pilgrim

fish, salmon, heron ??? something fishy about this post ...

ref the above -- the drink made me type that (and the voices!!)

interesting that - the custodians of our fiscal probity sent me a letter a Cpl of years ago asking for - nay, demanding several thousand pounds... this was relating to a very short term contract I did abroad (12 weeks) where our gov ( gawd bless em) and the other gov concerned agreed that any tax would be paid by the contracting gov. (this was as a result of the much vaunted new system which could go back up to 10 yrs - wow - even at my age I can recall more than that) I rang those so empowered to make these demands and asked - what ??? -- they clicked buttons and said -er - oh - er oh yes - er oh- thast a bit unusual -- er just ignore anything we sent you... In the meantime I am having endless fun with the DWP regarding my mother - they have sent me 3 demands for money - £73 - £2350 - and £1750 all within a few weeks - considering she is 87 - had a heart op and then a stroke and has been in a residential home since May 2014 I am somewhat bemused as her only source of income is her state pension (ENTITLEMENT) They have sent a deluge of letters but noe actually say anything -- they have a return address in Belfast - a contact number in Wolverhampton who actually can not access the files and are as much use as - chocolate fireguard/ashtray on motorbike -- fill in the gaps and yet her claim is dealt with by Seaham office -- I could drive there quicker than get an answer on the 'hotline' I suppose that at may age I should relish a challenge but I want a challenge not playing splat the rat in ineffectual gov departments Anyways I think that since we have digressed we should get back on track -- snow was the start of the thread but that's transient - drink is transient (although the bad head seems to last forever ) so maybe we should go along with bizarre drink induced events brought on by the festive season.

did they have HMRC embroidered on their cloaks?? you can never drink enough..... if you did how come you are always thirsty in the morning??

was he called Harvey?? I recall going home in the early hours after a most convivial night and seeing a white rabbit sitting on the doorstep. it made me wonder if it was my liver trying to tell me something.....

i did type that too early - went for the newspaper to the village shop this am and - yep - there they are - creme eggs - it must be Christmas --will have to look for the xmas bunny now!!

it can't be near Chrsitmas yet --- there are no easter eggs in the shops!!!

also of interest might be Hodgson's sermon and account of the Felling mine disaster and also James Raines Life of Hodgson which gives accounts of the mining methods and practices of the time and also Hodgsons sermon for those killed. Raine was a friend of Hodgson and also edited the 'histories' hope that helps

there are at least two copies in the library at Morpeth (or there were) if you prefer a more 'hands on' approach

..thinks manic was the right word... wave it and all will be well ....

sensible about not drinking the water -- use water in ice form but sterilise it with lots of, say for example gin , add some tonic water as it contains quinine as that works against malaria. I can scientifically prove that this is effective as I have conducted field tests for over 40 yrs with the above and have never had malaria once .... now that is science !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i thought hilary benn was magic - being somewhat to the right all my life -- i would vote for that man - the body language of corbyn and watson said it all and at the end wouldnt even let hin sit down. i can see another party coming out of this -- 'militant' are back ho hum -- but a labour based party that represents the wish of the people actually seems to be a possibility-- now that was something i never thought i would ever say!!!! charismatic but actually addressing the issues - and when he went to sit down ???

is it just flouride they put in the water?

what has always puzzled me is the 'fact' that apparently it is the 'modern' world that has caused this?? so how does that equate with the 2000 yrs of wood burning fires that we have had ? - smog?? not in uk now -- ok in china and some places - lung disease -- very prevalent in wood burning countries -- oh yes and Scotland -- nice open countryside and bare hills -- er cos they cut the trees down to sell to London to fuel the industrial revolution.. so what do we do -- oh yes -- whinge about wind farms ..I have no problem with them - just the way they are financed -- offshore windfarms -- the issue is ? - tidal energy reclamation? what is the issue? - nuclear? -- is there a viable alternative ?? - theres a house aside torness I would love to buy!!! fracking? - not too sure about long term geological issues but its way down and well below the water table and we have had 1000 yrs of coal mining in the area and there have been some problems but not that many and its a whole different thing. I think that folk should consider -- we walk into a room and expect that when you flick a switch a light comes on -- when you turn on a tap you get water.. and look at the 'news' - if there is an outage on any of those its a major disaster. there has to be a way forward - but the extremists on both ends of the scale have to be excluded. saw an interesting article today about lateral thinking --wasn't totally in agreement but could see where it was coming from -- thought driven by emotion/personal/belief etc rather than basic realism.

12 days ?? is that constitutionally correct?? most organisations have at least 21 days required for submissions.... ho hum did they mention anything about roadworks??? (as in actually doing anything?) nope thought not who decided who could be heard and what/who was on the shortlist?

nice new news on county hall!!! http://www.newspostleader.co.uk/news/local/administration-hits-back-on-issue-of-hall-move-costs-1-7596049 and the chronicle and journal carry similar stories.. so costs are quoted as £34m and in the same document £38m -- hmmm and the usual local gov - overrun on costing is ?? the reasons for re-location being that the building is no longer fit for purpose - ho hum -- more money to Ashington - but it appears that the site is ideal for the schools in the area to be relocated there -- road loading and infrastructure of course is not important. and ooo but does that free up a huge tract of land over St Georges and the school site (who used to own Morpeth Common) etc for selling off to private developers?? and thus justifying the road to nowhere. why - if it the present county hall is so terrible cant it be rebuilt on the present site?

.... stiff brown paper and proper cardboard -- rare things these days !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have no problem with the origins or ethnicity of folk in the UK. (after all we are a 'bastardised race' made up of many and diverse backgrounds) I find that the 'work ethic' is much more prevalent in 'incomers' than in the native species. There are huge problems with second and third generation legal migrants because of many reasons - look at Rochdale etc. and this is also a something in Newcastle, and I know that the 'original' migrants despair at times of the disenfranchised youth. This is not a fault of the post colonialization period but a problem with integration. I was in Deptford many years ago with a friend and at a party - I was somewhat concerned as mate was the spitting image of Bob Markley and I was the only white guy - but he said don't worry (no it wasn't a song!) they don't just hate you - they hate everyone!! I have been welcomed into many Asian and Chinese homes over the years and enjoyed great hospitality, but you have to respect their social mores and traditions. we are seeing nothing more now than the - no blacks, no irish, no dogs signs in B&B places in the 60's but the press have yet again neglected the responsibility of the fourth estate to report and inform and have gone off on one to scaremonger. there is a real and present danger from a very small minority of migrants and illegals - but this has been building up over many years. methinks - and I hope the opportunity has not been lost - that it is time to build a 'green and pleasant land' with the co-operation and input of ALL ethnic origins who have a vested interest in the UK.

are we missing the basic point of the criminality displayed at the borders and channel ports? immigration has a process and the vast majority of applicants who can prove they meet they criteria are accepted and integrated with no issues. i know someone very well who sits on immigration and asylum tribunals and the vast majority of cases heard have no worth, but its very difficult to deport anyone once they are in. I have no issues with genuine migrants who abide by due legal process but I do have huge concerns about those allegedly refugees who appear to be able to stop at nothing to gain access to the uk - one must ask - why the UK?

remember them well and in fact herself ran a cub camp and got the cubs to make them -- they were very well received!!! oh the simple things in life!!

throwing a dafty in .. estimate of 2% of 'refugees' are 'activists' - ie security risks the EU allowed unhindered travel across its borders for 'nationals of member states' - so what went wrong? look at the profile of those 'refugees' in camps etc... mostly young single men - then compare with real refugees in the first and 2nd wars (we may be looking at the 3rd ww now) - where are the families, the wives, the children? consider the mass 'raids' on channel facilities to gain access - now who co-ordinated those? the main camp in France has a disco/nightclub and the fast food places in the camp do great trade at 3am!!! - now consider yourself in the alleged situation of so many (not all in any way) how did they finance their trip across almost 2 continents and could you do the same ?? and how? - its always a good way to start - take it to a personal level and think it through -- say the UK really wasn't the place you wanted to be and you wanted to get out -- pick a country. look at what you have in the way of money and connections and then think - where would you start and how would you do it.(bearing in mind you have no passport and allegedly no connections where you have decided to go). promoting a vast influx of disparate peoples onto another countries infrastructure is a tremendous way to destabilise the norm. I have nothing against freedom of movement across borders, which are actually artificial (but have a look at the first page of your passport and consider the treatment you get at airports etc!!!) and it makes a freer and more integrated society, but one has to ask why the UK?? are we so much better than our EU neighbours?? and finally --- oh yes the arab states -- well, lowest rating in the world for equality and one would expect nothing more.

i found this site and thought it be of interest; http://mapapps2.bgs.ac.uk/coalauthority/home.html it shows all the coalfields and is searchable but also shows the sites of known mines and entrances with some information on them (no dates unfortunately) ​

ref the video (for want of a better term) wonderful piece of social history which should be preserved. i attended them all and my father was always there in St. Johns uniform as a 'medic'. lthough i recall he said he used to be asked for salt tablets to enable the men to drink more!!! on that note - is it worth listing which pubs each of the bands and banner groups met in - as i seem to recall each group had thei own pub? Laws stores must have opened about 1970 as i worked there on Ssaturdays whilst still at school

ah a philistine lol

if you want a laugh on a lighter note look at his poem called 'Bessies Boil'