Lionel

Yes, Julie, they are complicit in their own downfall. I've said below, if they isolate the 50+ age group again we'll have a new government by year end. Just who we'll choose from the rabble on offer I can't imagine.

Just take good care of yourself and come back as soon as you can.

I'm saddened to hear you've been unwell. I trust you are recovering well and will soon be up and running again. Look forward to reading your comments, they're always interesting.

Oh no. I spend quite enough time in front of the TV just watching a news programme or documentary. There's a pressing need to get things done in the garden, around the house. Having said that I can quite understand people like my wife, who is permanently incapacitated, making full use of her recliner and watching TV. It's just doesn't do much for me.

Behind every good lockdown lies a tale or two. How about this one ... According to the lastest ONS stats, Covid19 lockdown has cost the UK a 24.5% hole in GDP. That’s about £550 billion. The DWP itself estimated in June this year that the cost of keeping the State’s original promise of pensions for 50's born women would be £215 billion…..which is over a period of twenty years – not four months. So this government has spent 122 times more money per day funding lockdown than it would have done rescuing 3.5 million women a prior government betrayed and consigned to poverty. Or this ... This £550 billion is approaching our total debt for WW2. By the time accounting is completed for COVID expenditure it could well exceed that figure. Our war debt took 50 years to pay off. Our children, grandchildren and our great-grandchildren will be saddled with repayments. We're looking to the return to living conditions of the early fifties, and many of us remember them. What has either tale achieved in real terms? Lockdown was breached or shattered so many times that we have a return of the same virus now attacking those areas that dealt badly with the first wave. We have a second wave of the first virus, not a more virulent and fatal strain as expected. That may yet come. I expect it. There are tales ... but not for now. We have long term unemployment slated at around 8 million. People not paying taxes or National Insurance, not generating wealth but drawing heavily on the benefits system. More national debt. The Allies beat the multi-headed serpent that was the Nazis. What have we beaten by our personal sacrifices? What has been achieved in factual terms when so many took State money and breached lockdown so readily and so often? Not a lot. Lock up the over the fifties again? It's the governemnt's easy option. Do that and there will be a different government in Westminster by Christmas.

No. Sadly, going out for a meal is no longer an option for us. We grow as much as we can, mostly I cook and we both enjoy it in our present hermit-like existence.

That's a mighty fine dog you have.

I agree with you. She's set a fine example for us all. The pity of it is that the race issue has been hijacked for political and subversive purposes and, thanks to our media, blown out of all context.

Well said. I was beginning to feel lonely around here.

Hello Jeanmark. May I ask what is your opinion of the corona virus vaccine which was developed in Oxford? On the one hand, I read so many times it requires about 5 to 15 years to develop and test a vaccine and yet, on the other hand, our Oxford chaps have done it in months! How is this possible? Should we trust their vaccine?

Well Cara, from a lifetime of dog keeping, breeding and working dogs (Collies) it seems to me you've been had! Beyond that I can't help except to say in these latest cross breeds it's difficult to know how each dog will turn out - it's the great unkown.

I'm sure a sound economic case may be made for electronic books but in terms of personal preference we have paper books. I cannot make the case for changing the habit of a life time.

Absolutely not! Online for some things like books is fine because we live in a remote spot, but little else. My wife cannot easily travel these days so she tried online shoe shopping. An unmitigated disaster, especially as some online retailers refuse returns. As for food, well, we'll choose our own from the shops of our choice. Come the time we are severely incapacitated then online food shopping will be a necessary evil. We're firmly against this crazy drive to kill off the high street retailers and by standing up and shouting 'NO!' by our shopping choices we are some of very many people who are protesting against this government interference.

Surely, the question must be, will it be as effective as claimed? I believe people's hopes have been raised far too high by irresponsible and inaccurate journalism. It's not unusual! According to a Smithsonian Institution documentary, re-broadcast on Sunday evening, the Spanish 'Flu epidemic of 1918 - 1920 came in at least two waves. The second wave was many times more virulent than the first, killing vastly more people. Actually, inadequate record keeping doesn't permit much in depth analysis of that epidemic. If that is the case with COVID 19 this vaccine won't offer much protection against a second wave. Several informed opinions I've read online would suggest this is the case. However, the vaccine will offer some protection against residual first wave COVID 19 infections over the next few years. It seems to me the best protection we have in the event of a devastating second wave is to get in stocks of everything while we can and shut out the world. Food processing plants and farms are being shut down across the whole of Europe at a rate of knots so chunks of our staple diet in winter will no longer be available, or extremely high priced. Buy while you can.

Well done, good and faithful servant. A true Brit, self effacing and proud officer. Sir, you are an example to us all.

Extreme Left or extreme Right? What's the difference? These two extremes are the meeting point on the political circle. The next depression will be but one element of a very different order. We must consider looming famine caused by locust swarms and industrialised agriculture. Drinking water shortages in the western world caused by over population and pollution. Mass sickness of many kinds, untreatable because of antibiotic resistance and the power offered corporates by drug pricing and supply ... I could go on. Any coming depression will seem luxurious when this can of worms is opened. I can only ask you to believe I'm an optimist and not at all pessimistic. Youtube? No, not for me. Good for a little nostalgia now and then but little else of any consequence.

In 1936 a new phrase entered every day English. That year the Spanish Civil War was climaxing. A Spanish general was besieging a city when another general asked him about his tactics. 'I have four columns attacking the city,' the first general said, 'from the north, south, east and west. But it's my fifth column I expect to take the city for me. Where is your fifth column, the other general asked? 'Inside the city.' And so it is with we Brits. We will not be defeated from outside, no. But a fifth column operating inside and we're without hope. Today we have so many fifth columns the nation doesn't stand a chance unless ... The Spanish Civil War was a Right Wing Revolution. Is our time coming? I wonder! We're being warned post-Covid there will be a depression greater than seen before. Depression is the seed bed of revolution. Both Germany and Spain post WW1 attest to that. I'm not forecasting anything, just observing the present through the lens of the past.

There's no doubt our day to day use of English has been curbed. Yes, we have the 'snowflake' generation (poor things), and their highly missable childish tantrums. But of more significance are the louder voices but smaller minorities. I don't believe anything we see and hear from BLM, Gay Rights or any other vocal minority is as important as the underlying fact these minorities are being manipulated by secretive anarchic groups. Their purpose is to sunder the foundations of what otherwise is a very stable population. Aren't we Brits known for being unshakeable? Known for being stoics? Yet we've been intimidated into living in fear of offending a minority. The next step is manipulation; so easily persuaded to act against our better judgement. The final step is domination. That's where we are now, living in fear. We're no longer a stable people facing adversity or crisis with the 'British `Bulldog,' attitude. No, we now cower and whimper. Brits are frightened of their own shadow these days. We're dominated by a faceless enemy. The objective? To make Britain a banana republic. We're nearly there folks unless, of course, you think otherwise.

Yep!

Come on Yodama, this one's for you!

Alcohol and I parted company about three years ago and I was never a pub person anyway. The last visit to a pub was more than twenty years ago.

Cowboy films? Just wait for all the re-runs at Christmas. High Noon was a Christmas day staple for donkey's years.

I've got problems with government credibility too.

I'm not a conspiracy theorist either Billy. I write of what I know and say when I'm speculating. I don't know the T2 answer either. I've been the same weight for years - over the BMI but then there's a good deal more muscle than an office bound specimen. Yet I've got it. My wife is a little over weight through enforced inactivity and she's got it too. It's a daily dodgems duel getting it just right and forgiving easily the other one when it goes wrong. We could speculate on all manner of causes and still not be right. For my money it would be agri-chemicals since no one yet knows the long term effects of their use. T2 was barely known before the explosion in chemical farming. What do you think?

This is the tip of the iceberg, Billy, the stuff that's reached the public domain. What don't we know? A lot. And we'll never know whether a slice of bread is going to fire up dormant cancer or reverse expensive cancer treatment. We can't know the effect of cereal mutations on people's minds (think ADHD, autism etc.). I'm not saying present cereals are their cause, no, but the incidence of these conditions has gone through the roof with GM and vastly increased use of chemicals in agriculture running in tandem. If it's not a pun, food for thought, perhaps? You see now why we are very careful what goes into our mouths. But then I always was a nutter!

In my opinion, yes. Coss breeding of plants and animals is reasonable since any outcomes which are not viable die or fail to produce viable seed. Also, there's a very small likelihood any two crop science companies would produce the same seed strain. Genetic modification can result in a viable improvement on an existing plant species but we do not yet know the long term effects of altering gene patterns; principally what harmful effects a continued mutation might have on human well-being. A further, even less palatable reason to be against GM is found with Monsanto. That company has genetically engineered cereal seed to it's own advantage. The seed is available only from them, it is not on the free market. The plants are resistant to all herbicides except Monsanto's own Roundup. Grains grown from Monsanto's seed stock are sterile - they have a terminator gene embedded meaning a farmer cannot grow the next year from his own harvested seed, a common practice world wide. Monsanto could arbitrarily raise their seed or herbicide prices and create famine in, for example, Africa or Europe. All for a few dollars more. Therefore, it's a win - win for Monsanto. All the primary factors in growing their cereals are available only from them, at prices they determine. There are many questions arising from the use of Roundup including, is it a carcinogen? Long term, even more profound questions arise from their mutilated seeds. Their continued use would certainly impoverish third world farmers and it's not impossible British farmers too, needing new seed stock every year. Conceivably, Monsanto could control the world's cereal production and hold us all to a price ransom. A very few years ago a rise of £100 a tonne in wheat on the world market caused shops to raise the price of a loaf of bread by 40%. Africa was hit hard until the UN stepped in with cheap cereal supplies. The fact is, a staple of life could be priced out of reach to even European consumers. Yes, we're talking about food wars, all for extra dollars to shareholders. Oh, and a good deal more international political clout for Washington. Is this the future of food we really want

Genetically Modified anything, NO. Any modifications may easily be done by selective breeding - there's far less possibility of genetic mutations in the animal's systems which may not be apparent until a modified breed is in widespread use. AI is fine if it's used responsibly. The main problem I know of is farmers wanting ever larger calves/pigs so their carcass weight is greater for less food input. For example, a bog standard Friesian milk cow inseminated with semen from a Charolais or Limousin bull of far greater weight and bulk will certainly produce a larger calf but it will require a vet for a cesarian and if a second calf is in the womb it will usually be deformed or a wastrel. Last time I heard the vet will charge £300-£400. Night call is extra. If pure greed can cause AI to be misused think what greed will do when any part of an animal may be modified to order? Do we really want franken-animals, creatures distorted beyond all present human imagination? I don't, for one.

I've sent a personal message for ou.

So well said. I completely agree since I abhor takeaways, eat fresh food home cooked often by myself and am fairly fit and quite healthy as far as I know.

No stocks here Billy. Spot on.

Sunbird73 got it just right. 'For years discipline has been undermined by the Political Correct Brigade,' ... at last, we're getting to the bottom of the matter. Thankyou. It's not enough to just look at the symptoms of a national disaster we must find the root cause and severely punish the perpetrators. Comparing three living generations it must be obvious. A legalised and managed nose-dive in most aspects of human behaviour. A managed and fuelled growth in selfishness and the end is going to be anarchy. Welcome to a different normality. Welcome to a brave new world. The tragedy here is not what is unfolding before our eyes, it's the fact we either voted into office the politicians who have masterminded this, or the taxpayer paid to train their experts. We've probably got more analysts per square mile than any other country and we're in a worse mess than almost everywhere else. There's must be a correlation there somewhere. Standy by, the Army will be needed with rubber bullets and truncheons, the press and TV will be plastered in vox pops of aggrieved offenders and politicians excusing themselves with yet more lies. Any improvement on the above?

A grand lady indeed, the like of which we won't see again. Enjoy your well earned rest Vera. Perhaps by Christmas our days pre-lock down will be featured in the Nostalgia series!

I hadn't ever made that link, MelanieP. Thank you, it explains quite a few things.

When we moved to this outback home twenty years ago we knew what we were doing. It is the life I've lived for years on farms and my new wife wanted to join in but on our own property. Whatever the property market or COVID do we're just not moving!

The nearest of my step family are twenty odd miles away. That's close enough for me.

No, Billy, I don't dash anywhere anymore. Arthritis has got me. Besides, about three years ago I stopped my nightly pint of homebrew and can't now remember why! Coastal towns are very much a no-no at this time of year. Southwold is packed with social wannabees with impeccable bad manners and devoid of road sense. It's just too tempting to drive my 2 tonne motor over the top of them. Got to say in their defence, although my father was Merchant Navy and made sure I knew every swear word in the book, these people have brought me up to date. Until recently, it was my belief a term for a large penis was a compliment. I'll leave the rest to you! Yes, we're fit and well, thank you. Kathryn will be a great-grand mother shortly. Pity her granddaughter can't be sure of the father! But, Hey Ho! that's someone else's problem. Keep thee only unto her, has served us well. Your boredom and frustration are understandable, Billy. I believe this lock down has been more difficult for us older ones who have worked toward a comfortable retirement populated by friends and family only to find ourselves marooned in an oasis of people but little social life. There's little to look forward to with the hospitality industry on its knees. Perhaps you could consider retiring to Suffolk, a nice pink washed thatched cottage. I could show you how to poach. Poached game always tastes sweeter than shop bought. Perish the thought! Poaching? Whatever gave me that idea? Take good care of yourselves, Billy.

Good on 'yer.

For the most part so do I.

Margaret, our food is already poisoned, as is our drinking water with nitrates spread on fields.

I sprayed Roundup at agricultural strength many, many times when in farming. The fact is, with our present European method of arable farming we would grow more weeds than crops thus harvesting foul tasting weed seeds with the crops. That would severely diminish their market value. Over the years a decline in our insect population has been obvious, and harmful. We killed insects or mutilated their habitat. The effect is much the same. But, as usual, government and EU 'experts' can't be told anything. An 'expert' knows much more than the man who has farmed his land for a lifetime. A born countryman whose life is intimately bound up with the country he lives in and on. My garden is largely poison free except for a few virulent weeds which I dig up, exposing their root system, and paint cut ends with Roundup on a paint brush. At the foot of my garden is a 120 acre field, sprayed last year eleven times! Any odd bits the sprayer misses are very soon a mass of tangled weeds. But that's OK while we have sprays ... apparently.