Mandy Lifeboats

I was lucky enough to retire recently at 53. I decided that was too young to stop work completely. I wanted to do some good whilst also doing something I enjoyed. I decided to volunteer for National Trust. They accepted my application but also converted me into a paid role where they were desperately short. I now work 2 or 3 days a week in Croome Court (just off the M5 between Worcester and Gloucester. Croome was the ancestral home of the Earl of Coventry and had all the decadence and splendour you would expect. It was also the site of RAF Defford in WW2. This was where we developed airborne Radar. Only tiny amounts of the base remain but the small RAF museum occupies the base's hospital. After WW2 the Earl of Coventry was in severe financial difficulties and sold the entire estate including the house and all its contents. Around 80% of the contents of the house went to private collectors and museums around the world. The house became a Catholic boys school, then a Hari Krishna temple, then passed to several property developers before finally being taken by the National Trust. By this time it was in very poor repair and virtually empty. It's still very much "work in progress". It's impossible to restore it back to its former splendour. For instance, one of the rooms is on display at the New York Metropolitan Museum. We have just borrowed the library bookcases from the V&A and hope to raise the £5 million to keep them. The nuns simply destroyed numerous "immoral" pieces of artwork containing nudity. One of the property developers installed a huge bath in the main bedroom which ruined the floor and the ceiling below. He also installed built in wardrobes from IKEA into 1800s plasterwork and oak floors. Removing them would take seconds. Repairing the damage they have caused will cost thousands. It's a lovely feeling to be playing a small part in restoring history.

Who do you think is an actual threat to the UK (or Spain and Portugal)? Russia had Ukraine surrounded on 3 sides and had a bigger and better equipped army. Do you really think they could defeat Poland, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands and France and then stage an invasion of the UK? The UK is exceptionally well defended based upon our geographical position and the allies we have.

We haven't become reliant on the US for defence. France, UK, Poland, Italy, Spain and Portugal are all able to defend themselves. What we can't do is defend ourselves AND support Ukraine AND keep our economies going at the same level. Would the UK public vote for a party proposing a 1p increase in tax to arm Ukraine?

Unfortunately the USA has shown that it cannot be relied upon. Unless support returns soon its possible that Ukraine will lose more than if they had negotiated peace 1 year ago. The US politicians have disgraced themselves and the country.

Reports suggest that a mobile phone was not put onto flight mode and a tray table was not put into the upright position during takeoff The people responsible were shot in the head by Police marksmen. Another 911 has been prevented.

Bravo sir. Bravo!

Surely his coffin should be taken to the cemetery in a white Ford Bronco followed by 40 Police cars?

It would have been prosecuted but the police had no leads.

Correct. It didn't even run to the nearest human to summon help. It also went "missing" shortly afterwards. Nor has it denied the killing. I saw it a few weeks afterwards wagging it's tail. Guilty as hell.

No.

You can never have to many bargaining tools.

Today we will see French soldiers take part in the Changing of The Guard. So we will have French guarding the king. Hasn't he suffered enough recently?

What better bargaining tool that the threat of an offensive or a ceasefire on Israeli terms.

To be fair - that's typical of most new laws. The law will now be used to develop and edit to numerous "Codes of Practice" whilst case law evolves, precedents are set and rulings are made.

Exactly. The person making the SARS report is only reporting a suspicion. They have no way of knowing if there's a reasonable explanation or its linked to a massive terrorism plot. A clown telling the customer that they "almost" submitted a SARS has no way of knowing that there aren't other active reports being investigated. In my opinion it's serious misconduct by the bank employee. They are either lying as a sales technique or breaching several laws regarding SARS.

It seems to be an underhand way to get you to open a different account. Personally, I would complain and ask for a transcript of the conversation. I have dealt with many suspicious activity reports (SARS) in my previous job. They simply aren't used for the activity you describe.

https://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/what-we-do/crime-threats/money-laundering-and-illicit-finance/suspicious-activity-reports

If it triggers the threshold for informing the Police they should/would not tell you. Nothing you describe warrants a referral. Were they trying to convert your personal account to a business account?

Really? Is that a victory in the sense of going 1 up after 10 minutes before conceding 6 before half time?

French military victories 1939 - 1941

Well worth a watch. 2 legends of the game.

I shot the sherrif.

NATO countries invaded Iraq for failing to surrender weapons they didn't actually have. NATO countries invaded Afghanistan lookingfor Bin Laden and his terrorists who were actually hiding in Pakistan who were our allies. Turkey still occupies North Cyprus. France, Spain and the UK all occupy distant areas with debatable ownership. The UN is a political stage.

Mods - we really need a font to denote sarcasm.

I dream of a world where a Birmingham Shitty fan can wear his shirt in public without fear of ridicule.