Tony.London Suburbs

Massive problem is "perception" these days, more than ever. People have to be "seen" to be implementing rules and regulations they know are either archaic or not particularly relevant or just plainly nonsensical or relly petty. Little flexibility is allowed by various institutions these days, whether it be car clampers, wardens even The Police I should think. As part of one of my London sojourns earlier in the week I visited my friend who, initially, drove to renew her Tax Disc as it was now 1/7/09. What a game simply finding somewhere to park near Lower Marsh etc. It eventually led to me suggesting one space that only was available as the Guys were about to tarmac the road next to it. It was all hassle as she had to dash while I appeased the ( luckily ) very pleasant Guys who were anxious to start their work. Went somewhere else and again no legitimate parking so, if you choose to travel around by car for swiftness and ease then the stress involved often makes it not bothering, which, of course, is pasrtially the whole idea. Afterwards, I was standing outside The Golden Jubilee Bridge and sure enough Guys were being stopped taking their pints onto the side of the River, they HAD to stay within the perimetres of the Pub, itself. Its not always easy for the relevant "Authorities" as there has been abuses in certain areas of life but it "should" be all about being allowed some leeway to allow common sense which is lacking most of the time from Guys who make the rules or have to enforce them. Laughing the other day at how many things that I "took for granted" that I could do in my everyday life that I would not be allowed to do now. Example would be finishing work in Bouverie Street ( off Fleet St.) and knowing our building was ocked up for the night and walking up and opening our Fire Escape, waliking alomg tp the next building and opening their equivalent before going down their stairs to depart from their building and saying goodnight to their Door Commissioner. Probably broke 6 current rules in doing that but it made life so much easier like catching Routemasters at Traffic Lights etc... So you'll get no disagreement from me and what a shame that a pleasant evening was soured, totally needlessly.

AuraCaught Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I will say nothing, but will attach the following, > which I signed months ago. > > http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/thatchfuneral/ I see that 12,968 have so far signed the petition. If a Counter petition is raised I would hazard a guess that 112,968 would have signed by now...:)

The viral invader is spreading fast in the Summer heat. If this trend continues at that current rate of "doubling" each day, the projection is that we will reach 100,000 a day by August. Millions will be affected by Christmas. Most people who get Swine Flu should not have to come into contact with The Health Service, however.

Very good point Jimmy. I'll ask my M8 Sherwick to interroggate him about it. "100,000" "How do you arrive at that figure Andy??" "How? How? How?"

The number of swine flu cases could reach more than 100,000 per day by the end of next month, Health Secretary Andy Burnham has told the Commons. The UK has moved past the stage of containing the swine flu outbreak and into the "treatment phase", he said. 100.000 per day?? Er, don't wish to be alarmist but shouldn't we be ever so slightly concerned about this...?

A calm has been restored. Lets keep this respectful in memory of Margeret's achievements....

Back in the day Sailors suffered badly due to the daily imbibing of Port, but it can be simply having too many acid, soft drinks as in my case.

Lets be frank and honest here, Margeret did have her faults. The important point some Posters seem to be missing is that she meant well. Undeniably she inherited plenty of mess and sorted it out in her own inimitable fashion and there were casualities. Let him or her cast the first stone, I say...

KalamityKel Wrote: Hehe CC one certainly doesn't have to be old, greek and male to play but it certainly helps at times dont it ;-) I thought old Greek Males played The Lyre or sometimes the Kithara.. :)

Charlie, I can't stay up all night hoping that you are going to bring your Backgammon set round. Its 5.00 AM Darling. Are you coming round tonight/this morning or not?

Mick Mac Wrote: ..Anything by Mr Kipling as something only very old people have in their cupboards - we can't be there yet. Exceedingly poor Mick......a friend was kind enough to call my male appendage Mr. Kipling once, many moons ago though, and not because he was exceedingly good either....B)

Its the only thing I very occassionally get. It took me years to work out why I only got it in The Summer! Its a build-up of uric acid that finds the weakest joint inone's body ( usually the big toe). It can "travel" from one foot to another. I cut out most soft drinks ( he says having just bought a litre of "Seven-Up" ) . If it returns I take "Naproxen 250 g) 2 x 2 a day and within 1/2 hours it drastically reduces the swelling to virtual disappearance.

JetSetWilly Wrote: ahh but tls, if you go at low tide, there,s nothing like a stroll out on the street. B++ger the Sea JSW ! The game is Golden Jubilee Bridge to South Bank. Enjoy festivities, then lie by the London Eye for a couple of hours then straight o/s Queen Elizabeth Hall we have The Magic Fountain (for "kids" of all ages). I was the only so-called Adult who took the plunge but I did have Swimming Trunks on and Towels with me. It was really, really, refreshing and I felt great afterwards.(tu)

Yesterday 48 Miles to Seasalter Beach. 42 Minutes door-to-door. Today 5 minute drive to local Station where I can park 25 yards away. 30 minutes on the train to Charing Cross or Victoria, so in inder 40 minutes I can leave my house and be in the heart of London. As I said every area has its advantages, though I'm a little worried about the crime here as a neighbour had their car stereo stolen around 14 years ago and I'm worried that we are due another "incident"...:)

As someone who likes to keep to the Thread title at all times, as I'm sure has been noticed, allow me to return the purpose of this thread and invite you to follow me in wishing Margeret continued happiness and good health while she spends her remaining years joyously listening to Family tales from her beloved children, Sir Mark and Carol. Margeret we salute you.:)-D

Monro

As I have not received any written authority or confirmation that MOTD is part of your revised schedule for The Beeb then it is with the utmost regret that this particular revolution can start without me.... Right On Bruvvers..

Santerme Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > gallinello Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > Apologies for the length of this, but lest we > > forget all HER 'achievements': > > > > Margaret Thatcher presided over the destruction > of > > more industry in Britain than that destroyed by > > the Luftwaffe in the Second World War. She > plotted > > to smash the National Union of Mineworkers and > to > > dismantle the welfare state and all the reforms > > that had been fought for over decades by the > > working class. She slashed welfare payments, > > attacked the old and the sick and basically > > co-ordinated a one sided civil war against the > > British (and Irish) working class. There were > many > > people in Britain whose lives were cut short by > > unemployment, by sickness and poverty as a > result > > of the politics of Thatcherism, many families > that > > fell apart, many children who went hungry. Yet, > > she was admired by Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, > > who wants her to have a state funeral, the sort > of > > event normally reserved for royalty. > > > > Thatcher represented a new brand of Toryism, > > ostensibly more middle class and "ordinary" > than > > many of their predecessors. Thatcher and Norman > > Tebbit - the Chingford Skinhead - sought to > appeal > > to the backward prejudices of the middle class > and > > to layers of the most backward workers. > Thatcher > > was heralded as possibly the first woman Prime > > Minister. She would understand therefore the > needs > > of ordinary women and so on. Hardly a day went > by > > without her appearing on telly armed with a > > shopping basket bemoaning the lot of the > "little > > people." The fact is however that she was > anything > > but ordinary. Married to oil millionaire Dennis > > Thatcher, she represented the most vicious and > > small minded layers of the bourgeoisie. > > > > The ideas of class compromise and a formal > > commitment to the goal of full employment that > > were dominant in both big parties during the > > period of the Post War boom and were based on > the > > theories of Keynes were abandoned. Thatcher > > embraced monetarism and neoliberalism. Her > > ideology was a ragbag of reactionary prejudices > > and crackpot economic theories, but they > > represented a coherent set of ideas and > programme > > to attack the working class with. > > > > It's no surprise that the dominant economic and > > political ideas that Thatcher and Reagan > supported > > were those of the Chicago school of economics - > > ideas known as monetarism - that had been > promoted > > by the likes of Milton Friedman and Hayek. > These > > ideas had been tried before of course. They had > > been put into practice in Chile under the > > murderous military regime of General Pinochet. > > There the 'Chicago Boys' had advocated tight > > monetary controls ostensibly to reduce inflation > - > > which means smashing up the public sector, mass > > privatisation and attacks on the poorest in > > society. > > > > This was combined with a political programme to > > advocate self help, standing on your own two > feet, > > and all the other alleged petty bourgeois > virtues. > > Thatcher went as far as to say that there was > no > > such thing as society. This was the green light > > for a massive onslaught on the working class, > > their communities and their organisations. This > > onslaught wasn't restricted to Britain either. > It > > generated a programme of liberalisation and > > deregulation, that was ruthlessly applied by > the > > IMF and the World Bank across the ex-colonial > > countries. Thatcher dressed up this reactionary > > programme as the logic of commonsense and > thrift, > > armed only with a handbag (and a small onion > for > > when she needed to shed a tear - according to > > Private Eye) she set off to put the world to > > rights. > > > > Thatcher's programme of privatisation and so > > called "popular capitalism" was wrapped up with > > the idea of a "property owning democracy", > where > > everyone owned their own council house and had > > shares in the gas board and the electricity > board. > > They would travel to work on privatised buses, > or > > privatised tubes and trains. Because everyone > was > > thereby "standing on their own feet" they would > > forget about the evil ideas of socialism and > > accept the god of "market forces". The fact is > > though that the assault on the public sector > had > > much more to do with providing productive > fields > > of investment for the bosses. Compulsory > > competitive tendering and the internal market > > within the health service served to batter down > > wages and conditions across the public sector. > In > > the ?service? sector the vast majority of costs > > are in wages. The logic of compulsory > competitive > > tendering meant that private companies could > > undercut council services, by the very > > straightforward policy of cutting wage levels > and > > staff numbers. Thus, once they had also built > > their percentage profit into the equation, > > resulting in a massive growth in the > exploitation > > of some of the poorest sections of the working > > class. Of course Thatcher also opposed the > minimum > > wage as it would ?harm industry?. > > > > The recession between 1979 and 1981 had a huge > > impact on the working class. Unemployment shot > > through the roof as millions lost their jobs. > What > > was the Tory answer? These, they said, were > weak > > old fashioned industries that were > uncompetitive > > and overstaffed. In other words they took the > same > > attitude as their Victorian predecessors; they > > introduced ?laissez faire? capitalism. In other > > words Thatcher did absolutely nothing; the > Tories > > just let the industries fold with calamitous > > results for working class communities up and > down > > the country. What about the unemployed? Well, > they > > were lazy, layabout shirkers, ?moaning minnies? > > and scroungers. The Tories slashed the number > of > > tax inspectors and took on hundreds of people > to > > police the benefit system. There were huge tax > > cuts for the rich while benefits were cut and > > people were encouraged to ?get on their bikes? > and > > look for work. > > > > Did the medicine work? Monetarism meant that > > unemployment went higher sooner in Britain than > in > > any other major capitalist country. Neoliberal > > policies didn?t solve anything. They are now > > totally discredited and the policies introduced > by > > Thatcher in the 1980s are seen as being a > factor > > in the present crash. > > > > One of the biggest factors in the victory of > the > > Tories in the general election was the > Falklands > > war. Out of the blue, or at least it appeared > to > > be, the Argentinean army invaded the Falklands > > Islands or Malvinas a small bleak and utterly > > inhospitable group of islands with a tiny > > population massively outnumbered by sheep, > > penguins and elephant seals. The Argentinean > > Junta?s invasion unleashed a wave of jingoism > on > > behalf of the press, which Thatcher used to > > present herself as a great war leader, casting > > herself as the successor to Winston Churchill, > > Joan of Arc and of course Britannia. The Tories > > sent a task force to the South Atlantic to > retake > > the islands in what was essentially the most > > expensive election campaign in history. It?s > clear > > that the Argentine military were surprised by > the > > level of the response from the British. > > > > But for Thatcher it was too good an opportunity > to > > miss, an opportunity to play on all of the long > > faded traditions of the British Empire, Rule > > Britannia and so on by showing ?the Argies? who > > was boss. > > > > Thatcher has always been portrayed as a strong > > leader. She was certainly dogmatic, stubborn > and > > inflexible, but her longevity in power was > > achieved in part as a result of accident and in > > large measure as a result of the absolute > > incapacity of the Labour and trade union > leaders > > to seriously challenge the Tories. Weakness and > > prevarication invite aggression and the Labour > > Leaders helped to create the conditions whereby > > the Tories were able to lay in to the working > > class for over a decade. Thatcher was no great > > thinker either. Her social base within the Tory > > Party was the nouveau riche, the petty > bourgeois > > upstarts and the yuppies, the city slickers and > > the wide boys, the very same people who brought > us > > the credit crunch. Large parts of the country > were > > decimated, whole industries wiped out of > > existence. Dogmatic monetarism drove the > Tories? > > politics and it was the working class that > > suffered. > > > > Viva the grocer's daughter! > > Isn't it protocol to attribute pieces here to the > original writer of the piece?? Galli must be the original Author as "Mark" is red-hot and absolute mustard in spotting a plagirised post. Quicker than Linford Christie in his hey-day, "Mark" would be in like veritable lightning to trip the plagirist up in his attempt to belittle and embarass him (he wouldn't do it to a Lady, the Man has standards) and has he has not seen fit to comment then we can safely assume that this post is kosher... Either that or he is having a night off....B) p.s I've been sussed twice by our own Sherlock and it was a humilitating experience. I felt very humile afterwards I can tell you...

woofmarkthedog Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- gallinello Wrote: Apologies for the length of this, Brown, "But other than that...... she was alright!" "Go on Mag's.....break a leg!" I waded through the whole text of the above that you repeated chapter and verse for a "One-Liner" at the end??...:))

All I'm asking is that under any necessary re-construction and re-organisation of The BBC that we still retain Match Of The Day please..

PROSouthwark Wrote: For all who see the world for what it is, there are likeminded voices all around ready for radical change. If I join up with you and we get the radical change that is required, can I still watch Match Of The Day on The Beeb please?

We seem to be gently slipping away from the central theme of this fine thread. Lets show our magniminity and wish Margeret well for her ( hopefully) many remaining happy and healthy years. She has always got Sir Mark to keep her updated about his little sojourns abroad and Carol to regale her with anything she has been involved in so that should get Mags occupied...

woofmarkthedog Wrote: Just in time to walk in other people's dog turds & now with a sun baked crust......nice Jeez! I knew me and you did "dog turds" but I didn't realise other Humanoids did as well..! yuk.

Poetic Licence required for spelling purposes...

Atila Reincarnate Wrote: Let's hope next time she falls over she doesn't break anything minor. She's had enough of "minor" incidents for this lifetime and "major" ones for that matter.... Think she was misunderstood, sometimes....