TIMON

What, like this lot?

I just read that the UN have elected Yemen to the Vice Presidency of their council for gender equality and empowerment of women, Yemen are ranked 149th out of 149 for women’s rights. It would be a bit like putting Theresa May in charge of Brexit....................oh hang on...

Seen on a ladies lonely hearts ad. Thirty something - (42) Great personality- (not very attractive) Bubbly. - (alcoholic) Loves going out clubbing- (alcoholic) Enjoys nights in - (lazy alcoholic) Outgoing personality - (unpredictable) Strong willed.- (Argumentative) Looking for a knight in shining armour - (ex boyfriend is a dangerous psycho and will probably show up at some point) New age.- (lacking in personal hygiene)

A fair percentage of a flip lines strength is in the braiding of the rope sheath, so it should really be classed as a textile item. The metal is prone to rusting in places that are difficult to inspect. Time for a new one by the sounds of it.

I seem to remember one of the drivers at the Ag supplies yard telling me he decked him once, due to him harassing his Mrs. Sounds about par for the course.

Likewise Mick, you seem to have done well for yourself. [emoji106]

You had some stiff opposition with Olly Read drinking in the same boozers... fair play.

Yes. Went out with a girl called Jo,

Haha, I may have met you at some point. I lived in Rudgwick, 98-99. Went out with a girl from the village and worked at the Agricultural supplies,

Left over Christmas crackers Rich?......

It’s the EN number that is backed up by the CE mark. Eg type A climbing rope such as Tachyon carries the “EN 1891A” number which verifies that it has been tested according to European standards. The manufacturer cannot get a CE mark unless it has been subjected to those particular tests. That’s why the CE mark is (currently) mandatory for PPE climbing kit to be LOLER-ed. It’s really the EN number that replaced the kite mark.

Interesting point Stubby. I wonder how the rules and CE mark regs would apply in the event of a court case or insurance claim after March 29th.

Maybe one example of a Brexit benefit would be the possibility of UK LOLER examiners being able to find a way of providing certificates for home splices. Perhaps this could be achieved by examiners taking a course on splicing themselves, so that they could demonstrate practical and theoretical knowledge in this area. I’m guessing the bottom line would be whether insurance companies and our professional indemnity policies would still cover us if we departed from the ‘shackles’ of the CE mark. Interesting food for thought but maybe just wishful thinking (as a lot of Brexit hopes seem to be at the moment)

Do’sy that’s an American term. Jomoco, is that you?!?

Happy New year Paul, hope it’s a good one. Nice to see you posting. [emoji106]

Here you are Bill, a song about homelessness played on a lap! Happy New Year!

I think there should be crackdown on tax evasion by huge corporations like Amazon etc.., Perhaps they should be forced to build affordable housing.

Ok, maybe I could have phrased it a bit better, but the fact remains, just throwing cash at the problem isn’t helping, it’s making it a LOT worse. Questioning people’s motives for doing so can get a bit uncomfortable as well, but if the issues are going to be looked at with any kind of honesty then they are valid questions to ask because the constant stream of cash is part of the picture. One point I would like to make in all this is that the right help should be applied at the right time. The first response to someone just made homeless or in a crisis should be clothing, shelter and food. But what about afterwards? It’s a bit like the earthquake in Haiti years ago, the aid agencies were still sending blankets and tents five years after it hit because no one had taken the trouble to build any infrastructure.

It’s a heartbreaking story, and one of countless thousands. The government have now completely cut all funding for rehabs, meaning that most are in the process of being shut down. There aren’t any easy answers. The girl is being prevented from becoming truly desperate by well meaning but Ill-informed people. She has no incentive to seek help (even if she can find it) because it seems too much like hard work. Rough sleeping has become the latest well paid career choice. How many of us reading this are on £300 a day?

Our charity provides opportunities for homeless and addicted people to have a safe, clean , caring environment. I gave one of our flyers to a homeless girl the other day. It was obvious she had been homeless and sleeping rough for a long time. She declined the offer of help because she earned too much begging every day. We were holding a bucket collection right near where she was sat with all her duvets and bags by a cash point outside a Sainsbury’s. I watched a steady stream of people give her food, drinks, wads of cash etc... we were there all week and I saw a pattern emerge. Every couple of hours a guy in a hoodie with a staffy would appear and she very quickly left her spot and disappeared with this guy for half an hour or so only to return, semi-conscious and begin the process all over again. She told me that she had a daughter but she was being looked after by her mum. She was spending about £200 - £300 a day on her habit, had no veins left and was injecting into her groin where she had multiple abscesses. On Christmas Eve her mum turned up and begged her to come home and spend Christmas with her little girl. She started yelling and screaming at her mum (it was horrible). Then the guy with the pit bull turned up again and she disappeared sharpish. It made me ask myself some very searching questions. We even had people come to our pitch and tell us; “I hope you’re going to give some of that money you’ve collected to that girl’. I did give her a few quid and some food and a hot drink but only so I could open up some dialogue and tell her about our charity. She really didn’t want to know. It’s easy to point the finger at the dealer, but that day I asked myself, “Who were the real villains of the piece?” The mum? The dealer? The authorities? Or the people who walked home that night feeling self satisfied that they had given £10 or £20 to help a homeless girl?

“I’ve been down the garden and cleaned up the dog mess, so you guys can crack on” ....., I haven’t been down there for days and it looks like the Somme so you’re going to be plastered in it and possibly blinded by Toxocariasis.

A stab vest and a tetanus, you’ll be fine! Welcome. [emoji106]

One of our tippers got nicked today. White transit 14 plate crew cab. Theives must be operating at some level of sophistication to get past the immobiliser and get into it without noise or breaking glass. Watch out in the Coventry area!