Made a donation to Amnesty International instead of sending Xmas cards.

This means I have to phone / contact everybody who sent me cards, to prove I'm still about, and it's a great opportunity to refresh life-long friendships.

The situation is ridiculous! Cats in need of help everywhere. Worse by the day with the compliments of irresponsible owners.
All my time and money and space taken by rescued cats. Sadly i can only help a very small fraction. First Xmas season without time to pop in for a drink when offered. No time for myself whatsoever. Long Covid still not helping my efforts.
Suitable homes are rare. Suitable fosterers are rare.
Thank you so very much to those of you who kindly help sending donations either via Suzy P or directly to me. Every £ helps. At present i feed at least 100 cats regularly distributing food to several garden and street feeders. Rarely one day without being notified of new ones to help at other locations. Wet food very much needed.
May 2024 bring you all much good luck and peace !!!

Post on Facebook this morning saying 72 laughing gas cannisters were collected from local park - and it's a nice park, gates either end and a little wood in-between but easy access from woods at the rear. I thought these were banned.

https://news.sky.com/story/japan-earthquake-latest-major-tsunami-warning-after-quakes-as-local-residents-ordered-to-evacuate-13040241

https://amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/dec/31/cornwall-new-anti-gridlock-road-dual-carriageway-trees-a30

Click on

https://amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/dec/27/british-born-man-who-has-never-left-uk-faces-deportation

It seems unfair but we don’t need drug dealing people carrying dangerous weapons. Maybe Portugal won’t want him either!

What’s your experience? Have the police solved a crime for you in the last five years, or have they fallen short? It’s a very worrying trend

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/12/28/over-half-police-forces-failing-properly-investigate-crime/#:~:text=More%20than%20half%20of%20police,the%20two%20worst%20performance%20ratings.

Is it under staffing, bad recruitment/training, laziness or is it that there is such a rise in crime (particularly online) that is overwhelming.

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/complaints/online-services-sites-apps/sites-and-apps/safety-measures

Has anyone ever used Ofcom for a complaint about an online forum? That is maybe not doing its duty in protecting data or safety!
Or allowing racist, sexist, homophobic comments or harrassment and bullying?

Every year we complain when we hear of those who get awards when we cannot understand why, especially when they appear to be ‘just someone famous’ so it’s good to be told about ‘ordinary’ people getting awards

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-67796155.amp

https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/regional-news/m5-e-scooter-rider-charged-9003715

According to the MP

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/dec/29/tory-mp-james-daly-struggling-children-bury-north-crap-parents

Two links about it, the first depressing, the other not: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-67272152
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-67703848

Without a doubt in my mind, unintentionally watch it every year - Mr. Tom - I never look for it, just suddenly appears, think I won't bother then I do, brings tears to my eyes every time!

If you’ve got it, don’t eat it https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/28/e-coli-caught-at-christmas-market-leaves-17-year-old-in-intensive-care

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-67835079.amp

The BBC reported that panic was caused online and Spec Savers immediately offered free eye tests for local people 😂

And there’s more to come

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-67830063

Hi

On Sunday 12th May 2024 I'll be taking part in the Marsden March - A fifteen mile sponsored walk from near the Marsden Hospital in Chelsea to the other Marsden Hospital in Sutton, passing through Putney, Wimbledon Common, Raynes Park, Stonecot Hill, North Cheam, Cheam and Belmont.

The aim is to raise money for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity

I've lost a lot of friends and family to various forms of cancer and the Marsden cured the cancer of a good friend, so I'd like to raise as much money as I can.

The Royal 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.

The website of the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity gives a lot of detail about the March at
https://www.royalmarsden.org/support-us/banham-marsden-march

If anybody would like to contribute my fundraising page can be found at:

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

Every donation helps to make a difference, so please support me however you can.

I'll be starting at around 9am and I'm aiming for a time of four and a half hours or better, which I think is a reasonable time as I'm 63.

Thanks in advance.

Cheers.

Tony

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/dec/27/uk-weather-christmas-travellers-warned-of-storm-gerrit-hazards

A press item on Labours plan to impose VAT @ 20% on Independent/Private schools and made me reach for my calculator.
A little research soon supplied some numbers to crunch and although they vary slightly depending on the source, the order of magnitude remains similar. The facts are very interesting as the following shows.
In the UK there are2600 independent schools and they charge an average of £16,000pa per pupil and they educate 615,000 children which creates a market of £9.84billion. If VAT@ 20% is impose this will raise £1.968billion in revenue for HMRC. This is fine provided there are no repercussions from this action, which is improbable, since it is bound to force some parents to forego the private sector and revert to State funded education thus reducing the VAT while increasing the cost to the State. Additionally the existing school infrastructure would have to find new places for these pupils as well as teachers to teach them.
Let us now speculate upon the possible effects of this action. According to gov.uk figures (2021/2) the State spends £1,485’s per capita pa.so if we hypothesize that 10% of private pupils are forced from private to state education, then the loss of VAT would be£1.968million and the additional places required would 61,500. Further, if the exodus were to rise to 20% then the reduction in VAT become £393.6million and the required places to 122,000. We have members with teaching experience whose comments on the feasibility of this possible result would be welcome.
The Shadow Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, say that independent schools will not need to raise their fees as they could absorb the VAT by cutting costs, so let us examine the feasibility of her ideas. For simplicity let us treat the market as if it were one big school whose fees are £9.0billion, which at 20% would raise £1.8billion of VAT. Now if fees are not to be raised then the invoice value has to be reduced to £7.5billion. Now if the POR is say 30% ( reasonable) then the operating cost, including net profit must be £4.5billion or a reduction of 25%.
Seriously is this woman so stupid as to believe that any industry could survive with an inbuilt wastage factor of 25%? However the industry could make some cuts quite easily by withdrawing the £1.2billion that it gives in assisted fees and its involvement in partnerships with State Schools.
Surely anyone with half a brain would question the wisdom of such a cockamamie proposal but instead the electorate is allowing itself to be led around, by politicians, like sheep to the slaughter because they are failing to ask the question “what if” and do a few simple calculations to evaluate what they are being asked to vote for.
WE GET WHAT WE DESERVE, BY OUR INDOLENCE.

The last service from BG was on 11th November, have been checking regularly to make another but 'we will contact you'. I've just tried again this morning (no email from them, just me checking) and the earliest I can book is 19th February, three months after the last one. They have definitely lost me for next year.

The first headline is bad enough - the subhead is WTF?! https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/27/chinese-chess-champion-stripped-of-title-after-defecating-in-hotel-bathtub

Now we are seeing the true numbers of people who fall in rivers each year

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-67822180

Although Old News for some the BBC are featuring the marvellous fundraising challenge Graeme and a team of swimmers completed earlier this year to raise money for the charity DEBRA, after Graeme met a little girl called Isla who has ‘butterfly skin’

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-67238822.amp

Recycling sweet containers for MacMillan

Get those empty containers along to a collection point or Greene King

http://www.tub2pub.co.uk/tub2pub/

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGeFbXxNX/

(The contents of this post has been removed by its author)

Happy Christmas to everyone !!!

Let me out

https://youtube.com/shorts/V2PA-qWzyrc?si=LuFAHFhS2UU5Z_Ug

A bit larger than shoeboxes and giving so much joy. I wonder how many children in this country would be as pleased with something like this.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGeFMN6bV/

This has taken place officially for over 120 years and takes place on the 23rd December in Mexico.

It’s a long video so if you just want to look at the sculptures watch minutes 7-10

https://youtu.be/sUlAPHXzaH4?si=c55KfkFVGuoj3Oa2

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-london-64177466

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-europe-67781302

Mary Earps wins BBC Sport ‘Personality’ of the year and Mr Morgan doesn’t think it’s fair 😢!!
What do you think 🤔

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-12883519/Piers-Morgan-leads-complaints-Mary-Earps-wins-BBC-Sport-Personality-Year-award-fans-question-Lionesses-goalkeeper-claimed-prize-didnt-win-England.html

The ‘new’ 50p coin left people in a spin

Seems crazy looking back 😂

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGeFhf85u/

Who can supply the best caption to the picture ????

Anyone can thumbs up an entry so you'll be the judges!

A Brazilian Butt Lift, commonly known as BBL, is a cosmetic surgical procedure that involves the transfer of fat from other parts of the body to the buttocks.

Just seen an interview on TV of a big lipped doll complaining when something goes wrong. They go for cheeper options and when infection sets in keep whining about it.

Big problem -- the NHS -- than has to pick up the bill preventing someone with real health problems to get treatment.

Has it not occurred to our politicians to state that certain treatment needs a “private” insurance to give the go-ahead after the debacle with breast implants? Excluding cancer patients or other illnesses.

Paradise Lost
Catch 22
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Jude The Obscure
Brave New World
East of Eden

click on

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-67793962.amp

New bug. I have had a stream of notifications asking me to approve posts on Anything! Has anyone else had this?

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12855877/amp/Daughter-missing-mother-help-police-river-Norwich-search.html

Someone buy the government a road 🗺️ map

https://news.sky.com/story/government-sparks-anger-and-ridicule-with-multi-million-network-north-road-project-for-london-13034791

Some people’s greed and lack of morals really is gobsmacking - but how/why were they allowed to get away with it? https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/dec/19/ppe-lady-michelle-mone-covid-equipment-doug-barrowman

Health and safety gone mad. How many times has a headstone suddenly fallen and landed on someone causing injury?

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/heartbroken-families-brand-heaton-cemetery-28296092

The man that took the airline to court about his missing luggage lost his case!

If you can. Please consider making a donation to this appeal for Ralph who needs to go to America for the chance of this operation

His parents have been on tv this morning to ask for help after their family and friends have been trying to raise the money on their own.

https://gofund.me/7231eaa3