Spike Milligan was a famous Irish comedian, writer, musician, poet, playwright and actor famously known for writing the hit radio programme, ‘The Goon Show’.
‘I told you I was ill’.
The inscription ‘I told you I was ill’ is the famous epitaph of Spike Milligan.
He died in 2002 at the age of 83. He had once joked that he wanted this phrase to be on his headstone, but the local diocese did not approve of it in English. So he had to write it in Gaelic, which is ‘Duirt me leat go raibh me breoite’.
A technical issue that affected the Bank of Ireland’s online banking services allowed some customers to withdraw or transfer more money than they had in their accounts.
The glitch reportedly also added €1,000 to some accounts without explanation. This led to large crowds forming at ATMs across the country, hoping to take advantage of the error.
Some reports suggest that the police were called to calm some situations as some ATMs ran out of cash. The bank has since fixed the problem and warned customers that any excess money they withdrew or transferred will be debited from their accounts.
The bank also apologized for the disruption and urged customers who may face financial difficulties due to overdrawing on their accounts to contact them.
Questions remain – how or even why did this happen?
‘Bank error allowed people to withdraw money from their accounts they didn’t have’.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) – Inflation fell to 6.8% in the year to July 2023, down from 7.9% in June. A reduction was anticipated by analysts, and there are signs the cost of living could be easing finally, after figures on Tuesday revealed wages rose 7.8% annually between April and June 2023. But inflation and therefore prices remain high, placing pressure on household finances.
When the rate of inflation falls, it does not always mean that prices are coming down, but that they are likely to rise less quickly. A fall in gas and electricity prices last month helped drive inflation lower. The cost of some food food items, such as milk, bread and cereals had come down, but that food prices are still some 15% higher than they were in July 2022.
Core inflation
However, according to the ONS figures core inflation a figure which strips out the price of energy, food, alcohol and tobacco, remained unchanged in July at 6.9%. With inflation still more than three times the Bank of England’s 2% target, many ‘experts’ expect the UK’s central bank to raise interest rates again in September 2023.
The Bank has steadily hiked interest rates to 5.25%, the highest level in 15 years, meaning mortgage costs have jumped dramatically, but on the flipside savings rates have increased too for the first time since the financial crisis of 2008.
Working?
The Chancellor said July’s figures on the cost of living showed the action the government had taken ‘is working’.
Comment
Well… it’s ‘working‘ in the sense it is having the desired affect to reduce inflation – (that both the government and the Bank of England were way behind on) – but it isn’t helping the economy, as interest rates climb making it more expensive for businesses and consumers to function.
But, at least wages are going up now thanks to all the strikes! This will ultimately add more inflationary pressure in the short term.
Douglas Adams – was an English author, humourist, and screenwriter, best known for The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
The Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy
The Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy is a comedy science fiction franchise created by Douglas Adams. It started as a radio comedy on BBC Radio 4 in 1978, and then it was adapted to other formats, such as novels, stage shows, comic books, a TV series, a text adventure game, and a feature film.
The franchise follows the adventures of Arthur Dent, a human who escapes the destruction of Earth with his alien friend Ford Prefect, who is a writer for the electronic travel guide ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’.
‘We are stuck with technology when what we really want is just stuff that works’.
Along the way, they meet other characters such as Zaphod Beeblebrox, the eccentric President of the Galaxy, Trillian, another human who was taken from Earth before its demolition, and Marvin, a depressed robot. The franchise is known for its humour, satire, absurdity, and references to various topics such as philosophy, physics, mathematics, and literature.
