Month: May 2011

View From The Conservatory


Its been a dull old couple of days here. Bone dry but not a drop of sunshine. A couple of things have gotten my dander up though.

The first is the appearance of a rat. Cheeky little sod was peering out from under our garden seat then reared up on its hind legs to get a better view before heading across the lawn. Planning to pilfer seed from the bird table. Well I wasn’t having any of that and rushed out with broom in hand. Needless to say he scarpered pretty quickly. Haven’t seen him since but I think I’ll be putting some traps down.

The second annoyance is the activities of the grey squirrels. Or perhaps just one as this is the first time I have seen them do this. At least one of the little sods has taken a liking to our Rose buds. We are getting quite a nice display, both Masquerade and Iceberg, well we were. The squirrel doesn’t seem to mind which variety so long as the bloom is still wrapped up in the bud or just beginning to open. Nips them off then sits on top of the fence with his trophy and proceeds to munch his way through before leaping off to get another. I guess there’s not much I can do about it, it is nature after all.

I’d Just Like To Say ….


….  “this is not the standard of driving exhibited by all Waterlooville drivers” 

HONEST !!!

Car plunges into hole in Waterlooville road – Travel Latest – The News.

Warning – Solent City On The Horizon


The subject of a two-week enquiry, plans for 7,000 houses are to come under scrutiny. 7,000 homes when only 2,000 are required, to be built in the area North of Fareham towards Knowle village.

Plans for over 2,000 homes to be built west of Waterlooville have already been given the go ahead.

With all this development it won’t be long before Solent City becomes a reality. The Government’s South East plan is leading us rapidly towards a “vast urban sprawl” from Totton in the west to Waterlooville in the East. The insidious creeping growth of our local settlements is slowly consuming the buffer zones which have, so far, maintained the individuality and character of our towns and villages.

What I would like to know is where is the infrastructure to support this enormous increase in people and traffic ? I have lived in the same property for over twenty years and have watched the slow build up of traffic. This volume increase is set to explode with the new developments. And yet there doesn’t seem to be a cohesive plan to cope with the additional traffic.

You only have to visit the Locks Heath / Segensworth area during the morning or evening rush hours to understand how well our local planners understand the problems…NOT !!!. Locks Heath and Segensworth have gone through extraordinary growth over the last few years. The slip roads off the M27 have become long car parks while residents try to get home through the log jams that form around the roundabouts on the A27.

I can only see this phenomenon growing and migrating along the M27 to Junctions 10 & 11 for Fareham and on to Junctions 2 and 3 of the A3M for Waterlooville if these new proposed developments aren’t curbed.

Judgement day over new town as inquiry gets down to work – Politics – The News.

Sofyen Belamouadden: Youths guilty of Victoria killing


Why are they waiting to sentence these animals ?

Obi Nwokeh, 18, of Bermondsey, south-east London, and a 17-year-old were convicted of murder by unanimous jury verdicts. Going by the totally callous manner in which the attack was planned and carried out there can only be one sentence.

LIFE !!!

I find it hard to credit that the others that were involved in the chase and were present at the killing can get away with convictions for manslaughter and or “conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm”

Surely they are all guilty by association.

Send them all down for the maximum sentence and no time to be allowed for any time spent in custody pending the trials.

BBC News – Sofyen Belamouadden: Youths guilty of Victoria killing.

MP wants iconic Harrier jump-jet to be placed on display in Portsmouth


What a brilliant idea.

Place one rising up from the centre of the Church Street roundabout.

That would be much more striking that the useless Sails of the South which provide a pathetic greeting to people driving into Pompey. It would also provide a truly historic link between Portsmouth, the Royal Navy carriers and the Falklands.

MP wants iconic Harrier jump-jet to be placed on display in Portsmouth – East Hampshire – The News.

Friday 13th – Hah


So who’s scared of Friday 13th ?

What can possibly go wrong. I thought I’d gotten away with things but then discovered I’d put my underwear on inside out. Not an issue unless you wear “Y” front style keks. Things can get a little complicated when you are desperate.

Then my wife comes up with one of those really hokey sayings. “You can’t take of your keks and turn them the right way unless you find your ten”. What the hell does that mean ? So I asked and she says I have to count to ten first then I can change ’em. To be quite honest I am sure she just made that up on the spot.

But it got me wondering, just how many folks were running scared today. Spooked by the date.

Wow – Keep Playing The Music


From Paul Simon

to

Vieux Farka Toure – “Bullet the Blue Sky”

and then on to

U2 – “With or Without You”

Sublime programming at Radio Paradise

….. Thank you Bill & Rebecca Goldsmith !!!


End the Fisheries Discard Disgrace


Subject:  End the Fisheries Discard Disgrace.

Dear Rt Hon David Willetts MP,

As one of your constituents, I am writing to ask you to sign Early Day Motion 1123: Fish Fight campaign, which calls on the new government to eliminate discards from our fisheries.

Discarding is an environmentally and economically damaging practice: up to half of the fish trawled from the North Sea are thrown back dead or dying because of the current quota system imposed by the EU’s disastrous Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) which is due for reform.

I am supporting the Fish Fight campaign because I am deeply concerned about this senseless waste of food and I want this shameful practice to end. The campaign is backed by the fishing industry, environmental groups (including environmental law organisation ClientEarth and the Marine Conservation Society among others), and fast-growing numbers of the general public.

Now it needs all-party government support.

As my representative to parliament, I urge you to add your signature to this Early Day Motion, to show the UK has a united ask for the CFP: end discards.

For your convenience, the text of the Early Day Motion is reproduced below this letter. More information on the campaign can be found at the Fish Fight website.

Thank you for your support,

Yours sincerely

Havant Constituent

Hughs Fish Fight Letter


To Commissioner Damanaki, Members of the European Parliament and all member state governments, 

I have seen images of dead and dying fish discarded in European waters.

I understand that the current Common Fisheries Policy leads to discarding on a vast scale; for example, half of all fish caught in the North Sea are being discarded because of the current quota system imposed by the CFP.

I want this senseless waste of food to end. I want you to use your influence to  stop this unacceptable  and shameful practice.

I am supporting the Fish Fight campaign to help bring about this vital change in our seas.

http://www.fishfight.net/letter/