WHAT ATTRACTED YOUR ATTENTION TODAY?

[Tizer]

This might be saving Sirius Minerals but it will wipe out the savings of 85,000 small investors, many of them locals in the north-east of England. Their shares they bought at as much as 25p will be worth 5p after this. It reminds me of the ups and downs of Cornish mines over the centuries but in that case it was usually the rich adventurers who lost their money. Oh well, 85,000 lose their pension money but at least 1000 jobs are to be created - or so they say, Anglo American might just milk it dry. Remember Kraft Foods and the choc factory?
`Sirius Minerals wins £405m rescue deal' LINK

[Stanley]

I see the investors bit the bullet and agreed to the takeover by a small margin but under protest. The feeling was that a gun had been held to their head. Anglo-American have assets of about £60billion and I think one of them is De Beers.... In a way that's reassuring because they have the cash to develop the mine and, unlike a hedge fund, could be in for the long haul. In the end it may be a good deal. But.... I see that their product is not, as yet, a big component of the global fertilizer industry, I have seen figure of less than 5%, there are still question marks....
(Incidentally, whilst searching for information I see that a company is looking for funds to open a Lithium mine in Cornwall. Another revived tin mine?)

[Tizer]

There seems to be two companies on the go at the moment...

Based at Penryn: Cornish Lithium

Based at Roche: British Lithium

The lithium is present in mica and tourmaline, mainly in the china clay districts.

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC account of the report by the National Audit Office on government spending on preparations for Brexit. "Government departments spent more than £4bn on preparations for leaving the EU, says the public spending watchdog. The National Audit Office said this figure included spending on staff, external advice and advertising. A Treasury spokesperson said the government had made "all necessary funds available" to ensure the country was prepared for leaving the EU. But the Lib Dems claimed "billions of pounds have been thrown away in a bid to paper over the Tories' Brexit mess".
It would appear that some expenditure is more important than others. Austerity measures do not apply!

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC account of the Laura Kuenssberg interview with Lisa Nandy.
I'm not regarding it in the light of the leadership contest, it's a given that this is her chance to make her case for that. What interests me is the picture she paints of what was actually going on inside the Party after the 206 referendum. What she is describing is an obsession with the pursuit of power, something that she is of course doing by standing for the leadership. What interests me is that as we all suspected the focus wasn't on policies and what was needed to fight the Tories but on personalities with the subtext of attacking the Blairites.
Many years of reading political diaries and biographies has convinced me that this is true of all the parties, self interest trumps the interest of the voters every time. This is what leads to factions and in-fighting and that in turn can make parties unelectable. Brexit proved this in spades. It remains to be seen whether the triumph of the brexiteers over common sense will do the same to the Tories. It's going to be an interesting summer!

[PanBiker]

Happy Birthday Pluggy.

[Wendyf]

Happy Birthday Pluggy!

[Tizer]

Have a great day, Pluggy!

[Cathy]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PLUGGY
Cheers. Enjoy.

You’re the one who helped me find OGFB thru Pluggy me uk - all those years ago.
Big Thanks

[chinatyke]

Happy Birthday Stephen. How are you doing?

[Stanley]

All the best Stephen. Hope you have a good week.....

[Stanley]

The serious fall in Asian Market stock prices this morning. We shall have to wait until the European markets open to see if this is a general fall. At the moment it doesn't look good..... Events Dear Boy!

[PanBiker]

Called in at B&Q this morning to pick some paint colour charts up. Just inside the door is piled high with multi-packs of toilet rolls, no price displayed. We saw a woman at the checkout with one and they are asking £11.00 for the packs! Meanwhile back in the local forest, One Stop have toilet rolls on offer at a reduced price, you couldn't make it up!

Also as is the norm, petrol prices are cheaper at the supermarket outlets in Colne and Nelson than any of the filling stations in Barlick, normally a 4p a litre difference, it's 6p a litre cheaper today. I filled up while I was in the parish of course.

[Big Kev]

Called in at B&Q this morning to pick some paint colour charts up.

I got an email today about paint offers at B&Q, 20% off I believe.

[PanBiker]

We will be doing our front room. Skirting, door frames and doors are all wood so only walls, ceiling and border and central cornice will need doing. We'll shampoo the carpet after painting, might as well as the room will be empty.

[Stanley]

THIS caught my attention this morning, CNN reports that Prince Andrew has closed the door on any possibility of him cooperating voluntarily with US prosecutors in the Epstein case.
I have a good friend who was closely associated with Royal protection and whilst he doesn't go into detail and I haven't pressed him there is no doubt he has a very low opinion of Andrew and Diana as well.
This isn't going to go away. I am reminded of the old saying in Victoria's time; 'So unlike the home life of our dear queen'. This comparison is true today but thank God in a different way, I'm glad I don't have her problems!

[Big Kev]

The incompetence of Pendle Council's bin collection service caught my attention today. When I moved into this house, in November last year, I inherited a garden waste bin complete with garden waste. Now the green waste collection service is active for the year I requested the bin removed, as I won't use it. I followed the instructions and left the bin out and, to my surprise, I now have two garden waste bins. One is still full of garden waste and one is brand new and empty, I don't want either of them. There's no option to explain on the 'missed collection' or on the 'remove the bin' forms and there's no one there after 4pm to answer the phone. I will try calling them again in the morning...

[Tripps]

I looked at the webcam at the Trevi Fountain in Rome yesterday - and it wasn't as crowded as usual, but there were plenty there. Tonight no one - just three Carabinieri and a Fiat Panda squad car . Quite sad. . .

[Stanley]

Kev, is someone sending you a message about moving to Foulridge?
I must say David that the Trevi Fountain hadn't crossed my mind....
I was talking to my friend who is writing the report for the Sexual Abuse Enquiry and he was saying that he has been involved in some of the interviews with victims. One of them said in evidence that he told his wife that whatever happened to him she was "not to tell the nuns". It was them who had abused him of course. My friend said that it made him cry. I wonder if he gets danger money for exposing himself to things like that?

[Big Kev]

Kev, is someone sending you a message about moving to Foulridge?

I think they may be I have had a chat with PBC Waste Services this morning, they were very apologetic and are sending someone out to collect both bins later today. We'll see how that goes

[Tripps]

the Trevi Fountain hadn't crossed my mind....

I chucked my loose change into it in 1973 - not been back yet.

[PanBiker]

Very disappointing when we were in Rome, dry as a bone and fully covered in scaffolding. Folk were still chucking change in though.

[Tizer]

Kev, I'll bet you find four green bins outside now!

This looks like a roundhouse rather than just a turntable...
`HS2 work unearths Stephenson-designed railway turntable' LINK

A video to put your mind at rest about loo rolls...
`Coronavirus: 'Don't panic, be community-minded', says loo roll boss' LINK

[Big Kev]

Kev, I'll bet you find four green bins outside now!

That is the expected outcome

[Big Kev]

P&O Cruises have added a £400 'onboard spend' credit to my cabin for my August holiday, I think it's just a 'sweetener' to stop me cancelling it. They have relaxed their cancellation procedures and fees and are offering the full amount as a 'Future Cruise Credit'. I'm taking my chances on the warm weather killing off any bugs in the Med