Official Contracting Blog – UK Contractor Blog

Umbrella company ease tax concerns

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:16:00 GMT

Today's news of Business Secretary Vince Cable being penalised by the Revenue for failing to pay up to £25,000 in VAT may have caught the eye of many contractors. The £500 penalty was for late payment of tax on earnings from media work in 2009-10. Mr Cable's spokesperson said all his tax affairs were "above board" and the penalty had been reduced...

What is AWR

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 10:37:00 GMT

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Umbrella or Ltd

Thu, 26 May 2011 12:48:00 GMT

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Do I need an employment contract?

Tue, 17 May 2011 15:33:00 GMT

We receive many queries from contractors who get confused over their employment status? Contractors that choose to work through an umbrella company are employed by them and must be treated as one. For example, every contractor working through Tarpon receives their very own employment contract and is classed as an employee. Tarpon's employees receive many employee benefits such as access to...

Umbrella company contractors

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 12:09:00 GMT

We were awarded the Best communicators by contractors who had voted through Contractor Supermarket.It's pretty nice receiving an award, but unfortunately I can't take all the credit. Contractors voted for which Umbrella Company demonstrated a variety of factors from best service, IR35 & tax advice to salary calculations and HMRC compliance.If you are seeking any type of contracting advice,...

iPad reward for contractors

Mon, 07 Feb 2011 14:17:00 GMT

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Quality and compliance

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 11:17:00 GMT

Net pay is no longer the key driver when contractors seek to join an umbrella company. Service and compliance have become much more important factors for contractors. Contractors are becoming more conscious and the recent news that two umbrella companies going into liquation has made contractors think twice Tarpon contractors have peace of mind knowing that their tax and employment matters...

Contractors earn more with Tarpon

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 10:52:00 GMT

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Umbrella Company advisors

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 16:31:00 GMT

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Top umbrella companies

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Many umbrella companies will claim to be the best but make sure you do your homework when choosing an umbrella company. An umbrella company should be able to provide you with documents to show how they comply with HM Revenue & Customs. They should also provide you with a personal account manager to manage your account. For impartial advice speak with our tax...

Easy umbrella company

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:59:00 GMT

If you're looking for an umbrella company who can make life easier for you then Tarpon is the best choice. Our dedicated Business Managers look after your individual account and will complete all your admin, invoicing and credit control whilst ensuring you are paid on time, every time. They will provide you with any necessary updates via phone, email or text...

Ltd company formation

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:25:00 GMT

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What is IR35

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:16:00 GMT

"What is IR35" is probably the most asked question by new contractors who contact us every day. It's a legislation that the government introduced in 1999, designed to prevent tax avoidance by workers using personal service companies, composite companies and partnerships. In it's simplest terms, IR35 is the way in which the taxman closed a loophole that was allowing many contractors and...

Umbrella company forum

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:06:00 GMT

There are quite a few forums designed to give impartial opinions about umbrella companies. The only problem is you never know who's opinion the post belongs to as it is online and could ultimately be biased towards a particular company. Researching an umbrella company is important, but try and go by feedback from someone you know. You could always ask a...

Umbrella company solution

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 10:10:00 GMT

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Quality umbrella company

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 17:12:00 GMT

Tarpon is an ideal solution for contractors looking for a quality umbrella company. No other umbrella company looks after contractors, the way we do as we assign each contractor with their very own business manager. There are no automated systems or call centres - contractors receive world class customer service, which is why most of our contractors join through word of...

IR35 compliance check

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:13:00 GMT

Many contractors worry about their IR35 status as to whether they are inside or outside the legislation. Tarpon offers contractors a free IR35 compliance check where we assess individual contracts and inform them whether they are caught by IR35. It's free and there is no obligation to join so if you are worried about IR35, please call our team of advisors...

Umbrella service guarantee

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:35:00 GMT

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Fat tax

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 09:04:00 GMT

I hear again that a "fat tax" could be levied on junk food and sugary drinks in a bid to reduce obesity and reduce the deficit. The Food Standards Agency is planning to consult on whether taxing such foods would encourage people to make healthier choices. Tarpon encourage their contractors to keep in shape whilst travelling to work with the bike to...

Umbrella company benefits

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 15:40:00 GMT

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Contracting jobs

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 14:18:00 GMT

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Umbrella company services

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 17:12:00 GMT

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Umbrella company compliance

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 09:53:00 GMT

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Contractor umbrella review

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 11:52:00 GMT

My contractors keep telling me that our service is the best umbrella company that they have come across. I am glad they appreciate our service as no other umbrella company offers the type of service that we provide. Tarpon contact every contractor at least once a week by phone to provide payroll updates, tax advice and personal support. Just have a look...

Contractor umbrella companies

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 14:58:00 GMT

A lot of people outside of work ask me what umbrella companies do and why Tarpon are different. Well, that's a really easy question to answer... An umbrella company is a company that acts as an employer to contractors who are in a contracted assignment, to manage payroll, tax, NIC and employment matters. Tarpon is an umbrella company, providing contractors with an...

Contractor umbrella company

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:38:00 GMT

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Umbrella company pension

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 11:54:00 GMT

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Umbrella contractor incentive

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 09:46:00 GMT

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Cheapest umbrella company

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 11:43:00 GMT

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Umbrella company budget

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 09:29:00 GMT

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Umbrella company expenses

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:08:00 GMT

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Umbrella company mortgages

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:51:00 GMT

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Umbrella company charges

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 10:26:00 GMT

There seem to be a number of new umbrella companies setting up recently with promises of low fees and no additional charges. The key thing to remember is your net pay as this is the amount you will be taking home after fees have been applied and expenses taken into account. Here at Tarpon, we have one of the best dispensations...

Umbrella company insurances

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 09:49:00 GMT

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Umbrella company fees

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 16:51:00 GMT

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Contractor referral

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 16:48:00 GMT

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Ltd umbrella company

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 16:15:00 GMT

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Umbrella companies

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 16:59:00 GMT

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IT umbrella company

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 12:22:00 GMT

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Umbrella company checklist

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:49:00 GMT

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Umbrella company comparison

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 16:22:00 GMT

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Umbrella company benefits

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 11:23:00 GMT

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Umbrella company helpline

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 15:10:00 GMT

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Umbrella company blog

Wed, 02 Jun 2010 16:52:00 GMT

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Tarpon umbrella review

Wed, 26 May 2010 17:18:00 GMT

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Contractors' favourite Umbrella Company

Fri, 21 May 2010 09:41:00 GMT

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Recommended umbrella company

Tue, 18 May 2010 16:31:00 GMT

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UK umbrella company

Fri, 14 May 2010 10:15:00 GMT

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Umbrella company information

Thu, 13 May 2010 14:41:00 GMT

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Umbrella company travel expenses

Wed, 12 May 2010 11:08:00 GMT

I gave one of my new contractors an expenses tutorial today, showing them how to log their weekly expenses online. It also gave me an opportunity to discuss the 40 pence per mile allowance that we have as part of our Inland Revenue approved dispensation, as well as discussing the need to keep the original receipts for any public transport that...

Umbrella Company Contractor Expenses

Tue, 11 May 2010 15:35:00 GMT

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PAYE umbrella company

Mon, 10 May 2010 17:49:00 GMT

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Best umbrella company

Fri, 07 May 2010 09:24:00 GMT

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IR35 umbrella company

Thu, 06 May 2010 12:24:00 GMT

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Contractor umbrella company

Wed, 05 May 2010 14:20:00 GMT

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Umbrella company calculator

Tue, 04 May 2010 17:05:00 GMT

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Umbrella Company

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 09:11:00 GMT

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Umbrella Company v Limited Company

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 15:11:00 GMT

I was asked this very question this morning and there are so many benefits of using Tarpon over a limited company. There are no long tax returns to fill for one, we offer a non-receiptable expenses policy, we provide £20m professional insurances, as well as provide a world class customer service from a personal business manager. There is no IR35 burden...

Umbrella Company review

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 16:12:00 GMT

I received another testimonial today from one of my contractors. Alex, I have completed my online expenses for both last week and this week as I never completed them for last week with that other awful umbrella company. Hope this will be ok, and also can you confirm that you have receieved the funds from my agency? Thanks again Alex for...

Umbrella Company referral

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 17:13:00 GMT

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Much more than an Umbrella Company

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 09:45:00 GMT

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Planes return to the sky but compensation row erupts

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 14:43:00 GMT

The airline saga looks like it is finally coming to an end as almost all flights across Europe are expected to go ahead today. But many airlines are angry at the length of the airspace ban and its knock-on cost to them. In addition to seeking compensation, some - including Ryanair - had objected to paying the hotel and food bills...

Flights to begin resuming after ash cloud chaos

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 16:12:00 GMT

After 5 days the first few flights have started since the volcano erupted last week so finally passengers stranded all over the world are starting to make their much awaited journey home. How long this will last is now the next problem as another ash cloud is making its way towards another stop on all flights. Its estimated 150,000 Britons are stranded...

Grand National day. Who's your money on?

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 14:15:00 GMT

It’s that time again tomorrow and the only time of the year I venture into the bookies to place a bet on the yearly Grand National. It’s a family event and the complex decision of who to pick is usually determined by the “names we like best”. Amazingly this technique has produced a couple of winners over the years, although last...

Travel disruption

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 14:31:00 GMT

So not only have BA threatened to strike over the Easter period but it also appears that we are also set for a national rail strike after the Easter Bank Holiday weekend. It would be the 1st Rail strike for 16 years and will affect millions of people including commuters and returning holidaymakers. With the national rail strike, the threat of a...

BA Strike set to ruin Easter breaks

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 16:25:00 GMT

Its such a shame that BA and its staff still havent managed to resolve the dispute over pay and condition changes. It also is set for another strike this weekend spilling over to next week also. With the schools breaking up for the Easter half term it will be crucial for BA to ensure they can get as many flights...

Switching Umbrella

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:27:00 GMT

I am amazed at the number of contractors we have had join us recently who have moved from other umbrella companies due to the poor service. It seems that there are lots of companies out there falsely promising high net returns and low fees, who are churning out an automated service. “Problems with my pay, unable to contact anyone, no responsibility...

Secret Millionaire

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:57:00 GMT

I was reading today that a mystery lottery winner has just five days left to claim their life-changing jackpot of £3,681,197. The winning ticket was bought in the constituency of Inverness, Nairn Badenoch and Strathspey and it matched all six numbers. But the draw took place on September 23 last year - and the clock is speedily approaching the deadline. The...

Good intentions

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:09:00 GMT

It’s nice to see the nights are now a little lighter when you leave work as opposed to the seemingly eternal darkness that usually greets your journey home during the cold winter nights. It seems to have been a longer winter than usual this year probably as a result of the frequent snow visits we have suffered over the months, but...

Buoyant market

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:41:00 GMT

Good news for our contractors as the general feeling from agencies this week is that the market seems to be picking up. I speak to our agencies on a weekly basis and a number of them have advised me that they have lots of vacancies to fill but not enough candidates to fill them!This is good news for the contractor...

Big Bother

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:28:00 GMT

So it finally finishes tonight, I have hardly been able to speak to my wife over the past few weeks as the object of her affections has been the channel 4 reality show – Celebrity Big Brother. I’m not usually a fan of such programmes but being a fan of Vinnie Jones I have ending up watching more than I care...

HMRC targets medical professionals

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:28:00 GMT

Doctors and other medical professionals are being targeted by HMRC in a fresh campaign against tax dodgers. It has been reported that HMRC have been gaining information surrounding doctors, dentists, hospital consultants, cosmetic surgeons from employers such as NHS trusts and private hospitals. The HMRC have put in place a scheme whereby any medical professional who makes a full confession of...

Cross that bridge

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:28:00 GMT

I was disappointed to hear yesterday that Wayne Bridge has decided that he not be joining England at the World Cup in the summer following the John Terry revelations. In my opinion we have the best chance of winning it for a very long time and with Wayne Rooney firing in the goals I will be going into it very...

Auctions rule

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:27:00 GMT

I was reading Premier League winners' medal thrown into the crowd by Jose Mourinho has sold at an auction for £16,800.The former Chelsea boss won the medal after guiding the Blues to the title in the 2005-06 season. He threw it into the Chelsea section following their 3-0 win over Manchester United moments after throwing another medal and his jacket to...

No language barrier with Tarpon

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:26:00 GMT

We recently ran a campaign promoting the multiple languages that we now offer here at Tarpon. We are able to offer expert help in English, French, Polish, Latvian, Russian, Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu and Greek. I have always regretted not paying more attention in my French and German classes at school and unfortunately my native tongue is restricted to a few...

Service with a smile

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:25:00 GMT

As a Business Manager I spend the majority of my time on the phone to my contractors updating them, chasing timesheets and generally ensuring that their payroll is as smooth and hassle free as possible. I also get to speak to all of them on a weekly basis and some of them have been with us for a number of years...

iPhone introduces it's cousin

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:23:00 GMT

In Silicon Valley yesterday, all eyes were on Apple, the boss Steve Jobs was unveiling a new product . The secrecy surrounding the now-unveiled tablet called the iPad was phenomenal (a name that has been causing quite a bit of female mirth.) Usually, companies dish out up-and-coming products to a select legion of reviewers and industry influencers so that they can...

Thrills and spills

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:22:00 GMT

Sometimes I forget that as an employee of Tarpon I am entitled to the same great benefits that we offer to our contractors and because they are regularly updated it is easy to miss out on new offers as and when they are added. With this in mind I perused through yesterday and noticed that we able to receive 25% off...

Government Data

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:21:00 GMT

I was reading about a new website called, data.gov.uk overseen by the Web founder Sir Tim Berners-Lee. This will offer reams of public sector data, ranging from traffic statistics to crime figures, for private or commercial use. The target is to kick start a new wave of services that find novel ways to make use of the information. The site currently...

Tarpons new signing?

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:20:00 GMT

So, news has broke today that Harry Redknapp has been charged with £40,000 tax evasion and will appear in court with former Portsmouth Chairman Milan Mandaric next month. It is alleged that Mandaric (who is now chairman at Leicester) paid $295,000 into a Monaco back account belonging to Redknapp over five and a half years between 2002 and 2007 to avoid...

Toyota's image takes a blow

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:47:00 GMT

After various rumours of a recall, Toyata have finally annouced they will be recalling 436,000 hybrid vehicles worldwide. What a blow to their image this will be, they were advertising the Prius as their shining example of their vision of what we should all be driving and it is everything the new Toyota represents. For the worlds most popular hybrid this...

Concorde trial

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:02:00 GMT

I could not believe it when I heard in the news today that the trial for the Concorde crash of June 2000 was starting today. I didn't realise this hadn't already taken place but it seems with initial investigations to establish the piece of metal on the runway had contributed towards the incident took until December 2004, it seems only further...

Big freeze

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 11:43:00 GMT

It is being reported that last night's temperatures dropped to below minus 21C, in some parts of the country making it the coldest night of the winter so far. Roads have continued to be treacherous throughout and I have lost count of the amount of times I have helped stranded drivers stuck in the snow. A number of football matches have...

Back to work

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 16:36:00 GMT

Its the first week back at work after the Christmas break and what a busy week it has been and its only Tuesday. I came back to quite a few emails and also quite a few timesheets so it looks like a large number of my contractors were roped into working over Christmas and New Year. I had most of the...

Business as usual for Tarpon

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 12:10:00 GMT

A quick peep outside the window this morning confirmed exactly what the weather people had been telling us all week, the white stuff had arrived and there was not a blade of grass in sight. If only it could have held off for another week we would have been enjoying the first white Christmas for many a year. After the disruption...

White Christmas

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:37:00 GMT

I walked in a little late to work today because when I walked out I noticed I had to spray de-icer on my car as the ice had settled on the windscreen. Another night of sub zero temperatures. It has been bitterly cold this week and some locations saw a light covering of snow but heavier snow showers are likely on...

BA staff cancel Christmas

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:23:00 GMT

What a shame it could be for all those with plans to fly somewhere for Christmas and the New Year. Yesterday it was reported that since BA announced the job cuts due to take place after their first half loss. This has now sparked a strike by the BA staff which is looking to last 12 days starting on the...

Christmas shopping on Tarpon

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:21:00 GMT

Tonight will be the last night that I brave the shops before Christmas and the list of presents I need to get is still longer than my wife’s weekly shopping list. Luckily, I have managed to win a number of the team incentives over the last few months so many of the costs associated with bringing a smile to my...

To shed more light on pre Budget Report

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:31:00 GMT

As you know the National Insurance is to increase by 0.5%, which would add almost £200 a year to the National Insurance bill for a middle-income earner on £40,000 a year. The basic rate of National Insurance for those earning up to £43,875 a year will rise from 11 per cent to 12 per cent. The level at which higher-rate...

Darling delivers pre budget report

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:57:00 GMT

I've been looking at the pre budget report that has been announced, to see what changes are in store for my contractors (and me). The main thing that stood out to me was the 0.5% increase in National Insurance, that will take effect in April 2011. The 0.5% increase will affect both the employees and employers contributions, so this is...

Christmas pay

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:50:00 GMT

What a mad week this is turning out to be, with Christmas only just over two weeks away, I'm doing everything I can for my contractors to ensure they get paid before Christmas. With Tarpon's proactive Business Management service we ensure we follow up with all agencies or clients to ensure our contractors are paid before Christmas, be it weekly...

2010 World Cup Draw

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:36:00 GMT

England will find out today the identity of their group stage rivals for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The draw is being made at 17:00 GMT in Cape Town’s International Convention Centre and will be watched by millions of fans around the world. I will be hoping that we can avoid the likes of Portugal and France who have...

Contractors welcome 2018 bid

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:02:00 GMT

I was reading that Beckham and Football Association chief Lord Triesman are in South Africa to promote England's 2018 bid campaign at Friday's draw for the 2010 tournament. Beckham was an ambassador for the successful London 2012 Olympic campaign, and now has a similar role in the World Cup bid. I think it will be great for England to host firstly...

Instant money for contractors

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:47:00 GMT

Customers are putting the pressure on their banks to make sure that payment transfers are made under a same day service, even if their bank is not a member of the Faster Payment system, according to the UK Payments Council. The Faster Payment system was launched in May 2008, as a solution for customers who were left frustrated after having to...

Christmas holiday pay for contractors

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 12:41:00 GMT

My 7 year old son woke me this morning to tell me that it was only 4 weeks till the “the big fat fellow comes down our chimney and gives us presents…”. He was a little disorientated as he came in clutching his Advent Calendar until I politely reminded him that the 1st December wasn’t until next Tuesday. But the dulcet...

Happy National Freelancer Day

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:10:00 GMT

We've had Halloween, we've had Bonfire night and now it's National Freelancer Day. So today is the day to recognise the contribution that freelancers, contractors and consultants make to to the UK economy. National Freelancer Day has been put together by the PCG and they have put together events through the country to celebrate the occassion. We arrange our own events on...

Nationwide slump

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:22:00 GMT

Whilst the Bank of England interest rates have been very good to us, keeping our monthly mortgage payments down, it looks like it has had a negative impact with Nationwide's profits. Nationwide's Chief Executive, said that the low interest rates and the dramatic fall in commercial property were key to the slump. He also forecasted that the record low interest rates would...

9 out 10 contractors refer Tarpon

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:07:00 GMT

We had our annual company conference last week, where the directors explained how the company was performing. The directors explained how the company was moving forward and the figures were very reassuring. It is great to see that even in these hard times the company has actually grown and is growing still. Tarpon and it's partner companies have withstood the recession,...

Station re-vamp

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:52:00 GMT

The top ten worst railway stations are set for a re-vamp asap according to a recent report. There were plans originally by Network Rail to spend £3.25bn to improve more than 2,000 stations across England and Wales. The government have listed 10 urgent stations in need of re-vamp those of which include Manchester Victoria, Clapham Junction, Liverpool Central and our very...

Contractor visits

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:18:00 GMT

Ive just been discussing the double edged sword that is the sat-nav. On one hand, they are brilliant and you don’t have to prepare for a journey at all, and it is in fact pretty impossible to get lost. But on the other hand, they ensure you leave your sense of direction and general common sense at home. I mention it as...

Live football on the iPhone

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:57:00 GMT

I was chuffed when I heard that BSKYB will be showing live premier league games on the iPhone. I have wanted an iPhone for ages and this latest application has made me want it even more. However, I can't imagine this going down very with Mrs. Bartram as she hates me watching football on normal television let alone on my phone...

Prime Minister warned over childcare vouchers plans

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:10:00 GMT

I read today that Gordon Brown has been warned by members of his own party that to stop the childcare voucher scheme could be detrimental to their chances of winning the next general election. More than 40 Labour MP's have voiced their concerns after Gordon Brown announced that he plans to phase out the tax relief scheme. I know that many...

What would you do with £45m?

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:16:00 GMT

I know it’s a conversation that must have occurred in every office throughout the country today but top of Tarpon’s talking points today was the Euromillions. Two lucky somebody’s won a cool £45million each on Friday night. I hadn’t personally bought a ticket but I had the agreement with a couple of guys in the office that I would get...

Wheeling and Dealing

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:50:00 GMT

Just when I thought my beloved Gunners were starting to show a bit of form and take the Premiership by storm it is revealed today that Chelsea will be having their transfer ban lifted! FIFA originally banned the blues from any transfer activity for the next 2 transfer windows after they were found guilty of inducing Kakuta to breach his contract...

Interest rates remain at 0.5%

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:18:00 GMT

I was so glad to hear that the Bank of England decided to keep interest rates unchanged at 0.5% for the eighth month running. Our monthly mortgage payments are a lot lower than what they were last year, which really helps with Christmas approaching. I will be taking advantage of the high street discounts available to Tarpon employees in supermarkets and retail...

Sir Christopher Kelly gets tough on all MP's expenses

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:09:00 GMT

It seems like contractors aren't the only ones who now have their expenses governed by Inland Revenue guidelines. Sir Christopher Kelly has announced radical reforms for future expenses claims by MP's. Changes are being proposed across the board to cover claims such as housing, staff, travel, retirement as well as other changes which have been called for since the details of...

HMRC join Tarpon on You Tube

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:06:00 GMT

HMRC have joined the You Tube revolution by launching a video, which will be aimed at warning people to come clean about offshore bank accounts. It's not by any means illegal to have an offshore bank account, but all the interest must be declared on a tax return. Tarpon has a unique You Tube channel with educational videos and updates, providing useful...

iphone referral

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:36:00 GMT

First day back in the office since the Arsenal dismantled a very poor Tottenham side. However, first day back in the office and two of my contractors have referred their colleagues to Tarpon. It’s always nice when new contractors have someone already working with Tarpon. Obviously I like dealing with all contractors, but when they come on board knowing that...

Twin talk at Tarpon

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:09:00 GMT

Twins seem to be the talk of Tarpon at the moment, the 1st couple grabbing the headlines have been John and Edward whose awful performances and tall hairstyles have seen them become one of the favourites to win the X-Factor competition. The British love an underdog but surely presenting this Irish duo with a million pound record contract is a...

Postal pain

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:51:00 GMT

Looks like the strikes will go ahead strike tomorrow morning at 4am, where 120,000 employees will walk out for three 24 hour strikes. Although we have had no serious issues with contractors sending through their mail, these strikes do not help. We are lucky that many of our expenses are non-receiptable, so contractors do not have to post through receipts for their...

Will there be a Christmas party

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:25:00 GMT

The subject of Christmas parties came up in the news over the weekend. Apparently, many companies are abandoning the company subsidised party because of the current financial climate. It seems theres just not enough money floating about for a good old party. Of course, I can understand this, but I do believe that a Christmas party is a very good motivator...

Recession hit record levels

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:32:00 GMT

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Postal strike

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:55:00 GMT

I have been advising all my contractors since last week to send their receipts to me in the post and to email them too due to the imminent strike. Up to 42,000 mail centre staff and drivers launched a 24-hour strike this morning, while 78,000 delivery and collection workers will walk out tomorrow. Gordon Brown warned the strike was putting jobs...

On the Button

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:18:00 GMT

I was glued to the TV from the start of yesterday’s Brazilian F1 race. The wife didn’t have much on either so she reluctantly joined me for what she expected to be a very dull affair. Far from it, within 5 minutes, there were two crashes, a fight, a car running over it’s technicians with a petrol pump hanging out of...

Shave it like Beckham with Tarpon

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:42:00 GMT

He seems to be able to get away with anything does David Beckham and his latest stunt has persuaded people that it is fashionable to grow a beard like David Bellamy. Becks has sported numerous different styles spanning from a skinhead to a mohawk and the headlines seem to dedicate as much coverage to Beckham’s fashion statements as they do the...

Tarpon cushions Boris Johnson's pay hike

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:00:00 GMT

I was speaking to one my contractors who was livid that the train and bus fares are rising again. Boris Johnson has announced sharp rises in bus and tube fares and the congestion charge to help plug a multimillion-pound hole in transport funding in the capital. London bus fares would rise by an average of 12.7% from January 2010 while tube...

First time buyers struggle in London

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:54:00 GMT

It's been reported today that a single income, first time buyer would need to be on a whopping £93,000 per year if they wanted to buy an average priced house in London. That is the figure that someone would need if they applied for a 90% mortgage, based on three and a half times their salary. The average cost of a...

MPs expenses payback

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:30:00 GMT

Some of the MPs who's expenses were investigated have decided to challenge the request to repay their fraudulent claims. An auditor was put in place to check expense claims in 2004, especially surrounding cleaning and gardening costs. Letters have been sent to the relevant MPs advising what they need to pay back but it seems some are less than willing to...

Moon wars

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:42:00 GMT

The poor Moon probably doesn’t understand where she stands with us folk from planet Earth. Cast your mind back (for those who can) to 1969 when man took the first gentle steps on the moons surface, well, there will be no such affection today as NASA will be launching a space mission from Cape Canaveral carrying a missile that will...

iphone referral reward

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:50:00 GMT

Well I must say I am getting a fantastic response for the iphone referral reward. It’s a great new incentive that we've launched this week, where contractors and agencies get the chance to get their hands on the latest iPhone. The beauty about this is that you don’t just have to be a contractor working through Tarpon, you could be...

Pay-Per View England

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:30:00 GMT

After another great weekend of domestic football, we can now look forward to seeing England continue their flawless World Cup Qualifying campaign… Or so I thought. It would appear that Saturday’s game against Ukraine can only be seen if you purchase the game via the internet. So not only do you have to pay to see it, you can’t...

Tarpon are giving away iPhones!

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:47:00 GMT

Yes it’s true, you no longer have to fork out the £350.00 it costs to equip yourself with a 3GS iPhone as Tarpon are giving them away for free with our fantastic new Referral Incentive. I must admit I have always wanted one of these but have so far not been able to justify the price tag to Mrs Bartram as...

Contractor market growing

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:31:00 GMT

The networking event went down really well with contractors and Tarpon staff. It’s good to put faces to names and the prize draw was an instant hit. Contractors stayed well after 9pm, networking and enjoying each others company. The monthly events have grown in popularity, with many contractors spreading the word. We bring people who are out of work together with...

Contracting events in demand

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:20:00 GMT

I'm looking forward to our contractor event this evening and it looks like we have a full house with approx. 50 contractors expected to turn up. Our events really go down well with the contractors as they get to meet like minded professionals, share knowledge, obtain contacts and find out what's really happening in the marketplace. It's also free, which is an...

Vodafone secures iPhone deal

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:48:00 GMT

After O2 managed to secure the iPhone to it's network in 2007, its great to hear that the phone will soon be readily available on both the Orange and Vodafone network. Orange recently secured a contract with Apple and should have the phone available to buy this year. Whilst Vodafone have annouced it will be available from 2010 with customers...

Contracting phobias

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:50:00 GMT

It is quite easy to understand why so many contractors who are not working through Tarpon have a phobia of the taxman. After all, if you are not compliant then you will be found out and this could lead to paying back thousands in underpaid tax going back for years. It has just been announced that contractors with their own...

Charities Foundation welcome Tarpon support

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:50:00 GMT

A new survey suggested that the amount of money donated to good causes fell by 11% in the year to April as the recession effects charities. Estimated total donations fell from £11.2bn in 2007-8 to £9.9bn. John Law, the chief executive of the Charities Aid Foundation said "If all taxpayers tick the gift aid box, or give through give-as-you-earn, it would...

Broadband tax to be presented to parliament

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:03:00 GMT

I read this morning that there will be a report presented to parliament in November, proposing that a 50p per month broadband tax is made to all fixed line phone customers. The new broadband tax will also come in to effect before the next General Election. The tax would be presented to parliament as part of the Finance Bill, with the...

Local car plant to axe over 1000 jobs

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:49:00 GMT

Reports today have advised that Vauxhall are looking to axe 1,100 jobs, which will be split between our local plant here at Luton and the Ellesmere Port plant. Unfortunately with only 5,500 UK workers it will really be a large cut for the UK plants if the 1,100 cut backs are made, which could take up to a year to implement. It's...

Derby day

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:27:00 GMT

After managing to convince the household (well, my understanding wife) to watch the televised football with me, I was provided with a couple of great matches yesterday. First was the 7-goal Manchester derby… The game had everything: goals, gaffs, emotion, controversy and a pitch invader. It was up there with the best 97 minutes I've seen. Then cam the London derby,...

Tarpon help with mortgage lending

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 11:22:00 GMT

Mortgage lending fell by 13% in August compared to the previous month according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). Apparently, a seasonal fall in August is to be expected but overall lending appears to have stabilised during the summer. The good news is that mortgage lending, house sales and property prices have all picked up in the past few months...

Tarpon support unemployed contractors

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:18:00 GMT

The official figures have shown the number of people out of work in the UK has risen to its highest level in 14 years. Unemployment has increased by 210,000 to 2.47m in the three months to July, taking the jobless rate to 7.9%. There is also an unemployment divide in the public and private sector where the private sector is bearing...

Royal Mail to continue local strikes

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:22:00 GMT

It was announced today that several local postal strikes will continue around the country, leading up to an official ballot, which could determine a UK-wide strike in the not to distant future. It's wreaking havoc with some of my contractors expenses, as I continue to wait for receipts that were posted at the start of last week. On a personal note,...

Sad day

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:02:00 GMT

What a shame it was to hear today that Patrick Swayze died aged 57, after a 2 year battle with pancreatic cancer. There had been so many stories over the last 2 years over his illness but Patrick had tried to keep the details to himself. He was known to be a strong character and pushed himself through his illness as...

Tarpon's partners

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:48:00 GMT

If you visit the Tarpon homepage, you will see some great companies that we’re affiliated with. I was reminded that we work alongside Virgin when I saw Richard Branson at the Formula 1 race yesterday. He has his Virgin logo plastered over the fastest two cars of the season. It’s a great choice for Branson as the Brawn team seem...

Rovers bosses blamed for collapse

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:09:00 GMT

It was announced through a new report that bosses running MG Rover received pay and pensions worth £42m, at a time when the company collapsed and 6,500 jobs were lost. The four bosses known as the Phoenix Four, plus the CEO, said their payouts had nothing to do with the company's demise. The Serious Fraud Office is not intending to launch a...

Amazing psychic powers

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:40:00 GMT

My wife and I watched Derren Brown’s successful attempt to predict Wednesday night's lottery numbers. Derren appeared to pull off his biggest stunt ever when he successfully predicted the National Lottery results. It was amazing viewing as the illusionist claimed to have printed his prediction on six white balls and these remained in view of the public, but facing away from...

HMRC investigate Umbrella Companies

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:08:00 GMT

The Revenue and Customs brief 50/09 was launched last month to catch non-compliant Umbrella Companies and Employment Businesses. We have had so many calls recently from contractors using other alternatives, worried that their payroll solution is not adhering to the legislation. So, if your umbrella company has not provided you with an employment contract, fail to show you their expenses dispensation...

Orange and T-Mobile merge

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:18:00 GMT

According to the news today Orange and T-Mobile are planning to merge, which would make them the largest UK provider holding 37% of the mobile market, totaling 28.4m customers. Although this would be a good move for them, it may not be so good for the customers of either company as there is a possibility prices could increase. They believe the...

Goodbye Terry

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 16:04:00 GMT

Apart from looking forward to getting into work, I spend the journey listening to Terry Wogan. I did have a phase of Chris Moyles, but the kids were picking up all sorts of habits from that, so I reverted back to my second favourite Welshman (Tom Jones is my favourite, in case you were wondering). Anyway, he broke the sad news...

Pop legend finally laid to rest

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 17:04:00 GMT

Friends and family paid their tributes to Michael Jackson at his funeral just outside Los Angeles. Michael Jackson's family were joined by celebrities such as Dame Elizabeth Taylor and Quincy Jones. The King of pop was finally laid to rest after he died 2 months ago, from a combination of prescription drugs at the age of 50. Michael Jackson joins a host...

No such thing as a free lunch?

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:18:00 GMT

So the kids are back at school today, and this morning was havoc. I was so used to waking up to a quiet house while getting ready for work. They did look so smart in their new pristine uniforms though, I know that won’t last long. My wife was taking pictures all teary eyed and proud. I have heard that part...

85,000 youthful jobs

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 17:27:00 GMT

I do worry what the future will hold for our children, when they are older. It does not inspire me with much confidence when I see forecasts that predict that unemployment figures will reach 3.2 million in 2010. However, there was an initative announced by the Goverment today, pledging 85,000 opportunities to get young people into work. Centrica, Carillion and Royal...

Fun this August Bank Holiday

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:13:00 GMT

It was an enjoyable Bank Holiday weekend for the Bartrams as we decided to do something a bit different and went to our local farm to pick vegetables and fruit. I'm sure they ate their own body weight in tomatoes and berries. We paid a visit to London on Monday and it was great to get out and about with...

What a dive

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:03:00 GMT

UEFA have confirmed that they will be looking at Eduardo’s majestic dive on Tuesday night and may look to take retrospective disciplinary action against him. Even as a Gunners fan, I have to admit that he did seem to go down a little easy but I am not so sure that cans of worms such as these really need to be...

Accountant attacked

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:41:00 GMT

Kerry Katona is not having much luck lately as she was arrested yesterday on suspicion of attacking her accountant. Apparently, sources say that she confronted her accountant, screamed and shouted at him and then she punched him in the face. I see my contractors quite regularly, whether it is at the office or at our networking events, which conicidentally is tonight....

Disgrace to football

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:59:00 GMT

"Disgrace to football" was how the sports minister described the violence, as West Ham and Millwall fans clashed in last night's second round of the Carling Cup. The violence included a 44 year old man being stabbed after fights started around Upton Park, about 6pm prior to the match. These sets of fans have been fierce rivals over the years, but there...

Sport Vs Strictly

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 17:09:00 GMT

I have commented over the last couple of blogs that Mrs B has not been impressed with my sporting marathon on the TV. Little did I realise that by saying she can watch what she wants for the entire week, that this co-insided with the start of Strictly Come Dancing...oh what have I done! Now for weeks I will have...

Regaining victory

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:01:00 GMT

I was not in Mrs. B's good books yesterday as I was glued to the TV screen for the majority of the day, watching England regain the Ashes. As I said on Friday, there has been some unmissable sport on the television lately and it was the cricket's turn this weekend. I somehow regained power over the remote control in the...

Thunder bolt record breaker

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 17:30:00 GMT

Mrs. Bartram is not too impressed at the moment due to the sport coverage on television. There is some great sport on at the moment with the Ashes, Premiership football, tennis and also the athletics world championships. Jamaican Usain Bolt claimed another world record as he ran the 200m in 19.19 seconds during the World Championships. Bolt smashed the 100m on Sunday...

Swine Flu in Decline....?

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:22:00 GMT

Imagine my relief when my youngest complained of feeling feverish and a sore throat to find out that it was not swine flu, or was it? The doctor prescribed the swine flu tablets anyway as a precautionary measure.I don’t know about you but I am dreading the day a member of my immediate family or even myself are diagnosed with...

Deciding Ashes test match

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:58:00 GMT

Tomorrow sees the highly anticipated final Test Match between England and Australia kick off at The Oval. With the scores poised at one all, England know that only a victory against Australia will be good enough to reclaim the ashes. It remains to be seen how the new call up for Jonathan Trott will fare, as Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss...

Iceland put freeze on Katona

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:52:00 GMT

Iceland have sacked Kerry Katona from their advertising campaigns, saying it was "impossible" for her to continue. I never really thought she came across as an ideal role model in the first place, but the celebrity had been contracted by Iceland for 4 years. Kerry Katona was crowned celebrity mother of the year and after winning "I'm a celebrity get...

Savings to be made

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 09:50:00 GMT

I left my blog last week wondering what delights the first weekend of premiership football would bring us… Well, I wasn’t expecting that good a start. Everton 1, Arsenal 6. The only down side, if there can be one, is that the prolific goal scorer and incidentally the only Arsenal player in my dreamteam, Robin Van Persie, didn’t score...

Now you see it, now you don’t

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 11:37:00 GMT

The big kick off is nearly here and I can’t wait for tomorrow when Arsenal kick off against Everton at Goodison Park. With a lack of signings compared to many other teams around us I am not too optimistic, but it’s a funny old game and who know what the season has in store for us. I’m just glad that...

France and Germany victorious

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:03:00 GMT

Great news for France and Germany and I am not just talking about their results in the friendlies last night, as their economies grew by .3% in the second quarter of 2009, ending their recession. Althought the recession in the UK is improving, you could also say that our economic growth relates to the football performances of the home nations last...

Arrest made in £40 million jewel heist

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:17:00 GMT

Police arrested a 50 year old man today in connection with the £40 million heist, which took place last week, although he was later released on bail. It was recorded as the biggest gem heist in UK history, after two men got away with the stolen jewellery, which included a pair of white round diamond double hoop earrings, a yellow diamond...

Ryan yeah

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:53:00 GMT

Ryanair announced they were creating a 1000 jobs by setting up a base at Leeds Bradford International airport. £84m has been invested, which will allow the airport to double in size offering 14 new routes and more than 63 return flights. I'm sure this has gone down really well with the population in Yorkshire, as it will help the local economy...

Holiday discounts

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 12:32:00 GMT

I was reading that a hotel in the US has started a trend amid the downturn by offering discounts for everything that the holidaymaker does not require for their stay. Discounts start with the lack of toilet roll in the bathroom and go all the way to getting rid of the headboard and even replacing the room with a tent....

Read all about it

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:43:00 GMT

Rupert Murdoch the chief of News Corp has announced that the media giant is going to start charging online customers for news content across all of its websites. This follows an announcement that the company lost £2bn in the year to the end of June. The company owns the Times and Sun newspapers in the U.K and the New York Post...

Twitter to the rescue

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:19:00 GMT

I mentioned on Monday how Darren Bent got into trouble for insulting his employers on the social networking site, Twitter. After making his recent move to Sunderland, Darren Bent has announced that his rant probably helped the speed of the transfer from Tottenham. I wonder if more and more footballer will start using Twitter to communicate to their football clubs? I might...

If Carlsberg did payroll

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 17:01:00 GMT

It's always good to hear when companies are doing well, especially during the recession. This is the case with Carlsberg, whose pre tax profits jumped to £3.025bn Kroner. Looks like beer drinkers have turned to Carlsberg to help drown their sorrows, who have seen market share grow in Russia, East Europe and Asia. I'm sure that if Carlsberg did payroll, they would...

Another political scandal

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:51:00 GMT

Another day and yet another political scandal, which involves the Director of Resources, Andrew Walker, who apparently received an 8% payrise, rising to £130,000. Walker was the official who defended the commons position at the information tribunal last year when the decision as to whether to publish the full details of the MP's expenses. There are also stories of various other parliamentary...

Twitter hotspur

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:12:00 GMT

Being an Arsenal fan made it all the funnier at the end of last week as I saw Darren Bent making an odd business decision to insult his boss on the social favourite, Twitter. Not being a ‘member’ of Twitter means I don’t fully understand the implication of Twitter but our Marketing Department inform me that a lot of people would...

Farewell to a legend

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:41:00 GMT

I was saddened to hear that former England manager Sir Bobby Robson died today at the age of 76 after a long battle with cancer. Sir Bobby was described by everyone as “a true legend” and “the perfect gentleman” and provided us all with some of England’s greatest memories over the years. I can remember shedding my first tears over a...

Contractor networking

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:59:00 GMT

It's the last thursday of the month, which means it's the evening where we organise the networking event for contractors. We have approx. 45 contractors confirmed so it should be a good turn out. It's my turn to attend from the Business Management team, which is good as I get to meet some of my contractors that I speak to...

Rain or shine

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:40:00 GMT

The weathermen are predicting a rainy month in August, which really baffles me as we were forecasted with 'a barbecue summer'. Although June was a great month for sun, it looks like we are going to struggle for the rest of the summer. Although the rain does effect our social plans at the weekend, the weather plays a big role with...

MP's non-receiptable food claims

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:29:00 GMT

The Green Book, which governs the MP's expenses, has now been published on the parliaments website and states that MP's will still be able to make claims for food without producing receipts. The amended rules, which are likely to be amended yet again, now allow them to claim £25 for each night they are away from home on Parliamentary business. They...

Tour de work

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:04:00 GMT

Alberto Contador won Tour de France at the weekend. I’m not an official fan of cycling but my recent interest in cycling as a way to keep fit drew my attention to the competition more than it would have done before. It was a great tournament for Team GB with Mark Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins having a Tour de France to...

A real dream team

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:52:00 GMT

Whilst Manchester City continue to assemble their dream team with a seemingly unlimited budget the time has come for us wanabee managers to assemble our own dream teams with a fantasy budget of £50 million. It is a yearly event here at Tarpon and one that generates lots of excitement and banter right up until kick off and lasts a few...

Mortgage applications on the up

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:05:00 GMT

There has been so much doom and gloom in the last year or so, but there have been a couple of highlights recently to start putting a smile back on people's faces. It was good to hear that mortgage approvals by the major banks increased to a 15 month high in June. It looks like the banks have been a...

When Kelly met Kelly

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:19:00 GMT

I read yesterday that a couple in America with the same names are tying the knot. Kelly Katrina Hildebrandt found her future husband on Facebook, when she wanted to see if there was anyone else on the social networking website with the same name as her. She stumbled across Kelly Carl Hildebrandt and decided to send him a message. They became...

Hermes on the up

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:37:00 GMT

It's great to hear that some companies out there are doing well in these challenging times and one such company is luxury goods group Hermes. They have reported a 12% rise in its second quarter sales due to a big increase in demand for its handbags and other leather items. Global sales at the company totalled £387m in the April to...

I don't like cricket, I love it

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:17:00 GMT

I waited a little longer to write my blog today as I’ve been spending my lunch catching up with this morning’s cricket action. I spent the best part of 8 hours watching the second test of the Ashes over the weekend, to the wife’s dismay. It was a slow day yesterday but Flintoff came through with 3 wickets this morning to...

At one with nature

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 09:57:00 GMT

Being a bit of an animal lover, I was pleased to read that a rare breed of “Fairy Penguins” are being protected by Snipers in a national park near Sydney Harbour. The world’s smallest penguins stand at only 40cm tall and are no match for the vicious dogs and foxes that have been attacking them so they now have their own...

Contractor Calculator & Tarpon

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:15:00 GMT

Tarpon had an article published on ContractorCalculator today, which is the leading information portal for contractors. Our marketing manager and Bert Malarky (one of our contractors) were interviewed on how our monthly events have benefitted the contracting marketplace. Our networking events started in May 2008 and have grown to be very popular with contractors. The events are free and provide contractors...

Flintoff to call it a day

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:58:00 GMT

With the second test all set to start against the Aussies tomorrow at Lords, "Freddie" Flintoff has decided to call it a day on his test match career. Flintoff has made 76 test match appearances, spanning an 11 year period, beginning against South Africa. Flintoff was undoubtedly the star of the show as Endland triumphed in the Ashes in 2005 and...

Tower Bridge leap for mankind

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:18:00 GMT

One of my colleagues was telling me that motorcross champion Robbie Maddison completed a bike jump over Tower Bridge. The leap was made at 2.55 yesterday morning, which meant that there was minimal inconvenience caused to the public, including contractors working in London. The stuntman was brave enough to jump twice and attempted the second jump with a backflip with no...

The Royal Family join Tarpon

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:02:00 GMT

I sometimes wonder if the marketing department are actually doing any work as they always seem to be on sites such as You Tube, Facebook, Twitter, Squidoo and LinkedIn. But, the marketing department tell me that the advertising on these networking sites is a key part of the marketing strategy as it's a way of engaging with existing and potential customers,...

New era for GM

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 20:35:00 GMT

I was glad to hear today when GM announced that they were emerging from bankruptcy and launching a 'new GM' to be made of the carmaker's best assets. Their aim would be to reduce the size of the brand, which would include selling Vauxhall. This would lead to the 'new GM' reducing their workforce and dealership but operating with...

Anti ageing drug

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:30:00 GMT

My wife was really excited to read that a compound in the soil of the remote Easter Island in the South Pacific could lead to ‘elixir of life’ according to scientists. The anti-fungal agent rapamycin, produced by soil bacteria, is believed to have extraordinary life-extending properties which could result in genuine "anti-ageing" pill that keeps people young. US researchers found it increased...

The fight for the Ashes begins today

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:05:00 GMT

Every two years England take on Australia as they both battle it out for the Ashes. Last time round, was a fairly comfortable victory for Australia, as they regained the Ashes which they had lost in 2005. Let's hope that the English lads can do us proud, as they try to recapture the form that helped them to beat the Aussies...

Tax avoidance for high earners

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:33:00 GMT

Newspaper reports suggested that a big accountancy firm are preparing to set up a tax avoidance scheme to help high earners pay less tax. The new scheme is proposed to help the rich avoid paying the new 50% income tax rate in 2010. Grant Thornton, the accountants in question, strongly denied that it was a tax avoidance scheme, whilst the HMRC...

Best tennis player ever

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:20:00 GMT

I would love to say that I managed to watch the whole of the Wimbledon final yesterday, but half way through the final set, I'm ashamed to say that I did start to channel hop. I made every attempt to last the distance but failed. What sort of set core is 16-14. I’ve never heard anything like it. The folks with...

And the winner is……

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:25:00 GMT

…Amanda Hawkins of E-resourcing. Congratulations to Amanda who was picked out of our prize draw to win Wimbledon tickets for tomorrow's ladies final. This year’s final will be contested by the awesome Williams sisters after both powered their way into the ladies final yesterday. It is a repeat of the 2002, 2003 and 2008 finals at SW 19, Serena won the...

Contractor and agency Wimbledon prize draw

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:10:00 GMT

We've been running a competition for the last month, with 2 tickets for the Wimbledon final as the grand prize. I did try and enter but unfortunately for me, the competition was only open to contractors and agency representatives. The competition went down a treat as it was the best ever response we've ever had. We will be announcing the winner...

Murray mania soars with the temperatures

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:27:00 GMT

After Monday's epic battle, Andy Murray takes to the centre court at Wimbledon today in an attempt at seeing off Juan Carlos Ferrero. Some fans had queued for 2 days to get tickets to see the British number one in action as he tries to make it into the semi finals at his home event. The first person joined the queue...

Murray late night match

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:10:00 GMT

I witnessed the first floodlit match last night. It was a dramatic late night finish for Andy Murray against Stanislas Wawrinka, which lasted 3 hours and 56 minutes, finally ending at 22:38, which was well past my bedtime. Murray said he loved playing indoors and said the 15,000 supporters made it an extra special match. The decision to close the roof on...

A short blog

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:15:00 GMT

It’s already getting a little hot in the office. With a very modern building, it’s a little odd that air conditioning isn’t part of the deal at Tivoli House. We’re expecting a heat wave all week with an expected peak of 33 degrees Celsius. I’m currently building up the confidence to ask the boss if he will agree to letting the...

A sad day

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:13:00 GMT

I awoke this morning like millions of other across the world in shock at the news that Michael Jackson had sadly passed away. The 1st album I bought was his “Bad” album and I can still remember dancing around on my bed (the stage) in front of the audience (my sister) with my Michael Jackson coat on (black coat with milk...

Healthy Big Mac

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:42:00 GMT

Well, well, I made a wonderful discovery today that prepacked salads are higher in calories and fat than a Big Mac and fries. Researchers from Which? Magazine looked at twenty salads from the major outlets and found many contained a large proportion of the recommended daily intake of fat. Which? bought a selection of 20 prepacked salads on the high street...

Wimbledon fever sweeps the nation

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:56:00 GMT

It's that time of year again folks, that Wimbledon fever sweeps the nation. Tennis courts that are usually empty all year round are all of a sudden full as Britain aims to find the next Andy Murray. I got in from work last night to catch the tie break at the end of the second set, which Murray proceeded to lose....

Final curtain for final salary pensions

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:39:00 GMT

I read this morning that Price Waterhouse Coopers had carried out a survey to a 1000 companies asking whether they had closed their final salary pension schemes to existing members. 16% of the 157 who had replied had said that they had - Barclays being one of the biggest firms to have recently frozen final salary pension schemes. Many companies felt...

So who exactly is The Stig?

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:22:00 GMT

I came in to work this morning to people all talking about a serious issue. Not the global recession or the threat of global warming in years to come, but whether or not Michael Schumacher actually is The Stig! Last night Top Gear revealed that Michael Schumacher was the man under the infamous white helmet, leaving people in shock. ...

Old news

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 12:25:00 GMT

Its official, England is now home to the oldest man in the world following the death of the previous record holder in Japan. Henry Allingham was born on 6th June 1896 and is 113 years old. Henry served as an Air Force Mechanic in World War 1, has lived in 3 different centuries and is 1 of only 2 British survivors...

Arlene strictly off

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:47:00 GMT

I was reading today that acid tongued judge Arlene Phillips has reportedly been sacked from Strictly Come Dancing. Apparently she will be replaced by former winner Alesha Dixon when the show returns later this year. I’m not really sure what to make of this as Arlene has years of experience as a choreographer and then a judge on the show since...

Working for free

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:27:00 GMT

Last month British Airways (BA) posted a record annual loss of £401m and in a bid to save cash they have asked more than 30,000 of their workers in the UK to work for nothing, for up to one month. It has been described as part of a 'fight for survival' by BA, apparently other airlines have used similar schemes and...

Murray Mania, again

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 10:54:00 GMT

Amongst the various garden games that the kids had me involved in yesterday, I got the opportunity to watch (the majority of) the Final at Queen’s. It was a fast, hard-hitting final between Andy Murray and James Blake, and very entertaining it was too. Not one of the biggest tournaments on the tour, I assume the men use it as preparation...

2012 Olympic park reveals a gruesome history

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:07:00 GMT

I have always been intrigued by History. I think it stemmed from my fascination with dinosaurs as a kid, so you can imagine my delight at the announcement of the "Walking with Dinosaurs" show at the O2 - a £10 million spectacular that brings fifteen dinosaurs to life! Equally fascinating (if not a little more gruesome!) was the discovery of a...

Ronaldo Mega Deal

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:08:00 GMT

Manchester United has agreed to sign Cristiano Ronaldo over to Real Madrid for a credit crunch busting, record £80 million ($130 million). I am speechless to say the least. Imagine if this money was spent on the economy - we would be out of the recession! Ronaldo's United and Portugal team mate Nani admits his compatriot will be missed and it...

Travel chaos in London for contractors

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:34:00 GMT

I've just got off the phone to one of my contractors who has only just arrived at work to the disruptions being caused by the tube strike. He's not the only one either, as I've already spoken to another seven or eight of my contractors who also arrived late to work this morning. Last minute talks took place last night in...

Setanta on the brink

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:53:00 GMT

Could it be the end of Setanta? Today it has been reported that it is on the brink of administration unless backers provide more funds. With a £30m debt to the Premier League for television rights it doesn't look good for it's future. The collapse of Setanta could also put a couple of clubs into administration due to the income...

And the winner is...

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 09:47:00 GMT

Through writing my blogs, and then looking back over them, I have realised I do watch too much TV, and then I also realised I tell you about the fact I watch too much TV. But there I was again last night, glued to The Apprentice waiting for the wonderful Kate Walsh to be hired after a near perfect 12 week...

Safest way to travel...

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:02:00 GMT

It has just been reported that debris recovered from the Atlantic is “sea trash” and not from the lost Air France jet. I can’t even begin to imagine the emotions the families of those missing aboard this flight have been going through and we may never find out what caused the disappearance of the Airbus A330. It’s an incredibly scary thought...

Big Brother Mania

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:33:00 GMT

As The Apprentice comes to an end on Sunday, tonight sees the start of Big Brother. I have never really got into it and I don’t understand what all the fuss is all about with people locked up in a house and the whole country watching their every move.Oh okay I admit it, every year I say the same thing,...

Murray crashes out at French Open

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:34:00 GMT

After Rafa Nadal crashed out in surprising fashion against Robin Soderling, many people (including me) thought that Andy Murray would have a great chance of winning his first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros. Nadal had won his previous 31 matches at the French Open, but came unstuck against the 23rd seed. Andy Murray (seeded 3) fell in four sets to...

Microsoft pushes the boundaries

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:30:00 GMT

My kids and I all share a passion for gadgets and we're quite excited about the Natal for the Xbox 360. This new fully hands free control system will use face recognition and motion sensors. Its amazing what they can do these days and Steven Spielberg could not have said it better by saying that "the Natal was a whole...

To vote or not to vote - that is the question.

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 10:07:00 GMT

After such a wonderful weekend, it was almost impossible to drag myself to work this morning. But it took me all of 30 seconds to get settled back in and now I’m on top of the timesheets flowing through to my inbox. Yesterday’s barbeque conversation was for the most part, based around Saturday’s BGT final, and the general consensus was that...

Boyle-ing over

Fri, 29 May 2009 12:51:00 GMT

It is being reported that Susan Boyle may have to be pulled out of tomorrows Britain’s Got Talent show as she is cracking under the pressure and the producers are concerned that she faces meltdown in the final. Yesterday she was interviewed by police over a tantrum at a hotel in which she swore at officers after claiming that 2 strangers...

Beautiful game

Thu, 28 May 2009 15:50:00 GMT

I had the privelage of watching Barcelona play some of the best football I have ever seen in my life. They completely outplayed the 2008 European champions of the park and that's easier said than done. I have never seen Utd stuck for ideas or give the ball away so many times. Sir Alex was gracious in defeat and admitted that...

Champions league fever hits Rome

Wed, 27 May 2009 17:11:00 GMT

Manchester United aim to become the first team to retain the Champions League trophy, when they go head to head with Barcelona in Rome this evening. Although my team was knocked out in the semi finals by Manchester United, this one is one for the purists, with Barcelona playing their irresistible attacking football against Manchester United, who have been there and...

What a weekend and a half

Tue, 26 May 2009 18:00:00 GMT

Weather forecasters have been predicting a mini heatwave this summer and if this weekend was anything to go by, the predictions are not going to be far wrong. The glorious weather meant that the Bartram household enjoyed an action packed weekend. We invited some friends round on Saturday for a barbeque, which was followed by a trip to Bournemouth on Sunday....

They think it’s all over…

Fri, 22 May 2009 10:25:00 GMT

Well it nearly is now, this weekend sees the climax of the football season and it really is a tale of 2 ends. What an anticlimax it was last week when Manchester UTD comfortably sealed another title with a draw against us. It’s a shame it didn’t go to the last game of the season and even more of a...

Wacko Jacko

Thu, 21 May 2009 17:26:00 GMT

A few blogs ago, I said how excited I was, when I heard Michael Jackon was touring again. The first July date has been pushed back five nights and three other dates will not take place until March 2010. Fans are highly disappointed and I don’t blame them as I would be fuming. The promoters have dismissed health fears about the...

Jenson aims for five out of six

Wed, 20 May 2009 15:05:00 GMT

The most prestigious race on the Formula 1 calendar is coming up this weekend at Monaco, with Jenson Button aiming for five wins out of the first six races. Having secured four wins out of five so far, things are looking good for Jenson after spending the last 2 years in Lewis Hamilton's shadow. Having already built up a fourteen point...

Heatwave, here we come

Tue, 19 May 2009 15:30:00 GMT

Apparently, the UK is expecting a heatwave this summer! What a change it will be to have some hot weather with the estimates forecasting 32c in the daytime and 18c at night. With the effects on the economy hitting everyone hard, it would appear that many people will be missing out on a holiday abroad this year. If the weather reaches...

The taller contractors get paid more

Mon, 18 May 2009 09:31:00 GMT

It seems it pays to be tall. I was reading on the net this morning that there is evidence that height can have a bearing on pay packet. An Australian study found the taller a person is, the higher the wage. For men, being just five centimetres taller than their fellow workers can mean an extra $1,000 (£500) a year. For women,...

Egg on yer face

Fri, 15 May 2009 14:36:00 GMT

I have always had clumsy tendencies and I have successfully managed to pass this onto my son. I am King of the “catching your little toe on the table” in the morning and my son regularly hits himself over the head with the Wii remote whilst trying to play Wii Sports. But it seems that even the most gifted people in...

Expenses saga

Thu, 14 May 2009 16:52:00 GMT

So this fascination of MPs expenses continues. Today we have had the first ‘casualty’ of this expenses saga. Andrew MacKay has resigned as David Cameron's aide. Mr MacKay, who is married to MP Julie Kirkbride, claimed the full second-home allowance on their joint mortgage for a London home until April this year. But at the same time his wife also claimed...

Credit card overhaul

Wed, 13 May 2009 11:46:00 GMT

I read today that there is a new credit card being trialled in an attempt to dramatically reduce the £609.9 million fraud amount, that was reported in 2008. Visa are the first company who are making a move to help protect their customers even further. The card is called a Emue Card and comes with it's own built in display unit...

Extreme Expenses

Tue, 12 May 2009 15:51:00 GMT

As part of Tarpon's service to ensure our contractors remain 100% compliant, we request our contractors to participate in a random audit to ensure all is in place and to help point put any areas our contractors may be missing in terms of expenses they can claim. I think it may be an idea that the MP's are subject to an...

A corner turned?

Mon, 11 May 2009 10:04:00 GMT

Great start to the day as two of my old contractors have got new contracts over the weekend, after previously being subjects of the global recession. Both contracts are considerably long term as well so they’re here to stay, after one and four months out of the game respectively. Last week, the BBC was reporting on certain economic barometers which show...

It’s only a game!

Fri, 08 May 2009 12:50:00 GMT

See the title of this blog to identify my wife’s most common phrase and one which demonstrates that even after all these years has still not grasped how important football is to me. It has taken a few days but I am finally coming to terms with the fact that we will not be making an appearance in the Champions...

Word of mouth

Thu, 07 May 2009 17:29:00 GMT

It’s nearly the end of the week and time is flying by. I have been trying really hard to squeeze the five day workload into the four days. The start to the financial year has been great for Tarpon with the new deals coming in thick and fast. Some of my contractors who have been out of contract, have also started...

And I thought I had the best job in the world!

Wed, 06 May 2009 16:50:00 GMT

Nearly 4 months after the Paradise Island caretaker job was advertised, Tourism Queensland have finally announced they have got their man. And it wasn't me! This had been billed as "The best job in the world" and I can see why. Ben Southall is from the UK and he was selected for the job, out of over 34,000 potential candidates who...

On the up

Tue, 05 May 2009 17:29:00 GMT

So it's been another busy day after yet another bank holiday weekend, not that i'm complaining. I'm getting quite used to these long weekends now and am very much looking forward to another one at the end of the month. Most of the weekend was nice, not that being roped into helping the father in law with his garden renovations was...

Safer on foot?

Fri, 01 May 2009 11:30:00 GMT

It’s good to hear that Usain Bolt is in good health after his recent car crash in the week. Usain’s only injury was a result of stepping out of his car onto some thorns, but he has now had a minor operation to remove the thorns that were embedded into his talented feet. The world's fastest man had the accident in...

Mensa Marvel

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:44:00 GMT

I was reading today that a two year old girl, Elise from Edmonton, North London, has become the youngest member ever to join the Mensa society. Elise Tan Roberts can read 'mummy' and 'daddy', can recite the alphabet, has learned nearly all the capitals of the countries and can count to ten in Spanish. Elise has an IQ of 156 which...

Wall Street back with a bang

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:57:00 GMT

One of my favourite films from the eighties is set to have a sequel made, twenty two years after the original motion picture was released. In 1987, Michael Douglas hit the silver screen as Gordon Gekko, a powerful and ruthless investor, to deliver a fantastic Oscar winning performance. Both original director Oliver Stone and Michael Douglas have both confirmed that they...

Opt in or out

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 16:02:00 GMT

The UK has managed to resist the removal of the EU working time directive meaning it will remain in place despite attempts by the European Parliament. As most of our contractors well know the 'opt out form' provided by many of the agencies out there has helped them work in excess (some more so than others) of the proposed 48...

Rotten swine

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 11:45:00 GMT

I was shocked to read about “Swine Flu” over the weekend. I logged onto BBC for a catch up at the weekend, and I could not believe my eyes. I guess, the whole world seems to be panicking and I just read on the Contract News Centre that it’s already affecting shares in several industries. I saw this morning that the one...

Close enough

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:57:00 GMT

With a couple of Bank Holidays on the horizon in May, it is the time of the year for us all to decide if we are going to brave the rush of holiday makers and escape the country for some fun in the sunshine. Many of the low cost Airlines are running promotions and offering “cheap seats” all over Europe...

Vicious circle

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:13:00 GMT

Alastair Darling has been doing his best to defend the budget, claiming that the country will return to economic growth by the end of the tax year. Jobs and training have been guaranteed for the under 25's who have been out of work for a year, which will be encouraging for youngsters. My parents will be over the moon as pensioners...

An Anfield classic

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:21:00 GMT

Did anyone see the football last night? Arsenal took on Liverpool at Anfield last night in an attempt at keeping our faintest title hopes alive. It goes some way to forgetting the pain of the weekend when Arsenal were dumped out of the FA Cup by Chelsea at Wembley. New signing Andrey Arshavin bagged four goals in an incredible game, that...

Speed limits

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:45:00 GMT

I heard on the radio on the way to work that proposals have been put in place to reduce the speed limits on our roads. This would mean some residential areas may be reduced from 30mph to 20mph and rural roads from 60mph to 50mph. They say this will be targeted at specific problem areas aimed at reducing accidents. With...

Hot expenses

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 17:34:00 GMT

It's a late entry today as I've had the chance to abuse the sun whilst working. Every month, one of my contractors is asked to save their receipts for a week to back up the expenses they submit online. The contractors never mind doing it because it ensures we can maintain our leading dispensation. It's a manual check so I made my...

What it Boyles down to

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 12:54:00 GMT

I’m looking forward to the continuation of Britain’s Got Talent this Saturday after it started again last week and I am already wondering if we have already seen the winner with the peoples champion, Susan Boyle. What made her performance of I Dreamed a Dream, from Les Miserable’s so amazing was that it was so unexpected. The BGT team do a...

Guest speaker

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:54:00 GMT

You may have seen from our recent campaigns that Tarpon have invited Dave Chaplin to speak at this month's Contractor's event. For those who don't know, Dave is the CEO and founder of www.ContractorCalculator.co.uk 2009 has been a difficult period for everybody including contractors, so Dave will be sharing how he survived as a contractor during the previous recession. Dave...

Easter weekend hits the spot

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:20:00 GMT

The long easter weekend has been and gone and I loved it. The extra 2 days are always nice and it was a real family weekend for us in the Bartram household. There was amazing food, easter television and even an easter egg hunt for the kids on Sunday. The weather was a bit hit and miss, but when the sun...

Bad coin

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 12:54:00 GMT

I heard this morning that one in five of our pound coins in circulation could turn out to be fake. In 1997, there were 97,000 fake coins found in circulation compared to the 270,000 found in the last quarter of 2008. There could be as many as 73 million fake coins in our midst, although that is made up of...

Face transplant

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 17:13:00 GMT

It was only a month ago that I updated my blog about a blind man being fitted with a bionic eye enabling him to see again after 30 years. Well today a leading French surgeon has claimed he has effectively carried out a full face transplant. The first partial face transplantation happened in 2005 and since then several operations have taken...

New tax year resolution

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:02:00 GMT

As expected, my horse was no where to be seen. The little fella on Cloudy Lane’s back waited til 5 others had fallen off before he decided to take a tumble and it looked painful as well. I know hindsight is a beautiful thing, but wouldn’t it have been lovely to have had a little flutter on the 100-1. Anyway, back...

The stakes are high

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:46:00 GMT

Well maybe not so high, £1 to be exact. This is the price I paid in return for my sweepstake entry in tomorrow's Grand National. In all honesty this is the only horse race I would even contemplate watching in the year and it even turns into a bit of a family affair with all of us gathered around the telly...

Secret tax haven

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 16:33:00 GMT

Gordon Brown had the privelage of announcing the measures on behalf of the G20, totalling an unbelievable $1.1 trillion. The measures included the IMF receiving the majority of the funds to help countries with troubled economies and a crackdown on tax havens to prevent the loss of sorely needed tax revenue. The crackdown on tax havens can only be good news for...

One foot in the finals?

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:46:00 GMT

I'm so excited as England prepare to take on the Ukraine in a bid to make it five out of five. Having not qualified for the European Championships last year, makes it all the more important for me. We had been so used to qualifying for the Euros and World Cup, that it made it more difficult to watch last year,...

April Fool

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 16:41:00 GMT

With April fools day approaching, I will be on extra alert for any jokes being played at my expense. I'm sure there will be the usual story in one of the national newspapers that has been made up as a prank with many people not even realising. I'm anticipating my kids playing their annual joke or two like tying...

Expense blunder

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:19:00 GMT

It seems that the politicians can't keep out of the limelight at the moment when it comes to their expense claims. You've got to feel sorry for the Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, who was caught for submitting expense claims for 'adult films'. These 'indecent' expenses were highlighted when Mrs. Smith had claimed for a TV subscription, when actually trying to claim...

What an Eiffel

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 11:56:00 GMT

Friday is usually steak and chips day down at our local tavern, a little indulgence on a Friday lunchtime after a hard week in the office. It's the least I can treat myself too but I have surpassed even my own expectations today with the addition of my gym bag.This is an exclusive item that only usually makes an...

Apprentice returns

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 15:17:00 GMT

I’m really excited about Wednesday evenings again as ‘The Apprentice’ is back. I can't believe it's been a year since the last series when Lee McQueen who became famous for his ‘reverse pterodactyl’ impression, won the competitive title.There are fifteen contestants this time as someone ‘bottled out’ just before the programme started. He was chosen from thousands of applicants,...

Politician expenses

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:14:00 GMT

I thought Tarpon's expenses dispensation were impressive but politicians expenses take some beating. Then again, I'm sure contractors would not want their expense claims publicised in the national press like the politicians have been. All MP's (apart from the 25 represent inner London constituencies) can claim £24,500 a year towards the cost of staying away from home while on parliamentary...

The cheapest car in the world

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:08:00 GMT

If my car could only get up to 43 miles an hour, I think I would have to add another 40-45 minutes to my commute into work every day. This top speed is just one of the specs that the new Tata Nano boasts. The Indian car firm has just released the world’s cheapest car and along with a top speed...

Green fingers

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:02:00 GMT

The weather has finally taken a turn for the better and the dark, cold trip home after work has been replaced by a scenic trip home in the gleaming sunshine. It’s amazing how different life is during the change of seasons and we will be able to make the most out of our evenings even more when the clocks go...

The King Of pop

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 13:37:00 GMT

I don’t know about you, but I am very excited about Michael Jackson touring again. Apparently it will be his last tour in the UK and for his fans a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the King of pop do, what he is best at. . I have been trying so hard to get tickets but have been unsuccessful...

Bolt from the blue

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 17:33:00 GMT

World 100 metre champion Usain Bolt has agreed that he will be coming to the UK to run a 150 metre street race in Manchester on May 17th. It will be the world champion's first race in Europe since capturing the record and will take on 2 British sprinters live on the BBC. I'm sure I read recently that a certain...

University fees

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:45:00 GMT

I saw in the news that the Government and universities are looking at increasing tuition fees. It has also been proposed that the universities could ultimately decide on how much they charge in fees depending on the course taken, which I can see causing an uproar with the student population. Can you imagine the overall debt, students will be facing when...

Handover

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 15:55:00 GMT

One of our Business Managers was told last week, that she will be seconded to another team to cover a colleague, whilst on maternity leave. Congratulations to you by the way, Sarah. However, this now means she has to pass her contractors out to the other Business Managers who have the capacity. It’s amazing how much information Sarah has collected about...

Comic Relief fun

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 14:01:00 GMT

It's comic relief and I'm dressed in red to support the good cause. I’m in my only red t-shirt and I am giving the spurs fans a run for their money, of course I won’t wear it again until next year. My kids took my change, as they were going to be sponsoring various comic relief events set by the school....

Easy, easy, easy!

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 11:46:00 GMT

So another good night for English football was brought to a close by Arsenal’s emphatic victory against Roma, it was never in doubt and I was not worried for a single minute. Well, o.k, maybe after 10 mins when Roma equalised to make it 1-1, I was a little worried and did I mention that the emphatic victory actually meant...

English clubs to dominate Europe?

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:30:00 GMT

As you may have gathered by now, I'm an avid football fan. Last night, saw the first two English clubs progress in to the quarter finals of the Champions League, with Liverpool's thumping of Real Madrid and Chelsea securing the draw they needed in Turin. Tonight sees Arsenal and Manchester United take on Roma and Inter Milan respectively, as the Premier...

What an achievement

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 11:37:00 GMT

The 9 celebrity climbers who conquered Mount Kilimanjaro at the weekend are now back home, enjoying the luxuries of a toilet and a bath. I have to take my hat off to them, having to experience vertigo, injury, exhaustion and acute altitude sickness, not only as they were raising money for charity but also from a personal point of view. It...

Lottery winner?

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 17:15:00 GMT

Unfortunately not, I’ve just been really busy with real work that the blog is extra late this afternoon. I’ve had a massive 4 referrals to bring on board today from just one of my contractors, which has kept me quiet all day. Current contractors will have seen the cheque style flyer in their payslips over the last couple of weeks, reminding...

Money for Nothing

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 16:53:00 GMT

It's not often that the Chancellor interests me, maybe except for the odd contrast between his hair and his eyebrows. Anyway, I found Tarpon's news article today oddly interesting. It was all about quantative easing - I'm not trying to pretend I know all about it but basically the Bank of England is going to go on to it's online account...

Business manager of the month

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 15:10:00 GMT

We had our monthly incentive meeting today. The meeting concludes with a 'business manager of the month' presentation - an internal incentive programme designed to encourage team spirit and team bonding as well as encouraging individuals to excel beyond their roles. We are encouraged to nominate our fellow colleagues whom we believe to have gone beyond their duty to contractors.Well,...

The bionic man

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 17:31:00 GMT

I read today that a man who lost his sight 30 years ago has been fitted with a bionic eye. This has enabled him to be able to follow white lines on a road, as well as sort the colours of his own socks! It uses a camera and video processor, which is attached to a tiny receiver on the...

Red Nose Day Plans

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 14:00:00 GMT

Its great to see everyone club together and do something for charity at any time of the year but Red Nose Day is always a great event as everyone gets involved and does something abit mad and out of the ordinary. With just over a week to go the plans have already started for this years events. There's always lots...

Too long in the tooth

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 14:37:00 GMT

I’ve always thought that I am a pretty good Dad, I do the kids homework with them, play games with them, bath them and pretty much find that most of my time outside of work is devoted to ensuring they are the recipients of my love and affection (apart from that occasional romantic meal with my wife once a year...

Cup half empty or half full?

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 10:27:00 GMT

Despite their struggles in the league, this week signalled a big one for our beloved neighbours and a chance for Harry Redknapp to bring home some silverware in his first year in charge. I still struggle to comprehend the need to rest players at the expense of getting knocked out of competitions, although I’m pretty sure that opinion is probably...

Rental prices drop

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:49:00 GMT

I was speaking to one of my contractors today, who was contemplating renting a property as he was starting a year's contract, 350 miles away from his house. He wanted to know more about claiming rental property as a business expense as opposed to staying in a bed and breakfast. I advised him that he would only need to show us...

Council tax on the rise

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 13:03:00 GMT

It's been anounced this morning, that council tax is set to rise in England again this year, by an average of 3%. This is the lowest increase in council tax in the last 10 years, although is still higher than the rate of inflation. Many ministers had said that there was no need for excessive rises in council tax, because savings...

The Special One

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:14:00 GMT

I am going to miss my beloved Arsenal on the box as Man.Utd have taken the ITV slot tonight. I'll catch the highlights later tonight, which will mean that I lose an hour or two of sleep, but I really hope it's worth it. I'll have to setlle for the Man Utd game as Ferguson and The Special One...

Oscars monopolise

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:39:00 GMT

It would seem that the Oscars have completely overshadowed any ‘real news’ over the last couple of days. I haven’t seen any footage yet, but I’ve been reading about the show and the winners all over the internet this morning.Hugh Jackman presented it and apparently did a great job. He paid particular comical attention to comparing the acting range...

A thing or two about fashion

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 09:32:00 GMT

As with many companies, Friday is dress down day and an opportunity to end the week in some comfortable clothes with the weekend just around the corner. This should be a good thing but oh no, not for me. I still maintain that my black and green stripey jumper is the height of fashion but after a collection of comments ranging...

Travel fares or taxes?

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:14:00 GMT

It's lucky that our contractors can claim back all their travel expenses, especially when I hear that train fares in Britain are 50% higher than they are in Europe. The government say that we would have to pay an extra £500m in taxes if we wanted train fares to be aligned with our counterparts. The train companies argue that the money...

The Brits are back

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 16:36:00 GMT

The final preparations are being tended to at this evening's Brit awards at Earls Court. Britsh bands are set to play a large part in this evenings awards such as Coldplay and Duffy who are all up for nominations. I think I might actually watch this one, as I've heard that there are going to be performances from two of my...

Premium bond winner alert

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:25:00 GMT

Last night saw Eduardo's return for Arsenal after that fateful tackle nearly a year ago, even Wenger wasn't sure whether he would make a comeback. Thankfully he proved everyone wrong and made a great return, scoring twice against Cardiff. I heard this morning that National Savings & Investments (NS & I) have advised that they have £30m of unclaimed prizes with...

The steaks are too high

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:43:00 GMT

Following on from Thursday's blog, I managed to impress Mrs Bartram with a delightful steak dinner, it was cooked to perfection, even if I say so myself. Along with a single red rose, my valentine was very happy.

I spoke to a few colleagues and friends about their various exploitations and the "staying in and cooking a meal" option...

Friday the 13th

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 09:21:00 GMT

So far so good for me, the roads were clear this morning, my wife presented me with bacon and eggs when I woke up (now that just never happens, looking for a nice valentines present me thinks) and all of my agencies have paid as they promised they would. Researchers say that people who see themselves as unlucky should actually stay...

Valentine treat

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 15:54:00 GMT

One of my contractor's told me he was taking tomorrow off because he was taking his wife out on a romantic Valentine weekend to Venice. He had bought the mini break through the benefits package that he is entitled to as a Tarpon contractor. Yes, it’s that time of the year again and it’s hard not to forget when you...

Part-time Manager

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 10:13:00 GMT

Following the departure of "Big Phil" Scolari from Chelsea on Monday afternoon, it looks like Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich has turned to his friend Guus Hiddink to take temporary charge of the beleagured former Premier League Champions. Chelski have sought permission from the Russian FA to appoint Guus as Chelsea manager until the end of the season. Hiddink, who is contracted...

Great British weather

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:04:00 GMT

As we say goodbye to the snow, we welcome the rain. If anyone wanted to get a real taste of British weather then this is the month. Last week, I was battling the roads with the snow and ice but today I had to get through the floods on the way to work. Its really been a heavy storm with most...

Winter Break

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:22:00 GMT

The weekend finally brought the upside of any work-hindering snow. I had a really good time on Saturday constructing an absolute masterpiece of a snowman in the back garden, all for the kids' sake, honest! This really was the highlight of an otherwise pretty quiet weekend. TV held out to be my only other source of entertainment with the BAFTA's and Arsenal...

I do not believe it

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 18:03:00 GMT

My journey this morning was an absolute nightmare and to make matters worse, I did not even make it into work. Firstly, I slipped in the snow, whilst trying to get into my car. I then got covered in even more snow as I tried to wipe it from the windscreen and windows. I then sat in my car to find...

Wow and how cool is that

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 14:12:00 GMT

I managed to get into work today, albeit three hours later, just in time to hear that interest rates have been lowered to one per cent. It's great news as it means more savings to go into the holiday pot. The kids were excited as there was no school again today and with the weather predicted to worsen tomorrow they...

Milan in for Becks

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:30:00 GMT

Speculation has been rife recently, following the rumours that Milan wanted to make David Beckham's loan move to AC Milan, a permanent one. On 21st December 2008, Beckham arrived in Milan for his medical, trying to keep up his fitness while the MLS were on their end of season break. Just 6 weeks after arriving in Milan, David Beckham's lawyers are...

Woolworths reborn

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 15:02:00 GMT

With the snow still causing disruption across the country it was great to hear some good news and what better than to hear our much missed Woolworths will soon be reborn. After it went into administration in November with more than 800 stores closing over the Christmas period it looked like Woolworths would soon be long gone and eventually forgotten....

Snow way to work today

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 10:07:00 GMT

As I think of what to write about in today’s blog , my eyes wonder out of the window in the corner of my eye, leaving only one subject at the forefront of my mind.Honestly, it’s like Narnia out there. The heavy snow is what everyone here’s talking about; Love it or hate it, it’s always going to cause a...

Motivational techniques

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 14:42:00 GMT

I was amused to read that Newcastle Charles N’Zogbia has said that he will never play for Newcastle United again whilst Joe Kinnear remains the manager as he claims that the Newcastle boss deliberately insulted him. Apparently, Joe Kinnear mispronounced his name on a number of occasions during an interview and was calling him Charles Insomnia (one can only presume in...

Job security

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:28:00 GMT

I read a report this morning, which highlighted the ten most safest jobs during the recession, yes, there are some jobs, which as they say are ‘recession proof’. Teaching was on top of the list followed by working for the NHS. IT was on the list too which is great news for the majority of our contractors. In the words of...

Murray fizzles out in the heat

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:28:00 GMT

There were high hopes for Andy Murray going in to this year's first Grand Slam event in Melbourne. He has started this season off in the winning mood and was also seen as a good bet to win the Australian Open despite being seeded number 4. I've been enjoying the odd bit of tennis that I have been able to see...

Octuplets mad house

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:47:00 GMT

There was me saying last week that twins could be a blessing in disguise, well I take it all back as I heard on the radio this morning that a lady in the US gave birth to octuplets. Sometimes I feel our house is like a mad house with two kids, the dog, the cat as well as my kid's mates,...

Evolution is a fact

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:36:00 GMT

I've just come out of the briefing for this month's upcoming Evolution event in London and am rather looking forward to it. If you didn't already know, we have a little get together with some of our existing contractors on a monthly basis. Generally in and around the City area, it gives contractors the opportunity to meet their Business Managers, network...

New additions

Fri, 23 Jan 2009 11:12:00 GMT

It’s exciting times here at Tarpon as two members of staff are sporting bellies bigger than mine, but for perfectly legitimate reasons given the fact that they are both expecting babies.Knowing that I work quite closely with both of them I was a little worried that I could be on the wrong end of some maternity related hormones, but I...

My dream job

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 13:50:00 GMT

One of my contractors was telling me about a 'contract' he had seen recently for The Great Barrier Reef, Australia. There are no formal qualifications required, just the ability to swim, snorkel and sail. The salary on offer is an amazing £70,000 in a rent free villa. The job spec included writing blogs and making video diaries to attract tourists...

Expenses vote shelved

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:38:00 GMT

I've been reading today that the Government have decided to shelve plans to vote on detailed expenses being published for MP's. MP's had been asked to submit specific details, on all expenses for their second homes. Last year's total expenses claim for MP's was in excess of £80m. MP's had wanted only to submit a figure for the year, without...

Barack Obama's contract

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:21:00 GMT

Looks like Barack Obama has taken all the headlines today as he prepares for his official inaugral ceremony. If you think about it, it's a bit like when a contractor starts a new role at a new site and receives a week ‘handover’ from the guy that’s leaving to finally go on that backpacking adventure that he always promised himself. I...

Happy Mondays

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Mondays are definitely the busiest day of the week for me and it's that time of month where invoices need to be chased in order for funds to come in before the January payday next week.I’ve also called two brand new contractors that have recently joined the Tarpon revolution for their new roles. They need to know how to...

Virtual reality

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 12:05:00 GMT

When I was a kid the highlight of my kiddie-hood was rolling marbles and kicking a football around. There was nothing better than scoring a goal between the posts constructed of a couple of grubby jumpers and nothing else was needed.Fast forward 20 years and picture this...My wife walks into our front room and is greeted by my 6 year...

It's good to talk

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 13:54:00 GMT

I was speaking to one of my contractors today about his extension as his rate had been reduced. A few of my contractors have had their contract extended albeit at a reduced rate and have had to accept a pay cut rather than leave the contract and try to find another. Another one of my contractors wasn’t so lucky as...

Worth his weight in gold?

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 12:35:00 GMT

I've been reading this morning that Manchester City have reportedly sent their advisors over to Milan, to open negotiations with AC Milan over the possible transfer of Brazilian superstar Kaka to Eastlands for the cool sum of one hundred million pounds! On top of that, they are reportedly set to offer him five hundred thousand pounds per week! I really love...

And here's one I made earlier...

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:31:00 GMT

As I walked through the door last night, before I could even take my shoes off, my daughter handed me a variety of different patterned pieces of paper asking me to pick which one I thought was the best. It turns out that Blue Peter is running a competition to design the new 50 pence piece with the winning design helping...

Now that’s what I call a blog

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 14:42:00 GMT

After a wonderfully dull weekend consisting of too little to report on and a busy old morning arranging my weekly contractors’ pay, I have only just had the chance to catch up on the news…. And through the now standard, gloomy forecasts on the economy, was a little story that caused a good old chat in the Tarpon head office.Probably...

Goals for 2009

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 14:09:00 GMT

I’ll always remember before we broke up for Christmas in 2006 at my previous company, our Director standing up in front of us with a statement that originally made me question his sanity but has since stuck with me and has now become part of my yearly routine. “Cut out pictures of everything you want to achieve in the year ahead...

January blues

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 14:32:00 GMT

Last night we took the Christmas decorations down, which always makes me feel sad because I love the festive period. I also relayed my worst fears by weighing myself and finding out I had gained six pounds. My January blues seem to be getting worse, what with the weight gain, the freezing cold weather and with no bank holiday in...

The big freeze

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:14:00 GMT

It was touching minus eleven in some places last night and I can't quite remember a period of such cold weather for quite some time. Scraping the windscreen twice a day on my car is not my idea of fun either. With the big freeze set to continue into the weekend, it gives me a chance to try out my three...

Struggling first week

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:38:00 GMT

Its the first full working week back and even though I was working over Christmas and the New Year it feels like it should be the end of the week already. For those who had been off since Christmas Eve you can see they wished the week was over. The holiday forms have also been making an appearance as everyone...

New Year's resolutions

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:31:00 GMT

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Train fares up: Happy new year contractors...

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 14:14:00 GMT

Happy new year all!I could not believe it when I awoke this morning. One day off definitely does not seem long enough to recover. Now, it’s all back to the normal routine. On the upside, I did think it was Monday until about 10 o’clock this morning when I was kindly reminded that it’s the weekend again tomorrow – Another...

Out with 2008

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 11:44:00 GMT

Just as life was getting simpler... Another party. It’s not that I don’t enjoy drinking and eating, but this is just getting silly now – I’m sure this is the seventh day in the last ten that I have not been allowed to just tuck the kids in and get into bed early. It turns out that we will be hosting...

Contractors chat online

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:43:00 GMT

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but one of the features below the blog is a ‘chat with Alex’ option. Basically, if you ever wanted to ask a couple of informal questions, or generally chat about contracting or Tarpon – I’ve got a little messenger gizmo on my screen here where you can start a chat with me.Of course, I...

Business as usual

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 14:51:00 GMT

I’m back! Four stone heavier and still feeling a little ropey for the experience. Christmas is over and invoices need raising, so here I am.There’s only skeleton staff in the office, so I'm finding myself covering five other Business Managers and all of their contractors. Although, it’s not as bad as it could have been as it seems the majority...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 10:45:00 GMT

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Snowmageddon

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 09:48:00 GMT

So Canada has been hit by a countrywide snowfall - a first since 1971 - what a white Christmas for them. Although, it's being referred to as the Snowmageddon by the Canadians. It would be great to have some snow here in time for Christmas day. The kids would love it as it would be a day of being...

The morning after...

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 12:31:00 GMT

So, as mentioned in my last blog, it was the Tarpon Christmas Party on Friday and in all honesty, it went off without so much as a hitch. I think I wanted to at least see one set of rosie cheeks in the office this morning, but everyone was pretty well behaved considering the number of Mojito's that were...

New Year... Healthy you?

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 10:01:00 GMT

I attended the gym for the last time this year today and that’s official! We are lucky enough to have a gym opposite our offices so there are no excuses really. Having satisfied myself that I can squeeze into my superhero costume for tonight’s Christmas party, I am pretty satisfied with a job well done.The Government states that we should...

Endowment bombshell

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 15:01:00 GMT

My parents only live round the corner from us so I popped in on the way home last night just to see what they were up to. I never know what to get them for Christmas so I thought I would try and find out what they might want. Before I could talk about Christmas presents, my dad told me...

Christmas party

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 10:53:00 GMT

December is always a hectic month, both at work and socially. Trying to find time to meet up with family and friends is always difficult, but is something that I really look forward to. At least it's nearly time for us all to relax and enjoy our Christmas party. All the preparations have been made and this year will...

Christmas news

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:08:00 GMT

As Christmas gets closer and closer you would expect the news to be filled with cheer and laughter such as this years battle for the Christmas number one and the chance of snow this Christmas. Yet today, with only just over a week to go the news is filled with stories of pensioners being overpaid, the scandal of strictly...

BBC: Sports personality and a scandal

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 11:39:00 GMT

So another weekend flashes before my eyes and we’re yet another step closer to Christmas. In an attempt not to spend any more money following the Christmas exploits on top of everything else, TV ruled the household this weekend. After the scandals of BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing where literally nothing progressed and the grand finale of X Factor, I managed...

Woolworths sale of the century

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:40:00 GMT

Today sees the start of the Woolworths sale, as their administrators are pushing to boost sales between now and Christmas by offering heavily discounted prices on many lines of stock. Woolworths opened its first shop in 1909 and has grown ever since. It sounds strange when they are talking about closing down sales for these shops as they are something...

Indian summer

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 10:45:00 GMT

Winter is officially here so it's time for the hats, gloves and scarves to come out. The one thing I dislike about the winter months is scraping the ice off the car in the mornings. No such problems for the England cricket team! The England cricket team returned to India on Monday, to complete their winter tour, with the...

Retail slump

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:13:00 GMT

I heard on the news this morning that retail sales were down 0.4% in November compared to last year. I found this hard to believe as everytime we've been shopping this year, we''ve struggled with car parking spaces and faced countless queues in all the stores. I'm sure retailers will be happier over the next 2 weeks in the run...

Home sweet home

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 16:29:00 GMT

We had some friends over at the weekend and to ensure we were all able to enjoy a bottle of Vino, they stayed over. As the number of people staying (including the kids) was substantially bigger than the available space available in our spare room, we had to resort to blowing up the never used inflatable bed.“Self Inflating” it said...

Lowering the interest

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 10:47:00 GMT

So, the Bank of England announced yesterday that they will be cutting interest rates to their lowest levels for more than half a century! Interest rates are now down to 2% - the lowest since 1951. It’s nice to see that something is being done during these uncertain times. I have my fingers crossed that the gas and electricity companies will...

The wonders of technology

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 15:15:00 GMT

I was running late today whilst dropping Charlotte off at school - it's amazing what a little bit of rain does to our roads. I felt sorry for this old lady who was calling for help from her mobile phone because her car had broken down. It did make me wonder how people survived before mobiles phones were invented(?) I...

Banking bailout

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 12:43:00 GMT

My wife was trying to make subtle hints this morning about her Christmas present – it was as subtle as a brick. To be honest, it was a blessing in disguise because I had totally forgotten. Now, not only I am thinking what to buy, but most importantly – how am I going to afford it? I wish I could practise...

Mobile saviour

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:18:00 GMT

A bombshell was dropped in front of me at the breakfast table this morning; it was the kid's Christmas list! It seemed more like the entire contents of a Curry's catologue, to include an iPod, mobile phone and Playstation 3 along, 5 games, etc.I was building up the courage to tell my kids that Santa would only be buying them...

Bragging rights

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 15:39:00 GMT

I am still buzzing from the weekend; I went to Stamford Bridge yesterday and watched my beloved Arsenal give Chelsea a lesson in how to play football. So, the first thing I had to do this morning was to remind a couple of Chelsea supporters at work. My hot streak continued as Bill, one of my contractors, wanted to...

Christmas every day?

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 13:23:00 GMT

Does Christmas start earlier every year? The first clue is when the adverts will try and convince you that a doll is worth spending £80 on and this is usually closely followed by the dulcet jingles in Asda and Woolworths!My reminder came today, whilst advising one of my contractors of the great discounted vouchers available to Tarpon contractors (Argos, Next,...

Eat, drink and be merry

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 13:50:00 GMT

We held our monthly networking event for contractors last night. I really wanted to go but ended up babysitting because my wife went to her aerobics class. I even tried bribing her by offering to cook a romantic meal but she wasn't having any of it.One of my contractors phoned this morning to say how much he had enjoyed meeting...

Pre Budget joy for contractors

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 15:46:00 GMT

I spent the best part of yesterday telling my contractors how much they were going to receive in their pay packets. I also used this opportunity to tell them about the fantastic news from the Pre Budget Report. The Chancellor had stated that contractors could continue claiming travel expenses as long as they were audited and policed. Whilst we're on the subject, auditing contractor's expenses has to be...

Me, myself and Tarpon

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 14:08:00 GMT

Do you ever get the feeling that you should keep quiet when your manager asks for ideas? We were having a brainstorming session in our team meeting a couple of weeks ago and our manager asked, "Is there anything else Tarpon can do to improve our services for contractors?" I had a great idea and thought here was my big...