Almost There.

Almost there! Where?

The end of life's very rough old journey is where!

A journey largely enjoyed, often misdirected, frequently faulty, and full of missed opportunities.

It was also full lessons that never have stopped coming, and just now I am truly wishing the 'Great Teacher' would consider a break!

My current situation is that of living in a lovely community, some lovely nieghbours, and in what could be a truly great building in a very nice little old town in Essex.(UK). But, unfortunately, I and my nieghbours dare not get together! We cannot chat, say hi, or meet over  a coffee without our blood pressures going through the roof!

We are all of 'a certain age', no one may live here without reaching the qualifying age of fifty-five, so I think it is safe to say the majority of us have one or two ailments we have developed on our journey here, and our blood pressures are not the most stable.

Most of the residents bought their properties here in the belief that they would be moving into a safe secure environment, supported in their latter days. (Please remember that word 'supported'!) 

The properties are all leasehold with a size able service charge levied to cover management and maintenance, which is payable either monthly or annually along with an additional Ground Rent charge.Not cheap, but one generally considered to be worth while IF the 'service' is provided. Which, to date, it has not!

And that my friends, is where our health warning comes in!

Opened in 1988 it was every pensioner's utopia! Resident staff wardens, numerous staff, luncheon meal service, coffee mornings and social evenings. Never a dull moment almost.

Now we have one senior support worker, and one part time support worker. No meals. No cleaners. The support worker is the cleaner, the senior support worker finds his days almost totally taken up with forms, reports and returns, about 98% of which have little of no relevance to this building or it's occupants.

With no maintenance being provided and now we find that the support workers are not allowed to support any of us in an emergency, (Health and Safety, theirs!) we do feel so grieved as to ask 'What the hell are we paying for???

That is the question that gets us old folk so worked up. We worked all our lives to get here, and now find we are funding a bunch of total waste of space time wasters for the privilege of being here!

The leaseholders recently paid for the lifts in the building to be refurbished. That was following a lengthy battle with Springboard who initially wanted to renew them both, and then again for a well known reputable lift company to do the works, who we, the leaseholders, trusted, their having maintained them for years with no major problem, that following a period when the lifts were breaking down almost on a weekly basis.

While that refurbishment was under way a leak was found that was not covered by the current works order. No problem one may say. Not so!

The company, Genesis Housing Association, now managing the building would not issues a works order number because "the lifts are going to be replaced in the near future!"

Er....yes....what...come again?

So, our lift was refurbished and finished up being unusable for about three weeks or so! 

But those lifts did have a 12 month warranty on the works that had been done.

But then Genesis decide our company is too expensive and without a word of warning, sack our choice, for maintenance, employ their own, and yes, the lift now break down on a regular basis once  more, usually after a maintenance session!

So who worries? Not it would seem, Genesis! I mean, it is not their money, is it?

I could go on, but not today. Maybe tomorrow, my blood pressure will be back to normal, hopefully,there is much more to tell, I have barely scraped the surface here, so good friends, watch this space, come on by soon now.