Catapult Blog

When VAT in the UK was temporarily reduced to stimulate the economy the clever people at Marks and Spencer decided to leave their pricing the same and make the reduction at the tills.
Now this works fantastically, and I for one, still get the sense I’m getting an extra discount whenever I buy anything from there.
However, there is a flaw in their systems when it comes to refunds & exchanges as the new item doesn’t show the VAT discount and this money therefore ends up in the pockets of M&S.
My particular transaction, exchanging a £6 (£5.88 net) childs swimsuit for a £5 childs swimsuit only resulted in a 9 pence error (new item should have been £4.91 net), but whilst most of us won’t miss 9p, M&S are possibly making £ thousands from this admin error…bit of a charitable donation might redress the balance I think.

We don’t use this blog much any more (follow us @catapultdigital.com) but wanted somewhere to post this great letter that landed in our inbox

Rt Hon David  Miliband MP
Secretary of State.
Department for  Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA),

Nobel  House

17 Smith Square

London 

SW1P 3JR  


16 July  2009




Dear Secretary of State,  



My friend, who is in farming at the moment, recently  received a cheque for £3,000 from the Rural Payments Agency  for not rearing pigs.. I would now like to join the “not  rearing pigs” business.

In your opinion, what is the  best kind of farm not to rear pigs on, and which is the best  breed of pigs not to rear? I want to be sure I approach this  endeavour in keeping with all government policies, as dictated  by the EU under the Common Agricultural Policy. 

I  would prefer not to rear bacon pigs, but if this is not the  type you want not rearing, I will just as gladly not rear  porkers. Are there any advantages in not rearing rare breeds  such as Saddlebacks or Gloucester Old Spots, or are there too  many people already not rearing these? 

As I see it,  the hardest part of this programme will be keeping an accurate  record of how many pigs I haven’t reared. Are there any  Government or Local Authority courses on this? 

My  friend is very satisfied with this business. He has been  rearing pigs for forty years or so, and the best he ever made  on them was £1,422 in 1968. That is - until this year, when he  received a cheque for not rearing any. 

If I get £3,000  for not rearing 50 pigs, will I get £6,000 for not rearing  100?  I plan to operate on a small scale at first,  holding myself down to about 4,000 pigs not raised, which will  mean about £240,000 for the first year. As I become more  expert in not rearing pigs, I plan to be more ambitious,  perhaps increasing to, say, 40,000 pigs not reared in my  second year, for which I should expect about £2.4 million from  your department. Incidentally, I wonder if I would be eligible  to receive tradable carbon credits for all these pigs not  producing harmful and polluting methane gases? 

Another  point: These pigs that I plan not to rear will not eat 2,000  tonnes of cereals. I understand that you also pay farmers for  not growing crops. Will I qualify for payments for not growing  cereals to not feed the pigs I don’t rear? 

I am  also considering the “not milking cows” business, so please  send any information you have on that too. Please could you  also include the current Defra advice on set aside fields? Can  this be done on an e-commerce basis with virtual fields (of  which I seem to have several thousand hectares)? 

In  view of the above you will realise that I will be totally  unemployed, and will therefore qualify for unemployment  benefits.  I shall of course be voting for your party at  the next general election. 
 



Yours faithfully,  
 

 
Nigel Johnson-Hill  

Take your old phones along to the flagship nokia store on regent st, and get a warm fuzzy feeling in return. Also available at nokia service centres.

Nice pop-up gallery (specially commisioned art works by VW, inspired by the new scirroco),
Like a mayfly it will be gone by saturday 6th september. enjoy. LINK

new from us for C.A.L.M.
free and exclusive MP3s every day from some top artists and some new talent mixed in too.

It’s chocolate week next week (october 15th) and Paul A Young has opened a new shop in royal exchange, nearest tube bank. Its like stepping back in time - a real treasure trove of chocolate’s in an 1800s pharmacy

PuchiPuchi (プチプチ)

only in japan - from bandai - electronic bubble wrap.

what next, fingernail candy? actually thats not a bad idea!

http://www.kilian-nakamura.com/blog-english/index.php/portable-bubble-wrap-toy-from-bandai-asovision-puchipuchi/

Scoop has just opened in shorts gardens.

With 20+ amazing italian flavours to savour. It’s going to be a tasty summer!

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Oxfam-Shop

at last someone has done some ‘unbranded’ oyster card holders that look cool.

well they are oxfam ‘I’m in’ branded which is a good thing - also anythings better than oyster ‘blanding’.

and its all for charity - apparently they are giving them away if you sign up with chuggers in central london next week.