Making the news today....

[sime42]

@Big J
You've not mentioned the legion little black or blue dog shit bags yet. Sure to be found in any nice green natural space. Lovely! What on earth makes these knobs think that it's an acceptable practice? They often even go as far as to carefully hang them up on trees and bushes.

[sime42]

 
I agree. 
 
But I'd add the caveat that the region could comfortably accommodate many more tourists if the infrastructure was properly upgraded. I cannot see that ever happening though, so the inevitable Friday and Saturday M5 car parks will continue every summer ad infinitum

Used to be even worse in the 60/70s apparently, before the A30 and A38 were made into dual-carriageways. You'd have to queue for hours and hours to get off the M5 at Exeter.

[Mark J]

XPO logistics workers threaten strike that could cause UK ‘beer drought’ | News | The Grocer

WWW.THEGROCER.CO.UK

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Workers are being balleted for industrial action after what Unite called a "paltry" a 1.4% pay rise

Wew!

[Mark Bolam]

There’s a lot of needless rowing going on here.

We’re all in the timber game, like it or not, and we pretty much all sing from the same hymn sheet.

 

J has touched a nerve with me about littering.

It’s bad isn’t it?

I remember the ‘Tufty Club’ days of the ‘70’s. Littering was just considered ignorance.

Now, with massive coverage on social media, I just don’t get it?

My own little village in Kent has even recently developed a problem.

Idle little bastards leaving their shite lying around.

It’s disgusting. You can fit a bin bag in your johnny pocket, ffs.

 

People often comment that the inside of my Transit is a mess, but that’s because me and the lads simply won’t drop litter, ever.

I sort it out every Sunday into recyclable, black bag, or food waste.

Other stuff I sometimes find is probably not fit for polite discussion, and @Joe Newton doesn’t even work for me yet.

Recent pictures of the CLA Game Fair campsite after everyone left gave me a bit of hope, immaculate.

 

Hyde Park eco warriors take note!

 

The truth is Britain is truly a great place, but as others have said it’s got too many people in it, and the scummers seem to be breeding at an exponential rate.

 

One of my favourite books is by Jon Evans ‘Trail of the Dead’, rereleased as ‘Dark Places’.

 

It tells of the ‘Lonely Planet’ effect, where guidebooks tell people brilliant places to go, which are then ruined within a couple of years by hordes of people going there.

 

Don’t assume it doesn’t apply here, it’s a backhanded compliment.

 

I’m as guilty as anyone, for you West Country boys I’ve been a Grockle a few times with the best of them, and I remember my Dad coming back from a trip to the Lakes complaining it was ‘full of trippers!’

 

You can’t win, can you?

 

There are two sides to every coin, or two lenses.

 

We wouldn’t all be happy living in the same place, would we?

 

I think J is getting a hard ride here, the oversized whingeing half-German doom-monger that he is!

 

I voted leave, he voted remain.

It doesn’t make us enemies, does it?

Just blokes trying to make a living who have different points of view.

 

He knows him and his family have a bed with us here in Kent for the night if they need a bed before getting the Eurotunnel if he ever needs it.

 

Life’s too short to live where you’re not happy.

You go for it Big J, I’ll not let the few squabbles we’ve had on here down the line dilute my respect for what you want for yourself in life.

 

Or the invaluable practical advice you’ve given so freely over the years to myself and others.

[David Cropper]

5 hours ago, Mark Bolam said:

There’s a lot of needless rowing going on here.

We’re all in the timber game, like it or not, and we pretty much all sing from the same hymn sheet.

 

J has touched a nerve with me about littering.

It’s bad isn’t it?

I remember the ‘Tufty Club’ days of the ‘70’s. Littering was just considered ignorance.

Now, with massive coverage on social media, I just don’t get it?

My own little village in Kent has even recently developed a problem.

Idle little bastards leaving their shite lying around.

It’s disgusting. You can fit a bin bag in your johnny pocket, ffs.

 

People often comment that the inside of my Transit is a mess, but that’s because me and the lads simply won’t drop litter, ever.

I sort it out every Sunday into recyclable, black bag, or food waste.

Other stuff I sometimes find is probably not fit for polite discussion, and @Joe Newton doesn’t even work for me yet.

Recent pictures of the CLA Game Fair campsite after everyone left gave me a bit of hope, immaculate.

 

Hyde Park eco warriors take note!

 

The truth is Britain is truly a great place, but as others have said it’s got too many people in it, and the scummers seem to be breeding at an exponential rate.

 

One of my favourite books is by Jon Evans ‘Trail of the Dead’, rereleased as ‘Dark Places’.

 

It tells of the ‘Lonely Planet’ effect, where guidebooks tell people brilliant places to go, which are then ruined within a couple of years by hordes of people going there.

 

Don’t assume it doesn’t apply here, it’s a backhanded compliment.

 

I’m as guilty as anyone, for you West Country boys I’ve been a Grockle a few times with the best of them, and I remember my Dad coming back from a trip to the Lakes complaining it was ‘full of trippers!’

 

You can’t win, can you?

 

There are two sides to every coin, or two lenses.

 

We wouldn’t all be happy living in the same place, would we?

 

I think J is getting a hard ride here, the oversized whingeing half-German doom-monger that he is!

 

I voted leave, he voted remain.

It doesn’t make us enemies, does it?

Just blokes trying to make a living who have different points of view.

 

He knows him and his family have a bed with us here in Kent for the night if they need a bed before getting the Eurotunnel if he ever needs it.

 

Life’s too short to live where you’re not happy.

You go for it Big J, I’ll not let the few squabbles we’ve had on here down the line dilute my respect for what you want for yourself in life.

 

Or the invaluable practical advice you’ve given so freely over the years to myself and others.

Excellent,  well thought out and delivered piece, Mark. Totally agree on all points. Good luck to Big J.

[Big J]

7 hours ago, Mark Bolam said:

There’s a lot of needless rowing going on here.

We’re all in the timber game, like it or not, and we pretty much all sing from the same hymn sheet.

 

J has touched a nerve with me about littering.

It’s bad isn’t it?

I remember the ‘Tufty Club’ days of the ‘70’s. Littering was just considered ignorance.

Now, with massive coverage on social media, I just don’t get it?

My own little village in Kent has even recently developed a problem.

Idle little bastards leaving their shite lying around.

It’s disgusting. You can fit a bin bag in your johnny pocket, ffs.

 

People often comment that the inside of my Transit is a mess, but that’s because me and the lads simply won’t drop litter, ever.

I sort it out every Sunday into recyclable, black bag, or food waste.

Other stuff I sometimes find is probably not fit for polite discussion, and @Joe Newton doesn’t even work for me yet.

Recent pictures of the CLA Game Fair campsite after everyone left gave me a bit of hope, immaculate.

 

Hyde Park eco warriors take note!

 

The truth is Britain is truly a great place, but as others have said it’s got too many people in it, and the scummers seem to be breeding at an exponential rate.

 

One of my favourite books is by Jon Evans ‘Trail of the Dead’, rereleased as ‘Dark Places’.

 

It tells of the ‘Lonely Planet’ effect, where guidebooks tell people brilliant places to go, which are then ruined within a couple of years by hordes of people going there.

 

Don’t assume it doesn’t apply here, it’s a backhanded compliment.

 

I’m as guilty as anyone, for you West Country boys I’ve been a Grockle a few times with the best of them, and I remember my Dad coming back from a trip to the Lakes complaining it was ‘full of trippers!’

 

You can’t win, can you?

 

There are two sides to every coin, or two lenses.

 

We wouldn’t all be happy living in the same place, would we?

 

I think J is getting a hard ride here, the oversized whingeing half-German doom-monger that he is!

 

I voted leave, he voted remain.

It doesn’t make us enemies, does it?

Just blokes trying to make a living who have different points of view.

 

He knows him and his family have a bed with us here in Kent for the night if they need a bed before getting the Eurotunnel if he ever needs it.

 

Life’s too short to live where you’re not happy.

You go for it Big J, I’ll not let the few squabbles we’ve had on here down the line dilute my respect for what you want for yourself in life.

 

Or the invaluable practical advice you’ve given so freely over the years to myself and others.

 

A genuinely lovely thing to write there Mark, and you're completely right. I take my hat off to you with the litter picking too. 

 

I went swimming in the River Ax last week and thankfully the place had very little litter, but I did nevertheless pick up and take home what I did find. It's just an obvious thing for me (and you).

 

It's certainly worse than it ever was, but it has always been pretty terrible in Scotland. I recall going pike fishing one day at a reservoir about 30 miles north of us. The fishing was slow and I filled two black bin bags from about 150m of bank. I barely scratched the surface too. 

 

I've never, ever been able to understand why people would chose to make the effort to go somewhere pretty and then trash it. 

 

Anyway, thankyou for the support. ☺️

 

Perhaps if we'd grown up here we'd feel more rooted, but that not being the case, you end up judging your living situation in very objective terms. When you're not happy, you're not happy. Getting out of the rat race and reducing our stress is so important for my wife and I. The Swedes have a word for that balance which is 'lagom'. Not too much, not too little, simply lagom. 

[Johnsond]

‘Good idea’ for companies to insist staff are fully vaccinated, says Grant Shapps

APPLE.NEWS

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Transport secretary says he expects UK firms will require employees to be double-jabbed

The push is not even subtle any more.   Covid vaccine now, then whatever else they insist you need to have be a useful citizen. 
 

[trigger_andy]

Scottish drug deaths hit a new record of 1,339 - the worst in Europe | Daily Mail Online

WWW.DAILYMAIL.CO.UK

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The grim toll went up 5 per cent last year, the seventh annual rise in a row, as the country continued to have the worst...

Dont ya just love the SNP.  

 

[htb]

1 hour ago, trigger_andy said:

Scottish drug deaths hit a new record of 1,339 - the worst in Europe | Daily Mail Online

WWW.DAILYMAIL.CO.UK

---

The grim toll went up 5 per cent last year, the seventh annual rise in a row, as the country continued to have the worst...

Dont ya just love the SNP.  

 

Didn't realise the SNP handed out the drugs, I'm not a SNP fan BTW.

 

Was in Port Glasgow chemists the other day picking up a perscription for mum, sad to see the locals coming in for their methadone dose, what a way to live.

[trigger_andy]

3 hours ago, htb said:

Didn't realise the SNP handed out the drugs, I'm not a SNP fan BTW.

 

Was in Port Glasgow chemists the other day picking up a perscription for mum, sad to see the locals coming in for their methadone dose, what a way to live.

If you never realised the SNP handed out drugs then perhaps you where on them when you wrote the second part of your reply