Monday 16 May: The consequences of sidelining clinicians in the running of the NHS

Posted on by Geoff Graham

An unofficial place to discuss the Telegraph letters, established when the DT website turned off its comments 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.

500 thoughts on “Monday 16 May: The consequences of sidelining clinicians in the running of the NHS”

  3. Good Morning Folks,

    Overcast start here, we didn’t get the promised thunder storms, or if we did i must have slept through them.

  4. Good Moaning.
    To quote a nurse of very limited horizons with whom I used to work:
    “Lovely day for washing yer nets.”

    1. ‘Moaning, Anne. Don’t know about yer nets; I timed a car washing yesterday just right for nature’s rinse. First rain for weeks and the effect on the concrete garden will be minimal – except for the weeds of course.

    2. I mistimed my washing yesterday and gave up, leaving it outside on the drying rack. It’s been rinsed beautifully by nature overnight 🤣

    3. I got mine done and back up in 40 minutes yesterday. I forgot the nets weren’t supposed to be yellow. :@)

  5. Buffalo shooting: how white replacement theory keeps inspiring mass murder. 16 May 2022.

    But the manifesto – which is meant to inspire and instruct subsequent attacks – also outlines the ideology that inspired the murders. Gendron was motivated by a classic version of White Replacement Theory, the view that a cabal of global elites is trying to destroy white nations, via the systematic replacement of white populations. According to White Replacement Theory, the strategies employed by these “global elites” include the mass immigration of supposedly “high fertility” non-whites, and encouraging intermingling between members of non-white races and whites. Gendron was deeply influenced by a series of recent mass killers who were animated by white replacement theory including Brenton Tarrant, whom Gendron openly acknowledges as his model. In Christchurch, New Zealand, Tarrant massacred 51 people at a Mosque in the name of White Replacement Theory, also live-streaming his actions.

    Well he’s obviously mad but it has not made him stupid.

    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/may/15/buffalo-shooting-white-replacement-theory-inspires-mass

    1. Thousands of white girl victims of of Pakistani child grooming gangs – Not Racist

      Random shooting in USA – Racist

    2. So anyone who can see how white people are being replaced is now a dangerous mass murderer. Well, that’s par for the propaganda course.

    3. There’s a reason why white people only appear in cheapo cremation adverts.

  6. Made the mistake of switching on BBC news this morning,
    Racist attack in the USA,
    India has placed an export ban on wheat,
    Drought in the Horn of Africa, 20 million could starve because of climate change

    The old great reset agenda just keeps rolling on and on

    1. I wonder how many would be in danger of starving in the Horn of Africa had so much aid and assistance not been poured into aiding and abetting huge population growth.

      Bob Geldof and the aid agencies, you have a lot to answer for.

    2. It does in deed keep rolling on and on……….
      According to the idiot agitprop reporter on BBC Country File Tom Heap, we are also heading for drought conditions in the UK. He also mentioned the housing shortage and all the thousands of scheduled green belt and agricultural land home building for all the desperate people. Perhaps he should have put Two and two together he might have been able to understand the extremely obvious connections.
      And no Mr Heap and as mentioned but some fool in your ‘report’, desalination is not the answer, but getting rid off all the thousands of illegal invaders is.
      They all come here from land masses millions of hectares larger than ours.
      You want reset Tom send them all back where they came from and let them put their own frigin houses in order.

      1. “Perhaps he should have put two and two together…”

        It would have been too unsettling for the average Countryfile viewer to have politics inserted into the programme. That’s not for comfortable Sunday evening viewing. Nor was there any mention of how urbanisation affects supplies. Surface water management sounds dull and academic but it’s crucial. And, once again, we were treated to the spectacular mains leak, with water running away down the road. Most leaks (about 75%) are not those which break the surface but smaller ones much further below, often on domestic property between the street main and the house. They are the ‘dripping tap’ leaks, often hard to detect and expensive to fix. And wherever they are, the water simply goes back into the ground…

  7. ‘Morning, Peeps.

    The leading letter:

    SIR – Denis Wilkins (Letters, May 12) rightly identifies the Griffiths report of 1983 as the start of a new order within the running of the NHS.

    Non-medical management now measured success in terms of numbers and percentages, rather than common sense. One index of efficiency was considered to be bed occupancy of as close to 100 per cent as possible. The way to achieve this was to get rid of what were seen as redundant beds. Well, Covid demonstrated what a good idea that was.

    Some years ago, I was clinical director of an ear, nose and throat department, and was asked to explain how it was that the ratio of operations performed to outpatient consultations was lower than in other surgical specialities. I said it was in the nature of ENT practice that many patients could be treated conservatively. This explanation did not satisfy management, and I was asked if there was any way the number of operations could be increased.

    When I then asked if they would like me to start performing unnecessary operations, the subject was dropped.

    Professor Richard Ramsden FRCS
    Thame, Oxfordshire

    Bed occupancy as close to 100% as possible and plenty of ops? Sounds more like a job preservation scheme!

    1. My father was arguing along the same lines at the time, from the point of view of his speciality, obstetrics and gynaecology, and with the advantage of a superlative clinical record. They effectively neutralised hjm (an excellent surgeon but a man at sea in the face of bureaucracy) by appointing him medical director of the trust.

    2. I have never forgotten the change in atmosphere when a ‘bed manager’ appeared on the ward where I spent a few days after my accident.
      The nurses went from being chatty and lovely, to withdrawn and distant. Madam flounced around the ward like she owned it. It was obvious that medical judgement came second to her managerial ‘expertise’.

  8. SIR – There is a world-class NHS longing to be let out, if only politicians would let go of their favourite plaything.

    Ministers purposefully engender massive public hostility to any change in the NHS that could result in efficient, competitive private involvement. Yet the solution is surely for the Government to provide appropriate funding without trying to run the entire service itself.

    Anthony Hulbert
    Christchurch, Dorset

    I regret to say that ministerial meddling is probably with us for the forseeable.

    1. No there isn’t. There really, really isn’t, and the reason is that the structure of the NHS was fatally flawed from the start. Nationalising healthcare was a huge mistake, and completely unnecessary to achieve the goal of everyone being able to access healthcare.

        1. For all its many faults I don’t think the sacred cow is ready for slaughter. Root and branch reform is surely the way to go. The fact is there is currently no political party with sufficient spine to do it.

          1. Just as with the bloated civil service sack half the senior management. No one would notice any difference in service but it would save billions.

          3. Problem is, from GP through top management, the culture of uselessness is ingrained now and will never be shifted without they see that actually doing work effectively matters. No workee – no payee is a great motivator.

        2. Selling it to big US healthcare conglomerates is a terrible solution – local charitable trusts, and small GP partnerships are the way to go.

      2. I cannot remember my parents ever mentioning a lack of health care before 1948. In fact, my mother had better maternity care when I was born than she did when my brother was born after the NHS was founded.
        My father’s TB wasn’t found until he was 30 (it was reckoned he’d had it since his teens) but I think that was more to do with his not going to the doctor with ill-defined tiredness. He had none of the expected symptoms. He looks thin in photos before he was drafted into the navy, but the vast majority of the population looked the same, particularly if they lived in London; no extra food, cold, fear of arbitrary death, constantly interrupted sleep and a permanent feeling of being rather grubby.

        1. if they lived in London; no extra food, cold, fear of arbitrary death, constantly interrupted sleep and a permanent feeling of being rather grubby.

          Nothing changes?

    2. No, there is no ‘world class NHS ‘ waiting. It’s a monolith and cannot be fixed while it continues to treat all and sundry from round the world.

    3. As I’ve said more than a few times recently, the NHS should not receive a single penny unless it has put forward detailed spending plans specifying:-
      1: What the money is intended for
      2: A detailed audit trail specifying who will be responsible for spending the money
      3: A timeline giving fixed times for each stage of the project
      4: A plan detailing how the NHS will, by cutting unnecessary bureaucracy and management, especially cutting “Diversity Managers,” they will meet at least 25% of the cost from their own funds.

      An example of a job to be cut:-
      https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a8ac30d6d1f48f9271361291599e71b31507bf7b1ec21143178fcbe1f8f3d69a.png

  9. SIR – I read with interest your report about the lioness at Yorkshire Wildlife Park that was given a full health check after appearing to suffer from a stomach ache.

    I recently phoned my GP surgery to ask whether my 63-year-old husband, who has also suffered with his stomach, could have a health MOT. The answer: “We don’t do that any more.” Perhaps I should call a vet.

    T Cranidge
    Angmering, West Sussex

    This is surely storing up a lot of trouble. Whatever happened to ‘a stitch in time’?

  10. No thanks, Ma’am. For LGBT campaigners like me, your jubilee is nothing to celebrate. Peter Tatchell. 16 May 2022.

    As a lifelong republican and a thorn in the side of the establishment, I was gobsmacked to receive a letter from the organisers of the Queen’s platinum jubilee pageant inviting me to join the finale on 5 June outside Buckingham Palace, as one of a select group of “National Treasures … celebrated, respected and admired people”.

    What, me? Surely some mistake. As a supporter of the campaign group Republic, I’ve urged the abolition of the monarchy and its replacement by a democratically elected head of state. For decades, I’ve championed a fair deal for everyone, against the elitism and privilege epitomised by royalty.

    One would never guess from this that Tatchell is an Australian who came to the UK to escape conscription. Who didn’t become British until he was thirty five. Whose effect on the UK has invariably been malign!

    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/may/15/lgbt-campaigners-jubilee-queen-pageant-national-treasure

    1. Considering that he and his ilk have won every battle they’ve fought over the years, the above statement is astonishing. It’s more accurate to say that conservatives like me have nothing to celebrate.

    2. How ungracious he is! The institution he has scorned for so many years doesn’t let it be personal, and invites him, personally, to a party – giving reasons. And he spits it back in their face, with such lack of grace… Always thought he was an arse, now not only is it proven, but he’s a whingeing arse.

    3. Who invited the ungrateful t**t? Probably his long term supporters and home of many of his bender friends, the BBC.

      BBC – Platinum Party At The Palace – HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations 2022.

      He should be horse whipped and thrown out of the country – he would probably enjoy the first bit though.

  11. SIR – Although I run a small company where everyone is back at the office, I can’t see any problem with working from home (Letters, May 15).

    We just need some new, more effective rules. Anyone dealing with the public needs to make their phone number available during normal work hours. They should be prepared to take part in video calls with colleagues and line managers whenever required, so that workmates can “pop in” to see them. They also need to be available for home visits, if necessary.

    Adrian Spalding
    Truro, Cornwall

    Surely the test is – is the service efficient? It is woefully inadequate in many parts of the public sector.

  12. SIR – I can only assume that those responsible for the construction and continued defence of smart motorways do not drive.

    These changes have transformed motorways into deathtraps. Their hard shoulders need to be reinstated now.

    Vincent Hearne
    Chinon, Indre-et-Loire, France

    SIR – “Smart motorways are safe, say experts.”

    Experts are idiots, say motorists.

    Cliff Mills
    Ketton, Rutland

    At least any further construction of ‘smart’ (dumb) motorways has been suspended…for now.

  13. The bad guys have had their eye on the Autobahn in Germany for a long time. Good thing he’s not English….

    “In my view, unlimited racing no longer fits in with the times,” said Lower Saxony Environment Minister Olaf Lies, who presided over the conference. “We must also promote climate protection through a speed limit,” he added.

    from https://www.rt.com/news/555506-germany-speed-limit-fuel-use/

  14. SIR – The EU insists that the Northern Ireland Protocol (Letters, May 15) is sacrosanct because it suits its purpose to virtually annex NI as the price of Brexit.

    Germany and France are the leaders within the EU, and they are adamant that the UK will pay a heavy price for daring to leave. Why else would a supposedly democratic organisation resist reasonable attempts to adjust the agreement in order to ensure stability in Northern Ireland? Perhaps it wants to damage the Conservatives, so that a Labour government is eventually elected.

    The British public should be in no doubt that the EU is not a friend but a hostile trading partner, and will behave as such.

    Mike McKone
    Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria

    Yes, the EUSSR, the Evil Empire – call it what you will – is alive but certainly not well, given the loathing and the mendacity which seems to come to it so naturally. Article 16 is there for a reason and it is long overdue for deployment!

    1. Hugh, you will remember that some years ago a top member of the EU stated publicly ” The cost of Brexit is the loss of Northern Ireland”

      I can’t remember his name. Anyone still got the quote?

        1. No, it was the youngish good looking German who was second in command.

          We always thought that he would become the big chief very quickly, but he seems to be keeping a low profile.

  15. SIR – The Prime Minister hopes to persuade Northern Ireland’s political leaders to work together so that power-sharing can be resumed.

    He is unlikely to succeed because of the DUP’s determination to see the NI Protocol scrapped. It is a pity that Mr Johnson and the Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, who is more supportive of the DUP, cannot work together, backed up by the terms of the Vienna Convention and Article 16, so the Brexit that was voted for can at last be achieved.

    As things stand, Mr Johnson will have to explain at the next election why he didn’t defend Britain against a vengeful EU, despite having the law on his side. But he may well not be in office by then.

    David Taylor
    Lymington, Hampshire

    Yes, ‘vengeful’ sums it up nicely, Mr Taylor. But then, we fully expected to be punished for turning our back on a profligate, protectionist and demonstrably undemocratic shower.

  16. Headline in the DT:

    Boris Johnson: Northern Ireland Protocol stopping us tackling cost-of-living crisis

    Really? Sounds like a pretty weak connection to me.

    1. Morning High. I noticed this. He just says the first thing that comes into his head.

      1. Do you remember the Daily Mail headline generator?
        We should update it to become the Boris Off the Cuff Speech Generator.

      1. Task multiplexing is beyond them, despite those photos of hundreds of ministers seated at the cabinet table. It’s intentional of course, the confuse-a-cat policy to ensure the civil service really remains in control and we follow the path set since the 1950s, managed decline.

  17. Good morning, all. Rained in the night. Sunny now but more rain coming.

  18. Report on NHS reveals ‘astonishing’ explosion in central bureaucracy. 16 may 2022.

    The new analysis shows that the number of officials working in the Department of Health and NHS England has more than doubled in two years, with even sharper rises seen at the most senior levels. Meanwhile the number of nurses rose by just seven per cent, thinktank the Policy Exchange found.

    Its experts said the trends showed an “astonishing” explosion in central bureaucracy, calling for an urgent review and action to slim down and streamline its workings.

    I can’t prove this but strongly suspect that all these government departments have become Ethnic Job Creation schemes for relatives and friends; for a consideration of course. When you see an ad for a Race Relations Adviser; Equalities Officer, etc. It is a position already taken! I have my doubts that these people even turn up for work!

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/05/15/report-nhs-reveals-astonishing-explosion-central-bureaucracy/

    2. All of these stories about the ennaitchess’s being dysfunctional are not helping front line staff one little bit. Although aimed at the VSMs and people at the top of the organisation, they foment greater dissatisfaction among the public and who bears the brunt of this do you think? The poor receptionist on the front desk or answering patients’ phone calls. The abuse these staff are subjected to is getting worse and worse and it is due in no small part to articles in the meeja that inculcate in the public a sense of entitlement and unrealistic level of expectation.

  19. Good morning all.
    A dull start after last night’s downpour with 9½°C outside.

    Not a good night’s sleep. Woke up just before 12:30 and, being kept awake by indigestion, got up at 1:30 and didn’t get back to bed until 3. Was still awake when the heavens opened at 4ish.
    I was planning to get a couple of bags of cement, but might defer that until tomorrow.

    2. Try a teaspoon of vinegar for the indigestion. Grizz’s idea. And as far as staying asleep is concerned i use Escolzia.

    1. Though we were not the world’s most powerful or richest state under Elizabeth; an accolade that belonged to the Superpower that was Spain, we were the freest and kowtowed to no one!

      2. 352697+ up ticks,

        Morning AS,
        Support / vote
        lab/lib/con coalition is to accept the return to serfdom &
        taking a kneeling position whilst touching ones forelock in recognition of ones betters.

        1. Another classic tv serial, following the plots of EF Benson’s Map and Lucia books. Geraldine McEwan, Prunella Scales and Nigel Hawthorne, Irene Handl etc. An ITV tour de force. The BBC made another version later, but it was very weak.

          2. Then you must remember Lucia taking over the village fete and doing her QE1 interpretation!

    1. Do us all a favour if Khan were to be terminated with extreme prejudice.

  24. Good morning all,

    What a pretty lightshow we had last night , sheet lightning and deep rumbles.

    When I have managed to get some sleep, my dreams have been really weird .

    I have had a phone call and an NHS letter with regard to receiving the fourth Covid top up jab this week, how many jabs will we be offered during what life time we have left , and if they are offering it to vulnerable people and people over 75.. what sort of immunity can it be , especially now that mask wearing is no longer compulsory.

    1. Have you seen the latest Pfizer ‘dump’ of data they (Pfizer) have been forced to reveal by the US Supreme Court? It has not, of course, been picked up by the msm which is in the pockets of the WEF/globalists. It would seem that instead of being 95% effective, at maximum it is effective at 12% and for seven days only, whereafter it falls to 0.84%. In the initial trials of 44,000 people, 1,220 people died, and there were 42,000 adverse side effects, taking up 9 sheets of paper. They were listed across the page, not one after another down the page, so you would get at least four of five ASE on a line. The nhs claims it to be safe for pregnant women, it claims ‘studies show’. There has been only one study for pregnant women, the one that was part of the 44,000 people. 270 women offered to be guinea pigs (who on earth would do this? – they must have been offered a fortune). Of these 270 women, the data on 230-ish went missing, which left just 30-ish for the data. There was just one live birth. What happened to those ladies missing from the complete data?

      It is unsurprising that Pfizer lobbied to keep the data hidden for 75 years. Pfizer knew what it was doing, it knew the effects as probably did many others involved in this. It is, it must be, the greatest crime on humanity in the history of the world. Asking people to roll up for a 4th jab is tantamount to conspiracy to murder as the data is freely available if one chooses to search for it.

      I will get back to you with references if I can find them. We are away on holiday atm, we are not all that far from you, we are in the SW, staying in a self-catering shed in someone’s garden…! It is actually very nice and comfortable – but I have had the call to ‘hurry up’ so I must go now. I will add the references as an edit to this post.

    2. They overbought and have a lot of doses to get rid of before their expiry dates.

    4. Bright & sunny here at the moment, but rain with thunder supposed to be due about 18:00ish.

  25. Caesar’s favourite herb was the Viagra of ancient Rome. Until climate change killed it off. 16 May 2022.

    Of all the mysteries of ancient Rome, silphium is among the most intriguing. Romans loved the herb as much as we love chocolate. They used silphium as perfume, as medicine, as an aphrodisiac and turned it into a condiment, called laser, that they poured on to almost every dish. It was so valuable that Julius Caesar stashed more than half a tonne in his treasury.

    Yet it became extinct less than a century later, by the time of Nero, and for nearly 2,000 years people have puzzled over the cause.
    Researchers now believe it was the first victim of man-made climate change – and warn that we should heed the lesson of silphium or risk losing plants that are the basis of many modern flavours.

    Those petrol powered chariots will do it every time!

    Caesar’s favourite herb was the Viagra of ancient Rome. Until climate change killed it off (msn.com)

    1. Good grief! How much more sheer stupidity and misinformation do we have to hear? Morons!

      1. These sorts of idiots are taking up valuable space and resources on Mother Earth.
        It’s strange that ‘climate change’ is supposedly killing off everything apart from world population. It’s clear to see the real problem area are Africa and Asia where breeding is out of control.

    2. Extinction explanation

      Silphium appears to have been a victim of both its own success and rarity.

      It only grew in a narrow strip of land along the coast of North Africa and farmers were unable to cultivate it.

      Due to the overwhelming demand for silphium, its numbers rapidly dwindled, and by the 2nd century BC, the plant was considered extinct.

      While we don’t know exactly why silphium disappeared, there are several theories.

      Some evidence suggests that the plant was gathered too extensively by
      the Romans. The Greek government had strict rules on the amount of
      silphium that could be harvested, but it seems the Romans paid little
      attention to that.

      It’s also thought that the desertification of the area might have
      contributed to the plant’s disappearance — the north coast of Africa has
      been getting drier over the past thousand years, which could have led
      to silphium’s demise.

      1. I know Phizzee. It was cheap shot but I thought it might interest Nottl gardeners!

      2. I smell BS.
        Which part of the North African coast? Most of it has a Mediterranean climate until today, where olive trees, figs and grape vines flourish.
        I would be very surprised if this plant (a) could not be farmed and (b) has disappeared completely

        1. North Africa was known as Arabia Felix (happy Arabia) in Roman times. It was very fertile which is why that area was nicknamed “The Fertile Crescent”. See, I did pay attention in my Latin lessons 🙂

      3. Here’s another alleged fix it.
        https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=cbd05b5139254a50c476f975c4258118e8a9fc1df90bf0d74a521e29eef78633JmltdHM9MTY1MjY5MTA1NiZpZ3VpZD0yZjJiM2EzOC0yMmE5LTRiYjQtYjZiZS1jNzExMWY5MjBhNTUmaW5zaWQ9NTMzMw&ptn=3&fclid=4c723ea0-d4f5-11ec-9081-50fb3697d10a&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly9lbi53aWtpcGVkaWEub3JnL3dpa2kvRXBpbWVkaXVt&ntb=1

      5. There seems to be the suggestion that it was a natural cross, the same kind of thing that gave us wheat from 2 grasses. And the cross took place on the coastal strip and could only propagate vegetatively . So over cropping there made it die out.

    4. Man made climate change. For goodness sake. The desperation of these fools.

  26. Windy , cloudy, sunny and 14c here .

    Moh playing golf again , he played well yesterday , and today is an away day on a different course.

      1. Good morning J

        My ears are still warbling and head full of strange goings on , like swimming under water , chest alot better and I can taste and smell and have dabbed myself with one of my favourite perfumes .. so feeling a bit more positive.

        Sky here is very dark and have a load of golf stuff etc in the washing machine . Moh got soaked yesterday .

        He dried his golf club covers , gloves and jacket and shoes off in the airing cupboard… sadly there is now a stinky shoe smell amongst the bits and pieces in there.

        I suspect he will get rather wet again today .

        When he plays badly he is similar to when his football team loses .. I find that mood difficult to cope with .

        I guess many other wives with sports fanatic husbands experience a similar sort of thing .

        Hey ho and all that .

        1. Taste and smell back is good news! Not so good if things smell nasty though – but you can tell where the bad smell comes from!

          My ears have been whistling with tinnitus for many years now and it’s just something i’ve got used to.

          Funny old day here today – last time I looked out I thought it was going to rain but now the sun’s out! Anyway, I’m off out to lunch with my two old schoolfriends today so a bit of catching up to do.

          OH is playing tennis – he usually enjoys that even if the shoulder’s not what it used to be and some of the other players are rooted to the spot………. he doesn’t get too upset about it.

          1. Have a lovely lunch .
            Hanging around here waiting for washing to finish then have other jobs , perhaps give the dogs a walk sooner than later .

        2. Yesterday I was outside, walking and geocaching – having looked at two weather forecasts [which for once agreed – that should have been a sign?] I anticipated that I would be a wet Bleau by later that morning, so I dug out the trousers with the waterproof membrane and the reliable waterproof jacket. Naturally the walk was uphill to start and equally naturally not only did it stay dry but the sun came out; the jacket went into the sack, but I thought it might be a step too far to remove the rather warm trousers! I was indeed a rather damp Bleau, but at least it didn’t rain!

        3. Offer to help clean up after his game – stick his clubs in the bathtub with a bit of bleach in the water.

          Any questions, claim that you are cleaning the grips.

          1. Why can’t the poor man have a game of golf without the world telling him he’s a bad person? He’s retired and still alive – pretty good going, in my book.

        4. Heyup Maggie!
          Good to hear you’re feeling better.
          I’ve still got the tale end of my chesty cold from a couple of weeks back, but it is getting better. all be it very slowly.

    3. Yo T_B

      I am sure, if you get old copies of the Navy News, you will come across a fotty of him in there,

      just to remind you what he looks like

      2. Reminds of one of many weird instances when he asked me to pick him up from Heathrow from the last Aberdeen flight years ago , I used to drive up with him to Heathrow from Wimborne for the first early morning Aberdeen flight and then collect him . His idea .

        I was there to meet him at the designated spot … he walked straight past me , I tried to run after him and called out to him , but instead he jumped on the Heathrow / Bournemouth coach , he sat there on the coach , I was frantic , tired out and very perplexed .. I had even arrived early to have a coffee, loo visit and that sort of thing .

        Moh was off shore 2 on 2off .. for 16 years.. East Shetland Basin including 3 years based in Unst .

        1. I would have thought, that he knew all the Comair Aircrew and could have got them to Divert to Darset, once in a while

    4. Yo T_B

      I am sure, if you get old copies of the Navy News, you will come across a fotty of him in there,

      just to remind you what he looks like

  27. This Petition has had a strong weekend – approaching 83,000 now:

    Do not sign any WHO Pandemic Treaty unless it is approved via public referendum
    We want the Government to commit to not signing any international treaty on pandemic prevention and preparedness established by the World Health Organization (WHO), unless this is approved through a public referendum.

    https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/614335

    1. Without being a git, would the average person understand what this meant? Consider how many people are still wearing masks. How many wear them wrongly. How many leapt on the terror assault the state pumped out. How many people screamed for others to get vaccinated – when the vaccine was barely out of trials?

      It’s sad, but far too many people simply cannot be trusted. They can’t be allowed to vote because they don’t understand what they’re voting for.

        1. Only taxpayers should be able to vote…Emily Pankhurst’s actual argument for women voting.

        2. Most “property-owners” are mortgaged to the hilt so, therefore, don’t actually own their property until the mortgage is paid off.

          Is this any different from people who rent their property? Would you disqualify them from having a vote for nothing more than not having a mortgage?

          1. I’d restrict voting to either those who are net tax payers OR have performed some measure of proven social worth. If you don’t contribute, you can’t vote.

          2. Wasn’t that the theme of In The Wet by Nevil Shute?

            Multiple votes gained for education and service, with a special vote at the discretion of the monarch.

          3. It is and is also another book that is so prescient it’s rather scary. It was published, if I recall around 1953 but is set 30 years ahead.
            1983 England is a technologically advanced country that has been bled dry by austerity and socialism.
            It’s a scary read, as is On The Beach for different reasons. Shute, I sometimes think, must have had a crystal ball.

          5. “…some measure of proven social worth.” You’ll need to explain what that means. I tend to shy away from anything including the word “social”.

          8. Property owners and tax payers can vote as it is their money that pays for it all.

          9. What about someone who is fully-employed, pays his full whack of tax, but lives in rented accommodation?

      3. 352697+ up ticks,
        Afternoon W,
        The majority vote for a name of a party, a party that was treacherously
        slain long ago.

    1. The sound was too low on that one – too low for my laptop anyway. I just couldn’t hear what he had to say.

      1. You could try clicking on watch it on youtube, and you may be able to turn the sound up.

  29. Monday Wordle 331 4/6

    ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
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    ⬜⬜🟨🟨🟨
    🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

  30. Morning all.
    We really enjoyed the TV brilliant prog and tribute to her Maj last evening but couldn’t work out why the american singer with his peculiar head gear on was present.
    Never the less Tom Cruse was good and QE1 stumbled on her words but never mind.
    Bands were brilliant and gunners great.
    Hundreds of wonderful horses seemed to delight HMQ.
    And not one pile of droppings was seen.

    2. But the best way to research your family tree.
      I use to play golf with a guy who worked for Camelot as ‘a winnings adviser’. He had some stories to tell.

        1. One i remember distinctly was an elderly lady gave money and her choice of numbers to her daughter to buy a ticket for her at the local shops somewhere in Noorf Lundun. The ticket was a winner she had won around 1.2 m. and the daughter and son-in-law were insisting it was due to their efforts the ticket had won, but it developed into a huge family row. And L.D. had to intervene to calm the situation down. He did in the end but he felt it was an underlying issue in the family and daren’t interferer too much. I would guess then well into his 80s. He unfortunately Died earlier this year. When he took on the roll he had recently retired from Schweppes in West Hendon the husband of one of my cousins knew him well.

    3. One comment was thus…Dean31, Westbury , United Kingdom, about a minute ago
      No risk what so ever, just give each family member equal sum of money. If they don’t like it, move on.I can think of many things to do with the cash. Mostly travelling the world.
      I’ve had it all worked out for years …..still waiting.

      2. I don’t want to travel the rest of the world , what on earth would I gain from that .

        Nothing but shoving pushing crowds, drunk rude people , airport queues unless I chartered an aircraft .. There is nowhere I would like to visit , I cannot abide other cultures , rich vulgarity v poverty .. seen all of that .

        Have witnessed the indifference that wealthy people live their lives by .

        If I had an expensive yacht and sailed in warmer climates , I know I would cry my heart out , as I have done many times , witnessing the sea of plastic and junk floating in our oceans , I could not bear the cruelty meted out to captive animals in the far east .

        Loads of money changes people , not for the better either .

        I think I would help fund the training of more medical staff, engineers and scientists .

        I would never ever go to a rich Arab leisure resort .

        I think I would help bods with their mortgages , and would probably build some decent bungalows with wide door frames for wheelchair access and decent modern homes with accessible garages ..

        Encourage a mobile dental service .. just as one used to see mobile libraries or mobile breast screening clinics .

        1. I agree Belle.
          Like the old song goes “it’s oh so nice to go traveling, but it’s so much nicer to travel home”.
          The only place I have ever yearned to go is Montana. And parts of western Canada. I love wide open spaces ‘Far from the madding crowd’. I can’t sit on a beach.

      3. Trouble with giving to the family is once they have spent it they will come for more. Best not to give them anything.

      4. Pay off my debts, and families debts, and invest the rest whilst inviting bids from charities for funding. There would be strict commercial bid conditions – no contact during bidding period, and strict requirements to the submissions – purpose, control, oversight, anticorruption, that kind of thing.

          1. That’s why I’m not in government (lower case “g” quite deliberate).
            Worked at MoD back in 1981 – what a shower.

          3. They hated me – I worked all the working day. Got quite snotty about it, they did.

    4. I assume he’s being paid by Camelot to encourage playing of the national lotto, with its lower jackpots, rather than Euromillions. Or that he’s probably got shares in the Czech outfit.

    5. Try telling that to Bill Gates, Clinton, Soros and all the other WEF members and all our politicians, the list is endless.

    6. You simply keep your gob shut and don’t tell a single soul a single thing. If you want to give any away to friends or relatives you simply set up anonymous funds that are untraceable back to you. You then continue to keep your gob shut.

      1. Not enough closed mouths these days, IMHO.
        I believe I’m becoming Finnish…

    7. They can always donate it to BLM or Antifa. Common Purpose could do with a few more millions and poor Prof PantsDown has to make do with scraps from the Gates table of a mere 3 or 4 million a time. That way, you get to be listed in Wiki as a “philanthropist”.

      1. I had a very restless night last night, got up at 5 am and then listened again to Serenade Radio for an hour (Sing Something Simple followed by Mark Stein’s Song Of The Week – on Time On My Hands) whilst washing last night’s pots and pans. By the time I reached 6 am I was so tired that I returned to bed to catch up on some sleep. Then up for a quick “Good morning, everyone” post before having a shower and leaving for a very busy day. I still have to post a message to Tom (No to Nanny) as promised, then up the stairs to bed.

      1. Apples not yet in blossom at Firstborn’s place, but the plum at our place is.
        Does that help?
        ;-))

          2. Our apple blossom is all over the lawn, with ithe Montana and the cherry!

          3. Mine, too. My apples are the last of my fruit trees to bloom. The golden gage is the earliest.

    6. Yo Ol

      The roof on your house, top of piccy on the left, looks a bit dodgy

      1. That’s the carpentry shed. It’s ‘maturing’ and likely to get fixed this year.
        In any case, it’s tin and covered in bits of tree.

  35. I am not a Robert… how many times do I have to tell them – every time I log in apparently!

    1. I had to think about that. A robot! I-AM-A-DA-LEK!!! I don’t logout so mostly – unless Disqus throws me out – it avoids that problem.

  36. Blood Moon: In the UK, the Moon will start to enter the Earth’s partial shadow just after 2.30am, according to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich.

    Around an hour later, it will darken considerably as it enters the planet’s full shadow, making it appear as if it is changing phase to a crescent Moon.

    By about 4.30am, it will have completely entered the shadowed area and will start to turn red – this is the beginning of the optimal time frame to see the phenomenon.

    People will then have until around 5am to get the best look at the blood Moon.

      1. You’re right, Sue. I got up this morning to see it but there was full cloud cover. I looked it up again and it said 16th May – This morning… Doh!

        Next one November 8, 2022

        1. Not quite as bad as me! I woke on Sunday morning at 3.20, nipped to the loo and stared out at a beautiful clear sky and moon! Only 24 hours early! 😱 Today it was pouring!

          1. Hope you had your jimjams on. Don’t want Uncle Bill’s blood pressure going up with that image. :@)

      2. You’re right, Sue. I got up this morning to see it but there was full cloud cover. I looked it up again and it said 16th May – This morning… Doh!

        Next one November 8, 2022

    1. Straight from the BBC book of child welfare and education – Preparing Kids for Future Indoctrination. The sooner they learn that acting and looking stupid is normal, the better. There are a lot of highly paid left-wing arses to be licked in the near future.

  40. Just had an email from Fish for Thought. They have teamed up with Pipers Farm to offer Surf & Turf. For your Platinum Jubilee BBQ. Cornish lobster and 2 sirloin steaks with Cafe de Paris butter. Delicious as it would be i will give that a swerve at £70 for two.

    I did pinch the butter recipe though.

    Cafe de Paris butter for steaks…

    Directions

    Place all the ingredients, except the butter in a bowl. Cover and leave on the bench to marinate overnight.

    The next day, cut the butter into cubes.

    Puree the herb mix in a blender, then add the butter gradually so that it combines evenly.

    Roll in plastic film in a cylinder shape and twist the ends like a Christmas cracker.

    Refrigerate or freeze until needed.60 gShallots, diced1 cloveGarlic, crushed1 pinchDry mixed herbs, use marjoram, dill, thyme, rosemary, paprika, curry powder and cayenne1 tspGround pepper15 gCapers25 gFresh parsley25 gFresh chives4Anchovy fillets, roughly chopped (Main)1 TbspBrandy1 TbspMadeira, or port15 gDijon mustard3 TbspTomato sauce1 TbspWorcestershire sauce2 TbspLemon juice1 smallLemon, freshly zested1 smallOrange, freshly zested500 gButter

    1. Sounds … er … different, Philip.

      It may well be delicious but I tend to swerve away from anything that is made from an absolute multitude of very strong flavours. I feel that they usually cancel each other out instead of being complementary.

      1. As it was devised by chefs at the Cafe de Paris Switzerland, i personally would bow to their judgement on the flavour profile. I’m going to give it a go this weekend and let you know.

        1. Thanks. I find mixing flavours can sometimes be detrimental rather than complementary. Citrus fruits are a good example. For instance, putting a little lemon into orange retains the orange flavour and enhances the sharpness; however, I find that putting lemon into lime kills the far superior lime flavour and its intrinsic tanginess. I shy away from mixing citrus in general since they each stand on their own feet and seldom need any supplementation. Curiously though, adding lime to grapefruit gives a mix where each flavour still shines through. Those two, together, make a wonderful sorbet.

      2. Mix all those flavours together, and it’s like mixing all the rainbow colours together. The result is brown.

    2. Seems to me rather complicated!! I prefer simple, I usually keep a tarragon compound butter in the freezer, that I can slice off as much or little as needed to jazz up chicken, fish or veggies.

      1. I have everything in my cupboard except for the chives. When you look at the directions i feel it is quite easy. Marinade. Blend. Then mix in the butter.

        Love Tarragon butter too. Do you use it with chicken?

        Edit…sorry, speed reading. :@(

        1. Yes, I have done. But my favourite is to have it over fresh asparagus.
          Have you tried Miso glazed salmon? I made it Saturday night and it was delicious, a recipe to keep!

          1. Yes. I always have a tub of Miso paste in the fridge. This year i have been growing Crimson Asparagus. I will try some of your suggestions.

      3. Simple and delicious……….that’s me…!

        Why ‘cooks’ spend so much time slaving over a hot stove I’ll never know..

        1. I sometimes wonder why. However, I usually enjoy the finished result!! Plus, of course, the obligatory vino to go with it;-))

          2. I have now finished the last of the whisky and only have the Affligem (Belgian beer) to finish.

      1. A butter you would glaze a steak with. Have you not heard of Cafe de Paris? Seeing as you came top in your home economics class… :@)

  41. Good morning. I agree that the solution to the threat that humanity faces is well summed up with “Think global, act local” And without both progress will be limited. Inveighing against psychopathic elites or trying to interpret the deep sickness of our own public life on their own won’t cut it. I thought this piece by Naomi Wolf published by Brownstone was right on the money.

    https://www.tarableu.com/naomi-wolf-nails-it/

  44. Diesel prices reach record of over £1.80 a litre. 16 May 2022.

    UK diesel prices rose to a record of just over £1.80 a litre as efforts to stop importing fuel from Russia pushed up costs for retailers, the RAC said.

    After the previous record of £1.79 was set in March following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, prices dipped but have risen again in recent weeks.

    I dread to think what it would be like if they were sanctioning us!

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-61463280

    1. Most of that £1.80 is tax and duty. So, high prices are Government-controlled.
      Same here in Norway, except “cheap” is £2.20.

      1. “I’ve always thought of Norwegians as sober, ungreedy and early-to-bed” Last week’s Spectator

        Comments please!!

        1. Of course they are ‘Sober’: have you seen the price of booze.

          When Noah was a lad, wife came out to see me in Narvick, for a long weekend.

          All we could afford to do was sit on the bed, drink a bottle of Duty Free Vodka and watch Blazing Saddles

    2. The BBC never mentions the breakdown of cost of fuel. Doing so would expose the fact that the real cost of fuel is tax.

  45. Yo All

    How can Church law, the reason given for the Dean’s forced retirement, stand above such qualities?

    No personage, with the attribution of ‘Canterbury’ can be allowed to usurp the dominance of Mr Welby, the
    Archimam of Canterbury

  46. Yo All

    How can Church law, the reason given for the Dean’s forced retirement, stand above such qualities?

    No personage, with the attribution of ‘Canterbury’ can be allowed to usurp the dominance of Mr Welby, the
    Archimam of Canterbury

  47. Skin of the teeth time today with a double-bogey 6!
    Wordle 331 6/6

    ⬛⬛🟨⬛🟨
    🟨🟩⬛⬛⬛
    ⬛🟩🟩⬛⬛
    ⬛🟩🟩⬛⬛
    ⬛🟩🟩⬛⬛
    🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

    1. I did OK today. Luck is a large part of it and the letters eliminated are the main clue. Did anyone see Andrew Doyle and guests on GB News yesterday evening? They were chatting about Wordle.

      Wordle 331 3/6

      ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟩
      ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟩
      🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

      1. Four –
        Wordle 331 4/6

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

    1. It’s strange how common sense has escaped so many people.

      We really are living in the end times. The great age of leisure brought about by industrial excellence, efficiency and robotics with a motivated, intelligent educated workforce hasn’t come about.

      Well, it has, but with a lazy, indolent, paid to not work, housed at others expense welfare class.

      Education is frowned upon – the capable are derided and mocked, the waster demands more be given to them. The worker pays for the shirker, the wanting to work is stuck because there’s too many people competing for too few jobs, opportunities are scarce because the risk of hiring people is so expensive and high.

      Every problem we have is the fault of big, fat state.

    1. #MeToo, sweetie, another effin’ Five … x
      Wordle 331 5/6

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

      2. He makes do with three armchairs and two settees. Though he does share them with Gus.

        1. 😂😂😂 and where do you and the MR sit or do you just stand back and admire?

  51. Judy Murray: I was sexually assaulted by drunken executive

    He was obviously BLIND drunk

    1. I was even less polite than that, OLT! I wondered what else she would come up with, to stay in the public eye?
      I don’t have a lot of time for her.

    1. Both had their own place.
      Grammar school for the more academic and Secondary modern for those more practically minded.
      Comprehensive for the politicians who wanted to level all down.
      We can see how education standards have slipped.

        2. The rot began with Anthony Crosland.

          His widow, Susan, said her husband had told her “If it’s the last thing I do, I’m going to destroy every fucking grammar school in England. And Wales and Northern Ireland.”

      2. The grammar schools still exist in Gloucester – my old school is a bit of an academic hot -house these days. My sons also went to an all boys grammar, but I think they have a mixed sixth form now.

      2. Not misery, but not bliss either, I made some good friends, some of whom I had lunch with today.

      3. 11 to 15½ then had had enough of academia and joined the RAF as a Boy Entrant.

        18 months training – including bull, sport and rifle training, left as a qualified Air Rada Mechanic.

    3. I returned from Canada to a school that I loved. I worked very hard and passed my 11+ whilst there.
      My parents moved and I wasn’t allowed to commute back to the London school and was placed in a local school which I hated, I was bored witless as I had already covered the various syllabuses and the teachers also seemed to dislike me intensely (understandable as Nottlers know).

      I was informed I was too lazy and thick to pass and they were more than somewhat discombobulated to be informed that I already had my place at the grammar school of my choice. I had also qualified as a Middlesex 11+ scholar for Bill Thomas’s old school.

        1. They say boredom is the sign of a small mind. That local school certainly shrunk mine, sport and singing were its only redeeming features.

    5. Missed a lot of primary school due to hospital visits so thankfully I failed the 2nd part! Secondary mod was okay but happy to leave!

    6. Passed the 11+, went to an all girls grammar school. An awful lot of our lessons were learning by rote and note-taking. Did reasonably well at O level, fluffed the A levels with low grades.

    7. Loved my infants school, and all girls junior school but senior school was awful. My sister was 4 years ahead of me and she was perfect – Head Girl, very clever blah blah – and I wasn’t! They told me I wouldn’t get any O levels so I dug in and got 7 then left to go to the local tech and do an OND! Loved the sport though!

    8. The difference between boys and girls. In my junior school class of forty-two, eight boys and eighteen girls passed the 11+. Thanks, I may say, to Miss Donnelly, very strict but very fair.

      I was one of the lucky eight despite being not very academic and I was also lucky in my grammar school. As well as having some frighteningly clever boys in the ‘A’ stream, it had a particularly good technical stream with some great teachers.

      I can’t say what I learned at school (as opposed to what I learned later), but I learned how to learn, how to think, how to behave.

      Thanks, St Bede’s Grammar School, Bradford, I owe you a lot.

    9. In my school over 400 applied and 90 (mostly lads from working class homes) were accepted. Located in South East London, the School had a long tradition and a Combined Cadet Force (Army, Navy and RAF) with access to a rifle range in the school! However, at the end of my seven years there, only the RAF section remained in force. Subsequently a decade or so later the school was merged with the local secondary modern possibly in an act of wilful spite?. A chap I worked with who was a pupil when the merger happened said things went rapidly downhill. However, because of the history of past academic success I understand that today over 2000 apply for admission to the renamed Academy. A pox on those who advocated the abolition of grammar schools. These schools provided an escape route for working class children who were more than capable of holding their own intellectually with the ‘best’ public schools.

    10. I had a first class grammar school education, the first of my family to go to university (in the days when getting a degree meant something). The old school subsequently went comprehensive and hit the skids.

  54. That’s me for today. The sun was very agreeable – shorts and short-sleeved shirt. Though when the clouds came by – the temp dropped by about 10º.

    Have a jolly evening

    A demain.

    1. One or two heavy showers while I was in Gloucester, but sunny most of the time.

  55. Footballer comes out as gay. Gosh, we’ll be told bears relieve themselves in the woods next.

        2. Imagine you’re in a shower with lacoste, (OK calm down) and you drop the soap and bend over…

          2. That imagery is going to send Lacoste into overdrive. I hope the ambulance crews aren’t too busy in his neck of the womb woods…

          3. I’m not sure that will be helpful for my eye surgery – cataract removal – at the Jubilee Hospital, Clydebank, TMW at 2.15pm, sweetie … x

          8. Mother had that some years ago. Was a breeze, everything was better afterwards.

          14. Wishing you all the best, lacoste. I’m sure it’ll all go well and it’s a very nice hospital!

          16. Hope all went well. Everyone I know who’s had it done said it made such a difference.

        1. Four more people have been diagnosed with monkeypox in the UK, bringing the total number of cases in the latest outbreak to seven.

          All four new patients are gay or bisexual men who were infected in London and had no travel links to Africa, health chiefs have confirmed after MailOnline broke the news earlier today.

          Two are known to each other but have no connection to any of the previous cases, in a sign the virus is spreading in the community for the first time.

          Six of the seven cases were diagnosed in London while one is being treated at a specialist unit in Newcastle.

          https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10821799/UK-monkeypox-alert-health-chiefs-detect-FOUR-monkeypox-cases.html

          3. Time to consider putting them down, for the good of the socialist community, you know.

    1. …and in today’s modern technological world, there isn’t one that can recycle them all.

      I wonder why.

    1. Was it Ayn Rand who said that you can choose to ignore objective reality but you can’t escape the consequences? I hope she was right.

      Did you notice, we had 845 comments yesterday but look on course for around half that today.

      1. I don’t know, the only book I’ve read is the obvious one and it was so long ago that Atlas will have arthritis!

        Re the numbers, it reflects what I was commenting on a few days ago.

        I’ve been having a debate with a sheepocovidiot from a few days ago. A newcomer to Nottle.
        One reads from regulars about trolls that appear on sites such as Geoff’s and I tend to dismiss the theories, but then one like that one pops up!

  58. As there are a number of Cat lovers on this site I thought I should introduce you to my eldest daughter’s cat. After years of pleading, an advert was spotted for a ‘Tom cat kitten’ MoH and daughter went off with the words: “Don’t bring back any old Tom Cat!’ ringing in their ears. What arrived was a bundle of fur that turned into a very handsome affectionate cat. Sadly Caspurr, for that was his name, gave up his ghost a decade ago. He was a fine cat.

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1d83696f7d98c6a47fee409375dd499b4cdfe68bbcdd47130dcdd31b235d5e3a.jpg

      1. Post Script: A few years ago eldest daughter went to the local cat rescue shelter and brought home a small black cat named Shadow.
        Shadow is a very gentle cat who has never once shown her claws and loves being with the children.

          2. She has a small blob of cream colour on the tip of her tail, which she growls at!

      2. I shall steam some purple-sprouting broccoli tomorrow. I put the stems into a saucepan then put the florets into a steaming basket. I pour a little water over them then season with salt, black pepper and finely sliced clove of fresh garlic. Steaming them for 5–6 minutes gives a lovely texture and flavour. I’ve not yet decided what to have it with.

    2. Neither do I Plum- we will be having a simple supper tonight. Scramble and smoked salmon.
      I do like to cook but don’t have the stamina right now.
      Enjoy your repast.

      2. The repast is another menu. They do things differently there…..

        PS ‘Stamina’ used to be a brand name of dog food!

  60. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/022b01cc5213db44e962711705650639648c9e8d2a6e90dcc390141d49dc703e.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/947bf35e9bf01b9ba79ba34ce3a8d942ac6898bad6971ffd1c62d3211aaa7827.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a05493f3af864079635d0a4b04661815a513b639747328f723153586a5d04617.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/26fa7349b74ff88909fa3e7fbf5b2daff46600d1e18bc35b043d546ee57d7a16.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/830a3d77ab428f7f21dee3be13b6d7626ca3750f7186d69360b9ff67365d1690.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/238d769c593279d720fb5b1f5e3ccc9c05d523198ac43761995fd1082eab1c47.jpg Had a lovely trip out today to Stenshuvud (“Sten’s Head”) National Park on the southern east coast of Skåne, about 15 miles east of where I live. It is a coastal location and “Sten’s Head” is a steeply wooded hill. The park has various habitats including: coast, woodland, marsh, heath, stream and meadow. I heard my first cuckoo, wood warbler, redstart, garden warbler, and chiffchaff today; and saw my first swifts, female red-backed shrike, spotted flycatcher and female orange tip butterfly.

      1. Thanks. I could have stayed there all day but I needed to get back for my one meal.

        1. One meal…. Does your Missus/Significant Other/Mistress/Companion/Lodger – go along with that diet?

          1. No. My sambo has four (small) meals a day. I eat just once (at 1300hrs) but at suppertime on a Saturday.

          9. Oh yes. ‘Sambo’ [pron: “Sam-boo”] is then name in Sweden for a non-married co-habitee.

  61. Well, that was disappointing. The forecast downpour and lightening did not arrive.
    A quiet day. Got rid of a few things at Rowsley tip and did a bit of shopping in Darley Dale Co-op. I had planned to draw some money out of the cashpoint, but found I’d left my debit card at home! At least I had some cash on me.

    Picked up a couple of bags of cement from Twiggs and, when I got home, carried them to the small shed up the garden.
    Then I put the tea on. Smoked salmon fillets with potatoes and salad.

    1. Blimey Bob, it went on here for about 3 hours overnight. Loud thunder and lots of lightning. I am not a fan of thunderstorms.

      1. We had a couple of rumbles of thunder this afternoon, but it never came to anything.

        1. After many years in the US, storms make me nervous because no matter where you live, a serious storm can spawn a tornado. I am not as jumpy as I used to be but I still don’t like them!
          PS and the heavens opened as well for what seemed like ages.

        2. After many years in the US, storms make me nervous because no matter where you live, a serious storm can spawn a tornado. I am not as jumpy as I used to be but I still don’t like them!
          PS and the heavens opened as well for what seemed like ages.

    2. Is The Peacock, at Rowsley, still a decent pub? I used to be a regular at The Druid at nearby Birchover. The food was sensational and Brian kept a good pint too.

  62. Buy British plants to prevent another red squirrel disaster, warns Wildlife Trust
    A host of troublesome interlopers have hitched a ride into the UK in plants in recent decades

    With their flamboyant blooms, heady perfumes and exotic shapes, the lure of foreign plants is often irresistible to gardeners.

    But wildlife experts are urging people to ‘buy British’ to prevent accidentally importing invasive species, which have already left red squirrels, juniper trees and earthworms fighting for survival.

    A host of troublesome interlopers have hitched a ride into the UK in plants in recent decades, including voracious red lily beetles, aggressive harlequin ladybirds, and oak processionary moths, which devastate trees and can cause breathing problems.

    Sales of plants from the continent are also thought to be behind the rise in Spanish slugs – known as ‘super slugs’ – which destroy garden plants, crops and wildflowers, and are resistant to poisons.

    A number of worrying species are also currently moving closer to Britain from continental Europe, including emerald ash borer beetles, twoleaf water milfoil plants and Asian hornets. Read more ……

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/05/16/buy-british-plants-prevent-another-red-squirrel-disaster-warns/

    1. The only squirrels here in Sweden are red squirrels and I sometimes get them in my garden (my hazel tree is irresistible).

    1. Oops, who’da possibly imagined this aspect?
      These latest cases mean that there are currently seven confirmed monkeypox cases in the UK, diagnosed between May 6 and 15.

      Due to the recent increase in cases and uncertainties around where some of these individuals acquired their infection, the UKHSA said it is working closely with NHS partners to identify if there may have been more cases in recent weeks, as well as international partners to understand if similar rises have been seen in other countries.

      Dr Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at the UKHSA, said the cases were “rare and unusual”.

      She added: “UKHSA is rapidly investigating the source of these infections because the evidence suggests that there may be transmission of the monkeypox virus in the community, spread by close contact.

      “We are particularly urging men who are gay and bisexual to be aware of any unusual rashes or lesions and to contact a sexual health service without delay.

      1. Great, even more costs to the public. Perhaps we should infect border farce just to ensure they’re the ones who suffer.

    3. Ah, the stunted turd will lie. It’s what he always does. He’ll lie and waffle and cheat. It’s in his nature.

    1. He’s right – I think I said earlier – some people simply cannot be allowed the vote. They don’t understand the issues, vote reflexively out of fear and happily give away their freedoms because of it. I appreciate the wish to have government consider some measure of democracy, but half the demos is dumb as rocks – it believes the green propaganda, promotes the covid hysteria – not even once questioning the evidence around them – and votes for government to have ever more power.

      Th correct question isn’t allow the WHO a foothold – government will give them that regardless – it is before implementing another lockdown, the government must consult the public.

      Same as the green agenda – you don’t ask for a referendum on net zero – you demand a referendum on green energy subsidy on energy bills. You don’t give the state the option, you make it clear what’s making energy expensive and prevent the state supporting inefficient, expensive and pointless windmills.

      1. Sorry T5, I see it differently, “…some people simply cannot be allowed the vote.”

        Or breed.

    3. I’m not sure what Bob wants here – he’s been against the coercion and bullying all through the pandemic – does he want the WHO to take over and tell us all to obey their rules?

      The petition is to draw attention to this planned WHO takeover – there will be no referendum, but it will now have to be debated in Parliament. People won’t vote on this in a referendum – they have been brainwashed anyway.

      1. I think he’s afraid that any referendum would be fixed, or that the sheep would be persuaded by propaganda. I don’t think the latter is likely, but the former definitely is.

  65. I have just seen an advert on TV, without a black face in it

    Admittedly, one was a white donkey

    1. The BBC had an article about fidelity and comically showed a black man and a white woman. Well, considering that’s the most unstable, least likely to survive relationship, with the black man most likely to abandon the family it’s perhaps apt.

      The BBC is idiotic. Even a marketing chum of mine said it’s gone too far with people actively noticing and saying they don’t want anything to do with products that aren’t aimed at the majority.

    2. I thought I’d check out some trains on thetrainline.com – yup, front page had a blek on it. Then the lack of trains that went at the right time, length of journey and cost convinced me it would be cheaper to go in the camper and stay overnight!

      1. The intro’ to my HSBC account is covered with people of a darker colour than me.

      1. The road is only partly flooded, so it can’t have been as bad as it sounded last night.

    1. Given that farmers work from home does anyone think they work a 3 day week?

      Is someone only productive and ‘working’ if they’re physically going somewhere else to work? I’m getting tired of this twaddle. I work bloody hard. That I do it from home is beside the point. The government is complaining because it wants the train, fuel and business taxes. Nothing else.

      1. Not everyone has the mental discipline to work from home, or the family situation. Unsupportive spouse or children for example.

        1. Now now, enough of that.

          I’ve a washer to empty and reload, junior isn’t getting to sleep as Mongo’s trying to creep about alongside him (and 80 kilos of dog can’t move quietly), the war queen is still locked in her room, the kitchen’s a tip and despite hoovering earlier there’s already grit on the floor.

      3. Yes, quite.
        You begin watching or listening to something at 8 and next thing you know it’s after 10!

  73. Notifications seem to be up the creek again – I’ve got replies going into the “most recent” column and nothing in the “replies” column. No votes from anyone.

  75. Another brexiteer mp arrested. Well, I assume it’s a brexiteer,they don’t arrest remainers.

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