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spartacus
Posted on: Jan 28 2022, 09:35 PM


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QUOTE (je suis Charlie @ Jan 28 2022, 07:51 PM) *
I think it's our duty to welcome them and make them feel safe after what they've been through, any problems can be addressed later. I'm surprised they chose such a prestigious venue but, wotever.

I think I'll reserve judgement. Asylum seekers come in various forms. Those seeking a safe place after helping Allied Forces in Afghanistan while working as interpreters for instance get my full support (provided they want to integrate rather than just continue as if Thatcham is downtown Kabul)... Those families escaping from war zones in Syria equally so. Those asylum seekers who are in actual fact just economic refugees and have travelled through perfectly safe countries all through Europe just to get here to take advantage of our support systems, less so...
  Forum: Newbury News · Post Preview: #127538 · Replies: 19 · Views: 23,675

spartacus
Posted on: Jan 27 2022, 02:10 PM


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QUOTE (x2lls @ Jan 26 2022, 11:04 PM) *
I know it IS migrants. They've already been seen wandering about.

There are very few of them yet as the rooms are still being prepared and conference room is being converted to prayer room etc.. Apparently the place is due to start filling up from next week when the coach loads turn up
  Forum: Newbury News · Post Preview: #127533 · Replies: 19 · Views: 23,675

spartacus
Posted on: Jan 27 2022, 02:04 PM


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Workmen were there today putting film over all the windows so prying eyes can't look into the swimming pool from outside. The girl working at the Spa area may as well pack up her business as there will be nobody staying at the hotel for weekend Pamper Days seeing as the hotel is closed. Bit of a bummer for her...
  Forum: Newbury News · Post Preview: #127530 · Replies: 19 · Views: 23,675

spartacus
Posted on: Jan 27 2022, 10:15 AM


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QUOTE (x2lls @ Jan 27 2022, 10:21 AM) *
From what I've seen on a local FB group, there is a mixed response to the news. One post referred to a wedding reception and room reservations being cancelled, which could be the one you refer to. Others concerned about the possible danger that they may pose to young girls. God knows there are far too many incidents being reported. Some saying they should be welcomed with open arms and that those expressing concern are accused of racism etc. Female staff, those not losing their jobs have apparently been told work in pairs and when walking to and from the place. One very worried parent said that his/her daughter was given a lot of attention when passing a few. I just hope we don't hear of anything untoward happening.

I joined the gym there last month.. obviously no idea that this change was proposed. The moment I see a pile of flip-flops by the jacuzzi and a printed notice in Arabic in the changing rooms giving instructions on how to use a toilet and not to stand on the toilet seat I'm out....

Anyone posting anything negative on the local FB is deleted. If seems that the only comments that are allowed have to be positive and welcoming... let's see how many gym members there are in a month's time... and how many kiddies swimming lessons still take place there as well.

I guess the Freddie Mercury Tribute Night won't be going ahead next month anyway... or maybe it will...
  Forum: Newbury News · Post Preview: #127527 · Replies: 19 · Views: 23,675

spartacus
Posted on: Jan 27 2022, 09:21 AM


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QUOTE (Mr Brown @ Jan 24 2022, 10:04 AM) *
‘A far away country about which we know nothing’ …. agree, it’s quite concerning. If our recent history books are to be believed, the World political landscape is eerily familiar to that of the late 1930s.

...ah yes... but you see, those history books are being rewritten as we speak to expunge anything that might make Gen Z uncomfortable... slavery references, colonialism, wars.....
  Forum: Random Rants · Post Preview: #127525 · Replies: 24 · Views: 44,646

spartacus
Posted on: Jan 27 2022, 09:06 AM


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I wonder if the asylum seekers will be getting their nails done at the Spa while they wait around over these next months for the next part of their journey?. ...or maybe they can take in the delights of the swimming pool and sauna and start getting to know the gym members? I'm sure they'll be delighted to see them and that the Recency will see a huge surge in gym membership enquiries as local Thatcham residents squabble to be culturally enriched by them...
  Forum: Newbury News · Post Preview: #127524 · Replies: 19 · Views: 23,675

spartacus
Posted on: Jan 27 2022, 08:49 AM


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QUOTE (x2lls @ Jan 26 2022, 11:11 PM) *
Thoughts?

Seems the Home Office have given up trying to accommodate asylum seekers in old Army Barracks as the buggers complain that the standard isn't what they were expecting at the end of their journey to this land of milk and honey. (Despite the fact that MOD seem to think the accommodation is good enough for young soldiers to live in).
The new Home Office route is to use rather high quality hotels like the Regency...
I bet the inmates are fighting over who gets the suites with the four-poster beds as we speak

A friend's daughter had her wedding booked there in a few months time... ...a wedding that has been delayed or postponed already several times these last couple of years due to COVID and has been informed it's been cancelled this time without any reason being given... She's a very upset girl apparently....... understandably
  Forum: Newbury News · Post Preview: #127523 · Replies: 19 · Views: 23,675

spartacus
Posted on: May 12 2021, 11:04 AM


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QUOTE (SirWilliam @ May 11 2021, 06:50 PM) *
And finally proof, if proof be needed, that we have engaged probably the worst Prime Minister since Lord North to run our Country. The man is a complete imbecile.
But as the majority of the great unwashed think he is the best thing since England won the World Cup, I am very likely to be ridiculed for that also.
...and yet.... and yet not that long back there were great swathes of the country convinced that Corbyn would be just the man for the job... they kinda went off the idea come General Election time, but they kept him in charge of the 'opposition' for long enough, with his "I have a letter from Hilda in Blackpool..." approach to PMQs and the other dog's breakfast of a party leader process he continued to follow... careful what you wish for. Boris will be a victim of ridicule for years to come from those with the magical powers of hindsight.
  Forum: Random Rants · Post Preview: #127439 · Replies: 11 · Views: 31,962

spartacus
Posted on: Mar 29 2021, 08:55 PM


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QUOTE (Strafin @ Mar 10 2021, 01:29 PM) *
If soneone dies in a car accident and the cause of death is trauma, then it wil not be included in the covid death numbers. It is only when covid is on the death certificate that a death is recorded as covid. The official figures are likely to be understated to the reality.

The figures being used on the government's daily dashboard of Covid deaths and shown on the daily TV news reports - and recorded on the Worldometer website (which displays Covid data for every country in the world) is not the ONS data and that's my point. It uses the figures of 'deaths within 28 days of a positive test'...
https://publichealthmatters.blog.gov.uk/202...ovid-19-deaths/
  Forum: Random Rants · Post Preview: #127435 · Replies: 26 · Views: 71,327

spartacus
Posted on: Jan 27 2021, 03:05 PM


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QUOTE (SirWilliam @ Jan 27 2021, 10:29 AM) *
.... once again only history will clarify....
History will certainly clarify why there is such a disparity in numbers between close European countries. Each country's equivalent to the Office of National Statistics will at some stage look back at overall death figures. Whereas UK is counting every death within 28 days of a positive test as being Covid - regardless of the fact a person dies in a car accident or of cancer or any other terminal illness there are many countries that have not used this methodology and their figures look astonishing in comparison with ours.
  Forum: Random Rants · Post Preview: #127412 · Replies: 26 · Views: 71,327

spartacus
Posted on: Jan 27 2021, 02:57 PM


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QUOTE (TallDarkAndHandsome @ Jan 26 2021, 06:18 PM) *
And the glorious EU have completely messed up procurement of the vaccine and are lashing out like some sort of dictatorship.🤔
I'm far from being a Robert Peston fan, quite the opposite in fact, however there's a thread on his Twitter feed giving analysis on the EU-AZ "Timeframe indifference" which makes for quite balanced reading.

Primarily the UK was 3 months ahead of the EU.

For ease the text is as follows (it's over several Tweets because of length)

QUOTE
The important difference between AstraZeneca's relationship with the UK and with the EU, and the reason it has fallen behind schedule on 50m vaccine doses promised to the EU, is that the UK agreed the deal with AZ a full three months before the EU did - which gave AZ an extra three months to sort out manufacturing and supply problems relating to the UK contract (there were plenty of problems).
Here is the important timeline.
In May AZ reached agreement with Oxford and the UK government to make and supply the vaccine. In fact Oxford had already started work on the supply chain. The following month AZ reached a preliminary agreement with Germany, the Netherlands, France and Italy, a group known as the Inclusive Vaccine Alliance, based on the agreement with the UK.
The announcement was 13 June. BUT the EU insisted that the Inclusive Vaccine Alliance could not formalise the deal. The European Commission insisted it should take over the contract negotiations on behalf of the whole EU. So were another two months of talks and the contract was not signed till the end of August
What is frustrating for AZ is that the extra talks with the European Commission led to no material changes to the contract, but wasted time on making arrangements to make the vaccine with partner sites. The yield at these partner sites has been lower than expected.
The problem is in the course of being sorted. AZ say it is working 24/7 to make up the time and deliver the quantities the EU wanted. It says its contract with the EU - as with the UK - was always on a "best effort" basis, because it was starting from scratch to deliver unprecedented amounts for no profit. AZ is not blaming the EU. But it does not understand why it is being painted as the "bad guy" given that if the deal had happened in June, when Germany, the Netherlands, France and Italy wanted it done, most of these supply issues would already have been sorted.

A pro-EU source at the company says "I understand Brexit better now"

PS According to AZ, the EU claim that it pays less to AZ per dose, and that is why AZ "works harder for the UK than for the EU", is "completely incorrect". It charges the same price to all buyers, wherever they are in the world, subject to small adjustments due to local costs


Peston's Twitter thing
  Forum: Random Rants · Post Preview: #127411 · Replies: 26 · Views: 71,327

spartacus
Posted on: Jul 23 2020, 04:25 PM


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Is Brexit to blame perchance?
  Forum: Random Rants · Post Preview: #127160 · Replies: 6 · Views: 27,171

spartacus
Posted on: Jun 29 2020, 10:14 PM


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QUOTE (newres @ Jun 27 2020, 11:00 AM) *
All animal lives matter and we shouldn't be concerned with pigs!
Even travellers?
  Forum: Newbury News · Post Preview: #127107 · Replies: 21 · Views: 69,501

spartacus
Posted on: Jun 19 2020, 03:05 PM


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Same here with the November respiratory problems... wheezing, bubbling sensation in my lungs when lying down trying to sleep, nasty cough for a few weeks. Was convinced that it was something I would die from... and in previous years have had a horrible cough around winter that wouldn't go away. 100 day chinese cough I believe. I hope, if the November event was it, that I don't get it again
  Forum: Random Rants · Post Preview: #127064 · Replies: 687 · Views: 575,205

spartacus
Posted on: Jun 18 2020, 11:35 PM


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QUOTE (SirWilliam @ Jun 18 2020, 11:48 AM) *
See they are going to pull poor old Cecil down.........Glad it's not my alma mater. angry.gif
They're want to pull every statue down... strange that only a year or so back we looked on in dismay at the way that ISIS were wilfully destroying ancient history. "Heathens!! ...Maniacs! Pathetic! You can't scrub out history with a sledgehammer!" ISIS claimed they were symbols of idolatry and they were obeying their Prophet's command.

And yet, look where we are now.... It begs the question as to who the ‘Prophet’ is pulling the strings of the BLM movement and where will this end up


poor old Kitchener one of many targets to be pulled down. Kitchener... a chap who had the "failing acquired by most of the Egyptian officers, a taste for buggery". ....Oh gosh, that's a bit awkward for the Woke Collective then...

So.....BLM supporters try to push him into the sea, while LGBTQ supporters form a peaceful cordon to protect 'a heroic but repressed gay icon ahead of his time'

Tricky times indeed.....

  Forum: Random Rants · Post Preview: #127059 · Replies: 120 · Views: 213,511

spartacus
Posted on: Jun 18 2020, 11:22 PM


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Harping back 200 years or more to highlight crappy things that happened to black folk, because some black folk rounded up other black folk and sold them to white folk and now we're meant to repent for things we had no part of. 200 years ago life was ****** for lots of people. Back then anyone who was anyone during the times of slavery would've owned slaves. ..but any textile mill owner during the times of slavery would have also had expendable child slaves (...white, poor and orphaned child slaves...) to be worked on the looms and spinning jennys and gotten rid of if injured... and any chimney sweep would have 'climbing boys' as young as 4 that would be shoved up with a pole to scrape soot till they got to the roof. There were plenty of **** jobs going round in those days... it wasn't all roses being white and poor back then. It's not just black people that can choose to have a grievance with the past and past masters....
  Forum: Random Rants · Post Preview: #127058 · Replies: 120 · Views: 213,511

spartacus
Posted on: Jun 18 2020, 11:08 PM


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Maybe, but everyone started making their OWN bread, soda bread, bread bread.. couldn't get enough flour there was that much baking going on in those kitchens. Niche market for proper bread
  Forum: Newbury News · Post Preview: #127057 · Replies: 4 · Views: 25,427

spartacus
Posted on: Jun 14 2020, 10:39 PM


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QUOTE (TallDarkAndHandsome @ Jun 14 2020, 12:15 PM) *
Anyone seen the CHAZ "experiment" in Seattle, where the lunatics have taken over the asylum? Now that is something to behold..
....an unholy mess they are making of a fine city...
But there has been a comedy moment. Fox News are probably regretting not checking their news facts before airing... They reported last night on supposed in-fighting within the CHAZ police free zone and used a Reddit post to backup the claim..

"There's infighting among some of the occupiers, and some signs of rebellion against Raz Simone" — (leader of the CHAZ group) intoned the Fox News anchor. "One posting on social media that has now been deleted, read this: 'I didn't vote for Raz. I thought we were an autonomous collective? An anarcho-syndicalist commune at the least.... We take it in turns to act as sort of executive officer for the week...but all the decisions of that officer have to be ratified at a special bi-weekly meeting by a simple majority in the case of purely internal affairs but by a two thirds majority in the case of more major issues."

....problem is the Reddit poster was a bit of a comedian and was using a quote direct from Monty Python's Holy Grail...

https://deadline.com/2020/06/fox-news-monty...dit-1202958753/
  Forum: Random Rants · Post Preview: #127017 · Replies: 120 · Views: 213,511

spartacus
Posted on: Jun 10 2020, 07:17 PM


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The 'Taking a knee' thing is particularly abhorrent... especially those people that do it for around 8 minutes when it was a knee from a police officer that kicked this whole thing off.

QUOTE (Mr Brown @ Jun 10 2020, 11:45 AM) *
The slave traders were simply middlemen.

Odd isn't it, we never hear about those who actually rounded up and provided the slaves.

Wonder who they were.....
As for the 'white man bad, black man good, black man victim' agenda there's always been a glossing over of the massive part that various inter-tribal wars and rivalries had to play in the whole process. If it wasn't for the efforts of various black tribes and Kingdoms in rounding up their opponents and selling them to the slave traders there wouldn't be a BLM movement at all... Europeans entering the continent in search of slaves wouldn't have last a week before succumbing to malaria or some other disease. It's the sort of thing that should be met with embarrassed shuffling of feet and averting eyes when the subject of reparations is made against the nasty colonials as it was nations such as Nigeria, Senegal and Benin that benefited hugely from the trade.
When the Slave traders were african

Slavery was a standard part in the Circle of Life in Africa long before any white explorer set foot in the place. Slaves were taken as spoils of war and used for work, prostitution and sacrifice.

My daughter recently posted on her Facebook commenting about 'Educating herself about Black Lives Matter' and listening to a certain biased podcast. I suggested she educates herself and gets some balance... read about the Annual Customs of the Kingdom of Dahomey for instance. Dahomey (now Benin) held ceremonies to honour their King and it was normal for 500 (and up to around 4,000) slaves to be sacrificed by beheading
  Forum: Random Rants · Post Preview: #126988 · Replies: 120 · Views: 213,511

spartacus
Posted on: May 18 2020, 03:35 PM


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QUOTE (gel @ May 17 2020, 04:30 PM) *
In the news again today, with an arrogant & very careless officer.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-83...ty-blunder.html
Such a non-story it's almost beyond belief. But then it is the Daily Fail.

Someone found some business cards. Those business cards rather surprisingly had contact details on them. That, believe it or not, is the nature of a business card. Staff who run Army Careers Offices have business cards. Many military personnel of all ranks in specialist roles have business cards that they can hand out at exhibitions and conferences.

This is more about an ex-squaddie with a chip on his shoulder who hands the cards to an ex-squaddie with an even BIGGER chip on his shoulder who runs a website renowned for giving the MOD grief over conditions of service etc who decides to make a meal of it and get some free publicity for his 'respected' (Ha!!) Facebook page.

The careless officer is however a thoroughly unpleasant individual and those who have had the displeasure of dealing with him are laughing about the fact he is squirming over this non-event. If he had handled this with a bit less of the "Do you know how I AM?! Give me those cards back!" and more of the "Thanks for letting me know.They're just business cards. Bin them or shred them" He’d have achieved a less embarrassing outcome if he’d thanked the guy and bought a couple of slabs of beer to give him in exchange for his cards.
  Forum: Newbury News · Post Preview: #126857 · Replies: 13 · Views: 51,700

spartacus
Posted on: May 6 2020, 11:54 PM


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Comparing apples with antelopes.
UK has 30,000 deaths. And so our press are happy. They have something to hit Boris the dozy bear with. We're the worst in Eurrope! Hold the front page while we put our hindsight glasses on and lets demand they all resign

At least we're not as bad as USA though. USA has 70,000 deaths. That's terrible! Worst in the world!

But that conveniently overlooks the fact that the US has a population half the size of the whole of Europe. 50 separate states, many of which are larger than most countries in Europe.

Europe 740million population USA 328million population. 70,000 deaths from 328million people isn't as bad as Spain with 25,000 deaths from just 47 million people for instance.

No cases of Covid deaths or even incidents in the whole of China for days. The whole of China. Utter rubbish. I'm sure that sometime before the end of the year there will be a massive cyclone that will have 100,000 deaths attributed to it.. "No colonavilus. No no no.. death by cyclone"
  Forum: Newbury News · Post Preview: #126787 · Replies: 13 · Views: 51,700

spartacus
Posted on: Apr 6 2020, 09:01 PM


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QUOTE (TallDarkAndHandsome @ Apr 6 2020, 08:39 PM) *
Statistically anyone moved to ICU has a 50% chance of recovery.
So I guess Boris is in real bother. Whether you agree with his politics or not I'm sure we all wish him to recover.
It is a serious development with Boris. I wish him a swift recovery. The last thing the country needs now is this... turning into an annus horribilis for everyone already. Only just into April..
  Forum: Random Rants · Post Preview: #126555 · Replies: 687 · Views: 575,205

spartacus
Posted on: Apr 2 2020, 04:45 PM


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I take it you still want your bins emptied though? You may not be getting much else for your money just now as you shouldn't even be driving and using the roads unless you're an essential worker but all the same these are unusual times. The problem is that some people are now expecting everything to be free and their salaries to be paid while they sit at home playing Call of Duty and using this as an opportunity for an extended duvet day.
  Forum: Newbury News · Post Preview: #126495 · Replies: 104 · Views: 848,975

spartacus
Posted on: Mar 21 2020, 06:22 PM


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John Lewis to shut from Monday evening..
https://www.newburytoday.co.uk/news/news/29...rom-monday.html
Debenhams was deader than a dead thing today so I suspect they won't be far behind. It's a real shame... I imagine it's costing them more in electricity to keep the escalators going than they're taking over the counter. Camp Hopson swiftly following? The demise of the High Street is ramping up a notch unfortunately.. The people living in the flats above the 'shops' in Parkway will soon be living above empty units. How long is going to take to recover from such a critical financial failure.

M&S foodhall was busy enough but the clothing upstairs was dead. How long before that area is closed off?

Time to make sure your supply of underpants and socks are in good order
  Forum: Random Rants · Post Preview: #126457 · Replies: 687 · Views: 575,205

spartacus
Posted on: Mar 20 2020, 10:14 AM


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QUOTE (SirWilliam @ Mar 20 2020, 09:06 AM) *
On a plus side no one is discussing post brexit.

However you just KNOW that the December 31 2020 date is going to be pushed back.



[Edit] ]Well, that DATE won't change but that's when the transition period is meant to end....

And 1st May is when the EU is meant to have its negotiating mandate in place (following agreement at the February 25 Council of the EU). That's going to change as well...
  Forum: Random Rants · Post Preview: #126446 · Replies: 687 · Views: 575,205

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