Interesting - and this is not a criticism, it's entirely reasonable for views to change as the situation changes - that many people previously qu8te in favour of lockdown - including OGH and Dominic Cummings, it seems - are now amongst those calling for restrictions to be listed more quickly. Encouraging from my point of view. I'm in favour of fewer restrictions, of course, but I've had that position all the way through so that's not particularly interesting. Personally I'm much more concerned about lifting domestic restrictions than liberalising international travel. That makes sense to me. But that's also the view of someone who doesn't actually mind if he never goes abroad again, so again not a particularly interesting position to take.
Rangers FC start legal proceedings against “certain individuals” - believed to include senior SNP politician Humza Yousaf - after police cleared players of using sectarian language during title celebrations. https://bit.ly/3hM702U
If Humza Yousaf appears in court, will any advocate be willing to appear for him?
Or will an advocate take it and deliberately bugger up his defence?
Advocates appear every day for people even more annoying and repulsive than Mr Yousaf, hard though that is to imagine.
Do you have the “cab rank” rule like barristers in E&W?
You mention the trio of ministers, but don't mention Gove. But all the in-depth pieces I see keep bringing his name up as the senior minister most pushing the 'lockdown everyone all the time' agenda.
Yes Gove is one of the architects of this menace
One of the nice things about recent events is that everyone now agrees with what I’ve been saying for seven years - Gove is a twat.
That's nothing. Thanks to @MarqueeMark's thread the other day, everyone now agrees that Boris pinched Jeremy Corbyn's 2017 platform.
Boris will pinch the popular bits of anybody's platform.
Been telling you that for an age. He is a political magpie. And the magpie is very successful - even if that means living off a diet of songbird babies....
"Corvid" pandemic?
I'm sure you are very chough-ed with yourself for that....
You mention the trio of ministers, but don't mention Gove. But all the in-depth pieces I see keep bringing his name up as the senior minister most pushing the 'lockdown everyone all the time' agenda.
Yes Gove is one of the architects of this menace
One of the nice things about recent events is that everyone now agrees with what I’ve been saying for seven years - Gove is a twat.
That's nothing. Thanks to @MarqueeMark's thread the other day, everyone now agrees that Boris pinched Jeremy Corbyn's 2017 platform.
Boris will pinch the popular bits of anybody's platform.
Been telling you that for an age. He is a political magpie. And the magpie is very successful - even if that means living off a diet of songbird babies....
It was also remarked upon (and condemned by celebrity American pollster Frank Luntz) in When Boris Met Dave, after Boris stole SDP clothes to win the Oxford Union.
It was also noted that Boris had no programme: it was just the victory he craved.
You mention the trio of ministers, but don't mention Gove. But all the in-depth pieces I see keep bringing his name up as the senior minister most pushing the 'lockdown everyone all the time' agenda.
Yes Gove is one of the architects of this menace
One of the nice things about recent events is that everyone now agrees with what I’ve been saying for seven years - Gove is a twat.
That's nothing. Thanks to @MarqueeMark's thread the other day, everyone now agrees that Boris pinched Jeremy Corbyn's 2017 platform.
Boris will pinch the popular bits of anybody's platform.
Been telling you that for an age. He is a political magpie. And the magpie is very successful - even if that means living off a diet of songbird babies....
"Corvid" pandemic?
I'm sure you are very chough-ed with yourself for that....
These bird puns are very poor, certainly nothing to crow about.
I have little sympathy with people whining about foreign holidays while there are still domestic restrictions in place, restrictions which are affecting peoples' jobs and livelihoods.
Foreign travel can wait until domestic restrictions have gone. I have a very close friend whom I have not seen in the flesh since 8 February last year coming to stay in July. I can hardly wait. I don't care if we are walking up Black Combe in hail, thunder and lightning. We will be together and able to hug!
Also tentatively planning to see some other close friends in Glasgow and then go exploring round there. If any Scottish PB'ers have tips for places to visit, please pass them on. I have had quite a few hols in Scotland in the past but not recently. It's only 80 miles to the border from here.
Sympathy and understanding is often in short supply in a crisis. You can hardly wait to see your close friend, people with international families have not seen close family for 18 months.
The restrictions on foreign travel are currently necessary and appropriate but it is hardly surprising many are complaining about them, and there is nothing wrong with a bit of sympathy for those, whilst still telling them, no.
Many of us haven’t seen families for a couple of years, as you mention.
Yet we still have whiny moaners all over the press, complaining they can’t go on holiday.
You mention the trio of ministers, but don't mention Gove. But all the in-depth pieces I see keep bringing his name up as the senior minister most pushing the 'lockdown everyone all the time' agenda.
Yes Gove is one of the architects of this menace
One of the nice things about recent events is that everyone now agrees with what I’ve been saying for seven years - Gove is a twat.
That's nothing. Thanks to @MarqueeMark's thread the other day, everyone now agrees that Boris pinched Jeremy Corbyn's 2017 platform.
Boris will pinch the popular bits of anybody's platform.
Been telling you that for an age. He is a political magpie. And the magpie is very successful - even if that means living off a diet of songbird babies....
"Corvid" pandemic?
I'm sure you are very chough-ed with yourself for that....
These bird puns are very poor, certainly nothing to crow about.
But Sunil will still be raven about it next week....
Piers Morgan @piersmorgan UPDATE: This was a sensational interview. Nearly three hours with the man who wants to run the country and he left nothing in the locker....
Oh God... Celebrity style emoting alert????
Its going to be all emotional stuff about his mother etc isn't it. Trying to repeat the same playbook as when Gordo did Piers Moron show to try to show his human side.
Gordon was PM so people watched. According to the polls, Sir Keir is a dislikeable, dull, weak leader of the Opposition, that many people haven’t heard of. He is in the brown stuff, so it’s worth a try, but few are going to be watching, and fewer still watching it ready to be won over. Tough gig
You mention the trio of ministers, but don't mention Gove. But all the in-depth pieces I see keep bringing his name up as the senior minister most pushing the 'lockdown everyone all the time' agenda.
Yes Gove is one of the architects of this menace
One of the nice things about recent events is that everyone now agrees with what I’ve been saying for seven years - Gove is a twat.
That's nothing. Thanks to @MarqueeMark's thread the other day, everyone now agrees that Boris pinched Jeremy Corbyn's 2017 platform.
Boris will pinch the popular bits of anybody's platform.
Been telling you that for an age. He is a political magpie. And the magpie is very successful - even if that means living off a diet of songbird babies....
"Corvid" pandemic?
I'm sure you are very chough-ed with yourself for that....
These bird puns are very poor, certainly nothing to crow about.
But Sunil will still be raven about it next week....
That will undoubtedly be unpheasant for the rest of us, and we’ll all be grousing.
You mention the trio of ministers, but don't mention Gove. But all the in-depth pieces I see keep bringing his name up as the senior minister most pushing the 'lockdown everyone all the time' agenda.
Yes Gove is one of the architects of this menace
One of the nice things about recent events is that everyone now agrees with what I’ve been saying for seven years - Gove is a twat.
That's nothing. Thanks to @MarqueeMark's thread the other day, everyone now agrees that Boris pinched Jeremy Corbyn's 2017 platform.
Boris will pinch the popular bits of anybody's platform.
Been telling you that for an age. He is a political magpie. And the magpie is very successful - even if that means living off a diet of songbird babies....
"Corvid" pandemic?
I'm sure you are very chough-ed with yourself for that....
These bird puns are very poor, certainly nothing to crow about.
But Sunil will still be raven about it next week....
You mention the trio of ministers, but don't mention Gove. But all the in-depth pieces I see keep bringing his name up as the senior minister most pushing the 'lockdown everyone all the time' agenda.
Yes Gove is one of the architects of this menace
One of the nice things about recent events is that everyone now agrees with what I’ve been saying for seven years - Gove is a twat.
That's nothing. Thanks to @MarqueeMark's thread the other day, everyone now agrees that Boris pinched Jeremy Corbyn's 2017 platform.
Boris will pinch the popular bits of anybody's platform.
Been telling you that for an age. He is a political magpie. And the magpie is very successful - even if that means living off a diet of songbird babies....
"Corvid" pandemic?
I'm sure you are very chough-ed with yourself for that....
These bird puns are very poor, certainly nothing to crow about.
But Sunil will still be raven about it next week....
Aren't we tired of heron about it?
Incidentally, nothing to do with these puns but out on the Chase this morning I saw nine very confused looking geese flying south.
I was wondering if they had decided the weather’s so shit it must be autumn already and were heading somewhere sunnier.
You mention the trio of ministers, but don't mention Gove. But all the in-depth pieces I see keep bringing his name up as the senior minister most pushing the 'lockdown everyone all the time' agenda.
Yes Gove is one of the architects of this menace
One of the nice things about recent events is that everyone now agrees with what I’ve been saying for seven years - Gove is a twat.
That's nothing. Thanks to @MarqueeMark's thread the other day, everyone now agrees that Boris pinched Jeremy Corbyn's 2017 platform.
Boris will pinch the popular bits of anybody's platform.
Been telling you that for an age. He is a political magpie. And the magpie is very successful - even if that means living off a diet of songbird babies....
It was also remarked upon (and condemned by celebrity American pollster Frank Luntz) in When Boris Met Dave, after Boris stole SDP clothes to win the Oxford Union.
It was also noted that Boris had no programme: it was just the victory he craved.
Well Boris is basically an SDP PM with Brexit added on so what is new? Indeed, given David Owen backed Leave he would probably be very happy with the current government programme
I didn't follow much of the news yesterday but I understand there was much opprobrium poured on Martin Bashir and the beastly BBC over the fake bank statements. However we can at least console ourselves that at least we know about it unlike in the Daniel Morgan case where 'national security and human rights concerns' mean we have to wait and see what Priti Patel will let us learn about it.
I didn't follow much of the news yesterday but I understand there was much opprobrium poured on Martin Bashir and the beastly BBC over the fake bank statements. However we can at least console ourselves that at least we know about it unlike in the Daniel Morgan case where 'national security and human rights concerns' mean we have to wait and see what Priti Patel will let us learn about it.
It will be interesting learn what 'human rights concerns' means to Ms Patel.
Here’s the thing about things that “Johnson may have said in private”. He publicly stated that one of his approaches to decision making is to either try to internally argue both sides, and a corollary of this is the need to play Devil’s advocate.
For such an approach there is inevitably going to documented evidence of Johnson having said unpalatable things, or contemplated unthinkable or politically damaging decisions. And often, as we know, in quite colourful language.
So whilst I personally think he is a lazy, mendacious incompetent buffoon, that should never have been allowed within a million miles of political power, revelations about what he might have said behind closed doors and things he contemplated but didn’t do, don’t seem to me to be particularly problematic.
The things that should torpedo Johnson in reality now, or should have done in the past are widely known and on full public view.
I didn't follow much of the news yesterday but I understand there was much opprobrium poured on Martin Bashir and the beastly BBC over the fake bank statements. However we can at least console ourselves that at least we know about it unlike in the Daniel Morgan case where 'national security and human rights concerns' mean we have to wait and see what Priti Patel will let us learn about it.
It will be interesting learn what 'human rights concerns' means to Ms Patel.
I didn't follow much of the news yesterday but I understand there was much opprobrium poured on Martin Bashir and the beastly BBC over the fake bank statements. However we can at least console ourselves that at least we know about it unlike in the Daniel Morgan case where 'national security and human rights concerns' mean we have to wait and see what Priti Patel will let us learn about it.
It will be interesting learn what 'human rights concerns' means to Ms Patel.
On those numbers, CDU/CSU and FDP and AfD combined are the same as Greens and SPD and Linke combined, so only way a Green and CDU/CSU grand coalition would be avoided is for the FDP to replace Linke in any Green and SPD led government
I haven’t seen the Yougov data published but an 18 point Tory lead would be the biggest in over a year.
For those of us who missed it, where did this amazing snippet come from? And when? Any links?
It's mentioned in passing in The Times towards the end of an article about Dominic Cummings being ready to "napalm" PM over lockdown hesitancy.
Only details are 18 point lead over Labour, and that Cummings is less trusted to tell the truth than Johnson (14% v 38%).
Yes, i really doubt there's much mileage for Labour in using Cummings as a star witness to Government incompetence and or mendacity. If anything his appearances help Johnson by reminding people that he's no longer in charge of anything!
As long as it's just he said / he said, Johnson is in the clear. Nobody really likes Cummings, nobody really trusts him. We'd all rather believe Boris. Partly because we don't want to believe that we've put such a terrible man in No 10.
Where it gets more interesting is if any of it is on the record. Emails or whatnot. I am sure people will try to rationalise, I am sure the government will try to help them, but it becomes a lot harder.
You really think anyone who's not already in the anti-Boris camp is going to care? What will you have left when your trump card of 'Public Trust in Dominic Cummings' (!) turns out, shockingly, to be a dud?
Look, I don't trust or like D Cummings Esq. I'm a teacher- of course I don't trust him.
And as I've said, this only gets interesting if Dom has kept something egregious, unambiguous and undeniable, even by Boris. That probably means on paper, tape or email, in the PM's hand.
Does such a thing exist? I don't know. But allow me a small measure of amusement in the way that those who contorted themselves to defend Dominic last summer are condemning him now.
But then again, he was always a jumped up northern oik, wasn't he? Useful, like the bloke who comes to clean the drains. Not actually anyone who matters...
“ But allow me a small measure of amusement in the way that those who contorted themselves to defend Dominic last summer are condemning him now.”
Haha!!! If ever something cut both ways!!!
To an extent yes. Though it's also a matter of degree. Consider the difference between
If it's he said/he said, Johnson is in the clear. If Dom has kept the metaphorical tapes, it might get interesting.
And
You really think anyone who's not already in the anti-Boris camp is going to care?
For example.
If Cummings has a tape of Boris saying ‘I’d rather let the bodies pile up high than go into a 3rd lockdown’ ?
So what? It’s how many people thought, and he did go into the 3rd lockdown anyway. So I don’t think it will cut through even if he FaceTimed Boris saying it
I completely agree. I'm not sure there is anything Boris could do that isn't in the "you're immediately on remand" category that isn't already priced in. This is about "margin of waverers" not the solid base. The base is enough to deny Labour a win.
Interesting - and this is not a criticism, it's entirely reasonable for views to change as the situation changes - that many people previously qu8te in favour of lockdown - including OGH and Dominic Cummings, it seems - are now amongst those calling for restrictions to be listed more quickly. Encouraging from my point of view. I'm in favour of fewer restrictions, of course, but I've had that position all the way through so that's not particularly interesting. Personally I'm much more concerned about lifting domestic restrictions than liberalising international travel. That makes sense to me. But that's also the view of someone who doesn't actually mind if he never goes abroad again, so again not a particularly interesting position to take.
I’ve always had a rough timeline in my head of Q3 2021 approaching normality domestically, Q3 2022 globally.
I am torn though, I really want the Wife to be able to go and see her mother in the US this year, which I’m not going to stand in the way of (I’m not going) but I’m sympathetic with those who would be critical.
This pandemic has resulted in us applying for my US Green Card. The Wife doesn’t want this sort of separation from her family again (she’s an only child) whereas my folks have my bro and his kids. Horrible sort of mathematics but there you go.
As a side note we really have to get on top of our variant comms. It’s getting stupid.
He ran out to buy a few of those cardboard doll dressing up books, and has been furiously colouring them in since Lockdown 1. They are "Dom's Shadow Cabinet".
I didn't follow much of the news yesterday but I understand there was much opprobrium poured on Martin Bashir and the beastly BBC over the fake bank statements. However we can at least console ourselves that at least we know about it unlike in the Daniel Morgan case where 'national security and human rights concerns' mean we have to wait and see what Priti Patel will let us learn about it.
It will be interesting learn what 'human rights concerns' means to Ms Patel.
Possibly something to do with the rights of certain press owners not to have the story of their unpleasant goings on revealed.
The Untold podcast about the Daniel Morgan story, police corruption and the press is well worth listening to.
Yep, poor ratings. This is undeniable. I’ve given it a ‘deep think’ and come to a tentative conclusion. It’s because he isn’t a politician.
Now this is more usually seen as a positive in these odd ‘attention span of a gnat’ days, but that only applies where the ‘not like all the rest’ politician has come from the clouds, eg was a property shark, a Reality TV star, a flamboyant hack journalist, a TV quizmaster, a driven ex soldier and water colourist, a tree surgeon, a singing gondolier, this sort of thing.
That’s not Sir Keir Rodney Starmer. His non politics background consists of a distinguished legal career culminating in (appointed rather than elected) public service as DPP and head of the CPS. It’s a terrific back story. A great achievement, especially for somebody born with little privilege other than the White variety. It says a lot about the man, all of it good. But the key bit is in brackets – appointed rather than elected. He didn’t become an MP until 6 years ago at the age of 53 and his time prior was professional suit-and-tie time spent in offices.
There was no rabble rousing down in the bier keller, juices seeping from every orifice as “Rodney” (as he comes to be known to all) argues the toss with those most mercurial and cussed of people – voters. There was none of that. Indeed there was no Rodney at all. Instead it was all Sir Keir. He lived and breathed the law, ethics, truth & justice, but he never got up close to the electorate’s armpit, never pressed his nose in there and had a whiff.
And I think he suffers now from this. It’s easy to sneer (as I know since I’m forever doing it) at the other extreme, the rank populism of those whose nostrils are never out of the electorate’s ar … armpit, but the truth is that if you have no aptitude for this (in many ways) reprehensible activity you will likely lack a crucial skill for a political leader - an instinctive feel for what pushes the buttons of the populace.
I have little sympathy with people whining about foreign holidays while there are still domestic restrictions in place, restrictions which are affecting peoples' jobs and livelihoods.
Foreign travel can wait until domestic restrictions have gone. I have a very close friend whom I have not seen in the flesh since 8 February last year coming to stay in July. I can hardly wait. I don't care if we are walking up Black Combe in hail, thunder and lightning. We will be together and able to hug!
Also tentatively planning to see some other close friends in Glasgow and then go exploring round there. If any Scottish PB'ers have tips for places to visit, please pass them on. I have had quite a few hols in Scotland in the past but not recently. It's only 80 miles to the border from here.
I haven’t seen the Yougov data published but an 18 point Tory lead would be the biggest in over a year.
For those of us who missed it, where did this amazing snippet come from? And when? Any links?
It's mentioned in passing in The Times towards the end of an article about Dominic Cummings being ready to "napalm" PM over lockdown hesitancy.
Only details are 18 point lead over Labour, and that Cummings is less trusted to tell the truth than Johnson (14% v 38%).
Yes, i really doubt there's much mileage for Labour in using Cummings as a star witness to Government incompetence and or mendacity. If anything his appearances help Johnson by reminding people that he's no longer in charge of anything!
As long as it's just he said / he said, Johnson is in the clear. Nobody really likes Cummings, nobody really trusts him. We'd all rather believe Boris. Partly because we don't want to believe that we've put such a terrible man in No 10.
Where it gets more interesting is if any of it is on the record. Emails or whatnot. I am sure people will try to rationalise, I am sure the government will try to help them, but it becomes a lot harder.
You really think anyone who's not already in the anti-Boris camp is going to care? What will you have left when your trump card of 'Public Trust in Dominic Cummings' (!) turns out, shockingly, to be a dud?
Look, I don't trust or like D Cummings Esq. I'm a teacher- of course I don't trust him.
And as I've said, this only gets interesting if Dom has kept something egregious, unambiguous and undeniable, even by Boris. That probably means on paper, tape or email, in the PM's hand.
Does such a thing exist? I don't know. But allow me a small measure of amusement in the way that those who contorted themselves to defend Dominic last summer are condemning him now.
But then again, he was always a jumped up northern oik, wasn't he? Useful, like the bloke who comes to clean the drains. Not actually anyone who matters...
“ But allow me a small measure of amusement in the way that those who contorted themselves to defend Dominic last summer are condemning him now.”
Haha!!! If ever something cut both ways!!!
To an extent yes. Though it's also a matter of degree. Consider the difference between
If it's he said/he said, Johnson is in the clear. If Dom has kept the metaphorical tapes, it might get interesting.
And
You really think anyone who's not already in the anti-Boris camp is going to care?
For example.
If Cummings has a tape of Boris saying ‘I’d rather let the bodies pile up high than go into a 3rd lockdown’ ?
So what? It’s how many people thought, and he did go into the 3rd lockdown anyway. So I don’t think it will cut through even if he FaceTimed Boris saying it
I completely agree. I'm not sure there is anything Boris could do that isn't in the "you're immediately on remand" category that isn't already priced in. This is about "margin of waverers" not the solid base. The base is enough to deny Labour a win.
Are voters Cummings' audience, or is it backbenchers who might grow weary of Boris? Sadly for this project, Rishi is more likely than Michael Gove to succeed him.
I haven’t seen the Yougov data published but an 18 point Tory lead would be the biggest in over a year.
For those of us who missed it, where did this amazing snippet come from? And when? Any links?
It's mentioned in passing in The Times towards the end of an article about Dominic Cummings being ready to "napalm" PM over lockdown hesitancy.
Only details are 18 point lead over Labour, and that Cummings is less trusted to tell the truth than Johnson (14% v 38%).
Yes, i really doubt there's much mileage for Labour in using Cummings as a star witness to Government incompetence and or mendacity. If anything his appearances help Johnson by reminding people that he's no longer in charge of anything!
As long as it's just he said / he said, Johnson is in the clear. Nobody really likes Cummings, nobody really trusts him. We'd all rather believe Boris. Partly because we don't want to believe that we've put such a terrible man in No 10.
Where it gets more interesting is if any of it is on the record. Emails or whatnot. I am sure people will try to rationalise, I am sure the government will try to help them, but it becomes a lot harder.
You really think anyone who's not already in the anti-Boris camp is going to care? What will you have left when your trump card of 'Public Trust in Dominic Cummings' (!) turns out, shockingly, to be a dud?
Look, I don't trust or like D Cummings Esq. I'm a teacher- of course I don't trust him.
And as I've said, this only gets interesting if Dom has kept something egregious, unambiguous and undeniable, even by Boris. That probably means on paper, tape or email, in the PM's hand.
Does such a thing exist? I don't know. But allow me a small measure of amusement in the way that those who contorted themselves to defend Dominic last summer are condemning him now.
But then again, he was always a jumped up northern oik, wasn't he? Useful, like the bloke who comes to clean the drains. Not actually anyone who matters...
“ But allow me a small measure of amusement in the way that those who contorted themselves to defend Dominic last summer are condemning him now.”
Haha!!! If ever something cut both ways!!!
To an extent yes. Though it's also a matter of degree. Consider the difference between
If it's he said/he said, Johnson is in the clear. If Dom has kept the metaphorical tapes, it might get interesting.
And
You really think anyone who's not already in the anti-Boris camp is going to care?
For example.
If Cummings has a tape of Boris saying ‘I’d rather let the bodies pile up high than go into a 3rd lockdown’ ?
So what? It’s how many people thought, and he did go into the 3rd lockdown anyway. So I don’t think it will cut through even if he FaceTimed Boris saying it
I completely agree. I'm not sure there is anything Boris could do that isn't in the "you're immediately on remand" category that isn't already priced in. This is about "margin of waverers" not the solid base. The base is enough to deny Labour a win.
Are voters Cummings' audience, or is it backbenchers who might grow weary of Boris? Sadly for this project, Rishi is more likely than Michael Gove to succeed him.
That is an interesting question. I'm not sure whether Cummings' audience is "real" or "created". He probably has an eye on posterity, the Westminster community, the Parliamentary party. Maybe the membership? I think he is an odd mix of smart political positioning, posturing, and personal spite.
Lol, Germany bans incoming travellers from the UK over variant concerns. Sure. In the same report "2% of new cases in Germany are the India variant". It's already there you idiots and likely everywhere else that had direct flights from India at any time in the last two months.
I’m stunned to learn that there are animal products in Mackies. I thought they were all made from cardboard.
I haven't been in a McDonald's for over 10 years...sounds like it hasn't changed.
I had one a few days to humour the Good Lady, after she said "I haven't had a Macky D in AGES...."
I remember why. We both had wretched indigestion. Horrible "meal".
It'll be quite a while until the memory forgets the inglorious episode - and we go "I haven't had a Macky D in AGES...."
There’s always KFC.
Haven't had a KFC since 1997. Arizona, near the Mexican border. A group of us had been out birding late, realised we hadn't eaten, got to the KFC as they were about closing. Basically, bought vast amounts of stock they would otherwise have binned - for about $15.
On those numbers, CDU/CSU and FDP and AfD combined are the same as Greens and SPD and Linke combined, so only way a Green and CDU/CSU grand coalition would be avoided is for the FDP to replace Linke in any Green and SPD led government
The Greens are coming under closer scrutiny, not unnaturally, and the usual stuff about member X saying something dodgy is coming up. The resilience of the CDU shouldn't be underestimated, but the number sare just too close to call.
I’m stunned to learn that there are animal products in Mackies. I thought they were all made from cardboard.
I haven't been in a McDonald's for over 10 years...sounds like it hasn't changed.
I had one a few days to humour the Good Lady, after she said "I haven't had a Macky D in AGES...."
I remember why. We both had wretched indigestion. Horrible "meal".
It'll be quite a while until the memory forgets the inglorious episode - and we go "I haven't had a Macky D in AGES...."
There’s always KFC.
One of my disappointments, forty-something years ago was when KFC opened close to where I was living, and I bought a bucketful for the family evening meal.
Never, ever, again. Don't think the children have, either. Nor with their children.
@foxy In Shanghai and Beijing you’d be fine in smart places. But really you just get the Google Translate App and that does it all for you with the camera for menus and speaker for drivers. Whether I’d personally recommend China? Some people like it. It’s a big old world out there and I can think of perhaps 150 countries I would rather go to than ever go back to China. Don’t let that stop you though, the Trans Siberian Railway does sound good.
Yes, phone apps can be quite a boon.
I was last in China in 1990 when it was still substantially unmodernised, and I cannot say that I particularly liked it. I do want to do the rail trip though and it seems sensible to take in a few of the more Northern cities. I was in Guangzou before, having caught the night ferry from Macau, which I did like.
The pleasure of travel is in 3 parts: The planning, the doing and the reminiscing. I like to travel independently as have slightly eccentric interests* and I find that poring over maps and guide books planning is a good part of the pleasure.
*strangely, Fox jr1 and 2 didn't want to take in the St Petersberg artillery museum when we were there for the World Cup 🙄
You went to China, hated it, and now propose to spend three weeks in a Chinese train? PB used to have a top travel writer, @SeanT or something, but he is presumably trapped in a five star Covid-quarantine hotel somewhere up the Zambezi as he no longer visits.
Forget China and, like the 2002 World Cup, divide your time between South Korea and Japan (which also has noteworthy trains).
Lol, Germany bans incoming travellers from the UK over variant concerns. Sure. In the same report "2% of new cases in Germany are the India variant". It's already there you idiots and likely everywhere else that had direct flights from India at any time in the last two months.
2% - but what proportion of cases are they testing?
If it is already less than 1 in 10 I'd be surprised....
There's a division of opinion on the animal welfare spectrum over McDonalds - if you want to ban meat, then they're an obvious target for protest, but if you want to have higher welfare, they're making an effort, unlike the less-known brands. KFC isn't the worst either. Generally, the less-known the brand, the less they bother.
I’m stunned to learn that there are animal products in Mackies. I thought they were all made from cardboard.
I haven't been in a McDonald's for over 10 years...sounds like it hasn't changed.
I had one a few days to humour the Good Lady, after she said "I haven't had a Macky D in AGES...."
I remember why. We both had wretched indigestion. Horrible "meal".
It'll be quite a while until the memory forgets the inglorious episode - and we go "I haven't had a Macky D in AGES...."
There’s always KFC.
Haven't had a KFC since 1997. Arizona, near the Mexican border. A group of us had been out birding late, realised we hadn't eaten, got to the KFC as they were about closing. Basically, bought vast amounts of stock they would otherwise have binned - for about $15.
It was enough for a life-time....
Everything in moderation . Steer clear of the bargain/family buckets. Just stick with a Zinger or fillet burger. Basically only ever eat as a snack, never as a meal...
Lol, Germany bans incoming travellers from the UK over variant concerns. Sure. In the same report "2% of new cases in Germany are the India variant". It's already there you idiots and likely everywhere else that had direct flights from India at any time in the last two months.
2% - but what proportion of cases are they testing?
If it is already less than 1 in 10 I'd be surprised....
The 2% is probably based on random sampling which is fine, it's the difference been 0 and 1 or 100 and 1000, the first scenario may only be one case but it's worse than the second by some distance.
Additionally I think the UK government should be much more cynical about this in future. Just as with the Kent variant, the UK gets punished for being honest about the nature of what's happening.
I’m stunned to learn that there are animal products in Mackies. I thought they were all made from cardboard.
I haven't been in a McDonald's for over 10 years...sounds like it hasn't changed.
I had one a few days to humour the Good Lady, after she said "I haven't had a Macky D in AGES...."
I remember why. We both had wretched indigestion. Horrible "meal".
It'll be quite a while until the memory forgets the inglorious episode - and we go "I haven't had a Macky D in AGES...."
There’s always KFC.
Haven't had a KFC since 1997. Arizona, near the Mexican border. A group of us had been out birding late, realised we hadn't eaten, got to the KFC as they were about closing. Basically, bought vast amounts of stock they would otherwise have binned - for about $15.
It was enough for a life-time....
Everything in moderation . Steer clear of the bargain/family buckets. Just stick with a Zinger or fillet burger. Basically only ever eat as a snack, never as a meal...
I’m stunned to learn that there are animal products in Mackies. I thought they were all made from cardboard.
I haven't been in a McDonald's for over 10 years...sounds like it hasn't changed.
I had one a few days to humour the Good Lady, after she said "I haven't had a Macky D in AGES...."
I remember why. We both had wretched indigestion. Horrible "meal".
It'll be quite a while until the memory forgets the inglorious episode - and we go "I haven't had a Macky D in AGES...."
There’s always KFC.
Five guys for burgers.... although not as good here as the US.
Nobody ever says, especially after a few pints, “I really feel like I need Five Guys”
One could empty the pub round here if that was said.
Unless said by a woman?
60 years ago I used to very occasionally visit a pub in Sunderland which refused to serve women. Miserable place it was. Actually, if someone in a pub round here said 'I need Five Guys' they'd probably be recruiting for a building job.
You mention the trio of ministers, but don't mention Gove. But all the in-depth pieces I see keep bringing his name up as the senior minister most pushing the 'lockdown everyone all the time' agenda.
Yes Gove is one of the architects of this menace
One of the nice things about recent events is that everyone now agrees with what I’ve been saying for seven years - Gove is a twat.
That's nothing. Thanks to @MarqueeMark's thread the other day, everyone now agrees that Boris pinched Jeremy Corbyn's 2017 platform.
Boris will pinch the popular bits of anybody's platform.
Been telling you that for an age. He is a political magpie. And the magpie is very successful - even if that means living off a diet of songbird babies....
Yes - what's interesting is that Tories like your good self don't mind - you just want to win. Ideologues like me are relatively relaxed about a Tory Government following Labour policies. National unity, eh?
On topic, I'm not sure what proportion of people see foreign holidays as a "must have this year" thing. I travel more than most as I have a lot of foreign friends, but see it as a "nice to have" thing, and the general pleasure at being able to mix with local friends is carrying me through quite happily for now. Like Cyclefree I think that's a greater priority. But I agree the Amber mess is a nuisance - what the Government appears to mean is "travel in emergency" (funerals etc.), but politicians keen to please keep tinkering with the definition.
Lol, Germany bans incoming travellers from the UK over variant concerns. Sure. In the same report "2% of new cases in Germany are the India variant". It's already there you idiots and likely everywhere else that had direct flights from India at any time in the last two months.
2% - but what proportion of cases are they testing?
If it is already less than 1 in 10 I'd be surprised....
The 2% is probably based on random sampling which is fine, it's the difference been 0 and 1 or 100 and 1000, the first scenario may only be one case but it's worse than the second by some distance.
Additionally I think the UK government should be much more cynical about this in future. Just as with the Kent variant, the UK gets punished for being honest about the nature of what's happening.
Are they being “honest”? Or deliberately slanting negatively?
Good morning from a cloudy Essex. Hoping to be able to watch play at our local cricket club this afternoon, though. Ground drains well, and no rain is forecast.
If rules on socialising holidays are not relaxed as expected, I doubt whether there will be a 'severe' backlash. Among those I mix with anyway; I suspect the reaction will be 'he's done his best, it's those others.'
Very grey and moody here. But I have my first adventure - a weekend on North Island, the first time on the ferry since September, taking in friends and family and a hotel in rural Kent overnight. Very excited....
Sunshine here, will get garden done today by looks of it
Lol, Germany bans incoming travellers from the UK over variant concerns. Sure. In the same report "2% of new cases in Germany are the India variant". It's already there you idiots and likely everywhere else that had direct flights from India at any time in the last two months.
2% - but what proportion of cases are they testing?
If it is already less than 1 in 10 I'd be surprised....
The 2% is probably based on random sampling which is fine, it's the difference been 0 and 1 or 100 and 1000, the first scenario may only be one case but it's worse than the second by some distance.
Additionally I think the UK government should be much more cynical about this in future. Just as with the Kent variant, the UK gets punished for being honest about the nature of what's happening.
Are they being “honest”? Or deliberately slanting negatively?
In data presentation terms it's honest. The commentary from politicians and SAGE types is definitely slanted negative. I mean we've had days of doom reporting on it but it's very likely to be no worse than the Kent variant in terms of transmissibility. All of those doom models suggesting 50% more transmission make headlines all over the world and it's one of the reasons the scientists who produce the bullshit are being extremely irresponsible when they then go and brief the telegraph or guardian about it with no additional commentary that this is based on 50% vaccination rates and 60% efficacy etc...
As I said, the real world data isn't particularly bad. Looking at it from my perspective as a data person rather than an epidemiologist I can't see the exponential lift off that they're all banging on about. At least outside of Bolton and other vaccine refusal hotspots. Harrow is the real test for me, it's probably 60%+ Indian and has got a lot of middle class Indians who will have gone to India in November and December using the overseas property exemption. It also has got a very, very high take up of the vaccine. We can see from the numbers out of Harrow that this is nothing to worry about.
@foxy In Shanghai and Beijing you’d be fine in smart places. But really you just get the Google Translate App and that does it all for you with the camera for menus and speaker for drivers. Whether I’d personally recommend China? Some people like it. It’s a big old world out there and I can think of perhaps 150 countries I would rather go to than ever go back to China. Don’t let that stop you though, the Trans Siberian Railway does sound good.
Yes, phone apps can be quite a boon.
I was last in China in 1990 when it was still substantially unmodernised, and I cannot say that I particularly liked it. I do want to do the rail trip though and it seems sensible to take in a few of the more Northern cities. I was in Guangzou before, having caught the night ferry from Macau, which I did like.
The pleasure of travel is in 3 parts: The planning, the doing and the reminiscing. I like to travel independently as have slightly eccentric interests* and I find that poring over maps and guide books planning is a good part of the pleasure.
*strangely, Fox jr1 and 2 didn't want to take in the St Petersberg artillery museum when we were there for the World Cup 🙄
You went to China, hated it, and now propose to spend three weeks in a Chinese train? PB used to have a top travel writer, @SeanT or something, but he is presumably trapped in a five star Covid-quarantine hotel somewhere up the Zambezi as he no longer visits.
Forget China and, like the 2002 World Cup, divide your time between South Korea and Japan (which also has noteworthy trains).
Something I’m considering for next year. Any recommendations/suggestions would be appreciated.
Mr. W, aye. Self-righteous puritans who want to impose their own lifestyles on the whole population should be given short shrift, whether they're religious or secular zealots.
The latest YouGov/Times voting intention figures see the Conservative Party widen their lead over Labour to 18 points, the highest since 6 May last year. They now have 46% of the vote (+1), while Labour are down to 28% (-2).
Elsewhere, the Liberal Democrats are on 8% (+1), the Greens 8% (n/c) and Reform UK have 2% of the vote (n/c).
Lol, Germany bans incoming travellers from the UK over variant concerns. Sure. In the same report "2% of new cases in Germany are the India variant". It's already there you idiots and likely everywhere else that had direct flights from India at any time in the last two months.
2% - but what proportion of cases are they testing?
If it is already less than 1 in 10 I'd be surprised....
The 2% is probably based on random sampling which is fine, it's the difference been 0 and 1 or 100 and 1000, the first scenario may only be one case but it's worse than the second by some distance.
Additionally I think the UK government should be much more cynical about this in future. Just as with the Kent variant, the UK gets punished for being honest about the nature of what's happening.
Are they being “honest”? Or deliberately slanting negatively?
In data presentation terms it's honest. The commentary from politicians and SAGE types is definitely slanted negative. I mean we've had days of doom reporting on it but it's very likely to be no worse than the Kent variant in terms of transmissibility. All of those doom models suggesting 50% more transmission make headlines all over the world and it's one of the reasons the scientists who produce the bullshit are being extremely irresponsible when they then go and brief the telegraph or guardian about it with no additional commentary that this is based on 50% vaccination rates and 60% efficacy etc...
Which is what is important if your motivation is to prevent foreign governments from imposing restrictions for internal political purposes.
Incidentally anyone noticed that numbers (including deaths) in various US states appear to creeping up again. Not that they ever really got close to our sort of levels (a magnitude of 10 higher)
I have little sympathy with people whining about foreign holidays while there are still domestic restrictions in place, restrictions which are affecting peoples' jobs and livelihoods.
Foreign travel can wait until domestic restrictions have gone. I have a very close friend whom I have not seen in the flesh since 8 February last year coming to stay in July. I can hardly wait. I don't care if we are walking up Black Combe in hail, thunder and lightning. We will be together and able to hug!
Also tentatively planning to see some other close friends in Glasgow and then go exploring round there. If any Scottish PB'ers have tips for places to visit, please pass them on. I have had quite a few hols in Scotland in the past but not recently. It's only 80 miles to the border from here.
Busy. Fully booked for the last few nights. A lot of her older customers are still wanting takeaways - caution I suppose - as well as others wanting to eat out. She's been so busy I've hardly seen her. If it carries on like this she told me she might need to take another chef on to give her main one a break. Which would be quite the turnaround. A nice problem to have. I hope it continues. She has worked immensely hard to keep it going under the sorts of circumstances which even experienced businesspeople have found trying and she has barely started. Whatever happens in future she will have learnt a great deal - about business, about herself, about how to cope - which will stand her in very good stead. I know you must all be bored hearing about it. But I am one immensely proud mother.
I have little sympathy with people whining about foreign holidays while there are still domestic restrictions in place, restrictions which are affecting peoples' jobs and livelihoods.
Foreign travel can wait until domestic restrictions have gone. I have a very close friend whom I have not seen in the flesh since 8 February last year coming to stay in July. I can hardly wait. I don't care if we are walking up Black Combe in hail, thunder and lightning. We will be together and able to hug!
Also tentatively planning to see some other close friends in Glasgow and then go exploring round there. If any Scottish PB'ers have tips for places to visit, please pass them on. I have had quite a few hols in Scotland in the past but not recently. It's only 80 miles to the border from here.
Glasgow still in level 3 (no indoor drinking in pubs or restaurants) so delaying your visit for a couple of weeks might be sensible if you can. Kelvingrove Museum & Gallery is worth a visit if you've never been, tickets have to be booked in advance as is the case with all museums at the moment I think. Kelvingrove Park in which it's situated is nice just for a wander, and lots of bars, restaurants and shopping in the vicinity. Finnieston also nearby was the most hipster place to go for eating/drinking two or three years ago but its crown may have slipped (tho Covid has probably screwed that sort of thing up anyway). The Barras market is good for a slice of the rougher end of Glasgow with added bric-a-brac.
Thanks. We were thinking of later in the year. And wanted to do some walking in the countryside roundabout. I've been to Glasgow before and loved it.
The latest YouGov/Times voting intention figures see the Conservative Party widen their lead over Labour to 18 points, the highest since 6 May last year. They now have 46% of the vote (+1), while Labour are down to 28% (-2).
Elsewhere, the Liberal Democrats are on 8% (+1), the Greens 8% (n/c) and Reform UK have 2% of the vote (n/c).
Poor old Rodney...
But but Boris cushions.....more seriously, I don't believe the Tories are really that far ahead. What is interesting is Labour number has definitely plummeted in the past 4 weeks, not really sure why.
@foxy In Shanghai and Beijing you’d be fine in smart places. But really you just get the Google Translate App and that does it all for you with the camera for menus and speaker for drivers. Whether I’d personally recommend China? Some people like it. It’s a big old world out there and I can think of perhaps 150 countries I would rather go to than ever go back to China. Don’t let that stop you though, the Trans Siberian Railway does sound good.
Yes, phone apps can be quite a boon.
I was last in China in 1990 when it was still substantially unmodernised, and I cannot say that I particularly liked it. I do want to do the rail trip though and it seems sensible to take in a few of the more Northern cities. I was in Guangzou before, having caught the night ferry from Macau, which I did like.
The pleasure of travel is in 3 parts: The planning, the doing and the reminiscing. I like to travel independently as have slightly eccentric interests* and I find that poring over maps and guide books planning is a good part of the pleasure.
*strangely, Fox jr1 and 2 didn't want to take in the St Petersberg artillery museum when we were there for the World Cup 🙄
Don’t get me wrong, Shanghai is worth a couple of nights for sure. Beijing I never really got on with at all, Tianjin just a short hop is actually quite pleasant. Shanghai locals tend to get in and out of Beijing as soon as possible.
The place in China that I’d describe as both really nice and interesting is Urumqi and surrounds, which from memory the transmongolian train goes through? Just don’t mention the Uigher camps.
I tended to find that the less impacted by Beijing a place was, the better. Tier 3 cities inland by a mile better than Tier 1 or 2 cities, even if the hotels are a bit questionable (places like Hunan, Hebei, Shanxi). But there’s not a huge reason for you to go to those places, on the whole they’re giant stinking factories.
Take some good antibiotics but then you of course already knew that. Avoid domestic flights unless there is no other alternative. They randomly get shut down for a day if a military dignatory wants to use the airport. Don’t know if it’s changed now or not but the bullet trains used to only accept cash or domestic credit cards. They are great but take your own food on board. Watch out for hotels branded as big Western ones but are actually old commie ones with a new nameplate.
I have little sympathy with people whining about foreign holidays while there are still domestic restrictions in place, restrictions which are affecting peoples' jobs and livelihoods.
Foreign travel can wait until domestic restrictions have gone. I have a very close friend whom I have not seen in the flesh since 8 February last year coming to stay in July. I can hardly wait. I don't care if we are walking up Black Combe in hail, thunder and lightning. We will be together and able to hug!
Also tentatively planning to see some other close friends in Glasgow and then go exploring round there. If any Scottish PB'ers have tips for places to visit, please pass them on. I have had quite a few hols in Scotland in the past but not recently. It's only 80 miles to the border from here.
Busy. Fully booked for the last few nights. A lot of her older customers are still wanting takeaways - caution I suppose - as well as others wanting to eat out. She's been so busy I've hardly seen her. If it carries on like this she told me she might need to take another chef on to give her main one a break. Which would be quite the turnaround. A nice problem to have. I hope it continues. She has worked immensely hard to keep it going under the sorts of circumstances which even experienced businesspeople have found trying and she has barely started. Whatever happens in future she will have learnt a great deal - about business, about herself, about how to cope - which will stand her in very good stead. I know you must all be bored hearing about it. But I am one immensely proud mother.
I have little sympathy with people whining about foreign holidays while there are still domestic restrictions in place, restrictions which are affecting peoples' jobs and livelihoods.
Foreign travel can wait until domestic restrictions have gone. I have a very close friend whom I have not seen in the flesh since 8 February last year coming to stay in July. I can hardly wait. I don't care if we are walking up Black Combe in hail, thunder and lightning. We will be together and able to hug!
Also tentatively planning to see some other close friends in Glasgow and then go exploring round there. If any Scottish PB'ers have tips for places to visit, please pass them on. I have had quite a few hols in Scotland in the past but not recently. It's only 80 miles to the border from here.
Glasgow still in level 3 (no indoor drinking in pubs or restaurants) so delaying your visit for a couple of weeks might be sensible if you can. Kelvingrove Museum & Gallery is worth a visit if you've never been, tickets have to be booked in advance as is the case with all museums at the moment I think. Kelvingrove Park in which it's situated is nice just for a wander, and lots of bars, restaurants and shopping in the vicinity. Finnieston also nearby was the most hipster place to go for eating/drinking two or three years ago but its crown may have slipped (tho Covid has probably screwed that sort of thing up anyway). The Barras market is good for a slice of the rougher end of Glasgow with added bric-a-brac.
Thanks. We were thinking of later in the year. And wanted to do some walking in the countryside roundabout. I've been to Glasgow before and loved it.
Football's world governing body Fifa is to launch a feasibility study into holding the men's and women's World Cups every two years instead of four.
Uefa about go get backstabbed!
All those outraged by the super league, we are going to end up with a stupid new champions league format and possibly a world cup every 2 years, which screws continental based tournaments like the Euros.
@foxy In Shanghai and Beijing you’d be fine in smart places. But really you just get the Google Translate App and that does it all for you with the camera for menus and speaker for drivers. Whether I’d personally recommend China? Some people like it. It’s a big old world out there and I can think of perhaps 150 countries I would rather go to than ever go back to China. Don’t let that stop you though, the Trans Siberian Railway does sound good.
Yes, phone apps can be quite a boon.
I was last in China in 1990 when it was still substantially unmodernised, and I cannot say that I particularly liked it. I do want to do the rail trip though and it seems sensible to take in a few of the more Northern cities. I was in Guangzou before, having caught the night ferry from Macau, which I did like.
The pleasure of travel is in 3 parts: The planning, the doing and the reminiscing. I like to travel independently as have slightly eccentric interests* and I find that poring over maps and guide books planning is a good part of the pleasure.
*strangely, Fox jr1 and 2 didn't want to take in the St Petersberg artillery museum when we were there for the World Cup 🙄
Make sure you have your passport with you at all times. We were approached by police in Xian, ostensibly to warn us about pickpockets, but they asked to see our passports before wishing us a good day. By good fortune we had them with us. We booked everything apart from train tickets from the UK and printed out hotel details to show taxi drivers.
@foxy In Shanghai and Beijing you’d be fine in smart places. But really you just get the Google Translate App and that does it all for you with the camera for menus and speaker for drivers. Whether I’d personally recommend China? Some people like it. It’s a big old world out there and I can think of perhaps 150 countries I would rather go to than ever go back to China. Don’t let that stop you though, the Trans Siberian Railway does sound good.
Yes, phone apps can be quite a boon.
I was last in China in 1990 when it was still substantially unmodernised, and I cannot say that I particularly liked it. I do want to do the rail trip though and it seems sensible to take in a few of the more Northern cities. I was in Guangzou before, having caught the night ferry from Macau, which I did like.
The pleasure of travel is in 3 parts: The planning, the doing and the reminiscing. I like to travel independently as have slightly eccentric interests* and I find that poring over maps and guide books planning is a good part of the pleasure.
*strangely, Fox jr1 and 2 didn't want to take in the St Petersberg artillery museum when we were there for the World Cup 🙄
You went to China, hated it, and now propose to spend three weeks in a Chinese train? PB used to have a top travel writer, @SeanT or something, but he is presumably trapped in a five star Covid-quarantine hotel somewhere up the Zambezi as he no longer visits.
Forget China and, like the 2002 World Cup, divide your time between South Korea and Japan (which also has noteworthy trains).
It is more that I plan to have 3 weeks on the Trans Mongolian (which I plan to do via a tour company) but then it seems a shame not to see a bit of what is going on now in one of the world's 2 superpowers. Chinese history interests me.
Ideally, I would catch the ferry to South Korea, then Japan, cross the Pacific by ship to Vancouver and do the Trans-Canadian Railway on the way home, but would need another couple of months, and 4 weeks is probably the limit my Trust would allow.
I have little sympathy with people whining about foreign holidays while there are still domestic restrictions in place, restrictions which are affecting peoples' jobs and livelihoods.
Foreign travel can wait until domestic restrictions have gone. I have a very close friend whom I have not seen in the flesh since 8 February last year coming to stay in July. I can hardly wait. I don't care if we are walking up Black Combe in hail, thunder and lightning. We will be together and able to hug!
Also tentatively planning to see some other close friends in Glasgow and then go exploring round there. If any Scottish PB'ers have tips for places to visit, please pass them on. I have had quite a few hols in Scotland in the past but not recently. It's only 80 miles to the border from here.
Places to visit when staying in Glasgow:
Edinburgh!
Being serious, Loch Lomond isn't far away.
Whisper it quietly but I think I prefer Glasgow to Edinburgh. From what I remember. Both beautiful in their own way of course. But I grew up in Naples so have a penchant for slightly, how can I put it, "rougher" cities.
I love Rannoch Moor and around Pitlochry. Maybe will head up there as well.
@foxy In Shanghai and Beijing you’d be fine in smart places. But really you just get the Google Translate App and that does it all for you with the camera for menus and speaker for drivers. Whether I’d personally recommend China? Some people like it. It’s a big old world out there and I can think of perhaps 150 countries I would rather go to than ever go back to China. Don’t let that stop you though, the Trans Siberian Railway does sound good.
Yes, phone apps can be quite a boon.
I was last in China in 1990 when it was still substantially unmodernised, and I cannot say that I particularly liked it. I do want to do the rail trip though and it seems sensible to take in a few of the more Northern cities. I was in Guangzou before, having caught the night ferry from Macau, which I did like.
The pleasure of travel is in 3 parts: The planning, the doing and the reminiscing. I like to travel independently as have slightly eccentric interests* and I find that poring over maps and guide books planning is a good part of the pleasure.
*strangely, Fox jr1 and 2 didn't want to take in the St Petersberg artillery museum when we were there for the World Cup 🙄
Don’t get me wrong, Shanghai is worth a couple of nights for sure. Beijing I never really got on with at all, Tianjin just a short hop is actually quite pleasant. Shanghai locals tend to get in and out of Beijing as soon as possible.
The place in China that I’d describe as both really nice and interesting is Urumqi and surrounds, which from memory the transmongolian train goes through? Just don’t mention the Uigher camps.
I tended to find that the less impacted by Beijing a place was, the better. Tier 3 cities inland by a mile better than Tier 1 or 2 cities, even if the hotels are a bit questionable (places like Hunan, Hebei, Shanxi). But there’s not a huge reason for you to go to those places, on the whole they’re giant stinking factories.
Take some good antibiotics but then you of course already knew that. Avoid domestic flights unless there is no other alternative. They randomly get shut down for a day if a military dignatory wants to use the airport. Don’t know if it’s changed now or not but the bullet trains used to only accept cash or domestic credit cards. They are great but take your own food on board. Watch out for hotels branded as big Western ones but are actually old commie ones with a new nameplate.
Yes, Beijing after a few tourist sights doesn't sound particularly interesting, but I have a desire to see Nanjing for its Republican and Taiping Rebellion history, and Shanghai for both its 20th and 21st Century history.
I’m stunned to learn that there are animal products in Mackies. I thought they were all made from cardboard.
I haven't been in a McDonald's for over 10 years...sounds like it hasn't changed.
This is when you can tell that PB is really down to earth and in touch with the people.
Man of the people me....just don't do McDonald's...always seemed very expensive for disappointing food, so not a place I ever think about going in....and they are usually full of chavs ;-)
My best down to earth experience was being back in Stoke and I went in a greasy spoon and they promoting they could do proper coffee...so i ordered a double espresso and they put it in a builders mug.
I’m stunned to learn that there are animal products in Mackies. I thought they were all made from cardboard.
I haven't been in a McDonald's for over 10 years...sounds like it hasn't changed.
This is when you can tell that PB is really down to earth and in touch with the people.
Man of the people me....just don't do McDonald's...always seemed very expensive for disappointing food, so not a place I ever think about going in....and they are usually full of chavs ;-)
And there's me, liberal metropolitan scum, who goes to McDonalds at least every once every two weeks. For breakfast usually.
Public Health England has presented the first real-world data on vaccine efficacy against B.1.617.2, the variant first found in India.
Efficacy against symptomatic B.1.617.2 was 81% after two doses, much higher than many have feared.
Story:
I'd be surprised if it wasn't higher than that once the final data comes out as this will be based on older people arriving from India. Finger in the air I'd guess at almost no efficacy dilution.
@foxy In Shanghai and Beijing you’d be fine in smart places. But really you just get the Google Translate App and that does it all for you with the camera for menus and speaker for drivers. Whether I’d personally recommend China? Some people like it. It’s a big old world out there and I can think of perhaps 150 countries I would rather go to than ever go back to China. Don’t let that stop you though, the Trans Siberian Railway does sound good.
Yes, phone apps can be quite a boon.
I was last in China in 1990 when it was still substantially unmodernised, and I cannot say that I particularly liked it. I do want to do the rail trip though and it seems sensible to take in a few of the more Northern cities. I was in Guangzou before, having caught the night ferry from Macau, which I did like.
The pleasure of travel is in 3 parts: The planning, the doing and the reminiscing. I like to travel independently as have slightly eccentric interests* and I find that poring over maps and guide books planning is a good part of the pleasure.
*strangely, Fox jr1 and 2 didn't want to take in the St Petersberg artillery museum when we were there for the World Cup 🙄
Don’t get me wrong, Shanghai is worth a couple of nights for sure. Beijing I never really got on with at all, Tianjin just a short hop is actually quite pleasant. Shanghai locals tend to get in and out of Beijing as soon as possible.
The place in China that I’d describe as both really nice and interesting is Urumqi and surrounds, which from memory the transmongolian train goes through? Just don’t mention the Uigher camps.
I tended to find that the less impacted by Beijing a place was, the better. Tier 3 cities inland by a mile better than Tier 1 or 2 cities, even if the hotels are a bit questionable (places like Hunan, Hebei, Shanxi). But there’s not a huge reason for you to go to those places, on the whole they’re giant stinking factories.
Take some good antibiotics but then you of course already knew that. Avoid domestic flights unless there is no other alternative. They randomly get shut down for a day if a military dignatory wants to use the airport. Don’t know if it’s changed now or not but the bullet trains used to only accept cash or domestic credit cards. They are great but take your own food on board. Watch out for hotels branded as big Western ones but are actually old commie ones with a new nameplate.
I’ve spent a great deal of time in Shanghai and frankly there’s virtually nothing for the Western tourist. A photo of the Bund, a drink on the balcony bar of the Indigo and that’s it. Hangzhou is slightly better. The broad issue is the domestic tourist market in China is so large that there’s never time or space and many of the “sights” are pastiche reconstructions with about as much connection to history as a Barratt house called The Blenheim.
Parts of Sichuan are worth seeing. I like Hong Kong and used to go there for a weekend to get away from the feeling of always being watched. For obvious reasons I haven’t been there recently but friends there tell me it’s changed, even for the non-Chinese.
Their Own Private Idaho: Five Oregon Counties Back a Plan to Secede In nonbinding elections, parts of eastern Oregon said they wanted to join Idaho. The conservative region has long felt alienated from the liberal politics of Oregon’s population centers.
I’m stunned to learn that there are animal products in Mackies. I thought they were all made from cardboard.
I haven't been in a McDonald's for over 10 years...sounds like it hasn't changed.
This is when you can tell that PB is really down to earth and in touch with the people.
Man of the people me....just don't do McDonald's...always seemed very expensive for disappointing food, so not a place I ever think about going in....and they are usually full of chavs ;-)
My best down to earth experience was being back in Stoke and I went in a greasy spoon and they promoting they could do proper coffee...so i ordered a double espresso and they put it in a builders mug.
I like it when places give me a double espresso in a big cup. Easier to hold and less likely to spill. They always apologise for it too. Eh?
So having spent the last year complaining that lockdowns weren't introduced quickly enough Mike is now complaining that oldies aren't allowed to go on foreign holidays.
So no one should question the wisdom of the blessed Boris?
Comments
Personally I'm much more concerned about lifting domestic restrictions than liberalising international travel. That makes sense to me. But that's also the view of someone who doesn't actually mind if he never goes abroad again, so again not a particularly interesting position to take.
It was also noted that Boris had no programme: it was just the victory he craved.
https://twitter.com/Independent/status/1396040711657730056?s=20
Yet we still have whiny moaners all over the press, complaining they can’t go on holiday.
I was wondering if they had decided the weather’s so shit it must be autumn already and were heading somewhere sunnier.
https://twitter.com/YanniKouts/status/1395747378666295298?s=20
For such an approach there is inevitably going to documented evidence of Johnson having said unpalatable things, or contemplated unthinkable or politically damaging decisions. And often, as we know, in quite colourful language.
So whilst I personally think he is a lazy, mendacious incompetent buffoon, that should never have been allowed within a million miles of political power, revelations about what he might have said behind closed doors and things he contemplated but didn’t do, don’t seem to me to be particularly problematic.
The things that should torpedo Johnson in reality now, or should have done in the past are widely known and on full public view.
BBC News - McDonald's: Animal rights group blockades depots, activists say
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57210428
I am torn though, I really want the Wife to be able to go and see her mother in the US this year, which I’m not going to stand in the way of (I’m not going) but I’m sympathetic with those who would be critical.
This pandemic has resulted in us applying for my US Green Card. The Wife doesn’t want this sort of separation from her family again (she’s an only child) whereas my folks have my bro and his kids. Horrible sort of mathematics but there you go.
As a side note we really have to get on top of our variant comms. It’s getting stupid.
The Untold podcast about the Daniel Morgan story, police corruption and the press is well worth listening to.
I remember why. We both had wretched indigestion. Horrible "meal".
It'll be quite a while until the memory forgets the inglorious episode - and we go "I haven't had a Macky D in AGES...."
Now this is more usually seen as a positive in these odd ‘attention span of a gnat’ days, but that only applies where the ‘not like all the rest’ politician has come from the clouds, eg was a property shark, a Reality TV star, a flamboyant hack journalist, a TV quizmaster, a driven ex soldier and water colourist, a tree surgeon, a singing gondolier, this sort of thing.
That’s not Sir Keir Rodney Starmer. His non politics background consists of a distinguished legal career culminating in (appointed rather than elected) public service as DPP and head of the CPS. It’s a terrific back story. A great achievement, especially for somebody born with little privilege other than the White variety. It says a lot about the man, all of it good. But the key bit is in brackets – appointed rather than elected. He didn’t become an MP until 6 years ago at the age of 53 and his time prior was professional suit-and-tie time spent in offices.
There was no rabble rousing down in the bier keller, juices seeping from every orifice as “Rodney” (as he comes to be known to all) argues the toss with those most mercurial and cussed of people – voters. There was none of that. Indeed there was no Rodney at all. Instead it was all Sir Keir. He lived and breathed the law, ethics, truth & justice, but he never got up close to the electorate’s armpit, never pressed his nose in there and had a whiff.
And I think he suffers now from this. It’s easy to sneer (as I know since I’m forever doing it) at the other extreme, the rank populism of those whose nostrils are never out of the electorate’s ar … armpit, but the truth is that if you have no aptitude for this (in many ways) reprehensible activity you will likely lack a crucial skill for a political leader - an instinctive feel for what pushes the buttons of the populace.
Edinburgh!
Being serious, Loch Lomond isn't far away.
It was enough for a life-time....
Never, ever, again. Don't think the children have, either. Nor with their children.
Forget China and, like the 2002 World Cup, divide your time between South Korea and Japan (which also has noteworthy trains).
If it is already less than 1 in 10 I'd be surprised....
Additionally I think the UK government should be much more cynical about this in future. Just as with the Kent variant, the UK gets punished for being honest about the nature of what's happening.
Actually, if someone in a pub round here said 'I need Five Guys' they'd probably be recruiting for a building job.
Dominic Cummings Uber Allies
On topic, I'm not sure what proportion of people see foreign holidays as a "must have this year" thing. I travel more than most as I have a lot of foreign friends, but see it as a "nice to have" thing, and the general pleasure at being able to mix with local friends is carrying me through quite happily for now. Like Cyclefree I think that's a greater priority. But I agree the Amber mess is a nuisance - what the Government appears to mean is "travel in emergency" (funerals etc.), but politicians keen to please keep tinkering with the definition.
BBC News - Covid vaccination certificates hit by security glitch
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-57208607
Big technology fail...
As I said, the real world data isn't particularly bad. Looking at it from my perspective as a data person rather than an epidemiologist I can't see the exponential lift off that they're all banging on about. At least outside of Bolton and other vaccine refusal hotspots. Harrow is the real test for me, it's probably 60%+ Indian and has got a lot of middle class Indians who will have gone to India in November and December using the overseas property exemption. It also has got a very, very high take up of the vaccine. We can see from the numbers out of Harrow that this is nothing to worry about.
Any recommendations/suggestions would be appreciated.
Protesting is fine. Interfering in the lives of ordinary people on their legal business is never acceptable.
Ideally arrest these bastards, keep them in custody, and bring them up before the beak on Monday.
Dammit.
https://twitter.com/NJ_Timothy/status/1395830742777794561?s=20
https://twitter.com/DPJHodges/status/1395713499414810627?s=20
https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2021/05/22/voting-intention-con-46-lab-28-19-20-may
The latest YouGov/Times voting intention figures see the Conservative Party widen their lead over Labour to 18 points, the highest since 6 May last year. They now have 46% of the vote (+1), while Labour are down to 28% (-2).
Elsewhere, the Liberal Democrats are on 8% (+1), the Greens 8% (n/c) and Reform UK have 2% of the vote (n/c).
Poor old Rodney...
Incidentally anyone noticed that numbers (including deaths) in various US states appear to creeping up again. Not that they ever really got close to our sort of levels (a magnitude of 10 higher)
The place in China that I’d describe as both really nice and interesting is Urumqi and surrounds, which from memory the transmongolian train goes through? Just don’t mention the Uigher camps.
I tended to find that the less impacted by Beijing a place was, the better. Tier 3 cities inland by a mile better than Tier 1 or 2 cities, even if the hotels are a bit questionable (places like Hunan, Hebei, Shanxi). But there’s not a huge reason for you to go to those places, on the whole they’re giant stinking factories.
Take some good antibiotics but then you of course already knew that. Avoid domestic flights unless there is no other alternative. They randomly get shut down for a day if a military dignatory wants to use the airport. Don’t know if it’s changed now or not but the bullet trains used to only accept cash or domestic credit cards. They are great but take your own food on board. Watch out for hotels branded as big Western ones but are actually old commie ones with a new nameplate.
Ideally, I would catch the ferry to South Korea, then Japan, cross the Pacific by ship to Vancouver and do the Trans-Canadian Railway on the way home, but would need another couple of months, and 4 weeks is probably the limit my Trust would allow.
I love Rannoch Moor and around Pitlochry. Maybe will head up there as well.
But Mercedes have problems warming their tyres, I think.
Matt Hancock
@MattHancock
·
1h
Great news!
Vaccinations are going gangbusters.
All aged 32 or over can now book your COVID-19 vaccine.
The vaccine is our way out.
When you get the call - get the jab.
John Burn-Murdoch
@jburnmurdoch
·
2h
SCOOP:
Public Health England has presented the first real-world data on vaccine efficacy against B.1.617.2, the variant first found in India.
Efficacy against symptomatic B.1.617.2 was 81% after two doses, much higher than many have feared.
Story:
Westminster voting intention:
CON: 46% (+1)
LAB: 28% (-2)
LDEM: 8% (+1)
GRN: 8% (-)
REFUK: 2% (-)
via
@YouGov
, 19 - 20 May
Chgs. w/ 12 May
I still think Mercedes haven’t shown their true pace yet.
My best down to earth experience was being back in Stoke and I went in a greasy spoon and they promoting they could do proper coffee...so i ordered a double espresso and they put it in a builders mug.
Parts of Sichuan are worth seeing. I like Hong Kong and used to go there for a weekend to get away from the feeling of always being watched. For obvious reasons I haven’t been there recently but friends there tell me it’s changed, even for the non-Chinese.
In nonbinding elections, parts of eastern Oregon said they wanted to join Idaho. The conservative region has long felt alienated from the liberal politics of Oregon’s population centers.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/21/us/oregon-idaho-secession.html?action=click&module=Top Stories&pgtype=Homepage