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Maggie, they are being ridiculous, and I can see why you felt aggrieved. If they are losing that much trade to online sales, and as I'm sure I know the outlet you are referring to I find it hard to believe, there is something inherently wrong with their methods. Retail is not where it was 20 years ago.

Canny Lass, given the Lion has a number of displays telling his life story they might actually go for this....I'll have a word!

Thank you all!

To eggy, I respect your stance, yet I couldn't imagine a home without animals within. I have two cats and the lizard, and my cats are there for me to come home to. Without them the house would be soulless.

To HPW, Lizzie in the wild would grow to in excess of two feet, but in a four foot tank will probably reach 18inch, a quarter of that being tail. Big enough!

Mms we now have them around my way, not sure what the fuss is about, appear to do the job to me

Moe, that is actually very good!

HPW she's a fascinating creature, my youngest cat loves her! So easy to keep. I have a friend with half a dozen snakes, pythons, but they take a bit more looking after! I

Lizzie (she was named when I was given her!) is a Bearded Dragon, a species native to Australia. She's currently about a foot long, including tail, and is surprisingly friendly. Likes to sit in my shoulder when I'm watching TV!

Percy is fantastic! Meet Lizzie my resident reptile!

I don't think I'm 'embarrassingly' anything; it wasn't me who, embarrassingly, attempted to link a ludicrous tweet about traffic jams to an immigration problem. Nor am I the one who continues to insist that it is inevitable that the UK will become an Islamic country, which it won't unless, as we've already discussed, they move here en-masse - entire populations at once - or start reproducing at an impossible rate. There's reality, and then there's reality as presented by the Daily Mail. Most of what you propose is firmly from the latter.

Also, it's bloody windy outside. This corresponds with plenty of foreigners coming over here. Statistics, you can't look past them. It's their fault. Close the borders, no more wind. Simple.

People will jump on anything to push the anti immigration card. First it's traffic jams, now this.

Fabulous reading, this, keep it up!

Malcolm, cocks do not speak cat!

It looks that way!

"Looked at that way the Germans (only a tad over 2% of world output) and indeed the entire EU might as well pack it in. " Which is partly the point, and no, I'm not being tongue in cheek. Hard as it is for those employed in the industry, the simple fact is the UK - and Europe - is no longer a major player in the manufacturing trade. We simply can't compete, and that's been true for some time. I'm all for subsidies to keep people in work, but there has to be a line drawn in teh sand, and sadly not the one you are looking for. When it comes to the point where the people who buy the steel the industry produces can't afford to remain loyal to home produce, things need to be looked at carefully. Business is not charity.

Save Corbyns cat! Seriously, I agree with Malcolm; I have good mates around here that I can't understand... Oh, and to be fair, cat language is universal; Meeow is the same in any language, it just means "servant, give me food, now"

Ok, so the Chinese have loads of cheap steel, and it impacts on our (barely existent) steel industry. Can we afford to compete, even without EU strangulation or whatever?

Something reminded me of an earlier post referring to "the curious 'Pace or Peas Bush'" in a list of Choppington place names. Someone, I can't remember who or where - either the Choppington or Bygone Bedlington groups on Facebook - recently posted a picture of 'all that remains of Pace Bush Farm' - a bit of a gatepost, I think. It was, I believe, located a little way behind the Swan (Lord Clyde), so mystery solved there!

Thank you Eggy, that helps a great deal!

Bluebarby, welcome, I have a feeling I'm going to enjoy your posts!

I was under the impression we import far more steel from EU countries than from China?

HPW, I recall attending a bird show as described not too many years ago - within the last 15 - in Bedlington, can't for the life of me remember where it was! Your hering gull sounds like a fun fella!

On the note of East to West translation, I once bought an electric carving knife which featured the legend among its instructions.."Not for the other use....."