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Putin found out the hard way that Trump is odious – politicalbetting.com

SystemSystem Posts: 12,634
edited August 20 in General
Putin found out the hard way that Trump is odious – politicalbetting.com

Back in 2012 when Mike Smithson first asked to be guest editor during his holiday one thing he told was one of the perks of the job was choosing the picture to accompany the articles and he was right.

Read the full story here

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  • MattWMattW Posts: 29,284
    edited August 20
    First. And offtopic of course.

    FPT:
    Carnyx said:

    MattW said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "Empty homes are on the rise. So why aren't they being used to solve the housing shortage?"

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3r413l5n57o

    There's a little bit of hype in the piece, and it is more complex. It quotes 720k empties, which will include eg all the ones on sale, stuck in estates and so on aiui, and 265k >6 month empties - which are the real targets, which is not actually THAT many. It's only 1% of stock, which is massively lower than comparable countries.

    In depth personal renovation is not so much a thing these days with eg 2 earner couples, and small LLs who would take on wrecks for rental have been hit really hard since Osborne's 2015 targeting, and increasingly savage regulation, plus all the politics. Corporate LLs won't touch small projects.

    These days you will be paying expenses such as Council Tax on it as you renovate, since there will only be one lot of exemption and the previous owner will have had that and it may only have been one month ... unless eg very difficult to obtain exceptions.

    Plus Council Grants, especially in London, tend to have onerous conditions (eg rent it to the Council for X years, by which time it will need another renovation).

    And is it another non-statutory thing Councils have no money for?
    The other thing that struck me (having had to deal with a relative's demise and house sale overlapping with the covid period) is the definition of the short term empties category,, which as you say are to be expected (and indeed a good sign of housing turnover, cf. the perennial complaints about house-blocking oldies sans families on here). But it ought also to inclide those bona fide houses which were intended to be short term for sale but which have encountered the delays of late, for instance in probate. Even a month or two delay in probate would shift a case from the short term to the long term, without really changing the actual situation. So the rise might be an aretefact of probate/bank/legal delays.
    I'd be interested to hear from PBers who have handled parent's houses as to what happened with Council Tax, and I assume it just continued until it was eventually put up for sale - unless there was an exemption (I don't know).

    I avoided that since mum lived with me and the house was jointly owned. That caused complications as it left a family member inheriting the other half, and there was some unpleasantness with attempted leverage, and also she died 6 years after gifting me half.

    Generally Councils are shit-hot, and if you do a newbuild their officer may come round and look through the windows to see if you are in yet. There are tricks - such as making sure there is physically no water supply - that preempt it, but they get VERY cross.
  • TazTaz Posts: 20,441
    He who smelt it…….
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 23,260
    Trump living up to his name.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 80,356
    Reposting this from earlier today.

    20th August, 1991.

    https://x.com/EerikNKross/status/1958143840222695574
    ...Estonians in England call, ask whether they can help. I recommend calling their Members of Parliament and asking for support. The British government is hesitant. I spend most of the day on the phone with British politicians and Foreign Office officials. In England, unlike in many countries, a Baltic States department still exists in the foreign service. Officially the English do not recognize the Soviet occupation. Nevertheless the attitude is more cautionary than encouraging. From Tallinn not a single written overview of the situation or the government’s position arrives. They have other things to do. I write memoranda myself explaining Estonia’s positions and send them to the British government and Parliament. We must appear confident and organised (if only they knew). By the afternoon I receive orally the British semi-official position that if Estonia declares itself independent then our recognition will take “rather years than months.”

    I call my father. He immediately asks whether the English will recognise us. I say, well, they wont get away without. Although in my view the situation is not good. Only years later do I understand that the situation could not have been any better. I have the feeling that I should do something more.

    I get Jüri Luik on the line in Tallinn; he tells how Lennart’s boys have gone to Kadriorg (seat of the Chariman of the Supreme Council, later the Presient's office) to calm (Arnold) Rüütel, who thought that everyone would immediately be sent to Siberia. For the time being he is apparently staying put in Kadriorg.

    By evening the Supreme Council and the Citizens’ Committees finally manage to reach agreement and independence is declared at 11:03PM Tallinn time, 9:03PM London. I translate the independence decision and send it to the British Foreign Office. To my surprise, the Baltic desk officer calls back and offers congratulations. “You are now the official representative of the Republic of Estonia, as far as I know the youngest in the history of the London diplomatic corps”. I myself had not yet thought of that. “I think recognition will take a few months”, she adds. “

    Time has started to move faster.

    Late in the evening the doorbell of the Estonian House rings. I go to open it, at the door they take my picture and say “Thank you”. A few days later a photo appears on the front page of a newspaper with the caption: “How Estonia ended up with a long-haired ambassador.”

    The next day I get my hair cut short and buy my first proper suit...
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 80,356
    About those "security guarantees"...

    Lavrov wants Russia to be one of the security guarantors for Ukraine. He thinks then the guarantees will be "truly reliable."..
    https://x.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1958148409006960734
  • Jim_MillerJim_Miller Posts: 3,463
    FPT: Wyoming, then a territory, granted women suffrage shortly after the Civil War:
    On December 10, 1869, territorial Governor John Allen Campbell extended the right to vote to women, making Wyoming the first territory to do so, and upon statehood became the first state to grant women's suffrage.[25] Women first served on juries in Wyoming (Laramie in 1870). Wyoming was also a pioneer in welcoming women into electoral politics.[26] It had the first female court bailiff (Mary Atkinson, Laramie, in 1870), and the first female justice of the peace in the country (Esther Hobart Morris, South Pass City, in 1870). In 1924, Wyoming was the first state to elect a female governor, Nellie Tayloe Ross, who took office in January 1925.[27] Due to its civil-rights history, one of Wyoming's state nicknames is "The Equality State", and the official state motto is "Equal Rights".
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyoming#History
    (Wyoming became a state on July 10th, 1890.)

    I have long suspected that Wyoming men hoped that suffrage would lead to more women moving there. Unfortunately, much of Wyoming can be described by that old phrase: "heaven for men and dogs, hell on women and horses".
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 36,995
    "(((Dan Hodges)))
    @DPJHodges

    So let me get this right. The Government’s lawyers are arguing asylum hotels must remain open, the Prime Minister has said his policy is to close them because there’s lots of spare housing, and his Ministers are saying they’re unsustainable, but there aren’t any alternatives."

    https://x.com/DPJHodges/status/1958131156009803884
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 52,641
    Taz said:

    He who smelt it…….

    He who denied it supplied it...
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 36,995
    fpt
    rcs1000 said:

    Nigelb said:

    .

    MattW said:

    Hmmm.

    Not sure how terminally nerdy @Leon is being, or whether he wants obscure walk-on curios that his readers may not want to visit.

    There's the "Birthplace of Silicon Valley" in SF, which is the garage where Hewlett-Packard were founded in the 1950s. This is like many of the bizarre things to be found in London eg the original Samaritans' telephone - Mansion House 9000.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP_Garage

    If you're doing that, you're probably better flying into San Jose, rather than SF, as it's a big detour otherwise.

    A fan of the weird might stop by the Rosicrucian museum.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosicrucian_Egyptian_Museum

    Along the way there's Moffett Field with the giant airship hangars, and aviation museum.
    https://www.moffettfieldmuseum.org/exhibits.html
    If you want to truly experience Silicon Valley, you need to drive from San Jose to San Francisco at 330pm on workday. You - along with hundreds of thousands of Googlers, Appleites, Facebookers, Netflixians and the like - will be stuck in traffic for one of the most miserable two hour drives of your life.

    You will see the logos of every Silicon Valley firm pass, very slowly, as you inch down the freeway.
    Why don't they build a train system for all these people to use instead?
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 15,699
    Andy_JS said:

    "(((Dan Hodges)))
    @DPJHodges

    So let me get this right. The Government’s lawyers are arguing asylum hotels must remain open, the Prime Minister has said his policy is to close them because there’s lots of spare housing, and his Ministers are saying they’re unsustainable, but there aren’t any alternatives."

    https://x.com/DPJHodges/status/1958131156009803884

    I don't see a contradiction: they are needed now, but policy is to get us to a situation where they aren't needed.
  • BattlebusBattlebus Posts: 1,387
    Andy_JS said:

    "(((Dan Hodges)))
    @DPJHodges

    So let me get this right. The Government’s lawyers are arguing asylum hotels must remain open, the Prime Minister has said his policy is to close them because there’s lots of spare housing, and his Ministers are saying they’re unsustainable, but there aren’t any alternatives."

    https://x.com/DPJHodges/status/1958131156009803884

    But wasn't the issue the failure to follow the Process State wrt Planning law i.e. wrong process. ? So it's irrelevant but doesn't stop click baiters, click baiting.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 80,356
    Andy_JS said:

    fpt

    rcs1000 said:

    Nigelb said:

    .

    MattW said:

    Hmmm.

    Not sure how terminally nerdy @Leon is being, or whether he wants obscure walk-on curios that his readers may not want to visit.

    There's the "Birthplace of Silicon Valley" in SF, which is the garage where Hewlett-Packard were founded in the 1950s. This is like many of the bizarre things to be found in London eg the original Samaritans' telephone - Mansion House 9000.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP_Garage

    If you're doing that, you're probably better flying into San Jose, rather than SF, as it's a big detour otherwise.

    A fan of the weird might stop by the Rosicrucian museum.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosicrucian_Egyptian_Museum

    Along the way there's Moffett Field with the giant airship hangars, and aviation museum.
    https://www.moffettfieldmuseum.org/exhibits.html
    If you want to truly experience Silicon Valley, you need to drive from San Jose to San Francisco at 330pm on workday. You - along with hundreds of thousands of Googlers, Appleites, Facebookers, Netflixians and the like - will be stuck in traffic for one of the most miserable two hour drives of your life.

    You will see the logos of every Silicon Valley firm pass, very slowly, as you inch down the freeway.
    Why don't they build a train system for all these people to use instead?
    https://www.bart.gov/system-map
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 39,648
    @PpollingNumbers

    Elon Musk is reportedly considering supporting JD Vance for a potential 2028 presidential run.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 80,356
    A suspected Russian suicide drone has struck Poland.

    The suspected drone struck the village of Osiny, more than 100 km from the border with Ukraine. 3 buildings were damaged from the explosion. The authorities have found propeller and engine components in a crater.
    https://x.com/visegrad24/status/1958087781432832271
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 23,260
    Andy_JS said:

    fpt

    rcs1000 said:

    Nigelb said:

    .

    MattW said:

    Hmmm.

    Not sure how terminally nerdy @Leon is being, or whether he wants obscure walk-on curios that his readers may not want to visit.

    There's the "Birthplace of Silicon Valley" in SF, which is the garage where Hewlett-Packard were founded in the 1950s. This is like many of the bizarre things to be found in London eg the original Samaritans' telephone - Mansion House 9000.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP_Garage

    If you're doing that, you're probably better flying into San Jose, rather than SF, as it's a big detour otherwise.

    A fan of the weird might stop by the Rosicrucian museum.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosicrucian_Egyptian_Museum

    Along the way there's Moffett Field with the giant airship hangars, and aviation museum.
    https://www.moffettfieldmuseum.org/exhibits.html
    If you want to truly experience Silicon Valley, you need to drive from San Jose to San Francisco at 330pm on workday. You - along with hundreds of thousands of Googlers, Appleites, Facebookers, Netflixians and the like - will be stuck in traffic for one of the most miserable two hour drives of your life.

    You will see the logos of every Silicon Valley firm pass, very slowly, as you inch down the freeway.
    Why don't they build a train system for all these people to use instead?
    Or why don't the WFH? Don't they have good enough IT?
  • BattlebusBattlebus Posts: 1,387
    FPT

    Interesting comment (for comparison) of the issues of the housing market in the US. If you own a home, you're 'high end'

    https://www.marketwatch.com/story/meredith-whitney-famously-called-the-2008-financial-crisis-heres-the-new-problem-with-the-u-s-economy-she-says-7b0aa8f9?
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 33,582
    Nigelb said:

    About those "security guarantees"...

    Lavrov wants Russia to be one of the security guarantors for Ukraine. He thinks then the guarantees will be "truly reliable."..
    https://x.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1958148409006960734

    Isn't that a little like putting the late John "Goldfinger" Palmer down as a guarantor of the Brinks Mat warehouse at Heathrow?
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 86,889
    TSE obviously not fancying any trips to US or Russia in the near future.
  • StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 10,628
    Andy_JS said:

    fpt

    rcs1000 said:

    Nigelb said:

    .

    MattW said:

    Hmmm.

    Not sure how terminally nerdy @Leon is being, or whether he wants obscure walk-on curios that his readers may not want to visit.

    There's the "Birthplace of Silicon Valley" in SF, which is the garage where Hewlett-Packard were founded in the 1950s. This is like many of the bizarre things to be found in London eg the original Samaritans' telephone - Mansion House 9000.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP_Garage

    If you're doing that, you're probably better flying into San Jose, rather than SF, as it's a big detour otherwise.

    A fan of the weird might stop by the Rosicrucian museum.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosicrucian_Egyptian_Museum

    Along the way there's Moffett Field with the giant airship hangars, and aviation museum.
    https://www.moffettfieldmuseum.org/exhibits.html
    If you want to truly experience Silicon Valley, you need to drive from San Jose to San Francisco at 330pm on workday. You - along with hundreds of thousands of Googlers, Appleites, Facebookers, Netflixians and the like - will be stuck in traffic for one of the most miserable two hour drives of your life.

    You will see the logos of every Silicon Valley firm pass, very slowly, as you inch down the freeway.
    Why don't they build a train system for all these people to use instead?
    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/may/29/california-high-speed-rail-bullet-train
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 86,889
    edited August 20
    Scotland Yard’s plan to widen the use of live facial recognition technology is unlawful because it is incompatible with European laws, the equalities regulator has claimed.

    As the UK’s biggest force prepares to use instant face-matching cameras at this weekend’s Notting Hill carnival, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said its use was intrusive and could have a “chilling effect” on individuals’ rights.

    The EHRC has been given permission to intervene in a judicial review launched last month by the anti-knife campaigner Shaun Thompson.

    https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/aug/20/met-police-facial-recognition-plans-fall-foul-of-european-law-says-watchdog-notting-hill-carnival
  • StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 10,628
    SandyRentool said:

    Andy_JS said:

    fpt

    rcs1000 said:

    Nigelb said:

    .

    MattW said:

    Hmmm.

    Not sure how terminally nerdy @Leon is being, or whether he wants obscure walk-on curios that his readers may not want to visit.

    There's the "Birthplace of Silicon Valley" in SF, which is the garage where Hewlett-Packard were founded in the 1950s. This is like many of the bizarre things to be found in London eg the original Samaritans' telephone - Mansion House 9000.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP_Garage

    If you're doing that, you're probably better flying into San Jose, rather than SF, as it's a big detour otherwise.

    A fan of the weird might stop by the Rosicrucian museum.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosicrucian_Egyptian_Museum

    Along the way there's Moffett Field with the giant airship hangars, and aviation museum.
    https://www.moffettfieldmuseum.org/exhibits.html
    If you want to truly experience Silicon Valley, you need to drive from San Jose to San Francisco at 330pm on workday. You - along with hundreds of thousands of Googlers, Appleites, Facebookers, Netflixians and the like - will be stuck in traffic for one of the most miserable two hour drives of your life.

    You will see the logos of every Silicon Valley firm pass, very slowly, as you inch down the freeway.
    Why don't they build a train system for all these people to use instead?
    Or why don't the WFH? Don't they have good enough IT?
    Surprisingly SF has terrible IT. It was explained to me once (not wholly convinced) that because they were early adopters they got gen 1 versions of most systems which were rapidly outdated
  • hamiltonacehamiltonace Posts: 698
    bondegezou said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "(((Dan Hodges)))
    @DPJHodges

    So let me get this right. The Government’s lawyers are arguing asylum hotels must remain open, the Prime Minister has said his policy is to close them because there’s lots of spare housing, and his Ministers are saying they’re unsustainable, but there aren’t any alternatives."

    https://x.com/DPJHodges/status/1958131156009803884

    I don't see a contradiction: they are needed now, but policy is to get us to a situation where they aren't needed.
    It is becoming very hard to see how Labour can turn their poll ratings around. They are no longer being given the benefit of doubt. On the other side it is intriguing how the Tories have taken on close down the asylum hotels. They have been the only party at the demos and Epping Council is Tory lead. I feel Farage has been too cautious on this and is losing control of the agenda.


  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 86,889
    Labour is preparing to kick off a new wave of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in England to build the neighbourhood health centres at the heart of its NHS 10-year plan.

    Ministers will make a final decision in the autumn budget about whether to use the funding approach, which was put on pause eight years ago.

    But critics say lessons have not been learned about the pitfalls of PPPs, and point to the chaos unleashed by the 2018 collapse of the mega-contractor Carillion, with its complex portfolio of projects.

    While it was originally conceived under the Conservatives, Tony Blair’s Labour government made significant use of the private finance initiative (PFI), a form of PPP used to build schools, hospitals and other public infrastructure, without adding to the national debt.

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/aug/20/labour-public-private-funding-model-nhs-england
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 44,941
    MattW said:

    First. And offtopic of course.

    FPT:

    Carnyx said:

    MattW said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "Empty homes are on the rise. So why aren't they being used to solve the housing shortage?"

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3r413l5n57o

    There's a little bit of hype in the piece, and it is more complex. It quotes 720k empties, which will include eg all the ones on sale, stuck in estates and so on aiui, and 265k >6 month empties - which are the real targets, which is not actually THAT many. It's only 1% of stock, which is massively lower than comparable countries.

    In depth personal renovation is not so much a thing these days with eg 2 earner couples, and small LLs who would take on wrecks for rental have been hit really hard since Osborne's 2015 targeting, and increasingly savage regulation, plus all the politics. Corporate LLs won't touch small projects.

    These days you will be paying expenses such as Council Tax on it as you renovate, since there will only be one lot of exemption and the previous owner will have had that and it may only have been one month ... unless eg very difficult to obtain exceptions.

    Plus Council Grants, especially in London, tend to have onerous conditions (eg rent it to the Council for X years, by which time it will need another renovation).

    And is it another non-statutory thing Councils have no money for?
    The other thing that struck me (having had to deal with a relative's demise and house sale overlapping with the covid period) is the definition of the short term empties category,, which as you say are to be expected (and indeed a good sign of housing turnover, cf. the perennial complaints about house-blocking oldies sans families on here). But it ought also to inclide those bona fide houses which were intended to be short term for sale but which have encountered the delays of late, for instance in probate. Even a month or two delay in probate would shift a case from the short term to the long term, without really changing the actual situation. So the rise might be an aretefact of probate/bank/legal delays.
    I'd be interested to hear from PBers who have handled parent's houses as to what happened with Council Tax, and I assume it just continued until it was eventually put up for sale - unless there was an exemption (I don't know).

    I avoided that since mum lived with me and the house was jointly owned. That caused complications as it left a family member inheriting the other half, and there was some unpleasantness with attempted leverage, and also she died 6 years after gifting me half.

    Generally Councils are shit-hot, and if you do a newbuild their officer may come round and look through the windows to see if you are in yet. There are tricks - such as making sure there is physically no water supply - that preempt it, but they get VERY cross.
    Council tax? The relative was old and living on his own. I forget the precise details but I think basically we had a free grace period of 6 months after death, then a full rate period, then a double rate for a bit and when it went on the market it reset to normal rate. Something of the sort, anyway.

    Generally efficiently dealt with at the council end, the original overpayment (by the deceased) refunded in good time, and later one hiccup remedied acceptably quickly. They also chased me up at times to make sure things hadn't changed since I last reported. Which ties in with your comment.

    Can't complain too much, given the public policy issues over empty houses. It was mildly annoying that a lot of the delay was outwith our control (e.g. probate, covid etc. ) but that wasn't the council's fault, and it all came out in the wash in the end.

    The details vary from council to council anyway. NB the common 12 month exemption for work being done on the house.

    https://www.mygov.scot/council-tax/empty-and-second-homes
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 19,902
    FrancisUrquhart said:

    Scotland Yard’s plan to widen the use of live facial recognition technology is unlawful because it is incompatible with European laws, the equalities regulator has claimed.

    As the UK’s biggest force prepares to use instant face-matching cameras at this weekend’s Notting Hill carnival, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said its use was intrusive and could have a “chilling effect” on individuals’ rights.

    The EHRC has been given permission to intervene in a judicial review launched last month by the anti-knife campaigner Shaun Thompson.

    https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/aug/20/met-police-facial-recognition-plans-fall-foul-of-european-law-says-watchdog-notting-hill-carnival

    I thought we'd left Europe?
  • eekeek Posts: 30,976
    Battlebus said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "(((Dan Hodges)))
    @DPJHodges

    So let me get this right. The Government’s lawyers are arguing asylum hotels must remain open, the Prime Minister has said his policy is to close them because there’s lots of spare housing, and his Ministers are saying they’re unsustainable, but there aren’t any alternatives."

    https://x.com/DPJHodges/status/1958131156009803884

    But wasn't the issue the failure to follow the Process State wrt Planning law i.e. wrong process. ? So it's irrelevant but doesn't stop click baiters, click baiting.
    No the issue is they are hotels and no council has given permission for them to be converted into Hostels.

    And as @Malmesbury pointed out they were previously open for public access to the swimming pool and restaurants - all of which were amenities removed from locals without consultation
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 56,461
    Battlebus said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "(((Dan Hodges)))
    @DPJHodges

    So let me get this right. The Government’s lawyers are arguing asylum hotels must remain open, the Prime Minister has said his policy is to close them because there’s lots of spare housing, and his Ministers are saying they’re unsustainable, but there aren’t any alternatives."

    https://x.com/DPJHodges/status/1958131156009803884

    But wasn't the issue the failure to follow the Process State wrt Planning law i.e. wrong process. ? So it's irrelevant but doesn't stop click baiters, click baiting.
    More that they thought they’d found a Process (turn a hotel into accommodation) that didn’t require a planning enquiry. And most importantly, could override local opposition.

    Just block book hotel. Simples.

    The current issue is that opponents of the hotels schemes are trying to find a legal avenue to block them. Aided by Process State lawyers who are appalled at the idea that the Government can do anything without a 5 year enquiry and judicial review.
  • TazTaz Posts: 20,441
    Nigelb said:

    About those "security guarantees"...

    Lavrov wants Russia to be one of the security guarantors for Ukraine. He thinks then the guarantees will be "truly reliable."..
    https://x.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1958148409006960734

    That’s got to be a pisstake
  • eekeek Posts: 30,976
    Interesting story on why pubs in London are introducing a 4% service charge (it basically allows the money to be passed to workers without VAT and employer NI being paid).

    https://www.londoncentric.media/p/why-london-pub-automatic-service-charge-real-reason-tax
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 56,461
    eek said:

    Battlebus said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "(((Dan Hodges)))
    @DPJHodges

    So let me get this right. The Government’s lawyers are arguing asylum hotels must remain open, the Prime Minister has said his policy is to close them because there’s lots of spare housing, and his Ministers are saying they’re unsustainable, but there aren’t any alternatives."

    https://x.com/DPJHodges/status/1958131156009803884

    But wasn't the issue the failure to follow the Process State wrt Planning law i.e. wrong process. ? So it's irrelevant but doesn't stop click baiters, click baiting.
    No the issue is they are hotels and no council has given permission for them to be converted into Hostels.

    And as @Malmesbury pointed out they were previously open for public access to the swimming pool and restaurants - all of which were amenities removed from locals without consultation
    IIRC, in several cases, planning permission for swimming pools was given with the condition of free usage by local state schools.

    This is one of the avenues for legal challenge, I believe. “Where’s the free swimming pool access?”
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 86,889
    edited August 20
    eek said:

    Interesting story on why pubs in London are introducing a 4% service charge (it basically allows the money to be passed to workers without VAT and employer NI being paid).

    https://www.londoncentric.media/p/why-london-pub-automatic-service-charge-real-reason-tax

    I think somebody went on a holiday to Las Vegas....

    IMO, if it is optional, you should always be presented with this option when you pay to say Yes / No, rather than it being automatically added and having to ask to remove it afterwards.

    What I don't like about this is, you end up with the US experience in bars. No tip every round, the bar staff all of a sudden can't see you. It is one of the least fun things about a night out in the US, the constant tipping per drink every round.
  • eekeek Posts: 30,976
    edited August 20
    Malmesbury said:

    Battlebus said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "(((Dan Hodges)))
    @DPJHodges

    So let me get this right. The Government’s lawyers are arguing asylum hotels must remain open, the Prime Minister has said his policy is to close them because there’s lots of spare housing, and his Ministers are saying they’re unsustainable, but there aren’t any alternatives."

    https://x.com/DPJHodges/status/1958131156009803884

    But wasn't the issue the failure to follow the Process State wrt Planning law i.e. wrong process. ? So it's irrelevant but doesn't stop click baiters, click baiting.
    More that they thought they’d found a Process (turn a hotel into accommodation) that didn’t require a planning enquiry. And most importantly, could override local opposition.

    Just block book hotel. Simples.

    The current issue is that opponents of the hotels schemes are trying to find a legal avenue to block them. Aided by Process State lawyers who are appalled at the idea that the Government can do anything without a 5 year enquiry and judicial review.
    The other problem for labour is that every hotel conversion has probably transformed 1000+ labour voters into Reform ones...

    and like the Tories they didn't notice..
  • StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 10,628
    Taz said:

    Nigelb said:

    About those "security guarantees"...

    Lavrov wants Russia to be one of the security guarantors for Ukraine. He thinks then the guarantees will be "truly reliable."..
    https://x.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1958148409006960734

    That’s got to be a pisstake
    I preferred the “why doesn’t Zelensky come to Moscow for talks”
  • TazTaz Posts: 20,441
    eek said:

    Interesting story on why pubs in London are introducing a 4% service charge (it basically allows the money to be passed to workers without VAT and employer NI being paid).

    https://www.londoncentric.media/p/why-london-pub-automatic-service-charge-real-reason-tax

    But only if you queue at the bar, based on the recent reports.

    I’d be requesting it was removed
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 56,568
    Random pub quiz question, to which I don’t know the answer.

    How many transport hubs are named after religious figures?

    I only ask because I’m now sitting in the lounge at John Paul II airport in Krakow. Next stop: Frankfurt.
  • BattlebusBattlebus Posts: 1,387
    turbotubbs said:

    FrancisUrquhart said:

    Scotland Yard’s plan to widen the use of live facial recognition technology is unlawful because it is incompatible with European laws, the equalities regulator has claimed.

    As the UK’s biggest force prepares to use instant face-matching cameras at this weekend’s Notting Hill carnival, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said its use was intrusive and could have a “chilling effect” on individuals’ rights.

    The EHRC has been given permission to intervene in a judicial review launched last month by the anti-knife campaigner Shaun Thompson.

    https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/aug/20/met-police-facial-recognition-plans-fall-foul-of-european-law-says-watchdog-notting-hill-carnival

    I thought we'd left Europe?
    Theresa May agreed to roll over all EU laws into UK law as trying to separate them would delay Brexit. The idea is that a sovereign Parliament would weed out laws that were not necessary. But Parliament doesn't have the bandwidth to look at existing statutes while trying to introduce new ones. It'll also be worse if there's NOM in the next Parliament, so we're stuck.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 44,941
    edited August 20
    Sandpit said:

    Random pub quiz question, to which I don’t know the answer.

    How many transport hubs are named after religious figures?

    I only ask because I’m now sitting in the lounge at John Paul II airport in Krakow. Next stop: Frankfurt.

    St Pancras.
    St Enoch (demolished).

    PS: does St Andrews bus station count? And rail station (demolished)?
  • StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 10,628
    Sandpit said:

    Random pub quiz question, to which I don’t know the answer.

    How many transport hubs are named after religious figures?

    I only ask because I’m now sitting in the lounge at John Paul II airport in Krakow. Next stop: Frankfurt.

    John Lennon Airport in Liverpool?
  • BattlebusBattlebus Posts: 1,387
    Sandpit said:

    Random pub quiz question, to which I don’t know the answer.

    How many transport hubs are named after religious figures?

    I only ask because I’m now sitting in the lounge at John Paul II airport in Krakow. Next stop: Frankfurt.

    Saint Pancras of Eurostar
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 33,582
    edited August 20
    hamiltonace said:

    bondegezou said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "(((Dan Hodges)))
    @DPJHodges

    So let me get this right. The Government’s lawyers are arguing asylum hotels must remain open, the Prime Minister has said his policy is to close them because there’s lots of spare housing, and his Ministers are saying they’re unsustainable, but there aren’t any alternatives."

    https://x.com/DPJHodges/status/1958131156009803884

    I don't see a contradiction: they are needed now, but policy is to get us to a situation where they aren't needed.
    It is becoming very hard to see how Labour can turn their poll ratings around. They are no longer being given the benefit of doubt. On the other side it is intriguing how the Tories have taken on close down the asylum hotels. They have been the only party at the demos and Epping Council is Tory lead. I feel Farage has been too cautious on this and is losing control of the agenda.


    They were never given the benefit of the doubt, but then twelve months of inertia suggests it wasn't deserved anyway.

    The Tories, particularly Philp and Jenrick have played the politics brilliantly. Bearing in mind Jenrick was quite literally the Minister for Asylum Seeker hotels, he has been adept at pretending there were no such thing as asylum seeker hotels on his watch. Farage, to use an apt pun, is all at sea.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 44,941
    O/T but specially for @Sunil_Prasannan

    https://www.thenational.scot/news/25403932.new-9-million-east-kilbride-train-station-welcomes-first-passengers/
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 56,568
    Yes, of course I should have thought of St. Pancras. I’ll probably be there at some point in the next couple of weeks.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 44,941
    Carnyx said:

    Sandpit said:

    Random pub quiz question, to which I don’t know the answer.

    How many transport hubs are named after religious figures?

    I only ask because I’m now sitting in the lounge at John Paul II airport in Krakow. Next stop: Frankfurt.

    St Pancras.
    St Enoch (demolished).

    PS: does St Andrews bus station count? And rail station (demolished)?
    Edit: St Enoch very much active as part of the Clockwork Orange metro.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 44,941
    Sandpit said:

    Yes, of course I should have thought of St. Pancras. I’ll probably be there at some point in the next couple of weeks.

    Gare St Lazare.
  • OnlyLivingBoyOnlyLivingBoy Posts: 16,755
    Sandpit said:

    Random pub quiz question, to which I don’t know the answer.

    How many transport hubs are named after religious figures?

    I only ask because I’m now sitting in the lounge at John Paul II airport in Krakow. Next stop: Frankfurt.

    London Victoria is named after the former head of the Church of England. London Marylebone is named in part after Jesus's mum. London Blackfriars is named after a religious order.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 80,356
    Taz said:

    Nigelb said:

    About those "security guarantees"...

    Lavrov wants Russia to be one of the security guarantors for Ukraine. He thinks then the guarantees will be "truly reliable."..
    https://x.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1958148409006960734

    That’s got to be a pisstake
    No, I think they are quite serious.

    Deadly serious even.
  • boulayboulay Posts: 6,884
    Sandpit said:

    Random pub quiz question, to which I don’t know the answer.

    How many transport hubs are named after religious figures?

    I only ask because I’m now sitting in the lounge at John Paul II airport in Krakow. Next stop: Frankfurt.

    Lyon Saint-Exupéry. Ok well it’s actually after the author/aviator but ultimately after a Saint, Saint Exuperius.
  • kamskikamski Posts: 6,520
    Nigelb said:

    Taz said:

    Nigelb said:

    About those "security guarantees"...

    Lavrov wants Russia to be one of the security guarantors for Ukraine. He thinks then the guarantees will be "truly reliable."..
    https://x.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1958148409006960734

    That’s got to be a pisstake
    No, I think they are quite serious.

    Deadly serious even.
    Someone's got to make sure Hungary doesn't invade Ukraine. Or maybe Poland?
  • algarkirkalgarkirk Posts: 15,250
    edited August 20
    hamiltonace said:

    bondegezou said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "(((Dan Hodges)))
    @DPJHodges

    So let me get this right. The Government’s lawyers are arguing asylum hotels must remain open, the Prime Minister has said his policy is to close them because there’s lots of spare housing, and his Ministers are saying they’re unsustainable, but there aren’t any alternatives."

    https://x.com/DPJHodges/status/1958131156009803884

    I don't see a contradiction: they are needed now, but policy is to get us to a situation where they aren't needed.
    It is becoming very hard to see how Labour can turn their poll ratings around. They are no longer being given the benefit of doubt. On the other side it is intriguing how the Tories have taken on close down the asylum hotels. They have been the only party at the demos and Epping Council is Tory lead. I feel Farage has been too cautious on this and is losing control of the agenda.


    Are the Tories at the demo aware that a Tory government put asylum seekers in that hotel? This is taken from the judgment, para 8:

    ii) From May 2020 to March 2021 the Bell was used to accommodate homeless persons including asylum seekers.

    iii) The Bell reopened in August 2022 following the lifting of the lockdown restrictions. However, occupancy and use was very greatly reduced. The reality is that since the onset of Covid-19 pandemic any use of the Bell as a hotel by members of the general public has been minimal.

    iv) From October 2022 to April 2024 the Bell was used to accommodate asylum seekers and for at least a substantial part of that period those were predominantly single adult male asylum seekers.


    BTW I think Labour have until autumn/winter - especially the budget - to start turning things around. The Tories remain nowhere.

    Reform might or might not be contemplating how they would deal with all this from the perspective of government. They think it's straightforward. Like Sir K said about 'smashing the gangs'. It isn't.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 56,568
    Carnyx said:

    Carnyx said:

    Sandpit said:

    Random pub quiz question, to which I don’t know the answer.

    How many transport hubs are named after religious figures?

    I only ask because I’m now sitting in the lounge at John Paul II airport in Krakow. Next stop: Frankfurt.

    St Pancras.
    St Enoch (demolished).

    PS: does St Andrews bus station count? And rail station (demolished)?
    Edit: St Enoch very much active as part of the Clockwork Orange metro.
    I’ll be close to there on Saturday!
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 80,356
    What price Article 5, these days ?

    "We sell weapons to Europeans, who then give them to Ukrainians, and President Trump puts a 10% markup on these weapons," - Bessent

    "…so maybe these 10% will cover the cost of air cover."
    https://x.com/Maks_NAFO_FELLA/status/1958068733500338591
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 15,699
    Battlebus said:

    turbotubbs said:

    FrancisUrquhart said:

    Scotland Yard’s plan to widen the use of live facial recognition technology is unlawful because it is incompatible with European laws, the equalities regulator has claimed.

    As the UK’s biggest force prepares to use instant face-matching cameras at this weekend’s Notting Hill carnival, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said its use was intrusive and could have a “chilling effect” on individuals’ rights.

    The EHRC has been given permission to intervene in a judicial review launched last month by the anti-knife campaigner Shaun Thompson.

    https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/aug/20/met-police-facial-recognition-plans-fall-foul-of-european-law-says-watchdog-notting-hill-carnival

    I thought we'd left Europe?
    Theresa May agreed to roll over all EU laws into UK law as trying to separate them would delay Brexit. The idea is that a sovereign Parliament would weed out laws that were not necessary. But Parliament doesn't have the bandwidth to look at existing statutes while trying to introduce new ones. It'll also be worse if there's NOM in the next Parliament, so we're stuck.
    Presumably, however, the "European laws" in question here is in reference to the European Convention on Human Rights, which is separate from the EU.
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 33,582
    algarkirk said:

    hamiltonace said:

    bondegezou said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "(((Dan Hodges)))
    @DPJHodges

    So let me get this right. The Government’s lawyers are arguing asylum hotels must remain open, the Prime Minister has said his policy is to close them because there’s lots of spare housing, and his Ministers are saying they’re unsustainable, but there aren’t any alternatives."

    https://x.com/DPJHodges/status/1958131156009803884

    I don't see a contradiction: they are needed now, but policy is to get us to a situation where they aren't needed.
    It is becoming very hard to see how Labour can turn their poll ratings around. They are no longer being given the benefit of doubt. On the other side it is intriguing how the Tories have taken on close down the asylum hotels. They have been the only party at the demos and Epping Council is Tory lead. I feel Farage has been too cautious on this and is losing control of the agenda.


    Are the Tories at the demo aware that a Tory government put asylum seekers in that hotel? This is taken from the judgment, para 8:

    ii) From May 2020 to March 2021 the Bell was used to accommodate homeless persons including asylum seekers.

    iii) The Bell reopened in August 2022 following the lifting of the lockdown restrictions. However, occupancy and use was very greatly reduced. The reality is that since the onset of Covid-19 pandemic any use of the Bell as a hotel by members of the general public has been minimal.

    iv) From October 2022 to April 2024 the Bell was used to accommodate asylum seekers and for at least a substantial part of that period those were predominantly single adult male asylum seekers.


    BTW I think Labour have until autumn/winter - especially the budget - to start turning things around. The Tories remain nowhere.

    Reform might or might not be contemplating how they would deal with all this from the perspective of government. They think it's straightforward. Like Sir K said about 'smashing the gangs'. It isn't.
    Reform have no left wing emotional baggage to contend with. They can leave the ECHR and strafe the boats. There are probably several million racist votes available for the taking within such a strategy.
  • algarkirkalgarkirk Posts: 15,250
    Mexicanpete said:

    algarkirk said:

    hamiltonace said:

    bondegezou said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "(((Dan Hodges)))
    @DPJHodges

    So let me get this right. The Government’s lawyers are arguing asylum hotels must remain open, the Prime Minister has said his policy is to close them because there’s lots of spare housing, and his Ministers are saying they’re unsustainable, but there aren’t any alternatives."

    https://x.com/DPJHodges/status/1958131156009803884

    I don't see a contradiction: they are needed now, but policy is to get us to a situation where they aren't needed.
    It is becoming very hard to see how Labour can turn their poll ratings around. They are no longer being given the benefit of doubt. On the other side it is intriguing how the Tories have taken on close down the asylum hotels. They have been the only party at the demos and Epping Council is Tory lead. I feel Farage has been too cautious on this and is losing control of the agenda.


    Are the Tories at the demo aware that a Tory government put asylum seekers in that hotel? This is taken from the judgment, para 8:

    ii) From May 2020 to March 2021 the Bell was used to accommodate homeless persons including asylum seekers.

    iii) The Bell reopened in August 2022 following the lifting of the lockdown restrictions. However, occupancy and use was very greatly reduced. The reality is that since the onset of Covid-19 pandemic any use of the Bell as a hotel by members of the general public has been minimal.

    iv) From October 2022 to April 2024 the Bell was used to accommodate asylum seekers and for at least a substantial part of that period those were predominantly single adult male asylum seekers.


    BTW I think Labour have until autumn/winter - especially the budget - to start turning things around. The Tories remain nowhere.

    Reform might or might not be contemplating how they would deal with all this from the perspective of government. They think it's straightforward. Like Sir K said about 'smashing the gangs'. It isn't.
    Reform have no left wing emotional baggage to contend with. They can leave the ECHR and strafe the boats. There are probably several million racist votes available for the taking within such a strategy.
    A highly moderated version of that may be how to get elected. The great British public wish neither to have small boat arrivals nor to shoot women and children in them. They wish the problem to go somewhere else, as does every European country. The interesting question is how Reform would govern - the most underexplored question in current UK politics.
  • A_View_From_Cumbria5A_View_From_Cumbria5 Posts: 665
    Malmesbury said:

    eek said:

    Battlebus said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "(((Dan Hodges)))
    @DPJHodges

    So let me get this right. The Government’s lawyers are arguing asylum hotels must remain open, the Prime Minister has said his policy is to close them because there’s lots of spare housing, and his Ministers are saying they’re unsustainable, but there aren’t any alternatives."

    https://x.com/DPJHodges/status/1958131156009803884

    But wasn't the issue the failure to follow the Process State wrt Planning law i.e. wrong process. ? So it's irrelevant but doesn't stop click baiters, click baiting.
    No the issue is they are hotels and no council has given permission for them to be converted into Hostels.

    And as @Malmesbury pointed out they were previously open for public access to the swimming pool and restaurants - all of which were amenities removed from locals without consultation
    IIRC, in several cases, planning permission for swimming pools was given with the condition of free usage by local state schools.

    This is one of the avenues for legal challenge, I believe. “Where’s the free swimming pool access?”
    This was certainly true in Yorkshire Dales. You would not believe the lengths the right on state secondary school went to NOT take advantage of the free usage.
  • JohnLilburneJohnLilburne Posts: 7,003
    Sandpit said:

    Random pub quiz question, to which I don’t know the answer.

    How many transport hubs are named after religious figures?

    I only ask because I’m now sitting in the lounge at John Paul II airport in Krakow. Next stop: Frankfurt.

    Plenty of railway stations.

    Tirana International Airport - Nënë Tereza
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 80,356
    kamski said:

    Nigelb said:

    Taz said:

    Nigelb said:

    About those "security guarantees"...

    Lavrov wants Russia to be one of the security guarantors for Ukraine. He thinks then the guarantees will be "truly reliable."..
    https://x.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1958148409006960734

    That’s got to be a pisstake
    No, I think they are quite serious.

    Deadly serious even.
    Someone's got to make sure Hungary doesn't invade Ukraine. Or maybe Poland?
    The context for this is actually the idiot Witkoff briefing the media that Russia had moved significantly in agreeing that Ukraine could have western security guarantees as part of a ceasefire agreement.

    Russia is just saying that its position (of utter intransigence on Ukraine's right to sovereignty) hasn't changed one iota.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 80,356
    JohnLilburne said:

    Sandpit said:

    Random pub quiz question, to which I don’t know the answer.

    How many transport hubs are named after religious figures?

    I only ask because I’m now sitting in the lounge at John Paul II airport in Krakow. Next stop: Frankfurt.

    Plenty of railway stations.

    Tirana International Airport - Nënë Tereza
    And, FPT, San Francisco and San Jose.
  • ChrisChris Posts: 12,093
    bondegezou said:

    Battlebus said:

    turbotubbs said:

    FrancisUrquhart said:

    Scotland Yard’s plan to widen the use of live facial recognition technology is unlawful because it is incompatible with European laws, the equalities regulator has claimed.

    As the UK’s biggest force prepares to use instant face-matching cameras at this weekend’s Notting Hill carnival, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said its use was intrusive and could have a “chilling effect” on individuals’ rights.

    The EHRC has been given permission to intervene in a judicial review launched last month by the anti-knife campaigner Shaun Thompson.

    https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/aug/20/met-police-facial-recognition-plans-fall-foul-of-european-law-says-watchdog-notting-hill-carnival

    I thought we'd left Europe?
    Theresa May agreed to roll over all EU laws into UK law as trying to separate them would delay Brexit. The idea is that a sovereign Parliament would weed out laws that were not necessary. But Parliament doesn't have the bandwidth to look at existing statutes while trying to introduce new ones. It'll also be worse if there's NOM in the next Parliament, so we're stuck.
    Presumably, however, the "European laws" in question here is in reference to the European Convention on Human Rights, which is separate from the EU.
    They's all furriners.
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 23,260
    Carnyx said:

    O/T but specially for @Sunil_Prasannan

    https://www.thenational.scot/news/25403932.new-9-million-east-kilbride-train-station-welcomes-first-passengers/

    "Train station".

    Tossers.
  • TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 44,744
    Sandpit said:

    Random pub quiz question, to which I don’t know the answer.

    How many transport hubs are named after religious figures?

    I only ask because I’m now sitting in the lounge at John Paul II airport in Krakow. Next stop: Frankfurt.

    George Best Belfast City Airport.
    Or the Best as it’s known.
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 15,699
    algarkirk said:

    Mexicanpete said:

    algarkirk said:

    hamiltonace said:

    bondegezou said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "(((Dan Hodges)))
    @DPJHodges

    So let me get this right. The Government’s lawyers are arguing asylum hotels must remain open, the Prime Minister has said his policy is to close them because there’s lots of spare housing, and his Ministers are saying they’re unsustainable, but there aren’t any alternatives."

    https://x.com/DPJHodges/status/1958131156009803884

    I don't see a contradiction: they are needed now, but policy is to get us to a situation where they aren't needed.
    It is becoming very hard to see how Labour can turn their poll ratings around. They are no longer being given the benefit of doubt. On the other side it is intriguing how the Tories have taken on close down the asylum hotels. They have been the only party at the demos and Epping Council is Tory lead. I feel Farage has been too cautious on this and is losing control of the agenda.


    Are the Tories at the demo aware that a Tory government put asylum seekers in that hotel? This is taken from the judgment, para 8:

    ii) From May 2020 to March 2021 the Bell was used to accommodate homeless persons including asylum seekers.

    iii) The Bell reopened in August 2022 following the lifting of the lockdown restrictions. However, occupancy and use was very greatly reduced. The reality is that since the onset of Covid-19 pandemic any use of the Bell as a hotel by members of the general public has been minimal.

    iv) From October 2022 to April 2024 the Bell was used to accommodate asylum seekers and for at least a substantial part of that period those were predominantly single adult male asylum seekers.


    BTW I think Labour have until autumn/winter - especially the budget - to start turning things around. The Tories remain nowhere.

    Reform might or might not be contemplating how they would deal with all this from the perspective of government. They think it's straightforward. Like Sir K said about 'smashing the gangs'. It isn't.
    Reform have no left wing emotional baggage to contend with. They can leave the ECHR and strafe the boats. There are probably several million racist votes available for the taking within such a strategy.
    A highly moderated version of that may be how to get elected. The great British public wish neither to have small boat arrivals nor to shoot women and children in them. They wish the problem to go somewhere else, as does every European country. The interesting question is how Reform would govern - the most underexplored question in current UK politics.
    The great British public have been misled as to how many people come over in small boats, how many are truly fleeing real persecution, and what the state provides for them. The great British public generally support letting in those fleeing real persecution.
  • CiceroCicero Posts: 3,724
    boulay said:

    Sandpit said:

    Random pub quiz question, to which I don’t know the answer.

    How many transport hubs are named after religious figures?

    I only ask because I’m now sitting in the lounge at John Paul II airport in Krakow. Next stop: Frankfurt.

    Lyon Saint-Exupéry. Ok well it’s actually after the author/aviator but ultimately after a Saint, Saint Exuperius.
    Bordeaux St Jean and Marseilles St. Charles

    Also Liverpool John Lennon Airport.
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 23,260
    (The Venerable) Bede, St Peter's and St. James stations on the Tyne & Wear Metro.
  • MattWMattW Posts: 29,284
    Carnyx said:

    MattW said:

    First. And offtopic of course.

    FPT:

    Carnyx said:

    MattW said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "Empty homes are on the rise. So why aren't they being used to solve the housing shortage?"

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3r413l5n57o

    There's a little bit of hype in the piece, and it is more complex. It quotes 720k empties, which will include eg all the ones on sale, stuck in estates and so on aiui, and 265k >6 month empties - which are the real targets, which is not actually THAT many. It's only 1% of stock, which is massively lower than comparable countries.

    In depth personal renovation is not so much a thing these days with eg 2 earner couples, and small LLs who would take on wrecks for rental have been hit really hard since Osborne's 2015 targeting, and increasingly savage regulation, plus all the politics. Corporate LLs won't touch small projects.

    These days you will be paying expenses such as Council Tax on it as you renovate, since there will only be one lot of exemption and the previous owner will have had that and it may only have been one month ... unless eg very difficult to obtain exceptions.

    Plus Council Grants, especially in London, tend to have onerous conditions (eg rent it to the Council for X years, by which time it will need another renovation).

    And is it another non-statutory thing Councils have no money for?
    The other thing that struck me (having had to deal with a relative's demise and house sale overlapping with the covid period) is the definition of the short term empties category,, which as you say are to be expected (and indeed a good sign of housing turnover, cf. the perennial complaints about house-blocking oldies sans families on here). But it ought also to inclide those bona fide houses which were intended to be short term for sale but which have encountered the delays of late, for instance in probate. Even a month or two delay in probate would shift a case from the short term to the long term, without really changing the actual situation. So the rise might be an aretefact of probate/bank/legal delays.
    I'd be interested to hear from PBers who have handled parent's houses as to what happened with Council Tax, and I assume it just continued until it was eventually put up for sale - unless there was an exemption (I don't know).

    I avoided that since mum lived with me and the house was jointly owned. That caused complications as it left a family member inheriting the other half, and there was some unpleasantness with attempted leverage, and also she died 6 years after gifting me half.

    Generally Councils are shit-hot, and if you do a newbuild their officer may come round and look through the windows to see if you are in yet. There are tricks - such as making sure there is physically no water supply - that preempt it, but they get VERY cross.
    Council tax? The relative was old and living on his own. I forget the precise details but I think basically we had a free grace period of 6 months after death, then a full rate period, then a double rate for a bit and when it went on the market it reset to normal rate. Something of the sort, anyway.

    Generally efficiently dealt with at the council end, the original overpayment (by the deceased) refunded in good time, and later one hiccup remedied acceptably quickly. They also chased me up at times to make sure things hadn't changed since I last reported. Which ties in with your comment.

    Can't complain too much, given the public policy issues over empty houses. It was mildly annoying that a lot of the delay was outwith our control (e.g. probate, covid etc. ) but that wasn't the council's fault, and it all came out in the wash in the end.

    The details vary from council to council anyway. NB the common 12 month exemption for work being done on the house.

    https://www.mygov.scot/council-tax/empty-and-second-homes
    That resembles the old system as it was maybe 20 years ago in England.

    Now if eg renovating, you will not get it for minor work like replacing a kitchen and bathroom and replastering. It would need to be more like all the water pipes out, central heating totally removed, and the walls back to the brick.

    Checking, it is more generous for properties of dead people:

    F - Properties left empty after someone has died and probate or letters of administration have not been granted. The exemption lasts until probate is granted and for 6 months after this. This exemption will apply whilst the estate of the deceased person remains liable for Council Tax
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 15,699
    https://deadline.com/2025/08/bitcoin-brigade-adventures-satoshi-city-kartoon-studios-1236492990/

    Kartoon Studios wants to teach kids how blockchain tech works with the launch of animated series Bitcoin Brigade: Adventures in Satoshi City.

    The L.A.-based, New York-listed Kartoon is placing the series at the center of a wider property spanning content, digital education, merchandise, interactive apps, and a Bitcoin treasury strategy.

    [...] It follows five friends who defend Satoshi City from threats that attempt to mess with the digital system keeping it in place. Satoshi, of course, refers the mysterious person or people who created bitcoin. Their bitcoin wallet’s assets are worth billions of dollars, but have remained untouched since 2010. [...]

    Each episode will see the heroes explore new lands — from glittering mining mountains to secret vault cities — solving puzzles, cracking codes and outsmarting digital bandits along the way. Similar to a video game, they will collect rare treasures to collect, which relates to digital scarcity; special power-ups that become harder to find over time, relating to bitcoin halving, where the number of coins produced is halved about once every four years to appreciate prices; and a backpack to keep loot safe, standing in for wallet security.

    [...]

    “Bitcoin is more than just a technology – it’s a movement that’s redefining how we think about money, ownership, and innovation,” said Stich. “By collaborating with Kartoon Studios on Bitcoin Brigade, we’re creating an exciting way for kids to learn these ideas early and carry them into the future.”

    Kids will also be able to use the Satoshi Sparks Rewards System, which invites kids to earn reward ‘Sparks’ by watching episodes, completing quizzes and solving cryptographic challenges in companion apps. Sparks then act as a digital currency redeemable in a Bitcoin-only marketplace for exclusive merchandise, bonus content and educational collectibles.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 44,941
    Carnyx said:

    O/T but specially for @Sunil_Prasannan

    https://www.thenational.scot/news/25403932.new-9-million-east-kilbride-train-station-welcomes-first-passengers/

    Come to think of it, it's also possibly relevant to @Sandpit !

    East Kilbride = Cille Bride = Chapel of St Brigit.
  • MattWMattW Posts: 29,284
    bondegezou said:

    algarkirk said:

    Mexicanpete said:

    algarkirk said:

    hamiltonace said:

    bondegezou said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "(((Dan Hodges)))
    @DPJHodges

    So let me get this right. The Government’s lawyers are arguing asylum hotels must remain open, the Prime Minister has said his policy is to close them because there’s lots of spare housing, and his Ministers are saying they’re unsustainable, but there aren’t any alternatives."

    https://x.com/DPJHodges/status/1958131156009803884

    I don't see a contradiction: they are needed now, but policy is to get us to a situation where they aren't needed.
    It is becoming very hard to see how Labour can turn their poll ratings around. They are no longer being given the benefit of doubt. On the other side it is intriguing how the Tories have taken on close down the asylum hotels. They have been the only party at the demos and Epping Council is Tory lead. I feel Farage has been too cautious on this and is losing control of the agenda.


    Are the Tories at the demo aware that a Tory government put asylum seekers in that hotel? This is taken from the judgment, para 8:

    ii) From May 2020 to March 2021 the Bell was used to accommodate homeless persons including asylum seekers.

    iii) The Bell reopened in August 2022 following the lifting of the lockdown restrictions. However, occupancy and use was very greatly reduced. The reality is that since the onset of Covid-19 pandemic any use of the Bell as a hotel by members of the general public has been minimal.

    iv) From October 2022 to April 2024 the Bell was used to accommodate asylum seekers and for at least a substantial part of that period those were predominantly single adult male asylum seekers.


    BTW I think Labour have until autumn/winter - especially the budget - to start turning things around. The Tories remain nowhere.

    Reform might or might not be contemplating how they would deal with all this from the perspective of government. They think it's straightforward. Like Sir K said about 'smashing the gangs'. It isn't.
    Reform have no left wing emotional baggage to contend with. They can leave the ECHR and strafe the boats. There are probably several million racist votes available for the taking within such a strategy.
    A highly moderated version of that may be how to get elected. The great British public wish neither to have small boat arrivals nor to shoot women and children in them. They wish the problem to go somewhere else, as does every European country. The interesting question is how Reform would govern - the most underexplored question in current UK politics.
    The great British public have been misled as to how many people come over in small boats, how many are truly fleeing real persecution, and what the state provides for them. The great British public generally support letting in those fleeing real persecution.
    Well of course they have been misled :smile: .

    They have had an intensive newspaper training course for many decades giving them Pavlovian "how to be unthinking fools" conditioning.
  • algarkirkalgarkirk Posts: 15,250
    OnlyLivingBoy said:

    Sandpit said:

    Random pub quiz question, to which I don’t know the answer.

    How many transport hubs are named after religious figures?

    I only ask because I’m now sitting in the lounge at John Paul II airport in Krakow. Next stop: Frankfurt.

    London Victoria is named after the former head of the Church of England. London Marylebone is named in part after Jesus's mum. London Blackfriars is named after a religious order.
    Does Mohammed V International Airport in Morocco count? Or Corazón de Jesús airstrip in Panama?
  • Daveyboy1961Daveyboy1961 Posts: 4,789
    algarkirk said:

    OnlyLivingBoy said:

    Sandpit said:

    Random pub quiz question, to which I don’t know the answer.

    How many transport hubs are named after religious figures?

    I only ask because I’m now sitting in the lounge at John Paul II airport in Krakow. Next stop: Frankfurt.

    London Victoria is named after the former head of the Church of England. London Marylebone is named in part after Jesus's mum. London Blackfriars is named after a religious order.
    Does Mohammed V International Airport in Morocco count? Or Corazón de Jesús airstrip in Panama?
    John Lennon Airport?
  • algarkirkalgarkirk Posts: 15,250
    Nigelb said:

    JohnLilburne said:

    Sandpit said:

    Random pub quiz question, to which I don’t know the answer.

    How many transport hubs are named after religious figures?

    I only ask because I’m now sitting in the lounge at John Paul II airport in Krakow. Next stop: Frankfurt.

    Plenty of railway stations.

    Tirana International Airport - Nënë Tereza
    And, FPT, San Francisco and San Jose.
    St Petersburg central bus station, Russia. St John's Wood tube and St James' Park.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 44,941
    edited August 20
    https://www.thenational.scot/news/25405283.scottish-labour-msp-colin-smyth-suspended-party/

    Now charged. No date set for trial yet.

    SLabour now has 21 MSPs because they suspended him and he's now an independent.



  • MattWMattW Posts: 29,284
    edited August 20
    algarkirk said:

    OnlyLivingBoy said:

    Sandpit said:

    Random pub quiz question, to which I don’t know the answer.

    How many transport hubs are named after religious figures?

    I only ask because I’m now sitting in the lounge at John Paul II airport in Krakow. Next stop: Frankfurt.

    London Victoria is named after the former head of the Church of England. London Marylebone is named in part after Jesus's mum. London Blackfriars is named after a religious order.
    Does Mohammed V International Airport in Morocco count? Or Corazón de Jesús airstrip in Panama?
    When I was in my teens I heard an entire Gospel presentation based on a Journey round the London Underground. I can't recall whether it was a single sermon, or a series spread out over the day or the week. It may even have been based on just the Circle Line.

    Looking back, it was quite creatively done. I can see how it could be created, looking at a list of Underground Stations.

    Inevitably (whether you know how these sermons work or not) it ended at King's Cross for the (usually, not always) slightly foot shuffling British version of an altar call.
  • eekeek Posts: 30,976
    SandyRentool said:

    (The Venerable) Bede, St Peter's and St. James stations on the Tyne & Wear Metro.

    Monkwearmouth and Jarrow were both originally Monasteries
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 56,461
    A_View_From_Cumbria5 said:

    Malmesbury said:

    eek said:

    Battlebus said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "(((Dan Hodges)))
    @DPJHodges

    So let me get this right. The Government’s lawyers are arguing asylum hotels must remain open, the Prime Minister has said his policy is to close them because there’s lots of spare housing, and his Ministers are saying they’re unsustainable, but there aren’t any alternatives."

    https://x.com/DPJHodges/status/1958131156009803884

    But wasn't the issue the failure to follow the Process State wrt Planning law i.e. wrong process. ? So it's irrelevant but doesn't stop click baiters, click baiting.
    No the issue is they are hotels and no council has given permission for them to be converted into Hostels.

    And as @Malmesbury pointed out they were previously open for public access to the swimming pool and restaurants - all of which were amenities removed from locals without consultation
    IIRC, in several cases, planning permission for swimming pools was given with the condition of free usage by local state schools.

    This is one of the avenues for legal challenge, I believe. “Where’s the free swimming pool access?”
    This was certainly true in Yorkshire Dales. You would not believe the lengths the right on state secondary school went to NOT take advantage of the free usage.
    I’ll bite - why? The private schools where I am all have that condition on the pools and a rota of the schools that use them.
  • algarkirkalgarkirk Posts: 15,250
    eek said:

    SandyRentool said:

    (The Venerable) Bede, St Peter's and St. James stations on the Tyne & Wear Metro.

    Monkwearmouth and Jarrow were both originally Monasteries
    Westminster. Upminster. Minster. Southminster. St Alban's. Hundreds more I should think.
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 36,995
    "Starmer a ‘patriot’ who backs flying the England flag, says Downing Street

    No10 insists PM has pride in his country after two councils vow to remove Union and St George’s flags from lamp-posts" (£)

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/08/18/starmer-patriot-backs-flying-england-flag-downing-street
  • Sean_FSean_F Posts: 39,366
    algarkirk said:

    Nigelb said:

    JohnLilburne said:

    Sandpit said:

    Random pub quiz question, to which I don’t know the answer.

    How many transport hubs are named after religious figures?

    I only ask because I’m now sitting in the lounge at John Paul II airport in Krakow. Next stop: Frankfurt.

    Plenty of railway stations.

    Tirana International Airport - Nënë Tereza
    And, FPT, San Francisco and San Jose.
    St Petersburg central bus station, Russia. St John's Wood tube and St James' Park.
    St. Paul's, Angel, and Whitechapel.
  • TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 44,744
    Carnyx said:

    https://www.thenational.scot/news/25405283.scottish-labour-msp-colin-smyth-suspended-party/

    Now charged. No date set for trial yet.

    SLabour now has 21 MSPs because they suspended him and he's now an independent.



    Och, they’ll soon boost that number after next year’s election.
  • MattWMattW Posts: 29,284
    MattW said:

    algarkirk said:

    OnlyLivingBoy said:

    Sandpit said:

    Random pub quiz question, to which I don’t know the answer.

    How many transport hubs are named after religious figures?

    I only ask because I’m now sitting in the lounge at John Paul II airport in Krakow. Next stop: Frankfurt.

    London Victoria is named after the former head of the Church of England. London Marylebone is named in part after Jesus's mum. London Blackfriars is named after a religious order.
    Does Mohammed V International Airport in Morocco count? Or Corazón de Jesús airstrip in Panama?
    When I was in my teens I heard an entire Gospel presentation based on a Journey round the London Underground. I can't recall whether it was a single sermon, or a series spread out over the day or the week. It may even have been based on just the Circle Line.

    Looking back, it was quite creatively done. I can see how it could be created, looking at a list of Underground Stations.

    Inevitably (whether you know how these sermons work or not) it ended at King's Cross for the (usually, not always) slightly foot shuffling British version of an altar call.
    In the UK, pretty much everything named as a Saint, even though we do not think of them as such because they are named after places named after such people. On the Underground - St Paul's, St James Park, St John's Wood, St Pancras, Latimer Road (the martyr?). And many more.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 61,093
    Andy_JS said:

    fpt

    rcs1000 said:

    Nigelb said:

    .

    MattW said:

    Hmmm.

    Not sure how terminally nerdy @Leon is being, or whether he wants obscure walk-on curios that his readers may not want to visit.

    There's the "Birthplace of Silicon Valley" in SF, which is the garage where Hewlett-Packard were founded in the 1950s. This is like many of the bizarre things to be found in London eg the original Samaritans' telephone - Mansion House 9000.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP_Garage

    If you're doing that, you're probably better flying into San Jose, rather than SF, as it's a big detour otherwise.

    A fan of the weird might stop by the Rosicrucian museum.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosicrucian_Egyptian_Museum

    Along the way there's Moffett Field with the giant airship hangars, and aviation museum.
    https://www.moffettfieldmuseum.org/exhibits.html
    If you want to truly experience Silicon Valley, you need to drive from San Jose to San Francisco at 330pm on workday. You - along with hundreds of thousands of Googlers, Appleites, Facebookers, Netflixians and the like - will be stuck in traffic for one of the most miserable two hour drives of your life.

    You will see the logos of every Silicon Valley firm pass, very slowly, as you inch down the freeway.
    Why don't they build a train system for all these people to use instead?
    There is actually a decent train service: the problem is that you need to get from your office in a sprawling business park in Silicon Valley to a train station. Unless you are very lucky (i.e. you work for Adobe in downtown San Jose), then it's really hard.
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 32,369
    Scott_xP said:

    @PpollingNumbers

    Elon Musk is reportedly considering supporting JD Vance for a potential 2028 presidential run.

    Tells us nothing. We know Musk will back whoever runs, and we know the sitting Vice President will run.
  • MattWMattW Posts: 29,284
    JohnLilburne said:

    Sandpit said:

    Random pub quiz question, to which I don’t know the answer.

    How many transport hubs are named after religious figures?

    I only ask because I’m now sitting in the lounge at John Paul II airport in Krakow. Next stop: Frankfurt.

    Plenty of railway stations.

    Tirana International Airport - Nënë Tereza
    Under 2nd degree of separation names, anything at San Salvador, or in El Salvador, with those names in the name. The San Salvador secularists, San Salvador, El Salvador would be fun.
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 35,498
    edited August 20
    Andy_JS said:

    "Starmer a ‘patriot’ who backs flying the England flag, says Downing Street

    No10 insists PM has pride in his country after two councils vow to remove Union and St George’s flags from lamp-posts" (£)

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/08/18/starmer-patriot-backs-flying-england-flag-downing-street

    As someone of Welsh heritage I object to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom flying the English flag. Flag of the Union or none, please

    Not that I'm trying to be awkward, oh dear me no..
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 44,941
    MattW said:

    MattW said:

    algarkirk said:

    OnlyLivingBoy said:

    Sandpit said:

    Random pub quiz question, to which I don’t know the answer.

    How many transport hubs are named after religious figures?

    I only ask because I’m now sitting in the lounge at John Paul II airport in Krakow. Next stop: Frankfurt.

    London Victoria is named after the former head of the Church of England. London Marylebone is named in part after Jesus's mum. London Blackfriars is named after a religious order.
    Does Mohammed V International Airport in Morocco count? Or Corazón de Jesús airstrip in Panama?
    When I was in my teens I heard an entire Gospel presentation based on a Journey round the London Underground. I can't recall whether it was a single sermon, or a series spread out over the day or the week. It may even have been based on just the Circle Line.

    Looking back, it was quite creatively done. I can see how it could be created, looking at a list of Underground Stations.

    Inevitably (whether you know how these sermons work or not) it ended at King's Cross for the (usually, not always) slightly foot shuffling British version of an altar call.
    In the UK, pretty much everything named as a Saint, even though we do not think of them as such because they are named after places named after such people. On the Underground - St Paul's, St James Park, St John's Wood, St Pancras, Latimer Road (the martyr?). And many more.
    Here's the transport hub at Kildonan (= Chapel of St Donnan):

    https://www.google.com/maps/@58.1702742,-3.8694305,3a,75y,28.71h,87.97t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sFMIDU4S2z9NVU-K8WX6VLg!2e0!6shttps://streetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com/v1/thumbnail?cb_client=maps_sv.tactile&w=900&h=600&pitch=2.0325537227775072&panoid=FMIDU4S2z9NVU-K8WX6VLg&yaw=28.705207505568296!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDgxNy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw==
  • StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 10,628
    Sean_F said:

    algarkirk said:

    Nigelb said:

    JohnLilburne said:

    Sandpit said:

    Random pub quiz question, to which I don’t know the answer.

    How many transport hubs are named after religious figures?

    I only ask because I’m now sitting in the lounge at John Paul II airport in Krakow. Next stop: Frankfurt.

    Plenty of railway stations.

    Tirana International Airport - Nënë Tereza
    And, FPT, San Francisco and San Jose.
    St Petersburg central bus station, Russia. St John's Wood tube and St James' Park.
    St. Paul's, Angel, and Whitechapel.
    It’s almost as if Christianity is an important part of our cultural history or something
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 44,941
    OldKingCole said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "Starmer a ‘patriot’ who backs flying the England flag, says Downing Street

    No10 insists PM has pride in his country after two councils vow to remove Union and St George’s flags from lamp-posts" (£)

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/08/18/starmer-patriot-backs-flying-england-flag-downing-street

    As someone of Welsh heritage I object to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom flying the English flag. Flag of the Union or none, please

    Not that I'm trying to be awkward, oh dear me no..
    TBF SKS was born in England. It's whether he adds St George's to the UJ backdrop for his photo opportunities that will be interesting.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 80,356
    MattW said:

    MattW said:

    algarkirk said:

    OnlyLivingBoy said:

    Sandpit said:

    Random pub quiz question, to which I don’t know the answer.

    How many transport hubs are named after religious figures?

    I only ask because I’m now sitting in the lounge at John Paul II airport in Krakow. Next stop: Frankfurt.

    London Victoria is named after the former head of the Church of England. London Marylebone is named in part after Jesus's mum. London Blackfriars is named after a religious order.
    Does Mohammed V International Airport in Morocco count? Or Corazón de Jesús airstrip in Panama?
    When I was in my teens I heard an entire Gospel presentation based on a Journey round the London Underground. I can't recall whether it was a single sermon, or a series spread out over the day or the week. It may even have been based on just the Circle Line.

    Looking back, it was quite creatively done. I can see how it could be created, looking at a list of Underground Stations.

    Inevitably (whether you know how these sermons work or not) it ended at King's Cross for the (usually, not always) slightly foot shuffling British version of an altar call.
    In the UK, pretty much everything named as a Saint, even though we do not think of them as such because they are named after places named after such people. On the Underground - St Paul's, St James Park, St John's Wood, St Pancras, Latimer Road (the martyr?). And many more.
    Curiously, of Italy's ten busiest stations, only two are named after saints.
  • The_WoodpeckerThe_Woodpecker Posts: 507
    Daveyboy1961 said:

    algarkirk said:

    OnlyLivingBoy said:

    Sandpit said:

    Random pub quiz question, to which I don’t know the answer.

    How many transport hubs are named after religious figures?

    I only ask because I’m now sitting in the lounge at John Paul II airport in Krakow. Next stop: Frankfurt.

    London Victoria is named after the former head of the Church of England. London Marylebone is named in part after Jesus's mum. London Blackfriars is named after a religious order.
    Does Mohammed V International Airport in Morocco count? Or Corazón de Jesús airstrip in Panama?
    John Lennon Airport?
    George Best Airport?
  • MattWMattW Posts: 29,284
    edited August 20
    Carnyx said:

    MattW said:

    MattW said:

    algarkirk said:

    OnlyLivingBoy said:

    Sandpit said:

    Random pub quiz question, to which I don’t know the answer.

    How many transport hubs are named after religious figures?

    I only ask because I’m now sitting in the lounge at John Paul II airport in Krakow. Next stop: Frankfurt.

    London Victoria is named after the former head of the Church of England. London Marylebone is named in part after Jesus's mum. London Blackfriars is named after a religious order.
    Does Mohammed V International Airport in Morocco count? Or Corazón de Jesús airstrip in Panama?
    When I was in my teens I heard an entire Gospel presentation based on a Journey round the London Underground. I can't recall whether it was a single sermon, or a series spread out over the day or the week. It may even have been based on just the Circle Line.

    Looking back, it was quite creatively done. I can see how it could be created, looking at a list of Underground Stations.

    Inevitably (whether you know how these sermons work or not) it ended at King's Cross for the (usually, not always) slightly foot shuffling British version of an altar call.
    In the UK, pretty much everything named as a Saint, even though we do not think of them as such because they are named after places named after such people. On the Underground - St Paul's, St James Park, St John's Wood, St Pancras, Latimer Road (the martyr?). And many more.
    Here's the transport hub at Kildonan (= Chapel of St Donnan):

    https://www.google.com/maps/@58.1702742,-3.8694305,3a,75y,28.71h,87.97t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sFMIDU4S2z9NVU-K8WX6VLg!2e0!6shttps://streetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com/v1/thumbnail?cb_client=maps_sv.tactile&w=900&h=600&pitch=2.0325537227775072&panoid=FMIDU4S2z9NVU-K8WX6VLg&yaw=28.705207505568296!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDgxNy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw==
    One would hope that Donnan could install some accessible cattle grids, and fewer kissing gates :smile: , Nice variety of sheds, though.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 80,356
    If only they'd consulted the experts.

    US Navy’s big plan for drone fleets to counter China is stumbling hard, - Reuters

    Test boats are crashing due to software bugs, a key autonomy contract with L3Harris got paused, and the Navy even fired the admiral running the program.

    Billions are being poured in, but right now the drones aren’t ready and the whole effort’s under review.
    https://x.com/Maks_NAFO_FELLA/status/1958112279200973107
  • wooliedyedwooliedyed Posts: 13,419
    edited August 20
    Focaldata have a little change poll out and a version with YP
    https://x.com/focaldataHQ/status/1958176345571074077?s=19

    4% for YP with them.

    Ref 29 (+2) 28 (+1)
    Lab 24 (+1) 23 (=)
    Con 18 (-1) 18 (-1)
    LD 14 (=) 14 (=)
    Grn 8 (-1) 7 (-2)
    YP n/a 4 (new)
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 32,369
    @Morris_Dancer – today's Countdown featured Ben from Late Braking. No spoilers.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 80,356
    This is technically very impressive.
    But why does it remind me of Joe Biden ?
    https://x.com/adcock_brett/status/1958193476639826383
  • BattlebusBattlebus Posts: 1,387
    Nigelb said:

    This is technically very impressive.
    But why does it remind me of Joe Biden ?
    https://x.com/adcock_brett/status/1958193476639826383

    Biden doing the laundry

    https://x.com/adcock_brett/status/1950685253447913798
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 44,941
    Battlebus said:

    Nigelb said:

    This is technically very impressive.
    But why does it remind me of Joe Biden ?
    https://x.com/adcock_brett/status/1958193476639826383

    Biden doing the laundry

    https://x.com/adcock_brett/status/1950685253447913798
    Sudden Proustian recall of reading Asimov novels in bed as a teenager.
  • TazTaz Posts: 20,441
    The_Woodpecker said:

    Daveyboy1961 said:

    algarkirk said:

    OnlyLivingBoy said:

    Sandpit said:

    Random pub quiz question, to which I don’t know the answer.

    How many transport hubs are named after religious figures?

    I only ask because I’m now sitting in the lounge at John Paul II airport in Krakow. Next stop: Frankfurt.

    London Victoria is named after the former head of the Church of England. London Marylebone is named in part after Jesus's mum. London Blackfriars is named after a religious order.
    Does Mohammed V International Airport in Morocco count? Or Corazón de Jesús airstrip in Panama?
    John Lennon Airport?
    George Best Airport?
    So it is.
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 36,995
    wooliedyed said:

    Focaldata have a little change poll out and a version with YP
    https://x.com/focaldataHQ/status/1958176345571074077?s=19

    4% for YP with them.

    Ref 29 (+2) 28 (+1)
    Lab 24 (+1) 23 (=)
    Con 18 (-1) 18 (-1)
    LD 14 (=) 14 (=)
    Grn 8 (-1) 7 (-2)
    YP n/a 4 (new)

    Looks like they're hitting the Greens more than Lab.
  • boulayboulay Posts: 6,884
    Sean_F said:

    algarkirk said:

    Nigelb said:

    JohnLilburne said:

    Sandpit said:

    Random pub quiz question, to which I don’t know the answer.

    How many transport hubs are named after religious figures?

    I only ask because I’m now sitting in the lounge at John Paul II airport in Krakow. Next stop: Frankfurt.

    Plenty of railway stations.

    Tirana International Airport - Nënë Tereza
    And, FPT, San Francisco and San Jose.
    St Petersburg central bus station, Russia. St John's Wood tube and St James' Park.
    St. Paul's, Angel, and Whitechapel.
    Mornington Crescent.
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