Following much nagging and abuse, I finally capitulated and put up the tree. I have even turned on the lights outside the house.
This must be the earliest preparation, for me, ever and the first time we have placed the tree in the conservatory. And, I have to say, I like the effect with all the reflections.
Giving MPs a £3000 pay rise at this time, would have been immoral. Also, a slap in the face, to the hundreds of thousands of British people, who have lost so much financially and personally, during the pandemic.
It’s the right decision. Indeed, given Britain’s financial state and the economical hard road yet to be travelled, I find it hard to forsee that such a pay rise would be acceptable anytime soon.
Throw the book at her, for her blatant and shameless disregard for the rules, that most people are abiding by.
BBC News – Rita Ora apologises for second breach of Covid lockdown restrictions https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-55213784
She is not a good role model.
Celebrity does not give you a free pass to act like a little princess.
She obviously thinks that saying “sorry” and splashing the cash will get her out of trouble.
‘High Value’ Business Travellers’ Quarantine Exemption Branded ‘Dangerous And Elitist’ https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/business-travellers-exemption-from-quarantine-branded-dangerous-and-elitist_uk_5fc9ea49c5b63a153450c4bd
If our government goes ahead with this relaxation of rules, for “High Value” business travellers, they deserve all the vitriol coming their way.
Covid-19 doesn’t discriminate between rich and poor.
If we are going to truly protect this country then the quarantine rules need to be applied, strictly and fairly, to everyone who travels outside of the UK.
No exceptions.
Wake up Boris, this makes no sense.
So glad that Romain, appears, to have escaped this horrendous crash.
Thankfully, the previously controversial “halo” seems to have saved his life. Methinks the value of this safety feature will be viewed somewhat differently from now on. Any debate about the aesthetics will now be firmly in the bin.
Hopefully, given the magnitude of the incident, Romain has, relatively, minor injuries.
I use that term advisedly, as burns and potentially broken bones are not to be sneered at.
I would also like to mention the medics and marshals who deserve our thanks and respect for their amazing response during the aftermath of this incident.
Romain is receiving treatment at hospital and I wish him well, a speedy recovery and hope we see him racing again soon.
http://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-anti-lockdown-protesters-clash-with-police-in-london-12144977
I am so done with these fucking idiots. I do despair at the selfishness that they display..
If they want to put themselves at risk that’s their business.
But, by their actions, they risk infecting everyone around them. OK, they are surrounded by like minded individuals, so who cares if they infecting each other?
But the truth is, it doesn’t end there. By arranging these mass gatherings they put the emergency services at risk.
Such as the police, who could be doing something more productive with their time, have to monitor / control the marchers.
And, because there is always a rogue element who see a peaceful protest as an opportunity for mayhem, the medics also end up wasting their time on these idiots before transporting them to our already overloaded hospitals.
Selfish. It’s the only way to describe their actions.
No, I’m not misquoting a Monty Python song. I am aiming this post squarely at
I should have known better, the company name, “The Lockdown Kitchen” , should have rung many alarm bells, indicating that they hadn’t been going for very long. I know, I should have checked the reviews before placing the order. But I didn’t.
On the 26th August I responded to an advert for a kitchen utensil set.
Liked what I saw and placed my order, paying via PayPal. I received the expected confirmation email from the seller. Their email contained the following words
On the face of it, very friendly but it was a lie.
Also on the 26th, I received an email from PayPal indicating that my payment had been made.
So I waited a couple of weeks allowing for their email request and also allowing for the worldwide effects of the pandemic.
I have now chased these folks multiple times for updates on my order. All I have receive are what I call “template” responses …..
As of November 12th, clicking on the tracking link in that email shows this …….
i.e. Nothing has happened for 3 months !!!
As a result of the latest “template” response, on October 10th, I requested a full refund. As of this time, I have not had a response.
In parallel I have raised a claim via PayPal. They have acknowledged but, so far, I have not heard anything else.
Checking out the reviews for this company on-line, I am definitely not the only one that has fallen prey to these scammers. Many folks seem to have trodden the same path along which I am trudging.
Facebook is still allowing these folks to advertise and I have reported them.
The galling thing is that this business is still operational, and also, they seem to be offering the same kitchen utensils for sale. Where are mine ?
The reason for this post is not really about the money, though I would like either the goods or my money back …. soon. No, the real purpose is to alert people to the fact that they may well be throwing their money away.
I also believe that Facebook and other social media sites should be doing more to protect consumers from the scammers that infest their apps.
My advice to anyone considering ordering from these scammers is ….. DON’T !!!
BBC News – Harry Dunn’s parents lose High Court immunity review https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-55057671
It defies belief that “Diplomatic Immunity” should override morality.
“Diplomatic Immunity” should not protect those that kill or attempt to kill. In theory, a foreign state could send an assassin to kill our Prime Minister. Then claim “Diplomatic Immunity” to allow the assassin to go home.
This woman, Anne Sacoolas, should be returned to the UK to face justice. She is the wife of a technical support staffer at RAF Croughton, Northamptonshire. She had no role within the base and there is not entitled to immunity
Foreign states that protect common criminals are no better than those they protect.
Cowering behind “Diplomatic Immunity” is unacceptable.
An unexpected purchase has taken me on something of a hidden history lesson.
The pictured “Majestic” dinner service was acquired as part of a larger lot at a local auction. Consequently I didn’t know anything about it. However, whilst preparing to try and sell it on eBay, I did a little research and managed to find a few references to the manufacturer, The Empire Porcelain Company. It’s amazing what you can discover on the interweb.
It transpires that the Empire Porcelain Company had been around since 1895 with works in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, England. There were actually three factories operating side by side.
The Empire Porcelain Co Ltd was an important producer of domestic and ornamental earthenware and china for the middle of the market. In the late-1920s and 1930s the company produced interesting art deco-style tablewares and notable art deco ornamental wares decorated using the drip glaze technique. Chinz-decorated wares were produced in the 1940 and 1950s.
From Pottery Histories
The pieces that I have are all dated in the 1950’s, as evidenced by the makers marks on the underside, so they are all around seventy years old.
The letter B apparently indicates that the dishes were produced under the Wartime Concentration Scheme
The Second World War proved a particularly difficult period for the British pottery industry because severe restrictions were placed on the production of decorated pottery. Production was concentrated in a reduced number of factories in order to save materials, energy and labour as these were needed elsewhere for the war.
Pottery Histories
So there is no sentimental value to the dinner service, well not for me. But the history “behind the glaze” is interesting. Even down to the company being bought by a lawn mower manufacturer. Who would have thought they would have an interest in a pottery company.
Sadly, because the works were difficult to modernise, the Empire Porcelain Company was closed in 1967.
“There’s no art in this White House. There’s no literature, no poetry, no music. There are no pets in this White House. No loyal man’s best friend, no Socks the family cat. There are no images of the first family enjoying themselves together in a moment of relaxation: no Obamas on the beach in Hawaii moments, or the Bushes fishing in Kennebunkport, no Reagans on horseback, no Kennedys playing touch football on the Cape.
Where’d that country go? Where did all the fun, the joy and the expression of love and happiness go? We used to have a president who calmed and soothed a nation, instead of dividing it. We are now rudderless and joyless.
We have lost the cultural aspects of society that have always made America great. We have lost our mojo, our fun, our happiness, our cheering on of others— the shared experience of humanity that makes it all worth it. We need to reclaim that country once again.”
-Bruce Springsteen
(10/30/2020, SiriusXM)
WrAnTz 