Author: siskinbob

Formerly employed by MOD and IBM, now retired

Explosion as train hits bike on tracks


Once again we are plagued by morons hell-bent on creating carnage.

In this country, it seems that we are breeding a class of person who doesn’t give a toss about what happens to anyone else. Who doesn’t care if they kill or maim someone by their stupid actions. In fact anything goes and these lowlifes will do anything for kicks it seems, as long as it doesn’t directly affect them.

Before it was the lunatics who throw bricks onto motorways. Now it is the idiots who leave items on railway tracks.

CCTV captured two youths riding across Bedhampton level crossing at 1.34am on Saturday.
Seconds later, out of shot, one of the bikes is pushed back towards the crossing landing on the tracks.

The image below shows the results of their lunacy.

Through sheer luck, no-one was injured and the train was relatively undamaged, but the consequences could have been far worse. Trains travel at high speeds and there is a very real risk when they strike objects on the track that they could be derailed.

Some of the comments attached to the News report shows that some people seem to think that the police aren’t tough enough on the perpetrators. Well I’m sorry but that is tosh. Our police spend an awful amount of time investigating this type of crime only to have the courts show some kind of misguided leniency.

Other comments imply that, just because some of this incident was captured on CCTV, the police should have these morons locked up. Wise up folks. I read somewhere that the councils in Hampshire had some 3000 plus cameras and I’m pretty sure that doesn’t include all those privately operated by the likes of Network Rail and the British Transport Police. Not every camera is being monitored 24/7. Some are just covered by recording equipment during unsocial hours.

I don’t know what the answer is to these idiots. I am sure that there are many psychoanalysts who can write reams on how society has let them down and that it is in fact my fault, or perhaps your fault.

They all know what is right and what is wrong but for whatever reason they make choices. The wrong choices by any of societies measures.

I hope that they are caught. I hope that they are handed over to the police by someone who they know. Someone that has a greater sense of morality than they do.

Then I hope the courts throw the book at them.
Explosion as train hits bike on tracks – Local – The News.

Find Paddy’s Stolen Gear


Come on folks. Lets find this gear and return it to Paddy. I am posting the following, unchanged…..

PLEASE REPOST THE FOLLOWING STATUS – LETS SEE IT ALL ROUND FACEBOOK – 🙂 xxxx
URGENT!!! last night Paddy Maguire had his car broken in to and they have taken his black strat guitar, his Germino amp head and his pedal board! the pedals he had are an oxfuzz 2, a jim dulop custom wah wah, dunlop rota vibe, hep cat, line 6 DL4, all in a powered flight case. The Germino is an LD55 Lead and has the serial number rockgrinder 1. the guitar is a 1984 black strat with cigarette burns on the head stock and a paddycaster name plate on the scratch plate. PLEASE KEEP YOUR EYES OUT FOR THESE. They were taken from our house in Halifax but they could be trying to get rid of the gear anywhere. obviously paddy is devastated and we would appreciate for anyone to let us know if they hear anything. We are offering a reward to get our stuff back safely so please pass the message around and lets get the little scroats that decided it was ok to do this thing! thanks guys

Don’t Travel At Peak Time !!


Now the government want people to avoid travelling on the rail networks at peak times.

They argue that it will enable the rail companies to operate more efficiently. Sounds to me like “Keep passengers off our trains and they will run just fine”

Surely if everyone stops travelling at peak times all that happens is that the peaks move.

Once again the government is intefering in the minutea of peoples lives. People will travel when it is convenient to their own needs, not to the governments. Either that or when it makes economic sense.

Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.

Nanny State Reaches An All Time High, Or Do I Mean Low ?


I heard today that the act of wolf-whistling may be “criminalised” in the UK. This is the nanny state running wild.

Does our government have nothing better to do than worry about a typical builders yard response to a pretty woman walking down the street ?

It strikes me that the UK government would do better concentrating on the real issues in this country. Have they not noticed that we have an economy that is falling apart. An economy where every man woman and child is finding it increasingly difficult to put food on the table, fuel in the car and clothes on their children’s backs.

We live in a country where 4 million children, that’s one in three, are living in poverty.

If our government is more interested in wolf-whistles then it is time they were ousted.

 

Closure of Denmead pub shows grim realities of struggling trade – It’s A Crying Shame


Closure of Denmead pub shows grim realities of struggling trade – Local Business – The News.

It’s a crying shame that Ginny Paul and her husband have fallen foul of our constrained economy. It is, however, a sign of the times.

In this day and age it seems that pubs have to have all the modern technology installed. Music blaring out, football on big screen TVs, factory produced food and the whole thing run to a formula. Certainly the Fox & Hounds needed some perking up in the decor department but the atmosphere was fine and the music wasn’t overpowering. You could hold a conversation without having to shout and strain to hear. On a recent visit, with my wife and some friends, we found the landlady and staff really welcoming and the food was good.

The Fox & Hounds will be missed.

View From The Conservatory


Beavering away over a hot keyboard when I looked up in response to a sudden gust of wind which caused the conservatory to creak and groan.

The sun burst out from the clouds and my eyes were drawn to this beautiful blossom in my neighbours back garden..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A reminder that spring is on its way.

View From The Conservatory


09:15 For the second time this week I am able to observe the traffic chaos build following a road traffic accident at the junction of the B2150 and the A3(M). It appears that there has been a rear end shunt.

The lack of foliage on the trees and bushes means that I can see right through to the entry point on the roundabout. On Monday the accident occurred a little earlier and we were able to change our planned route to get Gerry to work. Today, however, it has happened while I was delivering Gerry to work and I have had to claw my way through the tailbacks to get home.

09:28 So far there are 4 police cars an ambulance and now a fire engine has just arrived.

For some reason the police have stopped traffic from traversing the roundabout thereby forcing all traffic up to wards Waterlooville. There will be a total logjam soon.

A second fire engine as also just arrived.

I hope the motorists are not seriously hurt. The presence of the fire brigade usually indicates possibility of fire, or perhaps the cutting into vehicles to remove anyone with the possibility of neck or spinal injuries.

Just to make life more difficult it has started to rain.

09:33 Third fire engine and a further fire vehicle have just arrived.

09:47 The roof of the car that was rear ended has been removed and is lying on the ground.

09:49 Bracing boards are being offered into the accident victims position.

09:54 The injured motorist has been lifted clear of the vehicle.

09:57 And is loaded into the ambulance.

10:10 Ambulance still has not departed. Vehicle recovery truck is waiting to move in.

10:20 Ambulance has gone and recovery truck has now moved into position to pick up the decapitated car.

10:26 Car is loaded. We still have 4 police cars and a police motor cycle the sneaked in quietly.

11:45 So I’ve managed to have a work conference call in the last hour and all is now clear and running free.

Hope the actions taken to extricate the motorist from their car were mostly preventative and that they make a swift recovery.

Liverpool could lose favour if it messes with the Three Graces – Architectural Vandalism


I am married to a native of the Wirral, have family sprinkled over the area and am a fairly frequent visitor to Merseyside. If the planned development is allowed to proceed it will be nothing less than Architectural Vandalism.

The Mersey skyline, when viewed from either the deck of the Mersey ferry or the Birkenhead shore line, with the “Three Graces” and the two cathedrals is synonymous with Liverpool. Just as the Eiffel Tower is with Paris and Tower Bridge with London.

To even consider overshadowing such an iconic view with skyscrapers and a new cruise liner terminal is the vision of a madman.

The city is expected to approve the UK’s biggest planning application: a £5.5bn development that will relegate the Three Graces to bit-players in a landscape dwarfed by skyscrapers.

This is such a stupid proposal that

The development will threaten the city’s World Heritage status, putting it in line to become only the third place ever deleted from Unesco’s list.

Liverpool was awarded World Heritage Site status in 2004. If it loses that designation it will join a very short deleted list alongside Oman’s Arabian Oryx Sanctuary, where prospecting for oil and poaching depleted the rare birds, and the Dresden Elbe Valley, which lost its status in 2009 after plans for the Waldschlösschen bridge were approved.

I have one thing to say to the Liverpool authorities ….

DON’T DO IT !!!

Liverpool could lose favour if it messes with the Three Graces – Architecture – Arts & Entertainment – The Independent.

Monstrous evil – Remember When


On this day in 1864 a letter appeared in the Hampshire Telegraph drawing attention to ‘the monstrous evil which has been permitted to exist for a considerable time past without any effectual attempt being made to check it’.

The writer was referring to the nightly assembly on the main roads crossing Southsea Common of prostitutes of ‘the most vile and abandoned character’ who ‘assail every passenger, even in the hearing of the guardian policeman, with their filthy invitations, couched in language the most revolting and obscene’.

The preceding text was taken directly from The News. I have highlighted a few words and only suggest that the venue may have changed but you only have to visit Guildhall Walk when some of the noisier clientele spill out of the many hostelries. I am not suggesting that they are prostitutes but the language of some of the “ladies” can leave a lot to be desired and many of them are not wearing any more than the ladies of the night who used to frequent Southsea Common just a short walk away.

The following week the newspaper reported that ‘we understand that the authorities have given instructions to the police to remove these creatures from all places where they are a nuisance to passengers and more particularly from Southsea Common’.

Methinks, Nothing changes

Monstrous evil – Remember When – The News.

Owners to be forced to give up pier – Not a moment too soon


Owners of Hastings Pier, Ravensclaw, were given notice but took no notice. Now the council is taking action and not a moment too soon.

Not only should they lose ownership through compulsory purchase but they should also be fined for not taking action.

The pier suffered major fire damage to some 90% of the total structure so this is a major restoration. Leaving a structure such as this to the ravages of the sea has just exacerbated the problem.

I hope the council get their act together and make this happen very quickly.

Owners to be forced to give up pier – Regional – The News.