Ewan McTeagle, the Scottish Poet.

After yesterday, I think we need some light relief.

I had totally forgotten about this delightful comedy sketch from the Monty Python boys.

The ghost of William McGonagall. Enjoy.

Autumn Budget Special.

Let me start with the shocking news that Labour's own Business Secretary Peter Kyle (no relation to Jeremy) has just declared that "It was our punishing tax policies that were responsible for having driven an exodus of wealth-creators from Britain";.... as if we didn't all know!

There was one huge sigh of relief around the UK when we all saw in last year's election manifesto that The Labour Party had PROMISED not to put up taxes; so before today's budget announcement we can all relax in the knowledge that we won't be fleeced by the fragrant Ms Reeves (above), and we can all enjoy their spurious assurances for a few minutes more.

But don't be fooled. What they probably meant (but got their speling rong) was that they WILL put up as many taxes as possible, just as they always do. But they didn't want to admit as much in case no-one voted for them. It's an old Labour trick, yet some people are still fooled. In the 'Tax and Spend' Socialist tradition, when you over-spend, you HAVE to raise taxes. It's simple logic. 

They may have been scared-off from raising Income Tax for the moment, but there are plenty of other taxes that they can raise. Alcohol, tobacco, personal savings, house taxes, money transfers, VAT, National Insurance, and, I'm told, even milk based drinks (yes, milkshakes), could all attract her grabbing attention. House taxes being the easiest, with comfortable hard-working middle classes, being the most vulnerable.

Having taken over with the strongest economy in the G7, it's come to this after just 12 months.

The one thing we all know about the fragrant 'Rachel from Accounts' is that she's hopeless at her 'sums', and that she is determined to create another Bankrupt Socialist Quagmire. She is happily creating a new third world country, with businesses closing by the day. The whole of the UK is becoming a giant version of Socialist Liverpool. Businesses simply can't cope with all the extra expenses, and many high streets have become no more than ghost towns. 

She still believes that if one gives 'workers', and even scroungers, more and more money, whilst increasing the taxes of the employers/wealth creators, that this will improve the economy. Would someone PLEASE explain to her that IT DOESN'T. She only has to look at the ever-rising unemployment figures; at present a further 1,000 a day are joining the nearly 2 Million others on the dole queue, and it's soon to increase. This is 282,000 more than when they took over last year.

She doesn't seem to understand that you make a vibrant economy by encouraging investment, leaving as much spending money in people's pockets as possible, and making businesses viable. NOT the opposite. 

The one thing that Rachel IS sure of (as she continuously tells us) is that the dire state of the economy is nothing to do with her, but all the fault of others; the only people who believe that are Sir Keith and Rachel herself. In a recent YouGov poll, 0% of the public thought the economy was in a good state. I expect she also thinks that she did no wrong by breaking the law with her house letting; but that's another story.

Reeves needs to raise about £20 Billion. Well, let me offer some advice. Our Overseas Aid at present costs us £25 Billion each year; money wasted on luxuries for foreign potentates, or even to fill their Swiss bank accounts. Scrap it NOW, and leave the tax payers alone. Your black hole could be cleared in just12 months without any extra taxes for anyone.

So, beware, there's a bloodbath coming. There may be one or two sweeteners, but if you are a hard-worker, have saved enough to live in a nice home, or you earn a decent salary, you WILL be clobbered later today. The 'class warriors' are out to get you. If I am wrong about their budget intentions, I will eat my beret,.... plus some humble pie!

I shall not watch the budget live (too depressing). I shall wait to see the resumé on tomorrow's TV News, and in the Independent Press. 

A staggering 275,000 UK wealthy Nationals have quit Britain in the past year; most of them embarrassed Socialists I imagine. Expect a lot more very soon.

A demain!

SERV

On Saturday morning, a man with a collection box said "Good Morning" to me as I entered Sainsbury's.

I replied to him, and went straight by. However, once inside, and I had secured my trolly, etc, I remembered that I had a load of shrapnel (coins) in my bag, so I returned to the man with the collection box.

"I hope you don't mind if I offload all my 'heavy metal' on you" I asked.

"Everything is welcome" he replied cheerily, as I emptied a load of copper and silver coins into his box. 

I have no idea how much I gave him, but it was certainly no more than a couple of quid.

"Here, have one of these" he said, sticking a red paper badge on my T shirt.

I thanked him profusely, and continued with my shopping.

It was two days later that I looked at the sticker to see what I'd given my money towards; it could have been for supplying Hamas with bullets for all I knew!

Looking at the sticker, I was a bit bemused. I had no idea what SERV was, so I looked it up. What I discovered rather surprised me.

It seems that they are a bunch of local voluntary, motorbike, deliverers of blood, for the NHS. Hells Bloody Angels.

If I'd known that before, I might have given them some paper money as well.

 

If you don't know what you're doing; take advice!

One of the most worrying aspects of our current government's disastrous economic policy is that it drives out those who create wealth (see yesterday's Sunday Times, above). They're leaving in their droves.

Of the seven wealthiest Brits illustrated (above) who have quit the UK in recent times (amongst 275,000 others), five have gone to Dubai, one to Switzerland/Dubai, and one to Jersey. Even the eight times named 'Britain's Richest Man', Lakshmi Mittal, has gone, and will now pay his taxes to Switzerland, and spend his pocket money in Dubai.

It might be an idea for the fragrant Rachel Reeves to have a look at Dubai's economy, and try to understand why our wealthiest businessmen are ending-up there, as THEIR economy thrives, and OURS fails.

Within the whole UAE, Dubai has one of the strongest economies, and they are hoping to double their foreign trade, and establish their city as a global business and tourist destination in the near future; you don't do that by frightening away your wealth-creators. Their aim can only be achieved by encouraging investment and innovation, and that is exactly what they're doing; the opposite of the UK.

Meanwhile back in dreary old Socialist London, Reeves looks for more and more ways to take money away from those who have contributed so much to the UK's past success. To frighten them away with threats of ever higher taxation.

I would like to suggest that the fragrant Ms Reeves pops over to Dubai, and asks some of their financial wizards how it's done!

Of course, whether she would listen to them or not is another question. A Socialist taking advice from a Capitalist is very unlikely. THAT is our problem.

 

Saturday.

It was a strange day yesterday.

I've never counted the amount of Traffic Lights there are between Chez Cro and my Supermarket; but I would think about 10. Yesterday EVERY SINGLE ONE was red, or became red when I was just a few yards away. I've never known a day like that before, it was almost as if someone was playing a joke on me.

Anyway, all cupboards, fridge, and freezer are now filled again, and we can happily be snowed-in for a week or more (if we ever have snow). I gave all my shrapnel to a man with a collecting box, and all my paper money to a nice lady at Waitrose in exchange for a load of 'stocking fillers'. I must remember to 're-fill' my wallet.

When I returned from my afternoon walk with Billy, I found Lady M with her hands covered in flour, and her nose inside the oven. She was making Mince Pies.

Being Swedish I think she was confusing Christmas with Easter, and we now have snow-covered Hot Cross Mince Pies. But they were very good.

It was blowing two hoolies yesterday; one from the North and the other from the South. They just managed to greet each other in Brighton, and the effect was memorable. It also rained a tiny bit, and was cold.

It was a day for hunkering-down and watching an old Norman Wisdom film in front of a roaring fire. In fact, as the skies darkened, we went to iPlayer and watched 'Ab Fab on holiday in Provence' (I'm sure you know the one). 

A nice cup of Lapsang, a Hot Cross Mince Pie, and a ten minute snooze, helped pass the afternoon. Later we watched through our Bay Window as the trees swirled about like Loie Fuller.

p.s. I must add that the morning sunrise had been just about the most spectacular I've ever seen. It was sensational. It was telling me something!!!

 

Covid-19 Enquiry

 

National 'Enquiries' can be both good and bad. It's always good to know exactly what happened in the the cases of disasters, or crises. But they can also be responsible for divisive muck-raking.

I have no idea who the people are who led the Covid-19 Enquiry in the UK. Their findings were published on Thursday 20th, and accused almost everyone of wrong-doing or incompetence. 

'Hindsight' is a wonderful thing, and one must never forget that Covid claimed the lives of over 7 Million people; 232,000 of whom were here in the UK. 

Covid was a new and dangerous illness. We all knew that it spread like wildfire, and that the effects could be fatal. Wisdom suggested that we should have as little contact with others as possible. We stayed at home, wore our masks and sterilised our hands. Most of us were also inoculated. There was PANIC everywhere. We literally thought we could die; and many did!

Our own government made drastic decisions to save us from disaster. Boris Johnson, the then Prime Minister, took advice from the country's top experts; Chris Whitty The Chief Medical Officer, and Sir Patrick Vallance The Chief Scientific Advisor (both above in photo with Boris), amongst others. Together they decided that a period of 'Lockdown' was the only way to help stop the spread of the disease, and save lives; which it did.

I was in France during the pandemic. We live way-out in the countryside so were almost immune, other than when shopping became imperative. We had our jabs, and managed to evade any illness. We did both eventually contact Covid, but that was a couple of years later back in the UK. For us the experience was no worse than a nasty cold. 

The recent Covid-19 Enquiry was chaired by Baroness Hallett; someone I haven't heard of. I believe she was a big-wig Judge. I taught Whitty (Centre in photo) at Prep' School before he went up to Malvern, and seeing his daily broadcasts during the pandemic, gave me great confidence in their collective wisdom.

Personally I found this enquiry unnecessary, and divisive. We suffered, we survived, and it's now part of our history. We've all learnt lessons, so let's not now drag-up what some ex-Judge thinks we COULD have done better. Retrospective sniping may please the anti-Boris stalwarts, but it helps no-one.

Personally I would prefer that governments of all political colours look after our welfare, rather than listen to some judge with no medical or scientific knowledge, who makes pronouncements about what they should or shouldn't have done.

Let's now put it to sleep, and get on with our lives. Although, of course, Covid is still around!

Dog appeal.

I've had just four dogs in my life. Hamlet (a scruffy terrier mut), Monty (yellow lab), Bok (black lab/border collie mix), and currently Billy (border collie). See side-bar.

When walking with Billy, I've noticed that he makes people smile! My other dogs had always been generally admired (mostly by fellow dog owners), but lots of people now stop and chat to me about Billy, and ask if they can stroke him. I'm sure most of them are not 'dog-people'. He seems to have a universal appeal.

I was talking about this to a fellow BC owner, and she said that people just love to see a black and white dog coming towards them. 

Personally I think that it makes people dream of Welsh mountains, or even of that old TV programme 'One Man and his Dog' (a sheep trial competition). 

There certainly is something about a black and white 'sheepdog' that people instantly warm-to; in the same way that people love Black Labs and Golden Retrievers. 

If you don't believe me; buy one!