Marmora Man

I thought it was grockles in Cornwall and emmets in Devon

Only when looking through the periscope!

Yep - and very fetching it was too.

Nice message - glad it worked for you. I'm sure you've already said it to the staff at Kings, nurses, doctors and hospital staff always appreciate warms words of praise.

I have been pondering this recently. Some use the horn to signal displeasure to other drivers. Others use them to signal frustration with a traffic jam - which usually results in 15 others also leaning on their horn. None of this noise generates any benefit - the traffic jam doesn't disappear, the bad driver that cut you up just gives you the "finger". I have never had to use the horn to warn others of my car's presence - engine noise and the fact that it's on the road is usually sufficient. So I ask again - why do cars have horns? Do we need then anymore?

I love wearing hats. My grey wide brim fedora has often been complimented

DukesD - thanks for the reference. One should believe the House of Commons library but the content seems to have been selected and compiled carefully to present the rosiest of pictures. The figure of 9% seems counter intuitive. I'll do a little more research.

BBW - to describe the EU as "not a powerful body" is to misunderstand it. The EU operates on several levels - some where no action can be taken unless every participating government agrees, others where supranational bodies can make decisions and pass binding resolutions that affect every member state. At present there is, some, balance between the intergovermental level and the supranational level - but there is a desire to make more and more (see the Lisbon Treaty) supranational and remove individual government's rights to veto or oppose legislation. It is said (but I cannot immediately find a reference to verify) that over 75% of British legislation originates from the EU. Decisions made in Brussels by the EU Executive affect everybody living in the EU community and many of those decisions are not assessed, analysed, debated or properly considered before becoming binding on member states. The European Government is pretty powerless - it is meant to hold the EU executive to account but does a poor job. A return to the European Economic Community or the Treaty of Rome that established it would be a "good thing".

I see myself as British which is how I describe myself on formal documents (NOT English - thats too parochial). I am of Europe but not "in" Europe. I do not see the need for ever closer political and organisational links that seem to set us on the way to a superstate / United States of Europe. I much prefer the earlier version of a free trade economic group to the current political entity. I do want a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. I vote in these elections because: a. I have a democratic duty / desire to do so b. I hope, by using my vote appropriately, to lend support to those Euro politicians that wish to curb, and ideally reverse, the growth of the EU.

MTo answer Ted Max's question "What does this election have to do with MPs?" MEP's expenses make Westminster's shenanigans look petty. Many commentators are expecting a very low turnout because of general disillusionment with the political class.

Ah! The Good Old GLC starring Kenny The Livingstone. I remember those days. Driving back from work at Navy HQ, where I had been trying to monitor the activities of Soviet ballistic missile submarines, and arriving in Ken's "Nuclear Free Zone" - achieved by putting up a few signs here and there. Wondering how Ken's initiative was going to ensure that Moscow didn't target GLC ratepayers.

Ah! The Good Old GLC starring Kenny The Livingstone. I remember those days. Driving back from work at Navy HQ, where I had been trying to monitor the activities of Soviet ballistic missile submarines, and arriving in Ken's "Nuclear Free Zone" - achieved by putting up a few signs here and there. Wondering how Ken's initiative was going to ensure that Moscow didn't target GLC ratepayers.

I will - despite the understandable anger & disgust at MPs behaviour over expenses I believe it is important that as many people as possible get out to vote and exercise their democratic right. Note: - a spoilt ballot paper cam be a valid expression of political will, while declining to vote is harder to call.

I will - despite the understandable anger & disgust at MPs behaviour over expenses I believe it is important that as many people as possible get out to vote and exercise their democratic right. Note: - a spoilt ballot paper cam be a valid expression of political will, while declining to vote is harder to call.

With two friends in support I shinned up a flagpole in N. Wales and removed the Welsh Flag flying there as a response to some nationalistic baiting of the three of us by some Welsh earlier that night in a pub. (They objected to one Englishman and two Scotsmen climbing "their" mountains). The flag remain in the possession of one of my friends.

With two friends in support I shinned up a flagpole in N. Wales and removed the Welsh Flag flying there as a response to some nationalistic baiting of the three of us by some Welsh earlier that night in a pub. (They objected to one Englishman and two Scotsmen climbing "their" mountains). The flag remain in the possession of one of my friends.

indiepanda Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Flumps! Still available - my son was nicknamed "Flumpy" 5 years ago at school because of his love for these

I have noticed number of posters in public places, funded by Southwark Council and Southwark NHS, encouraging students to do well in their current and forthcoming exams. Is this a good use of scarce funds? I accept many teenagers are reluctant to revise or study as their parent wish - I was the same, My own son is taking exams at present. Balancing encouragement, nagging, bribery and corruption to get him to buckle down and study as I think he should is difficult - and he knows me. The likelihood of a poster impacting on his revision effort and exam results is minimal.

I had no particular thoughts on who it might be - just that without hard news there's speculation. Given that some posters go "off the radar" for a while due to other commitments, holidays and time out it seemed unreasonable not to be definitive.

Will Admin "name & shame" the abuser or do we have to make assumptions from the absence of posts from known users?

I'm now onto Series 5 - and while not wanting to give away secrets to any who have still to get this far I'm geuinely saddened that McNulty and Freamon can compromise themselves to the extent they have - I fear there will no neat and happy ending to this set of DVDs.

In my experience W Rose is usually cheaper (tho' often by not that much) than any supermarket but delivers a significantly better product. Steaks that have been properly aged and are cut to a thickness of your specification, chicken that tastes like chicken and not fish, bacon that crisps marvelously without a watery residue and so on. Add in the level of customer service, friendly banter and sound advice and W Rose comes out a winner for me every time.

Individual tinned Steak & Kidney puddings have gone the same way - fondly remembered and known as "Babies Heads" in the Royal navy.

I have not seen anyone, yet, suggest that MPs guilty of abusing the expenses system should lose their pension rights. That would be an appropriate punishment - and one that has been levied on other public sector employees. A naval contemporary of mine "fiddled" his traveling expenses - claiming four return trips from the West Country to Scotland (total value < ?1,000). His case was investigated by the Ministry of Defence police, he was court martialed, dismissed the service and lost his pension rights after an otherwise blameless, and in many ways, shining career of 30 years. I do not seek to defend his action - but would like to see MPs treated in a similar vein.

Part Of The Union (Ford/Hudson) Fazz Music Now I'm a union man Amazed at what I am THis is presumably Michael Martin's theme song?