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Good grief, I’m finding myself agreeing with Richard yet again
We’re lucky here in Milton Keynes as, since April, bus routes have been slashed, which sounds bad but they’ve been replaced by an on-demand service. Operated by mini-buses you book a trip and it will pick you up at a convenient spot within 200 yards of where you are starting and take you to within 200 yards of your destination anywhere within MK. Flat rate of £3.50 peak and £2.50 off-peak, free is you have a senior bus pass. Apparently very popular – and green, all the mini-buses are electric – and you’re not tied to fixed routes.
Another advantage here is we have good rail links – only 35 mins to London and quicker and cheaper than driving to London, when you consider congestion and emission charges. The only downside is services after 22:00 are not good, prone to cancellation and no fast services so a 50 minute to 1 hr 10 minute journey, so for late night trips you need patience.
I recall I once did a racing trip to Scotland covering Hamilton and Perth and decided to use public transport. I flew up to Glasgow and getting to Hamilton was easy by train, as was getting from Glasgow to Perth by train.
However getting home was interesting as I decided to try National Express as it had a route from Perth to Milton Keynes via Glasgow – I think the total journey time was around 11 hours and it was 11 hours of my life I’ll never get back again – yes, it was relatively cheap but a perfect illustration of getting what you pay for.
No point in looking at the price – the fuel is required if the car is to move.
I’ll just fill up once the tank gets below ¼ full (the only exception is I won’t fill up at a motorway service area because their prices do extract the urine, I would rather come off the motorway and find a local filling station)
Luckily because of lockdown I’m only having to fill up every three months, whereas when I was going racing most days I was getting through two to three tanks a week.
About six years too late I’m afraid – I had hundreds of VHS tapes of racing from the 1990’s which I eventually threw away.
I even had what you were looking for, including complete programs for every Grand National and Derby in the 1990’s.
I did digitise quite a few VHS cassettes before chucking them but not sure I included any of the racing ones, I have a feeling I didn’t.
If I get a spare half hour I’ll have a look and if I did copy any I’ll let you know and you can have a copy
Sad news, one of the greats who was part of the tapestry of my early years following racing.
RIP
Cheers Ian ….. I hope you manage to stay dry at Bratton Down and you avoid the thunderstorms.
Anyone who’s prepared to wear a mask watching rugby, football, horse racing etc is a mug.
If the choice is wearing a mask or not watching live sport then I’ll wear a mask – if that makes me a mug, so be it.
To be honest, bearing in mind my last job, wearing a mask is actually no big deal.
The other advantage of wearing a mask is it serves as a warning to others
The police superintendent at Kenmure Street was dealing with a peaceful protest
Peaceful protest? They were obstructing justice!! It was mob rule.
The “causes” behind the gatherings may be different but, at the end of the day both were illegal gatherings and both policed politically.
Not whataboutery at all – both are examples of illegal gatherings and anarchic lawlessness – both are as bad in their own way and, ultimately the only difference between the two is how they were policed.
Is it not hypocritical for individuals to condemn one of the gatherings and not the other because one happens to coincide with their own beliefs and the other goes against their beliefs?
Should both not be condemned equally for being lawless?
Indeed I think Police Scotland have more questions to answer regarding their handling of the immigration event than the football event.
Why did the Superintendent in charge of the former bottle it and order the release of the detainees?
Did he actually have the authority to authorise their release?
Why was the man who obstructed the Home Office van not arrested …. he was surrounded by officers most of the day?
Was there any political pressure put on Police Scotland over their handling of the protest, after all Sturgeon was quick to politically point score against the UK Government over a matter which is not devolved.
As far as I am concerned both events were lawless, anarchic gatherings – the big difference is the inconsistency in how they were policed.
You mean scenes like this?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-57133503
Probably a mixture of both Big G
You’ve just written off millions of 16 to 25s as idealogical lefties who aren’t part of the real world just because they don’t share your ideology or your view of the “real world”.
That’s your interpretation of what I have written.
I haven’t “written off” anyone just stressing a reality of life.
It’s scientifically accepted that, on average, the human brain is not fully mature until mid-twenties and is generally later in men than women. Prior to reaching maturity there is more of a tendency to make decisions without thinking through the consequences – that’s why under 25’s have to pay higher car insurance premiums.
Socialism will appeal to people – even I would agree it sounds brilliant in theory however, as was the case with Communism, the reality is the dream cannot be delivered. The so called oppressed will still remain oppressed, possibly more brutally.
The only difference between socialism / communism and capitalism is the “fat cats” come in a different guise.
Returning to this thread – although I am a Conservative I am, by no means, a Unionist. I certainly believe the island of Ireland should be a single, independent country – it makes no sense geographically for the island to be split.
Regarding Scottish independence I personally think it would be a mistake, economically and politically.
I can see why some Scots want independence and, regardless of the vacuous statements made in 2014 about “once in a generation” votes I think it is now inevitable there will be another vote because, frankly no politician of ANY party can be trusted.
I’m old but I have to say (and I’m being apolitical here) the current bunch of politicians, across all parties, are the most incompetent I have seen – the number of honourable politicians around is very small.
What happens if there is another narrow “no” vote – will the SNP accept it or will they find another excuse to try for another referendum in another 7 years.
If the vote was a large no vote – would the SNP disband, as their reason for existing would have gone?
If the vote is a narrow yes, what will the SNP do to allay the fears who voted for the Union?
The SNP were very vociferous about people being dragged out of the EU against their will, what about those who would be dragged out of the union against their will?
The next few months / years are going to be interesting.
Although still infinitely preferable to the gormless, vacuous “eye candy” apparently also employed by the broadcaster.
Not just 16 year olds, I would say most under 25’s – that’s why universities are generally full of ideological leftie students, especially at the so called red brick establishments and the old polytechnics.
Once they finish university and join the real world most of them realise the folly of their idealism and become more centrist in their outlook – unfortunately some never mature and remain in the Labour Party as champagne socialists.
Speaking as a lifelong Conservative, Mrs Balls is the one of the few Labour MP’s I would fear as Leader, she is eminently electable.
Hilary Benn is another who would probably be popular with the public.
From my perspective Corbyn was the perfect leader, totally unelectable.
I was worried when Starmer became leader but he has, fortunately, spectacularly failed to reach his potential, so he can happily remain leader for me.
If he has to go then may I suggest Anneliese Dodds as the next leader after her mesmerising performance as Shadow Chancellor?
Even worse – Towcester used to have Chapman as its raceday presenter, so you had his dulcet tones from about half an hour before the first race until just before the last.
He did, occasionally manage to get a good interview with a trainer, usually a lower profile one who wanted his five minutes of fame, but it was far outweighed by the banal stuff.
He also used to try and do “comedic” handovers to the commentator, some would play along but the best was Barty who just refused point blank to play along and engage.
Or maybe they just don’t want the hassle . . . . an occupational hazard of working for the NHS is you can become the “first stop” for everyone’s ailments.
One of my managers in the NHS has been a paramedic for over 20 years but says none of her neighbours have any idea what she does for a living …. she travels to / from work in civvies and gets changed at work and she works away from where she lives so highly unlikely to get a call in her street or town.
In my last front line job many of my colleagues actually lived “up north” and would stay in a shared house they rented down here – just to avoid the risk of getting local jobs.
Most of my shifts were based in Oxford, but I did occasionally do some Milton Keynes shifts and there was always the nagging worry you could get a call to someone you know …. on the plus side I know all the “rat runs” in MK, so could often get to a job faster that the route selected by the computer.
