Monday, April 16, 2007

Key Workers!!!!!

On Friday, I caught a whinging whining report on the BBC, about how the poor hard done by, "KEY WORKERS" couldn't afford houses in todays market. We where treated to the sight of one poor soul, who informed us "she had been to university" but couldn't aford a house.!!!

My heart nearly broke with unhappiness for her, I mean, what would one do, all that training, those high wages and now, no house in her price band. What a sad sad tale of woe!! Forget the poor checkout girl on minimum wage at Tesco, or the council street sweeper, neither of whom earn enough for a cardboard box on the streets, let alone a house.... But of course, they are merely lower class in the eyes of our graduate teacher and therefore not needing to have a roof and four walls.

Why is it the media and the government are fixated on "key workers". All workers are important and to my mind, all equally in need of house to live in. The "key workers" seem to think that they should be a special case, why ? i cannot fathom, lets have affordable housing for all as a government aim, not just for a small minority of elitist whingers.

On a cheery note, i attended the annual "Tuckers Maltings beer Festival" in Newton Abbot on Friday. 200 beers to try and a superb event not to be missed. Will definately be back next year!!


Big Ian

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

The day off sick!

Yuk, what a horrendous day! felt like shit all last night and was ill going into work. My boss took one look at me and said "GO Home". So not being one to argue, I did and just made it home before projectile vomiting over my cat!!! Laid in bed all day, feeling like a sack of cack and have just crawled out of bed and managed a piece of dry toast.. yeeeharrr it stayed down. No idea what brought that little bug on, but their seem to be loads of bugs and sickness related things about at the moment. Lets hope i feel better in the morning, as I hate letting my fellow workers down, specially as its hectic at the moment.

Ian

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

News of the World

Hey, Ho, time for me to critiscise someone whom I have felt the need to support over the past couple of weeks. Our young wren, captured by the iranians. Sorry my dear, but what the hell possessed her, to sell her story to the "News of the world"!!!!

It has been bad enough, the stream of unfounded critiscism which has been aimed at the captives and at women in the military over this matter. But selling your story to the gutter tabloid press takes the biscuit. This has given the "anti" brigade a fistfull of amunition and I am sorry to say, does her cause no good at all.

The decision to allow her, as a serving member of the armed forces, to sell her story, should result in an instantaneous court martial, for whomsoever allowed it!. Whatever did they think they would gain? Whilst I do not doubt her story at all, surely the MOD would have been far better releasing a joint article by all the hostages to explain to the public their ordeal. Thus negating the levels of critiscism levelled at them. To go it alone in this manner has done the "senior service", a great diservice and if any fee has been paid for the story and the interview with Trevor Mc Donald on TV, I feel that all this money should be immediately donated to the armed forces charities, who help those maimed and disabled in combat. Having spoken to some active serving personnel about this whole affair, (both male and female) there is a certain level of disgust about this whole affair, which I feel can do nothing but harm morale and damage relations between men and women serving in the Royal Navy.

The hand of Blair!, seems somewhere to be present in this sorry tale of spin and propaganda I wonder what instructions where given by the government to those who pull the strings at the MOD, in an effort to regain some political standing for "his royal blairness?"
Whilst the way in which we are told the captives were treated, is not up to the standards we would expect. I do not think the way in which we support the Americans treatment and torture of captives at Guantanamo Bay, allows us any moral high ground to critiscise the Iranians for their treatment of our troops...however much I feel their seizure was wrong, we have played a crooked game of international chess with the Iranians for many years and meddled in their internal affairs, been involved in coups and all sorts of skulduggery, so unfortuanately this and incidents like it were always going to happen.

Let us hope that the MOD review its methods and ROE to avoid embarrasing situations like this occurring again.


Big Ian

Sunday, April 08, 2007

Two faced "back stabbing media"

Well well, our good old two faced, back stabbing media, are really sticking the knife into our brave sailors just released by the Iranians. The Daily Mail today, was like a propaganda broadcast by the Tehran government and Littlejohn and Max Hastings just went down to the bottom of my list, for the way they both slagged of the captives. Nice isn't it, when you sit behind a desk or push a pen, how you can state, you feel the hostages were weak under the pressure from their captors and buckled too quick in front of the cameras.
I wonder if it has ever crossed the minds of the idiots that run the media in the UK, that if they were not so happy to show propaganda for the enemy, stunts like capturing 15 sailors would have no propaganda value at all! The trouble is, that our press is just like the press in the USA during the Vietnam war, all too ready to beam enemy propaganda into the homes of ordinary members of the public, whose "need to know" is questionable, with the resulting backlash and positive PR for the enemy!
Can anyone imagine, Winston Churchill, allowing Pathe News and the BBC to show pictures and film interviews of British Airmen captured after being shot down, then forced to apologize for bombing the third Reich? Of course bloody not! because back then, we had some patriotism and pride, in both our country and our armed forces. Now however, the prime minister, the media and the press would happily burn our flag and abandon our soldiers for the sake of a headline....
As for some of the weak kneed desk jockey generals who are calling for heads to roll over this affair, perhaps they should ask, who is it who hamstrings our forces, who writes the rules of engagement and who puts our troops at risk with outdated equipment and insufficient support.
Add to that, the vulture like legal aid brigade, clamoring to support the poor "innocent" Iraqi's
whilst heaping blame and claim on our troops and I am surprised we have any military left.
I have been a Daily Mail and Sunday Mail reader now for over 25 years and I am afraid after your comments today from your "leading columnists" , I will never purchase a Mail again.

Thursday, April 05, 2007

WEEE!!!

Have you ever had one of those days where your blood starts clotting in your veins? and you find your head shaking in disbelief so much your neck aches?

Well that was today and yesterday. i had the joy (not) of registering the company I work for on the governments new "cash generation scheme" known as WEEE!! or for you laymen/women The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE Directive)

If you thought WEEE was Yellow liquid waste matter, think again! this WEEE is government bullshit under an environmental guise!. Yes folks, good old Gordy and the "tree hugging" revenue boys have found a new way to destroy more British business's and reduce our competitiveness.

Surprisingly, the good old boys from the EU have got their sticky little fingers "tainted with weee!" and now they are forcing us to "take the piss" (how many more toilet puns can i get in one post?) From just about now, any Uk producer/importer and distributor will have to label all electrical products with a new symbol (wheelie bin with a cross through it) to denote that all electrical goods must only be dumped at approved recycling centres, set up expressly for that purpose. But to cap it all, the said producers, are obliged to pay the cost of collecting the dead item from the purchaser, then paying for its removal and ecological destruction.

It beggars belief! can you imagine, if everyone who bought a TV from currys, rang them up and demanded that their scrap telly s be picked up, the cost alone would be horrendous, yet this government would rather bring in this stealth tax, than make it easier to let people dump old electrical goods at current waste facility's. I dread to think the level of fly tipping we will see after this ghastly piece of legislation becomes fully implemented or the number of people who will fall foul of it.

The government dept that creates acronyms was obviously on Weee, when they wrote this or "double time",because I have never seen so many acronyms in one document.

I await with interest the continuation of this saga..................................................

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

They are free, now leave the poor maid alone!!

3 Cheers for the Royal Navy, how nice to see that Iran has shown the good grace to free the captives. Now let us see the stinking British Press, leave Faye alone. I for one am sick to death of jumped up a***holes, whining on about this "showing women should not be in the forces". She was perfectly capable of doing her job, as were her male colleagues. They were just the victims of a "political problem", made worse by the press in this country pandering to Iran.
I wish them all well and hope they are in the arms of their loved ones soon. Whilst also thinking of those brave souls who will not be coming home and have made the "ultimate sacrifice" for this countries folly in Iraq and Afghanistan..God bless you all...

Sunday, April 01, 2007

The value of propaganda!!!!!!

So, when are we going to realise our stupidity? Why is it that our "lefty chums" in the media are doing the job of the Iranian Propaganda Dept? Can you imagine Winston Churchill in wwii, allowing the Germans to parade allied troops who had been captured on the BBC, "i don't bloody think so". What is wrong with the stinking press? screw the bloody Iranians, they should not get one lousy minute airtime to embarrass our brave troops and they certainly should not have their propaganda aired by our media... Good old beeb! suopportive of our troops to the last!!

Ian

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

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..

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...

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

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!

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 COUNTY SHERIFF( ARIZONA ) AND HE KEEPS GETTING ELECTED OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

These are some of the reasons why:

Sheriff Joe Arpaio created the "tent city jail" to save Arizona from

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: "they're in jail to pay a debt to society not to build muscles so they

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 told them, "This isn't the Ritz/Carlton. If you don't like it, don't come back."

He also bought the Newt Gingrich lecture series on US history that he

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 Phoenix (116 degrees which just set a new record for June 2nd), the Associated Press reports:

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 to their government-issued pink boxer shorts.

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 commit more crimes so they can come back in to live on taxpayers
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 tents: "It's between 120 to 130 degrees in Iraq and our soldiers are
living in tents too, and they have to walk all day in the sun, wearing full battle gear and get shot at, and they have not committed any crimes, so shut your damned mouths!"

Way to go, Sheriff! If all prisons were like yours there would be a lot less crime and we would not be in the current position of running out of prison space whilst having to let scum go free!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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.

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

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

Friday, October 21, 2005

Pauls Funeral

Its 8.54 AM UK time and the sun is out. At least that is a bonus. Sad day today, we are going to say our farewells to one of our friends and drinking buddies, Paul Parker-Gray. Sadly passed away at the tender age of 49 from a heart attack. Paul was a genuinely nice guy and and under a rather crusty exterior was a real diamond. Perhaps misjudged by many who never took the time to know him, he will be sadly missed by us "the grumpy old men", who would sit at the bar in the Feathers Hotel in Budleigh Salterton and put the world to rights. I'll have a pint for you later on Paul, I hope that there is a "Feathers" upstairs somewhere and that you are sat at the bar. Dont take any shit from those angels and always order another half before your glass is a third empty.

Will miss your tales and lively banter...



Ian