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Well, it's certainly been a while since I last updated the old blog and for the past ten minutes I've been looking through all the website logs to see who's been commenting. I just want to say thank you to all of you who send legitimate comments and bugger off to all of you spammers out there who try to use my site to peddle your wares. My readers do want want to know about Cheap Viagra or Cialis (whatever that is) and your attempts to post comments on my blog will fail so you might as well give up.

I've finally done it! Two weeks ago I gingerly prized apart my Mac Mini, with a putty knife I had bought the weekend before, and installed the new 1GB memory stick I have bought from [crucial.com]. I have a feeling that I could have seated the cover a littler better than I did, but that aside, I now have a computer that is befitting of internet junkies everywhere!

Satisfied with my Mac's new found desire to work at speed, I wasn't expecting to make another computer related purchase any time in the near future; however, shortly afterwards, my rather old 17" monitor began to make some very disconcerting sounds. I was happy however to put up with the snap, crackle and pop that had emanated from the rear of the monitor thinking it had been caused by a loose power cable.

Anyway, that weekend my good mate Jason came to visit - He arrived in the evening and we spent most of the night whiling away the hours with idle chit-chat and immature jokes. The next day he suggested buying a new coffee table from Argos, I'm not a fan of Argos furniture so suggested his money would be better spent at Ikea; we took a look online and he was able to find what he wanted for a better price than what he was going to spend in Argos.

Jason has never been one to enjoy Ikea at the best of times and only agrees to visit accompanied, perhaps he feels safer in numbers, so [Neil] and I were invited to attend. Within an hour we were surrounded by the hubbub of a typical Saturday at one of the county's largest furniture superstores. Jason was able to find what he wanted, and I had picked out a few bits and pieces that were missing from our already crowded kitchen.

On the way home I suggested popping into Makro, a large chain of Cash and Carry superstores, as Jason mentioned he'd like to have a look around the next time we visit one. Before long we were wandering the aisles of the electronics department and looking longingly at the large screen HDTVs and wishing we could replace our ageing JVC CRT model. We then passed the computer monitors, now I'm not sure whether it was the lack of sleep from the night before or the euphoria of having a faster Mac, but within the space of twenty minutes I had convinced myself to buy a replacement flat screen monitor.

So with the new memory and the addition of a brand new Samsung display, I now have a the computer I've deserved for so long. Though I have to say, it's kind of scuppered my plans for buying a new iMac any time soon.

So with the unhelpfulness of the staff member at Kensington High Street still ringing in my ears I made my way to the Tottenham Court Road branch of PC World. I walked in, fully expecting to hunt for a member of staff, and I have to say that I wasn't surprised; such was the dearth of Sales Advisors that I had to resort to collaring one who had seen me looking at him but chose to walk away. "Excuse me", I called, fully expecting him to turn around and acknowledge my presence, instead he carried on walking away and pretended not to have heard me. At this point my ability to remain polite was beginning to break and decided to try and raise his attention a second time by calling much more loudly than would be considered acceptable; this second attempt worked and he turned around to acknowledge my existance. "I want to see the Manager", I said sharply, "He's over there", said the staff member, and gestured to the business department; I walked over and was greeted by the sight of another bone idle Sales Advisor chatting on the phone about what he'd done the night before.

My patience had worn very thin at this point and simply asked "Where's the Manager? I want to speak to him", the Sales Advisor stopped his phone call abruptly and stared at me with a look that would have ensured instant death if looks could kill. They put their call on hold and attempted to summon a Manager using the PA system, I really don't see the point in PA systems if nobody is going to listen and act on the announcements delivered by them. I must have waited for at least ten minutes before I came to the conclusion that a so called Manager wasn't coming to my assistance and decided to collar one that was passing. I explained my problem, and after listening to the issue, my requisitioned Manager happily informed me to take the replacement part I needed and go to the counter where the staff there could arrange an exchange. "Just out of interest, could I have done this at my local branch on Kensington High Street?", I asked, "Yes Sir", came the reply; words cannot express how wronged I felt about the whole affair. I then proceeded to pick up the replacement part I needed and take it to the counter which, after a considerable wait of over twenty minutes, the exchange was completed and I was on my way back home.

Since being forced to experience this painful debacle, I have now made a conscious decision to avoid shopping at PC World in future; I cannot see how one company can treat the very customers they rely on to contiue trading with such venom and disdain. So my advice is that if you are thinking of buying either a new computer or peripheral from PC World - don't. Your head could most probably do without the extra grey hairs.

"I'm sorry sir", said the grinning shop assistant, "Unless you can give me a call reference number I can't allow you to return it". I stared him squarely in the eyes, searching for the slightest glimmer of flexibility, in the vain hope that I he would not turn me away; but where I was searching to find hospitality and understanding, instead all I found was insensitivity and nonchalance.

I had been trying to exchange a Hard Disk, that I had bought in error from the PC World store on Tottenham Court Road the day before; and I stupidly thought, with a futile optimism that should only be the guest of new born babies and bright eyed children, that I would be able to rectify my honest mistake by taking the erroneous part back to my local branch on Kensington High Street. However, my optimism wasn't unwarranted. I had already called PC World customer services to explain my predicament and I was assured, by the friendly sounding voice on the end of the line, that taking the item to Kensington High Street would not cause an issue.

So with a spring in my step, and the wind in my hair, I made the brisk ten minute walk to the store. I entered and found a shop assistant almost immediately, not bad considering members of staff are never to be found when you need them. The assistant listened as I explained my problem, he then proceeded to open the box that contained the Hard Disk to examine it for himself. Upon finding that the item had previously been taken out of it's bag his corporate grin began to grow wider, as did his accent, "You've already opened it, we can't give you a refund", he said in in a broader accent than he was previously using. "I'm sorry? I didn't catch that", I stated, trying to decipher his voice into intelligible English. "The bag is open, how do we know that the part isn't faulty?"; I wasn't sure if he was being purposefully obstinate or simply stupid, but this guy was obviously in no mood to help me; but I still felt compelled to argue my point as the alternative, which was a trip to Tottenham Court Road, wasn't particularly palatable.

"You seem to have misunderstood", I countered "I have bought the wrong one, all I want is an exchange"; I shouldn't have wasted my breath, he simply didn't want to help me but instead appeared to find arguing with customers to be a far more appealing choice of career. "You have to take it back to the store you bought it from, how do I know that you're telling the truth?", he posed; I had never heard anything quite like it from a shop assistant before, he honestly thought I was trying to pull a fast one!

So with those words ringing in my ears and a building rage I politely packed the item away and left the store to find the nearest bus that would take me to the West End. I thought that the worst was behind me, surely PC World couldn't have anyone else working for their organisation who was as rude as that man? I was wrong... (to be continued)

Well, that's Christmas over and done with and already it's a new year - I've only just been getting used to 2006 and already twelve months have passed and it's time to start greeting colleagues, friends and family with the very mortal phrase of Happy New Year. I always like this time of year, there's a brand new, clean, unsoiled twelve months spread in front of you and you hope that this will be the year in which all your wishes for the future will come true; it invariably never quite goes the way you want it, but at least you can dream. Now is also a really good time to see what you've done in the past twelve months (since you last got drunk and sang 'Auld Lang Syne' at the top of your lungs) and see where you made mistakes and where life has taken you.

I look back at the past year and see quite a few changes. 2006 was very much like 2004 for me in at least one way, as it was another year filled with moving house. Big Ben had barely finished chiming in the new year and already I was spending hours packing crates, hiring removal vans and lumping and dumping everything I owned from one house in Stamford to another house in Stamford; exactly 42 paces away from each other. Then hardly a month after my birthday move number two began, we yet again packed up all our worldly possessions and put them into storage as we looked for a new place to live whilst staying with my very patient and understanding father in Bedford. Move number three came at the beginning of November and took about a month to complete as negotiating the two large staircases to our new flat in London was not something to be taken lightly. So 2006 was very much filled with crates, boxes and a lot of sweat, swearing and tiredness.

2006 was also the year that we added to our collection of household possessions and bought a Sofa; the house after move number one didn't come with one and after some months of sitting on the carpet the need to buy one of our own became all too apparent. We also welcomed back a old friend, after they had been away for a year, and said goodbye to Bryan Burrough; a pillar of Soho's community. 2006 was also the year that saw both [Neil], [Steve] and I take a keen interest in Urban Exploration (Urbex), with the infiltration of the [disused Old Warden railway tunnel].

Looking back, I've found that although my immediate surroundings have changed quite a lot we have still managed to hold on to some of our more ordinary habits which include going for a walk on Saturday mornings and preparing our evening meal together. I have to say that moving to London hasn't exactly been what I had hoped for and still find myself longing for the days that I lived in Stamford, but I'll see how things go and hope that 2007 isn't filled with any more house moves.

Happy New Year!

Instead of complaining about Christmas (I did that last year), I've decided to turn my attention to the raft of New Year's advertising that's beamed from our television screens from Christmas Eve onwards. Whilst I don't mind being informed of when a Sale is due to start, I'm not really a great fan of the mix of B&Q, Homebase, Moben/Sharps/Dolphin, DFS, SCS, MFI and any others that I've forgotten; trying to make us part with even more hard-earned by attempting to convince us that our Kitchen, Bedroom, Bathroom needs replacing; as if anyone has any money left after Christmas! The really annoying thing is how they also try to sweeten the deal with a free flip-down TV or built in Coffee Machine, every year it's something different and I think this year it's either the Coffee Machine or maybe even a free drawer Refridgerator!

I had planned to poke fun at the assortment of perfume commercials that we are force fed on the run up to Christmas and I think I still need to mention at least one that I've found to be utterly pointless and annoying - If anyone has seen the Dior Pure Poison advert then you'll know what I mean when I say what on Earth is going on with that computer generated 'Beast of Bodmin Moor'? I mean what does it have to do with selling perfume? Someone must have been on the sauce that day.

I'm fully expecting someone to have already coined this phrase, but it's hard to describe the recent M&S food advertising as anything else. On numerous occasions I've found myself literally foaming at the mouth at the sight of all the fayre that is beamed from my television; and all this accompanied by the dulcet tones of a sultry gravel-voiced woman, describing everything in glorious Technicolor. How can it be described as anything less?

Do you have any pictures of people in dreadful specs? Perhaps on old photo of your brother in a Parka jacket and thick rimmed NHS specs or even one of your Dad with huge glasses that Dame Edna would be proud of.

If you do then add the link to a comment and if I get enough I'll make a whole feature of disaster Spectacles for you to be amazed and appalled! In order to set the outlandish target for Specswatch, please see the photo provided...

Like em... Nice yellow lenses, very chic!