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.

Carriers ‘may have no jets until 2025’ – Britains Shame


The labour government sold this country down the pan and our current government isn’t doing anything to stop things going from bad to worse.

It is no wonder that the likes of Argentina are playing silly buggers by turning away British cruise ships and any ships flying the Falklands flag. This is what they did when, under Maggie’s government, they thought that Britain couldn’t reach them militarily.

Here we are, once the greatest sea power on the planet, reduced to a toothless second-rate nation.

There have been many warnings by folks far better qualified than me. Yet the British government takes no notice.

We are going to have two new aircraft carriers but no aircraft to put on them. The aircraft that were planned to be used are “not fit for purpose” as, due to a design fault, they cannot be landed on an aircraft carrier. At least the government could have kept the Harrier but apparently our planes have been sold off “cheap” to the US. Surely the fact that they wanted to buy them should have said something to our government.

How can anyone one allow us to end up in this situation. We have no carriers until 2020 and no aircraft to populate them until 2025.

Our government, both Labour and our current unholy alliance, should hang their heads in shame. They have not served the British people as they deserve.

Carriers ‘may have no jets until 2025’ – Local – The News.

Engelbert Humperdinck to represent UK at Eurovision Song Contest 2012 – Scraping The Barrel Or What ?


What on earth are they thinking, Engelbert Humperdinck. Come on, Really ???

It’s not April 1st is it ?

I have no doubt that he is a good singer, I’ll even go as to admit he’s a great singer but is this really the best that “GREAT BRITAIN”  can do ?

It is possible that Engelbert could pull it off, after all he certainly couldn’t do any worse than some of our previous candidates and it is a lottery.

Apparently Humperdinck will perform an, as yet, unannounced song. As if it will make any difference, the BBC said the song would be recorded in London, Los Angeles and Nashville. What the hell difference does it make where it is recorded. It’s the performance on the night that’s going to count as well as the quality of the songwriting.

It will be written by Grammy award-winning producer Martin Terefe and Ivor Novello winner Sacha Skarbek, who co-wrote James Blunt hit You’re Beautiful.

Here we go again with the “they’ve written a hit so they must be able to write another one”

It’s about time they all realised that it doesn’t matter how good your singers and writers are….. by the way did I mention that It Is A Lottery !!!

Even with all the political voting it’s still a lottery.

And then of course we mustn’t forget that we are universally hated by the rest of europe.

Engelbert, you have my vote even though I don’t think you have a snowballs hope in hell of winning. You’d get my vote for having the guts to do this at the age of 75.

Lets face it, it can’t hurt your career, can it ???

Engelbert Humperdinck to represent UK at Eurovision Song Contest 2012 | News | NME.COM.

Davy’s happy days spent on his Hampshire farm – Remember When – The News


Link provided for sister Sue.

Davy’s happy days spent on his Hampshire farm – Remember When – The News.

£1m McDonald’s Bedhampton drive-through gets green light


Yet another farcical decision by our local planners.

Have they ever visited this site ? How many times have they sat in the queue waiting to either get into Asda to go shopping or even just to go and get fuel. Many times I have seen the traffic backed out of the site and I have decided to go elsewhere or even just go home to return another day.

I think it is just what we need, more traffic entering the Asda site. Admittedly when the store is closed and the kiosk-pay petrol pumps are closed then there really won’t be an issue. However, for the rest of the time i.e. during waking and normal working hours this new development will surely add to the aggravation.

As usual there are the weasely words about creating jobs but what will happen to the McDonald’s branch in Waterlooville centre. I’m guessing that it will fade away in the evenings.

£1m McDonald’s Bedhampton drive-through gets green light – Politics – The News.

RIP Davy – We Were All Believers


Davy Jones, lead singer with The Monkees, has passed away in his sleep. He died of a heart attack aged 66.

Jones, with the Monkees, was an integral part of our lives throughout the sixties. Many will also remember him appearing in Coronation Street.

Although not high on my list of favourite bands I will admit to enjoying many of their songs. Davy and the band have a place in my memories.

The music lives on…..we were and still are believers.

BBC News – The Monkees lead Davy Jones tributes.

Police hunt for two missing Hampshire teenagers


Has anyone seen either Harley Smith or Anita Rawson, both 16, who have been missing since 16th February. Last seen in Cosham.

Police are appealing for anyone who may have seen Harley and Anita or knows where they are to call 101.

Police hunt for two missing Hampshire teenagers – Local – The News.