Yesterday, along with my son-in-law and grandson, I spent a fabulous day at the Goodwood Road Racing Club, 81st Members Meet.
The weather was kind, remained dry, and we even had a little sunshine.
This is just a taster of some photos. These taken on my phone.
Most of my shots were taken on my Canon 7D camera and are yet to be offloaded onto my laptop.
So, stay tuned. Be prepared to be bored. There will be a full post in the next couple of days.
In my view, if you leave home carrying a knife, then you are already of the mindset that you may use it.
If you use it, then you must be aware that you are, potentially, going to kill someone.
That is not manslaughter. That is murder.
While Betteridge didn’t take the knife out, he must have accepted it from Hansen, and he did wield it with tragic consequences.
And, again, in my view, Hansen, who supplied the knife, bears equal responsibility and should also be charged with murder.
Neither Betteridge nor Hansen can be unaware of the countrywide incidents involving knives and the subsequent consequences.
Far too many knife related deaths are being reported on TV and in the press.
And yet, Hansen still carried a knife out onto the streets and at some time passed it to Betteridge, who then used it to such devastating effect.
In the early hours of Saturday, August 5th, 2023, the lives of three eighteen year olds were changed forever, along with the lives of their friends and family.
https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/full_page_image/page-11-2029/content.html
Here in the UK, once a vehicle is three years old, it has to be submitted for a annual MOT test.
My vehicle, a Mazda CX5, which I have had since 2013, was due its MOT at the end of this month.
It was booked into the testing station today.
Brilliant news, it passed the examination. That’s eight consecutive years with no work to be carried out.
Over the years, I have, in several posts, made some disparaging remarks about the state of our town (village) centre.
How it is slowly decomposing, and becoming something of a ghost town.
Well it seems we have now come to the attention of The Telegraph, one Britain’s national broadsheets.
The English high street: Waterlooville, Hampshire – how a town centre dies
This has become an object lesson in how a thriving town can be ruined by poor building and haphazard planning
This is the opening salvo of a sad description of how Havant Borough Council planners have mismanaged the development of Waterlooville and then, having fouled it up they have sat back to let the rot set in.
Further into the article, reference is made to the Wellington Way Shopping Centre website. I didn’t know it had one.
“Wellington Way Shopping Centre, right at the heart of the town,” says its website. “Offers a great mix of high-street names and boutiques. Come on down and enjoy the atmosphere.”
This is followed by …
You would have to be deranged to enjoy the atmosphere.
I have long bemoaned the fact that the planners diverted the A3 London Road to dogleg its way around the town centre. Effectively isolating the town centre from the new shopping experience that is the Wellington Way Retail Park. The Telegraph had this to say …
Since 1983, the A3 has roared in a dog-leg bypass, leaving the London Road, the main shopping street, as a comfortless pedestrian open space.
I note that the Telegraph didn’t comment on that part of the retail park experience which is the parking.
Only a moron would create a retail park with two motor vehicle entrances but only one exit. Parking is free for a set period of time, monitored by NPR cameras. Many folks have found that they have been fined due to it taking over an hour to exit the car park, thereby exceeding the free period.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/02/27/english-high-street-london-road-waterlooville-hampshire/
Don’t get me wrong. I know that HBC are working hard to turn things around. But, as I have also previously stated, I believe it to be too little, too late.
They have already subdivided the town centre by diverting and pedestrianising the A3. This is a change that they are highly unlikely to reverse.
Today, a Monday afternoon, I have just circumnavigated the town centre. There were a fair few people around, but it was a long way from the bustling town it was. And despite the clean-up work, it is drab, uninviting, and sad. The Telegraph are not far off the mark.
I don’t understand how this works !
Portsmouth City Council purchases houses that are already occupied. In so doing, they become responsible for the management and maintenance of 747 properties.
The homes were sold to the council by Clarion Housing Group, who were trying to shed the properties from their portfolio.
Has anyone asked why Clarion was getting rid of these properties?
Equally puzzling, to me, is why Portsmouth City Council wants to responsible for housing and tenants spread throughout Hampshire.
The majority of the new buildings are in Portsmouth, with others situated in Gosport, Havant, Fareham and Winchester.
How does this help with the existing shortfall of available properties to house those who are already on the local waiting list for social housing ?
Wouldn’t the money have been better spent on new build properties, which would be empty and could, therefore, have a direct impact on the waiting lists.
The Osborne View has gone.
What a disaster for the Hill Head area, the local residents, and for folks like me that have many memories centred on The Osborne View.
With its unique location, virtually on the beach, and magnificent views.
Overlooking the busy Solent with its everchanging maritime views the Osborne View was the ideal location to sit and absorb the action. Watching people on the beach, the ships, or the myriad sailing boats. Never boring.
Over many years, this pub was the venue for evening meals, lunches, and just for drinks with friends and family.
We have even celebrated the occasional birthday here.
I hope they rebuild and, if they do, that they retain the character and atmosphere of the original.
Around 12pm on Wednesday 14 February, a man entered the store, putting around £1,000 worth of sun cream products into a tote bag and leaving again without paying.
Officers have launched an investigation following the incident at the Boots store in Whiteley Shopping Centre this Wednesday (February 14). Police have released a CCTV image of a male as part of their enquiries.
What I want to know is where on earth he is headed that he needs that quantity of sun cream.
Is he off on his hollibobs ? If so is he going to the centre of the sun ?
Or perhaps he is concerned that the world is rushing headlong into WWIII and believes the sun slop will protect him from a thermonuclear flash.
By my calculation, at the expensive end of the scale £1000 could buy over 30 bottles of La Roche-Posay Anthelios Age Correction SPF50+, which is 1.5l of sun slop. Alternatively, at the cheaper end, over 285 bottles of Soltan Protect & Moisturise SPF50+ 75ml Mini Sun Cream Spray could be had. Which is over 21l of sun slop.
That’s enough to bathe in.
I know I’m taking the mickey, but shoplifting is no joke. There seems to be an epidemic in this country. Our papers are full of stories of shop staff being threatened when they confront these thieves.
My granddaughter was working a store where a shoplifter had grabbed a load of booze who then faced her and told her he was stealing it.
I, myself have witnessed a female clear a chiller cabinet of meat and then walk straight out of the store.
And it is the blatant manner of this thievery almost like it is becoming acceptable.
I can sort of understand stealing food to be able to feed your family.
But is there any nutritional value to sun tan lotion ?
Great work.
It’s good to see that our local bobbies are getting tough with the hoons. Can we have more of the same, but in the Horndean / Waterlooville area
Over two days of a preplanned operation, the police spotted 66 vehicles speeding, which gives a sense of the scale of the problem.
One of those vehicles was doing 86 mph in a 40 zone.
More positive news …
It just to show that the British Bobby is as tenacious as his Canadian counterpart. He will always get his man.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-68275004
Fascinating, though it is, that this guy flew to New York without a ticket or passport, and that he has been arrested for failing to appear in court.
Surely, the big question is how did he pass all the security systems, get airside, board a plane, get a seat, and fly to New York ?
I would like to know that this question is being asked and that whatever loopholes he exploited have been closed.
WrAnTz 