mercuryg

Maggie, I can see you may find some of my responses in the negative, and I agree they come across that way, but thst is not what I'm trying to do. I simply can't see the town as a retail centre, although can certainly see the need for more shops. The (perhaps sad) fact is that out-of-town shopping centres will always get the vote from most people; it's simpy the way things are going. The major supermarkets are realising this, and their smaller in-town stores are feeling the pinch. Hence they are closing them down. Of course, there are those people who would shop locally, but they didn't do enough to keep Tesco in the town. Furthermore, the major retailers are also realising that the way we shop, for groceries in particular, is changing; I live in a terrace of, I think, eight houses, and three of them have their weekly groceries delivered (I'm not one of them, I don't buy enough to justify it). Going even further, my sister has a fridge that can order for her! Of course, not everyone is going down this route, and not every product is fit for it, but over time more and more people will do so, because it is convenient and saves time. I am, however, dismayed that the council office site is not being considered for some form of leisure or specialist retail centre; that would have been a sensible move by all.

To be absolutely honest, and I believe this to be a major problem with UK politics right now, I have absolutely no interest in watching or hearing any of the current batch of party leaders or representatives speak. There's no passion, no commitment from them, they are wishy-washy and characterless, with obviously no experience of ordinary lives. I'll read what they said, but would prefer if they didn't waste TV time on them.

Forgive me if this is considered inappropriate, but what an entirely apt day for a man who enjoyed a modicum of tomfoolery! I fear I will not be around on that date, but should I be so will do my utmost to be there.

"....the play write Shakespeare didn't even exist....." I'm quite sure he did! "I said specialist shopping; there's been brave individual attempts but no synergy has been encouraged. Tesco was trying to compete with like out of Town." But Tesco must have believed they could compete; they couldn't. The thing about specialist shops, and I'm all for it as believe it makes a much better idea than trying to make a massive supermarket work, is that you have to ask why there has been no encouragement, and why there are few takers. It costs money to open a shop (a lot of it) and I don't know if there are as many funding options as there were a few years ago. The craft shop, at the top of the street, seems to be a success. But for how long can it sustain itself with the business it garners? "Well, I'd ask third parties to watch the webcam and decide who they agree with here." I'd like to see the results, to be honest. Ask yourself this: cars coming through Bedlington - where are they going, where have they come from? Bedlington is not a short cut to or from anywhere, it's entitely stand-alone. People do not come here for anything specific, apart from perhaps to eat, as there is nothing here. This is what has to be looked at - give them something to come for.

The through traffic is non existent. The only people who come through the town live here. That's it. the railways thing you're right on, but gooch was long gone from here by the time he got involved in the cables, and was merely one of many in that enterprise. What im getting at is that for people to come here, there has to be something to come for, it's not shopping or tesco et al would stay.

I think it has more to do with the BBC covering its back in the wake of the Savile controversy than the Tory party, to be honest. Auntie has to be seen to be squeaky clean these days or trouble will follow. A pity, really, as a little light controversy is good for ratings.

Rather than focyusing on the fact Bedlington prospered in heavy industry (which is, however we look at it, the past) why not consider that, in fact, the industry prospered on innovation (Birkinshaw and his malleable rails, for example). There is no way forward for this town as an industrial might, nor is there the through traffic for major retail, so where do we go?

Oddly, 3g, my figures came from a different article, but the same source....

This is getting intriguing Malcolm!!

I did, Malcolm (although that was some years ago, and alongside funding from local bodies). As I said, I'm no EU apologist, but I do like to see facts rather than propoganda. To state that the country gets nothing from the EU is untrue; there are many examples of projects that have been brought about by EU funding, and industries that benefit. Whether you (or I) believe this to be worthy investment is another point entirely.

"Our net contribution to the EU graft machine is £40,000 for every minute, of every hour, of every day, of every year," While in no way an EU apologist I do like to see a fair representation of the facts, and I don't believe this to be one. According to figures from 2014 our net contribution (the figure after we take into account the £6.5bn that came our way) amounted to £4.7bn, which doesn't amount to £40k per minute per year in any way, shape or form. By my reckoning, minutes in year x 40k is nearer 21bn. "...for which we get precisely nothing..." Far from the truth. This country may be hamstrung by some odd rules, regulations and laws that have been passed from Brussels, but where do you think that £6.5bn goes? Agriculture is a major beneficiary of EU funds, roads and infrastructure in many cities and town across the UK have benefited from it, industrial projects have recieved large wedges of EU funding, small businesses have also been beneficiaries - this is not 'precisely nothing' and should not be represented as such. I'm on the fence regards EU membership, but actually leaning slightly towards it being a good thing.

I am truly, truly shocked and saddened to hear this. I first got to know Keith many years ago when we both frequented the Northumberland Arms; a kind, pleasant, friendly and gentle soul who always had a story to tell and enjoyed a laugh, I was always happy to be in his company. To find him again, on here, after losing touch was a pleasure; I shall miss him, genuinely. Very, very sad news.

"...as a doner..." You were a KEBAB!!! (Excuse the grammar police, couldn't resist!) I've never given blood; I have a rare blood type, it's Bateman's XXXB

It's a complete non-story that's been made into a story when it should have been dealt with in private. Like him or not, he's an entertainer, and a good one.

Ggg the problem with wearables I touched on in my prior post. Non secure.

I like the new quid, I've got a tube full of them threepenny bits! "By 2017 we'll likely be purchasing everything by NFC anyway - maybe!" I love NFC, and believe it to be the way forward, but convincing people it is safe and secure will take some serious doing. I use a contactless card all the time, and have had no problems; however, after so many uses it's meant to ask you for your PIN, as a security measure - I've never been asked once. Also, there are reports of cards making payments without intention, i.e. by brushing past the payment scanner. Not sure how you can do anything about that. Still, it should be the way forward (although I don't buy that we'll all be payin using our mobile phones - too time consuming and cumbersome).

I have yet to sign, simply due to not having yet done so, but actually consider 400+ signatures so far on a petition that, with respect, is hardly known to the general population is pretty good.

A number of years ago a casual acquaintance of mine, of an older generation, declared to me that he had no interest in the internet, as he could find all he needed to know in books. He didn't see the point, it was all a fad, etc, etc. Now, I'm no 'computer geek' - I may work in online marketing, editing, writing and the like, but that's the extent of it - but what struck me was that this guy was an absolute fanatic on the subject of military history, with particular reference to certain specific regiments, battles, etc. I told him that, for someone with such interests - and many others - he would find the web invaluable; no, he said, it's all written down, in books, on his shelves, in libraries. Besides, he had no computer, and didn't want one. I asked if he would spare an hour, and come to my place, and let m just show him what he was missing? He scoffed, but agreed; I bought a few tinnies, of course, in advance. So, one quiet Saturday morning, we sat down in front of my laptop. I asked him to give me an example of a particular area he was interested in. He named a regiment (cannot remember which), in it went, into google, 'regiment xyz history' and, in an instant, well, you know the story, out came a whole load of options. The upshot was, within just a few minutes, I had him up and running on a well-populated forum that covered this and other regiments, and talking - by text, but talking - to actual, real veterans of this regiment, who could tell him stories that, as they were not best sellers but only of interest to the likes of him, would never make the history books, Still, they are history, and it is - for me - these personal events and recollections that make it even more so. Back to the story: he was, inevitably, hooked, and an hour became two, he wrote down email addresses, retrieved photos, moved on to his pet subject of WW2 German battleships, and so on. Yes, books are brilliant - I have hundreds on my pet subject - but personal and, for want of a less demeaning word, minor recollections get edited out. So, my friend was hooked, asked if he could come back next saturday, and so on. I showed him how to navigate - a bit daunting for a complete computer novice - and helped him buy a laptop and got him set up with a connection and so on, and he went on to find many ex-military friends, colleagues, and veterans, that he could not have found by books. So, yes, you're right, the web is an amazing thing.

HPW, what I love about this friendly and truly eclectic forum is reading the opinions and experiences of a fascinating and diverse collection of people, yours being among the most amusing and interesting of all.It's truly great to be able to converse with your good self, and all others on here. Keep up the good work!

But in that case, hpw, the actual road is not obscured, you can still see it. Its a different principle to driving light around an object. The simple fact is, without light hitting the eye, we are blind. It's a paradox acknowledged by scientists universally.

Aah Bob Lazar! Great name for It! Does he really have any credibility?

Park at the football club - extra minutes walk and its free!

"Cud the visitors be God's "disciples",just checking ti see hoo we are managing wa planet?" I think it far more likely they are not visitors, but military hardware that is yet to be unveiled. For many years there were reports of triangle shaped craft (which now, as we've noted, seem to have been superceded by boomerangs....) of unidentified origin in particular over Scotland and Belgium. It's quite clear now that these were the then secret F117 and B2, as well as most likely prototypes of the other contenders for the projected stealth craft, which looked like nothing else flying at the time. There are even well-grounded suggestions that Kenneth Arnold, back in '47, witnessed secret US air force craft on test in his famous 'flying saucer' case. As for the ship, whether bending light around or it passign straight through, without it reachign the occupants, they would still be blind!

I'll have to get a picture of the deer that feed at the edge of the woods behind my house. They are rather shy, however, and don't much like people. Roe Deer and Muntjac, I believe, medium size and small. We have a proliferation of Red Squirrels, too; pretty little critters with big tails. Love the woods, wonderful place.Lots of trees, you see. "What happened to the Ukip advertising thread???" We found more interestign subjects, Foxy.

I read your comments, Malcolm, had a shot of bourbon and realised I had the tools to perform a controlled scientific experiment to see if magnetism bends light and makes objects appear not to be there. I have magnets, in the shape of the back ends of animals, on my fridge. The fridge is still there. As for the lightning reference, of course you are right, but it's uncontrolled. Brilliant, though. I love lightning. In't lightning brilliant?