Category Archives: Personal rant

On 6th May, remember – did your SCC member support the Lowestoft Record Office?

Posted on April 21, 2021 by G. A. Michael Sims

Today I received a letter from the Conservative Party urging me to use my postal vote to support their two candidates for the Lowestoft South Division of the Suffolk County Council on 6th May. The trouble is that the concept … Continue reading →

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RIP Prince Philip

Posted on April 9, 2021 by G. A. Michael Sims

Very sad news that His Royal Highness Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh has died today, a Royal with a true sense of duty in his support of our Queen. He may have been a little outspoken at times but … Continue reading →

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Derek J. K. Sims, RIP

Posted on May 9, 2020 by G. A. Michael Sims

We had a somewhat erratic early childhood both of us being witness to domestic violence. Many years later I asked him how much he remembered of that and he said ‘quite a lot’ but we never otherwise discussed it. Perhaps … Continue reading →

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Lowestoft Record Office

Posted on February 2, 2020 by G. A. Michael Sims

Now that the Lowestoft Record Office as we had come to know it has closed and the start of the transfer of the contents of the strong room to Ipswich is imminent, it makes one wonder how the decision makers … Continue reading →

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Time for a coalition

Posted on June 22, 2017 by G. A. Michael Sims

The negotiations with the European Union are too important to be left to one political party and it is surely time for all parties to share their expertise to reach the best deal for us. The Conservative Party is not … Continue reading →

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Amazon Marketplace and VAT

Posted on March 21, 2017 by G. A. Michael Sims

Amazon Marketplace sellers registered for VAT are missing a trick by not saying so. I sell books and I am registered for VAT. Because books are zero rated I don’t have to charge VAT but because I am registered I … Continue reading →

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Brexit and the Electoral Commission

Posted on July 11, 2016 by G. A. Michael Sims

As one who had voted to remain I was disappointed with the result in June of the UK referendum to leave the European Union (Brexit) but was philosophical enough to accept the opinion of the majority and was prepared to … Continue reading →

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Let’s abolish stock images

Posted on January 6, 2015 by G. A. Michael Sims

The older I get the more grumpy I become about ‘stock images’. When buying second-hand books on the internet I like to be able to read an accurate description, which includes details of all the faults, and also view an … Continue reading →

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Lost in transit – to track or not to track?

Posted on November 28, 2014 by G. A. Michael Sims

Richard Moffatt, of Poor Richard’s Books just ‘down the road’ from me at Felixstowe writes in this week’s Sheppard’s Confidential: “I recently sent, by surface mail, two modern first editions, signed, and collectable, to a buyer in China. They never … Continue reading →

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Royal Mail – Visible economy shipping please!

Posted on September 1, 2014 by G. A. Michael Sims

Booksellers (and book-buyers), do you have customers (or relations) in Iraq, Iran, India or Pakistan? If so when you agree to ship using Royal Mail’s ‘International Economy’ (the old Surface mail), look up the rates on Royal Mail’s ‘Price-finder’ and … Continue reading →

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