Bodywatch

if you have been a victim of crime, in this case duped out of a sum of money by a "cowboy builder", and the builder ends up in court, if he is found guilty, how likely [if at all] is it for the victim to be compensated for the money lost ????

I've been trying to find out online how much Band B Council Tax is in Rother District (Sussex UK) and I'm finding it IMPOSSIBLE !!!!! - can anyone please help me?????

there's been a bit of a thaw where I live in UK, thought I'd try the car, gone ten yards and it's stuck in the driveway (embarassing) the drivewheels are spinning, tried putting a bit of sacking in front and behind wheels, still no joy, any suggestions? it's an automatic car which probably doesn't help

how would you recommend cleaning a piano keyboard, it's quite an old piano so i'm guessing the white notes are ivory rather than plastic and the black notes wood - possibly ebony? - it's more than dust, it's years of dirty fingers

I am moving to a small block of flats where everybody shares the same television aerial, do we all have to pay for a separate television license? Also if you don't live in an area covered yet by Freeview is there a way of getting more than the basic 4 or 5 channels without subscribing to Sky or similar?

i am moving house, got loads of glasses and crockery, books etc. etc. have you any handy hints for packing - size of cardboard boxes, bubble wrap, tissue paper - what's best please?

a young builder has just turned up at my door saying I need about 30 tiles replacing on my roof, he's got a business card, says he has a secretary who will draw up the estimate says it will cost £125 as I am supplying the tiles, he's just supplying nails and labour, says it will take an hour-and-a-half, says he has done several houses in the road, says if I don't get it done now it will cost me thousands down the line because of leaking, offering a 4-year guarantee, what do you think? he's left his ladders in my garden and is coming back tomorrow

if more people were to vote in the general election (some constituencies only had 50% turnout) which party would be likey to benefit, or is it impossible to say?

what are the usual arguments AGAINST proportional representation in UK elections?

The Liberal Democrats want PR because presumably they feel disadvantaged by 'first-by-the-post' sytem. Why are they disadvantaged? If we wanted a Liberal Democrat government, more of us would vote for them, more of their candidates would be elected, they would win, what's wrong with that?

they are saying this is the first hung parliament since 1974 but I remember in John Major's government he had to make deals with the Ulster Unionists so that they would vote with him because he didn't have enough votes and I also remember them saying they had to wheel MPs in from hospital in close votes for the same reason so why wasn't that called a hung parliament?

what are the main qualifications for "data entry" vacancies - is it just all about fast and accurate typing skills?

If a bank cheque has been made out "to the executors of Mr X" and I am one of those executors can I pay it into my bank account or does a special account have to be created

(it's only for a small amount)

on BBC Question Time Nick Griffin seemed to go unchallenged when asserting that Churchill would be considered an islamophobe if he were around today, just out of interest what is the historic evidence for this?, I know Churchill made derogatory remarks about Gandhi but that is irrelevant

i sometimes look at the graph plotting the movements of the FTSE 100 index on the BBC website - more often than not when trading opens the graph takes a nosedive before immediately recovering - is this because a lot of people sell shares as soon as the market opens?

i don't understand all this fuss about Sir Richard Dannatt - surely politicians should get expert military advice when we are engaged in military action - are we saying that during the Falklands war Margaret Thatcher didn't receive any military advice? - did she decide alone how many troops and ships should be deployed? of course not - assuming the tories win the next election and assuming we are still involved in Afghanistan, surely Mr Cameron needs to swot-up on military matters beforehand?

i heard a bit of BJ's speech at the tory conference where he was proudly detailing the number of jobs he had got rid of at county hall (or whatever it's called) in the name of efficiency - well it's all very well putting people out of jobs but you've got to find them other jobs otherwise we're just increasing the number of unemployed - i would rather hear politicians tell us what jobs they are creating

i have just renewed car insurance over the phone, they asked if there had been any changes, i said i was made redundant a few weeks ago, they seemed a bit cross, said i should have told them straight away, asked me for an extra £26 of which £25 is administration fee (!)

i guess my question is why does being temporarily unemployed make me a greater risk in terms of car insurance? as soon as i get another job i'm going to have to contact them again and get the documents changed again ?!?!