WHAT ATTRACTED YOUR ATTENTION TODAY?

[Tripps]

I had two examples last week of commercial competition.

Went for a haircut to the village barber and found a state of consternation because the shop next door - which used to be the Post Office, and is much larger, and has been empty for many years was being worked on, and fitted out as a barbershop.

The village is small - just a butcher, a convenience store, and a small Coop supermarket. The Italian run barbershop has started from nothing about ten years ago, and built itself up into what I would have thought was quite a successful business. It has employed two / three persons . They aren't cheap, but they're very good barbers, and nice people. I enjoy my conversations about Puglia, Sicilia, Primitive di Manduria wine, and Inspector Montalbano.

Indignant didn't even come close.

"They're not even EU citizens - how did they get in? I think is money washing for someone at the top"

They have put up a red and white pole logo, and were painting the outside of the shop. I asked if they would undercut his price - "No but they will charge pensioners less". Looks like they've done their market research. I don't think there is room for two profitable businesses in such a small village. I won't be moving though.


The second example of the same thing - ALDI have announced the opening date for their brand new store. - to be co-sited with a Marks and Spencer food outlet. Its about a quarter of a mile from the existing Tesco Extra store. I must admit I like LIDL better, but to save a 25 mile round trip Aldi will do. This is the real reason Tesco announced closure of a lot of their meat, fish and deli counters yesterday.

All's fair in love and commerce?

[PanBiker]

Reading the agenda for the forthcoming West Craven Area Committee Meeting. One item on the agenda is a letter received from the Bancroft Mill Engine Trust saying that the trust is being wound up to be replaced by Bancroft Mill Engine Museum (BMEM) which will have registered charity status. The letter is seeking an appointee from Pendle Borough Council as a trustee (for 3 years) of the new charity.

[Big Kev]

A company called District Enforcement have been taken on, by Pendle Council, to fine people for dropping litter and dog fouling. According to Councillor David Whipp the majority of the fines issued will be for cigarette butts, the company have said that 3% of the fines will be for dog fouling. Sounds like a cunning wheeze to me...

https://www.district-enforcement.co.uk/ ... uling.html

[Stanley]

David, it might be 'good commercial practice' but it wouldn't sit well with me....
Ian I had heard rumours but nothing concrete.
Kev. I agree, whatever next, parking wardens?
Today Margaret and Susan take me to Ilkley for a new pair of shoes and lunch with an old lady friend of mine. Their respective husbands have said I must buy good ones as they both take the same size as me and want to raid the boot and shoe collection when I die..... I like that, it proves I have done a good job of debunking death in the family!

[Tizer]

When I hear the words `dog fouling' I always see an image in my mind of someone tripping up dogs.

Later...We're all saved, the BBC web site reports: `Brexit: Unilever stockpiles Ben & Jerry's and Magnum ice creams'

[Stanley]

Stockpiling..... hundreds of millions is being spent to prepare for something we are told will never happen. I wonder who will eventually foot the bill?
My lunch with three lovely ladies and spending £400 on a pair of Tricker brogues...... I fully intended to go for a cheaper pair but tried the Trickers on, I have only had them off to go to bed, they are like bedroom slippers and up to the usual standards..... Mad isn't it but I wouldn't have been satisfied if I hadn't done it!



They are dull because I'm feeding them with good boot polish, polishing comes later, main thing at the moment is to get good wax soaked into them.

[Stanley]

I keep forgetting to mention THIS. Morning people are happier and healthier than night owls..... I don't care if it's right or not, good news for me!

[plaques]

More white stuff. View over to Weets from the Colne side. PanBikers target.

.

[Tizer]

..spending £400 on a pair of Tricker brogues...... I fully intended to go for a cheaper pair but tried the Trickers on..

Look at it this way, you got a bargain, they were half the price of a new Iphone!

[Stanley]

You're right Tiz and I'll get a lot more wear out of them! I think I may have a clothes fetish. I didn't voice it but it did strike me as we sat down at the Cow and Calf for lunch that my boots cost £400, my suit would cost over £1000 to buy a new one and my Crombie overcoat is so rare that even today it's worth £600 on one of these retro clothing sites. Add the fact that I may not have much money on the bank but I don't owe anything either and things could be worse!
The hysterical coverage of the snow in the south (I did predict it!) All right some people were caught out in dodgy weather but what's new? It's winter for God's sake! What does annoy me is watching the pathetic equipment the airports were using to clear the runways. They should be forced to have a minimum amount of proper snow clearing equipment on the grounds of safety alone. Why does a drone trigger more than they spend on efficient snow clearing tackle? It's a bean-counter's decision that's why!

[Tizer]

Be careful what you tell people about the value of your clothing, Stanley, or you might get mugged and find yourself having to walk home in your undies (unless they're super expensive, in which case you might be walking home without those too!)

The front page of The Times has a photo of a woman in swimsuit, gloves and woolly hat standing up to her waist in water hacking at the surrounding ice with a sledgehammer. Apparently she's preparing for her morning swim in Loch Insh!

[Stanley]

I haven't seen that pic but heard a report about it on R4..... Include me out! My attitude to the cold is to do what the Inuit do, put enough layers on to ensure you keep warm! They say that ice swimming is very good for you, so is Damart!
The start of The Cold War arms race......
Trying to imagine Argentina's annual inflation rate of 1.5million%

[plaques]

Trying to imagine Argentina's annual inflation rate of 1.5million%

Do you mean Venezuela? Argentina is bad at about 45% but Venezuela is the target of American sanctions which is destabiliising an already fragile economy. Is this another case of Naomi Klein's 'Shock Doctoring'? ie: create a situation that is so bad that people will accept anything that offers them away out although in the long term they will be worse off.

[Tizer]

He's referring to the report that Venezuela's inflation rate was millions of percent but he probably also heard the `More or Less' programme explain that the rate was very high but that millions percent figure was nonsense.

I came across this thought-provoking video on the rise of the human population posted on YouTube by the American Museum of Natural History...LINK

[Tripps]

Venezuela is the target of American sanctions

Here's another take on these sanctions. Alternate 'facts' if you like.

Andrew Neil v Ken Livingstone

[plaques]

Here's another take on these sanctions. Alternate 'facts' if you like.

Venezuela is not somewhere that I really understand. At what point in the history of the country do we start. And if we have to turn the clock back which is the best time for the country as a whole? All I see at the moment is Trump and the Republicans causing unrest throughout the world telling countries,friend and foe alike, what they can do and what they can't do. At this point in time I've no faith that America will bring true democracy back to Venezuela leaving their oil and other major capital interests in the hands of the Venezuelan people.

[Stanley]

Yes, I did mean Venezuela.....
P, South American politics and the US. There's a long and disgraceful history. Despite the fact that the US has always claimed it does not seek empire it's policies towards S America have always been to control what happens there. Think about the Monroe Doctrine (LINK) The long term activities of the American Fruit Company working in effect as an agent of US foreign policy, the Panama Canal and the CIA sponsored coup against Allende that installed Pinochet (That went well.....) Add in its policies towards Cuba and the Contra scandal and you build up a picture. It's still going on now.
In recent times the trigger seems to have been the US inability to distinguish between social democratic democracy and Communism which since 1945 has been a red rag to a bull with them. That was the case against Allende and Venezuela has been a target for decades for the same reason. The difference now is that they have a case against Madura but their history in the region overshadows what they are doing about it. The voters have long memories.....
Here at home, a visit by Margaret before she flies home today. Lovely of her to come and she tells me she is completely reassured, she sees no signs of imminent death! I shan't be happy until I hear she is back safely......

[Tizer]

All I see at the moment is Trump and the Republicans causing unrest throughout the world telling countries, friend and foe alike, what they can do and what they can't do.

...And, confusingly, wanting to be isolationist at the same time. I have this vision of Trump with a tin crown on his head going into his castle, pulling up the drawbridge, stomping up the stone steps to the ramparts then using a megaphone (known as The Twitter) to shout at everyone outside, giving his orders on how they should live their lives.

[Stanley]

Again, an accurate summation Tiz.
Thanks to the miracles of modern communications I know that Margaret has boarded her flight and they are departing Manchester for Dubai as I write. She was offered and accepted access to the Emirates First Class lounge at Manchester so has been cosseted with free drinks, food and luxury before boarding. She deserves it!

[Stanley]

Penguin have reported promptly to my complaint about bad binding and loose titles. If I send pics and other evidence they will send me a new copy. Commendable speed.
One of the images they wanted....



Subsequent pages are detached at the bottom of the gutter but none have come loose because I am taking great care.

Margaret will be somewhere between Dubai and Perth, she boarded the Perth flight at 22:00 last night.......... I look forward to getting news she is home safely.

[Tripps]

On the way back from Tesco, I saw three dead badgers in the space of just over a mile. An occasional one is not uncommon, but three certainly is. I can't remember when I last saw a dead hedgehog.

Shall we blame climate change or Brexit ?

[Stanley]

Blame humans anyway David.....
Mick the Shed tells me that Photobucket have put his pics back up again of his woodcarvings.
Two catheter insertions yesterday.... Deep Joy! All because Helen forgot to give me a sample bottle. I made sure I got one this week!
Margaret safe at home and next week's irrigation time brought forward to Noon which is better.
Just checked and she is basking in 34C instead of sub zero. In her words, "Chuffing Hot!"

[chinatyke]

'The average water bill in England and Wales will rise by 2 per cent later this year despite providers paying out million-pound dividends and criticism over leaky pipes.
Today's announcement means that the bill for the average household in the country will go up by £8 to £415 from April 1.' - Daily Mail

Wow, can this be true? £415 per year? I didn't realise things had got so expensive.

[Tripps]

I find that figure hard to believe. That's roughly what I pay, and I have meter, and live alone. I would think most households would use more water than me. The rateable value method of payment is a lot more expensive.

[Big Kev]

I pay around £40 a month for 9 months of the year...


Meanwhile Crash driver 'swerved to avoid octopus'