The water splashed over the rocks to join the swirling stream below. Though there was no actual water, the lighted picture could be dangerous. The effect was caused by an electric motor inside moving a printed blue plastic circular band inside. Some of the pictures, imported directly from China, had the wires and some of the poorly insulated connectors floating free. These could touch screws in the back of the framing box and cause a shock to anyone touching them. One picture was reported to have actually burst into flames. The problem for Trading Standards is that some of the apparently similar pictures, which vary in price from £20 to £45, have been rewired and made safe by European or UK firms. We are awaiting a report on a locally bought one which is earthed and appears fairly sound, apart from one of the insulated wires which snags on one of the screws. This is yet another example of the uselessness of the CE mark and the impossibility for members of the public to know if goods they are buying are unsafe.
A cluttered Victorian bathroom scene in "The Times" Weekend supplement shows a lady in the bath with a wet sponge pressed against her cheek. Today that would be a mobile phone. Then there is the warning from the Ramblers' Association of a relaxation in the rules governing the placing of advertisement hoardings along our roads. Since 1948 local authorities have been able to put a complete ban on poster billboards in countryside set apart as ASCAs (Areas of Special Control of Advertising). One of the Government's proposals last year was to abolish ASCAs either completely, to allow the hard-pressed farming community to gain extra income from their fields through the erection of hoardings, or to make them exclusive to National Parks, areas of outstanding beauty or scientific interest. Should either of the above come to pass how long would it be before the countryside resembled the horrific scenes seen in American films?
Car insurance is the most mobile sector (53%) with home insurance the next (30%) most frequent area where we change firms, largely because we can easily compare quotes. The mobile phone market is another, perhaps because of the changing technology, or is it that we get fed up with its inefficiency? Many computer users have used more than one ISP (Internet Service Provider). There is also a tendency to explore cheap telephone calls but this can lie complicated, depending on how many local, national or overseas calls you make. It is in the provision of gas and electricity where there seems to be a reluctance to change. Though NfCG has provided tables, the rates charged are constantly changing and are difficult to assess. Now, if you have access to the Internet, you can log on to www.power2switch.com and receive an instant quote as to what you will save. In my case I find I could save £63.89. Now I need to find a source of accessing the efficiency of npower and other firms in billing and other transfer services. Does anyone know where I can find this out?
Owners used to be discouraged from going onto the Net because it meant complicated adjustments to their computers and buying a modem, a device which connects your computer to a telephone line. Most modern computers come with this and the programme to make it work already installed. But it is still all a mystery to many people. Once we are connected most of us are delighted with the benefits of e-mail, and with most of the information we obtain from the web. There are two books in particular that will help. I prefer The Rough Guide to the Internet, 2001 edition, by Angus Kennedy (£6.00) which is a best seller and gives the simple information to get started, provides help on most topics you will need and in over 500 pages has lists of some of the main sites you may wish to visit. The alternative is the Sunday Times Guide to the Internet by Matthew Wall (£6.99) with more pictures of the screens you may come across and useful highlighted paragraphs of tips. There are companion guides to Shopping and Money online (;E5.99 each) but ~ these are likely to become out of date fairly rapidly. The Rough Guide includes helpful, but brief, chapters on these subjects.
The Office of Fair Trading report on motorway service areas has concluded that, though , complaints about value for money are justified, the operators are not behaving anticompetitively, though there is a lack of competition! There is no evidence of excessive profits but of high expenses. Similarly the Department of Trade & Industry decided that the multiple grocery stores are broadly competitive and that excessive prices are not being charged nor excessive profits earned. A survey by Supermarketing magazine found that shoppers rated Tesco the most dynamic supermarket, Asda best for prices and Sainsbury best for wholesome food (whatever that is). No one was able to give a specific reason for visiting, nor for avoiding, Safeway, though the firm scored highly for customer service.
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