@bullstuff2
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I was one of those sent to N.I. in ’69 when the Troubles kicked – off. Then, as now, there were never enough troops: more than now, but the Armed Forces had more on their tactical plate then. As a result, being Para trained, I was part of an unruly mob of Service Arms that stood with infantry, artillery, REME, Signals and RE’s to keep the Prods and Kaffliks apart. Before we went, they gave us some very useful stuff and some absolutely ridiculous stuff. The useful stuff was Aikido training with sticks and batons. However, they stopped us doing that when the N.I. hospital wards became crammed with broken bones: basic Aikido (and it was very basic) means attacking areas of the body where bones or joints are near the surface. Skulls, collarbones, shoulder joints, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, ankles and down onto feet arches and toes if they are daft enough to participate in a riot wearing sandals or flip flops. (Believe me, some did.)
It was effective and it broke up riots, but when they stopped it, the ridiculous stuff came in. What the public call “rubber bullets” – actually large plastic baton rounds, fired from a one-shot weapon like a big, short shotgun. Strikes to the torso caused some deaths and serious injury to internal organs, which was what the use of baton rounds were supposed to prevent! We were told to fire at the floor close to the leading rioters. This added ridiculousness led to even more serious injury, as the baton rounds came up from underneath bodies and struck certain soft parts. It was realised back in the early 70’s that this was an undeclared war we could not win, so we were back to rifles: high velocity 7.62mm SLR’s, a round from which could possibly travel 9 miles and go through a one-course brick wall. Just what you need in a dense urban area!
Back to the Aikido: I learned a few years ago how useful my alloy elbow crutch can be in a threatening situation. “Old disabled man with stick” became ‘”That old B*****d has broken my arm!” It stopped my attacker dead when I rammed it into his abdomen, then brought it down on his elbow joint. I had to buy a new stick afterwards, but it was worth it. The officers called by a passerby could not hide their amusement.
At the time, I was skint, awaiting DLA and Incapacity tribunal decision. I had a fiver in my wallet, no cards and a few coins in my pocket, but I would not have given the scumbag a bent 1p piece. I will always stand up to scum: if we all did, they would be history.
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I'm out.I once thought that this country needed a party of the Centre, that would end all the ‘Left you Right me’ krap. Then B.Liar gave us new Labour, his eventual departure leading to Broon. The two of them completely f*****d up the country’s economy and left us with a national debt that has no chance of being significantly reduced this side of 2050.
Now I think the problem is just sheer incompetence by most politicians of either flag colour. I hate to think what Corbyn’s “Back To 1947 Plan” would do to the UK (or whatever is left of the UK if he ever leads a Labour government). But TM is just awful: totally incompetent, has absolutely no clue what to do apart from slagging off everyone who opposes her. U-turns are her speciality it seems, beginning with the way she became a fervent Brexiteer, after being such a Remainer champion. Anyone following her rise to PM, cannot fail to notice a distinct lack of competence, good judgement and workable ideas. The only remotely efficient Tory is David Davis, who has said many times that he does not want the job. Ken clarke is on his bike after the next election. The only two names I can think of as a replacement for TM, are Sir Alan Duncan and Michael Fabricant. Anyone else any ideas? Someone has to pull her chestnuts out of the fire.
What we needed , especially at the time we are about to negotiate selling the British people a false dream of patriotic nonsense, was a majority government and a good, working opposition. What we got was the latter, without the former. A mess.
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I'm out.Not strange when you think about the size of the USA Steve, and the distances they travel. Yanks have always been keen on labour saving, they love “set and forget”.
I was always against an auto box, but when my spinal problems killed 40% of and nerve conductance left leg function, I have not had a “clutch foot” since 1995. Nowadays, if some miracle gave me back working spinal nerves and a good left leg, I would still drive an auto. (My left leg is not even good for standing on, it just dies and crumples, which is why I have the elbow crutch.) I think it takes a lot of the hassle out of driving. The Tucson also has a 7 speed box.
Today I had a weird noise from the lower dash, behind the fan controls. It sounded like a demented, very loud blackbird doing its nut inside the dash. I thought it could have been a fan bearing on its way out, so switched off the fan and it stopped. Phoned Read Hyundai when I came home, got to call again Monday morning. After cleaning out the interior, I was too knackered to wash it, so went to the carwash, on my own. Took a diversion returning home and switched on the fan again, travelled about a 20 mile round trip. Squealing stopped. Now SWMBO has just had a new fancy digital hearing aid, and was in the car when it was screeching. I am wondering about that.
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I'm out.Dave your words about the involvement of young people are spot on. My eldest 3 grandkids all voted, for the first time. Separately, last week they came to me for advice. I told them to think about what all the various parties said, then think about what their local candidates say. Then write it down or replay it and try to imagine what it means for YOU, a few years down the line. But don’t tell me how you voted, that’s between you and the ballot box. Each of them agonised and thought hard about it and each voted.
A lot of my generation seem to not consider young people as adults, even after reaching 18. I know a minority of younger people are muppets, but IMO a larger percentage of people in my age bracket should be working with Kermit and Fozzie Bear. I like talking to my grandbrats and their mates, they make a great deal more sense more often than some of my contemporaries. I value the fact that they listen to me, I value their opinions and I hope they realise that, but I will never try to influence what they think, believe or say.
(Most of) The Kids Are Allright, as The Who had it.
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I'm out.This is a shock to a lad who grew up 4 miles from Mansfield:
Father of The House and Nottingham MP Ken Clarke has it summed up – He said it has been the “most remarkable” general election and confident predictions in politics “can no longer be made“. He just scraped through himself and has no love whatsoever for TM.
The other side of the coin, is that before 1997 and B.Liar, my old constituency of Newark & Sherwood had returned a Tory for years. He was a wealthy Newark farmer and never visited the West of his manor: after all, we were all coalfield plebs. He was annihilated by Paddy Tipping, who served two terms then, due to his hard working service, had a heart attack. Recovered and is now Nottinghamshire Police Commissioner.
It’s an uncertain political world now. What price another election next year, after expectations encouraging new political allies, are not met?
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I'm out.If you go for any of the fancy pants options, like lane assist, test drive a car with it. One of my mates had a Audi with lane assist and it drove him mental. Lucky for him it was a ‘bridge’ car, in between his old company car and the new one.
I have that on the Tucson. Used it once, switched it off. Also have “Hill Descent”, which drops the speed down to 5mph if you switch it on for a steep downwards incline. Again, used once, switched off. I can always drop a couple of cogs on the auto box. Pointless. Good thing about the Tucson is that all the daft gadgets can be switched off. But I am getting used to the Stop-Start now and I like it. If I don’t want it, I just slide into Neutral and the engine carries on running. Stopping on a downward incline means it does not work, the message “Stop Start (or similar) conditions not met” comes up. Good thing for the auto box too.
I don’t miss the Turbo that the C-Max had, the Tucson CRDi engine is poky enough for me and it’s a smooth drive.
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I'm out.Steve I have a light feature on the Tucson which lights up the side of a bend: when driving around a RH bend in the dark, they automatically light up the RH side of the bend: same when driving around the LH side of a bend – LH side lights up. I was told about this by the Dealer rep, but forgot. First time out it was a surprise, first bend was a RH one. Waited until the next LH bend and SWMBO says, “Someone shining a light at us!” Kept my face straight until next LH bend: “There it goes again!” Had to laugh and explain, got the Silent Treatment for the next few miles. ?? But it is a useful feature around here, tight country lanes and high hedges. The light doesn’t follow the bend, it just comes on at 90º to the car and lights up the whole side with a spread of light.
Being a bit higher than most cars, the lights carry a good way, so I tend to leave a gap of about 4 cars between ours and lower cars. Two nights ago, returning late with Gdaughter and a pillock in a clapped-out old Escort decided to tailgate me, flashing to overtake on a bendy road. I let him go then followed him at a good distance down a long straight, with main beam and driving lights on. He was flogging that poor little Escort to death, I just stayed the same distance, about 4 cars, lit up like a Blackpool tram in September. Eventually he turned off. Granddaughter – “Granddad you’re as daft as my mum!” – “Where do you think she gets it from?” I said.
Cars getting fatter, I know what you mean. The new Ka is the size of an old Fiesta, Fiesta now as big as an old Focus, new Focus almost as big as the original Mondeo. The Mondeo is a lovely motor, but I cannot get in and out of them, they are just too low.
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I'm out.PM my gdaughter has a used ’55 Picanto with the 1.0 Ltr engine for over a year. Very tiny boot, but she travels miles in it and travels to work every day in it. She’s a big girl and so is her BF and best mate, but she loves it and it gets her around well.
If you are looking at that kind of size, take a look at a Hyundai i10 as well. When looking for a new Motablity car, I had a drive in the iX 20, which is high seating, a mini MPV I guess. It drove well an was quite nippy, considering the one I drove was an auto.
Looks like the Premium SE might meet your requirements: 1.2 Ltr. https://tinyurl.com/y7uh2ach
Then there’s the i20, which is the ordinary (non-MPV) version of the iX 20 I drove: https://tinyurl.com/ycbuyzcb
I do recommend Hyundai dealerships if they are all like the Grimsby one: in 22 years of Motability cars, it’s the best dealer experience I had.
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I'm out.Kia give 7 years warranty and Hyundai 5. Check of the small print in both, there are exclusions. Can’t remember exactly what they are, but mostly paint, bodywork & floorpan I think. The warranties are transferrable to a new customer, who has to register on the Hyundai/Kia site. The reason for a long body warranty is that they use their own steel, produced from Australian ore in their own blast furnaces. No recycled steel. the Aussies supply most of Asia with steel and coal.
First Hyundai I worked on was a Stellar. Misubishi engine: floor/chassis/suspension was all Cortina Mk IV, even to sharing suspension components. I ordered void bushes for it as Cortina pattern, which were cheaper than the factory Hyundai parts. They have come along way since then. I road tested that car and was surprised by the comprehensive instruments, accessories and features. Air con!? In a family saloon! ? Another lesson for British manufacturers of that time, not learned.
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I'm out.Not had a problem here, but we are in one of the dryest parts of the UK, counting annual rainfall. When it does rain though, we can get absolute torrential downpours, being close to the North Sea and surrounded by rivers.
I am currently carrying out speedtests daily: after I have enough, I am going to ask Sky where my missing 3Mbps download went. From up to 20/5/17:
And after that date:
Always stable before and after, but just suddenly dropped around 3Mbps. I have accused them of throttling my speeds.
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I'm out.Well they’re still not giving any sort of plausible answers. The STORY coming out now from Willie Walsh is full of contradictions and inconsistencies – but we have been promised an investigation.
I wonder about the personnel making up the investigatory body. Probably depends upon who sees the Queen tomorrow….
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I'm out.Like Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941: it’s all Zero’s here.
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I'm out.I don’t know the answer to that, Lee. I just logged in to my PP account and set up the payment fresh again, using the red button to start. But I never thought of just reinstating it, it’s so quick and easy to set up if you already have an account.
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I'm out.Window dressing. The bigger and more successful an organisation gets nowadays, the greater its need to hire someone to dress it all up in fancy new clothes.
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I'm out.I do not blame the Met for failures I blame May’s ill-thought strategy and her unsafe handling.
TM’s idea of crime and criminals is a hazy, nostalgic picture of a masked man in a striped jersey with a large bag marked “Swag” over his shoulder. Unfortunately the nostalgia does not cover the number of police officers during those days….
And this is a pithy, accurate assessment: ‘”You need cops. You can’t throw laptops at crowds.” I also like that.
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I'm out.Reinstated mine @ £3.50/month, to start immediately. Now it’s a matter of choice, given that some were opposed to the idea.
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I'm out.May Dave In The Shed and Anonymous have Blessings heaped upon his head!
Sorry!
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I'm out.I look back to my own time in the Middle East and conversations with native peoples there. I recall the consensus of opinion that we (“The West”, but particualarly Brits) were regarded as weak for showing mercy when taking prisoners and generally dealing with those we met in a humane manner. I believe that conception of our values, has increased exponentially as we have been more and more bound by political correctness and the growth of liberal feeling from certain organisations in this country. In short, the “do-gooders” are letting us down and tying down the arms of those who wish to protect us.
I initially felt that Teresa May could have been the PM we needed, but after several more U-turns than even Cameron contemplated, I cannot vote for her and I certainly cannot vote for our local MP, who has proved to be a pale shadow of Sir Peter Tapsell, the Traditional Independent Tory * MP. The rememberance of how TM emasculated the Police Service as Home Secretary, has reinforced my opinion. On that note, Dwynne: what she did to the Police Service, is no more than what was done by successive governments of all flavours, to our Armed Forces. Added to which, those Armed Forces have been sent to take action in wars which cannot be won, on falsely-created reasons, thus creating many more enemies. Bombing the carp out of people does not win Hearts and Minds.
* He was given that description by a local constituent at his Surgery in my hearing. His answer was “Does that make me a TIT?”
Cue LOLz from several constituents, including myself. Sir Peter was and is a real character, they do not exist in Westminster anymore.
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I'm out.The Humber bridge is a possible potential target for the radicals, but I was encouraged by reactions of the police and emergency services last week:
We drive over the bridge several times a year.
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I'm out.Robbie is a Williams, same name as myself and we are related through my dad and his granddad. He has to be one of us: daft as a brush, never know what he is going to say next, but always means well. His mum comes from the same town in the Potteries (Tunstall) as my mum.
When my lovely MIL was 93 and slowly dying from a succession of strokes in a Nottinghamshire NHS clinic, my eldest niece was Staff Nurse in charge of the ward she was in. I phoned my niece and told her we were coming over to see MIL. I was greeted by a bevy of people – nurses, porters, cleaning staff. My niece (bless her) had told them that she was related to Robbie and he was coming over to see MIL.
“There you are – Robbie Williams!” The disappointment on every face! Incidentally, the family call him Rob.
Obviously, my niece has the same daft Williams sense of humour and she has 4 sisters and a brother who all share it. When they are all together for a “do” the place is in uproar.
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