WHAT ATTRACTED YOUR ATTENTION TODAY?

[David Whipp]

Email just in from the organisers of The Great British High Street initiative informing us that they hope to announce Award Winners next Wednesday....

Watch this space!

[Thomo]

Everything crossed for a good result David. Noticeable is the sudden surge of media interest in the Rohilla Tragedy, Colin Brittain was on Look North last night and Peter Thomson this morning.
This video is worth a look:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRgYujXx ... e=youtu.be

[Bruff]

‘’I think we need to empower young people to make better choices in regard to parenthood and its long term consequences’’

Couldn’t agree more. The rate of teenage pregnancy in the UK is of course, much lower than most folk believe (along with the number of young single mothers which is similarly over-estimated by most folk – the tendency for Brits to be completely wrong on the true scale of many things has been reported the last couple of days). But that said it is still higher than almost all other countries in Europe. Those countries where numbers are much lower tend to have very comprehensive, frank and on-going sex education starting at about 5 years of age. The ‘mechanics’ shall we say are taught in eye-popping detail, but there is enormous emphasis placed on the importance of relationships and mutual respect.

There is no chance, no chance, of such approaches being taken up here. The tabloids would go bonkers and the airwaves would be filled with nutjobs banging on about filling kids’ heads with filth, or otherwise encouraging them to do 'rude' things. It’s a bit like approaches to drugs – all the empirical evidence points in one direction only………………and we do the exact opposite. Crackers.

Richard Broughton

[PanBiker]

Everything crossed for a good result David. Noticeable is the sudden surge of media interest in the Rohilla Tragedy, Colin Brittain was on Look North last night and Peter Thomson this morning.
This video is worth a look:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRgYujXx ... e=youtu.be

Apparently there is a feature in the RNLI magazine as well this month.

[Marilyn]

It's not so much about the numbers of young Mums, it is more about the vulnerability of their offspring, particularly in cases where the young Mum has no parental support of her own.
These young girls ( although they would likely deny it) still need their own Mums.
They are looking for someone to love them, with the expectation that their child will provide that love they crave...whereas more mature parents have the opposite expectation of desiring to give their love to a child.
With no-one to help out when the pressure mounts, an inexperienced and desperate young Mum, who cannot afford decent childcare, is more likely to rely on questionable people for child minding...and is likely not to have built in radar instincts about dubious baby sitters.
New partners may not take to the existing child.
And there is a whole sub-culture of males who tend to feed off young Mums...who are easy targets because they crave the attention.
I just think that if a vulnerable child can be identified at birth ( even prior to birth), there could be better outcomes...hoops Mum must jump through and criteria she must meet to ensure she is armed with as much information and help as possible. Things like monthly baby clinic attendances...six monthly medical and nutritional checks...'cooking on a budget' classes and what to feed baby...with some sort of planning on how life will go from this moment on, with the desired outcome that she will become a resourceful and self sufficient Mum who is in charge of her own circumstances and that of her child. Until that outcome, her child remains vulnerable.

[Stanley]

Maz and Richard are dead right about young mums and their problems. I've said for years that we should teach kids about sex and relationships at school to reinforce what is (hopefully0 being taught in the home by example. Instead, as Richard says, we ignore the problem and when they get into trouble say it's their fault for wearing crop tops (Yes, that slipped out of a politician’s mouth this week in reference to CSE!) The girls have been let down by us and the system we created and because of more transparency we are seeing the results emerging like the Creature from the Black Lagoon at the moment. I was listening to a piece on R4 about young lads beliefs and attitudes about sex and relationships and was, to put it mildly, dismayed. All right, there are good lads out there with the right ideas but this programme focussed on the 'bad apples'. A perfect example is the footballer who believed that becau8se the woman didn't object it was OK to rape her. The fact that she was insensible due to drink at the time and couldn't assent either completely escaped his moral compass.
On a brighter note, well done Barlick and David.....
On another gloomy note... The incidence of bangers going off in the early evenings is affecting Jack already. We aren't looking forward to the weekend.

[Marilyn]

I have been absolutely AMAZED tonight...Halloween...and how modern day it has become! Car load after carload of kids being disgorged into the street to run up and down gathering sweets ( about 10% are costumed but the rest haven't bothered)...then back in the car and off to the next street. Simply a sweet-gathering excercise in the shortest possible time. I have watched at least 20 cars stuffed with kids...doors open and out they run. This is quite unbelievable! Talk about streamlining operations...

[Cathy]

And I bet they have no idea why Halloween started in the first place or what it really is ''meant'' to mean. And!! the parents encourage their kids (their most precious asset) to go knocking on strangers doors just for the sake of dressing up and getting a few lollies! The mind boggles.
Just had some knock on my door and I just said 'Sorry, I don't do Halloween, have a good night'. I only added 'have a good night for the childs sake'.

[Marilyn]

The cars keep coming.
I have no real thoughts about the rights or wrongs of Halloween...recall my son being desperate to do it one year, so I made him an outfit and walked a few feet behind him. But back then it was all on foot in ones own neighbourhood. None of this loading kids in 4 wheel drives and doing the whole town like a strike force.
Wonder what it is like around here at Christmas or Easter!

[David Whipp]

Following the email saying that we may get to know the result of the 2014 Great British High Street initiative next week, I looked at the hardcopy presentation we gave to the judges.

Here it is

Great British High Street presentation A4.pdf

[PanBiker]

A good presentation David, well done to everyone involved.

[Bruff]

Is that my wife I spy in the foreground of one of those photographs? Well, I do believe it is.

I will have to check, but I think my mother’s backside is in there too as she toddles along with her shopping……………..

Well done to all.

Richard Broughton

[Stanley]

First class presentation and no matter what the reception is in the competition it ought to be published and put on sale as a souvenir because it's a good historical document.
What attracted my attention was another brown-out this morning at 03:58. The quality of our supply is deteriorating.
On a similar matter, has anyone else noticed the high rate of failure in BBC broadcasts in communications with correspondents? I'm sure there were less when it was radio and copper wire based. Digital is a miracle when it works but too many failures.
I nearly forgot! Re Halloween tricksters. I hate this modern con trick which has been played on the kids in order to create a market for tat. There were four knockings on the door last night. Jack went berserk barking and I ignored them until they went away. Sorry, I'm not a kill joy but I don't like it. Incidentally, they all left the gate open....
When I was a lad we had a different tradition, Mischief Night and the worst thing we did was take front gates off the hinges and put them in next door's front garden....

[David Whipp]

Richard, am sure presence of your nearest and dearest in photo should clinch it for us...

Stanley, historical accuracy stretched a little to fit the narrative... I think it's a good story though; a good demonstration of 'community resilience' (if that doesn't sound too high faluting).

[Pluggy]

I got away without any trick or treaters last night, Life is good....

[Big Kev]

I got away without any trick or treaters last night, Life is good....

Me too, I was away in Newcastle which helped

[David Whipp]

The wreath laying for HMHS Rohilla off Whitby.

[David Whipp]

And the plaque unveiled as part of the commemorative activities.

[Stanley]

Looks like a nice day in Whitby...
No knocks on the door but lots of bangers. Jack not amused!

[Nolic]

A few fireworks from an organised display is all we've had to put up with so far. Lankies seem not to bother with Mischief Night which considering some of the tricks we got up to when I was a nipper is a blessing. Nolic

[Thomo]

Yesterday at Whitby could not have been better, the sun shone, and the sea was calm with just a slight offshore breeze. For me there was a slight change of plan which could have been a bit disappointing, yet any feelings of that nature were soon swept away. I was booked to be on board the William Riley, but a small hiccup occurred and I went on the Station Lifeboat, the George and Mary Webb, a Trent class boat. The flotilla was assembled near the harbour mouth whilst I and others boarded, we then took our place at the head of the flotilla and headed out to sea. I didn't see much of what was happening on the way out as I was being interviewed by the RNLI and then the Yorkshire post, it was noticeable however that whereas the flotilla was taking the direct route to the wreck sight, for us Whitby was at a fair distance. On board there was the full crew, the RNLI Chaplain and other RNLI representatives, the Author Colin Brittain, a Naval Lt. Cdr. and his family, the YP reporter and photographer, and myself. Also noticeable later was that we were all wearing lifejackets whilst the passengers in the flotilla were not, they were escorted by the inshore lifeboat, I now know why. The service was carried out by PA from our boat and then we laid our wreaths, followed by those from the flotilla. It was a very moving experience and made more so by the knowledge that beneath us was what remains of the Rohilla, had the weather been so benign 100 years ago, we would not have been there yesterday. It has always been said that the Rohilla was very close to the shore, about 400 yards, I can assure you that even on a good day, it looks an awful long way. On the way back we again went far out to sea, but this time I had an unimpaired view, a call came to "hold on" and they opened the throttles wide, the bow went up and the stern dug in and we were off on the ride of a lifetime, totally unforgettable. Apart from finding out that my sea legs still work, I also discovered the reason for our course and the life jackets, the boat was after all on station and had there been a call out we would have been off to attend. This event in Whitby coincided with another rather more diverse one, it was the "Goth" weekend, hundreds of people milling around in some of the most weird costumes imaginable, but for the most part good natured. On our return we were invited to the Whitby Yacht Club which sits atop the Lifeboat Museum, for refreshments, it is fair to state at this point that the people of Whitby in general, and the RNLI in particular made us most welcome with their generosity and warmth of spirit. Then we attended the unveiling of the new Memorial Plaque that David has kindly depicted above, I had the chance later to talk with the stonemason who did his work gratis and the man who made the plaque. I also met many others who were attending as descendants of the Rohilla Men and Women. As other pictures and items come to light I will post them in my other topic, but for now here is the George and Mary Webb accompanied by the inshore boat:-

[Stanley]

How well Jack coped with the fireworks, even the big display at Victory Park. He was disturbed but never went into a full panic.

Later at 08:00 after a dry walk. Bad News!!!! I have just noted that the large emitters on Town Square and the smaller ones on some lamp posts have reappeared as if by magic! Must check on tin foil supplies for my hat.....
More bad news but for me alone. The clip that holds the head in place in my shower broke this morning and the mixer valve is giving notice. I need a new shower unit. Isn't it a bugger, just as you are getting on top of the reserve fund something happens and you have to spend!

[Thomo]

Last Saturday at Whitby our recently appointed new Vicar of the Holy Trinity Church, the Reverend Dianne Weaver shone like a bright star. Here she is sat at the stern of another historic Lifeboat at sea on that occasion, she is now also the Chaplain of our local Royal British Legion:-

[Tizer]

My attention grabber today...We bought three new roller blinds from John Lewis. I followed the instructions on measuring the recess of the window, then subtracting 3.3cm as instructed, and cut the blinds, sawed off the excess aluminium tube and plastic tube. Came to fit them and they're about 2 cm too long. Checked through the instructions again, got someone else to check too. I've got it all right - the instructions are wrong!!

[PanBiker]

Poppy shop, nicely appointed on Frank Street. I called in today to collect more remembrance crosses for my distribution down Ghyll. I was left slightly short of the number I need with deploying for the WWI personnel in August for the heritage weekend. I have been down since then and there has been a final mowing in the cemetery and churchyard since I did that so I will have to do a full sweep of all that are on my list. I got a poppy posie for my mum and dad at the same time.