10th of July 2020 - Gav & Louise's 3rd Anniversary

10th of July 2020 - Gav & Louise's 3rd Anniversary .... Quite a miserable windy and dreadful grey day! Went to the park to garden but so cold and windy we didn't stay and called the session off. Thought would I garden if at home, definitely not! So home we went, Gary went to a meeting and I intended doing my housework. Until Mum rang saying "Oh thank goodness you're there at last! I just had such a strange phone call! A foreign lady rang my home phone and told me six hundred pounds was going to be taken from my bank account! " Me -  "Please tell me you didn't give her your bank details?!" ( This has happened in the past when a nice lady rang to tell Mum she had won a holiday but she had to pay for the flights! £400 was taken that time and never returned, from a foreign bank!! ") So I was expecting similar until Mum said "well if course not, you still have my bank card!  Although I could have used my other one" Me - "No, no, no Mum! Please don't give anyone your account details for any accounts" Mum interrupted me to say " Well if you'd let me finish! The foreign lady said if you don't want this to happen press 1, which I did but then the line went dead! How strange is that? " By now I can feel my blood pressure pinging! "Hmm well goodness knows what that has done, the probability is you are connected up to their phone line or something!" Grr ! Mum - "Okay calm down, can you check my bank account" Me - "Okay I will ring the bank and see what they say. Bye" I come off the phone, check Mums account which of course was okay but as a precaution ring Mums Bank. As soon I get on the phone I think to myself that I must sound even worse than Mum, as I explain no I don't have Power of Attorney, but during lockdown I have been using Mums Bank card - with her permission - to get her shopping and order other stuff. "Like what?!" asks the stern voice at the other end. Me - "usually garden stuff, vitamins or health stuff. But I am concerned As I I don't know who rang her today saying they were going to take £600 from her account, but I need to do something about it!" Stern voice replies " Okay I will put you through to our Fraud Department. " To whom I explain everything all over again.  However a nice man called Alistair says "Don't worry Madam, no money will be taken unless your Mum gave them her details?  This is a popular Scam at the moment, only her telephone number will be on a Sellers list as by pressing number 1, they know that she believed them about the £600 and so she will get others calling her." " Oh no that's all I need! " I reply. The nice man says "I am sorry Madam, now then is there anything else I can help you with?" Me - " Could you give me another Mother?! " I ask quite seriously! Alistair "Ahem I am sorry but I cannot help you with that. However I do sympathise as we had a similar problem with my Mother-in-law and we found by putting a sticky reminder by her phone Not to answer the phone to strange numbers, Not to give her details of any sort out and if she got a call from the Council or another Company, to come off the phone and ring them back using another number. That last one may prove a bit complicated but it's worth trying. Anything else? "  I thank him profusely for his help and say Goodbye, as he says Goodbye and says "Have a nice day Madam" at which I nearly choke as he must be joking!!! I ring Mum up and tell her what the bank have said, that her account is okay and that it is the latest Scam, but to expect more calls because she pressed the number 1. Mum funnily enough also says "That's all I need" I suggest she contacts her Utility Warehouse agent to see if her number can be made ex directory.  I come off the phone feeling exhausted but decide to get a bit of housework done, when ten minutes later Mum rings. Mum says "I rang Sharon and she says it's a Scam, isn't that terrible? Anyway I am already in the Telephone Preference List, but that won't stop the calls from abroad. " Me - "Okay Mum, but I told you before that the Bank said it was a Scam, I think the only way is to get a new number" Mum "Well I am not doing that because of them foreigners!! " Me - "Okay Bye Mum" thinking give it a week and maybe after a few days of calls, she will change her mind, Hopefully!! 

The rest of the day passes  by uneventful thankfully, until 4pm, while we have friends round, Mum rings again but leaves a message as I don't reach the home phone in time. "I was thinking what can you do about the two letter from the TV license people? One arrived that says I have a free over 75's TV License but the 2nd letter with the same reference number says there is no license registered to this address! I have just tried ringing them, spent ages on the phone, with a recorded message saying they are only open until 5.30on but after waiting ages to speak to them, at 4 pm they just cut the line and nobody is answering now!! " After our friends have gone I ring her and explain that a lot of staff are still not working, so the hours are not necessarily as they might usually be. Mum - "Well that's just ridiculous!" Me - " I am afraid that's the way it is at the moment. I think we will have to email them" (obviously meaning me!) Mum -"So when will you collect the letters?! "Me - "Well not now and tomorrow we are going over to see Gavin (our son), it's their 3rd Wedding Anniversary today." Mum "humph it's okay for some!! I will be glad when I can go out in 21 days! You never reminded me it was their Anniversary! I thought it was later in July?" Me - "No that was the party at home for everyone, they got married in Cyprus on the 10th." I realise with her counting the days that she is getting desperate! "I am sorry Mum but after all I haven't seen him properly for three months due to the Lockdown! " Mum starts mumbling so I know it's time to go. "Bye Mum I will ring you or pop round when we get back. "

Of course the next days peaceful, although I ring Mum just before we leave to make sure everything's okay. Mum answers "Oh I suppose you have arrived in Manchester?" Me ( totally confused!) "No Mum, we are just about to leave. We said we would get there around 4pm, I will speak to you when we get back. Bye " Peace for the rest of the day, Hooray. We enjoy a wonderful break with our son Gavin and his wife Louise, before returning home the next day around lunchtime.

Sunday 12th of July 2020 - Daily Trials with Mother & others. We leave Gavin and Louise's just after 12 noon, although their back garden and Hot Tub look most inviting in the sun, but Gary has a local club committee meeting at 1.30p.m. We get delayed in the motorway traffic but get back just in time. I decide to pop to Mums while Gary is out. "Hello Mum" I shout through her door, before she comes out. "Oh good I was just thinking about removing the rest of that mastic. Maybe you could try while you're here and I will give you the TV License letters to deal with." "Thanks Mum, yes we did have a good time, in case you wanted to ask!" Mum - " Good, well you are back early? Where's Gary? " Me - "At a committee meeting." Mum - "Oh is the club open now then?" Me - " No that's what they are discussing, when to open."  An hour later, I have managed to remove the mastic, whilst chatting to Mum about the new 'normal' so she knows what to expect.  Thankfully one of Mums friends arrives to chat, she agrees about the queues and people wearing masks. As I have done my task I decide to leave and let them have a natter together alone, while I go home to some peace in my own back garden. Home Sweet Home...