Thursday 24 June: Give local building firms the chance to supply more beautiful housing

Posted on by Geoff Graham

An unofficial place to discuss the Telegraph letters, established when the DT website turned off its comments facility (now reinstated, but not as good as ours),
Intelligent, polite, good-humoured debate is welcome, whether on or off topic. Differing opinions are encouraged, but rudeness or personal attacks on other posters will not be tolerated. Posts which – in the opinion of the moderators – make this a less than cordial environment, are likely to be removed, without prior warning.  Persistent offenders will be banned.

Today’s letters (visible only to DT subscribers) are here:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2021/06/23/letters-give-local-building-firms-chance-supply-beautiful-housing/

531 thoughts on “Thursday 24 June: Give local building firms the chance to supply more beautiful housing”

      1. Good morning, Hatman (and all NoTTLers). How on earth do you manage to get your roses to grow so quickly? All that grows quickly in my garden is the weeds. :-))

  2. Jeez Louise. Let’s get some perspective.
    Exams – agreed, important, but proms, parties and driving lessons? Why do they even need a “prom” in the first place? Nasty septic invention.
    Remote learning is was the Open University’s USP – they regularly boast about how many students have successfully completed their online degree courses.

    SIR – How much more must young people suffer?
    Over the past 18 months, various grandchildren have: missed GCSEs and A-levels; spent their first university year studying online at home; missed their “prom”, leaving parties and end-of-year celebrations; suffered panic attacks and agoraphobia; and spent more time out of school than in. One must wait six months for his first driving lesson, while another has been told she must wait until December 2022 for her practical driving test.
    For heaven’s sake, enough is enough.
    Eve Wilson

    1. Morning, Stormy. Not sure I’d be too happy with an online study when paying (through the nose) for a face-to-face course. Also, how well prepared are the universities for online learning? The OU has had a long time to sort it out.

          1. Already very sunny & 26’C by me and I going to go out a bit later on to get some supplies & then I’ve got some household chores to attend to !

        1. I have just bunged this off to the DT with little hope of it being published.

          Sir,

          All student loans should be repaid in full.

          But – student loans should be interest free; repayment of student loans should reduce former students’ taxable income by the amount they repay each year; employers should be able to repay their employees’ student loans – again with the repayment free of tax; those in essential state services (e.g. healthcare and teaching) should have their loans repaid after a specified number of years’ service.

          The failure to implement such ideas will lead to an enslaved and resentful professional class of young people who will be tempted to leave UK. But the current COVID restrictions make me wonder if our politicians are quite content to have an enslaved population.

          Richard Tracey.

    2. In my last schooldays, we went on a trip to Stonehenge and Old Sarum. Proms hadn’t been invented apart from the ones at the Albert Hall.

  3. Royal Navy ship off Crimea sparks diplomatic row between Russia and UK. 24 June 2021.

    MoD and Moscow disagree over whether shots were fired at destroyer near disputed territory.

    Warships are allowed to engage in “innocent passage” through territorial waters as long as it is not prejudicial to the peace or security of the coastal state, but the UK would have known sending a destroyer near Crimea would have prompted a response from the Kremlin.

    Russia’s defence ministry initially claimed warning shots had been fired at HMS Defender and that one of its war planes had dropped four bombs nearby to force the destroyer to leave the area.

    Britain’s Ministry of Defence denied both incidents took place, saying in a statement “no warning shots had been fired”, but a BBC journalist who was on the board the destroyer said the Russian military had “harassed” the ship.

    Morning everyone. The facts here seem to be plain; it is the explanations that are confusing. In essence the Defender sailed into Russian Federation controlled waters off Crimea and was warned off. The truth behind this; is I suspect, that she was ordered to do so by the PTB (probably some Clown at the Admiralty with Wallace the Defence Minister’s support), who were of the opinion that the Russians are bluffers who would never dare to actually do anything. This view is borne out by the unreadiness of the crew and the presence of the MSM aboard ship who were to report this Triumph of UK Naval Power. When the Russians did so in contravention of this belief, panic, confusion, ass covering and the denial of reality took over and we have the bizarre situation where the Russians admit the situation and the UK denies it ever took place.

    They will probably need to find a scapegoat for this. My bet it’s the Captain of the Defender! Misinterpretation of orders, exceeding authority. etc.

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/23/russian-ship-fired-warning-shots-at-royal-navy-destroyer-hms-defender-moscow-says

      1. There you go again you see, Atman. Not content with rapidly opening roses, you manage the same with flowers. All I can manage is rapidly growing weeds. :-))

    2. Morning, Araminta.

      Misinterpretation of orders…

      Verbal or written orders? Either way probably disguised with codewords understood only by the Captain and the person briefing him. Ships log and incoming/outgoing signal records could make interesting reading if TPTB try to fit up the man on the spot. Would the Defence Minister prepare and authorise an act of this nature i.e. possibility of causing a serious diplomatic incident with Russia without Johnson being made aware? Perhaps this government, the Cabinet and the PM are in as chaotic a state as many think they are, bearing in mind the lack of real leadership at the top.

        1. Morning, Hatman.

          As things stand at the moment it’s not only Britain’s traditional war policy that’s in a shit-state.

        1. I hope the Captain has a complete record of what was said/ordered and by whom.

    3. Looks to me like incompetence. Who knowingly goes into someone else’s territorial waters where the reaction may well be exciting, without any form of preparation or even readiness? Looks like the time 3 years ago when a Norwegian frigate crashed into an oil tanker that had just left the quayside – the Frigate’s crew were inexperienced, they said they thought the tanker was the refinery (all deck lights were on), yet failed to explain why they were sailing at speed DIRECTLY TOWARDS (what they thought was) THE REFINERY! Ripped a gash right down the side of the frigate, open to the sea, watertight doors were not closed, frigate capsized. No loss of life, thank God.

      1. Morning Oberst. It did cross my mind that they deliberately sent it in to be attacked and possibly sunk but the reaction of the PTB suggests they were actually surprised by events which would not have been the case if that were so!

      3. They’re not Russia’s territorial waters though. They still belong officially to The Crimea and Ukraine.

    4. More printer’s pie from the Graudian, “…but a BBC journalist who was on the board the destroyer said the Russian military had “harassed” the ship.“

      1. Morning Nan. The PTB have turned out all of the MSM anti-Russia shills (Coughlin, Galleotti, Lucas etc,) to convince us that the Russians are guilty of defending their own coastline! Lol!

      2. Morning Nan. The PTB have turned out all of the MSM anti-Russia shills (Coughlin, Galliotti, Lucas etc,) to convince us that the Russians are guilty of defending their own coastline! Lol!

    5. Now, if we just copied Mr Putt in and reacted to the the armada of dinghies that cross daily from France, the country would be backing the RN 100%

      This episode has brought them into disrepute.

      There used to be entente cordiale between the Soviet/Russian Navy and the RN

      When I was on the (old) Ark Royal in the 60/70s, one of the first daily tasks for our Air Sea Rescue helo was to deliver bread to ‘Charlie’ out ever present Russian “Trawler” (that was covered in radio aerais) which followed us everywhere

    6. I wouldn’t believe a word the Russians say.

      Furthermore they have no right to those waters, only brute force. Posters here seem not to know that the UN and most countries take the stance that Russia’s occupation of The Crimea is illegal and that, implicitly and explicitly, the waters off it continue to belong to The Crimea and Ukraine.

      1. But “straying” into waters claimed by the Russians to provoke and irritate them isn’t perhaps the smartest thing to do – according to the Aftenposten, there were a lot of radio calls from the Russians saying to bugger orff, in increasing levels of threat culminating in “We will fire on you” that one wonders WTF were these silly buggers up to?

    7. When Russian planes head towards Scotland we send up fighters to interceptor them to let the know that they have been spotted. Russian planes do not enter our air space. It’s all good fun.
      Narrow seaways that have been used for a long time are treated as “international” routes even though they are part of a country. The English Channel is an example. So use of such channels is normal. When Russian Navy ships use the Channel they are shadowed by RN vessels.
      Similarly in the Black Sea. While our warship might have a right, per international convention, to pass through the narrow waters at Cape Fiolent, disputed by Russia and the Ukraine now might not be the time to exercise that right. The Guardian says that the UK were doing this in support of the Ukraine.
      Pretty stupid. We have no business supporting the Ukraine. Irritating Russia is even more stupid. This comes shortly after our PM met the US President. Coincidence?

  4. “Harry and Meghan rejected Earl of Dumbarton title for Archie for containing word ‘dumb'”

    How about the Earl of Knobshire?

      1. Nanoseconds on the interwebby brought up this nugget of information. But then I’m not a pig ignorant chancer or her doormat.

        “The name “Dumbarton” refers back to its origins, coming from the Scottish Gaelic Dun Breatainn meaning fortress of the Britons. Until 1450 it was known as Dunbretane.”

      1. Isn’t he using his influence in Hollywood to secure the title role in the Disney remake of the cartoon film about the elephant?

  5. 334731+ up ticks,
    Morning Each,
    At long last the tory (ino) have recognised the fact that
    the DOVER intake of potential troops / voters deserve
    more stable accommodation than that of the multi starred hotels they are in at the moment.

    Support the LLCGs coalition, your hamlet,village, etc,etc,
    can be overseen by multiple manor type homes accommodating many an immi to remind you daily of your voting choice.

    Thursday 24 June: Give local building firms the chance to supply more beautiful housing

    1. 334731+ up ticks,
      O2O,
      For treachery and forward planning you cannot beat this tory (ino) mob, with the
      reset, replace DOVER campaign in full swing and running smoothly better accommodation is now in the pipeline
      obviously to attract more.
      The governance mindset is “this electorate COULD turn ugly” and we the governing force WILL need a multi number of capo’s of a protective nature
      willing to fight for ” their homeland”

  6. Decadent Britain is sleepwalking into a vortex of permanent decline. 24 June 2021.

    What has happened to Britain? Why does it feel as if, almost uniquely, we will never quite recover from Covid? The pandemic is almost over, and yet it has changed Britain far more profoundly than countries with different political traditions.

    All societies impose taboos – prohibitions the origins of which are not always understood but which help define a community. Britain’s included an aversion to ID cards, a belief that the state had no right to tell us what to think or wear, and that it was none of officials’ business whom we chose to consort with.

    He’s right! We are screwed! This is a decadent, indeed dying society. Its people are fearful, its Elites corrupt. Within twenty years, if not sooner, what was once one of the most advanced countries in the world will be a Third World Islamic Sh!thole.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/06/23/decadent-britain-sleepwalking-vortex-permanent-decline/

    2. We are witnessing the end of the Enlightenment by self-destruction – not enemy invasion, not natural disaster. Was there a time in history as completely insane?

      1. Morning LIM. Since we are now here at the end of a Great Civilisation I have begun to wonder if its predecessors also suffered a crisis of self belief that effectually unhinged the Elites. A psychosis of the Demos! An urge to Societal Suicide?

        1. I think you might say something like that about the Romans – and it seems Christianity may not have had the philosophical ruthlessness to defend itself as they had when they were pagans. But they had gone on for 800 years. That’s a good innings.
          Then Islam lost its confidence when it lost some battles. Ok, conflict.
          And in Europe the 100 years war ended by the Plague, and the renewal of Europe led to the Rennaissance, Enlightenment… and here we are.
          Yes. On reflection the previous hegemony was an understanding of Christianity which also became incoherent and led nations and regions and peoples to lash out at each other.

        2. I think you might say something like that about the Romans – and it seems Christianity may not have had the philosophical ruthlessness to defend itself as they had when they were pagans. But they had gone on for 800 years. That’s a good innings.
          Then Islam lost its confidence when it lost some battles. Ok, conflict.
          And in Europe the 100 years war ended by the Plague, and the renewal of Europe led to the Rennaissance, Enlightenment… and here we are.
          Yes. On reflection the previous hegemony was an understanding of Christianity which also became incoherent and led nations and regions and peoples to lash out at each other.

        4. Have you read “The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”?

          They are all in there, different names but similar actions and attitudes.

    3. We are witnessing the end of the Enlightenment by self-destruction – not enemy invasion, not natural disaster. Was there a time in history as completely insane?

    4. 334731+ up ticks,
      Morning AS,
      The lab/lib/con close shop, no opposition allowed by the electorate in their internal war of keep in / keep out continuing voting pattern happened.

      It has been a joint effort, the electorate
      and treacherous politico’s / parties have won the day up until now.

      A hard field to plough BUT decency CAN still win IMO.

    1. I’ve never been a great Abba fan but I really enjoyed this, Hatman. Thanks for posting it.

    1. 334731+ up ticks,
      O2O,
      You mean the whole shebang Og ?
      correct in one.
      How about lighting the blue touch paper
      as in putting Anne Marie Waters in parliament, then standing back.

    2. Rained here, then the sun came out and now it’s raining again. I didn’t get as much done in the garden as I’d planned.

  11. At the moment there is a shortage of cement for building work, apparently demand is very high, production is down and priority is being given to supplying HS2 construction first.
    I thought HS2 was supposed to help kickstart the economy.

        1. If they are not then they made a bloody good imitation of being full as I carried them up the garden to the small shed.

    3. I’ll need some soon. My normal supplier has none in stock locally, is limiting purchases elsewhere and for delivery and has indeterminate extended lead times. Fortunately I can get away with the out of date bags that I have stored, albeit having to take extra precautions against irritation (the anti-irritation additives go off before the cement and dictate the use-by date). The price has also gone up substantially, by 50% over pre-pandemic prices.

      1. The things I learn on NOTTL. I didn’t realise there was an anti-irritant additive in cement, let alone that it had a BB Date.

    4. Not just that demand is high but there is a shortage of sand. The sand the industry uses come from river deltas which have been over extracted.

    6. There’s been a shortage for a while. One of my friends had to put his patio-laying on hold until he could source some cement supplies (and he’s a garden landscaper). It’s finished now, fortunately.

  12. One of the clickbait headlines at the bottom of my page is “Man says he has come from 2030 and has proof”

    If I were him, I’d have gone further back than now. I hear the 60s were quiite fun, but I’d settle for any year before 2000.

  13. Last evening the creep who is the Minister of Jabs-for-All led a press conference and within an hour or so I receive a text from my doctor’s surgery asking me to confirm whether or not I want one of the potions. Coincidence?
    Will they ever give up cajoling people into taking this step into the dark? It’s clear to me that having a ‘significant’ minority’ of non-jabbed people in the Country acting as an uncontrolled control group is of concern to them. Why?

    1. They think you’ll be a Super Spreader. You must sacrifice yourself for the good of society.

    2. The control group will be the loose cannon in their plot and reveal the error of their ways in due course. We must stand firm.

      1. Absolutely, poppiesmum.
        I can’t make sense of the numbers of jabs administered; the number of people claimed to have been jabbed; the percentages announced and finally the need to jab millions more.

        Johnson has been concerned for months over the, “Significant minority,” that have declined his offer, hence the panic, I presume.

        1. I think they have deliberately overestimated the numbers injected hoping for a ‘monkey see, monkey do’ effect and also so that the hesitant sheep (as opposed to the outright decliners) get swept along with the crowd as the don’t want to miss out. I have heard that there is panic in No 10. Good. That is when mistakes are made.

  14. Plumbers Я Us

    Isaac and Yetta had been married for forty years and had got pretty used to caring for each other, to the extent even that, after visiting the bathroom, he would leave the seat down for her, and she would leave the seat up for him.

    One day, however, Isaac had other things on his mind and forgot to lower the seat. So the next time Yetta went in there, she sat down as usual and got firmly stuck! She called to Isaac for help, but try as he might, he was unable to free her.

    “It’s no good, Yetta, I’ll have to call the plumber,” he said.

    “But I can’t have a stranger seeing me all exposed like this,” she wailed.

    So Isaac took off his black yarmulke and placed it so as to preserve her modesty. He then called the plumber, who came along and told him to wait outside the bathroom. There was the sound of much pulling, pushing, tugging and shoving until finally the plumber came out and said “I have good news and bad news.”

    “What do you mean?” asked Isaac.

    “The good news is that your wife is now free,” said the plumber.

    “And the bad news?” Isaac asked anxiously.

    The plumber replied, “I’m afraid we lost the Rabbi!”

  15. Morning all

    SIR – Bob Russell (Letters, June 22) hits the nail on the head when he stresses the need for builders to incorporate beauty into their housing schemes, and points out that there are local builders capable of doing this.

    This is certainly true in Dorset, where the schemes that fit in best are invariably those by local firms that know and understand the materials and traditions of the area. By contrast, the high-volume builders that account for most permissions have no interest in such things, with their off-the-peg schemes that could be anywhere.

    If there could be some guarantee of better design, and if it were made easier for small firms to compete against the big boys, communities would be much more likely to accept the need for new housing.

    It is not wrong to resent and resist the uglification of our environment. Nor, of course, is it wrong to be concerned about the provision of affordable housing and infrastructure, and maintenance of local democracy. But better design standards are a crucial element in the mix.

    Roger White

    Sherborne, Dorset

    SIR – I write of a case concerning only one house on the edge of our small village near Cirencester.

    Permission to build a four-bedroom “Cotswold-lite” home on a sensitive site has been given. The process has revealed not just a lack of transparency and democracy, but also an ignorance of aesthetics and local practice.

    Our village is both ancient and modern, with a mix of generations and housing. We are not Nimbys. However, the narrow lane where building is taking place is one of the few entries to the village that is unspoilt. It was much photographed in the 1880s and has remained unchanged – until last week, when the diggers arrived.

    True, this is not, say, an ill-planned estate. But the essence of a small community is fragile. It takes only one misconceived building to disrupt this.

    Lucy Abel Smith

    Cirencester, Gloucestershire

    SIR – Before building on the green belt, the Government must address: the one million approved planning applications yet to be constructed; the polluted brownfield sites lying unused; and the loss of homes as Airbnbs and unoccupied “buy to leave” investments. It also needs to consider the opportunities presented by high streets and offices left vacant following the upheavals of the last year.

    In addition, it must differentiate between high-quality landscapes, such as those in Chesham and Amersham, and other parts of the green belt. A more nuanced approach is required.

    David Harbott

    Hadley Wood, Hertfordshire

    SIR – Here in mid-to-north Essex, many miles of agricultural land have been lost to building since the 1950s. With the continuous increase in population, and the housing consequently required, will there come a time when all our food will have to be imported?

    Mervyn Vallance

    Maldon, Essex

    Hong Kong’s free press

    SIR – The closure of Hong Kong’s Apple Daily newspaper today, following the arrest of its staff and freezing of its assets, should concern all those who care about press freedom.

    After the imposition of the national security law in June last year, this latest assault on Apple Daily is a particularly graphic example of the Chinese Communist Party’s long campaign against dissent and democracy in Hong Kong – which has also seen the imprisonment of the paper’s founder, Jimmy Lai.

    I am once again wondering where global Britain is. Will the custodians of the Sino-British joint declaration speak up on the egregious violation of human rights, and for press freedom?

    Lord Alton of Liverpool

    Vice Chair, All-Party Parliamentary Group on Hong Kong

    London SW1

    Erratic rail prices

    SIR – On Tuesday, I tried to use the Greater Anglia app to buy a rail ticket to London for the following day. I was quoted £41.10 and given no alternative.

    I then went to trainsplit.com and bought the same ticket for £14.50.

    Timothy Martin

    Ipswich, Suffolk

    Wrong-headed

    SIR – As an Old Paulina, I note with dismay that the High Mistress of St Paul’s Girls’ School has rejected the title of “head girl” as too “binary” (report, June 22).

    When is she going to change her own title on the same grounds?

    Judith Goulden

    London NW3

    Placeholder image for youtube video: 6CRnKGpiTdI

    Slimmed-down juries

    SIR – The Lord Chief Justice’s call for slimmed-down juries (report, June 22) is long overdue, particularly at a time of court backlogs and concern about the number of rape acquittals.

    Advertisement

    Some years ago, I sat in the Gibraltar Supreme Court, where, apart from in murder trials, nine jurors were perfectly adequate. Lord Devlin’s praise for juries – the “lamp that shows freedom lives” – may well have been appropriate to an age when moral standards were higher. However, what was not acceptable then has, in many cases, now become the norm in sexual behaviour.

    It is for Parliament to decide what should be acceptable, not a group “drawn from all walks of life”. The more participants there are, the greater the inclination is to stray. So I would go further, and suggest that what Parliament says is acceptable may best be interpreted by a single judge, who has experience in determining the veracity of both parties. I would cite the recent example of a jury acquitting a defendant despite overwhelming evidence and factual admission, and despite the judge’s direction on law. A smaller jury may be more effective and less likely to depart from its remit.

    His Honour Barrington Black

    London NW3

    Advertisement

    SIR – I find it alarming that Lord Burnett, the Lord Chief Justice, wants to reduce the size of juries. When I did jury service, I would not have felt comfortable if a person’s fate had been sealed by fewer than 12 of us.

    Not only must justice be done, it must also be seen to be done.

    Gordon Moser

    Barkingside, Essex

    SIR – Many simple cases would not have to go to court at all if magistrates’ sentencing powers were increased.

    The Criminal Justice Act 2003 allows for sentences of 12 months for one offence and 15 months for two or more. This has never been enforced, though it would save time and money.

    Dr Graham D J Rhodes

    London W8

    Placeholder image for youtube video: OKny1_VXtNY

    SIR – The problem is not juries but the availability of judges and courtrooms – and, because of cuts to legal aid, access to solicitors and barristers. Consequently, defendants with no understanding of procedure or the law are representing themselves. This is not good for victims or criminals.

    The right to be tried and sentenced by a full jury should be sacrosanct. Anything less and justice isn’t “slimmed down” but watered down.

    Advertisement

    Dale Fletcher

    Gosport, Hampshire

    Storm over Cherwell

    SIR – A media storm has recently engulfed Cherwell, Oxford University’s student newspaper (report, June 21), which we co-edit. We would like to assure Telegraph readers that Cherwell retains, and will continue to retain, full editorial control. This is what it was built on, is our primary aim as a paper and is of the utmost importance.

    Sasha Mills and Irene Zhang

    University of Oxford

    Trans in the media

    SIR – After reading Allison Pearson (Features, June 23), I realised that the transgender argument is always about trans women.

    Trans men never demand to go to men’s prisons, hospital wards, changing rooms or lavatories. There are no trans male athletes trying to compete in men’s competitions, or tying themselves up in knots over defining their identity. Why not?

    Alison Brightwell

    Bridport, Dorset

    Policymakers with no understanding of maths

    SIR – Matt Ridley (Comment, June 21) paints a convincing picture of the damage done by our Government being “in thrall to the modellers”, contrasting our decisions on lockdown to those in America, Germany and France.

    Advertisement

    As a scientist, he is too modest to say that this is an example of the problems arising from the uniquely British view that someone can be well-educated without any understanding of maths. Decision-makers are cautious around choices that they struggle to understand.

    Our national innumeracy shows itself more widely in politics and journalism. Examples include the inability of many commentators to recognise a relationship between heavy net migration and housing pressures, or one between growing population density and the need to regulate (parking, noise, light etc).

    The Government is right to press for more Stem courses in universities and apprenticeships, but it also needs to put a grounding in maths, including statistics and probability theory, at the heart of wider education.

    Sir Julian Brazier

    Canterbury, Kent

    Placeholder image for youtube video: otIRFuyTuN4

    It’s time to let the young get on with their lives

    SIR – How much more must young people suffer?

    Over the past 18 months, various grandchildren have: missed GCSEs and A-levels; spent their first university year studying online at home; missed their “prom”, leaving parties and end-of-year celebrations; suffered panic attacks and agoraphobia; and spent more time out of school than in. One must wait six months for his first driving lesson, while another has been told she must wait until December 2022 for her practical driving test.

    Advertisement

    For heaven’s sake, enough is enough.

    Eve Wilson

    Hill Head, Hampshire

    SIR – Ministers are recommending caution regarding the ending of lockdown.

    I am 82 years old and have been taking that approach for close to 18 months now. I am not too keen on soccer or going to experimental music festivals, and I can’t easily afford tickets for Wimbledon, hence I am still applying caution to my life.

    What I need is to be able to have a life – even if I die living it.

    Alan Crabbe

    Cardiff

    SIR – It is not surprising that GPs are too busy to administer Covid-19 booster jabs, given the backlog of care that has resulted from the pandemic. But there is an obvious solution – community pharmacies.

    Pharmacies have an incredible 
track record on flu vaccinations, administering more than 2.7 million last season, and more than 600 of them are already administering Covid-19 jabs.

    Why not use this network of healthcare centres on our high streets to allow GPs to get back to the day job?

    Simon Dukes

    Chief Executive, Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee

    London EC1

    1. There is a horrendous backlog of practical driving tests; the daughter of one of my friends was lucky to get a slot in December this year. She’s already had to take her theory exam twice because it became time expired before she could book the practical.

  16. They were always known as Alan Whickers in the past, I bet M&S are now finding this George Floyd undies campaign a right pain in the Gregory.

    2. As part of the campaign, M&S have agreed to accept counterfeit banknotes in memory of Floydie.

      1. 334731+ up ticks,
        Morning Cs,
        That does NOT enter the equation although very true what has ruled the roost up until now is tactical keep in / keep out
        voting regarding the three parties in the Country destroying coalition, and a huge detrimental cost to the nation

    3. That statue is doomed. A white privileged man mourning other white privileged men who died in the Flanders mud.

      1. 334731+ up ticks,
        Morning Anne,
        That is why I want to HEAR a
        voice in parliament asking just such questions along with the teacher has the statue
        got to go into hiding ?

        Down to the electorate in
        Batley-Spen.
        Make a name or endure the shame,

    1. “Do as we say, not as we do.” is a Hallmark of Socialist States and their Nomenklatura!

  19. And a good morning to all. A whole 11°C outside this morning and a lovely start to the day to boot, though we are forecast a bit of rain later on.

    1. Lefty and ‘liberal’ behaviour and its many contradictions and hypocrisies all fall into place when you view their motivation not as caring for others or wanting a better world but as hate, self-loathing and envy of those they believe were dealt a better hand in life.

  25. Good morning everybody.

    And Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary to all those who voted for Brexit 5 years ago yesterday. (I know we haven’t really “left” the EU but there was great satisfaction in the vote).

    1. I was up all night, with a supply of wine, laughing at those on the TV who were often near to tears.

    2. And the Conservative Party is still stuffed with remainers and I very much doubt whether either Johnson or Gove have ever been committed to Brexit.

      Why did Farage not give the Conservatives a proper contest at the general election by withdrawing his Brexit Party candidates from seats held by Conservative remainers? And why did he immediately say he approved of a deal giving us the N Ireland Protocol, no proper control of our fishing waters and no resolution for the financial sector? I do not dispute that Farage is a brilliant orator – but he is all mouth and trousers!

      1. Morning Rastus. I agree Nigel approved of the deal, far too quickly, don’t think he’d even had time to read it! We have been let down very badly by our politicians and the snivel serpents have run rings around them. I very much doubt that will ever change. I would say we need a change of “leadership “ but who would be any better than BJ? Rishi Sunak May be a suitable candidate but, I’m sorry, I do not want a Muslim as our PM. The Islamic religious fanatics have too much sway in the U.K. already.

        The Conservatives are no longer. As a party they have abandoned their previous policies/politics and are now a Socialist government.

        1. Yep! I know the feeling. the spirit is willing etc.
          Chasing women for me is like the dog who chases cars. If it ever caught one it would not know what to do with it!

    3. Wan man ʒevit þe a pig, opin þe powch. (When a man gives thee a pig, open the pouch).

  27. The number of doctors taking early retirement has tripled since the axing of bumper pensions, an investigation by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) has revealed.

    Official NHS data show that 1,358 GPs and hospital doctors retired early in 2020-21 – up from 401 in 2007-8.

    The trend follows a clampdown on pensions, introduced in 2012 by George Osborne, then chancellor, capping the amount savers can amass without being taxed from £1.8 million to £1 million.

    The new figures, obtained by a freedom of information request by the BMJ, come from the NHS Business Services Authority.

    Separate data show that more than 50,000 NHS workers quit the NHS pension scheme in 2019-20, in order to avoid major tax bills.

    The number of staff opting out of the scheme rose 22 per cent during the tax year, with senior doctors and managers saying they had no choice to avoid large tax bills.

    The British Medical Association (BMA) said changes in tax regulation were one of the main reasons doctors were choosing to retire early.

    The data show the average age of retirement fell during this period, from 61 to 59. And the number retiring because they had reached retirement age fell from 2,030 in 2007-08 to 1,594 in 2020-21.

    However, the total number of doctors employed by the NHS in England and Wales rose by one quarter over the 13-year period, from 141,000 to 176,000.

    Vishal Sharma, the chairman of the BMA pensions committee, said that the current pension taxation system was “punitive” and left “senior doctors with little option but to consider early retirement”.

    He added: “To make things worse, we know that the strain of working through the pandemic has left doctors exhausted and they continue to battle stress and burnout.

    “Many have had their annual leave cancelled and they have not had adequate time to rest and recover from the tumultuous year they have had, with no sign of let up as they now face the biggest backlog and waiting lists since records began.

    “The BMA demands that urgent action is taken to halt a potential workforce crisis at a time when the NHS can least afford to weather it.”

    Dr Sharma said the situation had been made worse by the Government’s decision to freeze the lifetime allowance for pensions taxation for the next five years, which will increase the amount of tax that many doctors have to pay on their pensions.

    “A BMA survey demonstrated that 72 per cent of doctors would consider retiring even earlier as a result of these changes,” he added. “The combination of an exhausted workforce coupled with the freezing of the lifetime allowance being imposed at the same time will potentially result in a mass exodus of highly experienced doctors, at a time when patients need them the most.”

    He said that a “simple but effective” change that the Government could make would be to implement a tax unregistered pension scheme in the NHS.

    “The Government has already implemented such a scheme for the judiciary to address similar recruitment and retention issues,” he explained. “A comparable solution within the NHS will allow our most experienced doctors to remain working in the NHS and consequently avert this workforce crisis.”

    On Wednesday, health leaders said the NHS workforce is “incredibly tired” after working full pelt throughout the pandemic.

    A poll from the NHS Providers organisation, which represents NHS trusts, found many health leaders have seen staff leave due to early retirement or side effects from working through the coronavirus crisis.

    The survey of NHS leaders in England found almost half have seen evidence of staff leaving their organisation due to early retirement, Covid-19 burnout, or other effects from working in the pandemic.

    Saffron Cordery, the deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, told BBC Breakfast: “I think one of the key challenges is also amongst the NHS workforce, which is incredibly tired. Our survey found nearly half of trusts had evidence of staff leaving the NHS because of either early retirement, burnout, or the impact of working in a pandemic environment. And we know that there’s more of that really tough work to come.”

    They are all ‘avin a larf at our expense!

    1. Penalising doctors who don’t take early retirement is seeing more doctors take early retirement? Who’d have thunk it? Clearly not the idiots in power.

      It’s the same for dentists like my brother. He retired early because he was fed up of being mucked about, the pension rules being just one factor. Alas, the dentist-turned-entrepreneur who bought his practice has had trouble getting a replacement and most of the staff were soon poached for other surgeries leaving his patients stranded. He did offer to go back part-time but was rebuffed.

      A similar problem is having so many women training as doctors. Most take career breaks for children then work part-time, ending up working far fewer hours, on average, than male doctors. For some reason those responsible for training doctors haven’t increased training places to allow for this and seem surprised that there’s a shortage of doctors.

    2. My previous GP retired at 58.
      I could remember him starting a rookie GP about 30 years earlier.
      Personally, I wasn’t too bothered as he wasn’t the best GP I’d come across, but I doubt he retired because I wasn’t too impressed.

        1. He never found out. Unless I needed a prescription medicine, I didn’t bother to visit.
          Actually, much the same as now, even with his far more impressive successor.

      1. I haven’t been able to see a doctor yet this year; quite how my lot are exhausted is difficult to understand.

    1. Mind you Eric has injected quite a lot of stuff into himself over the years!

    2. Brilliant interview, thanks for posting. He’s saying all the things that I fully support, including the fears for our children and grandchildren. The Bobby Brown video is so apposite and completely spot on. The public is being herded like sheep, fenced in in one side at a time, yet people don’t seem to see what’s happening.

      1. Those shocking fear – inducing adverts earlier this year were a brilliant exercise in mind control.

    3. He’s articulated a lot of my thoughts there.
      I’m also glad to have this little group of like-minded people to talk with.

  30. On Topic:
    Part of the problem is the arrangement of public works contracts in private (and secret) spaces, where private firms build cheap and nasty mass housing, pricing entrepreneurs out and building sh1tholes, and then basting them in flammables (#Grenfell) in the name of energy preservation.

    2. Also the “greenest ship in the Navy”. Let’s hope that “green” does not mean “naïve” or untrained. The percentage quoted related to about three members of the ship’s complement. It’s just another example of pointless virtue signalling. Who really cares about this provided everyone works well together as a team? Let’s also hear about the religious affiliations onboard- are there any Jedi crew members?

      1. A misleading % and presumably also a lie, unless one of the three is doubling up under LGBT

    3. Also the “greenest ship in the Navy”. Let’s hope that “green” does not mean “naïve” or untrained. The percentage quoted related to about three members of the ship’s complement. It’s just another example of pointless virtue signalling. Who really cares about this provided everyone works well together as a team? Let’s also hear about the religious affiliations onboard- are there any Jedi crew members?

    4. When I was in the services the easiest way to get demobbed was to say you were a poof, now it seems it’s the easiest way to join

      1. What’s wrong with pouffes, Spikey? After a hard day’s grafting in the garden I find it’s very relaxing to sit down and rest my feet on a pouffe whilst sipping a glass of wine!

        :-))

        2. Exactly. Stops those puffy unsightly ankles.
          A girl has to look her best at all times.

    6. Keeping up with the naval idea of our matelots being the ‘Rum, Bum and Baccy Boys’

    10. Good morning everyone.

      It appears that 10% of the Royal Navy likes to contradict Lance Corporal Jones.

  32. Good morning from a fairly grumpy old Rastus

    Holidays to Europe in doubt after Angela Merkel’s ‘quarantine the British’ demand
    German chancellor calls on other EU states to force arrivals from the UK to isolate over delta variant fears
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2021/06/23/angela-merkel-urges-european-countries-force-uk-travellers-quarantine/

    Thank you you nasty old hag. Of course this will hit the Mediterranean countries in the EU as well as the whole of France but not hurt Germany so much. But it’s probably put the final nail in our coffin and made an unbreachable hole under the waterline! We may mix our metaphors but there is nothing mixed in our contempt for the EU and its politicians.

    We have been scrambling around trying to resurrect some students for our summer courses and there are still quite a few who are eager to come. Caroline has been busy working on this year’s 100 page dedicated course book as she writes a new one each year which, amongst other things, helps us make our courses the very best available for those studying French at Sixth Form level.

    I don’t think M Macron’s hostility towards Britain is doing much good to help his hubristic desire for the world to drop English and learn French instead.

    1. First words/actions taught to British Servicemen There will be no Surrender

      First words to French se retirer de la bataille retreat from battle

      1. It does seem the obvious thing to do but I don’t think it is quite as easy as it would and should be. There are hoops to jump through and, certainly in Spain, accreditations and certification of that country to be delivered unto the bureaucracy.

        3. We both have degrees and teaching certificates from British universities and Caroline has a Masters’ degree in Linguistics from the University of Rouen. However if either of us had wanted to teach in French schools we would have been considered ‘unqualified’ and paid very little as a result.
          However, many French young people go to England to teach and their French teaching qualifications and degrees are accepted and they are properly paid. Indeed, the head of Modern Languages in what is the top independent academic school in England at the moment encourages several of his pupils to come to us, has French degrees and a French teaching certificate but he is properly remunerated.

      2. Much easier said than done to make it financially viable.

        Caroline already does quite a bit of coaching of French children but this is for our friends. A local farmer used to give us all the milk we could use and a carpenter helps me out with some of my practical projects. But there is not enough to make a living out of it and again we have spent over 30 years building up our business and it is rather late in the day for us to have to start again from the beginning.

      3. Would you say the same to a Maths teacher, and suggest that he or she switched to teaching Physics at A level, after a 35-year career of teaching Maths, on the basis that you need Maths to do Physics? Or would you suggest to a guitar teacher that he or she switched to teaching the violin, on the basis that both are string instruments?

        Quite apart from what other people have said on this thread – problems with accreditation, financial viability, etc. – it is simply not a workable option in the short term. I’m not saying that it can’t be done, given lots of time and effort, but many people simply don’t realise that just because someone speaks a language does not mean they can teach it well, if at all.

        1. Yep, I imagine it’s a bit like for me everyone assumes I can’do com-puters’ where I’m a security and networks engineer specialising in penetration testing. Someone asking me to fix their printer is a bit odd.

        2. Surely the principles of teaching EFL are similar to teaching French to English speakers? I’ve done both in my time.

        3. Sorry Caroline- please accept my apologies. I didn’t mean to sound so trite and dismissive of the business you’ve built up over so many years. It must be very galling that stupid politicians bring in these rules which are inconvenient to most people but can mean loss of livelihood to others like yourselves.

      1. Over the years we have had several students from Ireland and even students from international schools who are studying either “A” level or the English version of the International Baccalaureate. This Easter we had a girl from an international school in Madrid on an online course with us.
        The trouble is actually being able to find enough of them to make viable inroads into the problem.

        1. My 17 year old daughter says “Sponsor one of the big French teaching Youtubers, you just give them a little bit of money and they’ll advertise your courses on their videos”
          Advertise on this dictionary: https://dict.leo.org/franz%C3%B6sisch-deutsch/ ?
          (daughter says she mostly uses Google translate though).

        2. German or Dutch grammar school kids will be able to handle lessons in English and French.

  34. Morning all, I see this government is behaving in its normal inconsistent manner, 40,00 for wendyball at Wembley Stadium which has a capacity of 90,000 but only 10,000 fans allowed at the English Premiership rugby final this weekend at Twickenham, capacity 82,000. of course there will not be 2,500 rugby officials being exempt from all restrictions.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/coronavirus-news-covid-delta-plus-variant-quarantine-lockdown/

    Professor Kevin Fenton, regional director for London for Public Health England (PHE), said allowing 40,000 people into Wembley next week was a controlled situation.
    “With all of these large programmes, they’re done under very controlled circumstances,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
    “So a lot of testing beforehand, measures are placed in the stadium to manage the crowd as well as… to do lateral flow device testing before people enter, and there are marshals across the stadia to ensure that people social distance as best as they can and to follow the rules.
    “So there are really strict protocols in place… and the data that we get from events such as these will help us to plan further events in the future, so we need to understand how to live with the virus and to do so safely.”
    Asked if he was ready to say to the Government that larger crowds should not be allowed if there was something he did not like the look of, he replied: “Yes absolutely.
    “And there are going to be a range of things that we will look at so if rates continue to increase in the city, if we see a particular new variant clustering, as we know many things can happen over the two-week period, or if we see failings in some of the controls, we will absolutely raise those concerns, so that that can be taken into account for decisions as we move forward. But again this is a partnership that we are in trying to look at how we manage these events safely, and learning those lessons as we go ahead.”

    2. Perhaps what should happen is all spectators should be encouraged to bring tents and other camping equipment along to Wembley and the exits should be locked, so the great covid experiment can can continue at a pace. There are plenty of toilets and showers off the pitch. After 5 days pick up any stacks of bodies and let the rest out. Let’s be brutally honest, England wont be needing the football ground again this year.

  35. Good Moaning.
    Sunshine again!!!!
    Global warming …. climate change …. we’re all doomed.
    Meanwhile, Spartie and I will go for a nice walk and look at the ducks on a nearby lake. Probably won’t make it back because CO2 will do something unspeakable to us, but hey ho, one needs to live dangerously.

    2. Classic them and us. The people deserve what they get when they just do as they are told all the time. They have shown to me just how slave like most of them are.I think we are the only non mask weares in Blatchington.

  36. Happy Midsummer to all NoTTLers (well, to those who celebrate it like we do here in Scandyland).☀️

      1. I never did in the UK but it’s a big event in Sweden with a bank holiday tomorrow!

      1. Kräftor (Crayfish) supper is in mid-August. Matjesill is the preferred delicacy for midsommar.

        1. Depends whose feast it is, and that was in both Norrköping and that Archipelago immediately east of there – can’t remember the name.

  38. Am I alone in feeling that whilst we have left the EU, we have somehow joined the globalists/WEF/DemGangsters/ChineseCCP club, which seems to involve even less liberty and autonomy and a hop onto the train of impoverishment as we commit to a New Normal and compulsory Climate Change Agenda.

    1. No – you’re not alone. We’ve been conditioned over the last 18 months to accept this nonsense and loss of freedom as the “new Normal”.

    2. I am still hoping and waiting for GB News to mount a serious debate which confronts the politically mandatory climate change orthodoxy.

    3. ‘You are all in it together’. Doesn’t apply to us of course because we are the golden ones and you lot are all shit. Vote for me at the next election !

    4. That is why I’m urging For Britain, Reclaim and Reform to merge on common ground, to provide an alternative vote to Lib/Lab/Con and realise that separately they will just split the vote (and very few votes at that) but together, presenting a proper manifesto – if it appeals to we NoTTLers, it’ll appeal to the majority of our thinking countrymen.

  40. Back from market. No pigs to be had, even for ready money.

    It is warm and sultry – shall celebrate my return by sitting in the garden.

      1. Full of beans, thank you.

        Clouds have taken over. May rain after lunch.. Grrr.

  41. The Daily Human Stupidity.

    “This cures everything except stupidity, which is an epidemic on the rise.”

    Carlos Ruiz Zafón

    1. The optician at Specsavers Woking, 2 weeks ago, saved my sight after St Peter’s Chertsey A&E ignored my detached retina.

      In principle I agree with you. In practice I have faith in that individual optician.

    2. In addition to Alf’s reply I went to Specsavers today to have my ears syringed, suction method actually, because our surgery “doesn’t do that any more”. Our surgery doesn’t do much any more. GPs are being paid a lot merely for having our names on their lists – but not for seeing us.

      1. Our surgery doesn’t do it any more, either. OH has been trying to do it himself but not getting very far. Did your treatment at Specsavers do the trick?

        1. Well certainly quite a lot of debris was evacuated, from both ears, but the worst of them feels just a little strange and it may be that I have slightly impaired hearing anyway. I have some drops to put in over the next few days and thereafter suggested for once a week.

          Trouble is I have eczema in my ears and sometimes I just have to really scratch them hard so I guess quite a lot of skin has been pushed into the ears. The drops are supposed to help prevent and soothe itchy ears although I have some betnovate ointment that I use occasionally. The cost was £55 for the suction and £6.50 for the Earol spray.

          1. I’ll tell him! He probably has some hearing loss anyway, but he’s been messing about with olive oil and a syringe for months now. Thanks for that.

  43. Watch: Has Brexit changed Britain for the better five years on?
    Whether it’s Britain’s vaccine triumph or Liz Truss’s historic trade deals, Brexit can still be a success.
    Daniel Hannan: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/06/23/watch-has-brexit-changed-britain-better-five-years/

    The vandalising intervention of so many British traitors not only caused a delay of five years in Brexit but also considerably weakened the UK’s negotiating position. It is too soon to tell if Brexit has succeeded or whether the traitors have won.

    BTL Comment

    Until the Northern Ireland Protocol is removed and there is no border in the Irish Sea we have not had a proper Brexit.

    Until Britain has complete control over the fishing in her own waters we do not have a proper Brexit.

    Until the EU stops trying to punish Britain for having the temerity to leave the EU Britain would be better off with no EU trade deal and WTO terms.

    1. Total agreement in this household.

      We will never leave the EU because the whole of Parliament wants to stay in!

      1. As has been said many time VW it’s a similar issue to the Eagles song Hotel California.
        They stab it with their steely Knives but they just can’t kill the beast……….
        You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave        . (last words)

      2. 334731+ up ticks,
        Morning VW,
        Much the same can be said of the current lab/lib/con coalition
        close shop members, party before Country, if continued we will have the nation resembling bike parks in the local mosques
        then laying the blame on those who would not touch a lab/lib/con vote currently, ever again.

      3. Which is why I keep banging on about the fact that Farage removed his Brexit Party candidates from seats held by Conservative Party remainers.

        If Johnson truly believed in ‘getting Brexit done‘ then why did he not de-select each and every remainer from contesting the election and why did he reward the likes of the chief Brexit torpedo merchant, Kenneth Clarke? The very reward given to the toad-like Hush Puppy wearer – Companion of Honour is a sick joke – there are few politicians as dishonourable as Clarke is.

    2. I believe that our problem is, we have far too many politicians to ever have a commonsense majority in any aspect. Our parliamentary over view is the take the knee as often as possible. Some thing else is also obvious as in Westminster and the civil service, is based on the American guy with his pigs.
      Lest be honest who needs people like Kenneth Clarke around or even Major and May, let alone all the other pointless hangers on. they have proven time and time again they are totally useless. There are even older versions of these influential now seemingly woke ‘do gooders’. If ever a truer picture of our parliament and civil service was so obviously correct, it was Yes Minister/Prime Minister and House of Cards.

    3. Look for …..Too Many White Christian Faces in Britain…D.Cameron…….just google it and all will be revealed…

    2. Or………..Have you seen the bulge in their number 9s shorts ?
      I could have added another one, but I might be castigated.

    3. Like our football team, a bunch of overpaid women who think the plebs need re-education rammed down their throats

      2. I suspect that they are far cheaper than male commentators…that’s why management like them.

    4. I think it’s a vast improvement – much better than the overpaid crisp munching SJW!

    6. (Pats self on back for having saved all that money on TV licence/subscriptions)

    7. I don’t watch football, but is that really what the put up for the commentators? 4 women?

      Cripes alive, that’s insulting to the women because they’re just tokens rather than taken seriously.

    1. 5. The collapse of the West

      One of the more extravagant claims was made by then European Council president Donald Tusk who told German newspaper Der Bild that: ‘As a historian I fear Brexit could be the beginning of the destruction of not only the EU but also Western political civilization in its entirety.’ David Cameron issued a similar warning – in admittedly less apocalyptic tones – when he implied a third world war could grip the continent if the UK left the European Union, asking: ‘Can we be so sure peace and stability on our continent are assured beyond any shadow of doubt? Is that a risk worth taking? I would never be so rash to make that assumption.’ Five years on and it appears that the greater threat to the EU is in fact its own leaders, given the ongoing debacle of the vaccine rollout in the face of public dismay. Western political civilisation meanwhile has somehow remained intact.

      The West will collapse but for other reasons…

      1. 334731+ up ticks,
        Afternoon WS,
        “The West will collapse but for other reasons”, I am not sure that will be achieved without continuing input from the lab/lib/con coalition, the job of near nation annihilation via the ballot booth has been a thing of wonder regarding people power over the last three decades, in taking a respected decent nation to the basement of a sh!te bog.

        By the by many of the electorate would be up for digging a cellar under that.

    2. The big lie was that Cameron presented the option of staying in “a reformed EU ” when he had completely failed to get any reforms at all.

      1. 334731+ up ticks,
        Afternoon R,
        The wretch had NO intentions of reforming anything unless it was on the brussels agenda for reforming, the current fat controller is of the same ilk.

        Just heard interview / comment on bBc world at ones from Batley-Spen it came across to me as “teacher, what teacher ”
        Anne Marie Waters,” who”

      2. The EU is utterly unreformable. The only way to change it is for all the commissars to want it to, and they’re so deep in the trough they’re not going to do that.

  46. No comments on https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2021/06/23/exclusive-harry-meghan-rejected-earl-dumbarton-title-archie/ and https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2021/06/24/prince-wales-gave-duke-duchess-sussex-substantial-sum-start/

    So why are Hapless and his wife continuing to use their title of SusSEX?

    Hapless’s dad split £4.5m for this year with his brother until next year’s payment and he’s got millions in the bank from dead relatives yet he claims to be a victim and bites the hand that feeds him.

    Hapless, look at all the comments on the U.K. media, YouTube videos and US media. Look at Sky News Australia laughing at you. Just shut up, stop the PR blitz and shameful money-grabbing and go away.

    1. They’ve sold themselves and their souls (arseholes) to Netfix etc and that’s what these companies have bought – so they will continue to spill the crap as that’s the only selling point they have. Until the American public is as sick of it as we are – what will they do then for money?

      1. She could always go on the streets – but she is over 40 and trade might not be that brisk.

    2. You might have thought they would have learned some sort of lesson by now. They will never live this down.

      2. He thought he was a shoe-in for the title role in the Disney remake of Dumbo. We all remember that he failed to attend an important Royal Marines event in order to go to an event where he would see the senior Disney executive and get to discuss his giving ‘talk over’ roles for Migraine as well as the Dumbo role for himself.

    3. Since they don’t like Dumbarton, how about Earl of Scunthorpe for Archie? Edit – I see Andrew Neil has made the same comment on Twatter]

  47. 334731+ up ticks,
    Is there any org. that can / will verify with some honesty the true numbers of those jabbed because the continuing
    pursuit of the unjabbed is bordering on the the governance / overseers beginning to sound like begging, leading to beseeching the unjabbers, to be jabbed thereby giving the whole iffy campaign credibility.

    To me it has got an aroma similar to the hold of a foreign super seabed raper trawler full of British fish.

  48. This makes interesting reading, especially the Summary at the start and Conclusions at the end. It is in a BTL comment from the DT’s “Coronavirus Latest News” page:

    Denise Worthington 24 Jun 2021 12:45PM

    ‘A UK review into the potential use of certification had been due to report last month but was delayed.’ (KenL – that was a statement in the DT article)

    You mean this report? It’s worth a read especially in the conclusions section.
    https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/6264/documents/69158/default/

  49. Climate Change Committee (discussions on BBC Radio 4)

    1. Stop using gas for domestic hot water and heating and use ground source heat pumps instead,
    2. Stop eating meat and don’t let the kids watch adverts for junk food,
    3. Stay at home to work and use family electric scooters for your UK staycation,
    4. Live anywhere except Bath where hot water comes out of the ground for free!

    These look fun:
    50 mile range with a top speed of 50 mph.

    https://solarscooters.co.uk/products/solar-p1-pro-electric-scooter

    1. My E-Bike cost the same and at least i get to sit down ! Plus it has panniers for any shopping or bits and bobs. There is also a dog basket that can be fitted to the front handlebars.

        2. I have a 12 foot whip aerial with a foxtail attached too. Just in case some passer by didn’t notice me.

    2. Looked at the link, as an old fella who was born in Bath, I think the hills of Bath would soon tame these scooters.
      Edit. and the spring waters taste awful!

      1. Yup. I remember the lorry which lost its brakes on Lansdown Road and ended up in the railings of the York Hotel where the driver was trapped and burned to death.

        More recently another runaway lorry crashed in Weston village having taken a shortcut from Lansdown on Weston Lane killing a child and several others.

        1. And because of the new Clean Air Zone, lorries are coming down Lansdown Lane where that recent accident occurred only to be stopped by Plod and issued large fines for breaking weight limit restrictions.
          No way do I fancy going up or down hills in Bath on an e-scooter.

    3. And where are all the charging points that will be needed?
      These people just don’t live in the real world. They seriously need to think about what they are suggesting.

      1. But the electric scooter only needs 3kW – same as electric kettle.
        So instead of going on holiday you coukd make a cup of tea.☺️

      2. Kent say that they will install 30 charging points.

        I’m sure that will be sufficient..

    4. What will power the heat pumps? What will power the electric vehicles? Who will build all the charging points? Will our pavements be doomed to be littered with thick plastic cables, invisible at night to trip over?

      How will the economy cope with the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs in food manufacturing, imports, the lost business rates, corporation tax receipts and reduced spending?

      The Lefty BBC never addresses the reality.

      1. The CE of the CCC is Chris Stark.
        He has given the UK Government a Stark warning.

    3. I’ve just come in from a potter round the garden – cloudy and very muggy. We had some overnight light rain but it looks like more on the way.

    4. Same here, Bill. I’m so glad I spent three and a half hours in the garden earlier today. Tomorrow is scheduled to rain all day, so I’ll spend the day in the garage cleaning up the BBQ. Now for a shower, followed by an evening out at a new Curry venue with a chum.

  51. If the Frau Doktor does not want British people to visit Europe – why not simply reciprocate?

    No EU citizens allowed to enter the UK. Even “important” ones.

    That’d tell ’em.

    1. Or allow them in but make them stay in the grotty airport prison facilities at their own expense.

      1. The food looked disgusting. If i were to be subject to it i would have been redecorating the room.

    1. I pay £30 a month through Denplan. Covers everything but implants and Lab work. Includes 4 hygienist appointments too. My last root canal and crown cost me £90.

    2. But you might get the work done rather than waiting for ever!

      No NHS equivalent dental here, you want it you pay for it.

      1. Same with operations, if you can afford to pay or suffer in agony. In the meantime of course you may pop your clogs….

    3. I have a very good dentist in Marmaris in Turkey.

      15 years ago he did extensive work for me: 6 crowns, 3 bridges, 2 extractions and one deep filling. All the work he did is still in place and has never given me any trouble at all. The total cost was 1,200 €.

      You could fly to Turkey, have ten days in the best hotel in Marmaris and come home having had a very good job done, had a good holiday in the sun and saved over half the cost of having the dental work done in either Britain or France.

    4. Be thankful for that – I’m in the middle of a £4k per tooth saga Plum. Appointment No six of nine was on Tues. I’ve been going since about January (I think; it’s been going on so long I can’t even remember)

      1. I’ve always looked after my teeth, 6 month check up etc.
        Private dentists always find a problem to fix!….Funny that!

        1. I haven’t been able to have a check up for more than 18 months (Covid, you know). I finally arranged one for this month (which would have been the two year anniversary) and the dentist has postponed it until August.

          1. The whole NHS system is being dismantled by this shite government, their excuse Covid is the fallguy….
            If you can’t pay….suffer in pain!

    5. Be thankful for that – I’m in the middle of a £4k per tooth saga Plum. Appointment No six of nine was on Tues. I’ve been going since about January (I think; it’s been going on so long I can’t even remember)

  53. Fact and Fiction

    Written in 2007, set in 1981/82 – ‘Ashes to Ashes’

    Lord Scarman: “The police harassment of sexual and racial minorities is an endemic, ineradicable disease threatening the very survival of our society!”

    Gene Hunt: “Catchy title. Got ‘Bestseller’ written all over it. Now if you’ll excuse me…!” [turns away]

    Lord Scarman: “I’ll be keeping a beady eye on you, DCI Hunt!”

    [Gene turns back to face him]

    Gene Hunt: “Is that right!? Well, you can take this home in your Harrods pipe and smoke it! In twenty years’, time, when the streets are awash with filth, and you’re too frightened to leave your big, posh Belsize Park house after dark, don’t come running to me, mate! Because I’ll be in Alicante, oiled up, skin sizzling in the midday sun like a burnt sausage!”

      1. I’ve been channelling my inner Gene Hunt for decades!

        Credit to writers Matthew Graham and Ashley Pharoah.

          1. I take it you didn’t watch ‘Life on Mars’ and Ashes to Ashes’!

            Surprisingly, they’re all available on iPlayer.

  54. ‘Labour has ignored its voters – it is now paying the price’. Spiked 24 June 2021.

    spiked: You have been outspoken on trans issues. Is this another area where Labour is out of touch with the public?

    George Galloway: It hasn’t come up in the campaign in Batley and Spen. But if it did, my position on it is quite well known. The Labour Party’s infatuation with this issue truly beggars belief. The number of people involved in trans issues must be vanishingly small, yet Labour has embraced what I call trans mania with so much gusto.

    It is emblematic of Labour’s wider departure from the real world. A man cannot become a woman simply by declaring himself to be so. This nonsense is a massive incentive for working-class people in particular to distance themselves from the party. Labour doesn’t really like the British people very much. And the British people are now reciprocating.

    George telling it like it is. On the face of it the obsession with Trans issues is almost pathological. One suspects (but cannot prove) that it is being manipulated.

    https://www.spiked-online.com/2021/06/24/labour-has-ignored-its-voters-it-is-now-paying-the-price/

    1. It is beyond my understanding as to why politicians pay any attention to the woke agenda. It must cost them very heavily at the ballot boxes.

      1. ” It must cost them very heavily at the ballot boxes.”

        I fear not, Richard. Normal people will stay away. The woke will support them – and return them to Parliament. Worse Luck.

      2. 334731+ up ticks,
        Afternoon R,
        “They” are on a win / win every time have been for decades, “they” are identical in character
        have been for years, a same / same coalition.
        The peoples think the answer is not to vote Then “they” take that as the peoples are content with the status quo, the peoples could in many cases cast a vote outside of the close shop but many would think that was
        a treacherous anti party move,
        bent electorate mindset.

        How to keep the UK in perpetual sh!te support the political close shop.

      3. I think they live and work in such an incestuous little bubble that they have little notion of the outside world.

    2. 334731+ up ticks,
      AS,
      Batley / Spen on bbc radio four
      1 o’clock, george others mentioned NO mention of the teacher OR a pro teacher protector, Anne Marie Waters.

      Batley / Spen will send a message for future happenings, its down to the people’s.

  55. 10,000 pigeons VANISH during 170-mile race from Peterborough to North Yorkshire – as breeders fear birds were confused by ‘solar storm above clouds’
    Thousands of pigeons took part in the race held in Peterborough over weekend
    However, it is estimated that between 5,000 and 10,000 didn’t make it home
    Around 40 per cent of 9,000 birds from the North East are among the missing
    It is thought a freak solar storm ‘above the clouds’ sent the birds into disarray

    Anxious pigeon fanciers have appealed for help after up to 10,000 birds vanished during a race in Peterborough.

    One breeder described the puzzling event as ‘one of the very worst racing days in our history.’

    The birds, many based in the North East of England, became lost in a race from Peterborough at the weekend.

    Their owners believe a ‘solar storm above the clouds’ may have disorientated the birds and thrown off their normally infallible homing instinct.

    Around 9,000 birds from the North East alone were in the race and it is estimated that 40% of them didn’t return home.

    The full number from around the country hasn’t yet been calculated but is thought to be between 5,000 and 10,000 missing.

    Richard Sayers, based in Skinningrove, North Yorkshire, 170 miles from the race, says 300 birds are missing from lofts in the fishing village, where pigeon racing is a way of life to many.
    He appealed to people to give shelter to the missing birds, reminding the public of the part pigeons played carrying vital messages during the world wars.

    Mr Sayers said: ‘We’ve seen one of the very worst ever racing days in our history. Around 300 birds are missing from this village alone and thousands across the North East.

    ‘But it’s the same story right across the country, the birds set out from Peterborough and didn’t make it home, they have vanished.

    ‘Most of the breeders I’m talking to are blaming the atmospheric conditions, possibly a solar storm above the clouds that created static in the atmosphere, but no one really knows.

    ‘It’s a worrying situation for breeders and we’re asking people who come across the birds to do their best to look after them for us.

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9721179/10-000-pigeons-VANISH-170-mile-race-Peterborough-North-Yorkshire.html

      2. I should think the squirrels are beginning to feel a bit nervous by now too.

    4. It’s a shame for the owners but the birds will be OK won’t they? All they need to do is feed themselves.

    2. It was at a fundraiser for childrens cancer in 2010.
      I suppose in hindsight he could have done a zip wire act!

    1. Why the hell is the BPAPM wearing a bloody mask in a helico with the door open?

      Pity no one thought to give the bloated idiot a push…

    4. I’ve abseiled out of one of those. Head first.
      Great fun and terrifying at the same time. We went up for about half a dozen goes.
      That was when the Army Reserve was the TA and a lot more money was available for jollies.

  58. OT – for those of you who are interested in English history (yes, ENGLISH) there is an excellent new book out:

    The Anglo-Saxons: A History of the Beginnings of England – by Marc Morris.

    If, like me and the MR, you like being read to, there is an excellent audio bookread – very well – by Roy McMillan.

    We are both rivetted by it. It also rides very easily with a book called Ravenna: Capital of Empire, Crucible of Europe by Judith Herrin.

    That covers a lot of the same historical period as Marc Morris’s book, and is also available as an audiobook.

    Both reveal what an amazing amount of European travel people did 1500 years ago.

        1. The politicos could have a whole chapter each – Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Theresa, Corbyn …..any more?

        2. The politicos could have a whole chapter each – Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Theresa, Corbyn …..any more?

    2. We had a weeklong port call at Ravenna in the early 90s. We had a great time when off shift. Even viewed some of the lovely old buildings. We did get into a bit of trouble on the north beach though.

    1. Shocking. Where are the covid-cultists protesting at their lack of masks and failure t keep six feet apart? And the perlice, of course.

      1. Pre 2020 before covid and climate change when England was a free country….

        Sadly I remember….. I remember those days and weep……

        2. Into my heart an air that kills
          From yon far country blows:
          What are those blue remembered hills,
          What spires, what farms are those?

          That is the land of lost content,
          I see it shining plain,
          The happy highways where I went
          And cannot come again.

          7. Fortunately Housman warned me off and I waited until I was forty before finally meeting the love of my life and the woman to whom I have been very happily married for 33 years.

            When I was one-and-twenty
            I heard a wise man say,
            “Give crowns and pounds and guineas
            But not your heart away;
            Give pearls away and rubies
            But keep your fancy free.”
            But I was one-and-twenty,
            No use to talk to me.

            When I was one-and-twenty
            I heard him say again,
            “The heart out of the bosom
            Was never given in vain;
            ’Tis paid with sighs a plenty
            And sold for endless rue.”
            And I am two-and-twenty,
            And oh, ’tis true, ’tis true.

        3. Into my heart an air that kills
          From yon far country blows:
          What are those blue remembered hills,
          What spires, what farms are those?

          That is the land of lost content,
          I see it shining plain,
          The happy highways where I went
          And cannot come again.

    2. What’s this? with all the virai floating around it’s a wonder they didn’t all die immediately?

      What’s that? Virai hang about *anyway* and it’s through exposure that we build up immunity?

  60. That’s me for today. The MR is at the pictures – a film called “The Father“.

    It is about a cantakerous, half-demented octogenarian. Too bloody close to home for me. Anyway, The cinema (about the size of a large motor car but with a huge screen) makes me feel sick.

    So I will bid you adieu and hope to see you tomorrow. In the rain.

    A demain.

    2. As I noted earlier.

      Dumbo and Dumbimbo, but having thought about it they should have named their children thus.

  64. Off topic, slightly.
    Someone posted a link to set of graphs showing how Covid Delta cases were rising yet the reality is that deaths and hospitalisations are far far lower than the new wave would suggest.
    Can anyone find it please?

      2. It wasn’t but it is equally pertinent, many thanks.
        It’s using similar data and graphs.
        We’re being legged over.

          1. My young (in his early twenties) neighbour told me when we chatted as I was walking the dog this morning, that he was adamant he was going to get on with life and so were his parents (both fully vaccinated). He said he couldn’t see any logic to it at all; if they were vaccinated, why were they being restricted. I told him it was time to rebel – #I’m done.

    2. I think more like the BLT comment from
      RickH
      “Worth reading in full.”?
      … ‘Not in the least
      It’s utter exculpatory bollocks.
      Mr Toad is ultimately responsible for all the selection of the creepy-crawlies. He is a long-time incompetent anyd idle, egotistical liar.
      You need a lot more than this blather (and a re-writing of history) to put varnish on shite.
      This was really not worth printing – except in a Johnson fanzine for the brown-nosers.’

      I have to confess to not reading it in full.

  66. Eurozone poised to win recovery race as strict Covid rules hold Britain back
    The UK’s vaccine advantage in reviving the economy is being squandered by a refusal to unlock, analysts argue

    Russell Lynch: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2021/06/24/eurozone-poised-win-recovery-race-strict-covid-rules-hold-britain/

    BTL Comment

    Boris Johnson is completely determined to make Brexit fail.

    Why else would he subject Britain to stricter Covid rules that any of our competitors in spite of being well ahead with vaccines? Why else would he agree to the the Northern Ireland Protocol and the border in the Irish Sea? Why else would he betray British fishermen? Why else would he seek no proper deal on the financial sector?

    Clearly no trade deal with the EU was the solution but Johnson did not want that because he wants Brexit to fail. Johnson is a traitor – he is a criminal who should be prosecuted for treason and sentenced to prison for the rest of his miserable life.

  67. Eurozone poised to win recovery race as strict Covid rules hold Britain back
    The UK’s vaccine advantage in reviving the economy is being squandered by a refusal to unlock, analysts argue

    Russell Lynch: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2021/06/24/eurozone-poised-win-recovery-race-strict-covid-rules-hold-britain/

    BTL Comment

    Boris Johnson is completely determined to make Brexit fail.

    Why else would he subject Britain to stricter Covid rules that any of our competitors in spite of being well ahead with vaccines? Why else would he agree to the the Northern Ireland Protocol and the border in the Irish Sea? Why else would he betray British fishermen? Why else would he seek no proper deal on the financial sector?

    Clearly no trade deal with the EU was the solution but Johnson did not want that because he wants Brexit to fail. Johnson is a traitor – he is a criminal who should be prosecuted for treason and sentenced to prison for the rest of his miserable life.

    1. They’ll lose – and go bankrupt – and lose everything.

      And no one in the woke covid-fanatic world will lift a finger.

      1. They’re probably already bankrupt and have nothing left to lose, so I hope they’ll carry on.

  69. Andrew Neil will not be on his usual 8pm slot for a few weeks. He had the founder of Extinction Rebellion on his programme tonight. This guy is even more delusional about climate disaster than our PM. Andrew Neil couldn’t believe the man was serious in what he was saying. The German and UK rebels have distanced themselves from him as they considered him a liability.
    After telling us he was going away for a few weeks he thanked all his viewers for their support. He also said more people were watching GB News and on some occasions the GB News had the largest number of viewers. He said he might pop up in the programme but didn’t say why he was going off for the few weeks.

    1. When you have been banging your head against an unforgiving wall there comes a point where one has to retreat, gather ones strength and return.
      With a bloody great big sledgehammer.

    2. Conceiving and expediting GB News has been a monumental exercise; I reckon that Andrew and Susan Neil are entitled to a break a week after a hugely successful launch …

  70. Evening, all. The thing that strikes me is that nobody ever seems to question whether we actually need more housing, beautiful or not. If we didn’t keep importing hordes, but had a stable population (preferably at a level at which we could sustain ourselves without having to rely on imports), we wouldn’t have to build, build, build.

    1. Exactly.
      And, when one considers that the UK birth rate, in fact Western Europe in general, was leveling off to a sustainable level, the current rate of influx is particularly galling.

      1. As a ‘conspiracy theorist’ I detect a trend similar to that experienced across Europe and in the USA. That is the deliberate import of aliens of fighting age into our countries in numbers.

        I reckon the politicians are being placed and paid for by globalist elites to accomplish the invasions. I also believe the global elites wish to subjugate entire populations with the deployment of bio-terrorism weapons viz. the spike proteins in the ‘vaccines’ they are pushing for all they are worth.

        There can be no other explanation for the nightmare we are experiencing.

        No responsible government, with the interests of its citizens at heart, would have signed up to this monstrous international Covid lie.

    2. This information on the Internet could give us a clue:

      “In mid-2019, the population of the UK reached an estimated 66.8 million. … However, in year ending December 2019 and year ending March 2020 (the latest data available), there was an increase in immigration and net migration. Migration has continued to be the main driver of the UK’s population growth since the 1990s.” [Jan 14, 2021]

      1. Didn’t they recently admit there were 1.6m more people here than they thought? That in itself is probably vastly under estimated.

  73. Phew!
    Just had a walk up to the Nelson for a couple of pints.
    A lovely evening and almost a dead calm.
    Sounds? First the continuous but almost subliminal whine from the firebrick works at Harborough, with, as I was heading uphill, the clay pigeon range having an evening session.
    Add to that the aircraft passing overhead, a lot heading to or from East Midlands at Kegworth.
    Birds? Not a lot of birdsong, but then again, it is the time of year that the adult birds are busy foraging to feed their broods, but I did hear some thrushes as I was heading home.

    Can anyone identify this plant, please?
    The seeds have a lovely taste of aniseed and I did think it was a wild variety of fennel but i’m not sure now.
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f20ac911e0c0aa10f1e61cccf733bc201667217f883226f42a1e0cc8986d2984.jpg

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/eb2e60a1fad6dd964d7d3988edc3c65205558d957985bbe6b448cb0d99f185d1.jpg

    1. It’s aniseed. I have some in my garden. It has white flowers that look a bit like cow parsley.

          1. As suggested by Damask.
            At least I have the proper name for it! I’m going to have to get it to grow in the garden.

          3. That’ll make a change to the ground elder the “garden” is plagued with.

          4. I can send you some seeds. Digging it up is a bit tricky; it has some root system!

          5. Thank you for the offer, Sir, but there are loads of plants up towards Middleton so ought to be able to collect them up there and then see how they get on.

      1. My father got to 85 and my mother got to 97. I have still got 10 years to go to catch up with that wise, witty and erudite man.

        1. My mother got to 86. I am personally praying for another twenty years.

          I have much to do and am working on an architectural treatise. Under the weather at this moment on account of severe effects of Hayfever. It is the same every year, worse this year, and no treatments available nowadays. Thank you NHS.

        1. Thank you Obst. Rain here overnight so pollen hopefully less and table booked for lunch at a new Tea Rooms on Glemsford Road where there is also an established farm shop.

      3. Happy Birthday from me, too, Cor. You’d be OK with the hay-fever here today; it’s been chucking it down since dawn. So I’m singing in the rain.

      4. Good foundations are the secret, I believe.
        Have a good day and many more to come.

  77. Macron backs Merkel over EU-wide quarantine for British tourists
    German Chancellor to criticise EU’s tourism-dependent countries for lack of controls on holidaymakers from the UK

    James Crisp : https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/06/24/angela-merkel-push-eu-wide-quarantine-rules-british-tourists/

    As expected Mr Macron always does what older women tell him to do. As we know this has nothing to do with Covid and everything to do with EU spite.

    Sorry to bore you with this as I brought up the subject yesterday. I suppose it serves us right for wanting Britain to leave the EU even though Cameron, having promised me a vote in the referendum, went back on his promise so I had no say in the matter even though I am an Englishman man living in the EU.

    By the way James Crisp of the DT is a frightful little tick isn’t he?

    BTL

    So Mr Macron wants to destroy our business even though we have lived in France since 1989, run our own business and paid our taxes in France! Our activity also helps young people from Britain to learn French – something that the French president is supposedly keen on.

    This is what we do:

    https://tracey-frenchcourses.weebly.com/

    1. Ah, so it’s time to pull the rug from under Hancock’s feet. Does this signal a change in government policy?
      After all, Hancock is an asset for Boris – he absorbs all the fury that would otherwise be directed at the PM.

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