Friday November 3rd.
Pleased to say that the writing is still going to schedule and is very close to 24,000 words. Although not possible to predict the "grand total" - I'm estimating that it will be around the 140,000 mark. So, a bit to go yet!
Staying with books, I've very nearly finished Good Friday, a fast moving thriller by Lynda la Plante.
The book is centred around a young female police officer, Jane Tennison, and contains plenty of action that is building to what I'm sure will be a powerful ending.
For me, the big story this week has been the Bank of England's decision on interest rates. Of course, this will be a move welcomed by savers, but feared by mortgage holders and borrowers in general. Now, before half the nation goes into terminal meltdown over the rate rise, can we pause for a moment to consider the other side of the coin? Born in 1942, I'm of the generation that worked to survive and buy the things we wanted only when we could afford them. Then, as the family arrived, I used some of my hard earned cash (responsibly) on life insurance to protect my family, were I to die. Oh, and at that time, I worked a full six day week for around £25 - £30! No family credits, no housing benefits and, if my memory serves me right we received 17/6 (75p) family allowance- only for the second child. And, naturally, there was no free child-care! Simple - you paid or you went without!
Then, as my career developed, I was able to save regularly for my old-age/retirement. During that period, I was able to assume that interest rates would remain in the order of 8-10% (Briefly reaching 15%) After that, interest rates fell away to virtually nothing. Fantastic - low rate mortgages and credit card bonanzas - all designed to help the "must have it all now generation," and boost the Chinese economy! So, perhaps your party may be coming to an end, but what about millions of older people who behaved responsibly and saved for their old age? In my case, and I guess countless others, the collapse in interest rates has probably cost me somewhere between fifty and sixty thousand pounds!
So, may I please request that the media don't waste that much time giving space to those affected by the rate rise. In essence, the media should reflect that it's "us old folks" whose financial prudence arguably provided the banks with enough money to fuel the lending boom anyway!
Pleased to say that the writing is still going to schedule and is very close to 24,000 words. Although not possible to predict the "grand total" - I'm estimating that it will be around the 140,000 mark. So, a bit to go yet!
Staying with books, I've very nearly finished Good Friday, a fast moving thriller by Lynda la Plante.
The book is centred around a young female police officer, Jane Tennison, and contains plenty of action that is building to what I'm sure will be a powerful ending.
For me, the big story this week has been the Bank of England's decision on interest rates. Of course, this will be a move welcomed by savers, but feared by mortgage holders and borrowers in general. Now, before half the nation goes into terminal meltdown over the rate rise, can we pause for a moment to consider the other side of the coin? Born in 1942, I'm of the generation that worked to survive and buy the things we wanted only when we could afford them. Then, as the family arrived, I used some of my hard earned cash (responsibly) on life insurance to protect my family, were I to die. Oh, and at that time, I worked a full six day week for around £25 - £30! No family credits, no housing benefits and, if my memory serves me right we received 17/6 (75p) family allowance- only for the second child. And, naturally, there was no free child-care! Simple - you paid or you went without!
Then, as my career developed, I was able to save regularly for my old-age/retirement. During that period, I was able to assume that interest rates would remain in the order of 8-10% (Briefly reaching 15%) After that, interest rates fell away to virtually nothing. Fantastic - low rate mortgages and credit card bonanzas - all designed to help the "must have it all now generation," and boost the Chinese economy! So, perhaps your party may be coming to an end, but what about millions of older people who behaved responsibly and saved for their old age? In my case, and I guess countless others, the collapse in interest rates has probably cost me somewhere between fifty and sixty thousand pounds!
So, may I please request that the media don't waste that much time giving space to those affected by the rate rise. In essence, the media should reflect that it's "us old folks" whose financial prudence arguably provided the banks with enough money to fuel the lending boom anyway!
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