Lionel

Rooftop, it is indeed good to hear from you. I trust you are well and contented.Whilst you make some sound points I must, as usual, question your reliance on statistics. This summer I re-read, for the umpteenth time, Orwell's 1984. It's such a pity the State assumes this is a road map to their Utopia rather than a warning to the population of the State's capacity to side step wisdom in favour of a manufactured state. The manipulation of figures and facts, as in Orwell's noble work, is with us every day; If I wanted a work of fiction I'd buy it. But it would be a classical work.Reading through these many posts again this evening and thinking about the EU I'm struck by the similarities to seeking a Uptopia. But Uptopia is a figment of man's imagination, a Humanistic concept that can never be achieved. Thomas More (1470 - 1535) wrote a classic work, Utopia. I've read it in the English translation. What stands out so clearly in More's work, and so many subsequent attempts at a people's paradise, Utopia, is how futile these humanistic efforts really are.Nothing fundamental in man's nature, his soul, may be altered by legislation, precedent or the will of men. The very heart, the soul of man must first be changed and that is something we simply cannot do of ourselves. That is a work of the Creator God.The Godless Soviets in Russia tried to change the heart of man and failed, as did Mao Tse Tung in China. The French people wanted fundamental change in their own people before their bloody revolution of 1789. Within a decade little had changed. Dictatorships the world over are failing to change man. It cannot be done.Man doesn't change of his own will. We are basically the same today as we were as post ice age cave dwellers. Our inner self hasn't changed; but we have shaken off some of the religious bigotry which has plagued this land for more than a thousand years.Perhaps this is a little too philosophical or maybe religious. Let's bring it up to date. This Tory Prime Minster is hardly a shining example of this required restraint in man's natural behaviour. The Whitehall paedophile scandal - investigation closed of course - was never fully resolved. How about bent clergy, supposedly the epitome of morality, messing up choir boys? Andrew and Epstein? I could go on.You and I might like to see fundamental changes in people's behaviour but it won't happen. It can't happen. We cannot do it of ourselves.

A consumate actor and surely the definitive Point.

Thank you. Clearly you're more of a lady than those who protest against a wolf whistle.

Ann you're a star. I'd better wake the vicar again. (See my comment to Khatti above)

Please do consider it done.From the confines of my so small home office I've let forth an appreciative whistle that will wake this tiny hamlet. My Collie-dog is going wild looking for sheep and she will have woken the local vicar. He'll think this old boy has got his second wind!He'd be wrong, I've always appreciated the ladies. And that from a very contentedly married man.Thanks for the fun, Khatti, I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have. I do look forward to you posting on Surfers again.

Exactly! You're so right.

Quite right! If we go around looking for offence its there by the bucket load. Keep an open mind and enjoy someone's appreciation.I'm a 70 year old married male and I need to be so careful what I say to anyone. Only in our own home may I ever be myself.

Khatt, with a strong, and right, mind as yours I'd give you a wolf whistle any time.In fact, let's go one better. Consider it done.In your statement you've liberated women and men to be what we really are. Can't say fairer than that.

Very well said. You're quite right, much more important stuff to deal with. This should not even be in the queue.

Well said. Why should we men not show our appreciation of you dear ladies? Why change the habits of centuries because a few pretend not to like it?

Thanks Wilf, after today I needed a good laugh.

Ah, and I'm still struggling to get the part of Cadfael. Clearly the best man has won.Love Island? I daren't, this is a second marriage. I can't possibly afford another divorce.Hollywood. You weren't that dancing chappie John Revolting, were you? Nah, you're kidding me. Aren't you?

Ah, yes. you're known for your good looks even in North Suffolk. I made sure of it. I'm also envious.It's so good to be back in banter with you Wilf, I've missed it. The old crew has been joined by other like minds. Let's keep it going.

Perhaps we're asking the wrong question. Maybe the question should be, what type of society are we allowing be built for our children and grand children?There's already far too many innocuous things banned, words and practices acceptable and common place in our youth, and still society deteriorates at an alarming speed. A 13 year old boy stabbed to death by two 14 year olds. Borough Council sponsored pedophilia ruining lives of many youngsters and carried on at the highest levels over many years. Rampant drug abuse with no effective deterrent force. Oh, I could go on.Instead of routinely banning something because a microscopic minority is offended why don't we just ignore them and carry on? In other words, grow up, you're not the centre of our universe.The worrying thing about these movements for social change is they never end. Once a first victory is achieved they find a new, more menacing agenda to justify their continuing existence. Protest has become a lucrative career.The whole country is in uproar. Will banning wolf whistles make the slightest bit of difference? Will it reduce knife crime (we all stand in the way of that), the ever deepening use of mind bending drugs, the annual quarter of a million murders of unborn children? Will it solve Eldercare, etc.I don't think so.

Perhaps by the legal back door. They don't need to prove you guilty but you must prove their allegations wrong! The Napoleonic Code which Blair wanted to introduce in place of English Common Law slipped in by the back door.

Nothing like a bit of ego, eh? Good on yer!

Well, I expect he would know now, those flare tubes get very hot as the flare - phosphorus - burns.Explain that at A & E!

Jeanmark, I hadn't thought through my comment, but I am influenced in my thinking by some of the wider members of my step family. Mercifully those closer to me and my wife have adopted the work ethic if only because we withdrew funds.But I do admire your restrained use of English in respect of the lighted flare in the nether regions.I may only think this chap was on practice drill for the RNLI r in training for the Royal Navy. Perhaps he was looking for a stimulation not easily granted the rest of us. He almost certainly needed the Fire Brigade afterward.Makes me glad I'm getting old!

Whilst I agree with everything you've said on this matter, may I add that one doesn't get Benefits for having common sense either.

I may not qualify for an opinion on this one as I don't recall ever sending a text message. Email may be a late twentieth century invention but it's quite adequate although I'd like to see many many more letters sent so as to keep our trusty postmen employed.The best unpaid social workers, that's our postmen.

I quite agree. What would we have done without great leaders like Tony Blair showing us the only way our families should be raised ... Gordon Brown showing us how he could sell our gold at 50% of world market price and spend our pensions, and of course Cameron who did a lot to shift the morality of the nation. He also gave us hoards of competitive cyclists surging through country lanes littering our home villages ...Oh how I could go on and on with sheer gratitude. But, as with each prime minster, enough is much more than enough.There's still a lot to be said for being old fashioned as I am.

I used to brew my own and make wines too. However, a few years ago one evening I just took it into my head to stop. It's been that way ever since. No self righteousness or anything like that.So, no, my alcohol consumption didn't increase during lockdown. I did, however, find myself eating more and thus putting on a little weight. On a small frame such as mine every pound shows as five or more so ... cut down the eating.

I could add to my post below, we like nostalgia so much because we know how the story ended!

Well, since you once declared you were resident in Germany I must ask why you want to change matters here.Would you be better employing your skills in dealing with the latent Nazi movement in Germany and Austria?Don't say it doesn't exist; I know just too well it does.

Yes, talk about it by all means but I'm of the opinion the less said the better. Getting too far down this road feelings are going to be wounded. It's a man made minefield.

Hello IputGodfirst, we've got something in common here. Come back when you can, maybe we could bless each other with a conversation.

I may only say we must keep our members in order!

Viking, I'd very much like to agree with you but for your use of one word. Re-think.Surely to re-think one must first think? For my household there's little evidence anyone in power is thinking clearly, but rather powers that be react in an animal fashion, lurching from crisis to crisis.Re-think pre-supposes some element of rational thought. If such has occurred in Whitehall regarding Covid the evidence hasn't trickled down to this very rural area yet. It seems to us to be a string of political expedients in the face of an insoluble crisis.'Make it look like we know what we're doing, and don't waste a good crisis. We in the party may benefit hugely from this.'

Exactly! This part of his statement was woolly and ill thought out.This afternoon I spoke with a lady in our Co-op whom I known for years. I asked if she would continue wearing masks? But of course, she replied, there's so many youngsters coming in here without a mask but coughing and splitting all over us why wouldn't I?Good enough for me. I'll continue masking up, at least for the rest of this year. Risking one's life for an ill thought out and baseless notion is foolish at the best of times but deadly if you're spreading an infectious disease.

I just like chocolate!It's a later life thing, couldn't stand the stuff until I retired!I had a midlife crisis and thoroughly enjoyed it without chocolate. Got a lot older and still didn't like the stuff.Anyone make sense of that?

This divisive piece of advice from a sitting prime minister is as useless and as dangerous as he is.There's already been countless conflicts in stores, on public transport etc., between masked folks and non-tased one. Punches thrown, blood drawn, egos bruised. This latest from Boris will only make matters worse.It must be one or the other. Wear masks or not!What a political cop out. Neither Wilson or John Major could better this one and they were masters of the craft of the cop out.

Isn't this one of those no-brainers that should never have happened?Either leave youngsters with their mobiles in class and cut the massive 200 billion education by 50% or much more ...or take phones off the kids and make them pay attention and deliver the results we're all paying for.Is it so difficult?

Don't give lifts, ever! These days it's just too risky.I make the exception for people in the village I've lived in for twenty years. We know each other well. There'll be no problems.Anyone else ... no! Drive on. Or, if they ask face to face just say no.

I keep chickens in the garden so rats are common. Easiest way is shoot 'em. Air rifle is cheapest and a good gun will pick off a rat cleanly at 150 years.

For my part I'd be delighted if it's cancelled permanently. Sport and I don't mix at all. Too many other more interesting things to get on with!

Infidelity in high office is not new. Churchill is said to have an amour, Lloyd George was a rake and in our times just recall Profumo and Christine Keeler. I lost track after Keeler it's so common. Oh yes, John Major and Edwina Currie - the odd couple.What can be said about historic encounters was they were behind closed doors - before the advent of surveillance cameras in every nook and cranny. Anyone getting up to naughties now except in the most private and secure of encounters is a fool.Hancock is a fool, which is part of Cummings judgement and as such has no place in high office. I utterly deplore his morality but I'm not about to judge him on that. His conscience and the divorce settlement will bite deep into him without me chiming in.

Perfect Steve, just perfect!Keep posting mate, we need your sense of humour.

The way we view the 'care' sector, and the historically low pay levels has turned this vital area into a career backwater. Do care work if you can't do anything else or want a little pin money. It has become the equivalent of shop work fifty years ago!Working in the care sector is not just a job, no, it's a vocation. Staff have a duty of care to preserve life and not further endanger it.Thus, it must be an absolute necessity that all care workers are suitably vaccinated, and take care of their own health, before assuming responsibility for others.I am very concerned with our personal freedoms. They've been eroded so much in our life times. But what about the rights and freedoms of those using care services? Don't they have a God-given right to be protected from personal opinions, Facebook advices and sloppy practices?Having worked in the care sector for a few years, private and NHS, I can't do other than have a very high opinion of these services. It's generally a thankless task. But our personal opinions and prejudices matter nothing when preserving life.

Brilliant, just brilliant Bald. Needed a good laugh tonight!

Never, but I had a Blue Merle Collie who was so at home in vehicles I long thought he would drive at least as well as me.