Symptoms

There always was money available to build ... it's just that the Government didn't allow Councils to borrow. That bxxxxxd Blair and his gang of New Labour gangsters missed a real opportunity to begin repairing the broken housing market ... just imagine if they'd started in '96 there wouldn't now be a crisis.

Mal - as you know, I reckon everbody sells out at some stage, even 'The Daddy'.

Blimey! Are the mackems really charging that amount for folks to get into that tin shed of theirs? I wonder if those few who do turn up know they are likely to be contaminated by the thousands of tons of low-level nuclear waste that was dumped down the old Monkwearmouth pit before the Stadium of Plight was cobbled together and plonked on top?

Short back and sides please and 'something for the weekend'. Our older viewers will be able to decode this.

Johnny Rotten summed up his view in The Guardian today ... "Ukip are a black hole for the ignorant to fall into." See his video at: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/video/2014/oct/15/john-lydon-russell-brand-revolution-video I said it elsewhere, Johnny is 'The Daddy'.

I take it back, Russell ain't 'The Daddy', Johnny Rotten is! http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/video/2014/oct/15/john-lydon-russell-brand-revolution-video

Why do old dance halls burn down? Why do seaside piers go up in flames? Why do many old buildings get tumbled? Spot a pattern here ... yep, it's often the owners/developers after the insurance money or trying to circumvent planning difficulties. A note to 'learned friends' ...I am not suggesting that those who tumbled the smithy are involved for any of the above reasons!!!!!!!!

The really big thing in London in the late 60s and early 70s was the college circuit. From the big colleges, like the LSE and Goldsmiths, through to the smaller ones like Gypsy Hill all had weekly gigs. The whole thing was well organised and some of the colleges had really big halls, complete with proper stages and theatre lightling sets. Some amazingly famous bands played on the circuit and the advertising, via the National Union of Student network, always ensured big crowds; you had to show your NUS card to get in when paying your entrance fee (Joe Public wasn't allowed in 'cos of the seriously subsidised bars). At the Freshers' Fair (held at the start of the academic year) all the new students would sign-up for various societies and clubs, I signed up and joined the Social Committee which organised gigs and as a result got to meet lots of these bands in the Green Room where much 'hospitality' was shared. Plenty of tales to tell but maybe the Forum isn't the place.

Russell is 'The Daddy'.

Marlene Lightly was in the Sixth Form with me at Bedlington Grammar ... she'll be 63 now.

The Lynx DID morph into Middle Earth ... must have been 67/68ish. Yep, my initial post was a little late but I only spotted the news in The Guardian yesterday. When I was 14 (1965) I joined a band called Lou and The Lions led by Malcolm Farquhar (he was much older than me) and we used to practice in his bedroom in Clovelly Gardens; I was only in the band a very short time. Mal was a canny lead guitarist and singer and I played rhythm guitar. Our first gig was playing for the Scouts & Guides dance in the Hall at the start of Clovelly Gdns. Another pal of mine asked if I'd join his group, The Iron Ties, playing guitar and piano (but only if the venue had one, although Hammond organs were quite common in clubs so these were often used by me) - think of me as a very poor mans Jools Holland. We were on the books of a booking agent in the Toon so got quite a bit of work in the clubs. Goodness knows how I managed to balance this with my school work!!! I stayed in this band until I went down to Uni in London in 69.

Hers'e a photo of my forward observer directing my straffing run over the Stadium of Shite.

Maggs wrote: "Would Maggie Thatcher have been successful without the oil revenues?" ????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Over to you GGG

Spot on GGG about that slime ball Shapps or Michael Green in his other life. I reckon he could enjoy pulling the wings off flies and the legs off spiders.

How about a Spitfire ... yours for £1,650,000. Available now - link below. I can only dream ... climbing into the cockpit very early on a Saturday morning, hopping over mountains and seas, landing at the Toon airport, hopping onto the Metro to St James, watching the match, then returning to the Spit, detouring over the Stadium of Shite and riddling the place with 50 calibre rounds, barrel roll, then back home. http://www.platinumfighters.com/#!spitfire-18/masterpage_29

Try "Stuart Gordon Violin" on Google for even more stuff about Stuart.

Got a shock when I got to The Guardian's obituary page (link below) this morning to discover that my old school friend Stuart Gordon had died of cancer recently, he was 63. Stuart was at the 'Top End' Primary School with me then he went to the Grammar becoming Head Boy. When I joined the 6th Form there he welcomed me by introducing me to everybody ... a true gent. He was a brilliant musician and played in local bands, like me, throughout the mid to late sixties ... we were in rival bands but would often loan equipment to each other for gigs. His dad was the undertaker at the top of Front St and his band would practice in the hearse garage at the back of his house; I sometimes jammed with him there. I think his twin brother Keith still lives in the Bedders area. When I went to Uni in London in 69 we went our separate ways but in 1970 I met him by chance in Kensington Market (a hippy hangout full of joss sticks and Kaftan coats) in London. I spotted him across the hall and yelled "Smella" (his nickname at school was Smella Gordon) and we embraced like long-lost brothers. He was living just around the corner from me in Kensington Church St and was playing with the Incredible String Band; we stayed in contact until I went off travelling after Uni. We lost contact after my return. Google "Stuart Gordon Musician" for his history. http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/oct/09/stuart-gordon-obituary The obituary isn't accurate about his schooling.

GGG ... substitute Tory for Labour in your posting above and the meaning stays essentially the same. None of them has a cogent arguement that can be defended - the phrase 'twisting in the wind' comes to mind. As to ukip's take ... presumably, the saintly Malala Yousafzai would have failed the entry medical being looked at by them.

Quaffed gallons and gallons of Courage's Directors Bitter when I lived in London ... yum, yum! I'm still suckling on Newcastle Brown, again yummy.

Maggs, I applaud your evenhandedness, an attitude that would be a great asset to any 'peacemaker'. However, I'm not sure those 7th Century barbarians would listen to you for the following reasons: you're a woman, an infidel, and somebody who doesn't share their ambition to create a world-wide caliphate, and more than likely they'd nab you then top you live on telly. So, what's to be done?

I'm afraid they'll never be budged, it'll never change! So all we have left is to moan and poke fun ... it's the only coping mechanism available to Joe Public. Most of those who we initally believed in always end-up making compromises or, more usually, selling out, so it's no wonder folks end up with a jaundiced view of politicians and what they represent. Those glorious few who continue to fight for what they believe in just end up being marginalised or pilloried in the press.

How do we know that Tony? They chucked plenty of folks, opponents of the Junta, out of helicopters into the South Atlantic, raped men and women, snatched kiddies off their parents and gave them away to supporters, tortured 1000s. Maybe they did do more extreme stuff but they couldn't broadcast it live back then. All humans are capable of some astonishingly cruel and barbaric behaviour.

GGG - we share the view that Westminster is stuffed full of shysters. None of them, even the ones wishing to join them at the slop-trough, will deliver anything of benefit. Their only ambition is to gorge themselves at Joe Public's expense, so they'll lie about what they'll do once they get there.

Vaux Gold Tankard at the Station. First pint ever and bought whilst seriously underage. Filthy mackem brew!

Of course, as far public perceptions are concerned there appears to be no clear water between the Tories and New Labour on many policy matters. Even Milllliiiiibbbbeee's dropping of the 'new' bit hasn't fooled anybody. What's needed are clear policy differences so Joe Public has a real choice at the GE. Maybe that's why Ukip are doing so well ... they're offering something that's different. IMO Labour needs to 'move' left more.