Making the news today....

[AHPP]

Go through your phone book. The first 20 people who live between Darlington and Ashington. How many are truly in the private sector? 
 

NB A business that has mainly or only state emanation client(s) is not the private sector.

[Johnsond]

3 hours ago, BillQ said:

Possibly true half a century and more ago but not so much now, I was one of those who was out of school and on the dole in the mid 70's and facing that possibility went the other route of armed forces engineer. Swans shut, Consett iron co shut,  pits shut etc etc and places like that had originally drawn people from other areas and countries because there was work/money, when that happens it isn't easy to return so there's always going to be a problem and that's what the government should be doing only better. 

However entrepreneurs do it better, Robert McAlpine was a major player getting Nissan into the UK, shame we don't have politicians who can spot opportunities like that.

Similar story in the 80s just after the end of the miners strike. Took one look around at my options and buggered off up to Ashington army careers office. 

[BillQ]

3 hours ago, AHPP said:

Go through your phone book.

I don't have a  time machine to get me back to the 80's 🤷‍♂️

[Johnsond]

On 12/04/2025 at 11:23, Steven P said:

I haven't looked at the age demographic though - yes, I'd tend to agree that let them go quick so that they can get out there, retrain, enter a new line of work and be happy productive workers. All well and good if you are under say 35. Once you get past 50, retrain and enter the workforce is going to take 5 to 7 years... you are starting a new career aged nearly 60.. and who is going to employ a near 60 year old 'new start' knowing they'll only get 5 years profitable work from them?

 

Aligned with this near 60 year old looking for a new career, there could be another 4000 of them similarly recently trained looking for new jobs in a town where there are not that many vacancies. Let them move for work? Away from their lifelong homes, kids and grandkids? Look to the North East, it takes generations to revitalise an area when the sole major employer closes, holistically a managed decline is a better option I think, let them retire where they work, and develop the young to move into new industries.

Absolute condescending drivel. 
An expert on post industrial social and economic decline of the North East now as well. 
 

Edited April 14 by Johnsond

[Yournamehere]

Click Me

[skc101fc]

Ok guys, watching Katy Perry and the other girls spin out into space , for 11mins of girl bliss in zero G. But did anyone else think their rocket actually represented a giant dildo?  Or perhaps I  need to go to specsavers to have my imagination cleaned out.

Kudos though that the booster rocket returns to be reused. As it came back separately from the girls, guess it couldn't take the constant chatter and singing any longer, and left them and their parachutes to bring them back somewhere else completely different 

[Mick Dempsey]

I would like to indulge in sexual congress with Katy Perry.

But we’re not listening to her records after.

[sime42]

Come on then, who was it?

 

300–500 Year Old Ancient Oak Tree Cut down in Whitewebbs, Enfield

WWW.THORSTREES.CO.UK

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Above: All that remains of the oak after 300–500 years of life. “I can't believe this has happened. This is a loss of a National...

 

 

Felling of ancient oak tree in Enfield sparks Met Police probe

WWW.BBC.CO.UK

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The cutting down of the tree in a park in Enfield has been described by locals as "devastating".

 

 

 

 

Edited April 15 by sime42

[redmoosefaction]

No tpo, no conservation, leased land to private company, nothing to see hear.. have the number plates been taken off? Perhaps go and ask smart platforms from Hemel who rented their cherry picker on that date🤣.. It's not difficult.

[Stubby]

7 hours ago, sime42 said:

Come on then, who was it?

 

300–500 Year Old Ancient Oak Tree Cut down in Whitewebbs, Enfield

WWW.THORSTREES.CO.UK

---

Above: All that remains of the oak after 300–500 years of life. “I can't believe this has happened. This is a loss of a National...

 

 

Felling of ancient oak tree in Enfield sparks Met Police probe

WWW.BBC.CO.UK

---

The cutting down of the tree in a park in Enfield has been described by locals as "devastating".

 

 

 

 

No crime as far as I can tell . Its not felled anyway . They have made it into a veteran pollard maybe ? Also I see notices attached to the trunk .