Thursday 7 October: Boris Johnson is full of fine words but his inaction tells a different story

Posted on by Geoff Graham

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Today’s letters (visible only to DT subscribers) are here.

706 thoughts on “Thursday 7 October: Boris Johnson is full of fine words but his inaction tells a different story”

  1. Happy birthday to you. Happy Birthday dear Vlad! Happy Birthday to you.

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/139cc98d5b3494e5e425aed10e0e62cc9cf262a171d827c594d57012c1d34ce4.jpg

    Morning everyone. It’s Vladimir Putin’s birthday today! He’s 69 which means that he’s almost a contemporary of we Nottlers. In fact it has crossed my mind quite recently that he might possibly already be on here! Why not? It would help keep his hand in from when he was a lad in Berlin and what better place to find out what the real British People think as opposed to the Traitors in Westminster and their Globalist Masters? There’s also the not inconsiderable benefit that we are pretty much right about nearly everything.

    He would need a cover of course! He couldn’t just join us or takeover a Poster as Joe Soapski. He is after all still the President of Russia! So something upmarket then. Organist and choirmaster? Hmmm? I don’t think so. The Blog runs pretty well but there are occasional lapses which I don’t think Vlad with a two hour early morning start would miss! Meme producer? No chance. Mi6 would be all over him like a rash. Retired Nurse- Hedgehog Watcher? Nah! French teacher? His only foreign language is German! BBC operative? A brilliant cover! Who would ever think it? But it would involve a gender swap so I think that’s out. Golf buff and the same birthdate? A definite NO! Way too obvious.

    It was while I was mulling over these things that I noticed that there was one contributor who was always there with some sly observation about my own comments about Russia and Putin! Hiding in plain sight he also fails to upvote my posts. A sure sign of a guilty conscience if there were one! What better disguise I thought than to pretend to be Russophobic? Right out of the KGB Playbook! I watched carefully. Though he didn’t come straight out and say so he seemed to know an awful lot about Russian Intelligence particularly the Warsaw Pact countries. Almost as if he’d been there! There were also comments about prominent figures which he could only know if he’d actually met them! Supposedly lives in a remote part of the country while cycling everywhere. Now seriously! I ask you? This of course was just suspicion. There was no proof! Then I came across the photograph in an old copy of the Radio Times. Vlad is a cat lover! Who would ever have guessed it? I rest my case dear Nottlers! We have greatness among us. I’m sure you will all join with me in wishing him a Happy Birthday and many more. He is all that stands between us and the Darkness!

    1. So what you are saying Minty is that he’s not Vlad the Impaler but Vlad the Imposter!

      This 3 Dimensional Chess malarky is a bit trying first thing in the morning – I suspect many who contribute to Nottl wonder who the polymath Minty really is?

      Good morning Minty et al.

        1. When they studied arithmetic in schools was it common for them to have to learn Volga fractions?

          And in 1917 on what side was the Volga faction?

          And today is Russia getting some of its gas from rock-busting Volga fracksion?

    4. NOTTLing would be a good way to keep up his Eng. Lang. skills.
      Heck, I may have already criticised his use of ‘disinterested’ instead of ‘uninterested’.
      (Frantically searches for key to coal cellar.)

  6. Boris Johnson pledges no homes will be built on green fields. 7 October 2021.

    Boris Johnson on Wednesday said houses should not be built on “green fields” as ministers abandoned proposals for a vast overhaul of planning rules.

    In a clear signal to Tory heartlands that he had heard their concerns, Mr Johnson used his Conservative Party conference speech to acknowledge fears that the countryside would be “desecrated by ugly new homes”

    Green Fields. Build back better. Level up. Net-zero. Northern Powerhouse. HS2. Government by Slogan! If you believe any of this stuff you deserve what’s coming!

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2021/10/06/boris-johnson-pledges-no-homes-green-fields/

    1. There is a green field far away,
      without a city wall,
      which the developers are satisfied,
      could simply house us all.

      We may not know, we cannot tell,
      what plans they bring to bear;
      but we believe it was for us
      the bungs they offered there

    2. 300 hundred houses over two sites a few hundred yards either side of my home going up as he lies. The MoD’s redundant firing range at Middlewick, about 2 miles away, a site with much flora and fauna is to be ravished with 1,000 homes, the original plan was 2,000. This huge area has terrible access problems whether to the town centre, railway stations or the A12 trunk road to London, Ipswich or Stanstead airport. This man is beneath contempt as he says what he thinks people want to hear and then forges ahead with the agenda he has been handed.

    3. Meanwhile, a huge solar farm has been given the go ahead to be built on 71% 3a agricultural land near a listed building. Saying it can revert to agriculture is a downright lie; it will be classed as brownfield.

  7. Good Morning Folks,

    Nice start here, bit cloudy, off on a golf day.
    ooh I share my birthday with Putin, Yes!

    3. Many happy ones. Hope that your wrestle with bears is as popular as Vlad’s…{:¬))

        2. That’s the sort of thing that PTIs would tell us. To which our response was:

          PTI born, PTI bred
          Strong of the arm and thick of the head.

    5. Off you go then, and ride a bear around the course instead of a buggy.
      Have a great day.

  8. Petulant Macron is pushing Nato to breaking point. 7 October 2021

    Mr Macron has already caused deep unhappiness in Nato circles by lending his support to calls by European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen to expedite plans for the formation of an independent European defence force. Mrs von der Leyen’s call for the EU to summon the “political will” to develop its own military capabilities came in the wake of the Biden administration’s inept handling of the Afghan withdrawal, which ended Nato’s two decades-long involvement in the Afghan conflict.

    The only problem here is that France wouldn’t join unless there was no UK presence and they could lead it! Even with this it would be fraught with difficulties; primarily those of having to satisfy French sensitivities about pretty much everything!

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/10/07/petulant-macron-pushing-nato-breaking-point/

    1. Given the state of the German defence forces on Ursula’s watch, this is displaying a brass neck that Bozo might well envy.

      But bring it on, we might be able to re-acquire Aquitaine and Normandy ! Calais they can keep.

  9. Morning, all.
    Today we celebrate the Feast Day of Our Lady of the Rosary, instituted by Pope St. Pius V to commemorate the glorious victory of the fleet of the Holy League – led by John of Austria, Marc Antonio Colonna and Sebastiano Venier – over the fleet of the heathen Turks, followers of the Arab psychopath, Mahound, at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571.

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/299c19d87d9d01735da951025f89a1969c81329be35f24f7a71de36c041415a2.jpg

    “I sing a wondrous worke of God,
    I sing His mercies great,
    I sing His iustice heere — withall
    Powr’d from His Holy Seat:
    To wit, a cruell martiall warre,
    A bloudy battell bold,
    Long doubtsome fight, with slaughter huge,
    And wounded manifold.
    Which fought was in Lepantoes gulfe,
    Betwixt the baptiz“d race,
    And circumcised Turband Turkes
    Rencountring in that place.”
    — Seumas VI, le gràs Dhé, Righ na h-Alba

    I’ve emailed the following link to the current Ottoman Sultan, Raghead Tayyip Erdoğan …. lest he forget.

    https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/feast-of-our-lady-of-the-rosary-617

    :¬)

    1. Erdo replies:

      Dear Duncan,

      How many rubber dinghies have the British sunk over the past 4 years?

      Love

      Erdo

  10. Good morning all.
    The lightening sky looks rather overcast but at least it’s dry at the moment with a less chilly 8½°C on the thermometer as I brought the milk in.

  11. A letter and couple of BTL Comments:-

    SIR – In his speech, Boris Johnson stated that the country is moving “towards a high-wage, high-skilled, high-productivity and, yes, thereby a low-tax economy”.

    Fine words, but a country still needs people to clean the lavatories, sweep the roads – and even drive trucks.

    Michael Banks
    Bristol

    Party Pauper
    7 Oct 2021 6:35AM
    “ a country still needs people to clean the lavatories, sweep the roads – and even drive trucks”.
    Michael Banks

    Yes we do – but let’s pay them a living wage for doing those undervalued jobs so that the companies that pay minimum wages aren’t subsidised by the taxpayer in the form of in-work benefits.
    Flag9LikeReply

    Robert Spowart
    7 Oct 2021 7:14AM
    @Party Pauper What would you call a “Living Wage”?
    A sum adequate for a person in one situation would be inadequate for someone with different personal needs and, perhaps, excessive for a person in a third situation.
    Or do you suggest employers means test their employees?

      2. ‘Morning, JN and Korky. I managed to listen for an excruciating few minutes, and rapidly came to the conclusion that he’s either on another planet or has been sniffing something. Vacuous blustering waffle!

        1. Morning, HJ.

          Vacuous blustering waffle!

          An elegant choice of words to describe a liar’s outpouring of bullshit. A++ 😉

      3. Johnson is in a dream world.

        He’s created a nightmare for the people and it will worsen unless he is stopped. All his ‘optimistic’ rhetoric is bullshit as his globalist mission is to achieve the exact opposite. There was some journo or other gushing on Farage’s programme last evening about ‘the speech’, after a couple of minutes I got up, turned it off and washed up my dinner plate etc. much more interesting and important than what was being said about a lying politician.

    2. A Swedish research paper a few years ago pointed out that Sweden only needed 8% of its populace to do unskilled jobs.

      We suspect that it is approximately the same in Britain.

      Recent comments in the Press claim that approximately 25% of Brits are only capable of doing unskilled jobs.

      We need some rapid upskilling, plus a stop to the importation of illiterate and unskilled “asylum seekers”

      1. 20 years ago there was a focus on adult literacy- approximately 25% of adults were functionally illiterate. I doubt if that has improved and we are importing more illiterates every day.

    3. According to Peter Bottomley – whose wife is also on the maximum pension for an ex-MP and minister – he cannot scrape by on £82,000 pa.

  14. SIR – What a shame Boris Johnson does not have the guts to deal with the EU, illegal immigration and belligerence from France.

    Richard Barcock
    Seaford, East Sussex

    That’s because he barely seems to know what day of the week it is. Fact is, he’s completely out of his depth.

  15. A BTL Comment I think a few might agree with:-

    Martin Selves
    7 Oct 2021 7:27AM
    I don’t like bashing Boris as much as I do. I feel I am supporting Kuess, Red Lips and Kay Burley. He is in my holding pattern. Whatever we think of him, he is the only game in town, because Labour are probably in a worse position today than after the GE.

    Boris will get my full support when he does something. I want him to tackle Macron, the boat people, our fishing industry in decline when it should have gained momentum, and most importantly, Northern Island.

    Instead everything seems to be on hold, and even our motorways are accident prone and stationary with XR and Insulate glued to the tarmac.

    Boris can recover from the doldrums if he just gets going and starts to solve these problems. But months have gone by, and still he sits on his hands after rubbing them with the thought of wind farms 3 x bigger than they are today. That is why I am beginning to join in the noise of Kuess, not because I am Labour, Remain or Republican ….. but because I am NOT, and I want Boris to lead us out of this do nothing period and get moving.

    1. SIR – When I asked Tesco which of the fish it sold had been caught by British fishermen, in British waters, and landed at British ports, I was told: “All our fish come from sustainable sources.”

      Not the answer I was looking for.

      Janet Stukins
      Wigton, Cumbria

      That sounds like “none” to me, and that’s the way it will remain until Johnson and his government get their arses into gear.

      1. Perhaps we could do with a ‘Red Trawler’ (Similar to the Red Tractor one) label certifying a British Fisherman caught fish.

    2. Reading the above I recalled the old story about new apprentices being sent to the stores to collect a long weight (wait). I feel that Martin Selves is in that situation i.e. he has created his own long weight situation. Waiting for Johnson to lead the Country to sunlit uplands of prosperity and fairness is a fool’s errand.

        1. Morning Belle, I remember being sent to get some elbow grease. I also remember my reply of you must think me a fool but being convinced that telephone cables going round an elbow bend needed elbow grease.
          So yes I was a fool, standing in the stores waiting my turn!

          2. One gullible young chap on his first job on a building site was sent off to the builders’ merchants’ store to buy some sky hooks!

  16. Gas bills ‘to rise £500 a year’: Bleak winter fears grow as energy prices soar. 7 October 2021.

    Millions of Britons are facing a looming winter energy crisis, with experts warning that gas and electricity bills will surge by at least £500 a year.

    Soaring energy costs saw gas prices rising by a staggering 37 per cent in a single day and pushing more energy firms to the brink of collapse while the National Grid warned of electricity shortages as the country faces its worst crisis since the first Covid outbreak last year.

    This is Boris’s “levelling up”. The Borg are to be allowed to regularise and impose absolute destitution.

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10067089/Gas-bills-rise-500-year-Bleak-winter-fears-grow-energy-prices-soar.html

    1. I’ve written before that Johnson is trying to hide the agenda he is following behind a facade of what passes for political normality. Anything this PM says, and especially any promises he makes regarding the future, has to be immediately dismissed as lies and misdirection. His road map has been set out for him and “vaccine passports” are the next step.

      1. 339707+ up ticks,
        Morning KtK,
        Agreed, I personally would add those views to his allies also, especially the chap who marched his troops to the top of the hill then he marched them down again in a pro johnson manner.

        That chap done a great deal of damage.

      2. Could we have the Johnson charged with manslaughter, if any deaths arise from people being unable to”

        heat their house, either through
        Cost of fuel

        Not availability of fuel by suppliers ie piped gas/French electric

        Additionally
        For cost of food made ruined when freezers shut down
        Electric Vehicles being charged, taking away domestic supplies

        You will also, have the Cup Final Half-Time effect, when power ic reconnected, as evreyone wants it at the same time

    2. What the UK needs is a very cold, very overcast and windless winter to drive home to everyone just how far-fetched are the green-gufferies.

      Add into that mix lots of multi-vaccinated people getting Covid, sufficiently badly to force them to bed, like ‘flu, but not so bad that they are hospitalised.

      It is a wake-up call that is needed, not empty promises and vaccine passport controls.

  17. I wonder if Prof. Juniper’s relative works in the public sector, where there seems to be a marked reluctance to provide even the most basic service? Covid seems to have provided the perfect shield for rotten performance:

    SIR – Yes, it is time for all of us to get back to work (report, October 6).

    I cannot be the only one frustrated by phone responses such as “I’m sorry he/she is working from home today” or “We are experiencing a high volume of calls”. What a waste of our time and money.

    Flexi-hours working from home may be great for those who do not live on their own and can organise their job around school runs, cooking, laundry, exercise and so on. Those who hate commuting may prefer it, too. But it is pretty grim for others.

    I have a young relative who lives on her own and has become quite depressed by loneliness and work stagnation. She was really looking forward to getting back into the office but her managers – most of whom love working from home – decided that the current situation should continue, without consulting staff. She is devastated: no camaraderie, no mentoring, no growth, no brain-storming chats over coffee. Her creative team is disintegrating.

    A few years ago, both private and public organisations used to spend vast amounts of money on “team-building”. Is this no longer seen as important?

    Professor Elizabeth Juniper
    Bosham, West Sussex

    1. The company I work for has opened for return to work quite a few weeks ago, and universally the staff thought this A Good Thing. We all missed the casual personal interactions, even though Teams is quite good for holding meetings, it’s not the same as actually meeting people. I’d never have thought that I’d be delighted to get up early, dress is tidy, ironed clothing, commute (with attendand expenses) and work in an office, but I am.
      So, I have a lot of sympathy for Junior Juniper.

  18. An exquisite bit of Henry Lawes on R3 just now.
    Henry Lawes
    Love’s Sweet Repose: Amidst the myrtles as I walk

    Singer: Robin Blaze. Performer: Elizabeth Kenny. Performer: William Carter. Performer: Frances Kelly.
    SONGS BY HENRY AND WILLIAM LAWES. HYPERION. 15.

  19. SIR – Could it be that we are asking too much of the police, and that the force needs dividing into separate services?

    It is now responsible for terrorism, diversity, intangible hate crime, ingenious disruptive demonstrations, elaborate fictional sex scandals, publicity and time-eating computer input. Not surprisingly, the force is doing none of these things well, so how can it possibly have time to be interested in everyday law and order, and burglaries of ordinary citizens?

    Field McIntyre
    London SW3

    We could dispense with five of these, thus leaving time for proper and effective policing. Which ones will be obvious to Nottlrs!

  20. A fine BTL comment following yesterday’s closing speech:

    Carolyn Bates
    7 Oct 2021 6:12AM
    The Prime Minster’s speech yesterday was witty yes, but not convincing by any means; it was as if he thought his words were what Conservatives wanted to hear, but they were not.

    That he had the nerve to even mention Mrs Thatcher’s name was bad enough, but to say that what he is doing she would have done, was when I switched off.

    Mrs Thatcher was the first person I voted for and she was an amazing woman and Prime Minister. She inherited a mess similar to that of Boris’s making now, and she worked tirelessly to turn the country around. She had courage and integrity and demanded respect.

    Boris Johnson is not fit to stand in her shadow, and the fact he thinks he can liken himself to the great lady, is yet another example of how far removed he is from reality. He has no respect for the British public at all, and seems to believe we are all as deluded as himself, as he continues to destroy this country on the one hand, and then tries to orate himself into glory, with the other.

    It is quite bizarre and disturbing, to say the least, and it has left me even more concerned about the trajectory of this country’s well-being than I was before.

    * * *

    What was even more alarming was the sycophantic response from the Tory lemmings at the end of his waffle. Engineered or otherwise, it does not bode well.

    1. First Churchill and now Thatcher. To whom will he next compare himself, Wellington, Nelson, Caligula?

  21. Well folks, there is at least some satisfying news – the headline for an item in today’s DT:

    “Court ruling could ‘torpedo’ Nicola Sturgeon’s plans for second Scottish independence referendum

    Scottish government overstepped powers, says Supreme Court, as two bills passed by MSPs incompatible with Act underpinning devolution”

    The Fishwife may not be a happy bunny, unlike many of the BTL posters:

    Peter Miles
    6 Oct 2021 7:31PM
    So, in a nutshell, the lamentable Sturgeon creature feels that Scottish children with all the drug abuse, education failures and Scottish NHS woeful performance are being disadvantaged by “only” having the same rights as children in the rest of the UK?
    For God’s sake woman do the job you’ve been somehow given and use the powers that you DO have properly for the benefit of your constituents!
    Those constituents who it’s become increasingly obvious you don’t give a flying one about unless, and here’s a thought, you’re totally and hopelessly incompetent?

    David Moffat
    6 Oct 2021 4:18PM
    Sturgeon’s continual disregard for the Scotland Act has been a longstanding misuse of the Supreme court.

    Her goal of course is to create mock fury about the evil UK government’s attempt to take away powers that her administration never actually had.

    Lord Reed QC has already told the SNP that they “draft the legislation as if the constraints in the Scotland Act didn’t exist, and then leave it to the courts to sort out the problems on a case-to-case basis.”

    Rather than prioritise her existing substantial powers to benefit Scotland she prefers to pick fights on matters she knows are beyond her reach.

    In short, it’s a stupid game designed to deflect from her glaring inadequacies as a leader.

    * * *

    A case of ouef sur la visage for the
    Scottish Nasty Party – or perhaps a useful decision to get her off the hook, given how the polls on independence are looking?

    1. She’ll fulminate about “English” judges “interfering” in Schotland’s privilege.

      1. She and the idiot Swinney ignored advice! Quelle surprise!
        Good job she’s never been involved with the law…Oh wait…!

    2. Does anybody know what these “…two bills passed by MSPs…” actually are? I can’t seem to find out!

      1. The challenge concerned two bills passed in the closing days of the previous parliamentary session, which both aimed to incorporate aspects of international treaties into Scots law.
        The first was the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which the Scottish government said would set a legal requirement for public authorities to comply with international standards on children’s rights.
        The second was the European Charter of Local Self-Government, which was put forward by former independent MSP Andy Wightman.

        https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-58794698

          1. You are welcome. The Bills were passed unanimously at Holyrood. Every MSP presumably thought that they had merit. What they had not grasped is that they are” ultra vires”.
            There is a guide book on which areas are in the remit of Holyrood and which areas are reserved for Westminster. I’ve mislaid my copy, but one would think that every MSP would be au fait with it.

  22. A barnstorming performance that will restore confidence in Boris. & October 2021.

    There is a fine line between good humour and flippancy which Boris Johnson has been known to transgress. But this time he was pitch perfect. There was plenty of wit – and the jokes were genuinely funny – but the conviction sounded absolutely, uncompromisingly, and sometimes bravely, serious.

    It wouldn’t have restored the confidence of Mr Micawber. The bits that I saw were more worthy of a Carnival Mountebank. It dripped with falsity and misrepresentation. The sycophantic gurning’s of his followers when the cameras were on them didn’t help much either. It must always be remembered that these people are Cowards, Liars and Traitors! They are owned Body and Soul by the Borg!

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/10/06/barnstorming-performance-will-restore-confidence-boris/

      1. The hat wearing villain from X Men?

        The speech was words. Puff and waffle. Much of it was hot air and waffle. There was no substance or commitment. Witty, yes. I’m sure Conference thought him very funny – after all, they’re paid to laugh at him.

        3. There was no bounce in the polls for Sir Cur following the Liebour conference, I expect the same following the Cons conference.
          We the public are not paid by any political party, on the contrary we seem to be perpetually fleeced by them.

        4. The End of Conference speech by the leader is aimed to boost morale and stay in the activists’ memories.
          It shouldn’t be burdened with too much detail.
          However, given people’s current worries, it was tin eared.
          There is a time for boosterism and the unrelenting woe of the past 18 months needed to stop, but the speech was too sunny uplandish.
          It was as if Churchill had said “I can only offer you bogrolls, sausages and take-aways.”

  23. The letter I sent last week to the CEO of my bank, which his staff indicated on Monday was vitally “important” – has still not been answered!

    Covid, I expect…

    2. This is because it was scanned in to a system and royally added to a large database of under funded individuals sorting through issues that should have been handled by front line staff.

      A chum has tried to take money out of an ISA. Apparently there was a fee extant on the account. The fund didn’t tell him, they just said no. He called them. Oh yes, there’s a bill to pay. We’ll cancel it and get the money to you today’.

      Today came and went. Three weeks passed with multiple phone calls. Still nothing. Eventually he complained, they apologised, moved the money and offered £50 compensation.

      A week later, still no sign of that.

      It’s the lack of interest in solving the problem that annoys most. You discover only how good an organisation is when things go wrong.

      1. Too many different people handling the case, and all done by database that doesn’t identify, per individual, the outstanding tasks. Likewise, telephone operators who don’t update the database with the last conversation and status, and actions forthcoming.
        So, nothing gets done.

      2. Waitrose customer service is excellent. They haven’t hidden behind covid like so many organisations.

        I complained about a short date on a leg of lamb. (4 days) I had a email response within 48 hours reimbursing me for the the whole thing.

        There wouldn’t have been anything wrong with it even if I froze it and ate it 6 months later. No quibbles with them.

  24. 339707+ up ticks,

    Morning Each,
    Thursday 7 October: Boris Johnson is full of fine words but his inaction tells a different story

    Among many, enlightenment is I believe beginning to show through as well as his inaction’s his actions are clear to see .

    For a major one priti / fat turk have / are running a successful campaign via Dover.

    What comes in by way of Dover daily counteracts any minuscule good these Isles may have received inadvertently through any lab/lib/con
    coalition actions.

    Taking the knee position is a good part of the way to taking the crawl position heading WNW, in time you will reach an entrance door sign milch cows entrance.

    The “deal” coming to fruition.

  25. Reposted from late last night

    Thursday 7th October 2021

    Bob 3

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ac4ebf1f956505eda4618c52e3f06778e8927b0696ae1cea3311a7e001319491.jpg

    and very many more

    With best wishes from

    Caroline and Rastus

    In Nottlerland you are definitely one of these!

    https://www.google.com/search?q=Cliff+Richartd+The+Young+Ones&oq=Cliff+Richartd+The+Young+Ones&aqs=chrome..69i57j46i13j0i13j46i13l2j0i13j46i13j0i13l2.11577j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

    6. Happy Birthday Bob3

      And a happy 364 Unbirthdays in the next year

      You are just a step away from having a nappy on here

    9. Well done, Rastus and Caroline; keepers of the sacred NOTTL birthday book.

      Happy Birthday, Bob 3.

        1. Harry – professional , knowledgable , good engineering sense and an immediately likeable and grounded character
          Jeremy – oafish , ill-tempered , lacking in patience and common sense and does not take advice willingly – – and yet hugely entertaining

        2. Yes, Harry’s Farm is fascinating (for me, anyway) whereas Clarkson’s Farm is entertaining.

        3. Yes, Harry’s Farm is fascinating (for me, anyway) whereas Clarkson’s Farm is entertaining.

    1. Depressing. Western Society has been shepherded down this road for at least the past 15 years. In my last employment, my employers had the temerity to ask me about my religion and sexuality. I politely told them to eff orf by informing them that the NHS recognises 53 different religions and as I hadn’t tried all of them yet how could I possibly know….

  29. 339707+ up ticks,

    Then with the likes of the DOVER plus intake the only other option is
    mandatory lodgering, ruling being one male, one female, one it.

    A pilot scheme will be run I believe via known membership of the mass uncontrolled immigration party’s lab/lib/con coalition up first.

    Boris Johnson pledges no homes will be built on green fields
    Prime Minister signals softening of planning overhaul in conference speech after backlash from voters in Tory heartlands

    His plans today are tomorrows downfall.

    1. Put simply, the illegal invaders must be returned and deterred, harshly if necessary. They cannot be allowed to get here.

      1. 339707+ up ticks,
        Morning W,
        All the time lab/lib/con mass uncontrolled immigration coalition are in with the shout & still finding support with NO opposition
        the current situation will continue.

        A majority of the electorate enjoy their
        political navy cake to want to change things.

    1. How does high wage and high skill relate to low tax?

      Is Mr Banks suggesting that low wages and low skills deserve a high tax economy? Does he not realise that without low taxes, companies do not invest spare money in research and thus create the next generation of products?

      Who says driving a lorry isn’t highly skilled?

    2. I drive a recovery truck – you never hear of them referred to as recovery lorries

      5. And with that, Alec, you are correct.

        Your vehicle is a towing vehicle; not a vehicle for the transport of goods.

      2. Who is J. Arthur Banks?

        Did he start the Banks Organisation (with Bombadier Billy Wells opening a piggy bank instead of banging a gong?). 🤣

    4. You’re fighting a losing battle. ‘Truck’ is proper British English, as I pointed out a couple of weeks ago. It originally referred to the carriage of a ships guns and was then simply transferred to apply to larger vehicles. Lorry is a British English innovation pertaining, to begin with, railroad carriages 1838. Truck is by far the older term 1610 or so. American English is often just the more conservative version of English and is not, for the most part, the innovator in English. That we can leave to the British and their false sense of superiority concerning a language that no longer belongs to them and hasn’t for several centuries.

      Here is a list of English speaking countries.
      https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/countries-where-english-is-the-primary-language.html

      We, the English, have plenty to feel superior about but correcting other peoples English is not one of them.

      1. I feel a lot of us are fighting a losing battle when it comes to safeguarding the English language from its incessant attack by popular American slang. I shall not give up, though. Here is the definition of ‘truck’ from an English dictionary:

        truck truk, n a small or solid wheel; an open railway wagon for goods; a trolley; a bogie; a low flat barrow; a small two-wheeled barrow with a turned up front; a motor vehicle of heavier construction than a car, designed for the transportation of commodities, or often a specific commodity; a lorry (esp US); a cap at the top of a mast or flagstaff; a jazz dance, orig and esp of the 1930s, using a rhythmic strutting walk (US slang). — vi to drive a truck (chiefly US); to dance the truck ( see noun above) (US slang); to walk in an affectedly lounging style with loping strides, the body laid back from the hips (US slang). — vt to convey by truck; to put on a truck.

        As can been seen, the noun truck, meaning a lorry, emanates from popular US usage; as does the verb (to) truck. Its popular use in the UK stems from its importation from across the ‘pond’.

        1. No mention of its origin as the undercarriage of a cannon, wheeled to allow the recoil from a ship’s gunport.

        2. It is, as I have already said, not an importation. I use a dictionary of etymology to find out the origin of words. Not an ordinary dictionary which tells you next to nothing of the origin of a word.

          And you are not “…safeguarding the English language…” that is absurd. You are safeguarding reactionaryism against the evolution of language which cannot be stopped. One might as well be as ridiculous as an old schoolteacher of mine who admonished us to write like Shakespeare. A silly instruction but in essence, no different from your point of view. To reiterate, the English language is no longer the exclusive possession of the British and has not been for centuries. We have on right at all to dictate what is correct English, by our prejudices, than anyone else. We do not have an equivalent of the Académie Française to render our language as moribund as French. It is why our language has spread tremendously. It is flexible and always takes on new tasks because of its great adaptability and not because some people think there language is proper against all else in an attempt to chain it down and have it ossify. Fortunately most of us are not that arrogant.

        3. When we moved, the removal people forgot the piano truck – and ruined my piano in the process of shifting it 🙁

    5. Such vehicles in the Army were formally known as trucks e.g.Truck, Utility, 4 Ton 4×4.
      We always referred to “wagons”.

  31. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3944c043246c940fe4fd81044853ae4f9d7d837473870c0b90e09b2734da9204.png UK COP HUMOUR.

    Okay… we’ve bitten our tongues for long enough whilst the media whip themselves into some sort of dizzying, fervid frenzy with new levels of unprecedented police-bashing this week.

    “WHERE HAVE ALL THE GOOD COPS GONE?” asks Josh Glancy, from behind the safety and comfort of his keyboard – clearly demonstrating something between naivety and the provocative hostility we’ve come to know and love from “journalists” who are more obsessed with outrageous headlines than factual reporting.

    Allow us to answer that query, John.

    It’s quite simple you see fella.

    They haven’t gone anywhere.

    They’re still out there, night and day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, keeping you safe, just so you can sit on your arse and type out articles slagging them off.

    This week we’re seeing some particularly scathing headlines regarding Police Officers in the United Kingdom.

    In these troubled times, those absolute b*stards that make up our Police Force(s) are:

    • Still trying to maintain Law and Order, against all odds.

    • Dealing with complex cases involving children, such as County Lines and Child Sexual Exploitation.

    • Attending fights in the street, often without backup.• Rescuing victims of Domestic Violence, DAILY, and doing everything they can to safeguard them.

    • Dealing with suicidal people who are trying to end their lives, and doing everything they can to convince them that life is worth living, no matter the personal cost.

    • Turning up at burglaries at all hours of the day, and doing everything they can to catch those responsible – where able.

    • Looking for Missing People EVERY MINUTE OF EVERY DAY – from those that have lost everything and are lost and without hope, to the young people who go “missing” daily – but in reality, just refuse to abide by the rules of wherever they live.

    • Policing the roads and everything that comes with it. “Why don’t they chase real criminals?” we hear some idiots cry… Well, the person that nicks your car IS one, the drug dealers delivering to school kids are, the drink and drug drivers are, and who else is going to go to the RTC at 3am where a motorcyclist is trapped under a car and slowly dying? The idiots complaining, or the Police?

    • Assisting the Ambulance Service – who are in crisis as is often the case. Most of you have NO IDEA of how stretched they are until you call for an Ambulance and find out that you’re 36th in the queue. That’s not unusual. What do they do when they’re really stuck? They send the Police.

    • Putting themselves CONSTANTLY in harm’s way, and suffering abuse and assaults as a result – all so that some of you can rest on your laurels and criticise them for doing something that you couldn’t do in a million years.

    There’s so, so much more, we’d really be here all day.

    The point is, people that slag them off either don’t know, or don’t care – because they just want to have a whinge to distract themselves from their own shortcomings as a human being. Perhaps get off your arse and try helping other people before slagging off those that do?

    Ironically, the fact that you CAN BE such a difficult, whinging tw*t in this country is largely down to the fact that the Police are usually around to keep you safe – no matter what stupidity you’re bleating on about. It doesn’t matter if they agree or disagree with you – you will find them defending your right to protest – stuck in the middle and receiving hatred and bile from both sides, regardless.

    So, back to the fickle Media.

    They’re fanning the flames of demand for Cressida Dick, the Met Police Commissioner, to resign in wake of the tragic murder of Sarah Everard.

    Where do we even begin?

    You honestly want a WOMAN, who holds the HIGHEST rank in policing, for the WHOLE of the UK – no doubt despite huge resistance and challenges to get to where she is today – to RESIGN, so that someone ELSE can prioritise the safety of OTHER WOMEN?

    Really? 🤔

    Now, we can’t speak for her, but we’re pretty confident that she’s got the inside track on what it feels like to be a woman, y’know – bearing in mind that she is one.

    Let us also not forget that it was HER officers who swiftly investigated, arrested and brought the evil b*stard to justice, as is summed up following sentencing by Lord Justice Fulford:

    … “this has been the most impressive police investigation that I have encountered in the 30 years I have been sitting as a part-time and full-time judge. The speed with which the evidence leading to the arrest of the defendant was secured is highly notable, as has been the painstaking reconstruction of these events using electronic material along with more old-fashioned methods of policing. It cannot be suggested in my view that the Metropolitan Police, even for a moment, attempted to close ranks to protect one of their own. Instead, remorselessly, efficiently and impartially the investigating officers followed all the available leads, resulting in an overwhelming case against the accused.

    Meriting particular mention are Detective Chief Inspector Catherine Goodwin, Detective Kim Martin and Acting Detective Inspector Lee Tullett. Mr Tullett has been a key figure in the investigation and the preparation of this case, going well beyond what could properly be expected of any police officer, and his role deserves high commendation. ”

    GOOD Police Officers deal with criminals – whoever they are.

    * * * * * * * * * *
    Then we have the inevitable, yet inexplicable, knee jerk reactions that are floating around regarding the police.

    Female criminals (yes, they DO exist!) must be rubbing their hands with glee at the news this week.

    “ARE YOU A WOMAN WHO’S BEING CHASED BY POLICE? ARE YOU SCARED? RUN INTO THE NEAREST HOUSE WHILST SHOUTING FOR HELP!”

    The mind boggles. It really does.

    Police have a tough time anyway with the whole “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” narrative.

    It’s not really worth stop searching ANYONE any more, because they’ll complain and people watching you will call you scumbags. It doesn’t matter if you find a knife on anyone. Leave them be!

    It’s not really worth chasing cars anymore. If they crash, everyone will blame you. Doesn’t matter if the car was nicked and full of drugs. Leave them be!

    It’s not really worth fighting people anymore. Yes, they might be violent and attacking people in the street, but unless you can detain them with calm words and maybe a cuddle, people will call you violent bastards. Leave them be!

    It’s not really worth trying to deal with youths any more. It doesn’t matter if they’re dealing drugs, stealing from cars, robbing other youths or generally antagonising people. If you try and detain them you’re just bullies picking on children. Leave them be!

    Finally, as above… It’s not really worth dealing with females any more. The ones that deal drugs, or steal, or drink drive, or neglect their kids, or beat their partners, or the many other things that female criminals do. If you try to deal with them they’re going to scream and shout and run to the nearest house for help. Just leave them be!

    Except… you won’t leave ANY of them be, because you’re Police Officers, and YOU POLICE WITHOUT FEAR OR FAVOUR because YOU want to make the world a safer place.

    You KNOW that it’s harder than ever to be a Police Officer, yet you still lace up your boots, put on your stab vest, turn on your radio and you go out to bloody deal with whatever comes your way.

    There’s no doubt that the recent actions of ONE individual were truly horrendous, and incomprehensible to us all. We won’t name the evil bastard because Sarah Everard is the only name that should be remembered as a life taken in tragic circumstances.

    But, let’s take a deep breath and TRY and maintain some perspective? Even if the very notion of that suggestion terrifies people in 2021.

    Just ONE ex-PC committed this horrendous crime.

    There are around 135,000* Police Officers serving in the UK currently. (* “Police workforce, England and Wales: 31 March 2021 – GOV.UK” https://www.gov.uk/…/police-workforce-england-and-wales…)

    Therefore, that ONE evil bastard equates to 0.0007% of that total.

    Now, no-one disputes that he was a special case and his whole life sentence certainly reflects that, but do we really now tear up the rulebook as a result?

    Do we really cast aside EVERYTHING the Police do, day in, day out, because of 0.0007% of evil?

    People are always rightly shocked when Police Officers commit ANY crime, but they overlook the fact that Police Officers are MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC who took an oath and wear a uniform.

    They’re exactly the same as everyone else and they’re reflective of society.

    “The public are the police and police are the public” is the basic founding notion for policing in the United Kingdom.

    Will lessons be learnt? Of course they will. If one thing is certain, it’s that our police strive to improve probably more than most other organisations on earth.

    * * * * * * * * * *
    Whilst we’re on our soapbox, let’s also address one particular “Educate Men” post that’s doing the rounds on Social Media.

    You’re quite likely to have seen it shared far and wide, but it is far too simple a message that misses many key points:

    1) The men that will read and understand the message, aren’t the ones who need to take heed.

    2) Accepting that, but saying “they need to pass the message on” to friends and family also won’t work, because GOOD men tend not to hang around with murderers, rapists or violent men.

    3) Of COURSE it’s a simple fact that ALL women should be able to walk the streets safely – day OR night. So should our children, and so should other men for that fact. But, life ISN’T like that and it would be naive for ANYONE to walk through dark alleys alone after dark. Is it really so bad to point that out? Isn’t it a basic “stay safe” message in modern society?

    4) The message would be more accurate if it was “Educate the evil c**ts in society who prey on others”.

    5) In all seriousness, the message should actually be “Educate the Justice System and the Politicians”. Why? Well, we’re going to be a bit “out of the box” here, but… bear with us.

    Just try and IMAGINE a world where criminals were sent to jail for a SIGNIFICANT period of time. So that you didn’t have headlines of murderers who were released to murder again, rapists freed to commit further horrendous crimes and so on…

    The Police ARE pretty successful at catching people and investigating crimes. (Don’t necessarily confuse this with conviction rates – that’s a much wider debate.) You might disagree, but then you’ll have to tell us who exactly is making up the prison population?

    The sad fact is, there aren’t enough jails, there aren’t enough prison officers, (and they’re not paid or treated well enough either), there’s not enough investment, there are many judges and magistrates who are either out of touch – or bound by such pathetic sentencing guidelines that it must make them wonder why they bother, and then the country is run by politicians – the majority of whom are born into politics and don’t have a bloody clue what it’s like to live on a council estate after dark.

    We digress.

    The Public AND the Press need to decide exactly WHAT they want from their Police. Never has there been a better time to do so.

    “Journalists” sit behind their desks, safe in the knowledge that any negative, inflammatory, Police-related, attention-grabbing headlines will garner hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of clicks – baiting people into crappy articles that spew an anti-Police rhetoric – and any resulting discussion just further increases the reach of the articles; all in all, an Editor’s wet dream.

    So they continue to do so, giving zero f*cks about morale and having little or no clue about what it takes for a person to put on a uniform and go to work – SIMPLY TO HELP OTHERS – and be hated for it regardless of what you do.

    One thing is quite clear; the Media have set their stall out early on with this one. Police collectively are the cheap shot; easy to depict as the bad guys, because that’s all they ever are.

    Will this fall on deaf ears? Probably. But there’s always the slightest of chances that people will read it, take a step back, and just MAYBE consider what they would do if they were in your boots.

    Ultimately, this very headline sums up policing in this country:
    People want you to do their dirty work.
    They want you to deal with things so that they don’t have to.
    And still they reserve the right to criticise you for doing so, whatever decision you make.

    Stay safe out there.

    UKCH

    Now, whilst I agree with 95% of what is said here, I do not agree with the bit about Dick. OK?

    1. Good morning Grizzly

      I can understand that as a former policeman you loyally support those in your profession.

      As a schoolmaster I fear I am not so generous-spirited. Although there are still many excellent people in the teaching profession many of today’s teachers are too full of wokery and not enough full of wisdom and common sense.

      1. The problem is, Rastus, the past is another country. They do things differently there.

      2. Good afternoon, Rastus.

        That wokery, alas, has now reached all levels of society and all professions. None are free from its cancerous tentacles.

    2. I don’t think problems are down to individual officers, who have a difficult and complex job to do without all the whingeing, but the system and the management need attention:
      – What plonker came with that advice to women if accosted by an officer?
      – What plonker decided it is OK for whichever green loons this week to obstruct the highway and in doing so, facilitate the committing of an offence, let alone great irritation that this is allowed to happen?
      – What plonker decided it was a good idea for officers to disport themselves with protesters of one view, and kick the crap out of protesters with a counter view?
      – What plonker decided that printing up rainbow stickers and redecorating police vehicles was a good use of money that they are always so short of?
      None of this is policing, it’s at best playing to the gallery and diminishes respect (and, yes, a little fear) of the police, thereby making their job even more difficult. Just look at social media comments and the Press – when I was young, the police were the good guys able to command widespread support, now that isn’t so.

      1. Plonkers now have the upper hand, Paul. It is we, the general law-abiding public, who have remained sitting with our thumbs up our arses for too long that has enabled these plonkers (I have a far better adjective for them) to proliferate.

    3. Dorset police , on the whole work their socks off , especially as this is a rural county with increasing connurbations .

      Criminals take advantage of that.

      I guess the police have to prioritise call outs.

      Here in our cosy zone , we know the police are there , we live near an HQ, but we also know they are kept very busy elsewhere.

      Light fingered greed , drink and drugs resulting in violence and bad behaviour seems to be escalating .

      Human behaviour has become appalling , and many of us are fearful of becoming involved when we witness a wrong doing .

      I was in a large DIY store decades ago before they tied every DIY electrical item down , and saw a couple of men and women acting strangely amongst the section that had expensiive electriic drills etc , I just glanced at them and saw what they were doing , huge mistake , because one of them jabbed me in the middle with a long screwdriver and said “We know who you are , a bleeding store detective ”

      I nearly fainted and retreated scared hurt and shaking like a leaf , and tried to find a store manager , I didn’t know what to do .

      What would you have done ..

      1. Given that set of circumstances, I would have backed away. No sense in being stabbed for a few tools (or even by a few tools).

      2. Forty years ago the answer would be simple. You should have backed off, walked away to alert any member of staff, and get them to call the police, then retreat to somewhere safe. If I had attended as a police officer, their feet wouldn’t touch (to coin a cliché).

        This day and age, however, with no support available, it would be prudent to simply walk away.

    4. This is like the NHS. There are plenty of good nurses, doctors, cleaners, porters etc…..
      Sadly, to get to the top with humungous salaries and perks requires an ability to spout the latest pieties.
      And behave as if you believe them.

    5. I am sure the MPs would rather be ‘guarded’ by someone capable of killing, rather than a PC correct coward

    6. Indeed, when I read the part about Calamity Cressida I stopped reading. Which is unfair but quite rational considering the opprobrium which most of us have for the creature. Perhaps all remarks about her should have been at the end of the article. I have no doubt that if it has to be a woman in charge there are at least a couple that must be more competent than her.

    7. I can only respond as I did yesterday, George, and in fairness, I’ve included your response, with which I agree:

      NoToNanny Grizzly • 17 hours ago
      Exactly, George, the police have lost the confidence of the public because the higher echelons of management have not stamped down hard, on the bully-boy, macho image currently permeating through the ranks (and reinforced by the antics of the NSW and Victoria Police in Oz) and the encouragement given to the XR and Insulate Britain excreta.

      There is currently a nasty core in the Police, which has gone soft on Muslims, Pikeys and Gays but has come down hard on the common man when he dares to protest against lock-downs and Covid VAX passports. Shame on them.

      Small wonder that their credibility and support is dead in a ditch.

      I’m sure your ex-colleagues and one-time honest coppers would agree.

      Grizzly NoToNanny • 17 hours ago
      Too much Common Purpose and a complete lack of common sense, Tom.

  33. Some info for those who may have to administer an estate after a death. Due to Covid the probate procedure seems to have been simplified and moved online. A report on assets to HMRC is required and 20 days later a request for probate can be made, all online. Mum’s estate was simple, all in cash and below the IHT threshold but I received grant of probate 10 days after application and incidentally on the day of her interment yesterday. A good result after hearing of delays in government processes and, ahem, not a lawyer in sight!

      1. A blessed relief from the dementia that had destroyed the person. The funeral 2 weeks ago was a celebration of life and went as well as such a day can go with some very touching eulogies.

        1. Condolences, Kaypea. So sorry to hear about your Mum. In the cases of dementia the passing is tinged with the relief that you do not have to experience your parent deteriorating further. It is good to hear that the some of the hassle of the paperwork in the system has been removed.

    2. Thank you for the information.
      Sorry to hear about your mother, but it sounds as if one awful barrier to getting things sorted has been removed.
      There is quite enough hassle involved without months of paperwork shuffling.

    3. Sorry to hear about your Mum, Kaypea. Glad that the probate went smoothly. Alf had to deal with his sister’s death in 2019, handed things over to a solicitor, and it took 15/16 months. And he had done all the hard work beforehand. Unfortunately there were two grandchildren to deal with and that was ver6 difficult. I’m glad the interment went as well as could be expected.

  34. ‘Boris Johnson is in complete denial about the dire place this country is in’
    Allison Pearson and Liam Halligan
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2021/10/07/planet-normal-boris-johnson-complete-denial-dire-place-country/

    The great poets still have much to say to us. Yesterday I quoted from John Milton’s Paradise Lost with reference to his description of Satan’s words which is equally relevant to our prime minister’s speeches:

    “Semblance of Worth not substance.”

    And here is a BTL comment quoting Shakespeare.

    One is reminded of the great soliloquy of the usurping Scottish king:

    It is a tale told by an idiot,
    Full of sound and fury – signifying nothing

    1. Good morning all.

      “Semblance if worth not substance”. This is so apposite. I caught the last 5 minutes or so of the speech, which was very good to hear, but that’s all it is, just words.

    2. I think he doesn’t want the job but he is not being allowed to resign, because his handlers have something major on him and will let the cat out of the bag if he does resign. They want their puppet firmly in place to do their bidding. His speech was a distinct version of Callaghan’s “Crisis? What Crisis!?” which saw Callaghan off. And as for his Kermit the Frog speech on the world stage the other day, words fail me. I would bet that Cummings was laughing his socks off as he was writing that for him.

      I think he is desperate to quit the post, but he needs us to give him the old heave-ho.

  35. This is a bit risqué.

    A Priest kept chickens in his village. One evening the cock went missing. At the Church mass prayer gathering the priest asked – “Who has a cock”……All the men stood up.
    No, I meant “Who has seen a cock?”….All the women stood up.
    ”No, no, who has seen a cock that isn’t theirs?” Half the women stood up.
    “Oh for Heaven’s sake, who has seen my cock”…. All the nun’s stood up..

    2. If it was in France, apparently all the children would have stood up at his last question.

  36. BBC front page story “Stink bug discovery raises fears of threat to crops A stink bug that can spoil crops and infest homes has been trapped in Surrey as part of a monitoring study.”
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-58809987

    Here is the culprit, a brown marmorated stink bug. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/56e998f90ead4f65c21a74c8abf0f24825cad9d5b030067ee4ba3839ec13a484.jpg
    and here is our home grown bronze shield bug.
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5b947b8a7066a61cf199ac8dbc13aa406c6796e9672e898576634af4e226484f.jpg

    Just who will be able to tell the difference?

    1. Well if it’s left leaning -it’s home grown. If it’s right leaning it needs to be crushed…..

    2. Brown marmorated stink bugs arrive in the UK and pose threat to crops
      https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2021/march/monitoring-stink-bugs-to-anticipate-the-future.html

      Shieldbug identification: 10 common UK shieldbugs
      https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2021/05/shieldbug-identification/

      I have to say that on looking up the difference I’m none the wiser as to which is which.

      In California we ended up with an invasive bug called ‘The Glassy Winged Sharpshooter’ promptly renamed, ‘The Glassy Eyed Sht Shooter’. Panic all round, if it had taken hold that would have been the end of the wine industry.

        1. In revenge for the North American phylloxera aphid that destroyed French vineyards in the mid 1800s.

    1. Morning, Rik.

      On the other hand, if you embark on a strict one-meal-day-diet, like I am, and eschew all processed flours, all sugars, all processed foods in general and all ‘vegetable’ (i.e. seed) oils,; you will derive much joy (as I am) from finding yourself fitter, slimmer, more alert and sharper every day.

      My choice was between continuing to eat (delicious) crap and leaving myself open to all manner of modern diseases; or eat sensibly (and still joyously) and expect to live a longer, fitter and more fulfilled life.

      No contest.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUADs-CK7vI&list=WL&index=31 “Fat Fiction – Full Movie – Free.”

  38. I did warn that I’m scraping the bottom of the barrel:

    Short & Sweet – But Not Very PC – 2

    Top tip; if you’re camping in the summer and the attractive girl in the next tent tells you that because it’s so hot she will be sleeping with her flaps open, it’s not necessarily an invitation to casual sex.
    Wish me luck; I appear in court next Monday.

    I took my Biology exam last Friday. I was asked to name two things commonly found in cells. Apparently “Blacks” and “Pakis” were not the correct answers.

    A fat girl served me food in McDonald’s at lunch time. She said ‘sorry about the wait.’
    I said ‘don’t worry fatty, you’re bound to lose it eventually’

    I walked past a black kid sitting at a Bus Stop as I came out of the Bank. He looked at me and said ’Any Change?’ I said ‘Nope! You’re still Black’

    Snow in the forecast! The TV weather gal said she was expecting 8 inches tonight.
    I thought to myself “fat chance with a face like that!”

    An Irish boy stands crying at the side of the road. A man asks ‘What is wrong’? The boy says ‘Me ma is dead’
    ‘Oh bejaysus’ the man says ‘Do you want me to call Father O’Riley for you’?
    The boy replies ‘No tanks mister, Sex is the last ting on my moind at the moment’.

    I have a new pick up line that works every time. It doesn’t matter how gorgeous or out of my league a woman might be, this line is a winner & I always end up in bed with them.
    Here’s how it goes ‘Excuse me love, could I ask your opinion? Does this damp cloth smell like chloroform to you?’

    Years ago it was suggested that an apple a day kept the doctor away. But since all the doctors are now Muslim, I’ve found that a bacon sandwich works best!

    Japanese scientists have now created a camera with such an immense shutter speed that it is now possible to take a photograph of a woman with her mouth closed.

    I hate all this terrorist business. I used to love the days when you could look at an unattended bag on a train or bus and think to yourself ‘I’m having that’

    Man in a hot air balloon is lost over Ireland. He looks down and sees a farmer in the fields and shouts to him ‘Where am I’? The Irish farmer looks back up and shouts back ‘Ya canna kid me ya flash bastard. You’re in that feckin basket’.

    My neighbour knocked on my door at 2:30 am this morning; can you believe that 2:30 a.m.?
    Luckily for him I was still up playing my Bagpipes.

    I sat on the train this morning opposite a stunning Thai girl. I kept thinking to myself, please don’t get an erection, please don’t get an erection…but she did.

  39. OT – ish. Following Maggie’s comment about property prices down her way, an interesting compare and contrast in North Narfurk – about 2 miles from me.

    Brand new barn “conversion” into a horrid little house with four small bedrooms, all of which have nasty, sloping ceilings. No garden. No garage. Concrete hardstanding for cars – which was badly laid and, in wet weather has a huge puddle on it.

    https://www.primelocation.com/for-sale/details/59681472/ £1,000,000

    A mile or so away:

    Large house, ample grounds, outbuildings space

    https://search.savills.com/property-detail/gbnorsnrs210248 £950,000

    Both are “under offer”. People are mad!

    1. Expect Afghans and their 10 children plus grandma and the rels to move in soon, and the council tax to rocket. All interpreters of course.

    2. Except if you have the money available given rates of inflation v current rates of interest it’s probably better to park it in property (no matter how pokey the bedrooms) than in a bank. After all, apart from La Palma, ‘they ain’t making land anymore’….

    3. Good morning Bill although its cold, a slate grey sky here in West Sussex, and I’m typing with a light on.

      Looking at the two properties the answer is obvious to me having moved from a village that has been ruined by the predators from London. The first property is “trendy”, the sort of thing that bright young things with more money than sense like. We have loads of barn conversions around here and it’s always those sort of people that buy them. The other property is staid, it lacks flash and isn’t the sort of thing that would impress your superficial friends, so going cheap in the hopes that a pair of old fogies will buy it.

      1. Were I 40 years younger – the age that I was when I bought my present house – I know which I’d go for!!

  41. The Independent reporting that Sky is to abandon the satellite dish and use the internet for distributing its programmes. This could cause problems.

      1. Unless they intend to keep the Sky Dish, people with no internet will lose the Sky programmes. People with Freesat who require the Sky Dish for their TV reception will lose TV programmes available on Freesat.
        You have no problems to worry about but some of us have.

        1. I see. Thanks for the info. Indeed I have nothing to worry about. I would no more invite Sky into my home than I would the Bubonic Plague!

    2. I don’t think that’s quite correct. Sky have launched a new TV – ‘Sky Glass’ – which doesn’t use a dish, but rather is fed via the internet. Nowhere in the Indy report does it say they are discontinuing the satellite service.

      Yet…

    2. That will be about 11 players and 10 family members each. It is beyond belief that we now trawl safe countries looking for refugees. Do they drive lorries.

  43. Yo All

    Boros should look at the economy, from top to bottom,then see what people eran, not what they are paid

    Also, their is a duplicate ‘black economy mirroring the real one and probably ethnic group ones a s well

    An analogy and there is a pun in there

    When The Body Was First Made, Who Was the Most Important

    One day, all the parts of the body were talking about who was most important.

    THE BRAIN SAID – “Since I control everything and do all the thinking, I am the most important therefore I should be boss.”

    THE FEET SAID – “Since I carry him everywhere he wants to go and gethim in position to do what the brain wants, I am the most important.”

    THE EYES SAID – “Since I must look out for all of you and tell you where the danger lurks, I an the most important body part.”

    THE HANDS SAID – “Since I do all the work and earn all the money to keep the rest of you going, I am the most important.”

    Of course, everyone got into the arguments and the heart, lungs, and ears all say the same thing.

    Finally, the asshole spoke up and pointed that he was the most important even though the others didn’t know it. All the other laughed
    and laughed to think of an asshole being boss.

    The asshole decided to prove the point and refused to function. Blocked up tight.

    Soon the brain was feverish, the eyes crossed and ached, the feet were too weak to walk, the hands hung limply at the sides, and the heart
    and lungs struggled to keep going.

    All pleaded with the asshole to relent and agreed that the asshole (ie the workers) was the most important and so it happened.

    Moral Of The Story

    The MORAL of the story is that the network is the most important part of any infrastructure but not everyone realises it.

    Or that the asshole always ends up being the boss 🙂

    Bliar started the rot,

    All must have degrees, scrapped Apprentceships,

    Unlimited immigration, potatoe picking not a job for a Brit, more money from dole
    Police no longer a Force, but a Service
    All nurses have degrees, which does not include emptying Bedpans, (it should, if the joke above is corrrect)
    Labour became ideological, political and Islington basedl: stopped supporting the worker (I met him once)

    Please feel free to point out all their other failings

      1. Look at what happens in any business if each layer or department weren’t there, suddenly.
        What happens to the cash flow in the short & long term.
        In the short term, production workers are key, including goods onwards and despatch. Nothing moving, no money comes in, all go bankrupt very quickly. That includes transport – which is why the draymen are the best paid brewery workers.
        Remove the CEO and board – nobody will notice for a few years, until business has generally moved on and the company hasn’t – result: Slow decay. As in Belgium – who knew they had no government for years?

        1. Which is why, Paul, as a business consultant, my job was to facilitate the integration of all departments throughout a company so that action taken in one department would immediately impact upon all others who need to know.

          Computer systems are very good in ensuring that this happens and the company works as a team to achieve a profitable end.

          It works well at Wilhelmsen in Lysaker.

          1. Indeed.
            Someone needs to think it through, model the whole process (even in outline) and impose a computer solution that drives the new working processes, rather than just computerising the old way. It will also force common working practices, too.

  45. Right – I am off. A nice gardening job to do. It is very mild today, and almost completely still. So ideal conditions. Will return later – prolly blood-stained (many brambles to dig out). Play nicely.

  47. How do they manage…?

    Tory Sir Peter Bottomley describes the ‘desperately difficult’ financial woes faced by MPs living on £82,000-a-year – and calls for an increase to more than £100,000
    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10066255/Tory-Sir-Peter-Bottomley-calls-MPs-paid-100-000-year.html

    Tory stalwart Sir Peter Bottomley says he is not sure how MPs ‘manage’ on the current salary – which is around £50,000-a-year higher than the UK average

    1. He gets generous expenses. If unhappy he should resign his seat and seek a more lucrative job.

      1. A basic salary of £81,932-a-year (as of April 2021)

        – An increased salary for appointments such as ministerial roles

        – Expenses to cover the cost of work-related expenditure

        – MPs are entitled to claim £9,000-a-year for postage and stationery

        – They also receive allowances towards having somewhere to live in London and in their constituency.

        – MPs can also claim back travel costs between Parliament and their constituency

        – They also receive a pension which is either 1/40th or 1/50th of their final pensionable salary for each year

      2. …and doesn’t his wife, Virginia, an ex MP, get a pension beside?

        Small wonder that we see MPs as lower than estate agents and used car salesmen in the troughing stakes.

    3. Peter is 77 years old; he is too old to work as a Magistrate administering some of the legislation which he is paid to create. He is now too old to work in any official capacity for HM the Queen.
      However, fortunately he is entitled to a full Parliamentary pension, about 50% of his salary. Obviously if he could wangle a pay increase he would be able to retire with an even greater payment to see him through his twilight years. His wife Virginia has been a member of the House of Lords since about 2005, which provides a generous attendance allowance; she also worked in executive recruitment.
      Should 600+ MPs vote to have larger constituencies, and share out the savings?

  48. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2fd2c7db7428de43fe277d5db8db3618d7a48e2dd19ed3710d197908d429251e.png Rugby tackles colour blindness with ban on red/green kit clashes.
    Ireland and Wales at a Six Nations game at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin, last year – but many colour-blind fans may have struggled to tell which team was which.

    If Ireland play in green shirts, black shorts and black socks with a green top; and Wales play in white shirts, red shorts and red socks with a white top; problem averted.

    1. How did we ever distinguish between teams when football or rugby matches were shown on black-and-white TVs?

      1. Because we knew our teams, through and through.

        Today the fans (tricked into handing over vast sums to attend) don’t realise that they are just supporting big business and worship only a few by name.

        1. The tournaments are now owned by investors based in Singapore.

          Clubs are selling stakes:- All Blacks and Saracens, this year.

          https://www.enca.com/news/saracens-sell-majority-stake-investment-consortium#:~:text=Saracens%20sell%20majority%20stake%20to%20investment%20consortium%20Francois,investors%20including%20former%20South%20Africa%20captain%20Francois%20Pienaar.
          and
          https://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/all-blacks/new-zealand-rugby-2021-all-blacks-news-nzr-backs-plan-to-sell-to-us-investors-silver-lake/news-story/6fca7cf69e8ec274a75fa5a45193290e

          1. I was actually referring to Wendyball, Horace, but sadly, since Rugby Union turned professional, the same applies – business rather than sport.

            For me the last straw has been all this knee-bending before the start in honour of a black, criminal drug-dealer.

      2. “… And for those of you watching in black and white, the pink ball is next to the green.”

        Ted Lowe.

        1. It was watching snooker in black & white that made my ex decide we needed a colour telly.

        2. “And for those of you watching in colour, [name of jockey] is wearing the black and white colours”. Can’t remember the name of the commentator (era of Raleigh Gilbert, probably), but it made me laugh at the time.

    2. Dark blue and white hoops, versus black and white hoops, cover both in mud, now guess which team is which, keeping in mind that both sets of strips will have been laundered dozens of time to fade nicely.
      (This problem never afflicted us, as both teams would turn up in a total of about seven different strips, including one bloke who wore an old ‘Quins strip but played to our standard.)

    3. Or the names “Ireland” and “Wales” sewn onto the shirts.
      I realise that I am guilty of excluding the illiterate and Welsh and Celtic speakers.

  49. More Anti-Russian drivel. Pretty amazing that when they are willing to help with our Gas shortage they are automatically still villains. Have news for the Anti-Russian robots. Russia is not interested in aggression against us but we are most definitely interested in aggression against them. We use them as a scapegoat for our own failings and to deflect from the real criminals, China.
    UK dubbed ‘Putin’s puppet’ as ‘Soviet’ Britain’s gas prices plummet after Russian offer
    https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1502242/gas-crisis-soviet-britain-vladimir-putin-puppet-prices-plummet-russia-intervention-energy

    1. It was very easy when we had the Cold War as everyone knew who the enemy was.
      Russia is still convenient and nearby and our useless government needs an enemy. If it looked a bit closer it would find their real enemy is the electorate.
      I do, however, agree that China is the real enemy but this lot are too dim to see and understand it.

      1. 339707+ up ticks,
        Morning AtG,
        Agreed, our worst enemy is the lab/lib/con coalition current supporter / voter who are continuing to vote for more of the same, IMO.

        1. I agree with that ogga because there is no honesty in politics it falsifies everything else.

    2. It’s a great pity that Putin can’t find a way to hammer the speculators, such as suddenly announcing that he’s fixing the price at a level well below current prices for a sufficient time to bankrupt a few of them as they have to honour their contracts.

      1. Morning Sos. He must have done them some damage yesterday with his announcement.

        1. I hope so.
          I have always wondered if the BoE could have suddenly fixed the UK exchange rate for a short time so that the Soros short sellers of the world found themselves bankrupted having to settle their contracts.

          The BoE could have insider dealt on the derivative markets, knowing when they were going to make the announcement.

      2. Morning Sos. He must have done them some damage yesterday with his announcement.

  50. Planet Normal: ‘Boris Johnson is in complete denial about the dire place this country is in’. 7 October 2021.

    The Prime Minister’s first Conservative Party Conference speech in two years was joke-heavy, but for Telegraph columnist and Planet Normal podcast host, Allison Pearson, it was no laughing matter. “It sounded like a victory speech… But this speech came after eighteen brutal months of lockdown, of deaths, of school closures, of an epidemic of mental health problems, of bankruptcies. There are queues to get fuel, queues to see a GP, the threat of no turkey at Christmas.”

    “The Prime Minister,” she tells podcast co-host and fellow columnist, Liam Halligan, “was in complete denial about this dire place that the country finds itself in.”

    For Halligan, it highlighted a significant gap between the people and the political class: “I think an awful lot of the public will think that for all his rhetoric, for all his obvious oratory skill, for all his undoubted showmanship, he sounds a bit out of touch.”

    A bit out of touch? This is Hitler in the Fuhrerbunker telling everyone it’s all OK, the Russians are finished!

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2021/10/07/planet-normal-boris-johnson-complete-denial-dire-place-country/

    1. This is Hitler in the Fuhrerbunker

      Hitler ordering non-existent battalions, divisions, corps and armies around. All Johnson has are promises without substance, they are fictions of a mind that is set in another direction altogether. Those currently lauding his speech are going to be bitterly disappointed and along with all the other shortages there will not be enough eggs for all the deserving faces when the truth is unveiled.

    2. The Planet Normal Podcast is one of the highlights of my listening week – informative and entertaining. The Chopper Politics podcast is also well worth a listen.

    1. Piss poor pay & conditions owing to the availability of cheap overseas labour and a total FURBAR by DVLA regarding new licenses & tests.

      1. The Sunday Times states that the DVLA have told them that 54,000 HGV licences are awaiting processing in their offices.

    2. Together with a lack of free, overnight parking or a place to stop when the tachograph says, “Enough.”

    3. Back loadss are essential to the financial viability of small hauliers especially. and by “small” I am referring to number of vehicles. There were maybe more one-man outfits in the past than we have now. A lorry and trailer will cost well into six figures and there needs to be a return on investment.

    4. Like much of modern life, or lords and masters tell us we must modernise institutions and procedures that have served us well for years. At first changes are manageable but become dogmatic and incessant, never making things simpler or cheaper. Eventually, it comes to a point where the system collapses. We all have read about the many factors in the HGV industry but this sort of nibbling to death by ducks is already in train for much of life.

  53. The price of gas futures in Europe has plunged nearly 22%, below $1,000 per 1,000 cubic meters, on news that Russia is willing to ramp up supplies to the continent. Gas prices nearly reached $2,000 a day earlier.
    According to trading data from the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the price of November gas futures on the Dutch TTF index started trading at almost $1,260 per thousand cubic meters on Thursday, then briefly jumped to $1,370 at 6:13am GMT and later showed a steady decline. By 8am GMT, the price fell to $973 per thousand cubic meters, which is 22% lower than its closing price the day before. On Wednesday, the price of gas in Europe briefly reached a historic high of $1,937 per thousand cubic meters, nearly three times its cost in September.
    Gas futures started their decline late Wednesday when Russian President Vladimir Putin said the country would boost supplies to Europe.

    “You have proposed increasing the supply of gas on the market, on the exchange, in order to bring down speculative demand and the turmoil in Europe. This can be done… on the stock exchange in St. Petersburg,” Putin stated at a meeting on energy development, addressing Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak.

    1. The rabid left have spread like cancer throughout our institutions and we are doomed to cultural change. In addition, that nice Mr Putin has his rather strong hands on our goolies, giving them an occasional squeeze, I do believe that we are doomed. The Government will be there to provide jokes and entertainment to keep our minds off reality. Boris is doing quite a good job really.

        1. I don’t study Russian politics close enough to give an informed answer. But from what I see, he is a patriot and I admire many of his characteristics. I don’t live there so may have a different view if I did! However, being patriotic is regarded in the West as almost-extreme right wing these days, so that is what I would answer. Whether, this leads to the conclusion that he would not choose to hurt the West, I think his priority is Russia and that damaging the West would also damage Russian interests. But, a gentle squeeze on the vitals to show who has the upper hand may help guide the policies in Europe to be favourable towards its neighbour who has plentiful resources needed for the future.

  54. It’s a pity that hospitals (specifically, UWH, Llandough) cannot:
    1. Publish direct telephone numbers for the wards, so you don’t have to use the operator – another delay point
    2. Answer the ward phone once you get put through, so you can co-ordinate with the occupational therapist and sort ot how Mother can be released.
    3. Make calls out to solve the problem of (2)
    4. Use email, so the need to answer calls at busy moments can be avoided and bookings made for calls to otherwise busy staff.

    From the time of my Father being in horsepickle in the 80s, SWMBO in maternity unit in the 90s, the working practices don’t seem to have been addressed for efficiency (LEAN, in modern parlance), and so effort is wasted in not getting all the necessary tasks done to expedite someone being returned to health and ejected from hospital.
    I made exactly the same comment about the home help service in Norway, being crewed by well-meaning and kind people, who lack the structure and LEAN focus on effectiveness in getting the job done. So, the work isn’t done effectively, they visit many fewer people than they could, do less than optimal for each, and don’t have time to chat.

    1. At my general Hospital the Vascular and Haematology departments cannot be reached by phone or email unless it is an emergency.

      One can only book an appointment for a phlebotomy Monday to Friday as they are on the wards at weekends.

      Correction. Now you can’t contact the reception for phlebotomy at all. (just tried)

      I don’t think they want any patients.

      Hope you can get your mum sorted out.

      1. I need to talk with the OT. Does she plan releasing Mother to her home, or to a care home? I know she wants to visit Mother’s home & see whether it is, or can be made, suitable, but won’t go alone (the plumber had no problem…). I need to talk with her about that, as Mother’s friend won’t go (self-isolating, or some such carp) and the care agency have been demobilised and so can’t help, the Social Services don’t answer… AARGH! I need to talk with the OT as to how to move forward, but nobody takes the phone… and there’s no other way of communicating, it seems.
        If Mother can’t go back home, I need to line up some care home place for her, but can’t move forward with that until I know more; if Mother is going back to her own bed of an evening, then we’ll need more care than the SS will provide, and I need to work out some way of funding that… without knowing, it’s not possible to move forward, and the frustration is getting to me. Grr!

        1. The Hospital will have a PALS person (Patient Advice and Liaison) who’s job it is to sort problems before they turn into complaints – May be worth giving them a call?

        2. Its quite difficult to step into the middle of other families problems, but being local, if I can help please say. I feel your frustration with trying to do things on the phone. We had very little success in getting info regarding my mother in hospital even though my bro and sis work in the NHS and know the system. But there must be someone whose interest it is in getting that bed freed up, its just a matter of finding them.

          1. Thanks for the offer, Kaypea. I’ll bear it in mind – maybe you could focus your mind energy on the hospital with the thought “Answer the phone! Answer the phone!”
            🙂

          2. I shall try another approach. I think that my S-i-L works in that hospital and will see if I can dig out any secret numbers. I am tentative cos we are not the best of mates!

    2. OH had an email the other day from the consultant’s secretary – it was encrypted so he couldn’t read it. When he eventually got throught to her on the phone he had to ask her to send it again.

    3. Finally, on 8th attempt today, got through – after anybody who knows anything much has gone home. Sigh!

    1. I wonder if Boris Johnson sat in the same stand which had not yet been built at St James’s Park as Tony Blair did?

      1. Very satisfying to see that the main legacy of Blair and ZanuLabour has been to make the Labour Party unelectable as presently constituted … It needs to split or, should I say. mutate

  56. An update to my ongoing battle with Housing 21,having not received an acknowlegement let alone a reply to my letter today I was handed a “Rent Statement” by the court manager.
    Now remember all payments are by direct debit and ample funds have always been in the account
    Thanks to their not fit for purpose accounting practices operated by dolts that couldn’t pour piss out of a boot without directional arrows my “Rent Statement” has 24 entries over 30 months stating I am in rent arrears!!
    The potential damage to my reputation and credit score are obvious and obviously if I wished to move no other landlord would touch me with a bargepole
    Fuming,will need tro calm down before I respond which will be to the Area Dolt,his Line Manager and thanks to NoTTL their CEO

    3. If you have the evidence of them taking your money, tell them that you are going to sue for defamation the person who authorised the proceedings and the entire chain of command. Simultaneously inform the CEO that they will also be sued.
      Check to see if your house/contents insurance covers legal fees, they used to.

      One of my previous jobs included the final authorisation process for taking people to court for mortgage arrears. We made very sure that all the i’s and t’s had been checked and double checked.
      Because we tried to bend over backwards to avoid the final step, if we obtained repossession it was company policy that the branch manager had to attend the eviction. It tended to focus their minds.

    1. Receptionist / Nurse: “Sorry Sir we really would like to give you the treatment you need but alas we can’t. Go home and take a couple of Aspirins, oh and best you check your Will is up to date. Take care….”

      1. The cash we were going to use for your operation has been used to employ me instead, with car and pension etc, to tell you, why we no longer have the cash to treat you. Sorry. Good luck.

  58. 339707+ up ticks,

    Planet Normal: ‘Boris Johnson is in complete denial about the dire place this country is in’

    Plus his tory (ino) group repeat supporter / voters are doubly so, firmly in the grip of the three monkeys.

  59. Greater risk of blackouts this winter, National Grid warns
    Britain’s few remaining coal power stations are also likely to be fired up more frequently
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2021/10/07/greater-risk-blackouts-winter-national-grid-warns/

    I rather liked the sad analogy this Below-the-liner made comparing the foolish wedding guest, who got rid of something only to find he still needed it, with Boris Johnson who is hell-bent on getting rid of much of our energy supply before an alternative has been found. This of course puts us at a disadvantage compared with the French just as the BTLiner was with his cousin François.

    BTL

    I was invited to a very grand wedding. Sadly I had given away my morning coat and sponge bag trousers to a charity shop the previous week.

    I hurried back to the charity shop to buy them back again but to my great dismay they had already been sold. I suspect my French cousin, François, was to blame and he bought them – I know he always coveted my wedding gear which is more than be said of my wife.

      1. Good afternoon, peddy

        I think this BTLiner might have been trying to make a vulgar pun!

        1. ‘Afternoon, Richard, “…might have been trying to make a vulgar (albeit miss-spelled) pun!“

  61. Gorgeous day – just had lunch in garden. Marred sightly by BOTH the RAF’s planes flying very low and very slowly and VERY loudly round and round just above the village. I simply can’t work out what they are doing it for. And why could they not do it out over the North Sea?

    2. I went passed RAF Coningsby yesterday, home to the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and our ‘Eurofighters

      I called in to see the senior RAF bod in charge and told him that you had been going on about the Last Two aiircraft that the Air Force had

      He said that he would get them to do a Flypast and then loiter over your abode

      We get them overhead many times a day over our house (or the same one going over the sea and back many times)

      1. I attended many management courses at the Petwood Hotel, Woodhall Spa that acted as the Officers Mess for 617 ‘Dam Busters’ Squadron in WW2. It seemed at times it was at the end of RAF Coningsby. This was in the late 70s/early 80s.
        Fond memories.
        https://www.petwood.co.uk/

          1. I was there when they had her out on the apron firing up her Merlins – hell of a back wash and I was nowhere near (I was sitting outside the cafe with my dogs and a drink)!

      2. OT, but displayed in Coningsby Church is a Dutch flag, which serves as a memorial to three airmen and an incredibly brave woman whose name was Jacoba Maria ‘Coba’ Pulskens.

  62. So poor old Bumley can’t manage on £82,000 a year plus endless expenses…

    Come on, Peter – try living on a quarter of that as many of your constituents do. And DO stop whining, you clown.

          1. It is called Planeplotter. Combines signals received from different monitors of which I am one, and triangulates position.

          2. Thanks, Rusty, I don’t think I want to be a ‘monitor’, too many trackers already follow me.

          3. Interesting. Looks too complicated for my pore brane. I rely on Flightradar24 – which is 99.9% for civil aircraft. Very occasionally, military planes leave their responder on. I suspect when flying low. Two Yank Hercules(??) were doing training circuits this way – back and forward in loops – the other day. They were about 400 ft up – as as they were going over Snoring Airfield – where several little planes fly – I imagine it was a safety thing.

      2. About twenty years ago I was chatting to a guy who said that his real job was working for a UK based radar manufacturer, and I asked him how good his systems were. “Well” he replied, “the Americans brought a stealth bomber to Farnborough this year, and we tracked it quite easily. They weren’t very happy.”

        (from memory, may be inaccurate)

    2. He said he isn’t struggling but the newer MP’s are. I don’t believe it. They get everything either subsidised or paid for on expenses.

      Good afternoon, your worship. You stole my sunshine and i want it back !

    3. It used to be called cutting your coat according to your cloth, something most of us mortals must do. However, politicians believe in spending more money than they have and then looking for someone to pay the bills. Not surprising they think this way in their private lives either.

      1. Being an MP is a vast, subsidised ego trip. You need no qualifications, no compulsory hours of work, no performance standards.
        A warm room and subsidised meals for a bunch of self-opinionated windbags and busybodies who suddenly find people taking them seriously
        because they’ve got ”MP” after their names!

    1. There are 5.9K comments on that article. I bet there isn’t a single one who has sympathy for him.

    2. Little boys don’t come cheap and the drug bills nowadays are ridiculous. How is one expected to survive on a piffling £100,000 even?

      1. Arseholes are cheap today
        Cheaper than yesterday.
        Small boys are half-a-crown
        Standing up or sitting down.

        To the tune of “La donna è mobile”

    3. Isn’t that what they mean by “levelling up”,? £2k a week.- no power price rise problems for him.

    4. And their flip flopping of main residence. What a joke. Subsidised food, subsidised booze, he deserves to be booed out of existence.

    5. They should try living on the lower rate of state pension as most people in this country, who reached pension age before April 2016 have to, unless they have made other provision themselves.

      1. In fact, they rather should be. When they’re found guilty of expenses fraud or saying such moronic things then they should have their pension forefeit.

    6. Just think that is the level of financial expertise setting government budgets!

      To quote Trudeau “I don’t think about monetary policy”.

      1. More to the point “I’m incapable of thinking about monetary policy, where’s the next great Show-Off scene?”

    8. Alf and I have always said the HoC should have been put on furlough, maximum £2,500 like Joe Public. That would have brought things to a rapid halt!

  64. COVID side effects due to a third booster jab.

    This video discusses how the appropriate number of COVID jabs differs according to the level of COVID antibodies in the recipient. The booster jab is now being rolled out for the over 50s in the UK following experience of the Pfizer jab in Israel.
    I had my third Pfizer jab this week. Slightly sore arm for a couple of days but nothing else.

    https://youtu.be/fPqd4oeFgW0

    1. Sounds as though they haven’t a clue – and are using vulnerable people as guinea pigs to find out.

  66. Gem from the Daily Mail:

    “Headbutting a keyboard is now a sexuality’: Justin Trudeau is mocked for using the latest sexual identities acronym 2SLGBTQQIA+

    1. This world nys but a thurghfare ful of wo,
      And we been pilgrymes passynge to and fro.
      Deeth is an ende of every worldes soore.”

      (Chaucer: The Knight’s Tale}

          1. Hi J.

            Thank you, I am pleased to be back 🙂

            Disqus have re-instated me, same avatar,
            same e-mail address … ???

        6. Good evening, Garlands, and welcome home. I trust you are better?

          Sorry for my tardiness in replying but I’ve been slicing and packing some home-cured back and belly bacon that I cold-smoked overnight. I now smell like a bonfire!

          1. :-)) … Good morning, Grizzly.

            Yummy… bacon sandwiches with ‘HP’ or ‘Fruity’;
            both of which, and salad cream, will soon be made
            ‘back home’.

          2. I miss bacon sandwiches since I commenced on my Keto diet three weeks ago, Garlands (I lost another 2 lbs this week). I can eat bacon by the ton but not bread, so I crumble it over a salad or add it to my 23-ingredient low-carb Minestrone soup, some of which I’m having today.

            It’s good to have you back, me duck. 😘

  75. 339707+ up ticks,
    The overseers / Media are giving this malaria vaccine concerning kids jabs,big licks, although a bloody good thing after years of seeking it but will the United Kingdom political overseers try and link it to the covid jab for kids.

    NOT being a lab/lib/con coalition supporter / voter I would put nothing past the ruling politico’s.

      1. Well done, J, for at least seeming to understand the gist of it.

        I’m still baffled but cannot be ar5ed to go back and try and decipher it.

    2. Spiders only put glue droplets on some of their strands of silk,
      and they tend to avoid these as they move around their web. Spiders
      also only touch the web with the tips of their feet (‘tarsi’), which
      have a non-stick coating.

      Why don’t spiders get caught in their own web? – BBC Science …

  79. We have just tried to order a spare part for our Clearview Stove which is made in Shropshire but we have received this message:

    “Continued suspension of deliveries to European destinations. Northern Ireland unaffected.
    If any part of your order is out of stock we will contact you by email – please monitor your spam/junk filters. During these difficult times, delivery schedules from suppliers may vary greatly. In particular, those originating from Europe and rest of world are seeing significant delays. Please be patient as we work with manufacturers to keep waiting times to a minimum. If your order is an emergency, please call one of our team on 01837 680068 during weekday office hours, to check stock prior to your order.

    Our best wishes to all our customers at this difficult time. Thank-you for your custom and understanding.”

    The woman at Clearview was very helpful when we spoke to her on the phone and she is going to send the spare part to our son in Lancaster who will then post it on to us. We asked her whether these problems – which is causing Clearview to lose orders – is down to Covid or Brexit. Her reply was: “Probably a bit of both.”

    BUT

    Wasn’t the whole point of having a deal with the EU rather than going for WTO terms meant to make sure that this sort of problem would not happen?

    Given the EU’s incredibly dishonourable behaviour we must abandon Article 16 and abandon any sort of deal with the EU. At the moment we have the worst of both worlds and people like Emanuel Macron and Ursula Fonda Lying must never be trusted again.

  80. Well, the sun has gone in – that’s it for the next few days. It will be cloudy but very mild.

    The garden job very satisfactorily finished. We have cleaned out an area of waste land behind the woodsheds a bit larger than the “garden” in the £1,100,000 house about which I posted earlier!! It will provide excellent space to put grass cuttings.

    Cats have thoroughly enjoyed a day in the sun. They become different animals. Now both sleeping it off.

    2. Much junk cleared from smallholding here. Much lactic acid in muscles, relieved through use of red medicine.
      Mother seems to be OK.
      Pigs are OK until Saturday, then they’ll be sausages…

        1. ;-))
          Not sure how they are due to be offed, and I don’t want to know, either. Both have developed real personalities (piggonalities?) and I’m not keen to see them killed.
          Wimp, eh?

          2. My local butcher, in South Wales, said to me that he would be a Vegetarian, if he had to kill the beasties that he cut up

          3. The worst bit is, when they were younger, you’d be walking towards the pig pen and they’d see you, run towards you, and bounce up and down waiting for the food – like a small child promised an ice-cream. The childlike enthusiasm is very endearing … :-((

  82. HAPPY HOUR – The Greatest Poems of all time.
    Shakespeare’s ‘Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day’ is voted greatest poem ever written.
    The nationwide survey, commissioned to mark National Poetry Day on October 7 . The Greatest Poems listed.
    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10063283/Shakespeares-Shall-compare-thee-summers-day-voted-greatest-poem-written.html

    My favourite poet A.E.Housman is not included ….an oversight shurely!

    Blue Remembered Hills

    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.

    A.E. Housman

      1. The once was a fellow from Ghent
        Whose prick was incredibly bent
        To save himself trouble
        He put it in double
        And instead of coming he went.

          1. The Scorpion and the Frog

            A scorpion and a frog meet on the bank of a stream and the
            scorpion asks the frog to carry him across on its back. The
            frog asks, “How do I know you won’t sting me?” The scorpion
            says, “Because if I do, I will die too.”

            The frog is satisfied, and they set out, but in midstream,
            the scorpion stings the frog. The frog feels the onset of
            paralysis and starts to sink, knowing they both will drown,
            but has just enough time to gasp “Why?”

            Replies the scorpion: “Its my nature…”

            I was actually referring to Boris .. it’s his nature

    2. This tells me a lot. I’d hate to call it favourite, but having been to many extermination camps …
      When the Nazis came for the communists,
      I remained silent;
      I was not a communist.

      When they locked up the social democrats,
      I remained silent;
      I was not a social democrat.

      When they came for the trade unionists,
      I did not speak out;
      I was not a trade unionist.

      When they came for the Jews,
      I remained silent;
      I was not a Jew.

      When they came for me,
      there was no one left to speak out.

      1. On a positive note…:
        Leisure, William Henry Davies, 1911

        What is this life if, full of care,
        We have no time to stand and stare.
        No time to stand beneath the boughs
        And stare as long as sheep or cows.
        No time to see, when woods we pass,
        Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
        No time to see, in broad daylight,
        Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
        No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,
        And watch her feet, how they can dance.
        No time to wait till her mouth can
        Enrich that smile her eyes began.
        A poor life this if, full of care,
        We have no time to stand and stare.

        1. I learnt this by heart at prep school.

          We used to learn poetry by heart in those days.

          As you reminded us earlier today the past is another country.

          1. I’m getting to the stage where I miss that other country, Rastus.
            That poem says everything about Firstborn’s farm to me. I’m trying to find an organisation that will make me an attractive framed print, so he can hang it in his farmhouse (a log cabin from about 1750) to make me happy.
            🙂

    3. Tricky one to read aloud……

      In Flanders Fields
      BY JOHN MCCRAE

      In Flanders fields the poppies blow
      Between the crosses, row on row,
      That mark our place; and in the sky
      The larks, still bravely singing, fly
      Scarce heard amid the guns below.

      We are the Dead. Short days ago
      We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
      Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
      In Flanders fields.

      Take up our quarrel with the foe:
      To you from failing hands we throw
      The torch; be yours to hold it high.
      If ye break faith with us who die
      We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
      In Flanders fields.

      1. One of my favourites

        warty bliggens, the toad

        By Don Marquis, in “archy and mehitabel,” 1927

        i met a toad
        the other day by the name
        of warty bliggens
        he was sitting under
        a toadstool
        feeling contented
        he explained that when the cosmos
        was created
        that toadstool was especially
        planned for his personal
        shelter from sun and rain
        thought out and prepared
        for him

        do not tell me
        said warty bliggens
        that there is not a purpose
        in the universe
        the thought is blasphemy
        a little more
        conversation revealed
        that warty bliggens
        considers himself to be
        the center of the same
        universe
        the earth exists
        to grow toadstools for him
        to sit under
        the sun to give him light
        by day and the moon
        and wheeling constellations
        to make beautiful
        the night for the sake of
        warty bliggens

        to what act of yours
        do you impute
        this interest on the part
        of the creator
        of the universe
        i asked him
        why is it that you
        are so greatly favored

        ask rather
        said warty bliggens
        what the universe
        has done to deserve me
        if i were a
        human being i would
        not laugh
        too complacently
        at poor warty bliggens
        for similar
        absurdities
        have only too often
        lodged in the crinkles
        of the human cerebrum

        archy

          1. Me too, several decades. But I have always loved that poem. I can’t, of course, convey the image in my head, but it is a fat toad that resembles the Emperor without any clothes. Preposterous and puffed up. In my image of him he would have been drawn by E. H. Shepard as a relative of Toad of Toad Hall.

          2. One of the saddest things about one’s children growing up is no longer lying beside them at bedtime and reading poetry and stories with them.

          3. Agreed, Rastus.
            I loved reading the bedtime story, occasionally causing irritation by reading the sentences backwards, or turning the page upside down. I really miss it – would love the chance to read bedtime stories to grandchildren.

          4. Me too, several decades. But I have always loved that poem. I can’t, of course, convey the image in my head, but it is a fat toad that resembles the Emperor without any clothes. Preposterous and puffed up. In my image of him he would have been drawn by E. H. Shepard as a relative of Toad of Toad Hall.

        2. It might be a favourite of yours, but placing it as a response to “In Flanders Fields” seems somewhat crass to me.

        3. A poem that could do with punctuation, capitalisation and some rhyme.

          I always think of blank verse, as a lazy poet’s worst efforts.

          1. Auberon Waugh, when editor of the Literary review, always demanded that any poetry sent to him rhymed, scanned, and made sense. If it failed to meet any of those criteria it was binned.

            I agree with Bron. If it doesn’t rhyme, scan and make sense it is NOT poetry, despite what the apologists say to the contrary. It is nothing other than a random stream of words that takes absolutely no skill to achieve. A rant.

          2. Auberon Waugh, when editor of the Literary review, always demanded that any poetry sent to him rhymed, scanned, and made sense. If it failed to meet any of those criteria it was binned.

            I agree with Bron. If it doesn’t rhyme, scan and make sense it is NOT poetry, despite what the apologists say to the contrary. It is nothing other than a random stream of words that takes absolutely no skill to achieve. A rant.

      3. Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth

        And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

        Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth

        Of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things

        You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung

        High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,

        I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung

        My eager craft through footless halls of air . . .

        Up, up the long, delirious burning blue

        I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace

        Where never lark, or ever eagle flew —

        And, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod

        The high untrespassed sanctity of space,

        Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

        John Gillespie Magee, Jr. (1922 – 1941). His mother was English.

    4. Also from A Shropshire Lad…

      “Is my team ploughing,
      That I was used to drive
      And hear the harness jingle
      When I was man alive?”

      Ay, the horses trample,
      The harness jingles now;
      No change though you lie under
      The land you used to plough.

      “Is football playing
      Along the river shore,
      With lads to chase the leather,
      Now I stand up no more?”

      Ay the ball is flying,
      The lads play heart and soul;
      The goal stands up, the keeper
      Stands up to keep the goal.

      “Is my girl happy,
      That I thought hard to leave,
      And has she tired of weeping
      As she lies down at eve?”

      Ay, she lies down lightly,
      She lies not down to weep:
      Your girl is well contented.
      Be still, my lad, and sleep.

      “Is my friend hearty,
      Now I am thin and pine,
      And has he found to sleep in
      A better bed than mine?”

      Yes, lad, I lie easy,
      I lie as lads would choose;
      I cheer a dead man’s sweetheart,
      Never ask me whose.

    5. Did you see my post yesterday? Delighted that Alfred Noyes’s The Highwayman was in at Number 11. I agree that Housman is a sad omission as are Betjeman and Larkin.

      I took this advice of Housman’s to heart and after a few close shaves I did not really give my heart away until I was 40!

      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.

      4. Squalid Jawdrip is a great favourite of the prime ministers’ latest wife as is Nadhim Zahawi. Mrs Johnson clearly has a thing for shiny shaven-headed people from the Middle East. What do they have to offer which Boris Johnson does not have to offer?

  85. “Tanzanian novelist Abdulrazak Gurnah has said he was “surprised and humbled” to be awarded the 2021 Nobel Prize for Literature.
    The Swedish Academy praised Gurnah for his “uncompromising and compassionate penetration of the effects of colonialism”.

    I haven’t read his literature does anyone know what this is all about?

      1. Perhaps it’s time for the Beeb to create a new quiz show – a marriage of Mastermind and Diversity Challenge….?

      1. He went to Britain as a student in 1968, after fleeing Zanzibar at 18 to escape persecution of Arab citizens during the Zanzibar Revolution.

        Such “persecution” was NOT by white imperialists. He has spent virtually all his life safe and sound in England. Now has the neck to whine about how hard done by he and his ilk were.

        These people make me sick. They NEVER talk about the age old slave trade run by their own people.

        1. The founder of my Grammar School had shares in a company that was involved in the slave trade – so he is being cancelled. I’m about to cancel my association with the current institution.

    4. It’s no doubt victimhood personified; how those nasty whiteys ground the faces of the bleks into the dust (while giving them education, democracy, a world language, trains, etc).

        1. Chips on shoulders, grievance culture, victimhood, and all the other things they were too stupid to invent for themselves?

    5. Whatever it is, Stephen, I don’t think I want to find out.

      Sounds from the Swedish eulogy, like another go at whitey bashing.

  86. “Tanzanian novelist Abdulrazak Gurnah has said he was “surprised and humbled” to be awarded the 2021 Nobel Prize for Literature.
    The Swedish Academy praised Gurnah for his “uncompromising and compassionate penetration of the effects of colonialism”.

    I haven’t read his literature does anyone know what this is all about?

    1. ‘Me sir!’ My paternal grandfather used to sing it to us, accompanying himself on the piano! After that he played ‘Little Red Monkey’ and after another couple of ‘blue’ gin and tonics, he played ‘The Old Hundredth’ with forte foot pedal!

  88. Evening, all. Lovely, bright, sunny day today – just as well as I popped up to Donald McCain’s to see my horses on the gallops. Given its elevation and exposed aspect, anything less than dry and sunny is a bit of a trial! As for Bojo he’s all mouth and no trousers.

      1. Not an expression that we use in these (Salopian) parts 🙂 No trousers suits Bojo’s randy behaviour better, too.

        1. He is indeed what Mrs Clinton would call, rightly, a “deplorable”.

          Good evening, Conwy. Oscar taken to horses yet?

          1. I won’t let him near them; I suspect he’s an accident waiting to happen given how he behaved when he discovered the JRT picture on the kitchen towel holder!

        1. Hello Geoff,

          I have an old LP where Under Milkwood is narrated by Richard Burton , it is bliss to listen to , however I will listen to the music as well. I have book marked it .

          So glad you have popped up here because I just want to ask you whether you listened to the service from Worcester Cathedral on the radio on Sunday .

          We had been out in the late afternoon in the car to exercise the dogs in our favourite spot , and came home via the coast route and decided to look at the sea from the carpark at Durdle Door , it was very windy and atmospheric .

          I always listen to the radio in the car , will catch up with the Archers and whatever else , short stories etc . The Worcester Cathedral service was superb , and really and truly touched a few raw spots inside me , the choir, the organ playing, and the service itself .

          I felt thoroughly refreshed , and even Moh stayed tranquil for once .

          The choir was superb, perfect in every way.

          I hope you heard it .

          3. Unless you’re being deliberately obtuse, you’ve obviously missed the joke.
            Where does Under Milk Wood take place?

  91. Time for me to say goodbye. A wonderful day, warm and sunny and just a joy to be outside working without feeling shrimmed. Cats 150% happy.

    Market this morning was very busy. Virtually no masks – nor in Morrisons. At the market, Tony’s “Knock off stall” – he GAVE us a 800 gm Sharpham Elmhurst cheese (google it…to make your mouth water) – that was a day past the use by date. Gosh it was wonderful – almost had to eat it with a spoon. Not much left!

    Sea bass cooked à la Fishmongers’ Hall recipe. It IS good having a competent live in cook…!!

    Have a lovely evening penning your ripostes to Halfcock’s tweet.

    A demain

  92. I was preparing supper , Chilli con Carne , I had just chopped the onion , put some oil in the pan to soften and brown it off , undone the package of minced beef from the fridge , dogs were sitting nearby , I segmented a small chunk of mince to give to the older dog, the younger one sat patiently waiting, I then selected a small portion for the youngster , he anticipated too quickly as I stretched my hand out and he grabbed the meat and my hand .

    He didn’t mean to grab the soft spot on my index finger/ thumb, but he did , 3 puncture marks and blood everywhere !

    I bathed my hand and felt really shocked and faint . Moh continued with the chilli preparation , son came home from work , sympathised with me , then asked whether he could separate the half prepared meal into another pan so that he could add his own home grown chillies, the home grown chillies of many vareties are hot specialist additions to any dish .

    Son produced this tiny yellow fruit, then chopped it up and the fumes nearly took my breath away . I read earlier this week that chilli tasting is addictive , but not for me.

    I hope I am up to date with tetanus jabs .

    3. I don’t care for chillies.
      Hope your hand is ok and you feel better by now. Dog’s teeth must be sharp.

      It’ll be sore for while, I think.

      1. I don’t mind the chillies, it’s the kidney beans I always separate and leave for any other punter to take.

        1. Surreptitiously spit them back into the pot when no one is looking?
          I actually adore the kidley beans in chilli. I love hot chillies, but they don’t like me.

          1. A friend once made me a chilli-con-coney.

            He didn’t know that I can’t stand rabbits!

    5. I have several scars and punctures that my Oscar has inflicted on me, but none of them through malice. They really do, sometimes, bite the hand that feeds them.

    6. Ow! To be fair to Oscar, when he made it clear to me by biting my fingers that he wouldn’t let anybody touch his food bowl while there was still food in it, he didn’t break the skin.

  93. LewisDuckworth • 6 hours ago
    Are the Magpies now joining the filthy rich?

    Yes. It’s been approved. Top story on Radio 4’s 6pm news. A few rumblings about the Saudis but some supporters not caring and saying “We’re going back to the big time!”.

    Last trophies: the Fairs Cup in 1969, the FA Cup in 1955, the Football League in 1927.

    2. I’m absolutely delighted! Getting rid of Fat Mike and the idiot Steve Bruce in a oner has made my day! I remember standing in the Leazes End at SJP when the team came back with the Fairs Cup! I was 12 and had gone on the way back from school with a friend! Was also carrying my cookery basket as I’d had Domestic Science that day! Mad, it was, and so was my mother when I got home!

          1. Their Fairs Cup win was one of my first memories of listening to football on the radio in those far-off days when BBC radio was allowed to broadcast only the second half of matches. The sound quality was poor (especially all the way from deepest Hungary) but the first five minutes of that second half of the second leg made up for it.

            Brief highlights of both legs are available somewhere on Youtube.

    3. Ah, by “Magpies” I assume you mean Newcastle United (black and white stripes like humbugs) and not the birds?

    4. When were they ever in “the big time?”
      I listen to Talksport during the day and I get narked with the Newcastle faithful phoning in insisting they are a “big club”. Well, they may be very well supported, but when was their last trophy?

  94. Well, during my absence last week I travelled up to Newcastle on Tuesday for a meal with Dr. Daughter & her boyfriend with the DT, Sister in Law & her other half.
    Because the others only planned stopping up for the one night, I thought sod that and, after chucking my camping gear in the back, took the van.
    On the Wednesday morning I trundled up to Newbiggin, Lynemouth to visit my brother, then went up the coast route via Cresswell, Druridge Bay, Amble and Seahouses to Bamborough where I parked up for the night.
    A couple of photos of Newbiggin:-
    From the steps above Dixon’s corner
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8779d17b2e0f0a93bf80e8d1e6137d9a7c253d4989383970b9e5ac731b6b2f10.jpg

    The old Ice Cream adverts in Bertorelli’s:-
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e894d4fb662ef81cd62779401eac78abcdde592cb1a596002dfbc8e17a7e4f43.jpg

    One of the last of the old Newbiggin cobles:-
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0c0e86ea656d2dfda80efd5a0771ade264897d95f2b72b16eecc36936aa820f0.jpg

    Looking back across the bay from the Lifeboat Station:-
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/816f3820f5fc663379e2ed3e6c11beaf81787ef24da26ae06bc5423da27f9225.jpg

        1. The old Duck of Northumberland used to enjoy going into Shilbottle Miner’s Welfare for a couple of pints and a good natter with the old miners.

          2. The only beer I know that had threinstructions of how to drink it, on the label, on the bottle, from a half Pint Glass

        2. Well, it’s my birthplace, but I got a transfer up here. My husband says he was doing missionary work, and I got converted!?

  97. And a few from up the coast at Lynemouth beach:-
    Looks nice in this view:-
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5f52d4581e5a84b3fe8de1c4a1608419a82a1dee3a8d9cfe49f46f7f9ef08ad3.jpg

    But thousands of tons of colliery waste were tipped along this beach which have been exposed by the sea:-
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/25b13f477b2eb94f1018a784409bf62eea985a74157fd93982243f4ef824ae3d.jpg

    Not a nice sight
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/aeb3230e0e5f7b8fedc6723269458367b66343a6b7a3df5e347696175720292a.jpg

    Especially the polluted water lying on top of the waste:-
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f973956d75423627e9b9ecc57d96203c9c17e126d60e34a8b7e358b0cef29f6c.jpg

      1. The sea is gradually eating it away, but the dunes in the background are covering more of the waste.

  99. Then up to Druridge Bay which i remember from the late ’50s not long that after it had been used as a wartime range and training area:-
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/34ac5e0b0fdec4b134c6f28c0c691b19ec26134904a16af886c1c0cc325008c7.jpg

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/146fcbbc4a00b17eff363d88cb16e5e6336844aee93cdc34beed803c6b29fffa.jpg

    An impressive line of cliffs:-
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/77b693383f330b03f563fea3d17dad3f1e9dbfd35588c597e6bf604ddcf3e510.jpg

    Or is it?
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5a3561624f87b393a1e7dd3641d58f673b476c444ca8aa3d14b8b6db8fad49fb.jpg

      1. I had planned going for a swim, but the bitter Northerly knocked that on the head!

    1. Acid throwing does seem to be a cultural thing. The news today is so depressing, I came here to be depressed instead.

  101. Then up to Amble for a walk along the harbour:-
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/eb8b1eca681ebed351f1a7b0e09a83613c2238b96c25e959edfefadbbbc8786d.jpg

    Looking up towards Warkworth with what I think are the remains of the old coal staithes from when Amble exported coal:-
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/035817c32a9e7eb0aab129673bea7ec5a29a4f3d77c3f602aa1450855f160fd2.jpg

    And a shot of Coquet Island:-
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4e7cde54f86e7d81bdfb467823487d1e1125994a5520677f3b8bf1ea3647f12f.jpg

    And the Harbour Light at the end of the pier:-
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/22f90593b2caa3b65644051394ee8fc9eecef8e77524c93d1ecb96263e857e7c.jpg

    1. Very nice. I spent a week in Amble staying with a friend and never saw a thing the whole time because of a sea fret!

      1. Quite common. Had the same thing at a Saltburn Folk festival some years back. Heavy sea fret the whole of the weekend whilst the rest of the country away from the North East Coast bathed in sunshine!

        3. It’s been a very long day, Bob! I thought I was losing my marbles! Congrats again!

      1. Yo Grizz! Couldn’t post so far down the thread yesterday! Thank you for liking my ‘pope’ joke!💕

        1. I had to go and change my underwear, Mrs Macfarlane. 🤣😘

          Sometimes you hear a joke and you say, “I wish I’d said that!” This was one of those times.

          1. molamola! It was a picture of the Pope and Archpr*ck of Canterbury and the thread was about clowns! I made the remark ‘coco popes’ …I guess you had to be there…!

    1. They are just making it easier for all the delegates flying in for the hot air conference. It’ll all shut down again afterwards.

  104. After that, a pause at Lesbury where my Great Aunt Ally used to live:-
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/db692ac533691373a718ae56397cbb198e034fc0f83efc24b0e2f580d91af317.jpg

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/937cda0d0988420a9f54efd87e0730baf691e9bf462d9963af2e7eeb399dd7b4.jpg

    The little church has some lovely stained glass:-
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d5b65ed25eba557b75e31fc1ba13245802bff45d5b9b6a234e9875b737a2acd7.jpg

    And some boards with the 10 Commandments, Apostles’ Creed & Lord’s Prayer:-
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/db56803b3e437d8e5c0b9f7e2656729e45292c950339d5da7e9ea0e2221bde6d.jpg

    1. I wonder if the Insulate Britain protestors would be so keen to glue themselves to the tarmac if the police were able to use them as target practice with rubber bullets?

      1. Hands glued to the road. “Aim for their heads, lads!” That’ll be one in the eye for them.

    2. If this keeps up it won’t be long before people start shooting back. And not with rubber bullets.

      I think that is what ‘they’ want.

      3. Yes. So do I. Civil unrest. They should be careful. The law of unintended consequences may kick in. They may unleash something the cannot control.

  106. I know it’s (relatively) earlier but Good night and God bless – I’m very tired.

  107. A brief pause at Seahouses, then on to Bamburgh to stop for the night.
    Looking back to Seahouses Harbour:-
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/74550afa652897aaf8e68f14066fb80e5472cbc7231d3cb205c2f764bf826b06.jpg

    And from a mile or so further on, a view of the Farne Islands:-
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4ec874fd92fcaea246e936b0274c81504f764efdd417c89ce0bd255b297d7663.jpg

    With the castle as the sun went down:-
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8c3a6c8b16426c3013ecb1191eb5b6498f691bd6382050c072d945661bbda223.jpg

    And a little bit of twiddling with the exposure settings:-
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f3f9328a57e6574d59a9831df3d33b61b7d39aa698d5057b26fc1733d86d0ced.jpg

    Then parked up in the middle of the village, went for a couple of pints and then to bed in the back of the van as the rain began.

    2. When we went to Bamburgh in ’93 in June, the sea fret was so thick we couldn’t see the castle.

  108. Sign of he times

    I just saw a grandpa help a youngster who was staring into his phone, to cross the street.

  109. When you were all discussing poetry earlier . I meaned to post this .

    Examine the era the poem was written and then be amazed that nothing is new

    3. “THE TOM-BOY WHO WAS CHANGED INTO A REAL BOY”
    For parents of a certain era, there were few things more horrifying than a little girl who didn’t act like a little girl. That may have been what led to this story from the book Little Miss Consequence, published in 1880. The title is self-explanatory: A little girl (the daughter of an Earl) loves playing with the boys so much that, eventually, she becomes a boy.

    At last she grew so coarse,
    E’en her voice was rough and hoarse,
    And her attitudes became so like a boy’s, boy’s, boy’s,
    That they thought it only right,
    On a certain Summer’s night,
    To change her sex completely, without noise, noise, noise.

    After her transformation, the girl is literally shipped off—a boat’s captain is paid to take her on as a sailor. “And a caution may it prove to you and me, me, me!”

    2. A novel I’ve just read goes on for four hundred pages, a mystery/thriller about a young English woman living in Des Moines who returns home to the north of England. Set at Christmas time in December 1964 and January 1965, just before the death of Churchill. German spies looking for artifacts from a crashed spaceship in the Black Forest in Germany in 1936 ( not a sci-fi) harass and follow her and she realised her life is in danger. I began following the writer on Instagram and found the ebook on Kindle. The House Near Fallowfield by James Fillmore.

      1. Dilbert is a software developer, isn’t he?
        It took me ages to figure that out, because he wore a tie.

  112. DEPRESSION (Adapted from American)

    A Marine colonel on his way home from work in Whitehall came to a dead halt in traffic and thought to himself
    ” Wow, this traffic seems worse than usual. Nothing’s even moving.”

    He notices a police officer walking back and forth between the lines of cars so he rolls down his window and asks,
    “Constable, what’s the hold up?”

    The PC replies, “Boris Johnson is just so depressed about the thought of moving with Carrie to Birmingham that he stopped
    his motorcade in the middle of the Oxford Street and he’s threatening to douse himself in pertol and set himself on fire.

    He says his family hates him and he doesn’t have the money to pay for the new house. I’m walking around taking up a collection for him.”

    “Oh really? How much have you collected so far?”

    “So far about three hundred gallons, but a lot of folks are still siphoning.”

  116. Sounds as though they haven’t a clue
    Ndovu

    However Mike Hansen MD does have a clue but also concedes that doctors are finding that it is really, really, really difficult to understand the mechanisms involved in COVID deaths.

    When you’ve seen this video you will know all the acronyms you need to convince your freinds that you are a COVID-19 virologist!

    https://youtu.be/KzKvIYwqQkE

    1. Everything he says applies to the vaccination as well though, because when you get the vaccine, you’re handily delivering the same spike protein right into your blood, and hoping that your body will be able to fight it off.
      We’re f*k’d, whichever way.

        1. Good morning, Alf and VW.

          It is very nice to be back, thank you.
          I am pretty fine, I hope you both are
          also fine.

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