around the time of the disappearance. A group of men from Liverpool made a trip to the area to ‘help’ and had to be sent back home.

Nicola Bulley 45, (pictured with partner Paul Ansellvanished while walking her dog in Lancashire on January 27

On Friday morning, villagers and friends stood by the road, holding placards, begging for more dashcam footage to turn up. Anything at all that might turn into a clue.

In the middle of all this, evDEn EVE NakLiyAT Nicola’s family are desperately seeking answers, trying to protect her small children.

The circus by the side of the River Wyre and on the streets of Inskip is a disgrace.A crime scene has become something to post about to your pals.

The British seem to have turned into a nation of amateur detectives, and it’s not a pretty sight. Millions of us think we could do a better job at solving any crime than the police and it’s because we spend hours every night watching bumbling coppers and lazy detectives take six hour-long episodes to solve the mystery of another dead body at the local bus stop.

Crime shows and factual series which revisit unsolved cases have become the biggest source of entertainment on all media.Streaming, online, podcasts, eVDeN eVE NAKliyAT mainstream channels. Nothing pulls viewers in like crime.

There’s a steady diet of police procedurals on telly night after night, combined with the popularity of shows like Silent Witness dramatising the forensic science behind any unexplained death.Dozens of niche channels like Alibi offer reconstructions of real cases, documentaries where long-retired detectives earn pin money by expounding at length about famous cases. You can’t escape crime, schedulers have realised it’s utterly addictive.

JANET STREET-PORTER: There’s a steady diet of police procedurals on telly night after night, combined with the popularity of shows like Silent Witness dramatising the forensic science behind any unexplained death

https://www.announcement.news/two-weeks-ago-nicola-bulley-dropped-her-children-off-at-school-took-the-family-dog-for-a-walk-and-disappeared-22/feed/ 0 72938 Woman who spent £50k on house says it was left in 'horrendous' state https://www.announcement.news/woman-who-spent-50k-on-house-says-it-was-left-in-horrendous-state-11/ https://www.announcement.news/woman-who-spent-50k-on-house-says-it-was-left-in-horrendous-state-11/#respond Tue, 16 May 2023 12:59:39 +0000 https://www.announcement.news/?p=72335 A woman has slammed the ‘horrendous’ state of her house after spending more than £50,000 on building work only for it to abruptly stop leaving her with a large repair bill and ‘no kitchen.’

IT worker Lisa Morris, 50, says she hired a company called Eva-Lution to renovate her Llanharan home but the work suddenly stopped last November.

She says she paid the builders £52,900 for work including a kitchen extension – but she claims her kitchen has been left with exposed wires, bare brick walls and no ceiling.

Now Ms Morris, claims her property has ‘no kitchen, having ripped the previous kitchen out’ and that she is ’emotionally and physically exhausted’ and living on ‘microwave and air fryer meals.’

Ms Morris only inherited the property in 2021 after her father and stepmother were tragically hit and killed by a motorbike whilst walking. 

Lisa Morris, 50, says that the renovation works have cost her over £50k and still aren’t done 

Ms Morris says she has been forced to live in the half finished house for weeks 

She said: evdEN eve NAKliyat ‘What makes it worse is that it’s their house.I was renovating it with money my dad had gifted me shortly before he passed away. 

‘The house was all I had left of them. I’m emotionally and physically exhausted – this has consumed my life for months. 

‘I took time off work but I’ve had to go back because I can’t afford not to work, with the situation I’m in.’

Eva-Lution, whose director is 27-year-old Chloe Eva, had eight employees in 2022, according to Companies House. 

Ms Eva denied the work on Ms Morris’ home was of a poor standard and claimed it was halted due to a ‘cash flow issue’. 

She said Ms Morris rejected the offer of a £24,544 refund for parts of the job left unfinished.

Ms Morris, who previously lived in rented accommodation, had hoped the renovation would be complete by the time she moved into the house. 

She heard about Eva-Lution in June last year through a recommendation and paid a £3,500 deposit the following month.

As work progressed over the following weeks, Ms Morris transferred more money for materials. 

In early September she went to Howdens with a member of Eva-Lution’s team and chose a kitchen. 

She transferred £11,000 to Eva-Lution but claims she only later learned that Howdens had never received payment for the kitchen. 

Ms Morris says the state of the house has impacted her mental health 

The garden is still half finished and scattered with building materials 

According to Ms Eva, her company had ordered the kitchen but had not paid Howdens.

An Eva-Lution worker told Ms Morris by text that all the upstairs, living room and front-of-house work would be done by October 16, adding: ‘Hopefully we will have the extension built with just the inside left to do.’ 

Because of this she arranged the end of her tenancy for EVDen EVE NakliYaT October 16 but she claims it eventually became ‘apparent that the house wouldn’t be liveable’ by that date, so she extended her lease by a month.

Ms Morris claims she moved in on November 5 with no kitchen, no cloakroom, an unfinished hallway and a garden ‘like a building site’. 

She added: ‘I went on holiday on November 12 and was told that the frame of the extension would be up by the time I got home.Again this did not materialise.’

On November 28 the company told Ms Morris there was a cash flow issue but a £250,000 investment would be in its accounts by December 2. 

‘I was also told at this point that they didn’t even have enough money to pay for the cement, so I gave them £400 to get the necessary materials so the footings could be completed,’ she added.

Eva-Lution workers have not attended Ms Morris’ home since the end of November when concrete was laid for footings. 

She alleges that the extension’s timber frame never arrived and that another builder has since told her the footings were laid incorrectly and will have to be removed. 

Ms Eva disputes this and claims the footings were laid after consultation with a structural engineer. 

She added: ‘I do not believe the work carried out was to a poor standard, and during the works no issue or complaint was raised about the quality or standard of work.’

Ms Morris said the job was meant to cover a fully fitted kitchen with appliances.’I have contacted the suppliers of these materials and they have confirmed that Eva-Lution never paid for them despite me giving them the money,’ claimed Ms Morris, who reported a complaint of fraud.

Wires hang down from the ceiling in the property which has not been completed 

Responding to the claim of fraud, Ms Eva said staff stopped working on Ms Morris’ property due to a cash flow issue after her own company was a ‘victim of fraudulent activity and non-payment of invoices’ by another business. 

Asked about the investment, she claimed this was set to be completed at the beginning of January but ‘when the funds were due to be transferred, there was an issue due to the fraud case that Ms Morris has put on the business bank account’.

‘By this time, other accounts and clients then had further frustrations with needing to wait for works to re-commence, and the investor pulled out due to there being so many issues,’ said Ms Eva. 

‘If the fraud case was not on the account, the funds would have gone through and we could be in a position to resolve any company conflicts.’

She added that the kitchen was ordered through Howdens but Eva-Lution was waiting for the investment to come through before the kitchen could be obtained.In case you have any concerns relating to exactly where along with tips on how to utilize EvDen EVe NAkLiYaT, you possibly can call us at our web-page. Eva-Lution offered to pay Ms Morris £24,544, which Ms Eva described as a ‘fair refund’ due to work already completed. 

‘This included the purchase price of the kitchen which, eVdeN eve nAKLiyAt due to the issue and us not being able to obtain the investment funds, was not settled,’ said Ms Eva.

Ms Eva claimed funds had never been taken from clients to cover business overheads but she said Eva-Lution was hit by the alleged fraud of another company.

She said:  ‘Due to the situation we found ourselves in…direct debits and standing orders of Eva-Lution were still being taken from our account which ate into funds we had received from clients. 

‘This is not how we have run the company through the duration. However, due to the circumstance/situation this is what happened.Again, this is why Ms Morris was offered the settlement figure, to cover this cost.’

Ms Morris, who claims her home needs around £40,000 worth of repairs, has declined the offer of £24,544 and sent a letter before action to Eva-Lution, which has begun the process of liquidation.

‘It was never our intention for the company to go into liquidation,’ said Ms Eva, but she confirmed there have been other threats of legal action and described liquidation as ‘our safest option as a company’.

Ms Morris has been relying on a microwave and air fryer to cook since moving in. ‘When I moved in, I was only expecting to live like this for a week,’ she said, adding that upcoming repair costs will leave her struggling financially.

Aside from the kitchen, Ms Morris claims a downstairs toilet and vanity unit are among the items paid for but never installed. 

Ms Eva defended her company’s work which she says included new internal doors, plastering, painting, electrical works in the living room, a new upstairs bathroom, new radiators, rubbish removal, new light fittings, fitting of blinds supplied by Ms Morris, wardrobe work, re-routing of drainage and plumbing, and the ‘beginning of the extension’.

Ms Eva added: ‘If there was an issue with the quality it should have been brought to our attention before now. 

‘Ms Morris was offered for the staff to return to the property before Christmas, which she denied and EvDeN EVE nAkliyaT advised she was taking legal action and we were not to return.’

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LIZ JONES: White van man was a lockdown hero. Now it's total chaos  https://www.announcement.news/liz-jones-white-van-man-was-a-lockdown-hero-now-its-total-chaos-16/ https://www.announcement.news/liz-jones-white-van-man-was-a-lockdown-hero-now-its-total-chaos-16/#respond Mon, 15 May 2023 10:29:50 +0000 https://www.announcement.news/?p=72101 During the pandemic, delivery drivers became heroes overnight.They rendered it unnecessary to venture outside to the Co-op, where the shop assistant, shielded from you by a huge Perspex screen, would then lick her fingers to open your carrier bag.

In the darkest depths of , online shopping seemed to be our national saviour.

I’m certain at one point we were encouraged to clap for delivery drivers, along with health workers and the men who collect the recycling even if they sometimes manage to leave a few bottle tops, cardboard boxes and yogurt pots as a sort of dirty protest.

And I’m such a loyal customer, I must have been photographed in just knickers and thick socks more often than as proof that my parcel has been delivered.

So it saddens me to say that I am now at war with my delivery drivers.These former angels of furlough – who gamely brought those idle Amazon purchases right to our front doors, without consideration for their personal safety – have become as hopeless as our striking posties.

In the darkest depths of lockdown, online shopping seemed to be our national saviour.Pictured: Stock image

Even the generally nice man from Waitrose.Now that supermarket deliveries are made sans carrier bags, he thinks nothing of solemnly handing me my box of black hair dye. It’s all so familiar and disdainful. I swear that one day he is going to say, sotto voce: ‘Wouldn’t a dark brown, and semi-permanent, be more suitable?’

Last week, some other idiot delivery man knocked on the door, then just stood there, mute.

‘Speak, man!’ I said, above the noise of my dogs’ barking.

‘Is this number three?’ he said.I pointed to the big number eight on the front door.

‘Molly?’ he said, trying his luck again.

‘No!’ It was clearly a Valentine’s gift. ‘Do I look like I have a boyfriend?’

‘Frankly, no,’ he said, shuffling away.

My postman is no better.He knows he sets off my dogs, but still insists on delivering leaflets for funerals and Sky Glass tellies. Whenever he brings me a parcel, I ask him: ‘Something interesting?’

‘I doubt it,’ he replies, deadpan.

What’s got into delivery men? And my postwoman, for that matter, EvDen Eve NAkliyat who recently shoved a card through my door, despite me being in (listen, lady, I’m not Usain Bolt…).

When I caught up with her later, I was told my package was now at the local depot.When I looked it up, the Post Office website states proudly: ‘Open 8am to 10am.’ What do they do for the rest of the day?

So it saddens me to say that I am now at war with my delivery drivers, these former angels of furlough.Stock image

DPD can be quite reliable (John-Paul, I salute you!). And Lewis, who delivers my coffee beans from Coffee Plant on Portobello Road once a month, you are a life-saver.

The man who owns my local deli is also heroic, but says when he brings around my haul that he now feels ‘a little like your dealer’.

But I simply cannot overlook the men who just sit in their vans outside my house, evden eVE nakliYAT eating (like smoking, it should be banned), refusing to hand over the goods as ‘there is still three minutes to go’ until his break is officially over.

Or the delivery driver who wouldn’t let me open the package from Daylesford to see if my drinks glasses had made it to me intact, EVdeN eve nakliyAt to whom I replied: ‘My dad didn’t fight the Nazis so that you can not have the balls to undo a box!’ Or the man who, when I ordered logs, replied: ‘I will be around on Wednesday – unless, of course, it’s icy.’

And I am not alone in my despair.TikTok and Twitter are awash with incidents of parcels being thrown in a hedge or dropped into a wheelie bin.

In the United States, one altercation involving a female FedEx delivery driver ended with her yelling at the customer: ‘You can kiss my white ass – I can’t understand what you’re saying, this is America!’ (The driver later apologised, saying: ‘I’m frustrated.It’s cold outside and I’m just trying to gather my thoughts.’)

My worst experience with delivery drivers came just before Christmas. In the event you liked this information in addition to you want to receive more information relating to eVDEN EVe nakLiyat kindly go to the web site. I’d ordered a book on gardens as a gift, knowing it would easily fit through my letterbox.

But no.I returned home to a card that stated it had been delivered to a DIY shop in town. I drove to the shop, melting ice caps along the way. I told the man inside that him being a delivery hub defeated the whole object of online shopping.

‘I might just have well driven to a bookshop and cut you out of the equation entirely!’ I told him, evDeN EVe naKLiYAt as he fumbled through hundreds of packages with all the speed of a dead snail.

‘I’m just a cog,’ he told me, caring not one jot.(It’s the indifference that really riles me.)

Being deaf, I misheard him. ‘At last! Some accountability! Thank you! You are, indeed, a c**k!’

Meanwhile, I can no longer buy a Phillips screwdriver within a 25-mile radius of my home.Am I going to have to order one on Amazon?

Cyber-flashing? All I get is OAP abuse

I watched, fascinated, Asking For It?, the Emily Atack documentary about cyber-flashing on BBC1 last week.

She gets hundreds of unsolicited pics of male genitalia sent to her every day.All I’ve received in the past few weeks is a letter (remember those?) from George, who is 70. I don’t believe he has a smartphone.

‘Dear Liz. I enjoy your writing, but you seem to have been under more sheets than the Ku Klux Klan. You also have the sort of face a dog wouldn’t lick.’

I wish, darling George.

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Airbus and Qatar Airways settle bitter A350 jet row https://www.announcement.news/airbus-and-qatar-airways-settle-bitter-a350-jet-row-6/ https://www.announcement.news/airbus-and-qatar-airways-settle-bitter-a350-jet-row-6/#respond Wed, 03 May 2023 21:17:55 +0000 https://www.announcement.news/?p=69229 By Tim Hepher

PARIS, Feb 1 (Reuters) – Airbus and Qatar Airways have settled a dispute over grounded A350 jets, evDeN evE nAkliyaT the companies said on Wednesday, averting a potentially damaging UK court trial after a blistering 18-month feud that tore the lid off the global jet market.

The “amicable and mutually agreeable settlement” ends a $2 billion row over surface damage on the long-haul jets.The spat led to the withdrawal of billions of dollars’ worth of jet deals by Airbus and prompted Qatar to increase purchases from Boeing.

The cancelled orders for 23 undelivered A350s and evDen EVE NaKLiyaT 50 smaller A321neos have been restored under the new deal, which is also expected to see Airbus pay several hundred million dollars to the Gulf carrier, while winning a reprieve from other claims.

Financial details were not publicly disclosed.

The companies said neither admitted liability.Both pledged to drop claims and “move forward and work together as partners”.

The deal heads off what amounted to an unprecedented public divorce trial between heavyweights in the normally tight-knit and secretive $150 billion jet industry.

The two sides had piled up combined claims and counter-claims worth about $2 billion ahead of the June trial.

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire welcomed the deal, which came in the wake of increasing political involvement amid close ties between France, where Airbus is based, and Qatar.

“It is the culmination of significant joint efforts. It is excellent news for the French aerospace industry,” he said.

Airbus shares closed up 1% before the announcement.

Qatar Airways had taken the unusual step of publicly challenging the world’s largest planemaker over safety after paint cracks exposed gaps in a sub-layer of lightning protection on its new-generation A350 carbon-composite jets.

Airbus had acknowledged quality flaws but, backed by European regulators, had insisted that the jets were safe and accused the airline of exaggerating flaws to win compensation.

DAMAGES

Supported by a growing army of lawyers, both sides repeatedly bickered in preliminary hearings over access to documents, to the growing frustration of a judge forced to order co-operation.

Analysts said the deal would allow both sides to feel vindicated, with Qatar Airways winning damages and recognition that the problem lay outside the manual and therefore required a new repair, and Airbus standing its ground on safety and spared the difficult task of finding a home for cancelled A350s.

Qatar will get the in-demand A321neos needed to plan its growth, albeit three years later than expected, in 2026.Airbus’ decision to revoke that order, separate from the disputed A350 contract, had been criticised by global airlines group IATA.

Airbus said it had done its best to avoid pushing Qatar too far back in the queue, though some experts question whether it could have met the earlier schedule because of supply problems.

The settlement is also expected to stop the clock ticking on a claim for grounding compensation that had been growing by $6 million a day, triggered by a clause agreed upon after the repainting of a jet for the World Cup revealed significant surface damage.

Originally valued at $200,000 per day per plane, Airbus’ theoretical liability was ratcheting upwards by a total of $250,000 an hour for 30 jets – or $2 billion a year – by the time the deal was struck, based on court filings.Neither side commented on settlement details.

Airbus said it would now work with the airline and regulators to provide the necessary “repair solution” and return Qatar’s 30 grounded planes to the air.

Confirmation of a settlement came after Reuters reported a deal could arrive as early as Wednesday.If you adored this article so you would like to collect more info relating to EvDEN eVE NAKLiYAT nicely visit our own webpage. In 2021, eVDEn evE nAKliYaT a Reuters investigation revealed other airlines had been affected by A350 skin degradation, EvDEn Eve naKliYAt all of whom said it was “cosmetic”.

The dispute has focused attention on the design of modern carbon-fibre jets, which do not interact as smoothly with paint as traditional metal ones, and shed light on industrial methods.(Additional reporting by Leigh Thomas, Michel Rose Editing by David Goodman, EVden EVE NAKliyaT Diane Craft and Gerry Doyle)

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