Category: Britains Shame

Happy St George’s Day


Follow the link below to see my previous thoughts on  how little we think of the English patron saint compared to the patron saints of the other countries that make up the United Kingdom.

https://siskinbob.com/2011/03/23/once-more-for-emsworth-and-st-george-what-about-the-rest-of-the-country/

This year, my online calendar doesn’t even mention St. George’s day. And yet, staring me in the face are entries for St. Patrick and St. David both celebrated in the same month.

The people of this country do my head in. They get bent out of shape because Nike introduce a multi colour version for the England football strip, but seemingly ignore St. George, for whom the flag is a symbol.

And let’s not forget that the cross of St. George forms an integral part, if not the basis, of the Union Flag symbol of Great Britain, the United Kingdom.

I did a quick trawl of the interweb to find out what was happening in my area to celebrate St. George’s Day. Well, apparently,  not much.

I found several instances referring to parades and services associated with Chichester Cathedral. Sadly, they were all for years gone by.

Also sad, if there is any truth in it, is this text

We do recognise St George’s day In England, although as a more multicultural society it is not observed by all. There is also an air or Political correctness that abounds in England today that the St George’s flag (white with Red Cross) is viewed by some as racist.

https://www.quora.com/

Racist !!! Where the hell did that come from ? The national flag of multicultural  England is racist. More woke/BLM bullshit.

Similarly, another snippet

Observed on the 23rd of April each year, you’ll find parades and a range of celebratory activities popping up around England. Expect to see the symbol of St George (a flag with a red and white cross) everywhere, as well as people flooding the streets and local pubs, as well as church services.

https://www.rabbies.com/en/blog/how-celebrate-st-georges-day-2024#:~:text=Observed%20on%20the%2023rd%20of,as%20well%20as%20Church%20services.

At the grand old age of seventy-two, I can safely say that I have never seen a parade for St. George, nor people flooding the streets.

Most churches will hold services for St. George and some pubs will certainly put up some bunting and promote St. George, in the hope of drawing in a few more punters.

But, St. George is not embedded in our psyche. If we had a national holiday, then more people might sit up and take notice.

But that isn’t any more likely now than it was in 2011 when I lasted posted on this subject.

White Elephants ?


I don’t know about anyone else, but I am embarrassed for our Royal Navy. Especially for those currently deployed aboard the aircraft carriers  HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales .

HMS Queen Elizabeth

My perception may be wrong, but it seems to me that these carriers have spent more time in port than they have at sea since their initial launch in 2014 and 2017 respectively.

Just 18 months ago, HMS Prince of Wales broke down off the Isle of Wight. A fault with a propeller shaft coupling took nine months to resolve.

HMS Prince of Wales

HMS Queen Elizabeth was due to participate in a major naval exercise, but the February 4th sailing, from Portsmouth,was cancelled due to a mechanical fault discovered during pre-sailing checks. This new fault is said to be propeller shaft based but not related to HMS Prince of Wales’ earlier problem.

So HMS Prince of Wales was scheduled to replace her sister ship and set sail on February 11th. At the last minute, this sailing was cancelled. The MOD has not divulged the reason for the delay, but HMS Prince of Wales did, in fact, set sail yesterday, 12th February.

There must be many red faces in both the Admiralty and the MOD.

HMS Prince of Wales cost around £3.2bn and does not appear to be good value for money. The Admiralty, MOD, British Government should be pursuing Babcocks, the ship builders, for a refund or some form of compensation.

It is not acceptable that the British taxpayer should fund these repairs. If Babcock have supplied substandard quality product then they should be held liable.

The government needs to get a grip before the RN and the UK become a total laughing stock.

https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/2024/02/12/royal-navy-hms-prince-of-wales-and-hms-queen-elizabeth-branded-unreliable-as-ex-chief-calls-for-refund/content.html

Stupid Suggestion


https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/2024/02/10/portsmouth-sewage-flick-drummond-slammed-as-mp-says-people-should-not-flush-toilets-when-its-raining/content.html

It’s no wonder MP Flick Drummond has been criticised.

She has suggested that Jo and Joanna Public should stop flushing the loo, taking a bath, or using their washing machines during times of heavy rain.

Her ridiculous comments are just taking the focus away from the real issue, which is that the water companies are doing very little to prevent the discharge of sewage into our rivers and coastal waters.

Since the start of 2024, there have been 23 confirmed occasions of sewage being released into the Langstone Harbour area.

23 occasions in less than two months. What this shows is that fining the water companies isn’t working.

In 2021, Southern Water was fined £90m for deliberately dumping billions of litres of raw sewage into protected seas over several years for its own financial gain.

Just last year, 2023, Southern Water was instructed to return £43 million to customers by reducing bills for 2024.

And rubbing salt into public wounds, the water companies paid out £65.9bn in dividends to shareholders in the years up to 2022.

So somewhere between paying fines and paying dividends are the huge profits they are making, enabling them to pay huge salaries to their management.

Ian McAulay, CEO for Souther Water, was apparently paid a bonus of £550,900 in 2020/21. This is in addition to a  £435,000-a-year salary and with pension payments and benefits secured a £1.082m pay package.

It’s time that these company execs were hit in their personal pockets. Then, maybe, they would feel inclined to take positive action.

So Flick Drummond, perhaps instead of blaming the public, you could target the true people responsible, the water companies, and their execs.

Perhaps you could also look at the decision-making of the planners, which surrounds the many developments in this area and apply pressure to ensure that the sewage infrastructure is set in place BEFORE building starts.

The public voted you into your position to speak on their behalf. They can easily vote you out.

More Stupid Than An Amoeba


https://www.facebook.com/share/nvjUaCf4k7bjj24J/?mibextid=xfxF2i

In what universe do you have to live for this kind of behaviour to be acceptable ?

ARREST MADE AFTER LASER DEVICE TARGETED AT POLICE HELICOPTER

Hampshire and IoW News

A suspect has this afternoon been arrested from an address in Portswood after the Police helicopter was targeted by a green laser device.

Police were alerted by Air Support who had been assisting in the city following a vehicle failing to stop.

Police attended the address where the laser had been targeted from and a suspect was arrested under the Laser Misuse Act 2018.

A laser device was also seized.

This carries a 12 month prison sentence if found guilty of the offence. 44240053135

I would hazard a guess that the perpetrator has one less brain cell that an amoeba.

Little Shits


https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/full_page_image/page-4-2012/content.html

What pleasure do these little shits get from terrorising an old lady ? Did she have the temerity to speak to them about their behaviour, making herself a target.

Do they feel brave ? Obviously not, since they are launching their missiles from the cover of a wall.

Where are their parents ? Do they know what their little darlings are up to?

And let’s stop claiming that the police aren’t doing anything. The few police that we have cannot be everywhere at once, and at the first sign of a police uniform, the perpetrators will scarper. Someone out there knows who they are, turn them over to the police.

Shame on those that have no respect for the elderly.

“Little scroats” should be “willing to take a beating”


https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/2024/01/14/portsmouth-councillor-little-scroats-who-brazenly-stole-500-worth-of-vapes-should-be-willing-to-take-a-beating/content.html

I totally agree with this sentiment.

Increasingly, over the years, my view has become that anyone who breaks the law automatically relinquishes their rights to protection under the law.

I also believe that these “scroats” should be prepared for some public humiliation. Bring back the birch, stocks, and pillory.

I would fully support the introduction of US style chain gangs, wearing bright jackets with the crime emblazoned across the back.

It’s Obvious Really


https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/full_page_image/page-8-1958/content.html

Read this article yesterday. I am always amazed that, so often, it requires a study to discover the obvious.

Only a few days ago, I posted that I felt my wife’s stenosis diagnosis was delayed by up to twelve months due to the lack of face to face time with a doctor.

Much of a doctors diagnosis has to do with “observation.”

You can not “observe” via a telephone consult.

We have been forced into using e-consultation tools. My experience is that they do not allow sufficient space to describe symptoms fully. On several occasions, when I have used the e-consult tool, I have found the questions leading you down a path to either diagnosis of a brain tumour or diabetes when you are suffering from a broken toe. Invariably, the tool tries to abort, telling you that you need to see a doctor, which is where we came in.

You can not “observe” via an e-consult.

Last year, we were told by a nurse practitioner that nothing had changed, that we were getting the same level of service from our GPs as we always had.

What total and utter nonsense.

Another issue with the current level of service is that there is no continuity. In the “good old days,” not only could you get a face to face appointment with a doctor, but it was the same doctor each and every time.

Continuity would allow the doctor to “observe” physical changes in the patient between appointments.

So, back to the article, anyone with more than a single brain cell could have seen that patients are not getting safe and accurate diagnosis under the current level of NHS care.

Sickening Act Of Vandalism


BBC News – Sycamore Gap tree at Hadrian’s Wall ‘felled overnight’ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-66947040

I can not even begin to imagine what thought processes were in play when cutting down this beautiful tree seemed like a good idea.

Photo: Paul Flannigan Photography

Det Ch Insp Rebecca Fenney-Menzies said: “The senseless destruction of what is undoubtedly a world-renowned landmark – and a local treasure – has quite rightly resulted in an outpouring of shock, horror and anger throughout the North East and further afield.

So far, a sixteen year old youth and a sixty year old man have been arrested.

I’ll leave the final words on this senseless act to Paul Tavernor Art ….

From: Paul Tavernor Art

Police Crackdown on Shoplifting


https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/2023/09/20/one-jailed-and-three-charged-as-police-crackdown-on-prolific-shoplifters-to-support-portsmouth-businesses/content.html

This is good news but I feel it is just the tip of the iceberg. Staff in supermarkets have to deal with shoplifters on a daily basis and in some cases, several times a day.

A police statement said: “Targeting shoplifters is a priority for the district, and we will be relentlessly pursuing those that are violent to staff or are repeat offenders………”

My granddaughter used to work in a local Tesco store where shoplifters were brazen, would frequently front staff, telling them what they were taking and that they, the staff, could do nothing about it. Staff are told not to confront shoplifters due to the danger of assault.

Shoplifters are scum, the lowest of the low. They are a blight on modern society.

Regardless of the UK economy, lack of a job or home, there is no excuse for subjecting shop staff to abuse, threats of, and actual physical violence.

So Many Things !


What would you change about modern society?

What would I change ? So, so many things.

  • Have people be more considerate. To be more aware of the implications of their own actions and the impacts to other peoples lives.
  • Change the attitudes of our politicians. I’m sure they start their political journey with the best of intentions. But somewhere along the road, they go through a metamorphosis where, regardless of political party, they become self-serving liars. They also go through some kind of memory crisis whereby they forget that they were voted into position by us, the general public. That they are supposed to be our voice in parliament to reflect our wishes.
  • Teach today’s youth some manners and the true meaning of respect. Respect for their elders, their teachers, and the police. Teach them that everyone is entitled to respect until they show themselves unworthy. Teach them that they themselves have to show respect to earn it for themselves. This education should start at home with the parents, who seem to dispense with all responsibilities for how their offspring behave, once they step out of their parental home.
  • Put some proper investment in place for our NHS. With decent wages for our nurses. Surely the recent Covid-19 pandemic has shown us their worth.
  • More investment in our emergency services, get more bodies in place to relieve the workload on those already out there.
  • Put in place better support for our armed forces veterans. It seems like this country bends over backwards to provide support for so-called refugees while our veterans, having served their country, find themselves surplus to requirements.

These are just my initial thoughts with no priority implied by order listed.