James has asked me to put this post up to let you know that his Internet connection has been ripped out by his favourite workmen. From the feedback it sounds like his phone line and Internet will be unavailable until Friday although more will be known tomorrow.

He has some posts scheduled to be published later and when he gets back on line, at another location he will commencing posting again.

James would like to make it clear that the Albion Alliance site will still be going up tomorrow although it may be later than the 11:11 deadline previously set. The site is already built and working but still needs some posts and customisation.

As James is now going cold turkey on his blogging addiction may I suggest that you are gentle with him on his return.

Deep breaths, James, and relax.

UPDATE

Right, I’m back, folks [this is James writing now].  Here’s what happened:

They’re doing work on the outside of our house.  I told the boss that there is a phone line that absolutely must not be touched because I’m dependent on it.  He says he told his workmen today.  When I got back just before, everything, the satellite dishes and all wiring had been ripped out and thrown down to the pavement below.

What sort of mentality rips out wiring on flats which are being occupied, without checking each piece of wiring first?

The good luck – I phoned BT immediately and got the usual run around on 0800800150 – being told that my phone call was being recorded to help me and that all operators were busy but would I like to take a survey on BT service?

That got nowhere but 151 last time got into a different loop which kept taking me back to Please Press 1 and asked me four or five times if I’d like to take a survey.

This time, on the mobile with £7 left [I never use it], I was told to hold and that I was being charged for this. Eureka – I discovered a way.  If you ring 0800443311, they’ll actually let you in the back way.  Result – I actually got a live human being called Belinda who suggested I call faults.

NO!  I flatly refused and expalined why – you’ll never get someone at BT – they tie you up in press 1, press 4 and take you back where you started, asking you if you’d like to take their survey.  She understood at once and said they’ve been having technical problems.

She took me through the line test procedure and said it was between the house, the pole and the junction box.  Then she read the charges – £125, if they can determine that it was someone’s fault here, not them.  She contacted the engineer and that was that.  If I hadn’t heard from them by Friday, phone them again.

I laughed.  Phone which number?  151 of course.  I explained the 151 loop.  Well how did I contact them now?  443311.  Never heard of it, she said.  Well, I said, it was the only way I got through to you and I’m not happy, not with you but with what BT put a person through. She apologized but it wasn’t her fault.

OK, all done, I phoned a few people on the mobile and then got the boss here.  He was about to go home.  He now had to go up the ladder and check it – yep, his man had ripped it out.  So he’s been there an hour and put new wiring in and connected it up.

He hasn’t seen me in this mood before.  Along the way, we discussed Albion Alliance and he was all for it.  He was once Labour but no more.  He said the people of Britain are fed to the back teeth withwhat’s happened in the country with this government and Cameron looks like he’s the same.

I said that that’s what we’re doing this alliance for – to put extreme pressure, at grass roots level, on the Conservative pollies because Labour are too far gone.  He said Brown had gone simple now.  I said yep, this is all for next year.

He said he was behind us and most of Britain would be if they heard about it.

So, here I am, I’m going to finish the pizza and get onto the new site.  Must run.

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