Seen in the News

[Stanley]

Rolls... THIS report might be more accessible to non facebook users.

[PanBiker]

Just for the record, you don't need to be a Facebook user to see an open group.

[Stanley]

I posted that because I couldn't open the page your link took me to Ian. No information about Rolls on it.
See THIS BBC report on the use of pardons by President Trump. He is expected to issue more and might even try to pardon himself!

[Tripps]

I suppose Hansard counts as 'news'.
This question was asked at PMQ's yesterday, by John Trickett - Labour MP for Hemsworth, which is near Wakefield. Quite why him, and not Andrew Stephenson escapes me.

Jon Trickett (Hemsworth) (Lab)
I am sure that the Prime Minister will share the pleasure that we all have in the great engineering skills that are displayed in our country, especially in the North, and agree that one of the great jewels in the crown are the engineers at Rolls-Royce. Is he aware that Rolls-Royce is about to offshore 350 jobs from the North of England? That will be a devastating blow to that part of the country and remove part of our national industrial infrastructure. Does he agree with the workforce, who are campaigning, that it is in the national interest to retain those jobs in our country? Finally, will he use everything in his power to ensure that that offshoring does not take place?

The Prime Minister
The Hon. Gentleman is so right to support Rolls-Royce, one of the great companies in our country. Obviously, at the moment Rolls-Royce is suffering from the problems in the aerospace sector—the fact that no one is flying. When a company makes a lot of its money from servicing aero engines, as Rolls-Royce does, it is a very difficult time at the moment. We are keen to work with Rolls-Royce to ensure that that company has a long-term future as a great, great British company. He makes an excellent point, and I can assure him that the Government are on it.
[/i


So that's OK then "the Government are 'on it' " Stand easy.

[PanBiker]

Quite why him, and not Andrew Stephenson escapes me.

Basically because Andrew Stephenson is useless. No positive photo opportunity so it doesn't matter. He is not responding to correspondence on the matter either. Barlick Branch secretary and members and the Constituency Secretary and Labour Group have all sent correspondence with little in return Disgraceful behaviour but par for the course, there is no career enhancement opportunities in misery.

[Tripps]

No positive photo opportunity so it doesn't matter

Sorry Ian - you left me an open goal there. . . .

MP plus VIP's.jpg

[PanBiker]

Samantha Cameron's initiative to invite charity workers to a meeting in Downing Street. Stephenson was only the ticket to get through the gates.

[Stanley]

I rated Stephenson as a chocolate teapot as soon as he was elected on the back of Ashworth's cash which he never admitted. Pendle was always a stepping stone to higher things.....
We lost a good man when we allowed GP to be voted out.

[Stanley]

We are beginning to hear talk about 'vaccine hesitancy'. This is not part of the anti-vax movement, more a feeling of doubt about the speed of research and the new technologies involved. This could become a factor in how well vaccines are taken up.

[Tizer]

More about QAnon and the mad lawyer lady Sidney Powell, she who was working on Trump's legal team then wasn't, and is the woman who said she wanted to `blow up Georgia'.
`The Kraken: What is it and why has Trump's ex-lawyer released it?' LINK

[Stanley]

We spend too much time trying to make sense of the twilight zone that is the last days of Trump. We will get much vicarious entertainment out of him in the months to come as a partial distraction from our own personal Götterdämmerung as we move out into the open waters of our brave new future.
I see Johnson is having to write begging letters to his backbenchers pleading for a chance to get into January without a back bench revolt.
Meanwhile Jacques Barnier is doing a diplomatic shuffle through all the options here, he does not want to be accused of not giving us a chance to negotiate. In addition all the mood music coming out of Brussels is of the EU 'making concessions' but unfortunately ones that they know we will never accept. It's a complicated diplomatic dance done for the benefit of the spectators. The serious players know it is all over, there is not going to be a last minute collapse of the EU due to 'internal stresses' over their budget. On January 1st we are going to have the worst of all worlds and one wonders how Mr Gove is going to explain it all away. Can you imagine what is happening in Ireland as we get nearer Der Tag?

[Tizer]

`How green and profitable are e-scooters?' LINK
...In the UK, the law changed in the summer to allow rented e-scooters to be used on roads, but not pavements. Parliament's Transport select committee recently called for that change to also apply to privately owned e-scooters. However in an echo of the concerns of authorities in many parts of the world, a senior London policeman, chief superintendent Simon Ovens, this month said that e-scooters "remain notoriously dangerous", with concerns including riders not wearing helmets or having sufficient road awareness. .'.

[plaques]

'.....a senior London policeman, chief superintendent Simon Ovens, this month said that e-scooters "remain notoriously dangerous", with concerns including riders not wearing helmets or having sufficient road awareness. .'.

With modern day traffic being comprised of enormous multiple axle wagons and boy racers I'll stick to my Chelsea tractor with all round air bags. No guarantee of not being involved in an accident but you may survive it.

[Tizer]

That's one of the reasons we decided not to get bicycles when we moved to live in town. At least we can walk to the shops, it's safer.

[Stanley]

"At least we can walk to the shops, it's safer."
I sometimes wonder about that Peter. I was walking on the pavement up Wellhouse Street near my house yesterday. It's a narrow street with parked cars down one side and a white van (delivering parcels) was coming towards me about 6" from the kerb of the narrow pavement and doing about 30mph.
Thinking about the number of drivers we know are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, factoring in incompetence and then adding the chance of mechanical failure, how safe is walking?

[Tizer]

Thinking about the number of drivers we know are under the influence of drugs or alcohol...

You can add to that `suffering from too little sleep' - there may be more danger from that than from drugs and alcohol!

I've mentioned this before and it's the reason I was concerned when we recently had an unwanted parcel from Moonpig. I feel sorry for the guy in the video - trying too get Amazon to do anything about his avalanche of parcels will be difficult and time consuming...
`Brushing: When Amazon packages arrive that you didn't order' LINK

[Stanley]

You're right Peter, I forgot that one. It was distrust of the ability of oncoming drivers to control their vehicles that triggered me into chucking my licences into touch, after all those years on the road, other traffic frightened me.
As for Amazon, I feel sorry for their drivers even when they are winding me up by taking no notice at all of safe place instructions, I know they are being driven on to more and more 'efficiency' as sales expand. (It must be boom time for the people who lease vans...)
Can it be worth it for firms to send parcels to those who have not ordered just to inflate approval figures? Seems like expensive advertising to me.

[PanBiker]

Thinking about the number of drivers we know are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, factoring in incompetence and then adding the chance of mechanical failure,

That is a very sweeping statement and I would say bordering on paranoia.

Anyway on a brighter note the Phizer vaccine has been given the green light for distribution.

[Tizer]

We were walking up the road that leads to the hospital the other day and a bus passed us going in that direction. Two boys on bicycles came down the road towards the bus and one of them rode straight at the front of the bus, did a wheely and then swerved out of the way at the last minute, while the bus driver hooted at him. The boy got loud shouts from me and Mrs Tiz too!

[Cathy]

Idiots like that deserve what they get, but it’s the innocent drivers that have to live with it if anything goes badly wrong.

[Big Kev]

Not something you expect in Marks and Spencer.

Man stabs two women in Burnley M&S

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-l ... e-55160314

[Stanley]

"That is a very sweeping statement and I would say bordering on paranoia."
Really Ian? That's the second time you have accused me of paranoia. If I am I am in good company, you evidently haven't been keeping up with the police reports about drivers under the influence or otherwise disabled.
Peter, the lads playing Chicken with the bus. Same syndrome on urban railways and even worse for the driver. If something goes wrong, no chance of stopping. It's constantly on their minds and they aren't paranoid either.

[PanBiker]

you evidently haven't been keeping up with the police reports about drivers under the influence or otherwise disabled.

No I haven't, it's not something I have ever checked to be honest.

[Tizer]

The latest on the Brexit negotiations from Laura Kuennsberg...
`Brexit: It's nearly now or never for UK-EU trade deal' LINK
It reminds me of when we first moved to Somerset. We asked the lady who ran the local cafe if she could recommend a plumber. She said: `You're in Somerset now. If he says he'll come on Friday, ask him "Which Friday"!'

[plaques]

I inadvertently became part of a chicken contest late last year. I'd just turned into a more major road when a young lad separated himself from the bunch and strode in the road looking directly at me. I new what the game was all about and turned my head as though I was looking across the other side of the road. Of course keeping him in my peripheral vision. He soon moved back onto the pavement. Mrs P's comment " did you see that silly bugger"?