neilm
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Post by neilm on Jun 20, 2023 9:00:26 GMT
But, nobody from Glos goes anywhere near Birmingham. Being the West Country they either head to Bristol or Gloucester Nowhere in Gloucestershire is in the West Country. For a start, it's past Exeter so might as well be in the North. Gloucester and Bristol are essentially Midlands cities with more in common with London than Plymouth or Penzance.
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neilm
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Post by neilm on Jun 19, 2023 10:41:45 GMT
Can the Lib Dems afford two serious campaigns even with the by election machine? birmingham hodge hill and leicester south were fought at the same time in 2004, with the lib dems coming from third in each to nearly win both. also sedgefield and ealing southall, with only a slightly different context (somewhat different constituency makeup, no blair in power to oppose, disappointment of the 2005 election - against two fairly unpopular major parties) rather than fundraising being a barrier probably when money is needed, all major-ish parties can normally find it The Lib Dems won in Leicester South at the by election. The issue in 2004 (the war) and the make up of those seats was an enormous asset to them. This isn't quite the same, and although I agree they'll find the money it isn't like they're flush with cash.
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Post by neilm on Jun 19, 2023 7:53:26 GMT
As a general comment, four (or five) by elections may be ruinously expensive for the two major parties and may not only be a burden for the SNP but will also focus attention on how they're paying for it. Can the Lib Dems afford two serious campaigns even with the by election machine? I suspect fundraising would go into overdrive and it would be managed. Situations like these are what parties and especially lib dem activitsts live for. And, historically, the SNP. I wonder if they can afford to spend at or near the by election limit, because Labour certainly will be.
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Post by neilm on Jun 19, 2023 7:33:44 GMT
As a general comment, four (or five) by elections may be ruinously expensive for the two major parties and may not only be a burden for the SNP but will also focus attention on how they're paying for it. Can the Lib Dems afford two serious campaigns even with the by election machine?
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Post by neilm on Jun 19, 2023 1:10:16 GMT
See also Cinderford in the Forest of Dean. Closing that was an appalling act of cultural vandalism as well as an inconvenience for a lot people Cinderford is the most horrid place I have encountered in years in an otherwise lovely county. How did that bit of Maesteg get relocated to Gloucestershire? Lydney is a bit grim too. Both felt a bit like a real life David Lynch movie.
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Post by neilm on Jun 19, 2023 0:11:09 GMT
Leighton as in Leighton buzzard? Yes. For some unclear reason, the LGBCE renamed Leighton Buzzard North in Leighton Linslade North, Leighton Buzzard South in Leighton Linslade South and Linslade in Leighton Linslade West. The town council is Leighton-Linslade. Linslade was transferred to Bedfordshire from Buckinghamshire in 1965 (not sure why that was although it may be to do with the plans for Milton Keynes) and joined up with Leighton Buzzard, having previously been its own UDC. The locals are protective of their identity, and I've heard more than one comment about the name of the railway station: it's called Leighton Buzzard but is actually in Linslade. My assumption is that the LGBCE went along with the parish/town name for geographic reasons (I assume the wards aren't exclusively in one of the two parts) and because of local sentiment.
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neilm
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Post by neilm on May 23, 2023 7:37:49 GMT
I recall her sounding more Welsh than that.
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Post by neilm on May 21, 2023 18:23:46 GMT
I've got a 7 day old baby so can we hold off on an election please Congratulations! In the middle of all the wildly contradictory and mainly useless advice you'll see, hear and be told let me share one thing. You can never have enough muslins. Here endeth the lesson.
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Post by neilm on May 20, 2023 19:43:20 GMT
your post reminds me that during a visit yesterday to the 1970s time-warp Edgar Wallace pub near the Law Courts in London I saw an advert for, amongst many other old products, Wincarnis. That possibly even predates the 1970s. Wincarnis is, amazingly, still available. Sadly, sans meat.
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Post by neilm on May 19, 2023 18:04:30 GMT
your post reminds me that during a visit yesterday to the 1970s time-warp Edgar Wallace pub near the Law Courts in London I saw an advert for, amongst many other old products, Wincarnis. That possibly even predates the 1970s. Our local Tesco always stocks Sanatogen. But I've never seen anyone buy it or know anyone who drinks it. The disappearance of Mathers Black Beer is to be regretted. There is a corner shop near me that sells a Spanish 'alcoholic beef tonic' the name of which escapes me. I shall look when I'm next in. I've never seen it on sale in Spain or heard of anyone Spanish drinking it.
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Post by neilm on May 11, 2023 17:49:33 GMT
Reclaim was small and funded by the well off few, and it had minor outgoings without inner city HQ/depth of staff/elections to fund/much else to fund. Being shunned (cancelled?) by banks is awkward and no reasons are ever given. They are more and more given to doing this to private persons as well as institutions. This happened to me with Chase. I applied and was rejected. They wouldn't tell me why, citing security and legal reasons. I have no idea why as I'm in good standing with my regular bank where I have both current and savings accounts, have recently obtained a new (and lower) fixed rate on the mortgage and have both a SIPP and an ISA. I also don't mess around with my credit cards which I use as much as possible so they don't cut the limits for dubious reasons. So I'm at a bit of a loss. It is frustrating.
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Post by neilm on Apr 28, 2023 14:09:42 GMT
I think I've said before about my history with Doom Bar. I started selling it in 2004, and it became a regular feature in 2005. It went down like a house on fire, sold well and was a cracking pint (we kept it on stillage). I wouldn't say I sought it out but it was always a 'go to' if I was out somewhere. Around 2010 it changed (which may have been when they moved it to Burton) and became very samey. It's like London Pride or Bombardier now, just generic footwash.
However, and I say this at the risk of being teased, the alcohol free version is good for that sort of product. The St Peters is probably best zero alcohol beer I've found though.
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Post by neilm on Apr 22, 2023 10:16:22 GMT
As a minimum Benton offered to leak a report 48hrs ahead of publication and ask questions on behalf of this fictitious company (for money). I don’t think Hancock or Kwarteng did anything quite like that, the embarrassing thing for them is that they were available and the fees they wanted. Well quite. Hancock has become a grifter but Kwarteng really should be able to charge more. I think he sees himself as a more successful John Redwood- who whether you agree with him or not is unquestionably an intelligent and capable individual- but as I've commented on here before Kwarteng doesn't really have the intellectual capability which (political embarrassment aside) makes him less attractive than he thinks he should be.
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Post by neilm on Apr 22, 2023 10:09:34 GMT
Are you allowed to disagree with the reasons for the strike and thus cross the picket line? You are of course totally free to do so, though not everybody may accept your reasoning. And crossing may very well result in you being booted from the union. At the very least, local representation would be withdrawn and you'd need to rely on a full timer.
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Post by neilm on Apr 21, 2023 10:05:42 GMT
A man who, whilst a Labour MP, crossed a picket line. Of his own union. Wasn't it to give a lecture on Marx? I didn't realise that. Which makes it even more odd.
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Post by neilm on Apr 21, 2023 10:04:39 GMT
A man who, whilst a Labour MP, crossed a picket line. Of his own union. Then commendably not a complete fool or typical Labour grandstander Neil? Not a grandstander perhaps. But distasteful to the labour movement. It isn't the mark of a man rooted in the history of his own party.
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Post by neilm on Apr 21, 2023 0:51:49 GMT
It is certainly hard to overstate how dismally unpopular and poorly executed Hunt's parachuting into that seat was. A man who, whilst a Labour MP, crossed a picket line. Of his own union.
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Post by neilm on Apr 15, 2023 13:46:02 GMT
We need a few moves from SNP to Labour to really set the cat among the pigeons. Is that especially likely, at least on a big scale? It would mean giving up a key part of someone's political identity.
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Post by neilm on Mar 30, 2023 23:44:16 GMT
'Dost thou not concur' - get it right ffs Also 'whom' patterns with 'him' and 'them' so the case distinction has not quite disappeared Dost ðou, þank you. And as none of us know each oðer, it should be "you" The return of the thorn, and eth, is long overdue.
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Post by neilm on Mar 21, 2023 14:26:33 GMT
Have you watched hurling? The fastest game on grass for my money. It and gaelic football have an attractive element of physicality. When I was about 16/17 we were on holiday in Scotland and walked into a chip shop, I think at one end of Loch Ness. The only other customers were two girls, I think 14 and 12 if I remember right. They were both shinty players. Now that is a hardcore sport. Me and my younger sibling were both still playing rugby at the time so it was a very interesting conversation about contact sports, with a good amount of mutual respect all round. And on rugby tour in Ireland one of the things my team did was attend the Co. Meath county hurling final. And yes, it was brutal Yes I've enjoyed shinty a few times. My dad used to play bando at school in Bridgend in the very early 60s but I think that's basically died out now.
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