gozzer
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Days Won
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Posts posted by gozzer
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I believe as philocalist, and chesters, have said, it's not you going fishing that's the problem, it's the idiots that use it as an excuse to meet up with mates and have a session that are. I've read reports, and seen photos of anglers bivvied up for the weekend, some had put tape at a 'safe' distance around their pitch, others were fishing two to a swim. Some commercial fishery owners have put up videos of them and their families fishing their own lakes although the fishery is closed to the public. I suppose it's a form of advertising, to keep it in peoples minds. I think the rule of thumb is that, if you have access to fishing from your own land that's a part of your garden, ie, river bank, lake etc, then it's ok to fish it. If on the other hand you have to travel a distance, or enter/pass through other peoples property, public land, use a public footpath, or if the owners of the land, or fishery have said the water is closed, then it's no fishing. I can appreciate the comments about cyclists, having witnessed groups of six or more riding in what can only be described as a 'peloton'. No rider is more than a few feet away from another and they are chatting away, spitting, as they ride down the road. They seem to think that because of the drop traffic in numbers, they can act as a rolling road block. These are the equivalent of those that will see you fishing, and go out of their way to approach you to ask 'caught anything?', or think 'if they can do it, so can I'. We then end up with shoulder to shoulder idiots along the bank.
At the moment, I'm treating it as an extended version of the old closed season, with fingers crossed that there will be at least a partial easing of the restrictions around mid June. I believe that any lifting of the restrictions will be a phased one, and I fear that those of us of a 'certain age', (old gits) will be amongst those that are 'advised' to stay home for longer.
As a footnote, our self appointed 'Lords and Masters' have spoken on the subject,
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Oh my! There’s a picture. When this is all over I’ll send you some southern softie teabags, no good to you except in the case of eye infection so ok to put in your medicine chest, not sure what the side effects could be if you drank it though, perhaps you would start looking in magazines for Panama hats, timberland deck shoes or even wearing pink trousers!
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Thanks but, no thanks HV, you need them more than I do. I was close to trying my old recipe, of a mushy pea poultice, but mushy peas are hard to get after those prats were panic buying them all. I have a small stock under lock and key, (in my secret place). I really should add them to my house insurance, but their present value would raise the premiums to an unaffordable amount.
John
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Gozzer,
How are you getting along with your body part. The conjunctivitis bit was worrysome as it is often just a symptom of an underlying issue. Could you tell if it was the cleaners? Maybe you will be relegated to the garden for half hour. Of course it could rain.
Phone
Sorry phone, I should have updated you lot after you gave me advice.
My eye is still slightly sore, but nowhere near as bad as it was. I went to the Pharmacy last week, and after queueing for about 40 mins, got in. The pharmacist examined the eye from a safe distance of about 10 feet, asked me a few questions, and came to the same conclusion as me. There was hardly any pus, so he doubted it was conjunctivitis, just an infection. I bought some antibacterial gel, that you squeeze onto your lower eye lid 3 times a day. It says not to use it for more than 5 days, so I stopped at the weekend, and so far it seems to have done the trick. My only concern is that the sight in my right eye, my dominant one, seems to have deteriorated slightly. The infection has left a scab on my eye lid and that itches a bit, but I still bathe it, and that helps. I'll be up close to one of the practice nurses tomorrow, when I get my shingles jab, so if it's one of the regular ones, I might ask what they think.
John.
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Oh by the way HV, I did bathe the eye with a 'Yorkshire' tea bag as you suggested, and it did ease it. The only problem was, the tea is pretty strong, and after leaving it on for a little longer than I intended, My right eye looked like it belonged to someone from the Indian subcontinent!
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ALL,
I feel privileged to be able to quote GOZZER!!!!!!
As I'm getting older I've thought about some of the regular members from when I joined nearly 14 yrs ago, and how they are now. Names like Poldark, Ferret, DavyR, Budgie, Snatcher, Nurse Judy, Worms, Kleinboet, Chris Goddard etc. There are too many to mention, but it would be nice to hear how they are if anyone is still in touch with them. It's sad that so many have left the forum, it used to be such a lively place, if a bit argumentative, at times.
John.
You can quote me any time mate, although I'm still waiting for the cash from the repeat royalties to appear in my bank account.
John
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So many names come to mind over the years Gozzer, I left AN for a while mainly because of the Brexit thread but came back for reasons now unknown! That being said I have enjoyed today’s chat of various subjects without the input of a certain minority and hopefully if it continues others may come back and we can enjoy a form of socialising whilst not socialising.
I walked into woolies one day with a fair amount of cash from potato picking in the summer hols and they were selling off all their fishing gear cheap, I got a load of big lures and a wire trace making kit and set about pike fishing at the brickyard in Gunville, I was testing one of the lures by chucking it out a few yards to get a measure of how fast to retrieve it whilst standing in the water and a pike hit the lure right at my feet! I CRAPPED MYSELF and pulled the rod up so high and fast the pike went airborne and then fell off. That was when I got hooked on pike fishing excuse the pun.
I have to agree with you, that tonight has been a pleasant change to the usual crap on here. We've had a few lapsed members drop in over the last year or so, but after a few hellos, and a quick look around, they don't bother coming back. I like to think that some will return, but I'm not that optimistic.
John.
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I'm amazed anyone gets a call from their kwack!
Trying to contact a kwack round here is like getting through to the queen. I think they're all hiding out ....can't say as I blame 'em though lol.
Regarding this virus thing, I feel as though we are not being told the what's really going on!
Wait until you're 70 Ian, they're never seem to be off the bloody phone.
We all got texts the other week saying that we need to order any scripts on line, and that we had to phone in to register. I spent the best part of three hours over a couple of days trying to get through, and only got to register when they rang to see if I needed any help!
John.
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Sporty would have put blame on the NHS management for some of the mess its in ,i think he was involved in the NHS in some way
Capatain disapeared long before sporty ,my favourite was loonyl ,never cottoned on if he was mad or just good at it lol
Sportsman is still around, I've seen him posting on MD, when I've been browsing angling forums. I looked up Captain Cojones, and he hasn't been on here since 2013! I was surprised at that, because he helped me when my daughter decided to go on a holiday to Peru, and up the Amazon, on her own. She had some trouble at a Spanish airport, he worked in the media, and kept me informed as to the situation at the time. There are loads of names that spring to mind when I start to think back over the years, many left when the forum got too political about Brexit. They just got fed up of the whole thing and decided they'd had enough. It's a shame, because it used to be a really good forum, and MD, and FM are still going strong. Perhaps AN had too high an average age, and it didn't appeal to the commercial carp followers.
John.
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Bloody hell chesters, I never took you for a tackle tart, I don't think I've owned that many rods in my 60yrs of dangling!
John.
PS, the Woolies rod is a redish brown colour, I think they did them in a 9ft version as well as the 10'-6".
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Keep safe we saw the 3 youngest grandkids saturday they stayed in the front garden and played whilst we chatted to the parents from a safe distance.
The older two biked over yesterday along the bridal ways, stayed for an hour or so then loaded with snacks and drinks cycled back
Not seen the daughters grandkids they live in town so dont need a car so dangerous getting here by public transport,no doubt they will make up for it when gran visits them after its all over
Strange how getting old makes doctors ignore the top of you and concentrate on the lower half not far behind you in years strange times we live in ,as i used to say to the old bloke two doors away i think his and our generation has seen the best of it ! Its downhill from now
I had a milbro enterprise and sold it ,loved the blue matches my mum used to get them for me from her freemans catalogues
Angling was big once ,every catalogue had some in it ,most big stores sold some and there seemed to be an angling shop e every mile or so
My first glass rod came from a catalogue run by my mates mum, back then it work out about £1 per foot, not cheap back then. I'd used my dads old rods until then and they were all about 11 ft, so my first 13ft match rod was a revelation. It lasted me quite a while, and won me a few matches over the years, until I started work and extended my 'armoury'. One rod I found and forgot to mention, was a 10'-6" leger rod I bought from Woolworths. I bought it when I started fishing more matches on the bigger rivers, it had a beautiful action, and it was still in use until a few years ago. I liked the Enterprise, but had to add lead to the butt to balance it, it seems so heavy now. It was relegated to still water float fishing for tench, bream and carp, where it stayed in the rests until needed. The Blue match was a very light rod, again 13ft, but the butt section got damaged, so it was shortened and is now about 11ft, and used on small waters, or fishing close in. Tackle shops are practically non existent around here now, I used to have the choice of a half dozen within a mile or so. I now use Bobco, it's a massive place, and a bit overwhelming at first, but it has the friendly feel of the old time shops once you get used to it. Only trouble is that it's across Leeds and about 5 miles away, it's saving grace is that it's on route to most of the places I fish.
John.
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Mostly or reet thank's John.
Lets hope it all ends quicker than it started.....wishfull thinking I know!
Best of luck to all :).
Good to hear that you're keeping ok, Ian. My rod licence runs out at the start of November, and I'm hoping to get some use from it before it expires.
I must admit, I'm struggling a bit more than I thought I would. I think it's the not being able to see an end to it that grates.
We had a decent Easter, took the eggs for the grand kids round to my sons. They live in a flat, and after a scare the other week, have been isolated completely. They brought the kids down to the entrance, we left the bag with the eggs in, half way up the steps, and backed off. My grandson started to come down the steps towards us, ( he usually shouts 'catch grandad', and launches himself at me from the third step), but we told him to stop, and he reluctantly went back up to his mum. It was the first time he'd been out of the flat, for nearly 3 weeks, and was showing us his 'exercise' moves on the handrails. It was like he'd been released from prison! We had a multi face time session, where my daughter hid eggs in her garden, and took a panoramic shot , and we had to spot them. Then we did a 'scavenger hunt', and quiz for the kids, and one for the adults. It all worked out pretty well, and it might become a weekly event.
I've spent more time in the garden, and sorted the shed. I found about a dozen rods that haven't been used for years. Mostly my old glass rods, including a Shakespeare international match, Sealey blue match, Milbro Enterprise, an avon type rod 'Octoplus' by Sealey again I think with brass ferrules, the very first glass rod I bought circa 1963/4 ( 4piece 13ft Japanese). A few that belonged to my dad, a greenheart pike rod, that I'd used boat fishing off Flamborough head, and a built cane with greenheart tip, float rod. Add to this a few odd ones I'd picked up from unknown sources over the years. As I laid them out on the grass, I thought to myself that there was over 100yrs of family angling history laying there, and each rod brought back memories of sessions, and angling companions, from years long past.
I'm not too keen on this getting older lark, it seems like I've passed a cut off point. I was 70 last week, and according to some of the stats concerning Covid19, I had a better chance of surviving it the week before than I have now. I've had a call from my GPs surgery, asking how I'm coping, do I need any extra help, can I still manage call round for my meds etc, and then one today asking if I want my Shingles jab, because there has been an increase in chicken pox in the area, and they are advising all over 70s to get the jab. I was ok aged 69, but it's like something's dropped off, and I'm less able to function after my 70th birthday!
I'm not being ungrateful for the offers of help, and although I'll accept the vaccine, I think there are those who need the help more than I do.
Stay safe everybody
John.
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GOZZER,
"Bad breath" was a pun on your post to Cod. Your actual quote, "I'll wait with BAITED breath" Just hit my funny bone.
As for your eyes - you very well may be sensitive to the chemicals in your cleaning products. Here is a url that may help
I have a cousin who is very sensitive to chlorine and as a lad would suffer after we went to the swimming pool.
As for wives - the more decrepit and worn out I become the more giggles I get from her. Of course in fact she is very caring but just can't keep from a brief laugh at my grumpy attitude and comments. Perhaps the snickers are used to replace other emotions.
Actually it was perhaps a little over a week ago surgardaddy and girlfriend tested positive. By the time this is posted you will have better news about the hospitalization.
Until we commiserate falling apart again - - - -
Phones
I got your pun eventually, Phone, and I waited with bated breath, not baited, but I'll forgive that one because I know how bad you colonials are at spelling. Either way, I waited in vain for an answer, as usual.
I don't know if the news that Boris has been put in an Intensive Care Unit has reached you yet. It's been reported that it was again a precautionary measure because he was put on oxygen, and might be needing to be put on a ventilator. No doubt the same 'sick individuals' will be rejoicing at that development as well.
You could well be right about my eyes, and it could be an allergic reaction to some chemical ingredient in the cleansing products we use. It's the same stuff we've used for years, but the amount, and frequency of use have increased over the past few weeks. At the moment, I'm just bathing my eyes with water that has been boiled, but allowed to cool. It gives temporary relief for about 30 mins before I have to repeat.
Stay safe
John.
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- Anyone heard from Vagabond hes ancient and enjoys foreign places?
- pm'd him but no response
- Why bullet points ,damn this new software give me simple back!
I've been wondering the same chesters, he hasn't been on since October last year. I hope all is well with him.
John.
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Facts facts Chester’s of the experts not off somebody who continues to makes it up as he goes along .
Re your previous post, I see you did everything but answer my question, as usual Paul. I'll ask you another question and see how you don't answer this one. You go on about "experts", and have done, along with others, since before the Brexit vote. It was all "listen to the experts, they know more than us". What you and the rest failed to acknowledge was that "experts" have varying opinions on any subject. So what you really should be saying is, "only listen to the experts, that agree with me".
In light of this, what criteria do you use to determine which "expert" is going to give the best advice about the future progress of a new, and unpredictable, virus?
Also your belief that Corbyn couldn't do a worse job is laughable. He has been so indecisive over every issue since he emerged into the spotlight, that unless it was written down clearly, in a socialist manifesto he would have to call for a consensus on every decision.
John
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Aii,
Gozzer, you probably should go ahead and brush your teeth. You told Cod you had bad breath. As for me and mine I'm bored and right on the verge of being grumpy. My early garden of spring flowers are a couple weeks early and just gorgeous, mostly bulbs. My wife is also working from home. She says she could get used to not getting dressed. Some years back I would have agreed with her, now I just hold my tongue.
GOZZER NO POLITICS - just came across the telly they took Boris to the hospital.
Phone
Hi phone, "bored and grumpy", sounds like we're in the same boat, without either a paddle, or a sail. Could also be a good name for a firm of solicitors.
It seems I confused you with my other post, not sure why that is, maybe it's a transatlantic thing. Having said that, it took me a while to figure out your "bad breath" comment, I think that was more an age thing on my part though.
On a more personal note, along with the return of my sciatica, and the apparent onset of arthritis in my left hand, I've now got what appears to be conjunctivitis . If it is that, I don't know how it's happened, we've disinfected the crap out of everything we've touched over the last few weeks! So now I'm hobbling around with the aid of a stick, having to swap it to my bad hand every time I need to pick something up, and now having to wear dark glasses to filter out the bright sunlight that we've been anticipating for weeks. Still, it's offers some amusement to my wife, and could be a lot worse given our present situation.
As for Boris, some sick individuals will be rejoicing at the news, and has your media picked up on the news that his pregnant fiancee is also showing signs of the virus, poor lass.
John
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As the title says, how is everyone doing during this time? A (hopefully non political) thread where we can each have a moan, or offer advice, (helpful or humorous), to help others cope, or just to distract from the general crap that we are going through.
Anyone joining me in climbing the walls? Keeping 2 metres apart of course!
I'll start with a moan. What else would you expect from a miserable old git?
My wife is working from home, and I have set up a small area of the kitchen as her office. The IT crowd at the Leeds office have built their own PCs, laptops, etc in house, and have done a pretty good job of it. My wife prefers, and got, a desk top model. Not having owned, or seen one for many years, I was amazed at how small the whole thing was, compared to the 'towers' of old.
I decided to get the guitar out, and see how far my poor playing had deteriorated over the last couple of years since my last aborted attempt. Before I had a chance to do anything, I had to clean a couple of years of dust of it, put batteries in my tuner, and then attempt to tune it. Sadly the strings had stretched, and proved difficult to tune. I eventually got them near enough to try a few chords. At first I had difficulty with finger placement, but after a while it began to sound almost pleasant. I gave it a rest while I finished a job that I'd put off doing for months, ie, putting some roller blinds up. Later that evening I went back to the guitar, and chord practice for an hour. The following day I awoke to a pain in the wrist/thump, on my left hand, this gradually got worse as the day progressed, and I have now got a heat pad and support bandage on it. I can't grip with my left hand, and can only assume it's the onset of arthritis, which doesn't bode well for any return to angling. This morning I woke to find I can hardly walk as my sciatica has decided to pay me a visit, so getting the garden sorted is back on hold until the muscle gel and painkillers both kick in.
On the bright side, it's warm, the sun is shining, the birds singing, and it's joy to hear kids laughing as they play in their gardens. Hopefully a sign of things to come.
John.
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That’s exactly where you are wrong Chester’s I am clicking my heels and cartwheeling down the road now lol .
Somebody to hold this pile of ......... to account it’s been a long time coming .
But at the moment this government are imposing socialist policy’s something that is not in there vocabulary whatsoever and no 10 is probably in ruins inside.
Its quite amaizing really how so many with capitalist views are now relying on the state but this terrible situation that so many have found themselves in is unprecedented .
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Wow! that's a major swerve/U-turn, Corbyn was your new 'messiah' a few months back. Talk about fickle!
Anyway on to more serious things.
Paul, in your self appointed role as the chief spokesperson for the Tories Are Wrong All The Time, (TAWATT for short) party, could you please enlighten the nation, (or at least the half dozen or so on here), by sharing a little of your vast wealth of knowledge.
What would you advise the Government to do in the future, to fight this pandemic? Your expertise in epidemiology, ably supported by your 'experts' in the media would be of great value in this fight, and could bring some much needed solace, and reassurance to the people.
Thanking you in advance, I await a reply with bated breath.
John.
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I’m so sorry to hear this Elton, here’s hoping mrs Elton has a speedy recovery, and your family can get back to some kind of normality. It must be hard with a two year old, they don’t understand what’s going on. My grandson who was 5 last week, and is, ( according to him), “grandads best mate”, can’t understand why I cant visit. When we FaceTime, he will often turn his back and not speak to me like he’s fallen out with me. It’s bloody hard, and probably the worst thing about this self isolating.
Stay safe everyone
John
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Watch to the end
John
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John
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Somehow Blame this terrible virus on brexit THAT IS NOT CORRECT WHATSOEVER John ? I never said that . What I said Is just how fragile how the bulk of the fishing community rely on exporting there produce to Europe which now they are not doing .It shows just how much they rely on Europe for here livelihoods that’s fact John .
Self employed Special case ! The government were willing to throw the self employed under the bus but because of public pressure they are now looking to Change course and no we are not a special case John the self employed contribute massively to this economy .
And it was this government who ENCOURAGED people to go self employed in all lines of work 5 million of them . No politic points scored here absolutely not far from it people just want help to get through this terrible virus and come out the other end .
You mentioned Sadiq Khan he was overruled by every other single member of cobra in trying to stop work on non essential building sites working in London is that irresponsible I leave that to you to think about,
Its going to very hard for everybody some will lose loved ones it’s horrendous and shows just how fragile we all really are .
paul .If you weren’t trying to blame brexit Paul, then why bring it up on the brexit thread? You can’t blame anyone for not believing you, because for over the last three years that’s all you’ve posted. You’ve moaned, and whined like a little kid, and posted any old crap that you’ve dug up or seen on your so called social media sites, that you think will somehow validate your obsession. You’ve contradicted yourself many times, and even posted stuff that said the opposite to what you thought it did. Is it any wonder that no one takes your posts seriously?
John
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I’m with you once again Gozzer, NOT getting dragged back in to commenting on this thread again.
How many times are you on the last post count Phone?
I must have written at least a half dozen replies to comments on this thread, and then deleted them HV. This time I couldn't help it. To try and score some petty political points on the backs of the sick and dying, is as low an anyone can stoop, and I couldn't let it go. Every evening, as well as the horrific news reports, we get a facetime call from my daughter checking that we are ok. It breaks our hearts to see and hear the stress, danger and even abuse that her and her colleagues are subjected to every day, and they still keep smiling for the sake of their patients. We can't even give her a comforting hug because she insists on keeping her distance for fear of infecting us. I can't really put into words my thoughts on those that belittle the efforts of those who are trying to help us through this time, just to try and prove some pathetic point they obsess about in their sick and twisted, narrow little minds. Well I could put it into words, but it would probably, and rightly, result in my being banned from the forum.
John.
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The real world John that’s exactly right not a load bull being fed to the people .
And onto the coronavirus it’s unprecedented as you just mentioned on should we have left the EU topic do you think Johnson is doing a good job has he handled it well or is he just muddled giving all the wrong signals last nights performance was well absolutely shocking putting it mildly
It’s looking like Johnson is going to buckle under public anger and give the self employed a decent payment to get by on till this crisis is over not that he really wanted to to be fair, but he knows so many will turn against him so he has no choice in the matter and all new fresh Tory MPS are being bombarded with emails regarding this injustice.
.And with all the dummy’s coming to Whitby over the weekend 1000s and 1000s of them it’s plain to see how the tories got voted in in the last election.
And just who is spreading the virus the people or it’s leader .
https://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/james-obrien/sadiq-khan-boris-johnson-overruled-construction/
What the hell are you on about Paul? You brought the subject of the corona virus onto this thread, with your link to the Scottish fishermen losing their exports. The only reason I bothered to reply was because you tried score some pathetic points and blame it on Brexit, as usual. To my shame and regret, I got suckered in again.
I think that the government is making the best of trying to control what is, (and you at least acknowledged), an unprecedented situation. Johnson is using his ministers, and advisers, to try and judge when to bring in measures to try and slow the spread of this virus, and also gauge how severe those measures should be. Their biggest mistake has been to treat the whole population as responsible adults, instead of the mindless, selfish, morons that a significant proportion obviously are. They are trying to create the thing I've wasted so much time in trying, and failing, to get you to understand, a balance.
I have to laugh at you, when the other day you were sarcastically complaining about how much money the Government managed to find to help the population through this crisis. Now you're complaining that they aren't spending enough, or it's not coming through fast enough! Sadiq Khan himself explained the other day that the plans to pay the self employed were there, but needed refining before they could be implemented. Of course they haven't covered every contingency in one go. There are always going to be groups that regard themselves as 'special' cases, and shout 'what about us'? They are getting sorted as they come to the surface, but everyone is going to suffer to some extent, sadly, some more than others. I would not like to be in the shoes of those in Government at a time like this, it's a no win situation especially when there are such as yourself, that gleefully trawl the media looking for things to crib about.
We can all be geniuses with hindsight, and make the 'right' decisions after the event. Well most of us can.
John.
PS, I stopped listening to James O'Brian along time ago, IMO the mans an ****.
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So you don’t like the truth John fishermen lied to told used a political tool to win over brexit .All the crap about importing cheap labour when just today they are now saying it’s ok !!! they are needed hey mate you won you got your brexit but you were lied to millions were lied to I have nothing to defend on brexit it’s those who screamed brexit don’t like being held to account .
Paul, I have no problem with the truth. I defend your right to have your own version of it. But you are like a dripping tap, on and on and on, just repeating yourself. Anyone with even half a brain can see that not everything is the fault of brexit, you apparently can’t see it. You fit in well with your hero Corbyn, all I’ve heard from him are attempts at cheap point scoring. Ffs, there are people dying from something that is unprecedented in modern times, and all you can do is nit pick over bloody brexit. Grow up, and open your biased, closed mind to the real problems facing the world. That’s the REAL world, not the twisted personal one you seem happy to wallow in. Every post of yours should carry a health warning, and a link to the Samaritans.
John
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Phone, you are wasting your time. It's like trying to communicate with a small petulant child using adult logic, it's never going to work. It's sad that there are people who's minds are so twisted, that they can't stop trying to score petty political points at every opportunity. Even one that is causing so much grief at the suffering, and deaths, of so many people, is not immune from their twisted agenda.
John.
I'm not being ungrateful for the offers of help, and although I'll accept the vaccine, I think there are those who need the help more than I do.
How is everyone doing?
in Non-Fishing Chat
Posted · Edited by gozzer
Not posted for a week or so, and am missing my usual rant, so here goes.
Talking to my daughter, and she told me that there had been a robbery at the hospital. The thieves had first taken a computer from the reception, but then found the face masks, and took them too. The computer was found dumped outside, and is now back up and running thanks to their IT dept. The masks were found when some hospital staff heard that they were being sold for 50p for two, in the Aldi carpark down the road. I believe that most of them were recovered, not sure if they will be usable now, and not heard what happened to the b--------ds, that were selling them. I asked about security, but it seems that because there are 'crash carts' in the place, they can't lock it off totally, and the cleaners have a habit of propping doors open to make their moving around easier. She has told me that on the odd occasion that they have to go in late to treat, they have found the odd homeless person curled up asleep in the place, so only enter in numbers after normal hours.
My wife and I watched a televised meeting of the Government's 'health committee', where various MPs led by that well known 'rhyming slang' Jeremy Hunt question Matt Hancock. One such questioner was Rosie Cooper, Labour MP from West Lancs. She started on about postponed treatments, (although she seemed to prefer to call them cancelled), of cancer patients, and continued to say that because of this the Oncology staff were either reassigned, or stood idle, (not exact words, but the usual point scoring spin). My wife was incensed by her words, and the manner in which she had put them, that she immediately sent off an email to the woman, complaining. If they were 'stood idle', then could she explain why my daughter is working 12 + hour shifts, and either working weekends, or on stand by, to cover the increase in patient numbers. She hasn't had a reply yet. What is it with these Labour women, first we had the stupid one from Derby council, hoping the PM didn't recover from ICU, then Andi Fox, quoting some left wing blog saying that the PM was faking his illness, and the Drs having to sign the Official Secrets Act, on threat of dismissal! Both later had to withdraw the comments and apologise. It's like the daily briefings from No10, I can watch the statements from the ministers, and the medical/science advisors, but have to turn off when the media vultures try to twist, and spin everything to provide better headlines. I'm not sure which is worse, the so called journalists, or the sad sods that believe every word they commit to print.
Noticed that suddenly there are quite a few con trails in the sky, especially since the weekend, not sure whether it's the Government importing more of the virus, or plane loads of Romanians coming over for a bit of fruit picking.
Going through my shed, sorting tackle and tools, I noticed a small pool of water on a plastic box. On closer inspection, and after moving some stuff, it seems my old shed has sprung a leak. I cleared the stuff out of the corner, and found that somehow a small section of panelling had come away from the frame. It looks like the heavy rain, and strong winds from just over a week ago, had forced water through the gap. All that was ruined was a couple of boxes of assorted nails and screws, but I found a soaked cardboard box full of my sons old stuff. I started going through it, and found a treasure trove of memories, from 30 odd years ago. Original Star Wars, Mask, and Street Fighter figures. Toy vehicles, including, A team van, Batmobile, Starsky and Hutch car, General Lee (Dukes of Hazard), a Klingon war bird, Buck Rogers space craft, Magnum PI and about 200 more assorted cars, planes, trains etc. They were mainly Matchbox, and Corgi, from the late 70s, early 80s, no boxes, and all showing that they had been well played with. Of little, if any, monetary value, but the look on my sons face, and that of my 5 year old Grandson, when I showed them via 'Facetime', was a pleasure to see. I'm now in the process of wading through them, sorting, cleaning, repairing, and in some cases discarding those that are beyond saving. It was interesting to see that the early ones were all 'Made in England or Gt Britain', some of the cars were made in Europe, then as they got newer, the franchised film stuff was made in the US. Then it began to change first Malaysia, then a couple stamped 'Macau', then 'Hong Kong' started to show, but not one said Made in China, how things have changed. It's distracted me from fixing the shed, now that's a job for tomorrow.
Hope everyone is well, and keeping their distance, remember 'Far Cough'
Stay safe
John.