what has disappointed you more than anything else, specially stuff thats been hyped up.
Example.
Raising the Mary Rose. After all the hype, I expected to see a huge Tudor Galleon be hauled majestically from the sea, complete with sails, flags, cannon dangling over the side, naked figurehead in proud colours dripping water.
And what do we get? A steel frame that nearly fell apart, and a load of seaweed.
Example
Superglue.
After all the dire warning that this magic stuff was so dangerous that the merest sniff would irretrievably glue your nostrils together, that you would be fixed for the rest of your life to the kitchen table if it got on your fingers, that airplane wings would be glued on with it, to find out the stuff could not actually fix anything to anything, and instantly fell apart at the slightest stress. PAH.
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A French girl who invited me to spend the night at her flat then told me she was a catholic and didn't believe in sex before marriage so I had to sleep on the sofa.
On the glue theme, anything affixed with a suction cup. They invariable fall off whatever you attach them to within 24 hours.
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Getting another letter saying I might be in line for $10M and SWMO shredding that one too :-)
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I find that sights and so called wonders of the world are usually a cause of disappointment. You see just so much of say New York or San Francisco on TV so, when you get there it's OK, but not Wow ! Amazing ! (or should that be awesome).
Having said that, the Grand Canyon blew my socks off - TV just can't show it properly.
I blame Cliff Michelmore on those Sunday afternoons 40 years ago.
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People...I always believe that there is some good in everyone somewhere, but sadly I'm always proved wrong.
Pat
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Women. Expensive, tempremental and time consuming - an Alfa would have been cheaper.
When I was a teenage lad, there was so much talk about these mythical creatures and how great they were, nobody mentions all roads lead to paying bills, loading dishwashers and being dragged around clothing stores. Theres a conspiracy in there somewhere...
That said, my wife is as close to perfection as I could ever ask, she has never once tried to change me and a man can ask for no greater gift :-p
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FoR - your para 3 is as good as one's life can get. Lucky both of you!
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Home fireworks - I bought them expecting to be hurled to the ground by the bomb blast, shock and awe. What happens? A small fizz, a pop, and you're skint.
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My first marriage was remarkably like that Corax.
:-)
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>> My first marriage was remarkably like that Corax.
>>
>> :-)
lol, poor Humph :)
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>> Home fireworks...
You didn't get the ones that Balotelli got then... :-)
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>> Women. Expensive, tempremental and time consuming - an Alfa would have been cheaper.
Nice one.
Actually one of my biggest motoring disappointments was an Alfa. A Brera to be precise.
To me, one of the most fabulous looking cars available, I couldn't believe my luck when I got one as a rental car upgrade. Sadly, nose heavy untersteery handling, monster turbo lag and dreadful ergonomics with an almost willful indifference to the poor sod who actually has to drive the thing rather soured the experience.
Style over substance. There's probably an analogy to a certain type of woman in there somewhere.
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>>There's probably an analogy to a certain type of woman in there somewhere.<<
I married that analogy first time around. Still rather have the Alfa, atleast you can get some money back at trade-in :-)
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>> loading dishwashers
What's the problem with that? At least you're not washing the dishes :-)
When I work from home (which is often) I am happy fitting in that as a task along with most of the cooking and food shopping. Might be back to travelling more next week.... so how good are the 18" ContiSportContact's going to be in Scotland this winter ;-)
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We have been very fortunate to travel extensively to many countries and seen many wonderful things etc. BUT
Ayers Rock / Uluru. At dawn it was wet cold and dark. All we saw was this big grey lump with waterfalls cascading down its sides. Champagne to toast the dawn was ignored. SWMBO & son stayed in bed and left us to it.
The Great Barrier Reef. Visibility was so poor in the water event with SCUBA kit that we paid for a helicopter trip to get a decent view.
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Niagra - not the falls, but the town - a tacky little dump. The Ying to this Yang was discovering a little place called Niagra on the Lake a few miles downstream, pretty as a picture and some interesting British military history.
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Alf a tea (ten bob's worth of marijuana) purchased in 1959 or so in No 9 Blenheim Crescent, then a rough Spade cafe. Its denizens specialised in cinematic paranoia ('Give me the money now man. The herb is in that Player's packet in the gutter across the street.')
I should have worried when the guy insisted on showing me the stuff hurriedly in a poor light. I hadn't asked to see it. It looked all right at a fleeting glance but was actually shredded fibreboard. In my defence I would point out that I was fairly wet behind the ears at the time, 20 perhaps.
No 9 still has the same shop front and oddly-framed plate glass window (or had the last time I looked a few months ago), but the matchboard front is now painted faded green instead of fifties Landlord Brown. It hasn't been a cafe for decades but was a furniture store for a while. Things do change and slip over the years and decades.
Last edited by: Armel Coussine on Wed 26 Oct 11 at 20:09
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>>Alf a tea (ten bob's worth of marijuana) purchased in 1959 or so<<
You'd have been better orf buying red Leb as it was more consistant than bush and didn't snap, crackle, and pop all over the place.
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In 1959 Perro? You jokin innit.
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Niagra
Our first two trips to the falls were in mid winter. The place is deserted with ice many feet thick on the river. On the first trip decades ago I was able to walk out on the ice towards the cascade. We were the only visitors and were kitted out in thick black coats looking like nuns.
More recntly I did the tourist trip from Toronto in the summer and like you visited Niagra on the lake, a lovely respite from the crowds at the falls. Fortunately I avoided the town.
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>> Niagra
>>
>>
Agreed. From the US side, approaching, a vista of rusty industrial buildings...
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Sex.
I was 15, Lorna was a lot older & experienced, I (for some reason) had the notion that once I'd actually 'done it', life and I would somehow change,
The Earth stayed put though, and didn't move one iota.
It got better over the years mind, practice makes purrfect!
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not being able to find a live tv stream for Chelsea everton!! - then finding a radio stream at the exact moment Anelka misses a penalty!! \\grrr!
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Mentioned to SWMBO last night that I'd heard no fireworks this year yet, loud crash two minutes later, dog barking etc, was it a firework? no the stupid suction shower gel and shampoo wire basket thing had fallen off the tiles.
(Reply to Robin's message)
Last edited by: Jetski on Thu 27 Oct 11 at 09:16
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Unless u stick it to your head. Then it's an A & E job
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Any product which receives huge media hype.
Any product which the accountants have been near before the professionals who are paid to do the job are allowed to finish.
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Life in general - over priced and over hyped.
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A call on the way to the hotel saying she had changed her mind.
Swine flu - being in bed for two weeks was quite boring and costly, though it was probably a bit more disappointing for a lot of people.
Saturday Nights - always look forward to them so much, but 70% of them are forgettable, but 30% of them are nights to never forget. If I get home before sunlight it was a bad night.
Never picking up the courage to meet a girl who wanted me in Norwich, I was just 21 at the time and it was far too far. Although it was actually Northampton (she was a student, her home was Norwich, but she was a student in Northampton) since discovered that thanks to high speed trains, it was barely an hour away from Manchester. Well around 90 minutes.
Liverpool - its improved and I can no longer make fun of laugh at Scousers.
Driving - As a 17 year old I thought I would love driving, I soon discovered I was crap at it and hated it.
Night clubs outside of Manchester - the DJs think I am mental if I ask for the Chameleons.
Cancer - it kills too many people :(
Heart attacks - the above.
Heaven - It probably doesn't exist.
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>>Never picking up the courage to meet a girl who wanted me in Norwich, I was just 21 at the time and it was far too far. Although it was actually Northampton (she was a student, her home was Norwich, but she was a student in Northampton) since discovered that thanks to high speed trains, it was barely an hour away from Manchester. Well around 90 minutes.<<
You missed out there, Norwich girls are sound :-)
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Was an online romance thing last about 8 months. I always regretted not meeting her but things have a happy ending, she was so upset that I didn't show up at this party (she knew in advance I wasn't going) she slepted with this other block. 8 years later she is still with him - I could not compete with that!
Can't be bothered with all that now, want to sort my life out first.
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Going to see Billy Connolly for the first time in Glasgow 2 years ago.
Hugely disappointed.
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Wedding night ...........been there, done that ! Nowt new or particularly magical by then!
I should have saved meself but I wasn't allowed.
Ted
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I thought old people only waited until marriage :d Although my dads being telling me about some of my grandpas antics when he was a teenager/early 20's. I would say it was bad behaviour by 21st century standards, but this was the late 30's!
The only disappointment about my first time was the venue, it was made of rust.
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Old ???? Why, you young whippersnapper....you'd better hide that shiny Panda tomorrow :-P
Ted
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>> You missed out there, Norwich girls are sound
Do they live up to the Norwich acronym?
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>>Do they live up to the Norwich acronym?<<
I couldnt possibly say, Im under threat of pain of death if I make another Norfolk joke this month.
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Think the misses will have a bunch of sixes for ya. Ooooarrrr, let all hoss on to Narch.
Oops, thats the sofa for me.
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>> Raising the Mary Rose. After all the hype, I expected to see a huge Tudor
>> Galleon be hauled majestically from the sea, complete with sails, flags, cannon dangling over the
>> side, naked figurehead in proud colours dripping water.
>>
>> And what do we get? A steel frame that nearly fell apart, and a load
>> of seaweed.
>>
>
Just back from Stockholm, where we visited the Vassa Museum. The admiral's flagship sank on its maiden voyage in 1600 and something. They raised it 333 years later. It is 90% original.
Well worth a visit.
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I remember Pompous Pompousson doing an archaeology programme years ago about excavating the ancient burial mound at Silbury Hill. After several episodes of technical stuff with mining engineers constructing a tunnel, mounting excitement about the treasure supposedly in the middle, the "new Tutankhamun", etc, they finally found:
an old fag packet, left by someone who crawled down an old tunnel in 1910.
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Scotland's football team.
Rarely disappoints - English Football Team - they get beaten in the next round and make an early exit.
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The Manneken Pis statue in Brussels. Found it by complete accident, and to this day don't understand the crowds it drew.
In fact, Brussels in general was a disappointment. The Grand Place is almost breathtakingly beautiful, as are some of the little side streets off it. Go much beyond that and it's graffiti, litter, drunk people, overflowing wheely bins, and bleak industrial estates.
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Id put a vote in for London.
For all the greatest city in the world rhetoric, ive always found that whenever im there, I cant wait to leave.
Dirty, busy, poorly designed roads, its an assult on the senses and not in a good way, makes Milton Keynes appealing.
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>> makes Milton Keynes appealing.
Clean, empty, well-designed roads, an experience of total sensory deprivation that makes even a place like Manchester seem appealing, let alone the actual metropolis where it's all at...
But I'm sure you London-haters are content with your pipes and slippers in your remote provincial hidey-holes. I miss the place myself, the 24-hour clamour of howling police sirens, drunks and feral teenage hooligans. I haven't got used to these infernal owls and cockerels yet. Yapping foxes and deer. Damn song-thrushes making sound pollution in the evening. And not a lark to be heard this year. The country winds me up. London is soothing.
(Heh heh).
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I've always liked London, but then my great great great grandmother on my mothers mum side was from Chelsea. My dads from Fulham and my grandparents are from Battersea and Chelsea.
I am a cityboy though and love the buzz of large cities. I only go into Manchester during the day about once every two weeks now, and I still wowed by the buzzingness and life of the place, the only other city in the UK I have been to like that is London.
That said Manchester is one of the fastest growing cities in Europe and that makes me proud. Even though I didn't choose to live here, its just happens to me where I was born.
My dad however when he was 19 decided he just wanted to get as far away as possible from London as possible and decided on Manchester.
I don't think I could live in London though, too expensive and noisy.
In terms of disappointing cities, I suppose Berlin would top the list for me, nothing wrong with the place but didn't quite live up to the hype.
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I can see how milton keynes could appeal on the Autistic Spectrum.
All those straight lines and numbers.
Last edited by: Zero on Thu 27 Oct 11 at 15:55
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London has never disappointed me, cities seldom do. On the opposite end of the scale for me was Pompeii - totally, overwhelmingly, jaw-droppingly, spectacular - Blue Peter never prepared me for the scale of the place (or the Mosquitoes)
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I though Pompeii lived up to the mark, the sheer size of the place.
BUT
The Villa Roman del Casale, at Piazza Armerina in Sicily, stunned me into wide eyed silent awe.
sights.seindal.dk/sight/456_Villa_Romana_del_Casale.html
As for Rome, the Colosseum lived up to the billing, the sheer size of the place!
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Colosseum as well - amazing - the whole of Rome was amazing - only been there once as a pauper when I was 17 - need to go back really.
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Paestum, south of Naples: a Greek colony that has left three magnificent temples side by side, wonderful.
There are quite a lot of Roman arenas and theatres all round the Mediterranean. There's a good colosseum in Nîmes in the South of France, with a perfect small Roman temple nearby.
Has this thread mutated into one about non-disappointments?
Last edited by: Armel Coussine on Thu 27 Oct 11 at 16:56
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The Autistic Spectrum Stadium, Milton Keynes - has a certain ring about it.
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>> Autistic Spectrum Stadium, Milton Keynes
Perfect for Led Zeppelin/Paul McCartney concerts. With Donovan singing 'Mellow Yellow' over and over again for several hours while they wrangle about who's going to go on last.
Oh yes. I've been to a few music festivals back in the last century. It was usually worse than disappointing.
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>>I'm sure you London-haters are content with your pipes and slippers in your remote provincial hidey-holes<<
And a quite noticeable lack of glass coffee tables.
;-)
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Hey watch it Perro.
And please don't imagine anyone you know is especially keen on glass coffee tables or their varied uses.
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Damn I must be a sick man - I had a similar thought but didn't articulate it.
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Can i be perverse as always and ask what things have been unexpected delights?
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ok but i didn't want to presume to start something else. i'm already talking far too much here. Which is, of course, a delicious surprise, since i only lately found that this place exists :)
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>> I haven't got used to these infernal owls and cockerels yet...The country winds me up. London is soothing.
>>
>> (Heh heh).
>>
>>
You missed out reference to the smells AC.
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With you on the Mary Rose. Watched it on the only colour tv in the school. Damp stick that appeared was not worth waiting for!
BMW 1 series. Always thought BMWs were supposed to be good but it was such a let down with poor ergonomics and plasticky feel. Not as bad build quality as friend's s-type that has creaking rear doors because the cheapo plastic trim covers flex.
The doomsday project. That was a let down when it appeared and seeing now how laughable it seems that you could only store about 2 pictures per entry and a little bit of text.
All gadgets bought from any marketing material without trying them first. They're always complete pants and never do what they say they will. Shining example of crud was the philips fancy remote that replaced the pronto. Expensive plastic scrap with blue buttons. Took an age to learn anything and it was completely unable to understand you wanted to keep some items on all the time.
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You reminded me tb. I watched the raising of the Mary Rose on an unlicensed b/w portable in a house I was renting. I was trying to programme my newly acquired Sinclair ZX81 at the time ! Treating myself to a lunch of Pot Noodle (sweet and sour) sandwiches with C&O crisps. Lush as they say.
Last edited by: R.P. on Thu 27 Oct 11 at 20:51
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Any body which is supposed to regulate n...opolies which control essential services in the UK.
Just seen my mother's gas and electric bill. A single OAP, in credit on her joint account and the merciless pfd want to increase her monthly payments by 61%.
Quick way to lose a customer not that energy corp UK will lose any sleep.
Last edited by: VxFan on Thu 27 Oct 11 at 21:21
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Standard practice. I think they fiddle the figures and deliberately don't include some payments to swizzle you into massive credit.
I moved to Ebico. You are charged the same regardless of payment method. I'm on quarterly debit bill for leccy. Stops any kind of nonsense. On monthly for gas but first sign of any stupidity like that and the DD will be cancelled and it will be strictly quarterly payments on production of accurate bill.
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>> Standard practice. I think they fiddle the figures and deliberately don't include some payments to
>> swizzle you into massive credit.
>>
I may be reading that wrong tb and apologies if I am. The energy co. owes my mother money not the other way round.
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Is she on the right tariff - there are older people's tariffs with all companies - I've done some stuff around this with the CAB - If she's in a pickle get in touch with the CAB - they are listened to by the energy companies. They are a bunch of thieving rouges and don't like being rumbled.
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Thanks R.P.
Money is not the issue. I have PoA and deal with all this stuff for my Mum.
This particular supplier has been turning the screws for the last two years. I usually call them up and get it reduced but this is just too much and I've decided a hike too far.
I found an alternative supplier with a better rate. Will probably be back again in twelve months when the new flavour of the month get the thumb screws out.
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In some cases (with particular suppliers) there are PAYG options that are only slightly more expensive than their direct debit rates. Walter company owe me nearly 160 pounds in the same way.
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>> >> Standard practice. I think they fiddle the figures and deliberately don't include some payments
>> to
>> >> swizzle you into massive credit.
>> >>
>> I may be reading that wrong tb and apologies if I am. The energy co.
>> owes my mother money not the other way round.
>>
Exactly. They make her pay too much because they make it look she has paid insufficiently when it is nothing like the case.
They have done the same to me. Using £45 a month of leccy and the cheating pfds were charging me £100 a month in the end after jacking up payments over the year. I had a £300 credit when I switched. Utterly disgusting behaviour.
Last edited by: VxFan on Fri 28 Oct 11 at 01:14
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>> Just seen my mother's gas and electric bill. A single OAP, in credit on her
>> joint account and the merciless pfd want to increase her monthly payments by 61%.
Quite right to be wary but I guess right now everyone is in credit. Huge increase in gas prices and a cold winter will see those credits turn to debits in a twinkling. But definitely worth shopping round.
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I agree about shopping around though feel getting everyone on the treadwheel of churn is part of the game.
It's no surprise to see a rise, it's been well documented about rises in the range 12 to 20%. I was ready for that increase.
I'm checking her local MPs surgery now. If enough people supply ammunition something might happen. OK, I can dream...
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This is gloomy.
So, how about, making a special trip to tescos to get some chilled cappuccinos and finding they've stopped doing them, This happens every two or three days, as I am convinced that they will at some point get some more in
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HF, ask at Customer Services for them each time they don't have them and they should order them for you. Did this with a favoured dog food which they stopped stocking at our nearest store.
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As I said above try the CAB first, they have a Social Policy going with this.
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I opted out of the energy direct debit treadmill some years ago. The bill arrives, I set it for on-line payment , but not before the date it's due.
I've had a phone call on each of three evenings this week from Virgin Media wanting to discuss my TV/Broadband/Phone package with a view to reducing it. Fair enough, I have no gripe with Virgin, but I draw the line at evening calls. Twice I was having my dinner. Each time I asked them to ring in working hours and I'd gladly chat. By the accents, I assume it was Mumbai or somewhere.......where it might have been working hours.
Ted
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Sydney Opera House - it's not really all that big and it's a great example of how NOT to run a project. Moreover the much-praised architect began the project with no idea how to build the thing and based on what look like a child's pencil drawings. I guess the end result is impressive if a little smaller than I expected.
Disneyland Paris, American cultural imperialism with French souciance, I guess I didn't expect to enjoy the place and my expectations were firmly met.
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>> Sydney Opera House - it's not really all that big
It does look remarkable from the ferry across the harbour on the way to the sea food place though, with the famous bridge looming large too. I didn't know the opera house had that sort of pearlescent finish until I saw it in the flesh. It doesn't seem to come out in photos.
Of course I wouldn't dream of going inside the place. I hate opera.
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>>
>> It does look remarkable from the ferry across the harbour on the way to the
>> sea food place though, with the famous bridge looming large too. I didn't know the
>> opera house had that sort of pearlescent finish until I saw it in the flesh.
>> It doesn't seem to come out in photos.
>>
Yes, the tiles give it this finish, it's pretty impressive inside too although no better than the Festival Hall IMHO, my disappointment was the smaller scale than I expected.
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Isnt that funny, Sydney, with its harbour, bridge and the Opera house, when viewed from the Manly Ferry, or Torronga Zoo, actually fulfilled every expectation I had about the place.
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>> Disneyland Paris, American cultural imperialism with French souciance, I guess I didn't expect to enjoy
>> the place and my expectations were firmly met.
We looked into this last year, and were appalled at the prices. To stay in the resort hotel for a week, with park entry every day, for a family of four was over £3k.
It is actually cheaper to go to Florida and do it properly.
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>>I opted out of the energy direct debit treadmill some years ago. The bill arrives, I set it for >>on-line payment , but not before the date it's due.
Direct Debit is often the cheapest tariff condition - HOWEVER - there are 2 x Direct Debit schemes with some suppliers
1) Fixed amount taken monthly - not liked by some as you lend them money when they over egg the monthly amount
2) Variable Amount Direct Debit - they send you a quarterly bill and 2/3 weeks after the bill date they take the amount of the bill.
You are still in charge as you would be paying by cash/cheque in that you can query the bill etc.............however, they are paid in full (assuming funds in account) and you have not been lending your cash man months in advance to the Utility Company.
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No big Lotto win !!!
but I enjoyed this advert
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-15471210
The advertisement in the South Wales Argus reads:
"Lottery Jackpot Winner Wanted. No previous experience necessary.
One-Off Salary: £612,749.
The successful candidate must be committed to enjoying life-changing win.
They will be responsible for rapidly acquiring a good working knowledge of the finer things in life.
An ability to spend and save well, either independently or alongside friends and family, would also be advantageous."
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>> Madame Tussauds
>>
Agreed, complete rubbish.
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>> >> Madame Tussauds
>> >>
>> Agreed, complete rubbish.
Absolutely, pile of poo.
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>> Madame Tussauds
Funny you should say that. Prompted by this thread I was thinking what a let down Warwick Castle was.
It's a fairly serious castle, and it shouldn't really need much gilding of the lily to make it interesting. Instead of which it is dumbed down to the point of insult. There's a dungeon with various gruesome instruments of torture, unique probably amongst British Castles. Unfortunately the whole idea was imported from some German schloss, there never was such a torture chamber at Warwick and you're never quite sure whether what you are looking at is Disney or not.
In the great hall was a display of historical waxworks. It turns out to be in the same ownership as Tussauds.
www.warwick-castle.com/
The website gives it away really.
Last edited by: Manatee on Fri 28 Oct 11 at 21:08
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Salvador Dali museum, Figueres.
I'd heard so much about the place, I spent a day getting there and 'doing' it.
The only thing that justified it, in my opinion, was the foot on the ceiling.
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Miserable dump. I went there a few years ago, queued for ages to get in. When I actually got in and was studying one of the dummies (!) - I found myself under scrutiny from a Japanes tourist. Probably thought I was Zero or someone !
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Sagrada Familia, Barcelona.
Stunning, from the outside. SWMBO talked me into paying extortionate Euros to do the inside. It's a damn building site!
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OH! unfair!
WHAT a building site!
Also while in Barcelona, Parc Güell, lives up to the pictures and more.
La Rambla? no!
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the millennium wheel then. But that's not my real answer. it's men. :)
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>>La Rambla? no!
Good grief, I'm agreeing with zeddo.
The streets, squares and one of the markets we found off the side of La Rambla made it all worthwhile.
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Strangely the M.Tussauds in Amsterdam seems to have a constant queue outside. Thats tourists for you.
Back on subject. My Marina TC coupe. Everything about it was carp, and I saved so hard as a young 'un to buy it.
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Disappointments. - Robin O'Reliant
