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Edited by Dynamic Dave on 30/03/2009 at 10:49
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Having submitted my tax return for 2006-2007 I have received a statement from the Inland Revenue telling them that their calculations disagree with my figures, (well I'm not an accountant) They are asserting that I owe them the grand total of 20p.
Yes, just 20 pence.
Now this has probably arisen as the tax return said not to include pence in the total of tax paid, so I didn't. Their calculation obviously keeps the pence in. This is how we will pay to rescue the banks.
Now, my question is, how should I pay this. Part of me wants to send them a cheque for 1p every week for 20 weeks. Should I put 20p in an envelope along with the payment slip, write a cheque or send a postal order.
What will happen if I don't pay? The statement says they will add interest if payment is late. If I leave it, it may rise to 21p eventually. Will they take me to court or add penalty charges.
It seems a lot of fuss over 20p but i guess it all adds up.
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Send this demand to your MP - cost of the stamp sending you a bill was greater than the amount owed.
Get the MP to embarass HMR&C.
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Now this has probably arisen as the tax return said not to include pence in the total of tax paid, so I didn't. >>
No, they tell you to round UP the tax paid, and round DOWN your income. It works in YOUR favour.
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I would send them a cheque for 21p, then they have to go all the hassle of issueing you a refund for 1p.
The joke is it must have cost more than 20p to send out the letter! I think any miss calculations unde £1 should be written off, it would save the tax payer some money.
I will soon be in a fortunate position where IRC owe me money although that will just come off my future tax bills no doubt.
Edited by Pugugly on 19/03/2009 at 21:32
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A cockroach won't cost you 21p Rattle.
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I would send them a cheque for 21p then they have to go all the hassle of issueing you a refund for 1p.
Don't be silly, Rattle. That would increase their running costs, to the detriment of the finances of all of us.
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The discrepancy has arisen as you have calculated your tax due incorrectly. Under self assessment, the onus is on you to calculate it - or to submit it prior to October in which case they calculate it for you.
You miscalculated as you did not read the instructions correctly. Income is stated in pounds, rounded down.
Tax is then calculated to the nearest PENNY.
Anyway, I'd just ignore it. They might add it to your next bill; they might well not. They had to send out a statement anyway, so this has not cost them any extra than it would have done had you managed to pay the correct amount of tax.
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At the bottom of the statement it will say something like 'As the amount outstandiing is small we will not pursue payment at this time but interest will accrue'.
As the new interest rate is 2.5%, I would not bother paying now and simply add the remaining balance to your next payment.
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If you have to pay, postage stamp is easiest but it will still cost you another stamp.
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If the Inland Revenue sent me a bill for 20p I'd be overjoyed.
Clk Sec
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As per previous question - it was hiding in the curtains of our hotel room. Caught and expelled into the corridor it nevertheless returned and was found near the toilet. Caught again and taken to the end of the corridor it was last seen halfway under someone elses door - considering its options.
Given that it seemed attracted to my toothbrush - what if it`s now in our loft, emerging from the suitcase having survived the aircrafts hold and is waiting for bed time?
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That might be someone's pet youve stolen!
How heartless!
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On its own it won't do much damage - Don't sleep with your mouth open though. Sweet dreams Oilrag !
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In parts of Brazil they deep fry them. Evidently they go well enough with rice. Was never tempted to try it myself.....
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"That might be someone's pet youve stolen!"
Eh? I should add there were at least another hundred thousand or so on the streets outside, trying to get in ;-)
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"I would send them a cheque for 21p, then they have to go all the hassle of issueing you a refund for 1p".
Rattle, How do I get the Cockroach to issue the refund? It might have left a `deposit` but i`ve been trying not to think of that....
Edited by oilrag on 19/03/2009 at 21:21
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I replied to a tax thread on I have got a question my reply was higher up, when the mods moved the cockroach thing into here my reply went into a different thread.
You mods must be more tired than me! We all make mistakes though :).
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This question was posted in here originally. Not moved here.
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Yep just realised my mistake. I think something is telling me to go bed :).
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Never mind - nice moderator has moved it to the correct place and not become at all resentful and vindictive.
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Yep, Sorry Rattle It`s just me as usual trying to lighten things up and spin off a few laughs.. True story though.... They are beautiful really, especially in flight.
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You'll need a licence for him though Oilrag. Pop down the Post Office and ask tomorrow. 37 &1/2p the word "dog" will be crossed out and the word Cockroach written in in blue crayon.
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What manner of airline was that Oily ? I normally expect a choice of fish, meat or vegetarian on a long haul.......
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Then there are the microscopic ants that surge up your coffee cup to where your lips were... as big as a full stops.. They go home at night - before the Giant Oriental Cockroaches emerge...
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Yes, it was an `active` room with its own wildlife... All the bags and clothes went straight through the washer on return.....
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Have I woken up in an alternative civilisation?
Or - am I still dreaming?
Edited by drbe on 20/03/2009 at 08:05
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They are edible. I have eaten them. No-one else believes me so I will understand if no-one on this site does, but it was during a Chinese banquet in Malaysia. After the meal, the host called for them and a waiter brought in a large, old-fashioned sweet jar-full. A mixure of inebriation and bravado led me to try a couple. It appears they had been boiled in salt water. Shelling exposed something resembling slightly flabby salted almonds but more meaty - these are not your feeble European cockroaches but big, mean, busty fellows with attitude.
There, I knew you wouldn't believe me.
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Allegedly, cockroaches are the only living things that could survive the after effects of a nuclear holocaust unscathed, so i think they may just survive a jet flight, even if you flew E******!!
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I believe you, because once, as part of an initiation, I had to eat a fully formed chicken embryo straight out of the shell - head, soft beak and all...
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That KFC staff training programme doesn't get any easier does it?
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>>I had to eat a fully formed chicken embryo<<
Eughh!! Balut - how simply disgusting! even a "snotty" soft-boiled egg does for me! how "anything" can find them tasty defies me.
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A little while ago AE was asking about new TVs which were easy to use, looking for something else I came across this site today which includes the option to sort by ease of use. Obviously some degree of subjectivity here, but might be useful:-
www.ricability-digitaltv.org.uk/pages/products/idt...p
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Informative website, but is the standby power consumption of modern TVs really as low as it says?
Edited by L'escargot on 20/03/2009 at 15:15
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My TV is on the list. They 0.39W in standby but the user manual says 0.4W. So they are probably correct. If you're using the inbuilt tuner to record off when in standby it rises to 14.5W though. In use it's a much higher 140W!
When you turn it off with the remote (into standby) you can hear a solenoid (or something electro-mechanical) switch off about a second later.
Our old 28" CRT TV apparently used 1.4W in standby - but only 101W in use.
Edited by rtj70 on 20/03/2009 at 16:25
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Cheers SC
Currently trying ot convince aged parent that they do not make VCRs that record digital signals
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Currently trying ot convince aged parent that they do not make VCRs that record digital signals >>
I use to regularly record Freeview programmes via a Freeview set top box on my 16-year-old Mitsubishi Nicam H58 VCR. I had to use the old satellite recording channels (L1 or L2) on the VCR.
The VCR sat between the STB and the 21in CRT TV set, with the TV aerial feed first going through the box, then the VCR and, finally, to the TV.
These days I do Freeview recordings on my computer system using Showshifter (all PVR features available) and a Freeview PCI TV card.
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Cheers SC Currently trying to convince aged parent that they do not make VCRs that record digital signals
;-)
www.amazon.co.uk/Daewoo-SV900-Integrated-Digital-V...O
To be fair this unholy combination of 1980sand 21st century technology is the only machine I know of with that combination of functions, and I don't think you can buy them any more.
I have a similar challenge myself, my mid 70s parents have finally admitted that a telly that takes 15mins to warm up isn't ideal, I'm trying to source I nice old school 21inch CRT for them, but even Lidl / Aldi don't seem to have them these days.
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You won't get one new.... there's a 20" in my garage if you want it.
Seriously you'll have to go LCD or second hand. Soon the CRTs will be useless without a Freeview box or similar if used to watch TV.
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>I'm trying to source I nice old school 21inch CRT for them<
Join Freecycle - plenty of 21" (and larger) on offer frequently.
p
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Yes, I have a feeling I'm either going to have to find a smallish LCD set ( anything much over 21 inches will dominate the room), or pick up a secondhand one; which looks a bit naff for a present.
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>>( anything much over 21 inches will dominate the room),>>
We used to have a 21in Toshiba Nicam CRT TV set (still in use in another room) which was replaced by a 26in LCD model.
The actual screen height is just a midge's ---- more than the CRT and the set's width is only 65cms, about five centimetres wider.
It fits in the same enclosed area in a cabinet as the CRT, but I had to drop the shelf about four inches as the speakers are housed underneath the screen rather than on each side.
Most people forget that modern sets are wide screen, so the diagonal screen measurement is somewhat deceptive in comparison to a CRT 4:3 set.
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Yes, a fair point Stu, I was thinking in 4:3 terms not 16:9 ( or maybe 16:10 for some of these smaller LCD sets ... ). The 28" WS CRT in spamcan towers is only slightly taller in picture and cabinet height than the 21" 4:3 CRT it replaced. Looks like I'll be out shopping for a 26" WS LCD then.
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Many thanks for the helpful replies to the above post. My wife has decided on the Siemens in both instances.
Clk Sec
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If the dishwasher is as good as our Siemens then a good choice.
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My son has managed to pull one of the kitchen cupbaord doors off its hinges. As he climbed down off the kitchen bench he caught the door knob with the result that the screws holding the hinge onto the wall of the cupboard were pulled out of the wall. Since the cupbaord is bog-standard MDF it is a bit of a mess - the screw holes are now very much enlarged. My quesiton is how can I repair this? In the past I have tried filling holes like this with plastic wood but with little success. Any suggestions?
Thanks
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Evo-Stik Gripfill might be worth a try.
Clk Sec
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I avoid MDF like the plague. Horrible, nasty stuff. It doesn't take screws and falls apart easily.
The only piece of it in my house is a 4" x 8' length around the bottom of my corner bath.
(The only alternative would have been cut off an 8' x 4' piece of plywood - a waste.)
I found that bit of MDF in a skip :)
Sorry, not much help but I needed a rant.
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MDF makes brilliant skirting boards. Dirt cheap too.
Hopeless for anything that requires structural strength though.
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I use Hard As Nails both indoors and outdoors very successfully (it comes in a margarine tub size) and also the tube version as a powerful glue for various types of metal and materials.
I used Hard As Nails, for instance, to fill in the gap between bricks on a wall which had housed a large C shaped hook to support the clothes line (about 30ft long); the hook was replaced as the mixture hardened and is still perfectly functional after about three years since the repair.
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I don't know how thick your doors/carcasses are but I assume they are thick enough to take a screw. For a permanent, easy repair, go to your hardware shop and buy a couple of 'stand off' hinges, ( may also be known as cantilever hinges ). Just fit one below the damaged area. I have fitted MDF doors with these and they imitate the action of the original hinge. I have found the ones in plain silver steel finish to be of a much better quality than the 'blister packed' gold versions. I have a few in my workshop for emergencies. If you can't get one I don't mind sending you one of mine.
Ted
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Enlarge holes. Make sure the area around them is flat - shave off some material if need be.
Fill holes with Araldite or similar. Push screws in. Clamp up with a G-cramp and wait until the Araldite has set.
If you think you might need to take the screws out at some time, then was them with shoe polish or candle wax before glueing up.
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Thanks for all the replies. I have adopted FTs aproach but using something called Power Putty from the local DIY barn (it has a picture of a screw in a repaired hole on the packet so I suppose it is designed for the job)
Should this not work I will have a go at Ted's idea of a new hinge but I don't fancy my chances at getting the holes drilled absolutely accurately!
robin
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I?m not a betting person so I don?t really know how the processes works, but I?m intrigued to find out what will happen if Man Utd don?t win the league (I can see it getting close at the top), I read that many of the top bookmakers have already paid out on them winning, will they try and retrieve the payouts from the punters?
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>>..will they try and retrieve the payouts from the punters?>>
No.
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Its a marketing thing. Cheap way of buying punters' favour. There's nothing like the feeling of getting one over the bookies, is there...?
I'm no betting man, but it seems to be (to have started as) a Paddy Power thing. Not surprised that others have started doing the same thing as well.
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"have already paid out on them winning"
I don't imagine they gave very long odds, but I've never heard of a bookie paying out early!
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>>.. but I've never heard of a bookie paying out early! >>
I can assure you it has happened several times over quite a period of years - it's always when the inevitable arises, so the bookies pay out in advance.
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A well known Bank has charged me £1.50 in service charges.took my bank account to -0.02p. as i didnt hav a over-draft--next bill i got was £27.50 for being overdrawn.balance now -£27.52p
phoned citizens advice.they told me---banks CANT bill you if its there charges that make you go O/D
Edited by Pugugly on 24/03/2009 at 15:27
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Go to Moneysavingexpert.com - some help there.
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Just call your bank - I suspect a reasonable voice on the phone will produce the right result
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"banks CANT bill you if its their charges that make you go O/D"
Does anyone have chapter and verse on that? It happens to me all the time!
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The problem you have now is banks will hide behind the pending Court case to avoid any refunds.
A few years ago a number of banks had an automatic £50 zone for all accounts so you wouldn't be charged if you went slightly o/d by accident. Not anymore as £25 per letter is a nice earner.
Rather than call go into branch and let them see the colour of your eyes. Don't leave until you get a refund.
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If you have an overdraft with them they may suddenly damand they want it back, only go down the complaints road if you don't owe the bank any money or you can pay it back.
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Another thing to be wary about is how they "word" thier "charges" - since the reclaim cases started, banks usually now call "charges" (which may be proven to be unlawfull and have to be repaid) as "account fees" or "maintainence fees" which are not under scrutiny and will not have to be refunded!. Check the wording on your statements!
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Run your account correctly and avoid any contact with the bank.
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I am regularly sent e-mails by companies who have purchased my e-mail address in a database of similar from someone.
What's to stop me from configuring a "rule" in my e-mail software to return the e-mail to someone at the companies (possibly several people, to ensure it's picked up), with an accompanying comment about not wanting to hear from them again, and then auto-delete it?
Could "they" get snotty about it?
If this is acceptable, imagine what the sender would see if lots of people did similar!
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I am regularly sent e-mails by companies who have purchased my e-mail address in a database of similar from someone. .. >>
Are these Companies UK based? If so, see links below on questions of legality:
www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2003/20032426.htm#22
www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1998/ukpga_19980029_en_1
www.legalbanter.co.uk/uk-legal-legal-issues-uk/183...l
www.out-law.com/page-4222
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In one e-mail just received:
Why you have received this email
This email was sent to . It was sent to you as we would like (snip). Your details were sourced from a business contacts database provided by CI Europe.
I have no idea who these people are. There is an "unsubscribe" option.
Is the auto reply/delete option legitimate (this apart from the advisability of unsubscribing)?
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.. Your details were sourced from a business contacts database provided by CI Europe. .. >>
See if www.spamhaus.org/index.lasso have anything on them.
Is the auto reply/delete option legitimate (this apart from the advisability of unsubscribing)? >>
If from a legitimate source, then fine. Otherwise you may only be confirming to them that your email address on the database is "live", and worthy of selling on.
www.spamhaus.org/removeisformugs.html
Edited by jbif on 25/03/2009 at 10:42
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>>to return the e-mail to someone at the companies (possibly several people, to ensure it's picked up), with an accompanying comment about not wanting to hear from them again, and then auto-delete it?>>
The last thing you should do is to return such e-mails - it merely confirms that it's a valid e-mail address.
Just Delete them, using the Toolbar button.
Even more important, if you use Outlook Express, is to PERMANENTLY disable the Preview Pane, otherwise even just clicking on a suspect e-mail can set off nasties.
With the pane disabled, you can highlight an e-mail and study it through its Properties. Any doubts, just keep hitting the Cancel button and then the Toolbar Delete button.
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Setup a rule to auto delete these emails. Do not reply.
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Thank you. I am well aware of the issues with replying to general spammers.
The point was about returning e-mails to a contact at a company using e-mail addresses purchased as a database.
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The point was about returning e-mails to a contact at a company using e-mail addresses purchased as a database. >>
It seems CI Europe think you are a "business contact". Are you? If so, then they are apparently not spamming, AFAIK, according to UK practise.
If it is the Company I found, then their website "is under construction" and appear to be operating from a homebt web address at the last known location on Google. But this one works: home.btconnect.com/ci-europe.org.uk/
These pdf files may be of interest to you:
home.btconnect.com/ci-europe.org.uk/assets/downloa...f
home.btconnect.com/ci-europe.org.uk/assets/downloa...f
home.btconnect.com/ci-europe.org.uk/assets/downloa...f
Edited by jbif on 25/03/2009 at 13:01
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Just had a very pleasant salad. Accompanied by one of those pork pies with an egg in. My son asked me how they do that. I have had to to admit I don't know. I'm guessing you would have to cook the egg first before wrapping it in the pie filling and pastry prior to baking but if that's the method why doesn't the egg overcook ?
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I am assuming that the pork pie you are referring to had something resembling an 'egg shaped egg'.
When you have solved that problem think about the catering sized version that has a 'continuous egg' running thro its length. I have always had visions of a chicken with puffed out chest, sitting on a stainless steel funnel, extruding an infinitely long cylindrical egg.
;)
p
Edited by pmh2 on 29/03/2009 at 20:23
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When you have solved that problem think about the catering sized version that has a 'continuous egg' running thro its length.
In pies (or scotch eggs) sold sliced, where each slice has a perfect-shaped slice of boiled egg, the eggs are reconstituted. The yolks and whites of a batch of eggs are separated. The yolks are mixed together and then frozen into a long cylindrical shape. The rod of yolks is then convered with the whites and the whole thing is frozen to form a rod of reconstituted eggs . It's then cooked. Lengths of the rod are cut off and covered in pork and pastry and cooked to get the final product.
Well, it's something like that anyway.
Edited by L'escargot on 30/03/2009 at 08:18
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...why doesn't the egg overcook....
Since the egg is hard boiled and has no shell, it must be pre-cooked.
I suspect the filling is also pre-cooked and the pastry casing baked 'blind' - with nothing in it.
It's then a matter of assembling the pie, which, after all, is always served cold.
Alternatively, if you are a certain award-winning chef, you serve the egg and pork raw and poison half of Berkshire.
Edited by ifithelps on 29/03/2009 at 20:24
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The continuous egg, now that is clever... I seem to think that when the pie has right angles and an egg in it ceases to be a pork pie and becomes a Grosvenor pie ? Still doesn't explain the long egg though.......
I'm going to try not to let it bother me and explain to my son that some mysteries are best left unsolved.....
:-)
Edited by Humph Backbridge on 29/03/2009 at 20:37
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In the same way a Scotch egg is made, the egg is boiled first. It is peeled then wrapped in the seasoned meat.
In the case of a scotch egg, this is then rolled in flour, then egg, then in breadcrumbs before being deep fried.
In a pork pie, traditionally it was a raised hot water crust pastry, which was shaped around a stone jar - which is then removed. Nowadays they use the same pastry but put it in a mould. This is filled with the meat placing the egg in the middle of the meat. After baking, aspic is poured into a hole in the top crust to give the jelly.
If you consider the physics of how heat enters food, from the outside to the middle, then the cooking time ensures that the pastry and meat are cooked while leaving the egg just right!
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Mywife can make one of these and has done every Christmas I can recall.
I havn't a clue how she does it, so I'll ask her when 'Lewis' is over.
Meanwhile, another puzzling thing, where does your lap go when you stand up ?
Te
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Thanks Deepwith, funnily enough we had Scotch Eggs as well. Two questions answered in one ! Just been for a swim and couldn't get that blinking pie out of my head !
It, or the swim, has now given me indigestion.....
:-)
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Brilliant, that long egg machine...........
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Actually I have a story about a pork pie. You may or may not wish to read on......
Back along, I shared a flat in Edinburgh with four other blokes while we were allegedly being educated. We were there for three years. In the first year someone put a pork pie in the fridge. Somehow it never got eaten or removed. When we were all due to go our different ways three years later we had a leaving party. Of course too many people were invited and the place was stacked out.
The following day the pie was gone...........
Never did find out who ate it.
;-)
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Whenever I used to stay here:
www.staplefordpark.com/
I always made sure that I bought some Melton Mowbray pork pies before heading back home.
Part of the period when I stayed at the hotel it was owned by Peter de Savary, of America's Cup fame (I've also stayed at Skibo Castle which he also owned for a time); a fascinating man with, not surprisingly, a wealth of stories to relate.
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Drive past it on my way to work. £290 to £830 a night, per room, with breakfast and a FREE newspaper!
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>>Never did find out who ate it.>>
Probably 'ated the suffering that followed....
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i reckon whoever ate it pork pied
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SWMBO's answer. 6 eggs,hard boiled. Line pie hinge with cold water pastry. Put a bed of uncooked meat mixture inside. Cut ends off eggs and give to dog. lay eggs in a row on the meat. Fill round and on top with more meat mix. Put on pastry top and bake the lot....easy !
Ted
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There is a disused petrol station - cant think of the brand, the station has been knocked down and the land is now derelict with no signage up to say who owns it etc.
Where can I find out who owns it in view to purchasing the land?
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Land Registry - not sure how you deal with them
A search on the web should get you started.
Edited by ifithelps on 30/03/2009 at 08:04
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Land registry online
www.landregisteronline.gov.uk/
If you know the address it will cost you £4 for the title and £4 for the plan. If you don't know the address you will need to provide an OS map base and apply for an official search of the index map. This is free for up to 10 title numbers.
Help line actually does what it says and very well!
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Xtype, has the land been decontaminated yet - I assume the tanks must have been removed. I bet this can be a costly job.
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I think the tanks of disused petrol stations are usually filled with water, or earth/rubble if access can be gained.
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A local disused filling station was used as a car lot. They decided to mount lighting on the tank vent pipes and used a blowtorch to bend the pipes to shape.
The result bounced all the cars a couple of feet.
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I expect it will all be meters now, but we used to dip the tanks at a garage I worked at.
Long brass - no sparks - rods with a bit of tyre chalk on to make reading the level easier.
Had to do the same with the delivery tanker, too, to make sure he'd given us the full measure.
Only way was to climb on top, the tankers used wooden dipping rods, about an inch square.
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