I must admit it also changes colour with the sun and sometimes looks quite beautiful.

LOL William and TESCO !

Well put John lol
all gas and gaiters they are !

I think we could respect Brown a little if he would only stand up and defend himself a little, all he does is say that he is "getting on with the job" and I can think of many figures in history that considered that they were doing the same. There is a court in the Hague specially for them.

We have been ejjoying learning more about Britain, the land of the paradox. If you receive an old age pension then you are taxed on it and if you took steps to prepare fr your retirement and thus not become a burden on the state then you will be taxed at a higher rate. If however you don't work, drink your normal dole money and claim benefits, whatever you receive will be tax-free!!!

Here is another one. If like us, we have lived a frugal if happy life, left John Barleycorn for the pleasure of the leisure seekers and return to Britain to retire with thwe proceeds of the sale of your home, you might think that you could bank the money, get a little part time job and use the interest on your money from the house to rent a luittle place. Well, it is not so simple, the money you earn from your investment is heavily taxed and will reduce the earnings from it enough that your part time job will need to become a full time job. If, however, you enter into the dubiously advantageous world of Shared Ownership the reduction in rent paid plus the fact that you are now NOT taxed on the benefit of your money is a better proposition. BUt it doesn't end there. If you make sure that you now have less than 16,000 left over then the government will pay you for your wisdom in saving AND give you a credit on any Council Tax that you pay. You also become eligible for a whole host of other tax credits, we can get mone for looking after granny, and I can even claim money on the grounds that my minor stroke prevents me from supplementing my pension income. What is the point of one trying to work or trying to save?? And to think that these rules apply not only to the wholse country but to every itinerent Armenian carpet peddler and Somalian bead driller who can get themselves up the beach.

Really, we are floored. Old-fashioned skills like being able to use hand tools, file flat and square, use a micrometer and mark out from a datum face are no longer required (Don't worry, Phoenix knows what I am saying) because all rhat is needed now is skill in the art of filling in forms to claim benefits. My one friend, the one who sweeps up in the pub, not the one with the free flat next to one, says life has never been so good. He has a free council retirement cottage, goes fly fishing on the Test and takes holidays in Portugal. The government keeps complaining about benefits abuse but does nothing about it.

Oh well, that is my moan for the day, back to the workshop, I have a machine to finish.

Have a good week, all.

J+J

I have yet to find any 'points' that I do not agree with, what John is stating!!  He is a man after my own heart and with similar standards. It was not so difficult, to see the way of change affecting this country, even from the end of the 60s. too the 70s. then 80s. It's arrived!!
The only way  a politician can 'defend' themselves, is by saying they made a mistake ??  Have you ever heard them say that ?? No and you never will -- because they don't make mistakes ??----  Keep on going John!!  saves me posting so much!! "The Truth and nothing but The Truth" !!

lol...I agree Mac, I think the government are very slowly seeing that come one come all, doesn't work so as Mac says if you want to come, do it now before things change and keep a close eye on the situation because I've a feeling a big clamp down will happen. A lot of people don't like the overcrowding and new houses we're having to build to accomodate everyone,many more and we'll sink.

They did on the news last night, they said it all started in suburban America, too high mortgages and loans being sold off so now they don't know who they belong to and banks not trusting each other, it all sounds a bit of a mess, apparently the depression came right after the last crash but lets keep hopeful, it will pick up.

Someone will have to pay for all this `meddling` and you dont need 3 guesses as to who it will be !
Joe muggings the public as usual.