alison

They have "work coaches" now? I'm not sure I was ever seen by the same person twice when I attended, because I had to keep explaining my personal circumstances all the time. I'd agree with that: in my day (early on in the recession) I got the impression they'd taken on a lot of new people to cope with the extra numbers, and they weren't always completely up to speed - either that or they'd been told different things from the longer-term people. I kept getting conflicting information about my (admittedly non-standard) case, which the system really wasn't built to cope with, so in the end I dumped them - it was just too much hassle being forced to jump through useless hoops which weren't doing a thing to get me off the unemployment figures.

Where did you find that, Katherine? (And why Hirano as Romeo?)

Yes, but whether that applies to all parts of it may be another matter.

I'd have thought most coach services have Wi-Fi nowadays (although I know from experience on the Oxford Tube that it can be patchy). Whether the T&Cs allow watching videos may be another matter, of course: it may be that they don't have the capacity.

Total guesswork would suggest Romeo & Juliet, if there's no insight event for it. However, they're also in rehearsals for the Raven Girl bill and I think also the Ashton one, so you never know.

Hi Julie. A bit of educated guesswork from me, since it's a few years since I was last on JSA. - You should certainly be able to change your appointment time, in the same way that you can do so if you have an interview which clashes with your signing-on time. (I'm not even sure that you're not entitled to sign on when you like, but I don't think it goes down very well if you do!) - I'm not sure where we stand now on the 16-hour rule. It used to be, many moons ago, that you would lose out proportionately if you went over the 16 hours, but I now suspect you might lose it all. I was always careful not to work more than 16 hours per week. I know they had great fun trying to work out what to do with me when I submitted amounts billed, because the system just doesn't cater for people doing intermittent freelance work, with unpredictable payment periods (if at all) at all. And of course Income Support is means-tested only ...

They did last year, so I expect it'll be the same this year. Don't suppose you're going on a train with Wi-Fi?

Yes. It depends on how, er, well-padded you are, too

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I can give some input on the Coliseum: The balcony is probably better for sound than the back of the dress circle. If you sit at the front, you're fairly close to the stage, more so than at Covent Garden. However, the seats are only padded benches with armrests and backrests, and the legroom is poor. If you're short, I would also guess that you'll have a satefy rail in your line of sight, partly somewhere really inconvenient, no doubt. Rows A-C, I think, are sold as restricted view, but the rail still gets in the way from much higher. The seats are much better in the dress circle, and it's really nice and low down, but I guess you'd be further back from the stage if you were at the back than in front balcony.

It is - at least as far as the UK is concerned. "Not available in your country for copyright reasons". Is this Germany getting its own back?

Oh, Acosta's still a draw all right. Is he in something in the Linbury? Don't forget that has a limited number of seats.

Yes, when I was looking to change ours last year I noted that many policies automatically covered students belongings, e.g. during term time or whatever. I agree: ask your insurer.

Thank you, Angela. Talking of which, and getting a bit off-topic, how is NDT3 doing these days? I don't seem to have heard much of them recently.

I still have a working VCR too, so I might be interested.

Well, for someone who never has been, and is never likely to go, on pointe, this thread has been a real eye-opener! I knew it was difficult getting pointe shoes fitted, but really didn't think it was quite this difficult! Jane's suggestion immediately above sounds very sensible. I imagine that half-term would be very busy, so in my inexperience it sounds to me that the sooner you get those appointments made the better - and I would think leave yourself plenty of time, because you really don't want to be rushed about this. Ladies, is there anything else beckyl needs to do in advance - things she needs to note down, things to bring with her (I see the unsuccessful shoes have already been mentioned)? Does she need, for example, to warn either shop if she's expecting something distinctly out of the ordinary, or do they always carry everything, in every conceivable size?

20??? My goodness. I could understand how that might have led to those suicides we read about recently in the press. Can't your friend get her mother on the Telephone Preference Service, or won't that help? Poor woman. I am, however, concerned that, as we digress from the original topic, it be clear that nobody is suggesting that BRB, or for that matter any other dance company, is using such tactics.

Oops

Before we lose it, I thought I'd better copy this article from today's links in somewhere: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/04/arts/dance/bounding-across-space-and-time-via-dvd.html?_r=1#

Ah. I wonder whether that is in any way linked to the fact that there were a load of red balloons and people in red T-shirts with, perhaps, leaflets standing outside my local Red Cross charity shop this morning when I went past? I was on the other side of the road, so didn't get any further information.

It isn't. It's a Wednesday. Curses.

Okay, computer thinks it knows better than I do what seats I want. Guess I'll have to pop in sometime, speak to a human being and buy something. If I remember, which is debatable.

Oh heck, when *is* the Thurs matinee? I'd forgotten I needed to take that into consideration. I've assumed that, recently at least, it's been because of the situation with knowing about availability of the ballerinas. I quite agree. It's also a good point that people who have already given may not appreciate being pressurised to give more. I'm trying to remember whether I have in fact technically donated specifically to BRB in the past. If not, then we're back to the situation of my data being used for purposes I would probably never have accepted had I known.

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