Current Affairs

[screwy]

I watched it while drinking a bottle of Trump Wine, made with sour grapes.

[Ray B]

Couple in Norfolk over the weekend nicked as the excuse reported by the Deputy C Constable was they were driving from Wisbech to Scratby to buy fish and chips. Round distance 150 miles.
I would have nicked them more for not thinking of a better excuse as well.

What's wrong with fish and chips in Wisbech?
You can't beat stupidity.

Now being reported that it was Mildenhall, but your reply stands if there is a chip shop in Mildenhall.

[Stephen]

Might have been a good idea to turn off and unplug your electrical first.

Storm Christoph: Evacuations amid floods and snow https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55743246

[Mervyn and Trish]

Flooding must be awful at any time but right now when your home is your safe refuge from Covid is a dreadful double whammy.

Fortunately for us if our house was flooded the UK would be reduced to an archipelago of small islands.

[oldbluefox]

As I see it, global warming apart, flooding either occurs because the rivers are not deep enough or the banks are not high enough to take heavy rain. Flooding in Cockermouth was a rare occurrence but since the river authorities were disbanded there seems to be no more dredging of rivers nor maintenance of rive banks to take away dead trees etc. Therefore the rivers must be silting up. A local haulage contractor offered to dredge the river in town for free but he was prevented as apparently it would disturb river habitat. When the floods come they do a good dal more than disturb the river habitat I can tell you!!!

I also fail to understand the logic behind HS2 to carry businessmen into London and save 20 minutes on their journey when we have people around the country being rendered homeless and all the expense that incurs instead of sorting out the flooding problem. Of course we are now building on flood plains so I cannot see that helping.

[Kendhni]

As I see it, global warming apart, flooding either occurs because the rivers are not deep enough or the banks are not high enough to take heavy rain. Flooding in Cockermouth was a rare occurrence but since the river authorities were disbanded there seems to be no more dredging of rivers nor maintenance of rive banks to take away dead trees etc. Therefore the rivers must be silting up. A local haulage contractor offered to dredge the river in town for free but he was prevented as apparently it would disturb river habitat. When the floods come they do a good dal more than disturb the river habitat I can tell you!!!

While people build on flood plains what do they expect - there is a bit of a spoiler in the name.

I also fail to understand the logic behind HS2 to carry businessmen into London and save 20 minutes on their journey when we have people around the country being rendered homeless and all the expense that incurs instead of sorting out the flooding problem. Of course we are now building on flood plains so I cannot see that helping.

HS2 isn't for us - it is for the next generation and, when you look into it, the planners have a very good case as to why it is necessary. Similarly the road infrastructure that was built in the 60's and the 70's wasn't for that generation, it was for ours. If we start building these things when we actually need them then it would be just utter chaos.

On the plus side you and me will not be the ones paying for HS2.

[oldbluefox]

When some people have been flooded out of their homes three or four times within the last 10 years or so I'm not sure they would see it that way. Fortunately I'm not one of them but I understand their point.

[towny44]

Ken, I wonder why you think HS2 will be a necessity for future generations, we have learnt from this pandemic that very mainy jobs can be done at home without any need to commute.
My belief is that the need for long distance commuting is now dead, and the govt could spend far less than that needed for HS2 on improving local rail services where these can show a viable demand.
There is no justification for cutting journey times from the midlands and the north to London by less than about 15%, when demand is now so uncertain.

[oldbluefox]

Personally I would rather see journey times between cities improved eg, Carlisle to Newcastle, 60 miles takes 90 minutes. When I was at school that was 40mph.
I feel sure there are other examples but perhaps we ought to look at bringing our current infrastructure into the 21st century before thinking about playing around with lines already well served.

[Stephen]

Personally I would rather see journey times between cities improved eg, Carlisle to Newcastle, 60 miles takes 90 minutes. When I was at school that was 40mph.
I feel sure there are other examples but perhaps we ought to look at bringing our current infrastructure into the 21st century before thinking about playing around with lines already well served.

I didn't think Stephenson's Rocket went that fast. You learn something new every day

[david63]

we have learnt from this pandemic that very mainy jobs can be done at home without any need to commute.

Whilst that is true at the moment and probably will be in the short term I suspect that working from home will continue, and possibly expand, resulting in a more spread out workforce and there will then come a time when that workforce will, for many reasons, have to meet up on what would be a regular basis at which time HS2 would come into its own.

[oldbluefox]

Personally I would rather see journey times between cities improved eg, Carlisle to Newcastle, 60 miles takes 90 minutes. When I was at school that was 40mph.
I feel sure there are other examples but perhaps we ought to look at bringing our current infrastructure into the 21st century before thinking about playing around with lines already well served.

I didn't think Stephenson's Rocket went that fast. You learn something new every day

I would say Stephenson's Rocket was faster. I always remember Sir Patrick Moore saying he decided to quit driving when a cyclist overtook him going uphill.

[Stephen]

I watched it while drinking a bottle of Trump Wine, made with sour grapes.

Yes I had a bottle of that as well.

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[Kendhni]

Ken, I wonder why you think HS2 will be a necessity for future generations, we have learnt from this pandemic that very mainy jobs can be done at home without any need to commute.

I don't really have an opinion on it one way or the other and I agree with you about the work-from-home - in fact I started off thinking HS2 was a white elephant. However having read up on the reasoning behind it (not just the media spin) and the projected planning and infrastructure needs of the next generation, it has convinced me that those responsible for planning have proven their case that it is required for the future (similar to those responsible for planning realised we would need a major motorway infrastructure a generation before it was actually a necessity).

It isn't just about transporting people about, it's main revenue is expected to come from the transport of goods and materials. It covers anticipated population migration around the country including manufacturing and industrial bases.

Just count yourself lucky that you don't have to pay for it.

[Kendhni]

I know this government has been shaking its magic money tree furiously but this one takes the biscuit
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/ministers-pon ... 46339.html

The government needs to remember that is tax payers money that they are frittering away. Why do we have to bribe people to stop being so selfish ... it is a sad reflection of a society that needs bribes before it does the right, sensible and moral thing. All this will do is bring a return to the COVID parties where fools that like to play the odds deliberately try to catch COVID.

[Stephen]

Unlikely to happen.


Covid-19: Ministers to consider £500 Covid payment to boost self-isolation rates https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55760467

[david63]

And if it should then how many will demand "back pay"?

[Manoverboard]

Bribing people who may spread covid because they cannot afford NOT to go to work is not such a bad idea I would have thought.

[towny44]

Unlikely to happen.


Covid-19: Ministers to consider £500 Covid payment to boost self-isolation rates https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55760467

Why do so many people praise our wonderful civil service, when they have idiots coming up with such ludicrous ideas.
Yes I agree with Moby that those that cannot afford not to work, or who feel they might be forced to work by their boss need financial help and job security to self isolate. But surely the health dept officials can come come with a targeted policy that would work and cost a fraction of this daft idea.

[david63]

Bribing people who may spread covid because they cannot afford NOT to go to work is not such a bad idea I would have thought.

I can see the argument but isn't this tackling the problem from the wrong end? If you test positive and need to self isolate then the employer should continue paying their employees and reclaim some of that back from the Government

[Manoverboard]

Bribing people who may spread covid because they cannot afford NOT to go to work is not such a bad idea I would have thought.

I can see the argument but isn't this tackling the problem from the wrong end? If you test positive and need to self isolate then the employer should continue paying their employees and reclaim some of that back from the Government

Purely to illustrate .... one could be a van driver on a Zero hours contract and be paid a sum of money based on the number of parcels one delivers. In this example the employer would pay them zilch.

[david63]

one could be a van driver on a Zero hours contract and be paid a sum of money based on the number of parcels one delivers. In this example the employer would pay them zilch.

It would not be "rocket science" for the employer to pay the average for the last 10 days for the next 10 days.

[Manoverboard]

one could be a van driver on a Zero hours contract and be paid a sum of money based on the number of parcels one delivers. In this example the employer would pay them zilch.

It would not be "rocket science" for the employer to pay the average for the last 10 days for the next 10 days.

No work = No money ... apart from that he/she could have been off sick the previous 10 days

[towny44]

one could be a van driver on a Zero hours contract and be paid a sum of money based on the number of parcels one delivers. In this example the employer would pay them zilch.

It would not be "rocket science" for the employer to pay the average for the last 10 days for the next 10 days.

No work = No money ... apart from that he/she could have been off sick the previous 10 days

The latest BBC news now says the govt have no intention of following through with this hare brained idea from a bunch of idiotic civil servants.

[Bensham33]

I thought extra money was already available for those who have to self isolate, unable to work from home and are low paid. Just like it should be.

Surely they won't consider making a payment of £500 to everyone that had to self isolate. They would be giving money to people who don't need it. Then again the Tories are good at that aint they.