6 Comments

1. It may no longer be Great Britain, but that doesn’t mean that there weren’t great British. | Daily Pundit says:
   December 30, 2012 at 9:55 am

   [...] there weren’t great British. Posted on December 29, 2012 3:55 pm by razorbacker From Counting Cats I learn of a gentleman called Sir Patrick Moore, who seems to have written a fascinating work [...]
2. Lynne says:
   December 30, 2012 at 8:00 pm

   He didn’t bear fools graciously and was never afraid to speak his mind. He would have made an excellent blogger.
3. Sam Duncan says:
   December 30, 2012 at 10:11 pm

   “The revenue offices never stop complaining that their staff are overworked and their departments underfunded. Unless something is done to alleviate the crisis, they insist, the entire tax system could break down.

   This is your goal. Never cease to dream.”

   Brilliant.
4. NickM says:
   December 31, 2012 at 3:35 am

   Sam,
   Precisely. The few times I have spoken to UK Gov have been occasions when I wanted to eat my teeth. Once to the Home Orifice about a student visa for my then girlf. That was hilarious when they finally answered the phone. And then my wife attempted to clarify he meaning of “voluntary” NI contributions. Well, you have to pay ‘em. The discussion hinged on the meaning of “voluntary” which NICO defines very differently from the OED. Or Websters. Or common sense. Utter fucktoons the bally lot of ‘em.
5. RAB says:
   December 31, 2012 at 4:38 am

   I temped at the Tax Office for a month once, back in the 70’s. Me and this other kid got sent along by the Labour Exchange. They were without doubt the laziest, most venal unutterable shower of Civil Servants I have ever worked with.

   After two days of sitting around waiting for the Tea Trolley with the buns and sarnies to roll up at 11am and 4pm and reading newspapers (well this is what the rest of the staff were doing all day) they finally found us something to do. Weed some files and move them from one side of a storeroom to another. That was the Wednesday morning; we came back in the afternoon and said… right done that, what next? To be greeted with… oh fuck! we thought that would take the rest of the month…erm, give us a minute to think. A minute? they could have taken all day and not come up with one, and they didn’t. I have never been more bored and disgusted in my life. The only time I saw any real work being done was after five pm when overtime kicked in. Absolute experts at milking the system was that lot. The other kid I was sent along with though, joined them permanentely. He felt he had found his Spiritual home!
6. Paul Marks says:
   January 1, 2013 at 6:20 pm

   Reminds me of my time in the Civil Service RAB - different department, but much the same (bar the newspapers).

   Now I will shock and disgust everyone.

   I wish I had never left.

   Everything I have done since has been far worse paid and much more unpleasant.

   “But you save the taxpayer…..”

   I saved the taxpayer NOTHING by leaving - remember my post would have been instantly filled.

   By the way…..

   I think I was the last generation to sit the old Civil Service examination - which I passed.

   Which means when I mess up my English (or whatever) - I am just being disgustingly lazy.

   I can do these things.