Month: August 2011

Rioters Are Giving Terrorists A Bad Name


So now the violence that started at the weekend is spreading out from London to other cities of the UK. Bristol, Birmingham and Liverpool are also experiencing violence and looting .

ANARCHY !!

There is no other word for it. The total break down of public order. The thieves and thugs are out on the streets pillaging the lawful businesses of their own communities. Trashing property that they can’t steal.

All this from the shooting of one man…. I don’t think so.

“We are getting our taxes back.”

That’s what one looter in Clapham Junction told Sky’s Mark Stone, who was filming while confronting people raiding a Curry’s Digital. The local branch of Waterstone’s had not been looted, he noted.

So how exactly does that work ?

Who does he think is going to pay for cleaning up the aftermath of all the burning and destruction. Who is going to have to pay more for goods as businesses raise prices to cover their increased insurance premiums and the bank loans they will have to take out to pay for replacement and restocking ?

The activities of these criminals is going to hurt us all.

At least when a terrorist sets of a bomb they do so with a cause in mind. They don’t set about stealing property from their own communities

The only cause these thugs have is  Numero Uno !!! They steal to line their own pockets with cash or to furnish their homes with property they couldn’t or wouldn’t buy.

There have also been reports of children as young as 10 joining in the looting. Where the hell do the parents think their kids are ? Or are their parents out on the streets with them…………setting a fine example ?

Rioters Are Giving Terrorists A Bad Name

Anarchists and Terrorists


There is no excuse for the violent criminal actions of the thugs that took to the streets of London over the weekend.

The riots appear to have been triggered by the death on Thursday of Mark Duggan, shot by police. That in isolation may have given rise to anger amongst some members of the community. It certainly appears to have led to some 300 people marching from the Broadwater Estate and gathering outside Tottenham police station. They were apparently demanding “justice” for Duggans family.

Would these same people have demanded “justice” had the bullet that was embedded in the policeman’s radio actually found its way into his heart ? Would these same people have marched had Duggan survived and the policeman died. I think not.

What do these people know of justice ?

It is always sad and regrettable when somebody dies regardless of who is responsible. But you have to ask whose was the illegal firearm that was recovered at the scene of Duggans demise ?

What is totally incomprehensible if the rioting that occurred over such a wide area. From Brixton, south of the river, through Islington, Tottenham, Walthamstow and on out to Enfield to the North.

This just smacks of opportunism and anarchy. The darker elements in our communities taking advantage of a situation, the death of Duggan, and bending it to their own purposes. To excuse their actions and to justify terrorising their communities.

And let’s be clear, these thugs are no better than the terrorists who attack our tube trains and busses. They have damaged businesses and private property with total disregard for the people of their own communities that they have terrified.

These thugs should be handled and dealt with in the same way as any other terrorist.

Its All Happening In Waterlooville


You’ve got to hand it to the residents of Waterlooville, such a sleepy little town so we have to make our own entertainment. Leastways that seems to be the case with ex fire fighter and voyeur Andrew Dowden-Smith who had installed a spy camera in the toilets of our local Costa coffee shop.

Actually you have to give credit to Tricia Pearce who manages our local shop. For she it was that spotted the odd comings and goings of Dowden-Smith. On investigation she found that he had interfered with one of the power sockets in the shops toilets. She then discovered that he had installed the spy camera.

Presumably there isn’t enough excitement in fire fighting. He, Dowden-Smith apparently told police he bought the camera to take snaps of his family on holiday. One has to wonder what sort of snaps he was intending to take since this camera was small enough to hide in a power socket. He had also previously installed this camera in another Costa coffee shop in Cosham.

Dowden-Smith was sentenced to a three-year community order under supervision at Portsmouth Crown Court. He must take part in a sex offenders group work programme, do 200 hours of unpaid work and pay £650 costs. He has also had to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register.

Should have stuck to fire fighting.

Woman tells of shock at finding camera in toilet – East Hampshire – The News.

Inner Peace


Inner Peace

If you can start the day without caffeine,

If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,

If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,

If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it,

  If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,

  If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,

If you can conquer tension without medical help,

If you can relax without  alcohol,

  If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,

Then……………..

You Are Probably  The Family Dog!

Teach Them How To Use Their Brakes and Gears


Closing a road just because the folks speed downhill seems a bit extreme especially for the folks who live on this road. Will they be getting a reduction in their council tax to compensate for the additional mileage they will incur.

And then consider that blocking a road just forces the traffic onto other roads, creating rat runs.

The sensible thing is to create traffic calming and force drivers to use their brakes and gears.

People pressure forces U-turn on planned closure of Portsmouth road – Politics – The News.

Don Manning – RIP


Don is my friends Dad who sadly passed away on the morning of Monday, 1st August.

My thoughts are with his family, his wife Babs and his sons John and Steve, during this difficult time.

Thick As A Brick


I’m in Prog Rock heaven as RP plays  Jethro Tulls “Thick As A Brick” in its entirety.

This was JTs latest album the last time I saw them live, Portsmouth Guildhall. Complete with indian teepee’s on stage and folks dressed in jockeys silks running through the audience that would have been around 1972. Pure theatre and bloody marvellous.

The Pub With No Staff – Only In England


” ……
But there’s nothin’ so lonesome, so dull or so drear
Than to stand in the bar of a pub with no beer”

We’ve all heard the song about the pub with no beer. Well let me introduce you to the pub with no staff….!!!
The Perseverance
Apparently the much troubled Perseverance has managed to get itself into the press, yet again. This time it’s because the landlord and staff abandoned the establishment last Friday night at about 20:30. Left it in the more than capable hands of its customers who set about maintaining the flow of beer. And of course, in this modern era, word spread like wildfire and the Percy soon had more customers than normal for a Friday evening.

To be fair the landlord thought he had left the pub in the hands of the barmaid while he toured the establishments of the towns competition. She obviously thought different and left with the takings from the till. The thirsty customers then took control with up to six of them serving behind the bar at one time.

Only in England !!!

Customers helped themselves to booze in Havant pub with no staff – East Hampshire – The News.

View From The Conservatory


Actually its more like Sounds From The Conservatory.

I don’t know what they are doing over there on the roundabout beyond the trees. What it sounds like is a bike meet where the max engine size is 50cc. If you could imagine Spinal Tap doing an impression of  1000 hornets turned up to 11 then you have some idea of the noise that has been permeating the airwaves for the last hour or so.

Hopefully they will get it out of their system soon.

Highway 61 – Whoohoo !!!


I’m currently grooving down on Highway 61 with Dave Alvin courtesy of Radio Paradise.

There aint no speed cops down there on Highway 61.