Wednesday 7 May: Does Britain have the means to defend herself from the Russian threat?

Posted on by Geoff Graham

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471 thoughts on “Wednesday 7 May: Does Britain have the means to defend herself from the Russian threat?”

  5. ' Twirls in "
    Good morning everyone, the sun is attempting to peek out .

    1. Good morning, Anthea. Didn't you used to be Anthea on one of Bruce Forsyth's quiz shows ("Give us a twirl, Anthea")? Lol.

      1. Anthea Redfern.
        Used to fancy her something shocking. Lovely legs!

      2. I remember Bruce Forsyth, gentle times on TV 🙂

          1. Agreed, Grizz.
            Our two monsters aren't afraid of anything – but then, they are 15 and 12kg respectively, with paws the size of tennis racquets filled with sharp claws, no need to be afraid.

          2. Orange Cat is just 5·9 kg (wet through) and has a gentle nature.

            Having said that, I wouldn't want to be a mouse when he is around; he is lightning quick!

    3. Thank goodness for that. For a moment, I thought, they'd just elected President Trump. Lol.

      1. Someone in this household has just read that comment and is now in uncontrollable hysterics!🤣👍🏻

        1. Good morning, Grizzly, I’m glad to note that you have taught Findus to read. Lol. PS – I personally preferred your suit and tie avatar, you chameleon you. Lol.

  8. Good morning all! Cool and grey here! Can’t quite believe that yesterday evening my elder daughter and I were eating a meal outside a Greek restaurant in Argyle Street, Glasgow in glorious warm sunshine! We then went to the David Gray concert at the Armadillo, which was fabulous, marred only by a drunken slob being ejected by 8 burly security! He fell on the way out as well! What is happening to our nation? Tuesday night about 9 o’clock!

  9. Starmer’s Britain is not worthy of the sacrifice our soldiers made 80 years ago. Allison Pearson. 7 May 2025.

    It would have been far easier to write a piece this week that went along with the nostalgic delusion, which raved uncritically about “how well we do these things” instead of pointing out the Potemkin pageant. But I love my country, and I will not lie to her. She deserves the truth. The greatest generation did not make sacrifices barely comprehensible to the modern mind to see Britain reduced to a husk of her former self. They who paid the ultimate price did not expect their homeland to be invaded and altered beyond recognition, their traditions trashed, their culture eroded, while complacent and complicit governments did nothing.

    Allison Pearson sounding more and more like a Nottler. This probably explains why the comments were shut down last night.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/05/06/sacrifice-soldiers-ve-day-allison-pearson/#comment

      1. Perhaps and hopefully, Charlie's misses has been having a quite word and the Palace might get the royal finger out leading to starmer out.

      2. Imagine having to stomach Stoma sitting beside you.
        Let alone listening to that nasal whine.

      5. Bad enough having that thing sitting beside her, let alone showing his normal contempt of our armed forces. The empty heads always have to prattle.
        apologies to anne,

  10. 405112+ up ticks,

    Morning Each,

    Wednesday 7 May: Does Britain have the means to defend herself from the Russian threat?

    Should read via the indigenous,

    Wednesday 7 May: Does Britain have the means to defend herself from the the starmer, the very real threat on what remains, very temporarily, our doorsteps.

    Back door of a potential nuclear war entrance, a very dangerous short cut to over culling, the criminally intent " TOOL"and minions
    have taken it.

    Starmer signs ‘two-tier’ tax deal for Indian migrants
    Prime Minister accused of ‘hurting Britain’ with trade deal that exempts foreign staff from paying NI

    1. It's not the Russians I worry about.
      It's the thousands – millions? – of traitors infesting Westminster, Whitehall and many local and national government departments that are the problem.

      2. 405112+up ticks,

        Morning Anne,
        It was clearly revealed in the first Jay report
        some time ago NOW it is awakening more peoples as to the extent of the toxic political governing trio ,inclusive of their employees ie police , councils,etc,etc cover-up concealed treachery at the expense of our children's welfare, to protect DEI.

        "The Russians" input is deflection chaff dropped by the "TOOL"

  13. Good morning everyone , bright sunny cold start to the day .

    My 2 sisters are visiting from SA , gorgeous connection again , and so relieved and happy .

    We have had quite a few adventures already , and they loved their cruise last week from Newcastle to Norway on a beautiful small ship, almost boutique cruising , and not a huge petri dish ridden giant cruise liner .

    I will miss them both when they eventually depart for home .

  14. SIR – Celebrating 80 years since VE Day is right and proper. However, the war was won by an alliance and not by individual countries. We should be remembering the power of countries working together rather than concentrating, in modern isolationist fashion, on our own role in the victory.

    Alasdair Romanes
    Wantage, Oxfordshire

    F### off , Mr Romanes .

    1. Morning Belle. Well said. It was only the UK standing alone that bought the time for alliance's to be forged. She saved the whole world from Nazi tyranny by her courage, sacrifices and example.

    2. There will be celebrations and remembrances here in Norway on 8th May, remembering our own efforts in defeating the nazis, and giving thanks to good friends who did the heavy lifting.
      Romanes is right – it was a team effort, no one country could have done it alone.

      2. Yes, it was a team effort.
        But that doesn't mean countries shouldn't hold their individual commemorations.

        1. Of course not. It's very important – I believe it should be at each local level where there's a cenotaph, since those that fought were from local communities – even if in the modern world, likely there are few currently in the local community who come from there, or remember those that fought, or even know their families.
          In Norway, particularly out in the countryside, you still have lots of families with the same name as their farm, still loving on the farm. For example, Firstborn's neighbour is called after her farm, as is the farmer to the south of him. That kind of continuity would also be reflected in the names on the local cenotaph.

      3. May be appropriate to play "Walzing Matilda" by the Pogues on Thursday? It's a real heartstring tugger, so it is.

    3. Unfortunately the so called alliance fell apart due to the massive pressure Hitler forced on Europe. Only when some of the others countries far and wide around the world joined in did the new alliance led by Britain, come into being. I'm not sure all the home counties took part. It seemed like Ireland didn't want to get involved.
      I think we do remember the help we had Mr Romanes, it's so very obvious when you have a moment.

      1. Ireland may not have been a player (or even strictly neutral) but many Irish people fought against nazism.

      1. Blob: "Is there anything he (Carney) can say to you, in the course of your meeting today, that could get you to lift tariffs on Canada?"
        Trump: "No."
        Blob: "Why not?"
        Trump: "It's just the way it is."

  18. Morning All 🙂😊
    Bright but still chilly.
    What Russian threat ? Our journos are barmy, anything for a new headline.
    The only current threat we have is this useless hatefilled mob in Wastemonster.
    And of course possible arguments with each other from non indigenous occupants.

  19. Lucy Powell exemplifies the sheer nastiness of the Left. The sneering attitude to the murder, torture and rape of very young white girls. She must go. She doesn't reach the very low standard required to be in the Labour party.

    1. There’s a petition at Change.org

      Sack lucy powell immediately

      We know ot won’t make any difference but in the other hand we need to do something

      1. Starmer said much the same not long ago.

        And why are we petitioning government to do something? Why can we, their masters not simply remove these wasters?

    2. She Stated "The government is acting to get the truth and deliver justice".
      On what exactly ?
      The truth is already out.
      As Colonel Nathan Jessop stated in the film A Few Good Men "You (they) can't handle the truth" !

      1. I'm not sure it is So many things are still covered up, the extend of the mechanised abuse of children by paki muslim paedophiles, the degree the state went to punishing decent people, the way the Left are desperate to close ranks and shut down discussion of this horrific issue – we all know they'll face tens of thousands of statists being marched into jail cells.

    4. The Left don't care. They are disgusting vote grubbers who are reliant on muslim votes.

  20. 405112+ up ticks,

    Dt,

    Fighting on the ground in Kashmir

    Bare in mind that "Fighting on the ground in Kashmir " is less than a short step away from "Fighting in Oxford Street"

    Did you witness the war seeking political tool working out in the gym on the punchbag, viciously laughable,

    1. The media headlines ran with 'thousands of beagles would now need to be euthanised'.

      They just can't help themselves.

      1. Lefties can't. Their abject, total hatred of Trump is staggering. There's something deeply, desperately wrong with them.

      2. They will need help to quit the smoking habit- the beagles that is 😀 I am starting to see a bit of improvement in Winston. It could be one step forward and two steps back, but he was calmer when I got back with the shopping today and settled down more quickly. Fingers crossed.

        1. Your gentle care will pay off or not. Winston is Winston. He is far better off with you than anywhere else.

          1. I hope so. I was beginning to despair of ever making progress, but I have noticed small improvements. I kept reminding myself that Oscar took a while to come round but he was good in the end.

  22. Yo and good Moaning all,from a warmish sunny C d S

    Having another trip into Skeggy today, soon us oldies will be banned 'til October

  23. Good morning all.
    A somewhat delayed greeting as I got distracted!
    A bright start with a clear sky has given way to a cloudy sky and the temperature when I took the empty milk bottles out was slightly less cold tad above 8°C.

    Graduate Son has just pointed me towards this:-

    Customer stabbed to death in city centre bank
    Two men have been arrested after a customer was stabbed to death in a city centre bank.

    The customer, aged in his 30s, was assaulted inside the Lloyds bank in St Peter's Street in Derby at about 14:30 BST on Tuesday, police said.

    The pedestrianised street and nearby East Street remain taped off.

    A man in his 40s has been arrested on suspicion of murder, while another aged in his 30s was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.

    Both suspects were detained at about 18:00 at an address in Western Road, Normanton. They remained in police custody, Derbyshire Police said.

    The victim was yet to be formally identified but his family had been made aware, the force added.
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce3q3y05zxko

    No description given, but the address in Normanton speaks volumes.

      1. Dindus don't care. They're expendable thugs for the drugs trade. They'll do 2-3 years, be out and do it again.

    2. One assumes it was a dindu druggie made to hand over money and when he couldn't the other dindus stabbed him.

      They must be made to leave. We need to stop poncing about and simply hang the foreign criminal.

  24. Good morning chums; Overslept and late on parade. And thanks, Geoff, for today's new NoTTLe site.

    Wordle 1,418 5/6

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    1. Morning, Elsie. Interesting one today.

      Wordle 1,418 4/6

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      1. molamola, don't be so butch about getting it in 4, one better than me. Lol.

        1. Still better than me!
          Wordle 1,418 6/6

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          🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

          I did get daily Quordle though!

      1. Yesterday's, actually. A visa giveaway for Indians who won't have to pay NI when they work here.

  26. Back to the Letters Page

    06 May 2025 10:00pm BST early again

    HMS Prince of Wales chefs enjoying the sun on the flight deck while at sea

    The photo looked very "Woke":

    One black one
    one white one
    One with a bit ……

    If you know the words to song "The Mayor of Bayswater has got a pretty daughter,"

    HMS Prince of Wales chefs enjoying the sun on the flight deck while at sea

    And, it was by an Royal Air Force Photographer

    AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH

    The RN has a trade of Photographer

  27. Two-Tier Tax Keir scores a belter.. albeit an own goal.

    Hire Me! I'm half the price, screams Indian worker.
    Labour Row Over “Brain Dead” NI Exemption for Indian Workers In Trade Deal

  28. Two-Tier Tax Keir scores a belter.. albeit an own goal.

    Hire Me! I'm half the price, screams Indian worker.
    Labour Row Over “Brain Dead” NI Exemption for Indian Workers In Trade Deal

    1. That has been the case with tech jobs for years now. That's why tech salaries are so low.
      Perhaps an invasion by India will prevent us suffering the fate of Italy in becoming a Chinese colony, which would be far worse.

  29. “Keir…I have a brilliant idea. We are surrounded by natural energy resources, but let’s ignore that and buy £40 billion of oil and gas from Norway, which comes from the same sea that we share with them. Let’s spend £11.6 billion on overseas climate aid. Let’s end new coal mining licenses and spend millions of pounds for foreign coal to keep Britain's last steel plant running. Also, let’s plaster solar panels on farmland, but also spend £50 million on sun dimming experiments. We will do this in a country that has the fifth least annual sunlight hours. And we will end up with the most expensive industrial electricity prices in the developed world. Genius huh? Lol

    1. Madness is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results………..

      Are your visitors on their way home? How did it all go? Are you exhausted?

      1. My visitors have driven to Bath for the day . I would have gone with them , but have things to do . Moh is playing golf , and I do feel that they would be better off interreacting together because they hardly see each other when they are in SA . one sister lives nr Capetown and the other lives near the Kruger park , 30 minutes from all wild life activity .. on a beautiful residential retirement settlement called https://www.bateleurestate.co.za .. they moved from a nice area outside JB , and now enjoy a different lifestyle .. I must say I feel tempted .. so does Moh, but a move would probably kill us now .

        1. Quite a long distance apart then! You have a day to yourself – are you feeling any better? I think you posted some info about the estate some time ago and it looks very nice.

          If you were going to move it would have been better to have done so when you were both younger…… just remember the good times and that moving is very stressful, especially if it involves emigrating.

    1. Something else that he's done that directly insults the British public and retired British taxpayers.

  32. Morning all! A bit later today as my phone was dead. I was afraid it was dead and gone, but it eventually responded when I plugged it in. It's charging now.

    Sun's out and the wind is just a light breeze at the moment. OH is playing the piano and all's well .

      1. Indians have a reputation for hard work.

        Pakis have a reputation for
        Not working
        Raping
        Torture
        Violence
        Not washing

          1. We had a lot of Indian engineers from our Mumbai office staying here up to recently, and I was rather surprised to see signes posted in the lavatories of how to use a sit bog as opposed to a squat bog. And this for highly competent engineers!

          3. Did the instructions include pics of people standing and squatting on the seats?

          4. Yes. Weird, eh? I’d have thought that professional people would know about how to use a dunny.

    2. Romania – election result decreed not valid
      France – leader of opposition party convicted and banned
      Germany – moving towards banning opposition party
      Britain – charging opposition MP with a crime.

      Anyone spotting a pattern here?

      1. The blob fights it's enemies in every way it can.

        We won WW2, but the Left kept fighting, they just changed the weapons and the names of combatants.

  36. School Uniforms.

    SIR – When I passed my 11-plus to gain admission to a good grammar school, my proud parents forced me to wear my school uniform (Letters, May 5) – with cap – even when we were sitting on the beach on holiday.

    Mike Aston
    Stourbridge, Worcestershire

    If your parents subjected you to that form of cruel embarrassment on your holiday, they were not being 'proud of you'.

    They were displaying just how anally-retentive, controlling and appalling they were.

    1. I ‘had’ to wear my school cap until the day I left school on 26th July 1961 4 days short of my 15th birthday. I was 6’1”, not that has much to do with anything.

      2. Thirty-four years ago (I was 40), when baseball caps were all the rage, I bought a Derbyshire CCC cap with badge on the front.

        It was shaped exactly like a school uniform cap and you can't imagine the ridicule I took from my chums for wearing it in rainy weather.

        Those chums were all based in north Nottinghamshire, where I lived, and took every opportunity to ridicule anything Derbyshire! I did give back as much as I took!👍🏻😊

        1. I like the old cat flap / traditional UK flat cap. I have several, one in our tartan, several tweeds, a wax cotton one, and one made from a German postbag.

          2. I’ve owned similar in my time. I’ve lost a few being blown off my head when walking along windy clifftops.

    2. We had berets at my all girls' grammar school.
      We were supposed to wear them at all times out of school if in uniform, but not at weekends in civvies.
      People went to great lengths to conceal them behind bouffant hair-dos and stick them down on the back of the head with hair grips.
      Girls with pony tails would cut holes in them to pull the hair through.
      Eventually we were allowed to not wear them when we reached the sixth form.

      1. My grammar school decreed that caps must be worn right up until the end of the fourth year. Of course, the only cap ever bought was the one in the first year, so it resulted in the comical spectacle of 15-year-old boys with tiny caps perched on top their heads.

        1. I remember seeing those around town! I had just the one beret that had to last my schooldays, and one tie (threadbare) until I got the prefect one. Skirts and shirts did get updated I think for decency’s sake. But the uniform clothes were not cheap and my mother, a widow, had no help with any benefit or grant. She did apply, but they told her that as she was not in debt, she didn’t qualify.

          1. My mother couldn't afford them, she made the dresses which I hated. I think now some schools don't have an official uniform, but wearing 'school colours' encouraged. Perhaps even burkas, who knows.

      2. Similar. There was a river nearby…everything from everyone was chucked in there on the very last day of school. I started working full time the following day.

    3. I knew pupils like that when I was at school in the '50's. It was economics – the parents did not have much left over after having to buy the required uniform. In that same era, it was not uncommon for a child who passed the 11+ not to go to Grammar school because of the costs involved.

    3. If I put my hand here it'll give a newspaper the material for a caption competition.

    6. This was one of the more innocent Rugby Songs:

      This is number three and my hand is on the knee,

      Roll me over in the clover and do it again
      Roll me over, in the clover,
      Roll me over, lay me down and do it again.

    1. Painting uniform, Grizzly? Nonsense! You are a US Red Indian, aka narrative American, come for a pow-wow. "How!", and I claim my personalised bow and arrow in exchange for some fire-water. Lol.

  41. 405112+ up ticks,

    May one suggest this warning is heeded and action taken before the IRGC becomes the spine and ball bag of england.

    Jake Wallis Simons
    We are sleepwalking into an Iranian terror attack
    The IRGC has posed a significant national security threat to our nation for years

    1. It is easy enough to find them. They tend to dine out in West London quite a lot.

    1. No surprises there. We never left, and were never going to. Conor MacGregor giving it a good try in the Republic, keep an eye on that one.

  43. Les Halles
    21h
    BBC announces that Sir K and Lucy Powell will appear on a special edition of 'One Man and his Dog Whistle' where Lucy herds a rape gang into a pen and Sir K lets them go again.

  44. Now there is talk of drought this morning. Not necessarily due just to the lack of rain fall, but more connected to the facts rather than nature.
    No reservoirs have been built in the UK for over 40 years. But the population of these small islands has risen massively and building, not just homes has risen enormously. Who knew that we would need more water to cope with all this ?
    Obviously not our political idiots.
    But as usual they have found something to blame except for the real reasons. Themselves.

    1. On the other hand, heavy industry has been largely wiped out. What remains is rather less water dependent.

    2. Yet the EU has forbidden us from building reservoirs for the entire time of our membership. It continues to suppress of power generattion ability.

      And it mandates what is nothing less than population replacement.

      1. But we are not members and not under the restrictions of the Brussels Mafia. And they are still deliberately forcing up our population, therefore water usages on a daily basis.

        1. We may not be members but successive governments have signed up to everything going and diverged as little as possible.

        1. The water directives controlled the building of reservoirs. Can’t quote the numbers because I am severely mathematically impaired and they are guaranteed to be wrong.

    3. From t'web: Key UK Population Milestones
      – 1900: Approximately 41 million
      – 1950: Around 50 million
      – 2000: Approximately 59 million
      – 2025: Estimated at 68.2 million
      The only thing relieving the use of water is that pretty well all industry has been closed.

      1. Therefore there are around 12-13 million and rising, this many more people living in the UK since the last reservoirs were built.
        Industry being closed has probably made little difference to the consumption of water.
        The last reservoir to be built was 1992 in Derbyshire. There is a new one under contraction at Havant Thicket Hampshire, due to become operational 2029. Fingers crossed eh.

        1. "Industry being closed has probably made little difference to the consumption of water."

          It certainly has in London. After falling significantly from the mid-19th century, gound water levels have been rising steadily since the 1970s. The loss of heavy industry, particularly the closure of power stations, led to a fall in overall consumption.

          http://www.groundwateruk.org/Rising_Groundwater_in_Central_London.aspx

      2. There are nearer 80 million people in the UK today. Tesco commissioned a survey that gauged population size by food sales and use of public services and they came up with a much higher figure than the official lie. Migrants tend not to complete census forms but they still eat, ride on buses and gorge on the NHS.

        1. People do eat a lot more than they need though, and a lot more than they used to. That's not to mention the amount of food waste that goes to landfill or wherever.

        2. This is taken from a BuzzFeed article of October 2015.

          The problem is that Tesco has never claimed any such thing, and in fact is increasingly frustrated at being wrongly cited as the source for the conspiracy theory. When contacted for a comment by BuzzFeed News, the supermarket firmly but politely declined on the basis that they weren't named in the original news story.

          https://www.buzzfeed.com/jamieross/how-one-old-news-story-convinced-conspiracy-theorists-tesco

          BuzzFeed quotes the original source of this claim.

          The source of this belief appears to be just one article written in the Independent on Sunday almost 10 years ago, which has, recently, been given a new lease of life on anti-immigration Facebook groups.

          The article, written by Martin Baker in 2007, cites an anonymous source within an unnamed supermarket who, on the basis of food consumption, estimated that there were at least 80 million people living in the UK.

          Baker wrote that his secret sources were too scared to come forward and tell the truth:
          My sources for the above statement [that there are 77-80 million people in the UK] are good, but scared of admitting the truth for fear of incurring the wrath of Whitehall. It's like the best way of monitoring illegal drug consumption: forget the pious statements from ministers – the foolproof method is to sample our water and the effluent in it. That's easily the best way of monitoring what the nation has been consuming. Consumption – that's the thing. Based on what we eat, one big supermarket chain reckons there are 80 million people living in the UK.

          That's not to say the anonymous source wasn't within Tesco, but any claim that it was is pure speculation.

      3. 1900 to 1950: Increase about 9 million
        1950 to 2000: Increase about 9 million
        2000 to 2025: Increase a bit under 9 million – ie, increase rate has doubled since 2000. So, expect population 2050 to be in excess of 77 million. No wonder there's no water, housing etc etc.

        1. Immigration was brought under control during the 70s, 80s and 90s. If the population had continued to increase by the rate of growth of most of that time, it would be about 63-64 million by now.

  45. Andrew
    20h
    Which paper is going to have the bottle to on its front page give the story of the two Lucys in black and white.
    One languishing in jail the other saying something vile and not even having to apologise. We don't expect anything from the msm but this one seems too good for them to resist.

    ExFish
    21h
    Yes, Starmer's comments ARE on the record. He claimed, in January, that anyone raising the subject of gangs were 'climbing aboard the Far- right bandwagon'.

    Massey Ferguson
    20h
    More trumpet blowing, political point scoring, and dog whistling from the far right?
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ab1e704b77bf70174d0553aad74f820875e0aeecdb87337a293f3e0a5c07e589.png

  46. The info on the Indian Pakistan conflict is sparse on details until you dig in, and then, as usual, it's muslim who caused the problem first.

    Frankly, India should do whatever I needs to to punish slammers and stop them getting uppity.

    1. The risk for the UK, wibbling, is that we have a number of both here. Could be a long, hot and dangerous summer.

      1. If they kick off, shoot them. Just stop being nice, shoot the feckers.

      3. Seal off the city enclaves and let them fight, and hope the Indians win.

        1. Hope not, mola …would mean even more mealy mouthery from Starmer. (Indians would win, in any case.)

        1. Cracking the flags weather here. When I worked at ICI, boss referred to it as ‘Silly Season’….strikes ahead before too long.

  47. Lord Farquard
    21h
    Speaking of RoPers…
    Are we all supposed to carry on pretending that it was completely normal for Scotland to be lead by a M0sl#m who openly proclaimed his hatred oh wh1t# people, whose brother in law is a drug dealer connected to a murder, and who used X to send extremely r@cist messages according to Elon Musk who claimed to have seen them?

    Is this the new normal now and we're all just supposed to nod in agreement?

    Mr Blue Sky
    Lord Farquard
    21h
    The Labour leader in Scotland has said the world should be run by Pakistani men………..
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9a6974924e6166a3435dba9cffdd645a07eace79c23b28dbd54d07c548eae227.png

        1. And, significantly, Rupert Lowe wanted to purge the country of illegals already here while Farage, with a Muslim chairman of the Reform Party, did not want to do this and attacked Lowe and kicked him out of the party.

    2. Trouble is if labour get in in Scotland it'll be led by another muslim

      1. Fear not, Alec. Nicky's making her return, missing £600k notwithstanding. What are you painting today?

        1. Not painting Kate – splitting logs under a blue sky.
          She'll never get in again – people are wise to her now
          x

          1. I’ve been stacking…never ending story, winter approaches. I’d have thought so, too, but she still has a lot of supporters who think SNP=NS=leader=devolved gov’t. Did you know she’s passed vetting to become a candidate again……I’m stuck for painting/drawing…doh….taking a break from it, Alec x

  48. When reality smacks a misguided Leftie in the gob.

    Councillor Daisy Blakemore-Creedon, 19, bullied into quitting the Labour Party after she was branded a racist for calling for CCTV to be put in minicabs.

    Mother is Jewish.. Oh dear.
    She is a white hottie.. Double Oh dear. Should be fat & angry.
    Worried about creepy Pakistani pedos.. Racist. obv.

      1. An important lesson learned here it would seem, she has been lied to all her life.

      2. How dare you suggest life experience in our elected representatives is a desirable quality? What we want is diversity in age, because it is our strength! Who cares that 18 year olds, though undoubtedly well-intentioned, know absolutely nothing about life?

    2. My neighbour was just elected in the local council election for our ward standing for Reform UK. He's 18. Bright lad.

      1. Anyone signed up to Instagram, check out Chris Cork – he knows what's what, Reform lad.

  49. I still see the old uniforms around when I go into town. I don't think they still wear the headgear though.

    1. I’ve seen the girls especially walking round looking half naked. Boys either jeer at them or ignore them.

  50. Was pretty much my response. However what do we want them to have done? These people are just on the political gravy train.

    1. Travelled a bit; held down a job that's a bit grubby and difficult; maybe military service; got some job-related qualifications. Things like that.

      1. Thing is, someone who's done those things is usually too busy simply getting on to be bothered with running for government.

        Or, more likely, understands that government is a pointless waste of time that is little more than a waffle shop.

          1. Exactly! Lived a full and useful life, now has time and experience to give back to the community.
            19 years old? Pah!

          2. Pitt the Younger was PM at 24 I believe, so there is precedent for youngsters in politics.

          4. Trouble is, after having worked hard until retirementm you then look around and think the only solution to incompetent politicians would be highly illegal – but effective.

  51. Bonfire started – all debris burned – the red hot heap is now chuntering away to itself reducing to a small pile. Very satisfactory.

    1. Burn, baby, burn!

      I've thought of doing similar to destroy the 'documents we want shredded' but have never quite got around to it. Mainly because I imagine one of the dogs will try to jump in or over the barrel.

      1. Pages pressed together don't burn well, the fire can't get to the middle easily. You need to shred them first.

    1. Thanks Richard, for posting this and the memories it brought back. Always my favourite singer/songwriter, especially love 'Case of You' (and 'Song for Sharon').

      1. I sing in a choir here in Shaftesbury, and we will be singing arrangements of some Joni Mitchell songs in the Shaftesbury Fringe, so I've been going through the YouTube recordings. I'd forgotten so much, it is so enlightening to relive those days, student life!

        1. Sounds really good, Richard. If anyone records it, perhaps post a link here? that would be great!

          2. Thanks – I saved the link, hope that’s OK let me know if not? will keep checking it from time to time, they may post a link or even a video there. A capella! I used to sing all the time when I was a few years old, always being told to ‘stop making that noise’ 😆😆

      2. I sing in a choir here in Shaftesbury, and we will be singing arrangements of some Joni Mitchell songs in the Shaftesbury Fringe, so I've been going through the YouTube recordings. I'd forgotten so much, it is so enlightening to relive those days, student life!

  53. We had two local elections last week: one for the 'county' (North Northants, a unitary authority) and one the town council. For our ward, which is the same for both, we had a choice of nine candidates for the county (2 Con, 2 Lab, 2 Green, 2 Reform, 1 LD; select no more than two) and 11 for the town (5 Con, 4 Lab, 1 Reform, 1 Green; select no more than five). A curious difference in numbers…

    Results: county, 2 Reform; town, 2 Lab, 1 Con, 1 Reform, 1 Green.

    I'm a little surprised the Conservative was elected with having circulated this election notice (read it carefully):

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/79580929c770cee279e7028681e9a3d1772b7217bdd7a0de4332b09186f7ffed.jpg
    To be fair, a later leaflet was corrected!

    Only Reform mentioned Net Zero, the Lib Dems didn't post anything through the door, Labour had a last-minute blitz of the estate with a lot of young black men on the hoof, and the Green (town) probably got voted in because his leaflet showed him on one of the regular volunteer litter picks with his young daughter.

    1. So not only against housing being built on green spaces, he's against cleaning up the town and against dealing with anti-social behaviour?
      I doubt if he really meant to say that!

    2. We only received one leaflet – from the Green councillor who got our potholes repaired. I wouldn't normally vote green, certainly not in a national election, but she's been very active locally. We only had one vote for one councillor. None of the others bothered with a leaflet or any form of contact and there was no information about them online as far as I could see.

      1. I couldn't care less if they're wo/men from Mars, caring for their local 'community' (that word again) the biggest issue for me (that includes helping local businesses). No idea what mine actually does, many things dealt with by office staff. As someone once said 'gu ter 'oppenin' of n envelop that fella'.

    3. I guess that is the sort of mistake that can happen easily when one makes meaningless promises. Everyone's against anti-social behaviour, big deal.
      Conservatives who avoid mentioning the issues that everyone is actually angry about do not deserve to get elected!

    1. Keeeeerching.
      Easier than printing money.

      the taxpayer will spend £4,191,780 a day on housing asylum seekers over the life of the contracts.
      The Home Office awarded the 10-year contracts to three suppliers in 2019 – Clearsprings Ready Homes, Mears Group and Serco – which each operate two or three UK regions each.

    2. Fair play, the reviews are 4 to 5 stars.

      The self-catering accommodation are our lifeline to sanity, a chance to step away from everyday life and reconnect with the people we love; a time to relax, to be the real us, or indeed to be whoever we want to be. Clearsprings has curated a collection of the UK's most exclusive luxury cottages, for a unique self-catering experience that ensures the magic lasts long after the holiday ends.

    3. He isn't the problem. The bloke is just responding to demand to make money. The failure here is the muslim even being in this country, let alone the daily invasion of criminal gimmigrants.

  55. Righty, the bottom issue is not a bite, it's an abscess brought about, nurse thinks, by the last 3 months being spent sat mostly on my bottom for 12 hours a day straight. Going to get anti biotics for a week and if there's no change it'll be drained. Apparently is quite 'developed' being the size of a large new potato.

    As an aside, while I am not diabetic, for folk who do manage the condition what do you 'do' to do so? Are there particular foods to avoid? Foods that reduce blood sugars? I exercise a lot, and I am trying to eat only twice a day.

    1. Argh! Mind on overdrive, retching already started.
      Has she given you anything for pain?

    2. At least an abscess can be drained. There's a certain satisfaction in being able to empty the sore of its poison? Fluid retention is a bugger because the fluid is infused in the tissue therefore it isn't possible to puncture the swelling and drain the offending liquid away.

      1. This is the hope. I did ask the nurse if they could poke a hole in it to start it draining but no. I suspect they'll have to anyway.

    3. Snap… sort of. I have what might become an abscess near to February's surgical wound, healing slowly but surely yet now threatened by this pus-capped inflamed swelling in my lower abdomen. Yesterday, I was put on a one-week course of antibiotics in the hope of avoiding a trip to the local hospital for an excision.

      Last week, there was the real prospect of reducing the frequency of GP visits for daily fresh dressings. Indeed, I avoided using the hospital's treatment centre over the 3-day weekend. It provides cover when GPs are closed but I felt I didn't need its ministrations. By yesterday morning, though, I was very aware of this angry looking inflammation and the practice nurse summoned a doctor for his opinion. He prescribed the antibiotics and strongly advised I continue with daily appointments, not so much for dressing the wound as to monitor the progress of this tender and unsightly eruption.

      Before surgery on February 6th, I was told to expect a 2-night hospital stay followed by post-surgery care as an outpatient. That 2-nights became 10 because of complications, then the wound dehisced after clips were removed, followed by a prolonged spell of almost daily applications of fresh dressings, mainly because 2 or 3 day intervals in the early stage of being an outpatient would lead to saturation and seepage, soiling clothes and bedding. Now this.

      It's becoming ever harder to justify the decision to go ahead with the surgery when the abdominal hernia which prompted it was not problematic and only posed a theoretical risk to my wellbeing.

      2. So sorry to read your experience, David. Sincerely hope antibiotics work for you, asap. Can't say me and my family are the biggest of NHS fans, unfortunately. I have a young friend currently undergoing treatment in hospital, finally some progress after very many weeks.

      3. That's awful – the cure was definitely worse than the problem it was supposed to solve. I hope it will eventually heal properly.

    4. Afternoon Wibbles. As a type 2 diabetic I have to say that the dieting rules are an absolute nightmare. The best and simplest solution is to avoid anything that is overtly sugary.

        1. Yes but you have to be very careful. Canned soup for example (in fact any processed food) contains sugar. You can go mad trying to work it all out.

    5. Not advising you, wibbling, to do as my husband has, but you might want to research this? He was Type 2 for very many years, many different meds including injecting himself. Then he read up on the Carnivore Diet, followed it ever since, no meds for going on two years, blood sugars normal, much more active now – cutting wood, gardening etc each day. He mostly eats meat – steaks, lamb, chicken, the very opposite of Low Fat Diet. Importantly – no carbs (bread, biscuits, cake, rice). Maybe try eating fewer carbs, more meat – see if you feel any better? (Carbohydrate Diet apparently came from America with the promotion it reduced heart attacks and lowered blood pressure, seems like it may not have done that.)

      1. I agree Kate – it's the carbs that do the damage – potatoes, biscuits, cake etc I keep to a minimum – my bread, which I make myself, is gluten free. I'm type 2, was on insulin until I lowered my BS level through diet and am now on a very low dose of Gliclazide. I've got my BS level under control. x

        1. Really happy to read of your progress, Alec. Do you use a special flour for your bread? Insulin…that’s a strong med, pleased to read you’re no longer using it, and your Bloods under control. Excellent! x

          1. Yes Kate – Doves gluten free bread flour – Tescos & Asda sell it plus probably other supermarkets x

          2. Thanks Alec, will tell him, he loves baking bread and cooking generally…me, I’m ok with anything 😆

          3. I do mine in a bread machine on the ‘normal’ setting, I’ll dig out the recipe if you want x

          4. Thanks he did have one of those but he seems to prefer mystical methods of doing this that the other 😄 g’night Alec..see you tmrw xx

          6. ‘morning…feels almost like evening, been up since just after 5 am with doggo..(he’s now asleep in his bed, having wolfed down chicken breakfast). I’m such a mug…😆

      2. 405112+ up ticks,

        Afternoon KJ.
        Agreed with bells on, check out DR,Ken Berry.

      3. Same for Firstborn.
        More active, controlled bloods, weight sliding gently off, much better humour.

    6. Look up the Glucose Goddess – she has lots of ideas on keeping blood sugar even.

      Carnivore diet suggested by KJ would also work and be more man-friendly, I expect.

  56. Afternoon all. Lovely day, sunny and warm. Pity I am still too exhausted to take advantage of it.

    Britain doesn’t have the means to defend itself from any threat, although Vlad is the least of our worries.

    1. SStill Touches of bare branches up here above I81 although many trees are now fully clothed in leaves.

  58. Just visited the butcher in Clare. Co-op shelves depleted. On top of that I was told that the Bell Hotel opposite in Market Square is presently occupied by 30 illegals. The fuckers get everywhere with a thousand or so ensconced on nearby Wethersfield former WWII airbase.

    This country is lost.

    1. The government plan is to spread them everywhere in smaller groups. Their reason for this is the usual bullshit and lies.

      They promised to stop using hotels and now they will be giving them houses for free.

      The same thing is happening in most European countries.

      My question is…Why would these traitors to our glorious countries think that either the incomers or the indigenous would give them any assistance at all when we have societal break down?

      I spit on all of them.

  59. From Coffee House the Spectator

    03 May 2025
    Spectator Life
    Nigel Jones
    Nigels may soon go extinct
    Barely any babies are being given the name
    7 May 2025, 5:00am
    From Spectator Life

    I have never been a big fan of my own name. The name ‘Nigel’ has romantic origins – it means ‘dark champion’ in Celtic lore and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle titled one of his dashing medieval historical novels Sir Nigel. But by the time of my birth the name had become indelibly associated with cerebrally challenged upper-class twits with protruding teeth, and then a silly song about ‘making plans for Nigel’.

    The most prominent bearers of the name during my lifetime – such as Nigels Lawson, Havers, Mansell and Kennedy – have done little to enhance its prestige. By 2022, only three Nigels were registered in the national birth statistics, and the name had become so unpopular that it is threatened with actual extinction, going the same way as such despised and dead forenames as Herbert, Cyril and Algernon. So acute was the danger that the Daily Star ran a front-page reading ‘Oh no! We’re running out of Nigels!’ And then along came Nigel Farage.

    Although the Reform party leader is a Marmite figure, his loyal following mately refer to him as ‘Nigel’ rather than ‘Farage’ at Reform UK meetings, even if they have never met him. So could the most divisive man in British politics be responsible for reviving his much-mocked moniker?

    There has yet to be any notable uptick in Nigels in the birth statistics, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see make a comeback – in the same way that antique male forenames such as Alfie or Gus have enjoyed a recent revival.

    Meanwhile, some of us Nigels are fighting back. In 2019, around 400 Nigels and their partners – some from as far afield as the US, Nicaragua and Zimbabwe – gathered at the Fleece pub in the village of Bretforton, outside Evesham, for the first Nigel Night – a celebration of the name and its proud wearers organised by pub landlord Nigel Smith. There was a second such night in 2022, and the next will be held this year on 20 September. Thousands of us have signed the Book of Nigel that Mr Smith keeps behind the bar to register our existence.

    By 2022, only three Nigels were registered in the national birth statistics

    I acquired my name almost by accident. My father had no particular preference when it came to names. (He had called his previous sons Ivor and Keith, which are even less fashionable than Nigel.) My half-brother Keith strongly lobbied for ‘Colin’, so thank goodness he didn’t win that battle. My mother, however, had a tendresse for a gentleman jockey named Gay Kindersley (1930-2011), who – despite or because of his name – was a confirmed heterosexual, and she was actually proposing to dub me ‘Gay’. You can probably imagine the effects on my childhood had she got her way.

    Fortunately, my dad attended a party on the night I was born, and a woman guest suggested calling me ‘Nigel’. My mother accepted the idea, and so I was launched with the name. When I tell you that my middle name is ‘Hazell’ (my grandmother’s surname), you can guess that my parents weren’t very thoughtful when it came to bestowing names. The misery that caused me at boarding school is still a raw memory.

    In some cultures, names remain a sacred symbol, kept secret from strangers and bearing a spiritual significance. In our debased society, babies are given the names of soap stars, footballers or popular wines. For what it’s worth, I called my own offspring Rebecca, Tom and Milena. I didn’t even consider Nigel or Nigella.

    Written by
    Nigel Jones
    Nigel Jones is a historian and journalist

    1. Garys are in danger of dying out, too. I had a boyfriend called Gary, once. He was great fun, with a wicked sense of humour. Hard tp imagine, 35 years later.

      1. SSorry. I misread that as Gays and thought that there might be an obvious reason for that.

        1. I don't think Gary Glitter did much to enhance the reputation of the name.

    2. Caroline and I have kept our sons' names 'in the family'.

      Our first son, Christopher Lourens, is named after my father, Christopher and Caroline's father, Lourens; our second son, Henry Pieter, is named after his paternal great grandfather, Henry, and his maternal great grandfather Pieter.

      We kept the Dutch spelling of the names Lourens (Lawrence) and Pieter (Peter).

  60. 405112+ up ticks,

    Please someone wise me up, WHAT exactly are we partying for
    tomorrow, it certainly cannot be the long term success of WW2
    because that is truly, truly, NON EXISTENT.

    The original party held out hope and belief in the future currently we can be imagining highly viably reality, in seeing peoples images in-bedded in pavements.

    Many of us want to return BACK to what was fought for ,as in normality, many have NOT witnessed normality, it must be rote taught via the education system whilst we still have those that remember when we had decency , common sense and self respect.

    At the moment we are partying in commemoration of million of deaths, for what ? we have allowed these Isles to be sold off peace meal, covered up a massive amount of crime & treachery
    and still within a blink of an eye vote back into power the politico
    mafia dons who sell us, and ALL forces dead souls past, OUT every time.

    1. But many of us feel completely disenfranchised so for whom should we vote?

      1. You lost your voting rights because you left the country. Cameron saw to that.

    2. I took my sisters to visit an elderly lady friend who will be 101 years old in a couple of months .

      She was married to a Royal Engineer who took part in the Normandy landings .. he died about 25 years ago .

      Percy landed on Gold beach .. he received medals for the part he played .. For the 50th anniversary , she arranged a trip to Normandy which she kept secret until the last minute .. He became suspicious when the ferry that took them there was also full of veterans ..

      She told me and my sisters that Percy would never ever discuss the part he played or the landing .

      The highest number of casualties was at Omaha, with its high cliffs. At Gold, Juno, and Sword, several fortified towns were cleared in house-to-house fighting, and two major gun emplacements at Gold were disabled using specialised tanks.

      She showed my sisters Percy's medals which were displayed in a display cabinet in her living room .

      We were in tears when she related the damage and nightmares that Percy endured for years , some nights were good and many were terrible .

      She told us that because she was involved with the Normandy veterans , fund raising , tea parties , ceremonies , and of course the well being of her husband , that why have previous and present governments betrayed the concept of the freedoms and safety from invasion by other forces , and why ?

      The estimated total battle casualties for the United Kingdom were 65,000, including 11,000 killed and 54,000 wounded or missing.

      All three of us sat and wept and felt terrible when she told us about her late husband who was a little older than her when they married and the absolute trauma the poor man and many others suffered , and the many who didn't return .

    1. They are totally and utterly incorrigible, aren’t they?

      2. I remember being somewhat surprised seeing that symbol when walking down a street in New Delhi. The only difference to the swastika is the drection is reversed.

  62. Stop and search is racist.
    Deliveroo are not delivering drugs.
    Middle class people aren't addicts.

    Which of these statements do you think to be true or not?

    Doesn't matter. We will support your Lib Dem candidacy as we all know Farage is the son of Hitler.

  63. Wordle No. 1,418 3/6

    ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
    🟨🟨🟨⬜⬜
    🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

    Wordle 7 May 2025

    Stud for Birdie Three?

    1. Par for me.

      Wordle 1,418 4/6

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

    2. Normal par.
      Wordle 1,418 4/6

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

    3. Was sure I had it in three (the fruit), then chose the wrong one of two remaining options (the dance) – doh! – annoying bogey……

      Wordle 1,418 5/6

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

    4. Chose wrong word line three. Just a Par.

      Wordle 1,418 4/6

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

    1. "Hardcore Labour voters want; mass deportations, low tax, no net-zero, grooming gangs investigated, executions & deportations, don't want the greenbelt destroyed."

      There's this naggin feelin Farage won't deliver..
      Shamima Begum should be able to return..
      Mass deportation not possible..
      Rupert Lowe & Ben Habib expelled..
      Tommy Robinson hatred..
      Charlie Mullins..
      Zia Yusuf chairman of Reform..
      No paedo inquiry..

      1. Farage hasn't got a plan. He hasn't set out what needs to be done. He's good on rhetoric, short on planning.

  65. * Waltzes in * Good late afternoon, time for a nice cup of tea and chocolate éclair.

    1. No eclair here – but OH has just made me a nice cup of tea……….I'm knackered.

      1. It’s usually just a biscuit but I had a small lunch and dinner will be equally small .

        1. Trying to remember what I've eaten and it's a croissant and 6 small sausage rolls and four squares of chocolate. Maybe that's why I'm knackered, but I put most down to the water balloon in my bum.

  67. Disqus just told me my accoungt was shut down due to not being used, and forced a password change. Since I had been here a few minutes before that happened, I can only assume they are clueless.

    1. Can you be sure it's Disqus, jack…would go to Disqus website and check if you've been spammed, or not.

  68. Migrant Invasion.. stupid.

    For the first time in opposition, the Conservative Party is today [Wednesday 7 May 2025] publishing a full Bill – the Deportation Bill: a bold, no-nonsense plan to take back control of the UK's borders and fix the broken immigration system Labour refuses to confront.

    take back control.. LOL

    1. Why didn't they do that while they were in office? I know Suella Braverman wanted to but she was ousted.

      1. And why was that? She went against the plan of managed decline, didn't she. Same as Kwarteng and Truss. The Left have a plan and it is to destroy this country in every way possible.

    3. They have been part of the problem for fourteen years. Typically now they have all the answers.

    4. Is it 'We couldn't give a stuff and we don't care, you're gonna be replaced, put up, shut up' repeated countless times over?

    5. Is it 'We couldn't give a stuff and we don't care, you're gonna be replaced, put up, shut up' repeated countless times over?

  69. I've got it, we fly the Indian flags Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
    The Pakistani flags on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and the Palestinian flags on a Sunday

    1. I have a skull and crossbones flag that I bought for The Last Night of the Proms. Given the state of the country, it should be our national flag now.

  70. That's me for today. Very good bonfire. Apart from that, a cold day outdoors. Would that it would improve….a bit. Just some warmth!

    Have a jolly evening.

    A demain (market day).

  71. Just taken my first self-administered shot of insulin. Needle slipped in no troubles, felt not a thing. So, lets see what effect on the blood sugars tomorrow.

        1. I have only tried to do it once with a 'flu jab years back. Needle would go in – pushed hard – then all the liquid came out and ran down my leg! Never again!

          1. I get that effect when I'm really scared… just saying…
            Never done this before. I HATE it all. But it was surprisingly unpainful.

          2. I had to have daily injections after an operation.
            The nurse discovered I was an Arsenal supporter, she was a THFC.
            I decided then and there that self-administered was the way forward.
            It was surprisingly easy!
            She and I laughed about it a lot as she changed my dressings and eventually removed numerous external metal staples.

          3. Alright sos – not seen you for a bit, you OK?

            My younger son is a huge Gooner (dont know why, we've never lived near London) – it looks like they've got a bloody mountain to climb tonight, dont fancy them tbh….. although with Declan Rice (probably the best player in the Premier League at the moment) anything's possible!!

          4. Been in the UK for various celebrations and commemorations.
            Fine as rain, thanks.
            It will be an interesting match.
            Two of mine are "dog's breath": just to wind me up.

      1. No. GP showed me how, and it works fine. Just a short-term measure to get the blood sugar down for a test in a month's time.
        Helps that the needle is as fine as a hair.

        1. I never had a problem injecting insulin in my stomach area, very thin 4mm long needle. As long as you use a new spot every time you won't have a problem

  72. Drinking a lovely, dry, smooth, nutty, stout brewed by Nøgne Ø in Norway. Superb flavour! If I can find another, i'll put it in the fridge next time. Oh, yes, and it's 10%, too!
    Hic!

  73. I'm beginning to see the globalist great reset coming into full fruition now with this trade deal with India.
    Big corporations can move around the world and bring all their cheap workers with them and not be subject to all those nasty nation state domestic taxes, rules and regulations while receiving all the social benefits that nation has to offer it workers.
    Marvelous really.
    Those billionaire plutocrats have it all sorted

    1. None. They will fight against each other in the streets of Britain's cities.

      1. UK government is warning people not to visit parts of Pakistan and India. They should be warning people not to visit Leicester.

        1. The Chinese warn their citizens not to be alone in London at night. Not to go out at night. To avoid areas where pakis live. To avoid blacks.

          Fecking CHINA! tells people this. CHINA! Which happily carries out an awful slew of human rights abuses every day is warning people to avoid areas of black and pakistani in London – that's practically the whole overrun, welfare addicted city!

          1. I won’t be alone or go out in London at night, either! In fact, I won’t go to London at all if I can help it. I was only thinking this morning that the days of me going down to Westminster Abbey for the Battle of Britain service have long gone.

      2. Mainly because they know they can and plod will be nothing.

        In reality it's an ideal opportunity to rid this country of two of it's biggest problems: just catch them in a crossfire and solve the bloody problem.

      3. Yes, long hot summer ahead. Lighter evenings, warm dark nights. Ripe for fires, breaking windows, social unrest.

    2. Grey herons are not as big, close up, as they seem to be when they fly.

      1. My 2 sisters who are visiting me from South Africa, went on a rather special cruise to Norway from Newcastle , accompanied by my other Northern cousins , all 6 of them had a wonderful time .

        It was a small cruise liner , and as the ship sailed across the North Sea to Bergen , they were astounded to see a Grey heron flying ahead of them .. open water , miles from anywhere , and just flying , why and how, and do they migrate?

      2. They're quite big when they stand on the edge of yer pond pecking out and eating the frogs Grizz.

      3. Love that lazy, elegant way they take off, wheel round, disappear…quite good fishers…

    2. Reform have no policies (battle tested, campaigned on, fought for policies). They've no plan to reverse the reasons this country is falling backward but Reform won't identify what that is because I think they don't really know. They won't get rid of the brown menace, they won't undo the endless legislation that gives the Left such power.

      They might get elected, but as soon as they're in office they'll be exposed, outflanked and undone because they're just not ready. We'll be back to the uniparty forever.

      1. 405112+ up ticks,

        Evening W,

        And so the political roundabout does a full circle.

  80. I was just having an interesting conversation with someone about rats, when it occurred to me that in a year and a half of living here in Buenos Aires, I've only actually seen one rat. And that's with the big municipal dustbins plonked along the streets being regularly ransacked by the homeless. (It took me a while to get used to heads popping out of bins as I passed; now I know most of the locals by name and cheerily say hello.)

    The council empties the bins every evening, including sweeping up and disposing of the scattered litter, and hoses the area down.

    They also have groundskeepers for the parks.

    Politics may be a fairground ride here, and the economy seriously nuts, but in terms of a safe and tidy place to live in, it feels like the England of my youth.

      1. 🤣

        I should have specified those that walk on four paws, perhaps…

      1. The Warqueen and I were lamenting how much better everything was in the mid 90's. Oh, we had our problems, but you could walk about at night. There were no brown faces on street corners. We were a far more tolerant society (less so now because tolerance wasn't enough. We had to laud the different above our own self and people didn't want to.

        The family mattered. Welfare was lower. We were on that jobs edge where if you worked, you were rewarded.

        Then Blair got in and wrecked everything.

    1. What we need right now is an Atticus Finch. The rabid dog in our lives is not a fiction.

      1. Politicians have no moral compass. Someone who did couldn't survive. We'd be better served with a dictator who hasn't to fight the pointless popularity contest of vote grubbing who can resolve the fundamental problems, undo universal franchise, cut taxes, shred the state, cut taxes on businesses – freed some the idiotic ranting of Lefties blithering on about how da wich shud be taxed (as they can't think, so I haven't allowed them the concept of spelling either).

        1. Yes….Lee Kwan Yew….no jaywalking, always put the toilet seat down……kid you not…

        2. Along the lines of William the Conqueror but maybe adjust the Harrying of the North a bit.

  82. Excellent what a wonderful experience. We did a week out of Southampton a few years ago. Visiting the Fjords. We loved it.

  83. I know it's only 8 of the clock but after watching Julia Bradbury climb Blencathra in the lake district. I need a rest.
    I'll catch up again tomorrow Nottlers.
    Good night yawl 😊

    1. That was 18 years ago. I bet she's not so energetic now.

      I remember her first and foremost for her appearances on Countryfile when it was Blue Peter For Adults:
      "Tonight, Julia abseils down An Teallach."
      "Tonight, Julia bungee jumps from the top of one of the towers of the Clifton suspension bridge."
      "Tonight, Julia swims the length of the Manchester Ship Canal."
      And so on…

      3. I could have done that 18 years ago. 😊 we stayed in Braithwaite a few years ago just after the terrible floods and Cat Bells was not far outside our kitchen window.

    2. That was 18 years ago. I bet she's not so energetic now.

      I remember her first and foremost for her appearances on Countryfile when it was Blue Peter For Adults:
      "Tonight, Julia abseils down An Teallach."
      "Tonight, Julia bungee jumps from the top of one of the towers of the Clifton suspension bridge."
      "Tonight, Julia swims the length of the Manchester Ship Canal."
      And so on…

    3. My old Dad, who had a great turn of phrase, always referred to the lovely Julia as 'Kitty Wainwright' – not sure why but it seemed to work…

  84. Over much of its range the grey heron is resident, but birds from the more northerly parts of Europe migrate southwards, some remaining in Central and Southern Europe, others travelling on to Africa south of the Sahara Desert.

  85. Hear you, wibbling, especially after watching/listening to Ben Habib, Katie Hopkins, Rupert Lowe…something not quite right there. Perhaps it'll be UKIP repeat.

    1. He needs to be getting air time and talking about his policies. He needs to do the homework to say 'this law builds on this law and that on this, and this and this. They all need to go before we can remove foreign criminals. We will repeal them.'

      But he doesn't.

      2. Yes, and more people saying/thinking similarly. Looks a bit kind of bored, impatient? lately.

  88. Kashmir. As ever, it's our fault. Read some history of this part of the world and then wrap your head in a cold, wet towel. Hindus, Moghuls and Sikhs, all at one another at different times in the centuries before the British arrived and then some more while we were there. Anyone would think that before the Raj, Rohan, Imran and Balbir popped around to each other gaffs on a regular basis for a cheery cup of tea.

    Partition. Can you imagine what the result might have been if Dickie had said "I say, you chaps, we're orf right now, so sort it out amongst yourselves. You can draw the lines on the map. I'm sure you'll make a jolly good go of it." Yep. Probably little better or worse than it turned out.

    PS I wonder if Serco are lined up for the contract to rebuild Leicester.

    2. My paternal grandmother was born in Pawncore in India in 1857, the daughter of a military tailor. Pawncore was the scene of Indian uprisings against the British in both 1855 and 1857.

      There is nothing new about Indians fighting, back then comprising a diverse mix of Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims, whether against the British or nowadays amongst themselves.

    3. My paternal grandmother was born in Pawncore in India, the daughter of a military tailor. Pawncore was the scene of Indian uprisings against the British in both 1855 and 1857-1859.

      There is nothing new about Indians fighting, back then comprising a diverse mix of Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims, whether against the British or nowadays amongst themselves.

      Contemporary accounts suggest the British were violent towards the Indians both following the uprisings and before.

      1. I expect the attitude of many British soldiers was "WTF are we doing here?".

    4. My paternal grandmother was born in Pawncore in India in 1857, the daughter of a military tailor. Pawncore was the scene of Indian uprisings against the British in both 1855 and 1857.

      There is nothing new about Indians fighting, back then comprising a diverse mix of Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims, whether against the British or nowadays amongst themselves.

  90. Goodnight, all. I'm worn out and ready for bed, but I've done quite well to stay up this long. The joiner didn't come and the plumber didn't arrive, either. Pretty much nothing achieved!

    2. Did you manage to take the dogs out for a short walk? Either way, I see you headed to bed two hours ago, so I hope when you awake you (and the dogs) have slept reasonably well.

  91. Has anyone watched State of Play? (bbc 2003) And if so, was it any good?

    1. I have it on DVD. I also watched it when it came out. It is simply excellent with a good cast and wonderful storyline.

      The Yanks made their own version (Russell Crowe, I think) but it wasn't anywhere as good as the original.

      1. Thank you, Grizzly! I have just ordered the bbc 2003 version to take away with us in case (probably a certainty) we have a rainy afternoon.

    1. It's been reported this evening that the target was the Israeli embassy.

  95. Well, chums, I'm off to bed now. I've just been watching a series on TPTV on Churchill's Secret Army, the secret resistance network set up to harass and sabotage Germans during WWII in the event of a German invasion. The secret was to hide in special secret dugouts if the enemy invaded until they had passed your town and then to sabotage their lines of supply so that they could no longer survive.

    So Good Night, chums, sleep well, and I hope to see you all tomorrow morning.

    1. Let's be realistic, there would have been far more who would have snitched on their neighbours. Isn't it time we stopped repeating the propaganda stories around the end of the last long economic cycle, and concentrated on not letting the ultra-rich get away with economic ruin of the masses and loss of so many lives again?

      1. Activities were conducted in the utmost secrecy. Anyone recruited had to first sign the Official Secrets Act, and took their signing with the utmost seriousness, revealing their covert activities to absolutely no-one, even wives until decades later. I am watching the series out of choice; I have no desire to spend my time to blame the outbreak of war on the rich.

  96. Well, chums, I'm off to bed now. I've just been watching a series on TPTV on Churchill's Secret Army, the secret resistance network set up to harass and sabotage Germans during WWII in the event of a German invasion. The secret was to hide in special secret dugouts if the enemy invaded until they had passed your town and then to sabotage their lines of supply so that they could no longer survive.

    So Good Night, chums, sleep well, and I hope to see you all tomorrow morning.

    1. I'm sorry, but that image looks triumphalist and gloating, which is not a graceful way of remembering that an estimated 1600 civilians and 53 aircrew died on the raid. Whoever had that idea of illuminating the dam with a victory V, it was a mistake.

        1. Still right though. People need to wake up to 2025 and not fall for the current round of propaganda.

      2. Over 55,000 aircrew died in Bomber Command during the war. They earned the victory. …-

    1. Probably having computer problems again.
      At least that's what I hope it is.

  100. Royal Navy chief steps down early
    Sir Ben Key was described as being unhappy at the state of the navy.

    The head of the Royal Navy has stepped down months earlier than expected.

    Admiral Sir Ben Key had announced that he would retire as First Sea Lord this summer. However, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed on Wednesday that he had already left the post.

    Sir Ben’s departure appears all the more abrupt as he was due to speak at the First Sea Lord’s Sea Power conference in London next week.

    The conference has now been postponed indefinitely. An email from the Council on Geostrategy read: “It is with sincere regret that we must inform you that the First Sea Lord’s Sea Power Conference 2025 has been postponed.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/05/07/royal-navy-chief-steps-down/

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