International Football Weekend

It is Saturday, therefore it is Football Day! 

Since Scotland invented and developed football, spreading it world wide through the means of the English Empire, the game has become the most beloved game in the world, and no wonder!

What can be more enjoyable than eleven men facing eleven men on a grass pitch, if there is any grass upon it, and kicking a ball around for 90 minutes?  Sheer enjoyment, sporting success, team spirit development, fun and laughter, as well as a few pretending their hard men and kicking the shins off anyone they face.  What can beat this game?

However, this is the 'International Break,' which means all the top teams, and some small ones, are missing their international players.  These are now spread across Europe, Central and South America, and Africa, as countries fight for the right to be at the World Cup Finals in the USA next year.  

This means that top divisions are not playing and so coverage of league games is left to lower division clubs, and only for of them are playing today in Scotland.  So, what to do?

I am trying to watch some insipid English games in League two, that is the fourth division, but inspiring it is not.  This is because they  are not my teams, they are foreign sides in foreign leagues which mean little.  I can identify with individual players or clubs that secure shock results, but for the most part they are all to often games which slog along rather than have meaning.  Crowds in England may be quite big, however, real passion is found among Scots clubs and fans.   

How to deal with this?

Watch TV?  But that is a home for those chasing 'Bread and Circus's.'  Nothing intelligent lives there now.  Search the internet?  But this is a daily trial, searching for interesting news, views and objective journalism.  This is not always a success.  Shop?  Have you got the money?  Go somewhere?  I refer you to the previous answer?  Search for blogs worth reading?  Indeed this is worth while, though there appears to be a death of these at the time, Twitter and BlueSky have taken people from long thoughtful bogs, or ones like mine, and created a space for short thinking and quick answers.  I note a few really good one, but in days of yore so many more existed.  Some people stopped writing, some got bored, some died, and some chose Twitter, and all these things are understandable.  

International football is great, emotions run high, joy extends to all around, sometimes, yet in between the games there is nothing.  As I write some fans are watching smaller teams in their locale, which is good.  Others are being dragged through shops by the wife, still others are with relatives or forced to work on the house.  Men suffer badly during the international break, surely there is a charity out there that can do something for them?    

Angela and the Telegraph Witch-hunt

So, the 'Daily Telegraph' is rejoicing in bringing down a senior member of the Labour Party!  Angela Rayner, the Deputy Leader of that party (though that title is more honorary than meaningful) made a mistake which has cost her dear.  Buying a house or a flat, it is not clear, in Hove, on the south coast, she made use of legal arrangements to avoid £40,000 tax on her home.  

Now MPs have certain rights and benefits when buying homes but dodging tax is not one of them.  However, there are multi ways in which tax can be legally avoided, just ask Nigel Farage as he makes use of them all.  It is one of the reasons the people's trust in politicians is low, the ability to legally take MPs and Lords benefits, sometimes worth a great deal, while cutting back benefits and payments to the general population.

Angela hails from Manchester, a 'working class' town in the north of England.  The history is one of heavy industrial manufacturing, weaving and Victorian 'back to back' housing that soon deteriorated into slums.  The years since the war have seen great changes and today tall glass buildings, many of absurd yet fashionable shape, tower over the city and Manchester has become of of the great cities of the north of England.  

Angela has bought her house in Manchester, and this one in Hove far away, she claimed, was to benefit her disabled son in the future.  Hmmm.  Whatever, there is no reason she should not buy another house if she has the cash, Jeremy Hunt had several flats earning him vast amounts which he forgot he had, Farage has dodged tax by dodgy dealings on his four houses, that is four in England, and other Tories and many politicians have made use of several homes for income, so why not Angela?

However, the 'Daily Telegraph' has noted something was amiss.  The tax dodge went beyond what was expected of a minister, and a witch-hunt ensued.  Ignoring the dubious owners of the main stream press, the paper harassed Angela until she fell.  As deputy leader and as the only truly 'working class' member of the cabinet she allowed Labour to keep up the pretence it cared for the workers.  Now she has gone their middle class, better educated, and far from working class cabinet will look even further away from the man in the streets looking at Farage's Reform Party.  

There is the problem, in England the 'working class' have been told the lie that asylum seekers have it easy, get 5 star hotels, they don't, the use of the gym, they don't, good money each wee, £48 at most, and houses when they ask for one, they don't.  However, the lie is believed, facts do not trump emotion, and many are ready to wave flags and yell at hotels because they believe the lie and now have a crowd to belong to.  We all need a tribe to belong to, some where that gives us a reason for living and enables us to feel wanted.  

For 14 years the Conservative Party opposed this very thing.  By seeking to benefit the already rich, by massively increasing the cost of living, gas, electric, water and supermarkets, by pointing at 'migrants,' they  avoided being held to account.  Their corruption, £37 billion on Test and Trace alone, has not been returned, the PPE scandal has not found anyone guilty of crime, as yet, and borrowed money has disappeared from view, yet the Conservative paper, leads a witch-hunt on Angela?

Angela was no hero to the workers.  She, with a disabled son voted to lower disabled money, indeed voted as the government ordered and at no time publicly opposed their grasping desires.  She happily took financial gifts from Lord Ali, and maybe others, and while gaining a good position, a good salary, and a good future, could possibly have even led this feeble Labour Party one day.  Now she will spend time in the background, forever tarnished with tax dodging.

A week is a long time in politics.

Now, can someone do similar with Trump?  

Diverse World of Scottish Haggis Animals (Documentary) | Wild Haggis

Free Speech

There is a problem with Free Speech.  A simple problem of 'Where do you draw the line?'  Today the far right are demanding the right to say whatever they wish, however, this usually leads to mere attacks, not based on facts, on minorities or peoples they have designated as scapegoats.  Hence, Twitter posts can attack asylum seekers and Muslims, or anyone who supports them or takes a differing view.  These attacks are not always polite, thoughtful, or indeed believable.  Often they just repeat straight forward lies, and those offering facts are demonised because of this.

However, those who seek facts get banned by some, as in the Reform led council that has refused entry to the local press.  Censorship from Reform while their leader Farage is in the USA complaining about the lack of Free Speech in the UK?  Of course he takes the Lucy Connolly posts, the one suggesting burning down asylum hotels and the seekers within, as 'Free Speech.'  The courts decided, after jury trial, that 32 months were required in prison.  Farage of course sends his time inciting riots and may be worried his posts might be called to account one day, soon hopefully.

But where do we say stop?

Football fans commenting on the opposition or referees may break the Law with some comments posted online, at least where Free Speech is concerned, and certainly where libel may be concerned.  However, rarely do these lead to jail as most are known to be ignorant, knee jerk reactions. 

Just imagine if a referee succeeded in suing a fan?

It is taken for granted in the UK that you have aright to say what you believe. 

This is good!

It is also taken for granted that you do not cross an unwritten line from opinion into libel or hate.  

So, I can say you are wrong, and offer my reasons for saying so.  However, indicating this while also suggesting your are ugly, fat, and a crook stealing money, this may cross that line even though it may be true, but evidence for criminality is not subjective and must be proved.

Today nobody cares about this.  Boris Johnson allowed lies, and bare faced ones at that, to be free and politicians on all sides now appear to follow his lead.  With a muppet as Prime Minister, another as leader of the opposition, and no 'Big Beasts' in the House anymore how much longer can we endure Free Speech which leads to riots, jail, and 'some' walking free while others go inside?

And I have no commented on the results of Free Speech which can be disastrous as you will be well aware of this for yourself.

Essex Racist Children and Yvette Cooper

Few will be surprised to hear that Essex has more school pupils disciplined or banned from class for racism than any other English county.  The seaside town of Clacton leads the way by voting for Nigel Farage, a rabble rousing liar, as member of parliament, who can expect their children to be other than slanted towards a racist ideology they do not understand?  Their parents do not understand it, how can the children?

We read that Essex had 556 pupils suspended, though none were expelled, last year, the highest in England.  Next came Kent, across the Thames estuary with 521 which included four expulsions, then comes Hampshire with 423 plus one expelled.   

These three areas like to consider themselves 'English,' according to the mythological image of 'Englishness,' that exists only in their minds.  History is not a subject they studied at school, many of course would not study much very hard, and now, with parents who failed school joining a 'crowd,' it is inevitable that their children will follow the lead to their own downfall. 

Clearly, the recent far right inspired protests, seen at Epping and other English towns, as also found in Australia and the US where far right organisations lead the way, most led by neo-Nazis, we ought not to be surprised the children will be infected by the noise.  

Who is to blame?

The Corporate take over of our politicians, to the benefit of the already rich and to the harm of society as a whole.  Money abounds amongst these rabble rousers, it does not come from nothing.  As they own the media we are not in a position to find the daily press informing the masses, social networks, and Musk and the mad Facebook owner interferes here, do not reach the mass of people over 50 today.  If it did and they saw the facts would they listen?

Yvette Cooper, a woman who once dreamt of leading the Labour Party, has now positioned herself as one of the flag waving patriots who never thought of waving a flag until Morgan McSweeney told them to.  On TV today she is reported to have claimed there are suitable flags and banners and bunting in her house, though she did not explain whether she had just had them delivered or not.  

We see here a woman with no integrity.  Like all the Labour cabinet front bench all have sold out their life long principles for money and position.  Every bill on offer comes from someone who does not believe in it, and it shows, all backbenchers who support it, especially those who have been there for years, also vote as commanded but do not believe in what they are doing.  So few have the guts to stand up for what is right, so very few have indeed spoken out against Labour Bills and have lost the whip, even Keir the Prime Minister does not believe in his policies, if he knows what they are.  

All are following the corporate instructions from McSweeney and his owners.  All have sold out and none have the guts to say, 'Hold on, this is not right.'  

There is one exception, Annelise Dodds resigned her post over the cuts to Foreign Aid.  The decision to cut aid from 0'5% to 0.3% to increase defence spending was wrong.  She is correct, however, those who own the UK do not care about the harm this has caused, they care only for themselves.

I see no hope of any further cabinet member resignations, Yvette Coopers journey to the Dark Side is complete, and the result is not something she is concerned about.

Post Office Road

I was forced out of my hermitage very unwillingly this morning as I had to make my way to the post office.  Family birthdays appearing before I am ready for them can be irritating.  However, I wrapped up the cheap chosen gift and hobbled off down the old road.

As you know this is an old road.  It began some time after the ice age departed, an ice age that stopped at this point, leaving a mark on the south side of the road that determined where it ended.  A couple of thousand years later vegetation had arrived, families, or tribes perhaps, wandering across from as far away as what is now Germany, and very possibly this was one of their routes through the forested area.  Once the melting ice had created what is now the North Sea and flooded what we call 'Doggerland,' the walking ceased.  Tribes now well developed and controlling their part of the land soon developed the high area, surrounded on three sides by steep slopes, into a citadel for safety from other tribes.  This route to the west must have been operating for a couple of thousand years before the Romans arrived, slaughtered everybody, and hardened the roads so their wagons could travel faster.  Road works may have hindered traffic but it kept the men busy. 

I now hobbled slowly down the pavement, moving aside for mobile chairs, pushchairs, and fat people, as I made my way to the PO.  Traffic roared by, cars, double decker buses, 7.5 ton lorries delivering to supermarkets and shops, small cars, vast petrol guzzling beasts, works vehicles, and a woman on a three tricycle.  A normal day now, but what would the Romans or the Welsh speaking Brits of ancient times make of it all?  I suspect that once they got over their initial fears they would quickly adapt, especially the young.  Human nature does not change, the elder may fuss about 'It was better in my day,' but really they do this while enjoying large digital TVs, the NHS which keeps them alive, pensions and car or bus travel to shops hoarding a vast array of things not available when they were young, though in some cases Rickets, measles, chickenpox and polio was available, but not now.  Ancient Britons would adapt quickly to being rushed along this road at 30 miles an hour, more if it is late at night and the driver is in his teens, and glad he does not have to walk.  His walking would of course have made him much fitter than the teen driver who would be much healthier, even though less fit.  Life can be strange at times.  

Having reached my destination, in spite of road traffics attempt to stop me crossing from one side to another, I deposited the parcel containing goods that cost less than the postage, and trusted privatised Royal Mail to deliver by Wednesday.  This depends if the Czech owner, counting his tax dodging cash, considers this worth delivering.  Being first class it ought to be there by Wednesday but not being a parcel it is now considered less important than parcels, so delivery may have to wait until the sorting office manager can find a postman to walk that round.  Once we had daily deliveries six days a week, now they have to work seven day rotas, yet deliver only about three days a week, how does this improve things?  It doesn't.  Privatisation of Royal Mail, like all other privatisation, was about greed, nothing else.  Line the pockets of shareholders, forget service, just make money for some.  Lower wages, longer hours, all these are still to come under this right wing coup that has taken over the UK, and let the peasants eat cake.  Not just that, get the peasants to vote for you by blaming someone else, say asylum seekers perhaps?  

This crossed my mind as I noted the Germanic influenced royal family, the German, Japanese, French and US cars, the Chinese takeaway, the US Pizza house with Italian Pizzas, the Fish and Chip Shop (an idea developed by a Hungarian Jew in Spitalfields in the 19th century), while watching a car flying an English St George flag and using Iraqi oil to make the Korean car work.  

There is a lot happening on old roads. 

Derby Day, and Be Christian

Two big derbies on TV today.  One is full of sectarian bile, the other of normal football hate, division and, er, banter.  In one, the visiting side walked up the road from their Tannadice Park ground to play the game, and walked back down afterwards with no trouble from the fans.  In the other feeble attempt at football, both sets of fans displayed flags and sang songs of a sectarian nature, none of which belong in Scottish football.  

One gathered vast news reports, much TV and radio time, and exaggerated false enthusiasm from the commentator Ian Crocker.  The other, somewhat one-sided game, had real enthusiasm, some decent unbiased comment, and totally biased fans.  A proper derby!  

I doubt there was sectarian bias at any other game in Scotland this weekend, why do we allow this to continue at this one?  Scottish football is well worth watching, it would be improved without this sectarian strain.

 

I notice the more desperate and ungodly members of the Conservative and Reform parties are making a bid to claim they represent 'Christian Britain.'  They claim Britain (they never call it the UK) is a 'Christian Country,' and this ought to be protected.  This is ungodly nonsense picked up from the 'White, Gun toting, Flag carrying, Non Church Attending' American, who just hates immigrants because he has been told to hate them.  Americans, that is, USA citizens, need someone to hate.  Now that Communism has died, and they are not bombing Arabs they need a new hate figure, so immigrants it is.  This idea is now being tried in the UK, where some of the least likely to visit a church are spouting this drivel.

By 'Christian Country,' what they really mean is 'Islam is an enemy!'  Thus giving you something to fear, while these lying politicians take from you all your rights, pensions, benefits, right to live, housing support, employment protection, and allow you to pay more tax while they take and take while avoiding tax by putting their money overseas.  

Stupid people fall for this.

And another thing, as the Conservative Party organised all these hotels for immigrants, why was there no demonstrations at the time?  Why have these right wing paymasters invented all these groups leading these protests?  Where were they when the Tories were in power? 

 

  

"Look at the Boats, not the (alleged) corruption!"

Keir Starmer, seen here posing with a Tory flag, has offered a new post on Twitter today, a post attacking asylum seekers. 

  

He says, "Illegal immigration is driven by criminal people-smuggling gangs.

We're dismantling their organisations, shutting down online accounts and arresting those responsible.

Smashing their business model and securing our borders."

This all sounds good and well coming from a PM fighting a problem, however, this is from a PM ignoring the Labour Party's policies going back many years re asylum seekers, and sounds desperate for votes.  It does not come across as a man who knows what he is doing.

With Reform and Farage's backers, trying to divide the nation, it ought to be the PMs job t speak the truth to the country and unite against such rabble rousing nonsense, Keir instead joins in.

His advisers, McSweeney and his far right group of pretend Labour men, are behind this pathetic anti-immigrant nonsense.  Keir ought to know the truth, we need migrants, the majority work as hard as any other, many have high education standards, an fill the NHS staff.  Why does he and his advisors attack migrants?  This will not stop Farage and his Reform lie, truth might.  However, maybe those backing Farage are also those backing Keir.  Maybe they are enjoying pointing out the migrants while dodging tax and avoiding paying their way.  Maybe the £9 billion spent on migrants in comparison to the £46 Billion missing through tax dodging could be more important, though as McSweeney's backers may be involved in that we might not see anything done to stop it.  

Hitler succeeded by pointing at the Jews, who were 0.08 percent of the population if I remember right, I confess it is too early to check that number, and succeeded in lying Farage style to the easily led and desperate.  The old politician lie "I will stand up for YOU!" by a man who then takes the profits and cares not a jot about you is easily noted with Farage.  I note that when parliament returns he will be making cash inn the USA that day.  Is it not time the Clacton electorate had him called in?

Maybe Keir will go down to Clacton, if he knows where that is and suggest this to the townspeople there?  It would be good for this stuffed dummy to get out and meet real people, he has not done this for quite a while, maybe he will understand the real world that day?  He might even meet hard working asylum seekers who have become citizens and are making good, if Morgan allows it.

The Labour Party were elected not on their policies, but because of the grasping corruption of the Conservative Party.  Since then, we have constantly noted similar corruption within the Labour Party.  Angela Raynor, a cabinet minister no less, has managed to 'legally,' avoid paying £40,000 stamp duty on her new house.  Tories and their papers complain, yet they have all done similar since time began.

Almost daily one MP or MSP or member of another parliament is hounded by the press because of corruption, though BBC Scotland always forget to mention the Labour Party name when doing so. 

The latest allegation in Holyrood comes from the placing of a cameras in the toilet. 

The man alleged to have done this is one Colin Smyth, a Labour MSP, and one time General Secretary of the Scottish Labour Party.   Considering he was removed from the Labour Party just before this because he possessed indecent images of children, he now sits as an independent MSP, or would do except his access to Holyrood ha been withdrawn until this matter has reached an end.

He will appear at Dumfries Sheriff Court when a date is set, regarding the child images.   

Colin is married with daughters.

Frankly, I am not surprised to read that Nicola Sturgeon took a dividend of £20,000 from the £300,000 account that was paid for her book by MacMillan.  This enabled her to avoid a tax of some £2,500.  The goings on in her and other politicians bank accounts are too complex foe my little mind, however, the word 'corrupt' comes to mind, especially after Nicola introduced a law taxing the wealthiest to enable lower tax for the poorer amongst Scots.  I would be ashamed to take £2,500 when £300,000 is lying there for you.   Maybe politicians think differently for us moral mortals.

Engaged

 I don't care, do you...?

Nigel Seeks Attention

Nigel pointing towards his bank account

Once again Nigel has been lauded for his nonsensical plans, yet the media will fill hours of tv time and much press speculation because of this.  Getting attention from the far right media is not difficult, they after all are the people behind Farage, they and other, often US billionaires.  The fact that the majority wearing England t-shirts and carrying St George's flags in the protests are what we now call 'working class,' at least those that choose to work, this fact does not change the truth that this is not a ground up rebellion.  

Those who own the nation, the same people who now own the USA and their puppet Trump, will continue to point towards 'the boats,' and 'illegal migrants,' while taking from what once were public services, the NHS and anything else that pays, and allows those who vote for them to suffer.  

Being betrayed by their hero's is not yet something those protesting have thought about.  Their information comes from twitter posts from biased and deliberately lying sites, whether they are in St Petersburg or Iran or the USA matters not.  The lies speak to the fears of those who are suffering, and they are easy to believe.

The 'lower orders,' are informed asylum seekers get three square meals, and free tickets to the gym and elsewhere, benefits and free NHS treatment.  In fact almost all are lies.  Should we just left them die?  Nigel would say yes, if he thought that would go down well, not that he cares of course.  

When the Labour Party, now under the control of the far right, removes benefits from the unemployed, the disabled, the sick, and speaks of 'work,' to those too disabled to work, and also attacks pensioners, three quarters of whom do not have fat savings, the 'lower orders,' feel they are suffering and they are then told asylum seekers are better off than you!  

Lies, all lies, but that is what people wish to hear.  Emotion is greater than fact.

We need to seek truth, speak that truth in all situations, but whether people will listen when their emotions tell them differently I doubt that will change anything.

Emotion got the better of Newcastle United last night.  As their centre forward wishes to transfer to Liverpool, and negotiations are not going happily, they decided to build up an atmosphere for this game against Liverpool, an atmosphere of hate.  There are many problems with such atmosphere's, one being it is only a game, the other being you failure, as you have no other centre forward, to score goals.  Inevitably Liverpool a team that mean little to me, played the game very well, keeping the ball, slowing down the pace, and eventually scoring a goal and turning the anger in the stands upon their own heads.

With the goal going against them the Newcastle players were carried along with the emotion and lost their heads.  Liverpool kept theirs.  Rash tackles became rasher, one player was sent off rightly for a needless rash assault, another ought to have gone as his head had long gone by half time.  Being tough in the pub is one thing, being a big man on a football field requires tact and wisdom,  not kicking an opponent because he is better than you.

Soon after half time Liverpool scored again, so soon I almost missed it, and Newcastle were stunned.  However, Liverpool did not eek a third goal, they kept it cool thus risking something going wrong, and it did.  United scored, and the emotion returned, this time Liverpool struggled eventually, near the end loosing a second, equalising goal.  The crowd thought that was that.  Emotion reigned.  Then once again Liverpool kept their heads and went up the field and scored the winner almost on the final whistle.  

Newcastle United thought raising emotion via hate towards the enemy would succeed, and it almost did.  The fact that Liverpool kept their heads under great pressure spoke volumes for their players, the fact that United players could not speaks volumes for them.

Of course losing your main striker is a loss, however, not having a ready replacement for him is bad management at the top.  Board and manager have failed here.  The players failed, losing the head rather than playing the game cost them much.  A lesson they had better learn, emotion is never enough in football.

Flags

 

For reasons as yet unknown, someone planted this bunting opposite the house last week.  Possibly this had something to do with the protest re asylum seekers based in the village further up the road, or it may be an attempt to remember VJ-Day long after the day has passed, or it was just lying around and someone made use of it.

Who?  Why? And for what purpose remain unknown.

Sunday: I noticed a man with a dog, possibly Alsatian, ripping the flags from the fence.  Why?  He did not look like a protester, he had his shirt on, and he looked irked by the flags, so he is no royalist, so why?

I have no idea who he is, he is a stranger, as is the dog.  

Life is like this, things happen and we do not know why or understand them.  Then they are taken from us and we still understand nothing.  A lesson in life.

The idiot protestors are revealing their lack of thought day by day.  As in the USA a large number, small in comparison to the population mind, are wandering from protest to protest, wearing English St George Cross flags, or Union flags, and you know what I think of them, and visiting various asylum seekers haunts and shouting names at buildings.  

On the way many are erecting such flags in the streets, to show their nationality, and that 'this land is ours!'  They have also painted flags on mini roundabouts, and on mostly white information boards and elsewhere.  This is having an effect.

In areas where the flags fly from lampposts, estate agents are informing the world that houses cannot be sold, as the flags indicate the area is full of troublemakers and louts.  Such unsavoury types are bringing down the prices of houses with every paint job.

The media also, even the 'Daily Mail,' are questioning the damage caused by wee boys with paint spray damaging street furniture to prove they are English.  If only such as they had listened while at school they could have had a job, one now being down by a well educated asylum seeker perhaps?  Instead, they shave their heads, close their minds and chant 'send them home,' as this is the only cause they have in their life bar drinking poor lager.  The English working class do not wish to make an effort, so lets just blame the foreigners.  It is an old story.

Bank Holiday Weekend

A Summer Bank Holiday weekend ought to be a time for rest and relaxation.  A time to meet friends, or avoid compatriots, a time to forget work or worries, a time to watch the weather forecast carefully.

The streets are quieter at the moment, many taking the last weeks before school returns in England to go away.  Others look forward to traffic chaos returning late on holiday Monday evening.  Traffic chaos indeed as the weather man insists the sun will shine all day.  We will see...

Naturally, the supermarkets will be open, some shutting a wee bit early, others at normal times.  I suppose the staff get extra for such work, or a day off, but I suggest this will be hard fought to obtain for the regular staff.  Greed is good at the top of such organisations, they are less keen on decent payments lower down.  

Other shops will be open for those who consider a holiday is to be spent inside such places.  Who wants to spend a day off shopping?  Holiday travel programmes that I used to watch many years ago always made a point in indicating what the shops were like elsewhere, why?  You travel to a foreign country to sit in their shops buying the same goods you have in shops at home, rarely at cheaper prices as they prices are aimed at tourists like you, why?  Is there nothing to see over there?  Are you just looking for the 'Daily Mirror' or 'Daily Mail,' with sunshine, cheap tasteless lager and chips?  Get a life!

Stow Maries Aerodrome

    

The Great War aerodrome at Stow Maries has an event on for the holiday.  Unfortunately I have never been able to et down there as I would like.  This has a great reputation for flying machines, a good museum and no doubt a shop!  This would be good for me on the Monday, however, all tickets are sold out, as always. 

East Anglian Railway Museum

  

The East Anglian Railway Museum are having a 'Diesel Day' on Monday.  I did walk around this vast museum some years ago and could not do this today.  It was a great place to visit, for adults more than kids I say.  It just went on and on, and I thought it a wonderful place to visit.  I made the mistake of asking a question of the men, who were actually on their way home, and was talked at for about an hour re the work they were doing.  Such enthusiasm, such friendliness, such open to visitors, and keen to inform the world of the work they do refurbishing old engines and coaches.  Marvellous staff! 
A great place to visit anytime.

There are of course garden festivals, food and drink events and other happenings that I do not know off. While Essex itself is full of historical sights, beaches, and the occasional beach air show at such times.  Ice cream is extra!  

All this makes a change from the routine nastiness around us daily does it not?

Corbyn, Sultana and the Carnival

 

Labour Outlook

The launch of the first Scots branch of the party for the moment referred to as 'Your Party,' will it appears be held in Glasgow next month.  In some ways this is understandable, Glasgow was once the centre of 'Red Clydeside,' a place where many far left socialist men operated among the workers in the heavy industry that flourished there.  Ship building on the Clyde, steam trains in the east, mines close by, and a variety of works coming from these major centres.  The pay was poor, the conditions intolerable.  Imagine a tenement block holding 82 people with one outside toilet on a Saturday night!  Appalling conditions, appalling management, and it is no wonder people went on strike!  Add to this the moments during the war when rent were increased, though most men were away at the war.  The women refused to pay and were threatened with eviction!  Such causes increase the desire for change, and socialist change at that.  Change did come, but not in the early days of the 20th century, change came only after yet another war leaving 50 million dead and a Labour Party that put the needs of the people before the needs of the shareholders.  Clem Attlee's 1945 government created a new world off fairness and opportunity which has gradually been taken from us by a right wing coup.

Will Corbyn and Sultana's party save the people?  Probably not.  If they seek to create a fairer society many will join and other will vote for them.  However, Corbyn and many of his friends soon go off into adventurous places far from what the voter wants.  If they follow policies that do not ring true with the locals then they will disappear like so many other 'socialist' parties disappear.  The man in the street does not want extremes, he wants fairness for all, forget that and Corbyn and Sultana will fail also.

The Met Police have, very sensibly in my view, taken action before the Notting Hill Carnival, to prevent organised gangs turning the weekend into a small bloodbath.  Can you have a 'small bloodbath?  Discuss.  We know the gangs that like to gather at the carnival are often organised, as opposed to groups of young black men who come and get into bother like a crowd of football fans.   Drugs of course is one thing, crime also, but the vast majority come to enjoy the aura of the weekend.  It is unfortunate that several die during the carnival.  

I first attended one of these in 1973, before you were born.  That was a relatively quite affair, the weather dreary, the clanging of empty 'Double Diamond' cans common amongst most.  No trouble and lots of oil drums providing background sound.

Later, I lived in the middle of it for near 20 years and my opinion changed with the times.  Far too big, far too much trouble, and as I aged, far too noisy.  Most locals of course leave London for the weekend, others drift to outer London and return when they hope it is all over.  I certainly do not miss it now, and the misuse of the carnival by many encourages calls for it to end, or be moved, or cut down in size.  Quite how any of these ideas could operate is not made available by those who suggest this.

One fact we know is involved in the troubles.  West Indians, or their descendants as few actual West Indians from the 'Windrush' days are around any more, have one major flaw, too many dads do not look after their kids.  They say that 60% of young black kids have no idea who their father is.  If they do he has no influence, or appears to desire any.  That is with these 'West Indian' fathers.  Nigerians on the other hand have strong family ties and tend to be among the best educated and brightest in the UK, should we note such differences?  The 40% who have better families and kids who make it need support, and probably enjoy the carnival as much as any.  Why does no one speak out in support of ending the fathers refusal to look after their kids?  Are they afraid to be called racist?  Or are they afraid to admit a child needs two parent, on father and one mother, not two of one kind.  That truth upsets too many.  That truth exposes their failures as fathers and mothers, and exposes their loose sex lives as damaging for their kids and themselves.

However, you will never hear the press discussing this.  How can they?  The media is the most immoral organisation known to man, bar politicians obviously.

Lucy Connolly and Robert Jenrick

Lucy Connelly has been freed on Licence from prison.

You will recall that she was sent down for a post she offered on Social Media, a right-wing backlash followed based on what they called 'free speech.' 

This incident occurred because three young girls were killed in Southport.  Social media went into overdrive blaming an immigrant for the murders.  In fact it appears he had been living in the UK for some time, and had not come off a boat.  Nevertheless, many encouraged hate against immigrants, a and the 'Farage Riots occurred because of his incitement, for which no action was taken, and yet many of his supporters went to jail.  

As an aside, it would be interesting to know how many who went to jail actually had 'domestic violence' convictions?

At that time Lucy, married to a local councillor, posted this.  

“Mass deportation now. Set fire to all the fucking hotels full of

the bastards for all I care. While you’re at it, take the treacherous

government and politicians with them. I feel physically sick

knowing what these families will now have to endure. If that

makes me racist, so be it.”

Lucy Connolly was arrested, charged and convicted.  She was given 32 months in prison.  Today, she was released early yet on licence.  She made no comment.

Not unnaturally, she became a token of 'free speech' for the right wing.  

'Free speech' for the right wing means 'free speech' for them to attack whom they like, usually immigrants blacks, Pakistanis, etc, yet they block you on social media when you indicate faults with their reasoning.  Maybe 'free speech' is not what they really wish for?

Many from the Conservative Party and Reform, not that there is much difference today, offered her support, or at least made use of her for their own sakes, grumbling about 'two tier justice.'  What they really mean is, lock that lot up, not us.'  Politicians making use of this woman, amongst others, for their own advantage ought to be locked up themselves.  They care nothing for the people, all is for their advancement.  

We all have a right to our opinions, and they differ widely today.  However, there is a manner in which that opinion is expressed, depending on the time and the circumstances, that must be taken into account.  Calling for hotels full of people to be set on fire does not reflect thoughtful free speech.

The point is not that this woman went to prison, the point is why do leading inciters, such as Farage and Robinson, avoid prison?  Who enables them to avoid prosecution, who is protecting them? 

Talking off shit-stirring rabble rousers, take a look at Robert Jenrick, he of the absurd PR stunts.  Today he is up a pole flying a flag.  He was doing this he said to 'oppose Britain hating councils.'  This because right wing dafties have been erecting St George's flags in several towns and cities to reflect their nation and their craven stupidity in following this anti-migrant flow.  St George as you know came from Cappadocia and his knowledge of an England that did not exist during his time was limited.  His opinion on the closed minds flying flags will be the same as yours. 

It is noticeable that those flying flags chose the England flag, the St George's one.  It is also noticeable that Jenrick is flying the union flag, a flag rejected by the majority of Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish, and misunderstood, it is usually flown upside down, by most English.  Why did Jenrick do this?  He will have had no idea, a flag is just a flag to him, the cheap publicity is what matters.

So far, social media response was not enthusiastic in his favour.

Epping Court Decision

Spiked

Some will be happy with the latest court decision regarding the Epping asylum seekers.  The court said they must be moved from Epping.  So, that's that.  Off the go.  Where to nobody knows as yet, and I expect our MP will have been making clear that he does not want them in his area.

What sort of a life is this?  Chased by Taliban or Islamic terror, war and strife, unemployment and little hope for the future, so you move to where it is wealthy and hope for a life.  This is what many Scots were doing for a long time in days of yore.  The Lairds threw many off the land and replaced them with sheep during the 'Highland Clearances,' after this the lack of opportunity caused many to head for Canada, USA or Australia and New Zealand, or even South Africa, in the hope for a better life.  During the 1920s three of my aunts did this and headed for Australia.   The Salvation Army offered a £10 ticket to far off places for those seeking an escape from long hours, poor wages and bad managers.  Today, this is reversed, and while many offer sympathy and support others take advantage.

The right-wing coup that forced Brexit upon us by reminding the English that the world owed them a living, and that they were 'Gods chosen people,' gave many I know hope for a better world, though I ensured they would regret this.  Now many regret this decision, but few admit it.

One result was while members of the EU we could send back to France asylum seekers in wee boats, that no longer applies.  14 years of Tory deliberate misuse allows the white, English, working class population regard asylum seekers in boats as a threat.  The threat to such unemployed working class types comes from the men behind BREXIT, the billionaire bosses now counting their money and caring nothing for the Farage rioters.  

Many have come into the country seeking a new life, and often they have indeed come from war and disaster.  Who can blame them for coming here?  Many are highly educated, often to degree level, why refuse them?  The majority of others soon learn how to live here, crime occurs and the press scream, though most crime under the Law of England and Wales comes from 'white English.'  Many Farage rioters have 'domestic violence' convictions, how are they protecting children?

Those who stir up asylum seeker racism do so to make money.  The billionaires keep you looking away from them, the Tommy Robinson's because that is where their fame and riches comes from.  He now teaches, badly it appears, how to oppose migrants, £28 a minute, £37 a short video.  Then goes off to another foreign holiday with the woman he divorced, but who has all his money.

Clearly violent, rapist, murdering immigrants must be returned.  The vast majority do not fit that bill however, our NHS reveals this as possibly a third of staff come from overseas.  The quality is not diminished by this, but by governments being owned by private health companies.

Who knows the answer, apart from charging rabble-rousers and those who insist on provocation via Facebook or other social media with a crime and jailing them.  Farage first and all the rest to follow I say.

 

Dry Month

Middle of August and already the leaves are falling from the trees.  Across the road the trees have been showing yellow leaves for a week.  Occasionally one falls to the earth, surely this is a month to early?

The problem is of course climate change!  

Too little rain, in this, the driest county in England, and too much sunshine combining to dry up the roots and lead to poor harvests in farmers fields and among the berries in what are left of the hedgerows.  

This means rising prices.

Naturally, the varied English water boards are giving their board members high bonus's because of their incompetence.  Reservoirs are low, streams abound in slurry from farms and much more from water companies saving money and poisoning English waterways and seas.  In a normal world the government would step in to stop this, for 14 years now nothing has been done.  Privatising water companies, along with electric and gas, railways, royal mail and anything worth money, has lost the service element included.  Services are not for service, they are to make money for shareholders, and let the peasants suffer.  

This is the UK today.

A right wing coup has occurred and while there is little we can do, we can note that the vast majority have not noticed it.    

Environmental damage, alongside the damage done to the welfare state, the NHS, food prices, and the elderly, mount up.  The answer, point the finger at 'the boats,' blame migrants, and allow those with the money to keep their money.     

This, I feel, is somewhat unfair.

Will anything change?  Not soon.

Demonstrate!

It's not everyday you find the park full of Essex police finest.  So to find them wandering about since before 10 am was a surprise.  Two or three were gathered around the gate, then others, with a variety of names across their backs, began to gather.

It transpires that a demo was to be held outside the (closed) council offices, regarding the asylum seekers who are housed in a disused airbase not that far from the town.   The local population cannot be more than 1500 and with a recent announcement of plans to increase the asylum numbers to 2500 anger was forthcoming.  

What is there to do in such a place?  Nothing!  How could 2500 strangers be coped with?  The several hundred there at the moment are one thing, this increase an unacceptable to some, problem.

So, they gathered at the council yelled and chanted, blew horns and noisy things, and within an hour or so had gone to the shops.  With the lasting effects of my cold I declined to go and look myself, but it appears no trouble arose, the police made their way home slowly, overtime was paid, nothing much occurred.  

What was the point?

The council went to court to stop this, the MP, a one time cabinet minister opposed it, and still does, and they are getting nowhere.  Does anyone think this will make a difference?  I suppose they have to do something.  

This I think, is slightly different from the usual demos.  The Tommy Robinson attacks on asylum seekers brings many flag waving, head shaven, large well built, and not too bright, Englishmen to such demos to 'protect women and girls.'  The fact that many of the 'Farage Rioters,' had convictions for 'domestic assault,' indicates something else.

What to do with asylum seekers?

First, ban politicians from using them as weapons to increase their popularity.

Second, close down papers that lie about asylum seekers.

Third, publish true figures rather than allow lies to spread.    

Fourth, lock up Robert Jenrick.

It is not possible to stop Tommy Robinson, he is on his eighth luxury 5 star holiday, this time in Northern Cyprus, with the wife to which he gave all his money. then divorced.  She just happens to be with him, having gone bankrupt herself owing thousand to the tax man and various others.  

I wonder who  is paying him?

VJ-Day 2025

With August 15th 2025 being the 80th anniversary of the end of the war with Japan, it is clear there will be no more major commemorations from the Second World War.  Those who served, in the Army Royal Navy or RAF will be well into their 90s, and many over one hundred years of age now.  Any 18 year olds in 1945 will now be 98, and very likely to miss the 90 the anniversary.  

Therefore it is right that the nation, the UK, remembers those who served in the last phase of the war against the slow to surrender Japanese.  It is important to remember the Australian and New Zealand, the Ghurkhas, the Indian and African regiments who also served and suffered severe war conditions and pitiful prisoner of war treatments.

The decision to surrender without a fight left many servicemen angry, especially those who had just arrived in places such as Singapore who, after only 14 days, found themselves beginning a slave like experience on the famous Burmese Railway.  Many never found it within themselves to forgive or be reconciled with their captors, all carried the results of the treatment they had received both in body and in mind.

A short word for the captors.  Reading the experiences we note how the Japanese dehumanised their own men, from officer down to conscript.  We read that on occasion the worst Japanese guard turned out to be Korean. Korea at that time under Japanese control.  We also read of several Japanese guards who did not abuse the prisoners unless ordered to do so, and some who slipped food to them unobserved.  Huma nature in war is an interesting thing to watch.

The Japanese of today are not under such an imperialist army.  Indeed their creativity and work ethic has made Japan one of the worlds leading nations.  Their men suffered, and continued to suffer PTSD and guilt from their actions also after the war.  Few of their leaders were held to account, many continued in power under General MacArthur and USA control.  

Life is a funny thing.

We do not forget those who served, below are the ten local men who died in the Far East.   

Not all their experiences would make pleasant reading.   

BEERE, STANLEY HAROLD Gunner 963577. Royal Artillery 16 Defence Regt. Died: 13th February 1942 Age: 22. Born Cosford 1919. SINGAPORE MEMORIAL        

Singapore surrendered 15th February 1942.

Within Kranji War Cemetery stands the SINGAPORE MEMORIAL, bearing the names of over 24,000 casualties of the Commonwealth land and air forces who have no known grave. Many of these have no known date of death and are accorded within our records the date or period from when they were known to be missing or captured. The land forces commemorated by the memorial died during the campaigns in Malaya and Indonesia or in subsequent captivity, many of them during the construction of the Burma-Thailand railway, or at sea while being transported into imprisonment elsewhere. The memorial also commemorates airmen who died during operations over the whole of southern and eastern Asia and the surrounding seas and oceans.

BENDING, GEORGE.  Private 5827417.  Suffolk Regiment 4th Bn. Died: 16th September 1943 Age: 28. THANBYUZAYAT WAR CEMETERY,  The 4th & 5th Battalions Suffolk's were Territorial battalions. Sent to Singapore January 1942 the endured just over two weeks of action before surrendering to the Japanese forces. Then followed over three years harsh treatment as Prisoners of War. During this time George Bending died.      

BEVAN, THOMAS EDWARD. Colour Serjeant 2033192 King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster)  attd. King's African Rifles. Died:24th September 1944. Age: 29. RANGOON MEMORIAL. Husband of Gladys Bevan, of Braintree, Essex.   

DAVISON, PETER DOUGLAS. Lieutenant 331870 Essex Regiment attd. 1st Bn. Northamptonshire Regiment.  Died: 18th April 1946.  Age: 26. KRANJIWAR CEMETERY.  Son of John Douglas Davison and Elizabeth Davison, of 130 Cressing Road, Braintree, Essex.  Father John a heating engineer.  Peter died at Jahore, Malaya possibly from disease and buried at Wing Loon Cemetery on the 19th, re-interred at Kranji September 9th.

FRYATT, JOHN ALFRED. Petty Officer Telegraphist C/JX 139959 Royal Navy H.M.S. "Thanet" Died: 27th January 1942. Age:25  CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL  Son of Edward and Annie Fryatt. Lived 38 Sunnyside, Braintree.

HMS "Thanet," and the destroyer HMAS "Vampire," were ordered to sea to intercept large Japanese convoy. They steamed from Singapore at 4.30pm on 26 January, carrying only three torpedoes each. Early in the morning of 27 January they ran into the covering force of Japanese warships, consisting of three destroyers, and later being joined by the Japanese cruiser Sendai. Thanet was hit in the engine room and disabled, and began to sink. Vampire attempted to lay down a smoke screen but was driven off under heavy fire, and managed to escape. Thanet sank with heavy loss of life shortly afterwards.

GOODAY, NORMAN GEORGE  Private. 6019078 Suffolk Regiment 4th Bn.  Died: 13th September 1943. Age: 23 CHUNGKAI WAR CEMETERY. Born Braintree 1919.  Son of Samuel and Elizabeth Mary Gooday, of 8, Maple Avenue, Braintree, Essex.  Father Samuel a church caretaker.

The 4th & 5th Battalions Suffolk's were Territorial battalions.  Sent to Singapore January 1942 the endured just over two weeks of action before surrendering to the Japanese forces.  Then followed over three years harsh treatment as Prisoners of War.

MARTIN, CECIL ERNEST. Private  6025547  Essex Regiment 1st Bn. 23rd Infantry Brigade, 6th Division. Died: 15th April 1944. Age: 24  KOHIMAWAR CEMETERY

Fierce fighting around Kohima during 1944, severe casualties for 1st Essex however from here on the Japanese were in retreat.

McDERMOTT, THOMAS HAROLD Sergeant. 358213 Royal Air Force Died: 27th July 1945 Age: 40. SINGAPORE MEMORIAL Born Mill Hill 1905, Son of Henry Thomas McDermott and Florence Bertha McDermott; husband of Lily May McDermott, (Wed 1931) of Braintree, Essex. Death recorded by Japanese as 'Malaria.' 

NUNN, ARTHUR JAMES.  Gunner. 1831405  Royal Artillery 270 Bty., 77 Lt. A.A.Regt.  Died:7th December 1942.  Age: 36. Born Ashtead, Surrey 1906.  DELHI WAR CEMETERY  Son of Josiah F. Nunn and Lily Dale Nunn, of Braintree, Essex. Brother Josiah Grimston died 1931. Sister Phyllis born 1921.

REID, WILLIAM. Gunner.  2872020.  Royal Artillery 3 Bty., 6 H.A.A. Regt. Died: 11th December 1943. Age: 35 KANCHANABURI WAR CEMETERY.  Son of James and Jane Reid; husband of Bridget Reid, of Braintree, Essex.

Became Prisoner of War when Singapore surrendered to Japanese on 15th February 1942. 

Buried Tasao No 2 Cemetery, re-interred Kanchanaburi  1st March 1946.