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While I’m not one of the truly deranged women who lust after Luigi Mangione, the alleged “fiery killer” of an American health insurance boss, the story of the New York attack struck a chord with me after a frustrating experience with my insurance company. .
Last Wednesday morning a leak occurred in a water pipe located in the cupboard under the stairs. Fortunately, my son heard a hiss and when we opened the door we discovered a stream coming out of a pipe, pooling on the floor and beginning to leak dangerously into the hallway.
Our regular plumber wasn’t answering his phone, so in complete panic I Googled “Emergency Plumber” and found Swift Plumber. They told me the cost of the call and that they would send someone to us within 30 minutes.
But they didn’t tell me, nor did I ask them, because my brain was frozen with terror that the house was going to flood right before Christmas, what the hourly wage would be. It turned out to be a staggering £289.
The total cost of what was a small job was astronomical, but I consoled myself with the thought that it was surely something my construction insurance would pay for. Where did I get that stupid idea?
As anyone who has ever tried to get some money from insurers knows, they will always find a good reason why the problem doesn’t qualify.
A flood in my home left me with a staggering £289 bill for an emergency plumber, writes ALEXANDRA SHULMAN
Last Wednesday morning a leak occurred in a water pipe located in the cupboard under the stairs. But our insurance would not cover the costs (file photo)
In this case, Aviva explained that it does not insure repair work but only damage.
Also, I wouldn’t cover pipes that were 18 years old because the problem would be “general wear and tear.” I don’t live in a pile of old, rotten things that haven’t been looked at for many decades. What world do you live in where everyone gets their pipes replaced every few years?
I had naively assumed I was pretty well prepared with an Aviva policy. But it appears that refusing payment for recovery work is common practice in the insurance industry.
Will Daniel pass the gay hero test?
The new screen hero isn’t pumped full of testosterone and making out with a conveyor belt of beautiful women, but rather a tormented, openly gay guy.
Homosexual relationships have long been acceptable material in movies, while in the real world gay stars have been forced to remain in the closet for decades. Not anymore.
One of the most moving films of the year was All Of Us Strangers, the story of the love story between two men, played by Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott.
In the new Netflix series Black Doves, Ben Whishaw plays a lethal “shooter man” who is having a hard time balancing his ability to kill with his desire to get back together with his boyfriend, now a father.
Now Queer has been released with Daniel Craig, who in real life is straight, swapping Bond for the lead role as a gay American expatriate roaming the streets.
Daniel Craig attends the ‘Queer’ gala screening at The Curzon Mayfair on December 10
Whishaw has questioned whether straight men can accurately portray gay characters, stating in an interview with The Guardian that “a small moment of hesitation or inauthenticity” can prevent you from believing in the characters.
Will Craig pass his test?
This is a long-standing debate in the LGBTQ+ community. Surely the time will soon come when the question is whether a gay man can accurately represent a heterosexual.
Lunch should never be at the desk, Kemi.
Kemi Badenoch says she doesn’t eat lunch. Or to be exact, some guy might have lunch, but it will be at his desk. She just doesn’t have time.
How wrong. Everyone should have time for lunch. One of the most successful politicians of his time, Labour’s Roy Jenkins, always made time for lunch, accompanied by a bottle of good claret.
Lunches with other people are one of the most valuable ways to spend time.
Some of the most important things in my life began over lunch: a job offer, a love story, a book deal, a lasting friendship. That doesn’t happen when you’re sitting at your desk making phone calls or doing your paperwork.
And some of the most interesting information I’ve gathered took place over lunch. People blurt things out at the lunch table that they’ll never bring up in a meeting room.
Lunch is a curious kind of safe space. It is not as dangerous or as big a commitment as dinner.
Maybe as time goes by, Kemi will discover that lunch is a secret weapon, not a waste of time.
Take some time for this gem of an exhibition.
Time is the theme of the little gem of an exhibition at London’s Wallace Collection showing an astonishing collection of clocks created by André-Charles Boulle, Louis XIV’s cabinetmaker.
Following the discovery of the weighted pendulum, which allowed for greater precision, clocks had to be housed with their heavy pendulums in a structure, hence these magnificent examples.
It is a beautiful exhibition that, in its display of such craftsmanship, sadly shows how tragic it is that beautiful, intricate watches are no longer designed, and that most of us now track the passage of time on absolutely unexceptional looking smartphones. .
I was wrong about Chanel’s new man
Hands up. I made a mistake. I’ve been telling everyone who was interested (and some who weren’t) that Matthieu Blazy would not be joining Chanel as its creative director. However, that appointment has just been announced.
In his previous role at Bottega Veneta, the 40-year-old Franco-Belgian designed delightful clothing and accessories, but I didn’t think he had the big personality that Chanel was looking for to head up this multi-million-dollar brand.
My apologies to him and congratulations.