Deltics and the Toon!

Just thought I would put in a plug for the Royal Scots Grey website. My lovely wife has bought me a seat on the first railtour behind 55022 Royal Scots Grey for 3 years; all the way fro mstockport to Edinburgh (and back). I have to admit that the sound of 2 Napier engines are almost as good as a Rolls Royce Merlin in a Spitfire..... but obvioulsy neither are a patch on my good lady's sweet voice.....!

I understand that Gary Lineker has resigned from the Daily Mail; best thing he has done after scoring for Spurs against the Mackems at White Hart Lane after the Toon's game was postponed... What a goal and what a laugh. Must admit the Spurs fans were very bemused by 10 Toon fans in full regalia in the home end booing every move the mackems made. Lol, those were the days....

So Howay the Lads, and good luck for the 2010/11 Season.

Daily Mail reporters stir it again

I see that the Daily Mail are telling us all again about how bad somebody eles is. Is the "raison d'etre" to tell their readers how bad somebody else is and sod the consequences?

When will the Media realise that nobody wants to be the person who allowed a plane to fly, only for it to crash and people lose their lives. As countless people have said this situation  is new, so why the clamour to think its OK to fly when it might not be.

I can see the headlines now if somehting happened, they would blame the Met Office for not telling people about the ash.... How do their reporters get up in the morning with a clear consience?

Please don't buy this paper, it really is rubbish.

Who are you...Who are you....?

Well we certainly thumped the Aussies last night, fantastic performance from a very good 20/20 side; lets hope we can transfer this to 1-day and maybe even Test cricket as well. Is it me or did the Aussies look scared of losing. They looked nervous and had no belief; great stuff, and those catches.....!

Lets hope that FIFA look on that fact when they ignore the Mail on Sunday's attempt to undermine our World Cup bid for 2018. I hate that paper (not as much as the Daily Express); but what exactly did they hope to achieve by breaking this story. Its like Gordon's pre-election "private comment", everybody says things in private that they may not say in public. The Mail on Sunday should be ashamed by their actions; but given their track record I dont suppose anybody should be surprised. I wonder whether it was the Polo World Cup whether they would have run the story....

Finally, it seems that the Tories and their Lib-Dem puppets are blaming the Labour Party for all the impending cuts; well nobody saw that coming..... We can now look forward to 20% VAT, loss of Child Benefit, and a host of other cuts that will drag the Economy back into recession. Will have to do some background checks on the Millibands to see who to back for Leader.

42 degrees in Muscat, and humid.......

In Dubai at the moment, where it's hot (100 degrees) and sandy (bit of a storm blowing at the moment. Fortunately I can keep up to date with the UK news though Sky, so just learnt that Jensen's car blew up (bugger) and Chelsea were lucky to win the FA Cup (shame, I don't like Portsmouth due to the stupid woman who rang a bell when i went to see the Toon play in Portsmouth in the 90s; but the fans deserve better after the way the Board behaved!)

Public Transport is still pretty new here, but now they have air-conditioned bus stops, a fantastic Metro and one of the best Airports in the World. Trouble is the Taxi drivers are often deaf as they seem to go where they think you want to go; twice I had to drivers to go the right way, and refused to pay the whole fare on the first occasion.

Having said rail is new, there was a recent announcement that they will be investing 136Billion Riyals in Qatar in rail infrastructure....., no quibbling with the odd billion like at CrossRail.

Note also that I was right about the Car loving Tories; already they have announced road friendly policy. Just watch the investment in rail fall away, at a time when passengers are being stung for high fares and poor service (and quality of trains). Who is Philip Hammond by the way; doesn't seem to have any experience in rail.......

Off to Muscat tomorrow, nice place but humid. Doing business in a suit when you are sweaty is not fun.......

Hopefully the boys can beat the Aussies in the 20/20 final, I dislike most Australians; arrogant and full of themselves....

(Please note that I have censored my post today on the grounds that I want to go home.....!)

David Milliband needs your vote.....

Well it's time I thought about what I want from the future now, looked at the Labour Party Website....

If only Gordon had shown the humility he did last night in his resignation speech.....

With everything that has happened today I am at a low ebb. Dave and Nick walking hand-in-hand in the Downing Street garden like new lovers at least put a smile on my face; even the Press were mocking them.

They also want to stich this up by changing the Law so that they have at least 5 years in power......

The North East will suffer, manufacturing will suffer, and I note that the Transport Secretary is not deemed an important post as it still remaiins un-announced as I write this.

Back to minimal investment in the railways, and we can now look forward to 65-ton lorries on the roads.....

The last time I vote Liberal Democrat......

Well, we have a new PM elect in Dave, and his new chum Nick at his side. Well Nick, I am sure I wont be the only Lib Dem voter who is dismayed and disappointed by your actions... As I said before, Power corrupts.

I will be emailing Mark Hunter to tell him that he has lost my support, and in future I will not be voting tactically again. My grandmother was a Labour Party activist in the 1920s, she hated Thatcher ("that Bi*@h Thatcher" is how she referred to Maggie), and I have to say that when I drive through the old Coal Mining areas I look at the devastation she wrought and wonder how people can think that the Tories are the new way forward.

I wonder what the mothers who lose their Tax Credits, and the people in the North East who lose their jobs in the public sector will be thinking in 6 months time.

Best start to save the pennies, I have a feeling we will all need them soon.....

All over for Gordon

Having fallen on his sword, Gordon is packing his bags as we speak; off to write his memoirs and to make money..... Personally, despite being a dour Scot, I actually respect him. But, time to move over for younger Blood, the Millibands will be the one's to watch.

So Nick is joining forces with Dave. Its all a bit School boyish for me, I just cant beleieve that Osborne will be at No.11, he just doesnt look the part, and notice how the Yorkshireman led the negotiations.

So what will Tory Boy get, Home Secretary?

From a personal viewpoint, I think its going to be bad for manufacturing (they will kill off what they missed under Thatcher), and bad for Investment in the Railways. No third runway for Heathrow, but hey at least we can bomb somebody with the New Trident......

Come on Nick, do the right thing

Not posted for some time now, but after much persuasion I intend to use this blog to air my views and news more regularly....

So after the General Election of May 6, 2010 I had hoped that we could keep out the Tories who fortunately missed the magic 326 seats. I though Nick Clegg was a breath of fresh air, stimulating young voters and bringing a new way into politics.

The last 4 days have shown that Power corrupts. Nick and his Lib-Dems were (and could still be) on the virge of sticking 2 fingers up at the voters and cuddling up to Dave and his schoolboy chums! It took Gordon Brown's move to resign to open things up. Whatever you feel about the man, he has a great track record in the financial mangement of the UK, despite what the Tory rags might try and peddle.

What I cannot understand is why Gordon never said what many of us think, that he has tried to put right many of the mistakes made by Tony Blair, mostly due to his do-gooder wife. Our kids seem to know nothing other than that told them to pass their exams. The lack of general knowledge today is staggering.
Don't get me going on respect for elders either......

Nick, do the right thing and kick the Tories into touch.