Friday 3 January: The consequences of Britain’s failure to exploit its own energy reserves

Posted on by Geoff Graham

An unofficial place to discuss the Telegraph letters, established when the DT website turned off its commenting facility (now reinstated, but we prefer ours),
Intelligent, polite, good-humoured debate is welcome, whether on or off topic. Differing opinions are encouraged, but rudeness or personal attacks on other posters will not be tolerated. Posts which – in the opinion of the moderators – make this a less than cordial environment, are likely to be removed, without prior warning.  Persistent offenders will be banned.

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

638 thoughts on “Friday 3 January: The consequences of Britain’s failure to exploit its own energy reserves”

  3. 'Morning All
    Just when you thought you couldn't despise the hypocrisy of politicians any harder*
    "Kemi calls for enquiry into Pakirape gangs"
    Your lot were in power for FOURTEEN YEARS and did nothing!!
    * For the avoidance of doubt I despise Labour just as much

    1. To be fair to the lady, she did not become an MP until 2017, and was made a Minister of State in 2019. She could hardly be accused of doing nothing for nine of these years.

      She was responsible for children and families between July 2019 and February 2020, when she joined the Treasury team. If you recall, much of this time was spent in turmoil when PM Boris Johnson could not get anything through Parliament, and then fought a general election where the prime concern was over Brexit, not Muslim infliltration.

      After February 2020, there was a major national health scare that took over the agenda for eighteen months, which meant that attention could be focussed onto the gangs only in the last couple of years, during which there were how many prime ministers?

      The Leader of the Opposition that emerged during the mayhem bore quite a bit of responsibility for the chaos over Brexit in 2019, and before that was actually DPP when the situation with Muslim gangs in Rotherham broke. I believe that is was the same man who was promoted for his troubles, and it was he who kneeled in homage to gangs of rioters following a botched arrest in Chicago. I haven't mentioned HS2 and the Regents Park hedgehogs, but I may as well chuck that in too.

      How could Kemi Badenoch be made responsible for that?

      1. She is symptomatic of the uselessness of the government which she joined – and which had for 14 years known all about these criminals and did sod all about it.

  6. Doesn't pass the smell test
    "The Las Vegas Tesla truck attack poses lots of questions.

    The Special forces guy shot himself ? No one heard the shot.

    His ID survived the inferno which consumed him beyond recognition.

    He was so inept that the bomb hardly damaged a glass front of Trump hotel yards away.

    Tesla have video from all the charging points used to get to the scene of 5he attack. Does that show the attacker ?

    When did he get shot or shoot himself?

    Is there any evidence of the Tesla truck being remotely accessed and self driving? Would this info be stored at Tesla HQ?"

    2. Look on the bright side. He will probably s**t himself every time he sees a can of tuna in the future.

  9. Good morning all.
    Still dark, but calm air and no rain with the temperature at a rather cold 0.3°C at the moment after yesterday's high and low of 1.5° and -2.8°C.

    Just announced on the BBC R3 News that Wayne Osmond of the Osmond Brothers has died aged 73.

          1. Quite an inspiration.

            I saw Jimmy on Celeb Masterchef. He came across as a really nice chap. No wonder people were able to take advantage but his and the family’s responses to it are admirable.
            If there is a Heaven. He will end up there.

    1. "got cut off" – was cut off by the Russians due to non-payment of bills, IIRC.

        1. Might explain why the bills weren’t paid… I’m sure I recall that as the issue, but maybe wasn’t paying full attention.

  13. Love poems axed from schools under Syria’s new ‘extremist’ curriculum. 3 January 2025.

    Syria’s new leaders have been criticised after they announced plans to remove poetry about women and love from schools under a new “extremist” curriculum.

    Other controversial revisions include describing Queen Zenobia’s conquering of Egypt – which helped transform her realm into an empire almost equal to Rome – as “fiction”.

    Surprise. Surprise. Though it has to be said not that much different to the present UK. It’s Cultural Marxism in the classroom here.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/01/02/love-poems-axed-schools-syria-new-extremist-curriculum-hts/

    2. It can be no surprise, given the common ground extremist Muslims have with Western secular feminists, who regard any praise of women by men to be patronising and declarations of love a form of stalking and therefore abusive.

    3. Blimey. They didn't waste any time.
      Will we be hearing any comments from the feminazies?

  14. Sunlight is the best disinfectant.
    In this case a high powered narrow focus LED torch held by Elon Musk on all the Lefties that formed the alliance of convenience with the Jihadists & grooming gangs. Their days are numbered.. Jess Philips.. Starmer.. et al.
    No wonder this guy is in solitary confinement.
    .
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzFSzOa9aTM

    2. "Forget the the moderate Muslims.. Can't rely on them. They aint going to to fix this.."

    3. If I recall correctly Sikh youngsters were among the earliest victims the response from the Sikh community was "robust" In fact so robust one gang was well and truly "sorted"
      Their reward for protecting their children?? 9 years apiece

    4. Ok clearly it is me. Again I am required to “sign in to prove i am not a bot”.

  16. Morning, all Y'all. Dark, chilly.
    The "Don't panic, Captain Mainwaring" syndrome seems to have infected Norway. There'll be some weather in the North (heavy wind & half to 1 metre snow) during the next couple of days, so we're all advised not to go out but to go out and secure loose objects & bring in some wood as the 'leccy might be off, it'll be cold and wintery. Well, bugger me, in January, wintery? Gosh! Where's the glowball warming?
    The laces these guys are talking about get this weather several times every year – so far remote from civilisation that they don't care there's no electricity, they don't have any anyway!
    Sheesh.

    1. How disappointing.
      I thought the Weegies had common sense and rose above such nonsense.
      Do you also have a plague of people in non-jobs trying to justify their existence?

      1. Increasing towards plague proportions, yes. Seems to be in lockstep with the increasingly heavily suntanned appearance of the population.

  17. G'Day all,

    A bright dawn at Castle McPhee, wind East -2℃ going up to 3℃.

    I think this is just about to blow up in Starmer's face, big time. It really needs to. It must. All the way back to Gordon Brown and Jacqui Smith who were Prime Ministerr and Home Secretary respectively when the story first came to light.

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7b5978eaa5a58771552d54416ea18fbb9f05911be93cb40453c51249cb5b56f0.png
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/01/02/labour-defends-blocking-grooming-inquiry-keir-starmer-cps/

    The State has even implicated the King in the cover up of Islamic evil as Gavin Ashenden explains.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CM2xAwqvF0c

    1. Interesting…it required me to “log in to view the content” which I tried to do but ended up on the Black Belt Barrister’s channel instead, and have spent 10 minutes watching him expose 2TK’s response to the muslim MP’s demand for a “blasphemy” (sic) law. As we suspect, it is coming and will come under 2TK.

      2. Keir Starmer's admiration has lasted from a long time ago.

        A quote:

        Keir Starmer
        @Keir_Starmer
        My friend @SadiqKhan is an inspiration.
        The first Muslim mayor of a major western city and a source of pride for us all.
        We’ll never let those who seek to divide us win.
        11:07 PM · Sep 12, 2020

      2. Over 7,800 now – here's one of the more popular BTL comments:
        " The level of depravity involved in these acts is probably the most disgusting thing I've ever read in my life. To insist this is a local only matter, and not widespread to Pakistani communities is also a despicable insult to all those girls, including those still being abused today. This is a new level of disgrace for Labour and Starmer. Makes me sick to my stomach."

    4. Ken Anderson
      15 hrs ago
      Starmer in CPS also spent his time trying to prosecute soldiers.

      1. I think that this time someone at the DT may be on the right side. Up to 8,160 now and still going up fast.

  18. G'Day all,

    A bright dawn at Castle McPhee, wind East -2℃ going up to 3℃.

    I think this is just about to blow up in Starmer's face, big time. It really needs to. It must. All the way back to Gordon Brown and Jacqui Smith who were Prime Ministerr and Home Secretary respectively when the story first came to light.

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7b5978eaa5a58771552d54416ea18fbb9f05911be93cb40453c51249cb5b56f0.png
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/01/02/labour-defends-blocking-grooming-inquiry-keir-starmer-cps/

    The State has even implicated the King in the cover up of Islamic evil as Gavin Ashenden explains.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CM2xAwqvF0c

    1. Good morning m'Dear.
      Ditto here though minimum temperature was not as bad as I thought it would be,

        1. We leave the gas Rayburn on low at this time of year to provide just enough heat to take the chill off the air.
          Though I suspect the DT will have the woodburner lit early today.
          I certainly got dressed quicker than usual this morning!!

          1. I leave my solid fuel Rayburn on all the time. If it gets really cold I turn it up, but mostly the oven temperature is around the 200-220 degree mark.

  20. Rock paper scissors.
    What to do.. what to do? Oppressed savagely killed by ethnics.

    Armed robber died after sustaining injuries whilst being restrained by shop staff following the attempted raid in Elm Park, London.

    Ignore it of course.. then wait for knighthood in the post.

    1. A case of FAFO* if ever there was one.
      At least that's one less prison space to provide.

      *Fucked About and Found Out

      1. imho.. more a case of law abiding traders & shopkeepers given up on the authorities for protection & crime prevention.

      1. No doubt, as we type, rapists and murderers are being released to make room for the shop staff.
        Sod the trial; they are automatically guilty.

      2. This actually happened on Monday morning, a man allegedly armed with a knife. His family are being attended by specialist trained officers.
        No mention of that at all in the news this week.

    3. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/suspected-armed-robber-dies-from-injuries-after-shop-staff-stopped-him-from-escaping/ar-AA1wRNpc?ocid=BingNewsSerp
      According to police figures, 126 crimes were reported in Elm Park in October 2024, the most recently released figures.
      Of these crimes, nearly half were classed as shoplifting or anti-social behaviour, with violence and sexual offences accounting for 15% of crimes in the area. Seems a lot for a small town of 12,400.

  21. I am in an airport lounge but having trouble with Wifi.

    I wanted to upload a picture of the postcard, in the clear see-through post box, that i sent at 8 am to the political prisoner formerly known as Stephen Yaxley Lennon, serving time at His Majesty’s Pleasure for “contempt of court”.

    It is the only item in the box. Unfortunately it landed address-side down – it would have been nice of it had landed the other way round.

    Given I am at Heathrow, I will be curious to learn if he ever receives it.

    This will be the third postcard I have sent. I also sent a birthday card and a Christmas card.

    I would happily send cards to the other political prisoners, too, if I knew who they all were and where they are banged up.

    It would be cool to get a national movement together, to show solidarity with them.

    1. 399688+ up ticks,

      Morning MIR,

      They are the forerunners of what, if allowed to be, our future.

  22. I am in an airport lounge but having trouble with Wifi.

    I wanted to upload a picture of the postcard, in the clear see-through post box, that i sent at 8 am to the political prisoner formerly known as Stephen Yaxley Lennon, serving time at His Majesty’s Pleasure for “contempt of court”.

    It is the only item in the box. Unfortunately it landed address-side down – it would have been nice of it had landed the other way round.

    Given I am at Heathrow, I will be curious to learn if he ever receives it.

    This will be the third postcard I have sent. I also sent a birthday card and a Christmas card.

    I would happily send cards to the other political prisoners, too, if I knew who they all were and where they are banged up.

    It would be cool to get a national movement together, to show solidarity with them.

  23. Today FSB leads with a short article ‘ How to deal with Islam ’ on questions raised by the New Orleans atrocity that are becoming existential across what was once the Christian west, urgent questions that need to be debated openly and without fear, and which in FSB’s view are the direct result of mass immigration and multiculturalism. Please join the debate and help us look for answers.

    If you missed it yesterday, Xandra H's article on the State’s attempt to control how we think and act is very much related to questions like how to deal with Islam, as the State tries to control the response to such questions.

    freespeechbacklash.com

    1. A conflict between the west and islam is being stoked up.
      They want both Christianity and Islam out of the way for the one world religion. Wake up, we are being played.

  24. Today FSB leads with a short article ‘ How to deal with Islam ’ on questions raised by the New Orleans atrocity that are becoming existential across what was once the Christian west, urgent questions that need to be debated openly and without fear, and which in FSB’s view are the direct result of mass immigration and multiculturalism. Please join the debate and help us look for answers.

    If you missed it yesterday, Xandra H's article on the State’s attempt to control how we think and act is very much related to questions like how to deal with Islam, as the State tries to control the response to such questions.

    freespeechbacklash.com

    1. Morning J,

      I don't suppose you have noticed a Twitter thread re rumours about 2TK's relationships , and one in particular .. Nick Brown ..

  26. Good morning, chums. And thanks, Geoff, for today's new NoTTLe site.

    Wordle 1,294 3/6

    🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜
    ⬜🟩🟨🟨🟨
    🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

    1. Good morning Elsie and all
      Wordle 1,294 4/6

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

    2. Thank you for the jars, Olaf's Relict.
      I have plenty of crab apple juice to convert into jelly.
      All I need is the energy.

  27. OK, that's me getting ready for a trek to Stoke, have the van windscreen to defrost so will bid you all a good day and see you all later.

  28. Morning all 🙂😊🥶
    No snow but minus minus.
    CH on straight away, live now pay later, no choice stir queer.

  30. 399688+ up ticks,

    Morning Each,

    There is no way you can better the labour party supporters/members / voters at being pure bred political bastards.

    It was openly displayed when " Miranda" the political creep that crept out of the crapper unleashed the foreign dregs of hell on the
    country's innocents, in far to many cases, the children.

    The current leading political S(tool) is a successful continuation
    of "miranda reign of terror"

    Dt,
    Labour blocks grooming gang inquiry into Starmer’s conduct as CPS head
    Elon Musk leads outcry as party ‘protects PM’ by insisting Oldham rape scandal is a local council matter

    1. Morning Ogga

      Funny dream , very weird.. Elon Musk became King of the world , a fresh Messiah , and not a false prophet ..

      If his rockets can reach outer space then return , I wonder what else his mindset is capable of .

      He has a voice .. and it is getting stronger.

    2. It's not just Oldham. Many towns were affected by the Paki rape gangs. It would be pointless and expensive for all of them to have their own investigations. That is why a national inquiry is needed.

      1. 399688+ up ticks,

        Morning Pip,

        Totally agreement, IMHO justice must be seen to be served as in,
        poetic justice, heads must roll.

      2. They know the answer already and anyone pursuing the truth will find themselves in a cell with TR.

  31. A brrr morning 🥶🥶, -4 . glistening frosty cobwebs 🕸️ on the hedges in the garden , and the plaintive mewls from the very young lambs as they call for their mummies. in the field 200 yards away .

    Yes, it is a bit chilly.

    Moh , who shivers and feels the cold more than I do , is now probably on the first tee .. at his golf course.

    His car took ages to de thaw, but panic stations because the boot lid of the car was frozen solid.. I hope by the time he arrives , the car will have warmed up .

  32. Letters to the Editor
    The consequences of Britain’s failure to exploit its own energy reserves

    Letters to the Editor 02 January 2025 10:00pm GMT

    SIR – If we had a sensible government – that is, neither Labour nor any of the so-called Conservative administrations between 2022 and 2024 – we would not have been buying gas from Russia and contributing to its war chest (Leading Article, January 2).

    Instead, we would have been extracting more oil and gas from Britain’s North Sea reserves (and, hopefully, undertaking fracking projects too). We might even have exported some energy to our European neighbours, reducing their reliance on Russian supplies.

    Britain’s headlong – and futile – rush towards net zero has much to answer for, and not just the stupid, self-inflicted increases in energy prices.

    John Waine
    Nuneaton, Warwickshire

    1. Futile indeed. As I picked up in a local report regarding the building of Sunnica solar farm, a picture with an observation on lorries at the site:

      "The site where solar panels will be installed that were made in China using fossil fuels. Brought to Britain on ships using fossil fuels. Driven to the site with lorries using fossil fuels. Installed by machines using fossil fuels whose drivers mostly arrived at the site in cars using fossil fuels."

      Like Caligula, Miliband's legacy might as well be to have declared war on the sea.

  33. Ernie's been good to me this morning but I'm not telling how much as I get fed up with the begging letters

    3. "I don't want any publicity – you get too many begging letters. If they're anything like the ones I send out, I don't want to know!". Tony Hancock.

    6. Some people are so lucky…..I've never won a penny on the Premium Bonds.
      Enjoy 🤗

      1. Which reminds me of the joke: "A man goes into the church and prays. 'O Lord, you know the mess I'm in, please let me win the lottery.' The next week, he's back again, and this time he's complaining. 'O Lord, didn't you hear my prayer last week? I'll lose everything I hold dear unless I win the lottery' The third week, he comes back to the church, and this time he's desperate. 'O Lord, this is the third time I've prayed to you to let me win the lottery! I ask and I plead and still you don't help me!'
        Suddenly a booming voice sounds from heaven. 'Look, be reasonable. Meet me half way. Buy a lottery ticket!        '"

  34. 399688+ up ticks,

    The battle currently is what tops the list of odious priorities for 2025 to be FINALLY BROUGHT TO JUSTICE BEING SERVED.

    The starting point must be inclusive of the children, now adults
    and how their way of life has been affected after in many cases being abandoned by the guardians of the law ,initially.

    Telegraph View
    There are still questions to answer on the rape gangs scandal
    No one has been held responsible for the failure to stop what was going on

  36. Good morning Lacoste .

    I read that letter , and I am shaking my head , isn't it incredulous that a dolt like Miliband , the same age as my son , has been allowed to destroy our own energy reserves … just like that , in a wink and a blink of the eye.

    The Wiki information on Miliband is interesting .. his father was / is a Marxist .. how and why and has his father influenced his son ?

    Ed Miliband was born on 24 December 1969 in University College Hospital in Fitzrovia, London. He is the son of immigrant parents, Belgian-born Marxist sociologist Ralph Miliband and Polish-born Marion Kozak, both from Polish Jewish families.[4][5][6] His mother, a human rights campaigner and early CND member, survived the Holocaust thanks to being protected by Catholic Poles but her father, Ed's maternal grandfather, did not.[4][7] His father Ralph was a Marxist academic whose father fled with him to England during the Second World War.[8][9] The family lived on Edis Street in Primrose Hill, London. His elder brother, David Miliband, still owns the house as of 2010.[10]

    Ralph Miliband left his academic post at the London School of Economics in 1972 to take up a chair at the University of Leeds as a professor of Politics. His family moved to Leeds with him in 1973; Miliband attended Featherbank Infant School in Horsforth between 1974 and 1977, during which time he became a fan of Leeds United.[11]

    Owing to his father's later employment as a roving teacher, Miliband spent two spells living in Boston, Massachusetts, one year when he was seven and one middle school term when he was twelve.[12] Miliband remembered his time in the US as some of his happiest, during which he became a fan of American culture, watching Dallas[5] and following the Boston Red Sox[13] and the New England Patriots.[14]

    Between 1978 and 1981, Ed Miliband attended Primrose Hill Primary School, near Primrose Hill, in Camden and then from 1981 to 1989, Haverstock Comprehensive School in Chalk Farm. He learned to play the violin while at school,[15] and as a teenager, he reviewed films and plays on LBC Radio's Young London programme as one of its fortnightly "Three O'Clock Reviewers". After completing his O-levels, he worked as an intern to family friend Tony Benn, the MP for Chesterfield.[16]

    In 1989, Miliband gained four A Levels—in Mathematics (A), English (A), Further Mathematics (B) and Physics (B)—and then read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Corpus Christi College, Oxford. In his first year, he was elected JCR President, leading a student campaign against a rise in rent charges. In his second year he dropped philosophy, and was awarded an upper second class Bachelor of Arts degree. He went on to graduate from the London School of Economics as a Master of Science in Economics.[15]

    1. As Ed Milliband has a Masters in Economics, we're sure that he is dealing with the coming of AI

      better than the USA.

      A quote from an American publication:

      "What’s interesting is that we can take all the guesswork out of it. You see, we already know what the problem is: Power. That pesky little thing that without it would immediately wipe away any and all growth prospects for AI from here on out.

      Look, we’ve been talking about AI’s power crisis all year. I mentioned as early as last March that the demand for power was one thing that could bring AI crashing down.

      At the heart of that never-ending thirst for electricity to support AI workloads are the data centers that are popping up all over — accounting for nearly three-quarters of AI’s power demand going forward.

      Globally, demand for just these data centers is expected to rise between 19-22% annually between now and 2030, hitting an annual demand of up to 219 GW.

      Here in the U.S., the EIA projects that we’ll use an eye-popping 4,099 billion kilowatt-hours this year, and hit another record for power demand in 2025.

      We’re going to face some hard truths in 2025 when it comes to the U.S. power grid, not the least of which is a dire need for consistent, reliable baseload power.

      But here’s the interesting part…

      Big Tech has already shown us their cards. Amazon tipped their hand last October after announcing its deal with Dominion to develop small modular reactor technology; Google did the exact same thing in their deal with Kairos Power to buy 500 megawatts from several SMRs; Microsoft followed when it announced it was reviving the Three Mile Island nuclear plant for $1.6 billion".

      *We hope that readers will have noted the phrase "consistent reliable base load power" because

      we're sure that Ed Milliband has.

  38. My thanks to everyone who gave reassurance to my anxieties regarding my recent ECG. It was a doddle. I don't know why I worried. Heart normal, perfect indeed ☺️ but BP high 😩 probably because I am a worrier by nature par excellence.

    1. Very pleased all is reasonably well and I hope that you had a splendid celebration for that, and your birthday yesterday.

    2. That is good news, it is always reassuring when the results turn out to be fine.
      We need to take the positives in life these days when we can find them, for example my urine results were perfect, I of course put that down to the consumption of excellent ale on a regular basis. 🤣
      I have just returned from an appointment with the Titration nurse who told me my BP readings are now just fine, the low dose of Amlodipine seems to be working. she seemed surprised I was even required to see her as my previous readings just took me out of the "normal" BP range. Still it pays to be cautious I suppose and I consider it no big deal taking a couple of tablets a day if it keeps me healthy.

  39. GB News is going great guns on the Muslim Rape Gangs and Patrick Christys is very passionate and vocal on the issue.

    But why was Mark Steyn so summarily sacked from GB News?

    He was sacked for going against the MSM/PTB line on Muslim rape gangs and Covid gene therapy damage..

    Have things moved on?

    Will Patrick Christys be sacked and vilified or will he become a hero?

    2. Shoving all this under the carpet is not the answer. It obviously time to face the facts and get to work tidying up, to make our country safe again.

  42. Well done pm , so glad all well, my BP fluctuates , I am also similar to you , a worrier .. yesterday was a bad day for me re BP.. because of countless anxieties about this and that .

  43. Tom Harris

    Why would a self-proclaimed feminist refuse to hold an inquiry into the Oldham ‘rape gangs’?

    Jess Phillips presents herself as a champion of women and girls, yet won’t stand up for them in this case
    2539

    Jess Phillips is a woman of principle. We know this because she risked her front-bench career when she resigned as shadow domestic abuse and safeguarding minister in 2023 in protest at her leader’s stance on Gaza.

    This went down well in her Birmingham Yardley constituency with its high proportion of Muslim residents, though not well enough to avoid a bit of a scare for Phillips when the ballot boxes were opened in July last year: her majority plummeted from more than 10,000 in 2019 to less than 700.

    But them’s the breaks: any politician of substance will expect to go through rough times for the sake of their principles. For without those principles, what is the point of a career in politics?

    Some, more cynical, commentators might suggest that Phillips’ resignation, just a week after Hamas terrorists murdered, raped, tortured and kidnapped their way across southern Israel, provoking a calamitous and inevitable military response, might have been aimed more at securing her electoral base in Birmingham than genuine concern for the benighted people of Gaza who are still paying the price of their leaders’ barbarism. The Workers’ Party – George Galloway’s latest Marxist vehicle for opposing everything the West (and Israel) stands for – rather than the Conservatives were Phillips’ main competitor in Birmingham Yardley.

    After a justified sigh of relief that she had not suffered same fate as a handful of other Labour candidates at the hands of angry Muslim voters, a couple of days later Phillips was back in favour with the new prime minister, taking office as the parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Home Office in charge of safeguarding and violence against women and girls. Given Phillips’ record and rhetoric on this issue, the job was a good fit. She has made a name for herself as a champion of women and girls in the face of the threat they face from abusive males.

    It was in this role that she was asked by Oldham council to authorise a government inquiry into historic child abuse in the area.

    Phillips said no. It was up to the council to decide if it wanted to conduct its own inquiry. The Government would stay out of it.

    To be clear: a self-described feminist who has frequently railed against the injustice of men’s violence against women and girls wants no part of an inquiry into the alleged systematic abuse – including rape, torture and threats of murder – of young, vulnerable working class girls by gangs of men.

    To give Phillips her due, it is entirely possible that this decision was made at a higher level of government and that she has been given the job by a more senior colleague of taking the media hit for an unpopular and unjustifiable decision. Take it from me – an under-parliamentary secretary of state has very little executive authority, especially when it comes to decisions that could impact on the government as a whole, well beyond your own department.

    But if that were the case, and given Phillips’ record of resigning when faced with a policy she doesn’t support, why is she still in her job?

    If there were a better political operation inside this government, it would already have been prepared to take this decision out of Phillips’ hands, given the suspicions, allegations and conspiracy theories that swirl around this controversial issue: media reports constantly focus on the ethnic backgrounds of many of these “grooming gangs” (more accurately described by J K Rowling as “rape gangs”). Expecting an MP who is already electorally vulnerable in her largely Muslim constituency to take such a decision is clumsy and politically inept, given that any refusal would provoke inevitable and fierce cynicism regarding her motivations.

    Naturally there are those who will fear for the future health of community relations if a formal nationwide inquiry is launched into the various examples of rape gangs especially if a significant proportion of their members are identified as Muslim/Pakistani. Remember when Labour MP Naz Shaw reposted a post on Twitter/X that suggested that abused girls in Rotherham and elsewhere needed to shut their mouths “For the good of diversity”?

    To be clear, such a public inquiry might conceivably raise difficult questions for some communities, for the Government (and for both parties of government) and for the entire project of multiculturalism. And to be even clearer: that doesn’t matter a damn. All that matters is that anyone, including council officials and police officers, who conspired to enable rapists and abusers to carry out their appalling crimes against these young women are identified and held to account.

    There is a large, angry constituency out there already willing to believe the worst about the motivations of Labour politicians whom they suspect would happily sacrifice the lives and safety of young white girls for the sake of their parliamentary careers. So why on earth play into that drama by allowing Jess Phillips to take this decision?


    We all know the reason why. The muslims will riot and burn the place down. That's how civilised they are.

    Jess Philips is going to lose her seat to a muslim before long.

    1. All that matters is that anyone, including council officials and police officers, who conspired to enable rapists and abusers to carry out their appalling crimes against these young women are identified and held to account.

      The victims are mainly children and in many cases young children. This aspect doesn't get the emphasis it should.

      The perpetrators and all their families should be deported. That would be hard on children who have lived all their lives in the UK but until the punishments hit the entire community very hard, this is going to continue.

    2. Just pondering. I wonder whether "Lord" Comical Alli (a slammer) has "had a word…"

  44. There is a touch of frost; the temperature is plus 1ºC – the sun is shining. The Wet Office would have you believe that this is the coldest, most dangerous weather we have ever known. Goodness knows what they'll say tomorrow when it may be +/- zero all day. Apart from telling one to stay in bed.

  45. Daily Sceptic podcast. Man suing Plod for wrongful arrest post-Southport. Interesting listening.
    https://s358.podbean.com/pb/b550887c5f31de08239eb1507ee0800d/6777259a/data1/fs5/18821624/uploads/TS_EP_Alex_FREE_POD.mp3?pbss=90a671cf-472c-52a4-b5fb-c5001771ac96&download=1

    Or check out the article here:

    https://dailysceptic.org/2025/01/03/special-episode-of-the-sceptic-this-week-our-guest-reveals-why-hes-suing-the-met-for-false-imprisonment-after-a-peaceful-protest-in-the-wake-of-the-southport-attack/

  46. 399688+ up ticks,

    Steady as she goes nige, that Tommy chap could prove to be a very serious ego denter.

    Dt,
    Why Musk’s love-in with Tommy Robinson presents a problem for Nigel Farage
    Reform UK leader may have to warn his new billionaire friend that the jailed far-Right activist is bad news

    1. very serious ego denter.

      Why not just listen to Alex Phillips? She knows both parties and gives an intelligent eloquent synopsis of the "tricky narrow path" that Nigel has to take.. and why there is so much at stake.
      I posted the link before.
      https://youtu.be/_faSYOFrb4s?t=884

    2. I agree that Farage should cease his vilification of Tommy Robinson and grow up. Their positions on several issues are not very different but this does not mean that they should necessarily be in the same political party.

      My respect for Farage would grow if he had the courage to admit that he was wrong about Tommy Robinson. He was a snob and did not want his party, UKIP, to attract the riff raff .

      But Tommy Robinson has grown up and so should Farage. Tommy presents his views very coherently and lucidly. Yes, his language is a bit rough for some people's tastes but this should not blind people to the good sense he utters.

    3. I watched an interview with Elon Musk. In it he explained to the interviewer what said interviewer was really thinking.
      Musk is not only an excellent judge of character he can also read people's body language like a book.

  47. From Conservative Home.
    William Atkinson is ConservativeHome's Assistant Editor. And a mite unimpressed, methinks.

    "If a full national inquiry into the rape gang scandal is long overdue, why didn’t we launch one whilst we were in office?

    Yesterday, Kemi Badenoch called for a “full national inquiry” into rape gangs. “The time is long overdue”, she wrote on X, as although trials “have taken place all over the country in recent years…no one in authority has joined the dots”. This “must be the year that the victims start to get justice”.

    This follows Jess Phillips, the safeguarding minister, refusing to launch a public inquiry into historical sexual abuse by rape gangs in Oldham – an inquiry too far for a government that has launched over 60 reviews and consultations and a new quango a week since entering office. Louise Casey has just become the latest patsy tasked with bunting social care into the long grass.

    Philips admitted there was a deep desire for an inquiry, but suggested it was for the local council “alone to decide to commission an inquiry into child sexual exploitation locally, rather than for the Government to intervene.” She pointed to similar inquiries in Rotherham and Telford, which she claimed were more legitimate, being local-led. Her majority is 693, apropros of nothing.

    To put it mildly, her decision has not received the warmest of receptions. A minister tasked with tackling violence against women and girls to refuse an inquiry into industrial scale sexual abuse is not the best look at the best of times. It is especially not when Elon Musk amplifies every criticism of your decision to his 210 million followers. The BBC has barely noticed, obviously.

    I am not an expert on this scandal. Readers should look to my friend Charlie Peters, whose bravery in pursuing these horrors has not only brought to a global audience the sheer magnitude of the rape, abuse, violence, and complicity that occured. As Robert Jenrick puts it, “grooming gangs” euphemism sanitises “the most heinous sexual crimes” perpetrated on an “industrial scale”.

    As he writes in the Telegraph, for decades “the plight of thousands of young girls, barely teenaged, was swept under the carpet”. Community relations were prioritised by councils, charities, and policies forces over “protecting vulnerable women from monstrous sexual violence”. Their cowardice led to silence and connivance as this depravity unfolded across over fifty towns and cities.

    The pattern of what was going on was predictable: ignored victims, often in social care, targeted by men of disproportionately Pakistani backgrounds, swept under the carpet within communities and across the arms of the state tasked with protecting those girls abused. Local inquiries cannot hope to capture the true scale of what was – and is – a national barbarity.

    That is especially if – as Tom Jones highlights – local reports require councils marking their own homework, making it difficult to name individuals at fault who may still be serving. A national inquiry with Home Office backing could surmount these challenges and expose any provincial cover-ups.

    But an inquiry can only ever be useful in identifying who needs to be driven in shame from public life, disbarred from public office, jailed, deported, and excommunicated from polite society for the rest of their miserable days. That is only if it bucked the trend of its recent predecessors and delivers on time, on budget, and on spec. Would it be a whitewash? Or simply ignored?

    A national moral reckoning is overdue. Jenrick suggests expediting the work of the task force established by Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman, which has already made hundreds of arrests. Whole life sentences are required for those found guilty, alongside the deportation of foreign nationals, and an end to our experiment in mass migration that has brought cultures of abuse here.

    All common sense. But how likely are they to be under Keir Starmer? Any inquiry would ask about the then Director of Public Prosecutions. Sunlight is the best disinfectant, and if Starmer refutes Musk’s charge that he failed to prosecute the gangs, he should welcome any inquiry.

    Yet if an inquiry is so obviously needed, why didn’t we launch one when in office? Why has an American billionaire kicked up more of a fuss about these rape gangs this last week than we managed in fourteen years? Badenoch can’t say we didn’t know. Labour have a desire not to piss off their constituents to justify their cowardice. Was the Conservative Party frit, complicit, or just lazy?

    My faith in my country is so utterly diminished by this. Growing up in the light of institutional failure after institutional failure – 2008, Brexit, Covid – scandal after scandal – expenses, Savile, the postmasters – and incompetence – so many examples, but the Boriswave stands out – my faith in our political class is not existent. I hope this is the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

    All the wars that were won and lost/Somehow don’t seem to matter very much anymore. What does he know of England, who only Rotherham knows? Should we write off Musk and J. D. Vance now seeing Britain as a country of rape gangs and Islamists as the derangement of the American right? Nothing to see here. Move along. Keep rearranging those deckchairs, Captain Smith.

    Or should we ask how it has come to this? Who should we blame? How can we put it right? And how can we look ourselves in the eye again? The England that would emerge from this reckoning would be a very different country. I’m not sure it would be an England that would have much use for the Conservative Party.

    Then again, what use are we now?"

    1. "White men rape women as well," will be the cry from some quarters, along with "And what about the children's homes, the churches, the scout groups, the sports clubs?" The Stick Insect covered this with her inquiry after the Savile business and that was that.

      I doubt the establishment will go near it. "Unjustified moral panic" will be the likely response.

      1. The difference is that the rape gangs tend to be just that, gangs.

        The children's homes, the churches, the scout groups, the sports clubs etc are abhorrent, but the instances tend to be one or sometimes a few attackers; the Paki-Mus gangs contain numerous members all eagerly participating and supported directly and indirectly by their communities.

          1. Then they need to be offended again and again and again by using the truth to expose their arrogance and hypocrisy.

    2. The minister was advised by her senior civil servant, Abdul Mohamed that it might cause tension…..etc etc

    1. Because the police are terrified of race riots .. stirring up trouble ..

      Remember , these un British people are savages, stabbers , acid throwers, beheaders , they will trash neighbourhoods , bomb us , poison us , and cause mayhem .

      1. That's ok – they will just jail the rioters – you know, the people who hold up placards, or shout at police dogs – and the women who post intemperate comments on Facebook or Twitter…….. they won't go after the 'protected' people……oh no.

      3. Nah. The Lefties have stated many times.. the Islamists & Jihadists are our allies.. with their help we can bring down western culture & capitalism.
        Then happily live together ever after. LOL.

  49. Good morning, all. Hard frost at 06:00. Sunshine at the moment but remaining cold.

    Rape gangs are heading the real news and Oldham is coming in for a particularly difficult time.

    Raja Miah is working tirelessly, at much personal cost, to expose what is happening in Oldham, his home town. Prepare to be shocked, or maybe not!

  50. Er, what's missing from from this editorial?

    Reliance on Russian gas shames the West

    The fact the gas was allowed to continue flowing raises further questions over the effectiveness of the sanctions against Moscow

    Telegraph View
    1ST January 2025 9:00pm GMT

    Many people may have been surprised, even shocked, to learn that Russian gas has been coming into Europe via a Ukrainian pipeline ever since the invasion almost three years ago. UK and other taxpayers have funded substantial military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine yet Russian coffers continued to be filled by the very countries supposedly imposing sanctions on the Kremlin.

    This absurd state of affairs finally came to an end on New Year's Day when Ukraine shut the pipeline. But why was it allowed to function for all this time? Ukraine had a long-standing contract with Gazprom dating to 1991 to deliver the gas for which it was paid transit fees of around £700 million annually. It suited eastern European countries like Hungary, Slovakia and Austria to keep the pipeline open for which Russia was still receiving some £4 billion, but the deal expired at the end of 2024.

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that his country would not allow Russia to "earn additional billions on our blood". Poland meanwhile said it was "another victory" against Moscow.

    However, the fact the gas was allowed to continue flowing, albeit in smaller quantities, raises further questions over the effectiveness of the sanctions against Russia. Black market sales of oil and gas into Europe have also continued and the Kremlin has stepped up exports to countries like China and India. While the prices it commands are lower, it means efforts to bring the Russian economy to its knees have been thwarted. Inflation is rampant but shops are still well stocked, at least in Moscow.

    Most of Europe has finally weaned itself off excessive dependence on Russian energy supplies by buying more piped gas from Norway and LNG from Qatar and the United States. But countries like Moldova, Slovakia and Austria are likely to see price hikes as a result of the pipeline closure.

    The shock seen after the invasion in Feb 2022 is unlikely to be repeated, which makes it all the more extraordinary that British energy prices are still going up and electricity in the UK is more expensive than almost anywhere else in Europe. Bills are about 50 per cent higher than pre-Covid levels, and a 1.2 per cent rise in the price cap set by the regulator Ofgem has come into force. A further 3 per cent increase is expected in April, all this at a time when most pensioners have lost their winter fuel allowance and temperatures are forecast to plummet here and across Europe. Winter is coming.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2025/01/01/reliance-on-russian-gas-shames-the-west-ukraine-europe

    1. Bitching about Russian energy and rising costs is a bit pointless if you don't address the cause and admit that this state of affairs is a product of the failure to provide a viable alternative, is it not?

      1. And an utter refusal to use our own resources.

        Then HMG claims that price hikes are the fault of energy companies.

      2. Sue, the viable alternative is to follow Starmer and push for rejoining the EU.

        Both Germany and France are in a bad way, and need subsidising by

        the obedient British taxpayers.

  51. Re the child grooming scandal , why have so many children been seduced and assaulted by in particular Muslim men ?

    How did young Sikh girls become seduced by Muslim men , and why and how did the moral structure collapse re children in care or even families of the children remain so ignorant of the behaviour , smell and altered behaviour ..

    Were taxi drivers the key to the gangs behaviour , were Muslim councillors exerting power , business men , mobile phone shops , takeaway shops.

    How different is this rape scandal to white men like Saville etc , and although the details are appalling , and what I assumed was the preference by Muslim men for sodomising young boys , it appears no one is safe from them , not even a dog , chicken or a goat.

    Men arriving by boat, illegals by the score , how do we know that those who arrive here , and are put into training for the care system , how safe are elderly people , how safe are any of us .

    Part of the welcome to Britain committee should insist that every Muslim male should have the snip. that might deter boat arrivals , mightn't it?

    1. Having the snip doesn't stop their sexual urges – just makes them less likely to procreate.

        1. The neck would be the most effective.

          After all, they are not unfamiliar with the technique: they use it often enough, mainly without first having the nuisance of a trial.

    2. Statutory rape is exactly what it says on the tin, but some of the girls (children) were perhaps not as innocent as the driven snow.

      1. They were brutalised by being made reliant on drink and drugs at an early age. A child in their early teens can not be held responsible for that.

      3. "Statutory rape" is an offence that only exists in the US of A.

        The UK equivalent is simply called "sexual activity with a child" (for under-16s), and — separately — "sexual assault of a child under 13".

        "Rape" is the same offence no matter the age of the victim.

      4. It was still against the law to have intercourse with them. The responsibility lies with the adult paki rapist bastards.

    3. They went for the young white girls from poor homes, care homes and the like as they were easy to control by plying them with drink and drugs. Their own women and girls are off limits.

    4. They went for the young white girls from poor homes, care homes and the like as they were easy to control by plying them with drink and drugs. Their own women and girls are off limits.

    5. Savile was a paedophile but he didn't inflict additional torture and murder his victims? There is no evidence, for instance, that he nailed the tongue of any of his young victims to a table prior to sodomising them? These men did. "The snip" is not sufficient. Only castration will curtail the instincts of these savages.

    6. Remove the moronic progressive liberal Leftie from the equation and all the problems disappear overnight.

      Who ships in these people in boatloads? = The moronic progressive liberal Leftie.
      Who funds them? = The moronic progressive liberal Leftie.
      Who begs them to seize positions of power? = The moronic progressive liberal Leftie.
      Who protects them? = The moronic progressive liberal Leftie.
      Who thunks Sharia Law is a harmless idea? = The moronic progressive liberal Leftie.

  52. Runcorn: The First By-Election Test of 2025?

    Co-conspirators will remember Guido was first off the mark with the news that Runcorn MP Mike Amesbury had been involved in a violent fracas back in November. The video, which bears continual rewatching, is here…

    Amesbury was charged with assault. The CPS said: “Following a review of the evidence provided by Cheshire police, we have authorised a charge of common assault against Mike Amesbury MP, 55. The charge follows an alleged assault in Frodsham, Cheshire, on Saturday, 26 October 2024.” Labour suspended the MP…

    Amesbury is yet to appear in court and the outcome is uncertain. For his part, he has called the incident “deeply regrettable”. That said, should the Cheshire constituency of Runcorn and Helsby end up as the first parliamentary by-election contender of 2025, it would be an interesting objective test of the current political weather. The seat, which is a new patch first contested at last year’s general election, takes in most of the original boundaries of the old Weaver Vale constituency. Weaver Vale was held by the Tories from 2010 to 2017…

    There’s probably little chance for CCHQ locally though, not to mention the current national situation. Reform was second at the 2024 general election, with just over 7000 votes to Labour’s 22,000. Amesbury’s majority is 14,696 – which would be a challenge for Farage to overturn. Reform has, however, been fastest out of the traps in the seat, already sending out mail and nodding at a recent nearby council by-election which saw the party nab a seat from Labour. Guido would not be surprised if Nigel is spotted in Runcorn soon..

    3 January 2025 @ 11:00

    1. First things first.
      Firstly, a criminal conviction is required.
      Then a local petition. If the 10% threshold is reached the petition officer would inform the Speaker of the House of Commons. On which the seat becomes vacant and a by-election.

      Landslide win for Reform.
      Candidate?

      1. Oh.. he must be sentenced to at least a year in prison and common assault only carries a maximum of 6 months.

  53. Up late. Remains of ice on the windscreen. Blue sky for a change.
    Good choice of first word. Hope tonight's Lotto just as successful.
    Wordle 1,294 2/6
    🟩⬜🟩🟩⬜
    🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

  54. 399688+ up ticks,

    May one ask in two parts .
    If you come across a chap with the tool kit at the ready and about to forcibly introduce it to your child
    daughter / granddaughter do you offer it the remains of the Christmas cake, or alternatively go for the kill.

    Keeping in mind that family comes well before party or Country.

    https://x.com/ghost_wales/status/1874905630215200773

    1. Oh Tom Harris. I have really no idea, have you?

      Uh oh we might be moving (hopefully so – we are 2 hours late; thank goodness for Business Class; “my” CO2 footprint for this leg of the journey, which will need to be reported in the Company Accounts, is 1727.5 kg and i don’t care).

  55. Is Musk systematically attempting to take down all the WEF place men and women Western leaders, one by one?
    Draining the globalist swamp and making the West great again while freeing the oppressed western peoples from all their iron grip so democracy can once again flourish.
    I hope so

      1. I expect they are well on the way to fitting him up over tax, fraud and sexual abuse claims.

    2. Britain used to be the most powerful manufacturing and inventing nation in the world.

      This should fill us with pride.

      But the fact that we are now ashamed of our success is the reason we will fail and we shall continue to fail as long as we remain ashamed of our past endeavours and the aspiration of British people.

  56. or offer it the remains of the Christmas cake..?

    Yes the Christmas cake.. if it was baked by Zeli dos Anjos,with a 'spicy' flavor.

  57. Stuck on the runway, no idea why. Here is last week’s Secret Prisoner, which I somehow missed on New Year’s Eve.

    “At my “nicking” last week (formal disciplinary hearings are called nickings), the Governor punished me for my protest about curtailed exercise time. I lost my canteen privilege (which I had not understood as a privilege): I would not be able to supplement meagre prison food rations with items such as milk, tinned fish, instant coffee and chocolate; I would not be able to buy vape caps, the prison currency; and worse, I could not top up my telephone credits or even purchase stamps, so there was a danger of dropping out of contact with solicitors, friends, and even of being unable to send my copy in to The Telegraph.
    To my great surprise – although, really, I should have predicted this – the punishment has been almost entirely circumvented by the kindness of other prisoners. And a few side hustles.
    The day I would ordinarily have received my canteen delivery, I received what can only be described as a hamper: six quarter-pint milk cartons, two tins of mackerel in tomato sauce, a 100g Lyons decaf coffee pouch, and a variety of the small plastic tubs which are issued at lunch for portions of grated cheese or tuna mayo, which had been cleaned up and filled with sunflower seeds, raisins, chocolate mini eggs, sugar and dates, which I crave in prison. There was also fruit, some of it a little too tired to be called fresh, but edible.
    The goodies came from prisoners in the cells around mine. They had seen me hauled inside last week and perhaps noticed the damage done to my right forearm (nothing of any consequence beyond a cut and some bruising).
    Kindness is a currency in here. The two Lithuanians next to me, Y and M, make this very ingenious cheesecake recipe with Nutella, crushed digestive biscuits and (for the cheese) a thick goo made of coffee whitener and sugar. They leave it to set overnight in the external cage just outside our groundfloor windows, which from November to April prisoners use as a fridge. Rather than stuff themselves with it, when we are opened up for a bit more time on Saturday they host a sort of coffee morning.
    Chess and cards are sometimes involved. M is doing five years for cigarette smuggling (he sold packs of 20 for less than a fiver), a crime with which a growing number of smokers sympathise. Apparently he has half a million quid stashed on the outside, so he might be someone to cultivate while I’m in here!
    There are other kindnesses too, beyond food. Many prisoners are trained by the Samaritans to be Listeners. A former padmate who was on the Listeners roster would be on call two or three nights a week, and be unlocked by the guards to go and spend time with a prisoner who was self-harming or suicidal. Or just lonely.
    Other prisoners are nominated to be “Here to Help” reps, whose role is to welcome new arrivals onto the wing and show them the ropes.
    But of course, much generosity in prison is closely connected to reciprocity – there has to be just a little bit of a margin to lubricate your kindness. I have discovered that most nitties (drug users) will happily go and forage for a toilet roll or a Bic razor on your behalf in return for a breakfast bag. A better example is that, now I have no canteen for three weeks, I can “rent” another prisoner’s canteen sheet.
    This means that I arrange for friends on the outside to credit the canteen of another prisoner. (Remand prisoners do not have limits on their weekly spend, so my additional “shopping” can be done by them without penalty.) The price? The eminently reasonable rate of a box of caps for every £20 I get added their account.
    So, after nine months inside, I am now canny to the prison way and could even pipe in the money to get myself some weed or some Class As.
    Is prison making me a criminal? If I stay here much longer, who knows.”

  58. Coming to a village near you.

    https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/fed-up-locals-in-rural-village-that-inspired-kids-tv-favourite-claim-area-is-being-ruined/ar-AA1wSaqR?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=2ced58a6ea0347499c1de7832f8a12e6&ei=65

    He said: “We’re fed up with the amount of development in the village and around the area, enough is enough.” But Labour MP Helena Dollimore said the government was committed to building 1.5 million homes. She added: “We are going to build the homes our community needs in a way that delivers the right public services and infrastructure, and protects the environment.”

    1. So easy to say. Did she elaborate on where the raw materials and skilled labour are to come from?

      1. Never she wouldn’t have the slightest clue. My estimated in bricks alone is around 250 billion. We already import most of our timber. Copper pipe is hard to get hold of in such huge quantities. Glass plastic you name it.
        The list from roof tops to roads and drainage is endless.

  59. Coming to a village near you.

    https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/fed-up-locals-in-rural-village-that-inspired-kids-tv-favourite-claim-area-is-being-ruined/ar-AA1wSaqR?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=2ced58a6ea0347499c1de7832f8a12e6&ei=65

    He said: “We’re fed up with the amount of development in the village and around the area, enough is enough.” But Labour MP Helena Dollimore said the government was committed to building 1.5 million homes. She added: “We are going to build the homes our community needs in a way that delivers the right public services and infrastructure, and protects the environment.”

    1. Are they modified to resist mosquito repellents? If not, "Exterminate, Exterminate"!

  61. Well, just a few months ago I didn't have any regular meds. I now have five, which is six pills a day. Can anyone beat that? Blood tests this week showed that, to repeat the turn of phrase the doctor at St May's used, my body is tolerating the meds well. The ECG showed a nice neat and regular pattern so the Digoxin is working and my pulse was 107 on arrival (hey, it takes some effort to get to the hospital) which is within the acceptable range. My blood pressure has never been a problem but the pulse rate of 160+ was, err, somewhat concerning.

    1. Just stepped up to 7 different pharmaceuticals, two twice daily.
      Anticlotting
      Statin x 2
      Methformin
      Blood pressure x 2
      and Vit D3 – since I started during Covid times, I never had a cold or flu or Covid.

      3. I refuse all attempts to get me on statins as they nearly killed me about 10 or 11 years ago.
        I’m on 8 different pills 2 of them twice a day.
        Also Vitamin D3, 5000iu for past 5 years. Has 2 or 3 colds in that time and did not partake in experimental injections.

      5. 1 Junior Aspirin tablet (75mg) [an MRI scan five years ago revealed a "possible" historical TIA event].
        1 Vitamin D3 capsule.
        1 Vitamin B6 tablet (0·7mg, also containing 200mg Mg, 5mg Zn, 0·5mg Cu).
        3 Omega-3 fish-oil capsules.

        All self-prescribed.

    2. I am sure your white coated folk know their business – but, personally, I am always fearful of mixing tablets; one never knows how they may interact with each other.

      My ECG was perfectly ok and the excellent consultant has suggested one tablet – to try to prevent AFs. That will mean stopping two others.

      Old age is a bit of a bugger….

      1. Agreed, I know at least one of mine is to mitigate side effects of one of the others.

        One of my bugbears is how easily I bruise, HG only has to administer mild admonishment and the bruising is a wonder to behold.

        The slightest cut or scrape bleeds for ages and then once scabbed stays solid for weeks sometimes, and if I accidentally knock it off I'm nearly back to square one.

        On the plus side, the cariologist is very pleased with the healing of the heart tissue.

        1. The last bit is very pleasing for you. I resist thinners because I, too, bleed quite often and, when I was taking them, a nosebleed would last for two hours. I also bruise – great black patches appear when I knock into something. Quite alarming at first – and for other people!

    3. I'm on 8 one of which is morning and evening.
      Hopefully that will be reduced as my first anniversary of the heart attack passes.

    4. I'm on four and various prescribed supplements.

      How is your stomach now? Settled i hope.

      1. Much better, thanks. Requires respectful treatment though. No caffeine, alcohol, fizzy drinks or spicy food. I'd love to have dropped the diuretics but while it helps to reduce the fluid retention on my feet and ankles, it was actually prescribed because there was some fluid on my lungs hence, as it isn't damaging my kidneys, I'm to keep on taking it. My mother and her younger sister who lived to 100, took diuretics every day for decades in later life so I should have seen that coming!

        1. " No caffeine, alcohol, fizzy drinks or spicy food"
          That's a terrible penance, Sue. Have you been so awfully bad?

          1. It really isn't. Decaf tea and coffee taste fine and the tradition of adding spice to food is really about disguising it's defects. Saint Paul recommended wine over water because in his day the water supply was iffy. That really shouldn't be the case today.

          2. IMHO, Decaf is awful. I'd rather drink liquid cardboard – one of life's pleasures is a good full-on espresso.

        3. At least the Doctor didn't say avoid cake !

          Looking forward to seeing you at the Lanesborough in May for afternoon tea. Exact date to be arranged to suit all parties.

      2. I've just discovered Ibuprofen gives me really bad stomach ache (sciatica, better doing exercises). Very likely all meds have some effect on digestion, another reason to not feel well.

        1. Ibuprofen is notoriously bad for the stomach. Hence ant-acids are recommended if you absolutely must take it. Other meds affect your liver and kidneys and likewise come with additional pills to alleviate that.

    5. Hopefully will be investigated Sue…perhaps you were just a bit anxious about things. Good luck and lots of love, Kate x

      1. It is possible (just) to be in favour of the monarchy but not in favour of the monarch.

        The idiot King has shown himself to be completely unworthy of his office by his surrender to the WEF and his submission to Islam.

        His Christmas Day address gives all the necessary evidence needed.

          2. Absolutely our best Royal…think she’s indicated she’d never do it. Republic here we come, Bleau…Wolfie may get his day in the sun, after all 😇

          4. Hear you. Difficult to think they’re every one of ’em Liz and Phil offspring. Meghan got some new thing out now making jelly n icecream, flower arranging n stuff, just seen a trailer on GBN. One to swerve.

          5. She doesn’t have the warmth necessary to be a successful presenter. I feel sorry for her, she is so desperate to be admired, and she blows it every time because she is too stupid to fake the good heart that she doesn’t have. But she does have fans who see her as a poor girl made good, and I guess they will lap it up.

          6. There’s a lot she could do to inspire young women, it doesn’t include simpering in a kitchen adding ice-cream to jelly. Not to the young women I know anyway. Harry seems to have made contact with Invictus again, hope that works out for the guys – big admirer.

        2. At first I read "flavour of the monarch". Rancid? There was something to be said for the days when a rival would have raised an army and replaced him on the battlefield.

  64. As
    Malcolm Pearson, Baron Pearson of Rannoch
    Member of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom

    Announced in the Lords that there have been 250,000 rapes, torture and sexual abuse in the last 25 years how many millions would that be taking the whole of Europe into account.

    Multiculturism is a failure on a massive scale.

    Diversity is strength is a massive lie.

      1. I really don't think politicians of all stripes hadn't heard at minimum whispering about this. Was covered on GBN years ago. Diversity? my bet it'll be quite widespread. It is a big scandal, I hope Musk doesn't let it go.

      1. You might have noticed that even after being convicted of serious crimes there

        are surprisingly few orders for deportation at the end of the sentence.

        France has automatic deportation at end of sentence so there isn't an EU ruling

        preventing deportation.

          1. Well Bill, if the French can ignore it, and the Germans too, then perhaps

            Britain should ignore it too.

          2. Tut, tut. That's not the British way. Never has been since we joined the dastardly EUSSR.

          3. Well Bill, if the French can ignore it, and the Germans too, then perhaps

            Britain should ignore it too.

        2. It should be automatic at the end of a custodial sentence. If they have dual nationality the the British citizenship should be revoked. It’s a privilege, not a right for people whose parents were not born here.

          1. It appears to be automatic in France, Germany and Norway, so we don’t understand why the British government, who usually grovels to the Europeans, has taken a different stance

  66. The last time I was on statins, I felt awful. Try again, new type. Dr insists… 🙁

    1. Discussed with cardiologist on 23/12 who understood my position. He said I have a good strong heart with good rhythm. I asked what the difference was between now and when I took them. Then he said the dose was, in simplistic terms, 10 and is now 80. Obviously still experimental.
      He said it’s my body and my decision to which I agreed.
      No way Jose.

      1. Perhaps, but I suspect that children's homes would have been far more controlling of their residents and that there were relatively fewer children in care.

        The authorities would almost certainly have reacted differently in those days, had it been publicised in the same way.

        1. My father was a mild man and didn't swear but he referred to them as Paki bastards in the 1960's. Perhaps he was just racist and didn't know what he was saying…………….

          There was a children's home in my village. We all went to the same school. They weren't allowed out after 7pm.

  68. The same as they did for the covid vaxx?
    Seriously, although these mosquitos sound frightening, I still find it hard to believe that anyone would release a weapon that could just as easily harm them.
    That's why they will never release a genuine deadly plague from all their "gain of function" research – the harm depends on them getting us to do it to ourselves.
    So the dangerous stuff is likely to be things that we "choose" like mass medications or frankenfoods.

    1. 'They' are already working on how to vector the virus/mosquito to particular characteristics.

      That is the real reason why 'they' are after the medical databases.

      1. Maybe, but THEY (The Hierarchy Exploiting You) also like to exaggerate their own knowledge and power. A big part of the battle is psychological – they want to convince us that resistance is futile.

  69. Mark Steyn @ steynonline.com the first journo to bring this to attention, interviewed at least one of the girls who'd managed to get out of the situation. He was fired for airing the scandal. Went to France, four heart attacks quick succession, his hair turned white. Imo…he's a hero. Many of the girls would frequent fast food outlets at night, often where they would initially meet their abusers. Many of them already in care, having run from dysfunctional home lives. Some continued to be abused even in the care homes, and would also run away from there. Some girls were met straight out of school, and bundled into the back of a van. I think for a lot of people this will be news to them, and difficult to come to terms with. Once again, plaudits to GBN and especially to the young reporter Charlie Peters.

  70. Exactly, sos. And to this day. Rotherham girls scandal came out when Starmer was DPP (he did precisely zero) and if our politicians have any spines they will confront him on his return from holiday (hope he's stopped queue jumping). Thankful to Elon Musk, too – trusting he won't let this go.

    1. All of these people involved need pinning against a concrete wall and the firing squad moving in.

      Vine was taking a pop at Musk this morning. On Wether or not he should be 'interferring' in UK politics. No mention of Gates Soros or all the obvious others.

      1. Jeremy is very sensitive about countries that interfere with other countries' politics. I bet he really went at it with Labour trying to interfere in the US election.

    1. Good afternoon, Katy.

      Edward II and George IV (among a few others) were seen as regal wastes-of-space. I wonder how this individual will fit into the list of all-time nonentity monarchs?

      1. 'Afters, Grizz (no idea of that time…) pretty near the bottom of the list would be my guess…but what then, a Republic? Perhaps Harry will return as Meghan seems to be doing her own dancing on the beach, would you go for him (no, me neither) Shall you and I do it 😂😂😂

  72. I bruise the same. Just a gentle knock ends up as a large blood bruise. Often i don't know i have done it until the bruise appears.

    Tell HG if she feels the need to mildly admonish you she should stick to smacking your bottom.

  73. Well the nurse seemed relaxed with the ECG result. They are not allowed to comment.
    She'll pass it on to the GP.. Pulse after the walk only 71.
    I even walked the two miles there and back in the lovely sunshine.
    Having to rest now, feet up.

  74. Well the nurse seemed relaxed with the ECG result. They are not allowed to comment.
    She'll pass it on to the GP.. Pulse after the walk only 71.
    I even walked the two miles there and back in the lovely sunshine.
    Having to rest now, feet up.

  75. Some musings from the pit of hell……..
    These were not only PakiRape gangs they were prostitution rings we have read of queues of 30 men waiting on stairs to take their turn on a white child,I will just look at Rotherham population 130,000 roughly 10% Muslim 13,000 moslems let's exclude women down to 6500,lets exclude children down to approx 3000 moslem men
    Yet that town alone had 1400 victims……..
    It beggars belief that the 20 or so rape organisers that have been convicted were responsible for all the abuse in fact not one customer has ever been arrested or charged.
    Libtards whine "how can you blame whole communitees for the actions of a few"
    but these numbers say it wasn't just a few was it a major part of the moslem male community was either involved or certainly knew what was going on and what did we get??
    We got silence and complicity oh yes and complaints of "Islamophobia" when finally investigation began
    We sacrificed our children to political expediency and fear of Moslem mob violence
    Shame on us

    1. Thank you for your post, Rik. I've noticed on other sites comments seem quite muted. Spectator – doesn't appear to have been posted at all. Makes me wonder if this scandal is much worse than has already been revealed. Musk will tell us what he finds out, and I look forward to that. The great Mark Steyn mentions it in his online blog today (Steynonline.com)..check out his history, and what happened to him. He was actually sacked from GBN early days because he interviewed at least one of the girls who'd managed to turn her life around.

      1. Probably unfair to the common or garden obnoxious git – Whine is in a class of his own!!

        1. It is one of the reasons I refused to work with him when he replaced JY. Over 22 years ago he was obnoxious.

    1. It was never anything but Dead Dead McDead…but some made hay along the way, and lots of lovely money. Try the journalist Paul Homewood, always worth reading.

    2. Thing is, as long as big fat state keeps forcing socialism the net zero scam continues. The Left won't let it go. It's their greateest weapon against common sense they've ever had.

      This is why, after all, they've wasted so much money on pushing it in schools.

    2. 44.5M Views

      This has got to stop..
      Elon Musk's attack on the government's handling of grooming gangs is "misjudged and certainly misinformed".Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said.

      LOL.
      Try shouting
      racist.. or
      misogynist or
      convicted felon.

    3. Musk is a technocrat who would be bankrupted in 5 minutes flat if he annoyed the really rich families

  80. Good info, Sue – many thanks 🥰…had no idea, very pleased to have the info. You probably read some time ago, after a short trip to A&E with husband who'd twisted his foot and Dr he saw there told him to come off one of his meds due to puffy ankles….when back at home discovered he was on 13 tablets per day, several different meds. Took a few minutes for me to come down from the ceiling. He actually doesn't take any meds at all now, he follows carnivore diet (similarly to Grizzly of this parish), has more energy, sleeps better. Still grumpy, good slap might cure that……🤣🤣 Hope you are soon recovered, feeling lots better, and back home where I hope you have a champion to get the best for you out of your GP practice.

    1. "What does that say about our political establishment?"

      That the far left as usual does not think much of getting justice for victims of crime, particularly if they're the wrong sort of victim I'd say.

  85. You might have noticed that even after being convicted of serious crimes there

    are surprisingly few orders for deportation at the end of the sentence.

    France has automatic deportation at end of sentence so it isn't an EU ruling

    preventing deportation.

  86. Trump attacks Labour’s decision to abandon North Sea oil
    President-elect says Britain is making ‘a very big mistake’ by retreating from oil and gas
     https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/01/03/trump-attacks-labours-decision-to-abandon-north-sea-oil

    Obama and Biden hated Britain and wanted to put Britain at the back of the queue. Trump is on our side which is why woke leftists and the current PTB don't like him!

    How can this Starmer government be overthrown – and who can and will do it?

    BTL

    The trouble is that abandoning useless wind turbines and exploiting our North Sea oil reserves would interfere with Starmer's and Miliband's plan to destroy Britain beyond repair.

    1. who can and will do it?
      even if the EU collapsed tomorrow.. Sir Keir would plough on to rejoin.

      There's only one route, IMHO.. Trump sanctions on Visa & SWIFT transactions.
      And that could only happen via a major breach of trust or security threat like Suez.

      The obvious spat would be the threat of a CCP takeover of Chagos Islands
      or perhaps Falklands or Gibraltar or Ascension.

      Never underestimate the self-harm of a malevolent radical Trotskyite or the hatred of The Tottenham Turnip.

    2. The greeniacs and political class are like a madman desperately trying to hold back a huge lever, constantly bodging endless problems to do anything to hinder the market.

      First the WFA was created because energy was too expensive.
      Then gas prices crept up as the world economy recovered
      Then we shut off Ukraine and Russia
      Then we had to build interconnects because we didn't generate enough
      Then they hand unreliables countless billions in subsidy
      Then folk began to default and as cutting off was forbidden that was socialised in taxes
      Taxes and levies continue to ratchet up, especially in Winter because demand spikes and unreliables generation collapses
      Now they're forbidding credit allowances on direct debits
      We're still polluting, we just do it somewhere else.
      We're still dumping millions of tons of plastic despite it being heavily taxed.
      People still want boilers.

      Yet there's big fat state, desperate to stop the cogs of the market from turning lest the grand tax oax be exposed.

  87. I know one shouldn't make assumptions but the figures speak for themselves.
    From now on i will treat all Pakistani males as rapists. And act accordingly.

  88. Ahhh!
    Back from Stoke and sat with a mug of tea.
    Stepson's meeting with Social Workers appeared to go well, but once again the same information was asked for about him.
    Must admit he is a lot more stable at the moment and not doing TOO badly with his medications.

    Drive over was ok but with a few icy patches, coming back less ice but misty in places.
    Still bloody cold though!

      1. Made me think of "In the Bleak Mid-Winter" this morning and then I remembered; winter has only just begun!

  89. Lefties and Progressive in meltdown over Elon Musk's support of "Nazi Germany".

    Germany accuses Musk of election meddling over AfD support: What we know
    Elon Musk praised far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) and its leader Alice Weidel in an opinion piece for German newspaper Welt am Sonntag.

    He's lidderally committing genocide.

    3. In the UK the officer would fill in 40 pages and be charged for the loss of the cuffs (now plastic zip ties) and the trolley bint would get compo after plod lost his job and pension.

  91. I was heart-broken about the attack on the vile slammer murderer. He is still alive…dagnabbit.

    1. But…but…. but… we're told the Earth is boiling, not freezing – or has the marketing changed again?

      There is an irony of people burning books to stay warm.

    2. But…but…. but… we're told the Earth is boiling, not freezing – or has the marketing changed again?

      There is an irony of people burning books to stay warm.

  93. My favourite (and most irrefutable) quotation came from the great Samuel Langhorne Clemens ("Mark Twain"):

    “I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it.”

    1. I play mahjong online, Grizz…there's always a quotation to start play..Twain figures sometimes, but more usually Chinese philosophers. I do sometimes wonder if I've lived before, reading daily blogs……..

  94. Today, Nazir Afzal, a former chief prosecution who played a key role in prosecuting the grooming gang in Rochdale, rejected calls for a public inquiry.

    'For those of you suggesting a national public inquiry into so called grooming gangs will deliver accountability, do you know that the grand total of people brought to justice following the Hillsborough, Grenfell, Post Office, Infected Blood & Bloody Sunday public inquiries is ONE?' he wrote on X.

    Unfortunately, if that's correct, it does suggest that a public enquiry would be a waste of time.

      1. Instinctively, I don't trust Muslims , but Afzal has been more successful than most in exposing many areas of unacceptable Muslim behaviour, including numerous prosecutions taken on despite obstruction from the establishment.
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazir_Afzal

        Afzal is best known for tackling cases involving violence against women and the sexual exploitation of children; the New York Times called him "Britain’s go-to prosecutor" for these areas.[15] Until 2004, he had not been aware of forced marriages and honour crimes happening in the UK, but he was approached by a group of women with compelling testimony. They asked him to use his position to investigate, so he held a conference on the issues and set up a national database, cataloguing dozens of instances of potential crimes.[15] 2005 saw the "honour" killing of Samaira Nazir by her brother and cousin; as area director for the CPS,[35] Afzal was responsible for the prosecution of her relatives, and described the beliefs that led to her murder as "tragic and outdated".[36] He thought that such traditional attitudes would die out with the older immigrant generation, but by 2008, by which time he was the CPS's lead on honour-based violence, he realised that young men held the same controlling beliefs about "family honour" and "purity", and that education needed to start with primary school children to challenge this.[37] "I have talked to loads of Muslim women and I can tell you that the greatest fear they have is not Islamophobia or being attacked by racists or being arrested on suspicion of terrorism. It is from within their own family."[38]

        One of his first decisions on becoming a chief crown prosecutor was to initiate prosecutions in the case of the Rochdale child sex abuse ring, overturning an earlier decision by the CPS. He suggested that "white professionals' over-sensitivity to political correctness and fear of appearing racist may well have contributed to justice being stalled".[3] He said "I do feel that there's a deficit of leadership in some parts of the Muslim community. They could be much more challenging of certain behaviours".[39] He attributed the attacks to "evil men", saying that the key driver was "male power".[39]

        I wonder whether the earlier CPS decision was on Starmer's watch

        1. "I wonder whether the earlier CPS decision was on Starmer's watch."

          Yes. Reference [3] is to a Guardian article of 2012 which refers to a case that he reopened earlier that year that the CPS had rejected two years earlier. Max was DPP from 2008 to 2013.

          1. I believe that although the ultimate decision might have gone to Starmer, the original decline would have been more local, and I have little doubt that that would be used by Starmer and his supporters as the "get out clause".

    1. Well Mr Lowe you try to get one of those appointments and they’ll say the earliest one is 4 weeks time.
      We are all being conned, at great expense to the taxpayer, by a system that is designed by the NHS and for the benefit of the NHS.
      Patients come very, very low down in the list of priorities.

      1. 'Patients come very, very low down in the list of priorities'.

        Unless you are a recent arrival living in 4 star accommodation. They are assigned GP's and get home visits.

        If we white British complain too loudly we will be dropped from their lists.

      2. And from previous experiences going to A&E will far more harmful to health. Absolutely a packed house, waiting 14 hours waiting to be seen.

    2. Twice recently I have been to our local gp practice and no cars were in the doctors only area. And the waiting room was absolutely empty.
      Something very sinister indeed is going on.
      And instead of letters I am now getting silly NHS messages on my mobile phone. That are impossible to read properly and no reply..

      1. Stop all taxpayer funded interpretations at once, print all official information from all institutions only in English, prosecute all men who have more than one wife and stop all payments to other than legitimate children.

        Refuse all planning applications for mosques and/or Muslim meeting places and stop all funding for all Muslim organisations.

        There will never be integration with any Muslim, they may live side by side with us but no more than that.

        1. They will only live side by side with us until they reach critical mass; then they will force us to comply.

      2. Time for mandatory deportation if they don't speak English and contribute more than they're taking.

    1. The way I see it is you are against paedophile rape gangs and want the entire coverup exposed and those who authorised and organised it brought to justice or you don't mind paedophile rape gangs and their facilitators operating with impunity.

  100. I remember waiting in A&E with another woman who was Latvian.When she was seen by a doctor her friend had to interpret everything for her. She couldn't speak a word of English. How does someone survive in another country when they don't speak the language?

    Turned out she had a cold and was wasting everyone's time – especially mine.

    1. There are now many hundreds of thousands of people using the NHS who have never and will never pay a single penny for the use of it.
      The people who insist that they run the country with success. Couldn't run a bath between the lot of them.
      They are an absolute catastrophic nightmare, useless.

    2. How do they survive without knowing the language? In the first place we translate all benefits and health info into multiple languages and secondly they live in enclaves of foreigners who all speak the same language, a few of whom know enough English to get by and interpret for the others.

  104. Which one, or the inquiries themselves? As Humphrey reminds us, you only have an inquiry when you've decided on the answer you want and are sure you're going to get it. They're also for putting officials in the clear, not making things clear.

    After all, the problem is obvious: massive uncontrolled immigration, especially from muslim countries. Everyone knows what the problems are but the political class refuse to accept this and do everything they can to shift the blame.

    1. The entire situation is despicable. I expect i would be treated better and with more honesty in Russia, North Korea or China. All our politicians are a fucking disgrace.

  106. We must be mad, literally mad ………

    And they vilified Enoch Powell for warning us with the truth.

  107. A BTL "She is one of the most disgusting hypocrites walking this earth. The problem is she is surrounded by equally disgusting colleagues"

  108. Good afternoon to all Nottlers, and a belated Happy New Year to you all! I hope you all had a peaceful and joyful time and that 2025 brings good things to all!
    I have mainly been very busy, with a house full of guests, a mountain of food and much family partying, presents and children of varying ages. We have travelled to Glasgow, Biggar and all points west, in a convoy of cars and John Deere gators! We have tramped the foreshore at Bo’ness and walked round Linlithgow Palace and Loch! We did George Square and had Hogmanay here chez nous (17 of us) and our first foot was my Greek younger nephew! New Years Day at the farm and elder daughter served the biggest rib roast EVER! Stunning it was!
    We are now all by ourselves, with the cats, and a house which looks as though a whirlwind has hit it!

    1. Ah Tom! Delighted to see you back ! I haven’t even picked up my iPad in about 4 days so I know nothing about anything!
      How are you feeling? What did the world-beating NHS do for you?

  112. Hi Sue , you have painted for us a brilliant energetic social event … an exciting family gathering and at the same time tickled the taste buds by describing the biggest rib roast EVER.. yum .

    I remember first footing years ago ..we had an incredible experience ..

    Clever energetic you and well done .. Happy New Year x

    1. Thank you Belle! It was a once in a decade experience with all of us actually being in the same country! The last time was our elder daughters wedding and there have been several more children since then!
      Did you finish the jigsaw?

    2. We laughed as the children thought it was a dinosaur!! The rib bones were enormous and us older ones thought it looked like the bit of meat in the Flintstones!
      It was one of their own cattle and beautiful meat!

    2. Bright as ever.

      It is a great solace to me to know that Venus was doing her thing (along with the Moon) millions and millions of years ago – and will still be doing it for millions of years to come. Makes mere humans look very unimportant.

      1. I know why we look unimportant.

        It's because we are unimportant. It's just to ourselves that we feel important.

        We are not the 'blink of an eye' in the grand scheme of things.

        The sooner we all realise that, the better we will all feel.

    4. If you look up, and to the left, of the moon (about five times the apparent distance between the moon and Venus), you will see Saturn. It is nowhere near as bright as Venus but I have just viewed it through my binoculars and I can clearly see its rings. Those rings are much more vivid through one of my telescopes.

    6. Beautiful, and they'll be doing that after we're all dead and gone. Hopefully, cockroach couples will look up at the skies and feel the same awe.

    1. Impressive. What device do you have that won't cut and paste. Three for me.

      Wordle 1,294 3/6

      🟨⬜⬜🟨⬜
      🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜
      🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

      1. Well done, Sue!

        My Windows 10 is not performing, cadging extra subscriptions and threatening Windows 11. I need to shoot BG . . .

        1. My Windows 10 machine put up a notice saying I needed to upgrade to Windows 11. In your dreams! I don't like Win 10 and Win 11 is not, so far as I know, an improvement.

          1. Once you get past the new Start Menu, not many visible changes going from 10 to 11, it was easy to move forward.

            Aren't they threatening to end support for 10 this year?

        1. The meds seem to be working and the latest blood tests apparently show that my body is tolerating medication well. So getting there! My eldest brother tells me he knows someone who’s lived with this condition for thirty years. It can be done!

    2. Well done Rene!

      Managed to get my 2025 up and running with a much-needed birdie!

      Wordle 1,294 3/6

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    3. IImpressive.

      I was happy to be an also ran

      Wordle 1,294 3/6

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      🟨⬜🟨⬜⬜
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    4. IImpressive.

      I was happy to be an also ran

      Wordle 1,294 3/6

      ⬜🟨⬜⬜🟨
      🟨⬜🟨⬜⬜
      🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

    6. Back of the class for me and a 4.

      Wordle 1,294 4/6

      ⬜🟨🟨⬜⬜
      ⬜⬜🟨⬜🟨
      ⬜🟨⬜🟨⬜
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  116. Evening, all. Snowmageddon has failed to reach Shropshire so far. In fact, although bitterly cold, it was a lovely sunny day with a couple of magnificent rainbows.

    We all know the consequences of a failure to exploit its own natural resources and thereby ensure energy security. The govt does, too, hence its failure to do it; it wants to destroy the country financially, culturally and economically.

    2. Some ice on the roads heading to Stoke this morning and a couple of stretches of low cloud on the tops coming back, otherwise Derbyshire and Staffordshire have been ok.

  117. Britain is headed for the rocks – and Keir Starmer can’t turn the ship around. 3 January 2025.

    The great ship Britain is heading for the rocks, and the captain and crew are hanging around in the galley, sipping tea and chit-chatting. Tragically, some of the damage is now irreversible, but there is still hope. Robust new leaders willing to take on vested interests and upset the status quo with a truly ambitious agenda to restore what we once had could yet save us. With the right prescription, our wonderful country could grow stronger than ever.

    The only thing that could save the SS Great Britain is a mutiny and a few bodies swinging from the yard arm.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/01/03/britain-is-headed-for-the-rocks/

  118. An excellent piece from Isobel Oakeshott. And in the DT!!

    First, an apology. This is peak political platitude season, when it is customary to focus on reasons to be positive about the new year. Instead, I have the starkest of warnings: our country is dying. It may already be too late to save.

    Oh, for sure, there are still fabulous things about Great Britain: kings, queens and castles; football and fireworks; picnics, pubs and pop music. We have not lost our Beefeaters nor our roast beef; we still have windswept beaches; wildflower meadows; misty moors and downs.

    Mercifully, Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, has yet to desecrate the Cotswolds, the Peaks, the Shires or the Dales with his mad vision for one billion solar panels. But the stuff that American tourists imagine when they think of England is just our dress coat. Beneath the remnants of finery, our country is dangerously sick in body and mind.

    At the heart of the malady is the way in which successive governments have allowed millions of low-skilled foreign nationals to make our country their home without the slightest ask of them in return. Many of those who have arrived in the tidal wave of legal immigration since 2004 have become proud Brits and make a great contribution, but a significant and rapidly growing proportion have neither the slightest intention of integrating, nor the ability to be net positives to society.

    They are drains not radiators, sucking up public resources at the expense of those who work: an obvious recipe for resentment and division. Without the faintest clue about how many people are coming or going, our leaders remain in utter denial about the impact on plummeting standards of living and seemingly uninterested in reversing the trend.

    Anyone who lives in any of our major towns and cities can see what is happening, and the terrifying speed with which it is changing everything we know. A meme circulating on social media on Christmas Eve, showing a bewildered Santa surrounded by bearded men in traditional Muslim dress, went viral for a reason. “Where the f— am I?” ran the speech bubble from St Nicholas. “You’re in London” replied one of the many Mohammeds.

    Look closely at the image and Santa is in chains, presumably a comment on the aggression with which certain groups are trying to make our country more like their own very distant places of origin. Witness the proliferation of Sharia Courts, and the election of sectarian politicians.

    An orange-bearded convicted terrorist called Khalid Baqa is suing the owners of a Buckinghamshire pub called the Saracen’s Head over its “deeply offensive name,” (all damages to the “orphans of Gaza”) and our leaders just shrug.

    Meanwhile balaclava-wearing motorbike mobs think it is their place to roar around central London hoisting Palestinian flags, and the authorities do nothing. Huge numbers of bewildered British people now feel like that Santa: as if they no longer recognise their surroundings, and the walls are closing in. They are still frightened to say it, for fear of the inevitable “racist” label.

    All this began with economic arguments about “gaps in the labour market”, yet here we are, hurtling towards recession. No wonder, when we are led by politicians who treat taxpayers’ money with the crazed abandon of Extinction Rebellion vandals spraying fake blood at the walls. The £100 million HS2 “bat shield” tunnel that isn’t even bat-proof is just one of a thousand ruinous decisions taken by idiotic officials at our expense.

    Every single executive involved in that folly should be fired, along with all other public servants who make catastrophic mistakes – but of course no such accountability exists.

    The impact of all these mad decisions on those trying to do the right thing is incalculable. While growing numbers of shirkers declare themselves too mentally ill to work, wealth creators are forced to toil ever harder to hold onto everything they have built. Their holiday homes are double council taxed; their endeavour to provide the best education for their kids is treated as some kind of selfishness; and great chunks of everything they hope to bequeath will be seized by the state.

    Even the super rich – insulated as they are from the soaring cost of living; collapsing infrastructure and dismal state of public services – are furious with the sorry state of everything they cannot pay to avoid. All they ever hear from this Government is that – having the “broadest shoulders” – they must contribute ever more to support those who do nothing.

    No wonder there is a mass exodus to Dubai, Portugal, Italy and other countries in which success is not punished, and the better-off are not treated as human cash points.

    The tragedy is that our country is still widely respected. While many overseas visitors returning to Britain for the first time in years are shocked by what they observe, others who do not know how dire things have become still admire our history, our institutions, and what they imagine is our culture.

    They still look to the UK for global leadership. Yet our leaders seem more interested in retreat, as the bungled attempt to surrender the Chagos Islands shows. That any prime minister should seek to relinquish British overseas territory behind the backs of voters is shameful enough. To expect taxpayers to provide Mauritius – the beneficiaries of our loss – with “compensation” (for what?) borders on treasonous.

    This is what the old and sick do before they die: begin distributing their stuff. Is that where we now are as a country – managing a fire sale of our strategic assets? Could there be a more powerful symbol of our decline?

    Given the gravity of the situation, now is no time for our leaders to point to the distant prospect of very marginal change – perhaps a tiny reduction in shocking NHS waiting times, or some barely discernible increase in the supply of “affordable” homes.

    None of what Sir Keir Starmer proposes will do anything to change what we call all see with our own eyes, which is that parts of this country are barely recognisable as our own. Delivered with the energy of a plastic mannequin, the Prime Minister’s pat New Year message was an object lesson in how not to inspire an electorate yearning for something or someone in which to believe.

    Can’t he see how fed up we all are with the notion that if we all just “bear with” and make a few more sacrifices, things might eventually get fractionally better? Without any willingness to tackle the fundamentals, it is an unforgivable lie.

    And so, as we enter 2025, our once great nation is in similar shape to much of the population after Christmas: bloated, bilious, and stony broke. Up to our eyeballs in debt, our leaders continue to lavish our money on other countries and causes with little to no direct benefit to our own population.

    The great ship Britain is heading for the rocks, and the captain and crew are hanging around in the galley, sipping tea and chit-chatting. Tragically, some of the damage is now irreversible, but there is still hope. Robust new leaders willing to take on vested interests and upset the status quo with a truly ambitious agenda to restore what we once had could yet save us. With the right prescription, our wonderful country could grow stronger than ever.

    1. I thought the problem with the waste of space that is the bat tunnel is that it IS bat proof, when it should have been bat friendly.

      1. I'm a bat fan, have a few different species roosting here in roof spaces, various hollow trees. Husband made a bat box, very carefully, out of wood, a beautiful thing. I told him he sited it in the wrong place (full sunshine, most of the day), they have ignored it. They love the roof space, dark and just the right temp. One got into the house last summertime, all doors and windows open. Quite amusing to see husband freak out 😂

    2. Nah.. everything changed on that night of November 5, 2024.
      I notice people openly discussing Tommy R.. pdfs.. the downfall of the progressives.. AfD.. and the phobia that dare not speaketh its name.

    3. "At the heart of the malady is the way in which successive governments have allowed millions of low-skilled foreign nationals to make our country their home without the slightest ask of them in return".

      Sam Small forgot to mention the ONS statement last year thaty 1.1 million "asylum seekers" had stated

      on their paperwork that once they had been given leave to stay they had no intention of working.

  120. And so we fast forward to early 2029 as The Labour Party successfully introduces the first of 13 designated Sharia councils in the UK to settle disputes using Islamic religious law.. hailed as a great many strong success in freeing the backlog of some 73,000 divorce cases held up in the Courts of UK.

  124. Not being silly but although the frost was heavy , and Moh managed to set off to play golf with his pals .. after dethawing the car .

    I refilled my bird feeders , the garden was thick with frost back and front , I started my car and took it a few yards down the drive way , into the sunshine , the windows soon thawed out .. and I managed to open the boot.

    It was still -4 c and so I put Pips slip on fleece jacket on him , dog in his crate in the car , and headed into Dorchester on a back road . Beautiful sunny drive , visibility superb , I could see virtually across the coastline maybe to Devon , well perhaps not that far .

    Town was busy . I headed for the Tesco store , , and popped into the store for essentials .

    The store was also packed . I was told that many regular Saturday shoppers were shopping on Friday .. including me , weather forecast .. alarmist nonsense, but who knows ?
    By the time I had finished shopping , 3/4 hr later , the sun felt warm and the car temp said 5c.

    The evening sky looks beautiful , but feels very chilly.

    1. My "weather alert" triangle with snowflakes on it that appears at the bottom of my computer screen seems to be alternating between yellow and orange. I'm waiting to see if we get any snow.

    3. 2020: Goverment: Stay in your houses due to worst plague since Black Death
      Population: OK!
      2024: Population: We'll never cooperate with lockdowns ever again!
      2025: Government: Stay in your houses due to bad weather
      Population: OK!

    1. I don't know. How tech savvy are you? I suppose you could change to Linux as your operating system.

    2. https://www.linuxmint.com/

      Install it onto a USB stick and run it off there as a trial, which keeps a Windows install on your hard drive. Unless you are using a very specific Windows only piece of software most everyday desktop computing software is catered for. This is free and open source.

  126. Update; it has, this second, changed to an umbrella with raindrops and informs me "Rain/snow tomorrow".

    3. I don't believe it. This gives the fucking Nazi the space to not answer for the crimes she has committed.

      If it is true i hope she chokes on her own phlegm.

    1. They have obviously run out of excuses and have no more lies to spread. And the people have had enough of it all.

    2. This government is the vilest, most stupid, venal and vindictive that I have ever encountered.

  129. That's me – must get back to my book. "Elizabeth Finch" by Julian Barnes. Excellent.

    Looks like an Arctic night ahead – temp as low as, er, -2ºC – and not much higher tomorrow. Dagnabbit, I should have rushed to Tesco (and Morrisons) and cleared their shelves of everything edible. As I didn't – we'll prolly starve.

    Have a jolly evening. If you want a GOOD television play – try on catchup: Mr and Mrs Edgehill –
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00zybfc/mr-and-mrs-edgehill

    You won't regret it. A play like they don't do anymore (written by one Noel Coward…)

    A demain.

    1. .. anxiety

      The way plod says it.

      Disband the whole police force and start afresh, though it will take some time.
      Peter Hitchens.

      1. Yes, Musk had the right idea clearing out most of the Twitter staff. Germs grow. We need to do the same with the civil service.

    3. Plod aren't very bright are they. Yes i know…they never were. (sorry Grizz).

      Why enter into a conversation? You do your job or don't waste people's time !

    1. Wonderful.
      Real nature conservation.

      All they need now are wind turbines and solar panels /sarc

    1. They daren't prosecute him – not only will he have better lawyers, but the whole story will be revealed.
      They won't like that.
      I hope he has better protection (not Durex, either) than The Donald, he'll be needing it.

  135. Visited here today, the Church Of St Peter Ad Vincula, Tollard Royal.

    The landscape views are from back in August and are of the area around Tollard Royal.

    The earliest known record of the Church of England parish church of St. Peter ad Vincula dates from 1291. Early English style features that survive from this time include the tower arch, a doorway and several windows,[8] including two in the nave. The bell tower was built after a gift of £10 for the purpose in 1412.

    The earliest record of the church's dedication to St. Peter ad Vincula ("St Peter in Chains") dates from 1469. It is one of only 15 churches in England with this dedication, which is after the Basilica of San Pietro in Vincoli in Rome.

    Late in the 15th and early in the 16th centuries extensive Perpendicular Gothic alterations were made to the church. The tower was rebuilt and the south porch and three-bay north aisle were added and the nave was increased in height.

    A west gallery was added in 1714 and later removed, probably during rebuilding work in the 1850s. The works included rebuilding the north aisle, removing the chancel arch and blocking up the east window, causing Pevsner to describe the church as "much renewed". In 1966 the church was designated as Grade II* listed. Today the parish is part of the Chase Benefice, a group of nine on both sides of the Dorset/Wiltshire border.

    In 1553 the church had three bells and a sanctus bell. One was recast by William Tosier of Salisbury in 1728 and another by Mears and Stainbank in 1882, but the third mediaeval bell still hung in the tower in 1927. Two more bells were cast by Mears and Stainbank and added to the tower in 1889. In 1999 the three Mears and Stainbank bells and the mediaeval bell were replaced with a ring of six bells cast by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. The 1728 bell has not been recast but it is no longer rung. The Sanctus bell has also been retained; it was cast in Salisbury in about 1400. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0a2e57811e2db7a17a4cf388f24b4fe220cfcb6f7d5175990c421b3a66b793a0.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/84dd2e8af095910dfc73ef2b389840c17b75b72e582fc9b2ccd815ac2ab99b5c.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d0f7f7c10b2676c195e8a97a38e38d2f9d96d72f205d677971914d269ceb2419.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/20955decf0eb3799797f51859c5e23621eb017e1cc3e18a3289a86824ae20276.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5742ccfa2ea85a22836919205cbaee469b316a44b301fbd35e2a833098c6e576.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/bdeae7e04d0119bf9a8730f80e304b7b03ec63e6d80310cb867f8c0c2ad8f323.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/afd232939dc4038acbe54b3756fb8035e3e7c49cea80b35d9d97249e5f7414c7.jpg

    1. The chapel in the Tower of London is St Peter Ad Vincula. I didn't realise there were others so dedicated.

    2. So lovely it brings forth tears.
      Thanks for posting those pictures, GQ.
      1291, eh?

  136. I'm quite getting to like the cut of that Musk fellows jib.
    How come it has taken so long for a very successful intelligent businessman with immeasurable wealth to realise that they can have it all and have the support of millions of people by working with them and not against them.
    Nobody wants to live live in a dystopian world and have everything good they believe in ripped apart so evil can triumph over them while the great and the good can prance about the world stage saying they have to follow an insane agenda in order to save the planet, all based on Frankenstein science fed to us by their bought and paid for propagandist mainstream media and puppet politicians with no morals or worth whatsoever.
    Plus annoying the Lefties no end

    1. The Left moan about "what gives the richest man in the world the right to decide, to manipulate government?" The same forces that give them the "right" – goose and gander come to mind. For now, Must seems to be on the side of the Demos (us), so suck it up, you bastards!

  139. I wondered if the writer was a bit pissed on the port when he wrote some of this.

    Nevertheless, I'm brave enough to admit on here to not being a fan of Stilton.

    The British cheese the French can't get enough of – and it's not Stilton or cheddar

    Plus more UK foods that are popular overseas

    Tomé Morrissy-Swan
    01 January 2025 12:00pm GMT

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/85f0e33b5a28123e6127a31a7d2dd8125832bfe828133ac2ae06a4ded94edcb4.jpg
    Lovers of British cheese were once stumped when abroad: cheddar or Stilton might be the only options – and they weren't always the best versions. Now, another British cheese is finding its way onto cheeseboards from France to Brazil.

    This year, The Telegraph has spotted Shropshire Blue at shops in Paris, Malaga and Porto. It has been served at a wine bar in São Paulo, while at the British Cheese Deli in Zurich, it sometimes sells faster than Stilton, according to owner Rui Trindade Farinha.

    Stilton may be Britain's most famous blue cheese, eaten by millions, particularly around Christmas, but Shropshire Blue is slowly gaining traction as an alternative. With an alluring dark yellow colour, almost golden-brown and fudgy near the rind, it is buttery and creamy and mild, with delicate, peppery blue veins throughout. There are notes of caramel and digestive biscuit. It's a blue even beginners might like.

    Sales at Waitrose are up 26 per cent on 2023 – it's the blue cheese with the highest growth. At the Fine Cheese Co, which exports British cheeses, Shropshire Blue makes up 10 per cent of total blue cheese exports, second only to Stilton. Australia buys the most, followed by the US, Spain and France. At Neal's Yard Dairy, it's the second-most exported blue "by a country mile", according to technical director Bronwen Percival, with France its biggest buyer.

    Several Parisian cheesemongers stock the cheese, including Fromagerie Laurent Dubois, which has five outlets in the city. Owner Laurent Dubois is a fan: "We French cheesemongers often sell both Stilton and Shropshire Blue," he explains. "In the universe of all the blue cheeses which exist in France and in our range, Shropshire Blue stands out visually. It attracts the eye with its colour and contrasts with its blue veins."

    British cheese expert Emma Young agrees. "It stands out in the same way that I'll […] look at a crazy wine label and it will attract my eye. I don't think it's so much the actual style of the cheese that people are first allured to. Fortunately, it's a good cheese and they like it thereafter." Young says that when she worked at Whole Foods in London, Americans were drawn to it as they were used to orange cheddar.

    Unlike many British cheeses, especially territorials like Lancashire, Caerphilly or Wensleydale, Shropshire Blue doesn't have an ancient, romantic history. It isn't even from Shropshire. It was first made at Castle Stuart Dairy in Inverness in the 1970s, says Billy Kevan, CEO at Nottinghamshire-based Stilton producer Colston Bassett. It was created by a Scottish cheesemaker who had trained in Nottinghamshire and wanted to recreate stilton. Trademark laws meant he couldn't call it Stilton, so he added annatto, a natural colouring used in orange cheeses, and called it Invernesshire Blue, before opting for Shropshire, a more catchy name. A variant, Ludlow Blue, is now being made in Shropshire.

    Shropshire Blue is similar to Stilton and is now made by all the main Stilton producers: Long Clawson, Cropwell Bishop and Colston Bassett. "Other Stilton makers cottoned on, and we all make it to some extent," says Kevan. Shropshire Blue has been produced at Colston Bassett since the 1980s and now makes up 12 per cent of the dairy's output, up from five per cent 10 years ago. Though similar to its Stilton, the Shropshire Blue is milder, creamier and slightly sweeter. "I go for a smoother, more rounded flavour than Stilton," says Kevan. "It seems to be generating a bit of interest. People are looking for choice. It has a good visual aspect to it, and people are drawn to the bright colours."

    A Shropshire blue recently won The Telegraph's Christmas British blue taste test, and though similar, there's space for both on a cheeseboard. It's what Kevan does.

    Other British food and drink doing well abroad

    Cadbury Fingers
    The recent disappearance of the childhood favourite from French supermarket shelves sparked outrage, with a petition launched to bring back the snack. "These delicious chocolate-covered biscuits were more than snacks to us, they were a tradition and a symbol of shared moments and pleasure," it stated.

    English wine
    English wine may be pricier than many of its European counterparts, but in Norway it's a hit. They drink more of it than any country other than the UK, and the bestselling brands include Simpsons, Nyetimber, Hattingley Valley, Gusbourne and Balfour.

    Seafood
    From smoked salmon to langoustines, a huge amount of British seafood is exported – around 80 per cent of Scottish-landed produce, for example. France, Spain and the Netherlands are big markets.

    Vimto
    Originally from Manchester, the berry-flavoured soft drink is widely consumed in the Persian Gulf, where it's popular during Ramadan, as well as in West African countries including Senegal and The Gambia.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/features/british-cheese-the-french-love

    1. That "blue" really is actually doing well here, (France Dordogneshire) we've even been served it at a French lunch, perhaps because we were the only English, but it was enjoyed by all the other guests.

      1. My opening remark wasn't a criticism of Shropshire Blue (which I haven't tried) but one of surprise at the inclusion of Cadbury's Fingers and Vimto!

          2. France just as everywhere else has been infected by the corporates. Those inhabiting the banlieux know no different.

    2. French cheeses no longer 'cut the mustard'.

      Take a look at any global cheese award and they are not in the top 10.

      Fine as they may be but they haven't been improved.

      1. I find that Swiss Emmental and Gruyere that I buy in the UK are just very poor substitutes for the ones I ate in Switzerland in the mid 70s.
        Impossible to make a decent fondue without them , let alone a good Swiss white wine like Fendant.

        1. As i have suspected for a long time. I put it down to being on holiday and enjoying the food. Then trying to recreate the same thing at home and failing miserably.

          Take a simple tricolour salad served in Italy and then buying those same ingredients from Sainsbury's in the UK. Not the same thing at all.

    3. Taking a closer look at this article suggests to me that now Christmas and New Year are over the (Blessed are the Cheesemakers) are in need of some paid for articles promoting their wares.

      It was the mention of Cadbury fingers that made me suspicious.

      The best seafood like crab and the best cheeses are not pasteurised. Only Corporate food producers like Mondelez produce and promote this ersatz shit. Hence the article.

        1. I miss you and cheese in equal measure.

          I have no idea whether the bacterial geniuses responsible for cheesemaking just don’t like the terrain, or if forty years of price caps are to blame, but the upshot is that the slightest mention of Stilton brings a tear to my eye…

  140. I wondered if the writer was a bit pissed on the port when he wrote some of this.

    Nevertheless, I'm brave enough to admit on here to not being a fan of Stliton.

    The British cheese the French can't get enough of – and it's not Stilton or cheddar

    Plus more UK foods that are popular overseas

    Tomé Morrissy-Swan
    01 January 2025 12:00pm GMT

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/85f0e33b5a28123e6127a31a7d2dd8125832bfe828133ac2ae06a4ded94edcb4.jpg
    Lovers of British cheese were once stumped when abroad: cheddar or Stilton might be the only options – and they weren't always the best versions. Now, another British cheese is finding its way onto cheeseboards from France to Brazil.

    This year, The Telegraph has spotted Shropshire Blue at shops in Paris, Malaga and Porto. It has been served at a wine bar in São Paulo, while at the British Cheese Deli in Zurich, it sometimes sells faster than Stilton, according to owner Rui Trindade Farinha.

    Stilton may be Britain's most famous blue cheese, eaten by millions, particularly around Christmas, but Shropshire Blue is slowly gaining traction as an alternative. With an alluring dark yellow colour, almost golden-brown and fudgy near the rind, it is buttery and creamy and mild, with delicate, peppery blue veins throughout. There are notes of caramel and digestive biscuit. It's a blue even beginners might like.

    Sales at Waitrose are up 26 per cent on 2023 – it's the blue cheese with the highest growth. At the Fine Cheese Co, which exports British cheeses, Shropshire Blue makes up 10 per cent of total blue cheese exports, second only to Stilton. Australia buys the most, followed by the US, Spain and France. At Neal's Yard Dairy, it's the second-most exported blue "by a country mile", according to technical director Bronwen Percival, with France its biggest buyer.

    Several Parisian cheesemongers stock the cheese, including Fromagerie Laurent Dubois, which has five outlets in the city. Owner Laurent Dubois is a fan: "We French cheesemongers often sell both Stilton and Shropshire Blue," he explains. "In the universe of all the blue cheeses which exist in France and in our range, Shropshire Blue stands out visually. It attracts the eye with its colour and contrasts with its blue veins."

    British cheese expert Emma Young agrees. "It stands out in the same way that I'll […] look at a crazy wine label and it will attract my eye. I don't think it's so much the actual style of the cheese that people are first allured to. Fortunately, it's a good cheese and they like it thereafter." Young says that when she worked at Whole Foods in London, Americans were drawn to it as they were used to orange cheddar.

    Unlike many British cheeses, especially territorials like Lancashire, Caerphilly or Wensleydale, Shropshire Blue doesn't have an ancient, romantic history. It isn't even from Shropshire. It was first made at Castle Stuart Dairy in Inverness in the 1970s, says Billy Kevan, CEO at Nottinghamshire-based Stilton producer Colston Bassett. It was created by a Scottish cheesemaker who had trained in Nottinghamshire and wanted to recreate stilton. Trademark laws meant he couldn't call it Stilton, so he added annatto, a natural colouring used in orange cheeses, and called it Invernesshire Blue, before opting for Shropshire, a more catchy name. A variant, Ludlow Blue, is now being made in Shropshire.

    Shropshire Blue is similar to Stilton and is now made by all the main Stilton producers: Long Clawson, Cropwell Bishop and Colston Bassett. "Other Stilton makers cottoned on, and we all make it to some extent," says Kevan. Shropshire Blue has been produced at Colston Bassett since the 1980s and now makes up 12 per cent of the dairy's output, up from five per cent 10 years ago. Though similar to its Stilton, the Shropshire Blue is milder, creamier and slightly sweeter. "I go for a smoother, more rounded flavour than Stilton," says Kevan. "It seems to be generating a bit of interest. People are looking for choice. It has a good visual aspect to it, and people are drawn to the bright colours."

    A Shropshire blue recently won The Telegraph's Christmas British blue taste test, and though similar, there's space for both on a cheeseboard. It's what Kevan does.

    Other British food and drink doing well abroad

    Cadbury Fingers
    The recent disappearance of the childhood favourite from French supermarket shelves sparked outrage, with a petition launched to bring back the snack. "These delicious chocolate-covered biscuits were more than snacks to us, they were a tradition and a symbol of shared moments and pleasure," it stated.

    English wine
    English wine may be pricier than many of its European counterparts, but in Norway it's a hit. They drink more of it than any country other than the UK, and the bestselling brands include Simpsons, Nyetimber, Hattingley Valley, Gusbourne and Balfour.

    Seafood
    From smoked salmon to langoustines, a huge amount of British seafood is exported – around 80 per cent of Scottish-landed produce, for example. France, Spain and the Netherlands are big markets.

    Vimto
    Originally from Manchester, the berry-flavoured soft drink is widely consumed in the Persian Gulf, where it's popular during Ramadan, as well as in West African countries including Senegal and The Gambia.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/features/british-cheese-the-french-love

  141. Jeez…..

    From the DT:

    "British troops should be deployed to Ukraine as part of any peace deal with Moscow, Jeremy Hunt has said.

    The former foreign secretary said sending European troops to help police Ukraine’s border with Russia was the only way of achieving “sustainable peace” between the two countries.
    He warned that Donald Trump would be unlikely to do the same with US troops given his continued reluctance to arm Ukraine.
    Mr Hunt told LBC: “There is no way that Trump is going to send American troops to do that.

    “I would suggest, in which case, the way to make that security guarantee for Ukraine credible will be for Britain, France, Germany and other European countries to send troops to secure that border."

    After you Mr Hunt….

      1. Mark Pritchard MP (Con, Wrekin) complained about the substandard housing at RAF Cosford (typically, the rag that reported it showed a photo of the Museum, not the RAF site) and said it was a factor in recruiting members of the armed forces. That and the likelihood of being prosecuted for doing their jobs, mate! Reply was that 95% of the housing met the standard (which was put in place by Blair). So that's alright, then.

        1. Not quite the standard required to meet the needs of the illegals, but squaddies are only far-right fascist racist working-class scum, so who cares about them?

          1. My next door neighbours are both ex Royal Navy. They now both work for BAE.

            In the interests of social cohesion i won't be sending them that video.

    3. 399688+ up ticks,

      Evening S,
      "And into the valley of death rode the 650 politico's",

      NOT ON YOUR BLOODY NELLIE.

    4. No, they shouldn't. Leave Russia and Ukraine to pursue their own scraps.
      Not one drop of British blood should be wasted on a family quarrel.

      1. Trump will withdraw aid to Ukraine and dump the problem on Ursula and the EU/UK to take over the costs of continuing a pointless war.

        Starmer, Ursula and several stupid leaderships in places such as Norway, Sweden, Germany, the Baltic States, Holland, France and a few other misguided outfits will have to eat humble pie and crawl back into their collective holes.

        Having stupidly cut themselves off from cheap Russian pipeline gas they have wrecked their industries and are all in recession. Mindlessly backing the fraudulent Ukrainians has proven an unmitigated disaster on every front.

        Incidentally the principal reason that a petulant Zelenskyy has refused to reach agreement for Russia to supply gas to Europe via Ukrainian territory is that Ukraine was found to have been selling the gas to Europe at much more than the price of Russian supply. Ukraine was also siphoning off gas for free which upset the Europeans besides pocketing almost a billion per annum in transit charges.

        Whether European or Ukrainian I believe the phrase which captures the reality is ‘cutting off your nose to spite your face’.

        1. I know when Trump enters the office of the Presidency he has his work cut out.
          I also believe he has been assembling a decent team to support him rather than a shitload of vultures making money off the taxpayer.

          Yet there is so much to do and so much to make right i feel the priorities will be to fix things rather than go after the criminal Democrats.

          1. I agree. I am suggesting that Trump will wish to dump Biden’s Ukraine project on its EU and U.K. backers.

            Trump believes correctly that the US has been funding the military protection of EU/UK for decades allowing Germany and France in particular to prosper without contributing to their own defence costs. That era is about to come to an end.

            The EU and UK have only themselves to blame for hitching their collective wagons to the corrupt, ruthless and utterly destructive Biden administration.

          2. I agree. I am suggesting that Trump will wish to dump Biden’s Ukraine project on its EU and U.K. backers.

            Trump believes correctly that the US has been funding the military protection of EU/UK for decades allowing Germany and France in particular to prosper without contributing to their own defence costs. That era is about to come to an end.

            The EU and UK have only themselves to blame for hitching their collective wagons to the corrupt, ruthless and utterly destructive Biden administration.

    5. 'The former foreign secretary said sending European troops to help police Ukraine’s border with Russia was the only way of achieving “sustainable peace” between the two countries'.

      Hunt really is a total cunt.

      What European troops? We don't have a European army…Nick Clegg was quite specific on this issue.

    2. Plod were told to cover it up.

      It was when Mark Steyn was interviewing the now women who had been gang raped. The woman was talking about how plod had visited her to say she shouldn't have gone on TV. It felt wrong. Legal issues aside, it looked like plod were trying to strong arm a citizen to suppress their pointing out that the entire state utterly failed them at every level.

      In a way, that set me off: big government has too much power and thinks itself relevant.

      1. I expect senior officers know which troops they can call on to do the stasi shit without complaint. Given how many boxes they need to tick. Clearly they employ this scum for political purposes.

    3. I believe i made mention to the father earlier today.

      If i see an officer in difficulty now i will just watch.

    1. It may also be the case they see which way the wind is blowing. A Kennedy supporting Donald Trump !

  146. 'Night All
    Back from the family curry cook off
    Beef Madras
    Chicken Korma
    Chicken Pasanda
    Chicken Balti
    Sag/channa aloo
    Onion Bahjis
    All home cooked from scratch the two youngest (14/16) won with the Bahjis and the Pasanda
    I may have to go and lie down going back for seconds was a mistake…………..

    1. I've tried to make a decent pasanda and never had any luck. On the day it's fine. No complaining from the troops but the next day when it's ladled out the complaint is that the chicken is too tough.

      1. Then don't cook all the chicken at the same time. Make the sauce and then add raw chick thighs and warm through.

    2. How scented your bedroom will be. For the sake of your neighbours do not open a window !

        1. As they all choke to death through lack of breathable air at least they will die with a smile on their faces.

          I'll get me poppadom….

  147. I drive a common little Peugeot 2008 and Moh drives an old Renault Laguna .. luxury!!!

    Read this and shudder ..

    Dear Katie,

    Three years ago I spent £50,000 on a one-year-old Range Rover Velar as our main family vehicle. We loved it, until March when it started to have various electrical issues. First the wing mirrors wouldn’t go in, and then other things stopped working sporadically. These failings were getting more and more serious and starting to affect the engine, so I took the car to a garage.

    I was asked to remove my children’s car seats so the vehicle could be inspected, and when I did I discovered a hole in the back of the leather seat. The mechanics investigated and found a rat had eaten its way through the car seats, seat belts, and into the wire loom.

    It had got into the inside of the car and gnawed at the electrical wiring, including those connected to the hybrid battery, explaining all the issues. We were horrified at the idea that we might have been driving around with a large rodent in the car with our two young children in the back, but it was never found, meaning it must have entered and exited the car without us noticing.

    The car has now been sitting in a Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) garage for rapidly approaching nine months. In the meantime we have been given a tiny Vauxhall Corsa as a courtesy car, which is barely big enough to get my children’s car seats in.

    We understand that the electrical damage and seat damage has now been fixed, and has been so for some months. However, there continues to be an issue sourcing a new seatbelt to replace the one which was gnawed through. All we are told is that a part is on backorder with Land Rover and there is no way to know when it may arrive.

    The length of time we are having to wait for the return of our car is no longer acceptable in our eyes. If the Velar could not be fixed in a reasonable amount of time I believe Land Rover Insurance should write the car off.

    Time is of the essence as my husband’s father had a stroke in September and is seriously ill. He lives 300 miles away in the North of England and travelling there in the Corsa with two young children and all their stuff is completely impractical, causing us great distress at a time when we need to travel easily to support family.

    – KC, Essex https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/rat-ate-my-range-rover-insurance-corsa/

    Comments..

    Karen Ann Stathis
    5 hrs ago
    pinned
    Vehicle wires are coated in a soy product rather than plastic. Mice and rates LOVE soy. This problem has occurred in the US as well. My brother in California and a friend in Massachusetts both had their wires chewed by mice. Both were Toyotas. The insurance companies totaled both vehicles.

    Comment by Bones Jones.

    BJ

    Bones Jones
    5 hrs ago
    pinned
    This happened to some wires under the bonnet in my car. Also in daily use. Now I soak cotton wool in peppermint essence and leave them under the bonnet. Rodents hate the smell.

    Comment by Jeremy Bromfield.

    JB

    Jeremy Bromfield
    5 hrs ago
    pinned
    My parents stored a Bedford Freeway camper van in a barn over one winter. Rats ate the exposed wiring loom plastic and scaped off the Ziebart rust proofing. Fortunately they did not get inside! The first sign of the problem was that it would not start! edited

    Someone is typing
    Comment by Gill SA.

    GS

    Gill SA
    14 min ago
    The rodents get in through the wheel arches and the car doesn’t have to be left for long periods, it can happen overnight.

    Comment by Robert Brasher.

    RB

    Robert Brasher
    14 min ago
    Loads of new Velar rear seatbelts on ebay.

    Comment by judy burdett.

    jb

    judy burdett
    16 min ago
    Oh dear! True first world problem! Moved most of my belongings in a Corsa. Brilliant little car! Plenty of room for two small children but not much of a status symbol!

    1. When we moved the first time around I did it piecemeal, moving 12-24 boxes at a time depending on time available – a car load was 12 boxes.

      This time, when we move stuff out I'm getting removal men to do the whole lot in one. Furniture as well (as that was done by hiring a van, lifting it in and out. Sod that. This time – one and done. It'll cost, but it's going to be in storage for some time so can't worry.

      1. Did you read about the rat damage Wibbling , because the letter is very interesting , and so is the reply which I haven't pasted on here , only a few of the comments.

        1. Yeah, I'm surprised by that. We had rats at the cottage and while that kept Beast happy, they didn't get into the car – we've a hybrid Volvo that, because we're cheap we charge at the gym or she at her offices.

          Having dealt with the vendor garages I imagine at that level they offer a courtesy car of the same or equivalent option. A Velar is not a cheap car. Customers spending that much money you look after.

    2. Similar thing happened to cars at the stables. Rats got in and chewed the wiring loom. Quite a common problem, it seems.

      1. Now – one for Phizzee here – the stables where the Mare went (and is probably coming back from – facepalm) has a pack of small dogs. Proper small dogs. When I my two at the time lumbered around for a looksee (and to compare a pony to Mongo: he was bigger) I asked what the small dogs were for. Chap said: 'Rats'.

        1. Rats are a problem because of the feed. Plentiful supply of food = lots of rats. Small terriers are usually excellent ratters. My medium sized ones were useless.

          3. We stopped putting out bird feeders in the garden as they were overrun with rats, one or two of which made their way into the house.

            Managed to take out two of them with one of those electronic Rat Traps baited with peanut butter……

          4. I stopped feeding the birds because I had rats hoovering up the seeds. No birdseed, no (visible, at least) rats.

          6. My neighbour likes to put out lots of bird feeders. She keeps sacks of the food in her shed. Which is made of cheap wooden panels. :@(

          8. It was only the odd rat but the foxes were also attracted. Her shed door is normally open during the day as they also have a fridge freezer out there for drinks and stuff.

            When she closed the door one night a fox cub was trapped inside. Mother fox chewed through the panels (on my side of the fence !) to get to it.

            We also get badgers and deer so i'm not really complaining.

          9. Cunning swine, rats are hard to get rid of. My air rifle being cocked makes them disappear.

          10. We stopped putting out bird feeders in the garden as they were overrun with rats, one or two of which made their way into the house.

            Managed to take out two of them with one of those electronic Rat Traps baited with peanut butter……

    3. I have to admit that when I read that my inner Bolshie surfaced.
      "Diddums" is the politest reaction.

    5. My little Peugeot 206 was new when I bought it in 2007. It's lived outside on the drive all those years. Passed the MOT each time, the last time was a month ago. I don't go far these days – it's done just over 48,000. It doesn't have a rat problem.

    6. My little Peugeot 206 was new when I bought it in 2007. It's lived outside on the drive all those years. Passed the MOT each time, the last time was a month ago. I don't go far these days – it's done just over 48,000. It doesn't have a rat problem.

  148. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/01/03/why-labour-north-sea-shutdown-is-sparking-clash-trump/

    What Trump exposed is the massive growth of US wealth and the collapse and high costs of UK wealth. The average US salary is something 27,000 dollars higher than ours and we're falling further and further behind. That's solely down to tax, regulation, expensive energy and state waste.

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2b29581db6151be7c6e4bc8915b559704696b2359d8734988c51f48345f5b84c.jpg

  149. Methane on BBC News tonight.

    There wasn't an explanation as to how a cow pat got turned into a car tyre.
    A search on Google revealed that it involves putting the cow pat in a microwave.
    This then gives you the ability to drive away in your hydrogen powered car using the residual graphene as tyres. 🤔

    1. Ain't no hydrogen powered vehicles around here. Mainly because there aren't any hydrogen garages here.

    2. You okay Angie? I only ask because you sound like a feckin' idiot. 🤔

      I am not putting cow shit in my microwave and you can't make me !

      1. I only mentioned it as a possible solution for the Energy Secretary to lead the way in achieving net zero.

  150. Methane on BBC News tonight.

    There wasn't an explanation as to how a cow pat got turned into a car tyre.
    A search on Google revealed that it involves putting the cow pat in a microwave.
    This then gives you the ability to drive away in your hydrogen powered car using the residual graphene as tyres. 🤔

  152. News at ten, time to turn off.
    The government seems to be subject to possible investigation.
    Good night all 😴

    My word cold weather in the winter 🤗

    1. By whom? Lord Hutton? Baron Falconer?

      I think the highest bidder will get the required result.

  153. Ho, ho, ho.
    Jelly beans, a mixture of flavours with strawberry and Carolina Reaper chilli. Just had two of the latter… not comfortable, not feckin' funny.

    1. What kind of idiot are you. Just asking for future reference….

      I did give a friend Bertie Bott's all flavour beans for Christmas but i wouldn't have been so cruel as to give them that.

        1. She had a cameo on Saturday Kitchen last week using up Christmas leftovers. She made a fondue and added Kirsch.

        1. Who do we trust now?

          Besides. Hello Rik. Have you been watching Dune Prophecy? And what do you think?

          1. Not yet I read more than I watch these days
            Wood's rum and ginger beer in play I'd better sign off now {:^))

  156. 399688+ up ticks,

    I have a feeling that the S(tool) is going to have a full time job
    fighting for his fast disintegrating political reputation, seems like more alleged revealed facts are greasing the slide to political oblivion.

    Maybe a reverse landslide is in the making.

    1. Starmer is a robotic whining drone. There will be no rational or even emotional response because he is barely human. Huh ! That's lawyers for you.

      Apologies to Uncle Bill.

  157. Goodnight, all. The Rayburn is stoked. I just have to fill my hot water bottles and I'm off to bed. Sleep well.

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