We had to let KPMG submit a return on our behalf, as we had complicated foreign tax thing going on because of working in the waters of another country.

Well, there you go.

We were in the same situation for the 5 years before, and nothing was amiss then? No follow up about completing SA myself.

Fortunately, I’ve managed to dig out all the paperwork. Gives me something to work off.

There is a special circle in hell for HMRC. I have had so many issues with them over the years despite being strictly PAYE with no other income. Grossly incompetent is several levels above where HMRC are currently. I would counter that by saying that there are some operatives who soar above the rest unfortunately it is very difficult to get through to them.

I’ve heard, apparently, that as soon as someone at HMRC is skilled in tax affairs, they jump ship to one of the accountancy firms.  Understandable if it’s a lucrative move.

@paladin,  Seafarer – yes. SED – No, not currently due to work location and type.  I have claimed SED in the past, but that was FY 2011/12.

Looking back through my emails, miraculously most of 2018 is still there.  We had to let KPMG submit a return on our behalf, as we had complicated foreign tax thing going on because of working in the waters of another country.  I’m suspecting that it’s something to do with what they submitted.  Unfortunately I can’t find the return they they submitted.

Thanks for the answers.

I’ve tried calling but just get through to automated answers, which don’t allow me to speak to a human.

I’ve been earning roughly the same amount the whole time, so hitting thresholds might not be the issue.

I’ll give them another call and see if I can find the right combination to speak to a person.

Often get serious cloggage in my right ear.

Over the counter stuff is OK, but doesn’t cure the problem. Have to have microsuction done about once a year.

Audiologist says it’s mainly due to very thin ear canal and it also isn’t straight.

Blessed relief whenever it’s done.

NHS won’t even do syringe now.

We lived in New Zealand between 2000-2008.

Found a WW1 era bayonet.

Still got it.  No idea what to do with it.

The lines I have are fixed length, attached to strap type handles.  About 30m long at a guess?  Put a stick in the ground and tie them off the same distance away with the same tension.

I’m no expert, but my two delta type stunt kites. about 5 and 6 foot each, need the lines to be spot on.  Anything more than 1cm difference is noticeable when trying to move the kite slowly and accurately.

G-Force – Battle of the Planets.

Had me gripped for every episode.

I wish I hadn’t seen this…

Ghost are a decent enough brand, bought a 26″ a hardtail a few years ago and it’s still the fastest bike I have.  Not the best for a long day out, but huge fun.

This any good to you?

https://www.sportsdirect.com/brand-x-ascend-dropper-replacement-cartridge-705101#colcode=70510103

Zen, we’ve been with them for 4 years now.  Only had 2 occasions where I’ve need to speak to somebody, and each time it’s been a quick and painless experience. No problems with overall service.

We’re lucky in that we are on a guaranteed “no price increase” package, could go to a faster package, but we don’t need that, so sticking with what we have.

Which magazine have recommended them as the best B/Band provider every year they’ve been operating.

I was drawn to Revolut because of visiting other countries on my travels to and from work.

I can easily add another currency account, transfer a few quid across without fees, and use that to pay for stuff contactless.

It doesn’t have every currency in the world available, but all the major ones are there.

Also, options of upgrading your account to premium services is good for someone who travels a lot.

Yep, each time I’ve bought a helmet is got more technical and more expensive.  Gone from a pink splatter Etto in the 1990’s, and now onto a very flash POC Tectal.  I feel well protected and not overwhelmed with a big full face affair.

I got todays, but only as it’s a word in my profession.

Knowing the way that the (potential) installation of these cameras is being rushed at, I fully expect that the rules regarding the data they are going to capture, impact assessments, who can access / when / why etc etc etc… will not have been thought about in anyway whatsoever.

The watchkeeping behaviour we work to is, on paper, very strict.  If we stick to those rules rigidly, then other stuff we take care of on the ridge will impacted.

There’s numerous scenarios I could describe, but I’m sure you understand.

If it could be guaranteed that access was for purely post incident investigation I’d be happier, and more understanding.

It’s the ability to be remotely accessed and monitored at any time that bugs me.

Imagine if we were having a rant about person X and  they remotely checked what was happening on our bridge. I’m sure it wouldn’t go down well…

Thanks for the replies, thoughts and information.

For context, it’s a UK registered vessel, operated by a UK based company. So the workplace, wherever it is in the world, is considered to be part of the UK.

While I can agree with the “What have got to hide ” and surprised it’s not there already, it’s the implication that it’s needed for my workplace, and not others on the ship.  This in addition to the legal requirement for our Voyage Data Recorder (blackbox) to capture a lot of information.

Our activities are very broad on the bridge, and we stick to the rules of watchkeeping and procedural operations as tightly as we can. It would take me masses of explanation….

We also deal with administration of some of the ships business too, not just “driving”.

We may have conversations that we want want others hearing. Also, by the nature of our work, I get no break from the bridge for 12 hours+, apart from quick loo visits and about 20 mins to get a meal in the middle of the watch. Knowing that for all that time i am being, potentially, monitored might be quite a stressful feeling. We get other crew mates on the bridge for a chin wag and time away from their desks too, that would effectively stop.

At the moment, as far as I know it’ll be only on the bridge, and will be on all the other ships bridges too.  Nothing in the Engine control room, and other operating rooms that are equally critical to safe operations.

We already have CCTV covering parts of the ship, and the data is recorded. However, these are for watching equipment that is being operated remotely, and other similar control of safe work activities.  There are cameras in the various engine/machinery spaces rooms, but these have very limited view, and are there for us to see what’s going on in the engine room if a fire, or similar, problem occurs.  None of these camera can be accessed remotely from ashore, which will be the case for these proposed bridge Cameras.

And, Yep, I’m the OOW, also operating the Dynamic Positioning system and a multitude of other systems too.  there are always two of us on the bridge, and I’m the senior of the two.

Had mine “corrected ” as a kiddo with eyepatches.

Still there, and is noticeable when I’m very tired, or rather drunk.

The maddest thing yet has to be a set of toenail clippers.  As they were a “cutting device” over 2 inches long.

I’ve had these crazy increases over the last few years. But a quick shop around or go back to original provider and the price is dropped, even below the yesr before.

No so now.

Not just us then.

Shopping around made very little difference.

We did get it down to a reasonable increase, mainly by reducing the annual milage. We had 11k, but it’s actually more like 7k averaged over the last 3 years.

As soon as we started to make students pay massive fees the system had to “dumb down”.

People were never going to pay for a degree they couldn’t pass.

I started with 8kg for single handed movements, and 12kg for two handed.

Now I’m comfy with 12 and 16, and 20 sometimes.

All self taught, with some occasional YouTube lessons.

54yo with a cranky lower back.

Since adding KBs to work outs my back has got “better”. Not cured, but it no longer gives me pain constantly.  I put it down to the core strength improvements and the dynamic style of KB workouts.

Much more fun than other weights.

I’ve travelled through Trinidad a fair bit, and this is pretty good. It’s got some intense heat, but a great flavour too. Most Caribbean sauces are just too hot for my gentle european tastebuds!

Purbeck Ridge from Studland to Corfe Castle and beyond.

Geologically interesting as the cut through the chalk ridge at Corfe happened during the last ice age when the chalk was frozen solid.  Ordinarily, with chalk being porous, the water would soak into it rather than erode it.

Lots of bridleway choices to take you along to Lulworth Cove too.

Wind turbines, they turn so slowly but that tip can be travelling at 300mph.

And the G-forces at the end of the tip, why it doesn’t just rip itself to bits is beyond me.

Working in a very quiet place right now.

I’ve had to stop reading, should my tittering by questioned.

I’ve used a Line6 Pocket Pod for a long time, what with travelling to ships all over the world.

Really useful, but does need a ready supply of batteries.  UI is a bit of a puzzle to get your head around, but even I got it figured in the end.

Plenty of Project 2 forks on Ebay…

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p4432023.m570.l1313&_nkw=project+2+forks&_sacat=0

We were looking at a weekend away from the North East to Amsterdam.  Cheapest option would have been P and O Hull-Rotterdam and the train to Amsterdam.

DFDS was eye-wateringly expensive, Harwich-Hook of Holland too impractical.  Trains, expensive with the additional journey to London.

Ended up flying from Durham Tees Valley as it’s 30mins from home.

PnO’s treatment of their crew is sickening, both those who were sacked and those now working on their ships for less than minimum wage.

As a working seafarer, can I please ask you all to forget that they are even an option.

“Ask your Mum and Dad to spend more time with you, and not in the pub.”

Local to Hammers myself.

Plenty of fun to be had without doing Descend.

It is, without doubt, a long drag from the main parking area to the top of the Poultys, K‐Line, Transmission section, but worth it.

I’ve been through a few pairs of earbuds I use in the gym. The only ones that have not died through my copious sweatiness are JLab.  These have been good for a couple of years so far

Epic Air Sport ANC True Wireless Earbuds

Noise cancelleing and good sound, nice and secure.

Going drop bar is a problem as it’ll mean buying the bars, stem, and brakes to suit.

I’ll stick to flat bar for now…

The idea of a Cascade is tempting, but that niche is filled by the rigid Pace I already have.

Maybe a Solaris Max and 275+ SS…  Hmmm?

Best – only carry what you need

Worst – be ready for anything

Interesting thread this one.

The renwable source that is glaringly absent from the discussion is tidal.  Can someone with a better knowledge please let me know why, as a nation, we are no doing more to generate our electricity from tidal?

I get that a tidal stream system, some sort of subsea turbine, is more expensive to make, install, maintain, and porobably has a shorter life span than a wind turbine.

And a tidal height system, some sort of barage, will have an ecological effect.

But it’s the predicability of it.  At anytime of the day or night, the tidal stream is flowing around the UK, it doesn’t just wash in and out.  High water and low water are in a cycle, literally, moving clockwise/anticlockwise, swinging around our islands.  Future tidal calculations are accurate and only effected slightly by weather, and even this can be accounted for.

My point being, yes, tidal power might be a less cost effective renewable solution, but surely the ability to generate a large amount of power on a predictable schedule offsets this?

When I was working on a offshore windfarm, I had this dicussion with the Client Rep who was on our ship.  Cynically, he said that the power companies are not keen on tidal systems as they can’t be seen, and therefore harder to promote as a green alternative.  They love their marketting!