Gordon Brown handled the defining episode of his Premiership (the global financial crisis) extremely well. For this reason I'd have him upper quartile of PMs since 1951. Many of the others handled their defining episodes badly. Although of course not all had a defining episode.
Good game actually. For each PM what was their defining episode? Not what they'd like it to be but what it was.
Blair - Iraq Brown - GFC Thatcher - Falklands Johnson - Covid May - Brexit Cameron - ?? Truss - Budget Sunak - ??
Cameron - Referendum, Syria Johnson -Brexit/ Partygate May- Brexit is Brexit Sunak- Eat out to Help Out/ Furlough
Gordon Brown handled the defining episode of his Premiership (the global financial crisis) extremely well. For this reason I'd have him upper quartile of PMs since 1951. Many of the others handled their defining episodes badly. Although of course not all had a defining episode.
Good game actually. For each PM what was their defining episode? Not what they'd like it to be but what it was.
Blair - Iraq Brown - GFC Thatcher - Falklands Johnson - Covid May - Brexit Cameron - ?? Truss - Budget Sunak - ??
Surely Brexit is Cameron as well, because that is what brought him down despite having won a majority.
Yes I'd probably go with that. And he handled it badly. So ... downgrade.
Wrapping up any money with 3 years is rarely if ever a good move unless you have infinite money. Even betting on winners of next seasons EPL isn't an attractive prospect, when you could make a lot more bets inbetween now and then.
What you can bet on is Starmer being awful. Surely the worst prime minister of our times
As I posted on the last thread, I’ve given up on Starmer. However he is better than his three predecessors, which tells you how bad those predecessors were.
Right now I have him below May in my list of post 1979 PMs.
1. Thatcher 2. Blair 3. Major 4. Cameron 5. Brown 6. May 7. Starmer (new entry) 8. Sunak 9. Johnson 10. Truss
Not unreasonable. Tho I would put Starmer equal last with Truss. And I’d have May next last - she was a catastrophe with her needless red lines
What sobers me about this list - regardless of whether Starmer is lower middle or bottom ranking - is that this clear evidence of decay in the democratic order.
Analogously, as has been discussed on here, rock n roll’s great era started with a kind of burp that in 1956 and the flourished from 1963 through to some point in the 80s, and is now essentially a decadent and tired art form.
There are no more Beatles, and no more Thatchers.
Yes I’ve often thought about this. And even though Britain has been badly served we are not entirely alone
The last decent POTUS was Obama and he didn’t really do much. Promised a lot, didn’t deliver. Like Blair
Germans leaders have been terrible of late
I sense it’s a mixture of problems. Ageing economies are genuinely harder to run well. Debt piles up even as voters demand more. Also everyone is getting stupider. Add in social media and it’s a recipe for failure
It’s why I think democracy is doomed medium term
The last part is key. The rise of infotanment in the 1990's, which then transferred to the internet in the 2000s and 2010s, should never be underestimated. I worked in broadcasting, so saw it happen.
The media culture is dumbed down beyond infotainment. I think we lost something significant culturally when the Open University was discontinued on broadcast TV.
It’s the internet, stupid.
The attention economy - or late-stage capitalism, if you like - is spiritually and intellectually corrupt.
Certainly spirutually too, as we were discussing the other week. There's a spritual vacuum which is not really the absence of organised religion.
I could preach to you all if you like
Begin the seance, Pagan.
Can't spiritualism like that is a christian thing....not a christian
Hmm, well begin your preaching of whatever you wish.
Sadly I don't preach either, if the goddess wants you she will come have a chat
Hello again pb. Thanks for the comments on my rat photo earlier - very interesting. An update on my adventure: following Greenhead, I cycled the Stanegate in a dense cloud and drizzle - saw the Sycamore Gap, where there was much rejoicing about something; on a drier day I'd have investigated - then descended to the Tyne Valley which is beautiful but much longer than I remember. Sadly @taz I overshot Wylam by about 2 miles, but found my way to the tidal Tyne at about 1705, therefore coast to coast in 5h53, including a 45 min lunch stop. Onwards to Newcastle in the pissing rain and arrived at Wetherspoons on the quayside where I was met by complete strangers like a conquering hero, and they insisted on buying me drinks for 2 hours and giving me money for whatever charity I'm raising for (fortunately me daughter is on a fundraising campaign). It really is a wonderful city. I'd forgotten how ridiculously celebratory Novocastrians are on a Saturday night. Reckon I've ridden about 76 miles today, which other pbers possibly do without blinking but is the longest bike ride I've ever had. Now waiting for the train home.
How are you finding the bike on the train? From what you said earlier it seemed like you wouldn't have pre-booked...
Gordon Brown handled the defining episode of his Premiership (the global financial crisis) extremely well. For this reason I'd have him upper quartile of PMs since 1951. Many of the others handled their defining episodes badly. Although of course not all had a defining episode.
Good game actually. For each PM what was their defining episode? Not what they'd like it to be but what it was.
Blair - Iraq Brown - GFC Thatcher - Falklands Johnson - Covid May - Brexit Cameron - ?? Truss - Budget Sunak - ??
Cameron - Referendum, Syria Johnson -Brexit/ Partygate May- Brexit is Brexit Sunak- Eat out to Help Out/ Furlough
If its overall legacy not just as PM, Sunak = Furlough (for good and bad) yes.
Although that was a huge bizarre misstep, I don't think that will be his legacy. I am not sure people would even remember that well now if you wanted no.1 memory of Sunak. There were too many other disasters.
Hello again pb. Thanks for the comments on my rat photo earlier - very interesting. An update on my adventure: following Greenhead, I cycled the Stanegate in a dense cloud and drizzle - saw the Sycamore Gap, where there was much rejoicing about something; on a drier day I'd have investigated - then descended to the Tyne Valley which is beautiful but much longer than I remember. Sadly @taz I overshot Wylam by about 2 miles, but found my way to the tidal Tyne at about 1705, therefore coast to coast in 5h53, including a 45 min lunch stop. Onwards to Newcastle in the pissing rain and arrived at Wetherspoons on the quayside where I was met by complete strangers like a conquering hero, and they insisted on buying me drinks for 2 hours and giving me money for whatever charity I'm raising for (fortunately me daughter is on a fundraising campaign). It really is a wonderful city. I'd forgotten how ridiculously celebratory Novocastrians are on a Saturday night. Reckon I've ridden about 76 miles today, which other pbers possibly do without blinking but is the longest bike ride I've ever had. Now waiting for the train home.
That’s a great Spoons, and well done.
Yeah, they’re a friendly bunch up here.
Longest ride I’ve done is 50 miles. I reckon I could do 15 or 20 now.
Gordon Brown handled the defining episode of his Premiership (the global financial crisis) extremely well. For this reason I'd have him upper quartile of PMs since 1951. Many of the others handled their defining episodes badly. Although of course not all had a defining episode.
Good game actually. For each PM what was their defining episode? Not what they'd like it to be but what it was.
Blair - Iraq Brown - GFC Thatcher - Falklands Johnson - Covid May - Brexit Cameron - ?? Truss - Budget Sunak - ??
Cameron - Referendum, Syria Johnson -Brexit/ Partygate May- Brexit is Brexit Sunak- Eat out to Help Out/ Furlough
If its overall legacy not just as PM, Sunak = Furlough (for good and bad) yes.
As PM he achieved very little. If you discount CoE duties, I am afraid it's HS2.
Gordon Brown handled the defining episode of his Premiership (the global financial crisis) extremely well. For this reason I'd have him upper quartile of PMs since 1951. Many of the others handled their defining episodes badly. Although of course not all had a defining episode.
Good game actually. For each PM what was their defining episode? Not what they'd like it to be but what it was.
Blair - Iraq Brown - GFC Thatcher - Falklands Johnson - Covid May - Brexit Cameron - ?? Truss - Budget Sunak - ??
Sunak - Getting drenched.
I still don't understand why no-one in Number 10 looked out of the window and noticed it was raining.
Gordon Brown handled the defining episode of his Premiership (the global financial crisis) extremely well. For this reason I'd have him upper quartile of PMs since 1951. Many of the others handled their defining episodes badly. Although of course not all had a defining episode.
Good game actually. For each PM what was their defining episode? Not what they'd like it to be but what it was.
Blair - Iraq Brown - GFC Thatcher - Falklands Johnson - Covid May - Brexit Cameron - ?? Truss - Budget Sunak - ??
Cameron - Referendum, Syria Johnson -Brexit/ Partygate May- Brexit is Brexit Sunak- Eat out to Help Out/ Furlough
If its overall legacy not just as PM, Sunak = Furlough (for good and bad) yes.
As PM he achieved very little. If you discount CoE duties, I am afraid it's HS2.
I didn't think we were doing achievements...I thought it was defining episode as PM?
Gordon Brown handled the defining episode of his Premiership (the global financial crisis) extremely well. For this reason I'd have him upper quartile of PMs since 1951. Many of the others handled their defining episodes badly. Although of course not all had a defining episode.
Good game actually. For each PM what was their defining episode? Not what they'd like it to be but what it was.
Blair - Iraq Brown - GFC Thatcher - Falklands Johnson - Covid May - Brexit Cameron - ?? Truss - Budget Sunak - ??
Surely Cameron's defining moment was losing the Brexit referendum then throwing his toys out of the pram.
In so far as Sunak had one, calling an election he was going to lose when he didn't need to in the pouring rain without a brolly?
Hello again pb. Thanks for the comments on my rat photo earlier - very interesting. An update on my adventure: following Greenhead, I cycled the Stanegate in a dense cloud and drizzle - saw the Sycamore Gap, where there was much rejoicing about something; on a drier day I'd have investigated - then descended to the Tyne Valley which is beautiful but much longer than I remember. Sadly @taz I overshot Wylam by about 2 miles, but found my way to the tidal Tyne at about 1705, therefore coast to coast in 5h53, including a 45 min lunch stop. Onwards to Newcastle in the pissing rain and arrived at Wetherspoons on the quayside where I was met by complete strangers like a conquering hero, and they insisted on buying me drinks for 2 hours and giving me money for whatever charity I'm raising for (fortunately me daughter is on a fundraising campaign). It really is a wonderful city. I'd forgotten how ridiculously celebratory Novocastrians are on a Saturday night. Reckon I've ridden about 76 miles today, which other pbers possibly do without blinking but is the longest bike ride I've ever had. Now waiting for the train home.
Good stuff. We did The Sill to South Shields in one day (with panniers etc) and had a similarly fun time in Newcastle - despite all the moaning on social media, people love cyclists after an epic ride.
If you're looking for something of similar length, but with loads of other cyclists, strongly recommend the Loch Ness Etape.
Gordon Brown handled the defining episode of his Premiership (the global financial crisis) extremely well. For this reason I'd have him upper quartile of PMs since 1951. Many of the others handled their defining episodes badly. Although of course not all had a defining episode.
Good game actually. For each PM what was their defining episode? Not what they'd like it to be but what it was.
Blair - Iraq Brown - GFC Thatcher - Falklands Johnson - Covid May - Brexit Cameron - ?? Truss - Budget Sunak - ??
Sunak - Getting drenched.
I still don't understand why no-one in Number 10 looked out of the window and noticed it was raining.
If only they had a purpose built studio inside....
Gordon Brown handled the defining episode of his Premiership (the global financial crisis) extremely well. For this reason I'd have him upper quartile of PMs since 1951. Many of the others handled their defining episodes badly. Although of course not all had a defining episode.
Good game actually. For each PM what was their defining episode? Not what they'd like it to be but what it was.
Blair - Iraq Brown - GFC Thatcher - Falklands Johnson - Covid May - Brexit Cameron - ?? Truss - Budget Sunak - ??
Sunak - Getting drenched.
I still don't understand why no-one in Number 10 looked out of the window and noticed it was raining.
Gordon Brown handled the defining episode of his Premiership (the global financial crisis) extremely well. For this reason I'd have him upper quartile of PMs since 1951. Many of the others handled their defining episodes badly. Although of course not all had a defining episode.
Good game actually. For each PM what was their defining episode? Not what they'd like it to be but what it was.
Blair - Iraq Brown - GFC Thatcher - Falklands Johnson - Covid May - Brexit Cameron - ?? Truss - Budget Sunak - ??
Cameron - Referendum, Syria Johnson -Brexit/ Partygate May- Brexit is Brexit Sunak- Eat out to Help Out/ Furlough
If its overall legacy not just as PM, Sunak = Furlough (for good and bad) yes.
As PM he achieved very little. If you discount CoE duties, I am afraid it's HS2.
I didn't think we were doing achievements...I thought it was defining episode as PM?
Gordon Brown handled the defining episode of his Premiership (the global financial crisis) extremely well. For this reason I'd have him upper quartile of PMs since 1951. Many of the others handled their defining episodes badly. Although of course not all had a defining episode.
Good game actually. For each PM what was their defining episode? Not what they'd like it to be but what it was.
Blair - Iraq Brown - GFC Thatcher - Falklands Johnson - Covid May - Brexit Cameron - ?? Truss - Budget Sunak - ??
Surely Cameron's defining moment was losing the Brexit referendum then throwing his toys out of the pram.
In so far as Sunak had one, calling an election he was going to lose when he didn't need to in the pouring rain without a brolly?
I do not know about defining moment for Sunak but a significant one for the country was the Prime Minister and his daughters lighting candles for Diwali outside Number 10.
Hello again pb. Thanks for the comments on my rat photo earlier - very interesting. An update on my adventure: following Greenhead, I cycled the Stanegate in a dense cloud and drizzle - saw the Sycamore Gap, where there was much rejoicing about something; on a drier day I'd have investigated - then descended to the Tyne Valley which is beautiful but much longer than I remember. Sadly @taz I overshot Wylam by about 2 miles, but found my way to the tidal Tyne at about 1705, therefore coast to coast in 5h53, including a 45 min lunch stop. Onwards to Newcastle in the pissing rain and arrived at Wetherspoons on the quayside where I was met by complete strangers like a conquering hero, and they insisted on buying me drinks for 2 hours and giving me money for whatever charity I'm raising for (fortunately me daughter is on a fundraising campaign). It really is a wonderful city. I'd forgotten how ridiculously celebratory Novocastrians are on a Saturday night. Reckon I've ridden about 76 miles today, which other pbers possibly do without blinking but is the longest bike ride I've ever had. Now waiting for the train home.
How are you finding the bike on the train? From what you said earlier it seemed like you wouldn't have pre-booked...
No, I pre-booked - but only the night before. In my limited experience that's enough. In fact, I welcome the certainty of pre-booking - on Northern trains, technically, you can't pre-book but only two bikes are allowed - so if you're cyclist #3, hard luck.
Gordon Brown handled the defining episode of his Premiership (the global financial crisis) extremely well. For this reason I'd have him upper quartile of PMs since 1951. Many of the others handled their defining episodes badly. Although of course not all had a defining episode.
Good game actually. For each PM what was their defining episode? Not what they'd like it to be but what it was.
Blair - Iraq Brown - GFC Thatcher - Falklands Johnson - Covid May - Brexit Cameron - ?? Truss - Budget Sunak - ??
Surely Cameron's defining moment was losing the Brexit referendum then throwing his toys out of the pram.
In so far as Sunak had one, calling an election he was going to lose when he didn't need to in the pouring rain without a brolly?
I do not know about defining moment for Sunak but a significant one for the country was the Prime Minister and his daughters lighting candles for Diwali outside Number 10.
It people were feeling very very very generous in the future, first non-white PM being his legacy and the fact outside of the tiniest minority nobody gave a shit one way or the another he was a brown bloke.
Short, super rich, out of touch, crap leader, yes....brown bloke...no.
Hello again pb. Thanks for the comments on my rat photo earlier - very interesting. An update on my adventure: following Greenhead, I cycled the Stanegate in a dense cloud and drizzle - saw the Sycamore Gap, where there was much rejoicing about something; on a drier day I'd have investigated - then descended to the Tyne Valley which is beautiful but much longer than I remember. Sadly @taz I overshot Wylam by about 2 miles, but found my way to the tidal Tyne at about 1705, therefore coast to coast in 5h53, including a 45 min lunch stop. Onwards to Newcastle in the pissing rain and arrived at Wetherspoons on the quayside where I was met by complete strangers like a conquering hero, and they insisted on buying me drinks for 2 hours and giving me money for whatever charity I'm raising for (fortunately me daughter is on a fundraising campaign). It really is a wonderful city. I'd forgotten how ridiculously celebratory Novocastrians are on a Saturday night. Reckon I've ridden about 76 miles today, which other pbers possibly do without blinking but is the longest bike ride I've ever had. Now waiting for the train home.
Go back to the Bigg Market and see how much cash you can raise on a Saturday night. Then book a room on Osbourne Road. If you’re really lucky you might get someone to share 😉
The "Zionist" promoter the bloke at Glastonbury has been rantings about....organised LiveAid, Freddie Mercury Tribute for AIDs awareness, and a million other charitable things.
Other than Thatcher (the death of the post war consensus) and Cameron ( the Brexit vote) I suspect legacies are pretty thin on the ground. Perhaps you can carve a legacy out of Maastricht for Major and that no one again trusted politicians after Johnson.
The "Zionist" promoter the bloke at Glastonbury has been rantings about....organised LiveAid, Freddie Mercury Tribute for AIDs awareness, and a million other charitable things.
Actually I think Live Aid is now troublesome in wokeland.
Wrapping up any money with 3 years is rarely if ever a good move unless you have infinite money. Even betting on winners of next seasons EPL isn't an attractive prospect, when you could make a lot more bets inbetween now and then.
What you can bet on is Starmer being awful. Surely the worst prime minister of our times
As I posted on the last thread, I’ve given up on Starmer. However he is better than his three predecessors, which tells you how bad those predecessors were.
Right now I have him below May in my list of post 1979 PMs.
1. Thatcher 2. Blair 3. Major 4. Cameron 5. Brown 6. May 7. Starmer (new entry) 8. Sunak 9. Johnson 10. Truss
Back in the day, if you had told people that Major would be a top 3 PM on the last 50 years… 😂
The "Zionist" promoter the bloke at Glastonbury has been rantings about....organised LiveAid, Freddie Mercury Tribute for AIDs awareness, and a million other charitable things.
Actually I think Live Aid is now troublesome in wokeland.
I am sure it, White Saviour nonsense and all that. I think Ranty Mcranty Face's issue was more to do with his religious beliefs, rather than his very long record of putting on charitable gigs that have raised billions.
Callaghan - Winter of Discontent Wilson - Devaluation Heath - Miners strike Eden - Suez MacMillan - Profumo
All handled badly. And we already have the same verdict for Cameron, May, Blair, Truss, Sunak, Johnson.
It shows how it's the norm for these Defining Episodes to be screwed up by the PM of the day. And therefore how (on this metric) Gordon Brown was exceptional.
He was a great PM. A surprising conclusion (and perhaps an unwelcome one to many on here) but pretty much undeniable.
Hadn't realised Gary Numan had never played Galstonbury until today. Sounded great. His two guitarists were cool - looked like "what two White Walkers did on our holidays".
Wrapping up any money with 3 years is rarely if ever a good move unless you have infinite money. Even betting on winners of next seasons EPL isn't an attractive prospect, when you could make a lot more bets inbetween now and then.
What you can bet on is Starmer being awful. Surely the worst prime minister of our times
As I posted on the last thread, I’ve given up on Starmer. However he is better than his three predecessors, which tells you how bad those predecessors were.
Right now I have him below May in my list of post 1979 PMs.
1. Thatcher 2. Blair 3. Major 4. Cameron 5. Brown 6. May 7. Starmer (new entry) 8. Sunak 9. Johnson 10. Truss
Back in the day, if you had told people that Major would be a top 3 PM on the last 50 years… 😂
No one anticapated the lack of any talent in the upcomers. We expected gladstones, attlees and churchills....we got ronald mcdonald, sideshowbob and mr blobby
Callaghan - Winter of Discontent Wilson - Devaluation Heath - Miners strike Eden - Suez MacMillan - Profumo
All handled badly. And we already have the same verdict for Cameron, May, Blair, Truss, Sunak, Johnson.
It shows how it's the norm for these Defining Episodes to be screwed up by the PM of the day. And therefore how (on this metric) Gordon Brown was exceptional.
He was a great PM. A surprising conclusion (and perhaps unwelcome to many on here) but pretty much undeniable.
I would certainly deny that Brown was a great PM. The arrogance that he could take over from Blair was delusional.
Sunak went to the trouble to get Parliament to declare Rwanda a safe country and then called the election early to avoid sending anyone to Rwanda. The whole thing was baffling and pointless.
Wrapping up any money with 3 years is rarely if ever a good move unless you have infinite money. Even betting on winners of next seasons EPL isn't an attractive prospect, when you could make a lot more bets inbetween now and then.
What you can bet on is Starmer being awful. Surely the worst prime minister of our times
As I posted on the last thread, I’ve given up on Starmer. However he is better than his three predecessors, which tells you how bad those predecessors were.
Right now I have him below May in my list of post 1979 PMs.
1. Thatcher 2. Blair 3. Major 4. Cameron 5. Brown 6. May 7. Starmer (new entry) 8. Sunak 9. Johnson 10. Truss
Back in the day, if you had told people that Major would be a top 3 PM on the last 50 years… 😂
No one anticapated the lack of any talent in the upcomers. We expected gladstones, attlees and churchills....we got ronald mcdonald, sideshowbob and mr blobby
I might be tempted to vote for them above the current choices...
Wrapping up any money with 3 years is rarely if ever a good move unless you have infinite money. Even betting on winners of next seasons EPL isn't an attractive prospect, when you could make a lot more bets inbetween now and then.
What you can bet on is Starmer being awful. Surely the worst prime minister of our times
As I posted on the last thread, I’ve given up on Starmer. However he is better than his three predecessors, which tells you how bad those predecessors were.
Right now I have him below May in my list of post 1979 PMs.
1. Thatcher 2. Blair 3. Major 4. Cameron 5. Brown 6. May 7. Starmer (new entry) 8. Sunak 9. Johnson 10. Truss
It isn't just the leader. Was Major really that good a PM? Really? Or was it that he had a cabinet that weren't totally morons e.g. Hurd, Lamont, Clarke. If Starmer had somebody like a Lamont or Clarke as CoE and hadn't put his mate as AG, I am sure he would be in less trouble.
Well if putting one's mate in as AG is sub-optimal, wouldn't that drop Blair down a notch or two?
The popular recollection of Thatcher in office is very different to mine.
It is of course not that he put his mate in, it is he is an activist lawyer taking some very extreme positions, that is causing the problem.
Charlie wasn't exactly flavour of the decade in the red tops was he?
Callaghan - Winter of Discontent Wilson - Devaluation Heath - Miners strike Eden - Suez MacMillan - Profumo
All handled badly. And we already have the same verdict for Cameron, May, Blair, Truss, Sunak, Johnson.
It shows how it's the norm for these Defining Episodes to be screwed up by the PM of the day. And therefore how (on this metric) Gordon Brown was exceptional.
He was a great PM. An surprising conclusion (and perhaps unwelcome to many on here) but pretty much undeniable.
Ted-the Common Market.
When it came to miners strikes Ted was a rank amateur compared to Thatcher.
Macmillan was defined by the "you've never had it so good" narrative.
Devaluation was a seminal moment for Harold but I don't believe it defined him.
Back in the 1930s, my granddad and a friend biked from Derby to Blackpool on the Saturday; spent the night at a B&B in Blackpool, then rode back on the Sunday, ready for work on the Monday. His description of the A6 in the Peak District was somewhat more idyllic than it is nowadays.
He also described trying to get a tandem up Jacob's Ladder onto Kinder Scout - before the path was causeyed. Three steps up through the mud; two steps slipped back. I *think* that was something to do with the Kinder Trespass or the subsequent rally.
One of the regrets of my life is not talking to granddad more about all his experiences. I'm trying to do the same with my parents, and I'm still hearing stories from mum and dad that I hadn't heard before. Including one last night.
Hello again pb. Thanks for the comments on my rat photo earlier - very interesting. An update on my adventure: following Greenhead, I cycled the Stanegate in a dense cloud and drizzle - saw the Sycamore Gap, where there was much rejoicing about something; on a drier day I'd have investigated - then descended to the Tyne Valley which is beautiful but much longer than I remember. Sadly @taz I overshot Wylam by about 2 miles, but found my way to the tidal Tyne at about 1705, therefore coast to coast in 5h53, including a 45 min lunch stop. Onwards to Newcastle in the pissing rain and arrived at Wetherspoons on the quayside where I was met by complete strangers like a conquering hero, and they insisted on buying me drinks for 2 hours and giving me money for whatever charity I'm raising for (fortunately me daughter is on a fundraising campaign). It really is a wonderful city. I'd forgotten how ridiculously celebratory Novocastrians are on a Saturday night. Reckon I've ridden about 76 miles today, which other pbers possibly do without blinking but is the longest bike ride I've ever had. Now waiting for the train home.
Go back to the Bigg Market and see how much cash you can raise on a Saturday night. Then book a room on Osbourne Road. If you’re really lucky you might get someone to share 😉
When was the last time you were in Newcastle - the Bigg Market isn't what it used to be - heck I'm not sure if it exists anymore...
I think the King's "dear oh dear" comment summed up Liz Truss' brief premiership succinctly.
HMQ on Boris's resignation – at least I won't have that idiot organising my funeral.
Doesn't everyone arrange there own funeral I know I have
I might change my mind on this in twenty years time, but personally I think funerals are for the living, so I'd only do something if it was a "make life easier for whoever it is that has to deal with it" action.
Hello again pb. Thanks for the comments on my rat photo earlier - very interesting. An update on my adventure: following Greenhead, I cycled the Stanegate in a dense cloud and drizzle - saw the Sycamore Gap, where there was much rejoicing about something; on a drier day I'd have investigated - then descended to the Tyne Valley which is beautiful but much longer than I remember. Sadly @taz I overshot Wylam by about 2 miles, but found my way to the tidal Tyne at about 1705, therefore coast to coast in 5h53, including a 45 min lunch stop. Onwards to Newcastle in the pissing rain and arrived at Wetherspoons on the quayside where I was met by complete strangers like a conquering hero, and they insisted on buying me drinks for 2 hours and giving me money for whatever charity I'm raising for (fortunately me daughter is on a fundraising campaign). It really is a wonderful city. I'd forgotten how ridiculously celebratory Novocastrians are on a Saturday night. Reckon I've ridden about 76 miles today, which other pbers possibly do without blinking but is the longest bike ride I've ever had. Now waiting for the train home.
Go back to the Bigg Market and see how much cash you can raise on a Saturday night. Then book a room on Osbourne Road. If you’re really lucky you might get someone to share 😉
When was the last time you were in Newcastle - the Bigg Market isn't what it used to be - heck I'm not sure if it exists anymore...
If Donald Trump is candidate again in 2028 given his current approval ratings he will likely be the only candidate on the ballot even if he got Congress to change the constitution to allow him to run again.
Not sure even the SC would allow that
SCOTUS gave him a win on his blatantly unconstitutional birthright citizenship executive order. They've pretty much said he is above the law. I'm not certain there's anything they won't allow him.
The "Zionist" promoter the bloke at Glastonbury has been rantings about....organised LiveAid, Freddie Mercury Tribute for AIDs awareness, and a million other charitable things.
Actually I think Live Aid is now troublesome in wokeland.
I am sure it, White Saviour nonsense and all that. I think Ranty Mcranty Face's issue was more to do with his religious beliefs, rather than his very long record of putting on charitable gigs that have raised billions.
The morally correct thing is to let people starve to death, seemingly.
Though, I always love the story of Bob Geldof, clapping his hands, at a Live Aid concert in Glasgow.
“Every time I clap my hands, a child in Africa dies.”
“Then stop clapping, you evil bastard”, yelled one of the crowd.
Back in the 1930s, my granddad and a friend biked from Derby to Blackpool on the Saturday; spent the night at a B&B in Blackpool, then rode back on the Sunday, ready for work on the Monday. His description of the A6 in the Peak District was somewhat more idyllic than it is nowadays.
He also described trying to get a tandem up Jacob's Ladder onto Kinder Scout - before the path was causeyed. Three steps up through the mud; two steps slipped back. I *think* that was something to do with the Kinder Trespass or the subsequent rally.
One of the regrets of my life is not talking to granddad more about all his experiences. I'm trying to do the same with my parents, and I'm still hearing stories from mum and dad that I hadn't heard before. Including one last night.
While my mother is thankfully dead now I find the stories my father tells far different from the memories I have of those incidents
Gordon Brown handled the defining episode of his Premiership (the global financial crisis) extremely well. For this reason I'd have him upper quartile of PMs since 1951. Many of the others handled their defining episodes badly. Although of course not all had a defining episode.
Good game actually. For each PM what was their defining episode? Not what they'd like it to be but what it was.
Blair - Iraq Brown - GFC Thatcher - Falklands Johnson - Covid May - Brexit Cameron - ?? Truss - Budget Sunak - ??
Sunak - Getting drenched.
I still don't understand why no-one in Number 10 looked out of the window and noticed it was raining.
If only they had a purpose built studio inside....
Wrapping up any money with 3 years is rarely if ever a good move unless you have infinite money. Even betting on winners of next seasons EPL isn't an attractive prospect, when you could make a lot more bets inbetween now and then.
What you can bet on is Starmer being awful. Surely the worst prime minister of our times
As I posted on the last thread, I’ve given up on Starmer. However he is better than his three predecessors, which tells you how bad those predecessors were.
Right now I have him below May in my list of post 1979 PMs.
1. Thatcher 2. Blair 3. Major 4. Cameron 5. Brown 6. May 7. Starmer (new entry) 8. Sunak 9. Johnson 10. Truss
It isn't just the leader. Was Major really that good a PM? Really? Or was it that he had a cabinet that weren't totally morons e.g. Hurd, Lamont, Clarke. If Starmer had somebody like a Lamont or Clarke as CoE and hadn't put his mate as AG, I am sure he would be in less trouble.
Well if putting one's mate in as AG is sub-optimal, wouldn't that drop Blair down a notch or two?
The popular recollection of Thatcher in office is very different to mine.
It is of course not that he put his mate in, it is he is an activist lawyer taking some very extreme positions, that is causing the problem.
Charlie wasn't exactly flavour of the decade in the red tops was he?
Back in the 1930s, my granddad and a friend biked from Derby to Blackpool on the Saturday; spent the night at a B&B in Blackpool, then rode back on the Sunday, ready for work on the Monday. His description of the A6 in the Peak District was somewhat more idyllic than it is nowadays.
He also described trying to get a tandem up Jacob's Ladder onto Kinder Scout - before the path was causeyed. Three steps up through the mud; two steps slipped back. I *think* that was something to do with the Kinder Trespass or the subsequent rally.
One of the regrets of my life is not talking to granddad more about all his experiences. I'm trying to do the same with my parents, and I'm still hearing stories from mum and dad that I hadn't heard before. Including one last night.
While my mother is thankfully dead now I find the stories my father tells far different from the memories I have of those incidents
Memories can be frail. I have a vivid memory of when I was about nine, of driving back from holiday in Devon and a bird coming through the car windscreen, shattering it and (obviously) killing the bird. I even know the stretch of local road it happened on. Yet mum, dad and my brother cannot remember it, and my sister vaguely recalls something like it.
It isn't the sort of thing you would forget, so I assume my memory of the event is faulty. But the memory is vivid.
Back in the 1930s, my granddad and a friend biked from Derby to Blackpool on the Saturday; spent the night at a B&B in Blackpool, then rode back on the Sunday, ready for work on the Monday. His description of the A6 in the Peak District was somewhat more idyllic than it is nowadays.
He also described trying to get a tandem up Jacob's Ladder onto Kinder Scout - before the path was causeyed. Three steps up through the mud; two steps slipped back. I *think* that was something to do with the Kinder Trespass or the subsequent rally.
One of the regrets of my life is not talking to granddad more about all his experiences. I'm trying to do the same with my parents, and I'm still hearing stories from mum and dad that I hadn't heard before. Including one last night.
While my mother is thankfully dead now I find the stories my father tells far different from the memories I have of those incidents
Memories can be frail. I have a vivid memory of when I was about nine, of driving back from holiday in Devon and a bird coming through the car windscreen, shattering it and (obviously) killing the bird. I even know the stretch of local road it happened on. Yet mum, dad and my brother cannot remember it, and my sister vaguely recalls something like it.
It isn't the sort of thing you would forget, so I assume my memory of the event is faulty. But the memory is vivid.
A disabled Labour MP has said Keir Starmer’s chaotic U-turn on welfare reform will create an “unethical two-tier system”, in a damning intervention which will put further pressure on the prime minister to change course.
I think the King's "dear oh dear" comment summed up Liz Truss' brief premiership succinctly.
HMQ on Boris's resignation – at least I won't have that idiot organising my funeral.
Doesn't everyone arrange there own funeral I know I have
I might change my mind on this in twenty years time, but personally I think funerals are for the living, so I'd only do something if it was a "make life easier for whoever it is that has to deal with it" action.
I'd quite like "funeral pyre on a windswept hillside" but since some Hindus injudiciously brought a court case trying to force their council to provide one, it has been ruled illegal.
A disabled Labour MP has said Keir Starmer’s chaotic U-turn on welfare reform will create an “unethical two-tier system”, in a damning intervention which will put further pressure on the prime minister to change course.
I think the King's "dear oh dear" comment summed up Liz Truss' brief premiership succinctly.
HMQ on Boris's resignation – at least I won't have that idiot organising my funeral.
Doesn't everyone arrange there own funeral I know I have
I might change my mind on this in twenty years time, but personally I think funerals are for the living, so I'd only do something if it was a "make life easier for whoever it is that has to deal with it" action.
I'd quite like "funeral pyre on a windswept hillside" but since some Hindus injudiciously brought a court case trying to force their council to provide one, it has been ruled illegal.
You can get an open air pyre if you know the right people I have one booked with a hog roast for people to munch while I burn
I think the King's "dear oh dear" comment summed up Liz Truss' brief premiership succinctly.
HMQ on Boris's resignation – at least I won't have that idiot organising my funeral.
Doesn't everyone arrange there own funeral I know I have
I might change my mind on this in twenty years time, but personally I think funerals are for the living, so I'd only do something if it was a "make life easier for whoever it is that has to deal with it" action.
I'd quite like "funeral pyre on a windswept hillside" but since some Hindus injudiciously brought a court case trying to force their council to provide one, it has been ruled illegal.
You can get an open air pyre if you know the right people I have one booked with a hog roast for people to munch while I burn
I think the King's "dear oh dear" comment summed up Liz Truss' brief premiership succinctly.
HMQ on Boris's resignation – at least I won't have that idiot organising my funeral.
Doesn't everyone arrange there own funeral I know I have
I might change my mind on this in twenty years time, but personally I think funerals are for the living, so I'd only do something if it was a "make life easier for whoever it is that has to deal with it" action.
I'd quite like "funeral pyre on a windswept hillside" but since some Hindus injudiciously brought a court case trying to force their council to provide one, it has been ruled illegal.
You can get an open air pyre if you know the right people I have one booked with a hog roast for people to munch while I burn
Hope they make it clear which pyre is which.
Shrugs its all protein, I will lend them my copy of the cannibals cookbook first
I think the King's "dear oh dear" comment summed up Liz Truss' brief premiership succinctly.
HMQ on Boris's resignation – at least I won't have that idiot organising my funeral.
Doesn't everyone arrange there own funeral I know I have
I might change my mind on this in twenty years time, but personally I think funerals are for the living, so I'd only do something if it was a "make life easier for whoever it is that has to deal with it" action.
I'd quite like "funeral pyre on a windswept hillside" but since some Hindus injudiciously brought a court case trying to force their council to provide one, it has been ruled illegal.
You can get an open air pyre if you know the right people I have one booked with a hog roast for people to munch while I burn
Hope they make it clear which pyre is which.
More energy efficient to use one I should think. Bring your own marshmellows.
I think the King's "dear oh dear" comment summed up Liz Truss' brief premiership succinctly.
HMQ on Boris's resignation – at least I won't have that idiot organising my funeral.
Doesn't everyone arrange there own funeral I know I have
I might change my mind on this in twenty years time, but personally I think funerals are for the living, so I'd only do something if it was a "make life easier for whoever it is that has to deal with it" action.
I'd quite like "funeral pyre on a windswept hillside" but since some Hindus injudiciously brought a court case trying to force their council to provide one, it has been ruled illegal.
You can get an open air pyre if you know the right people I have one booked with a hog roast for people to munch while I burn
Hope they make it clear which pyre is which.
Very energy efficient I should think. Bring your own marshmellows.
Funerals aren't for the dead we wont care they are for the living,want to have a marshmallow roast round my pyre go ahead if it cheers you up, not that many here will
I think the King's "dear oh dear" comment summed up Liz Truss' brief premiership succinctly.
HMQ on Boris's resignation – at least I won't have that idiot organising my funeral.
Doesn't everyone arrange there own funeral I know I have
I might change my mind on this in twenty years time, but personally I think funerals are for the living, so I'd only do something if it was a "make life easier for whoever it is that has to deal with it" action.
I'd quite like "funeral pyre on a windswept hillside" but since some Hindus injudiciously brought a court case trying to force their council to provide one, it has been ruled illegal.
You can get an open air pyre if you know the right people I have one booked with a hog roast for people to munch while I burn
Hope they make it clear which pyre is which.
Very energy efficient I should think. Bring your own marshmellows.
Funerals aren't for the dead we wont care they are for the living,want to have a marshmallow roast round my pyre go ahead if it cheers you up, not that many here will
I think the King's "dear oh dear" comment summed up Liz Truss' brief premiership succinctly.
HMQ on Boris's resignation – at least I won't have that idiot organising my funeral.
Doesn't everyone arrange there own funeral I know I have
I might change my mind on this in twenty years time, but personally I think funerals are for the living, so I'd only do something if it was a "make life easier for whoever it is that has to deal with it" action.
I'd quite like "funeral pyre on a windswept hillside" but since some Hindus injudiciously brought a court case trying to force their council to provide one, it has been ruled illegal.
You can get an open air pyre if you know the right people I have one booked with a hog roast for people to munch while I burn
Hope they make it clear which pyre is which.
Very energy efficient I should think. Bring your own marshmellows.
Funerals aren't for the dead we wont care they are for the living,want to have a marshmallow roast round my pyre go ahead if it cheers you up, not that many here will
I agree actually. I was making gentle fun.
grins welcome to eat some meat in a bun and then wonder which body is roasting and which burning
I think the King's "dear oh dear" comment summed up Liz Truss' brief premiership succinctly.
HMQ on Boris's resignation – at least I won't have that idiot organising my funeral.
Doesn't everyone arrange there own funeral I know I have
I might change my mind on this in twenty years time, but personally I think funerals are for the living, so I'd only do something if it was a "make life easier for whoever it is that has to deal with it" action.
I'd quite like "funeral pyre on a windswept hillside" but since some Hindus injudiciously brought a court case trying to force their council to provide one, it has been ruled illegal.
I don't mind what they do for my funeral - I might leave a selected playlist but only as a suggestion, they can remember me how they want - but assuming I die when my lot are still healthy, I'd quite like them to haul my charred remains up Arnside Knott one last time one bleak November afternoon and leave me there.
I think the King's "dear oh dear" comment summed up Liz Truss' brief premiership succinctly.
HMQ on Boris's resignation – at least I won't have that idiot organising my funeral.
Doesn't everyone arrange there own funeral I know I have
I might change my mind on this in twenty years time, but personally I think funerals are for the living, so I'd only do something if it was a "make life easier for whoever it is that has to deal with it" action.
I'd quite like "funeral pyre on a windswept hillside" but since some Hindus injudiciously brought a court case trying to force their council to provide one, it has been ruled illegal.
I don't mind what they do for my funeral - I might leave a selected playlist but only as a suggestion, they can remember me how they want - but assuming I die when my lot are still healthy, I'd quite like them to haul my charred remains up Arnside Knott one last time one bleak November afternoon and leave me there.
a playlist is a good idea, it gives you a last chance to leave a message....no steps or s club 7 for me anyway
Hadn't realised Gary Numan had never played Galstonbury until today. Sounded great. His two guitarists were cool - looked like "what two White Walkers did on our holidays".
I like autistic pop stars (see also: David Byrne, I think). A friend of mine has an autistic son who is REALLY, REALLY into music, and is a talented musician: the success of such people - because of, rather tham despite - their autism cheers me, not least because it gives me hope for his future.
Breaking: A newly elected Reform UK councillor tried to join the council’s ruling Labour group, saying he couldn’t stand Nigel Farage and that Reform was full of people with big egos.
Owain Clatworthy made headlines across the UK when he won a by-election on May 1 to become a member of Bridgend County Borough Council. He defeated the second-placed Labour candidate by 30 votes.
His main campaign theme was the need to oust Labour from the Welsh Government in next year’s Senedd election and from power in Bridgend council in 2027.
But five weeks after his by-election victory in Pyle, Kenfig Hill and Cefn Cribwr, Cllr Clatworthy was on the phone to John Spanswick, the council’s Labour leader, asking to join his party group.
If Donald Trump is candidate again in 2028 given his current approval ratings he will likely be the only candidate on the ballot even if he got Congress to change the constitution to allow him to run again.
Not sure even the SC would allow that
SCOTUS gave him a win on his blatantly unconstitutional birthright citizenship executive order. They've pretty much said he is above the law. I'm not certain there's anything they won't allow him.
If Trump's approval rating remains around 40% the SCOTUS can't enforce a ruling preventing a free presidential election in 2028 if close to 60% of US voters want to replace Trump. He would at least need the senior ranks of the armed forces and FBI and state police on board too and even then that may not be enough to control mass riots in the big Democrat heavy US cities
Callaghan - Winter of Discontent Wilson - Devaluation Heath - Miners strike Eden - Suez MacMillan - Profumo
All handled badly. And we already have the same verdict for Cameron, May, Blair, Truss, Sunak, Johnson.
It shows how it's the norm for these Defining Episodes to be screwed up by the PM of the day. And therefore how (on this metric) Gordon Brown was exceptional.
He was a great PM. An surprising conclusion (and perhaps unwelcome to many on here) but pretty much undeniable.
Ted-the Common Market.
When it came to miners strikes Ted was a rank amateur compared to Thatcher.
Macmillan was defined by the "you've never had it so good" narrative.
Devaluation was a seminal moment for Harold but I don't believe it defined him.
Yes, Wilson is a difficult one. His resignation was unusual in being a purely personal decision.
Hadn't realised Gary Numan had never played Galstonbury until today. Sounded great. His two guitarists were cool - looked like "what two White Walkers did on our holidays".
I like autistic pop stars (see also: David Byrne, I think). A friend of mine has an autistic son who is REALLY, REALLY into music, and is a talented musician: the success of such people - because of, rather tham despite - their autism cheers me, not least because it gives me hope for his future.
I think the King's "dear oh dear" comment summed up Liz Truss' brief premiership succinctly.
HMQ on Boris's resignation – at least I won't have that idiot organising my funeral.
Doesn't everyone arrange there own funeral I know I have
I might change my mind on this in twenty years time, but personally I think funerals are for the living, so I'd only do something if it was a "make life easier for whoever it is that has to deal with it" action.
I'd quite like "funeral pyre on a windswept hillside" but since some Hindus injudiciously brought a court case trying to force their council to provide one, it has been ruled illegal.
You can get an open air pyre if you know the right people I have one booked with a hog roast for people to munch while I burn
Hope they make it clear which pyre is which.
More energy efficient to use one I should think. Bring your own marshmellows.
Wrapping up any money with 3 years is rarely if ever a good move unless you have infinite money. Even betting on winners of next seasons EPL isn't an attractive prospect, when you could make a lot more bets inbetween now and then.
What you can bet on is Starmer being awful. Surely the worst prime minister of our times
As I posted on the last thread, I’ve given up on Starmer. However he is better than his three predecessors, which tells you how bad those predecessors were.
Right now I have him below May in my list of post 1979 PMs.
1. Thatcher 2. Blair 3. Major 4. Cameron 5. Brown 6. May 7. Starmer (new entry) 8. Sunak 9. Johnson 10. Truss
It isn't just the leader. Was Major really that good a PM? Really? Or was it that he had a cabinet that weren't totally morons e.g. Hurd, Lamont, Clarke. If Starmer had somebody like a Lamont or Clarke as CoE and hadn't put his mate as AG, I am sure he would be in less trouble.
Well if putting one's mate in as AG is sub-optimal, wouldn't that drop Blair down a notch or two?
The popular recollection of Thatcher in office is very different to mine.
It is of course not that he put his mate in, it is he is an activist lawyer taking some very extreme positions, that is causing the problem.
Charlie wasn't exactly flavour of the decade in the red tops was he?
'“I love you Trump.” “I love you Donald.” Chanting at the @GHFUpdates food distribution site two days after the US pledged $30 million support for GHF aid. Other countries who want to help the ordinary people of Gaza should follow suit now.'
It may be that the US and Israel have broken Hamas' stranglehold on the aid delivery through their enablers in the UN and that explains why so many reports are coming out about people being gunned down by the IDF at the distribution centres. More than 400 according to the BBC's Hugo Bachega although there isn't any video evidence to back it up. He's getting quite a grilling for this post which doesn't really sound like the work of an impartial journalist.
'It will surprise no-one if this is true, with more than 400 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces while seeking aid in Gaza since this Israeli-backed mechanism came into force last month.'
Wrapping up any money with 3 years is rarely if ever a good move unless you have infinite money. Even betting on winners of next seasons EPL isn't an attractive prospect, when you could make a lot more bets inbetween now and then.
What you can bet on is Starmer being awful. Surely the worst prime minister of our times
As I posted on the last thread, I’ve given up on Starmer. However he is better than his three predecessors, which tells you how bad those predecessors were.
Right now I have him below May in my list of post 1979 PMs.
1. Thatcher 2. Blair 3. Major 4. Cameron 5. Brown 6. May 7. Starmer (new entry) 8. Sunak 9. Johnson 10. Truss
Back in the day, if you had told people that Major would be a top 3 PM on the last 50 years… 😂
With respect to these sort of things I like to ask myself questions like "if you were injured in a road accident who would you like to arrive first on the scene" and " if yiu owned business who would you like to run it". One has to put Johnson and then I think Truss bottom of the Tories. Brown and Callaghan for Labour I think.
I think the King's "dear oh dear" comment summed up Liz Truss' brief premiership succinctly.
HMQ on Boris's resignation – at least I won't have that idiot organising my funeral.
Doesn't everyone arrange there own funeral I know I have
I might change my mind on this in twenty years time, but personally I think funerals are for the living, so I'd only do something if it was a "make life easier for whoever it is that has to deal with it" action.
I'd quite like "funeral pyre on a windswept hillside" but since some Hindus injudiciously brought a court case trying to force their council to provide one, it has been ruled illegal.
I don't mind what they do for my funeral - I might leave a selected playlist but only as a suggestion, they can remember me how they want - but assuming I die when my lot are still healthy, I'd quite like them to haul my charred remains up Arnside Knott one last time one bleak November afternoon and leave me there.
a playlist is a good idea, it gives you a last chance to leave a message....no steps or s club 7 for me anyway
I’ve got one!
All a bit gloomy to be honest. I think it might be nicer for the kids if the songs were slightly cheerier.
I think the King's "dear oh dear" comment summed up Liz Truss' brief premiership succinctly.
HMQ on Boris's resignation – at least I won't have that idiot organising my funeral.
Doesn't everyone arrange there own funeral I know I have
I might change my mind on this in twenty years time, but personally I think funerals are for the living, so I'd only do something if it was a "make life easier for whoever it is that has to deal with it" action.
I'd quite like "funeral pyre on a windswept hillside" but since some Hindus injudiciously brought a court case trying to force their council to provide one, it has been ruled illegal.
I don't mind what they do for my funeral - I might leave a selected playlist but only as a suggestion, they can remember me how they want - but assuming I die when my lot are still healthy, I'd quite like them to haul my charred remains up Arnside Knott one last time one bleak November afternoon and leave me there.
a playlist is a good idea, it gives you a last chance to leave a message....no steps or s club 7 for me anyway
Back in the 1930s, my granddad and a friend biked from Derby to Blackpool on the Saturday; spent the night at a B&B in Blackpool, then rode back on the Sunday, ready for work on the Monday. His description of the A6 in the Peak District was somewhat more idyllic than it is nowadays.
He also described trying to get a tandem up Jacob's Ladder onto Kinder Scout - before the path was causeyed. Three steps up through the mud; two steps slipped back. I *think* that was something to do with the Kinder Trespass or the subsequent rally.
One of the regrets of my life is not talking to granddad more about all his experiences. I'm trying to do the same with my parents, and I'm still hearing stories from mum and dad that I hadn't heard before. Including one last night.
While my mother is thankfully dead now I find the stories my father tells far different from the memories I have of those incidents
Memories can be frail. I have a vivid memory of when I was about nine, of driving back from holiday in Devon and a bird coming through the car windscreen, shattering it and (obviously) killing the bird. I even know the stretch of local road it happened on. Yet mum, dad and my brother cannot remember it, and my sister vaguely recalls something like it.
It isn't the sort of thing you would forget, so I assume my memory of the event is faulty. But the memory is vivid.
I have a vivid memory of a Blakes 7 episode which doesn't exist.
I think the King's "dear oh dear" comment summed up Liz Truss' brief premiership succinctly.
HMQ on Boris's resignation – at least I won't have that idiot organising my funeral.
Doesn't everyone arrange there own funeral I know I have
I might change my mind on this in twenty years time, but personally I think funerals are for the living, so I'd only do something if it was a "make life easier for whoever it is that has to deal with it" action.
I'd quite like "funeral pyre on a windswept hillside" but since some Hindus injudiciously brought a court case trying to force their council to provide one, it has been ruled illegal.
I don't mind what they do for my funeral - I might leave a selected playlist but only as a suggestion, they can remember me how they want - but assuming I die when my lot are still healthy, I'd quite like them to haul my charred remains up Arnside Knott one last time one bleak November afternoon and leave me there.
a playlist is a good idea, it gives you a last chance to leave a message....no steps or s club 7 for me anyway
I’ve got one!
All a bit gloomy to be honest. I think it might be nicer for the kids if the songs were slightly cheerier.
Callaghan - Winter of Discontent Wilson - Devaluation Heath - Miners strike Eden - Suez MacMillan - Profumo
All handled badly. And we already have the same verdict for Cameron, May, Blair, Truss, Sunak, Johnson.
It shows how it's the norm for these Defining Episodes to be screwed up by the PM of the day. And therefore how (on this metric) Gordon Brown was exceptional.
He was a great PM. An surprising conclusion (and perhaps unwelcome to many on here) but pretty much undeniable.
Ted-the Common Market.
When it came to miners strikes Ted was a rank amateur compared to Thatcher.
Macmillan was defined by the "you've never had it so good" narrative.
Devaluation was a seminal moment for Harold but I don't believe it defined him.
Yes, Wilson is a difficult one. His resignation was unusual in being a purely personal decision.
I think Harold is probably my favourite post war Prime Minister. I researched the devaluation crisis a while ago, and the big regret was they didn't go much earlier.
Harold handled his Eurosceptics beautifully. Cameron could have learned lessons from him.
The "Zionist" promoter the bloke at Glastonbury has been rantings about....organised LiveAid, Freddie Mercury Tribute for AIDs awareness, and a million other charitable things.
Actually I think Live Aid is now troublesome in wokeland.
I am sure it, White Saviour nonsense and all that. I think Ranty Mcranty Face's issue was more to do with his religious beliefs, rather than his very long record of putting on charitable gigs that have raised billions.
The morally correct thing is to let people starve to death, seemingly.
Though, I always love the story of Bob Geldof, clapping his hands, at a Live Aid concert in Glasgow.
“Every time I clap my hands, a child in Africa dies.”
“Then stop clapping, you evil bastard”, yelled one of the crowd.
The influx of aid to Ethiopia collapsed much of the remaining agriculture - why grow food, if it is being given for free?
This out back recovery, vastly.
Famine relief now uses studies of what happened there to prevent the same happening again.
Back in the 1930s, my granddad and a friend biked from Derby to Blackpool on the Saturday; spent the night at a B&B in Blackpool, then rode back on the Sunday, ready for work on the Monday. His description of the A6 in the Peak District was somewhat more idyllic than it is nowadays.
He also described trying to get a tandem up Jacob's Ladder onto Kinder Scout - before the path was causeyed. Three steps up through the mud; two steps slipped back. I *think* that was something to do with the Kinder Trespass or the subsequent rally.
One of the regrets of my life is not talking to granddad more about all his experiences. I'm trying to do the same with my parents, and I'm still hearing stories from mum and dad that I hadn't heard before. Including one last night.
I asked my grandfather about his time in WW2. The only thing he would talk about - at some length and with some passion - was how much he hated camels.
I think the King's "dear oh dear" comment summed up Liz Truss' brief premiership succinctly.
HMQ on Boris's resignation – at least I won't have that idiot organising my funeral.
Doesn't everyone arrange there own funeral I know I have
I might change my mind on this in twenty years time, but personally I think funerals are for the living, so I'd only do something if it was a "make life easier for whoever it is that has to deal with it" action.
I'd quite like "funeral pyre on a windswept hillside" but since some Hindus injudiciously brought a court case trying to force their council to provide one, it has been ruled illegal.
I don't mind what they do for my funeral - I might leave a selected playlist but only as a suggestion, they can remember me how they want - but assuming I die when my lot are still healthy, I'd quite like them to haul my charred remains up Arnside Knott one last time one bleak November afternoon and leave me there.
a playlist is a good idea, it gives you a last chance to leave a message....no steps or s club 7 for me anyway
I’ve got one!
All a bit gloomy to be honest. I think it might be nicer for the kids if the songs were slightly cheerier.
I think the King's "dear oh dear" comment summed up Liz Truss' brief premiership succinctly.
HMQ on Boris's resignation – at least I won't have that idiot organising my funeral.
Careful what you wish for - she got Truss.
To her credit Truss got the measure of the Queen's passing absolutely right. It all went tits up after HMQ was laid to rest.
Johnson would have been a national embarrassment. He would have humiliated Her Majesty, and she knew it.
assuming hmq was on her back being laid to rest it was bound to be tits up
You can't say that about the bloomin' Queen!
I'm quite pleased you still describe QE2 as "the queen". That's my view. All other queens are queen something: Queen Camilla, the queen of The Netherlands, etc. But if we are talking about THE queen, we know who we mean.
Comments
Johnson -Brexit/ Partygate
May- Brexit is Brexit
Sunak- Eat out to Help Out/ Furlough
https://x.com/David75234833/status/1938972012946366509
Bob Vylan at Glastonbury.
“I heard you want your country back, shut the fuck up”.
Yeah, they’re a friendly bunch up here.
Longest ride I’ve done is 50 miles. I reckon I could do 15 or 20 now.
In so far as Sunak had one, calling an election he was going to lose when he didn't need to in the pouring rain without a brolly?
If you're looking for something of similar length, but with loads of other cyclists, strongly recommend the Loch Ness Etape.
Short, super rich, out of touch, crap leader, yes....brown bloke...no.
Nick Palmer, Reform UK’s candidate for Hornchurch and Upminster, who beat Labour last July, said even “school kids want to get involved”.
https://www.thetimes.com/article/9661e979-3165-4745-90eb-31d51df63a13?shareToken=faa72193b0bbccca8dd96dc2362578c3
Meanwhile it looks as if the prince is about to be arrested for a series of sexual assaults
"Five children have been taken to hospital, two with serious injuries, after a tree fell in a seaside park."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gdr4el5vpo
It's sad, but sometimes these grand old veterans need to be cut down.
Callaghan - Winter of Discontent
Wilson - Devaluation
Heath - Miners strike
Eden - Suez
MacMillan - Profumo
All handled badly. And we already have the same verdict for Cameron, May, Blair, Truss, Sunak, Johnson.
It shows how it's the norm for these Defining Episodes to be screwed up by the PM of the day. And therefore how (on this metric) Gordon Brown was exceptional.
He was a great PM. A surprising conclusion (and perhaps an unwelcome one to many on here) but pretty much undeniable.
Hadn't realised Gary Numan had never played Galstonbury until today. Sounded great. His two guitarists were cool - looked like "what two White Walkers did on our holidays".
When it came to miners strikes Ted was a rank amateur compared to Thatcher.
Macmillan was defined by the "you've never had it so good" narrative.
Devaluation was a seminal moment for Harold but I don't believe it defined him.
He also described trying to get a tandem up Jacob's Ladder onto Kinder Scout - before the path was causeyed. Three steps up through the mud; two steps slipped back. I *think* that was something to do with the Kinder Trespass or the subsequent rally.
One of the regrets of my life is not talking to granddad more about all his experiences. I'm trying to do the same with my parents, and I'm still hearing stories from mum and dad that I hadn't heard before. Including one last night.
Though, I always love the story of Bob Geldof, clapping his hands, at a Live Aid concert in Glasgow.
“Every time I clap my hands, a child in Africa dies.”
“Then stop clapping, you evil bastard”, yelled one of the crowd.
Johnson would have been a national embarrassment. He would have humiliated Her Majesty, and she knew it.
It isn't the sort of thing you would forget, so I assume my memory of the event is faulty. But the memory is vivid.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/jun/28/disabled-labour-mp-olivia-blake-welfare-bill-u-turn-starmer
Owain Clatworthy made headlines across the UK when he won a by-election on May 1 to become a member of Bridgend County Borough Council. He defeated the second-placed Labour candidate by 30 votes.
His main campaign theme was the need to oust Labour from the Welsh Government in next year’s Senedd election and from power in Bridgend council in 2027.
But five weeks after his by-election victory in Pyle, Kenfig Hill and Cefn Cribwr, Cllr Clatworthy was on the phone to John Spanswick, the council’s Labour leader, asking to join his party group.
https://x.com/COLRICHARDKEMP/status/1938902123615494319
'“I love you Trump.” “I love you Donald.” Chanting at the @GHFUpdates food distribution site two days after the US pledged $30 million support for GHF aid. Other countries who want to help the ordinary people of Gaza should follow suit now.'
It may be that the US and Israel have broken Hamas' stranglehold on the aid delivery through their enablers in the UN and that explains why so many reports are coming out about people being gunned down by the IDF at the distribution centres. More than 400 according to the BBC's Hugo Bachega although there isn't any video evidence to back it up. He's getting quite a grilling for this post which doesn't really sound like the work of an impartial journalist.
https://x.com/hugobachega/status/1938489319913607264
'It will surprise no-one if this is true, with more than 400 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces while seeking aid in Gaza since this Israeli-backed mechanism came into force last month.'
I do not want to wonder where the salt on my chips comes from
All a bit gloomy to be honest. I think it might be nicer for the kids if the songs were slightly cheerier.
Til I Die & Country would probably suffice
No matter how many times I've rewatched it.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossing_the_Bar
Harold handled his Eurosceptics beautifully. Cameron could have learned lessons from him.
This out back recovery, vastly.
Famine relief now uses studies of what happened there to prevent the same happening again.
The animals, not the ciggies.
for the semi sad first one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fx0KlgQk7zc
then followed by songs like
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_k8wYuk8PQ&list=RDC_k8wYuk8PQ&start_radio=1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f55CqLc6IR0