Thank you Noddy, I appreciate that and will bear it in mind.
This week I have been mainly getting conflicting advice from the Job Centre Staff. On Monday I 'phoned the number which I have in writing as a "must call" on my personal Job Centre forms. The Liverpudlian person on the end was pretty scathing about the whole thing and asked who told me to keep 'phoning the jobline. He said the best thing to do was call first thing Monday or last thing Friday. I 'phoned last thing Friday and a lady of indeterminate regional accent asked why I was 'phoning and who told me to 'phone Mondays and Fridays ?. I explained and she said that the best thing to do was (if possible) to look on the Internet.
Mind you it was a quarter to five on a Friday afternoon!.
I've now signed on twice in the last four weeks, scanned the Internet (there must be plenty of work in Employment Agencies)called in a local Temps Agency, given my details more or less in full twice and not been replied to three times and been told by a nice young lady in Sunderland that although my claim has been returned to my friendly local Job Centre that claims are usually in arrears of a few weeks.
I'm fully aware that there are folks in far, far worse circumstances than myself but what a FUCKING carry on.
Despite my count your blessings (I hope) mentality.......
..it's now not the principle...it's the money.
At least Grimsby Town have started scoring goals again.