WHAT ATTRACTED YOUR ATTENTION TODAY?

[Stanley]

The sooner the better Ian. I think back to the 18 months the tax people took to make a decision on Janet's estate.
I was struck this morning by the number of young people in various stages of undress looking as though they were making their way home after a late night.

[Tizer]

I was struck this morning by the number of young people in various stages of undress looking as though they were making their way home after a late night.

Members of the Brexit Party returning from their celebrations perhaps?

[PanBiker]

More likely the aftermath of BOTS in Barlick. We have to remember that Stanley's morning starts about 3 - 4am.

[Big Kev]

More likely the aftermath of BOTS in Barlick. We have to remember that Stanley's morning starts about 3 - 4am.

Not sure where they had been in the meantime, the last band finishes around 11pm

[Stanley]

"Stanley's morning starts about 3 - 4am"
And it gets harder and harder to get out of bed these days......
Later. The knife attack on children on a school bus in Japan.

[Stanley]

A programme on World Service (Changing World, Changing Bodies) discussing the way modern life is altering our bodies, everything from teeth to muscles and bone structure.
T May 'enjoying' her last visit to Brussels as PM....

[PanBiker]

I have just put a deposit on a new (to us) car. It's a Hyundai i30 1.6 Automatic, 29,000 on the clock, nice looking hatchback. I found it over at a dealers in Fleetwood. It will come with 12 months MOT and 3 months warranty. They will give us an allowance on our 12 year old Renault and I should be able to reclaim about 3 months road tax from the old motor which is a bonus.

The other thing that attracted my attention is that although I have not received my licence back from the DVLA I may still be able to drive under section 88 of The Road Traffic Act (1988). I meet all the criteria in the guide as far as I can see. I went to see my doctor a few weeks back before I applied for my licence. He agreed that I was fit to drive. I have completed my 6 months suspension as required for my medical condition. It's over 4 weeks since I sent my application to the DVLA I assume they have received it and there are no complications. Not heard from them anyway. The relevant section of the DVLA's INF/188/6 is shown below.



I voluntarily surrendered my licence and have
now applied for a new one. Can I drive?

As soon as the DVLA receives your correct and
complete application for a new licence and as long
as you meet all the Section 88 criteria you may
drive. If your medical condition meant you had
to take a specified amount of time off driving to
ensure the stability of your condition, you must still
complete that time off driving before you drive under
Section 88 of The RTA. If you are unsure please
check the ‘Assessing fitness to drive’ guide, which
can be found at www.gov.uk/dvla/fitnesstodrive
or check with your doctor.

[Stanley]

Wouldn't it be nice if these government departments hadn't culled their staff as soon as they became aware of the powers of the computer. The consequence is that in a case like yours there aren't enough human beings to be enable timely face to face discussions. You have my sympathy, not that that will do much good.....
I'm getting slightly worried because my Trickers haven't arrived yet in the post from Ilkley. I shall give it a bit longer before I take action.

[PanBiker]

Leeds railway station currently shut down due to trespassers. All lines affected. Sally is taking Ruby home today and has tickets from Skipton via Leeds. She is currently speaking to someone from National Rail enquiries for advice. They are saying they hope the incident will be over by around lunchtime. There may be trains from Skipton that are delayed but they can't confirm. They also cant give a time for any connecting trains from Leeds. Joy of joys, time for plan B. See if Carla can take them to Leeds then take advice on the first Birmingham train available.

[Wendyf]

Someone on a bridge ready to jump.

[PanBiker]

Yes, just seen that, reports now that they have switched off all the overhead power lines.

[PanBiker]

Plan C, looking at options from Burnley Manchester Road to Manchester Victoria then change for Manchester Picadilly and on to Birmingham. She should be able to use her existing via Leeds tickets as the destination is the same. Sally will be able to claim back the cost of the journey and any other reasonable costs in reorganising her route. She has return tickets for tomorrow back the normal route via Leeds and Skipton. She can argue the toss with the conductor on the Manchester train or the staff at Manchester.

[PanBiker]

May be able to scratch that. Lines are now open at Leeds but it will take time to clear the trapped trains. Advice is to delay journeys where possible but Sally's original route and tickets would be viable.

[PanBiker]

Advice is that it will take up to 3pm to clear the trains at Leeds. there is a possibility that by then Sally's connection to Birmingham may be cancelled. They have opted for Plan C via Manchester. Carla has just rocked up to collect Isla and Finlay and will run Sally and Ruby on to Burnley.

[Wendyf]

Hope that works Ian, I saw people being charged again on the Crosscountry train because their tickets were with another operator.

[PanBiker]

Sally's tickets indicate that they are valid using the alternative operators. If she has to pay again or any extra she can claim it all back as it is classed as an unacceptable delay. She is allowed to use any reasonable means to complete her journey, this extends to normal public transport so trains and buses in the main. Didn't fancy the bus to Birmingham. It takes a while but she has always been re-reimbursed in the past for unacceptable delays and cancelled trains etc.

If we didn't have all the different franchise operators it would not be an issue.

Interesting to note that if you get the train from Colne to Manchester the journey time is given as 1h 43min. From Burnley 42 minutes. The journey from Colne and a change to cross from one Burnley station to another takes an hour.

[Stanley]

Glad that's all getting sorted!
My post is relatively unimportant but my Trickers have just this minute arrived back home.

[PanBiker]

Excellent Stanley, I hope they are as you expect.

On the train thing and the different operators. All this comes about by successive governments not having the vision to develop an integrated transport system. Communist regimes are expert at this as are a good number of democracies so why can't we do it here?

Prague is a shining example and to the now Czech Republic citizens it's one of the only things they celebrate from their former Russian occupation. All transport (apart from taxis and private hire cars) uses the same ticketing system and all passes are valid on Trains, Metro, Trams and Buses. You buy one integrated pass for whatever duration you need, validate it on the first journey and that's it until it runs out. All of the transport is state run of course to make this happen but it also extends to timetabling. In and around the city you never have to wait more than two or three minutes for a connecting service. When we visited Rome we found that they operate a similar system there also, one pass fits all.

[Tizer]

The Prague Metro was opened in 1974 and I was shown it by proud citizens on a visit in the early 1980s. I was there with other scientists for a conference. When some of the Czechs in the city told us that we should build one too we had to gently point out that London has had one since the mid-1800s!

[Stanley]

" why can't we do it here?" Because of governments selling off the family silver.
The Trickers are now much heavier and have smooth soles Ian. They are fine..... Must let my men at Ilkley know they are OK. They were dead against it!
My boot fetish is getting the better of me. At the moment I do not possess a pair of good working boots.... I am tempted to get a pair of hand made fell boots which are ridiculously cheap. I like the look of them. Madness of course but Imelda Marcos did it and became famous for her collection!
[The two Micks will get the benefit when I die and they raid the collection....]

[Tizer]

This grabbed my attention...
`Donald Trump's UK visit: What’s he bringing with him?' LINK

[Stanley]

That article only tells part of the story. In June 2000 I was staying with Martha and Roger in their house which was just outside the entrance to Carleton College. I was scraping paint off their house and so was on my scaffolding outside every day. Bill Clinton attended Commencement Day at the College and I saw much of the security activity which started a month before the day. We had repeated overflights of electronic surveillance planes and helicopters. The security men inspected all the underground tunnels on the site which carried the services, they installed security doors in them and sealed all the access manholes. Every building on campus was searched and guarded and black cars prowled around at night. The local airport at Fairbault had been fighting Ma Bell for years to get an extra line, 15 were installed for the visit and they were used for the presidential helicopters.
I was leaving to return to the UK on the day of the visit and had to have a special pass to get out of the exclusion zone on the day. As we took off from MSP the pilot pointed out the support aircraft that had brought the Presidential party and equipment in. It was like a small air force! On the day there were lots of men in short raincoats, I was told this was so they could conceal the automatic weapons they were carrying.
That was a domestic visit and must have cost millions. Just imagine what has been happening in the last few weeks in London......
Locally, police activity in our back street. I have no idea what it was all about but something was interesting them....

[Tripps]

Just imagine what has been happening in the last few weeks in London......

I was speaking to my son (in central London) yesterday afternoon on the mobile phone, when he said 'I think Trump has arrived - never seen so many helicopters in one place before'. Must have been a practice as he doesn't come till Monday.

[Cathy]

I realise that it isn't on quite the same level, but it takes me back to the late '70's / early 80's when I was working at RM Williams and our then Prime Minister - Fraser - came for a visit. His entourage of security, sectretaries, p.a.'s etc arrived in huge black cars and filled our front car-park. The security guys then proceeded to check every nook and cranny of our factory, offices , storerooms, delivery area's, and front show-room etc before he got out of his car and entered the premises.
It was quite something to see. (and he was 7ft tall)

[PanBiker]

On the 6th of June 2004 the 60th anniversary of D Day. My lad Dan and myself were over in France and in a line of traffic on my motorbike climbing the hill out of Arromanches. Cresting the hill, I was confronted by a fully armed Apache attack helicopter hovering at about 50 ft directly above the road pointing straight at me! The downdraught nearly had us off the bike. The pilot noticed our problem and took it up to about 100ft in a side slide off to the side of the road until we had passed. I saw him come back on station in my wing mirrors. 15 seconds later we met the Presidential motorcade making their way to where we had just come from. Three open top limo's with tooled up security guys then the Presidential bullet proof job with the Stars and Stripes pennants, six running agents three at either side, three more open tops behind and about 6 motorcycle outriders. Attack helicopter on station in pace ahead of the cavalcade. That was President Bush's little band.