Nellie Knows : 11 March 2016

My column for The Wokingham Paper - 11 March 2016

I really do love this time of year, everywhere I look I see daffodils, the mornings are lighter, the days seem longer and it’s still comfort food weather.

Oh I’ve needed comfort food this week following a tooth extraction. I know, I know at my age I should be holding onto my teeth but sadly this one wasn’t going to make it and so I bravely said “whip it out”. I say bravely as I am petrified of the dentist’s chair after having a mouthful of fillings in my childhood and biting the drill oh yes and biting the dentist’s finger, so I’ve not got many happy memories. However I was brave and had the tooth out, sadly I got dry socket which is fairly common and incredibly uncomfortable so I am feeling sorry for myself, hence needing the comfort foods.

Energy switching

We’ve recently switched our energy providers and have a projected saving of £600 per year, which is a whopping amount. It couldn’t be easier (I did nothing as Big Welsh did it all), he priced it up on Uswitch and then arranged it through Quidco and got a £25 cash back on the same deal. Bargain! Here’s hoping we have a decent summer so we can have outside living (and save more money). I can remember as a child having all our meals outside and the hose out of the bathroom window siphoning the dirty water to the borders, hard to believe that the summer of 1976 was 40 years ago. Gosh!

Refunds and credits

I’ve also been having long conversations with Vodafone about a refund I was expecting in November, after speaking to far too many people I sent an email to the CEO and I am hoping I have it sorted. I was offered a refund following a delay in them processing an order and when I chased it up they said it would be a credit to my account, I did get a tad grumpy about this and suggested a refund is not a credit and therefore I would like a refund to my bank. I can appreciate that they might well be cost effective but I find automated call centres soul destroying and I am sure I am not the only one.

If you are wondering what to do this weekend then I can highly recommend you nip across the bridge to The Henley House & Garden Show which is taking place on Saturday and Sunday and promises to be a great event. I’m looking forward to seeing a number of the exhibitors, especially Sweetheart Darling who make beautiful things you can’t ignore using old and unloved pallets and crates together with traditional sign writing techniques. I’ve also been upcycling this week as I picked up some sticky backed plastic from Lidl and lined the inside of my kitchen cupboards, took me back to my Granny’s larder and the summer of 1976! You can read all about in on the blog over at www.nelliepompoms.co.uk.

Hope you have a brilliant week ahead, it’s Granny Valley’s birthday on Tuesday and mine on Wednesday so there will be cake, card and candles!

#SweetheartDarling #Toothextraction #Vodafone #Lidl #kitchen #revamp #upcycling