Car insurance and Saga (2)

First of all a correction.

My original post indicated I was seeking renewal from Saga. My current insurer was the AA and it was only after seeing their 22% increase for my pending renewal on 23rd. August that I sought a quote (not a renewal) from Saga which brought to my attention their three year guaranteed premium offer which I found involved an annual premium of £700+ and for which they wanted to take my first £700 one month before the policy would start - them sitting on my £700 for nothing for a month is the whole nub of my complaint, not so much the 22% increase in renewal premium from the AA.

Because I saw Saga's policy of at the least sharp practice I wrote to my MP (Tim Farron) and see below copies of correspondence to date.

Hi Tim, 

I’ve just asked for a motor insurance quote from Saga. They are promoting a fixed three year premium package ( by the way it will no longer continue to be fixed if your circumstances change, e.g. accident, claim etc. - they reserve the right to adjust.)

My renewal is due on 23rd August - I spoke to them yesterday 24th July.

The renewal premium (supposedly fixed for three years) was in the region of £700.

I was asked to submit card details for payment. I asked when would they debit my card? “Straightaway" they replied. I protested ssying that meant they would have my £700 for a month for which I would receive no value. The lady sympathised and left me on hold whilst she went to consult a manager. She came back confirming their take-it-or-leave-it policy. She pointed out that I would have the (very tenuous in my opinion) advantage of securing their wonderful offer which could possibly be withdrawn in the intervening period.

I am not a lawyer but sitting on somebody else's money for a month and giving no value is verging on the criminal. Their suggestion that I could have some value in guaranteeing their offer in case it was withdrawn in the intervening period is worthless - I would just cancel and go elsewhere, BUT in the meantime I would be running the risk of them going bust before my cover starts. At the least this is sharp practise of the highest order coming from an organisation that promotes itself as a specialist in giving sympathetic service to the elderly who, unfortunately, are the group most likely to be taken in by this malfeasance.

There should be some legislation to prevent this common practise - it is not the only organisation I have noticed operating a similar policy.

Regards,

Conrad Robinson
Arnside.

On 29 Jul 2019, at 11:50, tim@timfarron.co.uk wrote:

Dear Conrad

Thank you very much for your recent email with regard to seeking a Saga insurance policy and the somewhat dubious practice of asking for your money a month in advance as a way to lock in a deal when the policy is not active for a further month.

It does, as you point out, seem rather beneficial to the company and not the prospective policy holder.  I am pleased to confirm that I have written to the Chief Executive of Saga to share your example and to ask whether this is standard practice at Saga or across the insurance industry as a whole and whether they would honour this price but agree to take payment near to or on the day of policy initiation.

I will write again, when I have received the response.

With best wishes

Yours sincerely

Thanks for your reply. I am impressed and pleased that you have taken the trouble to pursue this further. I look forward to hearing from you when you receive a reply from Saga. I have, as you may guess, arranged insurance now with another company.

Regards,

Conrad Robinson
Arnside. 

Saga car insurance. Thumbs down.

I’ve just asked for a motor insurance quote from Saga. They are promoting a fixed three year premium package ( by the way it will no longer continue to be fixed if your circumstances change, e.g. accident, claim etc. - they reserve the right to adjust.)

My renewal is due on 23rd August - I spoke to them yesterday 24th July.

The renewal premium (supposedly fixed for three years) was in the region of £700.

I was asked to submit card details for payment. I asked when would they debit my card? “Straightaway" they replied. I protested ssying that meant they would have my £700 for a month for which I would receive no value. The lady sympathised and left me on hold whilst she went to consult a manager. She came back confirming their take-it-or-leave-it policy. She pointed out that I would have the (very tenuous in my opinion) advantage of securing their wonderful offer which could  possibly be withdrawn in the intervening period.

I am not a lawyer but sitting on somebody else's money for a month  and giving no value is verging on the criminal. Their suggestion that I could have some value in guaranteeing their offer in case it was withdrawn in the intervening period is worthless - I would just cancel and go elsewhere, BUT in the meantime I would be running the risk of them going bust before my cover starts. At the least this is sharp practice of the highest order coming from an organisation that promotes itself as a specialist in giving sympathetic service to the elderly who, unfortunately, are the group most likely to be taken in by this malfeasance.

There should be some legislation to prevent this common practice - it is not the only organisation I have noticed operating a similar policy.

Trig points OS sheet 91 - Shacklesborough and Brown Rigg Moss

Tuesday 23rd. July 2019 - Shacklesborough NY 909 170 -  454m.
Brown Rigg Moss - NY 949 166 - 419m.

Predictions had been issued for the hottest day of the year. After driving an hour and a half from 7:00 am it was only registering 16/17 degrees. When I started walking it was the same and I felt the need to wear a light fleece (unzipped) on top of my Rohan Expedition shirt. That fleece remained until halfway back from Shacklesborough summit. I had been denigrating the forecasters in my mind, but  It was not long before I was apologising to them.

The heat built allowing me to ascend Brown Rigg Moss in pleasant warmth, but by the time I was descending after midday it was uncomfortably hot. The car had been left (with no option) in full sun. The only thing I could do was set off immediately with the air conditioning turned on but it was excruciatingly hot and sticky, but not as bad as my worst heat encounter ever on the SW Coast Path:

MONDAY, 18 JULY 2016

SWCP Downderry to Kingsand

It was only about twelve miles to Kingsand and I opted for an 8:00am breakfast - I should have known better.Mr. Board dropped me off back on the path and it was uphill between hedges and bracken immediately on an awkward path. It was incredibly hot and I was bothered by buzzing flies, little black flies that bite, and the occasional horsefly that bite like hell. Within twenty minutes my shirt was exactly as it would have been if I had taken a shower, yes, the whole shirt and I do not exaggerate.

After leaving the B6276 on my way from home my route wound its way down nerve-racking country lanes between Selset and Grassholme reservoirs and then crossing the dam between Balderhead and Blackton reservoirs. There were places where meeting another car would have demanded much dexterity - such problems loom larger as age advances, but I was lucky.

Parking at the other end  of the dam had a feeling of remoteness and silence - not a place to break down. Before setting off for Shacklesborough I chatted to a fly fisherman who was tackling up in the pursuit of wild brown trout only. Many waters these days are stocked with the larger Rainbow trout which are not indigenous, and somewhat inexplicably I had a good feeling that only  brownies lived here - it seemed appropriate to the wilderness feeling of this location.

A track on the map showed for only a couple of hundred yards before dwindling into a footpath, but as I walked  it continued. I met a couple coming the other way (early starters I reckon) and they told me the track now lead right to the foot of Shacklesborough which they had come from climbing. Weather had been sultry with flat light poor for photos, but the views down Balderdale were enhanced by the three reservoirs, and the trig had a bonus gentlemanly cairn companion to give more interest to my photo.

I couldn't see the white limestone hardcore track from the summit and felt impatient to bother trying to find it again - it had not been comfortable to walk on. I beelined back across fairly easy going moorland to round off an enjoyable two hours walking in isolated and majestic surroundings.

I had to drive over six miles round the two easterly reservoirs to the cul de sac car park at the end of Blackton reservoir where the Pennine Way path would give me access to Brown Rigg Moss. I had no recollection of this section from walking the PW in 1987, but I did have an interesting encounter near here at the time:

27th April 1987 - Pennine Wsy

I think it was on a short road section just past Balderhead Reservoir that was quite steep and I was really toiling and sweating when I came to farm buildings on the right. There was an aged farmer's wife type doing something rather strenuous like throwing bales of hay or shovelling manure. I stopped and passed the time of day. I was very struck by this lady. I asked if I could fill my water bottle and she insisted I sat down and rest while she went off to fill the bottle. The lady came back with a stool for me to sit on and also  some tea and biscuits. What I really remember is an overwhelming aura of kindness from this lady. She told me she was a widow and had looked after the farm for some time since loosing her husband. She was obviously living a very hard life physically, but she was just a fabulous kind person. I later deduced that this must have been Hannah Hauxwell who was later identified and taken over by the media. She was whisked  off all over the world making TV appearances and publishing books about her life. I think the emphasis was on the fact that she had never travelled outside her own environment in all her life, and she was living in a kind of time capsule, but given the chance she was articulate and given to making wise comments about the modern world. Because it was only afterwards that I realised who she was I had not made reference to her in my daily log which was written on the spot, but my memory of her writing this ten years later is still vivid.

I was pleased to find the PW path was still just a modest track climbing up over the moorland with no serious erosion. I do wonder how much the PW is walked these days - it is a fine long distance route and has not become a scar on the landscape on sections I have walked recently.

I followed the PW to its high point then struck off on a boundary line for this second trig. As I arrived a huge four engined military propeller plane came over at only two hundred feet - I panicked with the camera and failed miserably to get it in my sights.

Balderhead reservoir. my car right. I had driven across the dam. Grassholme reservoir is immediately to the right - next photo.

Grassholme reservoir

A huge flock of these came across the sky and landed here - not sure what they are

Shacklesborough and the extended Land Rover track not shown on the map

Shacklesborough summit and Balderhead reservoir

The Pennine Way leads off from the road at the head of Baldersdale

I left the PW here to follow the boundary wall and fence to Brown Rigg Moss. On my return I sat on the stile with coffee and sandwich

Balderhead reservoir from Brown Rigg Moss

Padlock embedded with concrete in trig point top. I have seen similar. I think it has to do with orienteerring?

Green line is my drive between wslks

Ranidaphobia

A few days ago my son told me he’d seen a large frog in my garage but it had  scampered off. I left the door open for long periods afterwards and kept s nervous lookout. I am sorry to say I am frightened of frogs - I think it’s their unpredictability, and I would have to summon up courage from the depths to pick one up.. Today I grabbed some shopping bags from the floor near the garage door and I was simultaneously startled almost to cardiac arrest as the frog jumped up and shot off into a narrow dark corner between a chest of drawers and the garage door where long handled gardening implements are stored. I have to say it was big.  There was no way I was going to pursue it, rather regroup and formulate Plan B.

Whilst pondering I had a call from my friendly plumber Phil to ask if he could come and service the boiler in the garage. Phil arrived and we chatted and I casually told him about Froggy. Phil is a friend and a great guy, always cheerful and with a positive attitude, and additionally not over frightened of frogs, although when he offered to help I notice he first donned a substantial pair of gloves. I carefully moved all the gardening tools and Phil went in.

Froggy was transferred to s cool spot underneath the large Hydrangea in my garden.

I am expecting a larger than usual bill for servicing my boiler.

From Pintrest

Trig points OS Sheet 91 - Water Crag - NY 929 046 - 668m.

Monday 15th July 2019 - Water Crag - NY 929 046 - 668m.  (2192ft.)

I've just walked up the road from the Tan Hill Inn looking for the bridleway (Green dash line on map below) that starts before an unfenced track (white with dashed edges) both leaving the road to the south-east. There is mo sign of the bridleway even though GPS says I'm spot on, so I go to the track which joins it shortly anyway. At that supposed junction there is still no sign; a bridleway is defined as a path suitable for, and legal for horses, and I was expecting to see something substantial. I consult my compass to see the general direction taking a bearing from the map. The compass tells me it heads north-west, not south-east: opposite to the general direction I expect. I have heard of reverse polarity on a compass but "you never think it will happen to you," well it did to me.

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Fortunately I also have a compass on the iPhone, goodness knows how that works but at least it was pointing in the expected direction. That was s good job because I only found traces of a path across rough moorland after quarter of a mile in, and even then it was intermittent and hardly visible on the ground - pity poor horses. Eventually I found the fence line shown on the map which took me to my summit, again on a path that was figment of the map's imagination.

Water Crag is a poor relation to Rogan's Seat so I would not have expected much, but the views were extensive with wild moorland for miles and miles in all directions and hill ranges on most horizons. On the way to the summit Ordnance Survey indicates "pile of stones" - that turned out to be a not insignificant quirky large cairn. Against expectation for this poor relation there was a huge stone shelter thirty yards from the trig worthy of a major Lakeland peak. Having said that Water Crag is over 2000ft. and qualifies as a Nuttall (any summit of 2000ft (610m) or more which rises above its surroundings on all sides by at least 50ft (15m)) in England and Wales) - there are 446 on the list.

Water Crag as such appears before the true summit. It is mentioned in rock climbing web sites as a bouldering venue.You see an escarpment of broken limestone blocks and the rock looks superb, but there is not much of any size, and placing a landing mat may be a problem with the rocky terrain. Most climbers I have been involved with resent a long walk to a crag. I think after three miles of thrashing over thick pathless heather most would be disenchanted. But, bouldering flowered only after I had stopped climbing, and I see it almost as a separate sport- it has many aficionados now, so I may be wrong

Parking at Tan Hill Inn for the start brought back memories.

Pennine Way - 7th day. Monday 27th. April1987.

Made good time up to Tan Hill, but too early for lunch. Had Britvic Orange and two tonics together - £1.20 - took it slowly - one of the best thirst quenchers I know. The heat and sun have been almost unbearable.
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LEJOG - Day 40

Sunday 25^th May (bank holiday) 2008

Keld to Bowes

12.5 miles

I plodded on over moorland to The Tan Hill Inn, which I think is supposed to be the highest pub in Britain at 1732ft.

The pub was very busy, even at 9:45am, and when I asked for tea and a bacon  butty I was told to go into the kitchen, make my own tea and plead with the lady in there to make the butty for me. This was all done in a crazy good humoured fashion, and everybody in the place seemed to be quite eccentric. I got everything I wanted, then had more tea and bought some Kit Kats and got somebody to take my picture. 

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If you want to know more about reverse polarity click on the link below - I was surprised to learn how many everyday items can cause this - beware!

CLICK HERE

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Photos: worth clicking to enlarge

Tan Hill Inn - it was much busier when I returned five hours later

Cloudberry. This was the only one I saw with berries, but there were many without all over

A far cry from the traditional butts made from piles of peat. The only birds and wildlife I saw all day were a few grouse erupting from the heather in front of me and a very small frog - mission accomplished by the shooters

Water Crag (and below)

Marked "pile of stones" on the OS map, I think it deserves a bit more than that.

May I suggest: wonky cairn?

Shelter on Water Crag summit - surprisingly substantial for an infrequently visited  peak. The trig can just be seen near top right - it is actually only about thirty yards away

Now much busier 

Stocks reservoir

Friday 12th July 2019 - Circuit of Stocks reservoir - Bowland AONB

The road from High Bentham to my rendezvous with BC and friend J must rate in the top ten spectacular roads in the UK crossing eight miles of wild undulating moorland and then descending a deep cut valley with the road cut out of the hillside, all unfenced with no margin for error - what a good start to the day. The road continues in similar fashion from our rendezvous point for another three miles to Slaidburn.

We planned to circumnavigate Stocks reservoir. The  paths and associated infrastructure have been improved and made into a popular walk, and from what we saw, an excellent running circuit. The history and statistics of the reservoir's construction in 1932 are fascinating, more interesting than similar accounts I have read and well worth a read*.

I had imagined a path close to the perimeter all the way. Not so -  it must have been almost an hour before we saw water. From our starting point the path crosses the river Hodder by a splendid wooden footbridge and then wanders through pleasant countryside with a modest bit of climbing before coming closer to the reservoir. We visited a hide and saw a good variety of birds, albeit at a distance.

Countryfile recently, heartbreakingly highlighted the loss of over ninety percent of the UK meadowland over the last few decades . Well meadowland was abundant all over this AONB showing a great variety of grasses and wild flowers with many orchids of varying specimens. 

We lunched on the dam wall and watched a number of anglers fly fishing both from the bank and from boats. The reservoir is well stocked with the various varieties of trout. We actually saw one guy catch and land a trout which he returned to the water.

Our return on the other side on an elevated path gave extensive views of the reservoir and our outward journey on the other side - it is always gratifying to see behind you a large part of the route that you have been walking. 

If anybody is looking for a really good seven to eight mile walk this is worth travelling some distance for and particularly enhanced today by good company and summer weather.

Our starting point. An atmosphere of open wild space and silence, but no sign of our reservoir

The wooden bridge over the river Hodder

River Hodder

Stocks reservoir - you can see we are still a long way from the water

A maximum zoom from the hide - quite a variety in one shot

We were puzzled with this tree - it had all the identification for a beech except for the dramatically trailing leaf

They moved the church from here when the reservoir was constructed then found it was not an area that became flooded

There were many orchids of varying size and colour

I presume these turn into some spectacular butterfly - but which one?

Returning the catch

Just a small bit of the extensive amounts of wild meadow surrounding Stocks reservoir

*Thanks to Wikipedia (I do donate a small amount from time to time)

It was created in 1932 by the Fylde Water Board by flooding the Dalehead valley and the surrounding farmland, including the hamlet of Stocks-in-Bowland from which the reservoir derives its name. At the peak of the construction project, over 500 men worked there and most of them lived in a temporary village called Hollins.  Prince Georgeofficially opened the reservoir by unveiling a commemorative bronze plaque.

During the construction phase, the reservoir works were the site of an extensive 3 foot (914 mm) gauge industrial railway system which linked the dam works with a railhead on the Long Preston - Slaidburn road (Bowtell, 1988). Nearby stone quarries were also served by the railway. Steam traction engines hauled building material between the Tosside railhead and the water board depôt adjacent to Long Preston railway station.

The reservoir is located in the civil parish of Easington. In medieval times, the area was granted to the monks of Kirkstall Abbey near Leeds. Later, Stocks-in-Bowland, Dalehead and Easington all came under the sway of the Lordship of Bowland.

Cowmire Hall and hedgerow flowers

Thursday walk with Pete.  12th July 2019 - around Cowmire Hall - SD 427 887

Showers were forecast but we were not daunted. Our fortitude paid off. We walked in the dry. We  now often repeat parts of previous walks and Cowmire Hall has featured here before. Whilst its architecture is harmonious within the locale it is unusual in having three storeys which reminds me of a story about my father. He was a professional property and rating valuer and often appeared in court on behalf of clients with rating appeals and the like. Father was being cross-examined by a clever London barrister.

Barrister
"Mr. Robinson, how many floors does the property have?"

Father (who we suspect hadn't actually visited the property)
"Not as many as your argument on behalf of your client.'"

Uproar!

Cowmire is yet another venue for the present fashion for producing gin with endless different flavourings - unfortunately they only sell it to retailers by the case and there is no tasting facility so once again we passed by.

On a linear walk we go one hour there and one hour back. Today we had options of road junctions and branched off on one then returned and still needed more time, so we set off another new branch and then another. Calculations for estimating turn round time became complicated, especially for me who wrestles with problems of spatial awareness - not good for one who spends lots of time interpreting maps (especially when walking south.)

Pete is as good as anybody I know who is not an out and out expert at identifying wild flowers, usually including their Latin names, but he was stumped by two hedgerow flowers we encountered. I suspect they are not all that rare, but  we would be grateful if somebody can provide identification.

Cowmire Hall

A good showing of easily identified Rosebay Willowherb

The old county boundary between Lancashire and Westmorland

Identification please for this and one below - both located in a hedgerow

Our complicated wanderings messing up our time estimation.

The ex Lancashire/Wetmorland border sign was photographed at the bridge on the road just above the "d" of Bridge in Bridge Ho. bottom left of centre

Trig points OS Sheet 91 - Hardberry Hill and Raven Hills

Monday 8th July 2019 - Raven Hills - NY 966 277 and Hardberry Hill - NY 932 288


Raven Hills was one hour each way from the road above Middleton in Teesdale. This is a nondescript hill with hard going through heather beyond the field intakes. There was a fine view of Selsett reservoir from the summit.

A fifteen minute drive took me to the start for Hardberry Hill. The landscape there is full of old mine workings. Hardberry was more interesting than Raven. I found an iPhone a few hundred yards from the summit. The phone is working but there is no service provider and it is password protected. I have posted the find at all locations I can think of.

Selsett  reservoir from Raven Hills

Old mine workings near Hardberry Hill

Hardberry Hill

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TRIG PILLARS

On my recent ascent of Meldon Hill - NY 772 291 I found the trig pillar demolished and had the following correspondence with Ordnance Survey:


I am a keen fell walker and highly value the services provided by yourselves. Yesterday (18th June 2019) I visited Meldon Hill - NY 772 291. The trig pillar has been reduced to rubble and the surveying star is lying forlornly by the side. I wonder why and how? It would take considerable effort to achieve this, especially without the aid of mechanical equipment, and if it had been done as a matter of policy I would have thought the mess would have been tidied away. I would be interested to hear your comments.Ord. Survey.

Hello Conrad,

The Technical Team have confirmed that if we are going to destroy a pillar it is cleared away completely, so in this case it looks like a case of vandalism.

I have also let our Cartography team know to remove the symbol the next time the paper mapping - Explorer and Landranger - for the area is reprinted. There is no planned revision date at present.

Thanks for your understanding.

Kind regards

Linda Prentice 

Customer Service Adviser, Customer Services

Hi Linda Prentice,

Thanks for your reply. I know that triangulation pillars are no longer used but they provide interest and pleasure for outdoor types like me which is demonstrated by my current project to visit them all on OS 1:50 Sheet 91. I have already done the same on 97 and 98. So I am saddened to read that your policy is to delete them from the map if they are removed one way or another. I understand that it would be misleading to have a symbol for something that didn’t exist, but perhaps you could have a different one for “ex-trig points?”

Regards,Conrad Robinson.