Saturday, March 31, 2007
New Stuff
Just added today, some links to Southwest News and Video Links to "You Tube" for Grouchy's latest firepower videos, plus some banging vids from Rammstein and Linkin Park enjoy....
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Thoughts are with you all...
How remiss of me, just to say my thoughts are with the 15 service personnel captured by the Iranians this week.
My fingers are kept crossed for your safe return to your fellow comrades and your loved ones at home.
My daughter served on HMS Cornwall as her first deployment when she joined the Royal Navy and she is a fine ship.
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/MilitaryOperations/HmsCornwallArrivesInTheGulf.htm
So heres hoping it all works out ok. You all have my utmost respect.
Ian
My fingers are kept crossed for your safe return to your fellow comrades and your loved ones at home.
My daughter served on HMS Cornwall as her first deployment when she joined the Royal Navy and she is a fine ship.
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/MilitaryOperations/HmsCornwallArrivesInTheGulf.htm
So heres hoping it all works out ok. You all have my utmost respect.
Ian
Wednsday Blues
Hey its the last Wednesday of the month and two days from pay day.... Like most ordinary folk I am completely brassic and its a "store cupboard tea" for me tonight. As usual on a Wednesday I have been preparing the pub quiz for my local, the Dog and Donkey at Knowle in Budleigh Salterton, Devon England www.thedoganddonkey.co.uk if you want some super grub and top real ale. Usualy draught bass, otter and another guest ale (Spitfire this week)
Alas I could really do with a nice pint of otter, the throat is as dry as a kangaroo's pouch, but no beer til tomorrow for me, sob sob.
Interesting article in our local daily today. A local hard working tree surgeon, was at a family christening in a local pub, when he discovered his brother had been assaulted by an aggravating drunk. As I would have done and many like me, the good gent decided to remonstrate with the drunken miscreant and proceeded to hit him, upon which chummy fell of his barstool and hit his head on the floor, allegedly fracturing his skull. As seems the way in this country, good old mr plod and the courts have just given him a six month sentence and ordered him to carry out community service. What a shame they didnt see fit to prosecute the drunk for assaulting his brother...............................You couldnt make it up could you..
Alas I could really do with a nice pint of otter, the throat is as dry as a kangaroo's pouch, but no beer til tomorrow for me, sob sob.
Interesting article in our local daily today. A local hard working tree surgeon, was at a family christening in a local pub, when he discovered his brother had been assaulted by an aggravating drunk. As I would have done and many like me, the good gent decided to remonstrate with the drunken miscreant and proceeded to hit him, upon which chummy fell of his barstool and hit his head on the floor, allegedly fracturing his skull. As seems the way in this country, good old mr plod and the courts have just given him a six month sentence and ordered him to carry out community service. What a shame they didnt see fit to prosecute the drunk for assaulting his brother...............................You couldnt make it up could you..
Monday, March 26, 2007
Bar room politics
Has anyone ever noticed how, when the talk turns to politics down the local, we all seem to concur on the same things. Or at least the non guardian reading, politically incorrect ones of us do. Basically, i have found that most people to whom I have spoken, think David Kelly was murdered because he was embarrassing Tony Blair, we should not have gone into Iraq on the basis of non existent WMD's and even worse, we should no way be in Afghanistan. Especially as the Russians before us, who were ruthless, could not tame the Taliban. What hope do we have?
We may have some of the best and most professional troops in the world, but like most western powers, we are forced to "fight by the rules" and sad to say, the opposition tore the rule book up years ago..The yanks found out in both Korea and Vietnam that the power of the media and the peace loving tree huggers will lose the war at home, regardless of the result in the theater of war.
The troops on the ground face risks which no one who is not there can ever attempt to understand, yet the press and money grabbing legal aid lawyers sit like vultures, ready to pick the bones over any action that takes place, to fill the pages of the tabloids with "good copy".
It is about time that we utilised the skills of our armed forces where they are really needed, IE on the streets of the UK! A little bit of martial law, might tame some of the asbo yobbos and eastern european mafiosi who seem to infest our major cities and roam at will. If we wish to regain control of our streets, we need to first seal our borders, which being an island and having a Navy, should present no problems. A customs post in every port and a Navy patrol boat to back them up = no more smugglers/drug runners or people smugglers. Then move our customs posts from our airports and ports, to the points of embarkation instead, checking right of entry and visa details before the passengers land in the Uk, makes it easier to tell them to "sling their hook" without having to then house them in "asylum seekers processing centers at our expense".
All immigrants with no job, should be removed to their country of entry and refused permission to return. Also, all persons entering the country, should show visible means of support, or holiday documents or booking information to allow bona fide tourists free movement.
Whilst none of these measures will clean up our streets instantly, the long term savings in both crime related costs and reduced military expenditure will benefit all of us.
The question being, which political party will have the bottle to bring in measures to return Britain to the British?
Whilst you are thinking that i am a complete rascist, I have no axe to grind against any particular creed or colour and a persons sexual orientation is of no worry to me. You do not have to be from an ethnic minority to be a lazy workshy scumbag, there are plenty of white lazy scum, who have no incentive to work, the wrong is, that I can say that without fear, but should I accuse someone from a minority group, I would be accused of rascism, however true the statement.
If we hope to regain the streets, we need to regain peoples pride, both in their country, their government and their own ability to provide for and house their own. As it is, this and previous governments have produced a "benefit underclass" with no hope, aim or ambition. It is these people who are the hard core and whose children are the next "benefit generation", with no hope for the future. Those in public office show such low moral fibre, that these youngsters have no positive role models or heroes. Apart from those alleged "media" stars, many of whom are no more than ignorant arrogant, poorly educated examples of all that is bad, yet are catapulted to fame to feed the voracious appetite of those whose intellectual high point is Coronation Street, or the Jeremy Kyle Show.
I and many of my generation, will not probably live to see the destruction of society as we know it, but i feel sure, that without radical measures, that is all we have to look forward too.
Ian
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Ultimate Insult
Well here it is, the ultimate insult to the members of the armed forces who have been injured "in the line of duty"!!! Reported today in the daily mail, one soldier who gets £56 a week for losing half his arm, another gets a similar benefit award after serving in Northern Ireland then as a chopper pilot and being blown up, whilst one of the "leeches"!! Oh sorry, politicians, is putting in a £300,000 claim because she slipped and hurt her ankle at the house of commons.
You couldnt make it up could you! Put your life on the line for Queen and country and get screwed!!! Or take a cushy number as an MP and screw us!. Right on Mrs MP, I hope you can sleep well in your bed at night, safe in the knowledge that in some far flung corner of this "war torn globe", men and women, born of this land are laying down their lives so you can "stiff them"!! Hypocritical scum comes to mind, but then doesn't that sum up this government!!!
No Mr Bloody "Carbon Footprint Cameron", you don't come out smelling of roses either, you and your stinkingly PC Party are responsible for a good MP and ex military man resigning, so you can blame him for racism, when all he did was tell the truth about "some" ethnic minority members of the armed forces. He didn't lie, yet telling the truth is as unpalatable to you, as it is to Labour and their spinners. You like to be seen promoting your "green credentials", cycling to work, yet what about the car that follows you with you bodyguards in, you might as well ride with them, at least that would negate the CO2 you produce whilst cycling..........
I dread to think who we will have to suffer in power at the next election, but whether it be Scotland's friend, Gordon Brown, or "Eco" Dave, I fear we face more of the waste beaurocracy and inefficiency that we currently suffer, whilst paying higher taxes for less. IMHO, we are sorely in need of radical measures to shake up British Politics and to restore governance to the people, for the people. But I wont hold my breathe for that...
You couldnt make it up could you! Put your life on the line for Queen and country and get screwed!!! Or take a cushy number as an MP and screw us!. Right on Mrs MP, I hope you can sleep well in your bed at night, safe in the knowledge that in some far flung corner of this "war torn globe", men and women, born of this land are laying down their lives so you can "stiff them"!! Hypocritical scum comes to mind, but then doesn't that sum up this government!!!
No Mr Bloody "Carbon Footprint Cameron", you don't come out smelling of roses either, you and your stinkingly PC Party are responsible for a good MP and ex military man resigning, so you can blame him for racism, when all he did was tell the truth about "some" ethnic minority members of the armed forces. He didn't lie, yet telling the truth is as unpalatable to you, as it is to Labour and their spinners. You like to be seen promoting your "green credentials", cycling to work, yet what about the car that follows you with you bodyguards in, you might as well ride with them, at least that would negate the CO2 you produce whilst cycling..........
I dread to think who we will have to suffer in power at the next election, but whether it be Scotland's friend, Gordon Brown, or "Eco" Dave, I fear we face more of the waste beaurocracy and inefficiency that we currently suffer, whilst paying higher taxes for less. IMHO, we are sorely in need of radical measures to shake up British Politics and to restore governance to the people, for the people. But I wont hold my breathe for that...
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Thank crunchie its friday...
Oh well here we go, another weekend awaits, of boredom and monotony.
What can be wrong you ask? I should be celebrating the chancellors budget! Well wasn't that a complete piece of shit. God forbid when that moron is running our country, it will be time to move to Scotland, because that will be the only place he will do any favours for..
MORE GOOD NEWS!!!!
15 of our brave Royal Navy personnel have been snatched by the Iranians whilst carrying out searches of vessels in Iraq, I wonder if our spineless leader will lift his hand to do anything about it. As they aren't foreign office officials on an Ethiopian "jolly" I doubt it, he seems incapable of lifting a finger to help our armed forces in any useful way whatsoever, by the time next year comes all our Navy will be tied up alongside, with no money to put to sea. Our troops will still be driving crappy old land rovers and our RAF will be cannibalizing broken down planes for spares. All the while still trying to do their job with the skill and professionalism for which they are renowned, whilst back at home, the asbo yobs will be terrorizing the neighborhood free from fear of punishment or retribution.
Ask this question of yourself, "why is it that our elderly and frail citizens" are terrorized in their own homes and the innocent are scared to go out at night, yet Tony Blair and this government give "not a jot" for them, yet are happy to commit our armed forces to "restore a democracy" in a country where we are not wanted and are despised. We should be sorting out the rot at home first whilst strengthening our military to deal with protecting our homeland from those who seek to harm us....
Ian
What can be wrong you ask? I should be celebrating the chancellors budget! Well wasn't that a complete piece of shit. God forbid when that moron is running our country, it will be time to move to Scotland, because that will be the only place he will do any favours for..
MORE GOOD NEWS!!!!
15 of our brave Royal Navy personnel have been snatched by the Iranians whilst carrying out searches of vessels in Iraq, I wonder if our spineless leader will lift his hand to do anything about it. As they aren't foreign office officials on an Ethiopian "jolly" I doubt it, he seems incapable of lifting a finger to help our armed forces in any useful way whatsoever, by the time next year comes all our Navy will be tied up alongside, with no money to put to sea. Our troops will still be driving crappy old land rovers and our RAF will be cannibalizing broken down planes for spares. All the while still trying to do their job with the skill and professionalism for which they are renowned, whilst back at home, the asbo yobs will be terrorizing the neighborhood free from fear of punishment or retribution.
Ask this question of yourself, "why is it that our elderly and frail citizens" are terrorized in their own homes and the innocent are scared to go out at night, yet Tony Blair and this government give "not a jot" for them, yet are happy to commit our armed forces to "restore a democracy" in a country where we are not wanted and are despised. We should be sorting out the rot at home first whilst strengthening our military to deal with protecting our homeland from those who seek to harm us....
Ian
Being Unhealthy
I thought I would share this one with you....
In the beginning God covered the earth with broccoli, cauliflower and
spinach, with green, yellow and red vegetables of all kinds so Man and Woman
would live long and healthy lives.
Then using God's bountiful gifts, Satan created Dairy Ice Cream and Magnums.
And Satan said "You want hot fudge with that? and Man said "Yes!"
And Woman said "I'll have one too with chocolate chips". And lo they gained
10 pounds.
And God created the healthy yoghurt that woman might keep the figure that
man found so fair.
And Satan brought forth white flour from the wheat and sugar from the cane
and combined them. And Woman went from size 12 to size 14.
So God said "Try my fresh green salad".
And Satan presented Blue Cheese
dressing and garlic croutons on the side. And Man and Woman unfastened their
belts following the repast.
God then said "I have sent you healthy vegetables and olive oil in which to
cook them".
And Satan brought forth deep fried coconut king prawns,
butter-dipped lobster chunks and chicken fried steak, so big it needed its
own platter, and Man's cholesterol went through the roof.
Then God brought forth the potato, naturally low in fat and brimming with
potassium and good nutrition.
Then Satan peeled off the healthy skin and sliced the starchy centre into
chips and deep fried them in animal fats adding copious quantities of salt.
And Man put on more pounds.
God then brought forth running shoes so that his Children might lose those
extra pounds.
And Satan came forth with a cable TV with remote control so Man would not
have to toil changing the channels. And Man and Woman laughed and cried
before the flickering light and started wearing
stretch jogging suits.
Then God gave lean beef so that Man might consume fewer calories and still
satisfy his appetite.
And Satan created McDonalds and the 99p double cheeseburger. Then Satan said
"You want fries with that?" and Man replied "Yes, And super size 'em". And
Satan said "It is good." And Man and Woman went into cardiac arrest.
God sighed .......... and created quadruple by-pass surgery.
And then Satan chuckled and created the National Health Service.
*THE FINAL WORD ON NUTRITION*
After an exhaustive review of the research literature, here's the final word
on nutrition and health:
1. Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.
2. Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.
3. Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than
us.
4. Italians drink excessive amounts of red wine and suffer fewer heart
attacks than us.
5. Germans drink beer and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer
heart attacks than us.
*CONCLUSION:*
Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you!
spinach, with green, yellow and red vegetables of all kinds so Man and Woman
would live long and healthy lives.
Then using God's bountiful gifts, Satan created Dairy Ice Cream and Magnums.
And Satan said "You want hot fudge with that? and Man said "Yes!"
And Woman said "I'll have one too with chocolate chips". And lo they gained
10 pounds.
And God created the healthy yoghurt that woman might keep the figure that
man found so fair.
And Satan brought forth white flour from the wheat and sugar from the cane
and combined them. And Woman went from size 12 to size 14.
So God said "Try my fresh green salad".
And Satan presented Blue Cheese
dressing and garlic croutons on the side. And Man and Woman unfastened their
belts following the repast.
God then said "I have sent you healthy vegetables and olive oil in which to
cook them".
And Satan brought forth deep fried coconut king prawns,
butter-dipped lobster chunks and chicken fried steak, so big it needed its
own platter, and Man's cholesterol went through the roof.
Then God brought forth the potato, naturally low in fat and brimming with
potassium and good nutrition.
Then Satan peeled off the healthy skin and sliced the starchy centre into
chips and deep fried them in animal fats adding copious quantities of salt.
And Man put on more pounds.
God then brought forth running shoes so that his Children might lose those
extra pounds.
And Satan came forth with a cable TV with remote control so Man would not
have to toil changing the channels. And Man and Woman laughed and cried
before the flickering light and started wearing
stretch jogging suits.
Then God gave lean beef so that Man might consume fewer calories and still
satisfy his appetite.
And Satan created McDonalds and the 99p double cheeseburger. Then Satan said
"You want fries with that?" and Man replied "Yes, And super size 'em". And
Satan said "It is good." And Man and Woman went into cardiac arrest.
God sighed .......... and created quadruple by-pass surgery.
And then Satan chuckled and created the National Health Service.
*THE FINAL WORD ON NUTRITION*
After an exhaustive review of the research literature, here's the final word
on nutrition and health:
1. Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.
2. Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.
3. Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than
us.
4. Italians drink excessive amounts of red wine and suffer fewer heart
attacks than us.
5. Germans drink beer and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer
heart attacks than us.
*CONCLUSION:*
Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you!
Friday, March 23, 2007
Yanks have the right idea (did i realy say that!!!)
Well well, far be it from me to ever be complimentary to the Americans, Hey they won WWII single handed and we werent even there? But in this instance, we have a "good old boy" with some bright ideas for dealing with criminal scum....
Why can't our prisons be like this!!!
TO THOSE OF YOU NOT FAMILIAR WITH JOE ARPAIO, HE IS THE MARICOPA
These are some of the reasons why:
Sheriff Joe Arpaio created the "tent city jail" to save
spending tens of million of dollars on another expensive prison
complex.
He has jail meals down to 40 cents a serving and charges the inmates
for them.
He banned smoking and porno magazines in the jails, and took away
their weightlifting equipment and cut off all but educational movies. He says:
can assault innocent people when they leave."
He started chain gangs to use the inmates to do free work on county
and city projects and save taxpayer's money.
Then he started chain gangs for women so he wouldn't get sued for
discrimination.
He took away cable TV until he found out they were allowed it under "human rights legislation" but he only allows the Disney channel and the weather channel.
When asked why the weather channel he replied: "so these morons will
know how hot it's gonna be while they are working on my chain gangs."
He cut off coffee because it has zero nutritional value and is
therefore a waste of taxpayer money.
When the inmates complained, he
He also bought the Newt Gingrich lecture series on
pipes into the jails. When asked by a reporter if he had any lecture
series by a Democrat, he replied that a democratic lecture series that
actually tells the truth for a change would be welcome and that it
might even explain why 95% of the inmates were in his jails in the
first place.
With temperatures being even hotter than usual in
About 2,000 inmates are now living in a barbed- wire-surrounded tent encampment at the Maricopa County Jail and they have been given permission to strip down
On Wednesday, hundreds of men wearing pink boxer shorts were chatting in the tents, where temperatures reached 128 degrees. "This is hell.It feels like we live in a furnace," said Ernesto Gonzales, an inmate for 2 years with 10 more to go. "It's inhumane."
Joe Arpaio, who makes his prisoners wear pink, and eat bologna sandwiches, is not one bit sympathetic. "Criminals should be punished
for their crimes, not live in luxury until it's time for parole, only to go out and
money and enjoy things many taxpayers can't afford to have for themselves."
Wednesday he told all the inmates who were complaining of the heat in the
living in tents too, and they have to walk all day in the sun,
Way to go, Sheriff! If all prisons were like yours there would be a
Thursday, March 22, 2007
 |
| Funnys |
Just a couple of funnys from the net
(copyright unknown,if they are yours and you want them removed,just ask)
Prison! Easy life or what..
Much ado is frequently made over pathetic sentencing for criminals and this little snippet about Prison came my way (source unknown) enjoy, how true it is...
PRISON VS. WORK
IN PRISON...
You spend the majority of your time in an 8x10 cell.
AT WORK...
You spend most of your time in a 6x8 cubicle.
IN PRISON...
You get three meals a day.
AT WORK...
You only get a break for 1 meal and you have to payfor it.
IN PRISON...
You get time off for good behavior.
AT WORK...
You get rewarded for good behavior with more work.
IN PRISON...
A guard locks and unlocks all the doors for you.
AT WORK...
You must carry around a security card and unlock and open all the doors yourself.
IN PRISON...
You can watch TV and play games.
AT WORK...
You get fired for watching TV and playing games.
IN PRISON...
You get your own toilet.
AT WORK...
You have to share.
IN PRISON...
They allow your family and friends to visit.
AT WORK...
You cannot even speak to your family and friends.
IN PRISON...
All expenses are paid by taxpayers with no work required.
AT WORK...
You get to pay all the expenses to go to work and then they deduct taxes from your salary to pay for prisoners.
IN PRISON...
You spend most of your life looking through bars from the inside wanting to get out.
AT WORK...
You spend most of your time wanting to get out and go inside bars.
IN PRISON...
There are wardens who are often sadistic.
AT WORK...
They are called supervisors.
PRISON VS. WORK
IN PRISON...
You spend the majority of your time in an 8x10 cell.
AT WORK...
You spend most of your time in a 6x8 cubicle.
IN PRISON...
You get three meals a day.
AT WORK...
You only get a break for 1 meal and you have to payfor it.
IN PRISON...
You get time off for good behavior.
AT WORK...
You get rewarded for good behavior with more work.
IN PRISON...
A guard locks and unlocks all the doors for you.
AT WORK...
You must carry around a security card and unlock and open all the doors yourself.
IN PRISON...
You can watch TV and play games.
AT WORK...
You get fired for watching TV and playing games.
IN PRISON...
You get your own toilet.
AT WORK...
You have to share.
IN PRISON...
They allow your family and friends to visit.
AT WORK...
You cannot even speak to your family and friends.
IN PRISON...
All expenses are paid by taxpayers with no work required.
AT WORK...
You get to pay all the expenses to go to work and then they deduct taxes from your salary to pay for prisoners.
IN PRISON...
You spend most of your life looking through bars from the inside wanting to get out.
AT WORK...
You spend most of your time wanting to get out and go inside bars.
IN PRISON...
There are wardens who are often sadistic.
AT WORK...
They are called supervisors.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Deck shoe wearing townies
Hey nonny noo! summers a'coming and the roads of Devon are about to become infested with "deck shoe wearing, townie scum", most of whom will be visiting their bijou holiday homes in Salcombe and Noss mayo and at the wheel of a brand new "disco" or "BMW Z4". (Because of course, we all know that the roads south of Bristol turn into muddy cart tracks! and are impassable without a four by four...... NOT)
So the local Western Morning News ran an interesting article on food, where we were all told how our eating habits were changing and that we where all buying "organic" and "local" produce. As usual, IMHO, of course, this applied to aforementioned townies, who seem always to have the statutory Waitrose's bag in the disco when they arrive with their brats on holiday and are oft found manouvering their "tartrazine filled, hyperactive, vile mannered offspring, around Darts Farm or Dartington Cider Press Centre" Coz thats where all us Devon folk shop! Yeah right, most of us on minimum wage, I dont think so...
Thus the pen was drawn again, but I dont think this one got published:
It was interesting to read Martin Hesp's excellent article on the changing face of the food we eat. the topic of healthy eating and organic produce, regularly "crops up" in the pages of the WMN and i felt minded to comment on some of the issues raised. I consider myself lucky, that from an early age my mother taught me to cook and whilst professing to be no "Garry Rhodes", I am well able to produce a decent meal, without recourse to a "chip fryer" or "a microwave". The value of fresh produce is well within my grasp and in normal circumstances a "ready meal" would not grace my kitchen.. However, from reading Mr Hesp's article and drawing conclusions from the facts and figures quoted, we would think that a renaissance in how and what we eat is occurring under our noses. Perhaps it is, but let us ask "for who?” not for the ordinary Man or Woman in the street, both working to struggle and pay huge mortgages and some of the highest utility bills in the country. Not for the low earners on benefits or the elderly on low pensions, but then for who? One only has to grace a Tavistock farmers market, or go to Darts Farm on a Saturday to see the people who are creating the increase in these "faddy foods", one will be swamped by a plethora of "yummy mummies", with their designer clad offspring, purchasing their "bison burgers" and "Cornish yarg" along with a couple of bottles of some pretentious "fruity little number" to wash down the "oak smoked salmon and dill" These self same leaders of this revolution in "healthy, organic, locally sourced shopping" will then trip off home in the 4 x 4 to rustle up some genteel little "bijou dinner" in their £1,000,000 estuary side retreat. Whilst those of us living in "reality land" will be trudging round Tesco/Asda/Morrisons with a trolley full of sterile vac packed, easy cook, cheap food! And some fish and veg, which has probably travelled half way across the world. Now don't get me wrong, I have nothing against our "deck shoe wearing, 4x4 driving, townie incomers", what I do take issue with, is the way in which the massive influx of these people whose incomes are far removed from those of us in normal jobs, has on the infrastructure. Take for example Salcombe!, wander its streets in winter, play "spot the local". In summer, you can buy fancy fashions, luxury sailing clothes and all manner of "yuppie toys" yet look for shops selling normally priced run of the mill items. This pattern seems to be occurring all over the southwest. Whether it be places like Darts Farm or Dartington or Riverford Organics. We are seeing a huge increase in purveyors of luxury foods for people on luxury wages. Before we know it Devon will have been turned into a clone of "Kingston on Thames". Lets remember that a vast portion of the working population in Devon are on the minimum wage, try looking at the job adds in the local press and asking "could I live on that?" then remember that what ever traumas farming goes through, ordinary people will always need ordinary food at fair prices.... Ian Woolger
So the local Western Morning News ran an interesting article on food, where we were all told how our eating habits were changing and that we where all buying "organic" and "local" produce. As usual, IMHO, of course, this applied to aforementioned townies, who seem always to have the statutory Waitrose's bag in the disco when they arrive with their brats on holiday and are oft found manouvering their "tartrazine filled, hyperactive, vile mannered offspring, around Darts Farm or Dartington Cider Press Centre" Coz thats where all us Devon folk shop! Yeah right, most of us on minimum wage, I dont think so...
Thus the pen was drawn again, but I dont think this one got published:
It was interesting to read Martin Hesp's excellent article on the changing face of the food we eat. the topic of healthy eating and organic produce, regularly "crops up" in the pages of the WMN and i felt minded to comment on some of the issues raised. I consider myself lucky, that from an early age my mother taught me to cook and whilst professing to be no "Garry Rhodes", I am well able to produce a decent meal, without recourse to a "chip fryer" or "a microwave". The value of fresh produce is well within my grasp and in normal circumstances a "ready meal" would not grace my kitchen.. However, from reading Mr Hesp's article and drawing conclusions from the facts and figures quoted, we would think that a renaissance in how and what we eat is occurring under our noses. Perhaps it is, but let us ask "for who?” not for the ordinary Man or Woman in the street, both working to struggle and pay huge mortgages and some of the highest utility bills in the country. Not for the low earners on benefits or the elderly on low pensions, but then for who? One only has to grace a Tavistock farmers market, or go to Darts Farm on a Saturday to see the people who are creating the increase in these "faddy foods", one will be swamped by a plethora of "yummy mummies", with their designer clad offspring, purchasing their "bison burgers" and "Cornish yarg" along with a couple of bottles of some pretentious "fruity little number" to wash down the "oak smoked salmon and dill" These self same leaders of this revolution in "healthy, organic, locally sourced shopping" will then trip off home in the 4 x 4 to rustle up some genteel little "bijou dinner" in their £1,000,000 estuary side retreat. Whilst those of us living in "reality land" will be trudging round Tesco/Asda/Morrisons with a trolley full of sterile vac packed, easy cook, cheap food! And some fish and veg, which has probably travelled half way across the world. Now don't get me wrong, I have nothing against our "deck shoe wearing, 4x4 driving, townie incomers", what I do take issue with, is the way in which the massive influx of these people whose incomes are far removed from those of us in normal jobs, has on the infrastructure. Take for example Salcombe!, wander its streets in winter, play "spot the local". In summer, you can buy fancy fashions, luxury sailing clothes and all manner of "yuppie toys" yet look for shops selling normally priced run of the mill items. This pattern seems to be occurring all over the southwest. Whether it be places like Darts Farm or Dartington or Riverford Organics. We are seeing a huge increase in purveyors of luxury foods for people on luxury wages. Before we know it Devon will have been turned into a clone of "Kingston on Thames". Lets remember that a vast portion of the working population in Devon are on the minimum wage, try looking at the job adds in the local press and asking "could I live on that?" then remember that what ever traumas farming goes through, ordinary people will always need ordinary food at fair prices.... Ian Woolger
More local bullshit akin to a Roman Conspiracy
Well well, what a long time since my last Blog! , i've been festerin away in my little hole and now I have popped out to get some sun and put pen to paper. Our local chamber of trade and commerce is trying to get a "farmers market" running in Budleigh, just to take some trade away from the hard working local shops that sell the same produce as the market would. Being all in favour of "fair and equal trade" this sucks, so, pen being mightier than sword I decided twas time to draw quills and enter the fray once more. lets see if it gets published in the local paper. (Exmouth Journal)
Dear Editor,
It was with interest, that I read the article “Rumpus over farmers market” in this weeks Journal and felt minded to comment. It seems that the furore over the proposed market is entering the realms of some power struggle akin more to the Roman Empire than to a sleepy east Devon town! Local butcher Chris Coles; Ceaser like, seems to be the target of the sharpened daggers of the conspirators, aka the market steering committee, who seem intent on not “losing face” by trying every trick in the book to push through the market. It would appear that “people have been lobbied” and “plans railroaded” by those miscreants who dare to oppose the will of “The committee”. I beg to ask, why should people not be lobbied? Or counter opinion allowed to flourish? Do we not live in a democracy? Those keen to push for the market with their claims that it will “bring trade to the town”, say they “are not prepared to let others influence against it” and they are “pursuing two unnamed alternative sites”, my word the conspiracy thickens! oh for open and free thinking local politics. Statistics are yet again quoted. 95 traders were sent a questionnaire, 77 responded, 18 perhaps were asleep, closed for the winter, or couldn't be bothered with joining the revolt! Then of the valiant 77, we are told, “more than 80% were in favour”. I ask, “why, more than”, were the committee unable to report the true percentage? Or does it sound better to say “more than 80%” rather than, say, “81%”? Let us assume that 81% support the market and that would equate to 61.6 traders out of 77. Then, ask ourselves how many of them would be in direct competition with the farmers market? On the basis that the market would sell meat, game, perhaps fish, vegetables, cheeses, breads and speciality “designer foods”, I would say that perhaps 8 or 9 town traders would face direct and unfair competition, from “non rate paying outsiders”. This only goes to show that the other traders, who support the market, seem quite happy to betray their fellows for the “sake of an extra shilling!” I was always under the impression that the chamber of trade, were there to promote all that is good about Budleigh and the services that it offers, not to push for unfair competition against its own members. They would better serve them, by promoting what we have in the town and its variety and quality of service, rather than allowing others to have a slice of a “rapidly diminishing pie” Perhaps, they should look at some of the empty shops in the town and try to see those filled with quality, self sustaining business’s, with a far greater priority than pushing for a farmers market.
Ian Woolger
Dear Editor,
It was with interest, that I read the article “Rumpus over farmers market” in this weeks Journal and felt minded to comment. It seems that the furore over the proposed market is entering the realms of some power struggle akin more to the Roman Empire than to a sleepy east Devon town! Local butcher Chris Coles; Ceaser like, seems to be the target of the sharpened daggers of the conspirators, aka the market steering committee, who seem intent on not “losing face” by trying every trick in the book to push through the market. It would appear that “people have been lobbied” and “plans railroaded” by those miscreants who dare to oppose the will of “The committee”. I beg to ask, why should people not be lobbied? Or counter opinion allowed to flourish? Do we not live in a democracy? Those keen to push for the market with their claims that it will “bring trade to the town”, say they “are not prepared to let others influence against it” and they are “pursuing two unnamed alternative sites”, my word the conspiracy thickens! oh for open and free thinking local politics. Statistics are yet again quoted. 95 traders were sent a questionnaire, 77 responded, 18 perhaps were asleep, closed for the winter, or couldn't be bothered with joining the revolt! Then of the valiant 77, we are told, “more than 80% were in favour”. I ask, “why, more than”, were the committee unable to report the true percentage? Or does it sound better to say “more than 80%” rather than, say, “81%”? Let us assume that 81% support the market and that would equate to 61.6 traders out of 77. Then, ask ourselves how many of them would be in direct competition with the farmers market? On the basis that the market would sell meat, game, perhaps fish, vegetables, cheeses, breads and speciality “designer foods”, I would say that perhaps 8 or 9 town traders would face direct and unfair competition, from “non rate paying outsiders”. This only goes to show that the other traders, who support the market, seem quite happy to betray their fellows for the “sake of an extra shilling!” I was always under the impression that the chamber of trade, were there to promote all that is good about Budleigh and the services that it offers, not to push for unfair competition against its own members. They would better serve them, by promoting what we have in the town and its variety and quality of service, rather than allowing others to have a slice of a “rapidly diminishing pie” Perhaps, they should look at some of the empty shops in the town and try to see those filled with quality, self sustaining business’s, with a far greater priority than pushing for a farmers market.
Ian Woolger
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