Saturday 23 November: Starmer should focus his attention on Britain’s true enemy in the Middle East

Posted on by Geoff Graham

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Intelligent, polite, good-humoured debate is welcome, whether on or off topic. Differing opinions are encouraged, but rudeness or personal attacks on other posters will not be tolerated. Posts which – in the opinion of the moderators – make this a less than cordial environment, are likely to be removed, without prior warning.  Persistent offenders will be banned.

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

866 thoughts on “Saturday 23 November: Starmer should focus his attention on Britain’s true enemy in the Middle East”

    1. First what?

      First among equals?
      First footer (41 days too early for that)?
      Or are you just firsty?

          1. Grizzly, thanks so much for introducing me to Betty on a Boat. It is so calming to watch. I've added the site to Favorites (sic).
            I always enjoyed the series of Great Canal Journeys with the recently-deceased Timothy West and Prunella Scales. Timothy was at school with me, though 6 years older.

    4. Good morning m'Dear!
      Is it morning in BA??
      I bet it's a bit bloody warmer than the UK at the moment!

      1. It’s *still* morning here. I’m three hours behind you.

        And… yes. Sorry! 😈 Walking to the bus stop at 3.30 a.m., I didn’t even really need my silk shawl, but threw it on simply to cover my bare shoulders. It is a beautiful time of year here; mostly pleasantly. sunny, the mosquitoes haven’t yet got their arses in gear, and the jacarandas are in full bloom. 🙂

  4. Good morning, chums, and thank you Geoff, for today's NoTTLe page.

    Wordle 1,253 6/6

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    1. Good morning Elsie and all
      Wordle 1,253 5/6

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  5. Ha!
    Accidentally posted today's Tale in yesterday's NTTL Blog.
    When I tried to re-post it this morning I got a nasty red message saying "You have already posted this comment, so I'll have to grab another from the Joke Book and put it here. Grrr!

    Good morning Geoff and all – never had a post refused before.
    Today's Tale:
    A teenager in jeans, braces and Doc Marten boots was travelling on a late-night train. In the carriage with him was an old lady, an attractive young woman and a policeman.
    As they entered the subway, the lights went out. In the darkness a kiss and a heavy blow could be heard. When the lights came on, the policeman was rubbing a swollen eye.
    The old lady thought, “That young lady must know self-defence and she hit the policeman for his unwelcome attention."
    The young woman thought, “Why would that policeman want to kiss that old lady instead of an attractive young woman like me?"
    The policeman thought. “That vandal in the Doc Martens must have made advances on the young lady. In the darkness she went to punch him, missed and hit me!"
    But here’s what really happened. The teenager kissed the back of his own hand and punched the policeman.

      1. Posting Refused
        Thanks Phiz – first I tried going back into yesterday's (erroneous) posting and deleted it back to the first character (as you know, you can't leave it empty), then changed that entry to Ouch!, hoping to destroy Disqus's memory of that post.

        But it seems that Disqus has a good memory, and would still not let me post the Tale that I had planned.

        I have seen Nottlers in the past posting the same reply twice on the same day when they had attached it to the wrong comment, so I figured it was possible.

        Anyway, I have learned from you this morning. Ta muchly.

  9. 397301+ up ticks,

    Morning Each,

    Seems very much like wars to order is the manipulation
    game / aim armament shares drop triggers a war situation, also it is tailored to fit the WEF / NWO / RESET CULLING agenda with royal seal.

    On the return of mass sanity the peoples WILL, using in a most forceful manner if needs be take the compulsory purchase road
    and Pay 50p a country mile for the return of, in our case England
    to its rightful God given owners.
    https://x.com/LeilaniDowding/status/1860094877012492581

    1. 397301+ up ticks,

      O2O,

      We have allowed via the polling stations the National Anthem to fall into, and take, a very questionable stance with very strong
      WEF / NWO / RESET connotations.

      Would we not find it more acceptable and comforting to be humming JERUSALEM when approached by thought guardian PC Twatter.

    2. 397301+ up ticks,

      O2O,

      We have allowed via the polling stations the National Anthem to fall into, and take, a very questionable stance with very strong
      WEF / NWO / RESET connotations.

      Would we not find it more acceptable and comforting to be humming JERUSALEM when approached by thought guardian PC Twatter.

  10. Late on parade. Good morrow gentlefolk, especially Geoff and thanks for his wonderful work on this site

    1. Just watched the GBN clip on Ukraine, posted yesterday. The problem Trump will have is the NATO & West, not Russia, who is being bled white over Ukraine. And is running out of soldiers, hence the Koreans.

        1. All the countries of Europe, over 100 years ago, who were directly involved in the causing of, and the continuance of, The Great War (WWI); were all run by politicians and generals who, without exception, were the most risible and useless pieces of clueless, self-satisfied and self-interested human excrement to have ever been born.

          'Lessons' are seldom learnt. It seems that we have an identical cartel of human brain-dead detritus in charge of most countries now, as we did back then.

          Add to that the fact that this earth is now infested by over four times the total of people that were present in 1914; plus the ever-growing influence of the power-crazed global corporations, the WEF, the UN, and 'Big Pharma' who — individually and collectively — assert more influence over the world than even political leaders do, then the reccipe is set for a rapid return to armageddon.

          I shall be 74 in February. Thank goodness I am not 14.

          1. Indeed.
            But all these organisations are run by people, not software (yet). I just wonder what infests their thought processes that tells them it's OK to actively seek death, destruction and suffering in large quantities, just to make them richer and more powerful? Is it a willy-waving exercise? And why do people (their cronies) go along with it?

  12. Good morning all,

    Wow , what a mild early morning temperature, 12c, surely not possible , but it is .

    Strong breeze , very damp , breeze not noisy yet .

    The difference in temp today , remembering yesterday , and icy grass , clumps of snow in the corner of the garden and icy roofs.. now the temp feels tropical , well almost .

    1. I did wonder if it's milder. I woke up this morning and realised I'd slept through without the extra blanket on the bed.
      I'll have to ask Spartie as he's the only one who's been outdoors so far this morning.

  13. Good morning all!
    And it's raining! Still -2°C on the Yard Thermometer but it's certainly wet outside.

  14. Off to an indoor Christmas market this morning – we usually do well there and its a nice warm venue. The Scouts do lunches and teas/coffee/cakes so we'll be ok and don't need to take our own supplies. Always an enjoyable event and the only one we're doing this winter.

  15. Morning, all Y'all.
    Beautiful sunrise: -10C or so overnight due to the open skies (and winter, of course).

    1. Morning, Paul. Clear blue skies, -1ºC overnight due to the open skies (and autumn, of course).😉

      1. Oh well, that should strip the remaining leaves off the old pear tree in our garden, so grandson can get it sorted on Wednesday.

        1. Yesterday, I still had some old pears off the Worcester Black by my gate, which I've been meaning to pick for a while. I doubt they are still there now.

  17. I see the obit for John Prescott is still in the online Telegraph, on what might be calles the "front page". That never happened in the paper versions, so maybe the paper's websites should be called "olds" rather that news…

        1. I know of a family who used to live in the New Forest, in a house with a few acres used for ponies, chickens, vegetables etc. During the war they had to fill in some sort of ration form for animal feed, and one of them glanced out of the window and saw a few swine munching contentedly on acorns. As a joke, he entered '2 pannage pigs' on the form and sure enough the War Ag sent him food (barleymeal?) for the unverified porkers for the duration of the war. (might have been more than two, it's a long time since I heard the tale.)

        2. I know of a family who used to live in the New Forest, in a house with a few acres used for ponies, chickens, vegetables etc. During the war they had to fill in some sort of ration form for animal feed, and one of them glanced out of the window and saw a few swine munching contentedly on acorns. As a joke, he entered '2 pannage pigs' on the form and sure enough the War Ag sent him food (barleymeal?) for the unverified porkers for the duration of the war. (might have been more than two, it's a long time since I heard the tale.)

  20. Good Moaning.
    Snuggled up in the warm (we is dead rich) wondering how on earth the charmless Reeves could have improved customer relations or the uptake of mortgages for the Halifax. I know Yorkies are down to earth and not taken in by flim flam, but even so ….

  22. AMSTERDAM, Nov 22 (Reuters) – NATO chief Mark Rutte is visiting U.S. President-elect Donald Trump at his residence in Florida, Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf reported on Friday, citing sources.
    Rutte flew on a Dutch government plane, the newspaper said. As NATO’s chief does not have a personal aircraft, the alliance often rents planes from NATO allies.
    Online flight radars show the Dutch government plane landed in Florida.
    Both the Dutch government and NATO did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
    Source. https://www.reuters.com/world/natos-rutte-visiting-us-president-elect-trump-de-telegraaf-reports-2024-11-22/

  23. AMSTERDAM, Nov 22 (Reuters) – NATO chief Mark Rutte is visiting U.S. President-elect Donald Trump at his residence in Florida, Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf reported on Friday, citing sources.
    Rutte flew on a Dutch government plane, the newspaper said. As NATO’s chief does not have a personal aircraft, the alliance often rents planes from NATO allies.
    Online flight radars show the Dutch government plane landed in Florida.
    Both the Dutch government and NATO did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
    Source. https://www.reuters.com/world/natos-rutte-visiting-us-president-elect-trump-de-telegraaf-reports-2024-11-22/

    1. Yes, his Cockney Accent was blooming terrible, but it was still excellent family entertainment when Disney still knew what that meant!

  25. Every day when I look at The Daily Telegraph I have to pinch myself and remind my pore addled brain that I am not, in fact, reading The Sun, The Daily Mail, Woman's Own or The Beezer.

    Those responsible for producing this sorry excuse for a rag (once the UK's premier news broadsheet) have an unhidden obsession with posting large, prominent photographs of a coterie of pointless, talent-free nonentities within its pages. The very same mediocrities every bloody day.

    This morning we have a large photograph of some vacuous over-entitled and over-rich bitch called 'Victoria Beckham' infesting most of the front page! If she doesn't feature in the paper — pictorially — then her gormless, pointless, overrated and under-talented husband does. WHY?

    Two others who invariably get a daily snapshot in the same publication are: Rachel Reeves and some minor tip-tapping-a-ball-over-a-net little girl called 'Emma Raducana'.

    Why the hell do the publishers of this dire bog-roll think that the average — intelligent — reader wishes to be given this daily 'treat'?

    WE DO NOT!

    1. Yes its so sad to see, the days of Max Hastings are totaly gone.
      The far left have taken over so much.

    4. It's the number of MSM degrees enabled under Blair, I think. (Good morning btw x) Much easier to download various **** from t'interweb than send reporters out to investigate/interview/write a report. If we want Conservative views to read have to turn to online ourselves…here, FSB, TCW (also Steyn), to name a few. Rain v heavy now, not a bird in sight, ground so slippy I can't venture out..so no feed either. At least it's not snow, that's still to come.

    5. Victoria Beckham is perhaps the driving force behind her husband's rise from workfloor to the boardroom. When a football player, David Beckham always seemed to be polite modest and well liked; as a businessman he is estimated to have assets worth several hundred million pounds, and of course he employs people and is a taxpayer. Victoria's fashion empire may be a loss making white elephant, but it appears to employ more than 100 people.

        2. Agreed! However The Telegraph is a global brand and the editorial team have to include 'clickbait' articles because the sales revenue depends on advertising as much as (or more than) subscriptions. At a guess, there will be a proportion of the female readership who like to sneer at Victoria and ogle at David. And such ladies may frequently purchase goods and services, eg clothing and cosmetics.

    1. Good morning TB, and everyone.
      I beg to differ; the lockdown was about preserving the status quo, especially the NHS. The vast majority of NHS clinical staff expect to work with patients who do not present (like that word!) with a possibly fatal and highly contagious new virus. Very few medics sign up to work with people suffering from diseases such as Ebola, or polonium poisoning.

        3. And muslims use the Left Hand to 'finish' the ablution, which is why they never ever contact people with it.

          When punished for stealing, the Right Hand is cut of: see above

        4. Correct – they use their left hands and water. That's why one commonly-used proxy indicator of the true population of the UK so as to include those not registered on a census, namely the amount of toilet paper sold, is not a valid indicator.

        5. My brother contracted typhoid fever after a trip to the Lake District. He worked out that he must have caught it during a meal in an Indian (i.e. Bangladeshi) restaurant. He remembered asking for a glass of tap water and noticed that the waiter had his thumb in the glass (he didn't think anything of it at the time). The logical conclusion is that the waiter was a 'typhoid mary' who follows the Muslim way of 'cleaning' himself after taking a dump.

        6. When we first deployed to Saudi at the start of Gulf War 1, we were in temporary accommodation and one of the chaps was having a 'shower' in the toilet block until we told him that the hose he was using was just the water feed for washing your harris with your hand. He did wonder why the shower had a strange water bowl………….

        7. No they don’t, as the Wahu toilets (or whatever they are called in Birmingham airport) will attest; and the toilets i come across in my travels in Indonesia, India and Saudi (hosepipes at the side)

    2. Good morning TB, and everyone.
      I beg to differ; the lockdown was about preserving the status quo, especially the NHS. The vast majority of NHS clinical staff expect to work with patients who do not present (like that word!) with a possibly fatal and highly contagious new virus. Very few medics sign up to work with people suffering from diseases such as Ebola, or polonium poisoning.

  27. Bugger!

    2½" of overnight frozen snow here. You'd need more than stilettos to wade (crunch) through that!

    1. I've kept an old pair of spiked golf shoes in the rack in the garage. I've only used them once in 12 years.
      I hope I never need them again. 🤔🤗

  29. Starmer should focus his attention on Britain's true enemy? From his globalist point of view, Britain is the enemy. And from ours, he and his globalist bosses like Blackrock, are ours.

    One product of the Big Socialist State with Big Business is wokery, and today Free Speech is proud to present you with some good old vile hatred and intolerance, in the form of Paul Sutton’s ‘ Jaguar Jumps Into The Woke Fire ’ article on the hideous advert that will probably finish off the century-old car maker. The fools at Jaguar remind FSB of the fools at the Tory party, constantly mocking their natural support while making no gains in the section of society they appear to be marketing to.

    And please read Iain Hunter’s proposals for rectifying the political mess 30 years of woke government have produced, as only clear, blue skies thinking will get us out of it.

    Energy Watch: Demand at 0800: 34.624 GW. Supply: Hydrocarbon = 9.1%; Renewables = 60.4%; Nuclear = 12%; Biomass = 7.3% and Imports 9%.

    2. He's deliberately and completely out of kilter with UK public opinion.
      That really makes him and his cabinet the enemy of the state.
      There really needs to be an alternative to suffering from further pain and fibacial distress in our lives.

    1. Sarah Lee (The Guardian photographer) did try.. for several hours to capture at least one hijab but there just weren't any.

        1. Nah. Islam doesn't do garden nursery. Islam doesn't do toilet paper. Because everything Islamic makes sense…

        2. Nah. Islam doesn't do garden nursery. Islam doesn't do toilet paper. Because everything Islamic makes sense…

        3. You're blooming right.
          We've been to a couple of them in the past. Achy legs from short stepping and boredom are usually very present.

  31. Morning all 🙂😊
    Wet windy and of course very grey.
    Let's be honest about the current government, they are as pointless and as useless as the last tory government. Wreckers fits the description of all of them. They are all the worst enemies the UK has ever had.
    We haven't seen such massive events mainly caused by illegal invasion since the Vikings arrived uninvited. And both of our recent mobs in Wastemonster have been working alongside the invaders by actually encouraging them to turn up and accept the free offers of bed breakfast evening meal etc. Seemingly for as long as they want. And meanwhile robbing the British public of more than 8 million pounds each day to pay for the stupid and unforced errors they have all made.
    'Government' is about successfully running a country, not ruining people's lives and futures by wrecking every single thing they come into contact with.

    1. Unless you've missed the news, the current government is far worse then the previous Conservative government. The previous government were quite useless in many ways but the economy was in a reasonable shape, they just wanted to please everyone. This present Trotskyite government is utterly venal, they are full of hate and spite and want revenge on the entire country of whom they hate . They hate middle class businesses, farmers, private schools, they truly hate pensioners but they love China and Muslims and have betrayed Israel. Starmer Is a sociopath and Thieving Reeves is a liar and they are all amatuer politicians who have crashed the economy and are driving businesses, wealth creators and pensioners away from this country- not to mention this is now a police state . Whatever the failings of the Conservatives ( and there were many ) for most it's buyers regret – this 70s Labour Government is the most cruel and venal in the history of this country.

        1. Evil Starmer has destroyed this country in just 4 months with the help of his liar amatuer chancellor and vengeful government, there will be no country left in 5 years let alone 8 years. Just thank heavens Harris didn’t win the US election.

          1. Harris didn't win the US election.
            It's not over till the Fat Lady sings..

            I can't imagine Blackrock will permit the overthrow of their own regime..

          3. I don't usually finish people's sentences:

            He's following in the footsteps of B Liar, Cameron, May, Sunak

      2. There was a change of Government at the first general election I voted in. I voted Liberal and got Labour, largely because Ted Heath refused the Liberals proportional representation, and so the Tory Government fell.

        As it was in 2024, Starmer would have never have got into Government on a 20% mandate without the Tories at home not voting as they did.

      3. Morning Audrey, for 20% of the voting populace it's "buyer's regret". Something really must be done about our very imperfect voting system. I think Kneelalot is going to do something about it. He's probably going to hand everything over to lawyers to sideline Westminster altogether.

      5. I totally agree with you regarding this labour government they are vile.
        And of course I haven't missed the news, I'm a Nottler.
        But out of the thousands involved in our parliamentary system and Whitehall not a single voice has been heard even attempting to explain why all these illegal invaders are being encouraged or accepted into the UK.
        My guess is that they are obviously all in to together. There is no other explanation for it. And as I said we simply cannot accept or afford it.

      6. They are just implementing the next stage. It was clear the Tories didn't want to win the last election. They didn't want to be responsible for the land grab.

    2. The Vikings were a few thousand fighting men who settled down, married local girls and accepted Christianity very quickly. They were savage on the battlefield but their domestic habits were a lot better than the current invaders.

      1. The Vikings were also adept at metal work, both for warfare and decoration, and they weren't bad at building boats and navigating around the known World, either.

      2. Our present invaders are following their issued orders.
        It seems that it will be a lot more obvious as they are let out into the open.

      3. I'm currently reading Icelandic Sagas. It seems they were quite adept at feuding and killing each other….!

    3. Morning, RE.

      The logic of your last sentence indicates that we do not have a government, and you would be correct. What we have is a cabal consisting of many people who do not, and never intended to, follow the wishes of the people. They have an agenda that is inimical to the genuine British people and the wellbeing of the UK.

      It wouldn't matter if the Tories or the LibDums were in government, they are all signed up to the agenda. Musk believes that the main parties will be crushed at the next election. If the UK is to have any chance of existing as the people want, then Musk has to be correct.

  32. HUSHED HEAT PUMP

    SIR – We’ve had a heat pump for a year and would highly recommend one.

    Matthew Lynn says they “screech through the night…keeping the whole street awake” (“Ed Miliband’s new heat pump plan could spark civil unrest”, Comment, November 22), but whenever people ask us about the noise, the closest comparison we can find is a fridge – perhaps a little louder in cold weeks like this one.

    Mr Lynn is welcome to come round with his noise meter and check.

    Andrew Ingram
    Maidenhead, Berkshire

    That is a spot-on description of the level of sound that a heat-pump makes, Andy.

    I have four such items around my home. One in the kitchen, which warms that room and then percolates the heat upstairs to my open-plan living- and bedroom area; one in my workshop/studio (man-cave); one in the large conservatory; and another in the annexe.

    The noise from them disturbs me just as much as the noise from the fridge does, i.e. I never notice them. Plus, they are certainly not noisy on the outside of the house.

    Matthew Lynn, whoever the hell he is, is quite evidently an overexcitable and moronic liar.

    1. Maybe he was sticking a bent screwdriver in the works to make it shut up? That might explain the screeching.

      They don't like it up 'em.

    3. I don't imagine that heat pumps will make any more noise than my oil fired boiler, however……………..it's not clear whether the discussion is about 'air to air' or 'air to water' heat pumps (air to air not suffering the same disadvantage as air to water heat pumps, where the circulating water is heated to a lower temperature than say a gas boiler, and therefore has to either have special radiators and/or the heating on most of the time).

      I haven't read Matthew Lynn's article but perhaps he was considering the aggregated noise of lots of external heat pumps running in close proximity in a built-up area?

      1. Min är luft/luft värmepumpar.

        [Mine are air/air heat pump]

        Walk down any street, here in Sweden, and you do not hear a single noise from heat pumps. I can only surmise that inferior technology is being foisted on the gullible British.

        1. My sister has an air source heat pump and noise doesn't seem to be an issue. But as we live in a rural area (she has an old farmstead) there's only the cattle to annoy! I just wondered if you try this in a city, particularly with high rise blocks of flats, whether the noise would be an issue.

        2. My sister has an air source heat pump and noise doesn't seem to be an issue. But as we live in a rural area (she has an old farmstead) there's only the cattle to annoy! I just wondered if you try this in a city, particularly with high rise blocks of flats, whether the noise would be an issue.

      2. Min är luft/luft värmepumpar.

        [Mine are air/air heat pump]

        Walk down any street, here in Sweden, and you do not hear a single noise from heat pumps. I can only surmise that inferior technology is being foisted on the gullible British.

    4. Your home will never be warm enough again unless you back up with mains electricity. We did a lot of work on heat pumps and they are not fit for a domestic envionment.i

      1. My home is warm enough, John (as are most others in Sweden). Heat pumps are ubiquitous in this cold country and no one has a cold home.

        Our walls are 15" thick and fully-insulated. Our windows are triple-glazed. We have no draughts.

        I can understand the reluctance in the UK, since homes there are neither adequately insulated nor ventilated.

  33. I liked these comments on the DTL page.

    Funny how a few of us have the same thoughts.

    PP

    Pompous Pirate
    15 min ago
    So many of the Islamic regimes in the Middle East exemplify the intolerance, cruelty, prejudice and obscurantism that socialist parties have battled against for 200 years. Starmer’s indifference to their faults is a warning to us all

    Reply by E Hatfield.

    EH

    E Hatfield
    14 min ago
    They have bought him and his henchpersons. He admires their control and he needs their votes.

    Reply by As any fule kno.

    Aa

    As any fule kno
    1 min ago
    I’m not sure he’s indifferent. He may enjoy the suffering. There’s something wrong with him.

    1. Has socialism been around for 200 years? However long it’s been, it was always every bit as vicious and cruel as Mohammedan teaching. Socialist regimes in the 20th century killed at least 150 million people. They were never benign.

      1. Morning Sue. They weren’t Doctrinal Socialists of course but they enshrined most of their beliefs. The Taiping Rebellion in China killed a reputed sixty million people.
        .

      2. Sue, in India Islam slaughtered: "80 million between 1000 AD and 1525 AD, an extermination unparalleled in World history. This slaughter of millions of people occurred over regular periods during many centuries of Arab, Afghan, Turkish and Mughal rule in India." This is from, Mughal India ~ The Biggest Holocaust in World History.

        Muslim Rajas would hold competitions which consisted of who could kill the most non-Muslims in a given time. the aim was to form a pyramid of heads that you could not see over, even if you were on horseback.

        I have a book that I recommend for those who are somewhat relaxed about Islam. It's called: "The legacy of Jihad."

        There is no doubt that when taken over the time that Islam has existed it has killed at least twice the number I have quoted above. when you take into account the conquest of the Christian lands of Africa and other lands.

        2. The appeaser’s response is usually but, but, but…the Spanish Inquisition. The Spanish Inquisition killed approximately ten thousand people. The story that it killed 92 million is nonsense. There were only 90 million people in the whole of Europe at the time.

        4. That is certainly a very interesting and quite terrifying observation.

          From my (admittedly, very rough) arithmetical calculations, here is what I have found:

          World population in 1000AD ≈ 250,000,000. World population in 1525AD ≈ 450,000,000.
          Mean world population in that period ≈ 350,000,000.
          ∴ Percentage of world population slaughtered by Islam — in just India (!) —during that time period ≈ 23%.

          World population in 1927AD ≈ 2,000,000,000. World population in 1970 ≈ 3,690,000,000.
          Mean world population in that period ≈ 2,845,000,000.
          ∴ Percentage of world population killed under Socialism (Stalin, Hitler, Mao, etc…) ≈ 5·6%.

          On a pro-rata basis the early second millennium was, indeed, a hugely bloody time for the species.

      3. Sue, in India Islam slaughtered: "80 million between 1000 AD and 1525 AD, an extermination unparalleled in World history. This slaughter of millions of people occurred over regular periods during many centuries of Arab, Afghan, Turkish and Mughal rule in India." This is from, Mughal India ~ The Biggest Holocaust in World History.

        Muslim Rajas would hold competitions which consisted of who could kill the most non-Muslims in a given time. the aim was to form a pyramid of heads that you could not see over, even if you were on horseback.

        I have a book that I recommend for those who are somewhat relaxed about Islam. It's called: "The legacy of Jihad."

        There is no doubt that when taken over the time that Islam has existed it has killed at least twice the number I have quoted above. when you take into account the conquest of the Christian lands of Africa and other lands.

      4. Marxism was their first go at a world government of elites and serfs. "Workers' rights" were the bait.

      5. The original roots of Marxism were sort of rational. There were no regulations on industry, all sorts of awful actions went on, child labour, appalling working days. Marx had a point to stop that through the workers owning the industry and over throwing their masters. Thing is, Marx was a burgeois layabout who troughed on someone elses' money – Engels, if memory serves. He, like all socialists was comfortably removed physically and monetarily from the ideological dictat he spouted.

        Much like today's socialists.

        When you look back through history, what really changed things for workers was changing industry. Some government regulation helped but it was changing markets that really forced the hand of factories.

        Notably on his deathed Marx said 'if that is Marxism, I am not a Marxist.

        If only our fools had the awareness to realise how awful and damaging their current policies are.

    2. Socialists are quite fond of prejudice, cruelty and intolerance. They've been practising them for decades.

    3. He reminds me of a 16-17th century Puritan, a Witchfinder General. He has the same cruel glint of zealous enjoyment in his eyes.

  34. Good morning, Katy.😘

    Very true.

    Over two inches of frozen snow here and the bird-feeders are now attracting the usual gang of tree-sparrows, along with a handful of great tits, greenfinches and chaffinches. Those feeders are enclosed within a large home-made cage that I installed a decade ago that is partially hidden within a copse. It has a one square metre base and top, and is two metres high with an access door. The entire edifice is covered in a plastic-coated wire mesh of 50mm apertures. This allows small birds to rapidly fly in-and-out without obstruction, yet keeps out the greedy rooks and magpies.

    It also provides a small degree of protection against marauding sparrowhawks but not sufficient to prevent them from having their well-deserved breakfast.

    1. STOP PRESS:

      The first brambling of the autumn has now turned up on the feeder (and has brought a blue tit with it).👍🏻

      1. Two years ago we had a flock of over 100 Brambling roosting at dusk in a Hawthorn thicket. However, they haven't returned this year…. 🙁

      2. Hooray, nice. The last one I saw here was about 5-years ago. I did, however, hear a hoopoe across the field last week.

    2. Sounds brilliant, Grizzly…I’ll have to get Him In the Workshop to make me one…can’t venture out as yet, too much ice, now very heavy rain so road will be flooded. I haven’t seen a sparrowhawk for approx 10 days, but I know there are people who shoot. Do you have a camera in your bird feeder unit? 😘

      1. No. But I have my long 200–500mm telephoto zoom which I use from the shower-room window, which overlooks the garden.

      2. No. But I have my long 200–500mm telephoto zoom which I use from the shower-room window, which overlooks the garden.

    3. Or as the great BBC newsreader Robert Dougall once succinctly summarised "great tits like coconuts".

    4. This morning saw another sparrow hawk zoom past the window, turn 90° to the feeder, miss the birds on the feeder, do a somersault and return the way it had come. Much larger than the previous one so am assuming it was a female.

  36. Morning to you all. Very dark here and the wind is actually up. Does a windmill function at 26 mph? It's the speed here and oddly I can't find on the internet anything to do with the speed of the wind for turbines.

    I watched this last night and thought I would pass it on. This lady is chockfull of information about where our money goes when we pay up for our energy. It's outrageous because a couple of things are just plain thievery. There is no other way to put it. And our prices are going up in January again!

    “He’s A Total PLANK” | Keir Starmer Blasted Over Rising Energy Costs

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1kHpJhb8oY

    1. The reason they go on about "typical cost" rather than simply putting up the actual prices is that the lion's share of the rise goes on Standing Charge (now typically a pound a day for dual use), which levies demands for payment for absolutely nothing other than the lieence to supply, which is governed by a cartel.

      1. And when the price of energy reduces the standing charges go up. A bit like the scam where you used to pay for a landline connection. It was about £20 a month before we switched to Digital Voice where landline retention (via the internet) is £2 a month. But my overall bill is much the same – they just dropped the missing revenue into broadband charges.

        1. Quite so, I just got them to remove the phone line altogether instead of shifting to digital voice, (VOIP basically). BT also expected me to go over to their standard router in order to work it all, which arrived in the post unannounced. It's still in its packaging to this day unopened. Talk about hustle.

    2. Jonathan, has a read of : https://davidturver.substack.com/archive

      That will explain in significant detail where the money goes. You'll get rather angry as you find out the windmills are paid when they don't turn, when they do – 4 times the cost of gas (as remember gas is taxed so heavily) and when they can't,due to wind speed being too high.

      It's win win – deliberately. The state is ripping us off to fund these useless, inefficient, horrifically expensive, ecologically damaging, destructive, pointless eyesore monuments to folly.

    3. Jonathan, has a read of : https://davidturver.substack.com/archive

      That will explain in significant detail where the money goes. You'll get rather angry as you find out the windmills are paid when they don't turn, when they do – 4 times the cost of gas (as remember gas is taxed so heavily) and when they can't,due to wind speed being too high.

      It's win win – deliberately. The state is ripping us off to fund these useless, inefficient, horrifically expensive, ecologically damaging, destructive, pointless eyesore monuments to folly.

    1. That's not especially grown up. I'd hope they'd have said 'The ICC has over-reached here in this accusation. We, the US stands with Israel against the Hamas aggressor. We hope our allies do as well'

      As the Left wing led European nations are all antisemitic, Trudeau hates anything that he can't control.

      The gulf between public feeling and government dictat has never been wider in so many countries.

    2. Oh don't tell Starmer! He will be overjoyed! Something else to take the blame for his policies!

    3. He's right. It is absolutely appalling that so called Democratic countries should support the arrest of Netanyahu.

    1. He thinks he is growing it. I suppose, in his mind as the public sector gets ever bigger he is – just that's not the economy. He exists in a statist bubble. None of them have made anything, built anything for worked for anything so they don't value it, thus are happily spraying grafitti and vomiting on it.

  39. Yvette Cooper plans to expand non-crime hate incidents despite Pearson row
    Home Secretary ignores backlash over threat to free speech
     https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/11/22/home-secretary-yvette-copper-allison-pearson-row-telegraph/

    BTL

    How much evidence of state tyranny and oppression, corruption and incompetence is needed before revolution and the overthrow of a government becomes a moral and necessary obligation? And how near that point have we now reached?

    1. Rejoice. That's my stance.
      You'll require x1000 more of this lunacy before the Normies finally wake up..
      You'll require x1000 more of this lunacy before the electorate eradicate the Wet Tory party.

      1. Anyone with the most passing knowledge of logic and government knew how this would pan out.
        Come on, NOTTLers: uptick me for getting 'logic' and 'government' into the same sentence.

    3. I'm not keen on her hair cut.
      Er ….
      Phil ….. start baking that cake. The one with the well hidden file.

    5. We're long past the government needing to be recalled and sacked. The very idea of a non crime hate incident is pure thoughtcrime. It is just a system of controlling people. The evil, nasty Left love this sort of thing: no recourse, no evidence needed, no proof needed just accusation – just 'how I feel' and opinions are like bottoms. Everyone's got one.

      2. A 'McAuliffe'.

        Battle for Bastogne in December 1944. When asked to surrender US Gen McAuliffe's response was "Nuts" – gets this pair two ways.

    7. If we lived in the late Victorian/Edwardian era the asylum's would be busting at the seams.

      It's obviously all gone over her head.

  40. My boiler engineer stopped fitting heat pumps as the correct conditions for them to work efficiently are often not in place. He does have occasional requests to remove a heat pump and re-install a gas or oil boiler (whilst you still can).

  41. I've been too busy recently to post much here, so I'm a bit behind with bringing to readers' attention the following article about the resignation of Justin Welby as Archbishop of Canterbury. I expect that many here will agree with the theme of it. As a bit of background, the website publishes articles on the Christian religion from an American Catholic point-of-view, but with a non-partisan and highly-considered intelligent approach. I have found that many of the articles that I have read in the past have provided valuable insight on the subject covered, especially those by the author of this one, Carl Trueman.

    He concludes his article with these words:
    "But if we set the scandal aside for a moment, the bigger question is: Did Welby ever do anything that might have justified him continuing as archbishop? He was certainly well-known for public statements but only on issues that played well with the wider secular world and in a manner that resonated with the trendy cultural consensus. He even presided over a break in his own communion over the issue of homosexuality. Predictably, he did not side with the orthodox. Tasked as a leader in Christ’s church with pointing his people to the transcendent God, he was instead the quintessential archbishop of the immanent. Perhaps orthodox in his own convictions, he never let them interfere in his public ministry in any way that would have cost a sympathetic news headline.

    Now he has fallen for allegedly assisting in the covering-up of abuse. He should have fallen much earlier for covering up of orthodoxy. That he did not do so tells us all we need to know about the priorities of the church over which he so pointlessly presided for so many years."
    Full text at https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2024/11/the-fall-of-archbishop-welby (free access)

    1. In my 76 years I cannot remember an Archbishop Of Canterbury who has been so destructive to the Anglican Church and I can remember as far back as Geoffrey Fisher. Welby will not be missed. Let's hope the next Archbishop promotes Christianity with vigor as the established religion of this country.

      2. A pious hope, johnathan, but one I fear will be doomed to failure. The next ABC will be black, female, probably lesbian and with a barely touching acquaintance with the Word of God.

  42. The DT joins in with the fear porn:

    ‘Risk to life’ warning as Storm Bert hits Britain
    Travel set to be widely disrupted as Met Office issues amber and yellow alerts across the UK

    We're in the middle timeframe of three warnings here for snow, wind and rain. So far it feels like, er, November. A bit wet and a bit breezy.

    1. I've nipped out into the garden and given the remaining leaves still clinging onto the pear tree branches a Very Significant Look.
      Mother Going Quiet; that should do the trick.

    2. We had warnings that "parts of Shropshire might be cut off". Like we have no experience of not being able to travel?

  43. Lucky old Brentwood and Ongar. They seem to have a fun MP with a hinterland.
    And I've learnt a useful pub quiz factoid.

    Snippet from ConHome.

    “What is the Government doing to bring down inflation?” It was the first appearance at Prime Minister’s Questions of Alex Burghart, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, deputed by Kemi Badenoch to stand in for her because Sir Keir Starmer was on his way back from Brazil, where the nuts come from.

    A good opening question, brief and hard to answer, as inflation has just risen.

    Angela Rayner, standing in for Starmer, had the wit not to try to answer it. She said Burghart was the Minister for Growth under Liz Truss, when inflation was 11.1 per cent.

    Burghart smiled in an amiable way. He is a historian by training, whose doctoral thesis was on The Mercian polity, 716-918, and presumably he has some sketchy recollections of the Truss polity too.

    Those of us who love history were hoping Burghart might range at ease over our island story, for he mentioned in his maiden speech that the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 “started on the high street in Brentwood”, which is in his constituency, and was “a rebellion against vexatious taxation levied by a distant, overbearing Government”."

    1. Government – Left wing government especially – has no understanding of inflation. The state quite likes it. It makes the debt lower because the currency is worth less.

  44. Pathetic isn’t it? We’ve got about 2 inches of snow here, and apart from the birds feeding on my super dooper porage, there is nothing moving!
    Good morning by the way!

      1. Yes same here! Soaking away nicely…only after I cleared the drive, of course!🤦🏻‍♀️

  47. Justice in action.. The CPS confirmed that it is waiting for the IOPC, Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC)

    Catherine Bates of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) visited victims Fahir Amaaz & his brother Muhammad Amaad to decide whether the two Manchester airport police officers should be referred to the CPS for charges of causing extreme distress while resisting a windmill from a respected member of our community.

    She is also investigating whether any officers were responsible for leaking the CCTV footage to the Manchester Evening News.
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/472769c36b84739094bebe12540f8adeb782b665746303aee817bcc69f7bd5ca.png

    1. Fun fact:
      An off-duty policeman from Saudia Arabia who was holidaying with his family pushed his trolley into the mother of the kind & gentle sons Fahir Amaaz & Muhammad Amaad in the baggage hall of the terminal.

      Her sons, having learned what allegedly happened, sought him out in a Starbucks coffee shop where an altercation ensued which led to the brothers being arrested amid chaotic scenes in the car park.

    3. Hang on. The attackers were asked if the victims should be charged?

      Utter madness. Utter, complete madness.

    5. Now there's a face that would make a perfectly adequate football.
      Full of puffed-up air and just made for kicking.

  50. Oreshnik and Old Laissez – faire?

    Soon after warning that Russia's newly deployed 'Oreshnik' nuclear capable hypersonic missile is able to reach any European capital, at a top speed of Mach 10+ —which is significantly faster than a bullet—Russian state media issued an ominous infographic.

    It touts that Eastern European capitals could be hit in a matter of a few minutes, and that Berlin is reachable in only 15. It lists capitals as far away from the Kapustin Yar rocket launch complex like London and Paris as reachable by the Oreshnik in just 20 minutes. This means if proverbial all hell broke loose and WW3 came to Europe, these populations would have very little time to reach shelter.

    1. Wasn’t the Putin claim of Mach 10 just for the terminal velocity? Plenty of ballistic missiles have a terminal velocity in high Mach numbers. Kapustin Yar is an R&D facility rather than one for operational use so, if Oreshniks are going to be launched from there, it is unlikely that Putin has many of them and likely that they are not operational.

  52. With 1,252 five letter words already used it is difficult to find one that hasn't been used before:
    Wordle 1,253 4/6

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

    1. That was a odd result today.

      Wordle 1,253 4/6

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

    2. The govt incites community tensions and causes huge concern. There is no reason why we could not sue the government, I don't think. If you look at the criteria on the Gov Uk Hate Crime Incident Code of Practice:
      An NCHI should only be recorded 'if an event presents a real risk: of significant harm to individuals or groups with a particular characteristic or characteristics,'
      Well that's us, isn't it? We are subjected to abuse and prejudice constantly because we are white. The harm it is doing to our national psyche and across our once cohesive and functioning institutions is significantly harmful.

  57. I had to call out a plumber last month £95. Bog blocked. He cleared the blockage. Had to call him out again the following day as bog blocked again.
    He pushed his camera up.
    He said a build up of limescale was the problem and tissues were catching on it and causing the blockage.
    He said he cleared it with a power washer.
    Bog is blocked again and Sunday call out is £135.

    If he had done the job properly in the first place i wouldn't need to call him out again.

    Should i let him clear it then have a stand up row and refuse to pay?

          1. Aye, I use it to descale our kettle every so often. I'll admit i've never had to decale a loo. The one time I did I simply poured cola down it as that is what plumber man suggested.

          2. I wipe down our shower-cubicle doors with a squeegee after each time I shower. Once a week they get a wipe-down with vinegar or a cut lemon.

            The kettle and the coffee machines (espresso and filter) get a monthly descaling, also using cheap white distilled vinegar.

          4. It is mains sourced from the local water authority, here in Skåne

            It is a fairly hard water but nowhere near as hard as the water I used to suffer in Norfolk.

          7. When I lived in North Yorkshire, I had to descale my kettle and showerhead at least once a month.
            I've been home in Brun for 26 years and never had to do it once. Thank you Wales for our soft water from Elan valley.

    5. You should pay his first bill, then when he bills you again, pay that. Then find a different plumber.

      In the meanwhile, drop a calgon tablet in your 'water using appliances'. We get masses of hair build up in the bathroom as 3 big dogs can't go anywhere without dropping fluff. The warqueen also loses a few when she washes her hair or shaves her moustache.

      We've a rule that you rinse down the walls after a shower and make sure it all runs away.

    6. If you can find it, a product called "Destop Turbo Ultra Rapid Gel" is very effective as an unblocking agent.

    7. Snap. My wife is in the middle of trying to clear ours. Our grandson dashed in to the loo earlier. I called everything OK? Yes came the reply. With a No 2 I have to wipe his bottom as he is unable to with his Dystonia affecting his hands. However it turned out he had missed the bowl and was trying to wipe the floor with toilet paper and had shoved the majority of the roll down the loo. Lovely.

    8. Afternoon Phizzee. I'm opposed to rows with hirelings. It never gets you anything except added stress. Better to vote with your feet and find another plumber.

    9. We have a powerful pickling (and cleaning) vinegar over here called Ättika that is 24% acid. I hate its flavour but it is wonderful for descaling projects.

      1. I'm not that conversant with Scandinavian cuisine, but it that rotting fish that is a delicacy out there pickled with acid? If so, would it be just as good at clearing drains a few hours after a hearty meal?

        1. Scandinavian cuisine is more versatile and varied than you may think. Surströmming (fermented canned herring) is a seasonal rarity and most Swedes wouldn’t be seen dead anywhere near it.
          I cannot understand why people have closed minds and idiotic preconceptions about Scandinavian food. If it were as bad as the uneducated and gullible would have it, neither Paul nor I would have come to live here.

          1. Yet you make a lot of your own stuff because you can't get it in Sweden. It can't be that brilliant, can it?

          2. I make my own stuff because there are a lot of things that I grew up with that can’t be bought over here.
            But that fact doesn’t detract from a complex and comprehensive Scandinavian cuisine, most of which I also love.
            Don’t cast aspersions on a diet and culture of which you know very little.

          3. I am not casting aspersions on any diet. I merely remarked that you make a lot of stuff because you can't get it there. That, judging by your frequent posts on the subject, is a statement of truth, rather than an aspersion. Perhaps I should have written "that means that there are things lacking there"?

          4. They have these urban legends because they are entertaining. The first Scandinavian meal I had was Swedish reindeer chunks, and they were delicious. The biggest carrot I have ever seen was Norwegian, having grown into a monster during the long summer days.

            Every country has its culinary specialities much derided by foreigners. I once gave a French family a pot of Marmite, and they all thought I was poisoning them.

            In the Philippines, I never got up the courage to try balut – which is regarded there as an aphrodisiac and fertility enhancer. They take a fertilised chicken egg and leave it out in the sun for several weeks, and then sell it as a snack, a putrid watery mess often enhanced by a developing chick, complete with beak and feathers.

            And that’s before we start on the Chinese, other than to say never to bring a family pet to the restaurant for a doggie bag. Americans often come to grief there when they ask for hot dog.

            In parts of Malaysia, it is wise to make the distinction between pork and long pig. They say the latter tastes of chicken. Buffalo wings in the States are chicken, not flying buffalo.

          5. When a couple of young electricians and fitters from the maintenance department at Raleigh Cycles in Nottingham were given the opportunity of spending some time in China to help set up a new cycle factory they jumped at the chance. ‘Oh, yes” they declared, “Lovely Chinese nosh every day!”

            They were utterly crestfallen on their return home as they soon discovered, after arriving, that “Chinese nosh”, in the reality of remote peasant strongholds, was a repetitious everyday diet of boiled fish and boiled rice.

          6. In Poland on a cultural exchange in 1979, lunch was pickled cucumber followed by the dish of the day. The Poles dreaded what they referred to as “Russian food”. Sometimes, it was “fish soup” – bits of whatever came off the ship floating around in boiled water. The most devastating were these rice dumplings. Three of them completely seized my innards for several days. Nothing would pass.

    10. There are lots of strong lime scale removers on the Internet, have a look.

      He obviously didn't do what he charged for in the first place, or it wouldn't have happened again.

    11. Have a good strong curry and blow the drain clean.

      He obviously didn't shove his camera far enough and just scratched the surface of the blockage. Make sure that he has put his tools away before refusing to pay, otherwise he could just drag the snake across your carpets when he leaves.

    12. Have a good strong curry and blow the drain clean.

      He obviously didn't shove his camera far enough and just scratched the surface of the blockage. Make sure that he has put his tools away before refusing to pay, otherwise he could just drag the snake across your carpets when he leaves.

    13. A water softener may help tho not immediately. We’ve had one for 30 odd years and never had a blocked loo.

    14. Mix large quantity (a pint, say) 50% Industrial sodium bicarbonate – 50% white vinegar. Pour into bog. Leave for 15 minutes. Flush (with success)

    15. Cheaper to go and stay down the pub for the night and buy a plunger on Monday. Cheap and will be on hand for future blockages… and useful if anyone gets gobby at one of your doos!

    16. I buy these in a local shop – the types of small general household store that stocks absolutely everything. They're £1.25 each and you need one per drain/outlet. I put one in each drain every year (2 showers, 1 bath, 4 sinks so an annual cost of £8.75). I suspect the lack of branding reflects that the contents might be a bit sporty compared to others – a bit like trying to find weedkillers that haven't been neutered by environmental restrictions.

      https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8c1469d60a7c6f00a161c796b13118a1b205fb75e0cd30f4b369f6e2d325d0ab.jpg

  58. I had to call out a plumber last month £95. Bog blocked. He cleared the blockage. Had to call him out again the following day as bog blocked again.
    He pushed his camera up.
    He said a build up of limescale was the problem and tissues were catching on it and causing the blockage.
    He said he cleared it with a power washer.
    Bog is blocked again and Sunday call out is £135.

    If he had done the job properly in the first place i wouldn't need to call him out again.

    Should i let him clear it then have a stand up row and refuse to pay?

  59. Here we go again.

    Canadian Navy brass have decided that the traditional marching song Heart of Oak is not inclusive so they are looking for a replacement. Heart of Oak has been in use for over 200 years but in their drive to destroy our history, it is now insulting to the diverse inclusive navy. Will the Royal Navy follow suit and destroy UK naval heritage?

    Let Europe carry on preparing for WW3, we have bigger issues to address before our navy (2 kayaks and a canoe) can venture out on the water again.

  61. You think that you have two tier policing?

    Pat King has been found guilty of mischief during the Truckers protest and faces ten years in prison. In contrast there were no arrests after riots in Montreal last night by the anti Israel mob despite quite a bit of damage being caused.

    Our immature, muslim loving pretence of a prime minister ignored the riots, he was with his children to the Taylor Swift (yuk spit) concert in Toronto.

  62. Labour-loving lawyer Karim Khan may not be around to see out arrests he pushed for
    ICC prosecutor issues warrant against Netanyahu and Gallant despite facing investigation for alleged sexual misconduct

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/11/22/karim-khan-icc-prosecutor-netanyahu-starmer-rishi-sunak/

    A couple of BTL Comments:-

    Michael Hyde
    3 hrs ago
    If there were any doubt the enemy within are not now deeply embedded in our judicial and political system, this latest affront to british justice and sense of fair play we have observed for centuries has ended it.

    R. Spowart
    3 hrs ago
    Reply to Michael Hyde – view message
    Message Actions
    The Cultural Marxist "March Through The Institutions" has long been wanting to destroy Western Values "so Society can be rebuilt to Marxist values" and has been willing to support anything to achieve that aim.

    However, by giving their support to the Islamists, once the aforesaid "Western Values" have been destroyed, the resulting rebuilt Society will be nothing like the Marxist Utopia they envisage.

    1. Don't! I've earache at the moment and my right ear is over pressured and I can't hear well out of it.

        1. If pressed I suspect that the people running the play would use it as a reason to have refugee representation, probably wanting a Palestinian one at that.

          I’m not approving, merely commenting that they too were allegedly refugees.

        2. If pressed I suspect that the people running the play would use it as a reason to have refugee representation, probably wanting a Palestinian one at that.

          I’m not approving, merely commenting that they too were allegedly refugees.

    3. ..playing part of a Refugee.

      For this your child will need to wear.. a keffiyeh scarf, kufi cap & hissing backpack.

      May we peace on you all..

    2. Rowan Atkinson Ntnon..

      INN MANAGER: Of course sir & maam we have the finest rooms available on this special night in December.. views over the desert en suite bathroom. Just sign the register.

      INN MANAGER: Oh.. Joseph of Nazareth.. that's a Jewish name isn't it?
      Sorry we only have stable suites available for Jews.

  68. Letters to the Editor
    Starmer should focus his attention on Britain’s true enemy in the Middle East

    23 November 2024 12:01am GMT Letters to the Editor

    SIR – Sir Keir Starmer might gain more respect and credibility if, instead of supporting the arrest of Benjamin Netanyahu (report, November 22), he applied that same zeal to the indictment and detention of the ayatollahs in Tehran. They are the root cause of the troubles in the Middle East, not Israel.

    Charles Foster
    Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire

    1. Starmer has a unique ability it seems to back the wrong horse. In economic theory for example he has the reverse Croesus touch and is well on the way to bankrupting us and selling off what is left of the family silverware to Blackrock and Vanguard.

      In supporting the International Criminal Court in The Hague with its mad decisions to prosecute first Putin and now Netanyahu he is overlooking some basic points.

      When going after Putin last year the ICC had no jurisdiction over the countries involved. Neither Russia nor Ukraine are signatories to the Rome Statute and in any event the nonsense basis of that warrant was for imagined child trafficking for which there are civil remedies.

      Likewise in the case of the warrant for the arrest of Netanyahu the ICC has no jurisdiction over the countries involved. Neither Israel nor the United States are signatories to the Rome Statute.

      Whilst the US has tolerated the ICC when it was going after countries and persons that the various US administrations did not like the US is understandably enraged now that the ICC is going after one of its own.

      I believe President Trump will immediately withdraw its funding of the ICC which by its reckless prosecutions is imploding. The Europeans will follow suit and at this point I should have expected the UK to follow their lead but then we come back to the idiot Starmer in the UK who is supporting this nonsense.

      Starmer has no political judgement.

  69. Phizzee! I made the tiramissu from the recipe you pointed me at. Much firmer custard that held up far better on the chopping.

    When I laid out little plates instead of bowls there were some odd looks but it all went well. Well, it all went.

    1. Staggering, isn't it? More is spent on the national debt interest than on education and defence. Add in the ever spiralling bill for the criminal gimmigrants and it's screamingly obvious that government priority is simply back to front.

      1. And it seems that the government has still not identified the black hole in our economic status.

  71. I do not understand why the muslim is so pandered to. By all means, have positive relations with nations we buy oil from. Yes, we could dig up our own but the government seems to dislike that obvious option.

    Yet when the savages are brought here, suddenly they're made first class citizens over and above the locals.

    1. Labour have worked out that the Muslim vote has the potential to decide the number of seats they can get in marginal constituencies. Hence their selection of Muslim candidates in Mayoral Elections. This will work out fine for them in the next few years but one day the Muslim population will follow the Koran and we will have a muslim controlled HoC, in all probability supported by Labour….

      1. Yes, Labour seem to forget that the while crocodile may eat them last, they will still get eaten, having in the process destroyed this once great country. They won't care about the latter, but they may need to do a reality-think about the former.

      2. There is a Muslim Party of Great Britain, they gained some support last GE…wonder what it'll be next GE….

        1. I got told off at Sunday school. They said the money was for the plate not the sweet shop.

          I haven't changed much.

      3. Only Matthew has that story and it isn’t supported by any historical evidence. If they were escaping Herod, it was only necessary to return to Galilee, since he had no jurisdiction there. If they were trying to escape the Roman Empire, there wasn’t any point in going to Egypt since it too was under Roman rule. The likely explanation is that it’s an allegorical tale intended to mirror the flight out of Egypt.

  73. I was reminded of something I'd read years ago when I stumbled across it again on the Going Postal website. I understand satire is considered a bit mean in today's snowflakey wokey-cokey world and so I bet if he were still around Swift would definitely be destined for the pokey…

    'As long ago as 1726, Part 3 of Gulliver's Travels was describing an early Net Zero scheme:

    “He had been eight years upon a project for extracting sunbeams out of cucumbers, which were to be put in vials hermetically sealed, and let out to warm the air in raw inclement summers. He told me, he did not doubt in eight years more, that he should be able to supply the Governor’s gardens with sunshine at a reasonable rate ”'

      1. Absolutely so and on reading it for the first time it always seems to make lasting impression.

        1. I remember writing a paper on it at university and having absolutely not idea what it was going on about. This was before you had the internet to provide guidance and libraries were the best bet – except the one in my home town was closed over the Christmas holidays.

    1. I must admit I have not looked at my cv for 40 years or more so I looked for it and then looked at it and could not find any deliberate lies in it!

      Amongst Jordan Petrson's 12 Rules for Life :

      Rule 8: Find your personal truth and live it
      “Tell the truth—or, at least, don’t lie”

      Willful blindness is a common human practice, where we avoid facing uncomfortable truths. Find out why we lie, how we get stuck in a “life-lie” because and what it means to find and live your personal truth.

      However, I expect that we all concentrate on the things we have achieved and the things which we think we have done well. There is a difference between deliberate lies – lies of commission and those of omission!

      Rachel Reeves is clearly an extremely dishonest woman.

      1. Apart from the morality aspect of telling lies (which I learned from my strict mother), there is the practical side too. If you tell a lie, you have to remember it for all future occasions, much harder than remembering the truth.

        1. Matilda's aunt had, from her earliest youth, kept a strict regard for truth. However she did not successfully pass on her own moral precepts to her mendacious niece with catastrophic consequences when she had not been allowed to accompany her aunt to the theatre to see Sir Arthur Wing Pinero's rather risqué play about the Second Mrs Tanqueray :

          https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3b51beedf25dd78cc81449d88812dceba1c0d51c784a1a2f43b401b9b47a7551.jpg
          How long before both Numbers 10 and 11 Downing Street are reduced to ashes?

          1. I went to the first night of The Second Mrs Tanqueray in Canterbury, Fenella Fielding played the eponymous heroine.

          2. I never saw her on the stage but I remember being captivated by her performance as Gwendolen in a TV production of The Importance of Being Earnest with Susannah York in the role of Cecily. Patrick Macnee and Ian Carmichael respectively played Algernon Moncrieff and Jack Worthing. This was an Armchair Theatre production made in 1964 when I was 17 or 18.

            To my delight I found it on the internet and have just watched it again!

          3. I went to the first night of The Second Mrs Tanqueray in Canterbury, Fenella Fielding played the eponymous heroine.

        2. Matilda's aunt had, from her earliest youth, kept a strict regard for truth. However she did not successfully pass on her own moral precepts to her mendacious niece with catastrophic consequences when she had not been allowed to accompany her aunt to the theatre to see Sir Arthur Wing Pinero's rather risqué play about the Second Mrs Tanqueray :

          https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3b51beedf25dd78cc81449d88812dceba1c0d51c784a1a2f43b401b9b47a7551.jpg
          How long before both Numbers 10 and 11 Downing Street are reduced to ashes?

      2. Shriek! Jordan Peterson! Isn’t he also literally Hitler? Along with all the other people who “trigger” our Leftie #bekind comrades?

  76. Private school pupils pushed out by Labour’s VAT raid ‘risk failing GCSEs’
    Students moving to schools with different curriculums face exam disruption, Starmer warned
     https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/11/23/private-school-pupils-pushed-out-by-labours-vat-raid-gcses/

    BTL

    If anybody wants evidence of the malign, sadistic and vindictive nature of Starmer, Reeves an Cooper he or she only has to look at their treatment of the old, the young in private schools and the farmers.

    This government is proof positive of the existence of sheer, diabolic evil.

  77. Nato and Ukraine to hold emergency talks over Russia’s new hypersonic missile. 23 November 2024.

    Viktor Orban, the Hungarian prime minister widely considered as having the warmest relations with the Kremlin in the European Union, cautioned against underestimating Russia’s responses. “It’s not a trick… there will be consequences,” he said.

    Donald Tusk, Poland’s prime minister, said the conflict was “entering a decisive phase” and “taking on very dramatic dimensions”, while the country’s foreign minister Radosław Sikorski described the attack as “an act of desperation”.

    My instincts tell me that we are in the last days before the sh*t hits the fan.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/11/23/nato-ukraine-emergency-talks-russia-hypersonic-missile/#comment

    1. Those Poles and Germans have no idea about Russia’s missile capabilities.

      The fact that Kiev, Berlin or Warsaw are still carrying on life as normal is testament only to Putin’s restraint. That restraint could change rapidly into real hostility if the EU politicians persist in their lies.

  78. What is it they say?.. comedy writes itself in progressive clown-world.

    Transgender policewoman, 27, 'assaults two colleagues with a penis pump and seriously injures their genitals after offering them a threesome then drugging them' following night out.

    2. They have just given the green light for trans to do intimate body searches on women and girls. Fucking perverts.

      2. As PosieParker – Kellie-Jay Keen says.. that's always been the drive.. the holy grail.
        To get legal access into the girlie spaces and intimate holes, and get paid for it!

        Solicitor Teresa Steele found out the hard way

      3. On Telegram:
        “Forcing a woman to strip naked and bend over in front of someone she can see perfectly well is a man is certainly degrading.”
        A person being searched can object to being searched by any officer, the BTP said.
        A BTP spokesman added: “Who British Transport Police transgender colleagues may search is determined by an interaction between the legal framework of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (1984), Code of Practice on the Exercise by Constables of Powers of Stop and Search of the Person in Scotland 2017, and the Equality Act (2010), with the correct application of occupational requirement, and not limited to the provisions of the Gender Recognition Act (GRA) (2004).
        “Therefore, an officer may only search as the sex indicated on their birth certificate or listed on their gender recognition certificate, whichever is more recent when enacting a statutory power of search under compulsion.
        “A person being searched can object to being searched by any officer; this officer will be replaced by another member of the team to conduct the search in their place. This is regularly done in practice for many reasons, such as a way to de-escalate conflict.”

        1. Then if you object to a cock in a frock, you will be charged with a non crime hate incident and banged up for years.

  79. What is it they say?.. comedy writes itself in progressive clown-world.

    Transgender policewoman, 27, 'assaults two colleagues with a penis pump and seriously injures their genitals after offering them a threesome then drugging them' following night out.

  80. Just finished knitting my big cosy jumper using Exmoor horn wool, it'll keep me toasty.

  81. Afternoon, all. Diverse as they come here and not yet 15.00. I shall have to put the light on to see the keyboard. Raining for Noah as well. I made it to an art exhibition locally, but with a couple of exceptions I wasn't terribly impressed with the work on display, although they'd made a good show of it. Only two items I would have taken home, but alas! I don't have enough wall space for large pieces. I had to rearrange everything to squeeze in one small piece (which I didn't get from the exhibition).

    Starmer thinks Britain's true enemy is the native people. In fact, our real enemy is in Whitehall and Westminster (and Tower Hamlets, Luton, Bradford etc).

  82. I haven't seen anything in the media but I hear some military aircraft were unable to land at Lakenheath or Mildenhall the last couple of nights because of drones being flown in the area so had to divert.

  83. I haven't seen anything in the media but I hear some military aircraft were unable to land at Lakenheath or Mildenhall the last couple of nights because of drones being flown in the area so had to divert.

  84. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2e7yy3z3p8o
    A man who tried to send 500 bikes to a charity in Africa had them refused at a Scottish port after they were classed as waste. Nigel Carter, 64, had been gathering bicycles across Scotland to be shipped to Sudan, to help people who need access to cheap transport. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) said the shipment could not leave the country as an inspector had deemed them unfit for purpose because some of them needed repairs. The bikes were shipped back to Mr Carter in Comrie, Perthshire, which he said meant they risked being scrapped.

      1. Don't think I've known you swear before, Kathie 😄😄😄 good to let off steam 🤯🤯🤯….proud of you 😍

        1. 🤣🤣 You should hear me in real life! I swear like a trooper to offset what is perceived as a ‘posh accent’. 😈

          1. I think that possibly sounds even better…imagine Thatcher sounding off in her accent…eeek…🤬🤬🤬

        2. 🤣🤣 You should hear me in real life! I swear like a trooper to offset what is perceived as a ‘posh accent’. 😈

          1. I guess it depends on what’s said, who it’s said to, and who says it. Here’s a couple of ears for you to cover 👂 👂 😊😊😊

          2. Sometimes it might be understandable but I don't think it's something to be proud of. I guess we have different standards (or I was simply brought up better).

            PS If you can't construct an argument to defend it, just say so. No need to fall back on the puerile pushback with the ears.

          7. You have absolutely no idea who I am or what I’m like. I merely challenged KJ on her statement that she was proud of someone swearing. She apologised, I apologised back in case she thought I was excessive. See? We can be adults. But there’s always some dimwit like you who has to join in.

          9. I guess it depends on what’s said, who it’s said to, and who says it. Here’s a couple of ears for you to cover 👂 👂 😊😊😊

      2. Unfortunately SEPA have form! They are the most useless of quangos! I know because we have experienced their unbelievable bureaucratic idiocy!

      3. Unfortunately SEPA have form! They are the most useless of quangos! I know because we have experienced their unbelievable bureaucratic idiocy!

    2. What the idiot bureaucrats don’t realise is that “foreigners in poor countries” are remarkably inventive when it comes to repairing things like this.

    4. Well on the bright side, they were doing something. Many stolen cars are bundled into containers and shipped out to Africa, the port inspectors rarely find that anything is amiss.

  86. Donald Trump Jnr talking sense and at the same time expressing his feelings re the bad actors who are working to keep the Ukraine issue on the boil.

    From Politico

    LONDON — Keir Starmer defended Britain’s support for Ukraine as “proportionate” and legal Thursday after reports that missiles donated by the United Kingdom were fired on Russian territory.

    The U.K. prime minister did not confirm that British-made long-range Storm Shadow missiles had been approved or used.

    But, in a House of Commons statement, he repeatedly declined opportunities to deny the widespread reports — and appeared to pre-empt condemnation from Moscow.

    With the incoming POTUS making statements and also possibly making overtures to end the conflict, any escalation from the UK wouldn't look like the best decision of the government's chaotic four and a half months in government: and that's a very low bar.

    What is wrong with Starmer? If you're responsible, be man enough to admit it and if you're not responsible, deny it unequivocally.
    https://x.com/simonateba/status/1859990732125188579

  87. UN climate talks on verge of collapse as countries walk out over cash
    The UN's climate summit COP29 is on the verge of collapse after a bitter fallout between richer and poorer countries over money
    Developing countries have dismissed an offer of $250bn (£199bn) per year to help them tackle climate change – some want a figure closer to $500bn
    In a dramatic turn, several countries walked out of negotiations, saying they wanted a "fair deal" but feel they haven't been heard.
    https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c8jykpdgr08t

    2. Reparations, climate scam, immigration, all the same. It's all about the benefits sector. Socialism, eh?

    3. Interesting, considering the Climate Change scam was never about climate, but a vehicle to forcefully transfer funds from the first world to the Third World.

    4. Excellent news. Since the whole climate catastrophism scam is basically a way of enabling poor countries to blackmail wealthy countries into giving them trillions of dollars, the sooner the whole thing collapses the better.

      The redistribution of wealth by climate policy was admitted by one of the leading political figures:
      “We distribute de facto the world’s wealth via climate policy… One has to free oneself from the illusion that international climate policy is environmental policy. This has almost nothing to do with environmental policy”
      Ottmar Edenhofer, co-chair of one of the IPCC’s working groups, interview in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung, 14th Nov 2010.

  88. It's only 17:04, yet it's darker than the inside of a Labour minister… Was wondering about hitting the sack, then I saw the time, so lit the fire instead (SWMBO is cold…). But, gee, by now we normally have snow, and that lightens up the outside really a lot.

          1. I bought a beanie hat with inbuilt light (rechargeable) for my SiL farmer as a stocking present! Very pleased with it I am!

    2. Now enjoying a glass of Sandeman medium-sweet sherry – fine Spanish wine, so it is, and perfectly designed for current conditions. Good flavour, good %age, smooth… to be drunk like the fine people of Jerez do, from a big wine glass!

        1. These Meditteranean types know something about wine! Almost enough to make one go and live there, the sun, food, wine, outdoors life, musical languages, art, … sigh!

          1. For me, whisk(e)y is a late drink, not a sundowner.
            Second Son is getting very choosy over hi whiskys, mostly at my expense… nowt cheap, you understand…

          2. Husband only just survived the charity fair today – my cold cleared up after two days (just a bit catarrhy later) but his has got worse and today he felt really rough. I felt guilty for dragging him along. He had a bite to eat and went to bed about half past seven.

      2. One of my uncles was a rep for Sandeman, we always had some of his 'left over' product's in the side board cupboard.
        Good stuff.

        1. Ah, Sandeman's port. We used to drink that when I was still at home. Haven't seen it for ages. I do have the hat and cloak, though 🙂

    3. Now enjoying a glass of Sandeman medium-sweet sherry – fine Spanish wine, so it is, and perfectly designed for current conditions. Good flavour, good %age, smooth… to be drunk like the fine people of Jerez do, from a big wine glass!

          1. I did indeed 🤗🙂

            I'm having a terrible time since my cataract was removed and I can't see properly.
            I need new reading glasses.
            typically a job started and no follow-up from the nhs.

          3. 🤣😂 I’ve got an eye appointment on the 3rd. But I don’t think it will accelerate my second cataract removal. My rich sister had both hers carried out very quickly.
            She is older than me and doesn’t need specs now.

    6. I noticed that the sun dipped below the edge of the valley opposite here by 13:00, so other than a short period on a clear morning before it goes behind the water towers belonging to the mill, we'll have no direct sunlight onto the house until 2nd week of February.

    2. Straight from Africa to UK state teat. Many of them obese and about to blow a gasket. We even have a hefty Big Issue seller outside our local Morrisons badgering OAPs who have just lost their WFA – this self-employed status enables him to claim a range of benefits including Working Tax Credits and housing benefits.

      Let that sink in. We are IMPORTING physically ill people to sell us the Big Issue and claim our benefits while we lose them.

      At least if Putin nukes us then:

      A) It will keep us warm
      B) It will reintroduce nuclear energy to the UK
      C) It will spare us the civil war that we ought to be having and…
      D) it will cause £2.9 tn of improvement

      2. And guess who was one of the Yuman Rites sharks who got the ECHR to force the Government to pay benefits to Big Issue selling immigrants!

      3. We have a Romanian woman who hangs around the top of Scheregate Steps in Colchester with a bundle of Big Issues.
        She's been there for years. Never makes a sale.

        1. I walked past one today (she was there on Thursday as well), whining away. I don't look at her, but once they get thought readers I'll be in gaol.

          1. Three times, coming back round the North Circular on Wednesday, we saw Roma type grannies, dressed in black with sicks and looking ancient and crippled wandering amongst the cars waiting at the lights with plastic cups begging.
            Why the Hell are we allowing them in?

    1. I prefer Russian vodka, it's smoother and more silky. Swedish, Finnish, British seems to be more harsh and aggressive, not so easy to drink.

        1. I like Stolichnaya, red label, but the blue label is better (and more expensive, of course).

    2. When I lived in SA, Caine & Canada dry was popular. A large one was the trend, drink driving wasn't banned either.

      1. My dad would invariably drink and drive, around 60 years ago…and so did many others. I only hoped he didn’t come home in a bad mood, the drink wearing off. Best to keep out of his way the following morning/day.

      2. My dad would invariably drink and drive, around 60 years ago…and so did many others. I only hoped he didn’t come home in a bad mood, the drink wearing off. Best to keep out of his way the following morning/day.

      3. I don't normally drink these days but we have a bottle of Cane. with Coke is OK for a treat.

  91. One of my uncles was a rep for Sandeman, we always had some of his 'left over' product's in the side board cupboard.
    Good stuff.

    1. Botanical vodka = expensive gin, or am I wrong?
      I got the impression that the sharp vodkas are designed to be mixed with sticky syrups, but the Russian is designed to be drunk cold & unadulterated.

      1. There’s an old cartoon….a Russian drunk in a bar, nursing his vodka, bubble above his head contains a small cartoon of a gherkin….

  97. Hi.

    Another refugee from The Spectator here. Electro-Kevin, Vote for Meh, The Anti-Robert, Betty Swallocks, Crushed by Ingsoc, E-K …among other iterations.

    I thenk you !

    5. Oi oi. There's the parish of Free Speech Backlash too where you will find several other Spexitiers.

    1. I recommend teak or oak. Pine tends to break from fractures. Spruce bends, arguably doing more damage but is still prone to snapping, especially if used against a scapula or tibia blocks.

    2. I used to run a night club – 1200 capacity.
      I won the Oxford Nightclub Cup for my Friday night gigs,

    1. I'm doing a Samaritans shift at 3am so no thanks. I may end up becoming a caller by the end of it.

        1. It's the only charity work I could think of that involved nothing but sitting on my arse and drinking tea.

          2. I watch YouPorn, I'm afraid. So not so saintly. I believe it keeps me young, adventurous and virile – it also gives me the open mindedness which is essential to being a good and forgiving listener. Plus some jolly good w@nks.

          3. You'll fit in well here (as it were), but your best point of cuntact for such things on Nottle is Phizzee.

            He's been there, seen it, done it, recovered from the after effects, he's your man.

          4. I watch YouPorn, I'm afraid. So not so saintly. I believe it keeps me young, adventurous and virile – it also gives me the open mindedness which is essential to being a good and forgiving listener. Plus some jolly good w@nks.

          5. I watch YouPorn, I'm afraid. So not so saintly. I believe it keeps me young, adventurous and virile – it also gives me the open mindedness which is essential to being a good and forgiving listener. Plus some jolly good w@nks.

          6. I watch YouPorn, I'm afraid. So not so saintly. I believe it keeps me young, adventurous and virile – it also gives me the open mindedness which is essential to being a good and forgiving listener. Plus some jolly good w@nks.

        2. In my younger days I used to. In those days we were lucky to get one night shift phone call once of twice a week. I believe that these days nights the phones ring constantly.

          1. Well done. I doubt I would be good at it.

            Times are changing and, in my view, not for the better.

      2. I don't suppose you've ever tried the reverse psychology of telling the guy on top of the building, "Go on, jump, see if I care!"

        2. No way. But we must NOT say "Don't jump." either. Can you believe that ? (Self Determination Policy.)

    2. Can it? Yes. Does it want to bother when we're so obviously being destroyed by this appalling government? No.

    5. "The spread of this kind of disinformation has been a perpetual attempt to tarnish and erode our democracy, and we must do everything in our power to fight it."
      Rachel from Accounts.

    6. I've been in bed all afternoon trying to nurse off a troublesome cough that's got into the lungs again. Cheerful run of programmes about sunk ships. Most of the ads in the breaks are about funerals – book now before they come and take your money away.

          6. He had his moments.

            I never found Peter Cook and Dudley Moore funny. Emetic, yes. Funny, far from it.

  104. Swearing provides emphasis on the emotion of the swearer that is often not present in ordinary speech.

    4. Another Spexile here. I'm hanging on at the Speccie for a bit longer. But no, I was very unimpressed when Gove took over as I consider him to be unreliable, devious and manipulative.

  107. A gooey Par Four?

    Wordle 1,253 4/6
    ⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜
    ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
    🟩🟩⬜⬜🟨
    🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

    I,m late coz I'm ill!!

    3. I found this one tricky saved Par by using my late sister’s name in line 3. (Rhymes with Peril).

      Wordle 1,253 4/6

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

      2. This has baffled me, corimmobile. I solved today's Wordle in 6 (just) but it doesn't rhyme with Peril at all.

        2. I was referring to my third line (BERYL)which gave me a choice of just two words viz. LEGGY or JELLY. I had eliminated half the words in the alphabet by then and was stumped.

    5. #MeToo – hope you're feeling better soon, Sensai…..

      Wordle 1,253 4/6

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

    6. Didn’t hold you back on this task.

      Full count for me.
      Wordle 1,253 6/6

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

  108. Back from our event today – nasty wet, dark drive home but now we've got a cup of tea and pictures falling off the wall – need some stronger string for them.
    Haven't counted our takings yet but I'm happy we did ok.

  111. Just finished mine; have a nice bottle of wine Ingot on special offer at Sainsbury’s (spit) for later.

  113. I have been very run down the last few days with an eye infection and hence haven’t been to work, and with my fractured thumb i haven’t been able to run around playing my favourite sport (which acts as a release valve in the winter). Back to work on Monday. If i’m honest it’s still a bit too soon but the work needs to be done.

    I did get off my lazy bottom and book a “holiday” for February. I’m not a big fan of “holidays” as (a) being a food WASP, i view them as slightly indulgent and (b) there’s no-one else who does my job at work so when i come back there’s a pile of work to catch up on. But actually I’m looking forward to it!

    1. A while back i found the same pile of work waiting for me. It either exposes how amazing you are that folk ask for you or the organisation isn't organised enough to redirect it away from you to get it done regardless.

      1. When I used to take exchanges I had to set work for my classes while I was away. That was waiting for me to mark when I got back and since it was considered I'd been "on holiday" (24/7 supervision!) I lost all my marking and preparation periods to cover other people's lessons as well.

    2. I've never been a huge fan of holidays. The kids and some of my friends think I'm weird in this respect. My last 20 odd years of work were out of the country for most of the time and travelling doesn't seem much fun anymore.

        1. It rather depends where you go. I love going to Africa (especially Kenya) to see the wildlife. Most recent trip was to Brazil (the Pantanal) to see Jaguars, Tapirs, Capybaras, Caiman, an Ocelot, and the fabulous birdlife there.

          1. If you'd gone to Telford a couple of months ago you could have hunted a capybara – one escaped and led everybody a merry dance. Back home now.

      3. I hate holidays away. My ex used to get the three cheapest brochures he could find and tell me to select one. The last one was Benidorm. Thieving was rife, food was as expected. Hot cheap plastic everywhere and the nightly entertainment was teenage boys chucking full cans of opened beer onto the open-air bar below. Until some of the dads got together and rushed up the stairs to duff them all up.

          1. I learnt to swim there when I was ten. I went back to St Aygulf two years later to find it had been commercialised and very disappointing. I often remember dodging the turds in the sea.

      4. I don't mind holidays but I absolutely loathe, hate and detest hotels (and hospitals since their names are from the same root).

  114. If you're a Lefty, yes. He is the most terrifying person in the world. His concepts of living a better life, of having a basis of self belief, of giving a damn about your own life before bothering others all undermines the Left wing perspective of control and abuse precisely because they don't want to clean their own room. They want to tell others how to live. They don't want to tell the truth because it undermines their arguments.

    They want you to make friends with those who hate you so those who hate you can destroy you. They like annoying people.

    The Left hate the concept of self confidence through effort and ethics. However, because they cannot play the ball, they play the man. It's [bleeping] tiresome.

  115. Not too ill I hope. Par here too.

    Wordle 1,253 4/6

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

  117. Thanks Angie, needed that laugh. Do you remember him impersonating Rod Stewart, the one where he’s wearing leopard skin leggings, his bum gradually getting bigger and bigger…and who could forget Cupid Stunt. When the BBC was fearless.

      2. Ndovu, have a couple of pics of the hedgehog box husband made, but don't seem to be able to post them here. Is there an email address I can use on your website please, to send them to? Thx, Kate x

    1. It's no different to Remainers calling for another Referendum after the Brexit vote. It's democracy. Like it or not, we are stuck with this bunch until 2029.

      1. Not quite the same. Labour made promises on which people voted. They broke those promises so people didn't get what they thought they were voting for.

        1. When is the last time that any government did as advertised during an election?.

          Trudeau said that it was the bankers that should concern themselves with the economy.

        2. When is the last time that any government did as advertised during an election?.

          Trudeau said that it was the bankers that should concern themselves with the economy.

  120. That's me. Bit better just now – glass of rosé in hand….

    Tomorrow nephew Tim tries to restore my PC……

    I'll let you know on Monday…!

    PS Terribly mild all of a sudden. Global boiling really works…

    1. Below zero this morning and a cold wind to add to the pleasure. Bright sunny sky, just to fool one into going out.

      Tomorrow it will be approaching 20 but with fairly strong wind and significant gusts, then double figures for the next couple of days AND nights.
      Bizarre.

  121. Very true, everyone drank alcohol as soon as they could, in the pub, and the lockdown afterwards. I remember the police sergeant being there.

  122. That was a silly thing to do!
    Thought I was posting this onto here, but put it onto FSB in error!

    Ah!
    Dinner duly eaten and it was rather nice.
    Cod done in a herby white sauce with potatoes and broccoli, asparagus and fennel all steamed together, with a few mushrooms done in butter.
    First time I've tried using fennel and it went very well with the other bits.

    The DT advises me it's actually 5°C outside!!!
    Don't bloody well feel it!!

  123. My English lady friend has just had to have her dog put down due to incurable problems, and, since the dog is quite old, is naturally suffering from the bereavement.
    I'm not in the UK to offer comfort, whether as hugs or tea. Poor lass is really bereaved… house is empty and quiet with no woofit.
    I'd appreciate some advice that might help her out – Being an INTJ bloke with nil social skills, I'm at a bit of a loss here,

    1. We've all been there, Paul.

      At the age of six, I returned from Butlins, Pwhelli, to find that my young Labrador hadn't made it home alive from the kennels.

      Feel free to pass on my contact details to your friend. I can do tea and hugs.

      2. I was nobbut a sprog of four when I went to Butlin's at Pwllheli (in 1955, a ridicuously hot summer).

          1. I went to Butlins Ayr in 1963 when I was 6! It remains the most magical holiday in my recollection…… I couldnt get over the fact that all the rides were free!

    2. So sorry to hear that. Been there and had to do that, unfortunately. Good friends help but getting another woofer is the only real cure. It won't be the same, but it will help. Get a rescue dog. She'll be making a difference (and it will take up a lot of her time as she and he adjust to each other).

      1. Thanks, Conners.
        I'll try to formulate that a bit later, once the mourning has started to take off a bit.

      2. To both Obs and Conners and the lady who lost her beloved pet.
        But my advice would be dont rush into it.
        When we had to have our lovely black Lab put to sleep 18 months ago it was heart breaking. But unavoidable. The mindset is still set on the recent loss. And can go on for months after. I'd love another dog but things change in your life because of the loss. I'd say Take your time.

        3. My husband has said he will never have another dog, having lost our glorious Hector last July. He says he couldn’t go through that awful pain again.

          1. MOH said the same. After 4 months and a near divorce, we got another dog and it was MOH who got him.

        4. I suppose everybody reacts differently. I couldn't wait to get another dog because the house was so empty. I never regretted getting one straight away.

    3. Tell her to phone Samaritans (116123) and have a good chat (hopefully she'll get a good Samaritan – tell her to keep calling until she does.) ask to be signposted to the Pet Bereavement Service. She may even get through to me if she calls early tomorrow morning !

      Having been the owner of several dogs I know what it feels like.

      If she's thinking about her next dog then, to be fair to that dog, she needs to go through some grieving process.

        1. Unfortunately Samaritans aren't allowed to disclose about themselves so can't say that they've been through the same awful experience, even if they have.

          Pass this on to her if you're directing her to us so that she might understand phrases such as "This call is about you, not about me."

          Taking dozens of callers a week and disclosing our own traumas repeatedly has resulted in many Samaritans going into depressions of their own – not to mention that there are abusive callers who seek to manipulate Samaritans. So the policy is that we are not allowed to disclose things such as our own pet bereavement.

    4. Making sure of regular exercise and good diet at this time.
      Same thing happened with the family dog this time last year. She was the best of us that dog. It's gutting.

  124. Gotta make up for last year..
    BlackRock (BLK. N) , opens new tab CEO Laurence Fink's total pay for 2023 was $26.9 million, down from $32.7 million a year earlier.

    1. How anyone can justify that pay packet or indeed spend that amount is beyond me and there is only one place that money comes from – the public

  125. Thought for the day re COP29
    All these countries complaining about lack of money being given to them and if they don't get the money they won't comply with CO² reductions.

    If you believe the scam, your CO² emissions will result in your country being under water or turned into a desert, or a frozen wasteland.

    Why aren't you following the science and reducing your output for your own good?

    Might it be that free money for Mercedes and off-shore accounts is too tempting?

    2. Starmer will fall for it.

      A totally and utterly futile and sacrificial gesture by the UK under mentalist Miliband.

      1. Naturally.

        There are times when I think even Lammy is more intelligent than Starmer and Miliband.

        Combined!

    3. I am just worried that these so called leaders will buckle under the strain and promise the demanded trillions to the blackmailers.

      I bet they haven't even considered saying Thanks but no thanks, try again next year!

  126. Has anyone seen or heard from Damask Rose?
    She hasn't been around for a while, unless I've overlapped and missed some posts.

    1. She said a while ago she was avoiding social media though she was still reading comments sometimes.

        1. This was her reply to an email last September.

          "I miss you from Nottl as you were always patient & kind, & a good moderator.
          However generally I made the decision to withdraw from forums & commenting…I am so disgusted really with this horrendous government & where it’s heading…I will be incognito, I hope, for a few years.
          I feel it’s the only way to get by, taking into account my fragile health.

          I’m very happy as a recluse in my tranquil country spot!"

          1. Give her my best wishes, she might recall me for giving support off-Nottle, when she was moving home.

    3. Just to let you know – we've been in touch again this evening – she was touched that Nottlers have asked after her and she's keeping quiet on social media, although she has joined X. But she was spooked by the crackdown on people like Bernie who spoke their minds. Anyway, she's now following me there and we've exchanged messages.

  127. I did too, but having a few suicides by people I loved, or affecting people I love, I'm more than slightly sensitive.

    2. My little bro' committed suicide two years ago. He took pills in a forest (on my birthday !) and wasn't found for three months. Huge police searches, drones, divers, dogs, helicopters… the lot.

      He pre-deceased mum who lives with me now. Her trauma is by far the worst of it. Selling her forever home and disposing of most of her possessions. Awful. Taking her away from her community and her friends – even MORE awful. We've bedded her nicely in a flat and built a new community for her 350 miles from her previous location.

      I couldn't continue my job as a train driver (I lost concentration) so took a hit on the pension and retired early having combined our wealth and cut his awful wife out of the mix (she caused it.) I now work in a Spar part time and have become a Samaritan as my main job.

        1. My mother never recovered after my youngest brother died. It was a dangerous subject to mention, she could easily fly off the handle if his name came up.

        2. My aunt outlived both her children. It blighted her last years – she made it to 88, but both my cousins died at 60 and 61.

      2. One hardly knows what to say, and giving personal experiences on top doesn’t help your situation.

        As I noted earlier, a Saint.

    3. My little bro' committed suicide two years ago. He took pills in a forest (on my birthday !) and wasn't found for three months. Huge police searches, drones, divers, dogs, helicopters… the lot.

      He pre-deceased mum who lives with me now. Her trauma is by far the worst of it. Selling her forever home and disposing of most of her possessions. Awful. Taking her away from her community and her friends – even MORE awful. We've bedded her nicely in a flat and built a new community for her 350 miles from her previous location.

      I couldn't continue my job as a train driver (I lost concentration) so took a hit on the pension and retired early having combined our wealth and cut his awful wife out of the mix (she caused it.) I now work in a Spar part time and have become a Samaritan as my main job.

    4. Sorry to upset you, sos, I have been told I'm an insensitive swine more than once. I think it's a defensive mechanism.

  128. I reckon it'll be the Trump administration that will end Starmergeddon before long. The warning shots are coming in before they even start..

    The United States will 'crush' the UK economy if Britain helps arrest Benjamin Netanyahu, following an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

    Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told Prime Minister Keir Starmer that those who follow the ICC's ruling could expect sharp economic consequences from the US.

    1. I sincerely hope so:

      A) A real time comparison of two economic approaches and their results.
      B) An utter humiliation by self made billionaires of over promoted sixth formers who know nothing of making money but by state employment and ripping off taxpayers for their old rope.

      It would be a great horror flick to watch were it not for the fact that I'm playing the part of a lowly extra in it. I want to see Starmer and Reeves utterly destroyed and humiliated.

        2. Im pretty sure he will have spoken to both sides and have a plan on the table for Day One. Im sure neither side really want the carnage to continue and the change of Potus is just too big an opportunity to miss. They can both blame any concessions on the terrible Donald who will have his big smile all over his face.

          1. Face saving all round. Add in a few billion dollars for reconstruction (paid through a Swiss bank) and you will fid Putin and Zelensky will find common ground.

        3. "Well, Vlad old boy, until inauguration what you take you keep."

          But once I'm President, if you go any further, I won't support you.

    4. Says something when I value Trump on one shoulder and Xi on the other to save my bacon.

      Neocons, Democrats, Labour, Tory (all except Reform) are utterly vile.

    5. I think it was Lindsey Graham who threatened to destroy the economy of Turks and Caicos when they were dealing with Americans who had brought ammunition in to the country in their luggage.

    6. Lindsay Graham has just had a go at Trudeau as well. Not just the blind ICC commitment but also our weak immigration controls and border management.

      Wait until Trump actually starts his new job.

    7. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, that…

      It's not a title, it's a position.

  129. I sincerely hope so:

    A) A real time comparison of two economic approaches and their results.
    B) An utter humiliation by self made billionaires of over promoted sixth formers who know nothing of making money but by state employment and ripping off taxpayers for their old rope.

    It would be a great horror flick to watch were it not for the fact that I'm playing the part of a lowly extra in it. I want to see Starmer and Reeves utterly destroyed and humiliated.

  130. I sincerely hope so:

    A) A real time comparison of two economic approaches and their results.
    B) An utter humiliation by self made billionaires of over promoted sixth formers who know nothing of making money but by state employment and ripping off taxpayers for their old rope.

    It would be a great horror flick to watch were it not for the fact that I'm playing the part of a lowly extra in it. I want to see Starmer and Reeves utterly destroyed and humiliated.

  131. I sincerely hope so:

    A) A real time comparison of two economic approaches and their results.
    B) An utter humiliation by self made billionaires of over promoted sixth formers who know nothing of making money but by state employment and ripping off taxpayers for their old rope.

    It would be a great horror flick to watch were it not for the fact that I'm playing the part of a lowly extra in it. I want to see Starmer and Reeves utterly destroyed and humiliated.

  132. I sincerely hope so:

    A) A real time comparison of two economic approaches and their results.
    B) An utter humiliation by self made billionaires of over promoted sixth formers who know nothing of making money but by state employment and ripping off taxpayers for their old rope.

    It would be a great horror flick to watch were it not for the fact that I'm playing the part of a lowly extra in it. I want to see Starmer and Reeves utterly destroyed and humiliated.

  135. Liverpool must be laughing their socks off.

    Tottenham dog's breath have cocked a leg over Manchester City.

        1. Wooo !

          That matters to someone, somewhere… possibly.

          Endless football and forever to play it in …

          Eventually, some day, somewhere we may find out WHO has won the football !

        2. Wooo !

          That matters to someone, somewhere… possibly.

          Endless football and forever to play it in …

          Eventually, some day, somewhere we may find out WHO has won the football !

        3. Wooo !

          That matters to someone, somewhere… possibly.

          Endless football and forever to play it in …

          Eventually, some day, somewhere we may find out WHO has won the football !

          2. Ironically when I was in Man Hester (Victoria Park) and Man City were in Maine Road they were also underdogs.

            In my hierarchy of football clubs I don’t care a damn about, they are above all London football teams.

            In terms of Lindon teams, I would support Brentford, Fulham, Crystal Palace and Wimbledon. (If they still exist); I think even some of these are in the first div (?Premier?) these days.

            Obvs, Wolves first. And nowadays Southampton as my daughter lives there. I may come round to Cardiff as my son is there. Takes me back. I am pleased Notts Forest are doing “well”. Takes me back 45 years.

          3. Wimbledon exists, but goes by the name of AFC Wimbledon. The previous Wimbledon decamped to Milton Keynes and rebranded themselves as MK Dons. Enraged Wimbledon fans created AFC Wimbledon and eventually, through a series of promotions, won a place back in the Football League. They currently reside in EFL2 (4th division in old money) where they compete with and meet the despised MK Dons. The club, after ground-sharing for several years, now have a home in Plough Lane at a new arena a short distance away from where the Crazy Gang achieved notoriety.

            The other three are, indeed, in the Premier League.

  136. Hey folks,

    It's been a busy couple of days and I haven't been around here due to a minor domestic upheaval. Nothing serious. Anyway, I thought I'd pop on to show you what sort a country, culture and people it is that MI5, MI6, the FBI, the CIA, the CFR, the US Deep State, our Deep State, the Biden administration and all British administrations since and including Johnson's want you to be enemies with:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJcnuZB4Xt4
    NO.

          1. I did wonder whether to put a z rather than a j. Not having a Cyrillic keyboard can be a pain at times.

          3. And similar atrocities seem planned for our remote schools and town halls as in Chechnya.

            Intercepts of weaponry (according to my Anti-Terrorism Police friends) and….

            The Terrorism (protection of premises) Bill. (Protection against whom, exactly ?) Which will require village halls to undertake anti-terrorism assessments and provide bouncers and knife arches.

            All going swimmingly, isn't it !

            That War on Terror in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya really worked in "keeping it off our streets" didn't it ! (not)

            Tea and buns, anyone ?

            That bric-a-brac is going to be inflated in price too, unfortunately.

    1. "Riots erupted overnight in parts of Montreal after pro-Palestinian, anti-NATO protesters clashed with police officers, smashed windows of businesses, and even set vehicles ablaze in the downtown area. "

      Muslim, then?

      1. Nope. Much to our disgust a lot of the lefty students have bought into Gaza and are fully involved in these ongoing riots.

        numbnuts finally said something about the rioting just a couple of hours ago. This behaviour is unacceptable. That's it, no calls for the riot police, no Emergency Act as used against the truckers, just another bland statement.

        1. As with all Left wing governments – they hurt their enemy and ignore their friends.

          Trudeau doesn't care about the fascist Left. They're his foot soldiers. The Truckers defied him so he set about destroying them. At heart Lefties are no different. It's just a matter of scale: Stalin killed millions, Pot even more. Starmer's arrogance has killed one – Peter Lynch.

          They don't care. It's about power and control.

      1. What has nato got to do with it apart from being a convenient excuse? This was just another anti Semitic mob action that is effectively condoned by the liberal government.

      3. As mentioned in some of the comments, the faces of the rioters are pixilated. Who the hell would want to protect their identities.

        it will almost be worth watching the cbc news tonight to see if it was their feed. There again they will probably ignore the rioting and focus on the village idiot taking his kids to the Taylor Swift concert last night (probably at the taxpayers expense, he only flies on a company plane with a host of security police).

    3. Just what is it about men like Starmer and Trudeau attending Taylor Swift concerts. The woman cannot sing nor can she play her little white guitar. Oh and she is dressed scantily…….

    4. Just what is it about men like Starmer and Trudeau attending Taylor Swift concerts. The woman cannot sing nor can she play her little white guitar. Oh and she is dressed scantily…….

  138. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/11/23/career-criminals-now-more-likely-to-avoid-jail-in-almost-20/

    This sort of thing bothers me. Ther serial offenders element I agree with. There are criminals out there with hundreds of convictions who are continually let off. No, what bothers me is the dog side of it. Yes, some dogs have a guarding nature. Their breed ensures it. However it comes down to the owner, their training of the dog, socialisation. My friend has 2 very large long haired German Shepherd's. Both are basically living mincers yet they're happy, confident, socialised dogs. Will this fellow – or someone like him – come for them as well?

    The big, brutal dogs, and the serial criminals are all part of the same problem: the ruined family, rampant crime let off by a woke judiciary, a police force that prefers to attack free speech than criminality, a welfare infested popluation and unnecessary 'diversity' that takes while giving nothing – such as dog fights, theft and assault. Our tolerances are abused, the product of our wealth stolen by government dictat. 'communidees' are just responding to that and taking it to extremes.

    Now this fellow is proud of banning a dog breed but he hasn't solved the underlying problems.

    When I walk our three Mongo usually walks beside Junior, with his lead clipped to his harness. He looks up at my son with utter devotion and Junior looks back with the same. Even Oscar sort of tolerates me as he responds to 'stop' now. Lucy is just lovely. When we're out and people see them, small children play with them. The dogs won't move – if they're unhappy, they come back to me – or Mongo to Junior.

    Usually we leave folk after making a fuss of them with folk wanting one: which I'd dissuade as a Newfie needs careful training and they are a handful at the best of times. I've carried a stubborn Mongo home on my shoulders before. People went to pet him up there.

    But what if, one day, some fellow decides he doesn't like dogs and says they've got to be muzzled and chained at all times? If one bans giant breeds simply because the absurd 50kg 1 year old lapdog (Lucy is sat on my lap as I type this) scares him a bit what next? Where does this end?

    1. Dogs are haram – just sayin'. Come for one, eventually they'll come for them all. Mind you, that could be the tipping point; I doubt people would give up their dogs without a fight.

      1. It is the biggest cultural difference. We grew up with wolves which we eventually domesticated. Middle easterners, living in deserts didn't.

        (In fact, given that Oscar is standing at parade rest beside the Warqueen, Lucy is upside down in my lap and Mongo tapping lego pieces around with Junior I think they domesticated us).

        1. Some Amazon drivers of a certain persuasion have taken to texting me instructions to secure my dog (I don’t have one) shortly before they arrive.

          2. I've had those. Today, I had a text at 15:46 to say that my Amazon Fresh order (16:00 to 18:00) was out for delivery., and I was next. Tracking showed that the courier took a wrong turning at Puttenham, and sat for at least an hour by the cricket club. Finally, he turned up, said he couldn't scan either package, as he had no signal (both labels were utterly screwed up)…

            So I shouted out each of the 16 characters of my WiFi password to get him online. Yes – the mobile signal here is rubbish, but this has never happened before. Text confirming delivery finally arrived at 17:13. So an hour and a half from Amazon's warehouse near Frimley Park to home in Normandy. It takes around an hour by train, with a 20 min change at Aldershot, and 20 mins on foot from Frimley station…

          3. Yes i had that text. I also had 'if it is dark please leave a light on'.
            This was at 9.45 at night.
            I texted back 'Piss off'.

    1. I'd be dead without Wiggy having come into mine.

      I'll never forget getting up at some daft hour of the morning and seeing him sitting beside the table with a book cover on his head, holding it up as the Warqueen studied away.

      When Mongo was a puppy and careering about the house, Wiggy was slowing down and the big lad just looked down at this little ball of fur and whuffed, once; then flopped over in his cushions only to have the little lad curl up beside him, father and son.

      You know, humans don't really deserve an afterlife but animals do and hopefully sometime I'll get to see him again.

      2. I think I'd be dead without my first adult dog, a red setter. He was rescued, but he rescued me. I was very stressed out with work, but having to take him for walks and generally care for him made life seem worth living.

    2. I think most of us here would agree. I miss my Jasper (d. 27th May 2024) daily. He was just a common-or-garden mongrel, £150 from Battersea Dogs’ Home in 2013 – but he made our family.

      1. I miss my Oscar (d 19th Feb 2024); he was the most challenging dog I've ever had and I thought Charlie was a challenge! He kept me sane, though – and on my toes!

      2. We had to have Amber our fox-red Labrador put to sleep in September. She was 13 and had been living with cancer of the roof of the mouth for 18 months. The time came when we realised she was in pain and the difficult decision had to be made.

        The house seems empty.

  142. How's this for a kick in the a*** for ripped off pensioners
    Chris O'Shea ( CEO of British Gas ) remuneration was £8.2m in 2023, up from £4.5m in 2022, according to the firm's annual report. The package consists of a salary of £810,000, a £1.4m annual bonus and £5.9m in long-term bonus, pension and benefits

    1. Bear in mind this when the Starmer revelations come out about Southport. (Farage knows.)

  144. New to this site.

    I see a weakness as the inability to stay on topic for each headline.

    Perhaps this site could have a general conversation aside from main topics – for social and general gripes.

    1. We are kind of general chit-chat with big issues lobbed in. Stick with us – it works

      Edit – get to know us. You will work us out. I, for example, am, lol, something small in the City but modest with it; point is, I have a different point of view from others who are retired but with extensive experience or self-made etc etc.

      It’s a great site once you get to know people and where they are coming from.

      Edit. And we are not always what you think!

      1. As in Rome, I suppose.

        Just a comment as a newcomer. Seems a bit chaotic on arrival.

        1. Yes. I am relatively new. A few years now. Though oddly I did subscribe to the Terriblegraph until I fell out with it in Lockdown. But I missed this when it was originally set up, I don’t know how.

          I then went to the Speccie and fell out with that after about two years(and found this). I got lured back to the Speccy but am in two minds about it,

          Meanwhile, I have found I can read the Terriblegraph courtesy of my local library service on Press Reader, so I can (and do) occasionally reference articles from there (as and when I have time).

          I like the other posts people give – things I wouldn’t necessarily come across otherwise.

          All good stuff. All in all.

        1. Willkommen.n I sent my children to the DSL!
          (Deutsche Schule London)

          as a German o phile, I find it very sad what has happened to Germany. I think they are possibly in a worse state than us, which gives me a small crumb of comfort.

    2. This is the way it has developed; it works for us because we've become one big family. We've had marriages, births, illnesses, deaths and upheavals and we've supported each other along the way.

        2. I tend to post links to more substantial articles elsewhere that might be of interest to NOTTLers which occasionally provoke a discussion, but I mostly scroll past the general chatter with very occasional contributions as it's not really my thing. As I'm a relative newcomer here I've accepted that this is the style of the site – so live and let live.

  145. We are watching Russel Crowe .. Master and Commander ..

    Fighting for England … when we had a Navy .. French were asking for trouble … somewhere off the Falklands

    1. I am making hubby watch “Criminal” (which he has seen before and thinks is rubbish) and we are up past 9 pm. How this will affect tomorrow’s 7 am walk is anyone’s guess. I have a good one lined up, around Ripley/Wisley.

      Oh, no, it is all going pear-shaped here at MIR Towers…..

    2. Brilliant film!

      I'm grinding my way through the Patrick O'Brian novels – I'm up to HMS Surprise (so only 5 to go!), will probably take me a number of years – so Aubrey may well outlive me!!

    3. Oh Belle! The end credits for that film last almost as long as the film itself! My husband and I sat open mouthed for hours and couldn’t take our eyes off the rolling titles!

      1. Oh for the days when as the leading man and leading lady embraced, and the words THE END appeared on screen.

  146. We talk about anything and everything: nuclear war, toenail fungus, woodshed construction, conspiracy theory, Renaissance architecture, home-made sausages, dog-training, piles, conspiracy theory, towelhead terrorists, country fairs, vintage cars, the psychopathy of the Labour Party, conspiracy theory, internet problems, immigration, butterflies, climate change, churches, conspiracy theory…

    3. May I raise the issue of mixed-bathing for the unemployed; I think that we have already discussed underwater basket-making?

  150. 397301+ up ticks,

    Pillow ponder,
    Houston,we in England have a problem,we, via the contents of parliament are suffering from a continuous plague of idolatry.and have been these last forty years.

    The seriousness of this first came to light on the 24/6/2016 when the result of the referendum was revealed, that triggered calls for multiple replays in odd numbers we had no replay then, why should we now ?

    The fools, sorry, peoples are calling for another General Election having had one on the 4th July 2024 covering up a long line of
    odious, as in the last case malicious spiteful voting ,driven by
    allegiance to a phony party name and party leaders.

    Making beds, and voting in malicious haste, has us ALL having to repent over the next five years.

    https://x.com/LeilaniDowding/status/1860438027908108399

    1. Nice work for thems that can get it. I bet they pay no tax on their rental income either…

      1. They’re clever endnote to declare it and if they did nothing would happen.
        TPTB are like jelly, a soft touch.

    1. This is wonderful news, Maggie. But the problem is that the motion will not be debated in Parliament. A separate room is booked and around two dozen MPS give their views (half for and half against). Then the person in charge gives a summary on the lines of "The matter was debated as promised". This is a complete waste of everyone's time; the decision to allow petitions to be raised and "debated" was granted by Tony Blair when Prime Minister in order to get critics off his back.

      1. Whilst we all take your point and know you are right, what else can we do? If we write about in on social media or take to the streets we risk arrest. I suppose worst thing that can happen is the 77th Brigade get a nice list of people who hate this Government. Good grief, how bad things are here.

    2. Dont post that, Oggy. Grizzly will rush over and give our Beloved PM a punch up the bracket. (On second thoughts…) Lol.

    1. I assume that this figure refers to the petition for a general election. I have just signed it but I couldn’t find any time-line for the election – the petition simply calls for an election but when? Too much wriggle room for the government!

  156. I'm sure all these little tinpot republics are ultimately delighted that the rich countries are going to cough up $300Bn per annum to 'combat climate change' but disappointed it didnt stretch to the several trillion that they were after.
    No matter, there's enough there for many fabulous houses and bullet-proof Mercedes for all, several times over! Trebles all round….

    1. This beautiful Christmas pub could be seen by the spineless
      @metpoliceuk
      as an aggressive and provocative threat against Muslims…..prepare for the knock on the door…….what have we come to……we should ask our Muslim Justice Minister…..she likes to appear so impartial and lovely……but she supports the Palestinians…….the ones who murdered and tortured innocent Israelis….and still hold 101 hostages……..creeping Sharia is everywhere…..Islam is like a Trojan Horse attack on our country…..Muslims are taking power everywhere in local and national politics……it needs to be addressed…..and we need to fight back politically…….sharpish.

      1. If Muslims are taking power, it's because there's a substantial number of indigenous British voting for them.

  158. Well, chums, it's bedtime for Bonzo Elsie. So Good Night all, sleep well and see you all in the morning.

    1. Hmm. Let me see.

      On a serious note, I have always thought the USA’s response to Putin’s “Special military operation” in Ukraine was heavily influenced by the Bidens’ financial interests there and can’t understand why commentators haven’t been calling this out.

      1. Not forgetting all the Bio-Labs. Laboratories carrying out experiments which would be illegal on American soil.

      2. There are many illegal goings on that the MSM cannot publicise. They are all compromised one way or another. Doesn’t do to tell the truth or tell the public what’s going on behind the scenes. For their own good, you understand.

      3. There is much evidence in taped conversations and visuals proving Biden’s corruption but the MSM refuse to admit it or touch it with a bargepole.

        Trump was onto Biden and sought to expose him and his corrupt son and brother. Money was moved around at Biden’s request and Prima Bank closed on his direction just before Trump came to power in 2017.

        There is also damning evidence that Hunter Biden was being employed and paid by Burisma for influence peddling.

        We have simply watched a massive cover up by the Deep State and the US Media.

Comments are closed.