WHAT ATTRACTED YOUR ATTENTION TODAY?

[Stanley]

I have heard that related before David and it's a disgrace. There is no doubt that we need procedures but the Home Office is still running a policy of hostility towards anyone who wants to come here... Their procedures need radical overhaul, and adequate well trained staff.

[Tripps]

Home Office is still running a policy of hostility towards anyone who wants to come here...

I think I demonstrated quite the opposite. Judged by their actions and not their words - they don't mind the dinghy people at all. That's the ony conclusion that I can reach. Nothing a politician says can be trusted.

[Big Kev]

The bomb squad on the canal at Foulridge this afternoon, whatever they've found they will be carrying out a controlled explosion once they have permission to use the field next to The Wharf.

17:45 update

[Stanley]

Was it someone magnet fishing Kev?

[Big Kev]

Was it someone magnet fishing Kev?

I believe so, unofficial reports are that it was a grenade.

[Tizer]

When we lived on the Somerset Levels a group of kids got a surprise when they went magnet fishing on one of the drainage rivers by a road bridge. The police and army had to be called because they brought up grenades, Sten guns, pistols etc. It's thought to have been thrown in from the bridge at night by someone who wasn't willing to be associated with the weapons, possibly back in the days of the IRA terrorism.

[PanBiker]

We used to have a diffused hand grenade that me and my brother used to laike with when we were kids. We used to pull it in bits and reassemble it regularly. My brother took it to school, (Ermysteads Grammar) for an example of stuff used in the war as had been the request. That invoked the bomb squad and we never got it back. Good job that he didn't take the live 6" AP round we had on the shelf in the coal house, dad found that on a building site he was working on in Barlick! It was still there when my dad died so I handed it in and got the Spanish inquisition then of why I had it.

On another matter my car insurers say they will renew my insurance automatically on the 30th of this month. I have already done a Meerkat search and the cheapest they can come up with is £40 dearer than my existing renewal. No details need changing on the policy so I will just let it ride. I will get all my new documentation via email after the renewal.

[Stanley]

That was hard luck losing it to the Bomb Squad! Some jobsworth teacher who panicked and didn't believe your brother I suppose.
I had one as as well Ian and like you used to practice stripping it down and re-assembling it. I also had a 25lb practice bomb. Both of them vanished when I left home to farm and then went in the army on call up. I got to play with real live mills bombs then and some even bigger toys.

[Tizer]

Mention of Zeppelinfeld, Nuremberg in the Mystery Objects thread prompts me to mention this fact that I learnt recently. We all know about the scuttling of German battleships at Scapa Flow by their German crews in 1919 just before the peace treaty was signed. I now learn that many Zeppelin crews destroyed their airships in their sheds to avoid delivery to the Allied powers.

This comes from the same web site where I found the above information...
`A total of 84 Zeppelins were built during the war. Over 60 were lost, roughly evenly divided between accident and enemy action. 51 raids had been undertaken, in which 5,806 bombs were dropped, killing 557 people and injuring 1,358 while causing damaged estimated at £1.5 million. It has been argued the raids were effective far beyond material damage in diverting and hampering wartime production, and diverting 12 fighter squadrons and over 10,000 personnel to air defences.'

There is much more on the site: Zeppelins

[Stanley]

Interesting site Peter....
The thing that caught my attention was Kemi Badenoch saying that the deal she is negotiating with India is the final proof of the triumph of Brexit which I thought was a bit overstated......

[Tizer]

Mrs Tiz and me both gasped when we heard her say that. Not only is it overstated (the deal isn't great) but since when has Brexit been a triumph? Even the Tory right wing ERG see it as having been a failure because they didn't get all they wanted.

[Stanley]

Anyone with any sense can see that Brexit has failed. Not only that but far from saving us 350 million a week it must be costing us at least that.
What grabbed me today was the report of how many people are in debt to their energy supplier. See THIS BBC account of the report issued by Citizen's Advice.
Thousands more people will start the winter behind on their energy bills with some borrowing to pay them, Citizens Advice has warned. A total of 46,431 people with energy debts contacted the charity for advice in the first six months of 2023, a 17% increase on the same period last year. Friday's energy price cap is expected to set a typical annual household bill at about £1,926 from October. But those who contacted Citizens Advice for help had debts averaging £1,711. This is up a third on 2019, the charity said.
They say that the number is increasing and that this signals a major problem this winter.
Sunak and Hunt say there will be no Treasury relief for consumers this year but experts say that if something isn't done, like raising the Winter Fuel Allowance, a catastrophe is looming.

[Big Kev]

My Boundary Mill bargain got my attention today

IMG_20230825_155638.jpg

IMG_20230825_155650.jpg

[Stanley]

Question that springs to my mind is.... Were they ever worth £180?
Sorry Kev, not my style at all!

[Big Kev]

Question that springs to my mind is.... Were they ever worth £180?

In my opinion, no. They fit my big feet and are comfortable, which does for me.

[PanBiker]

BBMF Hurricane PZ865 over Barlick a few minutes ago. Heading down the Ribble Valley from Connigsby.

[Tripps]

There was a time when life was so much simpler. . . .

The Naafi juke box Catterick Camp 1963

And then he kissed me.

[Stanley]

A good enough reason Kev!
The German ones in Berlin were good as well David.

[Stanley]

I have had a good time at the inauguration of the Riley Street clock at Bancroft and saw a lot of old friends, too many to name all but chief amongst whom were the surviving Pickles family and best of all, Terry and Ann Gissing. A lovely time and thanks to Tim the chairman for taking me there and bringing me home.....

[Tripps]

Good - I'm pleased .

for taking me there and bringing me home....

An Irish person (in my experience) would have said - "bringing me there" - but, trust me, never get into an argument about it.

* * * * *
PS the link to the music by the Crystals was meant to be a light hearted comment on the current furore about the Spaniard who kissd the lady football player. Good grief - the talk radio stations have spoken about little else all day, and Boris's sister is still at it, as I type.

If it was so traumatic - she could have employed Mrs T's tactic learned in the North East and described there by the other nurses she worked with as "a hard slap in the mooth". Not a court in the land would convict.

I suppose it is August - the silly season after all though.

Maybe this would be better?

[MickBrett]

My youngest grandson, Kurtis, has done well in his exams.
He's heading for Staffordshire University in Stoke on Trent mid September.

Well done that lad

[Stanley]

Morning Mick! That's good news. Now the hard work really starts.....

[PanBiker]

Excellent Mick.

[Big Kev]

Good stuff

[Stanley]

A silly thing actually, more to do with my OCD when it comes to mechanical things.
When my plumber installed the new mixer tap on the kitchen sink the tap markers for hot and cold were the wrong way round. Rather than re-plumb the tap he swapped the knobs on the taps over but when he put the cold tap side back on he got it one spline out and it has been nattering me ever since. So yesterday I took it off and re-installed it in line with its mate. It was a fiddly job and very awkward due to the position of the set screws that ensure the knobs stay on but I persevered and am satisfied now.
Most people would have been satisfied with the fact that the taps work and shut off beautifully but not Stanley. They weren't perfect, now they are!