Buddhist Centre, Hove, and World Peace Garden

Pear Tree Well - the Source of Perfect Water

Copyright: Janet Cameron

A leaflet dropped through my door today, and I thought, what a great idea.  Needs telling about, although I would like to add I haven't yet sampled their product or service, so you will have to make up your own mind.

"This water," says the leaflet, "comes from a small, deep, underground stream, far away from the contamination of chemicals."

The leaflet makes the point that soil these days is seriously short of nutrients and this affects the quality of the food we eat. Whether it will actually improve your health and sense of wellbeing - well I won't know until I've tried it. If you try it, please post your comments below about your experience.

Framfield is the site of a former Druid settlement that dates from around 2091 BC.  The suppliers say it contains a "perfect balance of all minerals, trace elements, and transition metals that you body needs to keep you well."

If you want to find out more, here are the contact details:

Phone: 01825 890444
enquiries@peartreewell,co.uk

It Used to be Called the Promenade!

During the recent wind storms, most of Brighton Beach ended up on the Promenade.  So when the sun came out, we didn't need to go down to the beach to walk on pebbles:

U3A (Brighton and Hove) Applied Philosophy Class Visited by Quantum Buddhist

 

Photo by Douglas Cameron

 

 

"Graham Smetham is a Quantum Buddhist, formerly of Sussex University and a prolific writer on the subject of Quantum Theory and Buddhism. He came along to talk to the Applied Philosophy group on 12 February about the science of quantum theory and his own metaphysics.

 

Along with many other philosophers, Graham believes we form the world from our own consciousness, a belief that is entirely compatible with Buddhism and raises some exciting possibilities.

Everyone agreed this was a thought-provoking and fascinating afternoon - and there were as many different viewpoints as there were members in the room! 

Many thanks to Graham for giving so generously of his time, and to the 17 members who turned up to listen to him."

Further Reading:

Can Quantum Theory and God be Reconciled

 

 

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PC World in Brighton are Dishonestly Claiming Money from my Bank Account!!!

 

I found a withdrawal from my bank account, "Product Support Ag" for £6. Confused I checked back and yes, there was one last month too. No idea what it was. Had I clicked something on the computer and committed myself to this payment? I rang my bank to find out.

It's all down to PC World.

I bought my computer there and it appears they just added insurance without telling me. The bank clerk says it's happening to lots of people, and the bank has to dispute the payments and try to get them refunded. This is what they are trying to do for me, and have also put a block on the payments.  I pay for most things on my credit card, which I clear every month - so it's easy to miss among so many transactions.

A Legal Crime?

Taking money from people without asking used to be known as stealing. How the world has changed! If you've bought a computer recently, do check your account and make sure PC World aren't stealing your money too. 

 

After all, if I nipped into their Brighton store and got caught stealing a couple of cartridges, they'd soon call the police and I would be shamed and humiliated.  In some ways, this seems a very similar "legal crime" to the awful PPI scandal.

Why is it okay to steal if you're big, but a police matter if you're an individual?

Selling your Home in Brighton & Hove - A Ruthless Game of Chance?

Copyright Janet Cameron

Placing my property on the market last summer for about four stressful months taught me a lot about how "some" Estate Agents operate. And one or two of them I find pretty ruthless.

These are the worst aspects of using the wrong agent. I won't name the guilty agents, but I'm sure they will be recognised.

The Numbers Game

One, in particular, doesn't discriminate in any respect about whom s/he brings to your door.  You might be selling a tiny, poky, studio flat - and whatever the customer wants, they will, somehow, manage to get them through the door on their whistle-stop tour. The reason - the firm offers a commission for the number of viewings the lads and lasses manage to achieve.  It's a numbers game. Ultimately, it probably works, because a percentage will obviously "bite the bullet."  (Excuse the cliché but it's so appropriate!) 

This means major upheavals for the poor buyer. I gave the agents my key.  Fatal!  I did make it clear I wanted to know when they were bringing someone, whether I was in or out. No way.  I'd be in the flat in my underwear and they would be struggling with the key in the door, which was fortunately locked from inside.  Sometimes, they sent people round without informing me they were coming. "Oh, so sorry, excuse the mess. The agents didn't tell me."

Or I was out, or at a meeting, and there would be a phone call. "Our client is waiting at your flat to view."

Customer Satisfaction?  Don't Be Silly!

This particular agent took over two weeks to get the flat details right (omitting to let me check them first) and kept forgetting to show clients the communal garden. So they were pretty speedily sacked. But they continued to advertise my property until three months after I had officially asked them to remove it from their books.  I notified them again via the website.  I then received a letter instructing me that if anyone had viewed my property through them - even after two years - I would have to pay their fee. The fact the letter was dated three months after my cancellation was not acknowledged.

So that's a neat trick, isn't it.  Refuse to admit you've received the cancellation/s and just leave the property on Rightmove or Prime Location and maybe in the folder in the office. Maybe, it's possible to ring the unwary buyer and explain "someone who originally viewed / took the details / whatever," would really like to view, because they "absolutely love it." 

Commission Tussle

Even if the property isn't getting viewings, if anyone who registers approaches through any other agent at a future date, there'll be a commission tussle. Besides which, the property looks as though it's on the market for months and months and people will wonder what's wrong with it.

Best Agents

Fox's were actually pretty good. Respected my privacy, let me check out the details before they were published, made sure I was kept informed, .

The worst agents, I think I'd better not say as I am sure they would be litigious and I can do without more hassle. But most locals know who they are.  Just ask.

A Stormy Day, a Discarded Christmas Tree and a Nasty Hoax Call - that's Brighton and Hove in Winter

Copyright Janet Cameron

Oh, well, it's the end of Christmas, and nothing says it more succinctly than the sight of this discarded little tree lying beside the bins on the seafront.  It would be nice to think it had just been blown there by high winds, and not merely dumped by an uncaring and lazy person.

But - about the bumper-tyred, bright red, vehicles racing up and down the promenade - well, all has been revealed and explained to be by the charming Seafront Rescue people.  They are all doing a great job, in their red jackets by regularly patrolling the seafront for signs of trouble.     

Copyright Janet Cameron

The fast racing along the promenade a few days ago was because they were answering a distress call about someone in trouble in the sea. 

The sad part was that the call was a hoax, as the young woman patroller explained to me. What a truly horrible trick to play.  The awful part is that if there are too many of these hoax calls, people might become less concerned and less speedy - and it could be a genuine, life-threatening incident.

It's not clever and it's not funny.

But I'm glad the vehicles were not as I suspected - joyriders - but genuine guys doing their job and performing a valuable service.

Copyright Janet Cameron