Canny lass

I have looked at most of them. I don't see any great differences: High rise offices, -hotels, -housing and -places of worship (bell towers, minnarets and the likes). Places of worship have long been part of the British culture. Take Stonehenge, just as an example. Worship is an integral part of religion and in Britain we - and everybody else - has a legal right to practice their own religion so it stands to reason there will be different places of worship. Therefore, no part of British culture has been replaced. Worrying about the safety of your children does not belong to culture. It belongs to parenthood. The majority of parents, regardless of their religious persuasion, have concerns about their children's safety - from all sorts of things. British tolerance? Is that really part of British culture and if so has it been replaced?

You are imposing your own incapabilities on the entire British nation! "Many of them were already british citizens". HELLO! A british citizen can NOT seek asylum in his own country which makes the term "genuine refugee" sound just a tad comical. Many Syriens are better educated than some of us British and speaking good English on arrival has never been a condition of entry to Britain. As for the "belief set" - If it's Islam you are referring to it doesn't require the elimination of all other belief sets either. "Supressed figures"? If you know they are being supressed you clearly have inside info on the real figures. Let's see them - with their source, please.

The word you used was "ghettoise" (25 Dec 2015) but let's not split hairs. My argument now, as was then , is that the root of 'ghettoise' is 'ghetto' and therefore your understanding of the word ghetto was relevant to the discussion. It still is, so that question stands waiting to be answered. I look forward to it.

We've had a 'Sharia court' in England as long as I can remember. In my younger days it was called Marriage Guidance Council. You know the place where would-be divorcees were sent to try and come to some agreement about who gets what. It's no different today.

I could probably help you with that Eggy.

Have another beer Brian! You're gears need more oil!

No apology needed 3g. My own theory on the use of palari by the likes of Williams in the 60's was that it was a testing of the waters, a guaging of reactions. Let's not forget that palari was the language not only of actors but also of other sub cultures, mostly prostitutes and homosexuals, as a 'secret' language was necessary to avoid being 'found out.' At the beginning of the 60's discussion of a bill to decriminalize homosexuality was in full swing in parliament. It was a hot topic but homosexuality was still very much illegal and under cover. That lasted until 1967 when it became legal - to a degree. 'Coming out of the closet' was a big step for many who had been born with a condition which was deemed not to adhere to the 'norm'. Missing toes and big noses didn't either adhere to the norm. The difference, however, was that missing toes and big noses were, for some reason, never made illegal. Williams et al went a long way in allowing homosexuals to judge the reactions of those around them before making the decision to step out of the closet. Williams et al did this in a way that was humorous and using the now famous double entendre.This made talking about a taboo subject much easier. It also gave them a 'way out' when the opposition was screaming abuse. It was, after all, up to each and everyone to read into the word 'gay' exactly what they wished.

I think you may just have missed the point of Williams' humour. He was a master of the 'double entendre'. Williams played with the word in several of its meanings - including - often - the meaning of homosexuality, Already in the 17th century the Oxford Dictionary gives a secondary meaning with sexual connotations "licentious and wanton". In the 19th century it was the term of preference for female prostitutes and by 1935 the English language had the term 'gay cat' for a homosexual boy. Around 1950, 'gay' starts to turn up with the meaning homosexual male although long before that it was being widely used by the gay community when referring to themselves.

If it's the meaning of "gay" you are referring to then you'd have to go back to long before your lifetime to find it with the meaning 'mirthful or merry' - to the 13th century in fact. Later, in the 14th century it came to mean 'bright coloured or showy' and in the 17th century it took on yet another meaning - 'dissipated'. At that time, 'dissipated meant 'to distract the mind' or 'to divert frivolously'. Need I say more?

Eggy, Nr. 13 on the school photo could be Kenneth MacDonald, my brother-in-law (now dead) but I'm not 100% on it. Run it past Joan, as she is in the same class, the name might ring a bell.

Thanks ex.Bed. I loved The Godfather! I'll try and find out where it is.

Does this mean I could put it on at the beginning of my week and that's it? Doesn't come off in the shower, sea or swimming pool! Sounds good to me! Another week before i go, Maggie. Everything arranged att short notice so no preparation, otherwise I'd have been gleaning as much information as possible on Internet and in books. We are two 'old ladies' with a return ticket, a rented car, one pre-booked hotel night and an open mind. We'll take it from there!

It's funny you should say that, ex Bed., the forestry workers here swear by it! I might give it a try.

Thanks ex Bedlingtonian! I'll put the Villa Romana del Casale on my agenda. Etna was already on it as it, and the Maffia, amount roughly to my total knowledge of Sicily. 3G - "the English drink too much" is an infinitely better reputation than that of the Scandinavians who, according to the spanish, "drink to get drunk". I'll do my best to avoid both by behaving sensibly! Good advice on mozzies. I'll see that I'm "well-oiled", so to speak. Not too worried about Zika though. My chances of becoming pregnant are zero.

Up to this point you were doing very well. I was almost beginning to believe you might be human! Thanks for the good advice. "Warm" and "green" sound wonderful after all our 'cold' and 'white'! "Seafood" sounds anything but wonderful. I wouldn't dream of putting anything in my mouth that's been anywhere near the sea. Do you know what people do in it or what ships empty into it? It's got to be the dirtiest part of our world, so I'm very greatful for "niente mare". I'm practising as I write. Sweet stuff (link) sounds right up my street. I've usually managed with spanish in mainland Italy. I don't suppose it's anything to try in Sicily?

Sicily! Anybody been there? Things to do? Places to visit? Food? Customs? Weather just now? First visit and I only have a week but I also have transport. All tips appreciated.

Pity the tongs went up in smoke (literally) many years ago! I don't think my mother was one for such new-fangled (lovely word) modernities. I think she only bought the hair tongs as the door to door salesman was my father's nephew. He was always guaranteed at least one sale in Netherton. He worked for a brush company - Ajax, I think it was called. I don't know how he came to be selling electrical appliances. Perhaps Ajax was branching out.

We northern women certainly know how to live dangerously!

Oh happy days! I remember my mother buying a pair of hair-curling tongs that plugged into the light socket. Problem was that when it was plugged in there was no light! We had to sit on a chair in the doorway to the 'kitchen' (scullery it was called in my day) and use what little light came from there. I've had many a burned ear from those tongs.

Sounds like a good idea to me!

A few familiar faces in the second picture, the two on the left in particular. Can anybody put any names to these guys (and gal)?

I paid the £30! Worked all hours delivering newspapers to get the money together. Unfortunately, I also got pneumonia and couldn't go.

I think there were many that had the same fate, Eggy!

This is what the Huffington Post said a few days ago: http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/03/europe-terrorism-chart-isis For those of you who are not familiar with ‘Statista’ I suggest you google it. It’s said to be one of the most reliable sources of data in the world. The chart which they provide in this article speaks for itself. Terrorism is far less of a problem now than when the IRA was using “measured violence to create political pressure”. 3g, you say I’m deluded for comparing the terrorism of the IRA to that of IS. Deluded? Moi? It’s not me who firmly believes that 22 000, possibly dead, individuals are going to force Islam on 7½ billion people and it’s certainly not me who unshakably believes that a handful of women are about to outbreed the entire population of the UK.

BUMP! And finally, for this evening at any rate, Point 5: "Sharia law is already imposed in our country" (posted today 12.57 PM) This statement is in direct opposition to your statement yesterday (10.09 PM), that "all viewpoints will be equally valid right up to the inevitable day that Sharia law is imposed on us all." I can't seem to find any reference to this anywhere in the British legal system. Could you please quote me, or at least direct me to, the relevant paragraphs. So, just to recap, what I'm asking for is, apart from an explanation as to how I recognise a muslim soley by his appearance (perhaps you missed the question?): a clarification of what is your understanding of the Word ghetto a clarification as to why we British can't succeed with the present wave of refugees just as we did with the Ugandan Asians or the boat-people one (1) example of how any aspect of the British Culture has been replaced by a Group of refugees a source of the given definition for "true refugee" a clarification as to whether Sharia law has, or has not, already been imposed in Britain. With any possible answer in the affirmative, a wink in the direction of the appropriate paragraphs would be very much appreciated. 3g, Copy and paste gave no response. A requested link gave no response. lets try your third bit of advice. You promised to answer if I bumped it up. Here it is!