I've just watched Ben Elton's Upstart, Crow for the first time.
A friend tipped me off - had no idea that existed, even though it's been around 5 years.
I was crying tears of laughter in episode one. Brilliant.
Ben Elton's uncle Sir Geoffrey Elton was a distinguished Tudor historian. I read his book "The Tudor Constitution" for History A level.
Geoffrey Elton was the quintessential English establishment historian. Which brought him much criticism in his later years from the avant-garde historians.
This is really amusing given his background, of course. Indeed, as he had a sense of humour he found it so himself. He wrote a charming letter to one critic, noting 'I am not English-born and not perhaps quite so insular as you suppose.'
Ben's brother Tim, meanwhile, was something very senior in IBM. I met him once when our IT department was being outsourced. He looked exactly the same as his brother. It was mildly discombobulating.
The problem is, it used to be about having a job. There's plenty who have full time jobs now and can't make ends meet. Meanwhile R4 thinks lack of snow in ski resorts is a story.
I would imagine R4 listeners are on average more likely to ski than the average Brit
Possibly true, but it is far from a posh sport. In my early years we were cramped into a cheap apartment sleeping in the hall and living room and that wasn't untypical in the big resorts. As I got more money I could afford all in chalets, but again that is not expensive compared to a typical summer holiday.
The lack of snow and glaciers receding obviously is important indicator of climate change and even before that skiers would be monitoring the ski reports daily on ceefax with their fingers crossed.
Though the average skiing holiday now costs £4688 for a family of 4. 17% of the annual UK household income and not much different to the cost of a holiday in the Maldives or Caribbean, something also more likely to be undertaken by the upper middle classes and the rich.
That’s £650 and I was staying with someone so had free food and lodging. Let’s round it up to £750 for a week (pass and rental) and add in £500 for cheap accommodation and food premium in a resort (self catering)
It’s very easy to get to £1,200 / £4,800 for a family of 4.
That’s surprisingly precious of the Vicar of Bath, who purports to enjoy robust debates - typical bully then - can dish it out but can’t take it (though blocking does seem to be a feature of Scottish politics):
Apparently, the convener of the committee that considers equalities, human rights and civil justice matter including debt, evictions and family law would prefer not to know what I think. Rampant hubris on my part, of course, but I remain flabbergasted.….
In general, I support anyone’s right to block on Twitter. But @joefitzsnp is the convener of the Scottish Parliament’s Equalities, Human Rights and *CIVIL JUSTICE* Committee. That being so, I find this news 👇🏻surprising and disappointing.
Surprised that Roddy has the energy to bother with this after his widely (self) publicised plans to move down to England to take advantage of Truss's benign and wise tax regime. Cancelling those removal vans and offers on property down there must have taken a lot of time and money.
That’s surprisingly precious of the Vicar of Bath, who purports to enjoy robust debates - typical bully then - can dish it out but can’t take it (though blocking does seem to be a feature of Scottish politics):
Apparently, the convener of the committee that considers equalities, human rights and civil justice matter including debt, evictions and family law would prefer not to know what I think. Rampant hubris on my part, of course, but I remain flabbergasted.….
In general, I support anyone’s right to block on Twitter. But @joefitzsnp is the convener of the Scottish Parliament’s Equalities, Human Rights and *CIVIL JUSTICE* Committee. That being so, I find this news 👇🏻surprising and disappointing.
Mind you Wings comeback both on Twitter and in general has eth SNP wallahs apoplectic. He raised more money in the first hour than the SNP got in a year. For all his ranting he does get the real facts down and that is the last thing the SNP want in public. Their latest wheeze to make it a crime if you even think about someone's gender is absolutely unbelieveable.
Well, Harry's got us all talking about his badly written drivel.
From what I have seen, the real question about all this is how the fuck did anyone so utterly lacking in literary talent manage to become established as a ghostwriter?
In important news, wind production is annoyingly not as high as it might be. Suspect some turbines have had to be turned off due to the gales.
Alternative plot for “Ghost” - the ghost writers for the ex-PM were murdered (and the ex-PM), not by the CIA, but by a secret organisation of Nobel prize winning authors. Dedicated to stamping out dross. The bizarre deaths the are due to the rotating chair of the organisation going to a Magic Realist…..
I can't believe the publishers allowed that to be included.
I mean maybe it doesn't matter if Prince Harry, the Royal Family and the British people are terrorist targets but you wouldn't have thought it's a position Random House would want to find themselves in would you?
Perhaps Harry thinks the Taliban claim will force us to pay for his 24x7 security.
Am I the only one not surprised that Army active service as an Apache pilot/weapons officer involves killing people? Or that military training deliberately desensitises people to the task?
Surely that was what he was there to do?
The issue is the dehumanised way he talked about them (like they were characters ina computer game). Real soldiers don’t do that.
Mind you I’ve heard that he spent most of his time in Afghanistan confirmed to barracks and playing computer games…
The skiing cost comments got me doing some mental arithmetic from our last trip (in school holidays). Rough costs
Tunnel £200 return Fuel for drive down £150 return Motorway tolls £160 Rental flat for week £1000 Ski passes £500 Equipment hire £250 Kids Lessons £300 Food and drink £700 Sundry stuff like day trips £200
Total around £3.5k. I’ve rounded up a bit as I think we got various discounts on things like equipment and probably spent less than that on meals but even so it’s not far off the number HYUFD quoted when you include everything, and that was a fairly basic independently booked holiday using the tunnel and car.
Also Prince Charles aired his laundry in public with the Dimbleby book and interview.
It's a mystery as to why Jonathan son of Richard and brother of David is such an enthusiastic advocate for Chuck and his dynastic firm. He's been quite busy the last few days.
Well, Harry's got us all talking about his badly written drivel.
From what I have seen, the real question about all this is how the fuck did anyone so utterly lacking in literary talent manage to become established as a ghostwriter?
In important news, wind production is annoyingly not as high as it might be. Suspect some turbines have had to be turned off due to the gales.
The eirgrid charts include forecast wind generation. You can see that wind power for the Irish grid is forecast to reach a maximum today in the late afternoon and early evening. As the wind is coming from the Atlantic, would expect peak British production some time later.
I weep at the injustices suffered by poor Prince Harry.
Decades more of his tedium to look forward to. Or might we blessed with him drifting into obscurity now the story is sold?
The publishers will have got the 'juiciest' stories, I reckon. And the ones released so far probably damage H&M's brand than the royal family's.
I reckon in ten years they'll be reduced to sob stories about how the royal family are blanking them. Although who could blame the royal family: it's obvious that anything said in private will soon become public knowledge.
If I had a family member like that (and wealth...) I'd communicate via lawyer's letters...
I think I'd save the fee by not communicating at all.
I try very hard not to have any interest in this nonsense at all but I do, at last, feel sorry for Charles. He had a couple of decades with an extremely manipulative wife and ex wife making his life a misery by playing the media game and now his son is doing the same, despite his pleas not to. Charles is an emotionally stunted and damaged individual who inevitably has little to no understanding of normal life but no one deserves two helpings of this in a single lifetime.
The whole psychodrama could have been avoided if Charles had either been allowed to marry Camilla in the first place or found someone else that he actually loved and married her while not shagging Camilla at the same time. Pretending to love Diana, marrying her but carrying on with Camilla at the same time was an unforgivable act of caddishness on his part and he deserved everything he got from Diana and then some. People who cheat on their spouses get zero sympathy from me.
I don't think the royals are expected to abide by the same sort of code of behaviour as the rest of us on this matter. Surely Diana went into the marriage with her eyes open? Wives of heirs are there to provide more heirs. If there is some sort of love, respect or affection then that is a bonus.
I agree with malcolm downthread that Charles appears to be a pompous arse. But being a pompous arse doesn't rank quite as low as publicy and repeatedly trashing your family (whom you claim to want a reconciliation with).
Kate Middleton appears to have gone into the situation with her eyes (at least) wide open. I don’t think anybody’s ever suggested that William has played away, though.
I weep at the injustices suffered by poor Prince Harry.
Decades more of his tedium to look forward to. Or might we blessed with him drifting into obscurity now the story is sold?
The publishers will have got the 'juiciest' stories, I reckon. And the ones released so far probably damage H&M's brand than the royal family's.
I reckon in ten years they'll be reduced to sob stories about how the royal family are blanking them. Although who could blame the royal family: it's obvious that anything said in private will soon become public knowledge.
If I had a family member like that (and wealth...) I'd communicate via lawyer's letters...
I think I'd save the fee by not communicating at all.
I try very hard not to have any interest in this nonsense at all but I do, at last, feel sorry for Charles. He had a couple of decades with an extremely manipulative wife and ex wife making his life a misery by playing the media game and now his son is doing the same, despite his pleas not to. Charles is an emotionally stunted and damaged individual who inevitably has little to no understanding of normal life but no one deserves two helpings of this in a single lifetime.
The whole psychodrama could have been avoided if Charles had either been allowed to marry Camilla in the first place or found someone else that he actually loved and married her while not shagging Camilla at the same time. Pretending to love Diana, marrying her but carrying on with Camilla at the same time was an unforgivable act of caddishness on his part and he deserved everything he got from Diana and then some. People who cheat on their spouses get zero sympathy from me.
Well, Harry's got us all talking about his badly written drivel.
From what I have seen, the real question about all this is how the fuck did anyone so utterly lacking in literary talent manage to become established as a ghostwriter?
In important news, wind production is annoyingly not as high as it might be. Suspect some turbines have had to be turned off due to the gales.
The eirgrid charts include forecast wind generation. You can see that wind power for the Irish grid is forecast to reach a maximum today in the late afternoon and early evening. As the wind is coming from the Atlantic, would expect peak British production some time later.
And the wind is mainly in the South. I’ve noticed it’s often disappointingly low when it’s windy down here but calm in Scotland for the onshore turbines and in the Irish Sea. Looks like we’ll be back around 29gw by early afternoon.
And probably breaking the all time record this evening, when demand is also high.
Well, Harry's got us all talking about his badly written drivel.
From what I have seen, the real question about all this is how the fuck did anyone so utterly lacking in literary talent manage to become established as a ghostwriter?
In important news, wind production is annoyingly not as high as it might be. Suspect some turbines have had to be turned off due to the gales.
Alternative plot for “Ghost” - the ghost writers for the ex-PM were murdered (and the ex-PM), not by the CIA, but by a secret organisation of Nobel prize winning authors. Dedicated to stamping out dross. The bizarre deaths the are due to the rotating chair of the organisation going to a Magic Realist…..
…the plot turns on an Oxford Comma, used in the delivery instructions for a pineapple pizza.
I weep at the injustices suffered by poor Prince Harry.
Decades more of his tedium to look forward to. Or might we blessed with him drifting into obscurity now the story is sold?
The publishers will have got the 'juiciest' stories, I reckon. And the ones released so far probably damage H&M's brand than the royal family's.
I reckon in ten years they'll be reduced to sob stories about how the royal family are blanking them. Although who could blame the royal family: it's obvious that anything said in private will soon become public knowledge.
If I had a family member like that (and wealth...) I'd communicate via lawyer's letters...
I think I'd save the fee by not communicating at all.
I try very hard not to have any interest in this nonsense at all but I do, at last, feel sorry for Charles. He had a couple of decades with an extremely manipulative wife and ex wife making his life a misery by playing the media game and now his son is doing the same, despite his pleas not to. Charles is an emotionally stunted and damaged individual who inevitably has little to no understanding of normal life but no one deserves two helpings of this in a single lifetime.
The whole psychodrama could have been avoided if Charles had either been allowed to marry Camilla in the first place or found someone else that he actually loved and married her while not shagging Camilla at the same time. Pretending to love Diana, marrying her but carrying on with Camilla at the same time was an unforgivable act of caddishness on his part and he deserved everything he got from Diana and then some. People who cheat on their spouses get zero sympathy from me.
I don't think the royals are expected to abide by the same sort of code of behaviour as the rest of us on this matter. Surely Diana went into the marriage with her eyes open? Wives of heirs are there to provide more heirs. If there is some sort of love, respect or affection then that is a bonus.
I agree with malcolm downthread that Charles appears to be a pompous arse. But being a pompous arse doesn't rank quite as low as publicy and repeatedly trashing your family (whom you claim to want a reconciliation with).
Kate Middleton appears to have gone into the situation with her eyes (at least) wide open. I don’t think anybody’s ever suggested that William has played away, though.
The problem is, it used to be about having a job. There's plenty who have full time jobs now and can't make ends meet. Meanwhile R4 thinks lack of snow in ski resorts is a story.
I would imagine R4 listeners are on average more likely to ski than the average Brit
a) If there is snow it is difficult to get to b) It is cold c) The runs are rubbish.
I'm mad.
One way ticket to Belford/Raigmore/ARI. Watch out for the mud.
Good Uncle Tom impersonation there.
Eh? Just speaking from personal experience. I've had loads of fun skiing in Scotland, just got to be careful. Last time I tried I got stuck in a massive traffic jam at the Spittal of Glenshee. Cairngorm is always going bankrupt, Nevis has successfully diversified into Mountain Biking.
It's a shame 2020/21 was such an amazing winter. Was fun watching people fly off the top of the Pentlands.
I can't believe the publishers allowed that to be included.
I mean maybe it doesn't matter if Prince Harry, the Royal Family and the British people are terrorist targets but you wouldn't have thought it's a position Random House would want to find themselves in would you?
Perhaps Harry thinks the Taliban claim will force us to pay for his 24x7 security.
Am I the only one not surprised that Army active service as an Apache pilot/weapons officer involves killing people? Or that military training deliberately desensitises people to the task?
Surely that was what he was there to do?
The issue is the dehumanised way he talked about them (like they were characters ina computer game). Real soldiers don’t do that.
Mind you I’ve heard that he spent most of his time in Afghanistan confirmed to barracks and playing computer games…
I weep at the injustices suffered by poor Prince Harry.
Decades more of his tedium to look forward to. Or might we blessed with him drifting into obscurity now the story is sold?
The publishers will have got the 'juiciest' stories, I reckon. And the ones released so far probably damage H&M's brand than the royal family's.
I reckon in ten years they'll be reduced to sob stories about how the royal family are blanking them. Although who could blame the royal family: it's obvious that anything said in private will soon become public knowledge.
If I had a family member like that (and wealth...) I'd communicate via lawyer's letters...
I think I'd save the fee by not communicating at all.
I try very hard not to have any interest in this nonsense at all but I do, at last, feel sorry for Charles. He had a couple of decades with an extremely manipulative wife and ex wife making his life a misery by playing the media game and now his son is doing the same, despite his pleas not to. Charles is an emotionally stunted and damaged individual who inevitably has little to no understanding of normal life but no one deserves two helpings of this in a single lifetime.
The whole psychodrama could have been avoided if Charles had either been allowed to marry Camilla in the first place or found someone else that he actually loved and married her while not shagging Camilla at the same time. Pretending to love Diana, marrying her but carrying on with Camilla at the same time was an unforgivable act of caddishness on his part and he deserved everything he got from Diana and then some. People who cheat on their spouses get zero sympathy from me.
Do you really think if the heir to the throne was the son of Charles and Camilla rather than Charles and Diana the monarchy would have been as secure in the next generation?
Of course not, the Queen correctly ensured Charles married Diana for the future of the institution.
Camilla may be Queen Consort now but Diana is still mother and grandmother of all the top 7 in the line of succession
I weep at the injustices suffered by poor Prince Harry.
Decades more of his tedium to look forward to. Or might we blessed with him drifting into obscurity now the story is sold?
The publishers will have got the 'juiciest' stories, I reckon. And the ones released so far probably damage H&M's brand than the royal family's.
I reckon in ten years they'll be reduced to sob stories about how the royal family are blanking them. Although who could blame the royal family: it's obvious that anything said in private will soon become public knowledge.
If I had a family member like that (and wealth...) I'd communicate via lawyer's letters...
I think I'd save the fee by not communicating at all.
I try very hard not to have any interest in this nonsense at all but I do, at last, feel sorry for Charles. He had a couple of decades with an extremely manipulative wife and ex wife making his life a misery by playing the media game and now his son is doing the same, despite his pleas not to. Charles is an emotionally stunted and damaged individual who inevitably has little to no understanding of normal life but no one deserves two helpings of this in a single lifetime.
The whole psychodrama could have been avoided if Charles had either been allowed to marry Camilla in the first place or found someone else that he actually loved and married her while not shagging Camilla at the same time. Pretending to love Diana, marrying her but carrying on with Camilla at the same time was an unforgivable act of caddishness on his part and he deserved everything he got from Diana and then some. People who cheat on their spouses get zero sympathy from me.
I don't think the royals are expected to abide by the same sort of code of behaviour as the rest of us on this matter. Surely Diana went into the marriage with her eyes open? Wives of heirs are there to provide more heirs. If there is some sort of love, respect or affection then that is a bonus.
I agree with malcolm downthread that Charles appears to be a pompous arse. But being a pompous arse doesn't rank quite as low as publicy and repeatedly trashing your family (whom you claim to want a reconciliation with).
Agree totally Cookie, Harry is either ill or a rank bad un. Totally lost the plot.
I wonder if one of his interviewers has asked him how his substance abuse affected his mental health? Or why he didn’t refer his wife to his psychotherapist when she needed help? You’d have thought a spouse would be a first port of call ahead of an HR department.
The skiing cost comments got me doing some mental arithmetic from our last trip (in school holidays). Rough costs
Tunnel £200 return Fuel for drive down £150 return Motorway tolls £160 Rental flat for week £1000 Ski passes £500 Equipment hire £250 Kids Lessons £300 Food and drink £700 Sundry stuff like day trips £200
Total around £3.5k. I’ve rounded up a bit as I think we got various discounts on things like equipment and probably spent less than that on meals but even so it’s not far off the number HYUFD quoted when you include everything, and that was a fairly basic independently booked holiday using the tunnel and car.
For a family during school holidays (so the most expensive ski holiday) go to somewhere where you can get a train to the resort (so not France). Cheap Ryanair flight then train will be much less. Go in Whitsun to a glacier much less. Agree I wouldn't spend that much on meals with the family so no eating out in the resorts or the slopes. Cram into the apartment using the living room which normally convert to a bedroom.
Admittedly I have only done this when going with my family and in the early years. Once I could afford it I would go for chalets and never in school holidays so much more upmarket but not the school holiday premium and obviously I would take full advantage of the restaurants or bars (no pack lunches if no kids).
I weep at the injustices suffered by poor Prince Harry.
Decades more of his tedium to look forward to. Or might we blessed with him drifting into obscurity now the story is sold?
The publishers will have got the 'juiciest' stories, I reckon. And the ones released so far probably damage H&M's brand than the royal family's.
I reckon in ten years they'll be reduced to sob stories about how the royal family are blanking them. Although who could blame the royal family: it's obvious that anything said in private will soon become public knowledge.
If I had a family member like that (and wealth...) I'd communicate via lawyer's letters...
I think I'd save the fee by not communicating at all.
I try very hard not to have any interest in this nonsense at all but I do, at last, feel sorry for Charles. He had a couple of decades with an extremely manipulative wife and ex wife making his life a misery by playing the media game and now his son is doing the same, despite his pleas not to. Charles is an emotionally stunted and damaged individual who inevitably has little to no understanding of normal life but no one deserves two helpings of this in a single lifetime.
I think the issues go back a little further than that. AIUI Camilla was one of his first loves (or first 'proper' love), and according to some reports he was forbidden from marrying her / kept away from her. And Camilla herself was somewhat forced into her first marriage - their parents released the engagement notice to the papers, forcing her first husband to propose.
The whole thing is a mess - but the fact Camilla and Charles have been deep friends for fifty years says that it is more complex than a simple 'affair'.
Kevin McCarthy = 216 = elected Hakeem Jeffries = 212 Present = 6 all Republicans votes cast = 428
"Therefore, the Honorable Kevin McCarthy of the State of California, having received a majority of the votes cast, is duly elected Speaker of the House of Representatives."
Finally, however the Trumpites have clearly shown they will block any legislation he proposes which is not acceptable to them
The problem is, it used to be about having a job. There's plenty who have full time jobs now and can't make ends meet. Meanwhile R4 thinks lack of snow in ski resorts is a story.
I would imagine R4 listeners are on average more likely to ski than the average Brit
To be fair, I have skied in Scotland, both on piste, off piste (a couple of Munros) and cross country (Glenmore & Clashindarroch). Its fine if you pick the right day, but you can't just pick a date in advance.
It is actually best in spring when the conditions are less variable and there isn't as much scratchy ice lurking round the corner.
It certainly has it's good years and bad years but much better than no skiing I presume as opposed to the snotty barsteward earlier, where it was too common for him and where the idiot made out it was harder to get there than the other side of Europe.
I can't believe the publishers allowed that to be included.
I mean maybe it doesn't matter if Prince Harry, the Royal Family and the British people are terrorist targets but you wouldn't have thought it's a position Random House would want to find themselves in would you?
Perhaps Harry thinks the Taliban claim will force us to pay for his 24x7 security.
Am I the only one not surprised that Army active service as an Apache pilot/weapons officer involves killing people? Or that military training deliberately desensitises people to the task?
Surely that was what he was there to do?
The issue is the dehumanised way he talked about them (like they were characters ina computer game). Real soldiers don’t do that.
Mind you I’ve heard that he spent most of his time in Afghanistan confirmed to barracks and playing computer games…
I spy the 'No True Soldier' fallacy.
I’ve spent a lot of time around soldiers and others who get their hands dirty. I can only report on my personal experience. Military folk are all aware that it’s people like them on the other end of the gun. There but for the grace of God and all that jazz
The skiing cost comments got me doing some mental arithmetic from our last trip (in school holidays). Rough costs
Tunnel £200 return Fuel for drive down £150 return Motorway tolls £160 Rental flat for week £1000 Ski passes £500 Equipment hire £250 Kids Lessons £300 Food and drink £700 Sundry stuff like day trips £200
Total around £3.5k. I’ve rounded up a bit as I think we got various discounts on things like equipment and probably spent less than that on meals but even so it’s not far off the number HYUFD quoted when you include everything, and that was a fairly basic independently booked holiday using the tunnel and car.
Well, Harry's got us all talking about his badly written drivel.
From what I have seen, the real question about all this is how the fuck did anyone so utterly lacking in literary talent manage to become established as a ghostwriter?
In important news, wind production is annoyingly not as high as it might be. Suspect some turbines have had to be turned off due to the gales.
The eirgrid charts include forecast wind generation. You can see that wind power for the Irish grid is forecast to reach a maximum today in the late afternoon and early evening. As the wind is coming from the Atlantic, would expect peak British production some time later.
And the wind is mainly in the South. I’ve noticed it’s often disappointingly low when it’s windy down here but calm in Scotland for the onshore turbines and in the Irish Sea. Looks like we’ll be back around 29gw by early afternoon.
And probably breaking the all time record this evening, when demand is also high.
Forecast given at BM Reports is for just under 19 GW at peak.
The skiing cost comments got me doing some mental arithmetic from our last trip (in school holidays). Rough costs
Tunnel £200 return Fuel for drive down £150 return Motorway tolls £160 Rental flat for week £1000 Ski passes £500 Equipment hire £250 Kids Lessons £300 Food and drink £700 Sundry stuff like day trips £200
Total around £3.5k. I’ve rounded up a bit as I think we got various discounts on things like equipment and probably spent less than that on meals but even so it’s not far off the number HYUFD quoted when you include everything, and that was a fairly basic independently booked holiday using the tunnel and car.
Indeed, the only sport posher than skiing is polo
Just out of interest have you ever been skiing or are you talking out of your arse?
That’s surprisingly precious of the Vicar of Bath, who purports to enjoy robust debates - typical bully then - can dish it out but can’t take it (though blocking does seem to be a feature of Scottish politics):
Apparently, the convener of the committee that considers equalities, human rights and civil justice matter including debt, evictions and family law would prefer not to know what I think. Rampant hubris on my part, of course, but I remain flabbergasted.….
In general, I support anyone’s right to block on Twitter. But @joefitzsnp is the convener of the Scottish Parliament’s Equalities, Human Rights and *CIVIL JUSTICE* Committee. That being so, I find this news 👇🏻surprising and disappointing.
Mind you Wings comeback both on Twitter and in general has eth SNP wallahs apoplectic. He raised more money in the first hour than the SNP got in a year. For all his ranting he does get the real facts down and that is the last thing the SNP want in public. Their latest wheeze to make it a crime if you even think about someone's gender is absolutely unbelieveable.
There’s worse to come:
THREAD WARNING - SCOTLAND:
Not content with undermining child welfare and women’s rights by introducing ‘self-ID’, Scotland now seeks to cause greater harm by banning ‘conversion practices’. Here are key concerns following their ‘Expert Advisory Group’ recommendations. (1/9)
The problem is, it used to be about having a job. There's plenty who have full time jobs now and can't make ends meet. Meanwhile R4 thinks lack of snow in ski resorts is a story.
I would imagine R4 listeners are on average more likely to ski than the average Brit
To be fair, I have skied in Scotland, both on piste, off piste (a couple of Munros) and cross country (Glenmore & Clashindarroch). Its fine if you pick the right day, but you can't just pick a date in advance.
It is actually best in spring when the conditions are less variable and there isn't as much scratchy ice lurking round the corner.
It certainly has it's good years and bad years but much better than no skiing I presume as opposed to the snotty barsteward earlier, where it was too common for him and where the idiot made out it was harder to get there than the other side of Europe.
There's certainly no need to be snotty about it if you take it for what it is. I tend to use cross country skis more now but Glenshee is good fun with full cover and I'd rather have a pie in the cafe there than swan about some poncy Swiss resort.
The way Cairngorm has been run is a bit of a disgrace though. I would put the saga with the funicular in the same category as those Calmac ferries.
I can't believe the publishers allowed that to be included.
I mean maybe it doesn't matter if Prince Harry, the Royal Family and the British people are terrorist targets but you wouldn't have thought it's a position Random House would want to find themselves in would you?
Perhaps Harry thinks the Taliban claim will force us to pay for his 24x7 security.
Am I the only one not surprised that Army active service as an Apache pilot/weapons officer involves killing people? Or that military training deliberately desensitises people to the task?
Surely that was what he was there to do?
The issue is the dehumanised way he talked about them (like they were characters ina computer game). Real soldiers don’t do that.
The problem is, it used to be about having a job. There's plenty who have full time jobs now and can't make ends meet. Meanwhile R4 thinks lack of snow in ski resorts is a story.
I would imagine R4 listeners are on average more likely to ski than the average Brit
To be fair, I have skied in Scotland, both on piste, off piste (a couple of Munros) and cross country (Glenmore & Clashindarroch). Its fine if you pick the right day, but you can't just pick a date in advance.
It is actually best in spring when the conditions are less variable and there isn't as much scratchy ice lurking round the corner.
It certainly has it's good years and bad years but much better than no skiing I presume as opposed to the snotty barsteward earlier, where it was too common for him and where the idiot made out it was harder to get there than the other side of Europe.
You're misinterpreting my post. I agree with both of you.
The difference is that I've risked it on some of the bad days too! Never been to Europe for it; friend there at the moment has no snow at all.
The skiing cost comments got me doing some mental arithmetic from our last trip (in school holidays). Rough costs
Tunnel £200 return Fuel for drive down £150 return Motorway tolls £160 Rental flat for week £1000 Ski passes £500 Equipment hire £250 Kids Lessons £300 Food and drink £700 Sundry stuff like day trips £200
Total around £3.5k. I’ve rounded up a bit as I think we got various discounts on things like equipment and probably spent less than that on meals but even so it’s not far off the number HYUFD quoted when you include everything, and that was a fairly basic independently booked holiday using the tunnel and car.
Indeed, the only sport posher than skiing is polo
Just out of interest have you ever been skiing or are you talking out of your arse?
Dry slope skiing which is a bit more accessible thank Klosters
The problem is, it used to be about having a job. There's plenty who have full time jobs now and can't make ends meet. Meanwhile R4 thinks lack of snow in ski resorts is a story.
I would imagine R4 listeners are on average more likely to ski than the average Brit
To be fair, I have skied in Scotland, both on piste, off piste (a couple of Munros) and cross country (Glenmore & Clashindarroch). Its fine if you pick the right day, but you can't just pick a date in advance.
It is actually best in spring when the conditions are less variable and there isn't as much scratchy ice lurking round the corner.
It certainly has it's good years and bad years but much better than no skiing I presume as opposed to the snotty barsteward earlier, where it was too common for him and where the idiot made out it was harder to get there than the other side of Europe.
There's certainly no need to be snotty about it if you take it for what it is. I tend to use cross country skis more now but Glenshee is good fun with full cover and I'd rather have a pie in the cafe there than swan about some poncy Swiss resort.
The way Cairngorm has been run is a bit of a disgrace though. I would put the saga with the funicular in the same category as those Calmac ferries.
Well, Harry's got us all talking about his badly written drivel.
From what I have seen, the real question about all this is how the fuck did anyone so utterly lacking in literary talent manage to become established as a ghostwriter?
In important news, wind production is annoyingly not as high as it might be. Suspect some turbines have had to be turned off due to the gales.
The eirgrid charts include forecast wind generation. You can see that wind power for the Irish grid is forecast to reach a maximum today in the late afternoon and early evening. As the wind is coming from the Atlantic, would expect peak British production some time later.
And the wind is mainly in the South. I’ve noticed it’s often disappointingly low when it’s windy down here but calm in Scotland for the onshore turbines and in the Irish Sea. Looks like we’ll be back around 29gw by early afternoon.
And probably breaking the all time record this evening, when demand is also high.
Forecast given at BM Reports is for just under 19 GW at peak.
I can't believe the publishers allowed that to be included.
I mean maybe it doesn't matter if Prince Harry, the Royal Family and the British people are terrorist targets but you wouldn't have thought it's a position Random House would want to find themselves in would you?
Perhaps Harry thinks the Taliban claim will force us to pay for his 24x7 security.
Am I the only one not surprised that Army active service as an Apache pilot/weapons officer involves killing people? Or that military training deliberately desensitises people to the task?
Surely that was what he was there to do?
The issue is the dehumanised way he talked about them (like they were characters ina computer game). Real soldiers don’t do that.
What the fuck is a 'real' soldier?
Yes and how does poster know it was "dehumanised", no expert or ever been a soldier but I suspect firing machine guns and missiles from a helicopter is not teh same as close up hand to hand combat where you are looking in your opponent's eyes etc. It may well give him nightmares.
I weep at the injustices suffered by poor Prince Harry.
Decades more of his tedium to look forward to. Or might we blessed with him drifting into obscurity now the story is sold?
The publishers will have got the 'juiciest' stories, I reckon. And the ones released so far probably damage H&M's brand than the royal family's.
I reckon in ten years they'll be reduced to sob stories about how the royal family are blanking them. Although who could blame the royal family: it's obvious that anything said in private will soon become public knowledge.
If I had a family member like that (and wealth...) I'd communicate via lawyer's letters...
I think I'd save the fee by not communicating at all.
I try very hard not to have any interest in this nonsense at all but I do, at last, feel sorry for Charles. He had a couple of decades with an extremely manipulative wife and ex wife making his life a misery by playing the media game and now his son is doing the same, despite his pleas not to. Charles is an emotionally stunted and damaged individual who inevitably has little to no understanding of normal life but no one deserves two helpings of this in a single lifetime.
The whole psychodrama could have been avoided if Charles had either been allowed to marry Camilla in the first place or found someone else that he actually loved and married her while not shagging Camilla at the same time. Pretending to love Diana, marrying her but carrying on with Camilla at the same time was an unforgivable act of caddishness on his part and he deserved everything he got from Diana and then some. People who cheat on their spouses get zero sympathy from me.
I don't think the royals are expected to abide by the same sort of code of behaviour as the rest of us on this matter. Surely Diana went into the marriage with her eyes open? Wives of heirs are there to provide more heirs. If there is some sort of love, respect or affection then that is a bonus.
I agree with malcolm downthread that Charles appears to be a pompous arse. But being a pompous arse doesn't rank quite as low as publicy and repeatedly trashing your family (whom you claim to want a reconciliation with).
Kate Middleton appears to have gone into the situation with her eyes (at least) wide open. I don’t think anybody’s ever suggested that William has played away, though.
The skiing cost comments got me doing some mental arithmetic from our last trip (in school holidays). Rough costs
Tunnel £200 return Fuel for drive down £150 return Motorway tolls £160 Rental flat for week £1000 Ski passes £500 Equipment hire £250 Kids Lessons £300 Food and drink £700 Sundry stuff like day trips £200
Total around £3.5k. I’ve rounded up a bit as I think we got various discounts on things like equipment and probably spent less than that on meals but even so it’s not far off the number HYUFD quoted when you include everything, and that was a fairly basic independently booked holiday using the tunnel and car.
Indeed, the only sport posher than skiing is polo
Just out of interest have you ever been skiing or are you talking out of your arse?
Dry slope skiing which is a bit more accessible thank Klosters
So you don't know what you are talking about then. I have been on over 100 skiing holidays all over Europe (I don't have any knowledge of the USA) in my time so I do rather know more about it than you. For over 40 years I have skied twice a year every year and sometimes 3 times a year so I might just know a little more than you on who goes skiing and how to do it on the cheap if you want to.
Prince Harry really is the son of King Charles III.
Prince Harry is acting with the same loyalty to his family as King Charles gave to his first wife.
I have a lot of sympathy for Harry. I’m in my mid 40s and I know I’ll be in bits when my mother dies, he had to go through that trauma before he turned 13.
That is my big fear, too. Both my parents are now in their eighties. You have my sympathy.
The problem is, it used to be about having a job. There's plenty who have full time jobs now and can't make ends meet. Meanwhile R4 thinks lack of snow in ski resorts is a story.
I would imagine R4 listeners are on average more likely to ski than the average Brit
To be fair, I have skied in Scotland, both on piste, off piste (a couple of Munros) and cross country (Glenmore & Clashindarroch). Its fine if you pick the right day, but you can't just pick a date in advance.
It is actually best in spring when the conditions are less variable and there isn't as much scratchy ice lurking round the corner.
It certainly has it's good years and bad years but much better than no skiing I presume as opposed to the snotty barsteward earlier, where it was too common for him and where the idiot made out it was harder to get there than the other side of Europe.
You're misinterpreting my post. I agree with both of you.
The difference is that I've risked it on some of the bad days too! Never been to Europe for it; friend there at the moment has no snow at all.
Yes , you inadvertently backed up the derision from KJH , your usual southern PB rich snob about how shit Scotland is, about how it was not as great as St Moritz or Klosters and other crap about being at the arse end of the world, cold , etc. If it had been Surrey he would have been waxing lyrically about how spectacular it was.
The skiing cost comments got me doing some mental arithmetic from our last trip (in school holidays). Rough costs
Tunnel £200 return Fuel for drive down £150 return Motorway tolls £160 Rental flat for week £1000 Ski passes £500 Equipment hire £250 Kids Lessons £300 Food and drink £700 Sundry stuff like day trips £200
Total around £3.5k. I’ve rounded up a bit as I think we got various discounts on things like equipment and probably spent less than that on meals but even so it’s not far off the number HYUFD quoted when you include everything, and that was a fairly basic independently booked holiday using the tunnel and car.
The problem is, it used to be about having a job. There's plenty who have full time jobs now and can't make ends meet. Meanwhile R4 thinks lack of snow in ski resorts is a story.
I would imagine R4 listeners are on average more likely to ski than the average Brit
To be fair, I have skied in Scotland, both on piste, off piste (a couple of Munros) and cross country (Glenmore & Clashindarroch). Its fine if you pick the right day, but you can't just pick a date in advance.
It is actually best in spring when the conditions are less variable and there isn't as much scratchy ice lurking round the corner.
It certainly has it's good years and bad years but much better than no skiing I presume as opposed to the snotty barsteward earlier, where it was too common for him and where the idiot made out it was harder to get there than the other side of Europe.
You're misinterpreting my post. I agree with both of you.
The difference is that I've risked it on some of the bad days too! Never been to Europe for it; friend there at the moment has no snow at all.
Yes , you inadvertently backed up the derision from KJH , your usual southern PB rich snob about how shit Scotland is, about how it was not as great as St Moritz or Klosters and other crap about being at the arse end of the world, cold , etc. If it had been Surrey he would have been waxing lyrically about how spectacular it was.
It wasn't derision, it was just a joke Malcolm. If I lived in Scotland I would be skiing there. All I have is Boxhill, which admittedly it was possible to ski down once (amazing how a steep hill just becomes a tame green when it has snow on it). As you know my wife is Scottish (and not posh, but from that posh end of Scotland called Kirkcaldy). However it is a joke about Scottish resorts that you can only get to them when there is no snow and you have to admit they are not extensive and it is cold and that is a joke told by the Scots themselves.
I know you have a sense of humour Malcolm so I know you can tell the difference between a joke and when someone is being serious.
I can't believe the publishers allowed that to be included.
I mean maybe it doesn't matter if Prince Harry, the Royal Family and the British people are terrorist targets but you wouldn't have thought it's a position Random House would want to find themselves in would you?
Perhaps Harry thinks the Taliban claim will force us to pay for his 24x7 security.
Am I the only one not surprised that Army active service as an Apache pilot/weapons officer involves killing people? Or that military training deliberately desensitises people to the task?
Surely that was what he was there to do?
The issue is the dehumanised way he talked about them (like they were characters ina computer game). Real soldiers don’t do that.
Mind you I’ve heard that he spent most of his time in Afghanistan confirmed to barracks and playing computer games…
I spy the 'No True Soldier' fallacy.
I’ve spent a lot of time around soldiers and others who get their hands dirty. I can only report on my personal experience. Military folk are all aware that it’s people like them on the other end of the gun. There but for the grace of God and all that jazz
Of course they are, but as in my job you do need to have a certain emotional distance in order to do the job. Sticking needles, knives and lines in people does require a certain detachment.
The trick is to be able to switch in and out of that mode at appropriate times. Some people struggle to do so, and remain detached when they need to be empathetic, or overly empathetic to the point of not being able to do the necessary.
Soldiers have similar difficulties, and not all get the mix right. With the increasingly accurate portrait of was in FPS games, and the increased use of electronic and remote systems of warfare, such as drones and night vision amplification, the two become increasingly difficult to distinguish.
I weep at the injustices suffered by poor Prince Harry.
Decades more of his tedium to look forward to. Or might we blessed with him drifting into obscurity now the story is sold?
The publishers will have got the 'juiciest' stories, I reckon. And the ones released so far probably damage H&M's brand than the royal family's.
I reckon in ten years they'll be reduced to sob stories about how the royal family are blanking them. Although who could blame the royal family: it's obvious that anything said in private will soon become public knowledge.
If I had a family member like that (and wealth...) I'd communicate via lawyer's letters...
I think I'd save the fee by not communicating at all.
I try very hard not to have any interest in this nonsense at all but I do, at last, feel sorry for Charles. He had a couple of decades with an extremely manipulative wife and ex wife making his life a misery by playing the media game and now his son is doing the same, despite his pleas not to. Charles is an emotionally stunted and damaged individual who inevitably has little to no understanding of normal life but no one deserves two helpings of this in a single lifetime.
The whole psychodrama could have been avoided if Charles had either been allowed to marry Camilla in the first place or found someone else that he actually loved and married her while not shagging Camilla at the same time. Pretending to love Diana, marrying her but carrying on with Camilla at the same time was an unforgivable act of caddishness on his part and he deserved everything he got from Diana and then some. People who cheat on their spouses get zero sympathy from me.
I don't think the royals are expected to abide by the same sort of code of behaviour as the rest of us on this matter. Surely Diana went into the marriage with her eyes open? Wives of heirs are there to provide more heirs. If there is some sort of love, respect or affection then that is a bonus.
I agree with malcolm downthread that Charles appears to be a pompous arse. But being a pompous arse doesn't rank quite as low as publicy and repeatedly trashing your family (whom you claim to want a reconciliation with).
Kate Middleton appears to have gone into the situation with her eyes (at least) wide open. I don’t think anybody’s ever suggested that William has played away, though.
You may be wearing "Rose" tinted spectacles!
Was that before or after they were married? Or was it while they were both at university? I suspect that what happens at university should stay at university!
All this tawdry Harry episode is showing is that he has very deep seated emotional issues that seem to mostly derive (understandably) out of the death of his mother when he was young and a feeling of inadequacy for most of his life being brought up in a system that will always show preference to his brother over him.
I am not inclined to believe that a rational actor would behave quite so ridiculously as he is doing. For one thing having such a downer on people leaking stories and invading his privacy, but then breaching the privacy of his father, stepmother, brother, and sister in law in such a brazen and bitchy manner. He has been cruel.
With the right support by his side maybe he could have worked through these things in private. The lifestyle he has chosen though is the glitz and glamor of Hollywood and that in itself is another fake and superficial environment where he won’t get the support.
I can't believe the publishers allowed that to be included.
I mean maybe it doesn't matter if Prince Harry, the Royal Family and the British people are terrorist targets but you wouldn't have thought it's a position Random House would want to find themselves in would you?
Perhaps Harry thinks the Taliban claim will force us to pay for his 24x7 security.
Am I the only one not surprised that Army active service as an Apache pilot/weapons officer involves killing people? Or that military training deliberately desensitises people to the task?
Surely that was what he was there to do?
The issue is the dehumanised way he talked about them (like they were characters ina computer game). Real soldiers don’t do that.
What the fuck is a 'real' soldier?
How many service men and women who you know would have referred to enemy combatants as pawns to be removed from the chessboard?
I can't believe the publishers allowed that to be included.
I mean maybe it doesn't matter if Prince Harry, the Royal Family and the British people are terrorist targets but you wouldn't have thought it's a position Random House would want to find themselves in would you?
Perhaps Harry thinks the Taliban claim will force us to pay for his 24x7 security.
Am I the only one not surprised that Army active service as an Apache pilot/weapons officer involves killing people? Or that military training deliberately desensitises people to the task?
Surely that was what he was there to do?
The issue is the dehumanised way he talked about them (like they were characters ina computer game). Real soldiers don’t do that.
What the fuck is a 'real' soldier?
How many service men and women who you know would have referred to enemy combatants as pawns to be removed from the chessboard?
The problem is, it used to be about having a job. There's plenty who have full time jobs now and can't make ends meet. Meanwhile R4 thinks lack of snow in ski resorts is a story.
I would imagine R4 listeners are on average more likely to ski than the average Brit
To be fair, I have skied in Scotland, both on piste, off piste (a couple of Munros) and cross country (Glenmore & Clashindarroch). Its fine if you pick the right day, but you can't just pick a date in advance.
It is actually best in spring when the conditions are less variable and there isn't as much scratchy ice lurking round the corner.
It certainly has it's good years and bad years but much better than no skiing I presume as opposed to the snotty barsteward earlier, where it was too common for him and where the idiot made out it was harder to get there than the other side of Europe.
You're misinterpreting my post. I agree with both of you.
The difference is that I've risked it on some of the bad days too! Never been to Europe for it; friend there at the moment has no snow at all.
Yes , you inadvertently backed up the derision from KJH , your usual southern PB rich snob about how shit Scotland is, about how it was not as great as St Moritz or Klosters and other crap about being at the arse end of the world, cold , etc. If it had been Surrey he would have been waxing lyrically about how spectacular it was.
It wasn't derision, it was just a joke Malcolm. If I lived in Scotland I would be skiing there. All I have is Boxhill, which admittedly it was possible to ski down once (amazing how a steep hill just becomes a tame green when it has snow on it). As you know my wife is Scottish (and not posh, but from that posh end of Scotland called Kirkcaldy). However it is a joke about Scottish resorts that you can only get to them when there is no snow and you have to admit they are not extensive and it is cold and that is a joke told by the Scots themselves.
I know you have a sense of humour Malcolm so I know you can tell the difference between a joke and when someone is being serious.
@KJH I know I was just having fun as well, I know you are ok. I was perhaps a bit too serious sounding with my replies. My humblest apologies.
The problem is, it used to be about having a job. There's plenty who have full time jobs now and can't make ends meet. Meanwhile R4 thinks lack of snow in ski resorts is a story.
I would imagine R4 listeners are on average more likely to ski than the average Brit
To be fair, I have skied in Scotland, both on piste, off piste (a couple of Munros) and cross country (Glenmore & Clashindarroch). Its fine if you pick the right day, but you can't just pick a date in advance.
It is actually best in spring when the conditions are less variable and there isn't as much scratchy ice lurking round the corner.
It certainly has it's good years and bad years but much better than no skiing I presume as opposed to the snotty barsteward earlier, where it was too common for him and where the idiot made out it was harder to get there than the other side of Europe.
You're misinterpreting my post. I agree with both of you.
The difference is that I've risked it on some of the bad days too! Never been to Europe for it; friend there at the moment has no snow at all.
Yes , you inadvertently backed up the derision from KJH , your usual southern PB rich snob about how shit Scotland is, about how it was not as great as St Moritz or Klosters and other crap about being at the arse end of the world, cold , etc. If it had been Surrey he would have been waxing lyrically about how spectacular it was.
It wasn't derision, it was just a joke Malcolm. If I lived in Scotland I would be skiing there. All I have is Boxhill, which admittedly it was possible to ski down once (amazing how a steep hill just becomes a tame green when it has snow on it). As you know my wife is Scottish (and not posh, but from that posh end of Scotland called Kirkcaldy). However it is a joke about Scottish resorts that you can only get to them when there is no snow and you have to admit they are not extensive and it is cold and that is a joke told by the Scots themselves.
I know you have a sense of humour Malcolm so I know you can tell the difference between a joke and when someone is being serious.
@KJH I know I was just having fun as well, I know you are ok. I was perhaps a bit too serious sounding with my replies. My humblest apologies.
Comments
I’ve just done 4 days in Switzerland (not the cheapest way to do it, admittedly)
Flights (return)- £130
Resort transfer (bus) - £100
Lift pass - £250
Ski & boot rental - £150
That’s £650 and I was staying with someone so had free food and lodging. Let’s round it up to £750 for a week (pass and rental) and add in £500 for cheap accommodation and food premium in a resort (self catering)
It’s very easy to get to £1,200 / £4,800 for a family of 4.
Mind you I’ve heard that he spent most of his time in Afghanistan confirmed to barracks and playing computer games…
Tunnel £200 return
Fuel for drive down £150 return
Motorway tolls £160
Rental flat for week £1000
Ski passes £500
Equipment hire £250
Kids Lessons £300
Food and drink £700
Sundry stuff like day trips £200
Total around £3.5k. I’ve rounded up a bit as I think we got various discounts on things like equipment and probably spent less than that on meals but even so it’s not far off the number HYUFD quoted when you include
everything, and that was a fairly basic independently booked holiday using the tunnel and car.
https://www.smartgriddashboard.com/#all/wind
And probably breaking the all time record this evening, when demand is also high.
It's a shame 2020/21 was such an amazing winter. Was fun watching people fly off the top of the Pentlands.
Of course not, the Queen correctly ensured Charles married Diana for the future of the institution.
Camilla may be Queen Consort now but Diana is still mother and grandmother of all the top 7 in the line of succession
Admittedly I have only done this when going with my family and in the early years. Once I could afford it I would go for chalets and never in school holidays so much more upmarket but not the school holiday premium and obviously I would take full advantage of the restaurants or bars (no pack lunches if no kids).
The whole thing is a mess - but the fact Camilla and Charles have been deep friends for fifty years says that it is more complex than a simple 'affair'.
https://www.bmreports.com/bmrs/?q=generation/windforcast/out-turn
Are you looking at a different source of data (and is it better?)
THREAD WARNING - SCOTLAND:
Not content with undermining child welfare and women’s rights by introducing ‘self-ID’, Scotland now seeks to cause greater harm by banning ‘conversion practices’. Here are key concerns following their ‘Expert Advisory Group’ recommendations. (1/9)
https://twitter.com/JamesEsses/status/1611087123410477082
Of note “affirmative care” (sic) is not a “Conversion Practice”, despite the warnings set out in the Interim Cass Review.
The way Cairngorm has been run is a bit of a disgrace though. I would put the saga with the funicular in the same category as those Calmac ferries.
The difference is that I've risked it on some of the bad days too! Never been to Europe for it; friend there at the moment has no snow at all.
It may well give him nightmares.
If it had been Surrey he would have been waxing lyrically about how spectacular it was.
been elected Speaker
I know you have a sense of humour Malcolm so I know you can tell the difference between a joke and when someone is being serious.
The trick is to be able to switch in and out of that mode at appropriate times. Some people struggle to do so, and remain detached when they need to be empathetic, or overly empathetic to the point of not being able to do the necessary.
Soldiers have similar difficulties, and not all get the mix right. With the increasingly accurate portrait of was in FPS games, and the increased use of electronic and remote systems of warfare, such as drones and night vision amplification, the two become increasingly difficult to distinguish.
I suspect that what happens at university should stay at university!
I am not inclined to believe that a rational actor would behave quite so ridiculously as he is doing. For one thing having such a downer on people leaking stories and invading his privacy, but then breaching the privacy of his father, stepmother, brother, and sister in law in such a brazen and bitchy manner. He has been cruel.
With the right support by his side maybe he could have worked through these things in private. The lifestyle he has chosen though is the glitz and glamor of Hollywood and that in itself is another fake and superficial environment where he won’t get the support.
I end up just finding the whole thing rather sad.