Sunday 24 August: This Government’s misguided policies are driving top talent to leave the country

Posted on by Geoff Graham

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640 thoughts on “Sunday 24 August: This Government’s misguided policies are driving top talent to leave the country”

  2. Morning, all Y'all.
    Sunny. Was a frost yesterday morning not so far away, police warning of slippery driving. Global warming, eh, with frost in August… just as summer holidays are finishing!

    1. Bank Holiday weekend here Obs.
      Number one and number one grandson coming, cycling over, this afternoon to help me with the apple picking.
      I've bought some champagne yeast for the cider this time for a change.

  3. Morning Geoff, Delboy and any other NoTTLers who are no longer in bed. Off to Chinatown this morning for a birthday celebration, as long as the local overground trains are running. I think I’ll add an extra hour to the journey, just in case.

    3. A poignant reminder to undo Blair.
      Not that any of them would.. including Farage.
      Habib & Lowe if advised correctly may be.

  6. Morning All 🙂😊
    Grey Sunday 11c, rain forecast from Wednesday onwards. Get yer washing on the line soon.
    The government not just it's policies are driving people out. I have been wishing for sometime that we had stayed in Oz in 1980.
    I've just seen another FB post with starmer saying he has plenty of accommodation available for the illegal invaders other than the hotel's where all the trouble has occurred.
    Obviously making it up.

        1. No not all.
          There was a prog on tv yesterday about the making of Fawlty Towers.
          Lots of out takes as well, very entertaining.
          There is a planned tour of the recent westend production.
          Major played by Paul Nicholas.
          In the early 60s he fronted a band that played at our local youth club. Paul Dean and the Dreamers.

          2. He was on tv about a week ago talking about the tour of Fawlty Towers.
            The poor guy looks so old now and he's grown facial hair because of his part as the Major, he is 80 in real life and the Major would have been well over 100. And we must remember he played the leading roll in Jesus Christ Super Star.

  10. Colin Macinnes
    8h
    christians next
    Jewish people “must tolerate pro-Palestinian demonstrations and tolerate anti-Zionist views”, an essay published on the government website has concluded.

    It is one of a series commissioned by the Commission for Countering Extremism, which is funded by the Home Office. Campaigners accused the government of “emboldening extremists” by commissioning the pieces, for which authors are thought to have been paid £4,000 each.

    Dissident
    Colin Macinnes
    8h
    Anti-Z, or Anti-S. Potayto/potahto. It's still all about hate. It still means kids have to hide their religion on the way to school.
    That the government is endorsing this, is disgusting, but not remotely surprising.

    DanlyFeltz
    Colin Macinnes
    8h
    This defies belief. They aren't even hiding it any more are they.

      1. If

        Jewish people “must tolerate pro-Palestinian demonstrations and tolerate anti-Zionist views”, an essay published on the government website has concluded.

        Then why not

        Muslim people “must tolerate pro-Israeli demonstrations and tolerate anti-Muslim views”, an essay published on the government website has concluded. ?

        Talk about TWO-TIER!

  11. Good morning all.
    Dry, but dull again, overcast with no wind and, at a tad over 16°C, a bit less cool.

  13. Reincarnated
    If you try to organise an anti Hamas protest you are BANNED.

    if you organise a protest against anti migrant protest, even though the police know they will wear masks and cause violence, it OK!

    WHY?

    Stuart
    Reincarnated
    Because they are the “right” kind of protestors favoured by the establishment, as opposed to anyone else. The real story here is the “capture” of British institutions by these people, and their supporters.

    1. I look forward to the day when anti-Hamas protesters fly the Palestinian flag.

      Think about it – has Hamas been any more effective than the Starmer Government at safeguarding national interests and protecting civilians? What is the equivalent of Reform UK for Palestinians?

      Those Christians protesting against migrants in the West Bank are indeed countered by violent thugs, accompanied and encouraged by the local State militia and supported militarily and financially by the United States of America. I lament that Israel has been "captured" by these people and their supporters, and worse still for me and you, set an example for others, such as Britain, to follow.

  14. First there was two Jags Prescott.. now it's Three home Rayner.

    Angela Rayner shells out £800,000 for her third home a seaside pad

      1. A funny but rather cruel description of Charterhouse:

        Old school for new money

        And Stonyhurst

        A poor Catholic's alternative to Ampleforth or Downside

        And schools such as Milton Abbey and Allhallows (where I used to teach)

        Schools for those who fail common entrance to Winchester, Westminster and other more academic schools.

      1. Time and again she's been asked to declare exactly what properties she owns and where she pays council tax, and time and again she's dodged those questions.
        Shadow Housing Secretary James Cleverly

      1. Brighton.. of course.

        Last week, the Deputy Prime Minister was pictured drinking a giant glass of rosé on the beach by her new property, wrapped in a pink and camouflage Dryrobe.

    4. Tell me – how, on the deputy PM salary can she afford that?

      Ah, of course. We're paying for it.

    1. The problem we have is, a lot of the financial issues we have now were caused and set up by the last tory government. The doors to service this continued invasion were left wide open by them. But of course this mob of totally appalling people have made it worse since they took office.

    2. I do not believe that Thatcher's "economic miracle" was down to the policies expressed in the article, but rather the good luck of North Sea oil and gas peaking during her era, which for a while put us on the same level economically as the Arabs. Norway invested theirs in future industry, and are now one of the most prosperous little countries in the world. Britain spaffed it on bling and cutting out those modest enterprises content to make a living, rather than pay megabonuses to global oligarchs.

      Interest rates should rightly be based on Inflation + Growth. Thatcher set hers too high, penalising small business that could not compete with financial services. Since the Great Fraud of 2008 (based, I dare say, on Lawson's 1986 "Big Bang" deregulation) until last year, they were too low, transferring the economy to borrowing and spending, rather than saving and producing, to the benefit of importers and a property bubble.

      As a nation, we tend to thing in money terms, as if we were apeing the super-rich in Mecca, rather than in those things that make life worth living, such as the beauty of the English countryside. Rather than ridiculing nimbies, we should be championing them. There are reasons why we do not want our land covered over by urban sprawl.

      Economic recovery starts with our skill base. If we cannot do things, we cannot expect to earn our living. Why then is Malvern Hills College still closed?

      1. the good luck of North Sea oil and gas..

        Nah. Piddily amounts in the larger picture.
        Truth be told everything changed once Bretton Woods collapsed and the world embraced Floating Exchange Rates. This expanded the balance sheet exponentially with increased trade flows. Derelict parts of London suddenly sprouted malls. The whole of Asia became a dust bowl of construction sites as a sea of Japanese money flooded every nook & cranny looking for a home.

        The rules changed. The IMF should have been dissolved.

        Btw, the UK is the world's sixth largest economy, and 2nd largest service economy.

        1. True, but removing the link to gold also destabilised our economy and allowed the state to spend with abandon. Thus it entrenched inflation – which only it can cause, destroying our wealth for its gain. It enforced indebtedness, which government never suffers from as it has no money. It allowed continual statist expansion without having to be provide a service.

          Fundamentally, it just destroyed our currency – the money markets are worth more than any other industry. In fact, it eclipses them and private wealth. One could argue that leaving the gold standard also created wars becase government would simply borrow money to spaff on conflict.

          1. Sorry but that's a load of bollx

            You are describing the modern economy of a country as though it were a household. The models are the exact opposite.

          3. It is the old argument, much loved by economics undergraduates, of Keynes versus Friedman. Keynes argued that there was untapped collateral in projected economic activity, rather than tangible assets, and this justified extra borrowing from this collateral in order to generate more economic activity and thereby wealth.

            My own intuition tends to favour your view though. I am suspicious of any currency built on promises, rather than something I can hold. Promises, like dreams, may often be fulfilled, but they cannot be relied on. I have a great deal of satisfaction, going right back into childhood, of holding something of value, even if it is sixpence in a Post Office National Savings Account. One of my dearest possessions is a grey passbook with a royal crest on the cover, opened on my 7th birthday, and into which I deposited my wages from my first full-time job when I was fourteen.

      2. Enjoying the view doens't pay the bills. Equally keeping the country beautiful costs money.

        I'm sorry – I agree in principle but everything comes down to money. Absolutely everything. Without cash we cannot do anything.

        Growing an economy is not rocket science. It's almost 'too' easy. It's as if every single policy enacted by the.state has been to drive us backward. We're constantly told to use less, to spend more, to pay more taxes, but to use less energy. Everything is declinist, the refusal of consumption. It's all disgustingly denial and suppress but never from the state, which continues to bloat and consume.

        1. And what do you use money for? It is a tool, not a god.

          I would rather good money was spent keeping the country beautiful than on handouts to some oligarch mates to show off how important they are, or even to import building materials and foreign builders to create slums for fast-breeder peoples to beg from.

      3. The UK has practiced a form of Merkelism along with the more successful Germany. Green policies have ruined both countries such that the German economy is now on the skids and the UK following at speed.

        We still have potential offshore oil fields which could be exploited and revenues given over to re-industrialisation. Instead we are denying cheap energy to manufacturers and spaffing billions of borrowed money on useless solar and wind farm schemes.

        Worse, we are spending more than ever on feeding a underclass of unproductive morons with over generous and undeserved welfarism. The VIP treatment of illegals just adds salt to the existing self inflicted wounds.

        The clue to our imminent demise as an economic power is shared by other European countries, a stupid slavish propping up of the decrepit and corrupt Ukrainian regime. It is as though Starmer and Merx have come under some sinister spell inclining them to follow the most absurd policy of alienating both Russia and the USA.

        Putin has pointed correctly to the fact that it is the European elites who are demonising Russia, not the European peoples.

    3. A talking head on Talk TV noted that as a Gen Y'er she hadn't seen economic growth in her lifetime. Imagine that. 30 years of economic stagnation.

    4. You could almost think that perhaps diversity isn't our strength and mass unskilled migration was costing us a fortune.

      1. Just sat down with 2nd mug of tea, then I'll be getting dressed and sorting out the mess in the yard that I asked Grad. Son to clear up yesterday.
        Rather pleasantly cool outside at the moment.

          1. Pleasantly cool when I put the washing out.
            Now getting dressed to do a bit of work.

    2. Ditto here. Hand towels and dressing gown given a quick tumble and bath mats put outside to finish drying.

    1. The Left are comedically lacking in humour. It's because they take themselves too seriously.

      Which is odd, because they're a complete joke.

      1. Their brain waves have warped so far from the evolution of the human species that they should be considered an aberration — a mutant form.

  19. Hereagain
    Doing the rounds of various bingo halls: ‘Queen of Thieves – Rachel Reeves, number 11’

    3. Those moors use to sail around the beaches of Britain and grab children, take them back to Alhambra keep them in nearby caves. Exploit them sexualy and feed them to the pet lions when they had finished with them.
      What do you say about that Mr effing know all mayor?

  22. Good Morning!

    We know that trawling through the news and commenting online can be exhausting and, frankly, depressing sometimes, but FSB cares about your mental health and well-being and not only points out that there is hope but also provides professional help for you to cope with it all. So please welcome new to FSB retired clinical psychologist Dr Carole Sherwood of Save Mental Health , who in her Taking Back Control sets out how to stop the buggers getting you down. So please, let's have a large turn out for her, and leave lots of comments.

    And don't miss Iain Hunter's Hotel Britain to Free Home Britain , on how the insane 'asylum hotel' business originated and what it's likely to evolve into. Needless to say, Blair, Soros and Serco get dishonourable mentions. So, rally round the flag folk, and get commenting under this fascinating article.

    Energy Watch: Over the last 24 hours: Britain's electric power was sourced from Gas, 32.6%; Solar, 7.2%: Wind 5.4%; Imports, 28.5%; Biomass, 10.8%; Nuclear 12.9% and Miscellaneous, 2.7%. Again, gas produced more than double the percentage of our power than wind and sun combined, and again we imported over a quarter of our electric power. Madness.

    freespeechbacklash.com

  24. Beebsplaining
    2h
    The removal of our flags is to me like local government's imposition of the climate b0llocks, parking restrictions , ulez extortion, painting rainbow crossings or even their Starmtroopers following old ladies home because they fed bread to ducks. Overcreach😡
    These are our streets, that we pay for and councils serve us not rule us😡 I hope those agitated remember this when they are finally allowed to vote locally and it is uniparty councils engaged in this state control https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ae31ded0bdf1cdc65188d6e275691a993ef49678e720ac920c7ebc9e697f6bac.png

  25. SIR — Amanda Hyde (“Is it time to get rid of the long school holidays?”, Travel, August 14) appears not to have thought through the implications when she suggested that “moving the family holiday to May or October might work well; temperatures are lower”.

    First, she is assuming that everyone can afford to go abroad to warmer countries. However, pity the family that is restricted to a camping holiday in Scarborough, say, in May. Average temperatures are a maximum of 14C and minimum of about 7C: hardly beach weather. The sea would be a bracing 11C. October would be no better.

    Secondly, she ignores the matter of school examinations, which generally start in May.
    Thirdly, there is the law of supply and demand. If the country went over to earlier or later longer holidays, it would merely push the prices up for those periods.

    Eileen Poore
    Coulsdon, Surrey.

    Here in Sweden the summer school holidays vary between 9 and 10 weeks in length, depending on the council area. This long summer break is paid for, however, by cutting down on the length of holidays during the rest of the academic year.

    For example, in our area the October half-term break is 1 week, as it is in the UK; the same goes for the February half-term break. There is no May half-term break here thought they do, curiously, get two days off for Ascension Day.

    The Christmas break is a similar one of 2½ weeks' duration but the Easter break is just 1 week instead of the 2½ weeks enjoyed in the UK. This gives the Swedish schoolchildren an annual total of 14½ weeks off school compared to the 14 weeks enjoyed in the UK.

    1. When I was a school, half-term break was the Friday and Monday either side of a mid-term weekend.
      Actual holidays were longer than state school holidays.
      I always envied a nearby private school that finished at 5.0 pm because they did prep at school. Day over and done with. Not a tedious journey home, an evening meal and then, when your body was winding down, having to tackle a satchel full of work. I was never convinced that I learnt much from rushed school tasks done when I was tired.

      1. When I started at school (mid-1950s) half term breaks were just three days, Monday to Wednesday. Sometime in the early 1960s they were extended to one week.

    2. I was personally devastated as a mature student in 1996 when Pershore College adopted the American two-semester system, with a long break in February and March.

      What happened was that, on arrival in September, they worked the students hard, and it was indeed quite a trial to keep up, but that was perhaps why I was there, and had to accept a pain barrier in order to learn to study effectively and ultimately get a good qualification. They had the exams in January, meaning that Christmas was mostly spent revising.

      Then came a long break until the end of March. "Go and do your own thing" was the advice. I was studying for an HND in horticulture. What can horticulture students do in February, when most in the industry are marking time, tidying up and doing maintenance work? I ended up, for my own sanity, playing four parts in a mystery play being put on the village, but then went onto Prozac, which turned me into a zombie.

      In April, came the practical – seven weeks evaluating a muck heap they wanted shifting. There is a limit to what one can say about this at degree level – is it better taking the muck from the top of the heap or the bottom? Then came summer, when they put us back in the classroom while the sun was shining outside. We never got the momentum to study back. In July, came the work placements, just at the time the nurseries were winding down, and staff were mostly in the garden centres manning the tills. "You should have been here in April" was the stock response from the industry.

      Pershore College got an "investing in people" certificate that year, mostly because tutorials were mostly spent filling in questionnaires set by the bureaucrats. It was later sold off to some corporate organisation – Warwickshire College Group (which later closed down Malvern Hills College with a mind to selling off the site to developers).

    4. There was an idea in Wales suggested that all half terms became 2 weeks and the summer hols reduced from 6 to 3 weeks. I thought it sounded sensible.

      2. The downside would be that compressing the school summer holiday season into just 3 weeks would raise peak demand for holiday bookings and bid prices upwards.

  26. Teenagers are insufferable.

    Dogs – of any sort – are a pain and seem to think they're hurdles as they dash about, then suddenly stop right in front of you.

    Still got these damned tiny bugs in the kitchen.

    Thankfully the Warqueen is heading out to her weekly 'be admired by other men' session.

    1. I've learnt to watch out for Spartie stopping on the stairs to check back that I'm really going to the kitchen to make his breakfast.

      1. The great lumps pootle around then suddenly stop just a half stride away so you bump them then stumble.

          1. Oscar used to do that. Then if you tried to step over him, he'd hang on to the bottom of your trouser leg – at least he did when I first got him. He improved as time went on and he had more TLC.

    2. A little bowl of cider vinegar and washing up liquid will attract them, and then they can’t get out! I’ve caught hundreds!

      1. I've put some fly paper up to catch them. There's about 20 on there, but as many as are killed more seem to appear.

        1. If it's fruit flies, I found they congregated on a basil plant (maybe it was the compost). Had to take it outside.

      1. It is – I wondered if they'd got out of the bin, so emptied that. I don't have another bag yet to replace it.

        One of the many things we're running out of.

        These spray 'blood' (red fluid) when squashed.

      3. I'm about to start making cider.
        I have to be very careful about the flies. Every open vessel has to be covered with a damp cloth or an air trap.

    2. All in accordance with UN Agenda 21 for 2030 – the abolition of the ownership of private property. So what are we going to do about it, then? Pitchforks?

  29. My new alarm clock plays the hokey cokey, took me 20 mins to get out of bed this morning 😐

  30. Has Farage got what it takes to be a hero?
    Andrew Hunt : https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/has-farage-got-what-it-takes-to-be-a-hero/

    To be honest I would prefer Rupert Lowe, rather than Farage, to lead the next government. He is intellectually and morally superior.

    BTL

    Nigel Farage needs Rupert Lowe if he is to succeed.

    And Lowe needs Farage to be in a government which can do what needs to be done.

    Can the leopard change his spots?

    Can the narcissist admit that he made a terrible mistake in the way he treated Lowe?

    And has Lowe the greatness of spirit to forgive Farage for the way he was treated?.

  31. 'Morning All
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8300f695a95e7e7b181fec01f5cb213798aa69c93915f5bada48d934d416bc3d.png
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1ca8bc1da38d551cca9bf91352bb6c6909940f9441f6c5aba8157a1f51d74b83.png
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/69d1ab13f1f707989b5033c336fe99cdb0c60b70a87242a7c53c1dda1a75f089.jpg
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ec86dc5afbc3c881a5e2e56c980519fb1a806361eb57efdc3a6f4b9b7877cc1c.jpg
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/601ea3b2156f06f15889fc65831930a2b7a2adf9cc1253c523264e3f76b5623b.jpg
    Breakfast NOW!!
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ab850f9be9fe0f21bdee7f35f8c49277547ef284e45009e8511c15963a4c07e3.jpg

      1. The ads are an almighty turn-off.
        At one time, they were actually witty and often more memorable than the programme they interrupted.
        Then you didn't mind them.

    2. When folk visit here they ask 'Why are there no adverts on your youtube?

      To which I reply – there are adverts on youtube?

    3. When folk visit here they ask 'Why are there no adverts on your youtube?

      To which I reply – there are adverts on youtube?

  32. A very belated Good Morning to all my friends. Today I did something I haven't done in many, many, moons: I had a long lie-in instead of getting up at 6.45 am. And after this post I shall stay away until early tomorrow morning, so Toodle-oo until then. PS – I managed a Double Bogie on today's Wordle without looking at hints and tips, even though there were still two options left for the second letter after five attempts. See you all tomorrow.

    Wordle 1,527 6/6

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

    1. Good morning Elsie and all
      Got lucky on the second guess but there are a lot of options!
      Wordle 1,527 3/6

      ⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜
      🟩⬜⬜🟩🟩
      🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

    3. Morning, Olaf's Relict.
      Looking forward to a walk with the Boss and then a happy day of needlework.

    1. My strange and self-abuse
      Is the initiate fear that wants hard use.
      [Macbeth]

      It was always always a challenge to explain what these words mean to a class of libidinous Fifth Formers.

    2. A BTLer suggested the most effective way to halt the hoots was to write
      "Starmer is doing well"

  34. Good morning all .

    Thick fog earlier , now clear sky. 19c.

    Son was out of the house early , practise run of 12 miles .. (yes) and he said he ran up and down Weymouth seafront several times as the sun was rising , it wasn't foggy there apparently .

    Moh and I were out to dinner with friends , and our hostess presented us with a meal I had never eaten before , Sukiyaki.. so delicious , and slightly complicated , but amazingly healthy .. we ate outside . and the central dish of vegetable soup simmering on a large heated ring , where by we cooked our tiny slivers of meat on the ring then forked into tiny baskets which were then dunked in the soupy vegetables then ladled into our little dishes . Not explained that very well .. and also a little dish of chilli flavoured sweet sauce to dip some of our cooked meat in .

    The vegetables consisted of very tiny fungi, shredded leek, shredded spring onions , minute glassy looking noodles , and a shredded green veg which could have been pak choi, and a delicious liquor which the vegetables floated in ..

    We enjoyed our meal and the company of our host and his wife and another couple we knew .. thank goodness the evening was warm , and it wasn't a late evening thank goodness , because when we drove home we saw stray deer and dark lanes .. and not used to night time driving either!

      1. Morning Phizzee

        Yes , I think it was .. but it was so unusual and delicious , and I hope there are places that I can eat at that do that sort of thing .. in fact it is so rare for me to say , I loved it, my sort of meal .. and delicate .

    2. We had a good evening too…….. our neighbours on both sides joined us for dinner and we had a good evening of food and chat with several bottles of wine consumed. Nobody had to drive anywhere.

    3. How are his injuries healing? At least he is still able to run – what about work? Is he able to do that?

      1. He is seeing the bone people on the 28th ..

        He cannot open jars or twist his hands .. he is not insured .

        Moh and I are seriously concerned .

        1. Have you thought of a healer?
          I broke my arm as a child and didn't get full movement back until a distant cousin did some healing stuff on my arm. I didn't believe it, but it worked. She had very warm hands.

        1. I was never into that awful void in popular music that existed between 1960 and 1962, when all the tired old Teds of the 1950s, with their greasy quiffs, refused to retire.
          1963 was like a great reawakening for lovers of blues-based rock and pop.

          1. I tend not to choose my favourites based on their genre and, for example, my iPhone playlist includes songs by Dire Straits, Dolly Parton, Elton John, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Hollies, UB40, Rod Stewart, the Moody Blues, Mike Oldfield, Fleetwood Mac and others.

          2. Indeed. My choice of music is — to coin a cliché — ‘eclectic’. I like many genres of music and have a wide variety of records in my collection. I still stand by the fact, though, that the years 1960 to 1962 were full of Elvis wannabes and ballad ‘crooners’ all of the same tediously boring type.

            The 21st century has , so far, not produced music of any kind that I wish to listen to.

          3. I agree with you although I can remember my grandparents saying much the same about music of the late 50’s.

      1. I did one t'other day and it served the 4 of us with the DT having the leftovers yesterday.
        Will probably do baked potatoes tomorrow.

  35. If Allah is Satan and Mohammed was the son of Satan and Islam is Satan's answer to God Christ and Christianity, does what is happening across the world begin to make sense?

      1. I'm assuming "Satanic Verses", I didn't read the book, I thought it was a selection of extracts from the Koran.

        1. Yes. He lost an eye recently. They are still trying to kill him for exposing the truth.

          1. When Rushdie turned up and muslim were trying to kill him for writing a book should have been enough evidence they were nutters who must be kept out of the country.

    2. Yes. But the end of the story has already been written. Satan loses. Problem is, there’s a rocky road to be endured first. 666 can be linked to Marx too.

      1. Although technically the English King he was a strange individual, probably more French than English.

    1. It's bright and sunny here – so hopefully it will break through where you are.
      I'm beginning to like Rayner! She ploughs her own furrow and sod everyone else……..

      1. She is awful, but it's hard not to cheer someone putting a spoke in Khan's wheel.
        I think it is right that the Mayor of London should not be a stepping stone to being PM.

    2. Looking at the size of the little runt compared to lumpy Ange, she could just sit on him!

      2. I'm sure some men have a fetish about that and possibly even the woman eating a bacon sarnie in front of him – Ding Dong! ©True_Belle.

    1. A woman comes home from work and says to her husband, “Darling, pack your bags, I just won the lottery!”

      He replies, “Great! Where are we going Paris? Rome? Italy?”

      She replies,”I don't give a shit where you go. Pack your bags, I just won the lottery!”

  39. Yes, I really don't like teenagers. Not happy with being jerks, they're pushing the dogs around.

    As a result, all three dogs have been called back – even the one who despite being utterly loyal to Junior is being mauled.

    I am really not very happy with Junior.

        1. It’s OK wibbling! You’ve put in all the good stuff, and someday it’ll all be worth it!

    3. His hormones are kicking in, steer him away from junk food and treats , and get him away from his PC desk.. he needs some exercise and team sports and focus.

      1. They've been playing outside, rolling Mongo around. That's why I called him (Mongo) in.

  41. Controversy Corner.

    I am a man, born a man, will die a man, always dress as a man, 'identify' as a man and have XY chromosomes. I have used women's lavatories on a number of occasions in an emergency and I know a lot of women who have used men's lavatories for the same reason.

    Every home in the country (if not the world) had a bog used by everyone. Yet it seems that anally-retentive Victorian standards and habits still remain.

    Discuss.

    2. I have too, and here in France one can get urinals in the open areas as well as separate cubicles .
      The ones at home are used by family and friends rather than the general public.
      The objection I have is that too many men pretending to be women have form for exposing their genitals or even assaulting women and children in the public lavatory setting.

      1. “The objection I have is that too many men pretending to be women have form for exposing their genitals or even assaulting women and children in the public lavatory setting.”

        I think that is the objection most normal people have.

      1. Probably an all-cash transaction using a small part of her share of the Chinky payout from the Chagos deal.

      2. Think Mandelson!

        Blair's sycophant who furtively borrowed a large sum of money from Labour millionaire, Geoffrey Robinson, in order to buy a property which matched up to his pretensions. Blair had no option other than to relieve him of his job in cabinet :

        Glib and Oily Many's lies and mortgage I could not excuse
        Twice I sacked the sleazy bugger though his spittle shone my shoes.

      2. The presence of the rifle suggests that.
        Incidentally, the Norwegian for such a clip translates to "Shame cut" (skamklipp). Even now…

    2. More than a few "horizontal Collaborators" actually used their activities to gather information which was then passed on to the Resistance.

  45. Save our swearing!
    Toby Young

    Last week I took a day trip to Margate. Not to enjoy a swim in the sea, but in the hope of having a debate with a member of Thanet district council about its proposed ban on swearing. A few days before, when the ban was being discussed, a Labour councillor had challenged me to come to Margate, where he promised to give me a piece of his mind. ‘If you’d like to come down here and meet me I’d be more than happy to tell you exactly what I think of you and there might be the odd expletive in it,’ he said. Not sure that’s the best way to defend a swearing ban, Councillor. I posted a video on the Free Speech Union’s social media channels saying I’d be on Margate beach at 10.30 a.m. on Tuesday and looked forward to meeting him.

    Needless to say, he didn’t turn up. I even managed to gain access to the council’s offices and went in search of him and Rick Everitt, Thanet’s leader, but they were nowhere to be found. Were they working from home? Perhaps they were put off by the two vans I’d hired to follow me around, each displaying a huge billboard advertising the ban. ‘Stubbed your toe?’ one of them read. ‘Remember, it’s a crime to swear in Thanet.’

    Going to these lengths to challenge a swearing ban may seem excessive. Was this something the Free Speech Union should be campaigning on? In fact, we’ve been at it for some time. The same council tried to ban swearing last year, but withdrew its proposal when we threatened legal action. The issue then was that the ban was too vague and broad, covering not just ‘foul and abusive’ language – terms which have no legal meaning – but also congregating in groups and misogyny, defined as ‘behaviour… that results in a loss of dignity or respect’. We argued it was far from clear what would be covered by the swearing ban – could you be fined £100 for telling someone to bugger off? – and the other provisions risked criminalising peaceful protest. The council backed down, but is having another go.

    We think there’s an important principle at stake. Under sections 59-75 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, councils can introduce Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) enabling ‘enforcement officers’ to fine residents for engaging in supposedly unacceptable behaviour. They were intended to enable councils to tackle prostitution, loitering or drinking alcohol in specific trouble spots, but they have to be carefully drafted so as not to fall foul of the law. According to section 72 of the act, councils must have ‘particular regard to the rights of freedom of expression and freedom of assembly’ under Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights, a duty we think Thanet has failed to discharge.

    At least a dozen councils are abusing this power too and we’re not the only ones who think the increasing use of these orders is cause for alarm. In the US State Department’s annual report on human rights abuses across the world, published last week, the prevalence of PSPOs was mentioned as one of several ‘areas of concern’ in the UK. The report singled out the use of these orders to ban protests outside abortion clinics, something J.D. Vance raised at the Munich Security Conference. But there are other examples of overreach, leading to PSPOs being nicknamed ‘busybody charters’. Last year, we pointed out to Redbridge council that its ban on cat-calling was unlawful and it agreed not to renew it. Other speech restrictions that have been imposed by PSPOs cover amplification, making noise and shouting.

    So far, the Free Speech Union has prevailed whenever it has threatened legal action against an overzealous local authority, and we expect to succeed against Thanet. Trying to limit freedom of expression and assembly without interfering in people’s convention rights is a piece of needle-threading that is beyond the legal departments of most councils – if they even bother to consult their lawyers. An earlier iteration of Thanet’s latest PSPO would have had the effect of banning the consumption of alcohol in licensed premises, which is prohibited by the 2014 act. It’s also flat-out insane. Thanet council was effectively going to force every pub in Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs to serve nothing but soft drinks. Good luck getting re-elected.

    I have some sympathy for councils that want to make use of these powers to target specific types of anti-social behaviour and we offered to sit down with Cllr Everitt to help him draft a legally watertight PSPO, but he refused. Like most town-hall tyrants, he knows best. For the sake of his ratepayers, I hope he doesn’t waste money trying to fight us in court.

    1. If, 30 years ago someone had told me they'd be challenging the right to swear I wouldn't have believed them. It'd just be absurd.

      The fundamental problem is the complete lack of control the public have over these idiots.

    2. I'm not a fan of profuse swearing in public spaces, especially in the presence of children, but introducing such a local law would be no more effective than those which try to combat littering.

  46. Edward Davies
    The statistic that explains why white working class children do so badly
    24 August 2025, 6:15am

    Another year of GCSE results has prompted another bout of soul searching about the underachievement of white working class pupils. No lesser figure than Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has led the mourning this week, risking the ire of her colleagues with some bravery.

    Yet the grim truth is that this is not, ultimately, an education issue. Plenty of children in exactly the same schools will do just fine: same facilities, same teachers, same exam papers, better results. Nor is it a poverty issue as we are so often told – some ethnic groups on Free School Meals don’t just do better than their poor white peers, they do far better than even the average. And the idea that skin colour itself may play a role quickly falls apart with, well, any common sense at all. But if you need some evidence then when we divide ethnicity by nationality, Black African children tend to do much better than Black Caribbean, for example.

    There are of course many reasons why a child may do well or poorly at school but new analysis of the most recent Family Resources Survey by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) points the finger squarely at a single major factor above all others: family stability. What does correlate with exam results in every ethnicity is marriage rates. The more stable your home, the better you do.

    White working class children are at the bottom of the pile in marriage rates, and so too in school. Just two in ten children in the poorest white quintile live with married parents compared to almost nine in ten of the wealthiest white quintile.

    Furthermore, if we compare white against non-white we discover that, while just two in ten poor white children live with married parents, this rises to almost six in ten among poor children in non-white families. The difference is vast – and the difference this makes to children is a known known. Research from the United States has been pretty clear on this for years. Even accounting for poverty, children who are in what researchers call a ‘fragile family’ (where parents are cohabiting or alone), are twice as likely not to graduate from high school. Research among 5,000 adults in the UK almost exactly replicated this result a few years later.

    But this warning is not just about education. The collapse in family stability (with the UK’s marriage rate falling by over two-thirds in less than fifty years) is now undermining almost every part of public life.

    Further new analysis of ONS figures to be published in a forthcoming CSJ paper finds the huge impact it is having on our welfare system too. It finds that the chances of lone parent families experiencing long term worklessness is almost one in three. In a couple family that probability falls to just one in FIFTY. Long term unemployment is essentially not a concern in married households. Despite the majority of UK children now being born to unmarried parents (when it was almost unheard of just fifty years ago) this goes completely unacknowledged, far less discussed, in the welfare debate.

    It’s not just true that it has an impact on low income families – it’s true right up the income scale. Yet more new CSJ analysis of recent census data has discovered that in every single year of life from your mid twenties to your 100th birthday, marriage rates perfectly reflect income deciles: if you’re married you’re more likely to earn more and if you earn more you are more likely to be married – in every year of life. It’s difficult to unstick cause and effect of course – rich people are more likely to get married too – but as the GCSE and employment figures show, marriage is a buffer from poverty as well as a route out: social capital brings financial capital with it.

    In fact, if you are willing to look, it’s not hard to find declining marriage at the heart of almost every domestic challenge we face. The relationship between fatherlessness and crime is already well established as the Ministry of Justice pulls its hair out over our stuffed prisons. Stark figures from the Institute for Fiscal Studies show that there is no home ownership problem at all among married couples.

    Over 80 per cent of married mothers are owner occupiers compared to just one in ten lone mothers. Conversely only one in ten married mothers live in social housing compared to the majority of lone parents.

    At the acute end of housing, it is relationship breakdown (in which the UK is a world leader), not housing supply or benefit shortfalls, that remains the most common trigger of homelessness. Experiencing family breakdown as a child more than doubles your chances of homelessness as an adult.

    Even immigration rates are going to be hard to reduce without making marriage and family life a whole lot more attractive, as Nigel Farage is now discovering. A birth rate of 1.4 simply cannot maintain the UK economy in its current form.

    You do not have to look hard to find people who think the UK is in a terrible state, and many of the headline figures seem to confirm it. Permacrisis, omnishambles, and clusterfuck being just three words added to the Oxford English Dictionary in recent years.

    But the plight of the white working class in this year’s GCSE results is our annual reminder that the UK status quo will not change unless we have some hard conversations about its causes – family stability is the fundamental cornerstone of society and in the UK it has collapsed.

    Written by
    Edward Davies is director of policy at the Centre for Social Justice.

    1. A chum is a teaching assistant. She's been so for about 20 years. Over that time she correlated the collapse of values with the massive expansion of welfare and thus the assault on the family.

      To argue that this wasn't intentional is a nonsense.

      1. The family is the only unit that can defeat the state without firing a shot. So it had to go…

    2. The Coalition for Marriage has been saying this for years, while the state has systematically dismantled marriage and turned it into a dangerous piece of paper.

  48. Just pulled an armful of rhubarb, lovely stuff, but too much for us. Can't seem to give the excess away… 🙁

    1. Chop it up and freeze it ..will be delicious during dark winter months , cooked with a dash of ginger , and crumble and custard .. don't ditch it . Select , chop , freeze .. yum

      1. Indeed. Love stewed rhubarb, me, but we don't have the freezer space, sadly. Good source of vit c over the winter.

          1. Maybe we could make sauerrabarbra with it?
            Ferment it to make fruit wine?
            Hmmm…

          2. Definitely rhubarb wine! My great old Aunty Ethel used to make it! I still have her amazing recipe book!

  50. Keeeeeeeeeeerching.
    Charlotte Gill needs to be jailed for starters..
    for revealing the NGOs being paid by The Home Office as 'delivery partners'.. LOL in the cash for migrants game of making do$h.
    It's not casual but are involved deeply in HM Govt strategic advisory policy.

    Here's the NGO naughty list
    Migrant Help.
    Refugee Council
    British Red Cross
    Migrant Help
    UNHCR
    Micro Rainbow
    Freedom from Torture
    NACCOM.
    Refugee Action.
    Scottish Refugeee Council.
    ASAP.
    Rainbow Migration.
    Helen Bamber Foundation.
    ILPA.

    https://youtu.be/60nmPitbnyM?t=361

      1. Who funds neon uk, who are they

        Do they provide all of the gaslighting material for the HO?

      2. Well we have suspected this for a long time, but releasing this information now, just a couple of weeks before the big free speech march, with the news full of flags and Lucy Connelly…all in the run up to a bond market crisis…looks a bit deliberate…or just another "coincidence" if you're a coincidence theorist.

    2. If the Home Office is paying other groups, why is the Home Office so big? Why is it – and it's budget – not being reduced year on year by the amount it gives away?

      1. Have you ever heard of a Alistair Campbell bureaucratic Leftie vote for less power & a budget cut.. like ever?

    1. £1 for 30 min? – no wonder she can afford her latest house at £700k – she has been busy – presumably wholesale

        1. Yep, I’d draw the line at her – now I find Rachel quite attractive in fact I wouldn’t mind doing to her what she’s doing to the country

  52. When I saw the headline, I thought it was another dreary 'Flags are vulgar' diatribe. It's not, just a weary observation of the sad state of the country coupled with justified fears about where we go next.

    If flags become markers of ethnic identity, I fear the Britain I once loved will disappear

    The country could once pride itself on having a measured mode of patriotism. Now official cowardice enables those at the extremes

    Daniel Hannan
    23 August 2025 2:38pm BST

    Something I have always loved about British patriotism is its implicit self-confidence. Not for us the noisy assertiveness of less assured nations. Arriving here as a small boy from South America in the 1970s, it hit me that that the best and truest forms of national pride were understated.

    The Falklands War broke out during the Easter holidays when I was ten. I spent the first part of it in Peru and the rest at my prep school here, and I was struck by the very different approaches to flags. The blue-and-white Argentine tricolour was a common sight in many South American capitals after the invasion, waved hysterically by crowds that, once our task force had started mustering, began to wonder uneasily whether Britain really was the clapped-out former power they had been led to believe.

    In Britain, by contrast, although flags were displayed in pubs and homes throughout, massed flag-waving happened only twice: on 14 June 1982, when Argentina surrendered; and on 14 October, when the victorious troops paraded through London. Even at the age of ten, I was impressed. We Brits did not need to convince ourselves, or anyone else, that we were a top nation. We left obsessive flaggery, along with uniform fetishes, brash slogans and outdoor rallies, to hot countries whose leaders wore sunglasses.

    I remember being struck by the contrast between the quiet love of country displayed at my school's Remembrance Sunday services, and the showy, gimcrack patriotism of national days in South America, or the loud, banner-streaming cavalcades that followed football matches (most of whose cars were driven by young men who would, at the drop of a hat, have abandoned their countries if they could get British or European passports).

    In only one part of the United Kingdom was it normal for the flag to be brandished aggressively. In much of Northern Ireland, in those days, you could immediately infer the allegiance of a street by the colours in which its kerbs were painted. Flags on lamp posts were widespread, although technically illegal. The flags did not cause the divisions, obviously; but they hardly helped heal them.

    Indeed, it was a row about flags that brought Ian Paisley to national attention. At the 1964 general election, the Republican candidate for West Belfast flew an Irish tricolour from his constituency office on the Falls Road – a technical breach of the law, but not one that anyone had bothered with until then. The Big Man threatened to lead a mob to tear down the offending scrap of cloth if the police did not act. Reluctantly, the RUC removed the banner, provoking serious rioting in which 30 people were hospitalised.

    Northern Ireland was the exception that proved the rule. Flags on the mainland were unifying symbols because, unlike in the Province, British nationality was not contested. What made British people unusual was not so much their phlegm as the fact that they had never experienced defeat, and so had little to prove.

    Over the past week, we have seen the Ulsterisation of numerous English towns. St George's Crosses and Union flags have appeared on lamp-posts. Websites have been promoting and keeping track of this pennanted profusion. One reports that 50,000 English and British flags were sold in three days.

    The St George's Crosses are largely a reaction to the Palestinian flags that have become widespread in parts of our cities. In the early days of the Gaza war, PLO colours signalled support for the Palestinian movement.. But, as the months passed, they became territorial markers in Muslim-majority areas.

    Just as in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, you can now infer the demographics of an area by its banners. Indeed, the flags are often the same ones. Because the IRA and the PLO supported each other, Palestinian flags were common in republican parts of Northern Ireland, prompting loyalists to fly Israeli flags in response.

    There are allegations of double-standards: local councils are said to be rushing to tear down the St George's Crosses while leaving the Palestinian flags untouched. In response, local patriots have taken to painting red crosses on the white paint of zebra crossings, mini-roundabouts and other street markings.

    Flags that should be unifying national symbols are instead becoming badges of ethnic identity. Worse, they are being used, as in the distant past, to signal control of territory. If I ask you for an image that symbolises the defeat of Nazi Germany, my guess is that you'll think of the photograph of two Soviet soldiers raising the hammer-and-sickle flag over the Reichstag. It is unutterably depressing to have such territorial demarcation within our own borders.

    How did we come to this? How is it that people born and educated here feel more affinity with Palestine, a territory that few of them have set foot in, than with the land that gave them their birth and infant nurture?

    It is partly the way our history is presented – both in classrooms and in the wider culture. A 15-year-old in Britain will be more familiar with Rosa Parks or Martin Luther King than with Jenny Geddes or John Wilkes. We teach kids about slavery rather than about Britain's unique role in its abolition.

    When I spoke to Lower Sixth history students from a London private school last term about how nineteenth-century African kings had dug in to defend the slave trade, I was met with flat-out disbelief. The teenagers had had it so hammered into them that slavery and colonialism were Britain's original sins that they could not process the idea of the second having been driven by opposition to the first.

    Instead of ensuring that school leavers have a sense of pride in our country and its values, we foment alienation and racial division. The two largest volunteer armies in the history of mankind were the Indian armies in the two wars. Around a third of the men on the Empire Windrush had served in the RAF. But whereas those men had been brought up to see Britain as a beacon of liberty, their descendants have been taught that we are a uniquely cruel, voracious and racist country.

    There was nothing inevitable about it. When I spent a day at Katharine Birbalsingh's school in Wembley, I was moved almost to tears by the pride and enthusiasm with which her students, most of whom speak other languages at home and 90 per cent of whom are non-white, would sing patriotic songs and declaim Kipling's verses. If every school in the land were like hers, we would not be in this mess.

    Our country used to be known around the world as civil and orderly. But the social capital that sustained those virtues has been drained by official multi-culturalism and the deliberate slandering of our past. When the madness reached its peak during the BLM unrest of 2020, I predicted mournfully that the reaction would not be a return to civic patriotism, but rather an ethnic backlash that was, in its way, every bit as angry, self-pitying and illiberal as that of the woke Left.

    I am now sure of it. I expect the next election to return two tribes of authoritarians, one Corbynite and focused on an anti-Western foreign policy, the other a British version of Maga. Both will trample process in pursuit of their preferred outcomes. Both will mobilise the full force of state power against people they don't like.

    That is what I mean when I speak of the Ulsterisation of the mainland's politics. I mean no disrespect to Northern Ireland, where I have family links on both sides of the divide. But politics has never been Norn Iron's strong suit. When people feel they have to vote for "their" candidates on ethnic or confessional grounds, politicians become idle and self-serving, public life becomes a scramble to find sinecures for backers of each tribe, and divisions become institutionalised.

    None of this needed to happen to Great Britain. We did not lose a war or suffer a violent social revolution. We have done it to ourselves through woolly thinking, virtue-signalling and cowardice. The country I love is disappearing.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/08/23/if-flags-become-markers-of-ethnic-identity

      1. No mention that all of these current 'troubles' have been jointly instigated by our over exuberant 'stupid' political classes.
        Rather than "We have done it to ourselves".

    3. What's brought about the change, Dan? Two Tier said he wanted Change, but I doubt that's what he had in mind.

  53. Robert Francis Prevost really should stick to matters spiritual and otherwise mind his own business.

    Pope Leo: Britain's surrender of Chagos Islands is 'significant victory'

    Pontiff tells refugees that deal to give islands to Mauritius is success in long battle to 'repair grave injustice'

    James Crisp, Europe Editor
    23 August 2025 3:03pm BST

    The Pope has described Sir Keir Starmer's surrender of the Chagos Islands as a "significant victory" that has repaired a "grave injustice".

    Pope Leo XIV made the comments during an audience in the Vatican with exiled refugees from the contested Indian Ocean archipelago.

    In May, the Prime Minister agreed to give up the British Overseas Territory to Mauritius by the end of the year in a controversial deal.

    Britain will then lease back the Diego Garcia military base, a facility built on the largest of the island in the 1970s, that has been used by UK and US forces. It will cost £35bn to do so, according to official figures revealed by The Telegraph.

    Leo, the first American Pope, met some of the roughly 2,000 people evicted from their homes by Britain in the 1960s and 1970s so the naval and bomber base could be built. Displaced islanders fought for years in British courts for the right to go home.

    On Saturday, the pontiff told the refugees he was "delighted" that the treaty had been agreed, saying it represented a "significant victory" in their long battle to "repair a grave injustice".

    "The renewed prospect of your return to your native archipelago is an encouraging sign and a powerful symbol on the international stage – all peoples, even the smallest and weakest, must be respected by the powerful in their identity and rights, in particular the right to live on their land; and no one can force them into exile," he said in French.

    Leo said he hoped the Mauritian authorities would commit to ensuring their return.

    In response to the Pontiff's comments, Mark Francois, the Tory shadow Armed Forces minister told The Telegraph: "With great respect to the Holy Father, as I understand it the Vatican are not proposing to cover the £35bn cost to rent back islands and a vital strategic base, which already belong to us in the first place.

    "That absurd cost would fall squarely on UK taxpayers, irrespective of their religion."

    As well as concerns over the cost, Sir Keir's deal has prompted security fears because of deepening Mauritian ties with China and Russia.

    The treaty establishes a trust fund to benefit the Chagossians and says "Mauritius is free to implement a program of resettlement" on the islands, other than Diego Garcia. But it does not require the residents to be resettled, and some displaced islanders fear it will be even harder to return to their place of birth after Mauritius takes control.

    Philippe Sands, an international lawyer who has represented the Chagossian people and long championed their right to go home, said the Pope's words were enormously important. He added that the intimate private audience, originally expected to be part of a general audience, was instigated by Leo himself.

    "The words spoken by His Holiness offered clear support for the urgent return of Chagossians to the islands from which they were deported and sent the clearest possible signal to the governments of Britain, the United States and Mauritius that the Vatican expects the Chagossians to be able to return and remake their lives," he said.

    Mauritius had long contested Britain's claim to the Chagos Islands. The UN's top court had told the UK to return them to Mauritius, which is about 1,250 miles south-west of the islands.

    In 2019, the International Court of Justice said the UK had unlawfully carved up Mauritius when it ended colonial rule in the late 1960s.

    The Government's decision to return the Chagos Islands has been criticised by both the Conservatives, who have called it an "act of national self-harm", and Reform UK.

    Reform has vowed to rip up the treaty if it forms the next government and warned that it would blacklist Mauritius unless it gave the islands back. It said earlier this month that it would cancel all Mauritian visas, impose restrictions on flights and sever diplomatic ties.

    The announcement by Reform came after official figures, revealed by The Telegraph, showed that Sir Keir's Chagos deal would cost 10 times more than he claimed.

    The Prime Minister claimed in May that it would cost £3.4bn to give away the islands. But the government's own estimate is almost £35bn, according to documents under the Freedom of Information Act.

    Downing Street have disputed the figures and continued to defend its plan to give sovereignty over the islands to Mauritius, despite the country never previously having controlled them.

    Pope Francis visited Mauritius in 2019 and met a group of Chagossians in the Vatican in 2023. Francis told reporters en route home from Mauritius in 2019 that Britain should obey the UN and return the islands to Mauritius.
    ___________________________________________________

    A history of the Chagos Islands:

    The Chagos Archipelago is an island group in the central Indian Ocean around 1,000 miles south of the Indian subcontinent.

    The islands were uninhabited when they were discovered by Portuguese explorers in the 16th century. Located on the international trade routes, they became the focus of competing claims by European powers. In the late 18th century France took possession of the Chagos Archipelago and Seychelles as dependencies of Mauritius.

    In the early 19th century, the British took over the islands. Mauritius and its dependencies became a colony of Britain in 1814 under the Treaty of Paris.

    In 1965, during the Cold War, an agreement between the UK and US governments led to the creation of the British Indian Ocean Territory. It established defence and communications facilities to counter the Soviet military presence in the region. A major British-US military facility was built on the island of Diego Garcia in 1971.

    Under Sir Tony Blair, Britain discussed a US request for permission to use Diego Garcia to house a Guantanamo Bay-style prison camp for hundreds of terror detainees. While this was rejected, documents suggested the CIA may have used the island to fly suspects to secret "black site" prisons around the world.
    ___________________________________________________

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/08/23/pope-britain-surrender-chagos-islands-significant-victory

      1. Thank goodness Popes no longer hold temporal power (and infallibility only extends to spiritual matters, but I'm sure you know that).

    2. Enjoy it while you can.. the deal will be undone after the next election/revolution.

    3. Not so infallible then! As far as I am aware the deal totally ignored the Chagossians who seem to be unhappy with the prospect of Mauritius being in charge. Perhaps the pope should do more research or just keep his nose out!

    1. The comments are hilarious! One suggests he should have gone into the car wash….

    1. Comment of the day..

      Have they got rid of Z Cars in favour of a medley of Benny Hill and Dickinson's Real Deal?

  56. Just came across these – photos of Firstborn's local Stavkirke (stave Church) – one of only single numbers in Norway still in regular use, and dates from about 1400 AD. Good though it is to see such a place in the news, the reason is not so good: the wood outside is protected by resin, and someone has been scoring huge runes in the protective resin. Bastard.
    Outside:
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/bd6451c04615ae0001e4af172f51f60079e00ac59b4017416500b44f11774506.png

    Altar:
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/31f99ec3679cc79a2a7af69eaac4a7f5bf1167255813112702e4e69ebb9c95e6.png

    3. Beautiful. Had a Baroque makeover, clearly! But kept the wall paintings that we lost at the Reformation.

  57. Another bit of tidying up done on the ledge above the yard.
    I'm skimming a bit more soil off to give me a chance at getting to the deep roots from the brambles and (I think) beriberis at had taken over the area.
    Also done a Corned Beef and Potato Hotpot for main meal which should be just about ready by now!
    Hope so, I'm getting hungry.

    1. There's a famous seaside place called Blackpool,
      That's noted for fresh air and fun…

      1. I was taken there for a holiday in 1963: it was a dump then as far as I recall.

        However, one thing that sticks in my memory was the classic Blackpool boarding house we stayed in. Spotlessly clean and the food was excellent: being 14 yo and a largish lad I was treated as a man and received double portion of breakfast etc. whilst my mother didn't.

          1. And what did Wallace do about it?

            But of course Woolworth's has gone along with many of the landmarks in the land where I was a child.

            I declaimed this story about Young Albert to one of my Fourth Form classes and a boy whose name was Wallis was delighted and beamed at me saying: "At last someone's written a poem about me."

            Many years later my two sons learnt it by heart and loved reciting it – they did not attempt Stanley Holloway's accent but delivered it with posh prep school pronunciation which added another dimension to it!

          2. My father had several 12" 78s of the Stanley Holloway monologues – The Lion and Albert, Albert Returns, Three Ha'pence a Foot, One Each Apiece All Round, Sam, Sam, Pickup tha Musket. I learned all of them by heart after only three or four playings.

            BTW it's Wallace not Wallis. Marriot Edgar, who wrote the monologues was the brother of Edgar Wallace, the writer.

        2. I went here about 10 years ago – terrible experience. I went onto the beach which was crowded, there was a fight going on between a man and woman who where knocking 7 bells out of each other. A policeman turned up and they turned on him, then to cap it all a crocodile ran off with all the sausages

    2. There's a famous seaside place called Blackpool,
      That's noted for fresh air and fun…

  59. This is a day out to enjoy oneself? A seething mass of humanity surrounding one on a hot and sticky day in London.

    I've better things to do and enjoy e.g. tomatoes to pick and cook before preparing my cottage pie dinner. Home grown spuds for the topping, new variety, 2nd early, Acoustic and they've cropped really well.

    https://x.com/NormanBrennan/status/1959598270688485885

    2. Let the blacktivities continue. As the horde moves on they can leave the bodies behind them.

    3. I'll bet good money that many of those moving down to the lower levels will be using the areas as toilets.

    4. It's an old video.. but still relevant.
      Anyhow, why even bother having the police there?
      At this point they are just pathetic spectators.

    1. Didn't Starmer order the courts to push through prosecutions even though there was a backlog of existing cases? So there was an element of interference.

      1. Not to mention the early release of numerous real criminals to clear out space for the likes of LC to be incarcerated.
        And, if I recall correctly, Lord Hermer personally ensured she was prosecuted under a section of the law that carried harsher sentences if she didn't plead guilty, so of course there was lots of undue influence from all sides against her.

      2. Nobody has actually prosecuted yet the PM on suspicion of perverting the course of justice when he was DPP. Sending innocent postmasters to prison is the charge. When is plod going to raid No.10 and carry him into remand?

    2. Lord Hermer of Chagos and the political prosecution of Lucy Connolly..
      The Spectator 4 June 2025, 1:50pm

      1. No you just have to remember Starmer calling a Prime Time TV press conference to announce he is refusing bail for anyone protesting his government.

        This is what “Two Tier Keir” literally refers to.

        Different rules for people he doesn’t like.

        1. To repost what I said on this forum yesterday:

          The way that Starmer instructed the legal system to clamp down on ordinary people whom he branded as "far right" was a clear abuse of power for which he should be held criminally responsible.

          The foundations of a democratic society depend on the maintenance of a clear separation of powers: the judiciary, the the legislature and the executive. There is no doubt that Starmer has violated this and he should suffer the severest of consequences.

        2. To repost what I said on this forum yesterday:

          The way that Starmer instructed the legal system to clamp down on ordinary people whom he branded as "far right" was a clear abuse of power for which he should be held criminally responsible.

          The foundations of a democratic society depend on the maintenance of a clear separation of powers: the judiciary, the the legislature and the executive. There is no doubt that Starmer has violated this and he should suffer the severest of consequences.

        3. She was. It is? On a jolly, all alike. Will try the being nice thing, thanks for reminder x

    4. Not direct orders. Most of them would love to lock up someone who spoke against their ideology.

      Which is very sad.

          1. Oh, I howled for hours to that song after a particularly devastating break up!
            It was on the ‘Baby I’m a want you’ album!

          3. Supposed to be comedy Kate – well I laughed when the original came out but it doesn’t seem as funny now xx

          1. They don't call tattoos tramp stamps for nothing.

            I call them body graffiti – street graffiti appears in subways and lower class areas just as body graffiti appears on lower class bodies.

        1. A Stockport Slapper to be precise. Though in my younger years oop north, we called them scrubbers.

          2. Me…and me…and me.. majority vote G4…brain more scrambled than usual, been away with fambly…Kate x

      4. I can only see the part of the inflatable above the waterline but I think it has been blown up out of all proprtions. 🤔

  63. I am lounging on my sofa reading Marcus Aurelius in Spanish and waiting for the friend who is in my bed to wake up so I can get dressed. (She's from out of town, here for a party we both enjoyed yesterday evening.)

    I am fascinated by the way the (very welcome) spring light is making me notice how wonderfully furry the leaves on my indoor tradescantia are.

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/463930fc77c295a04e5fdd434b7e14b4b6cad650c9c8daff02e0b77f7f7f8ca3.jpg

      1. Was there a game? 🤣

        No – but we feasted on delicious meat, washed down with excellent red, and watched a couple of tango teachers arguing about how to lead a particular move.

        Each to their own. 😉

  64. keith waites
    31m
    Remember when Bliar's pal Ayling was put in charge of BA – and made them paint out the Union Flag that had been on the tails? Will Spanner have pally flags painted on them now? And instead of BA, BLMA?

  65. Private Frederick George Dancox VC (19th March 1878 – 30th November 1917), 4th Battalion, The Worcestershire Regiment.

    Dancox was about 38 years old, and a private in the 4th Battalion, The Worcestershire Regiment, and was awarded the Victoria Cross for his deeds on 9th October 1917 at the Boesinghe sector, Belgium.

    For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty in attack. After the first objective had been captured and consolidation had been started, work was considerably hampered, and numerous casualties were caused, by an enemy machine gun firing from a concrete emplacement situated on the edge of our protective barrage. Pte. Dancox was one of a party of about ten men detailed as moppers-up. Owing to the position of the machine gun emplacement, it was extremely difficult to work round a flank. However, this man with great gallantry worked his way round through the barrage and entered the "Pillbox" from the rear, threatening the garrison with a Mills bomb. Shortly afterwards he reappeared with a machine gun under his arm, followed by about 40 enemy. The machine gun was brought back to our position by Pte. Dancox, and he kept it in action all day. By his resolution, absolute disregard of danger and cheerful disposition, the morale of his comrades was maintained at a very high standard under extremely trying circumstances.

    The London Gazette, 23rd November 1917.

    Dancox was killed in action near Masnieres, France, on 30th November 1917 and is commemorated on the Cambrai Memorial to the Missing.

    https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/56/Frederick_George_Dancox_VC.jpg

  66. Had to have my pre-op injectable blood thinner at elevenish this morning so was late for church but stayed on to hear the Music Director give a talk about the organ.

    The existing pipe organ hasn’t been used for 15 years and the church is about to have a custom built replacement. In addition to being dilapidated, the organ was cannibalised 5 years ago to provide pipes for its counterpart at Shrewsbury Abbey. It can now only be played for a few minutes lest it become a fire hazard but hearing it played still illustrated the difference between a pipe organ and an electric organ. Even in its present state, the pipe organ fills the space and has a presence that the electric instrument, as good as it is, can’t match.

    Apparently it may be possible for a party to visit Eule Orgelbau of Bautzen, Germany, to see pipes being made and a new organ assembled. Here is the proposed design.
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/cba48ec43b53dcf325a40a176180e155d8ed5dac3b92fd8faa6e60ddae9511d4.png

    1. Love a pipe organ, me.
      I'm always amazed at the range of sounds you can get by blowing air over a lip (or whatever it's called).

    2. Check out the rebuilt Bridge organ at Christ Church Spitalfields. This was painstakingly restored by The Friends having fallen silent in the early fifties.

    3. There is an organ builder in my village, and I once went on a tour of the works, which was fascinating.

      There is a difference between English-made and German-made pipe organs. The Germans, with its tradition set by Bach, provides a more impressive sound, and is good for recitals. English organs are based on a church tradition and prefer to accompany than to overpower a tentative congregation. Nicholson's acoustic engineers analyse the intended use carefully, and design the pipes accordingly. Gloucester Cathedral is a big space to fill, and requires a powerful organ. A school hall, usually filled with people, requires a brighter sound than a village church, where the sound needs to be gentler.

    4. During my trip to Hameln last month I visited Rinteln, just down the Weser and went into the St. Nikolai Kirche. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ccc0bbd923a0b8fdcbe9d2b5282e365ebf6a6bd205a5aabd1e868594b9a5bc88.jpg
      https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5af6d37e8bc1853957aa693532b9de0438cdf85619593cee1adee39fb68e0e8e.jpg A VERY beautiful interior https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/81b18ece60701222ea1c96c6c77b161273ed5bd61f9e2f55e850e62230b21f03.jpg And this is the organ https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c6c38474c225511776ba65af982f32ff8d26e8f75830460cf7a11ebfa9351018.jpg And yes, I did sample the acoustics!

        1. I got talking to one of the guides, a lady with slightly more English than I have German, and I said that even when standing quietly, you could hear that the acoustics were excellent. She then told me they have organ recitals in the Kirche and I asked her to excuse me and walked into the middle of the nave and sang a verse of "Come Holy Ghost Our Souls Inspire" which she was absolutely delighted by!
          Another lady joined us and sang a verse each from a couple of hymns she remembered, so I followed on with "Oh Come, Oh Come Emanuel", followed by her getting some words up on her smartphone which she & the guide sang to tune "See The Conquering Hero Come" so I joined in with "Thine Be The Glory".
          All in all, a delightful little interlude.

          1. Excellent, Bob!
            All those excellent acoustics, and not a computer model in sight. Now, with the computer, it's all flat and awkward. Except for one place I cannot remember, where the acoustic was dull and flat except for a few notes, where the building suddenly lit up (acoustically) and became wonderful… then the playing moved on, and it went flat again.

  67. Wordle No. 1,527 3/6

    ⬜🟨⬜⬜🟩
    ⬜🟨⬜🟨⬜
    🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

    Wordle 24 Aug 2025

    Grist for Birdie Three?

    1. Bogey for me. Too many options.

      Wordle 1,527 5/6

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

      1. Exactly my problem too, Sue

        Wordle 1,527 6/6

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

        1. Well done Herts, I got the key letter early or it would have been a real killer…..

          Good to see you at the Five O'Clock Club!

    2. I got three letters from my first starter word and, annoyingly, I went for Eagle glory instead of playing out my second starter word – that would have set up a straightforward birdie – ended up with a messy par……

      Wordle 1,527 4/6

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

    3. Well done, same here.

      Wordle 1,527 3/6

      ⬜🟨⬜🟨🟩
      🟩⬜🟩🟩🟩
      🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

    1. She’s not the brightest thing on the planet!
      She said that white men couldn't produce anything!

      1. It's breaking out all over the place. I clicked on something today, without realising what it was and opened something I wasn#t expecting onto my computer. Deleted it now, but my computer feels grubby. Despite what the extreme left says, it wasn't hard to avoid unpleasant stuff on the internet a few years ago.

  69. We've doctor friends around – which is funny, as he has to duck to go through doors and his wife is short enough she's level with the table.

    However, long story short, was taking a tray of drinks out and after decanting them went back inside. Said to chum I can't deal with the light. Then I buggered over. Chum postulated I might have hyperthyroidism, as this rash on the sides of neck isn't going anywhere in 5 years despite rounds of medication and I can't seem to keep cool at all. I put the washing out and was sweating. It's not that hot today but I just can't cope with it. I can't see without industrial sunglasses.

    He also ref'd it might be why my wound hasn't healed as quickly as expected, although he was rather sensible and said that's more likely diet.

    So I ate his strawberries and cream.

  72. Busy old day. Going through stuff which needs to go. It’s hard though. Lots of half-used blocks of paper, crayons, used folders we don’t need but which no one else wants…all the beautiful fabric samples I won’t ever have time to do anything with. All the bloody lip balms and half-used tiny toothpaste tubes and eye masks and ear plugs and travel socks in the little travel bags you get when you travel on business. All going to the tip. Not much in the grand scheme of things, but still.

    On the fabric front, the scraps also make me sad: the beautiful little blue velvet dress I made when I was 22; the bathroom blind I made for my first house; the fabric remnants of the cushions and curtains I made for our first house when we got married; the beautiful green velvet I picked up for a song for the huge curtains I made when we moved to our current house. Still, it all needs to go.

    Tomorrow I’ll have a better go at my old Uni essays. I either read them tomorrow; or they go forever.

    1. Pity about the fabric scraps. A traditional use for them is to sew them to a duvet cover and make up a patchwork quilt. Something useful, and can be used to keep you warm in winter and keep all the memories better than stuffed in a drawer.

    2. That kind of thing is hard, LiR. Packing away memories is one thing (and our attic is full of that), throwing them away something else again. I strongly sympathise. I'm weird with "things" – as an example, we've lost a pair of Wilkinson Sword scissors I bought back in 1981 and were in daily use until they vanished a week or 2 ago. We had them just as we became a fixed couple, married the year after, and they were still very good. I miss them, they represented the start of our relationship.

      1. I coveted Wilkinson Sword scissors back in the 80s* for my dressmaking. Turns out we have my two pairs, a pair of Friskers and a few others. My husband was in textiles/fabric before he became a gas engineer. Of course, we also don’t need 5 pairs of fabric scissors. But i didn’t realise we had so many till today. And my mum’s pinking scissors…yet i am going to live on a 34’ boat in 18 months’ time.

        * i got a pair for my 21st. I was so excited.

      2. I coveted Wilkinson Sword scissors back in the 80s* for my dressmaking. Turns out we have my two pairs, a pair of Friskers and a few others. My husband was in textiles/fabric before he became a gas engineer. Of course, we also don’t need 5 pairs of fabric scissors. But i didn’t realise we had so many till today. And my mum’s pinking scissors…yet i am going to live on a 34’ boat in 18 months’ time.

        * i got a pair for my 21st. I was so excited.

    3. So sorry for you, LIR. I still have all my mother’s embroidery, patchwork and knitting things which I know I will never finish with my arthritic hands. I can’t even sew nowadays and crochet is out of the window! Very sad.

      1. I have my grandma’s darning wool, mushroom and crochet hooks, and my other grandma’s needles. They have survived today’s cull. But. Not forever. Probably, my children have no connection to my grandmas tgat they are aware of.

        Next book club is at my house. “Lark Rise to Candleford”. Discuss.

        1. Our daughters, who knew their grandparents, have threatened to get a skip when we go! 🙄

      1. It was lovely. When my son was two or three, i made him a “Superman cape” out of the remnants (not all, there were remnants of the remnants…) – the Cape will be buried with me!

    6. I have a serious pile of magazines about rock climbing – we need the space, but it seems a shame to take them to the tip! There used to be a market for them but not these days – I did ask the British Mountaineering Council [or Badly Made Camel as some climber christened them] if any archivist might want them but I haven't even had the courtesy of a reply!

    7. I have some old lace items that I can't bear to just let go – they came from my great-great aunt. Not sure what to do for the best, with them.

      1. Can you stick them to a nice piece of contrasty card and mount hthem in a picture frame? Hang it on the wall, for all to see?

        1. They are too big for that. There are larger pieces – an apron with lace, bits of clothing and some collars, etc.

    1. I wonder, given inflation if the pension is actually lower than that now.

      I remember my Dad paying my nan's heating bill after finding out she was sat there in the cold.

      1. My Dad gave his Mum £5 a week after she was widowed. My grandfather had been a civil servant, but apparently not with the super dooper pension of todays wasters!

        1. Hi Sue,

          I've been away and only just noticed your flag – brilliant!

          Have you noticed that on many people's comments online (youtube I think) the English and British flags seem to have been blacked out. What the heck is all that about?

          1. Hello HL

            Are you still thinking of moving?

            Only a country under invasion waves its flags .

            We are invaded and repressed and ignored .

            We are witnessing the decline and fall of the United Kingdom .

          2. Only a country under invasion waves its flags .

            Not so. Americans have always waved their flag. And the Pledge of Allegiance, said by all school children at the start of the day, puts it in perspective:

            “I pledge Allegiance to the flag
            of the United States of America
            and to the Republic for which it stands,
            one nation under God, indivisible,
            with Liberty and Justice for all.”

            In other words it is to Americans what the royals are to Britain.

            And reciting it is a part of the ceremony immigrants go through to become US citizens.

          3. Yes, some countries are proud of their flags. We should be – it's a shame it has taken this to bring it out.

          4. Thinking, yes. We accepted one offer and they suddenly decided to put in an offer on a house in a different area when we had nearly got to exchange, as we were taking too long to find somewhere (despite them offering when our place was not officially on the market so we weren’t actively looking ourselves) and our own first choice had failed the survey. Then second offer, and then third offer – their own purchasers dropped out. Not a good time to sell!

          7. How long were they on the market for? Lots of sold signs here too but apparently people are having to lower their prices a lot and some properties have been on for a while. We would have been SOLD last April had the buyers not changed, and again twice since then if our buyers had not had their own sales fall through. It’s sometimes luck of the draw.

          8. As I was driving past and don't normally go that way, I can't say, but I did notice a lot of SOLD signs. It's new houses that aren't selling. Old ones, particularly in country villages, seem to be selling okay.

          9. True about old houses in country villages – that’s what we want to move to. We have an Edwardian house in the London commuter belt.

          10. Lots of "For Sale" signs here and nothing shifting. Everything overpriced as the property market slides. No-one wants to buy at market (ho ho ho) prices. i think we can guess what happens next.

          11. Thanks Tine! Guardians Quitter inspired me, the Belle joined in and Phizzee! But inspiration came from Giles Gran Elsie!
            Were you on holiday? Was it nice?

          12. No not anywhere, just I sometimes don't get onto NoTTL until it's too late to participate!

          14. Aw shucks /blushes – thank you, that’s very kind of you. I do seem to be very busy but I’m not sure what I’m busy doing…

          18. That’s definitely an age thing! We (I hesitate to say ‘rush’!) move about doing stuff, and suddenly it’s time for bed!,

  74. Flight Sergeant Nicholas Stephen Alkemade (10th December 1922 – 22nd June 1987) was a British tail gunner in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War who survived a freefall of 18,000 feet without a parachute after abandoning his out-of-control, burning Avro Lancaster heavy bomber over Germany.

    On the night of 24 March 1944, 21-year-old Flight Sergeant Alkemade was one of seven crew members in Avro Lancaster B Mk. II, DS664, of No. 115 Squadron RAF flying from RAF Witchford. Returning from a 300-bomber raid on Berlin, east of Schmallenberg, DS664 was attacked by a German Junkers Ju 88 night-fighter flown by Oberleutnant Heinz Rökker of Nachtjagdgeschwader 2. The attack caused the Lancaster to catch fire and began to spiral out of control.
    He was not wearing a parachute as there was no room in the rear turret, so he climbed towards the middle of the plane to get a parachute, but was initially beaten back by the flames.
    His parachute eventually caught fire and was unserviceable, so Alkemade jumped from the aircraft without it, preferring to die on impact rather than burn to death. He fell 18,000 feet to the ground. His fall was broken by fir trees and a soft snow cover on the ground. He was able to move his arms and legs and suffered only a sprained leg. The Lancaster crashed, bursting into flames and killing pilot Jack Newman, engineer Edgar Warren, bomb-aimer Charles Hilder, and mid-upper gunner John McDonough. They are buried in the Hanover War Cemetery. In 1998, Joe Cleary, a survivor of Newman's crew, met with Rökker and they visited the Lancaster's crash site near Oberkirchen.
    Alkemade was subsequently captured and interviewed by the Gestapo, who were initially suspicious of his claim to have fallen without a parachute. This was until the wreckage of the aircraft was examined and his parachute was found as Alkemade had described it. The Germans gave Alkemade a certificate testifying to the fact. He was a celebrated prisoner of war, held in Stalag Luft III, before being repatriated in May 1945.

    https://dt565gqrz3z7y.cloudfront.net/ce/image/WkauyBvKS7NDCeWZZYQRcQ.jpg

    1. I recommend "escape to Danger" by Paul Brickhill. It documents a number of cases similar to this.

        1. I recall reading Brickhill's:

          The Great Escape
          The Dam Busters and
          Reach for the Sky

          during the 'Fifties.

          1. I think (by no means sure) that Escape to Danger was his first book.

            Most famous for the Dam Busters book.

          6. He could well have done, and the run being named after him would suggest you're correct.

          8. I'm surprised he wasnt working for the other side, based on the usual Light Blue tendencies!

            Irrespective of that, Richard Attenborough was excellent in the role…

          13. That's as may be, but I believe it actually makes it worse at the time, for the relatives.

          14. I'm sure it does. It's bad enough being killed, but being taken out by your own side is doubly mortifying. One airman was killed because he left his parachute behind as it was only a training flight. The aircraft malfunctioned and they had to abandon ship …. One of his mates in the crew said he would never forget that.

          15. In my gliding days, always wore a parachute – we all did.
            The closest I came to needing it was a period of dumbassery, when I stalled in a steep turn with very little height for recovery. The parachute wouldn't have helped if I'd used it.

          16. I am taking Dad (86) to Yeovilton in Sept to see if we can find out what happened to his brother who was killed on the Fleet Air Arm during National Service in 1955 at the age of 20. This year is a bad year (lots of anniversaries- watch this space in November).

            Dad was 15 at the time and his father never spoke of it. Dad’s theory is his brother got too close to the aircraft in front, during formation training. We’ll see – i’ve applied for my Uncle’s Service Record. He was in a Sea Hawk, up in Lossiemouth.

          17. I am taking Dad (86) to Yeovilton in Sept to see if we can find out what happened to his brother who was killed on the Fleet Air Arm during National Service in 1955 at the age of 20. This year is a bad year (lots of anniversaries- watch this space in November).

            Dad was 15 at the time and his father never spoke of it. Dad’s theory is his brother got too close to the aircraft in front, during formation training. We’ll see – i’ve applied for my Uncle’s Service Record. He was in a Sea Hawk, up in Lossiemouth.

          21. Me too.
            I recall there was a book offer with some product when I was 13ish from which I got several books, the 1st of which was the Dam Busters.

    2. Air Gunners received specific training for their aircrew category and wore a AG brevet. Your picture shows a man wearing a Flight Engineers's brevet.

    3. Amazing! I read about that hundreds of years ago in Readers Digest (honestly!) and was equally astonished and impressed, what a hero!!

      1. I imagine the prayers he said on the way down only for Him to say “Not yet mate, you have another 40 years to go.”

    5. Now there's a man whom God smiled upon.
      But what a decision – 18.000 feet with no chute. Plenty of time to anticipate the end.
      Respect for his determination.

  75. Princess of Wales shows off lighter hair as royals enjoy holiday at Balmoral
    The 43-year-old princess’s hair appeared honey blonde as she headed to the service at Crathie Kirk
    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-15029389/Passenger-princesses-Kate-Charlotte-beam-Prince-William-drives-family-church-service-Balmoral-Princes-Louis-George-look-smart-matching-outfits.html

    My old mother always said that only common women dye their hair – but what did she know?

    Caroline's hair has grown darker over the years just as mine did before it turned grey and then white. Even though my wife is now in her early 60s she has not a single grey hair and never once has she dyed it. She is not best pleased when people say she must have dyed it.

    Our local mayor thinks I am her father rather than her husband.

    1. She had quite a lot of grey in her hair when she got married – she let it grow out during her pregnancies, very sensibly. My guess is that the amount of grey is so much that she's going lighter so as to hide it better and match her skin as she ages. Eventually, she'll let it merge into white one day. She is such a pro, she will write the book on aging gracefully.

      1. It's all genetic. I started going bald in my 30s and grey in my 40s and white in my 70s.

        The hair of one of my sisters changed colour as she grew older as mine did. The other sister's hair remained fair for the whole of her life.

        My mother-in-law never went grey and neither has my wife.

        1. My paternal grandfather was bald by mid-20's, so I'm told.
          My Father kept some hair, although a comb-over, until he died.
          My Maternal grandfather had hair like a heather-covered mountain, so the mixture gives me moderate grey hair, now I'm 64.

          1. Hair? Does not compute…😊 OK – I exaggerate, but what remains is somewhat thin and grey. I've only had one 'professional' haircut since they were made illegal. I'd taken my clippers with me to Carlisle, en route to meet Tom (RIP), Sue Mc and Richard S in Moffat for lunch. There was no way of cleaning up the surplus hair, so I popped across the road to the nearest barber. Great job, by the way. Waxed my nose hairs for the first and last time. Ouch. The background of mid-morning police sirens led him to comment that Carlisle was much, much more dangerous than his home country. Which is ?, I enquired.

            Kazakhstan, came the reply. Tragically, he wasn't wrong…

          1. I've gone completely grey, streaks of white, post-vaccine. Doesn't bother me, perhaps I would be four years on anyway..

          3. Distinguished.
            SWMBO has hers dyed -last time was Russian orange (that wasn't the idea, the dye was wrong). I love a copper-haired lass, me.

          4. My grandmother was similar, she used to have a blue rinse…they were fashionable back then, she loved it 🙂

        3. My husband was practically bald when i met him. He was 26. I love a bald man (obvs). But: even though he is well-educated and well-spoken, the fact he is tall (and bald) means that he is taken for a “thug” by Plod etc. he is nothing if the sort. He is “normal”.

          He didn’t realise he was getting in yesterday’s photo at Beachy Head though!!!

        4. My husband was practically bald when i met him. He was 26. I love a bald man (obvs). But: even though he is well-educated and well-spoken, the fact he is tall (and bald) means that he is taken for a “thug” by Plod etc. he is nothing if the sort. He is “normal”.

          He didn’t realise he was getting in yesterday’s photo at Beachy Head though!!!

        5. I have a full head of hair, though a little thinner than in my youth. Although it's a mixture of grey and mousey, I think it rather dashing. I keep it short on the back and sides but leave enough on top for a left side parting. I'm not one given to boasting, but I think it my finest feature. As for the rest of me, time has taken its toll.

      1. There was a fair lady for Klondyke
        Said: "Of you I'm exceedingly fond, Ike
        To prove I adore you,
        I'll dye, Darling for you
        And become a brunette not a blonde, Ike"

  76. A neighbour’s daughter will have my fabric samples. So just the scraps going. Still sad.

      1. Ha ha you have to read my earlier thread!

        In April 2037 we will be departing these shores (should we still be allowed to) on the motor cruiser “Sir Edward” to navigate the river and canal systems of la belle France.

        In preparation of which, i need to chuck all my crap away.

        2. That's 12 years away! I think most on here will be bloody dead by then (including yours truly).

          That having been said ,, my wife and I have done a couple of 'clearouts' recently and it's a mixture of real pleasure and unbelievable melancholy….

          Best of luck!

  77. I've fast forwarded this excellent podcast to the Lucy Connolly section.
    With a history lesson to boot about 'pressing' people for a plea.
    Starkey at his best.
    "These are the good people. The adults in the room.. [pregnant pause] They've corrupted everything."
    .
    https://youtu.be/5VR9RsUs138?t=2557

    2. Right now our far far left bandwagon media are trying to turn the whole situation on its head and are claiming that British public who are complaining about their whole country being swamped by illegal invaders are racist.🏁🤔 Race over.

      1. And leave it to the BBC for the best ones..

        "It would be naive to pretend otherwise that the St George's flag has been co-opted by certain far-right groups to promote their agendas.."

        3. Why is there no ight-wing, just Far-Right?
          The Left don't get disparaged in the same way.

    2. Brilliant! A slightly different take on one of them…

      'If you'd have offered Ballesteros a 69 at breakfast, he would have taken it….'

    4. The "classic" Brian Johnston Holding quote was actually a fake, amusing though it was.

    5. And of course the classic cricket comment from a time gone by.
      "The batman's Holding the Bowlers Willy".

    6. Come on. If “the batsman’s Holding, the bowler’s Willey” isn’t in there, is it even a bona fide list?

  81. Off topic
    One of my great pleasures in life is the presence of hares in the garden.
    I've been watching a young one feeding less than 10 feet from where I'm sitting.
    It has just stretched in a similar manner to a dog, nose to tail and having loosened up has moved on to better grazing.

    2. I was saddened to see a dead badger on the roadside, earlier, next to a dual carriageway. I supposed it was a traffic accident but there was no obvious external injury.

      1. Unfortunately the farmers, who are not supposed to kill them, clearly do so and dump their bodies on roads – note they are always at the side of the road, not the middle.

        3. They do a helluva lot of damage, 4G. Farmers really don’t need any more crap from the dim greenies like Brian May and Packham.

          1. I know why they do it Sue – and I'm not unsympathetic with their position – it just seems a shame their isnt a more balanced solution….

          2. The facts are there, but the virtue signalling ones think they’re right, and because they are the kind ones, they get to drive the agenda!

      2. Difficult to see unless it's squished. A blow to the side of the head is enough.
        Poor stripey bugger.

        1. They are fabulous beasts – Tommy Brock as Beatrix called him – it's just such a shame about them being a host for Bovine TB – although it still hasnt been 100% proven…..

          2. Not a chance – I live in Beatrix Potter land and she is something of a heroine to me and all around – she was miles ahead of her time and a real trailblazer for environmentalism, particularly in the Lake District.

            One of the funny things up here is the vast amount of Chinese tourists we get, apparently 'The Tales of Beatrix Potter' is a major text in China to teach English!!

          3. English is very popular in China. In my view, anthropomorphising wild animals does them no favours.

          6. No, that you dont like anthropomorphising wild animals – suspend the grinding normality for a minute – it's magical, its awesome, it lifts the spirits, babies and youngsters are entranced – what's not to like??

          7. It gives people a totally unrealistic view of what they are really like. Fluffy – not really. Kindly Mr Brock, friendly little foxy woxy. Nature is red in tooth and claw.

          8. I'm with you. I see little harm in enchanting little'uns with endearing tales about wildlife, regardless of their lack of verisimilitude. Folk and fairy tales also short change us in the brutal realities of life, but I wouldn't deny them to children.

      4. There are lots of those round here; they barrel across fast roads looking neither to left nor right.

  82. Evening, all. Back from a concert in a local garden (a string quartet playing on an island in the lake), bookended by church. Usual Holy Communion this morning and a pet service in the afternoon. Nobody knew the dogs were there this morning, but the temptation of lots of other dogs was too much for Kadi, who started barking and then set Winston off.

    Why anybody should be in the least surprised that Labour's policies are driving away the talented and those with money is a complete mystery to me. After all, they are doing the same things as in the seventies and that's exactly what happened then. Doing the same thing and expecting a different result is crazy.

    1. Similar, Conway…but unfortunately not the same we need Thatcher II for that. String quartet sounds good esp vocal accompaniment 🙂

      2. The '70's generation of emigres was my generation. Today's youngsters are my grandchildren's generation. A lot can get lost across two generations. Me? I saw enough of the Labour party when I was young to know I would never, ever vote for them.

  83. My younger sister , not youngest sister had her hip op on Thursday , family live in South Africa. (new hip)

    She was discharged yesterday into the care of my youngest sister , with strict instructions to carry out the exercises for the physio. .. Sis lives in a lovely bungalow , as they all do , and hers is near the beach in Muizenberg .

    I have just received a phone message and photos .. Sister has had a bad fall , and looks as if she is back in hospital .. photos look frightening . .

    I don't know any more details ..

      1. The one who has had the op , she forgot to wake sister 2, before she went to the ensuite loo at 0100hrs.. and fell flat on her face from sitting on the loo .. prostrate in bathroom .. banged head etc and was seemingly shaken and unconscious .. Sister 2 rang security .. to ask them to call an ambulance .. which arrived an hour later , poor girls . Sis 1 is 74 and Sis 2 is 67 .. married and lives up near the Kruger , but decided to fly down to Cape Town to be nurse !

        Sis one was picked up by ambulance , and triaged , xrayed / CT'd her brain , and loads of blood tests etc, found her potassium levels were low as were other salts and signs , so she was put on a drip and monitored , then returned back home this evening .. She is very lucky , hip okay , shoulder a bit sore , face a mess and stitches in her hand and fingers .. She will be bruised to smithereens ..

        2. Sounds as though she fainted on the loo………good job the hip is not damaged. Her bruises will fade……. I hope they have got her potassium and fluid levels right now. It sounds as though she has had good care.

    3. Oh………doesn't sound good. Was she struggling when she came to visit earlier this year?

      1. Bit of a hobble , yes J, just like me .

        Other Sis also struggled , very noticeable as they had to use our staircase .. and Sis 2 is having both hips done nearer Christmas . Both girls are fit, slender good looking capable girls , both used to lead very active sporting lives , and Sis one climbs small mountains as one does in South Africa , and both were playing Springbok hockey , and tennis, swimming etc it's an outdoor life out there .

        2. My Brother was similarly active. One new knee fitted, awaiting the second one. Too much running, too many stairs at work.

    4. Blimey Belle! I guess you don’t know what she was doing? Poor soul and poor you. It must be such a worry for you so far away, and can’t do anything. I can only reiterate the instructions for her to do her exercises – when she can!
      Best of luck to all!

    6. I'm sorry to hear this, Maggie. Hip replacements, to my surprise, are usually amongst the more successful skeletal surgeries and most easy to recover from. A friend has had both hips replaced – on different occasions – and his praise for the outcome has been almost effusive. Although, given the pain he suffered beforehand, any improvement would have been welcome.

  84. Interesting.
    News on TV about babies starving to death in Gaza, with video.
    I asked ChatGPT "why is there starvation in Gaza?"
    After 10 minutes, absolutely no answer. No mention of checking, looking in websites, just blank. Same blank when I asked "Why do you not answer?"

      1. The answer was not in accord with other sources of information I have seen. GPT blames Israel.

          1. I have caught it out on other undisputable facts I know – the registration of the BCAL VC10 that wrecked at LGW, the prototype. GPT got it wrong.

          3. That was a while ago, don't recall doing much more than throwing up my arms and being exasperated.

    3. Why does the world need AI [Artificial Imbecility]? Why does it exist? I cannot see a single use for it!

      1. I use it as a turbocharged search engine. Takes less time for it to do the multiple searches for complex question than it would take me. GPT also presents its references.
        But- caveat emptor!
        Also, I'm likely on a watch list somewhere…

      2. If it can do the job better than the vast majority of public sector "back office" employees and they can be made redundant, thus reducing costs to the tax payer, why not?
        I accept that those PS employees will need redundancy payoffs and be able to claim unemployment benefits, but that's a one-off, and those that are any good will get employment elsewhere.

        1. My concern is that it will not accept challenges to the consensus. It will reinforce groupthink.

      3. Understand that what is out there today is not actually intelligent. They are all "Large Language Models" where questions are answered by searching through masses of data to find stuff that matches the question. Which is why so much computer power is needed. Far from actual "intelligence". Closer to a hyperfast web search in reality. A bit analogous to computers playing chess – they can win by playing out the possible effects of every possible move, and picking the one that gives the best result. Basically a "brute force" approach to the problem.

        1. Yup. Correct.
          Hence my reply to Grizz that I use AI like a turbocharged search engine. It's quicker and more patient than I am!

      1. "No evidence found of systematic aid theft by Hamas. Sources: IPC, WHO, USAID."

        And if you believe that you'll believe anything.

    5. Not too long ago on the TV news they showed about six large trucks carrying masses food into Gaza. And On a regular basis. I wouldn't believe a single word our lying media present.
      They have often used fake situations presented to camera.
      It seems to me that all of the problems in the middle east and elsewhere in the world are caused and fanned by the dreadful Islamics.

      1. Agreed.
        And they have no qualms about causing violent retribution to their own folk, all for the sake of good "optics". That's my beef with Israel – they retaliate in such a predictable manner – the man who thought up the explosive mobile phones is my hero – no collateral, focused on the leadership, and oh, so effective!
        There's a story in Len Deighton about doing the same, only using a battery shaver. Man holds it to his face and detonates it… maybe the author of the explosive mobiles is also a Deighton fan?

  86. Is it any wonder I'm married to SWMBO? She just brought me a bowl of freshly stewed rhubarb & custard!
    Although she does like Danish police dramas… in Danish!

    1. When AI starts to question itself is when it will/might become more useful.

      "having looked at this superficially it is clear that I need to do a lot more research."

      Climate science being a case in point

  88. Oh brilliant. Fireworks.

    When i rule the world, fireworks will only be allowed +/- 3 days of 5th November between the hours of 6:30 pm and 8;30pm

    1. When I rule the world every day will be the first day of Spring – with apologies to Harry Secombe (aka Neddy Seagoon)

    2. You would hate it here.
      The villagers love fireworks, and most of the villages and communes have big events to celebrate their Saint's day.

      2. The US mostly does fireworks on July 4th, but these tend to start the weekend before and end the weekened after. We have had some memorable firework parties here with barrages of "mortars" fired off the cliff edge. SiL usually takes charge, and he is very careful, and does not "celebrate" until the fireworks are over. We can buy heavy duty stuff here in West Virginia and there are zero restrictions. Last time I bought a couple of "finale packs", which contain a battery of mortar type fireworks which go off in sequence – they all produce that huge arc of colour you see with professional displays. The next morning's task is always to collect the debris and bag it for the trash pick up. Just the thing to sort out a hangover…

    3. If I were a tyrant, I'd ban two things which irked me today.

      One, is the football transfer window. For those not in the know, there are two periods in the year when players are permitted to be bought by one club from another. These two so-called windows become the preoccupation of television pundits to the almost total exclusion of the games themselves, especially as the end of each window draws near. They are full of gossip and educated guesswork. I'm unsure what problems and injustices these windows are supposed to solve, but I'd allow the trading of footballers throughout the year and have the pundits talk about the matches.

      Two, is bingo in pubs and social clubs. It's all very well in Mecca and Gala clubs but, elsewhere, it stifles conversation. Three of us were trying to have a chat this afternoon but, each time another round of numbers was being called, we felt obliged to maintain a hush. Yes, it draws in players keen on winning the cash prizes, but we're seriously considering taking our Sunday afternoon custom elsewhere away from what had, until recently, been a pleasant hostelry in which to chew the fat.

      There, those are my two trifling gripes of the day.

      1. To be fair they do tend to advertise 'Bingo Nights' in pubs so you shouldnt be caught out.

        I was once in a pub in Barrow with my sons when an unpromoted Bingo night took place – it was appalling!

        We ended up shouting '79' (no idea why) every time he drew a ball – we got chucked out pretty quick….. (you dont argue in Barrow)

        1. This is only the second time we've encountered it. Today, we realised it's becoming a Sunday afternoon fixture. We'll have to find a new 'home' if we wish to solve the world's problems.

          1. Either that or take up Bingo! Failing that you could always push needles into your eyeballs (Jack Nicholson: Terms of Endearment).

        2. Barrow. Despite growing up and spending the first 30 years of my life in Carlisle, I somehow never made it to Barrow. This sounds bad, but when I was in East Anglia, a female member of the choir, having moved from Watford to Brandon ten years before, prodly announced that she'd never been to Lakenheath. Feel free to peeruse a map, but Brandon is at one corner of RAF Lakenheath, and the Lakenheath is more or less diametrically opposite to Brandon in terms of the base 'footprint'.

          As for Furness, closest was when our new vicar moved from Dalton-in-Furness. He had a 7.5 tonne hired van, an elderly mini, and a half-timbered Moggy Traveller at his disposal. None would start. I misappropriated Mum's Morris 1100 and headed South with a few mates to help out.

          We got as far as Kendal, when the 1100 decided to join in the fun. Mum was in the RAC. I wasn't. They refused to help. In the end, I eventually coaxed the car home, but never did see Furness. Maybe I should do a pilgrimage there?

          Speaking of which, we had around 40 pilgrims in church this morning, from Newbury. We're on the Pilgrims Way, in Surrey. I've driven to Canterbury once. That'll do for me, thanks…

          1. I’ve played Rugby at both Furness and Vickers over the years so I’ve been there quite a number of times but, I’m afraid to say, there is very little to recommend it!

  89. Also, i wanted to quickly comment in the interview with Tracey Edwards in today’s Terriblegraph. Turns out there is a musical about her/Maiden, and an “actress” chose to play up and do a pro-trans protest (Tracey “believes” (sic) in biological reality).

    I had no idea she was only 58 (i.e. about my age).

    I am not a sailor: i think we have established that. I have done it – Dar to Mtwara to Nosi Bay and back; to Zim and back; from Bequia to Antigua; various bits and bobs in the Channel. But i am not a sailor. I was always a bit sniffy about Tracey Edwards but in the spirit of honesty this was mainly because i could not have done what she did. Whether you like her or not (and i have no way of knowing whether I do), she had the guts/chutzpah/naivety to do something utterly utterly difficult/mad/bonkers…

    1. I read her article this morning, and was so impressed with her tough practicality and her delightful sense of humour. What a woman and a great leader! Playing the ‘girly’ card with the Americans, in their pink shorts and curly hair!

  91. Got a bit more done on the ledge, levelling off and using the pickaxe to get at some large and rather deep bramble and berberis roots.
    I need to get the cement mixer brought down from up the "garden" as well as betting some sand before I can do much more.
    This was Wednesday before I moved the parcels trolley frame to the side https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/18c5e7ed1090293c387bfb61946cfde20667c335806c761b9af24d25fa31d13a.jpg This was this afternoon with the foliage and excess soil removed from behind where the trolley was https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/fd63a45bce75dfba513c6b49d9d42bf7ed2bd0a92b4e26fd9e6efd44f1475bb8.jpg And a couple of shots from on top https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/005f253ed86f347262dffd296d820d2d2db3de7104ba81a76f46b058afd0baf8.jpg As you see, it's not very wide up the and is about 12' above the yard! https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ad62b830eb5aa3889e9c0573497bb0e47fa0bde8a1feb6ea8c77a0b5c2d9ee75.jpg Then after a bite to eat, the corned beef and potato hotpot was lovely, I went to bed for a couple of hours!!

  92. I'm orff folks, it's been an interesting day. Lots going on. After a very frustrating four hours I manage to get my Ryobi Shredder working and I can now spend the day tomorrow chopping and almost liquidising 6 huge buckets of apples. And pressing the juice out through hessian bags, I maybe some time. Or drown in the juice 😉😊 I've even managed to get some champagne yeast.
    Goodnight all Nottlers sleep well 😴

    1. Is this a twig chopper, Eddy? We will be doing the same, and have a Ryobi twig cruncher. If yours works well, this will save a lot of time in juicing the apples!

      1. Yes obs I’ve adapted it for chopping apples I usually put them through twice before putting them in large hessian bags and under the timber car jack powered press. Designed for the juice to run into a bucket. 🤗

  94. 23 year old arrested for Chanting "We love Bacon" outside a Mosque…So..I'm offended every single time I see "Halal" plastered all over the High street and shops..😡

    1. I don't like the guy's attitude. I would also like to see how he's displaying the English flag. He's also abusive at the end. I've no time for this one, Maggie.

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