Saturday 10 June: HMRC has come to symbolise a public sector that puts taxpayers last

Posted on by Geoff Graham

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557 thoughts on “Saturday 10 June: HMRC has come to symbolise a public sector that puts taxpayers last”

  2. ‘Morning, Peeps and Geoff. Early start today, the pup needs a walk before scorchio (and the inevitable ‘climate collapse’) arrives…

    Charles Moore is not wrong!

    Net zero isn’t working – but Conservatives refuse to grasp the nettle

    A vast coalition is forming against excessive green regulations. The first party that taps into it will reap electoral rewards

    CHARLES MOORE
    9 June 2023 • 6:09pm

    Most conservative-minded people do not expect to lead political or intellectual fashion. Indeed, we are rather proud that we don’t. Not for us the delusions of celebrity: we rather complacently boast that we are playing a longer and wiser game.

    From the late 1960s, for example, the fashion – even among most Conservatives with a big C – was that you could control inflation only by prices-and-incomes policies. True conservatives (first Enoch Powell, then Keith Joseph and Margaret Thatcher) saw this was nonsense, because inflation is a disease of money. By about 1982, they were proved right.

    their previously unique selling point of financial responsibility.

    The language needed for energy policy should come naturally to conservatives. Its key words are “security” (of supply), “reliable”, “affordable” and, but only if those prior conditions are met, “renewable”. Security also requires reasonably low external political risk. Russia is the most lurid current cause of the insecurity our net zero obsession exacerbates. China, which has not the slightest intention of hitting net zero, is the biggest long-term threat.

    Climate change is presented as an emergency, when it is better seen as a long process which requires adaptation. Energy insecurity, with its threats of blackouts, soaring costs, financial instability and bullying from unfriendly foreign powers, is not far short of an emergency. Successive Conservative governments have missed these threats almost entirely. We small-c conservatives have only the melancholy comfort of being proved right.

    * * *

    Better late than never, Charles. Good to have you aboard now, even at this late stage…

    A leading BTL:

    david morgan
    12 HRS AGO
    Net zero will finish the UK as a serious First World country.
    If we continue with this policy disaster the country will become poor and unstable.

    Precisely!

    1. Just been reading about the world drought in 1934 Temps in Alaska went up to 100F.

        1. Successive droughts exacerbated by agricultural methods that damaged the soil.

          2. Yes, exactly. It was something we VERY briefly touched on during our Agriculture lessons at school.
            The continued year on year production of grain destroyed the structure of that admittedly fantastically fertile soil so that when the droughts came there was nothing stopping it from being simply blown away.

          8. Because of excessive tree felling and poor planting. Leaving soil to dry out and blow away.

          9. One of my pet subjects Tom and silting up of rivers because of tree felling, heavy rainfall and earth being washed into the rivers.

        2. I expect our water companies would quadruple or more the cost of water to their customers.

          1. Build Reservoirs and dredge rivers to prevent drought…

            …wait a minute, Where’s the profit in that?

      2. I remember reading a book about tales from the dust bowl. I can’t remember off had who wrote it.
        But it was horrendous.

  4. ‘Eye-watering’: how Woking council’s glittering dream turned to dust. 10 June 2023.

    This week Woking filed for effective bankruptcy after running up a deficit of £1.2bn on a series of risky property and regeneration deals. The place perhaps best known as the inspiration for The Jam’s hit song Town Called Malice has become the biggest financial basket case in UK local government history.

    The epic scale of the council’s collapse has sent shock waves through local government. As auditors sift through the wreckage, an astonishing picture is emerging of municipal recklessness, non-compliance with financial rules, over-optimism, egomania, incompetence, lack of transparency and regulatory neglect.

    Hmm. Sounds like Westminster. The truth is we’ve raised a generation of people to whom prudence and common sense does not exist. The ruling elites are literally fools!

    https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/jun/09/eye-watering-how-woking-councils-glittering-dream-turned-to-dust

    1. 373184+ up ticks,

      Morning AS,

      A small amendment, very dangerous, treacherous, fools

    2. Morning Minty and all.

      The Audit Commission was a statutory corporation in the United Kingdom. The Commission’s primary objective was to appoint auditors to a range of local public bodies in England, set the standards for auditors and oversee their work. The Commission was abolished by the Government on 31 March 2015, with its functions being transferred to the voluntary, not-for-profit or private sector.

    4. Remember Clay Cross? Slapping some surcharges on the councillors might send a clear signal to all others who intend to impoverish their residents.

      ‘Morning, Minty.

    5. Perhaps the council forgot that they cannot print cash like the gov to get themselves out of a squeeze.

      1. Check the bank accounts of the functionaries.
        30+ years ago, Colchester council got rid of a couple of high up desk pilots. I sat there and listened in amazement to what was bunged as hush money as they were shoved out of the door.

  5. Good morrow, Gentlefolks, today’s story

    Follow the science!

    Medical experts were asked if it is time to ease the lockdown?

    Allergists were in favour of scratching it, but Dermatologists advised not to make any rash moves.

    Gastroenterologists had sort of a gut feeling about it, but Neurologists thought the government had a lot of nerve.

    Obstetricians felt certain everyone was labouring under a misconception, while Ophthalmologists considered the idea short-sighted.

    Many Pathologists yelled, “Over my dead body!” while Paediatricians said, “Oh, grow up!”

    Psychiatrists thought the whole idea was madness, while Radiologists could see right through it.

    Surgeons decided to wash their hands of the whole thing, and pharmacists claimed it would be a bitter pill to swallow.

    Plastic Surgeons opined that this proposal would “put a whole new face on the matter.”

    Podiatrists thought it was a step forward, but Urologists were pissed off at the whole idea.

    Anaesthesiologists thought the whole idea was a gas, and those lofty Cardiologists didn’t have the heart to say no.

    In the end, the Proctologists won out, leaving the entire decision up to the arseholes.

  6. 373184+ up ticks,

    Morning Each,

    HMRC has come to symbolise a public sector that puts taxpayers last

    So ?
    No different than any other department, what peoples must bring to mind is the glaring fact that the running of the Isles is no longer in the hands of those of good English stock, but instead
    is firmly in the grip of a species of seemingly interbred political foreign aliens.

    Thanks to the continuing voting pattern we are definitely no longer masters of our own destiny, we, the majority voter has seen to it in NO uncertain manner, are deserving of ALL we have received and are about to receive, AMEN.

    1. I may well join you, Sir Jasper. Needless to say, in my bed and not yours. Although I slept like a log last night, this hot weather where I live is resulting in my feeling lethargic.

      1. You’re always welcome, Elsie, always provided that you are truly feminine from birth, and not a figment of Harry Lime’s imagination.

  9. 373184+ up ticks,

    This is high grade twatspeak via the
    media / politico’s in talking up a war that decent English folk want NO part of.

    Dt,

    British-made tanks are about to sweep Putin’s conscripts aside
    As a former tank commander, I know the Challenger 2 vastly outmatches what’s left of Russia’s armour

    1. Russia has no shortage of weapons of course. Its arms manufacturers are churning them out 24/7.

    2. Another blithering idiot
      The German King Tiger and Panther1V were vastly superior to the Russian T34
      How did that work out??

  11. Priti Patel: ‘Boris is a political titan whose legacy will stand the test of time’
    Supporters of the former prime minister took to Twitter to heap praise on Mr Johnson, noting his delivery of Brexit and support for Ukraine
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/06/09/boris-johnson-resigns-reaction-mps-parliament-priti-patel/

    BTL (Percival Wrattstrangler

    If Boris Johnson had given us a proper Brexit without betraying the fishermen and the Northern Irish; if he had solved the illegal immigration problem; if he had not sheepishly pursued the economy-wrecking environmental nonsense of Net Zero; if he had had the courage of his convictions and had followed the same Covid policy as Sweden did then we might now be saying what a great prime minister he is.

    But as he failed completely on all these issues we see him for what he is: an adulterous failure.

      1. You are right and he would be leading the Conservatives to another storming victory.

        And as I said in my post: “……… we might now be saying what a great prime minister he is.“

        The sad truth has emerged that he is as flabby in spirit as he is flabby of body.

        St Matthew was not wide of the mark when he wrote:

        A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
        Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
        Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

    2. It’s unfair to blame Boris. He was directly undermined by a fervent remainer state. MPs refused to permit him the room to operate to get Brexit through properly. The negotiations would have dragged on and on as the EU stalled and blocked at every turn knowing we could not simply say up yours.

      We were cheated of democracy because far too many MPs get rich and fat off the EU. These ‘elected representatives’ set about intentionally thwarting the public will knowing there was nothing the public could do about it.

      That must change. MPs refusing or fighting the public will must be deselected and their vote rendered null until they learn their place.

      Net zero is just a scam. I imagine Goldsmith, who got rich off unreliables dangled a free house in Mustique or wherever Boris went on holiday and said ‘push this and the house is yours’ and lo! Sudden;y a destructive, miserable and fundamentally stupid policy gets rammed in.

      1. No need tot imagine how Goldsmith got rich. His daddy was minted and he died the kids
        inherited millions.

      2. Special pleading won’t do – if a ship hits the rocks and sinks the captain should be held to account.

  12. Morning all 🙂😉
    It seems sofar rather pleasant outside. Perhaps it will change later.
    And as far as HMRC are concerned they are just another department trying to clean up yet another mess caused by the Westminster morons. 6 million pounds a day wasted supporting illegal invaders.

    1. Actually when a colleague and I phoned them in a panic over the BBC sharing our National Insurance numbers, albeit not intentionally, HMRC were very helpful and have logged an alert against any fraudulent claims.

      I still maintain that if the corporation had kept its financial services in-house and not farmed everything out to the third world, we wouldn’t be suffering this third world level corruption. Anyone who wants to screech waycist is welcome!

      1. Well done for that.
        There has recently been two TV progs regarding the amount of fraudulent behaviour taking place.
        One was false claims for housing benefits. The other fake rail tickets. Millions of pounds involved. And all arrested and jailed suspects of forgien origins. Now costing the UK tax payer’s millions in our jails.

        1. Problem is that both MPs and the Blob continually reject the concept of ID cards; what does the public sector have to hide?

          1. We suspect that forged ID cards would be quickly offered on the internet.

            Remember how quickly forged vaccination cards were offered.

          2. The government would soon exhibit mission creep with any ID cards – they would be a control freak’s wet dream.

        2. Yes, sent to jail, but instantly investigated as to country of origin, and ease of deportation.

          Let’s save a few pennies here and there.

    2. …and that’s just the hotel bills. What about the travel, the pocket money, the clothing, the mobile phone + SIM card, unfettered use of the NHS….all of these things are being provided for those along the coast in Eastbourne.

      Today (of all days) there’s a further local protest march over the proposed use of Northeye. Of course, Hugh Merriman MP won’t be there, just as he wasn’t at any of the three meetings (more to come) because he prefers his position as a junior minister to that of fighting his constituents’ corner. The next GE isn’t far off and people won’t forget his inaction. Indeed, he has said that he’s in favour of it. If ever a political career should be over, it’s his.

      1. Don’t underestimate Hugh Merriman.

        Highly intelligent and very hard working, he represents the left wing of the LiDems very successfully.

        Why the Conservative Party ever backed him we don’t know, but he is certainly not a Conservative in thought, word and deed.

        PS: The local BBC News adores him, which is an independent verdict on my comments.

    3. = to 2,190,000,000 per annum.

      …and I’m wondering if i’m going to be paid my £409 monthly Assistance Allowance.

      1. No chance………same as me trying to get hold a blue badge parking permit. I can’t walk more ten 50 yards without being breathless.
        Not seen as a permanent disability. I’ve only had to put up with it for two ‘king years.

        1. Keep applying. Eventually they will send you for an assessment and the physio will recognise reality! (Personal experience).

  13. Rory Stewart’s ‘GiveDirectly’ charity defrauded of almost $1m by its own workers
    Money started to go missing after the project extended its operations to one of the poorest countries in the world.
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/climate-and-people/rory-stewarts-givedirectly-charity-fraud-congo-africa/

    That this man once was tutor to Prince Harry explains a lot.

    He looks and is as big a freak as his protégé.

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/29c3e14f5d372a8c1b6d685dd125942bf414e158f9bd8c7d15cc499aa530417e.jpg

      1. We had a rather peculiar boy on one of our courses. In fact he was weird but nice and returned to us for a second course.

        One of his fellow students borrowed from Edgar Alan Poe and described him as un ballon bizarre and the expression stuck. Stewart certainly strikes me as being an odd ball.

    2. At first glance I read Rod Stewart and then thought but who’s the funny looking geezer. Ah dear, it’s early!

    3. Where did the money come from for him to distribute? If it’s private donors, surely they have legal recourse? If it was the taxpayer – as is all too likely these days – when will he be charged with fraud and theft?

      Oh, what am I saying! He’ll get away with it because the state doesn’t care. It’s someone else’s money.

    4. Good morning Rastus and everyone.
      Mr T, it is wrong to judge people by their appearance; clothes and habits and deeds, possibly. ‘Rory’ Stewart was asked to do some tutoring when he was at Oxford; no idea how he got the job. When his mother died, Prince Harry was already booked in for Eton because his bro was there already, it’s near Windsor, and he was good at games.

      1. It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances. The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible.

        [Oscar Wilde]

    5. Giving money directly peasants who are under the control of those craftier and more tech savvy.
      How could it possibly go so wrong?

  14. What a coincidence just after our early return from north Norfolk, last evening on bbc2 a programme about Cley. When we visited I wondered why the church was so large, it was built for Dutch settlers and locals because it was once a thriving sea port. But as happened in other places, nature took its course and it silted up. What use to be the harbour is now the village green.

      1. We were coming home today originally. The weather had been unpleasant chilly wind and cloud. But our visits interesting. Places we had heard a lot of but never been to. My younger sister lives in Norfolk. It’s a very large county. We met up for a day out and lunch.
        First thing after our 4 hour drive home, usually under three, the traffic was pretty awful in certain places. Was to water all the garden plants.

          3. Bill has buggered off to the south of the continong, just as the good weather returns. I hope his trombetti don’t crash and burn.

        2. Not too much curtailed then. Hope the plants survived- I’ve had to water every afternoon.

    3. Of course we all know that ‘Cley’ is pronounced Clie.

      Especially we old Norfolk boys, who can also correctly pronounce Wymondham and Happisburgh.

      Windham and haseboro if you wanted to know,

  15. Radio New Zealand investigates Russia-friendly editing of Ukraine articles. 10 June 2023.

    The state-funded RNZ, or Radio New Zealand, published at least four articles attributed to the Reuters wire service that had been edited to add pro-Kremlin phrasing.

    The articles in question made a range of amendments: adding the word “coup” to describe the Maidan revolution; changing a description of Ukraine’s former “pro-Russian president” to read “pro-Russian elected government”; adding references to a “pro-western government” that had “suppressed ethnic Russians”; and on several occasions adding references to Russian concerns about “neo-Nazi elements” in Ukraine.

    Interesting. Shows how it’s done!

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/09/new-zealand-outlet-investigates-russia-friendly-editing-of-ukraine-articles

      1. The truth will out eventually.
        I’ve suggested several times in brief conversations that Vlad isn’t really the main problem. But because of the huge amount of propaganda against Russia stirred up by the senile staggering goat in the US.
        IMHO, Most people don’t see through it.

    3. Strange to see that the Guardian, which used to point out such things but changed its own tune after the Russian invasion, might be coming full circle at last.

    1. Yesterday I changed our energy thing over and got us a lower bill. Trying to do that through ‘the app’ and their bot thing was pointless and miserable. Despite the ‘don’t bother calling us unless you’re vulnerable or dying, we don’t want to talk to you’ translation, we’ve run down our customer service team to make more money, don’t annoy us with wanting something I did, and the chap I spoke to was very helpful.

      But we do have to fight this refusal to speak to a human lark. As the adage goes, you’re not judged by how you manage when things go well, but when they go wrong.

      While I find it difficultt o concentrate on the words due to the dribble over Ms Turner I rather think the solution is simple: don’t shop there.

        1. It’s terribly naughty but when the Warqueen had her hair put in those loose ringletty things I couldn’t leave her alone.

  17. I see Boris has resigned rather than face the ignomy of losing his seat – a careful timing by the statist there. While I am sure that yes, the deck was deliberately stacked against him clearly there were (at least one) gathering for a drinkie in parliament.

    I’ve also no doubt Starmer did the same. And I imagine a lot of civil servants also ignored the lockdown – including the ones who took the picture, judging by the angle of the patio.

    As for the lied to parliament – for blinkin’ hecs sake. They all do that habitually. They’re all serial liars. The few who aren’t aren’t allowed to say anything. Lisa Nandy lies about her ‘fully costed manifesto’, Hunt lies about growth. Sunak lies because he sees no point in honesty – this is a man who doesn’t drink hoisting a pint for a photo op to be ‘a man of the people’. Raynor is just an oaf who stole twice from the tax payer to buy toys for herself. They are ALL thieves, all liars, all crooks.

    What this most tells is how disgusting government is. How the lack of constraint and control has seen democracy erased in favour of an unelected cabal determined to achieve it’s own ends regardless of the cosnequences, rewarding favours and punishing dissent.

    I hate them all with a burning passion. Far better to lock the scum in and set fire to it.

    1. Where is a Guy Fawkes when we need one ?
      What we have had to endure for over 400 years still goes on in Westminster.

      1. I’m more a Wat Tyler man meself. He had the right idea. I’ve no beef with the monarchy, it’s the state that needs putting through a blender.

        I suppose there’s an irony that the state blithers on about ‘rights’ and ‘freedom’ and democracy while feverishly working to erase all of those.

    3. “- including the ones who took the picture, judging by the angle of the patio.”
      Reckoned to be shot from a window at No.11.

    4. Boris, If you’ve read this, be sure that you have a copy to take and read to the inquiry.

      “Thoughts of a distraught ex-Conservative voter”

  18. Good morning, chums. I slept like a log last night. I hope we all enjoy ourselves today.

    1. Morning Elsie, keep that longbow oiled. We’re going to need it.

      Took Mongo and Oscar out early before sun up. I fear it’ll be too hot for that very soon. The water butt is also quite low as we’ve not really had rain for 3-4 weeks so the doggy pool is at the moment a no no.

      I find the heat intolerable and while the Warqueen likes it, she has this idealised vision of a warm summers day under an umbrella reading the latest tax book, long island iced tea on tap. I, on the other hand see the reality. Scorching heat, headaches, insects flying about, wasps attacking constantly, sun burn and itching.

      But folk say I am a pessimist.

  19. Good morning, all Y’all.
    Hope to receive the remains of Mother’s removals today, scheduled for 5 minutes time. Let’s hope it all made it and wasn’t stolen / broken.

  20. 373184+ up ticks,

    I and many others wanted to see this chap in
    parliament with a shout, via political treachery
    and a large dose of stupidity from the voters it was NOT to be.

    Post
    Gerard Batten
    @gjb2021
    ·
    8h
    As my readers know, I have no time for Boris & the Tory Party but … as I saiy, anyone who dares to go against the Globalist narrative will be forced out.

    Yes Boris partied during the Lockdown, just as Starmer had a booze up. They knew the scamdemic was phony & they all lied to us about it.

    But the stakes are higher now than mere lying to Parliament & prople.(all govnts do that). We are facing the destruction of our traditional & democratic way of life. And that is being driven by power structures above govrrments.

    I’m told more Tories may also be resigning. If they do the question is: have they just had enough, or are they planning something firther?

    Boris Johnson steps down as MP after receiving Partygate report – BBC News,

    1. Copied from Guido Fawkes:

      We are in the final minutes of a game that started in 2016

      A Game of deceit and lies played on our citizens by a group of self anointed people who consider themselves to be so very special

      People who considered they were so perfect and right everything they said and did,

      They were G-0-D like and above the laws of our land, laws which they wrote

      However Sunak’s Pro European Gl0b@lists have won NO victory, far from it

      His sold out Corporate funded Tory Party assisted by Labour now openly advertise to our people they cannot be trusted

      to run our Country on our behalf

      1. Oh, and another win by the Remainers-

        A prominent supporter of Brexit has been accused of various assaults on women going back twenty five years.

        Long memories !!

    1. I wasn’t going to post today but I have to respond to this.

      This man is a muslim practising taqqiya. Do not be taken in.

      3. They all do it’s part of their make up.
        One thing sticks in my mind more than anything, my father was in Egypt and Algeria during WW2 and he said to me many times. “Never ever trust an arab son”.

        1. “You wanna buy feelthy postcard?”

          Lying, dirty Arabs, as I often heard them described in the 1950s and 60s.

          1. Mind you he did admit to drying and selling their RAF tea leaves on to them after use.

    2. The Left have no interest in people. They don’t understand them. They do understand labels. A label has no wishes, needs or hopes. It has no dreams. It simply is. By reducing people to a label the Left can do what they like. There are no people in the Left wing world.

      Remember – to them the end justifies the means.

    3. He’s wrong about Englishness. He’s British, although of Asian inheritance, but he can never be English, any more than I can be Scottish or Welsh or Irish.

      1. I read the the article, word by word and never detected a claim by him, to be English, the closest he may have come was in saying “I love England, and, despite being of South Asian origin, I have never once encountered hostility or even funny looks when expressing it.”

        Sorry, Jules despite my family tree on Papa’s side being truly English from 1580, Mama’s side brings in much doubt as it starts in 530 with Egil, King in Sweden, Uppsala. The perils of genealogy, eh? I’m 50th generation on that side.

        1. In recent years there has been growing support for a more open and inclusive English identity rather than one based on race.

          In
          polls, only slightly more than 10 per cent of people now believe
          ethnicity is an important factor in determining Englishness, a drop from
          20 per cent in a decade.

          Interestingly,
          the drop has been particularly sharp among those over the age of 65 — a
          section of the population often smeared as backward and regressive.

          From 2012, the importance of ‘whiteness’ to English identity among this demographic has dropped from 35 to 16 per cent.

          For
          most people, Englishness is far more about doing your bit, with more
          than 70 per cent believing that making social and economic contributions
          is an important element of English identity.

          1. I can assure you, Jules that all those on either side are as white and pure as the driven snow,

            I will continue to identify as pure English and English for ever. How about you and yours?

          2. I’m English back to the 1500s and before – the Welsh branch came with my Gt Grandfather.

        2. What he describes below is pertinent to British identity but not “Englishness” which is much more than mere skin colour. It is born of one’s ancestors coming from here, and having always been here for many generations, just as his Indian ancestors are of their place.

        3. What he describes below is pertinent to British identity but not “Englishness” which is much more than mere skin colour. It is born of one’s ancestors coming from here, and having always been here for many generations, just as his Indian ancestors are of their place.

    1. This BTL nicely sums up my views – “She is a beacon of common sense, in a world that has lost it’s grip on reality.”

    4. The Latin suffixes -misia and -odium are more appropriate in announcing a hatred of (rather than a fear of).

      Hence I suffer from transmisia (or transodium) as well as islamomisia (or islamodium). Let the weirdos and freaks chew on that.

        1. All I get these days is ‘they’re so big, they give me a bad back.’

          I offered to lend a hand or two but that just got a very stern look of utter disdain – which I couldn’t help but chortle at.

      1. If the PTB declare it as a Climate Emergency, it gives the lie to CO2 and reinforces the theory that climate change IS due to the Sun’s various phases and changes in its make-up.

      1. Do they think they think there’s anything to cover up, they’re quite brazen about the psychological warfare waged against the public. And, after all, what can be done about it now? Nothing. And the CDU will not be disbanded. Or it will pop up under another name.

        1. Yep, continuing it’s campaign of lies. The weird thing is that people still look to the state for their problems, ignorant that the reason the problem exists is likely because OF government.

          1. I look to the State for my problems – it causes them! It certainly doesn’t have a solution.

    2. It’s plain old suppression. This is why they spring up ‘fact checkers’. If people are allowed to doubt, they question and that cannot be allowed.

      You have to wonder at a government so desperate to keep people obedient that it deliberately suppresses free speech to ensure it’s message is the only one heard. They do the same with the lie of climate change. It is exempt from impartiality law.

      1. We are becoming more and more like the pre-glasnost’ Soviet Union. State radio and press. Nyet izvestia v Pravdye, nyet pravda v Izvestiye. Pod Mosckovskie Vechera.

  25. On this day in 1942 the village of Lidice was destroyed; the men were shot and the women and children were deported.

    Lest we forget.

    1. I’ve advocated this for the criminal hordes of welfare shoppers. While I don’t want anyone shot – most of the time – I do think we should deport those criminal immigrants immediately.

      Is it wrong to want to protect my country from an invader – foreign OR domestic? I ask sincerely, when does not wanting them here become ‘wrong’? Is the area greyer than I imagine?

  26. One of today’s (many) examples of the escalating decline of the standard of journalism in the Daily Telegraph is to be found in ‘The Saturday Interview’:

    “It’s strange meeting a voice. Usually, you spend a lot of time during interviews focusing on physical cues and body language. But this is different. I am up in the stands of the Oval cricket ground with the commentator, Jonathan Agnew, as the crowds file in to watch India and Australia do battle in the World Test Championship final. I am, of course, listening to what the doyenne of Test Match Special says but I’m also thinking about describing how he says it.”

    Aggers is a ‘doyenne’, is he? I wasn’t aware that he had changed sex. I bet he isn’t aware either.

    1. Hate crime Hate crime. Aggers is probably safe though as the Plod are too stupid to realise that calling a man a doyenne is misgendering.

    2. My minuscule claim to fame: I was at school with Agnew, the year behind.

    1. It’s interesting, and Hitchens is right. The sanctimonious Left continually demand that big government be given ever more power and money but for their causes.

      It’s the old adage – the Left judge success by how many are on welfare. The Right by how many are not.

    4. Thanks for the recommendation , I can’t stand Toynbee and usually ignore any mention of her, but I enjoyed this article.

    5. “Though it is always worth pointing out that His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs is more than happy to accept voluntary contributions from those keen to make them”.

  28. Nearly two years on, even been suspected back in 2021 almost immediately. And still this is denied in the UK, how long will it take before they admit they have committed a crime against humanity.

    https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=70b9ae2661d4dfeaJmltdHM9MTY4NjM1NTIwMCZpZ3VpZD0yODc0ZWQ3NS1kNDk2LTZmNjktMTgwMy1mZTU5ZDUyNDZlYjMmaW5zaWQ9NTE3OA&ptn=3&hsh=3&fclid=2874ed75-d496-6f69-1803-fe59d5246eb3&psq=relationship+between+covid+and+afib&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdzcm9vbS5oZWFydC5vcmcvbmV3cy9zdHVkeS1maW5kcy1jb25uZWN0aW9uLWJldHdlZW4tY292aWQtMTktYW5kLW5ldy1vbnNldC1hZmli&ntb=1

      1. Blair’s self-starting shredder will have bred and every Whitehall dept will harbour one.

      2. It seems from the news Trump has had all the info shoved away in his mansion.

    2. That seems to be from hospitalisation from severe covid infection, rather than the jabs. My OH was very fit and active until last autumn, he’d had three Pfeizer jabs but declined last year’s spring booster. We’ll never know if they caused his heart trouble, but I think it’s very likely. We don’t really know how long it was before it became noticeable.

      He’s now on Amiodarone – which has a long list of nasty side-effects, so we’ll have to see how it goes.

      1. My Polish friend-ess had the jabs and got myocarditis – and Covid, several times.
        I and Firstborn had no jabs, no cardio problems and no Covid. Much Vitamin D consumed.

        1. I started taking vit D in autumn 2020 and have done each winter since. I stopped about a month ago for the summer and will start it again in the autumn. Apart from a very sore throat last August, which didn’t develop into anything else, I’ve had no bugs or illness whatsoever.

          Went to my friend’s art college show yesterday evening – her other invited friend is ill with covid…….i didn’t ask how many jabs she’d had. Couldn’t resist saying I was amazed people were still testing for it.

          Still think I was lucky I dodged the bullet with the AZ jabs – definitely not having any more.

          1. Amazing, Jules, when i was in horse piddle earlier they came and gave me the very first test. I didn’t ret tsist but have yet to be given a result.

            I can only guess that for them it was negative, so sad, what a pity, never mind. Isn’t it

          2. Covid test? I’ve only had one and that was the “Fit to Fly ” test last year so i could go to Kenya. Set me back £70 for a very cursory swipe.

        2. Oi, Obers. ‘Friend’ isn’t a masculine noun! We’re trying to run down the use of feminine derivatives, don’t go creating more.

          1. Nowt wrong with Lady-friend, is there, Stormy?

            It’s pretty feminine, I would have thought.

          4. But unlike in French when you can distinguish between une amie and un ami, if you want to indicate it’s a female friend what alternative do you have?

      2. My Polish friend-ess had the jabs and got myocarditis – and Covid, several times.
        I and Firstborn had no jabs, no cardio problems and no Covid. Much Vitamin D consumed.

      3. I was put on Amiodarone when I first suffered AF. It worked very well. But as you say, it’s not a long term solution.

        1. What happened with you? It worked and then it didn’t? Or was it until you had the cardioversion? And I gather that only worked for a limited period. How are you now?

          1. The cardioversion only lasted for three months. It was frightening when it went back to AF.
            I can’t do anything constructive unless I’m actually sitting down.
            By the time I get my Ablation appointment it will be more than two years waiting to have something in the region of long term treatment.
            After bumping into an old work colleague who has had almost identical experiences at the same hospital and since found somewhere else for his treatment. I have recently made a formal complaint to the hospital.

          2. I can’t fault the treatment he received at GRH on Wednesday – the Emergency Day Care section was very efficient. The cardiologist said if the Amiodarone doesn’t do the trick in a few weeks, they’d have him in for a cardioversion in a couple of months’ time. He apparently has Atrial flutter which is similar but not quite the same as A-fib. We’ll have to see. It might be worth your contacting the cardiologist directly as that got results within a couple of days for him.

          3. I’ve already been belatedly (11th April?) referred to St Barts for an ablation. But nobody seems to know when it will be. The problem I have is the cardiology department failed to refer me until nearly two years after they were aware of the problem.

          5. It seems I might have been better off if I had bought a defibrillator. From 900-1500 pounds each unit.

  29. 373184+ up ticks,

    If this is a proven fact why are these establishments still operating.

    Surely a decent English trait should be to be developing medication to keep peoples OUT of hospital, NOT to put them IN hospital and worse.

    British Universities Accused of Helping Iran Develop Suicide Drones Being Used in Ukraine

    Betwixt the Unies and the voting majority we are currently shoring up a nation of complete shite fit only for foreign aliens.

  30. Well, removals delivered/collected. It all seems to be here, and so far, no damage detected.
    Abels, as recommended by Bill Thomas, turned up exactly as promised, two helpful lads to unload, all boxes present, and they’re off back home by way of Stockholm, Kæbenhavn and München! Paid to take a round trip of Europe… the have a massive trailer as well as the removals truck, but since it’s all a bit narrow here, they left the trailer in Sweden, to be collected on the way to Stockholm.

      1. House now filled with boxes… wonder where to put the stuff?
        And an oak corner cabinet that’s out of keeping with the rest of the house, but I like it anyway.

          1. Thanks to your reccommendation, Bill.
            I owe you a beer or something else alcoholic!

    1. Why does it never occur to the PTB to ask the indigenous population whether or not they wish to be overwhelmed by those from an alien culture?

      2. The PTP never ask the indigenous population – because they know what the answer would be, Richard.

  35. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a0aa590932440e519394eae0136ae369e21d256c10edaa884dee8a2adb8ff716.png

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/06/10/bbc-state-broadcaster/

    Is this the biggest lie in the DT’s headlines today?

    Reminds me of Cassio in the Shakespeare’s Cyprus play:

    Reputation, reputation, reputation! Oh, I have lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is bestial.

    The BBC lost its reputation some time ago.

    1. A slight change to the headline, Richard:

      “The BBC has had a reputation as a truth-teller –“

    1. Doesn’t the Trombetti hunting season pause between February and August to allow them to breed?

          1. Went to bed at 8- 2 paracetamol. Up again at 11, husband watching GB news something. 2 more paracetamol. Slept sort of OK, got up at 9 , back for a lie down and yet more paracetamol. Pain constant.
            If the Pinot doesn’t get my liver the bloody pills will.
            Glad your mother’s things arrived OK and thanks for asking.

          2. Not a good thought, Ann, your sleep pattern is remarkably like mine, even though Nytol does nothing and I’m staring wide awake at 03:00.

            I blame that, conveniently on 4 sleepless nights in horse piddle and being constantly cold – which I hate – hence my morning retirement to catch up after publishing the day’s story.

    2. Vegetables are a bit fruity, yes, but Im not sure you need a gun to pick them.

      1. For what is the aubergine an emoji?

        Trombetti look like rather big aubergines!

  38. Medley

    Polyticks

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f69bed13771c9adf47474457b0dc852a3cfc729ed96b0b966cb59e940e4947b4.jpg

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ec590f2e3cca0a248bcbadcaa03ad3dc384a3f0bb477b93eea6847e8bc277396.png

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1a6c337277cc201da527662d036b75e1216ca09aaac3ea9e42cf7464f23e39d1.jpg

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7bf06596fb4f2bd121cdb8d5193e1bd372ee3c543d72399553edf6596d1a61e4.jpg

    http://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ea76fdd5057de65a5565e897b062adfd40c9af2fbbec3c7d6930aec3b87eb92d.jpg

    1. The state learned long ago to infect children with poison to control how they think most importantly that they don’t) as adults

    2. How long will it take? Where is our Queen Isabella? The war that finally clinched victory was ten years in the planning and she and Ferdinand rode ahead of their troops into battle. We’re governed by spiteful pigmies.

      1. Don’t forget though that their most Catholic Majesties also persecuted the Jews. And they sat and enjoyed the Autos de Fe.

        1. Yes, the Jews were resented because they bought peace under Moslem rule by paying the jizyah tax. That made them collaborators. It seems unjust to us but then we can afford a different perspective.

  39. Concerns over Loch Ness’ falling water levels
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-65855228

    The article doesn’t tell us how many times levels have been at or above normal. Nor is Loch Ness about to dry up. It’s the biggest lake in the UK by volume, containing more water than all the lakes in England and Wales combined.

    King Neptune makes an appearance lower down the piece, sporting a well-worn herringbone jacket.

    1. Perhaps the feeding rivers should have been cleared, reservoirs built? The longer the state refuses to divert from the idiotic EU’s water regulation the worse things will get.

    2. It’s also a sea loch. Will now have a campaign to find Nessie a new home?

        1. The northern end connects to Loch Dochfour via the River Ness, which then ultimately leads to the North Sea via the Moray Firth.

  40. Passing through. Car half packed. Awaiting instructions from the MR. Very warm day – no rain here in the foreseeable. Will drive in shorts tomorrow.

    KBO, everyone.

    A bientôt

    1. Bon voyage, Uncle Bill! Have a wonderful time and come back safely to us! 😘

  43. Yet again Trudeau excels.
    New Brunswick have proposed a new law where children must have permission from their parents before any transition,, not just physical but even simply saying they are not what they are. Trudeau has gone apeshit calling the provincial government far-right political actors ” inflicting “cruelty and isolation” on vulnerable people. yes really!.

    Apparently in trudeaus world a child cannot vote, drive, or join the army but they can commit to life changing medical treatment.

    And that’s only half of yesterdays fun in Canada.

    1. Has he ever thought about putting out his forest fires.

      Could reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the climate.

    2. Yep, that turdeau sounds like a fu(cked)n guy as well as being and idiot.

      Are all Canadians thick? Why else would they vote for such an idiot?

      1. I expect the elections were rigged, with the knowledge and hindsight we have now, sirjasper. Back in the day we souldn’t see it because we didn’t expect it – now we do.

          1. At least you have rebellious Backbenchers who are prepared to change the people at the top. It may do no good but it beats the supine mob of MPs over here that are just trained seals who swallow any ethical values they have and keep voting for more of the same old crap.

          2. The traditional manner is tried and tested and works. We just have to be so mad angry that we do not hear the screams of the bleedin’ hearts lefties.

          3. …and what to do about the vote-rigging, Mum. I would first advocate postal votes only for Brits abroad and none in UK.

            All ballots MUST be manually counted as paper votes and not fed into ANY machine for (mis)counting.

        2. Election rigging is another one of the scandals at the moment. There has been a lot of interference in Canadian elections by the Chinese. After months of rumour and press stories, they could ignore the scandal no longer and Trudeau appointed an old family friend as special “rapporter / storyteller” to look into it. Nothing to see he claimed before public opinion forced him to resign.

          This weeks other scandals –
          Trudeau is in Ukraine today handing over more arms and money while our soldiers are left to buy their own equipment.
          The governor General, our supposed kings representative has refused to say that desecrating statues of queen Victoria and Elizabeth was wrong. Apparently yer indigenous have the right to protest as they see fit.

    1. Yesterday the WEF issued a statement calling for private car ownership to decline by 75% by 2050 all over the world.
      It is no coincidence that young people think cars are an unaffordable luxury – that’s what every government policy is dedicated to making them think.

      1. A car is essential where we live – unless we want to rely on taxis all the time, or just walk to the local shop. My younger son has lived in Basel for 24 years, and has never bothered with a car because the public transport is good. He learnt to drive in a Morris Minor and that’s the only car he’s ever owned.

          1. Yes. we don’t want to do that though we do have very kind neighbours. The local shop is not far – but the hill is quite steep when walking back and usually we just get odds and ends there. At the moment OH can’t really manage the hill. To do the weekly shop needs the car for a five mile round trip, whichever supermarket we go to.

          2. Yes. we don’t want to do that though we do have very kind neighbours. The local shop is not far – but the hill is quite steep when walking back and usually we just get odds and ends there. At the moment OH can’t really manage the hill. To do the weekly shop needs the car for a five mile round trip, whichever supermarket we go to.

        2. Similarly in the small village (Flowton) I lived in before being exiled to Scotland.

          A car was essential, 10 miles to Ipswich,
          no Pub
          no school
          no shop
          no bus.

          How else would one cope and I’m sure that Flowton isn’t alone in that predicament, but why should any form of Government care about rural affairs – it’s only where our food comes from.

          1. At the rate at which they are building on farmland, we won’t be getting our food home produced for much longer!

          2. We were. and I was a leader in that fight, to prevent this little village (Pop 117 @ 2011 – maybe 130 now) being surrounded with Solar Panels covering over 500 acres of good arable land.

            We fought but, having been subsequently exiled to Scotland, I know not the outcome.

      3. When we were kids, our greatest aim was to be able to afford something with four wheels that would GO.
        No matter how much of a banger it was. it would G, that was what mattered.

    1. Particularly relevant for the poor sods who live on the south coast…you know, the bit covered (almost literally) by Southern Water!

      1. That’s me.

        We do have an area at Hill Head which is grassy and dogs are allowed at this time of year. So can still get a bit of sun by the sea and an ice cream.

  48. Terrible news coming from Merseyside this morning
    The Birkenhead Tunnel has been closed and the speed limit will be reduced for the foreseeable future to 25mph
    The Highways Agency found over 200 dead crows on the tunnel approach recently, and there was concern that they may have died from Avian Flu.
    A Pathologist examined the remains of all the crows, and, has confirmed in their report the problem was NOT Avian Flu but rather the cause of death appeared to be from vehicular impacts.
    However, during analysis it was noted that varying colours of paints appeared on the bird’s beaks and claws. By analysing these paint residues it was found that 98% of the crows had been killed by impact with lorries, while only 2% were killed by cars.
    The Agency then hired an Ornithological Behaviourist to determine if there was a cause for the disproportionate percentages of truck kills versus car kills.
    The Ornithological Behaviourist quickly concluded that when crows eat road kill, they always have a look-out crow to warn of danger.
    They discovered that while all the lookout crows could shout “Cah”, not a single one could shout “Lorry”

  49. To have something to read during our quick break I put The Complete Works of George Orwell on my Kindle – novels, essays, reviews, poetry, articles, the lot. It’s a treasure trove. Just read ‘Wells, Hitler and The World State’ which is every bit as applicable in our times with the names and technological references changed.

    If you’re a Kindle user, get it. Outstanding value at just £0.99

  50. We had my birthday at home as we avoid eating out as the quality is just not good enough any more, thanks to the beefburger and Piza generation. We did have two good wines.

    https://www.tanners-wines.co.uk/la-grande-marque-saumur-brut

    https://www.tanners-wines.co.uk/estoras-zweigelt-burgenland-esterhazy-2019

    both from Tanners

    https://www.tanners-wines.co.uk/?gclid=CjwKCAjwgqejBhBAEiwAuWHioHCqXQpwPjeq24hhxh1eg-JiPV4sYkdzU31sNVp4SOfvSfEYVQiLyRoC7tIQAvD_BwE

  51. Former MEP David Campbell Bannerman, who chairs the Conservative Democratic Organisation, says the Privileges Committee’s investigation was an “outrageous… stitch-up right from the start”, “a coup” and a “very bad day for democracy”.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-65860705/page/2

    Later on R4 news: “Sunak has been a disaster for us – we need Boris back in a different capacity…”

    Right on, David…

    However, Gobby Rayner is upset by it all, so something good has come of it. Her vowels were flatter than ever in her interview. She’s quite entertaining in a seaside pier, freak-show, novelty act kind of way.

    1. ‘She’s quite entertaining in a seaside pier, freak-show, novelty act kind of way’.

      Genius.

  53. At last, some nice sunny weather. So why is everyone trying to terrify us? 10 June 2023.

    Given that this country has only just emerged from the longest and most miserable winter in living memory, perhaps it’s understandable that the BBC seems so startled by the sudden appearance of that strange round yellow thing in the sky. All the same, I wish its reporters would stop panicking about it.

    According to BBC News, today is going to be so terrifyingly hot that the public has been issued with a “heat-health alert”. Apparently, the “Head of Extreme Events” at the UK Health Security Agency warns us to “keep hydrated” and “check in on” any vulnerable friends, family or neighbours.

    Sounds alarming – until you glance at the actual forecast. The maximum predicted temperature is 30C, or 86F. In short: a lovely, but unremarkable, summer’s day. Yet councils all over the country are urging us all to “take care”. As if the sun has escaped from a lab in China, and we need to go into lockdown till Chris Whitty can work out how to get rid of it.

    Fear of course is the main lever of Modern Government. There is nothing where it is not applied. It’s so bad I’m quite prepared to believe those stories about children suffering psychological trauma.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/columnists/2023/06/10/sunny-weather-heat-health-alert-bbc/

    1. The overall message is correct but I must quibble at 86°F being ‘lovely’. Repeated from last year’s genuine heatwave, here’s my temperature guide:
      65 – lovely
      70 – a bit warm
      75 – too warm
      80 – definitely feeling under the weather
      85 – fly me to Tromso

      1. I’m certainly not a sunworshipper but I’ve never suffered from being too warm on my many trips to Africa. I don’t do beaches and I’m very fairskinned but a bit of high factor suncream stops any trouble. Warm is good.

      2. Not sure about the degree F conversions, but the Oberstleutnant temperaure scale is thus:
        Below -12C: Ice forms in nostrils when breathing. It’s cold
        Above +36C: Rim of nostrils scorched by incoming air as you breathe. It’s hot
        Between the two: Comfortable.

        1. Sorry – once you have uploaded an entry it seems impossible to delete it. Then you cannot leave it empty so you have to post at least 2 characters. Hence the three dots.

      3. My scale would be
        75 – just right
        80 – a bit warm
        85 – too hot
        90 – staying in
        95 – flaked out

        Deg F so much easier to use than deg C

    2. Well getting nicely warm here. Just back from a fairly short afternoon walk and an extra glass of squash to cool down. I think I can cope without the government telling me what to do.

      1. Don’t tell me you’re one of those ‘think for yourself and use common sense’ troublemakers.

    3. ‘Fear of course is the main lever of Modern Government’.

      I have natural immunity. I ignore everything they say and keep a social distance from the BBC of googolplex miles.

    4. Just posted a terse comment on the BBC global warming scare story about El Nino. “Perfectly normal and nothing to do with ‘climate catastrophe”. Why are they ramming this fear down the throats of the terminally gullible when it’s a natural phenomenon that happens every couple of years?

    5. Hopefully, we have seen the end of the Canadian wild fires that have obliterated the skies with smokey haze these past few weeks.

      1. We finally have some blue skies today so things might be improving.

        Apparently many fires were caused by carelessness or outright arson – not that it has stopped Trudeau blaming climate change and doubling down on carbon taxes.

  55. Phew!
    Celebrating Cromford today. I’ve jyst arrived home after being down there for a couple of hours and it’s 22°C outside.

    I’m off for a cold bath!

  56. Sitting on the terrace, beer beside me and SWMBO the other side of the table. In the shade, air temperature about 26C… boxes delivered from Wales, couldn’t be better. Tomorrow, first mow of the year and some clearing, Monday, off to Paris for the week – contract negotiations. Monday in a week’s time, off to Reykjavik for a week vacation.
    Looking forward to a break from work.
    Also, planning the building of a log cabin at Firstborn’s place, as a holiday cottage. Spent much of today marking up the drawings provided by the builder, and found out that the door and pillar design they use is based on Firstborns stabbur! (Grain store). How cool is that?

    1. I always, in all of my life, wanted to build a house for myself. Now we finally have a chance! And the builder is from up the valley from Firstborn’s farm, so they are local too!

      1. Good luck, just remember to double the estimated cost!!!! When we built our current house in 2006, it was amazing how the “little” things added up, but it has been well worth it.

        1. My colleague got his own house built. Half way through the process, the builder went bankrupt! He did bring it through to a triumphant conclusion in the end, but his hair is completely white – not sure if the two are related…

          1. We were very concerned about things going wrong with our builder especially since we played on the same curling team together but luckily things worked out well.

            We still see each other, he has done a few small jobs for us since the build and are still friends.

      2. W3 built (well watched the builder build) our last house. Some many questions, so many decisions to make left my poor brane in shock..

          1. 10 hours a day meetings and negotiations. Could just as well be in Skegness for all the experience of the city I’ll get.
            Been a long time since I was in France. Wonder if they still speak French?

          2. I think they still speak a form of French but it might not be what was in my O Level textbook.
            Make sure you’re up to date with your pronouns and ‘iel’ conjugations 🙂

  57. Sitting on the terrace, beer beside me and SWMBO the other side of the table. In the shade, air temperature about 26C… boxes delivered from Wales, couldn’t be better. Tomorrow, first mow of the year and some clearing, Monday, off to Paris for the week – contract negotiations. Monday in a week’s time, off to Reykjavik for a week vacation.
    Looking forward to a break from work.
    Also, planning the building of a log cabin at Firstborn’s place, as a holiday cottage. Spent much of today marking up the drawings provided by the builder, and found out that the door and pillar design they use is based on Firstborns stabbur! (Grain store). How cool is that?

      1. Volcanic eruptions, tectonic plates fracturing, tsunami, wrath of God.

        Still, we get an extra fifteen days a year for bank holidays.

          1. Are you okay? Has anyone asked you today? ;-)). Hope you are getting some relief.
            Just bought some Kanga juice, 1 &1/2 liter bottles for $10.99 so will raise our glasses later…

          2. Oi- you leave my plonk alone;-))
            I have posted below so will not bore with a repeat.
            Husband is concocting an Asian veg soup tonight so I don’t have to do anything- yeah right. Two calls already, where is this and where is that. They are so efficient;-)

    3. Let’s not do that……….. it would make a year 15 days longer apparently and I think it could be a bit chilly too.

      1. It’s chilly now! Less than 2 weeks to midsummer, the seasons are late (the cattle are barely out of their winter quarters and on grass), and most of the time I’m cold – hell, in the shade, i’m chilly & would move to the sunny side if it didn’t reflect in the screen too much!

        1. Today is the first day I’m only wearing one layer – T shirt, and not a vest and fleece as well.

          1. It’s been another sweltering day up here but thankfully now clouded over to give us some respite from the heat

          4. I actually got my summer wardrobe out for the first time today; linen shirt, white cotton trousers, lightweight blazer and panama (I know it’s ten days still to Ascot, but it was HOT).

        2. Evil days, Paul, Here in THE Borders, The sun is pouring down and it is 22°C and that is @ 16:49. and in Norge et est?

    4. Lower down on that page………

      “Global warming is our fault, according to a new study that analysed tens of thousands of climate change papers, finding that over 99.9 per cent of them agree.”

      Seems the fear porn is working – no wonder they’ve all got mental health problems.

      1. 99.9% of scientists agree with whoever funds them. One of the things Matthias Desmet observes in his study of mass formation psychosis is how sloppy and unscrupulous modern researchers have become.

        1. They talk about peer review as the gold standard…as though having ten mediocre third rate brains confirming a paper will somehow guarantee its quality…

        2. If you want a research grant in Canada, you pretty much have to assert that you follow the current woke thinking.

          If you select a research team based on ability instead of diversity quotas, say goodbye to the grant – at least that is what an India professor found when he looked for money.

      3. How about analysing tens of thousands of weather records – actual data – over centuries instead of climate change papers all saying the same thing for fear of losing their funding?

    5. Sometimes people have whacky ideas for the hell of it. Worried (some decades ago) by rising sea levels, I proposed sending vast jets of sea water into space, where they would forms rings around the planet.

        1. Which reminds me-

          Whatever happened to that great idea of Bill Gates to spray sulphuric acid over the world at 80,000 ft?

    6. Easier to move everyone to the winter side of the world for six months then shift them around every six months.

  59. Just back from town and saw two men wearing hijabs. They weren’t pretending to be women. The woman and young boy with them were both in normal western garb. I overheard their conversation and it seems the guys think the head covering will protect them from the sun. They look silly and their female companion was being forthright about that and laughing but they were undeterred.

      1. Or male Arab headdress or straw boater? I guess if they don’t mind looking daft, a hijab does the job.

  61. Noticed How the West was won on BBC2 now.
    We are all in the cast of How the West was lost, the sequel.

  62. Now is the time for all genuine conservative MPs to resign from the Conservative Party.

    But on second thoughts there are too few of them to make any difference.

    Apparently when Boris Johnson last put forward a challenge for the party leadership 100 MPs supported him. I suppose though that Johnson is not a real conservative any more than any of the rest of them are so what should they think of resigning?.

    1. I think he understands conservative principles but when leant on by people with dirt on him, will always go for self preservation.

        1. And the only principle he’s not willing to give up in a change of breeze direction and strength.

  63. After leaving messages all week, Brucie rang today, he’s got the cancer all clear now. But he told me that where they live south east of Melbourne is being invaded by Sudanese men who have been stealing from local shops and robbing females of anything they can get hold of. The police are always a good few steps behind catching them. One of his friends had his garage broken into, but disturbed the would-be robbers. Bruce now has a handy one metre long, sturdy hard wood branch just inside his front door.
    But exactly the same question has occurred as does here, why are they being let into the country ?

    1. Have the Aussies abandoned their screening process “Australian points system” and deportation to a deserted desert island?

      1. It seems as if they have. We have some old friends coming to stay in a week from Perth. Steve told me ages ago how the country was being ruined by unfettered immigration. These people were sent to islands off the north coast for investigation and processing. but I believe a few of the purpose built accommodations accidently caught fire.
        When we went in the mid 70s it was very strict, health checks qualification’s job prospects etc etc.
        I am so disappointed in how this country has and is turning out now, I often wish we had stayed there.

        1. You wouldn’t have wanted to be there during the covid nonsense – their covid police were even worse than ours.

  64. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day.
    Teach him how to fish and he can avoid the wife for a whole weekend.

  65. Come over all black out there now – looks like we’re about to have a storm! OH still next door watching gthe Ladies’ finals – he popped back a few minutes ago and said it’s raining! First rain since Coronation Day!

    1. You’ll all be listening to ‘Marianna in Conspiracyland’ on Radio 4 at 9.45am on Monday and every weekday for a fortnight.

    2. I wonder if I could get a job at the BBC’s idiotic, irritating, pointless and gormless manic arm-waving department?

      1. It didn’t last long here – rain barely laid the dust and I still needed to water all the pots.

  68. Bludy Bogey Five today.

    Wordle 721 5/6
    🟩⬜🟨⬜⬜
    🟩⬜⬜🟩⬜
    🟩⬜⬜🟩⬜
    🟩⬜⬜🟩⬜
    🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

    1. Surprise three.

      Wordle 721 3/6

      🟩⬜🟨⬜⬜
      🟩🟨⬜🟩⬜
      🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

      1. Par Four here

        Wordle 721 4/6

        ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
        ⬜⬜🟩🟩🟩
        ⬜⬜🟩🟩🟩
        🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

        1. Likewise magic happened
          Wordle 721 4/6

          ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
          ⬜⬜🟩🟩🟩
          ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
          🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

          2. A couple of barrel warmers followed by a wounded trawler, sunk destroyer and then aircraft carrier. Spoke to Gunnery. Apparently re-calibrated the sights and needed a couple of ranging shots at the start.

            Wordle 721 4/6

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

    2. I should be so lucky, double bogie.
      Wordle 721 6/6

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

  69. Last joke of the day…..
    Bloke in pub says to another bloke-
    “I don’t understand how God can have 10 commandments for the whole world and my wife can have 152 just for our house. ”

    Because women are omnipotent.

  70. I mentioned last week that I am currently returning to my collection of P.G. Wodehouse stories reading his lesser known works so I was reminded of how out of touch I have become with Britain when I came across this article in today’s The Daily Telegraph

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1f95c5930b81de66d3a0258365efd62842474b395846fba9e6d9011da104614d.png

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/06/10/pg-wodehouse-books-trigger-warning-penguin/

    BTL

    Why don’t they ban reading altogether. Reading presents serious dangers to young people and schools must be compelled to stop teaching children to read and parents who try to teach them themselves should be imprisoned.

    Reading is clearly anti-social as the caring state wants us all to be as stupid as possible as that way we shall be happier, more docile and easier to control. We must strive to have a completely illiterate population.

    1. I regard such trigger warnings as a positive recommendation, in the same way as I regard those little stickers saying “Shortlisted for the Booker Prize” as a fair warning to steer well clear.

      2. Same with film critics. A study was done. Turned out that the films they liked the most were duds. The films they didn’t like often became blockbusters.

      1. A school district in Utah has banned the Bible because of violence and sexuality.

    4. Titania McGrath (aka Andrew Doyle in satirical mode).

      “Instead of simply tinkering with children’s literature, why not just stop teaching children how to speak in the first place? Dangerous language normalises hate and wrong opinions. To live in a truly free society, there must be limits on individual forms of verbal expression. So, if we never talk to children, or provide them with books, they will simply grow up without the capacity to express hateful ideas. I can’t believe no one else has thought of this”.

      1. Some families already do that, unfortunately. No books, no one-to-one interaction, just plonk them in front of the TV and leave them to it.

  71. Comprehensive Health insurance for someone who is tax-based in the UK…

    Does anyone have this or know where to start looking for it?
    What is actually required is comprehensive health insurance for a digital nomad who spends a couple of months a year in Blighty and the rest of the time is country-hopping.

    1. I suspect an insurance broker would be yr best bet. Most policies are designed for hols up to 30 days and the requirement to be resident in the UK. Too many variables with you to get one off the internet.

  73. All tense in the last few minutes of the Netherlands v India men’s hockey. 3-2 to the Neths. On BT sport.

    1. Civil Courts are about facts and evidence; somebody should have advised Harry to that effect.

      In Court appearances, Harry has recalled his embarrassment, sorrow and regret – without any factual evidence of first publication in specific newspapers.

      When asked ‘Do you have specific evidence; Harry replied – as I recall – “No I don’t, that’s why I am Here.”

  77. Somewhat worried about some missing posters….Horace, Plum, Peddy and Andrew Lockwood who said he’d had a stroke. Hope they are all OK.

    1. Peddy in his real name of Peter seemed to get fed up with us – Poppy’smum went to see him as she was worried but he fobbed her off. Horace has been posting elsewhere occasionally – I checked that recently so I think he must be ok. Plum is in touch with Lacoste but he says she’s no longer using the internet and he doesn’t think she will come back to us. She sounds quite depressed. Andrew I was wondering about – I hope he returns and shares his music with us.

      Datz (Uncle Beastly) has been very poorly and is in a care home but we haven’t seen him recently. I wonder how Duncan is – I miss his sardonic humour and especially the Stanley Unwin pastiches. Anyone I can check (if their profile is private I can’t see if they’re still posting elsewhere) if you think of anyone I can have a look.

      1. A number of Nottlers* reached out to Peddy, to no avail. There’s a backstory to HP which I won’t elaborate on here. It’s a shame about Plum. And Andrew. *I’ll add Garlands to the list. She hasn’t been very well for a year or two, and she doesn’t respond to emails or phone calls, but for several years acted as NTTL Welfare Department.

        And Duncan is also missed. As is Tartan Pimpernel, although she’s pretty active at the Speccie as Prickly Thistle, and left us for good reason.

        In seven years, it’s inevitable that some will have fallen by the wayside. Even I don’t post much these days, mostly because the news is so bloody ridiculous, that it defies sensible comment…

        1. We don’t have to be sensible do we?

          Bill told me why TP left so I know that back story, but HP was here for a long time after that. I’ve seen Prickly Thistle on the DS comments as well.

          Yes – Garlands doesn’t seem to respond to Phil any more either, which is odd.

          1. Prolly correct. I’m still in touch with TP/PT from time to time. It;s a shame, though understandable, that she left the site. I keep receiving monthly copies of The Critic, which was a pressie from Garlands. Short of visiting every Baptist church in Northamptonshire, I’m not sure how we can track her down. But I feel bad about it, since she has been so generous to other Nottlers.

        1. I got a frown yesterday waiting for them to start chopping when the doc asked what I would like for pain. Frankly, I said, I’d rather go to the pub and get pissed.

          1. You don’t have a few when on this site? Gawd it’s all that keeps me going 😉

          2. It’s not this site that gets me going, it’s the Canadian media and their continuing support of Trudeau.

          6. There are locals in my local who even bring homemade beer that sells over the bar.

          7. We are on our way.

            Oh wait, no internet so we would be buggered trying to get there. Just have to drink our home brew wine.

    2. A groundbreaking mission by NASA’s Parker Solar Probe (PSP) has
      successfully ventured through solar wind for the first time aiming to
      prevent people on earth being unable to get on the internet.

      Eh? The solar wind is going to stop people being prevented… good grief.

    3. Not just that, but banking would collapse. Logistics and supply chains, telecoms, share dealing, medical records – or are those still posted? Machine repair, vehicle maintenance, parts, inventory. We’ve grown beyond local to feed such a population.

  79. Dinner was nice- husband cooked an Asian veg soup with shrimp and mussels (for him). Supped about a third of my bowl and it was nice. However, the kitchen is a trail of devastation. Sorted tomorrow.

    1. Neither of us wanted to cook this evening, so I had marmite & cucumber sandwiches, SWMBO has cheese & tomato.
      On really good sourdough bread.
      I fixed the kitchen “disarray” – tidy & putting away not being SWMBO’s strengths…

      1. Do you make housecalls? I don’t mind really as I am still worn out from yesterday.
        I’ll cook tomorrow.

        1. We take it in turns. The cook doesn’t wash up, is the rule, and the cook chooses what’s for dinner.
          Occasionally we call a “grabbit” – grab summat from the fridge, ‘cos I ain’t cooking, I can’t be arsed / am not hungry.
          It’s worked for 30+ years.
          Now and again, telephone for pizza/curry delivery.

        1. No, afraid not. There’s a sandwich shop locally make their own sourdough, and excellent it is, too. Good ‘n heavy ‘n flavoursome.

          1. Worth trying your own, a bit of effort needed but I’ve been at it 30 months now.

          2. There’s a ‘sourdough’ recipe for my Panasonic breadmaker. It’s a bit of a cheat. The starter recipe includes yeast, and balsamic vinegar, and takes around 12 hours (often less) to be useable. But the end product is pretty good.

            At the moment, I have a M&S artisan sourdough loaf (£4 a time) in the freezer. I like having a food slicer. My slices are around 6mm thick, which you’ll never find in a supermarket. So the loaf lasts for ages, and each slice is relatively low-carb.

        1. Incidentally, the guttering is only slightly off level, with a few degrees drop towards the downcomer.
          Just shows how much the foundations have settled this last 180 years…

        3. Sounds like a certain church with which I’m familiar. Coat the outside stonework with silicone waterproofer. End up with thinner walls.

          Actually, scrub that. two churches. If you want to strip the plaster from the walls of a medieval church, paint the inside with lime and tallow. I argued, but lost… 🙄

          1. Who knows?
            We need to get the detailed design right, then get the money… Deffo nothing signed before autumn this year, don’t know about their production schedule yet.

        2. Probably, it took 2years for our cedar home to be built, but worth waiting for!!

          1. Sounds lovely, Jill.
            This one might even use trees from Firstborn’s forest… Hope so!

    1. According to Svenska Dagbladet, one died at the scene, the other three taken to hospital.
      No mention of the perpetrator.

      1. Two people with Kalashnikovs resulting in one killed and three injured suggests it might have been gangland as opposed to a Jihadist attack.
        The man could have been the target and the others “collateral damage” as far as the shooters would be concerned.
        Bring back the death penalty for these callous bastards.

  83. Evening, all. Scorchio here during the day (went to the races and we were bombarded with messages to stay in the shade, wear suncream, keep hydrated and pace ourselves drinking – I felt fine until all the doom and gloom messages!), followed by the mother and father of all thunderstorms accompanied by torrential rain. No doubt it’s the climate emergency a typical summer.

  84. Just had a lovely email from my mate Dan who I met in GA and is now in Missouri – wonderful guy and, wait for it once propositioned me! He’s younger than my son so I declined. Despite what y’all here may think, I do have some standards.
    Will be off to bed soon as am exhausted. Devastated kitchen can wait until tomorrow.
    Glorious Bach on now.
    Sleep well all of you.

      1. There was a little girl with a curl,
        When she was good she was very good,
        When she was bad she was horrid.
        Smirks wickedly.

  85. The thunder didn’t last long – one roll and it was over. The rain barely laid the dust and I still had to water everything .

    Husband is outside now watching the swifts flying around the house.

    We had salmon for dinner and Chopin piano concerti. 1 & 2.

    1. Present company excepted, of course.

      The thunder didn’t last long – one roll and it was over.

      Sounds like the DoM of Nottle…

    3. Yellow warning for thunderstorms here, but not a drop. No swifts here, that I’m aware of, but since Dianne gave me a goldfinch feeder, things have got somewhat out of hand in my garden. Decided to buy a ‘feeding station’. Added a Peckish nut and seed feeder, and a suet cake holder. I’m now shelling out a pound a day on bird food. Are they grateful?

      My customary blackbirds and robin have been joined by dunnocks, great and blue tits, jackdaws, starlings, magpies, a great spotted woodpecker and a pair of greedy and monumentally stupid wood pigeons. Not to mention the goldfinches. And, unfortunately, Rattus norvegicus . I’ve put one bait box down, and I think it’s working, in the sense that each rodent seems smaller than the last one. But today, one scampered worryingly close to my back door step several times. And later, there were a pair of them on the lawn.

      So now I can’t sensibly leave the back door open for ventilation. I’ve ordered another bait box from Jeff B…

      1. Well the ratties do like the bird food. We’ve got them here but we don’t worry about them. Our old cat, Sam was a good ratter but now they don’t need to worry about Lily.

        Most of the bluey babies have fledged today – just three left in the box – five have flown. Sparrow and starling roosting tonight in the double box by the front door and swifties all tucked up for the night now.

        1. I’m fairly laid back re. the ratties. As long as they stay outdoors. The T1ts emptied my Peckish seed and nut feeder this morning in 90 mins. But much goes on the ground, The dunnocks, the wood pigeon and the ratties are grateful…

          Some years ago, betwixt proper jobs, I helped a couple of church musician friends with a number of construction projects at a Suffolk animal feed mill. Needless to say, it’s now a housing site. A grain conveyor broke. So I ended up in the pit with a shovel. Shovelling grain and dead rats. And ducks (don’t ask). Some (rats) were the size of small dogs. My visitors are overgrown mice, by comparison…

          1. I was walking back up the hill one cold winter day, having been to the local shop, and as I got to our gate , I could see a couple of beasties on the lawn under the bird feeders, not sure what they were, till I saw the tails…….they were BIG! But they ran off under the bushes and I left them to it and went indoors.

          2. My old DSLR is seventeen years old, so I’ve replaced it with one ten years younger. Smartphones are OK, since they fit in your pocket, but proper cameras are best. So I bought a Nikon D3400 from eBay. The old one was a D40, albeit 27 year old technology, yet it’s still a useful camera. I’ll prolly put it on eBay. The ‘new’ one has many additional features, but for a fraction of the price of current ones.My smartphone has up to 100x zoom, but that doesn’t even work on a tripod. Here’s a recent visitor… https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c8ca9f320b0dff8d010525cf57cb5303b53209a66ea33e4539efe1038f693720.jpg

          4. Smartphones are ok for photos of people, but for birds and other wildlife you really need a proper camera.

  86. Been a bit inactive today, I haven’t got the energy to do anything. But
    I did manage to repair one of our large garden umbrellas, not easy to handle but fortunately it wasn’t the chord that was stopping it from being wound upwards. And Just watered the garden in places. Chucked some food over the fence across to the neighbours massive fish. And that’ll be my lot. So it’s an early goodnight to all.
    Wishing I could find a surgeon to get my life back into the groove.
    I’ve just started to read Land Lines by Raynor Wynn.

    1. You had a long drive back from Norfolk yesterday – that takes it out of you.

      Rest and relax – sleep well!

  90. Goodnight and God bless my friendly, Gentlefolk.

    Bis Morgran Fruh meine freunden

    Does it seem strange that I want a female in my bed?

    I will continue searching to morrow.

    1. Not strange at all, Tom. It happened relatively late in life for me, and was – unfortunately – too brief. But it was – mostly – great while it lasted.

      Thanks to diabetes, I’m beyond caring.

  94. 373206+ up ticks,

    Morning Each,

    Dt,

    There is an establishment plot to reverse Brexit
    With few people left to fight for an Britain’s place outside the EU, it may only be a matter of time before we rejoin the bloc

    Comment from the grand old duke of brexit,
    farage, on long term reflection, more of a gloat.

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