The only surprising thing about Mama Mia is Cher's face '“ Zella Compton

The new Mamma Mia film is out.
Cher attending the premiere of Mamma Mia!Cher attending the premiere of Mamma Mia!
Cher attending the premiere of Mamma Mia!

Spoiler alert: if you're going, make sure you take some tissues as it is a massive tear-jerker.

Seriously, the cinema was full of people who were wishing they were carrying them. 

But does it stand up to the first?

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Not for me unfortunately. It was okay, there were some lovely moments, but overall it lacked the spark of the original and as we know half of the plot the old story (those dot dot dots) and can guess the contemporary parts, there was nothing surprising in it other than Cher's face.

And that feels very horrid to type, but if you go and watch you'll see exactly what I mean.

We already know you can't could turn back time, so why try so bizarrely?

 

CHECK YOUR DIRECT DEBITS '“ DON'T GET RIPPED OFF

A few years ago I learnt that switching energy suppliers is a relatively straightforward process, and so I started to ride the waves of cheaper prices.

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I signed up to a reminder service online, one that also told me where the best deals were at that time. 

To start with I stuck to big name companies and their best offers, but on about switch four I decided to be brave and go for a much smaller outfit, with a terrific deal for multi-fuel use. So far so good.

Then, at the end of those six months, on I moved.

However, I discovered a while later, when I went to look at my last statement for metre numbers to check that everything matched up, I had overpaid the first smaller company by over £500.

I asked when that would come back to me, and learnt that I had to request it, the process was far from automatic. So I did.

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It took me two phone calls and three email requests to get my money back.

There was a fudge about waiting for the final statement three months after the final statement appeared in my online account, with final statement written on it.

There was a fudge about the length of time the money would take to get into my account, and there was also a massive fudge '“ in my opinion '“ about the fact that I charged the company £40 extra to account for my time in telephoning and emailing.

That was ignored totally.

While these smaller companies may be offering great deals it's really important to check that you're getting back what you paid in.

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I know I am not the first person this has happened to, not the first one to struggle to get a repayment.

That's where direct debit falls down somewhat. When money goes out every month you don't notice it so much, but boy, how much did I notice the significant accrued lump sum when it came back in.

I can't say that this is the most exciting column I've ever written, but it is important.

Switching is straightforward and cost beneficial, but make sure you're getting any overpaid pounds back at the end of the contract.

 

NO ONE KNOWS WHAT BREXIT REALLY IS

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Who is in charge of this country? Anna Soubry made me stop mid-dishes with her explosive Radio Four breakfast interview last week when she clearly stated that the country is no longer being run by our elected prime minister and is being governed by Brexit blackmailers.

It's frightening isn't it, whether you voted leave or remain, that this is the state in which we find ourselves?

When those we pay to govern the country can't even agree a path on what Brexit means (here's a clue: it doesn't mean Brexit as proven by the fact that no one knows what Brexit means '“ such a conundrum), how are the rest of us supposed to have any faith in any politicians?

That this party positioning is defining our future fills me with horror.

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