Sunday 6 April: Justin Welby’s successor must restore the Church to its proper purpose

Posted on by Geoff Graham

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

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

596 thoughts on “Sunday 6 April: Justin Welby’s successor must restore the Church to its proper purpose”

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

    Wordle 1,387 5/6

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    1. Good morning Elsie and all
      Wordle 1,387 4/6

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    2. Surely it’s simpler to give people the choice?

      Hang on! The ‘climate change’ agenda is about erasing that.

  4. Good morning all.
    Another beautiful day expected. The sun is lighting the trees on the valley side opposite with only light cloud in the sky.
    Still a bit chilly at 5°C though.

    Well that early night did the trick! Other than getting up to pump bilges 3 times, I slept rather well!
    I'll have to get my photos sorted out.

    1. The sad irony is that the purple hair lot couldn’t cope in a socialist state. They exist only because of the leisure time capitalism buys them.

    2. Whenever you attempt to explain this salient fact to a Lefty, their eyes glaze over in anger as their atrophied minds try to think of a comeback.

    3. Correct me if this an urban myth, bit did Angela Merkel's father move from the West to the East?

      1. From ChatGPT:

        Yes, Angela Merkel's father, Horst Kasner, did move from West Germany to East Germany.

        Horst Kasner was a Lutheran pastor who originally lived in West Germany. In 1954, he relocated with his family to East Germany (the German Democratic Republic) for a pastoral position. His decision to move to the East, despite the political division between the two Germanys during the Cold War, was rooted in his desire to work in East Germany, where there was a shortage of Protestant pastors.

        Angela Merkel was born in Hamburg, West Germany, but shortly after her birth, the family moved to East Germany, where she grew up and later became involved in politics.

        1. Interesting that both Merkel's father and May's father were both men of the cloth, and indeed Brown's father.

        1. Her father, a Lutheran pastor, moved to East Germany ostensibly to look after the needs of East German Lutherans.
          HOWEVER, such persons were not viewed with favour by the East German authorities and were, together with their families, subject to a number of restrictions including their off-spring being banned from joining Communist Party youth movements or from going to University.
          Which makes Frau Merkle's membership of such a youth movement and her attendance at University, all the more mysterious!

    1. It's not collapsing, Schwab is in his eighties and has attracted far too much negative publicity. This thing is a hydra, even if the WEF were wound up, digital ids would still be being sneaked in behind most people's backs for the next round of reducing your freedom stealthily and inch by inch.

        1. But if I’m right, we end up as slaves.

          The digital id – which is an important component of enslaving the world along technocratic lines – is currently being rolled out by stealth in the UK and Europe. People aren’t aware what they are signing up to.

          2. Johnny, he really, really isn’t. DOGE is replacing wasteful , extremist bureaucracy with executive orders and AI to run everything. It’s a coup in plain sight by a small elite of technocrats who think they are better qualified than the masses to run the world, and the most patriotic Americans have been duped into supporting it because of the personality cult around Trump.

  8. A letter I'm sure many of us will agree with:-

    The slave trade today
    SIR – How considerate of the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge to provide a “recovery room” for any visitor who is overwhelmed by its exhibition about the slave trade (report, March 30).
    Presumably the museum will continue to provide it if recalling other histories of slavery, such as that practised by the Vikings in the ninth century, or under the Roman and Egyptian empires.
    Slavery – the subjugation of one people by another – did not begin or end with the African slave trade to the Americas, tragic though this was.
    Totally unjustifiably, slavery can still be found in the world today. It should be acknowledged and stamped out. In this regard, the recovery room could perhaps become a room of prayer.

    Rev C Blair Gillon
    Ballinluig, Perthshire

    1. And a response:-

      Comment by R. Spowart. just now

      I have not visited the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge referred to by Rev C Blair Gillon, but I am presuming it's displays concentrate purely on the Atlantic Trade to the exclusion of all others.
      I wonder how they would react if a large number of visitors were to vociferously complain about the exclusion of the other instances of slavery?

      1. Morning Bob.
        They definitely will never include the slave children who were stolen from the shores of Northern Europe by the 'Barbary Pirate's' and who were kept in caves and used for sexual purposes in Alhambra and after use were then fed to the pet lions. The usual suspects have or are still at it.

  10. 4045197+up ticks,

    Morning Each,

    When are the lab/lib/con mass tribal uncontrolled / party controlled / pro invading aliens/pedophile umbrella coalition ex revolting members, thinking of taking any sort of unified action ?

    If they are in a state of repenting then they are certainly doing it at leisure

    https://x.com/Basil_TGMD/status/1908467035434066367

    1. The only evidence that I have seen for this victim blaming is a fairly old video of a group of pakistani women saying similar things.
      I wonder if this quote came from that video?
      I don't doubt that extensive victim blaming goes on though because there is no way the men could have got away with it for so long without their womenfolk being complicit. So much for the sisterhood believed in by dim lefties. Islam has a far stronger hold over them it seems.

    3. Of course it’s the raped girls fault. Except it isn’t. The rapistwas a paki muslim paedophile who’s been protected by the Left wing state.

      1. The same female mindset that pins down its screaming daughter while an old hag with a rusty blood stained razor blade rips the child's genitalia to pieces.

        1. That old hag's mind has previously been destroyed by the incessant propaganda coming from the Religion they prostrate themselves before.

          And let's not forget that one of the world's worst countries practising female clitoral amputation (for that is what it is) is Ethiopia, and that country's religion is predominantly Christian.

    1. How rotten. The meme is PMA though – Parish Magazine Appropriate – so I have collared it with thanks!
      Hope your day improves.

  13. SIR – Aged eight, I was taught the difference between practice and practise with the rhyme: “C is for clown and clown is a noun” (Letters, March 30). Invaluable to me, but do today’s children know anything about nouns and verbs?

    Mike Brooks
    Sutton Coldfield

    The reason why today's children cannot determine the difference between nouns and verbs is because of the relentless attack on their minds and senses by the now ubiquitous Americanese influence on television, films and — especially — social media.

    They hear vapid statements such as, "I intend to medal at the Olympics" and think that is all right. It is not!

    I have a constant battle with gormless bakers on, especially, YouTube channels who tell me that bread dough must first be 'proofed' and then given a 'second proof'. When I try to explain that the first rising ('bulk fermentation' in baking parlance) is for the yeast to 'eat' the sugar content of the flour to create gases and an initial rising of the dough; and then go on to explain that the second rising is proving that the yeast is still viable; they scream and shout!

    "It's called 'proofing' because the Merriam-Webster dictionary says so and we've always called it 'proofing'!"

    These clowns cannot comprehend that Noah Webster was a half-wit who was detemined to 'proof' that Dr Samuel Johnson's famous English dictionary was compiled by a drunken charlatan. That is why he compiled his own — retarded 'English' — dictionary so beloved by the Yanks.

    1. it is the lack of apostrophes that gets me, as well as phonic spelling. I saw on Reddit on a tech forum ‘desisuns’. The proliferation of cant, wont, dont when they mean something else frustrating. It is a sad indictment of education that people are illiterate.

      1. UR Gr8

        That type of imbecility is replacing English, everywhere, and they call it "progress".

        You won't be going for a 'lite' beer in a 'nite' club (or 'Diner') anytime soon?

      2. Most apostrophes are unnecessary, as the meaning can easily be deduced from the context. "We're" is the only exception.
        The genitive case in German sometimes adds the s, but without an apostrophe which is far more logical imo.

    3. Good morning, Grizzly

      I would advise schoolchildren to contact you for advice!

    4. I will always remember the Mnemonics for the sizes of BSF bolts used in the RAF, EGBDJ – Every Good Boy Deserves Jam which relates to 1/4" to 1/2" BSF in 1/16" steps and was stamped on the bolt head. If the bolt was forged (rather than turned) it also had a ring round the head AFAIR

    5. I will always remember the Mnemonics for the sizes of BSF bolts used in the RAF, EGBDJ – Every Good Boy Deserves Jam which relates to 1/4" to 1/2" BSF in 1/16" steps and was stamped on the bolt head. If the bolt was forged (rather than turned) it also had a ring round the head AFAIR

  14. The world as we knew it has gone. Nobody wins from a trade war. Keir Starmer. 6 April 2025.

    First it was defence and national security. Now it is the global economy and trade. Old assumptions can no longer be taken for granted. The world as we knew it has gone. We must rise to meet the moment.

    We are ready for what comes next. The new world is less governed by established rules and more by deals and alliances. It demands the best of British virtues – cool heads, pragmatism and a clear understanding of our national interest.

    You do have to wonder; or at least I do, where he gets phrases like British Virtues? Unless they have been transposed to include a repressive Police State I haven’t seen much of them. Of course the old Cold War dictators used to talk like this. Lots of Freedom and Democracy while making sure there was no chance of your getting any. Starmer is just another in a long line of Secret Policeman. A British Walter Ulbricht. Unusual for the UK admittedly but here he and the Stasi are.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/04/05/keir-starmer-nobody-wins-from-trade-war/

      1. if a full inquiry came about the Left and the miserable, evil diversity rape of this country would be undone. There’d be proper lynch mobs and rightly so.

        1. Can you seriously imagine any British judge producing a report that challenged the status quo?
          Even after 12/15/18 years and £100 million/billion taxpayers' money flushed away.

          1. The purpose of an inquiry is not to make things clear but to put yourself in the clear.

            With apologies to Sir Humphrey..

    2. Nearly 3,000 comments; none that I've read are complimentary.
      It's clickbait, but not as we know it, Jim.

      1. I wonder why he bothers. The Observer is more his style. Telegraph readers are opposed to his every ideology and practice.

          1. We need to coin the word 'impropaganda' for use against this modern affectation and imbecility.

    4. BTL Comment:-

      R. Spowart 22 min ago
      Message Actions
      'Ang on a minute.

      So, Trump has imposed trade tariffs on numerous countries.

      It would be interesting learning how many of those Tariffed countries ALREADY had their own tariffs on imported US goods but, of course TTK fails to make ANY reference to that, does he?

      1. UK imposes 10% tariifs on UK goods; UK already imposes 10% on US goods.

        Seems fair enough?

        EU imposes 39% tariffs on EU goods; EU already imposes 39% tariffs on US goods.

        A couple of years ago GB News sent me a couple of free complimentary GB News Mugs in the post from the UK. When the postman came to deliver them he wanted me to fill in a form and pay 10 euros on each mug. I don't know what the tariff rate they wanted to impose was but I refused to pay it and told the postman that I hoped he would enjoy drinking his coffee out of my mugs.

        And when Caroline had to order something from the USA the postman demanded she paid a 39% tariff on her order.

        Of course if we had negotiated a proper trade deal with the US during Trump's last presidency there would be no problems now.

        The truth of the matter is that both Houses of Parliament, the Civil Service and the MSM (and especially the tainted BBC) did all they could to thwart Brexit in every way they could.

        https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0292b43b1f1eb90b265d65a9cca1fc214598ea6ad42a08cc4c51d65aab3e113f.png

      2. UK imposes 10% tariifs on UK goods; UK already imposes 10% on US goods.

        Seems fair enough?

        EU imposes 39% tariffs on EU goods; EU already imposes 39% tariffs on US goods.

        A couple of years ago GB News sent me a couple of free complimentary GB News Mugs in the post from the UK. When the postman came to deliver them he wanted me to fill in a form and pay 10 euros on each mug. I don't know what the tariff rate they wanted to impose was but I refused to pay it and told the postman that I hoped he would enjoy drinking his coffee out of my mugs.

        And when Caroline had to order something from the USA the postman demanded she paid a 39% tariff on her order.

        Of course if we had negotiated a proper trade deal with the US during Trump's last presidency there would be no problems now.

        The truth of the matter is that both Houses of Parliament, the Civil Service and the MSM (and especially the tainted BBC) did all they could to thwart Brexit in every way they could.

        https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0292b43b1f1eb90b265d65a9cca1fc214598ea6ad42a08cc4c51d65aab3e113f.png

      3. I asked ChatGPT the question:

        Which of the countries that Donald Trump recently hit with tarriffs already haad tarriffs on US imports?

        and receivd the response below:

        Donald Trump’s tariffs were part of his broader trade strategy, particularly aimed at addressing trade imbalances and unfair trade practices. A number of countries targeted by Trump's tariffs had already imposed tariffs or trade barriers on U.S. imports before his administration's measures. Here are a few examples:

        1. **China**: Prior to the trade war initiated under Trump, China had a range of tariffs on U.S. imports, especially on agricultural products, automobiles, and other manufactured goods. In response to U.S. tariffs, China increased its tariffs on American goods.

        2. **European Union**: The EU had imposed tariffs on various U.S. products, particularly in sectors like agriculture, automobiles, and steel. During Trump's tenure, the EU responded to U.S. tariffs, particularly those on steel and aluminum, with their own retaliatory tariffs.

        3. **India**: India had tariffs on several U.S. goods before Trump introduced new tariffs. These included tariffs on agricultural products, medical devices, and motorcycles. Trump retaliated with tariffs on Indian steel and aluminum, among other products.

        4. **Canada and Mexico**: Before the U.S. imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum under Trump, both Canada and Mexico already had their own set of tariffs on U.S. goods, especially on agricultural and dairy products. Trump's tariffs on steel and aluminum were eventually a key issue during negotiations for the USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement).

        In most of these cases, the countries in question had long-standing trade barriers in place, and Trump's tariffs were seen as a response to what he perceived as unfair practices or to force trade renegotiations.

    5. The world as we knew it has gone and that’s down to successive governments and their deliberate policies.

    1. Now, if he'd been Dr. John Smith ………….
      Repeat after me: "All cultures are equal."

      1. I know it goes without adding but I have added it!

        "But some cultures are more equal than others."

    1. Tariffs help no one. We should all have 0% on imports and exports but, for some countries that’s destructive.

      1. How do you impose strict rules on your own food production and then allow foreign imports of food from countries which have not had to apply the same rules – and the cost of applying those same rules – to their own produce that our farmers have had to bear?

        1. That's one that I have never understood. Why can't they apply the rules to what is sold here, rather than what is produced?

  18. Good Moaning.
    An uplifting read for the Lord's Day. Sadly, my discussion piece – laboriously pencilled into a lined copy book – on Stalin and Soviet tractor production statistics was not appreciated by the nuns at the Sacred Heart Convent, Hammersmith.
    But I'm sure the unborn Michael Deacon would have approved.

    "What do toddlers think of Trump?
    This week in Parliament, a Labour MP named Tom Hayes told a story that deeply impressed me. While he was visiting a school in his Bournemouth East constituency, he said, numerous pupils told him that they were “concerned about foreign donations into our country’s political system”. And one girl asked what he described as an “absolutely pitch-perfect” question about the pernicious influence of Elon Musk.

    According to Mr Hayes, her question was: “Why is a South African-born person, who lives in the United States, has funded a presidential election there, and is now part of the US government, threatening to get involved in UK politics?”

    On the face of it, this question may not seem especially scintillating. The reason I’m so impressed is that the school that this Labour MP visited was Queen’s Park Infant Academy – which describes itself, on its website, as “a caring and happy school for children aged four to seven years”.

    The youth of today come in for a lot of criticism. But if children aged between four and seven are capable of asking their MP such preternaturally articulate and well-informed questions about global politics, this country’s future is clearly very bright indeed.

    Then again, can we be sure that other members of this little girl’s generation are as astonishingly eloquent and knowledgeable as she is? To find out, I paid a visit to my local crèche.

    “I must say, I for one find Mr Hayes’s account to be highly improbable,” said a boy aged two, glancing up from his Play-Doh. “Not only because the unnamed infant sounds so unfeasibly precocious, but also because her alleged views on Elon Musk so conveniently reflect this Labour MP’s own.”

    “I hate to sound cynical, but I must confess that I share your scepticism,” chimed in a girl aged nine months, between mouthfuls of rusk. “Sadly, the standard of parliamentary discourse has declined markedly in my lifetime.”

    “I’m just relieved that other MPs didn’t accuse the honourable gentleman of having made the whole thing up,” added an unborn child inside the womb of a pregnant nursery assistant. “As we all know, accusing a fellow MP of lying is profoundly unparliamentary.”

    3. I should like to ask about unelected rich foreigners donating to politicians in government. Also why said government is importing loads of foreigners of fighting age. Much nearer to home and more pertinent than Musk.

    1. More paid in tax than working is worth. If we didn’t funnel offshore it’d be pointless.

      2. I sketched out my tax return yesterday for FY2025, to get an idea of what they they still want from me (to give me time tp save). It’s mitigated somewhat these past few years as i shovel as much money into my pension as i can up to the limits allowed. This new tax year will be a disaster as all the limits have been lowered and the rates have been raised. Of course, you could say “first world problem” but i would say i have worked hard all my life (school, uni, work) and actually the contract between me and the state is broken – it hasn’t held up its side of the bargain at all and i resent being the target of government hatred merely because i am hWite and middle class.

    1. I would have uppercutted — spark out — that Starmer 'heavy' manhandling me in my own pub.

  22. Morning, all Y'all.
    Grey, light overcast. The only sound is SWMBO slurping her breakfast muesli.

    1. Fire and Ice

      By Robert Frost

      Some say the world will end in fire,
      Some say in ice.
      From what I’ve tasted of desire
      I hold with those who favor fire.
      But if it had to perish twice,
      I think I know enough of hate
      To say that for destruction ice
      Is also great
      And would suffice.

      1. The marvellous Robert Frost (my favourite American poet) is needed today to show Americans what a wonderfully rich and varied vocabulary they once enjoyed.

        1. And you read your Emily Dickenson and I my Robert Frost
          (Paul Simon : The Dangling Conversation)

          It's a still life watercolor
          Of a now-late afternoon
          As the sun shines through the curtain lace
          And shadows wash the room

          And we sit and drink our coffee
          Couched in our indifference, like shells upon the shore
          You can hear the ocean roar
          In the dangling conversation
          And the superficial sighs
          The borders of our lives

          And you read your Emily Dickinson
          And I my Robert Frost
          And we note our place with book markers
          That measure what we've lost
          Like a poem poorly written
          We are verses out of rhythm
          Couplets out of rhyme
          In syncopated time (in syncopated time)
          And the dangling conversation
          And the superficial sighs
          Are the borders of our lives

          Yes, we speak of things that matter
          With words that must be said
          "Can analysis be worthwhile?"
          "Is the theater really dead?"
          And how the room is softly faded
          And I only kiss your shadow, I cannot feel your hand
          You're a stranger now unto me
          Lost in the dangling conversation
          And the superficial sighs
          In the borders of our lives

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjC6soIUVkk

      2. Be ready for ALL eventualities': Spies warn Brits to prepare a 72-hour 'survival kit' as intelligence suggests Putin is plotting to sabotage our gas pipelines and cause mass blackouts.

        Fears of a plot by Russia to sabotage Britain's energy pipelines means families should pack a 72-hour 'survival kit', security advisers have warned.

        As the UK pursues Net Zero environmental targets – leading to the closure of coal-fired power stations – the country has become increasingly reliant on supplies of gas and electricity from abroad in order to 'keep the lights on'.

        Nearly 40 per cent of the UK's gas supply is imported from Norway, much of which comes through the single, 700-mile Langeled pipeline.

        https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14575537/Brits-prepare-72-hour-survival-kit-Putin.html

        1. I think I'm more afraid of Labour and especially Milibrain causing 72 hour energy blackouts than Putin doing so!

        2. My 'survival kit' has been in place for 20 years and goes well beyond 72 hrs

      3. Fire or Ice? One road, another road or any road?

        The Road Not Taken : Robert Frost

        Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
        And sorry I could not travel both
        And be one traveller, long I stood
        And looked down one as far as I could
        To where it bent in the undergrowth;

        Then took the other, as just as fair,
        And having perhaps the better claim,
        Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
        Though as for that the passing there
        Had worn them really about the same,

        And both that morning equally lay
        In leaves no step had trodden black.
        Oh, I kept the first for another day!
        Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
        I doubted if I should ever come back.

        I shall be telling this with a sigh
        Somewhere ages and ages hence:
        Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
        I took the one less traveled by,
        And that has made all the difference.

      4. Fire or Ice? One road, another road or any road?

        The Road Not Taken : Robert Frost

        Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
        And sorry I could not travel both
        And be one traveller, long I stood
        And looked down one as far as I could
        To where it bent in the undergrowth;

        Then took the other, as just as fair,
        And having perhaps the better claim,
        Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
        Though as for that the passing there
        Had worn them really about the same,

        And both that morning equally lay
        In leaves no step had trodden black.
        Oh, I kept the first for another day!
        Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
        I doubted if I should ever come back.

        I shall be telling this with a sigh
        Somewhere ages and ages hence:
        Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
        I took the one less traveled by,
        And that has made all the difference.

    2. No doubt sea levels in Europe will be rising at twice the rate they are rising in other parts of the world too.

  26. Good Morning!

    Today FSB has an article with a simple but essential message: ‘ War is Hell ’. And who can doubt that the Globalist Establishment is beating the war drums?

    As you might know we are asking readers to give Nanumaga feedback on a satire he is writing on the antics of the UK Establishment during the Referendum campaign. Please do read Brexit Redux and leave a comment. It’s funny, witty, and oddly accurate.

    A report indicates that over seventy percent of British Muslims identify themselves as being primarily Muslim , rather than British, a frightening finding for which we blame the woke globalist Establishment.

    Energy watch 07.30: Demand: 24.75 GW. Total UK Production: 18.45 GW from: Hydrocarbons 11.2%; Wind 35.9%; Imports 26.4%; Biomass 3.2%; Nuclear 18.1. Solar: 2.7%.

    1. The NOTA (None Of The Above) vote should have been on the ballot paper!

      1. Why does anybody vote where I live? It’s been solid Tory since the last glaciation. Many thanks to those who voted for me, bur you knew I’d lose. And why did so many Conservatives turn out to vote? They knew their girl would get in.

    2. Where was the NOTA (None Of The Above) vote counted when it was needed?

  28. Captain Sensible
    14h
    Ed Miliwatt throws breadcrumbs down the lav. He thinks he’s feeding the Toilet Duck.

  30. Morning all 🙂😊
    Sunny Sunday not a cloud in the sky.
    A very good nights sleep and
    looking forward to a family BBQ this afternoon.
    Welcome home Mother and 'nanny'.

  31. Good morning everyone ,

    Bright sunny morning , bit of a breeze blowing .

    Son ran in Poole park run yesterday , 5k and didn't do too badly . Today he is running in a 10k race , and was up early as was I , dog ran around the garden , cat purred for food , and the crows scavenged the fat ball feeders hanging from the feeding posts in the garden .

    This letter rang a few bells re conversation with electrician son .

    Solar storm threat
    SIR – Nick Dodson (Letters, March 30) is right to emphasise the risk to the UK from solar storms. However, the possible consequences of another Carrington Event are even more dire than he says, and are exacerbated by the push towards net zero. Restarting the grid under what is known as the Black Start protocol becomes significantly harder with renewables, as they may not be available when needed.

    The potential damage to power transformers north and south of latitude 50 degrees is so great that there may not be enough copper to replace those that have been burnt out, leading to a real likelihood of the country living with electricity shortages for many months. Places relying on standby generators, such as hospitals, will quickly find themselves out of diesel, as tanker drivers struggle to find their way without GPS.

    Will the Government be prepared? It seems unlikely.

    Henry Dodds
    Poundbury, Dorset

    Copper, will there be enough for the ginger bint's plan for a million or more new houses ?

    Copper is pricey , and thieves can disrupt rail networks , communication systems and the rest .

    Look at the problems there are in third world countries , South Africa in particular , where things don't work , power outages etc.

    The government haven't thought anything through, back of fag packet scribblings are ruining us.

    1. I think in South Africa in particular the electricity supply has been mismanaged to the extent they have is due to the bad government rather than solar storms.

      1. Gov't owned Eskom supplies 90% of the country and has seen massive corruption and mismanagement.

        Wiki:South Africa's energy crisis (or load shedding) is an ongoing period of widespread national power outages beginning at the end of 2007.[1][2] The South African government-owned national power utility, and primary power generator, Eskom, and various parliamentarians have attributed these rolling blackouts to insufficient generation capacity.[3]

        According to Eskom and government officials, the solution requires the construction of additional power stations and generators.[4] However, corruption and mismanagement of Eskom, most notably during the Jacob Zuma administration, has exacerbated the energy crisis;[5][6][7] while neglect by Eskom staff,[8] multiple acts of sabotage,[9] and the activity of criminal syndicates within Eskom with alleged political connections[10][11] have also contributed to ongoing power supply problems. Many South Africans commentators have described the ongoing energy crisis as a symptom of long-standing poor governance.[12][13][14][15]

        In April 2024, South Africa had a full month without rotational power cuts, which was the first time since January 2022.[16] However, load shedding and scheduled rolling blackouts returned at the end of January 2025.[17][18]

          2. But you are quite correct, I receive many frightening accounts from my siblings who live out there in SA .. even using the computer or charging a phone or keeping a freezer cold is proving to be a challenge . Poor SA , sadly the jungle mentality is reaching us here in the UK .

    2. And after Wilson had handed Rhodesia to Mugabe he let the Chinese mine and take as much copper as they wanted.

    3. I had never heard of the Carrington event until about ten years ago when I read a novel that centred around a modern day repeat. Since then, I've seen repeated mentions of it in the Daily Mail.

      There was a long build up of nudging before swine flu (largely scuppered as a 'pandemic' by Wolfgang Wodarg) and covid.
      There was a long build up of nudging people to support euthanasia before the legislation was presented.
      etc.
      I guess we need to really start worrying that another Carrington event is going to be staged happen when they hold the preparedness drill, as they held the covid preparedness drill in October 2019.

    5. Loss of Copper
      I have banged on here before about getting myself able to continue to operate through powercuts. When I had solar panels and big batteries installed I added on an Uninterriptible Power Supply facility, which switches over seamlessly to my (full) 10kWh batteries in the event of a power cut. This continues to supply a number of 13Amp sockets plus the lighting and CH.
      OK, if the power is off for weeks, my batteries will be filled up from the panels as a priority during daylight, so that I can at least cook and boil water in my microwave, which is much more frugal than a hob or oven. It also keeps the Central Heating boiler and pump running, as well as the two freezers and two fridges, each of which doesn't need much power. Gas won't be cut off (hopefully), so there will in principle still be hot water.
      I'm toying with the idea of buying a small Generator as well, but the problem then is which fuel – either Butane, Propane, Gasoline or Diesel, whichever model I buy. Diesel fuel will still be available – the country's transport infrastructure can't do without it. So the jury is still out.

  32. I hope so. I think constant deluges over the past couple of decades have proven that.

  33. Just been out to open the greenhouse. Very chilly wind.

    I suppose that wog doctor was let off because he thought that "Practice" meant he could practise on his patients.

    Mr Norris changes chains….(think about it!)

    1. There was a time when if I starting reading a novel I would finish it, however dull it turned out to be. My prize for the dreariest ever is shared between Mr Norris Changes Trains (Christopher Isherwood) and The Girls of Slender Means (Muriel Spark).

          2. Not wishing to be critical of Maggie, but a recent post of hers concerning the Archbishop of Canterbury suddenly refers at the end to "that Dover woman". Can anyone explain that to me?

          3. There is a black, egregious, woman "priest" who plays the racist card every moment of the day – who is "bishop of Dover". An appalling caricature of a person in holy orders.

      3. I find re-reading books bought in the sixties and seventies most enjoyable.

        Presently reading a later translation of Machado de Assis specifically Epitaph of a Small Winner. From the web:

        Machado de Assis is not only Brazil's most celebrated writer but also a writer of world stature. In his masterpiece, the 1881 novel The Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas (also translated as Epitaph of a Small Winner), the ghost of a decadent and disagreeable aristocrat decides to write his memoir. He dedicates it to the worms gnawing at his corpse and tells of his failed romances and half-hearted political ambitions, serves up hare-brained philosophies and complains with gusto from the depths of his grave.

  35. TTK must be out of his tiny mind in writing a piece for the Sunday Telegraph. I commented there BTL this morning (as Rough Common) that I do hope he reads the encouraging and supportive comments to his piece.
    P.S. if any NoTTLer wants to, but can’t read the TTK tripe, just respond here and I will don my rubber gloves and copy it to this forum.

      1. KLB, here it is, C&P (I'm back as RoughCommon again). Warning: take your Blood Pressure and anti-nausea pills FIRST!
        ======================================
        The world as we knew it has gone. Nobody wins from a trade war

        My Government will champion the voice of British industry on the international stage

        Keir Starmer. 05 April 2025 8:00pm BST [that stands for BS Time – RC]

        First it was defence and national security. Now it is the global economy and trade. Old assumptions can no longer be taken for granted. The world as we knew it has gone. We must rise to meet the moment.

        We are ready for what comes next. The new world is less governed by established rules and more by deals and alliances. It demands the best of British virtues – cool heads, pragmatism and a clear understanding of our national interest.

        Look how we’ve responded to Russian aggression in Ukraine. We have stood firm in our support for Ukraine. We’ve convened world leaders and worked with our international allies. And we’ve boosted our defence spending – the highest sustained increase since the Cold War – not just for the lasting peace of Ukraine, because it’s vital to the security of the UK. This investment will also bring a “defence dividend” with more, better paid jobs.

        We know this approach works.

        That is why on tariffs, the immediate priority is to keep calm and fight for the best deal. Nobody wins from a trade war. The economic consequences, here and across the globe, could be profound. We already have a balanced trading relationship with our American allies and work continues on a new economic prosperity deal.

        Nonetheless, all options remain on the table.

        I will only strike a deal if it is right for British business and the security of working people. And I will continue to make the case for free and open trade, because turning our back on that now would be a grave mistake.

        After all, this is our heritage as an island nation. From the car manufacturers of the West Midlands to the whisky producers of the Western Isles, free trade is a galvanising force for British export businesses. This Government will champion their voice on the international stage.

        That also means strengthening our alliances and reducing barriers to trade with other economies around the world. Agile diplomacy delivers a stronger, more diverse, and secure economy here at home. As our nation has with defence and security, we must rise to the moment on trade and the economy.

        Turbocharge

        But we must also go further. This week we will turbocharge plans that will improve our domestic competitiveness, so we’re less exposed to these kinds of global shocks. We’re building resilience, making Britain a tapestry of thriving economies, maximising local skills, talents and opportunities. Creating wealth in every corner and delivering security for everyone, everywhere. National renewal will take the skills and talents of us all.

        We stand ready to use industrial policy to help shelter British business from the storm. Some people may feel uncomfortable about this – the idea the state should intervene directly to shape the market has often been derided. But we simply cannot cling on to old sentiments when the world is turning this fast.

        That refusal to accept a changing world is at the heart of Britain’s declinism over recent decades. For too long, our major institutions have simply tried to manage crises. The approach has been to muddle through, rather than deal with the fundamental cause.

        It’s working people who have been hit hardest. Nurses, builders, carers – people working harder and harder for fewer pounds in their pocket. People are fed up to the back teeth with insecurity in their lives and in their community. In this new era of global instability, people look towards the future with trepidation.

        But a return to the calm and stable leadership that Britain is known for all around the world has long been the beating heart of my political project. That’s what I promised in my first speech as Prime Minister. Yet I was clear – stability can only come through security for working people and national renewal.

        At home and abroad, that is what drives everything we are doing as a government. It is written through my Plan for Change. Putting more money in the pockets of working people with higher wages.

        Making sure wealth is created in every community. Getting our public services back on their feet. Securing our energy independence with clean British energy.

        Making work pay with stronger employment rights. Backing young people who want to work, rather than always reaching for the easy answer of overseas labour. Ripping up the stifling state bureaucracy that stops us building the homes and infrastructure of the future. Protecting our national security with the biggest defence investment since the end of the Cold War.

        This week, the Government will do everything necessary to protect Britain’s national interest. Because when global economic sands are shifting, our laser focus on delivering for Britain will not. And these new times demand a new mentality. We have gone further and faster on national security, now we must do the same on economic security through strengthened alliances and reducing barriers to trade.

        Working people need a new foundation of security so they have the freedom to get on with their lives. That is the national interest and the priority of this Government.
        Strength abroad.
        Security at home.
        ====================================

        2. If the Americans want what we produce enough, they will pay for it, preferably at a good price. If they don't, then why should they buy?

          If they can get it cheap from us, and then sell it back expensive, then we are mugs.

    2. "Starmer's appalling government is betraying our country in every way imaginable. It's not making the world a better place to attract millions of young men who are having their food and shelter paid with debt that Britain is racking up for future generations to pay off! That's just fake virtue signaling, not genuine help. Milliband's antics are based on purely imaginary beliefs about a link between atmospheric CO2 and the weather.
      Britain at the moment is like the decadent heir of wealthy parents, who has spent all the money long ago, but carries on inviting the world to a party on an overdraft."

    3. I just commented (as did many others): Free Lucy Connolly. He won't read the comments but…

  36. TTK must be out of his tiny mind in writing a piece for the Sunday Telegraph. I commented there BTL this morning that I do hope he reads the encouraging and supportive comments to his piece.
    P.S. if any NoTTLer wants to, but can’t read the TTK tripe, just respond here and I will don my rubber gloves and copy it to this forum.

  37. We had a great evening last night – our lovely neighbours hosted a celebration 🍾 of our 30 years living in this house. The actual anniversary is Tuesday. Saved me a lot of effort doing the cooking and necessary housework.

    1. What has happened to Gerard Batten? At one point as leader of UKIP he shaved his head completely and looked like a skinhead, yet now has totally re-grown his hair. Is he copying Grizzly who changes daily in his appearance?

        1. Lol. You are the editor of Private Eye, Mr Fox, and I claim my £5 postal order.

          1. I got 5/- for my letter in the Eagle. Everything since then has been pro po.

    2. I once had the richly undeserved privilege of shaking the hand of an old salt who had served on the Arctic Run.

      1. 404197+ upticks,

        Afternoon JBF,

        Makes one shiver just thinking of them,
        Geoffrey Whynn was a war correspondent he also sailed, the complete opposite to the current journalist, in the main.

    2. The Reform Party is being led to its own self-destruction by Nigel Farage and Muhammad Ziauddin Yusuf.

      The only explanation I can think of is that the party chairman has got Farage by the short and curlies and can destroy him completely with blackmail if Farage does not do as he is told.

      1. Hello Rastus…Katherine Blakelock seems to have quite a bit to say about finance/Farage/Tice/Yusuf, also see Katie Hopkins, Ben Habib, Rupert Lowe.

          1. Thanks johnathan, yes think this is the one husband was watching yesterday evening – he usually never votes/supports any party but has been researching Reform following Lowe incident (incl Katie Hopkins), now decided against supporting Reform – wonder how many others have decided similarly?

          2. I have read that if Rupert Lowe was to start a party the majority of Reform supporters would switch. His policies are what most Reform members expect. Not the watered down policies of Farage.

    3. So Reform is just as bad as all the others.

      Who on earth does one vote for?

      1. 404197+ up ticks,

        Morning BT,

        I was long term UKIP, that was taken down
        when having a years worth of very successful run under the Gerard Batten leadership,via the same political rodents.

        Gerard Batten / Tommy Robinson both victims of treachery and mass stupidity, about to be repeated.

      3. No one at the moment. Perhaps because Catherine Blaiklock is taking legal action against Farage he will, eventually, resign and make way for Rupert Lowe whom most of Reform support anyway. If that doesn't happen then wait and see if Rupert and Ben Habib do something in terms of a new party. But, we should also not assume, that there isn't another possibility coming up that we are yet to be aware of.

    4. It is a false religion. In fact I would argue it isn't a religion at all. It's medieval banditry hiding behind a pseudo religion to justify its thuggery as somehow divinely ordained.

  40. Re Justin Welby ..

    WE don't want an Arch Bishop of Canterbury who has an uncertain pedigree similar to a Who is Who in the upper echelons of state .. we don't want a complicated individual with issues of identity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Welby

    I don't want to hear anymore about a calling from God, some one who in the end has narcissistic qualities .

    If there is going to be a candidate for a high end Church of England role .. just a figure head … WE must NOT go down the diversity , ethnicity and inclusion route ..

    No more mumbo jumbo , and keep away from that Dover woman !!!!

    1. The one candidate they will avoid at all costs will be a Bible-believing African candidate. My guess is some ghastly DEI pick who will pretend that God is a marxist and slavishly follow the agenda of killing the church.

        1. Yo Mr N

          To be totally Woke:

          It will be a half-caste woman with prostate problems!

  41. Bloody Hell! That got a bit chilly!
    Just hung up a 2nd lot of washing and it's freezing up the "garden". The sun hasn't swung round yet and there's a nasty cold breeze about!

      1. "Will power i5 million homes every year." Not every day, not every month.

        1. "Will power 5 million homes" translates to
          "Has the theoretical capacity to provide electricity for up to 5 million homes provided:
          The wind blows at least 20 mph 24 hours a day 365 days a year.
          There is adequate transportation and control infrastructure."

        2. "Will power 5 million homes" translates to
          "Has the theoretical capacity to provide electricity for up to 5 million homes provided:
          The wind blows at least 20 mph 24 hours a day 365 days a year.
          There is adequate transportation and control infrastructure."

    2. Long term pollution of earth, damage to wildlife (killing birds, disturbing marine mammals), unreliability.

      2. The graph shows (green area) that it makes a significant contribution to the UK 'leccy supply. I'm surprised.

    4. Nuclear the only steady line, still interested in the SLNRs Rolls Royce were promoting some years ago.

    5. The wind its self may be free and non-polluting, but the infrastructure required to harvest it is anything else but.
      In addition, the action of harvesting it causes massive damage to birds.

    6. but only when the wind blows, but not too strong and then they switch them off. Its a small part of the solution.

      2. Who was the idiot who first called them "wind farms"?

        Farms produce goods. "Wind farms" do not produce wind!

  45. An innocent writes: Was that story reported here yesterday about Russia wanting to extradite the egregious Gates a fake one?

    3. I'd say so…why would they want him…and why would the West want to stop them…

  47. BoB: Sure, but I Copied and Pasted the whole thing for those NoTTLers who DON'T pay the Telegraph shekels. If THEY hit the link you just posted, they are stymied.

    1. I do realise that, but when I C&P I also add the URL so that those with Telegraph access can go to the article and read the BTL Comments without having to search for it.

  48. BoB: Sure, but I Copied and Pasted the whole thing for those NoTTLers who DON'T pay the Telegraph shekels. If THEY hit the link you just posted, they are stymied.

  49. There is another explanation which is the one that a lot of people have believed for years, i.e. that Farage is just leading dissatisfied voters into a cul-de-sac.

    1. Just tax the billionaires – every left wing politician has the answer.

      Just cut the antagonistic posturing and I might believe that he is only trying a reset

  52. Two Labour MPs denied entry to Israel over suspected ‘anti-Israel hatred’

    David Lammy said it was ‘deeply concerning’ that Israel deported Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed, who were on a parliamentary delegation

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/04/05/labour-mps-denied-entry-israel-suspected-hatred/
    *************************

    James Stevenson
    32m
    I read that two first time wet behind the ears Labour MP were both refused entry into a country because they had made up a fake story about being part of an official delegation. If it turns out that delegation was fake will the parliamentary standards be forcing them to pay the costs of the four businesses class flights and to hand back their pay for those days since that would be fraud in any other business.

      1. Please will someone do us all a big favour, and offer him a ‘waffer’ thin mint!! 😱

    1. I had to do that when walking with my mother when I was little – but I didn't have a sword (just a cap pistol)

    2. I still do.
      Sometimes I get ticked off, but tell the woman in question that that was how I was brought up, so she isn't getting special treatment, I do it for any woman.

        1. Amongst other reasons, I was told that it stopped the splashes from the road soiling the woman's dress and legs, whereas the man's trousers would protect him and could be brushed down.

    3. I think it was to do with protecting the lady from mud splashes on unmade roads – so it obviously comes from a long time ago.

      2. 404197+ up ticks,

        Afternoon A,

        I always thought it was freedom of sword arm,shortly to be replaced by machine carbines come the justifiable recognizing

        1. That would depend on which side of the road you were walking. The lady would have to be on your left arm if you were right-handed, or vice versa.

          1. Which way you were facing?
            Nowadays it might protect the woman from thieves on bikes and mopeds etc..

    4. Religiously, to the letter, sword arm must be free at all times to hover vlogging selfie stick.

  54. Off topic
    It's a beautiful, calm, sunny day with cloudless skies.
    I've just watched a buzzard soar from tree-top height until it was a dot in the sky it was so high up. The bird didn't appear to flap its wings once it had found the valley thermal and the rate of climb was extraordinary. It took less than two minutes to climb so high that I could no longer see it.

    2. We have buzzards nesting in Ball Eye Quarry on the other side of the hill behind us. Beautiful looking birds.

  55. Looking at the likely candidates for the next Archbishop of Canterbury. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/next-archbishop-canterbury-justin-welby-candidates-b2646096.html All of them are an advert for disaster. Three of them are men and four women. So if everything goes the usual vapid way that the C of E does things, it will be a woman. This, of course, will alienate the Roman Church and it will be greeted by the Orthodox Church by the blunt observation that a woman cannot be a priest, let alone an Archbishop, which the Romans will agree with and many proper Anglican churches abroad will also support. So more schism in this absurd denomination and an end to any possibility of Christian unity due to the PC posturing of the English Church. I think, the last chance the Anglican Church had was Nazir-Ali when he was bishop of Rochester. He knew the score about Islam and understood what was needed for the Church to flourish. But now, having had enough of the absurdities of Anglicanism he has become a Roman Catholic, so that's that.

    I may be an Orthodox Christian but it gives me no pleasure to see a church that should be acting as the bulwark against the Islamic disaster that is going to overrun this country, falter and fall. Providing no protection for anyone. On the contrary, with its foolishness and dereliction, aiding and abetting the march of Islam.

    And, good morning to all, I suppose.

    1. I see an upvote there from Devonian in Kent! Come on in John – you've been missed!

    2. One of our local churches has gone down the woke, lgbtq path to the extent that it no longer calls itself a church, it is now a meeting space where all are welcome.

      We still have a gazillion flavors of Christian churches in the area but very few are professing Christianity as their core message so the end is nigh unless you look at the quakers – and they don't have good music.

      1. Firstborn's Godfather is a C of E vicar, who is looking forward to retirement. He says he reckons he is the last C of E vicar that still believes in God.

        1. Son says he doesn't want to go to church because he has the feeling that nobody there believes in God, it's just a lefty meet-up.

  56. Henry Dodds (letters) says that in the event of long power cuts places relying on standby generators will run out of diesel for them because tanker drivers will be unable to find their way without GPS. What a load of bollocks – does he not know that GPS is a satellite function and is independent of ground based power?

    1. It does drain the battery of the receiver…as long as you can get diesel to power the tankers, you can keep the GPS going…but I think the refineries would shut down, wouldn't they?
      Can't see TPTB letting the plebs have diesel in an emergency situation though.

    2. A Carrington Event would cause serious damage to digital equipment. GPS receivers wouldn't work.

        1. Maybe he assumed that readers understand ground-based digital equipment would be disabled.

    3. Wouldn't a diesel tanker driver have a rather large tank of diesel strapped to the back of their cab?

      it may not be acceptable practice in normal days but a quick siphon through a hosepipe could solve the problem.

    4. Grandson relied on his SatNav to get to Jimmie's Farm.
      An interesting route, but I kept quiet as a 19 year old does not need grannie piping up from the back seat.
      The return journey was shorter and the one I would have chosen in the first place.

    1. I like his take on 'knowledge' and 'belief' (around 6.30) – it can be equally applied to so many other areas……

    1. Look you, Canada has a doctor shortage, speding up death is a societal need.
      Treating someone takes considerable time but a swift knockout jab requires far less medical intervention. Not forgetting the savings on cost of care with the bonus of freeing up housing.

      It is as if the Liberal government really believed this message.

          2. Of course they do. They have made a big comeback and vinyl is in big demand for the clarity of its pure analogue sound.
            I have a Pro-Ject Debut II turntable and playing my old vinyl on it through my Audiolab 6000 amplifier and Wharfedale Evo 4·2 speakers is pure bliss.

  59. Something very odd is going on with the Canadian election.

    We drove up to Ottawa yesterday, political signs were a sea of conservative blue with only the occasional lefty liberal or commie ndp signs visible. Whenever Poilievre holds a rally, the crowds are overwhelming – 4,500 in Kingston, 6,000 in Oshawa this week but all of the polls are showing carnage Carney and his reborn liberals are way in front and will form the next government with a majority.

    The liberals have been very astute in hiding Carney from public scrutiny and focusing attention on Trump rather than their abysmal record but even so, there is an enormous disconnect between polls and what we see.

    Maybe it's time to sell up and move to Greenland.

      1. Sorry for the misspoil.

        I wanted to thank you for your diagnosis. I researched further and you were correct.

        The rash wasn't clearing with all the different creams i tried but is now manageable now that i have put on a pair of fishnets compression socks. And have shoved some quilts under my feet to raise them at night.

        I will have to look at getting my blood thinners increased.

        Cheers mate !

        1. Thanks for your feedback and glad my suggestions are giving you some results.

          I have recognised the importance of anticoagulants after reading that there are some structures inside the heart that with age are likely to give rise to blood clotting and this could happen even if you have had clots following an operation involving blood vessels.

          You do have to be careful however because even my cardiologist didn't recogise that my anticoagulant dosage could be too excessive after I reported non-healing scratches when I scraped my hand on the rim of the tea caddy.
          In fact a non-healing scratch on the arm is an indicator of anticoagulant over prescription..

          1. Thanks for that.
            I don't think i am nearing the limit yet. Any cuts i get heal reasonably quickly.

            Not just feedback but high praise !

            My legs have stopped burning.

      2. Spent the last few days trying to access my internet NS&I account. Had no luck gettimg answers from synthesised FAQs interface. Keeped giving me answers to questions I hadn't asked. Even getting through to a real person didn't help – only referred me back to the auromated FAQ. Finally got access after updating to latest Google Chrome browser and deleting all history and caches.

        This morning had to deal with an F11 fault indication on the Miele dishwasher..

        1. I run ghostery and adblocker on my lappy. They sometimes interfere with other sites. Temporarily switching them off gives me access.

        2. Have exact same problem F11 on Miele dishwasher. Supposed to indicate blocked/kinked pipe…nope. Engineer due this week sometime. As for NS&I, had queries a few years ago when books seemed to be lost (never found), got absolutely nowhere with them even after hours on the phone.

          1. The most common problem for F11 is inability to pump out water.
            Whilst this may be a kinked or blocked drain tube a fairly common problem is failure of the pump vanes to spin. There is no shortage of videos about F11 solutions but this one illustrates how to check pump vane rotation and how to get to it::

            https://youtu.be/HXNHiT2lf1E?si=t6HDWPCiMJyOrioY

            I also got nowhere trying to talk with NS&I. I sent a letter indicating my problems accessing my account which was acknowledged as a complaint. If I hadn’t managed to get through on the internet this weekend I was going to escalate the complaint as a flag case through my MP.

          2. Thanks for video, have saved it (currently watching footie but says thanks and will check later. Would be interested to know if you get anywhere at all with NS&I, good luck! x

          3. I did manage to successfully get through a lengthy two Two Factor Authentication (2FA) process during NS&I account registration but due to time taken the possibility of being timed out and logged out before you’ve finished entering data is quite high.

          4. Almost seems deliberate doesn’t it. I recall when you could just go into a Post Office (with identification) and withdraw cash. Lockdown/s = The Great Reset.

    3. Hitchens: "I'm not sure he ('Woy' Jenkins) knew exactly what he was doing."

      The same can be said for any socialist cretin.

  65. Defra Secretary Steve Reed is facing criticism after it was disclosed that he has only visited a handful of farms since taking office in July 2024.

    Mr Reed, who is MP for Croydon North, has visited just four farms since Labour's general election win last year.

    These include farm visits in Essex, Oxford, Gloucestershire, and Herefordshire in September 2024, January 2025, and March 2025.

    He also visited the Great Yorkshire Show just days after Labour's general election win in July.

    The finding came following a parliamentary question from Charlie Dewhirst, Conservative MP for Bridlington and the Wolds.

    Mr Dewhirst accused the Defra Secretary of showing a "complete lack of interest" in farmers.

    https://www.farminguk.com/news/defra-secretary-steve-reed-has-visited-just-four-farms-since-election_66346.html

      1. Hi Grizzly ,

        Pip spaniel soon to be 12 years old , his wonderful fox red muzzle is now very grey .. alongside him is Puss cat who has adopted us .. she is very laid back and amazing with Pip. No hisses or snarls .

        My poor 2008 Peugeot car which I have had for a year has been the victim of potholes and bad rural roads , so now I am using a courtesy car , a Jazz, which is hard work ..

        The bill for fixing suspension, springs and everything else will probably be just under a grand !

        How are you doing , what , another hat ?

        How many have you got in your collection?

        1. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4883e2773694ae997565cb8d40f752306afeacf7c4493ffe3ae6fb473ada8fde.jpg Hello, Maggie.

          Talking about pets, there is nowhere this cat will not doss down. His favourite spot though is on my old piano stool, which is right up against the radiator in my study. There is not a window-sill in the entire house that he has not claimed as his domain.

          Cars will always remain a very expensive hobby. Ours is three years old and we soon have to make a decision on whether to trade it in or keep it.

          Hats (to keep my hair-free bonce warm)? I have around 30-or-so.

          1. I thought for one awful moment that the first word in your second paragraph was "cats"….. {:¬))

            Of our two, both with what seem to me to be nice fur coats, Gus like sitting next to and touching the AGA. Even on a warm day. Funny things, cats.

          2. One of my cats liked sitting so very close to the fire she would begin to smoke. Havana's mostly.

          5. The south is awash with virgins, because the southern chaps are clueless as to what to do about it.

          6. We’ve just noticed the first signs of coat shedding as the weather starts to get a bit warmer. The vacuum-cleaners will be tested in the next few weeks.

          12. Gawd, pet! I read ‘cars’ as ‘cats’ and was about to remonstrate with you!

          13. 😘 If youse gonna remonstrate with me, Pet, youse gonna have to catch me first, Bonny Lass.😉

    2. I’m amazed that an MP for Croydon knows what a ‘farm’ is, unless it rears goats! 🐐

      1. Nothing but a blinking townie , he hasn't a clue , remember Nick Brown , another townie .

        His tenure as the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food saw several animal health crises, ending with the 2001 foot-and-mouth outbreak. Brown's handling of the outbreak was criticised by some and used to attack the government, though his handling of the crisis maintained the support of the farming and food industries and the veterinary profession throughout the crisis. Suggestions that a vaccination strategy should have been practised in preference to the culling of hundreds of thousands of animals, made with the benefit of hindsight, did not help his cause, and he was demoted to Minister of State for Work, with non-voting Cabinet rank, after the general election of 2001. In June 2003, he was dropped from the Government altogether.

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Brown

        Labour are useless , they know nuttin about our countryside or the people who live and work in it !

      2. I was just about to say Croydon isn’t exactly known for its farms! Best known as the home of Kate Moss. He could dress her up as a milk maid a la Marie Antoinette.

        1. There used to be a dairy farm in Valley Road.

          EDIT: I tell a lie – that was Streatham – 4 miles north of Croydon.

      1. Dewhurst's Butchers, once the largest butcher chain in the UK, was founded by the Vestey family in 1897, reaching a peak of over 1,400 outlets before collapsing into administration in 2006.

        Charlie is non-U. {:^))

      1. Out-and-out agitators. Little girly NUS lefties trying to stir up trouble and gain notoriety at the UK taxpayer's expense.

  68. Two days of intermittent power cuts and computer problems.
    Wordle 1,387 4/6

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

    1. No surprise though, if the point of the tariffs is to bring manufacturing back to the US.
      The globalised era led to higher incomes in poorer countries because they got all the manufacturing. Now the US wants theirs back.
      Poor old Europe will be left with no manufacturing because we haven't got a Trump to yank it back, and no income to pay for the goods from other countries either once we can't just print money any more.
      Still at least we will be the Saudi Arabia of hot air, or whatever it was that one of our lying politicians promised.

    1. Could explain the results of this survey.. then again they didn't recognise Israel until 1963!

      A new survey is revealing shocking levels of antisemitism amongst Christians in the Republic of Ireland.
      Antisemitism in Ireland Reaches 'Medieval' Levels Among Christians

    2. Could explain the results of this survey.. then again they didn't recognise Israel until 1963!

      A new survey is revealing shocking levels of antisemitism amongst Christians in the Republic of Ireland.
      Antisemitism in Ireland Reaches 'Medieval' Levels Among Christians

  71. Had a busy morning , visited garden centre , bought some bird food , then arrived home to see Moh mowing the front lawn .

    Tidied up all old frost cracked pots , and piled old perished plastic pots together , plus old cardboard boxes , bunged them in courtesy car ( my car is being fixed) then drove to the refuse centre in Wareham .. a neat and tidy well organised tip , proud of recycling and so are we.

    Oh dear , poor old Southampton football .. and how sad .. but their own fault .. losing badly and will be relegated .

    Moh is distraught , he has followed Saints since he was nine years old .. he used to go to the Dell with his father .

      1. Leicester and Ipswich are also hopeless cases. The gap between 'Div 1' and 'Div 2' is too big for some. Burnley could well be promoted again. If so, it would be the 5th time in 16 seasons. They're realistic: have a go and if you fail, the money's good.

    2. Just looked outside, in the sunshine.
      Lots to do – wash the terrace, oil the planks and the fence, get the outdoor furniture out, wash the windows in & out (they look like frosted glass, in this sunshine), repair the rendering and paint it, rake the "lawn", tidy the dead plants, bin a small pallet that held shelving for the farm… looks like a week's work!
      Getting off my fat arris would be a start, I suppose.

      1. My list of tasks is pretty long, too. I have at least completed one; Kadi is half the dog he was and I have disposed of enough hair to make at least three more dogs.

          1. I thought most of them would have built their nests by now. They weren’t very interested last year when I shaved him.

    3. Just looked outside, in the sunshine.
      Lots to do – wash the terrace, oil the planks and the fence, get the outdoor furniture out, wash the windows in & out (they look like frosted glass, in this sunshine), repair the rendering and paint it, rake the "lawn", tidy the dead plants, bin a small pallet that held shelving for the farm… looks like a week's work!
      Getting off my fat arris would be a start, I suppose.

    4. Just looked outside, in the sunshine.
      Lots to do – wash the terrace, oil the planks and the fence, get the outdoor furniture out, wash the windows in & out (they look like frosted glass, in this sunshine), repair the rendering and paint it, rake the "lawn", tidy the dead plants, bin a small pallet that held shelving for the farm… looks like a week's work!
      Getting off my fat arris would be a start, I suppose.

    5. Just looked outside, in the sunshine.
      Lots to do – wash the terrace, oil the planks and the fence, get the outdoor furniture out, wash the windows in & out (they look like frosted glass, in this sunshine), repair the rendering and paint it, rake the "lawn", tidy the dead plants, bin a small pallet that held shelving for the farm… looks like a week's work!
      Getting off my fat arris would be a start, I suppose.

    1. Its a great gateway to all sorts of benefits, and you can retire at 21. What's not to like…

    2. Vax damage…so no.
      I'm pretty sure everyone in my family could get one or other of the two diagnoses. Particularly second son who doesn't look as though he will ever be able to lead an independent life at the moment, but refuses diagnosis.

  73. Covid ‘criminals’ dragged through courts five years later
    Many accused of lockdown breaches claim they simply misunderstood the rules but were forced into lengthy court battles

    Five years after the first lockdown, people are still being dragged through the courts for alleged Covid breaches.

    Many of those accused claim they simply misunderstood the rules but have been forced to engage in lengthy court battles to clear their names.

    According to data analysed by the Telegraph, around 130 people appeared before court for hearings related to alleged Covid breaches in the past six months.

    Two-thirds of coronavirus sentences occurred after the last major lockdown restrictions were lifted
    Sentences from January 2020 to June 2024

    Total sentences
    30,701
    Sentences after last major restriction lifted (July 2021)
    21,767
    Sentences after all restrictions lifted (Feb 2022)
    4,138
    Figures are for court sentences and does not include Fixed Penalty Notices (of which there were 117,213 up to the end of June 2021)Source: Telegraph analysis of Ministry of Justice data.

    Dr Karol Sikora, a leading cancer specialist who has repeatedly criticised the stringent lockdown restrictions imposed on the UK, has called for an amnesty on prosecutions.

    He said: “This is all a complete waste of taxpayers’ money. These people were not criminals. The rules kept changing and our government handled the situation very badly.

    “It’s time to put an amnesty in place about all this nonsense. There was no scientific base behind the rules at the time.

    “It must continue to remain distressing for those involved in this pointless exercise.”

    The Home Office were contacted for comment.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/04/06/covid-criminals-dragged-through-courts-five-years-later/

    NL

    ND Lawson
    1 min ago
    Apparently having a curry with a dozen people was fine , but not a slice of cake

    Susan Johnson
    1 min ago
    Apart from Two Tier whom the left wing Blob clearly treat as above the law – as evidenced by the fact he has never had to explain why he considered his voice coaching sessions above lockdown laws.

      2. No Over-Fishing in Oz
        This is a Midden of 30,000 Oyster shells, next to the Sydney Opera House in September 2023 as part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the Opera House's completion. From ancient times the indigenous people fished here on Bennelong Point for the abundant shellfish and they never threw the 'empties' back in case it upset the living oysters and stopped them breeding. So instead they built these middens on the shore. They knew what they were doing.
        https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/09156784609aa41bf352ca0be6467a003a66d52d6d32dc8a3eb096e5e16cc0c0.jpg

    2. Years ago, in South Sudan in the rainy season, I watched some guys spearfishing with a ball of fish about six feet in diameter that was swirling round where two floodwater streams met, and I thought "Why not use a net and get he lot?" – but, of course, there would be no fish left for tomorrow, and they couldn't preserve the oversupply today, not having freezers. Result: Disaster, food-wise.
      It pays to think on't.

      2. I'm not too keen on fish farms, either. Seems like most shop salmon is farmed, fish have to be drenched to rid them of sea lice.

        2. But mention “chlorinated chicken” and Leftards go into meltdown

      3. "Destroying the habitat and disturbing the carbon" she says. Unfortunately, that sounds like nonsense, how can one 'disturb carbon'?

        I loathe bottom trawling and hope those 18 limestone (CaCO₃) boulders hinder any trawling, but to be honest I doubt they will.

    4. That doesn't happen in UK waters. In fact there has been a ban on commercial fishing for pollack for the last 2 years. Even rod and line commercial pollack fishing is currently banned. Bottom trawling has been a canker to all the oceans. Those giant trawlers would be wasting their time in UK waters as fish populations are generally very low.

  76. Afternoon all. Lovely sunny but darned cold day. I have had to put the heating on.

    It would be nice if the new ABC was at least a Christian and prepared to stand up against islam. The so called defender of the (Christian) faith isn’t.

    1. Sunny and warm here – at least, warm according to local standards.
      Shows up all the dirty windows… 🙁

  77. We should do he same for both cats, but the claws are still huge, and sharp…

  78. Wordle No. 1,387 3/6

    ⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜
    ⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜
    🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

    Wordle 6 April 2025

    A pad for Birdy Three?

    1. Blimey, well done – I thought it was a tricky one today! Another bogey…..

      Wordle 1,387 5/6

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

    2. Well done. a 3 for me as well.

      Wordle 1,387 3/6

      🟨⬜🟨⬜⬜
      ⬜🟨🟨🟨⬜
      🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

    3. Too difficult for me but managed a Par.

      Wordle 1,387 4/6

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

    4. I screwed up this morning. So many clues and where the hell was my head when I entered guess five. Engage brain, Sue!

      Wordle 1,387 6/6

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

    1. She has an unfortunate case of 'Out of Focus Middle Finger', it's rife in the BBC….

        1. Yes, I suspect they get nose-bleeds if they come into contact with 'real' people…

  81. OT – a curious coincidence has come my way today. Be patient, chums!

    The MR has an Irish friend (F) who has lived in France for 40 years. F is in London visiting an old friend, M.

    When we put our house in Laure on the market in 2019, an English artist couple – who lived in a village six miles away called Villalier – were very keen. However, they were unable to do anything quickly because they had recently married – each had a house and they faced tax complications. In the end, we sold to the delightful couple from Paris. We knew the artists' main house well – it opens on to a noisy road by a crossroad – and we assumed they would have to wait a long time for a buyer.

    In conversation with F, M vouchsafed that some English friends of hers had just bought a house in Villalier.

    Yes, it was the house of the English artists…..!! Just sold – six years after they knew they wanted to move.

    Now, apart from Laure, the number of houses I know personally is fewer than 10. What are the odds of one knowing the house in question? There are, after all, many millions of houses in yer France.

    All very peculiar!

    2. Cue spooky music from The Twilight Zone…..

      I was going to post 'we control the horizontal, we control the vertical' but then I realised that was 'The Outer Limits'!!

  82. I hope that Maggiebelle will be able to comfort and cheer her Richard up – I see that Southampton has been relegated.

      1. I bet.
        Belle is probably deaf from all the screaming and wondering how to replace all the crockery…

  83. That's me for this lovely sunny day – but STILL with a cold wind that made sitting out not a runner. Still, the blue wisteria – that was given a savage pruning last back end – is already in flower!! Eighty bedding seedlings potted on – gosh that tests ones shoulder… It's like Repetitive Stress wotsit.

    Have a jolly enjoyable evening.

    A demain.

  84. The Church of St John the Baptist at Boldre in the heart of the New Forest, a short distance from Brockenhurst: https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/52a4163fc0a31e6c1f311e55c0f5d3aa38aa2de5c6c17409bc02de77f82e2d27.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8ab686f3f9d01cd4edd406d4de909ec5394a8153835f8ebeb0d59c24fc7b2bb2.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0275db4adb516f1f77718dbfd4421e63a70ae9346916117d1c174670c5fcd689.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7aa50848cb0ee06fce5fee93efc9e761fee13a4da29334cee13af5b3e8a2bf4c.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/196d12a30ba9fb31c766ba6ff12605b9d2b8c7c7b989288651732c2a71d72857.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f9272837e8b779b944ef9110301b82d51cb2197aaae7b12d09653f2f2f49822d.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3e28dcbec6ee8e8413419e320e4363caf8f593694d9ed0ddaf15302f2dcb538c.jpg

    1. Very much like the wee church SWMBO and I were married in, way back in 1982.
      Doesn't need grandiose architecture or decoration, the Glory of God fulfils that purpose.

      1. Yes, I find more peace in a place like that than any Cathedral, as magnificent as they are.

    2. I've always wanted to live in a church. The idea of a few big, solid rooms and smaller, practical storage rooms appears. That and they're built properly, with stone, not cardboard.

        1. He does. Think his brother helps him sometimes, sound monitoring etc…they look alike, same hair 🙂

  85. Little Johnny is sitting on the pavement with his back against the wall, he was playing with a small glass bottle.
    Priest approached and said "What you got in that bottle son?"
    "Prussic acid, father" said Johnny.
    "My god," said the priest, "That's dangerous stuff for a young lad to be playing with. Here I will swap it for this bottle of holy water."
    "What does Holy water do father?" Asked the lad.
    "Well put it this way my son, last week I sprinkled some on a pregnant woman's tummy and she passed a baby."
    "That's nothing father" said Johnny, "last week my brother put some of this on the dogs bollocks and it passed a Ferrari."

          2. I haven’t done anything for such a long time I keep putting it off…today I got as far as getting a sheet of drawing paper out the cupboard then spent ages trying to decide…graphite, charcoal, crayon…on an on…luckily I was asked to run an errand…rescued…btw which brushes are you painting with, Alec?

          4. I used to – Isabey 6234 round, and Strathmore 400 series 4ply PLATE on which I’d apply a ground of Zinc gouache. All this went south during lockdowns, stock was very expensive and then only resumed at higher prices. I used ink for quite a while too. I’d forgotten all this after vaccine. I have several hundred pieces in folders, no idea how I made them. Now if I paint at all I use usually DR paints and papers, they make a wide and inexpensive range. Back to drawing, back to basics…:-))

          7. Look a good brand, Alec 🙂 I used to use Isabey but they became very expensive, especially during lockdown. Now, if I paint at all, I use Daler Rowney System 3 (mostly Round but sometimes Flat), DR also make good paper/s. Happy Painting, Alec 🙂 x

  86. Good evening, all.

    Just back from a nice lunch at the Mill Hotel in Sudbury, Suffolk. Very good and reasonably priced food along with Nethergate's Stour Valley Golden ale at just £4.40 a pint. Large place that was heaving with customers on this beautiful Spring day.

    Genius.

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4d398480a46d983fa225645e16d5a46eb3db8a28a316ad1138c46e4eb8d85f4c.png

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b1f5dd1f18e8a3c0939db13186b3a5f99307e8cf064eb1db9d6559f22d9409d1.png
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ec8f467d573c39405d2fb7b91f6a54c9c367ea2534fe2f7849f7f3766eb0e237.png
    Thinks?
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/237b7089f26297c305833d11dde2023c3066f2532be63a1e7dc22280081407c1.png
    Sometimes the old ones accurately hit the spot.
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/fdbd31c1a94b21d7651df3fe85d2fc94f75a621a229bc445eb21f6ae438cdc90.png
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/baaedcadeb7620ff8bfd018784b3e638df5b688d736e14c053d48cd727347bff.png
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2c38db1c87bc7ebf6a743c3a46ae7a6b61206d511cfe24be3e1c1b9e6cfdab02.png

      1. I did when in the bar but my view from the restaurant was the far wall in that room. I did wonder if Constable had ventured that far up the Stour as the sky and the treeline would have made a good subject.

        Very good venue and I will probably make a return visit in the not too distant future. The exit I took was horribly steep and reminded me of the top of Balkerne Hill, pre Westway, where I took my driving test hill-start.

        1. Arghhh …….. when I was learning to drive, the Southway etc…. was being built.
          I'd start the lesson with one route, and then find a totally different situation an hour later.
          Certainly made for quick thinking rather early in the learning process.

    2. More TEBO. Tired of explaining the bleeding obvious.

      Years ago one doctor explained to me that I was coughing because nasal mucus hits the back of the throat. Another doctor explained that you can’t medicate a cough. If you need to cough, cough.

      A well meaning woman in church this evening told me that honey and lemon would cure my cough. No dear, it won’t. It’ll generate acid reflux. Water isn’t much use either. When you’re coughing it too easily goes down the wrong way. Cue more coughing. The boiled sweet offered with the best of intentions by the guy sitting next to me at a concert would probably just choke me outright.

      At some point the supply of nasal mucus usually dries up of its own accord. Please please.

      1. I currently cough for a few reasons, Sue. One is household dust/dustmites, another is I have 'loose joints' aka hypermobility which can be quite bad in my jaw for various reasons (speaking, eating etc), and yet another is the pollen count, have an app for that, this time of year mostly tree pollen. Unfortunately I no longer smoke, otherwise I'd likely have yet another reason :-DD good luck x

  87. Lovely day with family and friends at Jimmie's Farm (Ipswich Zoo).
    Huge breakfast worked off by walking along slopes and paths to see the polar and brown bears.
    However, top animals for us were the capybaras, the arctic foxes and the bactrian camels.
    It must be getting on for 12+ years since we last visited. This time the grandson – who MB last time had had to lift up to see over fences – was our chauffeur.
    Weather was superb, apart that blasted wind.

    1. A perfect day. It’s been many a year since I visited London Zoo at Regent’s Park. It’s probably the last bastion of civilisation in the City of Westminster.

    2. Am currently in capybara country but too full of food and wine to go and find a few in the wild to photograph for you. 🤣

    1. The all-to-often-repeated appalling news from Sudan, a country I was pleased to visit several times before 2020 to work with the local oil production company Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company in assessing the physical and production integrity of their plant and pipelines in-country. A great sadness to see the country going through this shit again. They deserve a break.

  90. Was a centre for RAF cadets during the war. They got rid of most of the dangerous animals.

  91. Oh dear. I just woke up. It took me a while to realise it's not Monday morning.

        1. Better now. Just had a large slice of chocolate orange cheesecake. Dolly and Harry are not amused because they didn't get any.

  92. Good afternoon, good people. Lovely azure blue sky and ne'er a cloud. Still only 1C, but hey – that's positive, both in mental attitude and in absolute values. Jen's Creek which runs through the farm (named after the late Jen The Blue from another place) is now open flowing water with no ice dams – always a good/reliable local sign of Spring. Back pond is full of snow melt, which makes for a 'bracing' dip when out walking the doggo's. Chickens having a field day with the newly exposed ground (about 40% of it clear of snow) – scratching, clucking, nitrogen crapping, and scarification taking place as I type. Compost heaps cooking at 63C according to the thermometer.

    :put shorts on:

  94. Happy but sad.
    The leveret has moved on.
    I thought it had grown quite a lot over the last few days and it was certainly very attentive when I walked past it a few times this morning and early afternoon.
    I've just been out again and it's gone.
    It will be interesting to see if it has joined the early morning hares that feed in the lower part of the garden.

      1. It is very variable.
        And VERY dependent on how early I get up, they are very much dawn and dusk creatures.
        Normally we see two in close proximity, but there can be others in different parts of the garden.
        Three or four together at this time of the year isn't unusual.

          1. I count my blessings.
            This year's orchid crop looks as if it may be absolutely outstanding, judging by the leaves I'm seeing and the fungal anomalies across the the unkempt bits.
            I keep hoping that a huge orchid that appears about half a mile away may yet appear here. The problem is that some bastard cuts it (for their house?) before it can set seed.

          2. We just have the occasional early purple, they haven’t appeared for years, as with many others – birds, plants, weather. Now we seem to be back to ‘normal’ so fingers crossed. Even a few ox-eyes seem to be trying. I don’t know why anyone would cut wild flowers – they don’t last. I have some flowers here bought for me on Mothering Sunday – they look exactly the same, obviously treated in some way.

          4. That’s a handsome orchid, sos. I don’t know it but tried to find it in my old McLintock & Fitter – mostly British plants. Possibly a variety of Marsh Orchid? I can’t understand people who take birds eggs out of nests and stuff like that, bit blood boiling really….

          6. Sight for sore eyes….is it because they’re more distant, or are they growing a little more densely in the shade? They look a little like the early purples here, a sturdy little orchid – farmer put cattle on them one year, trampled down, never the same after that. Some people.

          8. Great wild garden…not too much grass, lot of variety. Do you cut it back end of the season? That orchid is really special, I’ve never seen one.

      1. Scant chance.
        The garden is totally fenced.
        I suspect I'll see it romping and foraging soon.

    1. Terry: Look, all kitchens are filthy, Mr. Fawlty. In fact, the better the kitchen, the filthier it is. Have you ever read George Orwell's experiences at Maxim's in Paris?

      Basil: No. Do you have a copy? I'll read it out in court!

  96. I think there's a law that customer support people must be drawn from the most obtuse, stubborn, unthinking, not listening, difficult and annoying folk going.

    Sold some old comp stuff on ebay. Wanted to tell them it had been collected, not posted, so could they refund the buyers postage. I suggested they allow the seller to change the method of post/collect as well as the buyer.

    Just got an earful about processes and policies. ebay forget, they're a market place, renting the stalls out. They are not selling the goods.

    I am rubbish at talking to people. I'm a misanthrope by nature and there's a reason we have many steps to enter more specific information before a call can be logged with us but overall my customers know I do at least try to solve their problems rather than fob them off. Yes, we've learned a lot about our own processes and record keeping but they've never been used to hit our customers over the head.

    1. She's in the dungeon Sir Keir had built for her in the basement of 10 Downing Street.

  98. The Labour MP’s who decided to earn their 90k salary by swanning off to interfere in Middle East conflict have released a statement. Wait for it; they also took their aides also paid for by us.
    They lied and claimed to be part of an official delegation visiting Israel on behalf of the British parliament, however, this turned out to be untrue.
    They were denied entrance to Israel on Saturday, after an investigation reportedly revealed that the two wished to enter the country to document the activities of security forces and spread anti-Israel hatred, Israel's Population and Immigration Authority announced.
    At airport security, the passengers claimed to be part of an official delegation visiting Israel on behalf of the British parliament.
    However, the Population and Immigration Authority claimed this was untrue as no official in Israel had approved the arrival of the delegation.
    The Labour Party is clearly STILL riddled with anti semite lefties and Islamist.

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/304714e17dfb4d9d452372ddd02c4fac707f34c09d44c43ddc4c3fb28f51f4e8.jpg

    2. Ah, now it's clear. They are ardently pro Hamas muslim. Ironic that they flew into Israel and not Palestine.

        2. During World War I, the British government issued the Balfour Declaration, favoring the establishment of a homeland for the Jewish people in Palestine, and captured it from the Ottomans.

          https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Palestine

          If they had established such a homeland in Atlantis or Shangri-la the world would have been spared much aggro.

    4. I don't trust Israeli authorities either, so it's best to take no notice of the incident as the truth is difficult to discern.

  100. I hope it doesn’t , Mm.

    Can you remember old fashioned fishing trawlers , a fleet of them setting off to see , they were much smaller ships than the huge ships ..

    Can you remember the Nigerian markets that were full of frozen mackerel .. huge things , and the Nigerians loved their fish, but my goodness the flies and the stink in the heat .

  101. ‘Down and Out in Paris and London’! What a book – what an eye-opener, and I worked in Catering!

    1. Aye, that’s the one, Sue! Who knew it would be as prophetic as 1984!

      “It’s not supposed to be an instruction manual, you donkey!”

      1. They don’t know they’re born, nowadays! Said the old bat who used to work 80+ hour weeks and still find time to party!

        1. “I work till I’m ready to drop. I then party till I drop. Simples!” 🙂

        2. My daughter in law, lovely Irish girl, is obsessed with cleaning. Having moved recently and then both gone down with chest infections we are really tired. She’s been to us every Friday since the move and done cleaning, tidying, cleaning, arranging, cleaning, cleaning, cleaning. I have done some, btw, but she absolutely loves it. Lucky for me! We’re so grateful.

          3. Oooh , will she travel down to Dorset , VW

            My 2 younger sisters are travelling to Britain this month from South Africa .. they left the UK 60 years ago , when they were small .

            Life in South Africa for them is organised , help in the house , garden , a freer life for them away from domestic duties .

            I have been tidying up for a couple of months , oh yes I have .
            Cupboards need doing , cleaned the high lampshades and fans , carpets need washing , adopted cat has scratched carpets nearly to a thread .. I cleaned the oven the other day , need to do the inside windows , lots of them .

            The girls, 74 yrs and 67yrs, are going on a Norwegian cruise with my cousins , sailing from Newcastle ..

            What is the North sea like at this time of the year?

            I am not a very organised bod.. must remember to clean the fridge properly .. so have lists in my head of whats next.

            My wretched car , I am expecting a huge bill , I have only had it for a year.. pothole damage .

          4. DiL is very organised and practical. Her advice to me, when I say there’s so much to think about and decide, is ‘write a list’. Then when you’ve done it, decided, you just cross it off the list.

            She’s right of course! I do like to have a shopping list when we go but invariably when we get home we say, oh, we could have done with getting … And we often buy other than what’s on the list. Alf loves to browse when we’re shopping, I like to go in, get what we need and that’s it. Good job we’re all different! Don’t panic about cleaning everything just coz your sisters are coming over. Remember, they’re coming to see you, not to inspect the cleaning! x. BTW use an oven cleaning company if there are any close to you!

      2. They don’t know they’re born, nowadays! Said the old bat who used to work 80+ hour weeks and still find time to party!

    3. The headmaster of my secondary school was a superb teacher and administrator but got caught up in a cross-dressing and homosexuality scandal when he moved on the headmastership at Rugby.
      I stayed for a term as a boarder in the headmasters house and got to know him and his wife quite well, for a pupil.
      A lovely couple

      He would be lauded nowadays but then it cost him his job.

      He ended up doing a "down and out in Paris and London."
      A great shame, I owe him for most of what success I've had in life.
      Brian Rees
      https://www.canadiangay.org/GHist/Aug/20.html

  102. ‘Down and Out in Paris and London’! What a book – what an eye-opener, and I worked in Catering!

  103. Off topic

    Drat and double drat.
    One of our favourite restaurants has been "noticed" by Michelin.

    Great for them, but hard on my wallet I fear.

    I'm pleased for them, they deserve it, they work extremely hard and they are innovative.

    1. "Noticed" as in one of the new 'first stars'? Or noticed as in 'We may turn up' provisionals/prospects?

      1. Fortunately it's not been starred, but the grapevine suggests it might be next time around.

    2. "Noticed" as in one of the new 'first stars'? Or noticed as in 'We may turn up' provisionals/prospects?

  104. Back from foreign parts i.e Devon… Places visited: Coleton Fishacre, Little Dartmouth, Bigbury on Sea and Ugborough Beacon: Snaps below. Excellent Fine Dining at Plantation House, Ermington where 3-Course meals just £49 pp. Wines from under £30 a bottle to 'How much?!!"

    Seems whilst I've been away from news Mr T is being criticised for doing things he said he would but Mr S isn't being criticised for not doing things he said he would… funny old world!

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8e3f1b2da9d48da26f4b6a848b1e2ac1f60ec4573481e999bb826fdf79d68845.jpg
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a1ac5641b8b3731d65b3eebf6b36507ee084685f84078831b9c4eb61a35c1564.jpg
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6286cc30466c28cabb906d5f71fc822c24ab1178e3b953cc0b6c0f1936f6ec93.jpg

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0cd2204b769684016e7ef0860588344c21b79429d847c8ad033695d01388c682.jpg
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/600e7ce05d79db657460c9c85423dea61df0c8a86a10be38132ada4c215b3f4c.jpg

    1. Thank you for the lovely photos, Stephen.

      And heh heh to the wines from… X to How much? Although that price per person for dinner is fantastic value assuming it's still run by Rich Hendey and with Jon Raines in the kitchen.

      1. Richard is still there. I asked Richard if he had had any formal training – he replied: "No anyone can cook…" However, I have to say that the rump of lamb I had on the first night and the rump of naughty Bambi ( Fallow Venison) were simply the tenderest steaks I have ever tasted. The entire team were superb. Would I go again – certainly!

        1. Oh I forgot to add If you decide to have just two courses they reduce the bill automatically!

          1. I also forgot to add that they do not include a 'Service Charge' on the bill – for which they get full marks and a generous tip!

          2. Yup, the idea that service charge should be included, would be an utter abomination to him. He's motivated by success that is earned, not assumed.

            I seem to remember he fecked off and did 18 months doing PCD (Private Client Dining) on luxury yachts for a while. That industry lives on tips from High Net Worth Individuals, and focuses the mind on being not only a cook, but also being perfect in personal grooming, impeccable behaviour, intelligent, articulate, and able to talk to your paying clients customers.

            And their trophy wives/husbands.

          3. Edited to include trophy husbands, not just wives – in order to avoid the wrath.

          4. Yesterday evening the two dining rooms had a total 20 covers. There were 3 in the Kitchen , 4 staff out front with Mrs Richard in the role of Hostess.

        2. Yup – he's a veritable gem. His career and mine crossed many paths as he worked at several notable places in Cumbria when I chose to go overseas to extend my knowledge.

          I tried to poach him (not literally) when he was the sous Chef at Miller Howe in the Lakes, and again when he was Head Chef at The Wordsworth Hotel. When he 'sold out' for the money, to become Head Chef for Best Western, I suggested it would kill his passion for local grown farm to fork.

          How wrong was I!!! Glad you enjoyed it.

        3. Yup – he's a veritable gem. His career and mine crossed many paths as he worked at several notable places in Cumbria when I chose to go overseas to extend my knowledge.

          I tried to poach him (not literally) when he was the sous Chef at Miller Howe in the Lakes, and again when he was Head Chef at The Wordsworth Hotel. When he 'sold out' for the money, to become Head Chef for Best Western, I suggested it would kill his passion for local grown farm to fork.

          How wrong was I!!! Glad you enjoyed it.

        4. Yup – he's a veritable gem. His career and mine crossed many paths as he worked at several notable places in Cumbria when I chose to go overseas to extend my knowledge.

          I tried to poach him (not literally) when he was the sous Chef at Miller Howe in the Lakes, and again when he was Head Chef at The Wordsworth Hotel. When he 'sold out' for the money, to become Head Chef for Best Western, I suggested it would kill his passion for local grown farm to fork.

          How wrong was I!!! Glad you enjoyed it.

    1. That's ludicrous. Most of the people I observed Saturday last weekend on the tube between Finsbury Park and South Kensington tube station and again on the streets between that tube station and the Royal Brompton Hospital in Sydney Street, Chelsea were unarguably pale and probably British in some way or another. I have no doubt that, by cherry picking, it can be made to look otherwise.

      1. There are large parts of London that do look foreign. You don't need to try too hard to cherry pick. Many areas in South London are now almost entirely so.

        The Edgeware road off Marble Arch is known as Little Lebanon. All Shishas and Kebabs.

        Where coloured faces are missing most is in the morning commute.

  107. We do, for birthdays, W anniv, Valentine's and Saint's days.
    I wish we had bigger pensions!!

  110. London can't. Nor can many northern towns. it's hard to accept how this will inevitably end

    1. Bad as it looks, what do they suggest, sink them over the Marianas Trench?
      It recovers materials and provides employment.

      2. It's not that the ships are being scrapped, it's the total absence of health and safety, environmental protection and workers' rights.

  112. Conversation below re: StephenRoi's good experience with Chef Richard Heney who has always been passionate about Local Farm to Fork. I mentioned a TLA called PCD (Private Client Dining). Made me think of another TLA:

    "He's doing BLT's now….." (Obviously meant to be bacon, lettuce and tomato).

    BLT: Bankers, Lawyers, and Traders. (The people who will pay a fortune to have you cook in their kitchen at home while they entertain clients or prospects.)

    These are people who when you went to the Discovery Session (i.e what their kitchen consists of), often had kitchens and equipment worth over a hundred grand, but had never actually been used. 🙂

  113. Some of the photographs of my trip to The Great Central Railway at Loughborough.
    Looking over the bridge by the loco shed when walking to the GCR Station:-
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/cd4bf46a691607971be2dc68e431f153b98a608d127560f2b4ea83f41c909f83.jpg
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4041b296b65e091fbacf18d0f31e9141d04be161a3e665b27173c7e30434f640.jpg They had the Bubble Car doing runs up to Rothley and then up the Mount Sorrel Branch
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/aa208b90d1292eacceb4d03114ca702a061dd478ace20ea0c5a35a7569aa5482.jpg Riding behind this beast brought back memories of travelling to & from Maidstone (with a change in London of course) when I was stationed with 36 Engineer Regiment.
    A totally unique sound! https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/973c10dfbd685c81132833da17cc5c8eb0e6401c1a5acc5f052cb935c83664f7.jpg
    Coupling up was always a mucky job! https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6b4edef4747080b312b5d3eb4ebe74c569466745e11a30ccb8e28d8dd43e7433.jpg
    The three lads:- https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/eb4363ef83998401d52549452f2692fd6320e3fd1f2185876e3ebe60f55be496.jpg
    They have two of these Class 2 2-6-0s
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/44408efb31551467e5bb68f306d0b8447ba16bdb61143692dae87bef6b4a5419.jpg
    And one of these:-
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/70e0054716bc990a89695bd89c46a9bba2fcc8b4a52cfdcf42fe474d7e3acb57.jpg

    2. Correct me if I'm wrong, Bob, but the green loco in the top two photos is a GWR Type 5MT "Modified Hall" class loco No. 6990, 'Witherslack Hall'.

      That 2MT 2-6-0 (78018) was only introduced in 1953, two years after me!

      That last photo is a 9F, which is even younger as a 1957 vintage.

      1. Correct, it is Witherslack Hall.
        Strange to think, had steam not been displaced, the 9Fs would only now be being withdrawn!

    3. Is the fourth one a Deltic? They did sound superb. I think I went on a Deltic-hauled train up the East Coast main line in the early 1970s.

      1. Yes, it's a Deltic and even running on only one engine it sounded supurb!

        1. I wasn’t aware that one had been preserved. Engine maintenance must be a very specialist task.

      1. I’m constantly running to catch up, even though I’m operating on a BST schedule. My body is still on GMT.

  115. Rachel Reeves facing legal action from care homes over national insurance tax raid
    They have warned that the controversial increase, which comes into force today, will cause care homes and the NHS to "crumble" Prof Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, the industry body for private care homes in the UK, told The Telegraph: “This judicial review marks a critical moment for adult social care.
    https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/2037696/rachel-reeves-national-insurance-care-homes

    1. "Let's hope we can get them angry about this – that way they might not notice the 9 billion a year we pay in interest on debt."

        1. "Consolidate your costly loans with one easy payment from our sister company Cash-R-Us. We even take Grandpa's old gold coins."

    2. And people are still not persuaded that we are the most stupid organism to have ever evolved!

      In fact we are beyond stupidity.

    3. I will not curse Starmer in particular. Some of this spend will be obligations inherited from the previous administration. Is there a date attached to these numbers?

  118. Well, chums, my bedtime of 11 pm is rapidly approaching. So I will wish you all a "Good Night". Sleep well, and I hope to see you all early tomorrow.

    1. Didn't know that was a type of car. After a search, I now know it's a new type of Honda.

      Modern Jazz: Often described as a selection of different random sounds held together by a common belief that it's good. 😉

      Good luck with your car, Belle.

  120. ”Sir KEIR STARMER went too far when he talked up tough sentencing in the wake of the Southport murders, Kemi Badenoch has said.

    The Tory leader said she did not believe the Government achieved the balance between free speech and harsher sentencing in the aftermath of the Southport killings, which sparked widespread rioting across England and Wales.
    Mrs Badenoch made her comments after being asked about the case of Lucy Connolly, the childminder who was jailed for 31 months for inciting racial hatred with a tweet she made after the murders of the three young girls in Southport.
    She told GB News that she understood why people felt Mrs Connolly got an “unfair” sentence, adding that the 42-year-old childminder should “probably” appeal it.

    Mrs Badenoch said: “Sentencing is a problem in our country. Many people are complaining. It’s not just people like Lucy who people believe are getting unfair sentences. It’s also the unduly lenient sentences, people who should be getting whole-life terms who aren’t getting whole life terms.” She said she had held a round table with victims’ families including the parents of Sarah Everard, who was raped and murdered by Met police officer Wayne Couzens, to discuss problems with sentencing.

    “Something’s gone wrong with it, and I think that Lucy Connolly should probably appeal her case. I think that there are grounds to do so. It looks like in the aftermath of Southport that a lot of decisions were rushed,” said Mrs Badenoch.
    “People should feel free to say what they are concerned about, they shouldn’t cross the line, but then we also shouldn’t have these huge sentences for smaller offences and then other people who do serious things getting away with it.”
    During last summer’s unrest, Sir Keir Starmer vowed that rioters would face “the full force of the law” and should expect “substantive sentences”.

    Connolly is seeking to appeal her sentence.

    A government source said: “Last summer, rapid action by the Government, the police and the courts brought riots and disorder to an end. All sentences handed out at that time were done so by independent judges. For the Leader of the Opposition to suggest otherwise is baseless.””

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