User Profile

[oliverson]

We rented it out for a few years to holidaymakers when the financial crisis hit us hard. They just treat it like a zoo. Sitting on expensive interior furniture with sun lotion on. Leaving the air conditioning on all day. Etc. The long term rental market has its own issues, mostly squatters rights....

[oliverson]

And to think, I was pi55ed off in 1995 when I started my Computer Science degree (where I received a 1st and award for best final year project in the school, not that I blow my own trumpet), and I missed out on the mature student grant by one year!! That's a full £ 1k I was robbed of !!...

[oliverson]

We have decided to sell our Spanish property and remain in the UK. In fact, we're heading down there in a few weeks to get the place done up and sold. Reading some of the comments on here makes me think were selling the wrong place! But the trouble is, we'd need a visa to remain there, obvious choices...

[oliverson]

You can only imagine all the strikes if that were to happen. You think the NHS slackers have the country by the bollocks? I'm thinking back to the 70's....

[oliverson]

I'm half-an-hour from Leeds. Believe me, it's definitely not cheap. I don't think anywhere is these days, especially in the UK.

I once worked at a software house in Leeds back in 2001/2 and became a casualty of lay-offs due to the dotcom crash. My salary was £ 30k at the time, which,...

[oliverson]

Back in 2007/8 I was contracting down in Brighton and one of the contractors there was certain there would be an almighty crash, so he continued renting and didn't buy. At the same time, there was a web site called 'propertysnake' where everybody was speculating the 'imminent' crash with 'industry...

[oliverson]

The thing is, if the rumours regarding increasing dividend tax rates to match conventional income tax rates at the next budget comes true, there'll be a flood of applicants for those inside roles, and a raft of contractors closing their Ltd's. Probably an impact on those inside day rates too.
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[oliverson]

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[oliverson]

When I was there, Barcap had 3 offices, the 5NC, 10SC and Churchill Place. I never worked in the Churchill Place building, I think the techies were always in the other two. I did spend a couple of years at the KPMG HO next door. Very nice building and great location....

[oliverson]

Despite 10 years contracting in London, I've only ever had one interview in that building and only one at Citi. Neither came off. Loads at the likes of Barcap, Credit Suisse, etc. Last time I was down Canary Wharf, Barcap had vacated 10 South Colonnade, to be replaced by some government department...

[oliverson]

Probably because all the UK contractors have been replaced by offshore resources? Plenty cheapness....

[oliverson]

I recently finished up on a lengthy contract with a US firm, fully remote, outside IR35 as no physical presence, and me and QDOS calling the shots, UK timezone, etc. with the odd call on an evening if one of their US clients needed support in an afternoon (their time)

Invoiced in USD (no...

[oliverson]

Congratulations....

[oliverson]

I've been there as well, not bad but the clocking in systems was laughable. Sports bar next door too....

[oliverson]

Trouble is, it's both inside and onsite most of the week.

Is that £ 900 umbrella really as good as £ 600 outside?...

[oliverson]

You're talking about the UK, right? And worsening by the day....

[oliverson]

The £6k would be gone in air-conditioning!...

[oliverson]

Another cracker....

Frontend Developer | Mostly Remote | 3 months initial | £275 per day

Leeds
ContractPosted by: RecOps
Posted: Thursday, 31 July 2025

Think it's the same parasites who advertised the last one I posted.

[oliverson]

I'm down. I'd pretty much given up hope and considering staying retired. Then an email comes through from a previous client and can we schedule a call. Immediately lifted and the call gets scheduled for something like 10 days in the future. Day before the meeting and another email to push it back 3...

[oliverson]

This really is as bad as it gets. I'm seeing absolutely nothing other than the odd Indian agent dropping me a line on LinkedIn for either low paying inside roles or permanent ones.

I did have a possibility with a previous client (kind of), but meeting has been cancelled twice now. Not...