OneGuyFromBarlick

I hadn't heard that Kev but why is it no surprise?
Is it my imagination or are those flags dressing the set shiny? (There's trivia for you.)

The devastating news about Rolls Royce continues to make headlines. The current talk is about merging the two factories, Ghyll Brow and Bankfield into one. This is cuckoo land wishful thinking to think Bankfield will remain the head factory. Ghyll Brow is process orientated with some very nasty chemicals moving processes like this is very expensive and enviromentally virtually impossible. Bankfield looks the best bet for complete closure. Take away all the big fan work and there is very little that can't be moved on the back of a wagon. Very sad and I hope I'm wrong. RR.

plaques wrote: ↑30 Aug 2020, 08:36 The devastating news about Rolls Royce continues to make headlines.

Daily Mail

Many years ago I pointed out that RR had only arrived in Barlick by accident due to the activities of that well-known urban architect, Herr Hitler. I drew attention to the fact that it has lasted longer in importance than the steam driven textile industry. We may be seeing the eventual ending of one of our main economic assets.
I think Ken is correct. Nothing here that can't be moved to Derby, it's been happening piecemeal for years. I think the start was when the test beds were moved from Gill Brow when they needed rebuilding for the larger RB11 engines.

I think the start was when the test beds were moved from Gill Brow when they needed rebuilding for the larger RB11 engines. A minor correction here Stanley. There were test beds at Ghyll Brow but I think they were only used through the war Years. Could be wrong here but there were about four bays which were built from Accrington brick and had a massive concrete roof later to become the press shop. The ones at Bankfield tested anything from the early Nene and Derwent up to the Avon. The last 'big' engine was the Conway which just about went through the doors and had to be shoehorned into the test rig. The larger 'RB' engines would have required a complete rebuild of the test beds. Bear in mind that the natives were already complaining about the noise from the smaller engines.

I used to love it when they ran the engines up at Bankfield you could see the heat haze all over that end of Coates. Same era as we used to have the Fire and Civil Defence sirens in town tested on a Saturday morning. Pre pager days so they had to work to turn out the local crew. We used to leg up Wellhouse Road if we were about when the sirens went off in anger. Mainly to see the crewmember that came on a motorbike which he laid down and jumped off while it was still running when he got to the station, all exciting stuff for young lads.

Ken, I can remember the snow being melted off the field behind Gill Brow below the canal in the 1960s. I always assumed that was from the test beds.

Hot off the press...
`Alexei Navalny: Russia opposition leader poisoned with Novichok - Germany' BBC
`Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent, Germany's government says. It said toxicology tests at a military laboratory showed "unequivocal proof" of an agent from the Novichok group. Mr Navalny was airlifted to Berlin for treatment after falling ill during a flight in Russia's Siberia region last month. He has been in a coma since. His team says he was poisoned on President Vladimir Putin's orders. The Kremlin has dismissed the allegation. A Novichok nerve agent was used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the UK in 2018. While they survived, another woman later died in hospital. The German government has condemned the latest attack in the strongest terms and called for Russia to urgently provide an explanation. "It is a disturbing development that Alexei Navalny was the victim of a chemical nerve agent in Russia," it said..'.

They're, allegedly, poisoning a few of their own...

Colne Library to open September 9th
Taken from the list.
These libraries are reopening on Wednesday 9 September with their usual opening hours except that they will close for lunch between 1pm and 2pm:

Colne

Hancock seems to have had another go at confusing all of us.
Glad Putin isn't after me, I have enough problems with Covid.....

This report starts out by saying "troubling evidence" was uncovered but it didn't need uncovering, it's been going on in plan view for many years now and reported a number of times in the press. Yet nothing was done until now. It's disgraceful that the Competition and Markets Authority have only now got around to addressing the scam. It's well-known that developers forced buyers to use the developer's choice of conveyancing agent and those agents failed to warn buyers of the danger of being trapped in a lease with rapidly increasing ground rents and other charges.
`Court threat to housebuilders over leasehold ‘trap’' LINK
`Four of the UK's largest housebuilders are being investigated after "troubling evidence" was uncovered over the way leaseholds were sold. Barratt Developments, Countryside Properties, Persimmon Homes and Taylor Wimpey face action from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Buyers have argued that they were caught in a leasehold trap, with rising ground rents and unfair fees..'.

Did you listen to You and Yours yesterday Peter? Exactly the same point was made to the spokesman for the Committee.
Funny isn't it that we have been banging on about this malpractice for years and they have only just 'uncovered the evidence'. Pull the other one!

It's time we encouraged smaller housebuilding companies with modern building methods and better trained workers. But the politians seem to in thrall to the big developers and their old ways.

I'm not surprised by this report even though the locals say it doesn't happen very often. We often spend time on that beach (it's good for pebbles of metal ore such as cassiterite, haematite and magnetite!) and people are always trying to drive their cars right down to the beach. But it's only a tiny area, rocky and at the end of a narrow, very steep slope. It's crazy to go beyond the car park but there always cars having trouble reversing back out...
`Car spotted crashing in waves on beach in St Agnes' LINK

How about this for `over-engineering' and waste (some of it toxic)?
`The surprising secret hidden in a pregnancy test' LINK
`A teardown of a digital pregnancy test has created a buzz after revealing it contained a standard paper test, similar to those used by GPs. The experiment has raised questions about whether the extra cost of digital pregnancy tests is justified. Some say the electronics give women a clearer answer but others point to the e-waste created by digital test kits. The experiment also found the digital test contained a microprocessor more powerful than early home computers. But the electronics themselves did not play a role in the hormone detection..'.

Richard Attenborough saying "In 1954 there were 2.7 billion people in the World, now there are 7.8 billion."

Almost a threefold population increase in my lifetime, I suppose I'm guilty of contributing to it!

He also said “Do you know, 70 per cent of all living birds — if you count up woodpeckers, cuckoos, pigeons and so on — are chickens? And 96 per cent of all mammals, by weight, are domestic.”

No wonder the planet is under stress.

Car on beach... No doubt they always want to park outside the shop they are going to....
Don't blame yourself China. Can you remember there was a rumour in those days that by law a certain percentage of condoms had to have a pin hole put in them? I blame that.

At last we're getting somewhere on the Grenfell issue...
`Grenfell Fire: Cladding firm 'confused' by safety rules' LINK

I saw that report as well Peter and whilst I don't know enough to pass any judgements, I have a feeling in my water that in the end it will be a combination of confused regulation, poor application of what rules there were and efforts somewhere in the chain of responsibility to keep costs down.
It all seems blindingly obvious to me, don't use anything that is in any way flammable in the cladding. For instance, if the core between the covering sheets had been slag wool and the exterior a non flammable metal that would have been safer. (Aluminium itself can burn at a high enough temperature.)
I addition, don't hold your breath waiting for the cuffs to be clapped on any high ranking officials. We learned that this is a no-no with the banks....

I think the feeling in your water is what those close to the issue already knew was the case and now it's a decision of who to blame for the guddle. An extra problem is that the manufacturer, Arconic, is a US company.

Another bit of Trumpery...
`US official claims pressure to downplay intelligence reports' LINK
`A senior intelligence official at the US Department of Homeland Security has said he was pressured by the agency's leadership to downplay the threat of Russian election interference as it "made the president look bad". In a whistleblower complaint, Brian Murphy said he was demoted for refusing to alter reports on this and other issues, including white supremacy. The directives were illegal, he claims...'.

No surprise there Peter. Trump is on record telling Woodward that he knew how bad Covid was but downplayed it 'so as not to cause panic'. For that read 'because it made me look bad'. Simples.
In his election play book anything that detracts from the fiction that The Donald is omniscient is a no-no. His reactions to reality will get worse in the run in to November. I forecast the dirtiest election in decades. Only problem is of course that in this world where so many people have taken a position and eaten their brains it could work.

Councillors in the Shetland Islands have overwhelmingly voted for independence from both Edinburgh and London, according to The Times!

It's the 19th anniversary of 9/11. There's a ceremony on TV live from Ground Zero. Lady singing Land of the Free, Home of the Brave, then a pipe band with a mix of Scots, Irish and American symbolism.

Why do pipe bands make me cry?

Tripps wrote: ↑11 Sep 2020, 12:50 It's the 19th anniversary of 9/11. There's a ceremony on TV live from Ground Zero. Lady singing Land of the Free, Home of the Brave, then a pipe band with a mix of Scots, Irish and American symbolism.

Why do pipe bands make me cry?

Pipe bands, accordions and fiddle music all designed to cause weeping. Not the sound of marching drums though, that sends a shiver of fear down your spine.

Wendy, that makes me think of this, sung by Marlborough's soldiers, same tune as Waltzing Matilda...
Marching Through Rochester

A bold fusilier came marching back through Rochester
Off from the wars in the north country,
And he sang as he marched
Through the crowded streets of Rochester,
``Who'll be a soldier for Marlboro and me?''

Who'll be a soldier? Who'll be a soldier?
Who'll be a soldier for Marlboro and me?
And he sang as he marched
Through the crowded streets of Rochester,
``Who'll be a soldier for Marlboro and me?''

The Queen, she has ordered new troops onto the continent
To strike a last blow at the enemy.
And if you would be a soldier
All in a scarlet uniform
Take the King's shilling for Marlboro and me.
Take the King's shilling. Take the King's shilling.
Take the King's shilling for Marlboro and me.
And if you would be a soldier
All in a scarlet uniform
Take the King's shilling for Marlboro and me.

[And more: Marching Through Rochester ]

When we lived in central Scotland we were 2 miles from the main road where the Orange parades took place but could hear the rather threatening sound of the drums as they marched.