No Frills Train Travel Expanding?

The British transport operator FirstGroup has applied for two more “open access” services outside the main train operating contracts as the government attempts to increase competition on the rail network and cut fares. Open access means the operator takes full commercial risk, running services on infrastructure owned by a third party, on a chosen route that is not subject to a rail franchise set by the Department for Transport.

Just what the railways need if they are to come into their own again!  

FirstGroup began running an open access service through its Lumo business between London and Edinburgh in October 2021, which has carried more than 2.5 million passengers so far. It says train cancellations are among the lowest in the industry. Encouraged by the success of Lumo, FirstGroup said it had recently submitted applications to the Office of Rail and Road for a new Hull Trains service between London and Sheffield, which could start in 2026, and a new Lumo service between Rochdale and London, which could begin in 2027.

I've travelled to Edinburgh on Lumo, and yes, it's a very no-frills service. Take food with you, as the trolly service only does drinks and crisps - if you want a sandwich you need to have ordered it on their website before boarding. But when every train station is full of places to pick up a sandwich, is that such a hardship? 

It has also applied for the extension of a number of Lumo’s daily services to and from Glasgow; for an additional, eighth return service on Hull Trains between London and Hull and for an extra sixth return Lumo service between London and Newcastle. If successful, these services will more than double its open access capacity over the next three to five years.

And this can only be a good thing, surely? 

Sharon Graham, the Unite general secretary, said this strengthened the case for public ownership.

Oh. Of course. I was forgetting the rail unions. 

She added: “FirstGroup is extracting colossal profits from our bus and rail networks at the expense of passengers and workers. It makes no sense to pour billions of pounds into subsidising public transport and then allow third-party operators to profiteer from them by running down jobs and services.”

How are they doing that, when they are giving passengers what they want - cheap, reliable service?  

A Most Peculiar War…

Michoacán, where about four in five of all avocados consumed in the United States are grown, is the most important avocado-producing region in the world, accounting for nearly a third of the global supply. This cultivation requires a huge quantity of land – much of it found beneath native pine forests – and an even more startling quantity of water. It is often said that it takes about 12 times as much water to grow an avocado as it does a tomato. Recently, competition for control of the avocado, and of the resources needed to produce it, has grown increasingly violent, often at the hands of cartels. A few years ago, in nearby Uruapan, the second-largest city in the state, 19 people were found hanging from an overpass, piled beneath a pedestrian bridge, or dumped on the roadside in various states of undress and dismemberment – a particularly gory incident that some experts believe emerged from cartel clashes over the multibillion-dollar trade.

Apart from guacamole I have no use for avocado. It's like eating flavourless candle wax. So the concept that people will kill each other over it is rather baffling. 

Stop Whining That We Fought Back Against The Gaslighting!

People circulating 'offensive comments' about a police plea to find a missing woman? What fresh hell is this?! 

Even in Broken Britain, surely a police request to help find a missing woman should only be met with support and assistance and...

Oh. 

Once again, social media is Kryptonite to the modern police farce.

We Can Stop Referring To Our Police Farces As A Bunch Of Cowboys Now...

...cowboys would know how to handle this situation. Hell, anyone with an ounce of common sense would:

A witness said he was 'disgusted' at seeing the police ram a terrified calf with their squad car as people call for the officers to be sacked.

Kai Bennetts, 22, said the young cow was left with an 'open gash' and 'loads of grazes where the skin had come off' after it was hit by the police car and thrown several metres down the road.

The useless bastards knew they were going to get a well-deserved kicking for this, so the modern TSG waded in - the social media spin team:

Which blatent lying might have worked, if not for the many, many videos of a small half grown calf (not a 'cow' at all) wandering tamely around the streets. 

A length of rope to make an improvised headcollar would have been a better option but today's modern university graduate police officer can't be expected to deal with livestock sensibly and calmly, clearly.

Home Secretary James Cleverly also asked for a 'full, urgent explanation' as to why officers appeared to use a police car to hit an escaped cow. He said the police action seemed 'unnecessarily heavy handed'.

The RSPCA described the footage as 'upsetting and distressing' and said the police 'action appears disproportionate to the situation'.

This was no bike riding phone thief - if this was the only course of events they could think of, then they do not deserve to wear the uniform. 

But I doubt they'll worry about the referral to the IOPC too much, they've got away with worse.   

Update: shortly after I scheduled this post, more detailsmore details came to light - they rammed the poor beast FIVE TIMES, not two, and the pressure of public opinion has forced them to suspend the driver. Although since I doubt the driver took the action on his own initiative, the real culprit in HQ is no doubt yet to be found.  

Why Not, You've Got As Much Chance Of Delivering...

 

...as on any other promise, as Matt knows full well.

Sums It Right Up, Doesn't It?

Whoever did this is my new Hero😂

pic.twitter.com/qYr4p6QA1J

— Queen of the FlumpsQueen of the Flumps (@TheMistressRox) June 14, 2024

Me too!  

Sunday Funnies....

I'll stick to Prosecco, thanks! 

"As credible eye-witnesses, there is not a jury in the land who would doubt their testimony. "

Are you sure about that? 

Settling down to enjoy her lunch, pensioner Annie Mitchell gazed out absent-mindedly at a bird box in the garden when a large black shadow caught her eye. Convinced she had seen a strange cat ‘larger than a labrador’ roaming on old tennis courts beyond her home in Kirriemuir, Angus, the 71-year-old braved the February chill to take a closer look. ‘I felt it was bigger than any cat I have seen. I went outside to get a closer look and was only a car length away. It looked big.’

Here's the video she took and well, I can only say, if that's a 'car length' away... 

Mr Welsh, a ghillie, deerstalker and farmhand, said: ‘From the way it was moving, the tail size and that, it was slightly like a panther but it could be a crossbreed. I’ve seen them plenty of times. I’ve seen lynx, I’ve seen panthers, I’ve seen crossbreeds – they’re all over the place.’

No Loch Ness Monster? Scottish Sasquatch?

In July last year, panic gripped the villagers in Brydekirk, Dumfriesshire, amid talk of a cat the size of a labrador prowling the fields nearby. Beyond the talk, there was nothing tangible for the experts to get their teeth into until, earlier this month, some remarkable proof came to light just over the Border in Cumbria, thanks to the bloodied remains of a recently savaged sheep and a quick-thinking local. The sheep was discovered by Sharon Larkin-Snowden early one morning in October after she disturbed whatever had been eating the carcass. ‘I saw something black, running, and I assumed at first it was a sheepdog,’ she said. ‘Then I did a double take and realised it was a black cat. It ran towards a stone wall, stopped and then jumped the wall. It was big – the size of a German shepherd dog.’

Luckily, this local was equipped. No, not with the usual camera with all the photographic quality of a potato, but something else.  

Something made her take a swab of the carcass, which found its way to Professor Robin Allaby, a biologist at the University of Warwick with an interest in big cat research. He analysed the sample and discovered ‘Panthera genus’ DNA, which can only have come from a lion, leopard, tiger, jaguar or snow leopard.

Wasn't it lucky she happened to have a DNA test swab on her? When I went walking in Cumbria, all I packed was some Kendal Mint Cake!  

The astonishing breakthrough has reignited the eternal question – if there are big cats prowling the Lake District, is it too much of a leap to suppose big cats are living wild in Scotland too?

Makes my upcoming trip to Edinburgh potentially more exciting!  

You're Right, He Hasn't...

Streeting continued: “He's a formidable campaigner, but what Farage has never been tested on is actually delivering the change he says he wants to bring about."

...but the Tories and Labour both have. And both have been found wanting. 

Lord Cameron has blasted Nigel Farage's 'dog whistle' rhetoric and claims the Reform leader is 'intent of destroying' the Tory party.

I see your problem, Dave ol' chum, that's your job, isn't it. 

The RSPCA - Harming Animals In The Future!

Police bust a dogfighting ring in leafy, upmarket Chigwell, and the RSPCA ensure....that the illegal pitbulls are well cared for? Seriously?!

RSPCA Behaviour and Welfare Specialist Claire said: 'A lot of these dogs were nervous and shut down when they arrived in our care and many had extensive scarring on their muzzles, heads, chests and front legs; something we see in dogs who have been involved in organised fighting.

'The dogs were being kept in poor conditions, with little interaction with the outside world, except for when they were taken to fight another dog in bloody bouts that often ended in serious and fatal injuries.

'They had never experienced what it's like to curl up on a sofa and feel safe, or the fun of running through grassy fields or chasing after a football.

'But now they're getting the love and care that they deserve and have really blossomed and come out of their shells.'

So, the RSPCA is happy to risk the future safety of other pets and children everywhere? Apparently so. And yes, they'll have no trouble finding someone to take on this canine time bomb. 

One of the dogs, eight-year-old bull breed Jane - who was removed from one of the pens in the garage at the Leadleys' home - has been settling into a loving foster home.

Her fosterer Debbie, who now plans to adopt her, said: 'Jane is doing brilliantly and has settled in so well. Her behaviour is fantastic and she loves to go out for walks, and have a good sniff. She just wants to enjoy life and is really chilled.

'She's really chilled out and enjoys snoozing in the sun until she gets too hot, and then she moves into the shade.

'She can be fussy about eating so I've been roasting her chicken and cooking her steak, and she's slowly building up a good appetite. She's certainly very spoiled!'

I hope that thought flashes through your mind when the inevitable happens. 

'Of No Appearance'...?

Just an ordinary Lars, Malthe or Anker? Well, no:

An attack on the Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, which left her “shaken” and with a whiplash injury, was probably not “politically motivated”, Danish authorities have said.

A 39-year-old Polish man, who was apprehended after allegedly hitting the prime minister on Friday evening, was remanded in custody until 20 June after appearing before a Copenhagen court, the prosecutor Taruh Sekeroglu told reporters.

“It is not our guiding … hypothesis that there is a political motive here. But that is something that the police of course will investigate,” Sekeroglu said.

What else could be a motive for a Polish man to come to Denmark to assault a politician, then? Expect to see more of this, whatever it is... 

And None Of The Usual Suspects Will Complain...

...in fact, the usual anti-monarchy urbanites with 'hate racism' stickers on their electric vehicle who demand the council act when a fox shits in their garden and rips open their bins will be absolutely silent when a six-ton jumbo devastates an impoverished African's maize crop and tramples his grandma into the bargain. 

These are the same crowd that will enthusiastically back Starmer's plan to end trail hunting - because it's not love of animals that drives them, it's something very ugly. 

Like Killing Your Parents And Demanding Clemency Because You're An Orphan...

The activists who hounded Baillie Gifford out of sponsoring the summer book festivals are now trying to back hastily away from the backlash they are facing, by trying the 'We won but we’ve just realised the consequences of winning. How can we blame our victim for this?' tactic:

Which is quite the bald-faced chutzpah, I think you'll agree, Reader?

“Our first priority is to our audience and our artists,” Hay’s chief executive, Julie Finch, said at the time. “Above all else, we must preserve the freedom of our stages and spaces for open debate and discussion, where audiences can hear a range of perspectives.”

Now you'll have to stump up the cash for that yourselves. Good luck!  

It's Not Just Medical Hurdles To Overcome Here...

Two children who were born deaf can now listen and dance to music after undergoing ground-breaking gene therapy. The treatment, given as an infusion into the ear, works by replacing faulty DNA which causes a type of inherited deafness known as DFNB9. Researchers hope a similar approach could help in other congenital cases of deafness – which account for 60 per cent of the 430 million cases worldwide.

Which should be a genuine 'good news story' but I bet there are those waiting in the wings to throw cold water on it for ideological purposes.  

In the world-first gene-therapy trial, five children in China – two girls and three boys, all around three years old – gained hearing in both ears. All five were able to hear and speak words and locate where a sound was coming from.But two showed more advanced improvements and were even able to respond to music, which has more complex sound signals. The latest results, reported in Nature Medicine, build on work the team carried out two years ago when they treated children in one ear.

I'm usually pretty good at seeing someone else's point of view even if I don't personally agree with it, but I cannot fathom the mindset of someone who not only refuses to acknowledge that their child is disabled, but actively resists attempts to fix the problem.

And why is it just this particular disability? Why is there no corresponding 'blind culture', or 'wheelchair culture'? 

The study's main author, Professor Zheng-Yi Chen, said: 'The results from these studies are astounding.

'We continue to see the hearing ability of treated children dramatically progress and the new study shows added benefits of the gene therapy when administrated to both ears, including improvements in speech recognition in noisy environments.'

Professor Chen, who is also an associate professor of otolaryngology – head and neck surgery – at Harvard Medical School in the US, added: 'Our ultimate goal is to help people regain hearing no matter how their hearing loss was caused.'

I wish you the best of luck with that, and I hope you're prepared for more than just the medical complications and roadblocks you'll face.  

He Was Determined To Keep That Appointment In Samarra...

A homeless man who was taken to a park by police to prevent him getting in a fight, was later 'stabbed by a teenager' with a broken vodka bottle, a court has heard. Milton Hurlington, 42, was dropped off at a park in Wembley, north London, on the evening of July 17 2023, by police, in the hope that he would stay out of trouble. Officers had been called twice that day to pick him up, following his aggressive behaviour towards a bus driver, and at a Lidl supermarket, the Old Bailey heard.

And he continued with the aggressive behaviour, but met someone equally antisocial.  

But after being left at King Edward VII park, Mr Hurlington allegedly verbally abused a group of young men. One of them allegedly smashed the victim's alcohol bottle then chased and fatally stabbed him in the right armpit, jurors were told. Wael Farroukh, 19, from Wembley, has denied Mr Hurlington's murder and having an offensive weapon.

NHI. 

'Understood' By Whom, Stevie Wonder?

This is the moment a crazed dog sinks its teeth into a pug and refuses to let go as bystanders attempt to halt the attack by fighting it off with a chair. Horrifying footage of the attack in Leith, Edinburgh, yesterday captured the moment the helpless pug wails in agony as it is mauled by a dog more than double its size. During the video, a group of five bystanders are seen trying to remove the dog's tight grip on the pug, but its strength proves too much.

Unsurprisingly, as it's yet another XL Bully type.

One man is heard shouting: 'Get off, I swear to god I'll kill it!' While the man filming the video can be heard saying: 'I knew that dog was f***ing trouble when I saw it... that's outrageous!'

Police in Scotland said they were aware of the attack but the dog has not been seized. They could not confirm the breed of the dog but it's understood that it is not an XL Bully.

Huh? If they know what it isn't, they must surely know what it is. And whatever breed it is, it's clearly a dangerous dog. In the keeping of someone who can't or won't control it. 

Last month, a woman suffered serious ­injuries after two XL bullies mauled her in a vicious attack, also in Leith. It came after two XL bully-type dogs killed a chihuahua in March and bit its owner’s shoulder in an incident in Glasgow. In the same month, two children were injured in a suspected XL bully attack in Ayrshire. Police also shot dead an XL bully-type animal earlier this year after it injured three people and another dog in East Kilbride.

Which was predicted when the SNP prevaricated over adopting the DDA's revision because their loathing of England far outweighed their love of Scottish people.  

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: 'Around 1.15pm on Monday, 3 June, 2024 officers were made aware a dog had bitten another dog in the Newkirkgate area of Edinburgh.

'There were no reports of anyone being injured during the incident.

'The owners of both dogs were traced and appropriate advice given.'

What 'advice' did you give the victim? Not to have a dog of prey size?  

Well Done....Now Let's See What The Other Part Of The Justice System Does!

Police want to return stolen mobile phones to their owners after recovering 24 that they believe were snatched in the City or West End on March 26.The appeal follows an arrest outside the Bank of England that day when City Police said they found the devices.

He presumably didn't have them on him at the time or he might have done down a bit harder, with a bit of luck.  

Sonny Stringer, a 28-year-old from Islington, has been charged with nine thefts, one robbery, dangerous driving and having no motor insurance. He has been remanded in custody to appear at Isleworth Crown Court on April 22.Two suspects were seen on camera riding electric motorcycles who police say were identified as phone snatchers. CCTV operators kept them on camera and alerted officers. One arrest was made.

If he won't name his fellow thief, he should be sentenced to double time. If, knowing our justice system, he sees any jail time at all,  

Thanks For Proving The Case Against, Beth...

She's an A level student in Cornwall, apparently, though the 'Guardian' neglects to tell us what subjects she's studying. 

Like many other young people across the country, I feel helpless when watching the actions of this government, knowing that I have no say over the decisions being made. Instead, we’re forced to watch older members of the public – especially the oldest, who turn out at the highest rate – cast their vote on what will ultimately impact us the most.

This is perhaps most stark in the case of global heating.

Well, I'm guessing it's not history or geography then, if she's swallowed the Great Green Delusion. Maybe she just wasn't paying attention in class? 

...we have to sit back and watch as the UK grants 100 oil and gas production licences for the North Sea, and as Rishi Sunak flies in a jet from Leeds to London, a journey that would only take about two hours by train.

But Beth, if we don't have a secure power generating capacity for the future, there's nothing more important for 'your generation's future' than that. Do you want to have no TikTok every time the wind doesn't blow? 

A voting age of 16 can already be seen in Scotland, where the outcome has been overwhelmingly positive.

Ha ha ha ha! 

Many young people see politics as boring and corrupt, and therefore waste their vote, meaning that their voice isn’t heard. Lowering the voting age to 16 would encourage political engagement, a vital part of democracy.

The Conservative party has consistently failed young people over the course of its 14 years in power, with more than 270,000 children waiting for mental health treatment...

Stop imagining that boys can become girls and vice versa and you might not have so many problems. 

In primary school, we are taught to speak up for ourselves, be curious and make our own decisions. Well, now is the time to practise what you preach, and let us have our say.

We expect you to have grown up and no longer have primary school attitudes, though. 

Can we take this little brat to school in the comments? Reader, we can not.... 

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

*sighs* 

Finally, They Are Learning!

Well, some of them, anyway.

A judge has asked for more information about a women's claims she had three heart attacks and cared for a blind husband - saying he does not believe 'a word' she says.

Unfortunatly, the story is behind a paywall, but we know the name's 'Horvathova' which is a Romani name, so the judge's unexpected scepticism is perhaps well founded. 

It could be this story, which despite being in the same paper, isn't behind a paywall:

Regina Horvathova, 48, was brought before Bolton Crown Court after spending money with a bank card that did not belong to her and handling stolen goods including a Mercedes.

But she could not be sentenced for her crimes because her failure to work with probation meant there was no report on her ready for the court.

Judge Eliot Knopf said: “I see what’s been said and I give her one last chance to comply with the process and if she doesn’t she will face the consequences for that.”

The 'consequences' being what?  

A Hit! A Palpable Hit!

Matt unerringly has his finger on the pulse...

Are You Drunk, 'Mail' Writers?

Because this is impressive even by your low standards! 

Sunday Funnies...

I'm puzzled as to why a people like the Aztecs needed to invent No 4....

It's A Mugshot, Not A Fashion Shoot!

What happened to make this her mugshot? I thought they had to be a fixed standard?

 

A young mother who kicked another woman in the face and stamped on her head has been jailed.

No pussy pass? That's a revelation!  

Charlotte Katie Unwin, 23, was twice given a chance to stay out of jail for the late-night street attack, York Crown Court heard. But now she is behind bars after the probation service twice sent her back to court for not carrying out Judge Simon Hickey’s order.

“I view your excuses with some scepticism,” the judge told her. “In my judgement it is not unjust to impose an immediate custodial sentence.

“People who stamp other people, particularly young women defenceless on the ground, usually go to prison.”

Not 'usually' enough! Bring on the excuses!  

For Unwin, Graham Parkin said she had seen a man who had intimidated her when attending unpaid work and probation appointments and so she had stopped coming. But the judge said she had not told the probation service about this man.

Because he never existed?  

Mr Parkin said Unwin had difficulties including post traumatic stress disorder because of treatment she had suffered. She had had problems in her childhood that had led to her using “extreme behaviour”.

“She has never had a life,” he said.

But she's no doubt made a lot of other lives a lot more miserable. 

Brooke Morrison, for the probation service, said Unwin had been given five extra days’ rehabilitative activities for breaching the suspended sentence conditions at a hearing in September 2023. For a time after the hearing she had worked with the probation service, but had not co-operated with the service or attended any appointments since the beginning of April. In total, she had only attended 35 appointments out of 82. She had provided acceptable explanations for 26 of the missed appointments, but not for 19 of them.

So it's off to jail, and I suspect, consequences for the first time in her life.  

You've Had Years To Do This...

More GP surgeries and diagnostic centres would be built under a future Conservative government funded by slashing the number of NHS managers, the Tories have said.

In their first major health offer of the General Election, the Conservatives have said they will bring more care services into the community.

...so I'd be a fool to believe you now, wouldn't I? 

Go Back To Flogging Kias, Bob!

Film actor Robert De Niro was scheduled to accept a leadership award from the National Association of Broadcasters, but the group has rescinded the award after the celebrity spoke out against Donald Trump outside his criminal trial in New York this week, the Hill and the Huffington Post report.

Whoops! Consequences rarely visit Hollywood's Golden Boys and Girls!  

A spokesperson for the group told The Hill on Thursday that their event was “proudly bipartisan” and said: “While we strongly support the right of every American to exercise free speech and participate in civic engagement, it is clear that Mr. De Niro’s recent high-profile activities will create a distraction from the philanthropic work that we were hoping to recognize. To maintain the focus on service of the award winners, Mr. De Niro will no longer be attending the event.”

And did he have anything to say for himself? 

In a statement to the Hill, De Niro did not protest the decision, and said he continued to appreciate the group.

Heh! He's expecting the award in the future when the fuss gies down. How brave.  

In his most biting comments, De Niro spoke of Trump through the lens of the largely Democratic city whose voters know Trump well and roundly rejected him at the polls. “We New Yorkers used to tolerate him when he was just another grubby real estate hustler masquerading as a big shot, a two-bit playboy lying his way into the tabloids,” he said. “A clown ... No one took him seriously. They take him seriously now.”

And he's now got a bigger chance of winning, thanks to the overreach of liberal morons like you, Bob. 

Four Years..?

...to bring in a verdict that anyone could have brought in a day after the event? 

A man armed with two knives who was shot dead by a City of London Police during lockdown was lawfully killed, a jury at an inquest has concluded. A Metropolitan Police officer Tasered and then fatally shot Hassan Yahya, 30, on March 8, 2020, in Northumberland Avenue as he moved towards the force HQ Great Scotland Yard. On Friday, a jury at the Inner West London Coroner's Court returned a verdict supporting the conclusion of the Met’s internal investigation that Yahya was lawfully killed.

Did they do nothing wrong? Well...

IOPC regional director Charmaine Arbouin said: "During the course of the officers' interactions with Mr Yahya, they made numerous attempts to apprehend him using non-lethal force - including multiple discharges of Taser over a five-minute period, which proved ineffective."

Just as with dangerous dogs, they wasted time trying to take him alive.  

It was later discovered that Yahya had been receiving treatment for mental health issues, but this was unknown to the police at the time.

And if it had been known, it shouldn't have changed a thing. 

Those Who Live By The Sword...

One TikTok video captioned 'my boy' shows the owner dancing in her kitchen with her dog and laughing. The overlaying audio hauntingly plays: 'This is my son, and I don't give a f*** if you think he looks aggressive.' Posted in December, the footage with the audio continues: 'I don't give a f*** if you don't like the look of him, and I certainly don't give a f*** if you think the breed should be banned.'

The videos are of foul-mouthed and dim Nicole Morey, 23, who was savaged to death by her 'boy' in Limerick after a night out celebrating her birthday, with horrified Garda who turned up having to shoot the hulking brute off her shredded corpse.

The harrowing incident was captured on CCTV, and the footage has been leaked online, with Gardaí urging the public not to share it.

I heard this rumour on Twitter, but I've not seen the video, and I'd urge anyone sent the footage not to view it. The Garda are right, I did see the video of Ian Price being mauled to death, and it's something I wish I could unsee. 

Ms Morey had previously posted on a dog behaviour Facebook group seeking advice on how to control the animal.

A quote from one of my favourite movies seems appropriate here: "You never had control, that's the illusion! I was overwhelmed by the power of this place. But I made a mistake, too, I didn't have enough respect for that power and it's out now." 

Reacting to the shocking news, Justice Minister Helen McEntee said she now favours banning certain breeds of dog in Ireland, including the XL Bully.

Just like Scotland. It always takes a hi-profile death in their own country to force these idiots in power to act. 

Currently no breeds are banned in Ireland, but there are restrictions on certain breeds - meaning owners must be over 16, the dogs must be muzzled in public, kept on strong leads or a chain and must wear collars at all times, containing the owners contact information. Asked if she wanted to see an outright ban, Ms McEntee told RTÉ News At One: 'Personally, I think there should be, yes.

'Where a dog is known to be potentially vicious… where there is a pattern of particular dogs, then we do need to go further here.

'This was in a person's home, so how do we protect people where they have dogs that are restricted, even within their own homes as well?

We don't, Helen. We let this problem solve itself.  

'This review group is looking at all of the options here.

'We need to ensure that nothing like this happens again, this is really, really devastating.'

It will happen again, as it already has in England, despite the ban. But now it's mostly happening to the people that own these wertched things, and not to innocent people in public areas.   

80 Years Ago? It Might As Well Have Been 800...

A truly spectacular event. But you know what they say about the lessons of history, don't you? 

MailOnline took to the streets to quiz Gen Z on the anniversary of the Normandy landings to see just how much they know about the Allied invasion of France.

Some admitted they 'didn't really listen' as their grandparents tried to tell them about their history and others said they had 'no idea' what the moniker meant. One even believed it stood for Doomsday.

One girl in Birmingham laughed in embarrassment as she guessed that the infamous battle happened in 1970, while one Brighton resident said she thought it had taken place in London.

I suppose at least one showed enough awareness to be embarassed... 

Streaming TV: Good Omens (Prime)

You can't really go wrong with a Neil Gaiman/Terry Pratchett team up, and when that's turned into a show with a David Tennant/Michael Sheen team up, how could you possibly lose? 

I'd never actually got around to reading the book, it was always on my 'To Be Read' list, so when the TV show was announced I thought I'd see that first. And what a show! I honestly believe it wouldn't have worked with any other pairing.

Reflections - the sequel... pt 3

And, finally, on Tuesday 21st May, the prosecution rested on a trial that began on 14th April, neither of the five defendants elected to take the stand or call any witnesses, and we were dismissed at just gone 15:00 to come back Thursday morning at 10:00 (court wasn't sitting Wednesday due to a prior engagement) to hear closing arguments. So off we all went, eager to get back in to maybe find out why one brief had been so insistent on questioning the lead detective on the shape of his client's garden, a non sequitur of baffling proportions compared to the actual offence he was charged with. 

And we all turned up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed dead on 10:00, waited about 20 mins in the jurt room, then our usher called us in and....the dock was empty! I knew this was a sign we wouldn't sit and hoped the judge would tell us why. but all she said was how sorry she was that we had had a wasted journey, but that this was due to 'events beyond the court's control' and we were released until 10:30 Thursday 30th, but told to keep our mobiles on and if we couldn't sit after all, we'd get a call on Wednesday afternoon. 

So on Saturday I got a letter through the post, a breakdown of the four week expense claim I'd submitted the following week. It was for 15 days (as some days the court wasn't sitting, due to prior appointments or bank holidays) @ £3.50 bus fares per day (all backed up with Oyster printouts) and @ £5.71 meal rate per day. I made the fares £85.65 and the meals £52.50.

The court made it £63 and £114.20 respectively! 🤷‍♀️

I went back to work, WFH on the Wednesday, awaiting a call to tell me we wouldn't be sitting on Thursday after all. No call, so off I went! I had forgotten that it was half-term. so set off early to miss the school run and got there early, as did some of the other jurors. The usher came down to call us at 10:05, but obviously some were still in transit. He had understood that we'd been told to come at 10:00.

Eventually, the others turned up, off we went, waited 10 mins in the retiring room, then into court. Relaxed when I saw the defendantts were all ptresent, then the bombshell; because of the delays, we couldn't continue today, as this trial's estimated date for finishing of 6th June was not now achievable and we were told to go back to the retiring room and write a note with all our dates we couldn't attend up to the 7th July! Not the reason, the judge assured us, she didn't need that, just the dates.

So we did, many of us wondering why this couldn't have been done by email or the expected phone call! The usher collected our notes, and we waited again. After a long pause, he returns - asking us to give the reason for these dates. The judge obviously decided she did need the reason after all! We all amended our notes. Another wait, then the usher comes back in to ask us to confirm if the days we'd put were all full days, or were some of them just morning or afternoon? Another wait. Then the door opens and this time, the amendment was to run the unavailability dates up to the end of July.  

Then we were called back into court after another wait and the judge said she needed more time and she was dismissing us for lunch, to come back at 14:30 (it was about 12:15).

14:30 came and went, as did 15:00 and we were finally called in at 15:45. Went into court to be told she was very sorry, but the trial could not continue, so we would be discharged, and the defendants would face a new trial, so we couldn't talk about it. So I can't tell you who these miscreants are, but you can bet I'll be monitoring local news and as soon as they are convicted - if they ever are - I will! And so we all headed home, strangers who'd become friends over the course of eight weeks, even if we did only attend court for 28 days, and maybe did actual jury work for less than 2/3 of that.

We weren't given a reason for this declaration of mistrial, but I can only conclude it's because the judge couldn't find a long enough period of time we were all available to hear the evidence and deliberate, without cutting into other cases waiting to start...

The very next day, a survey request dropped into my mailbox.

So I duly filled it in. I seem to remember getting one of these last time as well, but I certainly didn't get this back then! 

Another sign of the times. 

I wouldn't let this put me off any further requests, should they come. It's an experience everyone should encounter at least once in their lives. 

A Dangerous Combination...

XL Bullies and illegal drugs:

The mother of a five-year-old boy savaged by an XL Bully has revealed the youngster had 'half his scalp ripped off' during the horrific attack. The terrifying incident happened in a run down house which locals claim is a well known drugs den in Hull, East Yorkshire, on Bank Holiday Monday afternoon. CCTV from the neighbouring house shows the mother and her child entering the property with another man, who is claimed to be a local drug dealer.

I've often said the police should regard ownership of these things as less a desire for a dangerous 'pet' than for a cover and guard against other criminality.  

The mother is then heard pleading for an ambulance as she emerges wailing in the street with her child in her arms before a stranger offers to ferry the boy to hospital. He is now receiving treatment after the savage attack which left him with 'half his scalp ripped off', while friends of his family say he is lucky to be alive thanks to three men who wrestled the dog off him.

Very lucky indeed, to find three men not too addled by illegal substances to act! And once again, the owner of this hellbeast is a young female: 

Footage from after the attack in Hull shows the moment police arrived at the property to collect the out of control dog as the owner, dressed in a black top and grey trousers pleads with the officers to let her put a muzzle on the animal instead. The owner can be seen on the footage pleading with the officers: 'You are hurting him. Let me put the muzzle on him.' She tells them: 'It is a good dog. I am telling you. I can save him.'

Skip the drugs test, officers, she's clearly on something! 

Neighbours deny the mother is incompetent: 

'I don't know what she was doing at the house. There are a lot of problems with drugs down here but ahe will not have anything to do with drugs.

'The dog had come from a good family home only two days previously.'

No 'good family home' would ever want one of these things! 

Following the horrific attack, Humberside Police's DCI Allison Sweeting said: 'We are working closely with the boy's family and the owner of the dog to understand the circumstances surrounding the incident.

'At this stage, the breed of dog is believed to be an XL bully type and it has been seized as part of our enquiries.'

Perhaps if this place was such a notorious drugs den, you should already know the circumstances?  

Reflections - the sequel...pt 2

As for cases, I was empanelled on the first day (April 8th) for a trial described by the judge as 'a punch up' (affray) and potentially going into the third week, as there were five defendants. As soon as being sworn in we were told to report the next day at 11:00, but when we did, we were told there was a delay. When we finally got into court at about 12:00, the judge explained there wouldn't be a trial after all. Aha, thought I, they've copped to it or to a lesser charge. And indeed, that was what transpired; each one stood up and had the charge read (the first one pleading guilty to it, prompting panicked gesticulation from his startled defence and the judge kindly suggesting he 'have another go at that, eh?', whereupon he pleaded 'not guilty, but guilty to section 4' as did the other four in turn). The judge then turned to us and said we deserved an explanation - it transpired the offence dated back to 2018, and one of the assaulted bouncers at the nightclub in question had turned out to be on false ID papers and had since disappeared so the CPS weren't going to proceed with the more serious charge. We were thanked for our service and then sent back to the pool. 

Then a potentially eight week trial came up straight away, and we were all given a form to indicate if we had any booked holiday or medical appointments, or any other reason we couldn't serve. Followed by another huge list of names of the defendants (another group of five, conspiracy to rob) and all the witnesses, addresses, etc to note if we recognised any names. We were then taken in to be selected, those who said they could and those who said they couldn't, as exusing someone is left up to the judge's discretion. The two teachers I'd been speaking to had both indicated their school couldn't lose them for that long. Those forms were passed to the judge, who then called up each person in turn to discuss the reason given. It would have helped if the usher had had the wit to seperate us out into two groups and placed the ones needing to explain in front, but no, that was clearly beyond them, so much shuffling about was needed in the cramped rows... 

After immediately excusing some, asking others to bring evidence (of medical appointment letters or holiday bookings) the next day, or - in the case of the two teachers, an email from their headteacher - we were sent home. The next day, back in court, again not arranged so that those needing to be excused were in front, they were questioned again, some excused, some not (one of the teachers wasn't because she taught very young classes unlike the other who was excused, but in the end she wasn't picked for this trial anyway) and then jury selection could finally begin. I was picked for this one. 

We were then told the trial wouldn't start until Monday (this was Thursday!) so we were sent home, and I could go into work the next day. 

Then came Monday and the trial start, and here at last some signs of modernisation - each set of twin desks in the jury box boasted a flat screen monitor as CCTV evidence was to be produced. 

Unfortunately, on Wednesday, half the similar units on the counsel benches failed, and we were sent home at 11:00 for the day, as they couldn't be fixed by the in-house staff and an offsite firm would have to be called. I began to see why it had been suggested this case would take eight weeks! Later, on the Thursday morning I think it was, our screens wouldn't come on, but we were only sent out for about 40 minutes and when back inside, the judge advised the court clerk had resolved the situation by turning the whole shebang off and on again! 

It was noticeable that through the long recounting of CCTV and cell site evidence, the security guards in the dock often closed their eyes and looked asleep. I'm sure that they'd have sprung into action if any of them had decided to kick off, though. 😏 

The trial dragged on and on, we went over the same video and glossy expensively-produced books of stills evidence (containing many spelling mistakes and inaccuracies!) at least three times, first introduced by the prosecution, then again with the police replying 'Yes that's right' to questions asked, and then with the cell site expert doing the same. Rarely did any of the defence butt in except to further drop one of the other defendants right in it! 

We were also sent home early several times, missing court days because of defence counsel and defendant illness. We were almost always told by the judge to return the next day for 10 (apart from one day when other court business meant we were asked to come in for 10:30) yet we usually weren't collected by the usher until 10:30, and then quite often waited in the jury retiring room for well over 20 minutes before finally going into court. 

Not Something I Need To Worry About...

...this incident has also made me think about what kind of anger is permissible for Black women, especially in spaces where the idea of “decorum” can be so easily weaponized against them.

...so maybe it's time they looked up the term 'decorum' and perhaps showed some?

Rowland is a dark-skinned Black woman in a world that is as obsessed with maintaining proximity to whiteness as it is invested in demonizing Black women who speak up for themselves, so there’s no doubt she’s endured anti-Blackness and faced countless situations where she had to stay her anger and hold her tongue so she didn’t appear aggressive.

I have to say, if social media has shown us anything, it's that there's a lot of black women out there who have never heard that they shouldn't appear aggressive.  

And while we may never know exactly what was said that caused her to ultimately lose her cool, it really doesn’t matter.

Of course it doesn't, when one has an agenda to push regardless of facts. 

The expectation that Black women be gracious and deferential in the face of flagrant hostility is one of the most dehumanizing aspects of Black public life...

When 'flagrent hostility' is just being told to do what everyone else does? Just a day ort so after this, another woman had the same treatment, but you won't hear that from Rowland, because she was white. 

To be a Black woman, especially one who doesn’t fit stereotypical western ideals of womanhood, is to endure a never-ending series of indignities simply for trying to exist.

Then why not try a country that isn't a stereotypical Western country?  

Reflections - the sequel...Pt 1

Well, that's finally over. And how did my 2024 stint compare with my 2014 stint? Well, not so good...it was obvious from my first day there that, despite the ten year gap, the functioning of the court services had got worse, and not better. 

The building was much the same (in fact, I rather doubt it had seen so much as a lick of paint in the intervening years!) and the security had been beefed up considerably - I recall bag searches the last time (to be expected) but now the entrance boasted two detector arches and the hand-held 'wand' detector to be passed every day, occasionally causing long queues to get in. On the second Tuesday, despite being in my bag for the rest of the time and being passed unremarked, a set of metal eyebrow tweezers was noted in my handbag, removed and I was given a receipt to pick them up at the end of the day. What they thought I could do with them, heaven only knows! But I complied, rules are rules and left it out of my bag for the next day.

I had expected the passage of time to have provided a lot more IT and automation, but no - the admin staff were still shuffling cards and paper around, despite the presence of a large screen behind their desk units in the corner that remained tuned to BBC News when it could have relayed important information to the waiting jury pool. The staff seemed far less efficient than I recalled from last time when they kept things moving rapidly and were always super helpful when approached. On one day we were treated to the surreal sight of  them calling up 5 groups of ten people (for a long trial) by one lady laboriously reading out the wanted names from a sheet of paper to another lady with the microphone who then called them out, giving a 'Chinese whispers' air to any hard-to-pronounce name - either give the lady with the list the mic, or give the list to the lady with the mic, it doesn't take TWO of you! 

Frequently, as a result of getting there earlier than necessary (an earlier bus meant I avoided the school run) I'd be waiting in the jury pool room and witnessed jurors approaching the corner to request a form for expenses, or to sign in - which only first week jurors were required to do - and be told by the person manning the desk to 'come back in half an hour'. Despite being there and clearly on duty, they were reluctant to actually start work until some pre-determined time has passed. I never did figure out what time that was. 

The less said about the food in the jury canteen the better, I don't recall it being good the last time, but it was dire now - I ordered a sausage sandwich one morning on the first week, and it tasted of...nothing. I tried a so-called 'steak burger' at lunch and it was inedible. Steak? From what animal? Luckily, in the years since the last stint, Wanstead High Street had sprouted a M&S Simply Food and a Greggs!  

As this is a long post, I'm going to take a leaf out of Zach Snyder's book and publish it in installments. 

The Main Surprise Here...

...is that at least the seminar was run by someone who really was an expert in the subject! 

The 51-year-old sent scores of 'sexually suggestive' texts commenting on the woman's 'sexy' body and requesting sex, even though she told him she was in a relationship and asked him to stop. She complained in August 2022 after discovering that Mr Broadway was leading a seminar with a discussion about inappropriate workplace messaging.

And he produced all his own material too!  

The talk was one of a series held by the Gwent Police as part of efforts to rebuild trust in the police after Ms Everard's murder in 2021 by Scotland Yard officer Wayne Couzens.

Safe to say, 'Epic FAIL!' there, Gwent cops. 

In May 2023, a second woman came forward with complaints about Mr Broadway, who was then suspended on full pay. A third complainant emerged later.

So, he was sacked? Well, no.  

A Gwent Police spokesman said: 'The hearing chair found the former staff member would have been dismissed had he not resigned from his position ahead of the hearing.'

To ensure he kept his pension. I thought they were trying to stop this happening? 

I Beg Your Pardon?

Errr, that's pretty comprehensively stopped, officer....

A drink driver was arrested after crashing into another carcrashing into another car at a junction in Oakridge.

A police spokesperson told the Gazette: "We were called shortly after 7pm yesterday (Saturday 25 May) to a report of a two-vehicle collision on Oakridge Road.

"A 20-year-old man from Basingstoke was subsequently arrested on suspicion of driving a motor vehicle when alcohol level above limit and driver of a vehicle fail to stop after a road accident.

"He remains in police custody at this time.”

I can only assume they mean the Beemer driver fled on foot, because that car's going nowhere unless it's on the back of a wrecking vehicle.... 

H/T: Ian J via email

Still No Spellchecker, 'Echo'..?

It's been a long time since I visited the pages of the Southend 'Echo'...nice to see some things don't change!  

Sunday Funnies...

Frankly, astonished No 5 doesn't happen more often....

One For Rebus..?

Armed police were called to a 'disturbance' at a house at Fernieside Crescent in the south east of Edinburgh at about 8.25am on Tuesday. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

Local residents have reported hearing 'multiple gunshots' ringing out in the street. It is understood the incident involved a weapon but no one was shot with a gun.

Eh..? 

The incident was caught in Ring doorbell camera footage, where an officer is seen walking through a garden before five gunshot-like sounds are heard, soon followed by six more, the Sun reports.

There's a puzzler that could come from the pen of Ian Rankin, all right!  

In a statement, the Police Scotland said their inquiries are continuing.

I wonder what they are looking for, if not a gun? 

Police Scotland said a report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.

That'll make great reading! Unless it's a typo and they meant 'The Fortean Times'... 

'People around here now do not feel safe with the police.'

Well, if 'people round here' refrain from getting drunk and fighting with the cops that turn up, they'll be fine,

Justin Fenn, manager of the Londis shop, said his CCTV cameras had filmed the incident from several angles. He said: 'The policeman pulled up and the man's brandishing a bottle. He's just tipped out contents and he's brandishing it, instantly confrontational to the policeman.

'I can only imagine the policeman's asked him to move, and he just wants to have an argument. He's shouting and screaming.

'[The police officer] got the pepper spray. He's asking for assistance [via his radio set] because he [man in wheelchair] is not doing anything rational.'

Sensible chap, Justin. Sadly, enrichment has ensured he's a lone voice of rationality... 

Diari 'Jay' Salih, 40, who runs a barbershop opposite where the altercation happened, said witnesses were shocked by the incident. He said he had approached the police officer and told him to stop after allegedly seeing the man being pepper-sprayed. Mr Salih added: 'Nobody's happy about this. I can't get the image out of my head. People around here now do not feel safe with the police.'

*sigh* So 'unsafe' you're happy to march up to them on the street and tell them how to do their job? 

Carla Carvalho, 43, who works at a nearby business, described how the man in the wheelchair had been 'in the middle of the road, dancing and singing and all happy when the policeman comes and stops him'. She told the BBC: 'He was trying to get up with a bottle of beer in hand and I think the police guy thinks he was going to throw the bottle at him. Then you see in the video the police guy punches him. 'Whatever they say to each other I don't know, but he doesn't need to do this. He should be waiting for other ones [police officers].'

Everyone's an expert on policing, but you'll note that those commenting would, no doubt, find much more robust policing in their countries of origin.