Richard Kirk

I attended a conference at The Belfry on the 9th and 10th of this month, staying both nights in the Brabazon rooms. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay and found the hotel, its amenities and staff to be nothing short of first class. I look forward to future stays, whether they be for business or pleasure.

I have been using PayPal for over 20 years, and I have no complaints. It's come into particular use over the past two years since I started seeing someone in Australia. Sending them money and such is so easy via PayPal. I will continue to use this platform for as long as I can.

I moved to Crest Pharmacy within the last 12 months after my previous pharmacy was bought out and the quality of service went downhill. To date, Crest have been a worthy replacement. I can always speak to someone when I need to, and filling my repeat prescription is pleasingly hassle-free. Plus, my local pharmacy is within five minutes' walk of my home.

I have been attending events at Tamworth Assembly Rooms for many years now, and I have to say it's one of my favourite places in Tamworth. The building itself looks and feels historic with recent modern additions that go well with the building's look and feel. The staff have always been friendly and helpful and I've always had a good time regardless of the event.

I have been an Apple user since 2010 and have had no real issue to speak of. I know that it's quite trendy to berate big corporations, but from my own personal experiences with the iPhones that I've had I would consider myself a satisfied customer.

I have used Birmingham Airport on a few occasions and to date my experiences have been fine. The new additions of e-gates is a helpful measure and the body scanners are accurate and thorough. Chiefly, I am grateful for this airport being where it is, as it means my partner can fly in from Australia and then not have too far a journey for us to get to my home.

This review is for a specific experience that happened earlier this week. My partner and I were in Cork for a convention, and when we started preparing for the flights home we noticed that some information was missing from my partner's booking. The Aer Lingus staff member at Cork Airport was able to sort this issue out in less than a minute. This is extremely appreciated, as we had some prior concerns that it could have been a hassle.

I have used Ryanair for two return trips to date: one in 2023 and one this past week. My personal experiences with the airline have been fine. I've had no issues going through their check-ins at Birmingham or Cork airport and the flights I have taken have been issue-free. My return flight in 2023 was delayed, but I still got home. I will be more than happy to use Ryanair again in the future.

I have lived in a HLM-managed property for nearly six years now and I have little if nothing to complain about. Things are just handled without me having to think too much, if at all, about them. That is, to my mind, the mark of a good management company, that you don't know they're there because they're just quietly and efficiently getting on with the job.

I have been ordering from Joba's for over 25 years now and I can say hand on heart that they're easily the best South Asian takeaway in Tamworth. They do the food I love at decent prices and the staff are always friendly and welcoming. I've used them so much that they now know my order when I call. I honestly cannot recommend them highly enough.

I have used Meriden through Daryl Chance to secure my last several mortgage products, and I could not be happier with the deals I've gotten and the service I've received. I have always been able to count on Meriden to get me a deal that fits my budget and minimises hassle to me. I was even able to secure a lower rate on a product not too long after securing one when interest rates were dropped. I would definitely recommend Meriden to anyone seeking a comprehensive mortgage deal.

I have been a customer of The Halifax since 2012 when I bought my first house. Since then I am on my third mortgage with them and I have had nothing but smooth service. I have also had a credit card for a time, taking advantage of one of their interest-free offers. Any time that I have had to contact their Customer Services people I cannot recall a time being noticeably frustrated or let down. I was especially pleased with how they automatically lowered my monthly mortgage payment after I had paid off a certain amount.

I've been shopping at Aldi regularly for a number of years now and I find the whole experience to be fine. The selection of items meet my needs, my local Aldi is within easy walking distance of my home and the staff are always attentive. I can also use my UW cash-back card at Aldi, which helps towards my monthly utilities bill. I like that they have now started putting a Food Bank donation basket in-store.

My experiences with Just Eat have been fine to date. There has been the occasional missing can of pop or similar, but that's really down to the place you're ordering from and not Just Eat. Overall, I've found the service and the App convenient and easy to use.

I've been using the SnowDome for various activities ever since it opened. I've taken both of my kids swimming here, and continue to do so with my youngest, I enjoy a swim myself, I'm a member of the gym (and am very much looking forward to the opening of the revamped gym later this month) and I've made use of the climbing, ice skating and snow play at various times for both of my kids. We've eaten in Aspen and back in the day had coffee in the old Starbucks. My company has even held a corporate event at the SnowDome. The spa is lovely and worth a visit if you fancy a sauna or a steam and the staff have for the majority been accommodating and helpful. I'm very pleased that Tamworth has a space like this so close to home.

I've used the TrainLine for many years and find it invaluable as someone who relies on public transport. The App is easy to use and allows me to book tickets, check train times and be notified of delays and disruptions, etc. Equally, the website is user-friendly for those times when I'm booking work-based travel from the office.

I've been a SSW customer since moving into my flat in late 2019 and I've not had a single issue with the service that I can note. As a single occupant in a two-bed flat my usage isn't that high, and I have never found my bills to be excessive. Granted, the App does log me out from time to time, but I've never not been able to regain access. It helps me see how much I've paid in a certain period and when my next bill will be taken. It also gives updates on service impacts up and down the country. On the whole SSW are just one of my utilities that tick along in the background and have yet to give me cause to worry. Long may that continue.

I have been a customer of The Co-operative Bank since I was 17. I originally switched to them because at the time their branches opened shop hours and not bank hours, which I found convenient. Over the years they have never given me a reason to think about moving to another bank, and I'm happy to call myself a longstanding and loyal customer.

I have been using Utility Warehouse for over five years now since I moved into my flat. I couldn't ask for a better provider. I get my boiler insurance, broadband, electricity, gas, landline and mobile all on the same bill, which makes things so easy to keep track of. The UW App is very user-friendly and again helps me track my spending and usage. The cashback card has become an indispensable part of my life and I use it wherever and whenever I can for money off my monthly bills. The free energy-saving lightbulbs is also a great feature, meaning I've not had to pay for lightbulbs in over five years. I have been consistently recommending UW to anyone I know who is moving house or looking to change providers and I will continue to do so.