 | Forum
Reply | Wembley parking advice TWTD friends please?
at 12:29 19 Sep 2025
Although in the past they have tried to up the charge at Stanmore car park when there is a big event at Wembley. Sometimes enterprising locals will let you park in their drive for a few quid. |
| Forum
Reply | Belfast recommendations
at 10:28 19 Sep 2025
On my last visit to Belfast, had an interesting conversation with my taxi driver after he picked me up from the airport. We were chatting amiably & I mentioned that I was born in Belfast - all fine. Then I said "and my sister was born in Derry".
"WHERE?"
"My sister was born in Derry".
"NEVER HEARD OF IT"
"My sister was born in Londonderry".
Taxi driver smiles and pleasant conversation is resumed. |
| Forum
Reply | The state pension will rise by 4.7% next year.
at 10:23 19 Sep 2025
As you allude to, most of the developed west is in the same boat with slow growth, bad demographics consequently unaffordable entitlements. Good article in the Times on how Germany is struggling with unaffordable pensions. There is no silver bullet to fix these issues so the politicians largely dance around the problems. Even a poster child for state socialism like Denmark is extending the age at which you qualify for a pension. |
| Forum
Reply | Wembley parking advice TWTD friends please?
at 10:16 19 Sep 2025
Leave the gig when the last song starts. Missing 3 minutes of entertainment is nothing if it means you don't have to queue an hour for the tube. |
| Forum
Reply | The state pension will rise by 4.7% next year.
at 11:29 17 Sep 2025
The government has not "ended final salary schemes". Most state employees still have defined benefit schemes. Employees are very aware of their huge value & become very militant if they are threatened. |
| Forum
Reply | Remembering The Beat and Bolan.
at 10:36 17 Sep 2025
Yeah, I read John Peel's book & he was really big mates with Bolan when he was an obscure acoustic hippy & once he became successful, he gave Peel the cold shoulder & he was quite hurt. |
| Forum
Reply | The state pension will rise by 4.7% next year.
at 10:35 17 Sep 2025
Some of your conclusions make huge sense.
yes, end triple lock but link State pension to RPI or whatever.
Yes, make pension compulsory & individualise it like they did in Australia umpteen years ago. The trouble is, if a government did this, the opposition would call it a new tax & social media would go overboard.
Company pensions were going to melt away irrespective of government interference because of the huge, open ended liabilities & the period of ultra low interest rates. Gordon Brown's raid on the scheme's tax benefits didn't help, but they were on the way out anyway. |
| Forum
Reply | I do feel for King Charles
at 10:27 17 Sep 2025
Being a royal, you live a very pampered life, rather lie a billionaire, but the downside is you have to attend a few deathly dull state dinners & mumble pleasantries with the likes of Trump (plus other assorted world leaders) from time to time. |
| Forum
Reply | Remembering The Beat and Bolan.
at 10:22 17 Sep 2025
Unlike some of the 1970s pop stars, Bolan was a genuine talent & an under-rated guitarist. However, by all accounts, once he made it as a big star, like many ran out of creative energy & started dumping old friends like John Peel. |
| Forum
Reply | Two things I’d change about football immediately…
at 10:03 17 Sep 2025
Yes, my 1-11 suggestion was tongue in cheek. Seriously, I would rule that your 25 man squad must be numbered 1-25. I would also limit the number of outfield players on the bench to 3. And rule that your first choice kit must be worn, unless the referee deems there to be a colour clash. |
| Forum
Reply | The state pension will rise by 4.7% next year.
at 10:01 17 Sep 2025
Demographics are near inescapable & while the Uk's aren't good, they are better than those in France or Germany. France has awful public finances & still a huge percentage of people employed by the State, hence its politics are near complete fracture. |
| Forum
Reply | Remembering The Beat and Bolan.
at 09:58 17 Sep 2025
It was great for Clive Woods that he probably produced the performance of his life in his biggest game, the 1978 FA Cup Final, when he gave Pat Rice a real roasting.
As for Beattie, I was fortunate enough to see him at his best, in the early stages of his career as he was never quite the same after a cartilage operation in 1977 & his international career ended there, although he was regularly patched up to play for Town as an 85% fit Beattie was still one hell of a player. |
| Forum
Reply | The state pension will rise by 4.7% next year.
at 17:17 16 Sep 2025
The Triple Lock has become another sacred cow of entitlement that no government will risk abolishing, especially as pensioners have a greater propensity to vote. |
| Forum
Reply | Andy Burnham watch ....
at 17:15 16 Sep 2025
Starmer's Labour got 9.8m votes; Corbyn's Labour received 10.3m. Starmer did get 33.7% of the popular vote against Corbyn's 32%, but the fact that this translated into a landslide win with 411 out of the 650 seats is an affront to democracy. However, the incumbent party is always unlikely to want to change the rules. We did have a referendum as a sop to the Lib Dems in 2011 on the Alternative Vote (arguably a worse system than FPTP) & this was comfortably rejected by 2-1. |
| Forum
Reply | Andy Burnham watch ....
at 16:54 16 Sep 2025
Starmer has had a few problems.
1. It's always easier to look good in opposition, name-calling when you don't have to take responsibility for any decisions. Actually being in government is much harder.
2. If he is to act like a Labour leader & spend more on public services, he needs to find the money from somewhere. Borrowing more has already been closed off by financial markets, he bottled any proposed welfare cuts so his only option is to raise taxes. Income tax is the fairest way of doing so, but he pledged "not to raise taxes on working people" so he's a bit stuck, isn't he?
3. I thought he would be on OK, if rather dull, PM but his judgement has come over as incredibly poor internal cases like Rayner & Meddlesome. This has made him look weak & indecisive. |
| Forum
Reply | As a fan of town
at 16:45 16 Sep 2025
Well, exactly. The Prem was a let-down, largely because we became hopelessly uncompetitive, like the other promoted clubs. I'll be interested to see how the promoted clubs finish this season because, if we can't be competitive without near bankrupting the club & breaching FFP, I'm already asking "what's the point"? |
| Forum
Reply | Two things I’d change about football immediately…
at 15:21 16 Sep 2025
VAR is here to stay so it must be modified & the best idea is that if the VAR team can't agree that the decision is wrong within 30 seconds, the original decision stands.
Sin bin to replace yellow cards - might cut out the petty, deliberate fouls & it's the only thing that might quell time-wasting.
Yes a player should be able to take a free kick to himself, as in hockey.
Go back to the original handball law where it has to be "wilful".
No pre match handshakes.
Only 1 logo on team kit.
25 man squad must be numbered 1-25. |
| Forum
Reply | Tuanzebe
at 13:11 15 Sep 2025
I think adding some paraffin to a bonfire was more common & less risky as petrol is far more volatile. |
| | Radlett_blue
|
Site Scores| Prediction League: | 0 | | TOTAL: | 0 |
|
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.