Tuesday 5 December: How can the BBC expect yet more cash from hard-pressed taxpayers?

Posted on by Geoff Graham

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

674 thoughts on “Tuesday 5 December: How can the BBC expect yet more cash from hard-pressed taxpayers?”

  1. Good morning, chums. It’s 1.20 am on Tuesday, and I am just about to go to bed. Are you having a lie-in today, Geoff?

    1. Since I don’t have to rise early for today’s story. I too am going back to bed for extra zeds.

    2. That individual has openly promoted satanism in the past. A soul probably beyond saving. But the media that give him endless publicity are no less to blame.

      1. Because they are not interested in informing the public in a factual unbiased manner, Alec. Their entire purpose is to maximise profits and they know that the public in general are more interested in gossip and rumour than facts.

    4. Oh my goodness me. Does he really think he looks good dressed like that? He looks utterly ridiculous. In both “outfits”. Yuk.

    2. Ignore this post if you regard worrying about the worst case scenario as a negative waste of time.

      The WEF has repeatedly gamed the no internet scenario, and have told us that they expect this to happen by 2025.
      A month without petrol or food in the supermarket and without internet would lead to the kind of catastrophic drop in population predicted in the Deagel report. Britain was predicted to have the worst outcome in the world in that document.
      You can’t say they aren’t giving us fair warning of what’s planned.

      I note that the Government advises you to have a wind up radio. As one astute commenter in the Mail noted, this implies that someone will still have electricity in order to make the propaganda broadcasts that we’re supposed to be faithfully tuning into.

      As Lynette Zang says; Food, water (not forgetting sewage – what would you do for a lavatory?), shelter, security, barterability, wealth preservation…
      Given that only criminals have guns in Britain, security would be the hardest. We can only hope the criminals wouldn’t have petrol either, so they couldn’t drive around looting.

      If you really want to scare yourself, read “The SHTF Handbook” by Selko Begovic. Things probably won’t get that bad, so it’s cheering in a way! It has a lot of survival tips from his experience during the Balkan war when he lived in a city at war with no electricity, no shops and no services for a year. It’s a giant wake-up call to think about the basics, eg the lavatory question if the sewage system stops working, and how you would cook food if you can’t get firewood (tiny stove and they fed a novel page by page into the fire to heat water).

      I am planting the biggest garden I can this year again, because I figure that even if it gets stolen, the more food there is in circulation, the better chance we all have of coming through the WEF’s “cyber pandemic”.

    3. Ignore this post if you regard worrying about the worst case scenario as a negative waste of time.

      The WEF has repeatedly gamed the no internet scenario, and have told us that they expect this to happen by 2025.
      A month without petrol or food in the supermarket and without internet would lead to the kind of catastrophic drop in population predicted in the Deagel report. Britain was predicted to have the worst outcome in the world in that document.
      You can’t say they aren’t giving us fair warning of what’s planned.

      I note that the Government advises you to have a wind up radio. As one astute commenter in the Mail noted, this implies that someone will still have electricity in order to make the propaganda broadcasts that we’re supposed to be faithfully tuning into.

      As Lynette Zang says; Food, water (not forgetting sewage – what would you do for a lavatory?), shelter, security, barterability, wealth preservation…
      Given that only criminals have guns in Britain, security would be the hardest. We can only hope the criminals wouldn’t have petrol either, so they couldn’t drive around looting.

      If you really want to scare yourself, read “The SHTF Handbook” by Selko Begovic. Things probably won’t get that bad, so it’s cheering in a way! It has a lot of survival tips from his experience during the Balkan war when he lived in a city at war with no electricity, no shops and no services for a year. It’s a giant wake-up call to think about the basics, eg the lavatory question if the sewage system stops working, and how you would cook food if you can’t get firewood (tiny stove and they fed a novel page by page into the fire to heat water).

      I am planting the biggest garden I can this year again, because I figure that even if it gets stolen, the more food there is in circulation, the better chance we all have of coming through the WEF’s “cyber pandemic”.

  4. Good morrow, Gentlefolk. today’s story (caught out by Geoff’s early start).

    Do You Really Want This
    Two sailors standing on a street corner are approached by a lady of the night who tells them, “Boys, I’m gonna give you something you ain’t never had before.”

    So one sailor looks at the other and says, “Oh my God! Leprosy!”

  5. Morning, all Y’all. Still darker than the inside of a Cabinet minister, and colder than a witche’s chesticle.

  6. ‘Morning All

    A quick medley and back to bed

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/bb03d84b4e42cade7ff44661ae61b6c63c4e50b4fa341f2f157c8d8a41e94e09.jpg

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      1. Too true to be good.

        Mark Steyn made a point of bringing this outrage of rape gangs to our attention on GBNews. He also supported those who had been damaged by the often lethal Covid jabs.

        The disgustingly biased Ofcom ran a systematic campaign of attack against him and of course, the weak wankers at GB News caved in and sacked him.

        Mark Steyn had repeatedly invited his chief persecutor at Ofcom to come onto his programme to put his case but the invitations were ignored or declined.

      2. Too true to be good.

        Mark Steyn made a point of bringing this outrage of rape gangs to our attention on GBNews. He also supported those who had been damaged by the often lethal Covid jabs.

        The disgustingly biased Ofcom ran a systematic campaign of attack against him and of course, the weak wankers at GB News caved in and sacked him.

        Mark Steyn had repeatedly invited his chief persecutor at Ofcom to come onto his programme to put his case but the invitations were ignored or declined.

  9. How can the BBC expect yet more cash from hard-pressed taxpayers?

    A Labour government will sort it

      1. They probably think there is quite a large thuggish far right wing element in the Labour party, i.e. white working class people!

  11. Good Moaning.
    At last, Conservatives with principles are coming to the fore.
    This appalling situation has been kicked down the road for a good 30+ years, by governments of all stripes who will happily spaff £billions on trainsets, convid scams, putting up invaders in hotels and ‘climate change’.

    “Rishi Sunak suffered the first Commons defeat of his premiership on Monday night after more than 20 Tory MPs sided with Labour in a vote over the infected blood scandal.

    The Government made a last ditch attempt to stave off the rebellion, but it was not enough to persuade senior Tory backbenchers including former Cabinet ministers Chloe Smith and Damian Green to back down.

    Other notable Tory rebels included former ministers Sir Robert Buckland, Dame Andrea Jenkyns, Robin Walker and Tracey Crouch.

    Twenty-two Conservative rebels backed a Labour bid to speed up payouts for infected blood victims, overturning the Prime Minister’s majority.

    The amendment, which demanded that a new body be set up to administer compensation within three months, is now on course to become law.

    In an effort to keep restless Tory MPs on side, ministers pledged a last minute change of their own – which would put in place the “legal groundwork” to establish a body to deliver payouts to victims.

    But the Government still ended up losing by four votes, as nearly two dozen Tories defied Mr Sunak to back Labour’s proposals on Monday night.”

    1. 379306+ up ticks,

      Morning Anne,

      Not hard for them to side with lab, they are a coalition after all.

      1. I am just grateful that politicking was put aside and, after 30?40? years of disgusting foot dragging, some showed a trace of humanity.

        1. 379306+ up ticks,

          Anne,
          WEF don’t take prisoners, if they are serious and not playing a part they will be eliminated.

  12. 379306+ up ticks,

    Morning Each,

    Tuesday 5 December: How can the BBC expect yet more cash from hard-pressed taxpayers?

    Easily answered,
    A classic case of once again people power fighting against people power, as with voting, lack of UNITY, plus, they like to hear the six pips squeak.

    As for being inclusive within the council tax as a media tax all to support the like of the liniker life style, is abhorrent / criminal to say the least.

  13. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-12825137/RICHARD-LITTLEJOHN-Lets-hope-Boris-Johnson-blows-bloody-doors-Covid-Inquiry.html
    Usual Littlejohn but this small snippet featured.

    According to Israel’s most senior British-born politician, the ‘woke’ Left have formed a ‘toxic alliance’ with Islamists to stoke anti-Semitism in Britain. I told you that nearly 17 years ago in a documentary I made for Channel 4. Now you see it on the streets every weekend.
    Back then, few people were listening. Let’s hope they’re listening now.

    1. It was buried off-topic in an article about Covid vaccination and wind turbines.

      I have long taken issue with the redefinition of “antisemitism” and consider it a perversion and a betrayal of the Covenant of Moses to insist that any criticism of decisions made by the Knesset be deemed “antisemitic” in the same vein as Krystallnacht. These very different considerations need to be separated out, if the term “antisemitism” is to maintain its potency.

      I support a campaign in favour of fair land rights; I do not support a campaign calling for the persecution of Jews. I feel very strongly about both, yet I am called a “Jew-hater” because of my support for the former, and my support for the latter is dismissed those who assert over me they know better.

      1. These “fair land rights” you refer to.

        Do you honestly believe that the Muslims will ever accept anything other than the total destruction of Israel and the eradication of Jews from “the Holy lands”?
        Look back at what was in Gaza when the Israelis cleared it of Jews and gave it to the Palestinians with infrastructure in place and then what they turned it into.

        I do not agree with what is happening on the West Bank, where Jewish settlers are taking over what were Palestinian villages.

        If Europe could swap all its Muslims for all Israel’s Jews, never to take Muslims in in future, I would be delighted.

        1. The surface area of Wales is 20,779 km² the Surface area of Israel is 22,145 km²

          Why not ask the Israelis to swap their land in Israel for Wales and throw in the Isle of Wight to make up the difference?

          Of course it’s a lunatic idea – but when have our politicians been averse to lunatic ideas?

        2. They turned it into a ghetto and a seething breeding ground for trouble.

          The Muslims are going to have to come to terms with the kuffah, and not keep making martyrs of them. Otherwise, they are rightly expelled for sedition, even though International Law makes it the very devil of a job to administer.

          The creation of the nation of Israel is a historical experiment in creating civilisation out of the mayhem of WW2. The Jews had suffered enough. That licence and recognition does not come free – it requires the same respect for the lives and rights of others as that extended to the Jews by the civilised victors of WW2. Above all, the mass compulsory relocations of populations that took place in that decade had to be drawn to a close, not just in Europe, but those in the Indian subcontinent were particularly traumatic. Those already long established in Israel need to have their land rights assiduously observed by Jews claiming to be returning from exile, or they too will be judged in due course.

          As for the name of the country – well my own country is known by several names, which are interchangeable and each with nuances of meaning. Even cars, which used to bear ‘GB’ stickers abroad must now carry ‘UK’ instead, but the olympic squad is still called “Team GB”. Why not the case with Israel (meaning the revival of the traditional homeland for the Jews) and Palestine (meaning the land that existed between Roman times and the establishment of modern Israel)? In the end, common usage rather than war, should decide which name prevails.

          1. I agree in almost all aspects, your remaining problem is that the so-called Palestinians claim it all. And have no intention of ever dropping that claim.
            Islam is the real fly in your ointment.

          2. Wasn’t there an old song that went “you can’t always get what you want”? I’d like all your money, and I have no intention of dropping that claim. Whether I’m ever likely to get it is open to discussion.

            It’s a pity that the Global Religions board has gone dormant ever since they “upgraded” the interface. I’d welcome a theological discussion on the merits and philosophies of Islam. Not sure they’d want me let loose on the faithful though!

  14. In these days of equality, why are the female hostages apparently so much more important than the male ones?
    Greater concern for the children taken hostage is understandable, but are the men more expendable than the women?
    Shouldn’t all those taken be of equal need of release?
    I must admit from my own perspective it should be “women and children first”, but I have not noted anywhere near as much coverage of the men’s plight.

    White House says Hamas is refusing to release women hostages – and urges Israel to protect civilians in Gaza after the ceasefire collapsed

    2. It is all very well to call out hypocrisy, but which is it to be: that men and women are essentially interchangeable, or that the two sexes have immutable differences?

      1. I think the latter.
        But why the silence on the part of all those usually vocal feminists, demanding that women should be treated the same as men?
        I cannot recall seeing a single comment stating that hostages should be treated the same, irrespective of their sex.

  15. Morning all 🙂😊
    Same old out side, and a forecast of rain for another seven days.
    Surely we have reached a point when we can tell the BBC to do one. It’s their problem if they have exceeded their budget, no body else’s problem.
    Nobody who wants to stop paying their compulsory licence fee should receive threats.
    The bbc need to be forced into pay to view and not be allowed to make threats.

    1. Morning all too. I find it interesting that this rise coincides with a shortfall in the pension fund. Call me a cynic 😂

      1. Cynic yes, just like the rest of us.
        Perhaps the secret plan is to force the pauper elderly out of their homes into ‘care’ homes. After of course the ‘care’ home owners have cashed in.
        And therefore on to the grave.
        More money for the funeral millionaire’s.
        No more pension to pay. And more homes for the invaders available.

        1. Don’t watch or record any live broadcasts, and don’t use iPlayer. I watch catch-up only. And ignore the threat letters. If they come to the door, just close it in their faces. They have no special powers, despite what they would have us think.

  16. 379306+ up ticks,

    The Oliver electorate, can we have some more please ?

    Richard Braine reposted
    James Melville
    @JamesMelville
    Imagine living in a country where you hand over your taxes to fund the government to take away freedoms, destroy small businesses, reduce your standard of living, cut public services, give their cronies £million contracts and then end up paying even more tax?

    Welcome to Britain.

    https://x.com/JamesMelville/status/1731920693246267775?s=20

    1. The problem with Melville is that while he talks sense about some things, he nonetheless thinks it’s all A Zionist Plot and oh, those poor poor Hamas freedom fighters…

  17. Good morning all,

    Dreich and drizzly at McPhee Towers this morning, wind in the North, 4℃-5℃ all day.

    Yesterday’s UK Column News is very interesting and it’s the book-ends which attract attention. It starts with a very succinct overview of the state of Britain as the end of 2023 approaches and how we are governed (clue: it ain’t really a democracy any more, if it ever was). It summarises the dictatorship being constructed around us in which King Charles III is fully involved. It ends with a snippet on the origins of Henry Kissinger. The interesting things is that Kissinger had communist affiliations when he was a young man in Germany during WW2 and he was ‘outed’ by some Soviet defectors as a KGB asset. The Rockefellers brought him into the USA and effectively managed his rise.

    https://www.ukcolumn.org/video/uk-column-news-4th-december-2023

    That’ll do for now – I have a free-range toddler grand-daughter wreaking havoc about the place!

  18. Good morning all,

    Dreich and drizzly at McPhee Towers this morning, wind in the North, 4℃-5℃ all day.

    Yesterday’s UK Column News is very interesting and it’s the book-ends which attract attention. It starts with a very succinct overview of the state of Britain as the end of 2023 approaches and how we are governed (clue: it ain’t really a democracy any more, if it ever was). It summarises the dictatorship being constructed around us in which King Charles III is fully involved. It ends with a snippet on the origins of Henry Kissinger. The interesting things is that Kissinger had communist affiliations when he was a young man in Germany during WW2 and he was ‘outed’ by some Soviet defectors as a KGB asset. The Rockefellers brought him into the USA and effectively managed his rise.

    https://www.ukcolumn.org/video/uk-column-news-4th-december-2023

    That’ll do for now – I have a free-range toddler grand-daughter wreaking havoc about the place!

  19. Good morning all,

    Dreich and drizzly at McPhee Towers this morning, wind in the North, 4℃-5℃ all day.

    Yesterday’s UK Column News is very interesting and it’s the book-ends which attract attention. It starts with a very succinct overview of the state of Britain as the end of 2023 approaches and how we are governed (clue: it ain’t really a democracy any more, if it ever was). It summarises the dictatorship being constructed around us in which King Charles III is fully involved. It ends with a snippet on the origins of Henry Kissinger. The interesting things is that Kissinger had communist affiliations when he was a young man in Germany during WW2 and he was ‘outed’ by some Soviet defectors as a KGB asset. The Rockefellers brought him into the USA and effectively managed his rise.

    https://www.ukcolumn.org/video/uk-column-news-4th-december-2023

    That’ll do for now – I have a free-range toddler grand-daughter wreaking havoc about the place!

  20. Morning all, Janet Haines letter regarding an Avro Anson circling low and the downwash blowing her grandmothers washing off the line is talking bollocks – it’s impossible. As she wasn’t there I suspect it was a tale related by her grandmother

    1. I have a photo of my father taken next to an Avro Anson. Not sure why as he wasn’t a flyer.

      2. I had a couple of trips in an Anson when I was an apprentice. You had to wind the undercarriage up and down

    3. … and the Pilot asked a member of his Ground Crew (Maintainer), if he would like to fly over his house!

      In the days of the Anson, how many servicemen even owned their homes, certainly not have parents living with them

  21. Here is the list of Conservative MPs who put humanity above party.
    Duncan Baker, Peter Bottomley, Robert Buckland, Rahman Chishti, Tracey Crouch, Kevin Foster, Marcus Fysh, Damian Green, Adam Holloway, Andrea Jenkins, Julian Lewis, Tim Loughton, Nigel Mills, Damien Moore, Anne Marie Morris, Holly Mumby-Croft, Caroline Nokes, Chloe Smith, Henry Smith, Julian Sturdy, Kelly Tolhurst, Justin Tomlinson, Robin Walker.

    1. Now they should all leave the Conservative Party and join Reform.

      But why is the oleaginous, slimy Grease-Smogg not on the list? Yellow-bellied piece of snooty snot?

      [Edit addition: I posted this on the Nottlers’ Forum yesterday: Come on Jacob Rees-Mogg – are you a man or an invertebrate worm? He has answered my question for me]

    2. I note that the list includes Nigel Mills, who I think is the MP for a neighbouring constituency – by all accounts a good man. Sadly my own MP, a real “yes woman” is not on the list! Pity we can’t move the boundary!!

    3. Shame I’ve only heard of one of them, and no surprise our mp is also (not) on the list.
      Same old story they are only in it for personal gains.
      The honest members of Parliament don’t feature because simply they are honest.
      It seems No cabinet members include.

        1. Politicians go to university do they. Most of them act like they are posh Del-boys from Fools and horses.

    4. Revised lightly:

      Duncan
      Baker, Sir Peter Bottomley (80), Sir Robert Buckland, Rahman Chishti (started out as a Labour councillor, born in Pakistan),
      Tracey Crouch, Kevin Foster, Marcus Fysh, Damian Green (remainer), Adam
      Holloway, Dame Andrea Jenkins (husband still an MP), Sir Julian Lewis (72), Tim Loughton, Nigel
      Mills, Damien Moore, Anne Marie Morris, Holly Mumby-Croft, Caroline Nokes,
      Chloe Smith, Henry Smith, Julian Sturdy, Kelly Tolhurst, Justin Tomlinson,
      Robin Walker.

  22. 379306+ up ticks,

    Cleverly pledges to deliver biggest ever reduction in net migration
    Home Secretary tells MPs five-point plan will cut number coming to the UK by 300,000

    Being like dad, keeping mum on the fact
    that the smugglers will employ bigger boats and import 300,001.

    As for the pledge, cameron the wretch knocked the arse out of tory (ino) party pledges by pledging the same, then promptly lifted the intake numbers, lest we forget.

    1. That the Conservative Party is well into its death throes is amply illustrated by the recall of Dave Cameron.

      But he is not the vet who has been called to save the stricken animal but the vet who has been called to administer the fatal injection.

      1. 379306+ up ticks,

        Morning R,

        One would have thought there was no shortage of them types within the party currently.

  23. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4a6fbddbaa05d49397fc5a2713997d7b05507745441f64c8368aec93e2a3802d.png
    https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/electric-cars-on-ferries-a-nightmare-waiting-to-happen/

    The best solution is to ban all EVs from tunnels, bridges, and multi-story car parks. There are various comment BTL about this but here is the one I added – with my tongue in my cheek!

    BTL

    How about barges towed behind the ferry?

    All EVs should be put on the barge so that if a fire breaks out the cable between the ship and the barge can be cut so that the barge and the inferno of EVs can be cast adrift?

    1. On this subject what we really must remember is, it was a diesel car that suddenly burst into flames and wrecked parking at luton airport.
      Perhaps diesels should be included in the proposed ban.

      1. I trust you are being ironic!

        Most people are well aware that diesel cars do not spontaneously combust – unless of course they are hybrid with electric power as well as diesel.

        .

    2. This is something that has already occurred to frequent ferry users. My children roll their eyes because I insist on carrying a bag with lifejackets for all of us, and sitting outside the whole time. I remember Zeebrugge and how quickly the ferry sank – they don’t!

  24. fao Pat Younge, Chair, British Broadcasting Challenge, London W5

    I have a selection of Bridges for sale, throughout the World

  25. Every day, the British Population face a barrage of algorithm-driven, mis- and disinformation from tech platforms owned by
    foreign billionaires.

    WEF, UN, COP, etc

  26. Good morning all.
    A tad below 1°C outside, light rain and the snow’s almost gone.

  27. Good morning all,

    Fine morning here , breezy , 11c

    Re the letters page , and aviation matters , Moh loves a good read , but has never ever bought a book , so I provide him with surprises

    My book searches in charity shops have always been successful , a Bletchley Park book was well received as well as many others .

    The other day , on the way out of Dorchester Tesco , there were lots of books on the charity stand , so I stopped, had a look and found this for 50p. Wings on my Sleeve. Capt Eric ‘Winkle’ Brown. CBE DSC AFC RN . Moh is well and truly happy especially on these non golf rainy days .

    We have a huge collection of aviation and RN books , which will find their way back into charity shops .

    1. YoT_B

      Have you got him “Jack Speak” by RN Surgeon Commander Rick Jolly RN , of Falklands fame , who also received a Medal from the Argies, for what he did to their troops

    2. Capt Eric ‘Winkle’ Brown was one of the heroes of my son, Christo.

      When Christo was doing his year’s practical experience in the aviation industry as part of his university degree in Aerospace Engineering he actually met his hero at an air show.

    3. I’ve read that book, he’ll enjoy it. There’s a good video of him on Youtube too.
      A couple of tales to make your OH smile on a non-golf day;
      I used to play golf when I was in the RAF and I was playing in an interstation match and was drawn against a Wing Co who was a very good golfer but an arrogant one too. After 7 holes I was 5 down which didn’t impress him so I said to him “You’re obviously an excellent golfer but would you mind if I asked your advice about my swing?” “Go on” he said “what do you want to know?” in a ‘superior’ voice.
      I said “At the top of your backswing are you breathing out, breathing in or holding your breath?”
      He said “I don’t know” in a tone which implied ‘stupid boy’.
      From that moment his golf deteriorated, particularly his tee shots and I eventually drew the match
      In the bar afterwards he called me a bastard because all he could think of during his swing was how he was breathing.

      When I was stationed in Suffolk RAF golfers got a cheap (£6 a year) 5 day membership of the local golf club
      For non-golfers there are 3 positions of the tees – white markers for competitions, in front are blue markers for men and right at the front red markers for ladies. Right in front of the clubhouse on the first tee I was addressing the ball between the red (ladies) markers and this guy came out of the clubhouse and shouted “Gents play from the blue markers” I said “Ok” and continued to address the ball. He then came a bit nearer and shouted at me to play between the blue markers. I said “Alright I heard you the first time” and continued to address the ball. He then stormed across the putting green and stood in front of me and said “I’m the club secretary and if you don’t tee off from the gents markers I’ll have you banned from the course” I said to him “Why don’t you fuck off and let me play my second shot”
      He hadn’t seen me top my tee shot from the blue markers which stopped right between the red markers, he went off in a huff muttering about RAF golfers

        1. No, I haven’t played since 1973. I went through a bad patch of playing and eventually threw my clubs etc into a lake where I had already deposited all my (golf) balls. Never touched a club since

    4. It’s a good book. Eric Winkle Brown flew all kinds of aircraft, including first deck landings of some types on carriers.

    1. iirc, Keir Starmer was the lawyer to brought the original case that these people should get benefits.

    2. Jeeez that is over 30,000 a year, that is more than 4 times the current standard state pension. And they get free accommodation, heating, water, electricity, clothing and food.
      WTF is going on Westminster ? You are absolute morons ?

      1. 379306+ up ticks,

        Afternoon RE,

        They are successfully working to a program not of the peoples liking in most cases, but they know, the party name, regardless of odious consequence is the vote magnet.

        1. They have to be stopped from further wrecking our culture and social structure.
          What they have planned and are getting away with is a disgusting disgrace and insult to the thousands of people who fought to our country from invasion.

  30. Good morning, all. Overcast, calm and no rain – radar showing light rain moving slowly east to west.

    The New Zealand excess deaths whistle-blower has really stirred the pot with the upshot being that the NZ health organisation has gone after the whistle-blower, NZ supposedly has legal protection for whistle-blowers, but surprisingly not in this instance. Now, Steve Kirsch has become embroiled as he has received the data and commented on the analyses.

    All this stirring has prompted:

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f958f68636a608be3cd80cbfee4c51d37689444b54bbc829596fbad163804b3c.png

    Denis Rancourt – Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Mechanical Engineering … Major in system design, modeling and control. Minor in anatomy and physiology.

    1. Same mystery non explanation as happened in many other countries. No wonder they had enough poison over for the boosters.

    2. 11,005 according to Te Whatu Ora. This dates back to claims last October.

      ” Te
      Whatu Ora Health NZ spokesperson Matt Hannant said the exemptions
      allowed health services to continue uninterrupted. Applicants “had to
      outline their plan to avoid Covid-19 transmission and confirm that no
      alternate service delivery option was possible”.

      1. Is there something magical about the number 11,000? The October revelation relates to healthcare workers granted exemptions to ensure health services were not undermined. Now we have a new claim saying there were 11,000 politicians and elites granted exemptions. Does this mean there were 22,000 exemptions granted or have healthcare workers transformed into politicians and elites? I sniff bullshit in the newest claim.

        https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/133116645/how-103-covid-vaccine-exemptions-covered-11000-healthcare-workers

        1. I read from the start that it was 11000 in total, including politicians and administrators as well as healthcare workers.

        2. Me too. Forget the sour grapes about NZ politicians, but I inferred that some health professionals decided to avoid the covid vaccine boosters.

  31. Given my Medleys I suspect i’m well and truly flucked!!

    62-year-old Michael Chadwell sent a meme which featured multi-colored
    parrots and children of diverse ethnic backgrounds accompanied by text
    asking why diversity is celebrated in animal species but not humanity.

    A Facebook comment below the meme said, “Because I’ve never had a bike stolen out of my front yard by a parrot.”

    Chadwell
    now faces six months in prison under the Communications Act 2003 for
    what the court deemed a “grossly offensive” implication, meaning he was
    not even convicted for the content of the meme, but what other people
    might take from it.

    District Judge Tan Ikram rejected Chadwell’s
    defense that the meme was simply akin to a Monty Python sketch and was
    poking fun at woke culture, asserting that it was intended to mean
    “black people steal.”

    Because as everyone knows – black people never steal!.

    David Andress
    Now about that tap code to communicate between cells…………

          1. I think they were ordered to reveal those. But who reads private group messages except those in the group?

    2. If true, that is shutting down legitimate discussion in case anyone posts something racist below it.

    3. The judge asserted that it was intended to mean “black people steal.” So now courts convict people based on the opinion of a judge, not on evidence.

  33. An example of ‘net zero’ madness

    This is a Tesla battery. It takes up all of the space under the passenger compartment of the car.
    To manufacture it you need:
    –12 tons of rock for Lithium
    — 5 tons of Cobalt minerals
    — 3 tons of mineral for nickel
    — 12 tons of copper ore
    You must move 250 tons of soil to obtain:
    — 12 kg of Lithium
    — 30 pounds of nickel
    — 22 kg of manganese
    — 15 pounds of Cobalt
    To manufacture the battery requires:
    — 100 Kg of RAM chips
    — 200 kg of aluminum, steel and/or plastic

    The Caterpillar 994A is used for the earthmoving to obtain the essential minerals. It consumes 264 gallons of diesel in 12 hours.
    Finally you get a “zero emissions” car.

    Presently, the bulk of the necessary minerals for manufacturing the batteries come from China or Africa. Much of the labour for getting the minerals in Africa is done by children! If we buy electric cars, it’s China who profits most!

    BTW, this 2021 Tesla OEM battery is currently for sale on the Internet for $4,999 not including shipping or installation.
    Update: What’s very interesting about a public post is the sheer number of ‘sparse’ or dead accounts that come out of the woodwork in ‘support’ of such an industry and then start saying how bad the petrol and oil industry is.

    Now let’s get this straight, the oil industry is not squeaky clean and there are very obvious downsides but these electric vehicles are NOT the answer

    1. No wonder our planet is tipping sideways and we have a change in our climate. Do the ‘experts’ know about this ?

  35. 379306+ up ticks,

    Dt,
    Immigration is now an existential issue
    The Home Secretary believes the net figure can be brought down by 300,000. He needs to be right

    It has been since the bog man PM lifted the entry latch & it found succour via the lab/lib/con coalition party/members / voters, that succour is now coming to fruition., big time.

    Immigration is now an existential issue
    The Home Secretary believes the net figure can be brought down by 300,000. He needs to be right with the General Election bearing down on us, and also no damage to the RESET campaign as the 300,000 can take the calais / dover route.

    1. 300,000 is the NET figure. We don’t know the number of Brits leaving the country permanently

    1. We know this, most of Joe Public knows it and so must TPTB in U.K. know it too.

      What is the Reform party doing these days? There are so many things going wrong in the U.K. that they probably have difficulty picking out say 3 areas on which to concentrate. Still, if several Con MPs jump ship in the new year perhaps they will add weight to Reform.

      And surely Conservative voters won’t fall for the “we will reduce immigration to 300,000” statement? We’ve heard it so many times before.

      1. If they don’t jump ship now after rebelling against Sunak on the blood compensation vote yesterday they never will!

        There was talk on GB News about Nigel Farage rejoining the Conservative Party. He would be completely mad to do so.

        1. Trouble is they all seem sSo spineless. Our MP was not one of those voting against HMG. He seems to do OK here in Woking, supporting different things, it is a bit shy when it comes to Westminster.

          N F has the oratory and at least a recognisable profile but, in my eyes anyway, the Con party is doomed at the GE. I shall be voting for an independent at the next one (assuming I like the ideas/policies) or Reform/Reclaim if there’s a candidate. Other than that NOTA.

          There doesn’t seem to be anyone in the Con party with the charisma, necessary these days, or the gumption to step away and start something new. I never used to think PR was a very good idea but I’m not so sure now. It’s so difficult to break the 2party system. Limpdumbs don’t count but they’ve done well in our local elections. Much good it will do them with Woking being broke! Won’t know until April what services will be cut. Or what other taxes we have to look forward to!

          5. PR produces the situation where Gert Wilders gains the most seats but can’t form a government.

      2. Three areas to focus on:
        1 long-term, one medium term, one short-term. Go for the jugulars, and maybe there will be some traction.

    2. These articles neglect to point out that the Government’s latest wonderful idea is to ban wood stoves.

      — just in case you were ever thinking of keeping warm in winter.

    1. Good morning, BB2

      I corrected the monica and the way Rastus C. Tastey was written on my posts on Disqus. But I can still get into the site with my old identity if I use a different email address.

      Will you still be available for the examination of what caused a plane to crash?

      (My mother used to call her mammary support system her bust boddice or BB. And the most famous French pin-up girl ever was BB)

      1. I try to go ever more neutral….can men ALWAYS make something suggestive out of every name??
        Next name will be effing blank characters!

          1. I’ve never heard it, and would have chosen a more neutral name if I had been aware that BB is a synonym for bra…however, I am stuck with this one for the moment, as I have already spent far too long wrestling with Disqus today….software is going wrong on all my computers at the moment….

          2. I never knew BB as a synonym for anything – except, maybe, ball bearing. Certainly nowt with connotations.

          4. From the web:

            Brigitte Bardot (également connue sous les initiales de « BB »), née le 28 septembre 1934 à Paris, est une actrice, mannequin, danseuse, chanteuse, …

          9. Nothing wrong with your name. Wear it with pride!

            My pseudonym was a nickname by which some of my friends at university called me. My pseudonym’s pseudonym is Percival Wrattstrangler and of course, as a schoolmaster I had several sobriquets – some less complimentary than others!

          2. It was wonderful to do nothing except spoil ourselves. Lunch yesterday (before the train saga) was with two chums whom we have known for 40 years!

    1. My mother was advised by her brother-in-law – a bank manager – to put the £2,000 she received from her late mother’s estate into 3½% War Loan. She finally ended up 30 years later with £156.

      1. I think my grandmother had something similar, because I remember as a child, her being very disillusioned with the War Loan bonds that she had purchased out of patriotism!

      2. My father left his post-war credits to his mother but I’m not really sure what those were or what they were worth.

      1. Build the new houses on stilts and recommission the discarded rubber dinghies arriving on the South Coast so that people can get about and visit their neighbours.

      2. Build the new houses on stilts and recommission the discarded rubber dinghies arriving on the South Coast so that people can get about and visit their neighbours.

  40. Good morning, all. Bank from yer Lunnon. We had a great time. Three galleries – the revamped National Portrait Gall (quite where the £50 million went was hard to see); the National Gallery – beautiful expo about Liotard. And the Queen’s Gallery for the Holbein.

    Stanfords map shop (in its new place) Half a day with grand-daughter. Three auction rooms.

    The only blot was on the journey home. The train was cancelled and no one was able to tell us for an hour and a half whether the next one would run. It did. But the re-booked taxi firm couldn’t meet the later arrival. Much time was spent by the MR trying to locate a taxi firm that could help out. Eventually one was located, did the job and was £10 cheaper than the original one!

    I see the JWK was moaning on about the imminent end of the World. What a clown he is. Any other news? Ukraine defeated yet?

    1. JWK had me stumped for a moment. Joke Woke King? If The End is Nigh, he’d best start praying. I think Zelensky is still in Kiev, so it’s not over yet though Douglas Macgregor has also taken on the role of Senna the Soothsayer on XTwitter.

      1. Right about JWK. Glad to have missed all the rest! Though I did see ten minutes of BBC “news” and realised that every presenter etc was not white.

        1. The JWK should take a leaf from his Mother’s book and keep out of politics, and just do the ceremonial stuff.

          1. He thinks he’s important. One of HM’s greatest strengths was that she knew her limitations!

          2. She was also supported by the hard man, Phillip. Having someone like that at your back gives great strength.

          3. He was the real monarch, and a darn good one too! It’s no coincidence that she got a lot weaker and started supporting Net Zero and the covid scam after Philip died.

          4. Oh I think she was on to that prior to his death – remember when she exhorted us all to get the jab – and he died shortly after receiving his. But apart from that slip, she never put a foot wrong.

            I like the way Kate never makes any political statements or gives anything away about their lives apart from planned photoshoots. I hope she’s trained William to be neutral but I don’t think he’s listened.

          5. Kate is one of those irritating (in real life) people who never have an opinion on anything apparently. She is an excellent diplomat, which is what her job requires her to be, but apart from that, she is one of those women who is good for their own family, but not so much for humanity generally. I honestly think she would promote the devil himself if told that her job demanded it.

          6. It’s one of the things which makes her such a good wife for William – never says anything out of turn and always looks beautiful. She never shows her own character, if she has one.

          9. I must say I feel sorry for Camilla. She would have been happier staying with the chronically unfaithful Parker Bowles than living with the dreary, sententious, boring idiot she has chosen to live with now.

          11. ‘Whatever that means’ was his ambiguously confused answer when he was asked about love when he was first married to Diana.

          13. In the Idiot King’s case the number of his limitations is so great that it is completely beyond his ability to count them because there are not enough beads on his abacus!

    2. Glad you had a good time – I’d forgotten you were going to be away so I was a bit concerned at your absence yesterday.

  41. This could be a step in the right direction IF it is actually enforced. As many/most of these ‘social care workers’ are low-skilled, chances are that their dependents are likely to be a definite burden on the NHS, education and benefits system.
    A classmate of younger son was looked after by a Filipino nanny who had been with the family for around 12 years. She had her own family, including young children and elderly parents who she supported by sending part of her wages back home, so these family members were not a burden on British tax payers.
    https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/government-announces-ban-on-foreign-social-care-workers-bringing-dependents-to-drive-down-net-migration/ar-AA1kZ85q?ocid=msedgntp&pc=LCTS&cvid=15ca1dc8e70a497eb7e267a5f48d565a&ei=22

    1. It’ll just lead to a shortage of careworkers so they will relax the rules when they find carehomes are unsafe and understaffed.

      2. One of the comments below the article suggested that money saved in not having to fund dependents could be used towards paying more to these undervalued carers.

          1. With the added bonus that the residents and staff would be able to understand each other.

    1. It appears the suspect is still on the loose.
      If the suspect has stabbed a child, I hope the armed police shoot to kill.
      Actually, I hope they shoot to kill if anyone was stabbed.

    2. A cry for help? Finding it difficult adjusting to being an immigrant? Both of these excuses have been offered up to the judge… and accepted as mitigation!

        1. It seems any excuse offered is gratefully accepted by the judge to keep the plates in the air.

          2. I should have perhaps added after ‘accepted’, under certain circumstances. I thought it was a given.

        2. If the Goivernment had been remotely interested in getting rid of this man they could

          easily deport the cat and him together, thus obeying the Court’s wishes.

          The Government couldn’t be bothered.

          1. Cats can be rehomed – we’ve recently taken in two middle aged cats who have settled in well. They are currently staring each other down after chasing around.

      2. The judges are either extremely gullible or are supporters of/members of the global elite, in which case they just don’t care about the risks these savages create to the British people and national security.

    3. They’re always the same sort of person. Muslim.

      The press always excuses them, always pretends, always lies to protect the guilty.

      1. I sometimes wonder if they get payments for every one of these savages that they allow to live here.

    2. Err, Bikini Atoll? If we’re in need of a test ground I recommend the current climate change waffle in Dubai.

  44. The following is a list of MPs who attended Andrew Bridgen’s vaxx harm meeting in the House of Commons yesterday and also voted against the Net Zero bill (taken off Twitter, not personally checked by me):

    Andrew Bridgen
    Christopher Chope
    Jeffrey Donaldson
    Paul Girvan
    David Jones
    Carla Lockhart
    Ian Paisley
    John Redwood

      1. A longer list of MPs attended the meeting yesterday
        John Bowe
        @JohnBoweActor
        @stkirsch

        Of the MPs there for sure:
        Andrew Bridgen
        Ian Paisley
        Sammy Wilson
        Sir Jeffrey Donaldson
        Paul Girvan
        Carla Lockhart
        David Davis
        Sir Desmond Swayne
        Jonathan Lord
        Heather Wheeler
        David Jones
        Philip Hollobone
        Neale Hanvey
        Duncan Baker
        Sir Christopher Chope
        Sir George Howarth
        Sir John Redwood
        Ben Lake
        Sir Robert Syms
        Dean Russell
        Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown
        Karl McCartney

        Mary Glindon (popped her head in but was on her way to Committee)

        (I wonder how many of these were prompted by their constituents!)
        Non generic replies (would’ve attended if it was virtual etc) and emailed their personal apologies:
        Scott Benton
        Andrew Rosindell
        Hannah Bardell
        Marco Longhi
        Wera Hobhouse

        I know about twenty of the feckers personally, from university or working with them and NOT ONE is on that list!

        2. Clifton-Brown eh? That’s a surprise. He’s not my MP, but the constituency contiguous and we’re on the edge of his.

        3. I’ve instructed my fool how to vote. He ignored me and did as his party commanded.

          We do not live in a democracy. It’s just a shambolic farce.

          1. Chope has been very vocal in support of vaccine -injured people. I don’t know why he has a knighthood but he’s more worthy than most.

        5. John Bowe is the actor who played Kester Woodseaves, the weaver man, in the BBC’s production of Mary Webb’s excellent novel Precious Bane.

      2. A longer list of MPs attended the meeting yesterday
        John Bowe
        @JohnBoweActor
        @stkirsch

        Of the MPs there for sure:
        Andrew Bridgen
        Ian Paisley
        Sammy Wilson
        Sir Jeffrey Donaldson
        Paul Girvan
        Carla Lockhart
        David Davis
        Sir Desmond Swayne
        Jonathan Lord
        Heather Wheeler
        David Jones
        Philip Hollobone
        Neale Hanvey
        Duncan Baker
        Sir Christopher Chope
        Sir George Howarth
        Sir John Redwood
        Ben Lake
        Sir Robert Syms
        Dean Russell
        Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown
        Karl McCartney

        Mary Glindon (popped her head in but was on her way to Committee)

        (I wonder how many of these were prompted by their constituents!)
        Non generic replies (would’ve attended if it was virtual etc) and emailed their personal apologies:
        Scott Benton
        Andrew Rosindell
        Hannah Bardell
        Marco Longhi
        Wera Hobhouse

        I know about twenty of the feckers personally, from university or working with them and NOT ONE is on that list!

      3. A longer list of MPs attended the meeting yesterday
        John Bowe
        @JohnBoweActor
        @stkirsch

        Of the MPs there for sure:
        Andrew Bridgen
        Ian Paisley
        Sammy Wilson
        Sir Jeffrey Donaldson
        Paul Girvan
        Carla Lockhart
        David Davis
        Sir Desmond Swayne
        Jonathan Lord
        Heather Wheeler
        David Jones
        Philip Hollobone
        Neale Hanvey
        Duncan Baker
        Sir Christopher Chope
        Sir George Howarth
        Sir John Redwood
        Ben Lake
        Sir Robert Syms
        Dean Russell
        Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown
        Karl McCartney

        Mary Glindon (popped her head in but was on her way to Committee)

        (I wonder how many of these were prompted by their constituents!)
        Non generic replies (would’ve attended if it was virtual etc) and emailed their personal apologies:
        Scott Benton
        Andrew Rosindell
        Hannah Bardell
        Marco Longhi
        Wera Hobhouse

        I know about twenty of the feckers personally, from university or working with them and NOT ONE is on that list!

      4. I think 16 in total attended the vax harm meeting. Although it doesn’t seem much out of 650 Steve Kirsch affirmed that this was really something, that the bricks in the wall were starting to crumble. And see what is happening in New Zealand.

    2. I think the meeting was held in Westminster Hall and they usually avoid any of the petition debates held in there. Andrew Bridgen had lined up some very prominent speakers, but we all know why nobody attended.

  45. Some of our ex-military Nottlers may recall living in army houses. Fifty three years ago I brought my new-born son home from Tidworth Military Hospital (a heap) to no 23 Mooltan, Bazaar Road, Tidworth – a hovel. It seems as though things haven’t improved much in half a century.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/12/05/military-housing-in-a-far-worse-state-than-anticipated/

    A third of military personnel live in the lowest quality of defence accommodation available, figures reveal.

    More than 25,000 members of the armed forces are being put up in homes which have been deemed the most “deficient” by official inspectors.

    Of
    that number 1,378 are living in houses that are in such poor condition
    that they cannot be charged rent under Government rules.

    Deficiency points

    Labour
    warned that soldiers were being “forced to live in homes with broken
    boilers, black mould, leaky roofs and endless waits for repairs”.

    Military accommodation is graded according to its condition, with one being the highest quality and four representing the worst housing.

    Inspectors
    award “deficiency points” for problems including stained walls,
    ingrained dirt and loss of heating for a period of seven days or more.

    1. The army is the most put upon and ignored group. Government hates it because it is an expense, but loves being able to use it for anything it wants.

      1. When we rejoin the EU HMG won’t be able to “use it for anything it wants”. It will be subsumed into the European Defence Force.

    2. I have heard that the armed services have had to tolerate inadequate military accommodation .. terrible terrible conditions for many families . The armed services have been dealt a bad hand .

      The MOD are not feeding the Army properly, and the chaps have to pay for rubbish food , private contractors provide the food .. strong fighting men say it is disgusting ,, and in these villages around here , they queue up for pasties fresh salad rolls fruit etc to sustain themselves.

      Most of the decent local Council house stock was sold off to a private company (name beginning with A) , The tenant’s needs are ignored and good solid pre-war/ post war spacious homes have been allowed to deteriorate .

      It just seems to me that politicians and local councils kowtow more to noisy foreigners demanding pukka accommodation .

          1. No, I meant the Army Catering Corp as it used to be before the formation of the RLC fuckup.

          2. The RLC chefs were as good as the ACC any day. What messed things up was the use of civilian contractors such as when I living in he mess in Catterick early 90s. The Chef sergeant was tearing his hair out with the civvies. Back in Germany fron 1993, it was all RLC chefs and as good as ever. The Pay As You Dine, however has been disatrous.

    3. Only lived in married quarters once – it was a terraced property, a bit pokey, nice enough but no heating except for an open fire. Lived in 2 hirings and then bought my own house which I later lost in a bad business deal. The RAF didn’t seem to suffer bad housing – just the army, no experience of RN housing except my BiL who was a rupert got lovely quarters

    4. During the 1970s, new army accommodation was built on fields opposite Chez Korky.
      They looked (and still look) so jerry built, I assumed they were sham villages for army training. I certainly didn’t expect them to be built for human habitation.

      1. The 1960s built quarters at Perham Down were specified to have double glazing because of the exposed nature of the area. Some tw@ decided to save a pittance per quarter by deleting that requirement.
        By the time I got there in ’77, the decision had been made to retrofit the missing glazing at a rather high cost per quarter. Apparently it still took several years before the glazing was actually fitted.

      2. Some of the newer flats in Tidworth were quite nice inside, though they looked like rabbit hutches.

        1. One of our lads in 8Fld had one of them. Because it was built between two roads on the side of a hill and hence on different levels, it had the bedrooms downstairs and the living room upstairs. He used to refer to it as an “upside down house”.

    5. I’ve long said that a reformed Barrack Services is needed under the control of Royal Engineers and each garrison area given a detachment to look after and maintain married and single soldiers quarters.

      1. The less they tell you about an assault the more we know who did it?

        It will soon be classified as guess crime or speculation crime!

        1. Just appeared

          ‘Heavily pregnant’ woman, 29, is rushed to hospital after being stabbed in the street in Aberfan while taking her child to school in ‘domestic incident’ – as schools are locked-down as armed police hunt knifeman

          https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12827799/Heavily-pregnant-woman-29-rushed-hospital-stabbed-street-Aberfan-taking-child-school-domestic-incident-schools-locked-armed-police-hunt-knifeman.html
          Doesn’t mean it wasn’t one of the usual suspects, of course.

        1. The Police are keeping very quiet about the whole incident.

          Usually there is a senior Police officer stating that terrorism isn’t involved.

          No such denial this time so perhaps he’ll be bailed?

    2. Why do they still have that stupid “covid” strapline? What’s it got to do with anything?

  47. The BBC doesn’t consider that people can afford it. Much like the state, it sees a drop in revenue and it’s response is to charge more.

    1. Is the panel that looks like paint testers an artwork?

      I’m glad Bridgen got a few people to attend, and it sounds like a very worthwhile event.

    2. But there is no vote at the end so will we ever know how many HoC/L members agreed that there are excess deaths?

  49. Lost access to this site for ten minutes or so. This has happened before –> site cannot be reached.

      1. Probably the Romans getting their own back.
        Blame Spartie; he has been known to crap just where a legionary would have put his foot when storming up the ramparts.

      2. Well, within half a mile I have both Iceni Way and Boadicea Way as thoroughfares. In remembrance of a Norfolk girl who ravaged the Roman City. Clearly, we don’t hold a grudge.😎

  50. Found on Twitt:

    ✪ Evil Te𝕏an ✪
    @vileTexan
    Good morning to everybody that knows that the United States is a Constitutional Republic, designed to protect the individual from the mob.
    Did you know that my AR-15 somehow managed to kill fewer people than Transgenders on SSRIs drugs this year? I don’t know how that happened.

  52. Please may I ask those NoTTLers who make posts that contain obscure initials, abbreviations and acronyms — especially ones that many of us are unaware of — if they would be kind enough to explain to those of us who are not “in the know” what those initials, abbreviations or acronyms actually stand for?

    It seems to be an ever-increasing feature of the modern world for people to use esoteric expressions that they may well routinely use but which leave the rest of us in the dark. A little forethought would not go amiss.

    Just today I received an email from customer services at a company I have made an order from. The sender used abstruse wording when plain English would have communicated his thoughts much better. He wrote:

    Dear Mr Grizzly,

    Thank you for your recent order.

    We are currently processing your request, but prior to progressing this we are looking into confirmation of current lead times on the product shown below as this is currently not showing as being in stock.

    Once we have confirmed a lead time in the near future, we will make contact again.

    In the meantime, if you would like advice on alternative items which are currently available, please don’t hesitate to contact us and we will be happy to help.

    Kind regards,

    John.

    I responded:

    Good afternoon, John.

    And thanks for your message. The strange thing is that the item I have ordered was actually my second choice item, after my first choice was arbitrarily removed from the site just after I attempted to order it.

    I would still like to wait for the ordered item to arrive — whenever that might be — but, since I am not familiar with your trade vernacular, I am struggling to assimilate what your arcane term “lead time” might mean!

    If the ordered item turns out to be, ultimately, unavailable then I shall have to think again about a substitute item.

    Many thanks,

    Grizzly (Mr).

    1. I always indicate the full description at the outset – before putting the abbreviation into general use.

      Eg: Joke Woke King = subsequently JWK.

      Just try to keep up, Grizz Think of doing so as lead time…!!

    5. Your first paragraph absolutely hits the nail on the head!! I am sometimes left scratching my head trying to work out the meaning !

  54. An astute observation from Twitt…but they came back again, as would the asylum seekers…

    Trevor
    @thellen72
    We have now sent more Home Secretary’s to Rwanda than asylum seekers.

  55. OT – a most peculiar thing happened to me yesterday. Before leaving the train, I put on my overcoat and put my reading glasses (in their case) in an inside pocket. Arriving home, I did not have my glasses. I swore several times.

    During the night, I had a very clear dream – with a sort of YouTube showing that when I thought I was putting the case in an inside pocket, I was actually putting them in the armhole.

    When I got out of the cab, the case must have slipped slowly down the arm and dropped to the ground. As soon as I got up, I went outside to look and there was the case – half way up the drive. Had the case fallen when I got out of the taxi, it would have been crushed by Soldier Neighbour’s son who parks his car on our drive (by agreement, of course) as he drove off to work at 7.30.

    The dream “YouTube” could not have been clearer – or more accurate!! Funny thing , life…

        1. Just back from some serious shopping, and found your spooky experience! I had the same ‘dream’ when my husband-to-be lost his wallet just before he was due to go offshore. I actually went down in the night, checked the car and there was the wallet stuck behind the seat belt…just as it was in my dream! It was so vivid I just knew it was there!
          Glad you had fun in Larndan!

  56. Met officers falsely SACKED!

    So let’s get this straight British sprinter Bianca Williams has been banned from driving after receiving 18 points

    It wasn’t that long ago PC Jonathan Clapham and PC Sam Franks pulled her and partner over because of the “appalling” and “suspicious” nature of his driving and were doing their duty when they conducted the stop and search

    They quickly jumped on the bandwagon of racial profiling and succeeded in getting the
    @metpoliceuk

    Officers sacked

    This case goes a long way in proving Williams is a repeat offender AND untrustworthy!

    And proves the officers sacked were right in the first place to remove this menace from the road and had nothing to do with the shade of her skin
    9:46 AM · Dec 5, 2023
    ·
    93.4K
    Views

    On The News – Join The Conversation 🇬🇧 🇮🇱
    @On_The_News_Ltd
    ·
    https://twitter.com/On_The_News_Ltd/status/1731973427412467751

    1. I hope the police sue the arris off the lying madam and her ‘partner’. And get their jobs back.
      And we do not need such a race baiting liar representing us at the Olympic Games.
      How could a committee – months, possibly years – after the event know whether or not there was a waft of ganja in the car? Particularly in London!
      The committee took the least line of resistance and chose to believe a pair of grifters.
      Lady Susan Hussey could give chapter and verse on this cowardice. (Yes, Chas and Wills, I’m looking at you.)

      1. The son of my neighbour is with the Border Force. He remarked that another neighbour had a whiff of ganja about him. I imagine the Met Police Officers will have equally attuned noses to the Border Force whereas the rest of us less so.

    2. They weren’t sacked for racism. That was all anti-PR and obfuscation.
      They were sacked for lying that the couple smelled of cannabis.
      It was a stupid, unnecessary lie because the manner of driving was sufficient for the stop.

      1. Quite. Reminds me of a college situation yonks ago. Lecturer A caught fighting another lecturer (B). Proper fisticuffs. Principal thought that sacking for “fighting” would demean the college. So A was sacked for “bad time-keeping”. Now, this particular Principal had a fetish about time-keeping and had installed a “clocking in” system.

        Whatever A’s other faults – he was an immaculate time-keeper. The Principal’s stupid machine proved it. So they couldn’t sack him… He stayed for years!!

      3. “Unnecessary lie” LiM, please could you give me an example of what might be a necessary lie? Back in the 1980s, long before I knew him, an acquaintance was stopped in Central London late one afternoon whilst he was driving a truck overloaded with scrap metal etc. A young copper accompanied by an older Sergeant. The absence of a certificate of insurance, log book, MoT, driving licence or any ID whatsoever excited the young PC. Of course the driver knew all the smart answers, and soon he could see the Sergeant beginning to have second thoughts whilst his colleague was eagerly making notes: the end result would be several hours of paperwork, two people in the cells, somehow having to arrange a heavy tow truck in rush hour, court appearances etc. So the Sarge looked long and hard at the driver, gave him a severe warning and sent him on his way. The young Police Officer was furious.

        1. A necessary lie:
          PC is not sure whether you have drugs but thinks you might so he says, your speech is slurred and you look high. so he can pretend he has the grounds to search because it will not be provable that he did not perceive these things.
          Its grossly immoral and illegal and i would never do it, but it would arguably be necessary to achieve the purpose of searching you. I mean, it’s cogent.
          He finds drugs, and is vindicated.
          He doesnt and apologises. You may be annoyed but there’s not much you can do about it.
          Unnecessary: he’s got you bang to rights driving like a getaway driver and can search you legitimately… And makes up that two professional athletes smell of weed.
          Lots of people felt sorry for th e coppers. I just thought the were idiots.

      4. “Unnecessary lie” LiM, please could you give me an example of what might be a necessary lie? Back in the 1980s, long before I knew him, an acquaintance was stopped in Central London late one afternoon whilst he was driving a truck overloaded with scrap metal etc. A young copper accompanied by an older Sergeant. The absence of a certificate of insurance, log book, MoT, driving licence or any ID whatsoever excited the young PC. Of course the driver knew all the smart answers, and soon he could see the Sergeant beginning to have second thoughts whilst his colleague was eagerly making notes: the end result would be several hours of paperwork, two people in the cells, somehow having to arrange a heavy tow truck in rush hour, court appearances etc. So the Sarge looked long and hard at the driver, gave him a severe warning and sent him on his way. The young Police Officer was furious.

    3. The thing is the plods lied and said they smelt cannabis in the car in order to justify the traffic stop.

  57. Calling all wonderful caring NOTTL computer nerds who can explain things in English English.
    I think I will have to admit that my current Epson printer is pining for the fjords. It is at one with Nineveh and Tyre.
    While waiting to hear from Pet ‘Pooter Nerd (my cunning plan was to mention shortbread and lemon curd in my email; if that doesn’t work, I’m stuffed) I have been doing some research.
    It looks as if Epson EcoTank 8500 or 8550 might be the answer. Reading the reviews, there is one reviewer griping about its linkage to Macs and I am not informed enough to know if that is just one moaner, or if there is a problem. Most reviewers are pleased with the printer, but they don’t mention what device they are using.
    It’s not the cheapest of printers, but I do enjoy designing cards etc…. and I would like a printer that doesn’t grumble when printing anything other than plain paper.

    1. I looked at the Epson Canada web site and there were several negative comments about using the 8500 with a mac so there may indeed be issues..

      2. 379306+ up ticks,

        Evening VW,

        He had the temerity , believe it or not, to speak what he saw as the truth regarding excess deaths via jabs in New Zealand.

          8. In days of yore children knew the difference between your and you’re and they got to the point directly without having to yaw around like a ship at sea.

            I used to contrive silly sentences for my Third Formers such as: “I hear that the heir lost his hair near here when he was hunting a hare.”

            I don’t know where Prince William lost his!

          10. Our French teacher did that and I can still remember them……….”La pupitre de Lulu est sur le mur!” ……”Papa! La vache a la banane! “

  60. The idiocy continues over here.

    After much delay and obstruction, the trudeau government agreed to a public inquiry into Chinese interference in our elections. However (there always has to be a however), the Commissioner has announced that the opposition political parties will not be given standing at the inquiry, only the liberal party and the Elections commission will be able to ask questions of witnesses.

    How’s that for a blatant fix to a public inquiry.

  61. Just called the Doctor surgery. Recorded message told me due to high levels of sickness there is no one to take the call.

    I have developed tinnitus. A known side effect Ramipril. Can’t even speak to a doctor to change my medication.

        1. Does your doctors surgery have a phone app, it worked well for me last year, I just requested a call back at a certain time.

    3. I note that BNF includes tinnitus as common/very common:

      https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/ramipril/#side-effects

      I also see that the side effect angioedema is recognised as a delayed common side effect of this drug. I reported this as causing my adverse reaction to the MHRA before Ramipril (as well as other ACE inhibitors) was recorded on my medical notes as an allergic reaction drug that should no longer be prescribed for me.

      1. All my meds have poor interactions. I shouldn’t be taking clopidogrel with atorvastatin and i shouldn’t be taking omeprazole with clopidogrel.

        1. I was once in a situation where a batch of different medications were all affecting each other – to make me worse.

          I discovered the one I couldn’t do without – and threw the rest away. That was 13 years ago. Still here…

          2. Telmisartin – though I gave that up three years ago. The only tablet I take now is Tamsulosin.

        2. All of those heart medications could make you blood pressure drop below normal.

          They tried me on clopidogi, it didn’t go well.

          1. Same with me with Lercanipidine. Made me very unwell.
            The clopidogrel is for my secondary polycythaemia. That and bloodletting.

          2. I’ve been changed to clopidoggerel from Warfarin and my blood pressure occasionally hits the floor, followed by me as the low BP causes me to fall over.

          2. Sensible advice.
            I have a gall stone that is giving me some discomfort. Not pain exactly just pressure. I researched it and the drug Ursiniol is used to dissolve certain types of stone. I asked the GP and she said we don’t prescribe that drug.
            On doing further research it also acts as a prophylactic against liver disease.
            As a drinker that would be beneficial which is probably the reason they won’t prescribe.

        4. Having consulted many professional medical publications I found a group of doctors who object to multiple simultaneous drug prescriptions (known as polypharmancy) because of the increasing levels of adverse drug interactions.

          3. I’m afraid that doctors are only too eager to convince you that your blood pressure is higher than WHO recommends and that this may well result in getting pollypharnacised until you get sick as a parrot!

            Big Pollypharma needs a lot of feathers to line its nest.

        1. Meds affect people in different ways and ACE inhibitors turned out to be intolerable for me.

          Doctors are quite happy to prescribe drugs that are generally well tolerated by the general population.

          When I now have concerns about a doctor’s prescription I consult a qualified pharmacist for an opinion.

  62. From the daily Evening Standard newsletter.

    As of next spring, only well-off Britons will be able to marry a foreigner and live with them in the UK. Amid the announcements on skilled migrants and care workers, the home secretary yesterday slipped in something that astonished even experienced immigration watchers: that the minimum income requirement for British citizens to sponsor their spouse is to more than double from £18,600 to £38,700.
    For context, if you earn that figure of £38,700, you are in the 73rd percentile on the income distribution. In other words, nearly three-quarters of Britons will be barred from sponsoring a foreign spouse or partner. Their choice will be either to live apart, or together in another country. Splitting up families isn’t a traditional Tory value, but in the battle between the family and cutting immigration numbers even a little, there was only ever going to be one winner.
    James Cleverly said in the House of Commons that this was to ensure that people bring “only dependents whom they can support financially”. It should be noted that at present, spouses sponsored by UK citizens do not have recourse to public funds and already pay the hefty NHS surcharge in addition to substantial visa fees.
    In news that will surprise no one told a thousand times as a child that life isn’t fair, these changes will have a life-changing effect on anyone earning less than the new threshold. This will particularly hurt women, part-time workers and those living outside of London and the South East, where incomes are lower.
    The previous minimum of £18,6000 was high enough to deter the lowest paid, but low enough to fly under the radar. £38,700 will directly impact many more people and therefore gain far more attention. Indeed, professionals who would not qualify for this threshold include newly qualified teachers (£30,000) junior doctors (£32,300) and police constables (£36,775). Of course, salaries tend to rise as people get older. But people also tend to marry when they are younger.
    It is also notable that Australia, whose points-based immigration system politicians of all stripes like to reference, has no minimum salary threshold for its citizens wishing to live with their foreign spouse.
    Clearly, the government is doing – and wants to be seen to be doing – much more to cut the net migration figure practically any way possible. Yet a brief glance at the numbers illustrates that family migration makes up only a small share of the total.
    As the barrister and blogger Colin Yeo points out, while total inward migration to Britain last year totalled 1.2 million, the number of foreign partner visas issued in the same period to British citizens and settled foreign nationals was 65,278. That is 5 per cent, and some of those will still clear the higher threshold.
    The political challenge for Rishi Sunak is to get the numbers down fast enough that he can go into the election able to say words to the effect of ‘let me finish the job’. More likely, it is the next government that will be take the credit for the reduction in net migration when it comes. In the meantime, life for many British citizens and their loved ones will be turned upside down.

    1. I expect it will come back down after the election, while the boats of young, single men will carry on arriving unhindered.

    2. Gosh – just how is that going to affect the slammers? Don’t tell me – they’ll be exempt.

      1. Precisely. A high bar should be put on pay to prevent the mass importation of cheap labour, not the settling of small numbers of foreign nationals of good character.

      3. As they don’t work and most are welfare dependent it’s unlikely the most dangerous, least productive and socially divisive group will be affected.

        These changes are sensible, but as always they lump the problem on businesses while doing very little to solve the wider problem of criminal welfare shopping.

    4. Heard on the toady programme that this would cause chaos in the care sector. They said no one is interested in working.

      Well, perhaps if you started cutting welfare that would change. If you hadn’t massively increased welfare entitlement people wouldn’t be as ‘happy’ to not work.
      If you hadn’t taxed companies more companies would hire people and pay more.
      If you hadn’t flooded the country with foreigners companies would have a much smaller labour pool making it harder to hire and more risky to fire people,
      If workers were more mobile and in competition for jobs they’d be more pro-active in their offerings, making them more economically mobile.
      If stamp duty were not so high people would move around more easily, making it easier to find work and settle.
      If capital gains were not so high companies would invest in the UK creating even more competition for workers meaning even higher pay and more training.
      If import and export duties were not so high people could make and sell those high quality services more easily.
      If energy were cheaper high tech industry could flourish.
      If planning were not a complete farce better quality, more advanced housing in terms of insulation, solar and window arrangements (such as others here have said, you buy a plot and design what you want on it).

      A higher paid, lower taxed, more productive workforce keeping more of it’s own money, able to buy and sell globally without tax hinderance, with massive inward investment would buy more, invest more and produce more. The population would be stable, the economy booming.

      Why then has the government deliberately chosen to do the exact opposite of the above at every turn?

  64. A 28-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a woman was stabbed in a south Wales town.

    1. Has a detailed description of the suspect been issued?

      The trouble with not giving a description is that people might well jump to a wrong conclusion.

      1. Not that I am aware of.
        It appears that the man wasn’t from the area, but the woman had moved there relatively recently.

          4. Lucky there are refuges for women escaping controlling partners. Bit of a shame they now allow men in frocks in the next room.

          5. Especially as controlling is an important aspect of SOME transitions…there is no greater control that forcing people to accept and repeat what is blatantly not true.

    4. Ah, suffering from ‘mental health’ no doubt. Finny how no-one suffers from mental illness any more.

      1. Great to see you back.

        I hope that all is well with you, and that you haven’t bounced from a “D” to a “C” or an “E”
        };-O

        1. I have met Stormy 3 times now at lunches. We never mention you but i’m sure she would say nice things about you. :@)

    6. Romanian. As was she. Mother of three. I assume the father/jealous of the father.

      In either case, why are they here?

  65. I’ve just eaten a nice pork chop with apple sauce, tomatoes and mushrooms washed down with a cup of tea and with a mince pie for dessert. After a kind of “iffy day” I shall now have a very early night and wish you all a good night’s sleep. I expect that I shall wake up in the early hours and pop in to see what all NoTTLers have been up to between now 5.30 pm) and midnight. Then I think I may spend the early morning hours listing my birthday and Christmas card so I can remember whom to thank on Boxing Day or later.

    Three hours later (8.30 pm) and I am back downstairs ready to wrap up a surfeit of unwanted old cameras to take into Colchester tomorrow to see if I can convert them into cash at a camera shop. Then probably back to bed at around midnight.

  66. That’s me for today. Chilly but no rain. Walked a mile. I must say that walking 15 miles in Lunnon in 3½ days was good for the old body.

    Have a spiffing evening.

    A demain.

  67. Seems GP practices maybe getting back to normal. Phoned this morning appointment at 5 pm.
    Sorted out the swollen legs medication adjustment. I thank him for the tree🎄.
    As I did Obs. Doctor hadn’t seen it yet and asked if it was a good shape. I confirmed it was. He’s not returning to his native Norway at Christmas. It seems that the amount of snow puts him off.
    Shepherds pie for dinner. I expect they’ll be heading off somewhere soon.

  68. Latest Breaking News, Hot off the press
    Earlier today Keir Starmer had secret meetings with the French President Macron.
    Starmer reveals that he has done a deal to stop the trafficked migration across the channel if he becomes Prime Minister at the next election
    The gist of the deal is that Britain will give hundreds of £ millions to the French border forces, Macron later made a promise that this extra funding will encourage the French to really push the boat out this time when dealing with the smugglers.

  69. Dr Malone’s report of the meeting in Parliament yesterday.

    https://rwmalonemd.substack.com/p/testimony-in-uk-parliament-show-us?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&action=restack-comment&utm_campaign=email-restack-comment&r=z2izz

    The expert testimony at the invitation of MP Andrew Bridgen in the UK parliament yesterday was important.

    The
    room was overflowing with people. Many members of Parliament and Lords
    showed up to listen. The testimony given by myself as well as other
    scientists and physicians was science based, truthful and accurate.

    Members of Congress in the USA and in Parliaments all over the worlds are hearing one main topic from their constituents.

    What about the cover-up about the origins of the virus?

    What about the dangers of the vaccine?

    What about the cover-up of the effectiveness of early treatments?

    What about the censorship?

    When is the government going to come clean?

    At
    this testimony, we had 12 members of Parliament and 4 members from the
    House or Lords in attendance. They listened. They were receptive.
    Some congratulated the Honorable Mr. Bridgen afterwards. As many of you
    know, this is a huge change from the empty chamber that Mr. Bridgen has
    been confronted with in the past.

  70. Another 4 here

    Wordle 899 4/6

    ⬜🟩🟩⬜⬜
    ⬜🟩🟩🟩⬜
    ⬜🟩🟩🟩⬜
    🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

    2. Not good today

      Wordle 899 5/6

      ⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜
      ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨
      ⬜⬜🟩⬜⬜
      ⬜🟩🟩🟩⬜
      🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

      3. Wow! Three for me.

        Wordle 899 3/6

        ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨
        ⬜🟩🟩🟩⬜
        🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

    4. #metoo.

      Wordle 899 4/6

      ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
      ⬜🟩🟩⬜⬜
      ⬜🟩🟩🟨⬜
      🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

        1. When you’ve finished your wordle a page should appear with stats. You should see Share in a green background. If you click on that it should say something like copy to clipboard. Then switch to Nottl, click on your comment area, it should say paste, then click on that again and there it should be. With any luck!

          1. Thanks, vw, I’d like to try that tomorrow. However I play Wordle on my iPhone and post on the NoTTLE site using my Mac computer. Any further help?

  71. Tories?
    Ha bluddy ha.

    Tory moderates warn they will vote down any attempt to override human rights law in PM’s bid to revive Rwanda migrant plan – as Home Secretary James Cleverly signs new treaty with the African country designed to get planes in the air in the Spring

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12828819/Tory-moderates-warn-vote-attempt-override-human-rights-law-PMs-bid-revive-Rwanda-migrant-plan-Home-Secretary-James-Cleverly-signs-new-treaty-African-country-designed-planes-air-Spring.html
    Labour in disguise.

    1. Are the planes in the air going to be on the London to Rwanda route or will it be sheer coincidence that there will be planes flying in spring?

    3. I find it comical that these supposed ‘MPs’, elected by the public think they can oppose the public will.

    1. All it takes is one person with enough clout to stand up and say ‘You are a man. You’re living a fantasy. Get some mental help, Brian.’

    1. “Jurors were told Bierton had been convicted and jailed in 1996 for the double murder of two elderly sisters in Sheffield.”

      Then released and housed next door to an elderly lady.

        1. It can only be ‘mental health issues’.
          Which is why he should never be released.
          I don’t tend to read up on serial killers but i believe it comes down to power and making them however briefly feel like gods.

          2. I think the reason why we don’t have capital punishment is because they still fear the French Revolution. Let’s face it…we all have our lists of who would be first.
            We are told it is barbaric and no civilised society should entertain such ideas.
            I think they don’t understand how a democratic society works.

          3. Society executes an “innocent” individual.
            How does the abolitionist know that that innocent individual won’t later run over another innocent individual if they were not executed?

            I am reminded of the tale where a man with the gift to cure any illness or injury stops using his gift.

            When he was asked why, he told a story of how he saved a German soldier from certain death.

            That soldier was Adolph Hitler.

    3. The state should never have the ability to kill someone. They’ve locked someone up in perpetuity simply because he didn’t want to pay tax. No, a criminal should, after three offences be locked up and the key melted into the lock.

      2. David,

        Whether that atrocious event took place in 2020 or today makes no difference .

        How do we know where cats ,dogs, swans, lambs, calves ,babies, chimps, hedgehogs , badgers , linnets , fruitbats vanish to?

        If you had witnessed the many goulish contents of an African market like I have , you wouldn’t be so eager to play the devil’s advocate role .

        Trust no one .

        2. You served in Malta, Maggie. What do you think was eaten during the siege?
          Of course there is no excuse for that now but they are imported savages that know no better.

          1. I remember walking around Kathmandu and finding a butcher. It woasn’t hard to find – just follow the blood running down the road. There on the pavement were big chunks, quarters almost, of a sheep with the fleece still on, including the severed head.

          4. We did have a guide, but most of the time in Kathmandu we walked around on our own. I spent quite alot of time walking about when we were there. Part of the time OH was unwell, so I had plenty of time to explore. We were there in 1999 and again in 2009.

          5. Hello Stormy.
            I haven’t been to such exotic places but…this is what butchery is all about. If people had to do it themselves …There are children now who don’t know milk comes from cows. There are adults now that wouldn’t know or care how to deal with a live chicken and then turn it into a roast dinner.
            I’m not advocating anything.
            What did you have for dinner in Kathmandu?

          7. I was in Kat just for a couple of days before taking a group of people on a white water rafting and jungle expedition. We did go out for dinner one night – walking through Tamel (in Kat) a little boy kept following me and my mate nagging us to go to his grandmother’s ‘restaurant’. He had a poster that advertised Snigging and Dancing 😀.
            Six of us went and we were given chicken curry. It was deeelicious, until I found the beak in mine and a claw in one of the others’!

            One of my favourite places though- I’ve been there three times on expedition and even had a foot put up in the Rum Doodle Bar – Google it.

            BTW a good read is The Ascent of Rum Doodle written in the ?50s. V funny.

          8. The Thamel House restaurant was good – we went there on on both our trips ten years apart. Rice and Dahl and I can’t remember what else – but it was tasty.

          9. Rice and dhal every night on the river. Biscuits for breakfast and lunch.

            One day, when we stopped rafting and made camp, Lofty disappeared to a local village and came back with a couple of chickens and showed us how to kill the. Next day, another village, two more chickens but WE had to kill them. First and last time I’ve ever done that.

          10. We didn’t do rafting but we did do a three day trek into the mountains. On the final evening up there we had a good meal and a song and dance session with the guides and porters. Great memories. Fabulous sunrise with the light coming on over Annapurna. A little puff of snow wafting from the summit. We could see Machapuchare too.

          11. In Malaysia, we stayed with friends who were living there for a couple of years – we went out one day with their friends – the wife came from Sarawak and she bought two chickens in the market for our lunch. Not sure if they were still alive at the time, though others were.

            We went to a deserted beach on an island, and she sent us off to find some driftwood to make a fire. Meanwhile she jointed the chickens and cooked them on the open fire on the beach. That was a good and memorable lunch! We did get marooned on the island but eventually someone appeared with a speedboat and took us back to the mainland.

          12. On my first trip, we had Lofty Wiseman (SAS Survival Instructor) with us. Every night, camping on the river bank hed give us survival tips and taught us lots of different ways to make fire. Every night after that there’d be a competition to see who could light a fire first. The winner was let off wood collecting.
            Happy days.

    3. If I’d seen that I would have boiled the foreigners innards while he was still alive. He’s die after I removed his limbs with a bone saw. Oh, I’d take my time.

  77. Making a move soon not turning in but turning off.
    We have a family ‘Secret Santa’ set up only we can access. Every individual, 8 of us makes one or two suggestions for what they would like for Christmas. It’s clever, you can obviously see who you have secretly chosen to buy for, and read their choices, but you/they can’t see who bought it. 50 pound limit on cost’s. It reduces the massive expense that in the past had grab us by the throat aka wallet.
    All placed around the tree for handover to the individual.
    Back in the morning not too early though.
    Night all.

    1. There’ll be nine of us – were buying one present each and it’ll be a lucky dip. Could be some post-dip swapping going on.

    1. Japan has let in, over the last 4 years barely 60 people. Lefties don’t scream and shout how awful they are.

      In return, we’ve had, well; since 1997 over 30 million – going by Tesco’s poplation calculations. 30. Million. All to suit government spite.

      2. I am reminded of the Life of Brian where John Cleese says ‘are there any women here today’.
        I can see Nottler ladies putting on false beards and fighting the fight.

          3. Cruel but kind… lol.
            My friend next door has a small blonde mustache on occasion. When she finally married her man after 30 years i sent them his and hers hair removal gels for their honeymoon night. I labeled hers as leg hair remover and his as facial hair remover. And he’s bald as a coot. Oh how i laughed…Strangely enough we are still friends !

          4. When I was a nurse , the Brazilian was fashionable .. er, hair remover on one’s fanny or butt end created many casualties , red raw burns almost , like sunburn , it was a serious self inflicted injury , and could result in a stoppage of pay for Wrens and sailors .

    2. The real reason mealy mouthed councillors are cancelling Christmas markets everywhere.

      It does need to reach boiling point for those covering up Islamic atrocities to wake up. Appeasement never works. If they start screaming, shouting and waving weapons arrest them. Detain them. Deport them.
      If the PTB doesn’t step up it will be left to ordinary people. They / we won’t worry about ECHR or due process it will be because of necessity.
      Are they really that far detached from ‘normals’ that they couldn’t see this coming?

      1. The state does not care. Muslims require massive amounts of state intervention. Welfare, security, policing, social services, child protection – you name it, muslims claim and cost it. Hell, the demographic 70% is entirely welfare dependent.

        The state isn’t going to let that client base go. What I don’t and have never understood is why big government protects them, despite the brutality of their crimes. If it’s just because they’re good customers… life help us.

    3. Perhaps the state shouldn’t have poured millions of muslims into the country then, should they?

      2. They aren’t the ones due to be explosively dismembered. They have men with guns to protect them.

  81. Just a thought….

    Moses was the first person with a tablet, downloading data from the cloud…

    I’ll go back to my corner, now…

      1. Okay, Phizzee, just for you…

        I don’t mind getting older, but my body is taking it badly…

        Back in my corner again…

        2. Step into the light. We don’t bite…very hard…More of a suck in Sos’s cases…poor lamb. No teeth you see.

  82. It’s good to see an uptick from Lacoste this evening – Lacoste I hope that means your gout problem is improving and we’ll see you back here soon.

  83. I’m watching the willyball, much more entertaining than the wendyball, particularly as the ladies are giving yer Scots a good seeing to at half time.

    2. “the ladies are giving yer Scots a good seeing to at half time”

      Helping each other with jock strap ons?

    3. The girls, at international level, have become a more entertaining watch than the men’s amateur dramatic displays.

    3. Walkers, Belle? Advertised by the jug-eared lefty-luvvie Lineker? How very dare you!

    5. Aldi do very good hand cooked crisps both large packets and packs of 6 small packets. Very good. Plenty of different flavours but we prefer the lightly salted.

          1. I shop with Ocado M&S delivery now. Never any subs.
            I saw an offer with Waitrose for pork ribeye steaks at 25% off and i ordered a dozen.
            On the day they subbed for pork loin steaks. You would not believe how acidic my response to them was.
            Well…..you might.
            I was polite but it was a case of educating them as to what is acceptable and what is not.

            I also added that i would be surprised if there was anyone left at Waitrose as to know what my problem was.Can you guess?

          3. You have left yourself wide open with that post. Lucky Sos is back in his coffin.
            Hate to explain …always boring…but we mammals have similar bone structure and musculature. We all taste like chicken ! It’s just that pigs eat better.

          4. Well I know that. I’ve got ologies, me. I think you’ll find we’re all designed around the pentadactyl limb pattern. Ahem.
            Didn’t know it was a cut used in culinary circles.

          5. Just like any meat it needs to be handled gently. It needs to be aged. It needs to be massaged. It needs to be treated with care. A little seasoning and then give it a good seeing to.
            Erm….

          6. Well I know that. I’ve got ologies, me. I think you’ll find we’re all designed around the pentadactyl limb pattern. Ahem.
            Didn’t know it was a cut used in culinary circles.

          7. Well I know that. I’ve got ologies, me. I think you’ll find we’re all designed around the pentadactyl limb pattern. Ahem.
            Didn’t know it was a cut used in culinary circles.

          8. Do you have anyone to spend Christmas day with? I am invited to friends but they would be happy to have you as a plus one.

          9. That’s very thoughtful of you Phil. Actually, I’m going to Glasgow – my eldest niece’s boyfriend’s father has invited us all (my sister’s family plus granny and me) up there.

            I hope they have sprouts in yer Scotland.

          10. ‘I’m going to Glasgow – my eldest niece’s boyfriend’s father’….
            Right ..We’re done !

            If you came here it would be low key and polite..ish.
            Can’t imagine if the tables were reversed or overturned for that matter !
            Have a splendid time.

        2. Too right. We are loyal to Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Morrisons, Aldi and Lidl. And sometimes we even buy from the Co-op! Veggies from Biz our brilliant greengrocer in the village.

      1. Yes they are. Which is why they are total crap. Take out the fat. Take out the salt. Take out the potato (Lineker) and what do you have left? Nothing.

    2. Goodnight Lacoste ,

      I do hope you are feeling a little more comfortable this evening .

      Are you able listen to some nice music and choral work, and can you turn the pages of a book or listen to a story.

      I hope your carers are efficient and kind .

      Sleep well zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

  89. Evening, all. Just back from a carol concert with the Band of the RAF Regiment. It was very good, but the first time they’ve put one on, so there were a couple of areas which needed tweaking.
    The licence fee is NOT value for money. It should be replaced by a subscription service. Those who want to watch the rubbish the Bbc pushes out should pay for it and the rest of us, who can’t stand it, shouldn’t be obliged to pay in order to be able to watch other channels.

    1. You can legally watch the other channels on their respective catch-up services, just not live and not iPlayer.

      1. Yes. I realise that, but I like to record what I want to watch and watch it later. That is not legal without a licence.

    2. My main consumption of BBC output is Test Match Special on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra.

        1. I would if there was anything I fancied. I have no ideological objection. I’m not boycotting it. I saw the women’s international football match between Scotland and England earlier. It’s not something I would have chosen at home but it just happened to be on the TV screen of my local social club and I wasnt sufficiently motivated to storm out in disgust.

      2. I only use its Weather website, which is updated on at least an hourly basis and is useful for planning my day.

  90. “Denny Laine, guitarist for the Moody Blues and Wings, dies aged 79”. R.I.P. A great musician, but I was disappointed to read that his wife’s name is actually Elizabeth, not Penelope.

      1. It is indeed, Richard. It runs from the students’ Halls of Residence right down to “the shelter in the middle of the roundabout” in the Beatles song. When I was at the University of Liverpool in the mid-1960s, it was a pleasant road which we students often strolled down for a Chinese take-away or fish and chips at Mr Kwok’s (a charming Chinese gentleman whose family helped him behind the counter). When I revisited the area last year it was in a sorry run down state, with double yellow lines the entire length of the road. The chippie (Mr Kwok’s) was boarded up and padlocked, presumably because of potential vandalism. How times change (and not for the better.)

    1. I find it funny that they still haven’t twigged that the one they clearly don’t want to win will always get the most votes.

    2. I guffawed when Nellie the fat racist elephant got voted out..
      I’m an influencer me…lol

      1. As you well know Mr Grizz gets annoyed with letters that don’t spell words!
        Not his fault. He is Northernish and we need to make allowances. :@)

    1. All part of the plan, Belle, reindeer are famous for their methane farts, how else could they fly?

  97. Just turned midnight, so I’m off to bed now, chums. Sleep well and see you all tomorrow.

  98. ‘Morning insomniacs!
    Sat up at 04:00 with DT & mugs of tea!
    Listening to one of the Melstock Band CDs I bought at their concert on Saturday!

  99. Letter and BTL Comment:-

    SIR – “Enough is enough – it’s time to get control of immigration once and for all.” Quite right, Mr Sunak. We’re sick of unfulfilled promises, and that is why you are 20 points behind Labour in the opinion polls.

    George Kelly
    Buckingham

    R. Spowart
    JUST NOW
    Message Actions
    I wonder if the 20% Mr. George Kelly of Buckingham refers to really think that Labour will take effective action to solve the immigration crisis?

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