Pedroski

I know they use our money to pay for everything. What I'm saying is that the HMRC call centres can't cope with the peak call volumes because they have insufficient staff at those times. Yet there are people sitting around with nothing to do that we are already paying for. And not much intelligence is needed for a lot of call centre work - it's all on the computer in front of you. The call centre workers aren't generally the people that make decisions. They have to take information and answer questions. Any "muppet" can do it after a bit of training. Even a tree monkey could do it. And it's generally the people calling HMRC who are tax payers, paying for the things that you can benefit from, so why should we have to put up with an unacceptable service when all we are trying to do is sort things out to pay our tax bills? There's talk of 10,000 more HMRC staff being cut by 2015. So what's going to happen to them? On the dole? Perhaps they'll be drafted in to take calls at peak time.

Simple. All those unemployed or under-employed people that you lot moan about, well, they're getting JSA and income support. The government wants companies to take them on unpaid to give them experience. Well, how about the government getting HMRC to take some on. No need to pay them any more - they'll be benefiting from valuable experience that might help them get a job elsewhere. And at the same time, once trained up a little bit, then they'll be taking calls. Call centre work is pretty straightforward these days! And the raking in money" on the calls bit - yes, I know the calls don't generate revenue, as such. BUT vat is charged on all calls - where do you think that vat goes? Straight into the government coffers. Perhaps what should happen is that all calls to HMRC etc should be 0800 numbers, so they're picking up the tab. This might give some incentive for them to get their house in order.

I can't offer any input, but will be thinking of you as you stand up and fight it. We'll all help you with plenty of moral support!

This was about 5 years ago now. Things have changed quite a lot since then. One lad who works around here was done last year for tipping grass cuttings in a heap for composting at the yard he rents, and for burning a small heap of non-compostable green waste. The composting of the grass cuttings was, I believe, seen as a waste processing activity, and such storage and composting is ONLY exempt from registration if it is carried out at the place where the green waste is produced or where the compost will be spread.

Should be able to get main beam indicator light unit and bulb off an old tractor. That's what I did on my MG, and I'm sure it's the same one on the LR.

And actually, the call charges thing really gets on my nips. I couldn't help but think the whole waiting thing is just another way for the government to rake in money, what with all the VAT they'll be charging on the calls. Mind you, I put it down as a business expense.

Their telephone helpline is indeed truly diabolical at times. I need to speak to them about something before submitting a tax return last year and my total time waiting on the line, over the period of a week trying to get through, was about 3 hours. On the Friday, I tried calling their "overseas" number, which is the number you call if you're abroad, and got through to someone within 30 seconds, in the office I needed to speak to, but he told me I needed to call their UK number. I then lost the plot completely with the bloke on the phone and sent an email to my local MP expressing my disgust at their service. Saturday morning I called again on the UK number, and it was answered within 3 rings and problem sorted out within a couple of minutes! My MP sent me an email back a few days later saying he was taking the matter up on my behalf. I think a lot more people need to complain really. There's a shortage of jobs in this country, yet a government agency like HMRC doesn't have enough people to deal with enquiries. Bonkers!

It's legal to lend out the actual book versions, not copies of the books or electronic versions though. Chris, I was after looking at some of the BS docs a while ago and was told they are free to view in the library, so it might be worth you going there. At uni, were were allowed to photocopy parts of books for research purposes. I think this is ok so long as you don't copy the whole lot.

Hodge, there was an issue with woodchip at the yard rented by my mate a few years ago. The EA came to have a shifty and showed no concern toward a huge pile of brash and fence panels that was all ready to be burned. They showed no concern toward a huge heap of hardcore (I mean HUUUUGGGEEE) that mate's brother had been building up over the years. They showed no concern toward bulk bags full of plastic. The only thing they showed concerned toward was a pile of woodchip, about a 2 cubic metres. Their concern was based on the possibility of leachate getting into water courses. And this yard is miles from the nearest water courses and on the edge of farmland. My mate was lucky. In all honesty the yard looked like an unlicensed waste transfer station. All they said to him was that he had to be careful with woodchips. They could have forced him into registering the yard as a waste transfer station, and could also have rollocked him for burning of fence panels (although at the time they weren't on fire..... merely sitting on top of burned ground!).

Rupe, the thing the WCL does for us is to make it easier to earn money. We'll do landscaping or whatever, and quite happily charge the customer if they happen to have a whole heap of rubbish they want trailered away. If doing just rubbis it's possible to take away several lots of rubbish from different customers, £50 each, 5 or 6 customers, then dispose of at the recycling centre at £60+vat per tonne, that's a good few quid for not much effort on days when little else to do.

Popped down to see my work mate on a job yesterday morning at 10am (I had the day off), and he'd already had another 3 calls. The phone had been dead apart from calls re PPI, and now we're getting calls every day. There is a distinct possibility that we will be acquiring another truck and employee or two if things continue like this. Fingers crossed we might even be able to replace the trusty but ageing Greenmech!

It's not legal to sell copies, but I can't see any harm in lending copies to friends.

Everything has economical value in some shape or form.

Thanks B2T - I'll do some more searching. I assume it's the 85m one?

As far as I understand, it's not required for green waste only until after Dec 2013. We have one though, because we do a lot of hard landscaping and often have rubble and stuff to take away. One thing to bear in mind - perhaps it's worth informing your insurance company that you are transporting waste, as this is something that might be checked when you get pulled and paperwork being gone through.

I'd love the fuel money to be able to give it a try in my Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0!

Any linky? Been trying to find out more and keep coming up with nothing

Because Macs are all arty farty and don't care for such things

Actually, in pedant mode again, it really is worthwhile having someone proof read your website properly to check for typos and grammatical errors. Your website can be seen as reflecting your attention to detail If customers spot careless errors then it may reflect on you, even though monkeys aren't generally expected to have the highest level of literacy

I had a nice relaxing lie down in a CT scanner late this morning. Decided to make it a day off and spent time with Mrs Pedroski and walking the dogs. Now sorting out some stuff for my new venture.....

Under £17k for the extended cab looks like a bargain to me. Just a shame I can only afford vehicles once they get to 10 years old!

Make sure the hand brake is off.

Watt Tyler was that?

Jessica, that sounds like a wicked idea

I'll be honest, I was taking the mick...... all this work you do for costume designers rather than the boring ol' customers I have.