Category: Uncategorized

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NEIGHBOURS

I just had a neighbour complain about my front garden being a fire hazard! Oh well, another one who will not send me a Christmas card! Yes, I could, and should cut back the longer bits of grass, but she wanted me to clear the herbs and roses, the rosemary just itching to ignite, the bay tree was full of oil! The Daily Mail hs a lot to answer for – the wild fires are apparently due to the nature reserves rather than people!

I will of course do what I usually do – nothing! I may strim the longer grass? But wildlife needs some shade from the sun too.

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NEW PM

So from Monday we have a new Prime Minister – Andy Burnham. Firstly cut the crap about him not being elected and not having a manifesto, this type of change has been rife in Parliament this century. Hopefully we will see some big decisions immediately; He should put Thames Water into administration, and any other utility that is misusing customers money; Political funding should be met head on – the public will support whatever restrictions are put on; Drilling in the North Sea., Rosebank and Jackdaw should go ahead with all income supporting green energy initiatives, but no new licences should be necessary!; USA – we need a reset, tell the orange child to fuck off, ban foreign governments financing political organisations – Trump has facilitated a $7 gift to Jacob Scum-Dog’s think tank, and also has supported the Argentine teams use of a banner declaring the Malvinas ‘to be theirs’. FIFA have a no politics rule for a very good reason. Football is a global game played by billions, unlike American minority sports, political gestures have long been outlawed, basically Trump is a thick narcistic bully with faltering cognitive ability, oh and also a rapist and child abuser – how the fuck did America elect the slime ball. Back to Burnham – just down the road for me!. He has already encouraged positive thoughts by talking about basic Labour virtues, can he follow through on Gaza, cost of living, green investment.

Meanwhile all has gone quite on the byelection in Clacton between Count Binface and some joke grifter. The latest IPSOS poll suggest a 60% lead for binface, but interestingly 74% said investigation into his finances should continue regardless of byelection result. Farages popularity raating is falling – perhaps people are more discerning as the facts role out – or will they continue with their racist views?

Tonights football? Heart England: Head France – it should have been the final! Will both teams play to win, or will it be another bore? Mbappi, Kane and Bellingham all have a chance to deprive Messi of the golden boot!

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HERBS

I do not know why I am a little obsessed with my herbs – I just bought 5 diferrent thyme, some golden oregano and a rosemary, also got some parsley seeds to grow inside., oh and a chaya! I filled my 200ltr water butt from a hose – just incase there is a hosepipe ban in the next week or so. I feel a little guilty as this seems selfish – but I have invested in my wilderness. Butterflies are supposedly doing well this summer – I have nettles and buddleja, together with herbs and flowers, but have only seen, skippers, whites, meadow brown and a blue so far, maybe they will appear later.

Andy Burnham to become Prime Minister – a remarkable event, Labour MP’s must be wondering what they lack in charisma to not being challenging him! 401 are seen to be not worthy as a newcomer sweeps the board! Is he worth the hype? The left are likely to be disappointed – he is part of the establishment, albeit with some nice ideas.

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BANNED

Our government has banned two media personnel from America from entering the UK. Cenk Uygur and Hasan Piker have both spoken out loudly about the genocide in Gaza but the Home Office have decided that their prescence might ‘not be conducive to the public good’ whatever that means? – unlike the slimy toad faced virus that is free to encourage violence against immigrants and the police. There is no threat to the public good, but maybe the influence of Israel is paramount in the government? Both men will now speak at an Oxford Union Society event virtually. Their comments will therefore be more widely heard and garner national interest rather than the limited platform they had originally planned at SXSW. We seem to have yet another right wing government in awe of Israel.

On a different topic: Sir Gareth Southgate has spoken of the need for education to treat boys and girls separately – whilst not agreeing entirely, he has a point in that we do not have equality of opportunity in this country (although things have got better in my lifetime). Boys do mature later – both physically and mentally. Therefore it is likely that if genders are taught separately that girls would do better than boys! But education should not dismiss his comments lightly, the introduction of coursework over the last 50 years has definitely favoured girls. However it is a societal problem , the macho male image has moved successfully to business and finance, but worth of skilled workers with brawn has not transcended employment changes. Boys need to be able to use their brains rather than their muscles and bollocks, Of course these are generalisations and girls/women can be just as stupid and ignorant as men, I was surprised to see so many women at a far right demonsation in Southampton this week. I would not avocate a return to single sex schools, but the use of single sex lessons in some subjects could be worth exploring – although I am far from advocating this!

First raspberry eaten today, relatively warm and wet weather is great for plants of all types! I hesitate to call some weeds, and hesitate even more as I am aware that this is a rather woke comment! Many of the plants I appreciate, wherever they spring up are treasured, like fennel, chicory, wallflowers, and evening primrose, others I fight relentlessly like brambles, but others I have a give and take relationship with like nettles and budlia (great for butterflies both, but the nettles need to avoid areas frequented by my grandchildren). The raspberries have spread over the former lawn – lovely. Roses are good, the yellow one fantastic and the others brilliant too, I am hoping bush roses will grow in size too.

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NEETS

Apparently about 1 in 6 of the under 24’s are NEETS. Tinkering with the system will change nothing. As Milburn says, we have lots to learn from the Dutch model where the stat is <5%. We could start by making every apprenticeship have a compulsory one day at college gaining work related certificates; conversely all academic courses at post 16 should have a one day a week relevant work experience. Yes there would be a cost, but far less than the present cost of unemployment and social damage. Would subject like my love, Geography, disappear – possibly, it would be far better to have a humanities qualification in combination with a welfare charity? Early GCSE syllabi were progressive and issue based, but lost out to the public school/university brigade of cape wearing bores. Why not allow students post 14 to spend their time developing artistic skills for one day a week, they might be more in other areas. And get rid of business studies and economic as pseudo academic bollox! Teach kids what an APR is and practical things – but do not also call it social studies or some other woke nonsense. Let us create a curiculum that engages students and leads to a thirst for knowledge – it ia all sitting on the web waiting for enquiring minds. It is there, waiting to be turned on, before being swamped by the boredom. When I first obtained a iPad I asked kids to give me a question and if it was worthy I would throw the iPad to them – yes throw! 2 memorable questions were ‘what shape is a raindrop”. and “How do they tell the time on the International Space Station”. We should be extolling the thirst for knowledge, not the achievement (generally by memory test or set criteria).

Meanwhile – it appears that teenagers are regularly avoiding stiff sentence for rape – the Guardian revealed new cases on Teeside where the attackers had basically gone unpunished. Where is the fury and concern from knuckle dragging flag shaggers? What should the punishment be – the assailents were 14/15 – beyond the age of criminal liability. OK they are 14/15 but the punishment should also be a deterent to others, enough for them to think that they do not want to go down that path.

Another Saturday with no football.

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AMAZING STUPIDITY

I have been in awe of crickets administrators for their complete stupidity for years. We have a bank holiday when many, not all, people do not have to work. For those willing to idle away their free time watching cricket, this would seem an ideal time to play the longer form of games – county cricket, but only some 20/20 games are scheduled – no wonder the game is moribund!

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QUIZ 2025 ANSWERS

General Knowledge

1. Soho

2. Great Bear; Ursa Major

3. Skittles

4. Bauhaus

5. Mr.Watson come here, I want to see you.

6. 9 minutes 33 seconds

7. West Bromwich Albion (The Hawthorns)

8. Peter Elliot

9. Yellow dwarf or G-type main sequence star.

10. Avatar

Geography

1. A croat

2. Addis Ababa

3. Kalahari

4. Cambodia

5. 9 PM

6. Peru

7. A shadow of a person cast on top of a cloud.

8. Reykjavik, Iceland

9. Botswana

10. Easter Island

History

1. 13th Century

2. Bahamas

3. Napoleon Bonaparte – horse was called Marengo

4. Burkina Faso

5. Elenor Roosevelt

6. 19

7. Calais

8. Town where tin was assayed (tested), stamped (coined), taxed, and sold,

9. Coventry

10. Wentworth Woodhouse in Rotherham, South Yorkshire

Nature

1. Giant sequoias are the largest by volume, other trees, like the Coast Redwood, can be taller

2. Butterflies

3. A charm

4. claws on feet are 2 forward and 2 backwards

5. Magpie

6. 42

7. Passenger pigeon

8. Avocet

9. Arctic tern

10. Hippopotamus

.

Anagrams

1. Steart

2. Cheddar

3. Watchet

4.

5. Nether Stowey

1. Vinci

2. Tracet Emin

3. Munch

4. Emily Bronte

5. The gluttonous Augustus Gloop, the spoiled Veruca Salt, the gum-chewing Violet Beauregarde, the television-obsessed Mike Teavee, and the kind-hearted Charlie Bucket

6. Enid Blyton – Julian, Dick, Anne, George – and their dog Timmy.

7. Polish

8. Danny Boyle

9. Bruegel

10. Keith Moon

11. The Impossible Fortune

Politics

1. 11Downing Street

2. Ursula von der Leyen

3. Wool (the cushion is called the Woolsack)

4. Iceland

5. Spencer Percival

6. Maggie F Thatcher

7. Lenin

8. Sri Lanka

9. Forming a trade union

10. 1647

Air Travel

1. Dallas

2. Singapore

3. Funafuti International Airport (FUN) in Tuvalu,

4. Bhutan

5. British Antarctic Survey

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BUDGET

Why the fuss? RWPress getting knickers in twist as they say the Chancellor changed her mind, or pre-budget staements were false? Whatever – why the huge fuss? Did someone lose money on a dodgy bet? Or is their ire due to Misogyny? Which woman will they pick on next? They also seem not to have finished with Angela Rayner and Badenoch is too useless to bother about.

Attacks on the judiciary by Jenprick should lead to a prosecution for attacking our basic democracy. He should fuck off and join the rancid racist low life in Reform. Although Labour are now imposing cruel right wing policies themselves, namely not allowing disabled people to supplement mobility allowances themselves to get better models – Lee half-wit Anderson suggested a return to blue 3 wheelers.

Enough griping! I put up the christmas lights on the bay tree outside – I might have to rearrange them as I was frustrated that they had managed to get tangled all by themselves in the last 11 months. Still effort made! If it warms up a bit without raining I might prune the Mulberry trees.

On weather is the Met Office scared or a BBC style attack? Its weather forecasts have been overly pessimistic recently? I guess that issueing a warning is better than not, but not at the expence of crying ‘wolf’ with every shower! Oh god – I am still sounding miserable! And I am not! maybe a little hung over though! Sunderland came back from 0-2 to win 3-2, next up is Liverpool!. A win at Anfield would be a great early Xmas pressie. The bottom 5 look like they will scrap out to avoid relegation. Frank Lampard seems to be making a miracle in Coventry.

Trees – why do people not plant a fruit tree on their unused front and back lawns – if they have kids to run around them ok, but many are just green deserts and often sprayed with herbicide. My lawn now has an apple tree and an apricot with an undergrowth of raspberries at the back – the front has Abby tree and 2 mulberries with rosemary, thyme and sage thriving along with roses, lavender and hot lips.