Getting angry now.

[pagan queen]

For months now, maybe even running into a year or even 2, I wish I could remember, my parents have had constant problems with their phone, it's not just them either the whole street is affected. I tried to ring them last night and couldn't get through, just kept ringing out. Previously this happened and I called the police in panic and they went round to check they were OK, It must be a few years as that was a while back. Anyway, I went on to the BT site and did a line check. It came back as a fault somewhere outside the property and it will be fixed by the end of the day..... on the 18th. My parents, as most of you know, are not in the best of health, my dad has dementia and mum has rheumatoid arthritis. It's fathers day on Sunday, I can't get to see my dad and now I can't even ring to talk to him, who knows how much longer we've got before he doesn't know who we are?

I'm not happy at all.

[lonelylayla]

Oh that is awful for you and your Mum and Dad Time gets increasingly precious when parents get older especially when they have health problems. I would be inclined to ring BT to explain the situation and complain, 'tho it may not resolve the issue. Is there anyone you know who lives very local to your Mum and Dad that would be willing to pop round and take their mobile for you to call on that?

[pagan queen]

I am trying to get hold of my sister to see if she can go round and check on them. I have sent dad a card and present and I don't suppose he will know what day it is due to his dementia but it's not the point, I would still like to talk to him.

[becciwales]

Oh no, that's really bad. xx

[emma_mcraf]

BT are absolutely appalling. We've had so many problems with them.
How frustrating for you Wendy.

[Pussygalore]

this will be one of only a few fathers day's that I won't be seeing my dad but I've had a stinking cold and can't risk taking it over to Cambridge to see them. I always try not to miss a mother's or fathers day and hate it, our grown up son and daughter don't seem bothered, they do send their dad a card but we don't see them very often, we haven't seen our daughter since last year as she has taken on a dog which doesn't like other dogs, we used to meet them at mums but as we have Milo she won't go over on the same day as its to long for either of us to leave the dogs alone. We did see our son the other weekend as they stopped in on the way back from their holiday in wales, we try to see mum and dad at least once a month but the kids could make an effort to come to cambridge as they both live in suffolk, the visiting parents/grandparents seems to have stopped at their generation at least with mine. When I was a child the whole family would go to my grand parents on special days they'd all make the effort to meet at my nan's I miss those sort of days everyone is to busy now mind you us children would be expected to behave quietly and sit and draw or read etc..

[becciwales]

Times have changed Pg. I see my grandparents regularly as they're in their 90's and my mum lives across the road from me so I see her most days. I don't get the Father's Day hype, I didn't have one deserving of a card and he died almost 11 years ago anyway. He wasn't in my life for 10 years before that and the 5 prior to that, it was only under duress I saw him, I'm not yet 30, so you can see my lack of enthusiasm for it.

I do feel for you though Wendy, I don't suppose they have a mobile phone you could ring them on? xx

[pagan queen]

No Becci, my mum is just not tech savvy and dad wouldn't know what it was let alone how to use it.

[becciwales]

I thought that might be too easy xx

[Pussygalore]

my parents do have mobiles but like mine they are just used for emergencies, the money runs out of date on mine before I use it so £10 lasts a year, I wouldn't have anyone to phone even if I did want to use it. I pay so much a month for free anytime calls with BT, £4 or so, that means I can chat to mum or other family for as long as I like and they're the only ones I call, mum doesn't chat in the evenings or weekends so the anytime suits me.