WHAT ATTRACTED YOUR ATTENTION TODAY?

[Big Kev]

Did you know that Keter is an Israeli company?
I assume not - but would it have made any difference if you had?

I didn't and it wouldn't. It was a bargain in a B&Q bank holiday sale.

[PanBiker]

Keter is now 80% owned by a British consortium. My replacement storage comes on Friday.

I am about 75% into dismantling our old pent shed. It's all in the car ready for a skip run on Thursday when they open. Ideally I need to do the last bit tomorrow so I can jet wash the wall behind and get a refresh coat of stone paint on it.

I made an executive decision to skip it rather than disassemble it fully, it took nearly an hour to pull the first door down to individual planks, all machine nailed and screwed together over15 years ago so not easy by any means. I have the roof one side and half the back to deal with yet. Only one winner, it will bend to my big hammer.

[Stanley]

THIS caught my eye this morning.....
All Claire's standalone stores in the UK and Ireland have stopped trading after the accessories chain's financial woes saw it fall into administration twice in a year. Administrators Kroll said 154 stores have shut and more than 1,300 staff have been "notified of redundancy", though its 350 concessions will remain open. Known for its colourful shop fronts and racks of jewellery, bracelets and its ear piercing services, the brand's bright purple branding was a familiar sight for millions of teens during a Saturday shop. But it suffered in the face of competition from cheaper, online brands such as Shein and Temu. Changing consumer tastes also spelled the death knell for the retailer, which has struggled like many High Street firms. Kroll said: "As of 27 April, all Claire's standalone stores in UK and Ireland have ceased trading. All store employees have been advised of redundancy." Claire's owners Modella Capital said in January that part of the reason it had to put Claire's into administration was "alarming" low Christmas trading that left it in a "vulnerable" position. It also blamed the climate on the High Street, which it said "remains extremely challenging", adding that government policy had caused a tough trading environment by raising staffing costs such as National Insurance Contributions.
We may hear more bad news from the High Street as the economic impact of Trumps actions hits us.....

Meanwhile..... THIS is our current interaction with Trump....
Updated 38 minutes ago
King Charles and Queen Camilla have arrived in the US at the start of a four-day state visit - the first since Queen Elizabeth II's visit in 2007. They arrived at Andrews military airbase in Maryland before being greeted at the White House by President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump. Security is extremely tight after the shooting incident in Washington DC at an event attended by the president on Saturday. King Charles will address the US Congress on Tuesday and it is expected that he will express sympathy over the attack. His speech is also expected to say that in times of great international challenges, it is more necessary than ever to stand together to defend democratic values.
At the moment, in economic terms, Trump's actions are the biggest threat to our fragile economy.....

[Whyperion]

My youngest received a penalty charge notice, for not paying the London ULEZ charge, through the post today. Fortunately he has CCTV images of him, and his car, arriving at work in York at the same time. It seems his registration number has been cloned.

report the reg number to the police (online I guess) they are pretty good at finding on CCTV tracking any number being driven around in London these days

[Big Kev]

My youngest received a penalty charge notice, for not paying the London ULEZ charge, through the post today. Fortunately he has CCTV images of him, and his car, arriving at work in York at the same time. It seems his registration number has been cloned.

report the reg number to the police (online I guess) they are pretty good at finding on CCTV tracking any number being driven around in London these days

Already done. You then use the crime reference number to advise your insurer and the DVLA (who require it as hard copy, it also takes up to 6 weeks for an acknowledgement). The police also provide a text message explaining the vehicle has been cloned as, once it's added to the police national database, my son is just as likely to be stopped and questioned as the clone. He has a hard copy of this in the car along with a picture of the clone (from the PCN) which has different wheels and a dent in the tailgate.

[Stanley]

hat sounds fairly comprehensive Kev.
The thing that got my attention was the effortless 5 hours second sleep I have just had. I think I am getting old!

[Stanley]

Vicky and Mick Barritt are coming round to scrap my redundant and leaning shed in the back yard. What a coincidence that they messaged me this morning and Ian's getting rid of his and Kev has done it as well.... As David would say, spooky!!

[Stanley]

The shed is gone and Vicky and Mick waterproofed my filing cabinet. I shall deal with that and its contents later this summer.
What surprised me was the increase in light in my kitchen. I hadn't realised how much light was being blocked!

[Stanley]

HERE'S a worrying report......
Eleven cancers are becoming more common in young people in England, a major analysis shows. A full explanation for why levels of cancer are increasing remains elusive. But the study reveals that a decades-long pattern of people becoming more overweight is likely to play some role, even though it is far from the whole story. Scientists at the Institute of Cancer Research and Imperial College London stressed cancer in young people is still rare and that everyone can reduce their risk by living a healthy lifestyle. Why cancer has been increasing in people's late teens, 20s, 30s and 40s has been puzzling scientists for years. Bradley Coombes, from Portsmouth, was just 23 when he died from bowel cancer. His mum Caroline Mousdale said that despite having many "red flag" symptoms of bowel cancer, her son was often dismissed as being too young to have the disease. She said he was "a really fit and healthy young man" about to sign a semi-professional football deal and was loving life. There was nothing that obviously put him at risk, she says. But after his first year at university he was losing a lot of weight and having pain in his abdomen. Then came diarrhoea and blood in his stools. It took 18 months of symptoms to get diagnosed. By the time he had a video examination of his bowels – called a colonoscopy – the cancer was so large it blocked the camera from getting in. Surgery and chemotherapy could not stop his tumour and Bradley died with his dog Buster by his side. "I really felt, like every parent, that he would have conquered his football dreams, he would have just had a fantastic life and that's been taken away from him, because early onset bowel cancer hadn't been identified," says Caroline.

[Stanley]

THIS report caught my eye.....
20 minutes ago
"It's just terrifying," Chloe says. "I get panic attacks." The 29-year-old has epilepsy and is struggling to get the drugs she needs to prevent life-threatening seizures. Her Lamotrigine-based medication is one of hundreds of everyday drugs that are now extremely hard to get hold of in England. She has other medications that she can easily get, but the one that helps her to safely live her life and go to work is the one that she struggles to get access to. "In the last few weeks I haven't been able to get the right medications and my seizures came back. I fell and hit my head and have a big scar across my back now from it," Chloe says. Access to medicines in England is at its most fragile point in years. People living with heart conditions, stroke risks, eye infections, bipolar and ADHD - to name just a few - are among those unable to get the medications they depend on. Supply problems mean people like Chloe are all too often leaving pharmacies up and down the country without the medication they need. Shortages are caused in part by surging global prices. However, the problem is also being exacerbated by a complicated process of funding medicines in the UK.
The difficulties started after Brexit and are now being made worse by war in the Middle East..... The first of these was self-inflicted and the second is down to Israel and the US.

[Stanley]

THIS caught my eye....
8 hours ago
Tesla has valued its compensation for billionaire boss Elon Musk at a whopping $158bn (£117bn) in 2025 - according to regulatory filings submitted on Thursday - but also disclosed he will not be getting any of it. Musk's compensation reflects the firm's estimate of what he would earn should he meet the terms of an astronomical pay deal approved by Tesla shareholders in November. However, it only becomes payable if he hits ambitious milestones, including raising the company's market value to $8.5tn, in which case Musk could be awarded shares worth up to $1tn. Analysts say he has some way to go before doing that, meaning the monster pay package is nominal only, for now at least. "Elon Musk isn't actually going to pocket $158bn," said Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis at AJ Bell. "He's still got a whole bunch of targets to hit and none of the milestones set out in the $1tn pay deal approved by shareholders last year were achieved in 2025." She told the BBC Musk's compensation figures, disclosed in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Thursday, external, are "a promise he'll receive that amount in Tesla shares for his work over the past year if he does manage to deliver".
Does anyone share my opinion that possible earnings on this scale are ridiculous?

[Stanley]

[Big Kev]

Checked in at the Mode Hotel in St Anne's this afternoon and we have a complimentary upgrade to an executive sea view room. Very nice

[Stanley]

THIS was what caught my attention this morning.....
Three people have died after a suspected hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship en route from Argentina to Cape Verde, the World Health Organization tells the BBC. A 70-year-old male passenger became ill on the cruise and died on arrival at St Helena Island, a South African health official says - adding that the man's remains are now "awaiting repatriation to the Netherlands". The man's wife, 69, also became ill and died in hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa - a South African official says the couple were Dutch. A 69-year-old British national is in intensive care also in Johannesburg, while two crew members on board need urgent medical assistance. Dutch officials are planning the repatriation of two symptomatic individuals as well as the body of the third person who died, which is still on board the vessel. Hantavirus refers to a strain of viruses carried by rodents, primarily transmitted to humans through inhalation of airborne particles from dried rodent droppings

[Whyperion]

I wonder if the rise of some cancers in young people is due to excessive consumption of energy drinks and protein supplements (noting that it is happening in healthy people so it is not obesity alone).

[Whyperion]

May The Fourth today
"live long and prosper"

[Stanley]

THIS got my attention....
Wu Yize beats Shaun Murphy 18-17 in thrilling World Championship final at the Crucible. Wu is second consecutive Chinese winner and second-youngest in tournament's history. Murphy falls just short of winning second world title
We have been treated to some excellent match play and there is no doubt now about the quality of the Chinese players...

[PanBiker]

Received a text this morning regarding delivery of our new storage shed. Same as last time, the driver is supposed to ring us before he does the drop, ideal if you need to give him local access information. Didn't happen last time when they abandoned the delivery due to the "really steep" hill onto St James Square and the size of vehicle he was driving. We live in hope that he can access us OK in a smaller van. Plenty of time for the drop, it's between 7am and 6pm and a further message tells me it's on "special delivery".

[Stanley]

They seem to be making a big production of the delivery Ian.... I hope they can manage it today!
THIS is what caught my attention....
Updated 10 minutes ago
A Dutch cruise ship with a hantavirus outbreak on board is to sail to the Canary Islands, Spain has said. Spain's health ministry said officials were determining which passengers required urgent evacuation from Cape Verde, where the ship was docked. The remaining passengers would go on to the Canary Islands, where they were expected to arrive within three to four days, it said, adding that the exact port of arrival had not yet been decided. Cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions said its plan was to sail to "Gran Canaria or Tenerife". Three passengers who were aboard the MV Hondius have died, after it set sail from Argentina on its voyage across the Atlantic Ocean around a month ago. Two crew members, including the ship's doctor, require urgent medical care and are waiting to be medically evacuated. A third person linked to a German national who died is also due to be evacuated. In its statement, the health ministry said the doctor, who was in serious condition, was due to be evacuated to the Canary Islands on Tuesday on a hospital aircraft. It said the World Health Organization (WHO) had explained that Cape Verde "cannot carry out this operation". "The Canary Islands are the closest location with the necessary capabilities. Spain has a moral and legal obligation to assist these people, among whom are several Spanish citizens," the statement added.

Closer to home.... I have a grandchild who is 38...... Things are getting serious!!

[Big Kev]

Anyone named David can visit Knowsley Safari Park for free this Friday.
Celebrate Sir David Attenborough’s 100th Birthday | Knowsley Safari https://share.google/zPUicD2CozXJurE5T

[PanBiker]

hey seem to be making a big production of the delivery Ian.... I hope they can manage it today!

All sorted delivery wise Stanley. Driver called me when he was on his way from Rochdale said it would be about an hour, He and his mate rocked up just after 9am in a Transit Van. Will put my temporary woes with the build in the DIY and Bits of Jobs thread, like the black knight it's only a flesh wound and move are already at foot to sort the problem.

[Stanley]

I've read the DIY thread Ian.

THIS caught my eye this morning....
Up to 150 of the 480 High Street stores formerly part of the WHSmith business will be closed in a restructuring plan launched by the owner of the chain. The WHSmith High Street bookshops were purchased by Modella Capital last year, and the stores were then rebranded under the name TGJones. Hundreds of jobs are at risk through the restructure, but Modella Capital told the BBC the plan was an "essential part" of the company's turnaround plan. A Modella Capital spokesperson said the decision had "not been taken lightly" but blamed challenging retail conditions for the need to close stores. "While we continue to believe in the strength of the core business, TGJones has experienced highly challenging trading conditions over the past year, along with many other brick-and-mortar retailers," the spokesperson said. The private equity firm said the challenges were partly due to the "forced" name change, saying that it negatively impacted public awareness of the brand. It also blamed rising operating costs "as a direct result of government policy" and recent "geopolitical events". "The restructuring plan is designed to protect the substantial core of the store estate and create a stronger, more sustainable business that can continue to serve customers for years to come," they said. Modella Capital's spokesperson said the firm had made no decisions yet on how the closures would affect jobs, and it is aiming to preserve "as many jobs as possible". "We want to be clear, however, that the plan may result in the closure of some stores and the loss of some roles," they said. "We recognise the impact this uncertainty will have on colleagues, their families and the communities we serve."
I have a premonition that we will see more stories like this going forward.....

[Stanley]

THIS caught my attention....
An outbreak of hantavirus on board a cruise ship is not the start of a pandemic, the UN health agency has said. Maria van Kerkhove, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the World Health Organization (WHO), told a news briefing that it was not the same situation as six years ago with Covid-19, because hantavirus spreads through "close, intimate contact". Health authorities are racing to trace dozens of people who have recently disembarked from the Dutch vessel MV Hondius. On Thursday, the WHO said that overall, five of eight suspected cases of hantavirus had been confirmed. Three people have died, including a 69-year-old Dutch woman, who had the virus. Her Dutch husband and a German woman also died, and their cases are being investigated. Hantavirus typically spreads from rodents - but in the latest outbreak the transmission between people was documented for the first time, the WHO said. The luxury cruise, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, began its journey on 1 April in Ushuaia, Argentina, and is expected to arrive in Spain's Canary Islands on 10 May. About 150 passengers and crew from 28 countries are reported to have initially been aboard the vessel, but dozens disembarked on the island of St Helena on 24 April.

[Stanley]

THIS analysis of the election from John Curtice is, as always, worth reading....

Nice to see that Chris Church (LD) saw off the reform candidate,,,, So sad to see that in Barnoldswick the Conservatives got more votes than Labour.

[Cathy]

I enjoyed watching YouTube BBC King Charles 111 enlists creature couriers to congratulate David Attenborough on his 100th Birthday.
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