I've just been over to view my stats on Site Meter and have noticed that four different people in Lambeth (in London) have viewed my blog this afternoon.

What's happening in Lambeth? Why the sudden interest in my blog there?

Well, it's always nice to have visitors; so hello to everyone reading my blog in Lambeth.

My landlord and his brother have just visited me to inform me that they're intending to put in a new kitchen and bathroom and will be increasing the rent by twenty pounds per week.

I was expecting this; the rent that I'm paying (Housing Benefit is covering most of the cost) is substantially below the market rate...but then the house is a bit derelict.

I've been onto the local authority website and completed their online calculation of housing benefit form and it seems that I should still be entitled to most of the increase being funded. I've just phoned up the housing department to check what the procedure is when my rent is increased and it seems straighforward enough.

In each case I've just selected the most interesting suggestions provided by an online spellchecker.

Doncaster - dominate

Barnsley - barnacles

Rotherham - rotter, brother

Huddersfield - understand, hideous

Pontefract - pontificate

Harrogate - Harrods

Scarborough - scoreboard, scarecrow

I've just found these; I'm not sure what some of them do though.

Call Your Fairy Godmother

Lion On The Beach

Mind Your Own Beeswax

The Pie's The Limit

James Bond United Church

Weld Done Designs

Eat My Martini

Drapes And Sew Much More

Death by chocolate.

Grandmother of eight makes hole in one
Deaf mute gets new hearing in killing
House passes gas tax onto senate
Two convicts evade noose, jury hung
William Kelly was fed secretary
Milk drinkers are turning to powder
Safety experts say school bus passengers should be belted
Quarter of a million Chinese live on water
Farmer bill dies in house
Iraqi head seeks arms
Queen Mary having bottom scraped
Is there a ring of debris around Uranus?
Panda mating fails - veterinarian takes over
NJ judge to rule on nude beach
Child's stool great for use in garden
Dr. Ruth to talk about sex with newspaper editors
Soviet virgin lands short of goal again
Organ festival ends in smashing climax
Eye drops off shelf
Squad helps dog bite victim
Dealers will hear car talk at noon
Enraged cow injures farmer with ax
Lawmen from Mexico barbecue guests
Miners refuse to work after death
Two Soviet ships collide - one dies
Two sisters reunite after eighteen years at checkout counter
If strike isn't settled quickly it may last a while
War dims hope for peace
Smokers are productive, but death cuts efficiency
Cold wave linked to temperatures
Child's death ruins couple's holiday
Blind woman gets new kidney from dad she hasn't seen in years
Something went wrong in jet crash, experts say
Death causes loneliness, feeling of isolation

I've had an appointment made for me with someone at Doncaster Chamber Of Commerce to find out some details about becoming a freelance proofreader. Of course, nothing will come of it, because the very same skills that make me a good proofreader also mean that I'm hopeless at business; after all, if I was any good at promoting myself I wouldn't have been unemployed all this time. In addition, the benefits system conspires against me because I'd not be eligible for any benefits at all the minute I'd be deemed as earning anything; and of course, initially this wouldn't be anything approaching a living wage, and payment could be delayed for several weeks or months with me having nothing to live on in the meantime.

The appointment will mean that I'll be away from the dreaded jobsearch on my employment training scheme for a couple of hours though; and I'll get a bus pass...valid for a week!