Seen in the News

[Tizer]

I still remember back in the 1980s on a trip back north and stopping off in the centre of a small town on the A49, in Staffordshire probably. A little elderly chap stepped out onto a zebra crossing. A youth came whizzing along on a bike and didn't stop. As the bike passed right in front of him on the crossing the chap gave the lad such a belt around the head with the flat of his hand I thought he'd fall off the bike. The chap looked pleased with himself!

[plaques]

Parking charges at local hospital have been re-introduced ...Parking Fees

AN NHS trust has come under fire for reintroducing parking charges for visitors and patients after suspending them during the coronavirus pandemic.
The fees apply to the Royal Blackburn and Burnley General Teaching Hospitals as well as the smaller Accrington Victoria, Pendle Community and Clitheroe Community Hospitals.
The fees apply to patients and visitors and but parking at the five sites remains free for staff.
Parking at all five sites rises from £1.90 for three hours through £2.80 for eight to £3.50 for 24.

[Stanley]

The nearest I ever got to chicken was with the wagon and trailer on a narrow lane going to a farm. I met a car who told me in no uncertain terms he wasn't going to reverse. I got my flask out poured a coffee and started reading the paper. The contest lasted about two minutes.
Ken, Thanks for the item about parking charges. If hospitals were funded adequately there would be no need for them. At least we can be thankful they aren't charging the staff.

[PanBiker]

The nearest I ever got to chicken was with the wagon and trailer on a narrow lane going to a farm. I met a car who told me in no uncertain terms he wasn't going to reverse. I got my flask out poured a coffee and started reading the paper.

Similar to the Mexican standoff I had with a driver in a huge 4x4 that I met on the very narrow bit of Greenberfield Lane near the sewage plant. I was walking from Broad Ing to Gisburn Road when I met the vehicle on the No Through Route lane except for access. She had read the sign but ignores it and was only using it as a shortcut to Gill Brow. I stood in the middle of the lane as I couldn't get past anyway. I asked her to reverse as I had right of way. She said I should turn round and find a wider bit where she could pass. I said she had two options, reverse or I would climb over her nice shiny motor. I put one foot on her front bumper and she changed her mind.

[Tizer]

Parking charges at local hospital have been re-introduced ...The fees apply to patients and visitors and but parking at the five sites remains free for staff. Parking at all five sites rises from £1.90 for three hours through £2.80 for eight to £3.50 for 24.

That's cheap! At our local hospital it's up to 1 hour £1.80, to 2 hours £4.40, to 4 hours £7.10, to 24 hours £11.50. Staff have to pay too, which is why the suburbs of the town are like a car park for hospital staff.

[Big Kev]

Border patrols are in place between Lancashire and North Yorkshire
https://www.lancs.live/news/lancashire- ... tRp85hs110

[Stanley]

Border patrols.... On the buses as well?

[Tizer]

Copied from a poor image of the Telegraph front page today...
This is what I tried to explain the other day when Plaques was confused by the claimed possibility that Republicans in Georgia could end up putting Democrats in the Senate. Trump has been attacking Georgia election officials claiming `overwhelming voter fraud' and this may be putting off Republicans from voting. Republican officials are angry with Trump.

[Stanley]

I can understand Ken's confusion. Problem is that Trump is deranged and therefore it is difficult to find any logic to explain the consequences of his actions. I think the fact he is annoying Republicans is significant enough.
I note that Biden was saying the other day it would be a good thing for America if Trump attended the Inauguration. I wonder whether he will even be out of the White House by then. The whole situation is surreal.

[Tizer]

The way Trump's going he'll be taken out of the White House in a straitjacket and an ambulance! Yet funds are still rolling in for him and that's worrying - next there'll be the Donald Trump Foundation but it won't be giving cash to poor kids in Africa it'll be funding his son's run for the White House in 4 year's time.

But here's some good news...
`Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors made Dark Sky Reserves' LINK
`The Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors national parks have been designated Dark Sky Reserves. The special status was awarded by the International Dark-Sky Association which said the parks were "global leaders in dark-sky conservation". It is granted to areas with low levels of light pollution with good conditions for astronomy. The parks hope the status will help prevent future light pollution and boost out-of-season tourism. Both have some of the darkest skies in the country, with little to no light pollution making thousands of stars, meteors and the Northern Lights visible, the national parks said. Covering a combined 3,500 sq km (1,351 sq mi), it is one of the largest areas in Europe to be designated simultaneously. They join five other dark reserves in the UK: Exmoor Brecon Beacons National Park, Cranborne Chase, Exmoor National Park, Moore's Reserve in the South Downs National Park, and Snowdonia National Park..'.

[Stanley]

Trump... the longer he hangs on the more damage he does to himself. That might dawn on him eventually. At the moment he exists in his own Twilight Zone. What sort of sycophants does it take to support him?
I'm all in favour of dark skies. What annoys me most I think is that in an age where motor vehicle headlights have never been more efficient rural motorways are lit to resemble daylight. Why not switch the lights off and drive more slowly at night. That's what we used to do when our headlights were worse than useless.
Later. News from the US that the Supreme Court has unanimously rejected Trump's bid to get millions of postal votes dismissed in Pennsylvania. That will be a blow for him, he thought he had rigged the court with his supporters. They seem to be supporting the law.... How quaint!

[Stanley]

Have a look at THIS Labour report on the new report on destitution issued by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation Te report itself can be accessed from the website.
"According to the analysis from the JRF today, one in seven people – 14% – experiencing destitution were in paid work, and the phenomenon became more concentrated in the northern regions over the two-year period. The report identified inadequate benefit levels and debt deductions, particularly the repayable Universal Credit loan many people are forced to borrow to cover the five-week wait for the benefit, as key drivers of destitution."
The JRF have been doing reports like this since the 19th century and isn't it strange that they have been reporting the same things ever since.

[Tizer]

I'm relieved to see this decision. The issue has rumbled on for a while. Initially it was going to force people to be `respectful' rather than `tolerant'. But many then pointed out that they're not going to be respectful of, for example, anti-vaccine promoters, but would be tolerant of their opinions.
`Cambridge University votes to safeguard free speech' LINK
`A vote on free speech at Cambridge University has strongly rejected guidelines requiring opinions to be "respectful" - after warnings this could limit freedom of expression. Instead the policy on free speech will support "tolerance" of differing views. The proposed rules would have required staff, students and visiting speakers to remain "respectful" of the views and "identities" of others. But there were claims this would block controversial ideas and debates. The university's governing body, the Regent House, has voted by a big majority in support of amendments from those worried about a threat to academic freedom, introducing a commitment to "tolerance" rather than "respect".

[Tripps]

Liz Truss has announced a trade deal with Singapore said to be worth £17 billions. Not welcome news for the Rolls workers currently on strike. More like applying salt to the wound I'd say.

[Stanley]

Yes, I agree David, but from what I understand, it's only ratifying the arrangements we had under EU rules with new legislation.
Peter, I agree but let's not forget that there are some views we can neither respect or tolerate.

[Tizer]

We've been trying in the local shops and supermarkets to buy a bottle of Amontillado sherry but to no avail. Shelves are empty. Finally my cousin found us the last bottle on the Morrsions shelf. I wondered if the importers were having trouble getting the stuff. Now I see this...
`Brexit stockpiling: 'I can't get my wine out of the EU'' LINK
Simon Taylor had been planning to stockpile wine before the end of the month just in case prices rise when the UK stops trading under EU rules. The wine merchant says he now can't do so, as so many firms had the same idea. Hauliers are booked up, leaving him with no way to get it back to the UK before the end of the year. Wine chain Majestic, for example, has two million more bottles of wine in stock than it did this time last year, to guard against possible disruption. "I basically can't get the wine out of Spain or Italy before the shutters come down on 31 December," Mr Taylor, the main owner of Stone, Vine & Sun, said. "Huge volumes of wine are being shipped out of Europe. This is about potentially saving a huge amount of money," he added.

[Stanley]

If it's like this now what will it be like post January the first?
Looking at the reports of failures at Felixstowe seems to indicate that hiring Chris Grayling hasn't worked its magic yet. (Or has it....)

[Cathy]

I watched a news item on Tele a few days ago about ‘how our supermarkets are coping with this years Christmas rush’. They were filming from inside a series of gi - normous warehouses where everything is kept at 2C. Every state has them of course.
The supermarket spokesperson said that they were totally organised and stocked, and that the Christmas rush wasn’t new to them and that they had already done the equivalent of 20 Christmas rushes this year because of COVID-19 lockdowns.

So “No worries mate, she’ll be right “.

I hope all your food supermarkets are as well stocked.

[Stanley]

The problems (if any) here Cathy will stem from Brexit and the effects it is already having on transportation systems. Even before January 1st when the effects officially hit us, ports are in chaos and movement of containers is hampered due mainly to enormous volumes of stock being moved to avoid shortages after January 1st. Problem is those volumes are hampering normal food imports. We had the CEO of Tesco on the radio the other day and he wasn't being very upbeat about stocks or prices. The government immediately said he was wrong. Really? They know more about food trading than he does and he is telling porkies? I'll leave you to sort the bones out of that obe.
So Cathy, in a word, no I'm not totally confident!

[Cathy]

Yes I read that.
I actually meant to put ‘I hope all your food supermarkets will be well stocked “. Rather than ‘are’.

[Marilyn]

Prices were not too bad this week. Next week, things will go UP and will not come DOWN again ever!

[Stanley]

I heard a report that said that in view of the congestion and waiting times, any vehicle carrying time sensitive cargo like live shell fish, animals or priority materials would be taken out of the queue and given priority. This before any direct Brexit effects kick in.
I heard Chris Heaton-Harris (I think. He was described as Minister of Transport but he isn't.) on R4 being upbeat about transport prospects. He appears not to have noticed the current problems. This seems to be a common failing with any government minister when asked a pertinent question. They are in for a bit of a shock when reality strikes.

[Tizer]

`Chris Heaton-Harris was appointed as a Minister of State at the Department for Transport on 25 July 2019. He was previously a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Exiting the European Union from July 2018 to April 2019.' gov.uk

[Tripps]

any vehicle carrying time sensitive cargo like live shell fish, animals or priority materials would be taken out of the queue and given priority

I spent two years working in Dover docks most of it in the circle of hell that was 'East A' freight shed. The above quote applied then and I'm pleased to say that horses got immediate attention. The queues that we see lately in the press don't surprise me at all. Trade has increased a lot since then, but the run up to Christmas was very busy, and Thursdays and Fridays were exceptionally busy.

The shift pattern was a killer, and Thurs / Fri was the last of seven nights by which time everyone had had enough - especially in December. Had I not bailed out - I'm sure I would not be here today.

[Stanley]

That's one of the big strengths of OG David. We have access to so many streams of experience. Thanks for that.
(I'm very glad you got out!)