Tuesday 2 January: The country should vote on whether or not to legalise assisted dying

Posted on by Geoff Graham

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663 thoughts on “Tuesday 2 January: The country should vote on whether or not to legalise assisted dying”

  1. Good morrow, Gentlefolk. today’s story
    Own Goal

    An Afghan refugee got a place in Reading FC, in his first match he scored a hat-trick. After the match he excitedly tried to get through on the phone to tell his mother his news.

    On hearing his news his mother said “That’s wonderful son, but let me tell you about my day. I sent your sister to the market to try & find some food & your brother went with her for protection. Just after they left the house, Islamic Terrorists caught them, they gang raped your sister & broke your brother’s leg & stole all our money.”

    “I’m so sorry mum” the young footballer said.

    “You’re sorry?” his mum replied.
    “It’s your fault we moved to Reading in the first place!”

    1. If the prognostications for 2024 are correct Minty you’ll be looking back to the first 4 years of the current decade as ‘Heaven on Earth’!!!

  4. Putin has declared a cyber war on Britain. Ben Wallace.2 January 2024.

    For years now, the Russian state has played a proactive and malign role in attacking elections held in the West. Get used to the terms “bots” “trolls”, “deep fakes”, and “dark web”. Trolls deliberately try and provoke online using facts or fiction, hoping to sow division, seeking to intimidate counter narratives on the internet. Russia even has a “troll factory” in St Petersburg specifically for that task. “Bots” on social media use automated software to repeatedly place disinformation anonymously. No prizes for guessing that China, Russia and Venezuela top the charts here.

    TOP COMMENTS BELOW THE LINE.

    Stephen White.
    Our ‘democracy’ is under threat from postal voting what is being done about that?

    David Farrow.
    “Stick with the main stream media.” Too late Ben, the trust is gone. .

    Andrew Fox7
    Come on David, you can trust the Fake News, you know they want want is best for you. .

    geoffrey bell
    Biggest Russian Bott is known in the trade as the BBC. .

    Ava Goodone.
    Wallace, you absolute clown. Never heard of the 77th Brigade or the Nudge Unit which carries out unprecedented propaganda attacks on the majority of the British people?

    Whoops. That didn’t go down too well Ben? The problem with this article is to know whether Wallace is a fool or a liar. I keep an eye open for trolls on the MSM threads and I have never actually spotted one from Russia though I’m frequently accused of being one myself; which doesn’t encourage my confidence in the accusations. Contrast this with Ms. Goodones opinion. This is almost certainly true. The Spectator threads are infested with 77 Brigade trolls on any article about Ukraine, Putin or Russia. Admittedly their output consists of ad-hominin’s of a very low standard but finding convincing trolls, such as Wallace presumably think exists, is incredibly difficult. They would not only have to speak convincing English but be able to speak knowlegdably about politics and history and be able to communicate these effectively. A post on Nottl for example stating, “Morning Nottskis. Weather fine here in Scotland. Vote Starmer” is not going to go down well. This is the reason that 77 Brigade and the Nudge Units limit themselves to ad-hominim’s. Stand alone posts are way beyond the capabilities of the people they employ. If the UK cannot produce convincing Trolls then why should Russia be able to?

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/01/01/vladimir-putin-has-declared-a-cyber-war-on-britain/

    1. Fully agree, with both Ava Goodone’s comment and your summation. The bots (77th and otherwise) are so predictable on Twitter, generally an ad hominem ‘attack’, with little or no connection to the subject matter, from an account with very few followers.

      I find helpful responses such as, we’ll have to agree to disagree, really winds them up.

    2. It is the blinkered arrogance the state has ‘What we do is all right. What they do, even though it’s the same; is wrong’. They go on about how Truss resigned – but she was ambushed by the BoE deliberately. Rather than another vote, Sunak was imposed. How politically different is that to Putin getting rid of his opposition?

    3. Let’s just get this straight.

      The WEF has been running “cyber pandemic” simulations (similar to the pandemic simulations that they ran before covid)
      Klaus Schwab has warned us that a “cyber pandemic” would make covid look like a walk in the park.
      Ben Wallace kicks off the new year by trying to tell us that Putin has declared a cyber war on the west.

      You don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to deduce what could be coming down the line at us next time there’s a financial crisis that needs to be covered up (and yes, there was one in 2019-2020, and it was covered up by covid spending).
      No internet for a month would mean no supermarkets. Hunger would mobilise the army of young men that our government has so handily imported over the Channel to go looking for food.

      Might be worth concealing your stock of dry and tinned food. If the “cyber attack” doesn’t happen, you can retrieve it and have a good laugh in a few years’ time and you’ve lost nothing.

      1. The real reason for the NATO 5000. When it all kicks off a ready made force is ready to be deployed in the UK.

        1. It’ll be world wide, I think, or at least across the west. I don’t think the migrants are trained, they will just react in a predictable way.

          They have all been primed to believe that white people plundered their lands and so they are “allowed” to steal from or even kill white people.
          The racist anti-white propaganda is the clearest possible signal of conditions necessary for a genocide to occur.

  5. RICHARD LITTLEJOHN: The Mayor of London presents… As an outstanding act of political onanism this was unparalleled, even by Sadiq Khan’s dismal, self-aggrandising standards

    Mayor boasts about London fireworks despite sparking backlash

    By RICHARD LITTLEJOHN FOR THE DAILY MAIL
    PUBLISHED: 23:02, 1 January 2024 | UPDATED: 23:04, 1 January 2024

    Cue Looney Tunes opening credits. Da, da, da-da, da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da, da-da-da, da-DA! Laydeez and gennulmen, the Mayor of London Presents . . .

    Twelve thousand fireworks, 600 drones, 430 lights, and a homage to the NHS!

    According to Mayor For Life Genghis Khan, this was London’s ‘best and biggest New Year celebration’…

    Evaahhh!

    Even better than the time he lit up the London Eye in the colours of the EU flag to demonstrate his revulsion for Brexit, the single greatest democratic vote of the British people for anything . . .

    Evaahhh!

    On Sunday night, Genghis declared: ‘Our unique combination of fireworks, drones, lighting and music have put on a fabulous show for the millions watching around the globe, sending a message of unity and showing why London is the greatest city in the world.’

    Vote for ME!

    https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/01/01/22/79500491-12917473-Just_before_the_bongs_of_Big_Ben_sounded_midnight_in_London_a_me-a-25_1704149880182.jpg
    Just before the bongs of Big Ben sounded midnight in London, a message saying ‘The Mayor of London presents…’ was written high in the sky

    ‘2023 was filled with so many special moments, and as we move into 2024, I feel more inspired than ever (Evaahhh!) to continue our work towards building a better, greener and more prosperous city for everyone.’ As an outstanding act of political onanism this was unparalleled, even by our two-bob chancer of a Mayor’s dismal, self-aggrandising standards.

    It was themed: ‘London — a Place For Everyone’ and designed to ‘celebrate diversity and inclusivity’ which ‘has enriched the fabric of our national life’. Well, up to a point, Lord Wossname…

    I’d be among the last to dispute that immigration has enriched us in many ways — in commerce, sport, musically, artistically, culturally, you name it. Politically, too, if you look at the Tory benches. Labour, not so much.

    On New Year’s Eve, we had an early supper at our fabulous neighbourhood modern Turkish restaurant, Skewd, in Cockfosters, North London. We were probably the oldest, whitest couple in the place, but couldn’t have felt more at home.

    The one thing we diners all had in common, regardless of our ethnic background, was that we’re all Londoners, lucky to live in the greatest city on Earth — until Mayor Khan turned up.

    Genghis concentrates on what divides us, not what unites us. On dividing us, deliberately. He is a malign force, playing favourites, fomenting racial tensions, destroying the local economy and freedom of movement.

    https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/01/01/23/79515925-12917473-RICHARD_LITTLEJOHN_So_unpopular_is_his_ULEZ_policy_that_he_is_ha-m-28_1704149998434.jpg
    RICHARD LITTLEJOHN: So unpopular is his ULEZ policy that he is having to employ, at public expense, heavies wearing Mexican ‘Day Of The Dead’ masks

    As for ‘enriching’ our society, does that include the Eritreans attacking the police in South London over the weekend, or the pro-Hamas jihadi sympathisers justifying hostage-taking as a legitimate tactic of war, while the Old Bill gawped on impotently?

    What about Albanian gangsters, now said to run 90 per cent of the cocaine trade in Britain, outside Liverpool. Turns out the Albanian ambassador was an illegal immigrant, too. You couldn’t, etc . . .

    If Genghis cared about ‘diversity and inclusivity’, he might have supported the peaceful march against anti-Semitism a few weeks back. But, no. In Khan’s London, Jews don’t count. Not enough votes in it for him, especially when weighed against his Muslim fan base.

    If he cared about violent crimes against young black men, he’d support stop and search — along with the families of those most in danger on our streets. Nope, Left-wing political posturing is all that matters to him.

    ‘London — A Place For Everyone’? Don’t make me laugh. Not if you voted Leave. Not if you’re a feminist who believes no woman has a penis.

    Not if you’re a black-cab driver, or white-van man, trying to make a living against a background of empty cycle lanes, Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and blanket 20mph speed limits. Not if you’re an Uber driver, who doesn’t want to be unionised and heavily regulated.

    Not if you live in Outer London and own a car which doesn’t comply with Khan’s insane emissions regulations and now have to pay £12.50 a day every time you take it off your driveway.

    Khan hates the suburban boroughs, which swept Boris to power twice. OK, so BoJo came across as a bit of circus act, but at least he tried to be the mayor of all Londoners, not just the bits likely to vote for him.

    Even Red Ken Livingstone didn’t display the same hostility to those who lived beyond the North and South Circular roads.

    As for all the ‘green’ hoopla, ask yourself how much the New Year’s fireworks spectacular cost. (Best guess: North of £4 million.) And how much carbon it released.

    According to reports I found online yesterday, the average fireworks display is equivalent to a single car driving 25 miles, pumping out all sorts of particulates, dioxides and nitric thingumyjigs into the atmosphere.

    So Genghis’s vain Vote For Me extravaganza probably cancelled out his extension of the ULEZ zone and gobbled up all the extra revenue it has raised. If you want to see the real face of Khan’s London, look at the photo at the top of this page of one of the thugs he has hired to ‘protect’ ULEZ cameras from protesters.

    He’s part of a gang of Khan’s ‘security’ goons accused of intimidating and assaulting local residents opposed to the low-emissions racket, following a series of attacks on enforcement cameras.

    There’s no excuse for vandalism, but it shouldn’t be necessary. Khan has shown as much contempt for voters in outer London as he has for those who voted to quit the EU in 2016 — more Londoners, in fact, than voted for him to become mayor.

    So unpopular is his ULEZ policy that he is having to employ, at public expense, heavies wearing the kind of Mexican ‘Day Of The Dead’ masks last seen on Daniel Craig in the 007 movie Spectre, and especially favoured by violent drill rappers glorifying gun crime, to batter opponents into submission.

    Dressed in hoodies, masks, balaclavas and kitted out with body-cams, they have been terrorising motorists outside schools, homes and shopping precincts. Where are the useless police while all this is going on? Where is the condemnation for Khan’s party leader, Keir Starmer?

    This, frighteningly, is the behaviour of a Labour mayor with the largest personal mandate of any politician in Britain.

    Does this look to you like a man sending out a ‘message of unity’ to the world, let alone those poor saps who are forced to pay his considerable wages and pick up the bill for his £300,000 armour-plated, chauffeur-driven Range Rover, while he punishes the rest of us for driving our allegedly clapped-out cars and vans?

    Is this what we can expect from a future Starmer Labour government? We’re certainly going to get more of the same if Londoners are stupid enough to put this ghastly, pint-sized tosseur back in office in May.

    Thanks to Genghis, we are no longer living in the greatest city in the world. We’re living in Looney Tunes Land.

    1. London ceased to be the “greatest city in the world” (even if it ever had been) once the indigenous became a minority.

  6. Morning, all Y’all.
    Dark. Snowing (still, or again, not sure which). Cats have cabin fever, so allowed out, the daft furry buggers.

  8. BTL@DTletters

    Peter Davis
    6 HRS AGO
    I watched the London fireworks on telly, it was vomit inducing. The BBC were obviously in on it and should apologise. I wanted to see something of joy and wonder, not be side-tracked by praise to the great Khan and then political wokery.

    Anastasias Revenge
    6 HRS AGO
    “Record number of excess deaths amid NHS strikes”
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/01/01/nhs-strikes-fuel-record-number-excess-deaths/
    Well now, THERE’S a surprise… just what were those striking angels and doctors thinking would result from their actions?
    IMO the BMA should be sued for manslaughter..

    1. The problem for those that want to attack our government and the NHS is that the same thing is happening in all Western Countries with excess deaths.

    2. The figure quoted is more that 1,000 per week (53K) the vast majority <65 years of age. The article itself fails to mention the faux vaccines. However, the vast majority are keen to point out that the authorities are refusing to investigate this possible cause. Yet another reason to not vote for the incompetents in power .....(or the 'Opposition')

    3. A cynic writes
      Perhaps the strikes are to get the death baselines up so that vaccine related excess deaths don’t seem so high in future?

      2. The first two years of excess deaths (2021 and 2022) were included in the statistics for 2023, which makes it even more alarming that 2023 was showing the strongest trend yet.

        1. I must be missing something here.
          If 21 and 22 were included in 23 wouldn’t that be expected?

          1. 21 and 22 were already high compared to their previous five year sets.
            So if 23 was a record high when compared to the past five years, then we are in trouble.

          2. The one thing that concerns me about drawing too many conclusions over this is the series of years in blue.
            At some point those under averages must be evened out as people who would normally have died didn’t and along comes a disease such as ‘flu or covid which kills more taking out the people who would have died in their 80’s but lived into their 90’s because there wasn’t a significant killer.
            It would be interesting to see the figures age weighted alongside the absolute number in all of the last 25/30 years. It might also be interesting to see the immigrant proportions separated where health care in their previous countries may have contributed to bringing underlying sicknesses and morbidities.
            I don’t subscribe so can’t see all the graphs.

            What I also suspect is that the breakdown in the diagnosis and treatment within the NHS has as much to do with it as the vaccines.
            .

          3. I’m not an expert, but I think the reason why they compare to the past five years is because if you go too far back the data might be compromised because the population would be too different eg smaller or smaller % of older people.

            There were a couple of very light years, 2018 was one I believe? where hardly anyone died. That’ll be dropping out of the calculations for 2024 of course.

            Initial covid deaths could be attributed to the NHS, but the deaths since 2021 are pretty similar in all the heavily vaxxed countries, I think? Certainly in Germany they are comparable to the UK, and Germany initially had far better covid survival rate than Britain did (I think they did not play that trick of refusing to treat old poeple from care homes in hospitals).

          5. Isn’t that the same phenomenon as the spike in unemployment during the 80s?
            i.e. the generation that had been depleted by the War was retiring at the same time that the mini baby boomers were coming onto the job market = net gain in job-hunters.
            From the late 80s until the 20-teens, that depleted generation was dying, hence fewer than expected deaths. You’d expect that to reverse over time. It’ll rise sharply as the baby boomers start dropping off.

          6. I don’t think that that is the case.
            These relate to per 100k of total population and a correction was due.
            A better picture will probably emerge over the next generational cycle.

            Unemployment rates tend to be economy driven.

          7. It could be per 100K of the population if fewer people are in the age group where they are likely to die.

            It was probably partly demographics, partly economy in the 80s. Much blurred by Labour hysteria.

          9. I am unconvinced, I think that whatever the other factors, the trend of increasing deaths is pretty clear across all vaxxed countries. I expect it will be debated a lot in years to come.

          10. Three or four years of grossly inadequate healthcare for things other than Covid is going to have left a large backlog of things that would not have been terminal had they been caught earlier but are now, and these will take quite a few years to work their way through to deaths.
            Even the mental health aspects which will almost certainly have been exacerbated will lead to unnecessary deaths, suicide in many cases.
            Vaccines and their problems will take longer to assess properly (hence my wariness over excess deaths being blamed on them) as I fear the real harms will take longer to be identified clearly. I greatly fear that the cardiac issues are merely the tip of an iceberg.

          11. The German health service never stopped treating people though, and they have similar excess deaths to Britain.
            People are going to have to toughen up to survive this. Having said that, the psychological state of some young people nowadays is appalling – childish, spoilt, amoral, unable to handle set-backs, seeking validation – example, that girl on the front of the Mail today who ran over her boyfriend because he made advances to another girl.

          12. I can’t comment on Germany.

            But it would be interesting to see their equivalent earlier data, particularly as their “killing of the young” will have been far worse than ours.

  10. Yum!

    Don’t give up meat, it’s better for your health than you think

    Sorting the good meat from the bad is far more important than giving it up altogether, say scientists

    Hattie Garlick
    1 January 2024 • 5:00am

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/health-fitness/2023/12/29/TELEMMGLPICT000361148829_17038643458440_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqqVzuuqpFlyLIwiB6NTmJwfSVWeZ_vEN7c6bHu2jJnT8.jpeg?imwidth=680

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/diet/nutrition/meat-is-better-for-you-than-you-think/

    ****************************

    Batey Bob
    1 DAY AGO
    Meat is delicious and good for you. I eat my own pork. Lamb and beef comes from the farm shop under 2 miles away where it is all reared. My chickens come from 6 miles away where they are reared outdoors and left to grow to a mighty size. I shoot pheasant, rabbit and pigeon for the pot. Yes avoid processed food which is bad for you but ignore all the negativity about real meat and just keep eating it. Vegans look ill for lack of protein (pale complexion, straggly hair, no get up and go etc.) and vegan food is disgusting – not surprising they all look so miserable even when they try a completely misguided virtue signalling smile!

    4. The only ‘bad’ meat is from animals fed on grains and other inappropriate foodstuffs (high in Omega-6, which is poisonous to the system); or cured meats (bacon, sausages, salami etc) that are steeped in nitrites or nitrates. Organic meat (grass-fed cattle; free-range chickens) is clean and full of tasty and nourishing fat. My nitrite-free bacon and sausage is healthy and delicious and keeps for up to six months in the freezer.

  11. The country should vote on whether or not to legalise assisted dying

    Why are we copying Canada, surely we should try it all out in Scotland first then sneak it in nationwide, just like all the other globalist agendas

    1. The last time the country voted, the great and the good have done their utmost to overturn and crush the decision. Why would it be different this time?

    2. 381166+ up ticks,

      Morning B3,

      Better still on the politico / pharmaceutical
      cartel.

      In that department I believe the “selection” would find people favour.

    3. Government will never, ever give the public a choice about anything ever again. It’s learned that lesson.

  12. Woke corporatism has started to implode

    Over-hyped fads such as working from home and putting social purpose before profit have imploded

    MATTHEW LYNN
    31 December 2023 • 12:00pm
    *
    *
    ******************************

    Richard Kenward
    1 DAY AGO
    Brand advertising continues to exclude white men, in fact every John Lewis ad on TV is exclusively black or involve the obligatory white wife. You might believe that the ads are racist and you would be right.
    Corporations like John Lewis/Waitrose deserve to go bankrupt for their racist promotion and anti white agenda.

    1. Look at M&S online and the menswear portion – nearly all black or brown models – I have emailed a complaint to their CEO and told him I won’t shop there any more

      1. Were I to organise a one-man boycott of Marks & Spencer, they wouldn’t notice the difference.

    2. I think this is the mainstream media’s interpretation of a trend that was rumbling on the financial news since last summer, namely that top management on both sides are rebelling against the ESG requirements placed on companies to get finance. It can’t disappear soon enough!

  14. https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/402ce33580a65ef658eed85b7cfcd6d9bcd081a3/0_0_3500_2333/master/3500.jpg?width=700&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=633b5a9855886f3ff10eba2a32d459b2
    Men known as ‘guisers’ carry burning whisky barrels through the streets during the Allendale Tar Barrels Parade in the UK

    https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/287e4d4f5c23a22e4a5a2beb7b0c4abcd779e575/0_0_3500_2146/master/3500.jpg?width=700&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=cbf56889fb67ebe5f53172270d9d6ed0
    Stokes Bay, UK
    People take part in the Gosport New Year’s Day dip in the Solent to raise money for Gosport and Fareham Inshore Rescue Service

      1. They have very agreeable smiles and look very jolly and great fun – far more mood-enhancing than most of the dour misery-guts we often see!

    2. Excellent – Thus proving Blubber has its uses!

      Good Morning Michael and all…..

      PS I know, I know…..

  15. Sunak praises ‘relentless action’ as Government says asylum backlog is cleared. 2 January 2023.

    The Prime Minister has credited “relentless action” after the Government announced it met a target to clear a backlog of asylum claims.

    The Home Office said on Monday that Rishi Sunak’s “commitment of clearing the legacy asylum backlog has been delivered” and it had processed more than 112,000 asylum cases overall in 2023.

    Of course one million did arrive. I have noticed only recently that the government appear to have graduated from sophistry and propaganda to outright untruths of a staggering magnitude. I suspect this is because the proximity of the General Election and the realisation of their political situation has suddenly dawned on them

    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-office-government-matthew-rycroft-prime-minister-labour-b2471992.html

    1. The grant rate for final asylum decisions on fully completed cases in 2023 stood at 67%…

      Any news on the 33% that failed to be granted?

      We’ll wait.

      1. They’re considered “complicated cases” and put in the pending tray. I expect the lawyers will force the British Government to let them in along with their extended families. No effect on “tax” if they get the councils to pay for it.

        The Archbishop of Mosul was excluded at a time when the city was under occupation from Islamic State and most of his congregation murdered, raped or enslaved, but that’s lawyers for you!

    2. Backlog cleared – just let the buggers in and give them residency permit. Solved, as quickly as the printer can print the permits.
      Oh, good.

      1. One quick rubber stamp and Uncle Abdul, his wives, aunts, sisters, disabled cousins (inbreeding doncha know) grannies, grandads etc…. can flock in and avail themselves of ‘our’ NHS and the postal vote system.

        1. TBF, only Uncle Abdul will be making use of the postal vote systems, on behalf of his extended, inbred family.

    3. By telling more and more lies even the dimmest of voters will see that Sunak is lying not to win but in order to lose the election.

      Sunak is telling lies for the sheer fun of it just to see how many of his asinine MPs are too dim to realise that he actually hates being prime minister and has absolutely no desire to win the election – in fact he actively wants to lose it.

      1. He wanted the job so he could swan about ensuring the UK was giving money to his favoured chums – the vermin who installed him.

    4. What does “cleared” actually mean?
      Not cleared out and sent back to Shiteholistan, one presumes. (Other dumps are available.)

    5. The lies are tiresome. We’ve processed their claims. No, you mean you have found them all a box file. To do this you hired a load of people we shouldn’t have needed. The solutions are obvious, but the state continually prefers expansion, waste and inefficiency over cutting the Gordian knot.

    6. You rapidly process the claims by accepting them with little or no scrutiny. Most of the applicants are given leave to remain in the country with just a few tokens rejected to give the appearance of a properly functioning process. Those few rejected will be given leave to appeal, but that will represent a new application process, not an unprocessed one, so the clock on those few will start ticking afresh.

  16. Good morning, chums. If you turn back to Monday’s NoTTLe page you will see this morning’s post from me which I posted on the “Newest” section at 6 am.

  17. Good morning all.
    A trip to Stoke today and it’s 4°C outside and the rain has paused for the time being.

  18. Multiculturalism is tearing Britain apart. Spiked 2 January 2024.

    With the next General Election looming over us, we need to demand more from our political representatives. Britain has long been regarded as a successful multi-ethnic, multi-faith democracy. There are strong foundations to build on. But as we head into 2024, we must stop being so complacent about the forces that are corroding social cohesion. We need to start focussing on integration over identity politics if we are to forge a stable and unified society.

    We are doomed!

    https://www.spiked-online.com/2024/01/02/multiculturalism-is-tearing-britain-apart/

    1. Better to have a monocultural society, as this will be more cohesive and pull together, with people from different backgrounds, as this will be more creative and successful.
      Currently, the UK and most of the West is filled with a few indigenous, Arabs, Africans of many cultures, Iranians, Far Easterns, none of whom bond with the others as they are from entirely different cultures. Just look at
      – attitudes to women
      – the carrying of knives and other weapons
      – thieving
      for examples.

    2. 381166+ up ticks,

      Morning AS,

      The peoples voting pattern
      supporting / voting for ersatz, in name only parties,has once again left us deservedly suffering.

      Make it a Happy New Year by getting UNDOOMED, put actions where words are.

    3. It could never work. This is obvious from history. Anyone coming here must become British in thought, word and deed. The refusal to do so creates the sort of hell holes we see in London, Birmingham, Luton, Sheffield.

      They cannot remain the savage barbarians they were. But the entire point of massive immigration was to erase the native culture and society, so as far as the state is concerned, mission accomplished.

    4. “A successful multi-ethnic, multi-faith democracy”? How is it possible to string so many wrong ideas together?

  20. SIR – We regularly use the service of two brothers, who work in our garden from dawn to dusk. They get cups of tea every hour (Letters, January 1), but strangely never ask to use the lavatory.

    Ian Saponia
    Purley, Surrey

    Of course they don’t use the lavatory; they are gardeners. They understand the value of a proper organic fertiliser on the roses and veg patch.

    1. Watered down wee on the compost heap is good advice.

      Some years ago a friend from work raised pigs and in the Autumn he would deliver a large trailer load of pig muck and straw for me. He dumped it beside the privet hedge I had at that time. The bushes closest to the heap were so much more lush than the ‘untainted’ bushes. Also, when opening the re-stacked heap later in the year the smell of ammonia was enough to make me recoil, it certainly cleared my nasal passages.

  21. Good morning, all. Dull and damp here in N Essex.

    Writing about dull…

    A New Year and Shapps has sharpened his sabre and he is rattling it again for all its worth.

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a08c7522acd7bf0a7394f2a7fbe643532787648a4204152eb5beb2400100bd9f.png

    Outside of the mass immigration of thousands of fighting age men into Europe, for which Shapps & his government along with their EU cronies are responsible, there exists Russia.

    I’m about three quarters the way through a book, Hitler’s Greatest Defeat, The Collapse of Army Group Centre, author Paul Adair’s sole full length book. Army Group Centre was a powerful force on the Eastern Front i.e. the war against the Soviet Union in WWII. Stalin’s forces crushed this large professional German army with the help of the terrain that includes vast tracts of forest, swamps and many rivers and waterways that hindered movement.
    If Shapps & Co are seriously thinking of unleashing a force of 5,000 soldiers against Putin’s army then I recommend this book: it is high on military detail and the failings of the German High Command but lacks a map. This failing makes it difficult to understand the movements of the formations over the vast landscape the battles encompassed. I’m certain that the likes of Shapps and his co-sabre rattlers would appreciate pictures as opposed to prose.

    1. He ought to be stationing them along the south coast with unlimited live rounds and give them a free hand

      1. At the rate at which the armed forces have embraced DIEversity, some of them might have conflicted loyalties.

          1. Thank you, Mum! The weather has been ferocious here on the south-western slopes of the foothills of the East Anglian Heights, the roads are flooded but hey! we went for it and have survived to tell the tale!

    7. Happy Birthday pm! Hope you have a wonderful day with lots of doggy cuddles! And a happy trip out! 🥂🎂🎉

      1. Thank you, Sue! Heading out to Grantchester as I write, hair yet to dry and arrange à la mode…!

    12. Happy Birthday, my friend!! Belting it out from Buenos Aires 😎

      Hope you have a wonderful day x x

    1. I can’t imagine anything worse that could happen on a night out to celebrate the new year.
      No comments allowed ?
      They can’t handle the effin’ truth can they.
      Those poor people.

      1. My good old mate Bruce down under and cousins in QLD know how to rub it in. But I’d prefer something more moderate. Like the coasts of Spain or Portugal.

          3. As in ‘lunatic asylum’? All your public spirited NoTTLer friends would vouch for you. {:^))

      1. Hey, Dean. Way to go, Bro’. But I’m no nickel-and-dime Box-car Willie, Dude. It’s caboose-class comfort for this bum. Gott Nytt År, Compadre.

  25. 381166 + up ticks,

    Morning Each

    Tuesday 2 January: The country should vote on whether or not to legalise assisted dying

    Learn lessons from what happened post a successful Brexit
    referendum, if lessons are NOT learnt then the peoples are as thick as hog shit.

    The politico / pharmaceutical “selection”
    culling department would commence BIG TIME.

    They are, in point of fact seeking the peoples consent giving them, the odious political overseers, a no blame, stay out of jail card.

    It remains to be seen, if the peoples brigade decide to make it a Happy New Year or a crappy new year.

    PEOPLE POWER WORKS if used wisely.

  26. Right, that’s me off to Stoke.
    A miserable looking day, but the rain has not started yet.

  27. Good Moaning.
    Had a lovely two hours last night watching and listening to the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.
    Beautiful surroundings, people properly dressed and happy music.
    Does Austria accept crumblies who are sick of being preached at in a grubby, run-down country?

      2. But …. but …. Hitler was awfully common. He couldn’t possibly be a relative.
        Oh well, seeing my days out in Blighty it is then.

    2. I thought they all looked a bit stoic. But hideously white the conductor seemed like he wanted them bumped orff.

      1. 🙂
        I bet we couldn’t produce anything as watchable as an annual apology for producing Blair!

        1. I think several millions waving goodbye at his funeral with no one using all their fingers should do the trick!

          5. Even better would be nobody other than immediate family even acknowledging his demise.

    4. Austria’s great. Vienna is a crazy place though, best restricted to short visits for culture.
      The Austrians saw off an attempt to impose mandatory jabs in 2021 – there were huge (in % population) weekly demonstration all over the country.

  28. Morning all 🙂😊
    Tom Jones weather again.
    A Vote on assisted dying ?
    Anyone who might vote yes, would get a visit for the taking of their measurements.
    They’ve already tried it once with the covid jabs.

    1. Eddy, why vote?

      The last time that the electorate voted for a change the Government tried every possible

      ploy to negate the result.

  29. 381166+ up ticks,

    If it were to escalate into “boots on the ground” that will fit in nicely with the RESET culling program.

    breitbart,

    Britain Preparing to Take ‘Direct Action’ Strikes Against Iran Proxy Houthis in Yemen

    1. Everywhere they go, muslim cause problems.

      If we won’t stand up to Iran because it might escalate then we’re going to have to suffer the consequences of trade restrictions. Worse, that means energy, so government needs to explain how it’s abject refusal to frack and mine locally is causing us problems – all to shift ‘climate change’ to another country and pretend it’s not us.

      The correct response is to confront them and if these pirates get uppity, or Iran starts supporting them give them a damned kicking and remind them who has the bigger stick. Thing is, our weak, Left wing government refuses to do this obvious thing.

      1. Agreed, but let the Septics sort it out, apart from the medieval minded murdering slammers, their government are the cause of most other problems on our planet.

      2. One of the obvious complications is that by lying about Ukraine and sanctioning Russia, the US and her allies have driven Russia into the arms of primitives and savages, including Iran, for economic survival. Therefore obliterating Iranian power has a knock-on effect on Russia. They lied about Syria too and that led to those old enemies Russia and Turkey forming an alliance to thwart all attempts at removing Assad and installing Isis. I guess it’s too much to expect the numpties in Washington and Westminster to understand why Turkey might be interested in Moslem lands the Ottoman Turks once ruled. Erdogan is evil but not stupid. Putin can be a touch devious perhaps but he’s neither evil nor stupid.

        1. The Russia problem goes back to the 1990s.
          Far less crowing over the collapse of the Soviet system and more recognition that the bit of Russia that affects the west is a European country based on Christian beliefs and most of this nonsense (including possibly, the rise of Putin) could have been avoided.
          But we no longer have statesmen with vision, only grubby grifters busily buying votes for the next election.

      3. 381166+ up ticks,

        Morning W,
        We are forever hampered via the governing political overseeing party supporter / voters.

        They refuse to see, acknowledge, their vote is anything but beneficial to the nations welfare.

        It should be realised that if we send indigenous troops abroad and there was a nation wide orgy of paedophilic raping / abusing/ knifings/shootings etc,etc resulting from the inhouse foreign elements intake, would any indigenous survivors have a homeland to return to ?

        The homeland MUST be put in good stead first & foremost.

  32. Has anyone else been through this experience?
    After using the ticket machine outside John Lewis at WGC. My wife parked our car in the open square of shop fronts.
    Carried out her shopping.
    A week later we get a letter from Britania parking in the form of a 100 pound fine for failing to make a valid payment. She assured me she had paid.
    A day later I had to move the drivers seat to get in and the ticket was on the floor under the seat. Which means she did make a valid payment. We established what happened on that windy day as she shut the car door a gust blew the ticket from the dashboard.
    We have sent a letter and also a copy of the ticket to the company but have had no response. There is no email address only a phone number which I feel wouldn’t help us in this situation.
    I would appreciate any advice.

    1. I would keep objecting in every area you can. They will of course blame you for not displaying the ticket as you did not check it was on display at the time you left the car. They should give you a break for good will. but……….

      1. He has completed the contract by providing what they asked for. They can’t keep adding what they want until they get you and they know that.
        Keep schtum.

    3. Probably a condition that the ticket is visible, so regardless of payment, they get you that way. Customer-friendly isn’t a concept in parking companies.

      1. I’ve tried to contact them but they don’t have customer service. My suggestion was that they should deliver tickets that has adhesive on.

    4. Does the ticket machine require your licence plate number? Presumably if it does they should be able to track the payment time and date in their system.

      1. I don’t think so but we sent them by registered post a copy of that item on our online bank statement showing the payment.

    5. I think the contract includes displaying the ticket, so it is within their discretion whether they cancel it or not.
      I have got caught that way in the past when I’ve bought a ticket and still been fined.
      Unfortunately, we’re not the customer of the parking ticket company – the owner of the site is.

      1. It must happen quite often. Even closing the door can cause enough draft to move a flimsy small piece of paper. I expect they’d have the same reaction if a draught blew a ticket upside down.
        We are going to try phoning them later if there’s is nothing in the post today.

        1. Our trusty car has a little plastic clip on the inside of the windscreen in which parking tickets fit and are held firmly.

          1. Some of the more sensible parking tickets use to have adhesive attached. There would be no excuse for not displaying the tickets if that existed.

    6. BB2 below is right. It has to be displayed. Try keeping some blu tack in the glove compartment.

      1. But the fine notice says non payment. We can prove we paid it. It now depends on the customer service and appreciation department.
        We get a discount to 60.00 if payment is made before 11th Jan. But they need to reply.
        I simply do not trust these people at all.

        1. I would certainly look for all ways to get round it, because as you say, you did pay. Aeneas is thinking along the right lines, perhaps?

        2. If it doesn’t say on the ticket it must be displayed then it doesn’t. They don’t appear to have stated that on the ticket.

          1. Well is was but the flimsy paper ticket 68mm X 60mm is not designed or substantial enough to remain in place in a sudden draughty.

          2. That’s not what they asked is it?
            If you have provided what they asked for ie proof of payment and you’ve provided it then you are in the right and have completed your obligation.
            Don’t start putting ideas in their heads. They’re used to this and you’re not.

          5. I used to be a court usher, Magistrates, not County. It’s quite similar to people who shop themselves when the TV licensing people knock on the door. They have no right of entry unless they have a Right of Entry Warrant signed by a JP.

      2. You can buy thin plastic clips that slide under the window rubber on the door pillar, and can be used to clamp the ticket to the screen.

    8. Ask Britannia for proof that the ticket was not displayed e.g. a photo of your car parked in the car park, showing date and time. If they cannot provide this, then as you have a receipt for parking i.e. your ticket, the law is on your side.

      1. I wouldn’t do that as they should have supplied that if they possess it. RE has supplied the proof of payment and that should be sufficient.

        1. It’s only if Britannia refuse to accept the proof of payment. Hopefully what Eddy has supplied already should cause the parking company to cancel the ‘fine’ (which isn’t a fine – it’s an invoice for a service rendered viz. parking on private land).

          1. I would say he’s provided the proof of payment they asked for and not answer any further correspondence until the confirm receipt of what they asked for. They are used to using ‘soft’ harassment and a lot of people will cough up otherwise Britannia will have to take him to the County (civil) Court and explain to a District Judge their case.

      1. There’s is no way of contacting them, even the phone number is for payment of fines only.

  34. ‘Morning All

    I started to watch the prog on the Postmasters scandal but had to bail out the sight of ordinary decent honest people being driven to despair by lying vicious arsecoverers reduced me to tears of rage

    And the compensation is STILL screwed up!!

    Start with a very NoTTL quiz…….

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/12vbByzjT1hcmFgh79f2MHw/are-you-grammatically-gormless-or-a-punctuation-perfectionist

    Rest

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2525ed9d3a328751603a4f6030ba6cb6a1b42c25f2628e1b46b5eead2e37a8b6.jpg

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/569af9fd70b2b7ddbb9e9e7960b3bfe02a8c23afb6767574db05b82186f0b62c.jpg

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/14c5fffc496494a3e14f5f640995b2a325113460cf912f4db932c04e5a4a4139.jpg

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/db1a9b07ab9471a58e07ca08d501dfafb1e063d7819a8ad28eb1bdfc38d02784.png

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c190245146850d8c976f9acbe2569ac105b4dd3e954ea1d8dde0a5cb7fa6b71e.jpg

    Finally socialism in action

    https://twitter.com/AC_Black_/status/1741950839181488501

      2. I disagree with (2) (Jesus’s/Jesus’) and will check my Hammer’s grammar later. And (4) could go either way. My children have three godfathers each, and it’s possible that more than one of their godfathers could have pockets full of silt.

        I gave up at that point.

    2. I liked the story of the friend of the ex girlfriend phoning this guy up for his new password for Netflix. She just could not understand why he said no.

    3. The Post Office financial software debacle was always going to be tricky to analyse.
      The Open University had a similar case (theoretical) on its software course. It was called Robbie the Robot. Robbie was a robot that killed its operative when its behaviour became unpredictable and it started swinging its arm round wildly.
      Students were asked to think about who was to blame

      the operator, who hadn’t mastered how to use the robot properly, especially how to shut it down?
      the software engineers who wrote the faulty code?
      the testers who didn’t find the fault?
      the human-computer interface designer who designed an over-complex array of buttons and commands?
      the person who wrote the confusing instruction manual?
      the managers at the software production company who didn’t allow enough resources for quality control?
      the decision makers at the customer who didn’t want to pay for adequate quality control?
      the managers at the company that bought the software, who didn’t assess its safety before installing it?

      In the Post office case, there was the added factor that the cases dragged on for so long and nobody in a position of authority at either the supplier or the customer apparently thought of the software as a possible cause. Also, I am guessing that there were several layers of software contracting companies involved in the production, all of whom no doubt felt that their responsibility was over once they had ticked all the boxes. Some programmers may have been abroad (eg Indian contracting companies), and not even heard about the scandal.

      There are huge quality control measures surrounding things like medical software, but they don’t apply in most software development. The stuff I am writing at the moment also has the possibility to impact people’s lives, but we just have normal standard development practices. I try to be as careful as possible, and if I saw a newspaper article about a dispute where I suspected that software written by me could be involved, I’d feel obliged to flag up a possible software error.

    4. Using staistics in a similar manner,
      People who use aqua lungs equipment when diving in deep water, survive longer than people who dive in deep water without using that or similar equipment

      Nobel Prize stuff this

    5. I expect they’ll be murdering their daughters if the girls complain.
      Another huge problem caused and furthered by our useless government and Whitehall.

      1. 381166 + up ticks,

        Afternoon RE,

        If that be said RE then what can be said of the countries electorate, IMHO again.

        1. Just remember what happened to that little girl near Woking last year. There has been no further outcome except all pleading not guilty. But if that is the case why did they run and all leave the country ?

    7. Joking aside.
      What is the UK Biobank, what does it store and where does it get its information?
      I would be highly suspicious of these statistics
      To quote from the website

      The Synthetic Dataset has been created to allow large scale system testing using data which is comparable in size and constitution to the real dataset.
      Values are presented attached to participant EIDs belonging to some fictional Application. Values were randomly generated and the dataset is presented without any warranty of correctness or accuracy. The datasets are therefore not internally consistent – for instance they may contain reports of prostate cancer linked to female participants, medical events after death or dates of disease without corresponding diagnoses.

      https://biobank.ndph.ox.ac.uk/ukb/exinfo.cgi?src=UKB_Synthetic_Dataset.html

  36. Here we have more proof that the ‘Plandemic’ was all a fraud and that governments did not act for the people. In fact, governments followed a narrative. Who conceived, wrote and orchestrated that narrative is not known, as for suspects, there are many.

    First a Canadian scientist:

    https://twitter.com/juneslater17/status/1741751592532005291

    Second a German scientist:

    https://twitter.com/CambrayMr/status/1741836061037273470

    The problem for us will be, how many people will fall for the WHO’s next pandemic declaration? I know people who remain convinced by the NHS’s demand that people receive regular boosters for what is looking less and less like a transmissible virus and more and more like a selectively released non-transmissible pathogen manufactured to cause panic and welcome in a more deadly “cure”.

    1. The next thing won’t be another pandemic – it’ll be a war or a “cyber pandemic.”
      Look at Gaza, loads of people didn’t spot how that was artificially kicked off and are now obligingly hating the other lot in countries thousands of miles away.

      2. The next thing won’t be another pandemic – it’ll be a war or a “cyber pandemic.”

        Do you think that the scum running the ‘Plandemic’ narrative have decided that sufficient humans have been treated with the potion to achieve the scum’s objective? Their agents keep pushing but it appears that many people have seen the uselessness, if not the danger, of taking this potion.
        Is the WHO’s power-grab a diversionary tactic from the possible outbreak of war?
        Some of the globalist criminals have been talking about a cyber attack on communications, power, water etc. for some time.

        It could be that the people behind this attack on humanity are juggling all the three scenarios, or more, as any one of them that is successful will be a disaster for the people on the receiving end. And disaster, surely, is the goal for the criminals.

        1. I think it is all very simple; they know that the fiat dollar is going to end, and they want to manage this currency end in the way that causes least risk to themselves. Catherine Austin Fitts thinks that is why they have chosen to reduce the population and put tight controls on those that are left. The plague, war, famine also serve as dust thrown in our eyes so we can’t see what they’re up to.

          They will never openly admit to us what financial shenanigans they are doing, and if they do enact the great taking, then we probably won’t ever know the full details of it, because it will happen while the internet is down or something like that, and in some way, it will be our fault that our stuff doesn’t belong to us any more because we didn’t read the fine print and blah blah circumstances beyond their control. That’s if we’re still alive to argue about it.

          1. BRICS looks set to go digital and those countries also have large gold reserves. The plot thickens.

          2. There is a difference between the retail currency used by people and international trade currency. It could be that the latter will go fully digital, but not the former.
            But I have also read that both Russia and China could have a meaningful gold backed currency tomorrow if they wanted.

          3. Bleak!

            Over the last year or so I’ve come across claims that the ‘great taking’, amounting to tens of trillions of $,£ etc. has happened and been mostly lost. The moves the criminals are playing include the covering up of their criminality in addition to their eugenicist/misanthropic tendencies. Whatever the drivers, these people are mentally ill in the extreme. The useful idiots e.g. politicians, bureaucrats etc. must believe that they will have their share: my, my, are they in for a shock. Clearly, their greed has blinded them to reality and they have no idea about whom they are dealing with.

          4. It is true that fiat currency has enabled looting on a never before seen level, but if David Webb is right, there’s more to come. If you haven’t read the pdf of his book yet, it’s definitely worth reading.
            I still have a mortgage on my house that puts it at risk, plus of course like many people, private pensions that are all invested in stuff that is owned by CEDE & Co of course.

    2. I can’t stand Simon Reeve! Absolutely follows his own agenda and bias, and allows no argument. His programmes on Cuba and Greece were shockingly full of his propaganda. No surprise from the Biased BC.

      1. I enjoy his shows.
        Which presenters don’t follow their own agendas?
        He seems to gain access to places and people that others don’t.

        1. I can’t imagine who he ‘accessed’ in Greece! The narrative was definitely his own.

          2. And the Cuban one? Every cliche and leading question in the book. Utterly one sided commentary with no objective. And that stupid shermagh scarf!🙄

          3. Have you been to Cuba and actually asked people away from the tourist areas about their lives?
            The same applies to almost anywhere. I have preconceptions which are often shattered when one gets to know people better, this was very much the case for me in Greece ( mainly Athens and biased towards work colleagues but those colleagues were from numerous different parts of the mainland and Islands.)

          4. You know perfectly well that I have, sos. Many times. Greece is part of my family.

          7. OK. I should have written that I was referring to Cuba, in the first place. Then Greece.

          9. Yes away from tourist areas. I’ve mentioned it before. A couple of journalists, a vet, banana and sugar cane farmers, pharmacist, cleaner, fishermen, and a policeman, plus taxi driver.

          10. In which case you will know that not everything in Cuba is as bad as it’s painted, but equally a significant proportion is a lot worse than gets out.

          11. Perhaps you could tell the smug and arrogant Mr. Reeve that? He appears not to notice some things beyond his nose end!

          12. Examples?

            One of my enduring memories of Cuba was when we were taken off piste to see a privately owned “farm”; essentially a small holding, three or four acres maximum. It was on a hillside.
            The owner had a tiny tractor, straight out of the 1940’s, a few chickens, and his pride and joy, a crocodile.
            He was regarded as rich.
            The tour guide was aiming to get to the USA, from recollection he was a teacher. He was full of praise for many aspects of the Cuban regime but admitted the best was far outweighed by the worst. He was no fan of the USA!
            Whether what we saw/were shown was representative I can’t tell.
            We always organised our trips away from the main package tours but life dictates you often end on the periphery of such things.
            Because we weren’t really part of any group we had to hire independent drivers, three wheelers and most importantly, guides

        2. Can’t stand the man. He is an ultra far-left, blinkered, woke, eco-freak, wanker.

          He believes that you – the viewer – are enormously fortunate to have someone with his stellar intellect talking down to you.

          And those are just his good points.

    1. Sherelle Jacobs: “When Britain goes to the polls this year, it risks replacing a government that is not fit to govern with one that is not ready to rule”.
      Sorry Sherelle “….not ready to rule” ? have never had a clue what they should be doing.

          2. I detect a tone of doubt but delivery is the primary purpose of 21st century government and it saddens me that you seem unconvinced that Labour delivery will be no better than, or even worse than, Conservative delivery. Your yearning for Reform delivery, or delivery from a plethora of similar rivals, will remain unfulfilled, I feel.

          4. I’ve come to a realisation that the contents of the delivery are largely unimportant to those that promise them. The proud boast is that there will be delivery in one guise or another.

          5. We’re not electing the flippin postman!
            I don’t see any way forward without a massive drainage of the swamp at this point, including the whole Blob.

          7. If only they would go and work for the postal service, they might succeed in delivering something.

      3. When the Thane of Fife’s wife and children have been murdered by Macbeth’s assassins he goes to England – whence Duncan’s son, Malcolm, has fled – to try and organise an attack on the evil tyrant. Malcolm gives a long list of his failings in order to test The Thane of Fife (MacDuff) until finally MacDuff can take no more and is disgusted at the thought that his beloved Scotland has nobody fit to govern just as the UK now has no leader in the offing to replace the total dross.

        MALCOLM

        If such a one be fit to govern, speak.
        I am as I have spoken.

        MACDUFF

        Fit to govern?
        No, not to live. —O nation miserable,
        With an untitled tyrant bloody-sceptered,
        When shalt thou see thy wholesome days again,
        Since that the truest issue of thy throne
        By his own interdiction stands accursed,
        And does blaspheme his breed?

        [Shakespeare’s Scottish Play]

        Wise saws and modern instances?

        2. Yeah ‘rule’. It’s been clear for decades non them could run a bath. Now Sunak is lying about getting rid of the illegals.

    1. When these comedians, in later life, did comedy in drag, they were far funnier than Mrs Brown. Why the latter is very popular escapes me.

      2. I think it is a question of charm and empathy – Les Dawson had them; Mrs Brown does not.

      1. It’s such a pity that Ms Rippon, in her previous, more serious career, didn’t take up Strictly Come Newscasting. She could have given expression to subjects such as splits in the Cabinet.

      2. Please say nothing and don’t make a fuss but please remove me from the birthday announcements.

  47. Afternoon, all. Here early because I’ve been invited out for drinkies chez a neighbour later. As for the headline, past experience has shown that voting is a waste of time. If we don’t vote the way they want, we’ll be ignored and it will be brought in clandestinely by mission creep.

  48. More than 33,000 migrants face deportation to Rwanda. 2 January 2023.

    The Prime Minister is attempting to secure the first deportation flights this Spring if he can get his Rwanda bill through the Commons after the Supreme Court ruled the policy unlawful.

    He faces threats of rebellion from both wings of his party over the controversial legislation – which seeks to further restrict the rights of migrants to mount legal challenges to their deportation and to address the concerns of the Supreme Court.

    Lol! There’s a better chance of my getting to Rwanda than any of these people!

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/01/02/over-33k-migrants-face-deportation-rwanda-flights-take-off/

    1. I would like to know which MP’s are trying to kybosh it and why. I would expect it from Labour but not true Conservatives.

    3. More than 33,000 migrants face deportation to Rwanda. 2 January 2023.

      Action Stations: Action Stations: Action Stations,

      Airbourne Porcine Squadron Incoming

      1. Preferably spraying liquid pig dung on the ‘visitors’….
        If the parasites were made to eat some pork product before landing on our shores (Not to mention stopping every sort of benefits, zero right of appeal and guaranteed refusal of right to remain for all ‘irregular’ arrivals), I bet far fewer would arrive.

        1. What’s wrong with a nice welcoming buttie to welcome the invaders to the land of milk and bacon?

    4. Don’t know why they bother, Trudeau is putting out the welcome mat to every terrorist out there – gazans, etrians, Ethiopians welcome (by him but no one else).

  49. Ukraine’s new year may end with a brutal Western betrayal. 2 January 2024.

    If it can, Russia may find that attrition stops working in its favour. While it is out-producing Ukraine and the EU, its economy is increasingly focused on its war effort. Putin is banking on Western resolve breaking before Russia does. If we stand firm, we can deny him victory – and end his murderous regime. Otherwise, a Russian victory beckons, ending 2024 not only with the death of Ukrainian independence, but of any hope of European sovereignty.

    The betrayal was at the beginning by holding out to the Ukies the prospect of victory and the bribe of EU membership.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/01/02/ukraine-war-2024-western-betrayal-russian-victory/

    1. There is a video doing the rounds on Twitt of Ukrainian soldiers eating, that appears to show very young and very old men. Frankly, the sooner this slaughter comes to an end the better. As usual, the crooks will have profited and the honest citizens paid many times over, including with their menfolk’s lives.

    2. European governments have betrayed us all. Just as they will betray Ukraine when the going gets tough. I don’t believe the hyperbole about Russia under Putin invading Europe but it would probably save us all if he did.

    3. Bit rich – I seem to recall Ukraine’s regime could well be described as murderous too!?

        1. Worst symptoms have receded. Just left with a cough that is improving by the day. My dear kind friends have invited me for Sunday Lunch on the 14th to make up in some way for all i missed.
          I am humbled by their generosity. Thank you my dear for asking and hope to arrange something like last time in the New Year.

          1. I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
            It’s a Douglas MacArthur bug.
            It will return…

          3. Yes it will.
            HG is on the third iteration, having started on the Thursday before Christmas. I’m trailing behind but the sequence has held steady.
            Good luck.
            Harry and Dolly

    3. We crossed the channel by boat a few days ago. Gusting up to 80 kmph – it was fairly uncomfortable, and two unfortunates were heaving over the side.

      Edit: just checked the weather and DFDS – gusts up to 90 kmph and they’re still sailing, albeit with two hour delays!

      If the weather continues bad, I expect an announcement by Sunak that he has solved the Channel migrant problem and turned back the baots…

      2. Chums of ours did likewise from Caen to Portsmouth – day boat – on the bad day last week. They said the crossing was unspeakable. They were concerned about their two dogs which were left in the car. A sailor escorted them gingerly to the depths of the cardeck – only to discovered two dogs, curled up together, snoring away.

        1. Ouch. I can well believe that that one was worse – longer, at any rate. At least we only did the short hop.

          On a slightly different note, I am a bit concerned about travelling with electric cars on board (fires!). Can’t remember if I mentioned this before. A Norwegian ferry company has banned them altogether because of the fire risk. Didn’t get an answer to my letter to DFDS, but I was looking at their lifeboats, and they only have two – can it be that for the Dover-Calais route, they don’t have to carry enough lifeboats for everyone on the ship? The Irish ferries have six.

          1. My worst ever crossing was Hoek van Holland to Harwich in a force 9 gale. Even the crew were looking queasy and it took much longer than it should have because we spent a lot of time going up (then down) rather than forwards.

          3. My worst ferry trip was the on the same route but in the other direction. A work group was on a weekend visit to play a football match against colleagues from the Dutch office. No gales just too much booze that resulted in half of them being unable to walk unaided, let alone kick a ball.

          4. I once had a choppy overnight crossing on that route but like Richard, in the other direction. I slept but kept waking to discover it was still, “Way hay and up she rises”!

          5. My worst was yonks ago – Ostend-Dover.

            I had booked on the Jetfoil. The Belgian Captain listened to the BBC shipping forecast – and cancelled the departure.

            Was rebooked on a ferry. That left on time – shocking crossing. Then – to add to the misery – hove to just outside but within sight of the Dover Terminal for 1½ hours as it was too difficult to enter the harbour.

            Finally landed about 1am – ran like hell to the station, leapt on the train which then left. Hundreds missed it and would have had to wait until the next morning. British Sodding Railways couldn’t be bother to hold the “Boat Train”.

          6. I’ve had trips to Dover where we’ve had to heave to outside the port and wait because they couldn’t get in the harbour and the same at Newhaven. It’s very frustrating, but at least I didn’t have a train to catch.

          7. Get on to their Press Office. Say you are writing an article for The Guardian about “safety at sea”. They’ll be all over you…

          8. Or they’ll reply if I mention them on Twitt, I suppose. Barstewards. No interest in doing the right thing, but craven cowards about bad publicity.

          9. Yet another E bike incident in Toronto at the weekend. Someone had taken his bike on the subway and the battery did a bit of spontaneous combustion that caused quite a bit of damage to the train carriage. That was just the little ebike battery, who knows how much damage a full sized car battery would cause.

            To think that our condo corporation has floated the idea of installing EV chargers in the garage!

        2. Family sosraboc did that run one year in fairly similar conditions.
          The restaurant was completely empty apart from we five, who had a splendid meal.

      3. Many years ago was booked on the Hovercraft on the return trip from France. Conditions were such that the Hovercraft was cancelled: “Never mind we’ve rebooked you on the ferry….” MISTAKE! 10 hours on the ferry with at times force 10. The Duty Free shop was closed due to flying glass. Every few minutes ther was a boom from below decks and a little later an announcement: “Will the owner of car (reg no) please report to….” It seems a number of large mobile waste containers had broken loose inflicting damage on cars.
        The worst bit was when the ferry given permission to dock in Dover. However as conditions inside the inner harbour was still rough the captain was unable to dock and the ferry was sent back out into the channel for several hours to wait out the storm…..and people wonder why I like narrowboats!

        2. Yeah, I fell for that one once “We’ve re-started ferries” and I was PLEASED to get on the first one over the Channel! Never again! Waves the height of a house!

    4. Over here it is a bit above freezing and no wind. Unfortunately it is cloudy otherwise it would count as an almost perfect English winters day.

      Snow what snow?

      1. No snow here, either. But warnings of a stormy week-end, maybe rain, snow or sleet…hedging their bets, as usual!!

        1. According to Shirehall (via, presumably, the Met Office), Shropshire is due to be under water shortly. Good job I live at the top of a hill and quite a way from open water courses 🙂

          2. The Severn has been covering the water meadows for some weeks. The riverside car park in Shrewsbury was under water (and County was warning people not to walk on the footpaths as they were under water, too! Duh!). I don’t know what the Dee is like, but Bangor won’t be racing in January this year so there’s time for it to have dried out by next month. I see Fakenham was off today.

        2. They are saving winter until the end of the month, we normally get stuck in snowstorms when driving through NY or PA and I don’t see why this year will be different.

      2. We’re promised down to -27C by the weekend. The snow is blowing around in the gale currently blowing. It’s pigging cold out there, was shifting snow earlier, except it all blew back. The advantage of the wind is it’s blowing snow off the roof, so it’s very unlikely I’ll have to get up there and scrape it off.

  54. Pinched,

    A group of old male school pals decided to go out for a meal when they were 50. After much discussion they chose Wetherspoons
    because the beer choice was excellent and the barmaids had large chests.

    When they were 60 they went out again. After much discussion they chose Wetherspoons because the beer was cheap and the
    food was reasonably priced.

    When they were 70 they discussed where to go that year. They chose Wetherspoons because there was plenty of parking and there
    was wheelchair access.

    When they were 80 they went out again. After much discussion they chose Wetherspoons because they hadn’t been there
    before.

  55. Feeling virtuous – I’ve just crossed all five items off my list of things to do today. No doubt tomorrow there will be another list 🙁

    3. Well done!
      Before heading to Stepson’s I read the gas & electric meters and submitted the readings. Should have done that yesterday though.

  58. A poor Par Four

    Wordle 927 4/6
    ⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜
    ⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜
    🟩🟩⬜🟨🟨
    🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

    2. A bogey

      Wordle 927 5/6

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

      Two None of the above choices did not help my cause.

    4. Crap today.

      Wordle 927 6/6

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

  59. That’s me gone for the second time this year. It could become a habit.

    Have a spiffing evening.

    A demain.

      1. I’d choose Portugal. A much happier place.
        We visited Lisbon a while ago, for SWMBOs birthday. I liked the place – a bit slow, human scale, and the Portuguese are nice people. The food is good, and there’s quite some excitement in choosing wines, as you likely don’t know most of them.
        Just warning: Firstborn asked for cornflakes and milk at breakfast – they came, but the milk was hot! Under the assault of hot milk, clornfakes (sic) become like elastoplasts…

        1. Okay Portugal first.

          Speaking of weird breakfasts. In Hackerscher markt in Berlin i was served a fried egg on a bowl of baked beans with a fruit salad garnish.

          2. No. It was fresh fruit. They also supplied a wasp swatter for each table. Oh those Germans…such a sense of humour.
            I must admit though that when i went on the river cruise a lovely young fraulein provided me with a windproof ashtray and asked me if i wanted Pilsner and pretzels. Included in the ticket price !

          5. North Germans eh.
            Shoulda gone to Munich – you’d have got a brace of boiled Weisswurst (veal and pork sausages) with brezn, sweet mustard and beer.

          6. When I was working, I generally travelled alone and I used to enjoy exploring back street restaurants well off the tourist tracks. I seldom spoke the language and ordered “on spec”
            I once had a meal in Munich
            Soup, main course, dessert.
            The soup arrived with two dumplings semi-submerged. Roughly the size and weight of cricket balls.
            Main course was a stew like puddle with two more cricket balls
            Dessert? Yep, cricket balls, with a sweet sauce.
            Interesting, but I didn’t need to eat again for quite a while.

          7. That was an unfortunate combination. I am not a great fan of Bavarian cuisine, I must admit. The best things are a really good Schweinesbraten (the one they serve in the big restaurant on the lake front at Tegernsee is the best I’ve ever tasted) and the lentil soup that you get in old-fashioned small, local ski huts in the Bavarian alps.

          8. The manager of the branch I was auditing took me out for a superb lunch, mushrooms, upon mushrooms, upon mushrooms, absolutely delicious.
            We also went out for a great supper, even though my report wasn’t entirely favourable.

            He took me out because he thought I had been honest and fair.

            I wonder what I missed!

          9. The manager of the branch I was auditing took me out for a superb lunch, mushrooms, upon mushrooms, upon mushrooms, absolutely delicious.
            We also went out for a great supper, even though my report wasn’t entirely favourable.

            He took me out because he thought I had been honest and fair.

            I wonder what I missed!

          10. Sounds good.

            I did go to the Olympic stadium while i was there. The place is difficult to describe.

            The cafe/restaurant was empty but they treated us like honoured guests.

            I also had coffee at the Adlon and was treated much the same.

            I stayed in Friedrichstraße for 10 days.

            Loved the Tiergarten and managed to crash a wedding!

            Everyone was so nice.

          11. For me the most memorable point about dining I Germany was how they had a big table for singles and you just had to muck in with everyone else.

            Nice crisp onion rings – no that’s fried tripe.

          12. Still sounds good. Not forgetting you can be alone in a crowd. Germany didn’t make me feel alone. At least then. Hungary more recently was similar.

          13. Still sounds good. Not forgetting you can be alone in a crowd. Germany didn’t make me feel alone. At least then. Hungary more recently was similar.

          14. I’ve been offered marzipan cake for breakfast in Germany. German friends of English friends, who at the time lived in Westphalia.

      2. I’d choose Portugal. A much happier place.
        We visited Lisbon a while ago, for SWMBOs birthday. I liked the place – a bit slow, human scale, and the Portuguese are nice people. The food is good, and there’s quite some excitement in choosing wines, as you likely don’t know most of them.
        Just warning: Firstborn asked for cornflakes and milk at breakfast – they came, but the milk was hot! Under the assault of hot milk, clornfakes (sic) become like elastoplasts…

  60. An unutterably ill-charitable thought for the evening:

    I wonder what the death toll on the Japanese aircraft would have been if the plane had been full of American or British blubber wallies blocking the aisles?

        1. What sort of mind has the camera phone going in an emergency like that. Darwin award to him/her/it.

          3. Gen Z….
            have you seen that creepy footage that’s doing the rounds of Paris on N ew Years Eve and the entire crowd is just holding their phones up to capture the fireworks, like a bunch of robots?

            There are people who are not going to make it, I’m telling you!

    2. A lot to do with the new fuselage construction method, apparently. Much stronger than the traditional aluminium hull, plus the cabin crew were in top hero mode and got everybody out! Respect!

      1. Indeed respect.
        But if a significant proportion of the passengers can only waddle out sideways?

        1. Indeed.
          Disciplined lot, the Japanese. And, typically, built like a racing snake.

        2. I seem to recall there was research that suggested that disabled passengers on board made it less likely that all SOB would be evacuated in time in the event of a crash. Presumably the same applies to those who can barely wobble.

        2. Fire is the airman’s worst nightmare. A salutary lesson in the reasons you need to read the safety instructions and identify your exits.

    4. I would bet that no entitled passenger stopped to collect their briefcase / backpack from the overhead bins.

      1. What’s a briefcase? Seriously, in the BTL comments it was pointed out that the flight was internal and much used by ‘salarymen’ commuters, ie experienced travellers. Still an amazing escape, and my heart goes out to the 5 people who died in the Embraer plane.

        1. Those poor sods were going out to, or coming in from, an attempt to save lives.
          Few good deeds go unpunished.

      2. It was mentioned that only 3 of the eight escape ramps were working, but then emphasised passengers were seen to be helping each other escape.
        What a horrendous mess it all was.
        So sad for the guys who lost their lives doing their jobs.

  61. And what a washout today has been!
    Rain started before I got to the A515 at Newhaven and a lot of water on the roads cutting down through Hartington, Warslow and Ipstones to the A52 at Froghall, a lot of ditches, gullies and drains in need of clearing out.
    Stepson has a week to go until his next benefit payment and he ran out of money before Christmas so I’ve had to buy some food for him, despite me saying I’d not do that.

    On the way back home there was quite a stream running down the hill coming out of Hartington and a bit of flooding in the village centre. The A5012 had a LOT of water on it especially at Pikehall and parts of the Via Gellia after Grangemill were under light flooding.

    Got home at 13:15 and done a couple of indoor jobs and am now listening to Bruckner’s 8th.

    1. It was quite scary cycling home tonight- very windy. I predict a few trees will come down.

    2. It was quite scary cycling home tonight- very windy. I predict a few trees will come down.

      1. Not to mention them all being ‘terribly white.’ probably normal hetero men at that.

  64. Not sure if you’ve done this opinion piece yet from today’s Terriblegraph but it’s about litter. I know who i see littering, tossing carp out of car windows etc but of course to mention it would be invite criers of racism and chavphobia.

    “… I’m spending more of my time outside on walks. Lovely, for the most part – but incredibly depressing, too. Because everywhere I go, I see rubbish: bottles washed up on the riverbank, burger cartons chucked by the side of the road and – my personal worst hatred – daintily tied bags of dog poo hanging from tree branches.

    Keep Britain Tidy estimates that two million pieces of litter are dropped in the UK daily. Clearing it all costs more than £1billion a year. But who should pay? It’s tricky to collar the culprits – though 62 per cent of us apparently drop litter, only 28 per cent admit it.

    John Read, the founder of the Clean Up Britain group, is this week taking National Highways to court over its failure to keep our roadsides tidy, submitting as evidence a display of detritus found on a single day on a stretch of the A3/M25 slip road that includes 22 Costa Coffee cups, five soiled nappies, 11 bottles of urine and a Barbie doll.

    So why do we do it? Because we don’t care? Because someone else will clean it up? Because we know we won’t face any penalty (bar taxes going up if National Highways is forced to start cleaning more)? Or because so much of the country is so ugly in the first place, it doesn’t make a difference if we add to it?

    In the meantime, we can all do our bit. I’ve decided that this year: 1) I shall refrain from buying takeaway coffee unless I’ve got my own cup. 2) I shall publicly shame anyone I see littering – hang the dangerous consequences. And 3) I shall take my dog poo home with me.”

    1. I would have every single gimmegrant out daily, clearing such rubbish from their neighbourhood.

          2. Gosh, he sounds like me.

            How does he put up with you?

            VERY sorry, open goal, utterly irresistible!

      2. I tried suggesting something similar in these parts. Shame on me for such elitist words and they think that giving everyone a basic living wage is a better idea as it will avoid shaming the unemployed.

        I wonder why we bothered to work.

        1. Fine, give them the money.
          Call it voluntary civil service.
          If they refuse, stop their money…

      3. I tried suggesting something similar in these parts. Shame on me for such elitist words and they think that giving everyone a basic living wage is a better idea as it will avoid shaming the unemployed.

        I wonder why we bothered to work.

      4. We do see Trustees from the local jail picking up litter from the verges on the state roads from time to time.

        1. Quite right too.
          I would also pay a going wage to them for doing so.
          And deduct board and lodging from that wage.
          Anything left over I would put 50% into a pot for when they are released, and give them the other 50% to spend as they wished in prison.

          1. I think most of them are just happy to be outside for a while, plus it adds good points to their record I suppose!

          2. Both probably true.

            The way I see my approach is that it instructs people in financial self discipline.
            They are taught that one can make ends meet and how to prioritise how to spend that income.
            By “confiscating” 50% until release they eventually get a decent pot to cover the initial period outside.

            I’m not so naïve as to believe that most won’t blow it, but it might, just might, set a number off into a better life.

    2. Frequent television appeals in the 1950s and 1960s:

      KEEP BRITAIN TIDY.

      COUGHS AND SNEEZES SPREAD DISEASES: TRAP YOUR GERMS IN A HANDKERCHIEF.

      “Generation Z” would have to Google the arcane and archaic words, “Tidy” and “Handkerchief”.

      1. I used to use linen/cloth handkerchiefs for colds, but this current lurgee pushed me towards the paper versions.

        I have been horrified by how many paper ones I’ve been using, They go in the wood burner but even so, I use roughly a pack a day.

        1. Hah ! Lightweight. You should have seen the great Phizzee nosebleed fest. 30 hours of globular red snot. Just pouring out in gloops and globbets. I ended up giving up on tissues and used the dog blanket.

    3. Up here we have volunteers who tour the coast cleaning the beaches of litter and rubbish most of which comes off fishing boats whilst tourists leave litter on the roads for the council to clear up

    4. The last paragraph is worrying, it sounds like the writer is currently a serial litter lout about to change their ways.

    5. Personally I place my dog poo (in a plastic bag) in the dog waste bins provided. I don’t buy takeaway coffees and I haven’t yet caught anybody littering (that is not to say it doesn’t happen – local businesses seem to be the culprits judging by the names on the paper) so I can’t give them a piece of my mind.

    6. I clear litter – particularly cans and plastic bottles – on my walks round the area containing 3 secondary schools.
      There are litter bins roughly every hundred yards, but greeniac preaching doesn’t seem to cover the environment.
      Still, for another week, the litter won’t actually increase.

      1. We clear litter too on our dog walks. We were talking to a parish councillor about litter in the village and she said ‘well, there doesn’t to be much of it lying around, it’s not really a problem.’ We told her that it is because we pick it all up. People go to the village car park and empty their cars of litter on to the ground. Cigarette stubs by the dozen, coke cans, bottles, full packs of uneaten foodstuffs, a small bbq’s worth of raw chicken pieces…. you name it, we have probably picked it up…! There is a litter bin only 50 yards away from the furthest potentially parked car.

        1. Our villages organise litter picks every so often, as does our hunt. You’d be surprised (or perhaps you wouldn’t) by what gets thrown away.

        2. If your Parish councillor is so blind perhaps you should open her eyes. Throw all you collect into her front garden.

    7. I think a more proactive response would be is to collect that rubbish from fast food outlets and drop in in their doorways.

    2. I do find it interesting that people can say they are Native American Indian and black people who are actually white say they are …whatever…in public and on record when they are clearly lying/deluded and expect everyone else to accept what they say as truth. Their truth doesn’t make it true.

      4. Only if life forms on other worlds are reliant on a similar biochemistry to that which prevails here.

        2. I’m overweight as well as fully vaxxed and boosted. I’m sure my demise cannot come soon enough. It would be a useful tool for the anti-vax propaganda campaign.

          1. Take a page from the Grizz book of health. Eat more protein. Dump the takeaways and go to Nottler lunches more often.

    4. She had a nefarious influence on my neighbourhood.
      But Dave Cameron thought she was a good egg.
      Sorry for her family but apart from that …

  69. Me voici de retour, mes amis. Good craic chez my neighbour and a nice glass or two of red.

          2. And you claim to be a Nottler?
            In that time many Nottlers would have consumed a few sips more.

          5. Talking of litres – Diesel in London £158.9. Diesel at a Morrison’s near Chippenham £144.9…..

      1. Thank you – we had a lovely day, a bit fraught with two small children not to mention their parents! The photo could be entitled ‘Après le deluge’.

    4. Very nice too!
      Again, Happy Birthday and, if you have Premium Bonds, may ERNIE be generous tomorrow!

    5. Happy Birthday, Mum. 😀
      Love the Ipad cover… and the woofit (who looks a bit disapproving of something…)

      2. Probably thinking, “Oh God! She’s nearly pissed again!”

        {ducks down behind sandbag wall to await incoming!”

      3. The Ipad cover is a bit chewed in the top right corner, by the woofit! – who was probably getting tired of posing for the camera!

        1. When people get snippy about dogs being allowed in places, I point out that my dogs are better behaved than most children.

          2. When somebody was going on about how dirty dogs were, I told her you could catch far more diseases from the same species than you could from a different species. I wouldn’t have minded so much, but she let her son relieve himself by the car near which we were picnicking! She wouldn’t let him go to the lavatories over the other side of the infield (at Chester Races). So much for self-awareness.

      1. No, it’s his natural colouring, it matches his ears – it’s not the staining that some white dogs get. His groomer, who is also an international dog judge, said that his colouring is stunning. I guess he wants to keep our custom!

        1. He’s lovely. My neighbour has a black pug (that’s a DOG, for those with dirty minds!).

    9. Oh, how lovely! ❤

      I’m glady you’re having such a great day (I did send birthday wishes on Rastus’s thread, but – oddly enough 🤣 – a little late in the day. Still, I imagine you’ll have heard me singing anyway!! 😉🤣🤣

      1. Thank you, ashesthandust! I have been out most of the day and because of the atrocious weather on our return the server was down and we had no internet for several hours 😱😳. I will return to Rastus’s thread to give you an uptick! And yes, if I listen very carefully with a tin can, a piece of string and a seashell (large, conch) attached to my ear I can hear the faintest of strains of ‘Happy Birthday!’ winging its way in a north-north-easterly direction on the winds across the Atlantic!🤣

    13. Happy birthday. (I also posted earlier, think it was below Rastus’ comment/wishes). That is one handsome pup!

      1. Thank you Mum…. I did reply to your earlier post….. I’m sure I did, but it was later ‘cos the internet has been down for a few hours early evening.

        1. Indeed you did – weirdly, both notifications came through together. Maybe t’interweb got flooded here too ….
          We had flood alert phone calls (landline and mobiles), voicemails, texts and emails, though I think we’re fairly well protected by the Inland Drainage Board system & pumping stations. Next village along wasn’t so lucky but they are off the system.

    16. must be a big glass, you look very contented.

      doggo on the other hand looks wide awake and ready to party

    17. How wonderful you look for 77. You just need to tell your owner to go blonde just like you Rico !

      1. She may well do so…. she said her hair looks much darker than she thought it was….woof.

  72. That’s me for today.
    First day back at work is always bad, second day worse, so I’m away to my bed.
    Bis später!
    And, in case Sir Jasper is lurking – good night, Tom.

  73. Looking at the foreskincast, I might get a couple of hours to do a bit more sawing and chopping tomorrow, so I’m off to bed.
    G’night all.

        1. Thank you Ndovu, yes I did – we went to the Red Lion at Grantchester with younger son, wife and two little boys, chosen not because of its cuisine but for its child and dog friendliness. Food was ok. We returned in the most atrocious of weathers for cakes and tea at home. It was fine because I never have great expectations on this date, the atmosphere has very often fallen off a cliff but today people were still about despite (or perhaps because of) the heavy, squally rain.

          1. Glad you had a good day.

            I intended going out to buy some fresh veg etc – but ended up staying in and we ate cold leftovers for dinner.

            I’m still struggling to get to know my way round my new laptop. Younger son departs on Thursday so not much time left for troubleshooting.

          2. I was going to walk to town and get a few items of shopping, but the weather was so bad I decided I could do without until tomorrow when I shall have to drive so I shall have the car. Laziness prevailed!

          4. Anywhere that likes doggies has to be good. Glad you had a nice day. Cuisine is secondary !

  75. I see we could soon be upgraded to match the invaders. No need to show our passports at the border ….. though, unlike the invaders, we will still need to have our passport with us.
    If only they could manage to identify those of us with very poor eyesight without requiring us to remove our specs at the e-gates. I rely on MoH being behind me to tell me when the gate is open. :))
    https://www.msn.com/en-gb/lifestyle/travel/travellers-will-not-need-to-show-passports-to-enter-uk-in-new-trial/ar-AA1miroI?ocid=msedgntp&pc=LCTS&cvid=ac29e06008c84cb6aabf221a9a8a3503&ei=10
    On that note, goodnight all.

  76. Episode 2 of the Horizon scandal tonight – a great one to raise the blood pressure! There are several people in the Post Office and Fujitsu who should surely be in prison? British Justice??????

    1. Though some are and were guilty the majority of the accused were innocent. Reputations destroyed. Financial ruin. Suicides. Paula Vennels still walking the streets. This a woman of the cloth. I hope God strikes her down.

    2. Many of our past political classes should also be in prison.
      The example then set, our lives and the future of our own grandchildren may well have been more rewarding, more pleasant.

    3. Many of our past political classes should also be in prison.
      The example then set, our lives and the future of our own grandchildren may well have been more rewarding, more pleasant.

  77. Earlier today, Araminta posted this:
    Multiculturalism is tearing Britain apart

    The article referenced the 2005 Birmingham riot that the BBC was very reluctant to report and that I’ve referred to before:
    What’s behind the battle of Lozells?

    In The Times (London), Alice Miles noted that the media had been oddly silent about the riots: “Imagine if rival gangs of white youths rioted, leaving one of them dead: you wouldn’t be able to move for posing, pontification and woe.”

    Indeed. It isn’t much better now. The Peckham business was reported but through gritted teeth. Perhaps we can hope for a proper multi-ethnic, multi-cultural meltdown in 2024 to expose the danger of the idea.

        1. That’s because people refuse to cohese, despite all the benefits which would otherwise accrue. This stubborn refusal to adopt the lifestyles of these who have settled amongst us will prove our undoing.

          2. They simply don’t fit in, they should never have come here in the first place. They should have put ‘their own houses in order’ but couldn’t resist the opportunity for a better and easier lifestyle. Now their unsettled cultural habits are showing with their continuous agitation and their dissatisfaction with having to adapt to fit in.
            Perhaps for the sake of our own long established culture and social structure, they should consider their current positions.

          6. Ha ! Actually it was a four bed detached overlooking the resser. Ended up too big for me to manage so i let rooms to English students from Aston Uni. Made a lot of friends that way.

          8. Bought for £32,000 in 1984. Sold for £72,000 in 1989. Damned painful interest rates. Mortgage went up by £50 a month every month. Hence the lodgers. Still, it was enough to buy a bungalow on the south coast. Where i remain.

  81. Folks thanks for your help and advice regarding the pending parking fine I managed to get a response from their Head office today. It seems my appeal is pending and i have a feeling is will be accepted. But if not as TVs Mr Money Martin Lewis suggest on his website, the parking charge notice is merely and invoice. We will see what happens.
    Thanks again for your help. Cuppa tea time now 🙂☕

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