Happy New Year

Well here it is... My hundredth post!
Can I take this opportunity to wish my friends (of which I hope are plenty), enemies (of which I hope are few), my readers (or reader!!) of my blog a happy and prosperous 2010.
Here's to an historic fourth term for Labour, let's ensure we do not return to the bad old days of the Tories!!
I must be getting old. For the first time in several years I am not going out to celebrate the new year.
Either getting old or turning into a miserable old so and so!!

Thatcher- even more extreme

The release of cabinet minutes from 1979 under the 30 year rule give us an interesting- but frightening- insight into the mind of Margaret Thatcher.
It is clear from the minutes released that Thatcher was a bully- she ruled her cabinet with an iron fist-and her ministers were scared of her.
One particular aspect that is particularly worrying to me is her attitude at that time towards the poor Vietnamese boat people.
She is minuted as saying their entry into this country should be resisted, and that immigrants were flooding the country, and they were getting houses in this country at the expense of British white people.
I fear the insidious BNP will try to make a lot of mileage out of this particular spouting by Thatcher.

Merry Christmas from Scouseboy

Well, we have got the seasonal weather we all sing about in the songs.
Can I wish everybody who reads this blog a merry Christmas to you and your families.
May 2010 be as happy and prosperous as you could wish for.
And here's to another Labour victory in the 2010 General Election.

Weird Weather!

I was watching a blizzard like snowstorm this morning- then saw something I do not ever recall hearing or seeing at this time of the year- thunder and lightning!
In all of my 53 years I have inhabited this earth, I cannot recall thunder and lightning other than in humid wet conditions.
I definitely do not ever recall experiencing it in the freezing cold of winter.
Weird weather indeed!!

Liverpool cruise liner terminal-unfair competition?

The government has decided not to allow ships to start and finish cruises from Liverpool cruise liner terminal. The only ships that can use this facility are ships that are "calling."
I feel the government came to this decision to appease Europe.
I fail to see how Liverpool would be taking trade away from Southampton-250 miles away on a different coast.
I hope Liverpool City Council and it's partners appeal this decision, get it overturned, and allow the cruise liner facility to come into it's own.

Liverpool World Cup host

I am pleased that Liverpool has been chosen as a host city should England get the World Cup in 2018.
Given the absence of new grounds, I pessimistically thought Liverpool's hands were tied, and there was a good chance that Liverpool as a venue would not be included.
Congratulations to the bid team for all they have done to potentially put Liverpool on the World stage again.

R.I.P.Jack Spriggs

I am very saddened to hear about the death of my friend and Comrade, Cllr. Jack Spriggs.
I first heard of Jack when he came to prominence about the sit in at Fisher Bendix in Kirkby.
My first dealings with Jack was when I became a councillor in 1987. He lobbied the Labour group about a subject dear to his heart, the one fund for all.
Jack did a tremendous amount of work for this cause, as he also did for the Merseyside Trade Union and Unemployed resource centre where it was based.
I got to know him more, and we became firm friends, when I moved to Walton.
He joined the Labour group in 1991, and was always available to offer advice and support to colleagues.
He became mayor of Liverpool in 2002, and I don't know anybody who did not say he enhanced the role of Mayor.
I never knew Jack to have a bad word for anybody, and he was an incredibly kind man.
Jack was a very passionate supporter of Liverpool Football club.
On a personal note, I will miss having a pint with him in Paul Orr's pub and putting the world to rights on a Saturday afternoon.
Goodnight and god bless, Jack my friend.

The Queens Speech.

I am proud to put this on my blog.
Please follow the link, and watch the short video accompanying it

http://www.labour.org.uk/queens-speech-2009?utm_source=taomail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=100160%20Communication%20II,%20Wed%2018th%20Nov%202009&tmtid=799-100160-99-16-129293

Too extreme for Thatcher?

If anybody was not sure about what the Tories stand for, read this guardian article, highlighting Tory plans to attack Trade Unions. The plans are even more extreme than anything used by Thatcher.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/oct/29/royal-mail-conservative-party-privatisation

Please sign the petition on the link below to defend the rights of Trade Union members.
http://www.unionstogether.org.uk/page/s/fightback

BNP on Question Time

I've changed my view on allowing the BNP on question time last night. I was originally very much against it.
I share the views of the protesters that the BNP is neo Nazi,and a totally insidious organisation.
However, I am now glad Griffin was allowed on question time.
The audience, and the other panel members, put him to the sword. All the rhetoric he came out with was challenged by Dimbleby. I think the other four panellists did a great job in helping to expose Griffins lies, even the Tory, Baroness Warsi, did a good job.
Griffin showed that if you scratch the surface, there is no substance, no policies except bigotry and hatred.
The mainstream political parties now need to hammer this message home.

Official- Today is Christmas Day!!!

Where I work ,at JLR Halewood, we currently work a four day week, having every Friday off work.

As Christmas Day falls on a Friday this year, we are entitled to a day in lieu. The common sense solution would have been to tag it on to our Christmas holidays.

This common sense approach seems too hard for the JLR management team to take in,so they have given us today off instead.

So there you have it- according to JLR management, today is Christmas Day!

Merry Christmas!!

What way will the Liberal Democrats swing?

One unanswered question from the Lib Dem conference was, in the event of a hung parliament at the next election , would the Lib Dems side with Labour or the Tories?
If it is with the Tories, I think many people, especially in the North, would not vote Lib Dem, even if they might have done so previously.
I think the electorate deserves an answer to this question,to enable them to have an informed choice at the next election.

Resignation by Stephen Hesford as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the attorney general

Notwithstanding the issues relating to Baroness Scotland, which caused the resignation of the Wirral West MP. Stephen Hesford, the former Parliamentary Private Secretary to the attorney general , I feel that this can be a good thing. It will allow Stephen Hesford to concentrate fully on his constituency in the run up to the next general election, especially as the Tories are running a particularly vicious campaign in the Wirral West Constituency.
I felt the same about Jane Kennedy's resignation as a minister. She can now concentrate fully on her constituency, in the light of several particular bitter and personal attacks on her by the Liberal Democrats.

Rant against the Mancs!!!

The Mancs are lucky so and so's!!!
In today's Manchester derby, the fourth official indicated FOUR minutes of added time. Michael Owen scored in the SIXTH minute of added time. The referee played seven minutes added time in total. Where did he find the additional three minutes from?

Liverpool Cruise Liner Terminal

I am a great supporter of the Liverpool Cruise liner Terminal. Each visiting ship pumps megabucks into the city's economy. It is great to see ocean going passenger ships pull up in the centre of Liverpool again. If I can't get down to view the cruise ships, I watch them on Wirral Webcam http://www.wirralcam.org/home.shtml
When European funding was given for the terminal, it was given on the basis that the ships were "calling" rather than "turning around."
As a consequence, cruises that started and finished in Liverpool go from the industrial dockland,next to a scrapyard,plus an hour each way to lock in and out of the docks. If I was lucky enough to afford a cruise out of Liverpool, I would not like it to start next to a scrapyard, i suspect most people feel the same.
The council and it's partners are currently, through Europe, trying to re-classify the cruise terminal, along with customs and baggage facilities, to enable cruises to start and finish opposite the Liver buildings. I hope they succeed.
However, the Port of Southampton are objecting. I fail to see how granting the Liverpool cruise facility,,in the North West, new status, could possibly take trade away from a port 250 miles away on the South Coast, which gets the benefit of a cruise ship visit almost every other day of the year.
Come on Southampton! See sense! Be fair to Liverpool and drop your objections,and there will be plenty to be gained by both of us.

Lunch at La Tasca

From the Jewish cemetery, I picked up my mum from her flat in Aigburth, and went for a Tapas lunch in La Tasca, in Queen Square, Liverpool.
We chose the chefs selection of Tapas, the menu is enclosed here:

POLLO CON SALSA
Chicken breast and sliced mushrooms, in a rich sherry cream sauce.
PAELLA VALENCIANA
Paella with chicken and mixed seafood.

BERENJENAS GRATINADAS
Fresh aubergine, baked in a tomato, garlic & wine sauce, topped with cheese.

ALITAS DE POLLO
Marinated chicken wings.

GAMBAS GABARDINA
Deep-fried king prawns, in a light and crispy batter, served with roasted garlic mayonnaise and fresh lemon.

ALBÓNDIGAS A LA JARDINERA
Our Spanish-style beef meatballs, served in a tomato sauce.

PATATAS BRAVAS
Fried potato, with a spicy tomato sauce.

ENSALADA DE LA CASA
Mixed leaves, avocado, cucumber, pine nuts and pimento peppers, drizzled with our house dressing.

The food was extremely tasty and plentiful. My mum, who is 85 next month ate some of all the dishes. My particular favourites were the meatballs, Paella and the prawns with the garlic mayo.
All in all, an enjoyable afternoon.

Visit to the Jewish Cemetery, Deane Rd, Kensington, Liverpool

I was invited to the open day at the Jewish Cemetery today.
I have been to many meetings in the 80's and 90's, in a building which was right opposite, and is now demolished, and the site is now occupied by the Lidl supermarket, and I had no idea the cemetery was there!
I was fascinated looking at the graves and the history of the site. I was amazed that people were brought from places as far away as Southport to be buried there.
Some of the people who helped shape Liverpool, such as David Lewis, are buried there.
The volunteers have done an excellent job in restoring the site.
I also met two hard working Kensington Labour Councillors, Louise Baldock and Wendy Simon.
Louise is also a volunteer at the cemetery, and she spoke to me enthusiastically about what had been achieved, and what remained to be done.
I am glad I went, it was a very enjoyable visit.

Liverpool's bid to stage World Cup games in 2018

Heaven help us! I actually agree with Warren Bradley on something!! I agree with him that Liverpool has the infrastructure to host games in 2018.
It certainly has the history, rich in football history, culture and music heritage surrounding the Beatles.
The two fan parks in the "magical" mystery and Newsham Park are very imaginative. I am sure my mate Louise is especially made up with the proposals for Newsham.
Where I differ with Cllr. Bradley is his optimism that both Liverpool and Everton will have new stadia in place.
Let's not forget his administration has been instrumental in delaying the Everton Stadium in Kirkby.
And as for my beloved reds, I have very little confidence that the two American clowns who own us have any real intention of seeing the new stadium project through. I can see them cutting an running in the next couple of years, leaving any potential new owners very little time to get new planning permission, and then develop those plans into reality in a realistic timescale.
Without new stadia, I fear we have only an outside chance of being successful.
With the best will in the world, Goodison is past its sell by date. That's not me being bitter, even most Evertonians would agree with me. Goodison has too much wood,and many restricted views, which would definitely rule this ground out;
That leaves the old Anfield in the absence of any new stadia. In my view, the only things it has in its favour over smaller stadia such as the Reebok is it's 45,000 capacity with little or no restricted views, and also the large Spion Kop.
I think the ball is firmly in LFC's (or more precisely the two clowns who own it) court as to whether the city of Liverpool stages World cup games, assuming that England win the right to stage the 2018 World Cup.

My summer shutdown

I'm back in work on Tuesday after just over two and a half weeks off.
I spent the time visiting Prague (see previous blog entries) and also painting the front of my house.
I am proud to say the painting turned out great. I did not skimp,prepared the surface properly, and only used a brush (no rollers.)
The result was a really good finish. I painted the house Terracotta, and have had a lot of compliments from the neighbours. Mine is the first in our road to be painted Terracotta, I am sure it won't be the last.
The painting was also a minor personal triumph for me. I do not have the best head for heights, and to find me up a ladder for an extended time is an achievement in itself!!

You can't beat the system!

To keep the airfare to Prague low, I decided, for the first time ever, to carry on hand luggage only.
I forgot about the rules concerning liquids, and packed them in my hand luggage case.
The security person at Speke Airport spotted it on the scanner as I passed through security. I was asked to open my case, and my shower gel, shaving foam and toothpaste were confiscated from me!
No complaints from me though. I had packed them in all innocence. You cannot be careful enough about aircraft security these days, and at the end of the day, the security staff were only doing their jobs properly.

night pictures of prague.

The report of my trip to Prague would not be complete without these night time pictures:

Visit to Prague

I have just returned from a four day break in Prague. Breaks to cultural cities are my thing.
In the last couple of years I have visited Berlin (twice) Riga, Krakow and now Prague.
The cities have all been special to me in their own way, every one of them I could recommend a visit to, especially Krakow. Everybody should try to take in one visit in their lifetime to Auschwitz and witness mans inhumanity toward fellow man.
That said, Prague just blew me away. The culture and architecture on show was absolutely mind blowing.
I saw most of the city on my four day visit there. Wenceslas Square, where the 1968 Russian invasion took place, the old town with its astronomical clock http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prague_Astronomical_Clock
is a show in itself. I was absolutely amazed at what I witnessed when the clock struck the hour.
I also visited the old town, lesser town, walked over the Charles bridge, one of the most photographed bridges in Europe. I also paid a visit to the Jewish Quarter to witness further the atrocities the Jewish people faced at the hands of the Nazis.
On a lighter note, I always thought German beer (especially Paulaner) was the best in Europe. The Czech Pilsner Urquell, Budweiser Budvar (the original-not the American imitation!!!) and Staropramen give German beer a good run for their money.
The food is not a gastronomic delight, it is quite bland.. Think Pork and dumplings!!
Regarding transport, I found my way round their tram and metro extremely easy, unlike the other destinations (Berlin apart) that I have mentioned in this blog.
I stayed one and a half miles out of the centre, the food and drink was half the price of the city centre, and I only paid 92 Euro for four nights in a 3 star hotel. I flew Wizz Air from Liverpool. Their current flight times are great, 12.50pm from Liverpool, returning at 11am from Prague, and I paid less than I would have done for a return trip to the Isle of Man on the seacat!!
I will definitely visit Prague again.

It's not the same old Tories- this lot are worse

If you need a good example of how extreme the Tories now are, you only have to look at the European Parliament.
They sit in the centre right group. This week that group (the centre right) elected a Polish MEP as their leader.
This particular MEP was for three years a member of a political party which preached homophobia,gave the Nazi salute, and had links with the National Front (now called the BNP) same vile creatures - both incideous racists.
By electing this particular MEP as their group leader, the Tories are giving us a snapshot about what they really stand for.

Clarkson opens his big mouth....again

I see that Tory tosspot Jeremy Clarkson has been up to his old tricks again. This time he described Gordon Brown in a less than complimentary four letter word, on his programme, Top Gear.
Why the BBC persist with this buffoon is beyond me. Its not as if he promotes the British car industry- he doesnt.
The licence fee funded BBC, in my view, should not have allowed the particular comment to be broadcast.
And before anybody accuses me of political bias, I agree that Alan Sugar's apprentice series should not be aired during the period before the next general election.

A different experience.

At Jaguar Halewood, we currently work a four day week, days only. They are basically four 9 and a half hour days.
Last week, I took the opportunity to work on the skeleton crew swingshift (lateshift.)
During pre credit crunch days, the whole factory used to work a double day shift system, earlies and lates, working between 6.30am and 11pm. Hopefully we will return to these hours in the not too far distant future.
Working the swingshift this week was a strange experience. The hours were 4pm to 1am. It was great having all day off, and, whilst I am used to working lates, it was strange looking at your watch, seeing it is 8pm,then suddenly realising you still have five hours of work left to do.
I worked alternating days and nights for nineteen years, but last week was a totally different experience.
The good part about it was I managed to get up early every day to make the most of my time off!!!

Always the bridesmaid,never the bride!!

The firm I work for, Jaguar Halewood, has just announced 300 redundancies. This is not as bad as it is made out to be, the 300 will come from the older workforce who will get non actuarial reduced pensions.
It is a win also for the company who, when (or if) the LRX comes into Halewood, they will be able to replace those workers with agency labour, on inferior term and conditions, and no pension entitlement.
Please reader, dont think I agree with this situation. I MOST DEFINITELY DON'T.
I always seem to lose out. When I was 48, the pension package went to age 52, when i was 50 it went to 58, when I was 52 it went to 60, and now i am 53, it has come down to 56!!
It's not that i want to stop working. I don't. I simply want to move my life into a more positive and productive direction.
The Government urgently needs to address the problems at JLR, and ,as a first step, allow them access to the funding that has been approved by the European Investment Bank.
Jaguar Land Rover has three manufacturing plants.
Solihull- 4 products
Castle Bromwich-3 products
and Halewood- only 1 product after christmas.
THIS SITUATION NEEDS URGENTLY ADDRESSING

Liverpool Liberal Democrats- neither Liberal or democratic?

Last night, at a meeting of Liverpool City Council, a motion was on the table moved by the Labour group, requesting the removal from office of a convicted criminal who is a current serving city councillor.
Despite the importance and serious nature of the motion, the Liberal Democrats VOTED AGAINST EVEN DISCUSSING THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE.
This means a convicted criminal still represents the electorate in Church ward, in the Liverpool Wavertree constituency, and will, in all probably, stand in the safest Lib Dem ward in Liverpool at the next local elections in 2010!
Hardly the actions of a supposedly Liberal and Democratic party is it?

Speed Awareness Course

A few weeks ago I got zapped by a speed camera. No complaints on my part. I was doing 37mph in a 30mph zone. I was banged to rights.
As an alternative to a £60 fine and three points on my licence, I chose to pay £90 and go on the alternative, the speed awareness course.
I attended the course yesterday. It lasts six hours, and is divided into two parts, lectures discussion and theory, followed by an extended drive with an advanced driving instructor.
I expected to be in the company of mostly boy racers, but was surprised to find I was about the average age (I'm 53) attending the course.
In the morning session,I learnt some things about hazards and concentration that I had previously not given too much thought to.
I have been driving for twenty seven years, and apart from one informal work related test,I have not been supervised driving since I learnt to drive and took my driving test. I approached this part with some trepidation, however my fears were unfounded. Ron, my driving instructor, pointed out to me some of my bad driving habits (We all have them!!) He was very nice about it, and was constructive rather than critical.
If you get zapped, I can thoroughly recommend the course. I now have a fresh insight into speed and driving in general. I enjoyed the day, it was very informative and you take positives away with you at the end.

Michael Jackson

Whilst I thought Jacko was a brilliant artist, I had no time for the soap opera that was the rest of his life.
I hope his children's future gets sorted very soon for their sakes.
To my mind, there were two winners regarding Michael Jackson's death:
1) The mobile phone companies. They will make millions in all the texts of a dubious and bad taste nature currently in circulation;
and
2) The westminster politicians. Nobody is talking about their expenses now!!

hope not hate

I have received the link below regarding the hope not hate campaign. Please support this organisation. Now more than ever we need to stand up to the repulsive and bigoted policies of the BNP.

Not in my name. Stop the BNP: http://bit.ly/19fl7s #stopthebnp #hopenothate

Grace's First Communion

Yesterday afternoon I spent at a party to celebrate the first communion of Grace, the daughter of my friends Anne and Paul.
When I arrived, Grace was still in her communion dress. She looked a proper little lady.
I did not go to the church due to the fact that two classes from the school were taking their first communion, and the families were limited to ten people only.
Thanks to Anne and Paul for inviting me, I had a very pleasurable afternoon.

Thatcher

I saw on the news today that Margaret Thatcher is hospital with a broken arm. Pity it's only a broken arm.
I hope there is a shortage of anasthetic when the surgeon operates!!!

North West Euro Elections

To my utter shame, the North West region ,where I live ,has returned a racist BNP representative to the European Parliament.
THIS VILE CREATURE WILL NEVER SPEAK ON MY BEHALF.

The soldiers who gave their lives up for our freedom must be turning in their graves. On the day after the D-day commemorations as well.
It is a slur on all of us,and a particular insult to the diverse,tolerant and multicultural society that the overwhelming majority of us support.

The quiet rundown of Liverpool airport?

When I fly, my preferred departure airport is Liverpool, provided I can get a flight that meets my schedule.
My last two foreign holidays have been to Turkey and Malta. The two before were also to Turkey and Malta, in 2006 and 2007.
What was the difference? In 2006 and 2007, I was able to fly from Liverpool, in 2008 and 2009 I was not, due to the lack of flights.
The flight I got to Turkey from Manchester last week had the same flight number and timeslot as the one from Liverpool three years previously. Why move from Liverpool?
I also note that easyjet are now speedily expanding Manchester airport slots, flying to the more popular holiday destinations from Manchester, but have not added any significant new routes or investment in Liverpool. I further note that my favourite person (not!!)Michael O'Leary of Ryanair has been very quiet about Liverpool airport lately. Very unusual for him!! It should also be noted that Ryanair have cut routes and an aircraft that was based in Liverpool.
Is this a start of a very quiet rundown of services from Liverpool, to be replaced by routes from Manchester instead? There certainly appears to be far less charter flights than in recent years. Maybe I'm just getting cynical in my old age!!

trip to turkey

I'm just back from a week long all inclusive trip to Icmeler in Turkey.
I stayed at the Fortuna Beach Hotel, you can see a good reflection of the hotel with this link:
http://www.fortunabeachhotel.com.tr/index.htm

The hotel is very well located and has stunning sea views. The only negative I could say about it was the little choice in food. I got by on their excellent salads when there was nothing else I fancied, but if you expect bacon and eggs for breakfast, then forget it! I also went to the bamboo pub next door a couple of times and had Turkish mezes and a beer for about £5.
People need to remember they are in a different culture, both culinary and lifestyle, in Turkey.
The holiday I booked was last minute, and I got a bargain price, like most people in the hotel, so I do not see how they can complain about the food given the price they had paid. I have attached some photos of the view from my room, the hotel from the beach, and the beautiful bay of Icmeler.

I will definitely go back to this hotel. and have no hesitation about recommending it to others.

support the gurkhas

While I think the actress Joanna Lumley is being naive in the extreme in her dealings with politicians regading the gurkha's, I think she is making a very valid point.
These extremely brave people have fought and defended our country, and many have paid the ultimate price with their lives. My dad fought alongside these brave people, and he was always very warm in his praise for them.
My view is if they are good enough to lay down their lives for us, they are good enough to settle here.
I think successive governments, both Labour and Tory, have treated the Gurkha's very shoddily, and I hope Joanna Lumley and the Gurkha's very soon get their not unrealistic demands granted .

The Gurghas

The government were defeated in parliament last week over the issue of gurgha resettlement, and rightly so.
These brave people,who many of their forefathers laid down their lives defending our country, should most certainly be allowed to settle here.
My father fought alongside them, and spoke glowingly about them.
I feel they have been treated very shoddily, and i hope the wrongs are righted very soon.

Toby has a haircut

David took Toby along to the dog groomers yesterday for his annual haircut. To make it as comfortable as possible for him, we try to judge when the cold spell has finished, and the weather is starting to improve. When he gets his coat cut, he looks totally different, as these before and after pictures show.

some POSITIVE budget news

The government has been criticised from all quarters for the budget Alistair Darling delivered on Wednesday.
Here is a link to eleven positive points, benefiting ordinary people, that were delivered by a Labour government in last Wednesday's budget:
http://money.uk.msn.com/budget2009/gallery.aspx?cp-documentid=16302801

sign the petition

I've just signed an online petition organised by the Trade Union I am a member of, Unite the Union (TGWU section) , in support of 600 people who have lost their jobs at Visteon, a car component firm.
These workers have been treated disgracefully by their employers,Visteon, and their former employers, (and,ironically, also my former employer), Ford Motor Company.
Please support these workers.
I attach a full transcript of the e-mail that was sent to me by Unite, along with links:

Thank you for signing this petition and sending a clear message to companies like Ford and Visteon that their behaviour will not be tolerated and help us show the UK Government that the British people demand justice for workers. To help us build this campaign we need to spread the word far and wide and we need your help to do this.
To help please go to:
http://www.savemanufacturing.co.uk/sayno_spread_the_word
Here you will be able to email your friends about the campaign and tell them why this matters to you.
To help please go to:
http://www.savemanufacturing.co.uk/sayno_spread_the_word
All you need to do is type in the email addresses you want to contact. And don't worry, we won't email anyone without your permission.
So please help by going to:
http://www.savemanufacturing.co.uk/sayno_spread_the_word
Thank you

here's to future swimming medals

Went to the Olympic size pool again tonight. I am getting really addicted to it.
The City of Liverpool swimming team was just finishing training when I arrived. I got talking to one of the coaches who I used to talk to occasionally when they trained at Everton Park.
I asked if the improved facilities were paying dividends yet. He told me the team was in a national final this coming weekend, the first time for many years.
Who knows, we may have an Olympic champion from Liverpool in 2012, but I think the commonwealth games in 2014, or the 2016 Olympics are more realistic targets.
These young people train really hard. I dont know what the training regime is now, but I know that when they trained at Everton Park, they trained both BEFORE and AFTER school. I also know that their school work was not allowed to suffer. These young people deserve every chance of success.

A new experience

I have just returned from the Liverpool aquatics centre. It boasts a 50metre Olympic size swimming pool. I have been to the aquatic centre several times to try out the Olympic size pool,but on each visit it has been unavailable to the public.
Despite being a seasoned (but slow!!!) swimmer, I had never swum in a 50metre pool before. I usually swim half a mile at a time, and that equates to 32 lengths of the pools I usually swim in.
It was a strange feeling tonight ,swimming in a pool twice the length I am used to, and only having to swim sixteen lengths to achieve the same distance I normally swim. I seemed to have been in the pool ages, and yet I had only done around six lengths!! The psychology of it all takes a lot of getting used to. However, it was a fun time, and a very enjoyable and recommendable new experience.
With my change of shifts in work, I have had to adjust my exercise regime. From now on, I aim to swim in the Olympic size pool twice a week , as well as visits to the other gyms and pools I use around the city.

Sunday drive out to North Wales

Took advantage of the lovely weather today, and took my mum for a drive out to Wales. We followed the A55 along the coast to Llandudno Junction, the took a left and followed the Conway Valley. This part of the journey was very scenic and picturesque. We called into my Dad's birthplace in Llanrwst, you can see a picture of the house where he was born alongside this post.
Just imagine. My grandparents and seven children in this small two up two down house!! That is how families lived then.
Just as an aside, you will now realise that I am half welsh. Yes, I am very proud of my Welsh roots. I follow the (mis)fortunes of the Welsh football team, and follow Wales in the six nations Rugby. Sorry if some people may think I am a traitor to their cause!!
We carried on down the conway valley until we reached Betws y Coed, where we had our lunch in a hotel called the glan aber hotel. It is situated almost opposite the famous swallow falls, and the food is good.
After lunch, we made our way back over the equally scenic Denbigh moors route, passing Moel Fameau, and Colomendy (now sadly sold off by Liverpool Council, but once a place of enjoyment in the past for generations of Liverpool kids, for many it was their first ever trip out of the city)
When we arrived back at my mums flat, we had completed 180 miles. A very enjoyable day.

Itandje the clown

The behaviour of Liverpool's substitute goalkeeper, Charles Itandje at the Hillsborough memorial service was juvenile and undignified to say the least.
It showed a total lack of respect for 96 people who died while supporting the team he is so very privileged to play for.
You may see this kind of inappropriate behaviour in a young child at infant school, even then, the overwhelming number of young children would be very well behaved, and you certainly do not expect to see this type of childish behaviour from a 26 year old adult on such a serious occasion, and where he was representing his employer. .
You can see the video on you tube, but I am not going to tarnish my blog with a link here.
Please don't think I am writing this because I am from Liverpool, and also follow LFC. I would have the same reaction if any adult behaved in this way,and showed total lack of respect, an example being at the cenotaph on remembrance day.
Liverpool FC have acted swiftly by suspending this character for two weeks, the maximum allowed under FA rules, while they conduct an investigation into the incident. This is the action I would expect from any employer in this matter, and is good industrial practice.
I have no wish whatsoever to pre-empt the result of the enquiry, but my own personal view is that Itandje should not represent Liverpool Football Club at any level ever again.

Chestnuts roasting round an open fire....

Had to visit Liverpool city centre in my car this morning.
As I passed the Liverpool Empire, whilst waiting for the lights to change on Lime Street, I noticed their main billboard was not advertising forthcoming productions, instead it was advertising their C-word production, Peter Pan!!
I took a look out of my car window, and yes, my eyes and senses told me it was the warmest and brightest day of the year so far.
I consulted my calendar when I arrived home. It told me we were in day 108 of 2009,therefore there are exactly 250 days (and almost certainly shopping days) until the c-word day.
Is this a new record for advertising the festive season?
Oh well, better go now, and write some cards, buy and wrap the pressies and stuff the turkey, I may run out of time!!!

Bank Holiday Madness

Decided to make the most of the decent (for a change!!!) weather this Easter weekend, and have done some work in my garden.
Needed some weedkiller,so I jumped into my car, and off to my local B&Q in Aintree. Queued to turn right into the retail park, queued for a parking space, queued to pay for my goods, and finally queued to get off the retail park.
Spoke to the girl on the till, and she said it is the busiest day of the year. Hope B&Q and all the stores that are open are appreciating their staff by paying them double time and a day off. Probably not, but one can still hope!!

Hillsborough remembered

Next Wednesday will be a sombre day on Merseyside, and at LFC in particular. It will be exactly twenty years ago on that day that 96 Liverpool football fans lost their lives at Hillsborough, Sheffield, where Liverpool met Nottingham Forest in the semi final of the FA cup on 15th April 1989.
That day will always be remembered by people on Merseyside , Liverpool supporters and all right minded football fans in particular.
Twenty years on, the families are still fighting for justice. For the families there is no closure. They have had to deal with the lies of the sun newspaper, the indignity of having one of the most senior policeman on duty that day, the police force he was responsible to (South Yorkshire) whose overall policing of that event were inept to say the least, appointed chief constable of Merseyside for a time until he found something better. I am not saying Mr.Bettison himself was inept, but the policing of the event by South Yorkshire police that day was woefully inadequate, and it was seen as an insult to the hillsborough families, and provoked outrage on Merseyside, when he was appointed Chief Constable of Merseyside Police.
Also, only the other week there was the case of Mrs Williams, whose son was one of the hillsborough victims, being denied justice in the courts in a case about her deceased son, despite powerful medical evidence presented on her behalf.
This is but a small snapshot of the injustices felt by the families of the 96 hillsborough victims. There have been many more setbacks down the years.
I hope the families of the Hillsborough victims get justice soon, only then can the families begin to get some sort of closure, and the 96 can finally rest in peace.

The problem with my weight!!!

Went to the nurse in my doctors surgery last week. I go there once a month to get weighed, and have my blood pressure checked as part of a weight management programme.
I have been going for around eighteen months, and have had some success, managing to shed three stone. I have gone from an obese B****** to merely a fat B******!!!
This last month i have really tried hard. I walk about six miles a day in work, take the dog out for a two mile walk at least once a day, have hit the gym at least three times a week in the last month, and swam at least one and a half miles a week.
I expected to lose several pounds, indeed I looked and felt thinner. Imagine my surprise when the nurse told me I had put on four pounds!! The nurse told me not to be too despondent,as my exercise regime had probably turned fat into muscle, which weighs more.
Better luck next month!!!

Google Street View

Have you visited this site yet? Really fascinating for nosey people like me!!
There are many streets in Liverpool featured, I particularly liked the one of Penny Lane, where I was brought up. You can see Rimmer's newsagents, which was used as a scene in a Beatles video, and Dovedale Road, the location of the junior school I attended(yes schools were invented in those long,far back days,-and no we didn't use slate and stone!!)
The big disappointment was that Google have not got round to putting my road, in the North of Liverpool, on to street view yet. Maybe soon!

Bronson

Went to town to the new Odeon in Liverpool One last night. The film I chose to see was "Bronson."
I have long been fascinated (not to be confused with an admirer of) the various escapades of this character.
Whilst I enjoyed this ninety minute narrative from Bronson's perspective, it left me with more questions than answers.
The film confirmed to me what I already knew: Bronson is a psychopath.
He was jailed originally in 1974, for an armed robbery on a Post office, which netted him the grand total of £26.18, and a seven year jail sentence.
Because of his continual violence in jail, he has been in prison for 35 years.
What do you do with such a character? He has been in prison for 35 years, yet has killed not one person? (Though not through the want of trying!!)
If he is released, who can be sure he won't be a danger to the public? I think no psychiatrist knows or understands Bronson, only Bronson himself knows himself.
I'm glad the decision at his parole hearing is not mine.
I think, on balance, the prison system has failed this person. He was put in Rampton and Broadmoor, not given the medication that may have helped him, except the "liquid cosh," then thrown back into the prison system probably more violent than before.
Overall, a very depressing film. Should have gone to see "Marley and Me!!!"

super reds!!

What a week for Liverpool!!! Not only have they demolished Real Madrid 4-0, (5-0 on aggregate) they have exceeded all my expectations by winning 4-1 against the Mancs at Old Trafford!! That after giving them a goal start!!
After the first twenty minutes, when United had the edge, there was only one team in it. Liverpool.
The Manc "stars" all had an off day, and Rooney was made to look distinctly ordinary, and he surely should now reasess his ill-judged rhetoric about "hating"Liverpool. Such talk does nothing for improving the already very poor relationships between the two sets of fans.
As was the case on Tuesday, the Liverpool stars were Fernando Torres and Stevie G. (both pictured)
The dark day at Middlesborough the other week seems light years away.

Unwanted praise from the Tories

We, the unionised hourly paid at JLR, have just made some tough and painful decisions. We are now yet another group of people in this country paying the price and footing the bill for the greed, avarice and incompetence of the bankers.
The outcome of our vote in work has resulted in comments from the shadow chancellor George Osbourne. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/7929020.stm
Above is a link to his comments.
I for one feel very uncomfortable getting praise off the Tories, indeed I find their praise rather hollow, given I know from personal experience what the Tories are about. They are no friends of ordinary working people, never have been, and probably never will be, as their history is on record as showing as much.
We received similar unwelcome praise from Thatcher in 1978, again something I felt very uncomfortable about at that time. She was mixing the bottle around that time over the winter of discontent, and she was using us, the Ford workers, as a stepping stone towards her landslide victory in 1979. A very lengthy, and very unhappy period of eighteen years followed!!

Out with the old and in with the new.

I've changed my car today. I have swapped my three year old Blue Ford Fusion for a shiny new red Ford Fiesta.
It's not an extravagance, but a substantial cost saving (long story) in my monthly budget.
I will miss my Fusion. I have had two of them. I have driven them for almost six years. They were very practical, I have even turned them into a van on several occasions. I will also miss the imaganitive space and hidey holes in the Fusion.
However, I am not overtly sentimental, I have already fell in love with my new Fiesta, the drive home from the dealers, Burns of Congleton, who I also bought the most recent Fusion from, was a dream.
I look forward to some very fuel efficient, happy motoring.

A lib Dem I actually like!!

Most people who read this blog know that I am a Labour supporter. However, there is a Lib Dem MP in parliament who I am a great admirer of. Vince Cable. His reading of the global financial crisis has been spot on, and I genuinely believe, with the treasury portfolio, he is head and shoulders above Alistair Darling, and the very weak George Osbourne. It is Vince's words I look for when comments are being made about things like the banking crisis. If the next parliament ends up as a coalition, in my view Vince deserves a high ranking treasury job.

Happy Birthday King Kenny!!

Today is one of my Kop all time favourite hero's birthday: Kenny Dalglish. He is 58 today.

One of Liverpool's all time greats, he scored the winner when we won the European Cup for the second time, at Wembley in 1978.

Lately, he has turned his attention to fundraising on Merseyside alongside his wife Marina to try to eliminate breast cancer.

I particularly admire him because even though he enjoys celebrity status, he has not forgotten, or turned his back on his roots, or his common, human touch.

Some prominent footballers of today could well learn from his example.

Dan Brown, where have you gone?

Like countless millions around the world, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the Da Vinci Code by the author Dan Brown.
I have also read and enjoyed all his other books, Angels and Demons ( looking forward to the film release this year- can't wait to see how they interpret the ending!!) Deception Point, and Digital Fortress. To the best of my knowledge, he hasn't written any more books.
On his website, around two years ago, I noted that his wife was researching for his next book which again would have Langdon and Sophie as the central characters, and the story would be based around hieroglyphics and Egyptology.
Since then, nothing seems to have developed.
On behalf of myself and the millions eagerly waiting to read the new book, hurry up Dan!!!

murder at the riverside

After the feast the famine!
After a superb victory for Liverpool in Madrid on Wednesday, yesterday they were brought back down to earth , and beaten 2-0 by Middlesborough.
I cannot remember such an inept performance by eleven men in a Liverpool shirt. They were beaten by a team so lacking in confidence, their previous league win was in November.
Even when Boro were 1-0 up, they played like a team expecting to get beat. Even with this factor in their favour, Liverpool could not rise to the challenge.
I'm afraid the league title for Liverpool will have to wait for (yet) another year.
Apart from the Evertonians and the occasional closet Manc on Merseyside, I can think of at least one other person on Merseyside who will be pleased with this result: My favorite politico!!!

glorifying the ungodly

I note in the TV listings for this week there is a docu/play on Thursday night about the final days as prime Minister by Thatcher.
This woman divided a nation, caused a generation to lose hope, and the open sores of her work are still visible in society today.
I for one will not be watching, if only for the reason that I Would get extremely angry if this evil witch was portrayed in even a remotely sensitive light.

my e-bay bargain

The tube went on the television in the living room yesterday. Me being a serial tightarse,I decided to scour e-bay. I found a bargain from Kirby, only four miles from my home. I picked it up this afternoon. I was less than twenty four hours without a TV in my living room, and I am thrilled with my purchase.

An end to the saga with David's laptop.

Success!!! David has, after more than three weeks, had his laptop (the original one) returned.
For some reason, it had taken up residence in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, for the last two weeks.
All's well that ends well. he is, as I write, happily surfing the net!!

In touch with my feminine side!!

They say you should not judge a book by its cover, I now believe that saying to be true.
I have just finished reading a so called "girlie" book. The book was titled "Scapegallows" by an author by the name of Carol Birch.
The book is about a life of a woman in the 1700's, who falls in love with a smuggler. She then leads a double life.
I have had this book for ages, it was a free, unasked for, gift from my book club, and it has just been gathering dust on my bookshelf.
I read the sleeve and decided to give it a try, and I could not put the book down.
An excellent read.

The saga with David's laptop

I got my son David a laptop for christmas. In the middle of January, some keys came off the keyboard.
I went into the store, who arranged for it to be picked up for repair. A week last Friday, I returned home, and a note was through my door I had missed the courier by about twenty minutes. The note said it would be delivered the next working day (Monday) anytime between 7.30 am-7.30pm.
I waited in until it was time for me to go to work on Late shift, then David waited in. No delivery.
I then phoned the courier, and arranged for delivery the next afternoon (Wednesday) Again no delivery.
Exasperated, I phoned the courier, who informed me the laptop was LOST! We did not even get an apology from them.
Since then, I have made several (premium rate) phone calls to the computer shop, I won't name them its not PC to!! David has now been without a laptop for almost three weeks.
Hopefully, the matter will be resolved tomorrow, arrangements are being made to enable me to pick up a replacement from the store. I Will update the blog on any developments
The stress of it all!!

Jeremy Clarkson

Further to my previous blog regarding the witches daughter, another useless Tory toerag who has never done a proper days work in his life puts his head above the parapet in Australia. Jeremy Clarkson. (caricatured left)
To promote his stage show, something I cannot understand people paying good money to watch, but that is up to them, he decides to poke fun about Gordon Brown being blind in one eye.
I'm not highlighting this incident because I am a Labour supporter, I'm highlighting it because it is, in my view, morally wrong.
I will admit I hated Thatcher,still do, I cannot forgive her, ever. I even call her a witch in this blog, but I would only ever attack her politics, and would NEVER, even for this woman, make fun about any physical imperfections she may or may not have. That is just cheap and nasty.
Jeremy Clarkson should slither back under a stone where he belongs.

Carol Thatcher and the BBC

Carol Thatcher seems to think the BBC has it in for her because of her mother.
Carol Thatchers only claim to "celebrity" status is she is the offspring of one of the most insidious, vile, vindictive and hateful woman in living memory. I would put a picture of the witch alongside this blog entry, but I do not wish to inflict that misfortune on my readers, I still want to throw up when I see a picture of her even now, I still feel very bitter about how she destroyed our manufacturing base.
Carol Thatchers total lack of sensitivity on live television, and thinking she has done nothing wrong, is beyond belief.
Her mother showed the same lack of sympathy to ordinary working people, and totally disunited the country, during the years of misery and despair during her tenure for more than a decade as Prime Minister.
Like mother, like daughter!!

A SPECTACULAR U-TURN

Last week, in Liverpool, the ruling Liberal Democrats proposed cutting 25 school crossing patrol wardens. In the light of spirited opposition by the Labour Group opposition on Liverpool City Council, and a massive groundswell of opposition by the public in general, in particular on phone ins, the Liberal Democrats have now reversed this ill thought through cut to a vital service.
I hope that in the future, the Liberal Democrats in Liverpool will be more careful in the savings they wish to make, in particular when it comes to areas like children's safety, or the vulnerability of the elderly, another area in which they have a flawed track record.

my week

Been busying myself this week. Starting to (gradually) win my battle of the weight. Got weighed at the doctors, and have lost 3kg. The last time I was weighed was before Christmas. I am quite pleased with my (modest) progress
Work has been depressing. We are currently in intense negotiation with the company over drastic cost saving measures.
Some people who are close friends/ work colleagues are retiring/taking redundancy tomorrow. It will be a very poignant day in work .

Pier Head

Had my first opportunity to visit the newly reopened Pier Head yesterday. The amount of open space makes it a very relaxing place to be. I think a lot of people will picnic there in the summer.
At the time of inception, I had mixed views about the Leeds-Liverpool canal link on the artists impressions. I felt it would take the character away from the Pier Head by splitting it in two. I could have not been more wrong. The canal link blends in very well with the Pier Head's surroundings. I am now looking forward to this year's river festival in June, when the narrow boats will, for the first time ever, be able reach the Albert Dock without having to navigate the River Mersey.

Ships on the Mersey

The biggest ship ever to sail up the Mersey arrived last Friday, along with the Royal navy aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal.
Here is a link to the pictures:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/liverpool/content/image_galleries/09_bw_bauhinia_gallery.shtml?1

more job losses at JLR

Today saw the loss of 450 jobs throughout the Jaguar Land Rover combine. The 450 jobs, equating to a 15% cut, are management/supervisory posts, but any job loss is a family suffering. Tomorrow the management are meeting the unions regarding hourly paid issues. We are not expecting good news, only yet more sweeping job cuts, probably a pro rata 15% cut in the hourly paid workforce.
One things for certain though. I am glad we are riding this recession with a Labour government. They are at least providing initiatives to try to get people jobs, and offering real practical assistance if they cannot find work, (mortgage initiatives etc.) If the Tories were in power, I think very little help would have been forthcoming.

A bad couple of (fraught) days

I have had a couple of fraught days recently.
Bad luck 1: Got up at 5.30am yesterday and discovered my central heating boiler had leaked, (a pipe had burst during the cold spell) and had dripped through the ceiling, ruining my TV in the back room:
Bad luck 2: Discovering my insurance cover for the said boiler (new system-only 5 years old) expired six weeks ago!
Bad Luck 3: Got up at 5.30 this morning for work, and could not find my house or car Keys!! I am very organised, and leave them in the same place at all times. I checked all my coats, retraced my steps of the previous evening, still no keys!! I had to wake David (that went down well) to enquire had he used them for any reason. He had not. He helped me look for them. We looked in all the obvious places: Still no keys!
It was now 6.40 am, and I start work, a 16 mile drive away at 7am.
In a mad moment of inspiration,I decided to check upstairs. I checked under my bed, and lo and behold there were my set of keys!! What had happened the previous evening was I had a plumber round to quote me for the burst pipes. I had my work clothes still on, and, flustered, I had placed my keys in my pocket (highly unusual for me.)
I then got changed, and they must have fell out, and either myself or our dog Toby has accidentally kicked them under the bed.
I departed for work at 6.45, arriving only ten minutes late, as the motorway was empty (and yes I stayed within the speed limits!!)
My life and routine are usually quite well organised, I am not used to disorganisation and stress so early in the day!!
All's well that ends well. I think I have had my three pieces of bad luck, that's enough bad luck for the time being, here's to my big lottery win tomorrow!!!

Positive support from Labour

From today, if you are unfortunate to lose your job, the waiting time before you qualify for means tested benefits has been cut from 39 weeks to 13 weeks.
The upper threshold for receiving help with your mortgage interest has been raised £30,000 to £200,000.
These two things, introduced by a Labour government, will ease the minds of those unfortunate enough to become unemployed.
You would not get help like this from the Tories, you would be left out on a limb, as the record under Thatcher shows!

Back to work on Monday!!!

Back to work next Monday, but I cannot understand why. Nobody can get credit to buy the cars that we build. We will not be producing cars until a week next Thursday, and then only on a permanent day shift.
A single shift pattern is quite simply not economic for a car factory, and we desperately need an upturn to enable us to return to two shifts, however I feel that will be a long way off.
The supply chain is an even worse condition, several of them are already bankrupt with more certain to follow in the coming months.
We at Jaguar land Rover are fortunate in the fact we build for the World market, we don't rely on one territory, however some markets are more important, and the main ones we produced for, the U.S. and Britain, are major victims of the credit crunch, so hopefully some market or other maybe China and Russia and the oil rich Arabian Gulf states will (just about) keep us ticking over. Vauxhall appear in an even worse position than JLR because Vauxhall Ellesmere Port facility only build for the British and European market.
The knock on effect from the car industry failing is the real reason why the industry needs government intervention of some sort. There are close on 600,000 jobs that rely on the motor industry in some form or another in this country alone. Bleak times!!!