April Fool's Day

[Alex]

Well...It's almost here...So what do you think of April Fool's Day? Is it filled with annoying pranksters wasting other people's time? Or much loved jokers providing everyone with the gift of laughter? Have you ever fallen for an April Fools Joke? Or have you ever done one yourself?

Here's a link to the 100 best April Fool's Day pranks which is quite fun reading - http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/aprilfool/index

[WhiteCrow]

This happened near us - and no it wasn't me ...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/698144.stm

I was in the process of being "let go" from EDS in 2003, and so I put together a time delayed email containing a fake memo from human resources about how to behave with professional integrity during a siege. In the end I wasn't let go but moved to a different department, though I forgot about the email ...

I have a written warning on the subject somewhere.

[Captain Tancredi]

The only one I've ever done which I can remember working was when I was about eight and told my primary school teacher that she had a ladder in her tights- cue about two minutes of her trying to find the ladder...simplicity, you see.

Although in response to the motorway one, about six years ago I did see a mother duck leading her ducklings across both carriageways of the M60 somewhere in the eastern suburbs of Manchester.

[Trudi G]

I remember once that me and my sister offered to make a cup of coffee for my mums friend, and we put gravy powder and coke in with the coffee, lol - oh and my mum sewed up the arm and head holes of our nighties!

[WhiteCrow]

This one looks sus ...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/6513579.stm

Patients in Wales are now entitled to free prescriptions, on the day the cost rises to 6.85 in the rest of the UK.

Prescription charges had been gradually reduced to 3 - but Welsh Assembly members voted earlier this year to scrap them altogether from 1 April.

GP and pharmacist representatives in Wales said scrapping the charges was "good news" for those who find paying for medicines difficult.

However, manufacturers have warned it could lead to drugs going to waste.

Prescription charges are rising by 20p in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Last year the price of prescriptions in Wales dropped from 4 to 3.

The aim of the policy is to reduce patient inequality and it is expected to cost 29.5m in the first year.

[Andrew Curnow]

I'm not sure that it is an April Fool. Maybe our Welsh correspondant can help - Steve?

But I'm pretty sure the Smell-O-Vision here is.

[Captain Tancredi]

I'm not sure that it is an April Fool. Maybe our Welsh correspondant can help - Steve?

It is an April Fool, and the fools are the rest of us who are paying for it...basically the devolution formula gives the Welsh Assembly a certain amount of money which they can pretty much spend how they like, so they give away freebies like this so that come election time, the AMs can say "well, we gave you free prescriptions, why would you want to vote us out?". Having said that, the National Museum in Cardiff is quite good and was made free by the Assembly.

In associated news, I was supposed to be doing an Easter egg tombola with the Lions club today but I've just had a phone call from my friend Eric to say that the group who were supposed to be setting it up this morning arrived at the supermarket to be told "oh, we thought you were coming on Thursday...".

[Trudi G]

I've got to say that April fools day was quite uneventful for me this year - no pranks played on me and i didn't play any...maybe i've finally grown up, lol!

[Dirk Gently]

Angela had gone to bed about 10 minutes before midnight, I was watching the cricket highlights & at 6 minutes passed I called out that there was a news flash running along the bottom of the screen saying that Prince Charles had been shot...she came running & was not impressed to have me call April Fools! Her face was a picture though. She kind of saw the funny side the next day when telling her friend.

[Wayne]

@Tim You scamp!