This is just a blog about my opinions on what is going on in my country be it local or national.
Friday, 30 October 2009
A Letter about Llandudno Lifeboat 2
The latest letter, (See Link), is a very good reply to what John Lawson Reay has been saying over the last few months.
Mr Nicol sounds, from his letter, that he has experienced a lot while he was in the Coastguard, Mr Nicol's letter is from someone who has been there and done that, not something that i can say about Mr Lawson Reay
His letter last week said 2 former Lifeboat crew were backing him in his proposals for where the Lifeboat Station should be.
Now I have a lot of respect for lifeboatmen, and women, current crew and retired crew, but both of these men were on the crew many years ago and, in my opinion, may not know what is needed for the current and future of the Lifeboat in Llandudno.
The current lifeboat station was built in 1903, and was built there to launch from both the West shore and Llandudno promenade. Now it is 2009, 106 years later. I think Llandudno needs a new Lifeboat station.
The slipway that the lifeboat launches from is about 100 yards from the pier, so it is common sense that the new lifeboat station should be built as close as possible to the slipway.
Mr John Lawson Reay says that it will spoil the look of Llandudno promenade, but has he forgotten what the extension to the theater has done to the look of the promenade. or that the view from the promenade is already spoilt by the wind farms.
Llandudno is a 'Victorian resort', but i think that some residents and councillors are still in Victorian times. We need to think for the future of Llandudno, we need to think of what is best for Llandudno now and for the future.
Does Crime Pay? Part 2
This Minister for The Home office, who basically was the minister for law and order, had 2 homes within 8 miles of each other. The second home allowance was meant for mps who live too far away to commute everyday, not mps who live with in 10 miles.
How the hell did he get away with it for so long?
How many more mps have done this?
He has been told to repay £13,000 and to apologise to the house of commons. Oh what a punishment that is to someone who has fiddled around £72,000 for his second home. Now it is said that he can keep £60,000 of the, fiddled, expenses claimed.
Do these politicians forget that the money they are fiddling is OUR money, the taxpayers money that we earn through bloody hard work. We work to try and give ourselves and our families a home, food and clothing, and if possible a holiday now and again, but these politicians use OUR money like it is a divine right for them to give themselves as much of OUR money as they possibly can.
There has to be 100% disclosure about all expenses in the future. I don't think the taxpayers will ever forgive the politicians if anything like this happens again.
It comes to mind President Lincoln's address where he ended with;
'That this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government; of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth'
We so desperately need a government 'of the people, by the people, for the people.' Not the shower we have now
Saturday, 24 October 2009
What a beach should be like
I am guessing that the top picture was taken late 50's early 60's, and the other was taken by myself last year.
As you will see we have the wooden partitions there to help keep the sand where it is. Today we don't have those partitions and as you have no doubt seen yourselves we have a beach that is mostly covered in rock, stone and shingle.
There is a small part that is still mostly sand but that is only about 100 yards between the pier and the concrete slipway.
I remember, just, from when i was a child. In the summers my friends and i would spend hours swimming in the sea, while our mothers chatted to one another and then calling us all in for lunch. We had so much fun in the summers back then.
In my opinion if we can get the beach back to what it was all those years ago maybe, if we get decent weather as well, we will get more holiday makers coming back to Llandudno and it will help revitalise the town.
A couple of years ago the council made a big publicity announcement about this machine that would clean the beach of the rocks and stone and shingle and give us back a sandy beach.
Well in the last couple of years i have seen nothing of that machine.
Is it broken?
Was it just a publicity stunt?
Doesn't anyone know how to drive it?
Or is it due to health and safety that the council cannot use it due to some stupid regulation.
Question Time this week.
There have been arguments about weather Nick Griffin should be allowed to go on Question Time, or any other mainstream tv programme. Part of me didn't want him on Question Time, but another did want him on tv.
From what i saw Nick Griffin came off badly. David Dimbleby did a good job to get Nick Griffin to answer questions and not go off on one of his rants. for example; when he was asked about being friends with the head of the KKK and about his questioning of the holocaust being a lie.
As the programme went on he became more twitchy and shifty. In my opinion that answered my worries about whether he should be allowed on a mainstream tv programme like Question Time. Nick Griffin can't handle an audience of people that aren't supporters of the BNP.
The best part of the programme, for me, was when Bonnie Greer said about indigenous people of Britain 17000 years ago. Nick Griffin said that the indigenous people of Britain have been forced out by people from the out side.
Bonnie Greer said that 17000 years ago the indigenous people of Britain were Neanderthals, and that modern people of Britain's ancestry came from the African Continent. If i read between the lines of what she said, she was saying Nick Griffin and his Party were neanderthals. Like it
This weeks Question Time has shown that Nick Griffin can't hold his own unless there is just pro BNP supporters in the audience.
Thursday, 22 October 2009
A letter about Llandudno Lifeboat
Above is a letter by a Mr Oakley Kelly, a very experienced lifeboatman from his letter the other week, putting his side of the argument about the lifeboat station being built on the promenade.
I hope people will listen to someone like Mr Kelly, and not to people like Mr Lawson Reay about the need for a new lifeboat station for Llandudno lifeboat on the promenade.
I have been looking for some articles about Llandudno lifeboat and i have found the following;
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/shropshire/7596637.stm
http://www.northwalesweeklynews.co.uk/conwy-county-news/your-champions/your-champions-archive/2008/10/20/llandudno-lifeboatman-tim-james-is-champion-of-champions-55243-22074390/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7643008.stm
The crew at Llandudno lifeboat station have recieved an award for their bravery in the rescue of that couple 30 miles off Llandudno. No one can doubt the bravery of the men and women of Llandudno lifeboat or the RNLI in general.
The Lifeboat station is small (see link), They need a new station, let them build it where they want.
http://www.llandudnolifeboat.org.uk/wpimages/wp80b1ba01.png
Like what Mr Kelly says in his letter;
Mr Reay refers to the "minions" at RNLI HQ. He should know that almost all of the senior operational staff at Poole were, at one time or another, Divisional Inspectors of Lifeboats covering Llandudno and the whole of the Western Division. They are the ones with all the operational experience to decide if and where to build a boathouse.
I guess that 99% of the RNLI 'minions' from Poole don't have a reason to come to Llandudno. Most of the employees will be office staff, people organising the equipment and storage of spares, the boat builders and repairers, computer IT department. Why would they need to come to Llandudno?
As Mr Lawson Reay knows the head lifeboatman at Poole came to Llandudno (See Link below) to a meeting of the North Wales Business club early this year. So they do come out of hiding now and again Mr Lawson Reay, so get your facts right before you knock anyone or any organisation.
http://www.northwalesweeklynews.co.uk/conwy-county-news/local-conwy-news/2009/06/18/llandudno-rnli-needs-new-lifeboat-house-55243-23902588/
I can't wait for Mr Lawson Reay's reply next week.
Tuesday, 20 October 2009
John Lawson Reay's experience?
Having read Jon Lawson Reay's letter in the weekly news this week (Link above), i am just wondering what experience he actually has.
John Lawson Reay says;
My experience, and things have not changed very much in 45 years, was for four years as a shore crew member of the lifeboat.
45 years ago things were a hell of a lot different, and 4 years as a shore crew member isn't what i call a lot of experience.
I would like to ask John Lawson Reay how many launches he was actually there for?
What did he do when he was at the launches?
The lifeboats from 45 years ago were the Annie Ronald and Isabella Forrest 1959 - 1964 http://www.llandudnolifeboat.org.uk/wpimages/wp5c30ac8d.png
and the the Lilly Wainwright 1964 - 1990
http://www.llandudnolifeboat.org.uk/wpimages/wpd6ebc399.png
Information gained from http://www.llandudnolifeboat.org.uk/index.html
Lifeboats of the past did their job very well, but technology moves on and things change, and so do lifeboats and lifeboat stations. The crew need better boats to keep them safer and new technology helps in the location of boats that are in danger.
I have been wondering a few things, John Lawson Reay is a photographer, i have been told, and I am wondering;
Did John Lawson Reay take pictures of the launches of the lifeboat?
Did he make any money from selling any pictures, and if so how much?
If John Lawson Reay did get paid for selling any pictures of the lifeboat, did he make any donations to the RNLI?
I will admit i am a supporter of the RNLI. A few years ago i was on Llandudno promenade and i saw the smaller boat get launched and they sped off towards the pier and then i saw them rush back. From what i saw they had a young man who was injured and they were giving him first aid. I didn't know how bad the man was but after about 10 minutes the helicopter landed and took the man away.
From what i saw those lifeboatmen worked very professionally and they most probably saved that man's life. From then on i became a supporter of the RNLI.
I would love to see a new lifeboat on the prom and i cannot see why a wall ( a listed building) stops it from being built.
I ask John Lawson Reay to stop his objection to the lifeboat and work with them. As you say you were a lifeboatman why not join them and help the new boathouse to be built.
Thursday, 15 October 2009
Leona Lewis Attacked
Leona Lewis is one of the sweetest, kindest and gentle people i have seen, yes i did go to the X factor tour.
I really feel for her. If i was there at the time that guy would be regretting what he did. I really hope the police take him to court and throw, not just the book, but the whole library at him.
Llanduno Lifeboat Station and Friends V John Lawson Reay (SOS)
Now from what i have found out, John Lawson Reay and the SOS (Save Our Scenery) are against the building of the new station because it is close to a listed building, which is a wall.
Recently John Lawson Reay has been talking of the new station being built where the Llandudno sailing club is, but this isn't what Llandudno RNLI, and others, would want.
John Lawson Reay says he has been attacked for his position on his opposition to the new Lifeboat Station.
What i don't understand is that John Lawson Reay says he was a member of Llandudno Lifeboat Station, but why is he so against the station being built next to a wall, yes it is a listed building but it is still a wall.
I have a couple of friends who are related to some current crew members of Llandudno Lifeboat and i will write back with what i find out.
If anyone has more information comments are welcome.
I cannot believe what this guy did.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2684084/Lout-urinates-on-war-memorial.html
I hope the police arrest him and make him do something so humiliating he will never do anything like that again.
I don't care that he was drunk, in my eyes this guy is just scum.
Tuesday, 13 October 2009
Does Crime Pay?
I'm talking about Jacqui Smith. I know this has been talked about in other blogs, but i just had to have my say.
Jacqui Smith flipped her home and then received £116,000 over four years, when she allegedly was using a room in her sisters house as her main home.
She was found out, and yesterday instead of paying even some of the money back she was told to apologise to the House of Commons for defrauding the taxpayer. Is she feeling bad about defrauding the taxpayer, i doubt it. All she is feeling bad about is the fact that she was found out.
Well with a majority of about 2,000 votes i think we won't be seeing much of her after the election.
I would love to know how many MPs have actually become rich off the expenses system. For example they buy a house do it up with the second home allowences and then sell it for a profit.
A law for them and a law for the rest of us.
The British taxpayers have been mugged by some of these politicians.
Thursday, 8 October 2009
Things that make me smile.
They aren't jokes, but more of a comeuppance to so called hard, in your face, scum you see on our streets nowadays.
The first is of a home owner standing his ground while being shouted at by a 'hard' in your face youth. In the video he shouts and swears at the home owner threatening him and trying to get him to fight.
See what happens and see how hard this hard man really is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oefo00eB_1Q
The other one is about what looks like a night out and a couple of drunken youths fighting and then walking away. As they walk away they start on some cross dressers, but what they don't realise is that the two cross dressers are actually cage fighters. oh dear me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCE5VbgpP3I
Now just to let you know i don't like violence, and i would rather walk away from anything that may become violent, but what these two got for trying to be hard men made me smile. Getting what's coming to you, comes to mind.
Saturday, 3 October 2009
How Long is a Life Sentence?
They get put on trial and found guilty, and get sentenced to life imprisonment.
Job done.
But it isn't, because they are up for parole after just 11 and 13 years. That isn't a life sentence.
A life sentence, to me, should be a minimum of 25-30 years before they are up for parole.
What those two youths did to that poor man was beyond savage. Add to that that they didn't even show any remorse shows that those two scum should never be let out of prison. They are a danger to the public.
When they sentence people, the judges should have basic guidelines for sentencing.
For example;
If it is premeditated murder or murder with malice, the sentence should be something like 25 years (until eligible for parole) up to life without parole (where they die in prison), which those two scum should of received.
The whole sentencing system for courts and magistrates should be reassessed. The American system of 'three strikes' where if you are found guilty for a third (felony) offence you are sentenced to life without parole. Maybe the British system can use something like this as a template for the more serious of crimes, from assault to burglary to fraud, for example.
Each time you are found guilty the sentence increases, and if you are found guilty for a third time for a serious offence, the sentence should be at the very least 15-25 years.
I don't know how to stop what is happening in our streets, but there needs to be a deterrent out there because criminals are getting away with murder, quite literally.
On another subject, it will be interesting to see what the judge will sentence those three scum paedophiles to. If it is anything below 20-25 years then there will be uproar.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/6250989/Nursery-worker-Vanessa-George-judge-asks-her-to-reveal-identities-of-victims.html
I really don't want to write too much about this because i get so angry and upset.
I haven't got any children of my own, but i am very protective of my nephews, nieces and my friends children, and the thought of someone hurting them, well anger will be an understatement.