Makeover set to boost Waterlooville town centre’s trade – Oh Really !!!

So they found some more money !!!

Pretty artist impressions do not readily translate into the real thing nor do they generate business for the non-existent shops. Just take a look at our pastel parade. To me it looks just like a colour washed physical version of an artist impression. It is not the most attractive town centre.

We are about to be hit by the huge housing development over the western side of the town. What on earth is going to draw the new residents into the town centre ?

I have lived in the town for over 20 years and have seen the road traffic increase as vehicles try to avoid Waterlooville. Many people see the town as an irritation that disrupts the flow of the A3. They don’t stop because there is nothing to see. Just a plain, bland and tired pedestrian area.

I have seen business drying up in the town centre while the planners have allowed warehouse style shopping around the towns perimeter. What should have happened is that the planners should have encouraged the town centre to grow and flourish in the style of a market town with lots of smaller specialist shops. Allowing the Matalans, Brantano’s, furniture warehouse style shops and such like to open away from the town centre was the death knell to Waterlooville.

Makeover set to boost Waterlooville town centre’s trade – East Hampshire – The News.

Congratulations To William & Kate

There has already been far too much posted in the run up to todays celebrations. So much that I was bored with the whole idea of the wedding. The various media centres were falling over themselves to find the minutest facts no matter how tenuous the link to the couple.

Now the day has arrived and I am pleased for the couple. The spectacle was everything that one could wish for The weather has been kind and there has, by all accounts, been very little trouble from the idiots who go out of their way to spoil things.

Today has provided a welcome boost to this countries morale and hopefully a boost to the popularity of the monarchy. I hope the naysayers who decry the monarchy realise what an attraction the royals are and how beneficial and important they are to GB Ltd. Our previous Labour government seem to go out of their way to crush. repress and destroy this countries heritage. The interest that is being shown in this wedding by the whole world should say something to them. It is estimated that around 2 billion people will be tuning in.

So William & Kate …… CONGRATULATIONS !!!

Government ready for a U-turn over scrapped Harriers

Those of you who have read my previous posts on this subject will know what my opinion is regarding the scrapping of the Harriers and our carriers. So you will forgive me if I don’t get too excited with the attached article if only because I haven’t found any corroboration by other news agencies. This may be because The News have got themselves a scoop. If so well done.

But, you know what they say. “There’s no smoke without fire”

So I’ll keep my fingers crossed. Certainly the activities across the middle east have shown that there is a need for carrier based forces even during a peace keeping role. Other nations involved have provided carriers while we have been busy sending ours of to the scrapyards

No other nation on this planet would have left themselves with the huge hole in their defence strategy, not in the way that our government has.

Lets hope that there is some truth in this article. There is no shame in admitting that you got it wrong and righting a great wrong. Just do it sooner than later.

Government ready for a U-turn over scrapped Harriers – East Hampshire – The News.

A DOG NAMED SEX

Everybody I know who has a dog usually calls him “Rover” or “Spot”. I called mine “Sex”.

Now Sex has been very embarrassing to me when I went to the city hall to renew the dog’s license for Sex. I told the clerk I’d like a license for Sex he said. “I would like to have one too!”. Then I said, “she is a dog!!”. He said he didn’t care what she looked like. I said, “you don’t understand. I had Sex since I was 9 years old.” He replied, “You must have been quite a strong boy.”

When I decided to get married, I told the minister that I would like to have Sex at the wedding. He told me to wait until after the wedding was over. I said, “but Sex has played a big part in my life and my life revolves around Sex.” He said he didn’t want to hear about my personal life and would not marry us in his church. I told him everybody would like having Sex at the wedding. The next day we were married at the justice of peace. My family was barred from the church then on.

When my wife and I went on our honeymoon, I took the dog with me. When we checked into the motel, I told the clerk that I wanted a room for me and my wife and a special room for Sex. He said every room in the motel is a place for sex. I said, “you don’t understand. Sex keeps me awake at night.” The clerk said, “me too!”

One day I entered Sex in a contest. But before the competition began, Sex ran away. Another contestant asked me why I was just looking around. I told him that I was going to have Sex in the contest. He said that I should have sold my own tickets. “You don’t understand!!” I said. “I hoped to have Sex on TV!!”. He called me a show off.

When my wife and I separated, we went to court to fight for custody of the dog. I said, “your honour. I had Sex before I was married, but Sex left me after I was married.” The judge said, “me too!!”

Last night, Sex ran off again. I spent hours looking all over for her. A cop came over and asked me what I was doing in the alley at 4 o’clock in the morning. I said, “I’m looking for Sex.” My case comes up next Thursday.

Well now I have been thrown in jail, been divorced and had more damn troubles with that dog than I ever foresaw. Why just the other day when I went for my first session with my psychiatrist, she asked me, “what seems to be the trouble?” I replied, “Sex has been my best friend all of my life but now it has left me forever. I couldn’t live any longer. So lonely.” The doctor said, “look mister you should understand sex isn’t a man’s best friend. So get yourself a dog.”

Calm Down Dear – Its Only Politics

Typical politicians.

They latch onto the slightest thing and turn it into a mountainous issue. And all to score points on each other.

The latest is the Prime Ministers “Calm Down Dear” statement. When taken in the context of the cut and thrust of parliamentary question time it is insignificant. A bit of humour amidst the tawdry and the banal.

But they wouldn’t be politicians if they didn’t take that golden opportunity and seize it with both hands.So off they go, take a minor comment and build it up. Ask for an apology where one is not necessary. Accuse the Prime Minister of “sexism” where none was intended

Whats worse is that the media also latch on and build this simple comment into a news story when it isn’t

Who cares ? Certainly the other politicians shouldn’t. They are supposed to be debating the UKs economical and political woes. After all that’s what we pay them for.

I would beat the crap out of them

I have previously suggested that we bring back the birch.

Here is a prime example of a situation where that short sharp shock would be of benefit. The residents of this quiet close all now have the inconvenience of having to repair their vehicles. Meanwhile the perpetrators are probably fast asleep getting over there hangovers.

The residents interviewed in this article seem quite relaxed about the estimated £50 that each of them will have to fork out. Personally I would be seething and would want to use the aerials and wiper blades to beat some sense into the mindless morons that carried out this damage.

Vandals rip wipers from cars during late-night rampage through road – Law and Order – The News.

Cough It Up

Things have been a little quiet around here. Well post wise they have.

Home is anything but quiet. Ever since my wife went down with Flu or some such affliction. It really is quite nasty. Started with sore throat and tenderness extending to one ear. This steadily worsened over a period of a week, blocking nasal/sinus passages and moved onto her chest. Much coughing, croaking and wheezing. A visit to the doctor last week culminated with her being prescribed a nasal spray. By Saturday morning things were so bad that a trip to the doctors was in order again. This time the doctor was sufficiently concerned enough to prescribe steroids, antibiotics and an inhaler. I think the death rattle with every intake of breath probably nailed the diagnosis.

This last weekend was the Easter Bank Holiday Weekend. A four-day long break with possibly the best weather forecast for decades and we had such plans. Jobs to do around the garden and trips to the garden centres. To cap it all even though she was too weak to work in the garden she was also not allowed into the sunlight due to the fact that the antibiotics have a side effect which can make the skin hypersensitive to the sun. My wife being a keen sun-worshipper was decidedly unhappy at the prospect of being trapped indoors on such a beautiful weekend.

Suffice it to say things have improved but not dramatically so. My wife should have been in work today but is too weak to walk to the car let alone go to work in an office. She is now resigned to the fact that she will not be going to work this week. In her usual way she is feeling really guilty for letting her colleagues down which of course is total bollocks.

She is also heartily pissed off at, for her, the lost weekend. Lets hope she regains enough health to allow her to enjoy this upcoming wedding weekend. Another 4-day jolly….hopefully.

Bid to move surgeons from QA sparks fears that lives may be lost

And well we might be scared. This is a clear example where common sense is being overridden by the bean-counters.

It may well make sense financially to move these surgeons to Southampton but from a practical patient safety and well-being standpoint it is total madness. After all the money that has been spent on the QA the bean-counters are intent on ripping its heart out.

I have been working for many years in an industry where there have been many changes including the centralisation of skills and services on a global scale. In some cases it has been successful but there have been many instances where from the ground level it has been far from practical. At least in my case there have been no lives at risk.