Monday 17 March 2014

Have you heard the news.

Hey, I broke one of my own rules on Saturday, do not buy newspapers, read them on line. I don't know how it happened, but I found myself stopping on the way home from the Park Walk, and calling in the paper shop. It is that long since I bought a newspaper, a few years in fact, I thought I would re create the experience, just to remind myself what it feels like to choose one, open it up, and discover what's inside. 
I used to buy the Guardian, occasionally bought The Times, sometimes bought The Express, and read someone else's Telegraph after they had finished with it.
 I used to like The Guardian so I picked it up for a closer look and saw that it cost £2.50. They never print the price in bold, it's always hidden away in the top right hand corner. Bit pricey I thought, and put it back. I had a look at the Telegraph. Cost £2, and a lot heavier so more pages, and more reading, I paid my money.  
I like listening to the current affairs programmes on the radio where they do reviews of the daily papers. Broadcasting House on a Sunday morning do it, and I always want to join in, even though I never have a paper in front of me. Well now I do, so here is my review of the Daily Telegraph, Saturday's edition. There's a lot of supplements to get through, here's what caught my eye.

Amongst all the exotic holiday destinations in the Travel supplement, there is an article on London's highest hotel. For those who want to reach for the stars, all you have to do is take an elevator ride up to the 35th floor of the Shard and you will find yourself in the lobby of the Shangi-La hotel. Up there you will find 202 rooms from floor 36 to 50. It will be opening on May the 6th. The facilities sound absolutely amazing, but as you can imagine a stay there will be very pricey. They start at £450 per night, excluding breakfast. There's no way that anyone would get me to stay overnight there, even if it was a freebie. Even if the gorgeous Mr Selfridge draped himself across the four poster bed wearing nothing else but a pair of Calvin Kliene's. No Sireee, not on your Nellie would I be tempted. To take a look inside the hotel click here.

There is a really good article written by Alan Titchmarsh, the gist of it being that you don't have to be academic to succeed in life. He failed his 11 plus and went to a Secondary Modern School, just like me. From a young age he found he had an affinity with gardening, and went on to horticultural college. A quote from the article, 'My greatest sadness in our educational system is the belief that a university education is the be all and end all in life. It is not. We need skilled craftsmen and tradesmen, if we are to have a rounded, fully functioning society. We need plumbers and gardeners, hairdressers and decorators, farmers and builders, potters and painters, nurses and electricians. Each and every one of these careers is every bit as important as the bankers and lawyers, the teachers and scientists, the doctors and surgeons, the vets and actors.' Well said Mr Titchmarsh, I couldn't agree with you more. If you want to read the full article click here.

There is a ridiculous article in the Weekend supplement, Can a vegan ever be sexy? I think we better ask Jane that one. Jane, are you sexy? It goes on about how people who don't eat meat are shrivelled and sketetal. According to this you've got to be chubby to be sexy. Much of the article is the same old same old  on how it isn't healthy to eat only plant based food in your diet. Boring, I've heard it all before. Here is the article, and the bulk of the 103 comments which follow it slate the ill informed writer.

A whole supplement is dedicated to cruising, 20 pages of inspiring ocean and river voyages. I've had a flick through it and picked mine out. I leave on the 6th of January 2015, so I've got a long time to save up for my fare, £7495. I'll be away until the 28th, visiting most of Central America. The itinerary sounds divine. Ha ha,  I jest, I don't fancy cruising at all. I do however, fancy going to Liverpool on May 24th 2015, when all three of Cunnard,s ships, Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth, and Queen Victoria, will be sailing up the Mersey to dock. Now that will be a sight worth seeing. I'll mark it on the calendar.

The Retirement Living supplement seems to be all about downsizing to a smaller home. There's plenty of new build apartments to choose from. I've been on the web sites to pick one out, and I can't afford anything, so it looks if I will have to stay in my 65 year old ex council semi a bit longer. At least I can afford a reasonable standard of living here, even if it doesn't look like a show home.

I enjoyed reading the Coastal England supplement. There are so many places featured in it that I have been to. And some ideas for places to visit that I haven't been to. Lots of information about events as well.

The Your Money supplement is all about what you should be doing with your money, if you have some. Where to invest, finding a mortgage, race to save pensions from tax raid, where to find top cash Isas, buying an annuity, and buying insurance. Not much in there for those who do not have much money, nothing for Joe Average Working Class . How to get some more of it without going to work, would be useful, ha ha.

Here is an interesting little snippet from the main paper. The estranged wife of a tycoon is still waiting for her £20m divorce settlement, three months after it was awarded to her. The estranged husband is claiming he is bankrupt, she thought he had billions. This case has been going on since 2006, the lady has run up a £6m legal bill. Life can be a bitch.

That concludes my review of the Daily Telegraph, I won't be buying any more. I just haven't got time to trawl through loads of stuff just to find the bits which interest me. Just think, people who buy this every Saturday are spending £104 a year, the Guardian at £2.50 costs £130 a year. There's a lot to be said for reading the papers free in the library, or online.

31 comments:

  1. The Guardian online is my regular daily read these days and its free!

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  2. Sexy? Girl, I rock...all 107lbs of me! Yup, I'm skinny, healthy,fit and agile..just like you!!.My Dr says he wishes all his patients were like me.

    Jane x

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  3. We get a Telegraph passed onto us sometimes - never read it - but its ever so good for lighting the fire!

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  4. I am one of those people! I love nothing more than sitting with a fresh cup of coffee in my back garden (weather permitting) reading the morning news papers with my breakfast. Sorry. The enjoyment it brings me is worth the £130.

    C'mon the vegans!!! I get so annoyed when people discredit their diet. Two of the best ultra-runners in the world and the best ultra runner in Scotland are all vegans. I'd like to know how they run 100+ miles in one go AND be the best with that "unhealthy" vegan diet of theirs...

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  5. Alan Titchmarsh is right, kids are being told all through school that exam results to get them into 6th form and uni are the be all and end all. I think that its caused a lot of kids to drop out of life. Schools should cater for the kids that aren't academic. The politicians only address these things when they struggle to find a plumber for example.
    In a similar way there should be re-training schemes for older people so they can carry on working longer.
    Dave.

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  6. Can't imagine anything worse than a cruise! Stuck on a ship with a load of people I may not like and when I finally get off the ship only a few hours to see something interesting and then a rush to get back on again. No grass to walk on and.. I could go on!
    I'm with you on the Liverpool trip though. Now that will be interesting - see you there!
    Gill

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  7. If I ever buy a paper I never have time to read it! I only buy them occasionally if I am on holiday now. The Sunday supplements are full of adverts for a lifestyle I could never afford so I don't bother with them or the fancy pants glossy magazines full of the same old recycled articles.

    Jane

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  8. Most papers are free online apart from the Times but I do like to relax with the "paper" - I get the Guardian on my kindle for £9.99 a month which is waaaay less than the actual paper costs. Sometimes tho i wan t a real paper ( for the corssword for example) and I go up to Waitrose, buy £5 worth of stuff from the reduced aisle (yes they do have one) get a free paper and read it while I have a free cuppa at the cafe!

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    1. Me too Jane. I don't shop very often at Waitrose but always take a paper and a coffee when I do. And like simplesuffolksmallholder after reading I use the paper for the wood burner or cleaning windows with white vinegar.
      Jean x

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  9. Alan Titchmarsh is right, my son isn't very academic, however he attends a College for the Arts and Language, excelling in Drama, Art and Language, won numerous awards for his fine Art, and has had work sent to Prince Charles, we encourage him to do what he enjoys, obviously Math and English is very important for getting a job nowadays, but like I say, be happy son, do what makes you happy, he's on the right track for an 11 year old..i never buy the papers..we are vegetarians and are a healthy weight..i could actually do with losing a few pounds ;)
    AFM xx

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  10. ha thanks for your review!
    I do agree with Alan Titchmarsh.
    He sounds a lot like Mike Rowe here in the U.S. http://www.insideedition.com/consumer/6544-dirty-jobs-mike-rowe-encourages-students-to-learn-a-trade

    Hope you are able to see ships sail. That would be quite a sight. The coastal england sounds like the best part of the paper. Glad that you have been able to see so many places.

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  11. Yes buying the papers are expensive and many can read at the library. But just think. If no one bought the papers, no one went to theatre, no one went to stay in hotels, no one went to restaurants or pubs, etc., none of these things would exist for our enjoyment if we ever decide we'd like to take it in one day. I bring this up because one woman lawyer in town bought a business with a friend and said that all of their supplies except for one have shrivelled up. No one wants to buy local or pay a little more for a quality. They all want their items for the cheapest possible prices. Never mind that it was made in a sweatshop in a country that doesn't care about human rights. Just something to think about as we all try to stretch a penny and save a penny.

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    1. Hi. I think most people look on the internet these days for things to do and places to visit.

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    2. Hi Meanqueen. I don't think that is what Joyful was meaning.

      Just that if no-one did or bought anything - everything would dry up. People read a newspaper at the library, but if no-one bought the newspaper - then it would stop publishing and then there would be no free newspapers at the library! Or if everyone stopped going to restaurants, then there would be no restaurants etc etc

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    3. Also should add that in the material world we live in - I think it is highly unlikely!

      But I think it is very possible with newspapers, newspapers will soon be a thing of my generation that I tell my grandchild about and they scoff at how I used paper to READ things!

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    4. Hi Mud. Thanks for your comments. I did understand what Joyful meant, and decided it was not worth getting into a debate. She has her views, I have mine. You are quite right, everything moves on, we don't stand still and we don't go backwards. In years to come there will be no paper newspapers. That's just how it is. People can fight all they like against change, but nothing is going to stop it.

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    5. I'm not trying to be argumentative...just to give people something to think about. Their conclusions and their actions are up to them. Mud had it quite right. If no one supports businesses of any kind (newspapers are just one small example), then they will not be there for us to enjoy. Meanqueen you are also right. The world changes. That is why paper newspapers are going the way of the dodo bird. I think we need to stop and think about what we want to continue to exist and what we don't care about or want to change as we make decisions about where to put our hard earned funds...that is my only point. Every action has a consequence and we just need to be mindful of that. By the way, I saw your latest post of where to find different newspapers on line. It seems in the UK you have free papers on line so that makes it easier for people not to buy a paper newspaper. In my city you do not get free internet paper. You must subscribe in order to read the news. Of course there are lots of ways you can still get news for free on line so I never understood why the press charges to read the news on line.

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    6. Because the press, as you call it, need to pay their reporters, editors, programmers, etc. we journalists still stick to our jobs despite the crappy pay because there is this inherent need to render service to the public, to dig information, stories, and uncover wrongdoings so you are better informed when you go about your daily lives.

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  12. Yeah I find newspapers repetitive same old that's why I wouldn't waste my money buying one every day no way I get my hands on one every now and then when someone I know is throwing them out that's enough fix for me Louise

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  13. The Telegraph does have its uses; it's just the right size for lining my chickens' droppings board! And the cockatiels' cage, as well as firelighting. Any we don't re-use go next door to line their guinea pig hutches. That said, I could live without it perfectly well & read the news & commentaries online - I hardly ever open the dratted thing, to be honest, it annoys me mightily - but Him Indoors does like the sports reports & crossword.

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  14. I read most of the papers on line. mainly the guardian to be honest. I don't think the papers are worth buying. Like thrift wizard papers are used to line the chucks coop, even those are the free ones.

    X x

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  15. There's a lovely little bungalow in the paddocks in burton upon stather, me and hubby were looking at it but we don't know the area very well. It looks ideal if you want to downsize, and reasonably priced too. That hoping it's not shared ownership. It is newish too so should be warm

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    1. Hi annie. If you want to know about the area you can email me. Address on side bar.

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  16. We used to buy the Times most days but now only get buy it occasionally but always get it on Saturdays. Almost never have a Sunday paper. Now prefer the ipaper during the week which costs only 30p, recently up from 20p.
    Saturday afternoon would not be the same without the jumbo crossword in the times.

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  17. I have been meaning to ask for ages.....people say they read the papers on line. What do you type in to be able to do this? I've tried 'The Daily Telegraph' and all I get is selected bits and pieces - never the whole paper. Am I doing something wrong or is it only these selected articles that you get?

    I have been a vegetarian since I was a child and now at 52, I am distinctly rounded. I must ask Ilona, do you eat a lot of potatoes? The government's guidelines show a dinner plate with the majority of foods as potatoes and other carbohydrates. I've followed this advice of "fuel for the body" but think that it is somewhat wrong. I get the impression that I'm flabby and yet eat only veggies. I had my bmi done at the doctor's two weeks ago and was heralded as a healthy bmi but think that I'm going to drastically reduce bread and potatoes. Natalie.

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    1. Hi Natalie. I have answered your newspaper question in a new post. Hope that makes it easier for you.

      I don't eat a lot of potatoes, I haven't any in the house at the moment. I often buy another type of root vegetable if there are no cheap potatoes, by cheap I mean reduced. I eat a lot of carrots, some swede, butternut squash, parsnips. I sometimes go two weeks or more with no potatoes. I will eat my own when they are ready, about July time I think.

      I don't eat much bread either. Never eat white bread, only wholemeal or seeded, and maybe only two slices a day, sometimes none at all. I sometimes get crispbread for a change, and the odd packet of cream crackers.

      Maybe your metabolism is different to mine. Try upping your exercise, it won't slim you down but will tone you up.

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  18. Having another go at buying newspapers. I am a NEWSAGENT.

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    1. Hello Anon. I am sorry if I have touched a nerve here. This is a blog about having a good life on a small income, and living within your means. There are people who can afford to buy a daily newspaper, but there are an awful lot who can't. I offer alternatives to those who are struggling. £2 will buy food for a day, no point in buying a newspaper if you are hungry or in debt.

      I am sorry if your business is suffering because of the economic climate.

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  19. We get a newspaper every day. I only read the comics while drinking my morning coffee. My husband reads the front page news, occasionally commenting on an article and I thoroughly enjoy telling him that I read that yesterday online! Newspapers have their place but by the time we get the morning paper the news is already old.

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  20. I never need to buy a news paper. My work mate buys one every Monday and Tuesday, and I get to read it when she`s done with it. I wouldn`t go out of my way to buy a paper, though. I also never buy magazines. With modern technology having given us the internet I don`t need magazines for interest materials at all.

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  21. I had a morning job for a newsagent a few years ago. We used to sort the papers out into the rounds and then drop them off at the paper boys/girls houses, deliver the out of the way papers by car and cover the rounds if the kids were off or didn't turn up.
    The weekend papers were hard graft, all the supplements were put in by hand and we dropped a bundle of papers off at every 10th house because you couldn't carry more than 10 weekend papers at a time.
    All that behind the scenes work that goes on and people complain if they haven't got their paper by 7o'clock.
    Dave.

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