Tuesday 13 September 2011

David Cameron was “sick to his stomach” when he discovered that horrid Europeans said that prisoners should have the right to vote. How does he feel about Lords Taylor or Hanningfield having the right to vote...in the House of Lords? Should we pass him a bucket?

Nice story for a change. We had new neighbours move in downstairs a few days ago, Danny and Barbara, and last night they arrived at the door with a plate of biscuits. It seems this is a Hungarian custom. Damned nice one. Maybe in the depths of winter they will turn up on the doorstep with goulash... Well, I can hope can’t I?

The coalition’s Cabinet Secretary for Transport has finally woken up to the fact that trains in the UK are not for the poor. In an appearance before their transport committee he said that some of the fares were eye wateringly expensive. We have the most expensive rail fares in Europe, and, despite having a largely private railway, we also have the biggest government subsidies in Europe. Bravo. Well, it was this government that put the fares up, and it was a Tory government that botched the sale of British Rail. The question is: what are they doing about it? The answer appears to be: nothing!

Inflation is up again. The RPI is 5.2%. The government’s preferred figure (I wonder why) is 4.5%. And the figure is false. Many items now come in smaller packets with the same price. I doubt that that is included in the calculations. People are getting poorer and poorer. This winter fuel poverty will be a massive problem causing record numbers of deaths among the poor and the vulnerable. But just in case you were getting worried, there is no likelihood that any of the Cabinet will be affected. So that’s alright.

Judge Stephen John asked a prostitute how she could value her services at £20,000 a week to “Toys R Us” director Paul Hopes. There’s one judge who doesn’t seem to understand the basics of the market. A product is worth what people are prepared to pay for it. Mr Hopes was prepared to pay that much because he had stolen the money from the company. Weird old world.

22 comments:

  1. What a lovely gesture Tris. Your mum will be taking down tattie scones next I suppose. :)

    You've touched a nerve with rail fares. I'm off to deepest England where, I'm told broadband is slower than the first dial-up. Thought I'd check out the train rather than drive - it's a long way to the south coast. Took me ages to find prices and the cheapest I could get was just short of £600 return. That's with several changes and it won't be much quicker than the car.

    I could fly for just over £230 return but the cost of a hire car on top doesn't make that viable. So driving it is.

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  2. You were only supposed to eat one biscuit you greedy bas.. er pig :)

    Billy

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  3. That doesn't sound right SR. I recently got a ticket to Hastings and it was £56 return. Booked well in advance plus about £25 for a rail season ticket.

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  4. Funny you should say that SR. I was visiting my mum last night and she said that if I wanted she would make them something... I suggested cloutie dumpling, but, on second thoughts, I'm not sure that would be a good idea.

    As http://munguinsrepublic.blogspot.com/2011/03/i-just-dont-believe-it.html shows, the fares are all over the place. No one has the vaguest idea what the deals are. You could have a fortnight in Dubai for the rail fare to England, and on the other hand, if you know where to look, or are lucky enough to get a clerk that has an idea what they are doing, you can sometimes get a dirt cheap fare.

    I'd prefer to drive, although with the cost of petrol, that a rich man's game too.

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  5. Damn, Billy. I thought they had a separate plate for each of the neighbours. If only you had been there to advise me on etiquette I wouldn't have made myself out to be the uncouth Scot that I am!!!

    hmmmm :)

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  6. Monty, either you were lucky and got a good booking clerk, or you know your way around their sites. If you book well in advance, you can sometimes get a bargain. I think that they set aside so many seats on trains at reduced prices so that they can advertise that as a fare.

    We got some pretty good single fares to London en route for Paris.

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  7. Just realised it was because we were on a family season ticket. Maybe SR can persuade a grandkid to go with her next time lol

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  8. Hi Tris
    I was going to do a post on rail fares myself but as you know my time is limited at present ...my post was going to be about the fact that (and feel free to use it yourself) ALL train fares are to go up by 45% nfor the 3 months of the Olympics next year, and that is ALL train fares...spotted a letter in the Mail (no comments it wasn't mine) from a booking company employee who had the info...worth a rant....

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  9. Ah, Monty. If only I were a bit younger, I could with her... OK a LOT younger!...

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  10. Nominedeus:

    In the name of god... if you'll pardon my use of the phrase... what on earth do that think they are at.

    Everyone is milking this Olympics for as much dosh as they can make out of it and it is sickening. There will be no legacy and the whole spirit of the Olympics

    I'll see if I can find the letter and use it for a post tonight. Thanks for the heads up. If you have a link that would be grand. I hope the exams are going well. Bona fortuna.

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  11. tris

    Oh Dear!

    'and last night they arrived at the door with a plate of biscuits. It seems this is a Hungarian custom.'

    Yeah! it is for Hungarian Vampires you have gone and allowed them to enter your house any time they want now..
    Its you who is going to be Goulash soon

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  12. Erm right Niko... I thought vampires came from Romania...


    But wait a minute...goul ash... arghhhhhhhhh!

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  13. Most of the Scots Labour MPs are more like Tories than Labour MPs.

    I don't know why they join up with them...

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  14. it was out of the paper,it was last thursday I think, mebbe weds

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  15. oops now me covers blown, yes i am one and the same

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  16. Ahhhh... so you have.

    Not to worry. I won't tell anyone. shhhhhhhhh.

    I can't find the story/letter anywhere.

    I searched the Daily Mail site....

    HM... I'll incorporate it into something and use the word allegedly (to cover my ass).

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  17. It was a letter theyre not in the online version . I did have the cutting but it has gone where the odd socks go....

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  18. It was def in the mail thursday the 8th first letter..have found the paper it was cut out of but ...still cant find the article. My missus also says it was 40-45% mentioned in the letter, will phone the mail tomorrow for a back copy...sheesh the things I do (just sorted through the bin for it and can't find it)

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  19. Hate to burst an illusion, but proper Gulyás is more soup than stew

    Nt what we're used to at all.
    Learn the Hungarian for he is not a nice Orc today, it's an odd world

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  20. Hello Anon

    That's interesting. I really thought it was a very thick stew. But, you know, soup will go down very nicely too!!!

    You have to do the translation for me. There aren't any Hungarian translations on my computer...

    I helped my new neighbour fix his smoke alarm, and in doing it, I was swearing in French and English, because it wouldn't fit on. He was swearing in Hungarian, but I can't remember the word!!

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