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Monday December 18th 2017 Sorry this blog's a little late  being "published" this week - pre-Christmas rush and computer problems. But anyway, it's here now. Where the money goes . (1) Today's Daily Mail  recounts the incredible story of a Council that has allegedly spent - wait for it - £870,000 introducing thirteen 20 mph speed zones across their area. Can you believe that? Close on the thick end of a million pounds! And that's for a job that I'd suggest could have been done by a few old boys with some signs and pots of paint! Or, even better value for money could have been making use of  some fine citizens serving their community service sentences! Then, after all that, the Council said that results from the thirteen zones were mixed and, when asked, they allegedly said that they did not have the finances needed to reverse the zones. Where the money goes . (2)  My local council proudly announced  that they have spent £2.5 million buying an hotel

Friday Dec 8th 2017 Once again I'm starting to feel my age, as yet two more deaths remind me of my mortality. For years I have enjoyed watching the Likely Lads and, although I never met Rodney Bewes, I did see him once - from a distance - in London. Rodney was a member of London Rowing Club and the last time I rowed in the annual Head of the River Race (1987 from memory) over the Boat Race course, Rodney was coxing a London Rowing Club eight.- - complete with dark blue cap with white stripes. (Remember Graham Hill's blue and white helmet?  Graham was also a member of LRC.) For a while - on the way to the Start, we rowed alongside his crew. The second death that has made me feel my age this week is that of Christine Keeler. This again was someone I never met, but did once see fairly close to. On that occasion (1963) I was working in a West End bank when Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davis came to the counter. Of course those distant encounters were simply milestones along

Friday December 1st 2017 I read that's alleged that Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, is keen to see gender neutral toilets installed in London. Is this really a priority where eighteen people have been stabbed to death this year, where several others have suffered acid attacks and gangs of moped riding thugs are terrorising innocent pedestrians and, indeed, shop keepers at will? Ah well, if true it shows where his priorities are and perhaps something Londoners might do well to consider next time they go out to vote for a mayor! Life sentences:  How sad it is that while banner news media headlines confirm that such and such a cowardly thug has been sentence to life imprisonment, for a brutal murder, further down the page we read things like to serve a minimum of twelve years.  To my mind this is ridiculous because, since I originally thought that a life sentence  was intended to replace the death  penalty, it should mean what it says. It is only by making a life sentence mean