Portsmouth Car Meet Driver Sentenced


https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/2023/09/19/teenage-driver-who-ploughed-into-pack-of-people-causing-serious-injury-to-two-females-at-portsmouth-car-meet-is-sentenced/content.html

Another positive result for our local police but sadly at the expense of onlookers who were injured by his acts.

The 17 year old driver hit four people, two suffering serious injuries requiring them to be taken to hospital. The other two suffered minor injuries.

At his court hearing, the defendant was banned from driving for two years and will have to undertake an extended test to regain his licence. He was also handed a referral order and was referred to Hampshire Youth Offender Panel for a six-month contract.

Only 17 so he wasn’t “legally” driving for very long and has already lost his license. He will have to retake his test to get it back.

This youth could so easily have been facing a manslaughter charge and be spending time in prison.

Let’s hope he has learnt something from this.

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.

Bodiam Castle


Bodiam Castle

Possibly the best view of one of my favourite castles to visit. Despite its state of disrepair I believe it to be quite pretty.

Built around 1385, the Bodiam Castle is now owned by the National Trust.

New Police Stations


https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/full_page_image/page-5-1895/content.html

Brilliant !!! We need greater visibility of, and access to, our local police.

On the face of it, opening new, or reopening existing police stations is a good idea.

But, if our local area cop shops are anything to go by, access is likely to be limited.

For my home area you can only call in to Waterlooville Police Station on a Thursday or a Friday between 08:00 and 16:00 but not lunchtimes. Accessible for just two days out of seven.

For Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday you have to toddle over to Havant Police Station but again, avoid lunchtimes. A bit better, they are open three days out of seven.

Obviously for emergencies you dial 999 on any phone and, if you are lucky, the police will come. For non emergency situations there is 101 but my own personal experience of using that number is that you end up in a queue. Almost as bad as trying to get a doctors appointment.

If you get mugged in Waterlooville and have your phone nicked, better hope its on a Thursday or a Friday and not lunchtime. Otherwise you need to find a public phone box that hasn’t been vandalised.

If you can’t walk in to your local police station to report a crime or obtain advice then what is the point.

What Will I Be Doing This Evening ?


What are you doing this evening?

I will be doing what I always do every evening. Preparing the evening meal for me and my wife.

This will be followed by our daily wordle challenge. My wife and I compete with each other to see who completes it in the least number of lines. It’s interesting to note that our thought processes are very different. When stuck, my wife will make up words to try, whereas I seem to be resolutely locked into my own limited vocabulary.

Following the wordle brain strain, we will settle down to watch a bit of TV. Our viewing will typically start with “House of Games,” so a bit more mental gymnastics before moving on to a mix of fly on the wall documentaries and crime drama.

In the fly on the wall category we are watching “Top Guns: Inside the RAF” whilst in the crime drama slot, we are currently hurtling towards the end of “Ozark”, which we will probably finish this evening

So, if you don’t mind, I’ll pop off to start the preparation of our evening meal.

Community Service


One day, a florist went to a barber for a haircut. After the cut, he asked about his bill, and the barber replied, ‘I can’t accept money from you, I’m doing community service this week.’ The florist was pleased and left the shop.

When the barber went to open his shop the next morning, there was a ‘thank you’ card and a dozen roses waiting for him at his door.

Later, a cop comes in for a haircut, and when he tries to pay his bill, the barber again replies, ‘I can’t accept money from you, I’m doing community service this week.’ The cop was happy and left the shop.

The next morning, when the barber went to open up, there was a ‘thank you’ card and a dozen doughnuts waiting for him at his door.

Then, an MP came in for a haircut, and when he went to pay his bill, the barber again replied, ‘I can’t accept money from you. I’m doing community service this week.’ The MP was very happy and left the shop.

The next morning, when the barber went to open up, there were a dozen MPs lined up waiting for a free haircut.

And that, my friends, illustrates the fundamental difference between the citizens of our country and the politicians who run it.

As Margaret Thatcher said: “Both politicians and nappies need to be changed often and for the same reason!”

What On Earth !!!


This was posted by our local police. This cache of weapons was discovered at a single address.

My immediate thoughts go to the mental state of the individual , and why he felt the need to hold this stock of weaponry.

Other thoughts then go to the idiots that commented on this post. Seemingly seeing nothing wrong with anyone holding such an armoury.

These same folks question the implied illegality, suggesting that it is OK to hold any of these items in the protection of their homes. While it might be acceptable for a hunter to hold a knife/machete, a bow and/or crossbow. I see no good reason to hold samurai swords and throwing knives. While the guns may well be air rifles, they can still cause harm.

In my mind, the man who was arrested should be subjected to rigid psychological testing, be jailed or at least suffer a hefty fine, and have the weapons confiscated and destroyed.

There is no place for these weapons in a civilised society.

Tears Of Joy


What brings a tear of joy to your eye?

Over the years, the one constant, guaranteed to bring a tear to my eye, has been children.

Our children, our grandchildren, and now our great grandchildren.

Whether it’s the joy of watching their achievements or just catching something that they say or do when they are unaware that they are being observed.

Of course, mixed in there, are the births and marriages.

Over the years, there have been three children, ten grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren.

So, as you might imagine there have been many tears spilled.

Noise – Just For The Sake Of It


Just yesterday afternoon, I was sitting with my wife, watching the TV, enjoying the Italian F1 Grand Prix.

Unfortunately, that enjoyment was somewhat marred by “eejits” tear-arsing along the roads at the back of our house.

The volume of their engine/exhaust systems sufficient to drown out the race commentary.

Sure, I could close my doors and windows, but why should I? These hoons are impinging their antisocial activities on my home from several hundred feet away. I should be able to enjoy a warm summer Sunday afternoon in the comfort of my own home without these eejits spoiling it.

So, I was somewhat surprised to read this in today’s “The News”. The focus of the article is aimed at the posh prats in their Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Maclaren supercars who terrorise Nightsbridge in London.

https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/full_page_image/page-14-1834/content.html

“The News” is our local paper, and I would expect the articles to prioritise local issues. However, anything that highlights this current blight on society as a whole has to be viewed as a positive thing.

Pat does however point out that the police do have the power to to take action against the hoons.

I understand that the police are desperately understaffed. But perhaps they could alternate from setting up speed traps to setting up sound traps. As I stated in a previous post, the police know where the hoons gather, where they run. As to funding, just how much does a sound gone cost as opposed to a radar gun ?