Malcolm Robinson

Actually foxy it was nicked by NCC! I have been after it for over 18 months now! There is a roundabout connection with our close neighbour but not directly. I have the minutes of the last WDC meeting where the proceeds from the sale of Bedlingtonshire Golf Club were discussed and they voted to ring-fence the money for a capital project in Bedlington. So even if it took until its death throes WDC did try and do the right thing…….or maybe not! Step in NCC at the formation of the new Unitary Authority and they said there could be no ring-fencing of any capital monies within any of the 6 district councils. (Understandable really or the then defunct district councils would effectively still write the business plans for the new authority.) So "our” dosh was lost in the general pot of NCC. Coincidentally I am still waiting for an explanation as to why that was the case when Ashington gets to ring-fence the ASDA money!!!!!!!! The only explanation I have ever had is that the terms were written differently. OK so effectively we are back to being screwed over by WDC as they must have wrote a water tight agreement for Ashington but not for us, and that's the very same legal department???????? If I didn't know any better I would think we might be getting conned here…………………. I don't have a problem with Ashington getting their new sports facilities etc. I keep saying good luck to them and I mean that, but somehow an area with the same or less inhabitants gets to replace existing facilities with new builds while we don't even have existing facilities to complain about the state they have been allowed to deteriorate into.

I am not sure just how well thought through this is……..well apart from a bit of spin doctoring. Self-funded traffic wardens……… and yes we all know where rich pickings will be for the first week or two then it will take financial masochists to keep parking there………if these wardens do a good job will they make themselves redundant? The only possible way NCC can pay 26 new positions when they have cut over 1000 due to cost cutting is to find a new form of income to cover salaries. In other words parking fees in the South East. BTW, there was a very interesting admission the other night at the Area Meeting, these new NCC wardens will only be able to ticket transgressions on double yellows…………so all of the other parking problems the cops do have authority to take action against these wardens can't target. Course that might explain the road variance orders we saw last year in the News Post Leader. More flipping stealth taxes! Just had this land in my inbox.......................... Tax his land, Tax his bed, Tax the table At which he's fed. Tax his work, Tax his pay, He works for peanuts Anyway! Tax his cow, Tax his goat, Tax his pants, Tax his coat. Tax his tobacco, Tax his drink, Tax him if he Tries to think. Tax his car, Tax his gas, Find other ways To tax his ass. Tax all he has Then let him know That you won't be done Till he has no dough. When he screams and hollers; Then tax him some more, Tax him till He's good and sore. Then tax his coffin, Tax his grave, Tax the sod in Which he's laid. When he's gone, Do not relax, It's time to apply The inheritance tax. Accounts Receivable Tax Airline surcharge tax Airline Fuel Tax Airport Maintenance Tax Building Permit Tax Cigarette Tax Corporate Income Tax Goods and Services Tax (GST) Death Tax Driving Permit Tax Environmental Tax (Fee) Excise Taxes Income Tax Fishing License Tax Food License Tax Petrol Tax (too much per litre) Gross Receipts Tax Health Tax Inheritance Tax Interest Tax Heating Tax Lighting Tax Cooking Tax Liquor Tax Luxury Taxes Marriage License Tax Medicare Tax Mortgage Tax and his pension Personal Income Tax Property Tax Poverty Tax Prescription Drug Tax Real Estate Tax Recreational Vehicle Tax Retail Sales Tax Service Charge Tax School Tax & Tax what he buys and what he sells Telephone Tax Vehicle License Registration Tax Vehicle Sales Tax Water Tax Workers Compensation Tax Tax (VAT) on Tax. And Now they want a blooming Carbon Tax! STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY? Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago... & our nation was one of the most prosperous in the world. We had absolutely no national debt, had a large middle class, a huge manufacturing base, and Mum stayed home to raise the kids. What in the Hell happened? Could it be the lying parasitic politicians wasting our money? Oh, and don't forget the relatively new bank charges. And we all know what we think of Bankers.

A "friend" just sent me this.......... 53,000 Geordies meet in St James Park for a 'Geordies Are Not Stupid' convention. Alan Shearer addresses the crowd 'We are all here today to prove to the world that Geordies are not stupid. Can I have a volunteer please?' Gazza gingerly works his way through the crowd and steps up to the stage. Shearer asks him 'What is 15 plus 15?' After 15 or 20 seconds Gazza says, 'Eighteen!' Obviously everyone is a little disappointed. Then the Geordies start chanting, 'Give him another chance! Give him another chance!' Shearer says 'Well since we have a capacity crowd, world-wide press and global broadcast media here, I think we can give him another chance. So he asks 'What is 5 plus 5?' After nearly 30 seconds he eventually says, 'Ninety?' Shearer looks down and just lets out a dejected sigh. Everyone is disheartened and Gazza starts crying. But then the 53,000 Geordies begin to yell and wave their hands shouting, 'GIVE HIM ANOTHER CHANCE! GIVE HIM ANOTHER CHANCE!' Shearer, unsure whether he is now doing more harm than good eventually says, 'What is 2 plus 2? 'Silence hangs over the stadium. Gazza closes his eyes, and after a whole minute eventually says, 'Four?' Pandemonium breaks out throughout the stadium as the Geordie crowd stand, wave their arms, stomp their feet and scream….. 'GIVE HIM ANOTHER CHANCE! GIVE HIM ANOTHER CHANCE!'

I think its just about to happen........not sure how useful its going to be. 26 new self funded traffic wardens just started, 4 pages of road variance orders and a new NCC traffic policy, probably include the introduction of parking charges in Wansbeck and Blyth Valley.

Thanks for the reply Stephen. It just looks like the heavy hand of an uncaring organisation. I talk to people in there and none I have spoken to know what's going on apart from hearing that the headstones will be sorted by NCC. So really sending the Friends of Group that letter and expecting that to assuage feelings was another mistake. BTW, could it be that by including the Town Council in the NCC missives the onus for getting the information out has been passed to the Town Council???? I wouldn't be surprised! As Merlin has mentioned costs I hope everyone is aware just how much pressure treated tanalised timber is. I presume this is the precursor to the Town Council taking over the cemetery at some point?

Merlin, Lets just say I appreciated the effort!

Here's a starter for the yellow paint........... http://www.journallive.co.uk/northumberland-sites/bedlington-northumberland/bedlington-news/2012/04/05/parking-restrictions-for-bedlington-war-memorial-area-61634-30700293/

Ok Stephen I will bite. If the vast publicity machine that is NCC couldn't have done more ( and let's call it as it is……anything) to inform people with friends and relatives buried in this cemetery that it was going to be carrying out inspections and possible remedial actions weeks if not months ahead of time then they might as well pack up and go. ……. They seem to have no problems issuing rates demands to everyone! I would be very interested in the date of that missive; I will give odds now it was after events had happened! Just been talking to someone who visits a family grave daily and he tells me the testing was done by holding a meter against the headstone? Really???? At first the stakes were about 2-3 feet higher until objections were raised and NCC came back to cut them down to the height of the headstones. (It's all starting to add up to a complete disregard of people's feelings!) "As you will be aware, we have a major health and safety issue with the memorials in Bedlington Cemetery” Some it seems more than others! Of course some have to be seen to be believed. Others are left................. And then there is the weather to think about because using wood something which swells in water and contracts in heat………… I have to say I was disappointed at the reaction of the Town Council or rather the mayor and clerks reactions. Yes Arthur did agree things could have been handled better but saying the 'Friends of' group have had that letter so everything's hunky dory in the garden just seems to completely miss the point! Firstly the 'Friends of Westlea Cemetery' were formed in reply to the vandalism going on in the children's section and the need to have a vehicle to apply for grant aid to get the perimeter fence done. It is by no means a catch all group for all users of that cemetery. But the overwhelming reason I thought the Town Council should have done their own strongly worded reply to NCC about this sordid issue is that it should be representing us, the community and each and every section which makes up our community. When even the smallest section feels revulsion to actions taken by a local governmental authority then it would seem incumbent on our elected representatives to take up the issue on our behalf. I don't need to use the Town Council to make a complaint, I know the officers and the line management structure and can tackle them directly, but I do think in this case asking the Town Council to do so was the correct course of action. Not only that the mayor and deputy mayor are both County Councillors and this site falls directly in George's remit, I just think that's another reason they should have been championing this up at County Hall.

Don't worry Keith, the men in white coats aren't coming back to put the electrodes back on...........we are all hard wired to do this.

Where does the time go? 'Remember yesterday and dream about tomorrow, but you better live for today' How quickly the years pass..........

Not really a joke so I'll put it here......... Sitting at your desk in front of your computer lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles. Now while doing that draw a number 6 in the air with your right hand. Your foot has changed direction!

I brought this matter up at the Town Council meeting last night and asked them to put in a strongly worded objection to the way the whole situation has been handled by NCC. They are reticent to do anything and said because the 'Friends of the cemetery group' have accepted the reasoning off NCC its best left alone. (There are plenty of Town Councillors on this site if I have committed a misrepresentation!) That's as maybe but no one has apologised or explained anything to my wife whose cousin's grave (18” high and solid as a rock!) has been staked or friends of mine who have their parents headstones lying face down on the ground. The whole thing has been mishandled from start to finish and you would think even a cretin would realise how emotive this subject would be to all the people with a stake (excuse the pun) in the cemetery.

The reason given why these headstones had to be checked is stone mason faults!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seems the pegs used by the stone masons are not strong or resilient enough. So ya see it isn't the Coouncils fault after all............... And if anyone believes that load of codswhallop......

This is starting to feel like a 21st century version of the 1960's pirate radio stations. So who is anchored 12 miles off Newbiggin Point, me hearties? Is that Vicky and Koast or Simon and Ultra?

Calm down Nigel calm down................

That's where it is you pedantic bottom flasher! I am just wondering why after years of being a cultural wasteland we seem to now abound with a plethora of localised educational and artistic entertainment organisations?

Welcome sa30g, So where has radionorthumberland come from then?

Adam, I presume you are talking about EMU, the monetary union bit? The bit where this country got a black eye off Soros as Lamont used interest rates to control an uncontrollable exchange rate. The problem we have is that we haven't produced any real leaders over the last half century, with the possible exception of the lady you mentioned, and that's open to wide debate, but she is the only UK leader I have seen with a set of maracas. Everyone one of them has been and is happy to float around in other people's cess pools instead of forging out a new path for this country. I wouldn't follow any of them into Mothercare never mind into battle!

Your are forgetting Keith, the UK is one huge multicultural experiment.

Workmen are there today.....................couldn't get over to ask them what they were doing.

That's why I included that pic Vic............shows the level of intelligence we are dealing with! I was told last night remedial work has begun, I will check that out today.

Worth the read............. http://9gag.com/gag/2681884

Just as we thought it couldn't get any worse the major Greek political parties have just awarded themselves……..30 million euros, ostensibly to hold the next elections. This is on top of the 250 million euros they already 'owe' for past occurrences, can't really call them democratic seeing as their Prime Minister is unelected and instead imposed by the Troika! Anyone still feel like throwing into the IMF bailout fund?

Funnily enough we are all over this one like a rash Merlin, not least because my wife and I tend a plot in the children's section! Desecration is exactly the right word and what has happened is akin to a bunch of yobs kicking over or smashing headstones just because they feel like it. Whoever thought this was a good idea or acceptable really needs lobotomising! The excuse reason coming out seems all about Health and Safety (a favourite contemporary catch all excuse for the bureaucrats these days!) but looking a bit closer we see a solid headstone of 18 inches 'staked' while a 6 foot one lying at 45 degrees isn't? In fact most of the large 17th, 18th, 19th century ones there are lying at quite bizarre angles but they have been left untouched? Is this the same council department which until recently was putting headstones at the feet of the interred at Blyth? There would seem to be a clue in the title……HEADSTONE! The reason which finally came out wasn't about making the cemetery aesthetics more pleasing to the eye or making maintenance easier it was about being able to squeeze more plots out of a given area, in other words sell more spaces! Canny lass I will post some pics for you to see what we are talking about. Now of course with the weather some of the tie wraps are falling off so they are now a complete and utter waste of time.