Malcolm Robinson

A Sunday morning catch up. Putting Gibraltar to one side, as the distraction some are obviously hoping it will become, Spain looks to be ready to blow. Holding a higher percentage of Portuguese sovereign debt than France had with its Greece holding in 2010, itself a reason to obfuscate and distract, but also with unrealised house lending losses going upwards daily, Spain must be dreading the up to 50% haircut in sovereign debt proposed by this latest EU missive. That would be enough to tip the balance! Course we do have to keep an eye on the German elections this September but if the Frau does get back in what happens next in Euroland is anyone's guess. Her financial misters are almost lining up to either want defaulting countries kicked out of the Euro or Germany herself out. Here are 3 banks worth watching, Barclay's, DeutscheBank and SocGen, each stuffed full of the brown stuff! If the Barclay's rights issue is a flop, as is now being suggested, undercapitalisation has to be the accusation according to the ECB/EC regulators. As I have previously said DeutscheBank has itself more derivate debt than the world's GDP and is now taking severe hits on its currency trades. Course it may well be being propped up by say a group of politicos who know full well a hit on a national institution like that would be fatal for them in an imminent election! SocGen have been unloading their Greek toxicity into the ECB at breakneck speed but it will still be on the hook because of unravelling derivatives once a collapse gets under way. My personal favourite for the straw that breaks the camel's back is still Italy. Manipulating reserves and passing the parcel in a game that would amuse Machiavelli himself Italy continues to remain afloat but it is really just semantics. Looking closer to home our very own RBS is reporting profits and will soon be off the public drip according to the politicos. Really? If the wrong warlord in eastern Russia gets assassinated that could be enough to tip RBS over, looking it its Russian toxicity. Trying to break it up can't be a success, too many insiders know the crack, unless they privatise it again and sell us, the gullible public, another can of worms. Then there is the good old CO-OP, just waiting for that bucket of brown stuff to hit the fan. So all this unnerving and worrying background music and what happens, the traditional hedge against economic upset, gold, is being systematically debased? The Chinese are buying any physical gold they can get their hands on and sovereigns are asking Fort Knox for their deposits back. Wonder why they want such a depreciating asset? Amongst all this carnage and potential collapse the buffoons in number 10 and 11 Downing Street are talking the British economy up. Yes it might all be smoke and mirrors so the more smoke you blow in front of the mirror the more you can hide the real image but at the end of the day it will clear away. In an act of crass futility the new incumbent of the Old Lady of Threadneedle Street has linked interest rates to unemployment figures. One company director I read recently suggested they won't be taking on any staff without a very very good reason now because they wouldn't want to increase their borrowing costs! Bet Gideon didn't think of that one when he instructed the Canadian Goose to make his recent pronouncement. Course all it does really is to continue to rob the populous of any true worth in their FIAT holdings. Cash and its value is being eroded daily and even if you buck the system and win a bit you lose as soon as you covert back to cash to spend. It's a pernicious circle! Maybe we should be following the likes of 'Kenny boy Clarke' (Bilderberg Group member) as he buys up any land holding he can get at!

I maybe an ex-smoker but I do agree with the sentiment.

In a Tottenham church Sunday morning a preacher said, "Anyone with 'special needs' who wants to be prayed over, please come forward to the front by the altar." With that, Leroy got in line, and when it was his turn, the Preacher asked, "Leroy, what do you want me to pray about for you?" Leroy replied, "Preacher, I need you to pray for help with my hearing." The preacher put one of his fingers in Leroy's ear, and then he took his other hand and placed it on top of Leroy's head; and then he prayed and prayed and eventually the whole congregation joined in with great enthusiasm. After a few minutes, the preacher removed his hands, stood back and asked, "Leroy, how is your hearing now?" Leroy answered, "I don't know. It isn't 'til Thursday."

Has anyone noticed the new EU law about protecting taxpayers and bank bail-ins? Like our wonderful Chancellor's statement of nearly a couple of months ago…. "In future, taxpayers will not be called upon to bail banks out. It will be down to the creditors and the owners”. Sounds like a good idea, sounds like we won't be burdening the country with more useless QE doesn't it? What I really means is that ANYONE with a bank account will get clobbered in the next round of bank rescues! Who has bank accounts, oh yes the normal 'man in the street' or taxpayers! So in a FIAT monetary system we get done over whatever way it goes! (BTW, that isn't just a Euro law it's an EU law so it applies to us too!) *Treatment will not be the same regardless of size of deposit, BUT small account holders will have to wait up to four weeks to get their money….'depending on how serious the insolvency is'. During that time, there will be a maximum withdrawal of €100-200 per day – again, perhaps less depending on the seriousness of the failure * The EU Parliament – allegedly – is demanding that deposits of €100,000+ euros should be confiscated within five days. * In the event of a banking collapse, all previous government commitments are null and void. The force majeure of "exceptional circumstances” can lead to ways round such pledges. Part of the new plan suggests savers could also be subject to a 'penalty tax' if they have less than € 100,000 in the bank. Gone a bit quiet at the CO-OP recently, wonder how they are going to square that circle? Course they can now use this new law to make 'shareholders' (depositors) pay up. Interesting to see who's accounts CO-OP holds because surly if there are any political ones there they can't possibly take part in any decision about bail outs or ins!

No and I think most that were there were in fact supporters. Well lets say the applicant was there sitting with a couple of supporters and he made a fair stab at getting his side of the argument across, that's why I said the whole planning process looks to have let both sides down. We had to make a decision at that meeting, our objection or support had to be sent in today, so it had to be done on the information we had at hand at the time. I think that's why it was a split decision.

Bit less than the projected 2000 jobs talked about when this was first broached, plus it will suck in all potential development funding for a few years too. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-23611585

Is that Wilf or just a Marra?

The Town Council voted to object to the wind turbine at Burnt House Farm at last night's meeting. The vote was 4-2. Main reason, visual impact. I don't think the planning process did us, or in fact the applicant, any favours, because this only came through about 12 days ago. We had to call a special meeting to discuss it, given the level of concern it has evoked within the community, and I am not sure it gave the applicant enough time to put his case forward. Plus the lack of posted planning notices is worrying? Either way we have also submitted a letter of concern to the planners as to their conduct. We also voted to object to the 33 proposed houses at Slaley Court, this time unanimously. Main reason, over development.

No Eileen. I didn't know that was a councillor, you sure?

Now that I'm older here's what I've discovered: 1. I started out with nothing, and I still have most of it. 2. My wild oats are mostly enjoyed with prunes and all-bran. 3. I finally got my head together, and now my body is falling apart. 4. Funny, I don't remember being absent-minded. 5. Funny, I don't remember being absent-minded. 6. If all is not lost, then where the heck is it? 7. It was a whole lot easier to get older, than to get wiser. 8. Some days, you're the top dog; some days you're the lamp post. 9. I wish the buck really did stop here; I sure could use a few of them. 10. Kids in the back seat cause accidents. 11. Accidents in the back seat cause kids. 12. It's hard to make a comeback when you haven't been anywhere. 13. The world only beats a path to your door when you're in the bathroom. 14. If God wanted me to touch my toes, he'd have put them on my knees. 15. When I'm finally holding all the right cards, everyone wants to play chess. 16. Its not hard to meet expenses . . . they're everywhere. 17. The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth. 18. These days, I spend a lot of time thinking about the hereafter . . .I go somewhere to get something, and then wonder what I'm "here after". 19. Funny, I don't remember being absent-minded.

As I was lying around, pondering the problems of the world, I realized that at my age I don't really give a rat's a... anymore. .. If walking is good for your health, the postman would be immortal. .. A whale swims all day, only eats fish, drinks water, but is still fat. .. A rabbit runs and hops and only lives 15 years, while .. A tortoise doesn't run and does mostly nothing, yet it lives for 150 years. And you tell me to exercise?? I don't think so. Just grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked, the good fortune to remember the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference.

That (Ticketing cars at Plessy Woods) is down to the persistence of one councillor and if anyone has been attending the Town Council meetings over the last few years you will know who because he raised the matter at every meeting. There is a large car park just over the top of that road, course you have to pay to park there.

Why were NCC looking into extending parking charges into the SE of the County? Not hard to see why.............. http://www.newspostleader.co.uk/news/local/county-gets-1-8m-from-car-parking-1-5928090

Eggy, I was going to say £1000 each seems.........very inexpensive! Reading a bit more into it, £1000 PA to LEASE one, as long as its a 5 year contract!

Have you read through the thread Adam?

NPL article, http://www.newspostleader.co.uk/news/local/villagers-fear-there-is-not-enough-time-to-object-to-wind-turbine-1-5928081

Tomorrow night Merc, sorry. Gives us a single day to get our reply into this and other planning matters! I see in the NPL the ubiquitous 'spokesperson' for NCC is saying the consultation period could be extended?

The public are more than welcome to attend this 'special' Town Council meeting. As usual its on in the community centre this time at 6.30pm - 8th August. Because its a 'special' meeting there isn't a public question time but you will get to see the Town Council's recommendation on this planning matter. Here is the agenda. · There will be no public session. 1) APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE To receive apologies for absence from Councillors 2) DISCLOSURE OF INTERESTS To receive from members in respect of any items included on the agenda for this meeting, disclosure of any personal or prejudicial interests. 3) LAND AT HIGH RIDGE The Council are requested to discuss whether or not to proceed with requesting NCC to transfer Land at High Ridge to West Bedlington Town Council ownership. 4) QUESTIONNAIRE The Council are requested to decide whether or not they wish to proceed with the public consultation as proposed. 5) PLANNING There has been no planning subcommittee meeting held. The Council are requested to discuss the planning applications listed below in Full Council.

I did the edit for you Neil!

Maggie, Don't really want to get into this one, its been done before and I don't see what the problem is. You know the crack, its got OXO on the sides of buses but they don't sell it.

Town Council have called a special meeting and this is one of the items to be discussed and actioned, either accepted or objected to. It is worth considering why not many people know about this application, we only just learnt about it a week or two ago, and why, like the Slaley Court development, the planning meeting for such potentially divisive applications is when a lot of people are on holiday or in other words missing!

Psychology 101 - If you start with a cage containing five monkeys and inside the cage, hang a banana on a string from the top and then you place a set of stairs under the banana, before long a monkey will go to the stairs and climb toward the banana. As soon as he touches the stairs, you spray all the other monkeys with cold water. After a while another monkey makes an attempt with same result .. all the other monkeys are sprayed with cold water. Pretty soon when another monkey tries to climb the stairs, the other monkeys will try to prevent it. Now, put the cold water away. Remove one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new one. The new monkey sees the banana and attempts to climb the stairs. To his shock, all of the other monkeys beat the crap out of him. After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs he will be assaulted. Next, remove another of the original five monkeys, replacing it with a new one. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment...... with enthusiasm, because he is now part of the "team". Then, replace a third original monkey with a new one, followed by the fourth, then the fifth. Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs, he is attacked. Now, the monkeys that are beating him up have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs. Neither do they know why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey. Finally, having replaced all of the original monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys will have ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, not one of the monkeys will try to climb the stairway for the banana. Why, you ask? Because in their minds...that is the way it has always been! This, my friends, is how Parliament operates... and this is why, from time to time: ALL of the monkeys need to be REPLACED AT THE SAME TIME.

Didn't think it was much of a Aladdin's Cave but Bedlington retailers must be suffering? http://www.newspostleader.co.uk/news/local/all-eyes-on-shoplifters-1-5919796 (Don't those eyes look like Tom Hanks!)

Quick in this heat everyone needs their fridge! http://www.newspostleader.co.uk/news/local/fridge-freezer-stolen-from-rear-yard-1-5919813 I might have suggested it could have ended up on the back of a van hawking around the streets?

Our dear old CO-OP. Questions recently tabled by Myners. Lord Myners (Labour) To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the absence of warnings from the Financial Services Authority or the Bank of England on the market in the bonds of Co-operative Bank; and why the regulators made public their concern about the capital shortfalls at Barclays and Nationwide but did not in the case of the Co-operative Bank. To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are currently investigating, or have plans to investigate or cause to be investigated, whether employees of the Cooperative Group or Cooperative Bank gave assurances to retail savers and investors in the bonds and preference securities of the Cooperative Bank that might have misrepresented the capital status of those investment instruments and constituted the making of a guarantee by the Cooperative Group. To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Cooperative Group or the Cooperative Bank or their directors and employees are or will be investigated for allowing a false market in securities issued by either body; whether the Financial Services Authority's role will be investigated in respect of the same issue; and, if so, by whom. To ask Her Majesty's Government when the Cooperative Group and its directors and officers were last assessed as to being fit and proper to own and manage a bank; and by whom. To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to ensure that retail investors in securities issued by the Cooperative Bank receive advice in connection with the recapitalisation of the bank from an adviser or advisers independent of any firm advising the Cooperative Group and Cooperative Bank and its directors and officers; and, if so, whether they will protect such advice and its disclosure to investors from any interference by the Group or Bank. To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are taking steps to review whether the Cooperative Bank has breached threshold conditions as a bank by failing to make interest payments to bond and preference shareholders in accordance with the deeds under which such instruments were issued to savers. To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to investigate whether the suspension of interest payments to holders of Co-operative Bank accounts constitutes unfair treatment of customers; and whether they will take action to ensure that such investors receive independent advice from a competent firm on the proposed capital reconstruction.