I can understand

[Mid A 15]

CH, the CHA, CHOBA or whatever it's called this week wanting to periodically ensure that the details it holds for Old Blues are correct.

BUT

Is it necessary to enclose a questionnaire which seemingly wants to know everything from one's inside leg measurement to the colour of one's toilet paper? I for one have given CH the information I wish it to have.

Another thing: This missive has been sent out with a reply paid second class envelope yet amongst the details being checked is none other than e mail address! Would it not have been cost efficient to e mail presently held addresses to confirm details and only circularise those who have not replied by prepaid letter? There will almost inevitably be wastage anyway in that Old Blues may have moved without advising the office of their new details yet e mail addresses such as hotmail, yahoo etc will probably remain the same.

I am probably a grumpy old git but it does seem to me at first sight in these financially straitened times that this survey could be carried out more efficiently perhaps even leaving funds available to trace Old Blues not presently "in the fold."

[englishangel]

CH, the CHA, CHOBA or whatever it's called this week wanting to periodically ensure that the details it holds for Old Blues are correct.

BUT

Is it necessary to enclose a questionnaire which seemingly wants to know everything from one's inside leg measurement to the colour of one's toilet paper? I for one have given CH the information I wish it to have. Me too

Another thing: This missive has been sent out with a reply paid second class envelope yet amongst the details being checked is none other than e mail address! Would it not have been cost efficient to e mail presently held addresses to confirm details and only circularise those who have not replied by prepaid letter? There will almost inevitably be wastage anyway in that Old Blues may have moved without advising the office of their new details yet e mail addresses such as hotmail, yahoo etc will probably remain the same.

I am probably a grumpy old git Me too then but it does seem to me at first sight in these financially straitened times that this survey could be carried out more efficiently perhaps even leaving funds available to trace Old Blues not presently "in the fold."

And there is not even a question about knowing the whereabouts of other OBs.

Mine has gone in the recycling bin. Postage is only charged if the envelope is returned.

[Katharine]

It asks about the CH websites you visit without a mention of this one! (I know it is unofficial but ......)

[J.R.]

I happen to agree with all of the above, BUT, as a responsible (?) OB, I completed and returned.

My query is over the details of 'Parent', bearing in mind, my father died in 1954, an my Mother 19 years ago !

Hence:- OCCUPATION - DECEASED !

[lonelymom]

Slightly off topic, but I'm linking it in with the comment about cost efficiency. I've said it before, and no doubt I'll say it again (and again, and again!) but I always get two lots of everything! Even my daughters' grades (sent every three weeks) come in two separate envelopes, so that's two envelopes and two lots of postage costs, when all they contain is an A4 page in each most of the time. I also get two newsletters, two lots of forthcoming events etc, which are sometimes quite heavy, so not cheap postage there x 2! And yet I only get one copy of The Blue, so there is a database somewhere that contains my details once rather than twice. Actually does anyone know why these things can't be given to the pupils, rather than posted?

[sejintenej]

Slightly off topic, but I'm linking it in with the comment about cost efficiency. I've said it before, and no doubt I'll say it again (and again, and again!) but I always get two lots of everything! Even my daughters' grades (sent every three weeks) come in two separate envelopes, so that's two envelopes and two lots of postage costs, when all they contain is an A4 page in each most of the time. I also get two newsletters, two lots of forthcoming events etc, which are sometimes quite heavy, so not cheap postage there x 2! And yet I only get one copy of The Blue, so there is a database somewhere that contains my details once rather than twice. Actually does anyone know why these things can't be given to the pupils, rather than posted?

Grades sent every three weeks? Wow. I know of boys when I was at the school who would have ensured (for the sake of their backsides and parents' belts) that reports and grades didn't get to their parents if they could.
Seriously, that sort of thing annoys me also - we get two telephone bills from the same company on the same day. The amount of rubbish bumph that gas and similar peeps waste on this household is enough to rescue the Amazon rain forest. I am aware that various CH organisations have different computer systems which don't interlink and, from commercial experience, I know how difficult it is to marry up even just two databases on the same computer.

They say that computers are there to help humans. Don't believe it; humans are there to serve computers as the computers shall direct and if a computer doesn't want to do something - give up..

[NEILL THE NOTORIOUS]

I, instantly, discard to wate paper re-cycling, anything addressed to "The Owner or Occupier".

I'm afraid that TBA and I, have a naughty habit of replying to overseas advertising (Which is not covered by Telephone Preference) by saying "Hang on a moment ------------- They eventually ring off, having spent more money on the call !

[Mrs C.]

we always have, and still do get CH mail through the post.
My daughter`s NHS card took a week to get here in the post - we live as near to the Health Centre as you can get!

[sejintenej]

I, instantly, discard to wate paper re-cycling, anything addressed to "The Owner or Occupier".

I'm afraid that TBA and I, have a naughty habit of replying to overseas advertising (Which is not covered by Telephone Preference) by saying "Hang on a moment ------------- They eventually ring off, having spent more money on the call !

Oh, Neil. You can have far more fun than that if you read the newspapers (perhaps on line) and prepare a little bit. You start off in mid sentence with a monologue. Mine for today would be about that poor girl who was killed by a slug crawling across the computer motherboard (it's true, unfortunately). After 5 minutes You can then go on and ask after his mother's health by which time he/she/it is getting a bit frustrated. Eventually you learn that the subject of the call is (say) gas so you can go on a bit about your discussions with his colleague Fred Flump about how awful rotten egg gas smells before finishing with "I'm sorry you called; Sunday is my day for gassing; today it is thermal hydroelectricity" or something equally senseless.

even more

I had one a few days ago about insulation and expounded on the subject of pronunciation and she was the first stranger in weeks who could actually speak English (she was clearly English) and how I expected that all the Asiatics would give up working in the Bradford call centres because they have to speak foreign languages ........ My son was in hysterics!

[Angela Woodford]

CH, the CHA, CHOBA or whatever it's called this week wanting to periodically ensure that the details it holds for Old Blues are correct.

BUT

Is it necessary to enclose a questionnaire which seemingly wants to know everything from one's inside leg measurement to the colour of one's toilet paper? (A soft shade of aquamarine blue this week, Andy! ) I for one have given CH the information I wish it to have.

I did laugh a bit when the questionnaire stated that these questions were asked to assess social mobility. I was agonisedly tempted to tick the "your annual income" box with "over £300,000".

[NEILL THE NOTORIOUS]

Sejintenej -----

Oh yes ! --- I think I'll try that !

[Fjgrogan]

I assume that the income question refers to my personal - infinitessimal - income, not that of my husband - sadly I am a kept woman!

[Angela Woodford]

Oh yes ! --- I think I'll try that !

I do so hope that you won't, NEILL.

Think about it. Imagine working at a call centre. Long hours of misery with people slamming down the phone, being abusive, trying to waste your time, knowing that persevering at this job just might get your mortgage paid/pay off your student loan/help pay for your child's music lessons.

I know of an Old Girl who I respect very much, who did some call centre work whilst applying for a new job. I understand that she found the job awful. My middle daughter stuck it out for two weeks whilst a student for some extra dosh. She's a strong-minded girl, but found people's rudeness appalling.

I was listening to an article about call-centre work on the World Service not long ago. I was impressed by the determination of young Indian graduates who earn what, in India, is a fairly decent wage at call centres which will enable them to move on to a better job in time. One girl expressed her gratitude that she was able to escape from oppressive parental supervision! What must they think of rude British people? On the odd occasion when I receive a cold call from Bangalore, I'm struck by the pleasant manners of the caller "Excuse me Ma'am" - very charming too! If I haven't got time to speak, I explain and thank them for their call.

We know that you are rolling in loadsamoney, NEILL, but why not think with courtesy and consideration of the person doing their job at the other end of the phone?

[CHDad]

Almost back on topic (or at least the first change of topic earlier) - I am torn as it is quite nice to get all of the school post (grades every 3 weeks, reports, headmasters letters etc) through the post as something tangible, rather than an impersonal e.mail. However it would undobtedly save thousands of pounds in postage if we were e.mailed all of this.

[michael scuffil]

They seem to equate social mobility with money. Were those the values that CH tried to instil?

I too was tempted to tick the box that says: 300,000+, in the way that my daughter, an English rose if ever there was one, always states her ethnicity to be Afro-Caribbean. But I decided it wasn't worth the postage.