Gladys

Best wishes to all. We have much to be thankful for, mainly the absence of a thread showing tonight's dinner. X

Not to be 'Bah, humbug about it, but, for the past week I have had my ipod playing in the car as the wall to wall Christmas music is just too much. Invariably, Christmas tunes are pretty poor music, with some notable exceptions it has to be said. When it isn't Christmas tunes, it is some dredged up relic from decades ago. Christmas music does not make me feel festive at all, especially when it starts earlier than selection boxes being sold in Tesco. (I exaggerate to make a point.)

I remember old Mr Banning , the dentist on Woodbourne Road. He removed my top wisdom teeth and was an absolutely fantastic dentist, very kind, no pain and nicely jollied me along through what was quite a horrible procedure. His son, also a dentist, assisted. But, I thought the son had also died some years ago. If the man at the centre of this legal fuck cluster is another relation, then I can only imagine he was very vulnerable after he lost two family members who, I am sure would have been very attentive carers of him. The poor man has probably been in an awful psychological no-mans land for years.

Simple lesson - don't go to the nation with a referendum on the EU, then conspire to frustrate that decision. I am undecided on Brexit, and whether the Conservatives or Labour are the best for the UK, but look what happens when you ask someone for their opinion then ignore it. Very simple.

I doubt Quilp wasted his youth worrying about interior decor damage.

Aren't you worried about being sacked?

Tbh, I don't think that is true. Change comes from an introduction of new ideas, definitely. But I really do not agree that the ones telling "them" to go are only thinking of their bank balances. Not sure they are thinking of very much more than this is it, like it or lump it. A boat in the morning is much more polite than fuck off, don't you think?

He has cleared a lot of rubbish from the wood where he lives. What have you done?

A gypo would add to the rubbish, not clear it.

I quite like it, not in an aggressive way, but actually a factual way. People should not feel intimidated, but should respond, 'nope, I'm staying' or " yes, I am gone'. It is simple, do you want to be here, with all the warts, or not? If not, best to toddle off as it is no good for you or us. It should never be used however, as a response to constructive criticism.

Thanks, Dilli, but I am not a mod, there has been some technical issue which has made me one. All is well in my camp, hope for the same in yours

Is he really? He checked ownership with the land registry and it was unclear, hence my comment about the relevant bit of IOMG checking before jumping on his bandwagon. I also don't think he is claiming the land as his, just set up camp there. There had to have been a much better way of dealing with this. It makes the IOM look incredibly petty and hypocritical. But hey....

This is the classic definition of travesty. What should have happened is the bit of IOMG should have checked out the legal position first, before nominating him for the biosphere award. If they found irregularities, then there should have been a conversation. "Ok chum, you have done fantastic work in clearing this bit of land, that we couldn't be arsed doing btw, but you really shouldn't be here. So, why don't we make you a steward and your rent will be your work to keep it clean and pollution free? Then we can nominate you for a biosphere, or whatever award. That way we are both doing the right thing. Oh, and thank you: You are doing so much more for the environment than the post-pubescent eco warriors currently "sacrificing their education" on Prospect Hill. (But really missing double maths)."

Spit, don't swallow.

It is shambolic and, sadly, seems to reflect on the whole service (which I have always found excellent, when you get there). I have another experience which involved an urgent scan being required by a close family member. The referral was urgent, ie within a week, but it took 6 weeks to get the scan; there seemed to be a Bermuda triangle that sucked us down. Thankfully, the dreaded outcome was not present, but how is something referred by a GP as super-urgent caught up in the appointments system? Again, once we got to the appointment the clinicians were excellent. Not so the system that got us there. If it had been the worst diagnosis expected, how much could be attributed to a crap system?