chrisp65

I've mentioned it before, but my nipper did a questionnaire about Syrian refugees and asked people to estimate how many there were in the area and comment on what they thought of that number. Not terribly scientific or balanced or weighted, but the clear majority of responses were estimating numbers in the dozens or hundreds. One thought it was thousands. The vast majority thought there were already enough or too many. At the time of the questionnaire there were no Syrian refugees. Not one. Months later the town accepted its first family of four. Initially we were invited to a welcome BBQ. Then the council cancelled it as they were worried it would only raise complaints and bad publicity. Quite a lot of people are just pricks.

Absolutely. Didn't even have to embelish the story, just damn straight.

I was stood at a crossing at lunchtime today and overheard a guy getting quite irate on his phone. It was going something like: 'I'm just by some lights. I dunno where it is here. Some lights. I dunno, they're lights. Like traffic lights like a crossin'. I dunno. I dunno where I am I'm stood by like traffic there's a road and like a pedestrian bit. I'm not on a corner I'm on a straight bit. There's shops by the lights. Lights. This went on for some time in the same way. Personally, if I'd been trying to describe that same place, I'd have read out the street sign I was facing, High Street. I'd also have mentioned I was stood directly outside the main entrance to quite a large castle.

We had a discussion in our office about the forthcoming review and bonus session. The two options put forward over a coffee for discussion were as follows: Option 1: everyone gets a £500 bonus, except you, you get £750 Option 2: Dave gets £2,000, Alan gets £1,800, Phil gets £2,300 but you get £1,750 Question, would you prefer option 1 or option 2 to happen. Two people in a group of four chose option 1 as to them it was obvious it would prove they were top dog. It's a real mindset that really is out there. These people are allowed to vote.

Yep, we haven't left yet. But all we've learnt so far is that any prediction of any UK economics has to also forecast whether OPEC will reduce oil supply. It has to work out what the USA interest rate will be for the next 2 years. It has to anticipate whether Italian banks will collapse. It has to work out if Germany will vote AFD. We could still have that unemployment figure come true. If it does happen, from where we are today, it'll mean that from January 1st 2017 we will have to lose 48,000 jobs a month. Every month. Every month for 18 months. It could happen. I was simply pointing out that both sides offered 'facts' that were not facts. I genuinely hope it all goes brilliantly well. I didn't vote for it, I'm in no rush for it. The prats, bastards and con men in charge of it shouldn't be given an easy ride. But I have no interest in personally being worse off, just so I can say 'told you so'.

Really? Immediate and profound consequences, record recessions, mass unemployment? Crashed exchange rates? Plagues of locust? The interbank exchange spot rate on the euro back in April (and a random few other months well before the vote when remain were touted as likely winners) was 1 euro cost 78p, today 1 euro costs 83p. That’s a change of 5p, or 6%. Back in June you’d get $1.33 for your pound, today it’s $1.27, that’s 6 cents or 5% different. About that unemployment figure. He forecast a loss of 820,000 in 2 years. Well, 6 months in, according to the ONS, there are So for that one to be right, and it could still be right, it would need us to now lose 870,000 in the next 18 months. Might happen I guess. Perhaps I’m not the type to see a crisis, but a 5% fluctuation in currency isn’t ‘profound’. Jobs going up a few not down a lot isn’t ‘profound’. Longer term, who knows. But Osbourne was talking about the morning after, not some date off on the horizon. He was warning of the need for drastic emergency brexit budgets to save the ship.

...he said a leave VOTE would lead to immediate and profound consequences, recession, mass unemployment etc.. people VOTED leave, it didn't happen

It's almost as though we've tried to have a dabble on a budget without really understanding what was going on. Which would be very out of character for us.

That story has cheered me up.

Lies or very very wrong predictions? BBC Now, apparently we won't have absolute tested figures on growth for 2016 until 2018. But I'd be quite surprised if we've currently got a negative 3% to 6% recession.

For London, read Cardiff and London. ---- Blaenau Gwent is poor. Compared with the national average, they have lower than average education, less people have degrees, less people in full time work, poorer prospects, poorer health, lower car ownership, lower house ownership. Approximately 98.1% identify as white welsh / british. You get the picture. They've received their EU 'grants' for artwork in the Library Wifi Hub. They voted leave. Rhondda, poor, leave. Merthyr, poor, leave.... The Vale of Glamorgan, Monmouth and Cardiff are relatively well off. In the 2011 census 58% in Cardiff self identified as Welsh or Welsh / British. Cardiff is mixed. There are jobs here. The house prices are higher. The office I work in has male, female, white, black, asian, The last three staff we recruited were Portugese, Bulgarian and Spanish. We've even got a lesbian. We're so cool. These areas voted remain. The unhealthy, permanent sick leave areas were told an additional £350 million per week was to be spent on the NHS. The Secretary of State for Wales stated on local TV numerous times over numerous weeks that Wales would not miss out financially, that the money they were getting from europe for art projects and cycle paths to nowhere, would still be spent, but on what the people need and want. But there are as may individual reasons and prejudices to vote leave or remain here, as anywhere else. I'd count myself as spectacularly intelligent, yet I couldn't work out which side was least poor in their 'facts' before the referendum. I was interested in politics, followed local politicians of all stripes on social media and even went to a handful of talks and meetings. I couldn't get comparable measurable quantifiable and proveable 'facts' from either side. So you can stick the fact checking argument. I voted remain, with little conviction.

Did you get your neighbours to move as well by promising them £350 million per week? Without telling them where they were going and what they could take with them?

my word, yes you are old it's all about cassettes again, grandad

e-mails cannot be urgent, telephones and standing face to face are for urgent anything 'urgent' that is sent by e-mail deserves to be ignored, not least, when sent late in the day for maximum drama queenage Pet hate of mine, the 'urgent' email, I particularly enjoy it when they've been sent with a little red exclamation mark. What is this? A business thing or some **** snaptwatter swap of emoji's? Though in fairness, I do find that most urgent e-mails are sent by kids in shiny suits matched with brown shoes. So their limited understanding of urgent usually equates to them having a box to fill in on an excel spreadsheet for their weekly report on what other people are actually doing. If such a thing is possible, I actively ignore these urgent mails. It brings out the Swanson in me.

it's not Christmas without trying a different stuffing

An all up pleasant chap. Good with words describing food, but a bit of a prick.

AA Gill. Meh.

I could vouch the same. I've never been a member of the Labour party but I have hung around a few of them and I've been fairly active in a union. I knew the previous Labour MP here and I know a few local Labour councillors. I've never known one of them be racist or anti semitic.

BBC News in what might be the very definition of 'comfort zone' a left wing anti war speech was disrupted by a more left wing more anti war protest keep the faith

Rock and roll singers like this Elvis chap, making loads of money and getting famous for doing next to nothing. He can't sing properly, the songs are rubbish, the lyrics are pathetic and often suggestive. It's far too loud to properly listen to. His entire act appears to be based around having greasy hair and girating hips. Absolute rubbish.

I can't understand why a populist newspaper like The Sun or some such wouldn't organise a populist campaign to stop a foreign take over of our british media. I thought we were all about getting our country back.

I had a flashback memory just a few days ago, caused by a smell that was very reminiscent of the smell from the old carbon black plant. A nasty chemical smell, but whisked me back to being a kid. Back in the days when having a cough was a sign of having been outdoors and the accepted cure was a packet of fags.

Another in my series of Barrybados promotional shots. I met my love by the gas works wallDreamed a dream by the old canalKissed a girl by the factory wallDirty old townDirty old town Love the place you live folks.