Not long to go now, so if there is anyone you want to stay in touch with, contact them now.

Heist could mean Easter chocolate shortage but bosses hope unique batch codes will see culprits fingered

More than 400,000 KitKats have been stolen after a truck transporting the chocolate bars across Europe was hijacked.

The shipment, weighing approximately 12 tons, disappeared last week while travelling between a production site in central Italy and a distribution depot in Poland.

Nestlé, KitKat’s parent company, has warned that “the theft may lead to a shortage of KitKats appearing on the shelf”, acknowledging that “consumers, unfortunately, may struggle to find their favourite chocolates ahead of Easter”.

Thieves are believed to be in possession of the 413,793 bars and the company does not know where on the 800-mile route the hijackers struck.

A spokesman for KitKat said: “All we know at this stage is that the incident took place last week as the truck was en route from central Italy with a final destination in Poland. The vehicle and its content remain unaccounted for.”

A KitKat chocolate bar
Kitkat bosses said that shoppers may struggle to find the chocolate bars ahead of EasterCredit: Martin Cleaver
It is understood the truck was planning to distribute the bars in Austria and Czech Republic along the route before arriving in eastern Europe.

The company added that the confectionery could enter unofficial sales channels across European markets, but that this could help trace the thieves, given that a unique batch code is assigned to each bar.

Nestlé said: “As a result, consumers, retailers and wholesalers will be able to identify if a product is part of the stolen shipment by scanning the on-pack batch numbers.

“If a match is found, the scanner will be given clear instructions on how to alert KitKat, who will then share the evidence appropriately.”

Rise in cargo theft
Nestlé, which also makes household food brands such as Nescafé and Cheerios and employs 277,000 workers in countries across the world, said it will continue to support the investigation and provide further updates to consumers and retailers as appropriate.

It added that the theft came shortly after a joint report from industry representatives, which outlined a rise in cargo theft and freight fraud, with more sophisticated methods of deception becoming increasingly common.

In 2023, around 55,000 Japanese KitKats – in flavours such as matcha latte, melon and daifuku mochi – were hijacked after a business fell victim to a strategic theft scam.

Bokksu, a company run by Danny Taing, a businessman, offers rare Japanese snacks as part of a subscription box for customers.

But an order of $110,000 (£83,000) worth of KitKats was stolen by thieves using a fake carrier identity while en route from Japan to New Jersey.

www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/28/thieves-hijack-truck-12-tons-kitkats

I have just completed three weeks of jury service at a crown court in south London. Was scheduled to be two weeks but the trial went into the third week. This was my 2nd time doing jury service, the first time about 40 years ago at the Old Bailey.
My experience this time. About 50 new jurors arrived on the Monday for a lot of form filling, watching instructional video etc. Most importantly the system of letting you know if you are needed the following day. "you will get a text and email before 5pm tonight with the time you have to be here. If you don't get a taxt or email, you don't need to come in. Remember, no news is good news."
8.45am on Monday was the only early start, but we did go home at 12.00. Apart from 12 who got picked for a jury. Rest of the week I was starting at 11.00 and released to got home by 3.00pm. Wasn't needed at all on the Tuesday and Friday of the first week and the next Tuesday.
On the Wednesday of the first week I was one of the 16 names called to go into the court as a juror in waiting, but was not one of the 12 chosen for the jury. On the 2nd Monday, after waiting around most of the day, the usher came to inform us that the defendant had changed their plea to guilty and the trial we were going to be called for was now not needed. Finally on the 2nd Wednesday I was one of the 12 picked for a jury. I was number 10. There was only enough time for the introductions and to read out the indictment, so we didn't really start until 10.00 on Thursday morning.
The trial I was involved with. For legal reasons I'm not allowed to divulge any details even though it has finished. But this was the case;
The indictment was, possession of a class A drug (cocaine) with intent to supply. Two defendents, one male one female. Both needed a translator as English was not their first language. That was the main reason for going into a third week and quite a few delays for points of law.
The verdict. Male guilty, female not guilty. We decided the male was guilty in a few minutes. We needed about 45 minutes to all agree on a not guilty for the woman, but that was because some of us were in a "not sure" position. There was nobody saying she is definitely guilty. The not guilty was because we believed, after studying the judges twelve pages of summing up and guidance, that she was being coerced into being a drugs courier.

https://jottacloud.com/s/095dd9e61cbdba6414cbe4d43610a73d8a7

https://mol.im/a/15685475

I've been offered another Covid vaccination (age-wise), seriously unsure if I need any more, seem to have had so many. How do others feel?

Conservative former cabinet minister says nurse convicted of murdering seven babies has suffered a miscarriage of justice.

David Conn Investigations correspondent.

The police force that conducted the investigation into the nurse Lucy Letby made “egregious” failures and did not follow official guidance or best professional practice, David Davis has said in parliament.

Speaking in the final parliamentary debate before the Easter recess, the Conservative former cabinet minister made a series of criticisms of Cheshire police and said Letby has suffered a miscarriage of justice.

Davis said Cheshire police failed to appoint appropriate medical and statistics experts, and pursue all possible lines of inquiry into why babies died and collapsed on the “failing” neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester hospital in 2015-16.

The backbench opposition MP said his latest intervention in the case is based on reviews by two former police detectives: former Det Supt Stuart Clifton, who led the investigation into Beverley Allitt, a nurse who was convicted in 1993 of murdering four children, attempting to murder another three and causing grievous bodily harm with intent to a further six; and Steve Watts, a former assistant chief constable who wrote national police guidelines on the investigation of deaths in healthcare settings.

“Both policemen believed that Letby was guilty,” Davis said. “That is, until they examined the hard facts. Both now agree. They both believe that the Letby case is a serious miscarriage of justice.”
Davis criticised the police for launching a criminal investigation after a meeting with two consultants in the Chester hospital, then focusing too narrowly on suspicion against Letby rather than examining all factors.

“This investigation was initiated by a single meeting with consultants who had themselves been involved in seriously inadequate care of these babies,” he said.
The force then failed to follow official advice to appoint a panel of experts, and stood down the medical statistician Prof Jane Hutton after initially asking her to examine the increase in deaths.

Police then “failed to conduct proper due diligence” on the experts they did appoint, led by the retired paediatrician, Dr Dewi Evans, Davis said.
Letby was convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven more in 2015 and 2016, when she worked as a nurse in the neonatal unit of the Chester hospital. She was sentenced to 15 whole-life sentences, and the court of appeal refused her permission to appeal.

Since the convictions, dozens of leading UK and international medical experts have examined the evidence and argued that the babies died or collapsed due to natural causes and poor care on the unit, and that there was no evidence of murders nor any other deliberate harm.
Letby’s lawyer, Mark McDonald, has applied to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which examines possible miscarriages of justice, to have her case sent back to the court of appeal. The CCRC is reviewing the application.

Davis argued that Cheshire police failed to heed the lessons from their own previous investigation of Sally Clark, a mother who in 1999 was wrongly convicted of killing her two sons.
Clark was in prison for three years on a life sentence for murder before her convictions, based on flawed statistical evidence by a prosecution expert medical witness, was quashed.

Davis said he will be calling on the director of public prosecutions to “review the behaviour” of both the CPS and Cheshire police.

Replying for the government, policing minister Sarah Jones said Letby had been convicted following “a proper process” and that Cheshire police had been given “some of the highest ratings in the country” by the police inspectorate.

“I just want to end by reminding the house this country uses due process, there has been due process, that has been followed in the convictions of Lucy Letby with a trial by jury, and upheld on appeal,” Jones said.

“And I remain confident of that and also of the effectiveness of the Cheshire constabulary.”
It is clear that you get an incredible amount of value from our reporting, all for free. We’d like to humbly suggest that, since you are one of our most engaged and prolific readers, it would only be fair to support us financially in return. Soon we will ask you to support us to continue using our app. Alternatively, why not enjoy unlimited access by subscribing today?

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/mar/26/david-davis-says-cheshire-police-made-egregious-failures-in-lucy-letby-investigation

https://www.businessinsider.com/robot-dogs-quadruped-data-center-security-boston-dynamics-ghost-robotics-2026-3

'Prices for computers and smartphones are expected to increase significantly throughout 2026, with some estimates suggesting rises of
15% to 30% for laptops and 5% to 20% for smartphones, driven by severe memory shortages. The surge is largely fueled by intense demand for AI data center components, which is reducing the availability of DRAM and NAND memory for consumer electronics.'

Not sure where to post this now but for the past week there is no sound to Facebook or TikTok , even though I move the bar across (top left hand), it just springs back to mute. Anybody else having this problem or knows how to fix it, please - thanks

Mothering Sunday or Mother's Day, whatever you want to call it, will be with us at the weekend.

Whether or not you have your Mum still, what is the most cherished memory you have of time spent with her, what do you miss most and what would you really wish you could tell her on Sunday?

I shall soon be posting the sequence of events that caused the closure of the Anything loop. In short, this happened due to the activities of @PeterAndrews1, who is now posting as @Georgy.

Found this one online

I'm ok, but quite shaken up, but I'll be ok. For those of you who don't know what happened, I was robbed this afternoon in broad daylight at the petrol station.

I got myself together after it happened, my hands were still shaking, I was dizzy and I was probably in shock.

My money was gone. I called the police, they were fantastic and called for an ambulance as my blood pressure was through the roof.

The police asked me if I knew who did it, and I told them:
“Yes, it was pump number 4!”

Plane with 5 passengers on board, Donald Trump, Boris Johnson, the Pope, Nicola Sturgeon and a ten year old school boy.
The plane is about to crash and theres only 4 parachutes.
Nicola said I need one. I’ve to sort out Scottish Independence!’ Takes one and jumps
The pope said ‘I need one, I've to sort out the Catholic Church.’ He takes one and jumps.
Trump said ‘I’m the smartest man in the USA.’ He takes one and jumps.
Boris said to the ten year old "you can have the last parachute. I've lived my life, yours is only starting".
The 10 year old said "Don’t worry, there are 2 parachutes left. The smartest man in The USA took my school bag"

An 80 year old lady was marrying for the 4th time.
A newspaper asked if she wouldn't mind talking about her first 3 husbands and what they did for a living.
She smiled and said,
"My first husband was a banker, then I married a circus ringmaster, next was a preacher and now I'm in my 80's a funeral director."
When asked why the four men had such diverse careers.
She explained, I married one for the money, 2 for the show, 3 to get ready and 4 to go!!

New series started last night. Did anyone watch it?
A very funny and quite accurate opening sketch with Starmer and Lammy.
Other funny, but close to the mark, sketches about a beauty product called Underage by Pedolay, and another spoof sketch where two actors are promoting a movie only for the tv host to tell them the film was rubbish.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/919947626869498

' Scooploop Closing Down
Hi All, we’ve made the difficult decision to shut down this platform.

Thank you for being part of it — for your time, your contributions, and your support. We’re genuinely grateful for the community that formed here.

The site will be closing in the next few weeks. Please make sure to save anything important before then.

Thanks again for being with us.'

Some members are posting misinformation about the reason for the closure of Scooploop. The site is being closed due to the owner not having the time or finance to manage and maintain it. The reason for the closure of Clive's loops was due to the owner not having the ability to remove Clive as a moderator. This was necessary to prevent Peter Andrews and other deleted members from rejoining it. This is the reason it was no longer possible to join the Anything loop.

Hi

On Sunday 10th May 2026, I'll be taking part in the Marsden March, a 15 mile sponsored walk from near the Marsden Hospital in Chelsea to the Marsden Hospital in Sutton to raise money for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, passing through Putney, Wimbledon Common, Raynes Park, Stonecot Hill, North Cheam, Cheam and Belmont. The Marsden's target this year is to raise one and a half million pounds with over 5000 walkers.

The Marsden is a world-leading cancer centre. Their nurses, doctors and research teams provide the very best care and develop life-saving treatments, which are used across the UK and around the world. From funding state-of-the-art equipment and ground-breaking research to creating the very best patient environments, they will never stop looking for ways to improve the lives of people affected by cancer.

Twenty years ago a good friend of mine was diagnosed with late stage cancer. The Marsden cured him with a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Twenty years later he’s alive and well. I’ve lost a lot of other friends and relatives to various forms of cancer so I'd like to raise as much money as I can for the charity.

The website of the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity gives a lot of detail about the March at https://march.royalmarsden.org

In the past several generous people on ScoopLoop have contributed to my fund, but as ScoopLoop will be closing down shortly I thought I'd make one last request while there's still time.

If you'd like to donate you can do so at:

https://march.royalmarsden.org/fundraisers/tonylang/marsden-march-2026

Whether you donate £1 or £50. Every donation helps to make a difference.

Thank you in advance.

Cheers.

Tony

A pleasant change in my road this morning. The Irish tricolour hanging from a nearby house for St Patrick’s Day.

I'm having problems with my current tariff provider. How easy is it to just pay as you go with those that advertise - do you get a new number each time or can you have it as a rolling payment and do you need to put in contacts every time? Any recommendations if you use one, please, and do they have different sizes of sim cards. Apologies for my lack of basic knowledge - thanks.

The post that @Selsey created has been deleted following her request.

Interesting fact
The volume of a pizza with radius z and thickness a is pi.z.z.a

The first day of Spring this year was 1st March, but the spring equinox will be 20th March.

The Earth is closer to the Sun in Winter!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/articles/c3dzzrxem52o

We all know what spam emails are, but what is the opposite of spam called? No cheating of course. Correct answer from Brenda - Ham.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yq8wrvr71o

Extracted from "My Mensa Weekly" a weekly online magazine published for the members of Mensa by British Mensa Ltd, Deansgate, 62-70 Tettenhall Road, Wolverhampton, WV1 4TH

Words: Andrew Cattanach

At the tail end of 2025, a photograph doing the rounds on social media brought trains to a halt. The image appeared to show a collapsed railway bridge in Lancaster. Twisted metal, fractured concrete – the kind of scene that demands immediate action. Network Rail stopped services while engineers scrambled to assess the damage. There was just one problem: the bridge had not collapsed. The photograph had never existed outside a generative AI model.

The disruption was brief, but the implications were not. In a media environment where synthetic images travel faster than verification, deception no longer requires elaborate staging or specialist skill. It requires a prompt, a platform and – sometimes – nothing more sinister than carelessness. Add deliberate bad actors to the mix and it can tip from disruption into something uglier.

It’s tempting to treat this as a uniquely digital crisis. But the instinct to manufacture reality long predates the machine. Long before algorithms and AI, people were building alternative realities by hand. Some did so for money, some for prestige, some as satire, and some simply for the thrill of being believed.

Below are five very different fraudsters, each with their own methods and motivations. Taken together, their stories cast a useful light on how we navigate questions of evidence and belief. Especially in this age of synthetic media.

Piltdown Man
In 1912, amateur archaeologist Charles Dawson claimed to have unearthed ‘Piltdown Man’ – a set of bone fragments purported to be the fossilised remains of Britain’s earliest human ancestor. For decades, scientists treated these remains as genuine, and the discovery shaped influential models of human evolution. But doubts persisted, and it was only in 1953 that the specimen was definitively exposed as a forgery: a composite of a modern human skull and an orangutan jaw that had been deliberately aged. Dawson’s motive appears to have been personal: seeking professional recognition and prestige within the archaeological community. The hoax endured so long, in part because the forgery confirmed existing expectations about human ancestry, and because many researchers relied on casts rather than examining the original bones closely.

The Cottingley Fairies
When Sir Arthur Conan Doyle publicly endorsed a set of photographs purporting to show real fairies, the images gained a legitimacy that far outstripped their playful origins. The photographs, produced by two young cousins in Cottingley, Yorkshire, in 1917, depicted delicate winged figures dancing beside the girls in a sunlit garden. Public fascination endured for years, and both believers and sceptics debated the images’ authenticity. Only decades later did James Randi and others conclusively identify photographic evidence of fakery: the fairies had been cut from paper and suspended with threads. Even so, the girls continued to deflect full responsibility for many years, and the photos remain part of the cultural imagination.

The Sokal Affair
In 1996, physicist Alan Sokal did something unusual: he wrote and submitted a deliberately nonsensical academic paper to the cultural studies journal Social Text. Titled ‘Transgressing the Boundaries: Towards a Transformative Hermeneutics of Quantum Gravity’, the article married absurd claims with post-modern jargon and was accepted for publication. After it appeared, Sokal revealed the stunt in another magazine, explaining that his goal was to test whether a prestigious humanities journal would publish an article that sounded impressive but was empirically meaningless. The episode sparked an intense debate about scholarly standards, peer review and the relationship between science and the humanities.

Helen Duncan
Scottish medium Helen Duncan built a following in the 1930s and 40s by producing what she claimed was ‘ectoplasm’ during séances – a white substance that appeared to issue from her body. Investigators repeatedly demonstrated that the substance was cheesecloth or muslin, sometimes crudely shaped into spirit forms. Yet exposure did not end her career. In 1944, amid wartime tensions and following a séance in which she claimed a dead sailor had revealed the sinking of HMS Barham, she was arrested and convicted under the Witchcraft Act of 1735 – becoming the last person imprisoned under that law.

Charles Ponzi
Charles Ponzi gave his name to one of the most infamous financial frauds in history. In the early 1920s, Ponzi promised investors extraordinary returns, claiming he could profit from international postal reply coupons – vouchers bought cheaply in one country and redeemed for stamps at a higher value in another. In truth, Ponzi didn’t invest the funds at all; he used the money from new investors to pay earlier ones, creating the illusion of profit. The scheme collapsed in 1920, by which time he had swindled millions of dollars and left many victims ruined. Although Ponzi didn’t invent this structure, his early and highly publicised scheme cemented the term Ponzi scheme in the financial lexicon.

So having fallen apparently like a plank face first in the road hitting my nose on the kerb, I couldn’t pull myself up. I managed to turn over with blood pouring out of my nose and my legs still in the road. Eventually after all the possible knights in tarnished armour drove round me a young woman asked if l needed help. She pulled in nearby and got me to my feet and insisted on giving me a lift home. I found out her first name and knew the road where she lived. I have since asked on NextDoor if anyone knew her as l want to send flowers. So l was private messaged by a person who knew her and my LadyKnight has said she was worried about me. She has since texted me and l am so pleased that l can thank her again. However I was horrified that no one else came forward to help.

My wife got The Chase last night, instead of The Affair. Too much sex, it seems.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15642751/Girl-18-jailed-killing-two-star-pupils-high-speed-smash.html

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15642837/Woman-trapped-crushed-23-cats-wheelie-bin-leaving-suffocate-death-avoids-prison.html

The Dirty Man of Europe
I have just returned from Lagos in Portugal.
Another European destination in the Algarve that has fantastic road surfaces, clean litter free roadside verges, litter free countryside,beaches and clean seas.
People care, they take a pride in their environment.
There are numerous litter bins with lids that stop,dogs,foxes etc getting inside the bin and dispersing rubbish. It's joined up thinking.
It is in stark contrast to our filthy streets, verges, parks, hedgerows, town centres and pretty much most places.
Everywhere I have travelled in Western Europe has been very clean, with maybe Belgium not quite so.
It's very depressing, a British disease.
I have my daughter and her Australian boyfriend coming over from Australia in April for my son's Wedding.
I am frankly embarrassed by the state of our infrastructure and huge litter epidemic.Western Australia is spotless.
It's very sad.
Please don't see this as a criticism of all the wonderful work your groups do !
But until we have a mindset change, things will never get better.You will be constantly chasing the litter tail.
Temporary clean ups, only to return to mess after a few weeks !
What is it in our mindset, that thinks it's ok to lob a drinks can out of a car window ? a plastic bottle thrown in a hedgerow? a dog poo bag hung on a tree or bush, like some weird arboricultural decoration ?
I just don't get it ?
Why can't the great British public take their litter home ?
To have a picnic on a lovely beach or beauty spot only to trash it on departure??
I don't know I'm talking to the converted.
Ban bloody disposable BBQ's ffs! a fire risk too.
I'm venting my spleen and I wish I had the answer !
I honestly think it gone too far, the point of no return and it saddens me no end, that our once beautiful country is fast becoming a island rubbish tip.
That's even before we talk about fly tipping by organised criminal gangs.
Of course there is still beautiful clean(ish) areas, but if the rubbish isn't cleared if becomes the norm. and people give up!
I used to clean my local area,still do a bit, but I know it's a battle I can't win...

If you are watching the Winter Olympics, you may have noticed that the area around the events has no snow. The vast majority of the snow you see at the Olympics is man-made.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWGI0bsmfDA

The fox is said to be ‘settling in well’ after mischievous 3,400 mile journey from Southampton to New York.

A sly fox slipped on to a cargo ship and travelled from Southampton to New York, according to officials at Bronx Zoo.

The zoo, which is looking after the animal, said it appears healthy after early examinations.
It is unclear how the male red fox boarded the ship, which had been transporting cars, to make the 3,400 mile journey to the east coast of the US.

It left Southampton, Hampshire, on 4 February, and the vessel docked at the Port of New York and New Jersey on 18 February.
Diane J Sabatino, executive assistant commissioner at the US Customs and Border Protection Department, wrote on X that port officers had found the “sly stowaway”, and agriculture specialists had coordinated with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service and New Jersey Fish and Wildlife to find the fox a new home at Bronx Zoo.

Officials brought the fox to the zoo the next day. He is estimated to be two years old and weighs 5kg (11lbs).
Keith Lovett, the zoo’s director of animal programmes, said: “He seems to be settling in well. It’s gone through a lot.”

A long-term home for the mammal will be found after he undergoes additional health checks.
The omnivore has a diet of produce, proteins and some biscuit-like items at the zoo’s veterinary centre.

The species, formally named Vulpes vulpes, is widespread in Europe, Asia, North America and parts of Africa.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/mar/11/stowaway-fox-travels-on-cargo-ship-from-england-to-us

Caught out using old footage of Trump when he was present at the return of fallen soldiers.
https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/conflict/fox-news-apologises-for-hatless-donald-trump-video-c-21880229

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNRuanxDE/

If you have a Costco card and travel anywhere near a Costco Warehouse which sells petrol, the cost today at the Reading Warehouse was £128.9 per litre of e10.

Luckily my journey meant that I was passing through M4 Jct 11, so pulled in to fill up, there was quite a queue though.

I wasn't panic buying, I only had 41 miles left in the tank when I turned off the motorway.

If you are in the SuperFunGuy's Quizzes loop, you will probably have seen a couple of questions regarding distances across the world, but are you aware that the distances can change?

When I first joined British Airways, the distance from Heathrow to JFK New York was 3,456 miles a really simple number to remember, even for me.

At that time the runway numbers were designated as 10 and 28. Meaning that Heading east you would take off on a runway heading of 100 degrees (10).
Taking off to the west you would be heading at 280 degrees(28).

Then, one day, the runways were re-designated to 09 and 27. Nobody had dug them up and re-laid them, it was a purely natural phenomena.

Thousands of feet below the earth's crust is a a mass of molten iron sloshing around.
Compasses point to magnetic north to be able to work. They detect where the greatest mass of iron is and point there. Of course molten iron is mobile, which also means magnetic north is not stationary.

This phenomena has various names, magnetic drift, polar drift, polar wandering are a few, but they and others, all mean the same thing.

Aeroplanes have to rely on compasses to be able arrive at the correct spot on the globe, therefore, they have to be calibrated regularly.

~ Importance of Aircraft Compass Calibration
Calibration of an aircraft compass is crucial for accurate navigation. It ensures that the compass aligns with true magnetic north, eliminating errors caused by magnetic interference from onboard systems. Regular calibration is essential for compliance with aviation standards and safe flight operations.

~ Compass Calibration Process
Steps for Calibration
• Preparation: Ensure the aircraft is in an open area away from metallic objects that could interfere with the compass.
• Compass Swing:
• Align the aircraft to known headings: North, South, East, and West.
• Record the indicated heading and note any deviation errors.
• Use the following formulas to calculate corrections:
• North/South Correction = ½ [N error - S error]
• East/West Correction = ½ [W error - E error]
• Adjustment: Make necessary adjustments using deviation cards or adjustment screws based on the recorded errors.

~ Tools and Equipment
• Calibration Devices: Use specialized compass calibration equipment for precise adjustments.
• Reference Compass: A sight compass can be used to compare readings during the calibration process.

~ Frequency of Calibration
Calibration should be performed:
• After any maintenance affecting the compass system.
• When operating in a new geographic area that may impact magnetic alignment.
• At intervals recommended by the aircraft manufacturer.

Regular calibration helps maintain the accuracy and reliability of the aircraft's navigation systems, ensuring safe and efficient flight operations.

Getting back to the Heathrow to JFK journey mentioned above, with the new runway designations came a new calculated distance of 3,451 miles. Overnight it became a shorter journey, however, there was no reduction in ticket price!

Driverless cars will be in London this year.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002r9c1

...The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry on Channel 4 last night?

An interesting, moving and very watchable film.

Worth watching on catch up if you can.

Yesterday my friend popped in, she had had a bad week and was in despair of the way the hospital in Chertsey is being run. Apart from people jumping the exceedingly long queues by paying privately for a consultation, then telling the consultant that they can’t afford private treatment so the consultant tells my friend to put this patient to the top of the list. My friend has been in tears as a 9 year old with cancer isn’t getting treatment and keeps being overlooked. The nine year old now wants to die as does a 14 year old pregnant girl. So the hospital decided to put on clinics at the weekends. My friend was thrilled as there are thousands on the waiting list, but no they’re going to take new patients as it looks better on their government waiting list chart! Many of her colleagues are so unhappy that they have decided to leave as figures are being massaged to look as if things are improving when they’re not.