Canny lass

Oh dear, Oh dear! 7 487 signatures in 5 months. Just needs Another 92 513 and it's in the bag! Never mind, there are 5 weeks left to get them.

Quote: "The total number of offences recorded by Cleveland Police has jumped by more than a fifth". Thats a Little more than 20% in TOTAL. Quote: "The force said the increase was due to improved crime recording". Quote: "The rise in crime comes after a steep drop in officer numbers ... over the past five years". Quote: " Largely, the rise in statistics for some crime categories, such as violent crime, is because of national and local efforts to improve the accuracy (of) crime recording" Quote: "Largely, the rise in statistics for some crime categories, such as violent crime, is because of national and local efforts to improve the accuracy (of) crime recording". Quote: "The introduction of offences such as malicious Communications, which includes harassment on social media, also has impacted on overall figures". Quote: "The increase in sex crimes continues a trend seen in recent years. This has in part been attributed to the so-called "Yewtree effect", whereby a greater number of victims have come forward to report historical sexual offences to the police in the Wake of high-profile cases of alleged offending by celebrities such as the late TV presenter Jimmy Savile". Quote: "Like many areas in the country we have seen an increase in reporting, including historical cases". Nope! I didn't see the Word 'immigrant' mentioned anywhere in the article. Improved crime recording, introduction of harrassment on social media as a crime and reporting of historical offences - coupled with a reduction of police Resources, would appear to be the cause of the rise in reporting. And do bear in mind that they are talking about reported cases not proven cases.

What won't we do for our four-legged friends, Vic!

On a happier note, these are my 'babies'. They cost me a fortune in crushed oats, sunflower seeds and carrots.They've learned to 'headbut' the bird feeder causing the seeds to gush out onto the ground and wait at the kitchen door for carrots. Not completely tame yet - they won't let me touch them but I can stand among them.

Unfortunately this is not 'unusual'. Found, along with his 4 dead Brothers and sisters, in a cardboard box by the side of the road on a freezing Cold day. Like Porcy, he's hand reared and 5 years on he's living a Life of luxury.

Very nice photo! I remember it well. Can you remember it being demolished after 'Ganny' Watson's son fell down the shaft and died? I have vague recollections of the talk that Went round about him having been 'nibbled by rats'. I was terrified of the lonnen (which we Always called Choppington Lonnen) a good while after. Must have been shortly after this photo was taken.

I don't have any pics of the gates myself, Pansy Blue, but you'll find a nice one here: https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/heritage-at-risk/search-register/list-entry/1378283

Lovely garden, HPW. Percy must Think he's arrived in Paradise!

I WANT ONE!

Good idea for a competition Maggie! Come on you lot, get your thinking caps on!

Name rings a bell, HPW. What subjects did Mr. Routledge teach?

There's quite a few who would have benefitted from a Westridge education! Loving your posts!! Are you from the top end of Plessey Street, Bluebarby? You can message me an answer if you don't want to post here. I'm pretty sure we know each other.

Seems like Cameron has his Eye on the Geordies! http://newsthump.com/2016/01/19/newcastle-population-facing-deportation-after-failing-to-learn-english/

I see we've digressed from dogs and gone over to Pus .... something else, so here's Princess Dumpling, Duchess of Nordlid.

A Japanese couple were arguing wildly about how to have highly erotic sex. Husband: "Sukitaki. Mojitaka!" Wife: "Kowanini! Mowi janakpa!" Husband replies angrily: "Toka a anji rodi roumi yakoo!" Wife, on her knees literally begging: "Mimi nakoundinda tinkjouji!" Husband shouts angrily: "Na miaou kina Tim kouji!" I can't believe you lot sat there and reading this! You don't know a word of Japanese! You'll read anything as long as it's about sex ... You all need serious help!!!

I didn't mean extravagent in terms of Money, rather in terms of what I considered to be reasonable and appropriate. Not sure if I have any passwprds at all, other than for bedlington.com, that haven't been chosen by me and I have no problem remembering them with the aid of a short sentence. I've just never been able to come up with a sentence that fits the password I was given. You on comission for Lastpass?

Another mystery solved! Well done!

Me and Maggie want one!! Not an' Anna' obviously - maybe a Mario or a Roberto or even a good old Fred would do at a pinch!

Where was I? Oh yes Nationality and immigrant status of suspects: Reporting from The Spectator (TS), erring on the side of caution, would have us Believe that all suspects "appear to have been" Arab or North African, adding - as if to strengthen the hypothesis - that they "spoke neither English nor German. Only Arab/Arab looking and North African nationalities are reported on by Daily Express DE), The Observer (TO), The Guardian (TG) and Sunday People (SP) while The Independent (IND) mentions only "some Syrians". The New York Times (NYT), on the other hand, reports on eight different nationalities, including not only Arab and North African but even - wait for it - Serb, American and would you Believe it, German! The only publication to Think outside the box, as it were. On the question of immigrant status TS remains cautious, claiming that suspects are "possibly some of the 1.1 million migrants who arrived last year". In total, seven of the publications take up the question of immigrant status, with only The Guardian choosing not to report on it. The Sunday People states that the immigration status is not known. Whether this lack of knowledge applies to the police in general or merely to SP cannot be determined from the text. Of the remaining publications, DE says that 18 of their reported 32 suspects are "immigrant" and NYT seems to agree, at least as far as numbers go, specifying that 18 of 32 are assylum seekers. The Independent, which reported only two arrests, is less specific saying that the "suspects" are "mainly migrant and assylum seekers" and "some Syrian refugees". TO is also adopting a somewhat vague reporting strategy in claiming that police investigations are "focusing partly on refugees and immigrants". The International stands a little apart from the crowd, being the only publication to evoke the notion of 'illegality' among the immigrant suspects. Well done International. You've got a real scoop there! Again, I am forced to ask the question; Who should we Believe? The only conclusion that can be drawn with any degree of certainty is that seven of the eight publications (if not all) are reporting incorrect information.

Following Pete's link above to orthumberland.gov.uk you can find Spring View (not Spring Mount) on the far right of the map at 4.21 - First Edition OS map c1860. On the Third Edition OS map c 1920 4.30 you can read: 4.37 Although Spring View still survives as a reminder of the Bedlington iron and engine works, Holly Mount had gone as had workers cottages associated with both houses, to be replaced by modern housing behind Front Street East and a new retirement home on the main street itself at the entrance to the old town.

Coach Lane had a mention on this site March 13 2014 in 'Old Places in Bedlington' when it was said that "Walker Terrace was on the first left Before going down Bedlington Bank. I Think it stood next to a street called Coach Road. That old big sandstone house for retired clergymen, is it Spring Mount was at the end of the Road".

I clearly didn't see it either! That should have read "few minutes" just as Maggie has pointed out. However, I am not apportioning "blame" to anyone - merely doing as I was requested in your post of 12 January at 23.19 "if you have any problems or observations please post them on this thread". I'm sure your advice on password managers is sound but a password manager seems a bit extravagant for managing ONE password. My others, of the same type - mixture of small and capital letters combined with numbers in a random manner cause no problems. I can Always make up some kind of sentence that helps me remember the sequence, but then again - I've usually chosen the sequence myself. On this occasion I did not and fantasy eludes me. Like the new set-up, by the way!

Why should we Believe this anymore than we should Believe anything else that's been written on the subject of New Year's Eve in Cologne? The reports in the English speaking press have been as varied as they have been many. Let's take a look eight publications and compare their content, 5 - 11 January, in relation to New Year's Eve in Cologne. For the purpose of the excercise I've chosen: The Spectator (TS), The Daily Express (DE), The Observer (TO), The Independent (IND), The Guardian (TG), The International (INT) Sunday People (SP) and The New York Times (NYT). Together they represent a cross-section of news publications both in type - quality press or tabloid press - and political affiliation: left, right or centre. It could have been many others but choice is limited by the possibility of access to archived information via Internet and the cost of accessing it. I've taken a look at the reporting of: the number of filed complaints, the type of offence, the number of offences of a sexual nature, the number of suspects and their nationality and immigrant status. Number of complaints filed: Reporting on filed complaints varies from 60 (TG) just five days after the event, through "dozens" (TS) and 150 (also TS, same article) nine days after the event to 516 eleven days after the event. Some, but by no means all, of these differences can be attributed to the fact that complaints have continued to be filed several days after the event. The differences in reporting can clearly be seen in the editions of January 8 when DE reported on 106 filed complaints (made by 90 people), IND reported on 120 complaints and SP reported on: "60", "at least 90" and "more than 90" - all in the same article! Moving on to January 11, The Observer (TO) reported the number of filed complaints as being 516 (of which 395 are reported to have occurred during the week-end of 9-10 January). This enables the reader to deduce that the total number of complaints filed as per January 8 must have been 121 and, just to add to the confusion, the same article reports on the police giving their account of filed complaints as being 133! Who should we Believe? Proportion of filed complaints related to sexual offences: Again, the reports are varied. The Guardian reports on both "a huge amount" and "1/3" (read 20) of the 60 filed complaints as being of a sexual nature. This was however in the early stages of the reporting. Three days later, January 8, IND is reporting both a vague "more than 100" and a very specific "120" cases - both in the same article! But, one day later, The Spectator gives is a lower figure, 112 (of the 150 filed complaints), as being sexual in nature. Meanwhile, back at the NYT, only three offences related to sex are being reported on. January 11, TO will have us Believe that 40% (206) of it's 516 reported cases are sex related, which equates to 48 cases if we, for ease of comparison, use the deduced figure of 121 from January 8. Even INT is now reporting that 40% (151) of its 379 filed complaints relate to sexual offences. Both Sunday People and Daily Express aren't speculating on the number of sex crimes. Who should we Believe? Types of offences reported: All eight publications reported on the varying types of crime committed. These covered a wide range of offences from the more generic and evocative "massed sex attacks" and "vicious attacks", reported on by - you guessed it - The Spectator - to the somewhat milder "mugging" and "harassment" reported on by The Guardian. In between there are reports of theft, assault, sexual assault, pick-pocketing, robbery, sexual abuse, rape (INT and TS reported on 2 cases and TG on one case),sexual molestation and fighting. IND also reported on "pushing around" - if that's now a crime in a 2 000 man strong crowd on a New Years Eve in Germany! The Daily Express, bless its cotton socks, actually reported that there were no sexual offences among the 18 immigrant suspects! Who should we Believe? This is what journalism (I'm almost ashamed to use the word in this context) will have us believe about the offences comitted on New Year's Eve in Cologne. I'll come back later and tell you what they want us to believe about the "alleged" - innocent until proved guilty and all that - perpetrators of these offences - but only if you behave yourselves!

Good Points Mercuryg! Myself, I wondered about the impact on Britain's roads of all those people who, like Mr. Edmonds, are "fortunate to have more than one home" but return to visit family at Christmas or return to live in their 'second' home during the summer months when their host country gets too hot. Ironically, that second home is standing empty for up to ten months a year when it could house a family, or be pulled down to create building space, thereby alleviating some of the 'fullness' they complain about. However, you don't need to own two homes to add to the congestion on Britain's roads. You can equally well be just a UK emigrant - that's to say, an immigrant in some other patriots country - a bit like myself and a few others on this forum, together with millions of others dotted around the World. For this Group of immigrants, seeing family usually involves the use of a hire car (Mr. Edmonds has no doubt a second car standing in the second garage of his second home) and I must admit to having driven from Heathrow to Bristol, thereby adding to the congestion, on numerous occasions. Perhaps it was Little old me who held up Mr. Edmonds! A personal apology will be winging its way to him within the hour.