You couldn't make it up!

I have just been reading last nights Express and Star and came across an article that Butlin's have banned 'bumping' on the Dodgem car rides at their sites. A you can imagine it is the result of fears about people suffering whiplash or other injury and suing Butlin's.
I suspect it will not be long before this spreads to other fairgrounds - what a load of wimps we are becoming. The dodgems will never be the same and it will prevent me venting my pent up anger at the appalling state of driving on our roads - but don't start me on that one.

It's a fair cop!

I have noted with interest the stories over the last few days about the reduction in police officers that we can expect as the recession continues to bite. It is I believe a sad fact of life that they are just some of many who will be part of cutbacks and reductions but at what cost?
It is true to say that many organisations are expecting workers to do more with less as workforces dwindle through all sorts of reasons and then wonder why when stress levels go up and people start being off work with stress related illness. Perhaps the reductions in staff are a sort of false economy when this happens.
It seems to me that there is little hope for those people who are seeking work when all we seem to hear is job cuts - perhaps a radical solution needs to be found to address some of the issues of unemployment - how about working a three day week and having a four day weekend - sounds good to me!

Incredible blog!

Thanks to Brownhills Bob for posting about a brave young man who has been diagnosed with a brain tumour.
I read this and was amazed by the story and look forward to reading further updates in the next few days.
You can read the story here.

New site for Hill Top School

I was checking out the old West Bromwich photo's site and came across a comment from Hill Top Kid about a new site for pupils and teachers of Hill Top Secondary Modern School and Hill Top High School in West Bromwich.
As a former pupil I thought it would be good to check this out and have put a link to it on my site. I have also added a link to the West Bromwich photo's site as people reading this blog might be interested in checking them both out.

Bad Weather or Bad Drivers?

I have been appalled the past couple of days at the absolutely abysmal level of driving ability I have witnessed on out roads. I suppose too I would have to say there has been a great deal of stupidity.
Here are some of the things I have seen:-

People who have only cleared a small area on their front windscreen - how can you see to drive if your side windows are covered in snow and ice? Isn't this dangerous driving or at the very least driving without due care?

People who do not clear the snow from their lights - what is the point of having them on if no one can see them because they are covered with snow?

People who are frightened of driving in the snow and as a consequence drive at around two miles an hour - this is partly responsible for some of the hold ups, especially on roads that have been well gritted and are reasonably normal, and  could lead other drivers to take risks overtaking them out of sheer frustration.

People who get stuck and then stick the car in first gear and hit the accelerator pedal causing their wheels to spin - second gear and low revs is far better, remember the tortoise and the hare (slow and steady wins the race).

People walking in the road to avoid falling on footpaths - what happens if a car hits a patch of ice and loses control? I would rather risk falling on the footpath than being hit by a car!!

People walking in the road and pushing babies in buggies - words fail me.

What a Payne!

Image via Wikipedia

I have just been out looking for Fagin and Bill Sykes and Bullseye after reading the latest letter in the Express and Star from Ian Payne. I do wonder does he live in  a different world to me?
While it may be that Walsall is not perfect it is not the terrible place that Ian Payne would have us believe in his latest letter to the local press. He writes almost as if Walsall matched the London of Oliver Twist with all it warts and associated bad things.
If he thinks the place is so bad he could always depart for that wonderful place called Lichfield that he seems to think is far better or he could of course go even further where he would be out of range of our local papers.

Rag and bone men

Image via Wikipedia

I was quite pleased to read in last nights Express and Star that there have been calls for action against what must surely be a modern day plague - yes you have it the local scrap man. I think that some day we either get the same on four times or four different ones and they also come round on a Sunday.

I have to be honest I did say to someone the other day that I would like to go outside and stick the rag man's trumpet somewhere so that it couldn't be played.

I do wonder sometimes where all the scrap comes from - I've never seen an empty scrap lorry!