414 Responses to Easter Weekend Thread 3rd April 2021

  1. StewGreen says:

    Site was down for about 8 mins

    4:30pm R4 Religion prog : urban beekeepers:
    Salma Attan looks after her bees on the roof of the East London Mosque,
    – Rabbi Kelley Gludt tends a hive in Baltimore,
    – Adrian Rhodes ‘Canon Apiarist’ at Manchester Cathedral.

       4 likes

  2. StewGreen says:

    Tory MP Dame Cheryl Gillan has died, aged 68, after battling a long illness
    “chalk stream champion”
    https://itv.com/news/2021-04-05/conservative-mp-dame-cheryl-gillian-dies-aged-68

       5 likes

  3. Ian Rushlow says:

    The BBC considers it newsworthy that the actress Thandie Newton is to revert to her original name of ‘Thandiwe’ Newton. Apparently Thandie is an Anglicised version, based on a mispelling of Thandiwe, which the BBC describes as the Rhodesian Zimbabwean spelling. Strictly speaking it is a Shona name, the dominant tribe, and means ‘Beloved’. But that’s a bit too much info for the BBC, who have simply lifted the story from the pointless Vogue magazine, which they regularly trawl for stories with ethnic and gender aspects. Perhaps the BBC might like to ask why she doesn’t go the whole hog and spell it using the Shona alphabet. Ah, like most of sub-Saharan Africa they didn’t develop one, so a bit of ‘cultural appropriation’ was needed from a part of the world that did.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-56638260

    P.S. Quite like her as an actress, this is more aimed at the BBC.

       30 likes

    • StewGreen says:

      “three decades after it was *misspelt* in the credits of her first film”
      OK that is a bit interesting trivia
      not news so well CCBCGB’ed

      She starred in the recent advert with Lenny Henry, the BAME vaccination video

         8 likes

      • harry142857 says:

        It didn’t matter so much on the multi million pound film contracts or salary cheques.

           13 likes

      • Northern Voter says:

        The well known Zimbabwean scientist Sir Iswaac Newton, has de anglicised his name along with Wobert Newton the actor.

           20 likes

    • Beltane says:

      More to the point – if not a contradiction in terms – the name Thandiwe is pronounced Thandie. Hope that helps clarify things.

         10 likes

  4. Eddy Booth says:

    49551.jpg

       34 likes

  5. Philip_2 says:

    Q. Is the BBC an NGO charity or just a Corporation that legally never pays any Corporation tax?

    A. Is really all three (and it can change its hat at will) – and is very proud of its charitable ‘actions’ and can avoid paying any tax (after all expenses). Money channel primarily to fringe groups providing gender changers to abortionists and green extremists are all in the mix of charitable hand outs.

    Revealed: BBC ‘Charity’ receives MILLIONS in funding from Gates Foundation (2020)
    BBC Media Action is not funded by the BBC licence fee, and instead relies on the generous support of our donors…

    Last year (2020) this ‘charity’ had a budget of nearly £39 million of which just under half was spent on salaries. See below their latest accounts of where funding has been received and how this will be spent. (see graph on web link below).

    ‘…However in relation to this investigation we look at Private Foundations Donations. Now most charities receive the bulk of their donations from Private funds but as you can see above it is mostly NGO’s who fund this ‘Charity’. However they do receive just over £2,000,000 per annum from private foundations of which 99% comes from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation!

    The left are sponsoring each other by charitable donations to the causes of the BBC who can then claim ‘impartiality’ from public funding. Its a dirty little backwater where in most part its political (an often cloaked in terms of NGO sponsorship driven by Agenda (was Agenda 21 now they are taking funds for Agenda 30).

    The Agenda 30 model will use money from CO2 from all of industry to create the NEW global tax on western nations (so only one media supplier is required in UK). The same one that tells us it is political impartial, is purely based on (so called) fact-checkers, and claims there is only one sex (or indeed 330), white man dead, conservatism is dead, Islam is a normal perversion, all sex perversions are normal and good. Death to the (white) family and the end the patriotic democratic nation state. Soros is innocent and Gates is a Prophet saving us all from extinction. That one, the media that claims to be skint (most of the time).

    https://unitynewsnetwork.co.uk/revealed-bbc-charity-receives-millions-in-funding-from-gates-foundation/

       28 likes

    • Rich says:

      Philip,

      I believe that BBC Media Action were known as the BBC World Service Trust when Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe worked for them.

      Apparently they provided training courses to journalists in areas throughout the world where freedom of the press is limited. Some Iranian journalists took part in these courses, which I think Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe worked in the administration of, defiantly against the wishes of the Iranian government. They were then arrested, prosecuted and imprisoned as the government insisted that they were guilty of colluding with a foreign organisation in an attempt to undermine the state.

      As was of course Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe when she foolishly visited Iran a few years later, despite the government there being aware of her involvement in these courses, and I believe despite her being aware that they were none too happy about it.

      I may be wrong, but I’m not sure that the bBbc have ever really acknowledged this.

         16 likes

    • tomo says:

      Presently going into the BBC (.co.uk) web site from a Belgium / Holland IP address (and seeing the future?)

      Beyond the assorted advertisers and noting that Harrabin’s “Science & Environment” category is simply labelled “Science” – I’m being carpet bombed with BBC self promotion especially from BBC Media Action. Their conceit is about as pervasive as it’s possible to be !

      elsewhere:
      Sly Nooze are launching the “Daily Climate Sho-owe” (with apology to Deputy Dawg)

         7 likes

  6. digg says:

    Sadiq Khan has the answer to reducing London’s drug crime wave…..

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/apr/05/mayor-of-london-sadiq-khan-cannabis-legalisation-drugs-commission

    Legalise drugs – that is definitely going to reduce drug crime.

    Legalising stabbings would also do away with knife crime.

    Lagalising violent protests would also do away with disorder crime.

    I think he on to something here (maybe weed itself?) or does he just think it will bring in the rag-bag voters and turn London into an even filthier sewer than it already is?

       41 likes

  7. StewGreen says:

    7:15pm R4 beeboid Michael Rosen talking about his heavy Covid experience.

    Interesting its promoted by the UAF labour front group
    as if he was connected to them

       6 likes

  8. Philip_2 says:

    Foreign Aid budget, is another open source of public funds:
    (From TPA Newsletter)
    More money squandered on foreign aid.
    “Following an exclusive with The Sun, I can reveal that yet more public money has been wasted on overseas aid. The TaxPayers’ Alliance has discovered the many ludicrous projects taxpayers’ cash has funded. The government will spend over a quarter of a million pounds of international aid on dance and theatre performances, panel discussions, talks, and workshops.

    One notable example saw £24,192 spent on “Peace Dance from a Central African Perspective”. Organised by the University of Leeds, a team of practitioners spent three weeks in Lake Chad facilitating “rhythm and dance workshops” and conducting “a festive event in N’Djamena to showcase the art”.

    OK its not BBC related. but the BBC gets its support from these same bozos in the civil-service who move in and out of the BBC on a swing door. That is how it survives. And why it (BBC) always needs more money. If the foreign office gets it, why not the World Service etc, etc.

    Original link supplied by TPA.

    https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/14541783/taxpayer-dancing-lessons-africa-aid/

    And whilst your at it. These same FAT CATS want a bigger SWING DOOR as ‘golden good-byes’ when they are kicked out, and then end up working for the BBC (or as NHS consultants). Petition to stop them creaming more money off us here:
    https://www.taxpayersalliance.com/stop_public_sector_golden_goodbyes

       25 likes

  9. Jack in the Green says:

    Apart from the media going along with this Covid farrago, this isn’t a BBC thing so apologies for that. This is the biggest assault on people’s liberty in this country I have ever witnessed. Gove, Hancock and Johnson – not so much the three amigos as the three gauleiters. Are they working hand in glove with our oriental friends to not only destroy western economies but to adopt their filthy totalitarian, communist state? Rage precludes further comment.

       40 likes

    • G says:

      JithG,

      “but to adopt their filthy totalitarian, communist state?”.

      Simply paving the way.

         3 likes

      • Peter Grimes says:

        Makes that Gramschian long march through the institutions so much easier!

           1 likes

  10. fakenewswatcher says:

    Surkeer the Kneeler must be getting very frustrated that Mr BoJangles, the HighWire trapeze artist, is dominating the news. Yup, it’s this pandemic, vaccine, lockdown, ever shifting regulations, stuff. Even the Labour-friendly beeb seems to have little space for Surkeer now.
    It’s the endlessly repetitive pandemic tale that has allowed the trapeze artist, flanked by ‘experts’ to drone one endlessly almost every day. The ‘experts’ speculate, warn, waffle, repeat etc etc The media seem to be happy: they get to ask lengthy questions via Zoom. It’s almost as if it’s the appearance on TV, that matters.
    How many little boats have landed today, carrying ‘migrants’? We don’t know. Are their Lordships meeting and contributing to democracy? We know very little. Has war broken out on the Indo-Chinese border? Maybe, maybe not. Is Mozambique turning into an Islamist state? Moza. …what?
    Doesn’t really matter, as long as we know about what vaccines the Indians and Mozambiqans are using, and how effective they are. (China, the Biden selectors, and possibly the bug inventors, we don’t talk about.) Not disputing that the virus is a dangerous, possibly fatal bug. But, oh what a lovely bestower of power and control!
    Worryingly, WHO is going to pay the bill our ever-generous Chancellor has raked up? WHERE will the money come from? WHEN?
    Doesn’t matter, Keep eyes on trapeze.

       32 likes

  11. Philip_2 says:

    Spiked have a good one on BBC race baiting.
    The dangers of Britain-bashing
    The upper middle-classes’ fashionable loathing for the country they live in is sowing division and tension.
    (Brendan O’Neil)
    https://www.spiked-online.com/2021/04/05/the-dangers-of-britain-bashing/

       25 likes

    • taffman says:

      This country would be a far better country if those that loathed it simply left ?

         34 likes

    • RogerH says:

      Quite agree, the same band drove us out of the EU – rather than have an educated debate on the pros and cons of membership, they just branded anyone who questioned our membership as racist. Thus, killing debate and polarizing opinion.

         10 likes

  12. G.W.F. says:

    Thank you Government, giving some of our freedoms back. I am fed up with stories about empty pubs and publicans losing money. Tonight we hear that people have been drinking heavier since the pubs closed. I am not surprised. I am six foot tall and easily noticed but could never catch the eye of the bar person and frequently gave up.
    Quite frankly I don’t give a damn if pubs close forever. They never wanted my money.

       16 likes

    • taffman says:

      Does Boris get his orders from China?
      He is always on about his “road map”, could that be the ‘yellow brick road’ map ?

         14 likes

      • fakenewswatcher says:

        taffman – interesting question. Joe certainly does, to some extent. I’ve been watching the CCP ever since Mao, whose book on guerilla warfare I remember reading. But not closely enough, since the USSR was there to take our eye off the ball. The character who fascinated me the most was Chou EnLai. With ref to my previous post and R Nixon, I think it was Nixon who broke the ice with China. Seem to recall him shaking hands with Chou. That was a very different China. Or was it?

        (USSR always seemed more accesible. Dis a course in Russian. Now, China is another story. Wouldn’t even attempt a course in Mandarin.)

           12 likes

  13. StewGreen says:

    6:25pm The Declutter your house show
    is it an all white family ?
    So what kind of family is it ?

       11 likes

  14. fakenewswatcher says:

    Have you also been wondering since November what is going on in the US? That MSM fog cover, always shifting, never clearing?
    There was a brilliant interview with the incisive and eloquent Sidney Powell, hosted by Dinesh D’Souza, on Rumble yesterday …at least 2 parts. Especially enlightenment on the very obvious -but very foggy- elaborate preparations needed for a Dem ‘victory’ by tiny margins in 5-6 key battleground states. Barack/Barry openly announced it on inauguration day in 2016. “Let’s get to work…” (or something close) he said, if memory serves. I remember thinking: you’re out now, lad, so whatcha talking about? Four years of preparation, that’s what.
    Small wonder the elites and their media have been trying to stifle, nay cancel, Ms Powell. I recall where I was when the Kennedy assassinations were announced. When Richard Nixon was eliminated. It’s only now sinking in how ruthless the reality beneath the democratic exterior of the ‘superpower’ seems to have been ever present.
    The latest display was November, as DJT, like Nixon, was manipulated out of power.

       30 likes

    • Lefty Wright says:

      fakenewswatcher
      I well remember I rejoiced when President Nixon resigned. In those days I was a stupid c—t. However, these days I like to think that I have,at least, reduced the stupid bit somewhat but I guess that depends on whose opinion you get.

         10 likes

    • G says:

      Fnw,

      It would probably surprise many people but the rioting in Communist controlled cities still rages on. Police resigning in their droves.

      For those who want to know what’s truly going on, without the internet, just think, we would be totally in the hands of the dishonest media. That would be Utopia for our own, “Worlds Most trusted Broadcaster”.

         9 likes

  15. StewGreen says:

    US Asian shot by blacks
    is than news ? Bad black guy shoot people all the time
    Mostly blacks, sometime whites, sometime Asians.

       12 likes

    • JohnC says:

      There is no evidence that it is black people doing it and anyway, you shouldn’t even mention it because you can’t fight racism with more racism.
      The Guardian told me that in an article by a black woman.
      Which did strike me as odd because the main way they are dealing with racism here is by anti-white racism.
      The hypocrisy is off the scale.

         3 likes

  16. StewGreen says:

    Race Report : Rod Liddle speaks

    EyMTVT0WYAIupqW?format=jpg&name=small

       29 likes

  17. StewGreen says:

    Beware Nationalist terrorism
    ..with real victims

    #OnThisDay in 1975 the IRA murdered 5 people and injured 61 at The Mountainview Tavern, by shooting and bombing inside the packed pub located on Shankill Road, Belfast. 6pm.

       12 likes

  18. StewGreen says:

    @PriyamvadaGopal the @Cambridge_Uni racebaiter
    is attacked by Trevor Phillips
    for her ‘anti-black bigotry and rank anti-Semitism.’
    ..see The Times

       10 likes

  19. Guest Who says:

    Graun not really thinking though that photo of St. Jaq in wokeville terms.

       3 likes

  20. StewGreen says:

    The people you get at antifa/BLM rallies
    Portland : Malik Muhammed has been indicted over multiple charges for throwing firebombs at police etc.

       11 likes

  21. Sluff says:

    On my ipad I can stream youtube video and take part in any number of zoom meetings.
    But I cannot easily load up the pages of this website. Just a regular sea of blue.
    1. Is it just me, for whatever reason?
    2. Are we contributors attaching too many memory-hungry videos and other links to our posts?
    3. Could someone be spiking the site in some way?

    Back to business.
    The University Challenge final showed the continuing appalling BBC woke propaganda.
    1. A set of questions about Victorian MPs with links to the slave trade. FFS.
    2. A set of questions about a woman film director.

    I’m delighted to report the teams – that is the teams in the fnal – knew jack all about any of those.

       25 likes

    • StewGreen says:

      @Sluff no problems here on Win 10 & Android

      AFAIK This page has no video files loaded when you open it
      – It loads the template
      – fetches the text blocks of post
      – adds in the embedded images
      – Then adds in the embedded segments like You Tube and Twitter, and then their image components
      – only when you press play does it fetch the rest of the video frames

         6 likes

    • StewGreen says:

      Basically all the team with BAME and women had already been knocked out
      “Out of the two teams of four there’s only one woman.
      The WINNING @warwickuni team is entirely male ”
      All appear to be white, but then if one of them is Jewish ..that’s your 15% BAME

      No one knew the answers in the US female film maker round Video (retweeted by said film maker)

         15 likes

    • StewGreen says:

      Slavery Question
      Name 3 politicians who opposed slave emancipation ?
      Clue : MP for Tamworth, Home Sec…)
      …………….

      Robert Peel, George Canning, William Gladstone,

      Who et the question ? white historian Michael Taylor
      Bio flags : EU , Eire, rainbow etc.
      November published a book : The Interest: How the British Establishment Resisted the Abolition of Slavery

      and Guardian article 9 months ago
      https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jun/20/gladstone-wellington-peel-britain-pro-slavery-british-history-abolition

         9 likes

      • Rich says:

        Stew,

        News to me, but it seems that Taylor is not only from my home town but he attended the same school as me, though thankfully long after I had left.

        Both reasons make the Irish flag really quite strange but it along with the EU one and the rainbow point towards him either being yet another awakened, self-loathing middle-class Ulster Protestant shamelessly virtue signalling to atone for the sins of his “colonising and oppressing” British forebears or as a sign of an ongoing and cliched rebellion against the Presbyterian patriarchy of his youth.

        Or he might just be a prick.

           19 likes

  22. StewGreen says:

    Footballer helping government to have more resources to help the REAL people in need

       37 likes

  23. taffman says:

    “Labour urges tighter rules on lobbyists”
    Follow the money .

       8 likes

  24. JohnC says:

    The BBC are in full white-man bad, black man good mode with the Floyd trial now. They have abandoned any pretence of impartiality.
    I am looking forward to their reporting on the case for the defence. Most specifically how far down the column we get before the inevitable ‘But ..’ or ‘However..’ where they quote as many other people as they can to rubbish what the defense just said.
    I have to admit I don’t care much about the whole topic. Floyd was a scumbag who got rough treatment from a policeman who knew him and didn’t like him. I don’t believe he killed him on purpose nor do I believe Floyds comfort was high on his list of priorities.
    What I am watching for most of all is the bias and Left wing politicising of the case. It’s rare we get such a simple, public event by which we can judge it. The BLM riots and their support by the Democrat hypocrites have given them confidence and now they dare to stick their necks out further and unwittingly show us their true colours. Then hopefully more people can understand what ethically barren activists they really are.

       40 likes

    • taffman says:

      JohnC
      While our so called Tory government allows the outfit to be funded by a compulsory telly tax ?

         13 likes

      • JohnC says:

        Even this Floyd trial is in second place to the absolutely outrageous coverage of Meghans interview – along with more interviews of her close friends backing her up.
        What is absolutely disgusting is how her lies, ambiguities and discrepencies were all completely ignored.

           31 likes

  25. taffman says:

    \\Covid passports: Plans criticised by MPs amid fears of ‘two-tier Britain’//
    All this , I understand ? is happening while thousands of people arrive in the UK legally and illegally every day without Covid passports ?

       27 likes

  26. taffman says:

    Pound £ = €1.1781
    How long before it gets to €1.20 ?
    Al Beeb are very quiet about this .

       21 likes

  27. Scroblene says:

    Some time ago – a few months, there was a post here, which was a video of an extremely erudite and fascinating lady from the US, who was investigating the power, infiltration and serious personal income etc, of the charities, and how they are becoming the ‘real’ government of many countries.

    I wish I’d bookmarked the piece, as she really opened up a huge can of worms, and discussed in detail how the public are conned with all those images etc!

    May I ask, Fed et al, through your incisive columns, if anyone knows where I might find a replay of this amazing insight into how charities are not the cuddly carers they seem to be?

    I remain, Sir, your obedient servant,

    Senor Conrad Roberto O’Blene, V.A.T. and Scar.

       17 likes

    • Garry Lavin says:

      Was it Barbara Amiel?

         4 likes

      • Scroblene says:

        Thank you, Garry, I’ve checked her out on various YouTube channels, and don’t recognise the face as the lady who made such a good case for investigating the charities more carefully!

        I’ll keep looking!

           0 likes

    • Fedup2 says:

      Scrob – I had a quick look for ‘ babs amiel ‘ but nothing turned up – I vaguely remember watching but can’t pinpoint the month … I d need a bit more time range …

         2 likes

      • Up2snuff says:

        I doubt that it was Barbara Amiel. She’s been busy on her autobiography publicity, book was amusingly reviewed on The Conservative Woman a couple of weeks back.

           0 likes

      • Scroblene says:

        Thank you Fed!

        It would have been about a year ago, as during the early days of the covids, governments didn’t have a clue what to do, and of course, the charities were squealing for funds to ‘bridge the gap’.

        This lady made such a strong case for intervention, and of course people like David Miliband’s antics were considered here, at the time.

        You can see that we don’t really trust the fatter charities, and only support the Kent Air Ambulance!

        Please don’t waste any more of your valuable time anyway!

           0 likes

  28. Guest Who says:

    BBC News

    A Filipino man who was found to have broken quarantine rules has died, after he was made to do 300 squat-like exercises by police as punishment, his family said.

    ***
    This story arc is interesting.

    Not a care home nurse in Ledbury.

    Or an Asian American in Harlem.

    #CCBGB

    As some have noted… ‘his family says’.

    The reach of the BBC cubicle gardens is far, and wide from W1A.

       12 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      Meanwhile, also on the ‘news’ radar…

      ***
      BBC News

      A group has been arrested and charged with public debauchery after an outdoor nude photoshoot on a balcony in Dubai’s marina.

      ***

      New Tatler outing for the Newsnight team?

         8 likes

  29. taffman says:

    \\Covid passports: Plans criticised by MPs amid fears of ‘two-tier Britain’……….//
    So, do “game changer” vaccines work ? Does the Tory government work?

       9 likes

  30. Tabs says:

    Horray! Hannah Ingram-Moore back in the news again!
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-56641436

       6 likes

  31. AsISeeIt says:

    The Daily Express sub-editor this morning seems to forget what country he is living in when the paper asks: ‘What’s going on with our topsy-turvy weather?’ – we live in Britain, mate, it’s always been changeable.

    One has to conclude that this is further evidence of the increasing prevalence of media-hyped paranoia and the inevitable counter force of a fast-spreading sub-culture of conspiracy theories.

    It suits government and their crony corporate buddies to have us in a constant state of superstitious concern that something or other is monkeying with the climate. How else they are going to justify burdening us with more green taxes and super expensive energy bills?

    The freebie Metro this morning adorns their frontpage with actresses of a certain age: ‘Leading ladies in red’ – and for once this doesn’t refer to Helen Mirren and her fellow A-lister sistas’ politics – it was the colour of their dresses. ‘Crimson tide: Dame Helen Mirren and Gillian Anderson brought a dash of colour to the Sag Awards’ – now, now, we’ll have no rude jokes about sagging assets, thank you. Sag is the giveaway Metro’s unusual way of abbreviating the Screen Actors Guild.

    And I do hope we all had a quiet moment’s reflection and perhaps said a little prayer this Holy weekend, I know I did – Lord preserve us from luvvies’ awards shows.

    The Guardian in contrast has: ‘The woman in black’ – no, not that gothic horror tale set in Victorian times that starred the kid from Harry Potter in the movie version. Nope, we can’t help but notice the habitually arts-favouring thespian-leaning Guardian tends to take a sudden interest in sport as and when the participants fit certain demographics: ‘Rebecca Welch makes sporting history’ – are these “first” events still really frontpage news?

    The 37-year-old became the first female referee to take charge of a league match in England and hopefully will encourage others to follow in her footsteps’ – clearly the activism aspect winning out over the personality of the woman or indeed the news aspect here is glaringly self-evident.

    And if – despite VAR (if that’s a thing in the EFL?) – she has a shocker and the online crowd (there isn’t a live one) happens to shout “who’s the “b**** in black?” (five letters, begins with b, a female canine) – then the Gruan has another great story and feminist teaching moment on its hands. They live in hope and expectation.

    On the subject of subjects in which one has no interest whatsoever, both the ‘i’ and the Daily Mail go with: ‘At last! Nicola Sturgeon at the hairdressers yesterday’ – the two papers coming at the event (photo-op) from somewhat different viewpoints. The lefty-liberal ‘i’ is perfectly respectful, simply referring to: ‘Scotland’s hairdressers reopened yesterday’ whilst the Mail is mocking – as newspapers in a healthy democracy ought to do: ‘Has Sturgeon had the chop? (…or is she just going back to her roots?) ’ – roots…? more like Hoots!

    The po-faced ‘i’ also features Simon Kelner pontificating as to: ‘Why I back vaccine passports’ – what a nice man he appears to be: ‘It’s your right not to be vaccinated, and it’s our right not to let you in the pub

    I wonder, could it be that his attitude stems from the fact that he’s had the pain in the arm and felt like hell for 24 hours as he suffered the symptoms of a bad flu for no real gain? Or just possibly he has a lingering nagging smidgeon of concern that he might on the off chance have taken the risk of being injected with a serious medical malfeasance timebomb – and jolly well wants everyone to be in the same boat?

    He does make his bread and butter in the world of media-hyped paranoia.

       17 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      Of all media, the Depress is best at a) obsessing about weather, b) getting it totally wrong and c) not caring and blundering on.

      If anyone paid a blind bit of notice to them a week ago, we’d all be in the BBC bunker with the artistic weathermen still until snowmageddopocalypse has passed.

      Here we enjoyed a lovely bank holiday. Nippy, but happiness is solar powered.

      The coming ‘Scorchio’ mankini deployment when Carol is on break is a concern.

         10 likes

  32. Garry Lavin says:

    This might be interesting…but I can’t read it…..paywall.
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/04/06/bbcs-young-executives-think-older-people-want-watch-gardening/

       4 likes

    • Fedup2 says:

      Garry – have it on me –
      STARTS
      The BBC is “tying itself in knots” over ageing viewers as young executives believe they only like shows about gardening and tanks, Charlie Higson has claimed.

      The 63-year-old actor, comedian and producer, who also wrote the bestselling Young Bond children’s book series, has said common beliefs about older people are outdated.

      He accused the BBC of stereotyping older people by assuming they want to watch documentaries about Dame Vera Lynn, World War Two or nature.

      Higson, who came to public attention as one of the main writers and performers of BBC Two sketch programme The Fast Show, which ran from 1994 to 2000, said playing Bob Fleming in the revival of the show without the need for made-up wrinkles was a sobering experience.

      He said: “The BBC is forever tying itself in knots about the ageing demographic of its viewers, and some younger executives seem to think that us ‘old’ people only want to watch gardening programmes, reruns of All Creatures Great and Small and documentaries about Vera Lynn. Or tanks. I don’t. I want to watch new things.

      “I want to watch something startling and original. And I’d really like to watch a new sketch show with a group of young people making comedy about the world we live in.”

      He made the comments in an interview with Monday’s Radio Times ahead of the publication of his new book, Worst Holiday Ever, next month and his show, Charlie Higson and Friends on Scala Radio, on Sunday.

      Higson sent out a tweet to his 135,000 Twitter followers on Sunday saying: “I do worry that the current BBC promotional campaign based around what else BBC might stand for (like Big Ballsy Characters) could go horribly wrong if anyone points out what the most commonly accepted meaning of BBC is.”

      According to the BBC’s 2019-20 annual report, its audience engagement report found that there was “broad respect for the BBC – but particularly younger audiences feel that it is a bit ‘out of date’and maybe for an older audience, and that the BBC is often associated with being factual, professional, grown-up and serious.'”

      It also found the percentage of adults aged 55 and over who agreed with the statement that the BBC is effective at reflecting people like them was 61 per cent. For those aged 35 to 54, the figure was 53 per cent, and it was the same for those aged 16 to 34.

      The BBC has repeatedly come under fire amid claims that it does not know its audience or is out of touch.

      Last month, the broadcaster announced that it will begin moving some news operations away from London and ensure that new drama and comedy reflects life in the nations and regions to counter accusations of a “liberal, metropolitan bias”.

      The shift means that 400 staff will have to relocate out of the capital and that the Today programme and Newsnight will be presented from the regions on a regular basis. The move follows claims by ministers that the BBC is failing to serve people in Brexit-supporting “Red Wall” seats.

      It also comes amid a looming challenge from GB News, a right-leaning rival broadcaster set to target the “Red Wall” viewers that Andrew Neil, its chairman, says have been under-served.ENDS

      I love tanks – I hope GB News has a programme about tanks . I sat in a T34 and Tiger once …

      ….. hope that the BBC employees being moved out of London will be treated like so many other vulnerable groups and get all that support and counselling they are going to need – as well as a 24/7 helpline to guide on cultural issues outside London …. as well as the bribe the BBC will give them using taxpayer cash .

         17 likes

      • AsISeeIt says:

        [BBC] moving some news operations away from London and ensure that new drama and comedy reflects life in the nations and regions to counter accusations of a “liberal, metropolitan bias”.

        Seems the metropolitan bias aspect is accepted but they can never and will never acknowledge or indeed tackle the liberal part of the problem.

        When Higson demands “a new sketch show with a group of young people making comedy about the world we live in” – one can well imagine how that will look having passed through the BBC’s left-leaning diversity filter.

           12 likes

        • Garry Lavin says:

          All that means is that me…and my son and his girlfriend…..can’t afford to buy houses in the place of our birth!

             6 likes

      • Garry Lavin says:

        Many thanks.

        Funnily enough….that Guy Martin is popular with young lads….he had a show where he built a WW1 tank recreation.
        Not BBC though (and the idea for the show came from my suggestion to recreate a working WW1 troop carrying bus…..to tour the battlefields).

           8 likes

      • Fedup2 says:

        EG
        I sneaked a bit of that – the dialogue is just ‘darlek’ . Does anyone speak like those dead characters ?I didn’t stay long enough for any plot –

        But I’d be interested about viewing figures … I suspect a strong downward trends – apart from those poor souls who think they have to watch it ….

        Spoiler alert – at the end whitee ( male ) will be the baddie …

           0 likes

  33. Guest Who says:

    OT, but given the bbc uses the term selectively too, what does ‘authoritative’ mean?

       7 likes

    • Fedup2 says:

      Funny how ex Tories like that idiot in the picture – also willetts and the plebgate MP – go weirdly lefty for some reason beyond common sense …..

         12 likes

      • Guest Who says:

        I am starting to note the paucity of reaction on such tweets in what is supposedly a febrile platform showcasing what the nation thinks.

        Still, no doubt Rog will RT soon. Taking it to 16.

        As one dubiously blessed with an excess of testosterone but not the funds to be part of the Sir Reg knitting circle, I worry whether becoming more Lurchy in the topiary Dept. sees an excess of green creep into one’s world views.

           4 likes

      • Peter Grimes says:

        John Selwyn Gummer was my MP when I got married and moved up/out!!! to Fash Forest’ill. I say ‘my’, but that was the only GE when I was present in the UK when I couldn’t be assed to vote…because of him.

        A prize plonker.

           10 likes

  34. Deborah says:

    I have come to this site for a bit of calm and rightful criticism of the BBC. Everywhere else everybody is so angry. They all seem to want their European holidays next week, the right to get with crowds of people etc etc, anger that they might have to do a test, the right not to have a vaccine. I think of Halifax, count my blessings and if we can test some freedom works before going to the next freedom, so be it.

       12 likes

    • Peter Grimes says:

      Anyone itching to leave the (relative) safety of the UK to holiday in some EU COVID-incubating hothouse resort deserves all that is coming.

      I bet it’s mostly yoof, the same selfish nutters who riot for BLM/climate change/kill the Bill/whatever and who are likely anti-vaxxers too.

         13 likes

      • Fedup2 says:

        Peter – it’s me . I’m itching to leave because I have a home outside the UK . I travell(Ed) a lot and have flights booked through to 2022 .

        My assessment of the risk is –

        1 the dangerous heathrow T5
        2 London Underground in rush times
        3 the supermarket where distancing isn’t really done
        4 the occasional family of ‘selfish nutters ‘

        On the upside
        1 the population density is lower than London
        2 not many people about
        3 strict curfew
        4 limited travel
        5 rising vaccination levels

        So I will take my chances and go as soon as l can but I can stay away until the 10 day return lock down is lifted .

           9 likes

        • Peter Grimes says:

          Sorry, Fed, didn’t mean to offend. I did post ‘mostly’.
          Apologies if you really want to visit crowded discos/raves/parties in the Med.

             2 likes

          • Fedup2 says:

            Peter
            Absolutely no offence taken . Having gone through monthly air travel through 2020 i considered the risk each time and experienced the threats i listed .

            Alrhough a lot of british will have had both vax by summer those they encounter overseas are not likely to ‘ clear ‘ so the chances of unrestricted air travel is – in my view – extremely unlikely ….

            Heathrow really frightened me last year .

               4 likes

  35. Fedup2 says:

    Deborah
    I , too , am at the stage of both avoiding BBC output and social media . Twitter access is extremely limited and I don’t use anything else . As for Twitter – at the moment Brillo is brokering an interview between George Galloway and sexy salmond in the run up to the election . Galloway has excepted as he says he has been frozen out of the bigger debates . Anyway – I digress .

    I’ve only been monitoring the site over Easter as Easter means a great deal . I saw that plod closed a church on Good Friday , that I can get a legal haircut next week ( I’m in the queue ) and that I still can’t leave the country and that a chippy actress changed her name – from Megan to Sussex – sorry – wrong actress .

    Alternative news sources are much healthier – RT is just funny – France 24 thinks it’s important and online – Bloomberg – gives a better angle on things .

    I saw on Bloomberg that the Governor of Vermont state has prioritised coloured folk getting the vaccine . A story which hasn’t featured in many other places …..

    By the way – if anyone noticed that there was no ‘start the week thread ‘ – there was such a low number of comments that I couldn’t be bothered – the tedious techy crap ( again ) didn’t help –
    And now that our sister site has closed contingency is even more limited . I wonder who owns this site ?

       15 likes

    • Deborah says:

      Fed, I can understand your desire to go back ‘home’ which is perhaps warmer than here. This global warming is a lark, isn’t it? But I often lurk on Conservative Woman, Guido and Going Postal. CW has an article likening the government to the Nazis and demanding Nuremberg trials, GP is definitely anti-vac and Guido posters appear angry at everything. As for the Daily Mail on line, today they are demanding total freedom but tomorrow they could highlight a single person who sneezed after getting the jab or covid and blame it on Boris.

         12 likes

  36. StewGreen says:

    Now on R4 Covid worldwide
    Their narrative “Asia good, western backward”

    At the end, Kishore Mahbubani says Asian countries are appalled at western governments’ response to coronavirus and will no longer defer to the West

    Elephant in the room !

    BTW truth is not a strong concept in Asia cultures

    They just named European countries that acted early, and claimed that lasted.
    AFAIK Bulgaria is not doing well now
    it’s death rate will pass the UK’s.
    Oh it has already
    UK 1,861/million … Bulgaria 1,996

       16 likes

    • Fedup2 says:

      Bulgaria – number of vax 503 570 – 3.6% of the population – welcome to the 3rd world

      At least the government and their families have got the jab eh ?

      Btw – RT had a fantastic story of an Italian man who was desperate for a vax so he arranged to go to Moscow and get one – cue the TV crew filming him getting the jab – a good few digs at the EU –
      And at the end RT mentioned that he was married to a Russian so could get a visa .

      I did notice – though – that lady Russian wife wasn’t interviewed … a curious omission.

      Numbers from the excellent free Bloomberg site showing daily country data

         9 likes

    • StewGreen says:

      Deaths are staggeringly low in every Asian country as if there is a strong genetic component.

      It can’t all be all lies, magic masks, and ignoring poor people etc.

         14 likes

      • Fedup2 says:

        Or maybe Asian counting is culturally different ….

           10 likes

      • StewGreen says:

        “UK worst in Europe for Covid !”

        The overall UK death rate per million is 11th in Europe with Italy and Slovakia about to pass us in days.

           8 likes

  37. Up2snuff says:

    A good time to start the Start the Week Thread …. hint …. hint ….

    TOADY Watch #1 – he wouldn’t be ‘cashing in’ would he?

    Or maybe Dad is needing to keep his name in the news to stop his Presidency of the United States of America turning into a bit of a non-event? I awake to the news that Hunter Biden, only 51 years of age, feels that a mid-life crisis can be offset by an early auto-biography. It also enables every thing that journalists come up with – should they dig for the truth – can be dismissed by pointing to the ‘official’ and ‘authorised’ auto-biography.

    Pardon my cynicism, or is he just ‘cashing in’ before Dad ‘checks out’ of the Oval Office?

       11 likes

    • Fedup2 says:

      Up2 – I can ‘do a stew ‘ and refer you to my comment earlier on …. I lost sleep deciding not to put up the ‘start the week thread ‘ but don’t worry – unless the crappy techy of this site fails again – I will put up a midweek one later on … but it depends if Norwich win or not …

         7 likes

      • Up2snuff says:

        LOL, Fed. Sorry to hear of your sleepless night. I hadn’t got that far up the Thread after my day off. Had to do my TOADY watch post before I forgot it. It was a nice day off, although I did listen to TWatO and Book at Bedtime.

        Why are you worrying about Norwich? Tottenham have a really big game coming up 😉

           4 likes

        • Fedup2 says:

          Up2
          I went through a ‘Norwich phase ‘ and have a residual affection – I hope they go up so that proper clubs can get an easy 3 points each week….

          … they’ll be an easy replacement for Sheffield disunited

             9 likes

      • Guest Who says:

        In the spirit of a ‘doing’….. it might be better described as ‘tech’.

        The techy is a noble warrior keeping the leaky tub afloat.

           4 likes

    • fakenewswatcher says:

      Snuff – ‘a good tome to start’- Hunter Biden & ‘Hard Drive from Hell’ & book: some good stuff on this on Rumble yesterday, Steven Bannon’s War Room. Look for the one that has Hunter as the Biden crime family’s ‘bag man’ in the heading. The brilliant Dr Peter Navarro has a bit to say, if I recall.

         5 likes

  38. Up2snuff says:

    TOADY Watch #2 – funny, what a convenient round number and what about Labour Party MPs?

    TOADY claim that forty Conservative MPs are rebelling at the thought of Covid-19 ‘vaccine passports’ being imposed on the nation by the Prime Minister backed by SAGE. The PM has already unwisely imprisoned himself by ‘shooting his mouth off’ (a.k.a. not thinking before speaking) on “guided by the data, not dates”. I noticed over the Easter weekend, that although Keir Starmer had spoken against the discriminatory measure that Covid-19 ‘vaccine passports’ would be, it is only the Conservative MP rebels that were being mentioned.

    I wonder why? Could it be anything to do with dissension in the Labour ranks and the BBC wishing to cover it up? John Ashworth was dithering and blethering like crazy in a hilarious TWatO interview yesterday in order to avoid answering a straight question on whether he would support the vaccine passport idea.

    Or could it be – as Labour will be quick to claim – that the BBC are the mouthpiece of the Conservatives and are merely publicising the fact that heroic Conservative MPs are ‘standing up for the nation’ and ‘being against discrimination’ ? If so, if the BBC are backing the Tories as Labour claim that they do, why wouldn’t the BBC go for a bigger number? Why would they round down to that convenient 40 and not try to find 41, 42 or even 43 rebel Conservatives? Perhaps 45 or 46 …..

       15 likes

  39. Fedup2 says:

    Up2 – I’m confused because I’ve always regarded the BBC has being far left – and thus an extension of the Labour Party . Admittedly there are exceptions – such as where the government has sold out to the bbc ( decriminalisation ) in return for ‘general support ‘ on the covid project fear thing –

    But otherwise bbc heart and mind is firmly socialist …. hiding behind the ‘attacked from both sides ‘ tune it hums from time to time ….

       15 likes

    • Up2snuff says:

      Fed, I agree that the claims that the BBC support the Conservatives are laughable, but Labour and its supporters still make them.

         12 likes

  40. Up2snuff says:

    TOADY Watch #3 – short of cash, donations not coming in …. ?

    TOADY informs me that Hannah Ingram-Moore is very keen for Capt Tom’s memory to be perpetuated on what would have been his 101st birthday. They are asking people to create their own 100 ‘something’ challenges for charity. Er, should it not be 101 ‘somethings’? Question not asked by Mishal or the BeeLady.

    The BBC have a handy link to The Capt Tom Foundation here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-56641436 It is an interesting web-site.

       9 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      I organised one ‘funding drive’.

      At ours’ school.

      Found an old boy who had roamed and had stories to tell.

      Popped down Majestic and found a bunch of cases from each country he’d been to.

      A local deli desperate for promo provided the cheese.

      Aldi the saltiest stuff we could find to go with the free cheap plonk on the tables before the evening kicked off.

      Thereafter it was a ‘tasting’. The guy could talk… and talk. All subsequent was at mark up plus cut on case orders.

      Made a fortune for the cause. All came out happy.

      Funding rich mates on a jolly to Manchu Pichu to cycle up a mountain… no.

      Funding media whore addicts seeking to get their 16 minutes whilst giving desperate content bereft broadcasters and excuse… no.

         15 likes

  41. Guest Who says:

    If the entire BBC bottom floor does not get excited I’ll be surprised.

    If the comments in reaction once they do are the same, I won’t be.

       12 likes

    • Fedup2 says:

      From my experience – it might have helped if they turned up on time .. innit

         12 likes

  42. Emmanuel Goldstein says:

    I thought I’d have a look at this series which is supposed to be the biggest thing on the box at the moment, line of duty.

    I watched the first episode and it appears to be a show about wimmin cops (with a couple of token males chucked in)
    Black wimmin cops are there or course.
    Lesbian lead character.
    Disabled male.
    So lots of boxes ticked.
    That is expected now (as opposed to reality)

    What put me right off was the incessant loud ‘background’ ‘ music/effects’ with booming drums and continuous droning tones.
    They must have let the children loose with the sound effects and they managed to spoil the audio part of the already spoiled video woke part.
    Either turning the sound up and down to counter the ‘background’ racket or missing out on the spoken parts, the choice was mine.

    Never had any problems like this with The Bill.

       24 likes

    • Fedup2 says:

      Viewing numbers down from 9.6 million episode one to 8.9 million most recent – so much for hype …. down to 8 million for the next episode ?

         12 likes

      • JohnC says:

        Going like the last Dr Who. Gradual tail off after the initial hype and spending God knows how much of our money to promote it as their woke flagship.
        Afterwards they will be twisting the figures any way they can to make it seem success.
        I searched for Dr Who viewing figures out of interest and they claim ‘a respectable average of 5.9 million’ for the last series. However the last episode got under 5 and it is ranked 11th out of 12th seasons. The lowest (season 10) is of course also one of the new generation woke with Peter Capaldi’s black female assistant and female ‘Master’.
        Of course we then have an attempt to explain why you can’t compare the figures.
        They will not go near the real reason why for about 10 years when they will look back and admit what a mistake it was.

           17 likes

        • Up2snuff says:

          Stop paying, John. Give up the telly. Just say no. You know it makes sense. etc., etc., etc..

             10 likes

          • JohnC says:

            I’m using the Royal ‘our’ here Up2.
            Those people will never get another penny from me to fund their activism.

               2 likes

    • JohnC says:

      Have you watched any of their high-agenda ‘news’ videos recently ?.
      Something like mournful, simple piano music while they tell us how ex-terrorist Mohammed has just been released from prison and all he wants in this world is to run his little market stall and support his 8 poor young children, his wife and his mother. But is subject to predjudice and racism by everyone to stop him doing it. Accompanied by many shot of his children sat on his knee or playing and looking cute.
      There would – of course – be no mention of what he did as a terrorist and the subject of ‘why’ will never, ever be raised. Except maybe to say how he was forced into it just to survive when really he wanted to be a doctor and help people.
      Their hypocrisy makes me sick.

         2 likes

  43. Guest Who says:

    Nice?

    Not nice.

    Is BBC NANANana BS ever going to actually mention any news again, or are they just waiting in case the Biden era passes on?

       15 likes

    • StewGreen says:

      Gaetz Covid-19 joke
      Oh he’s a Republican politician accused of having sex with a 17 yo
      The Anti-republicans have already tried and convicted him of being the Yorkshire Ripper.

      Age is kind of academic, powerful people shouldn’t be having sex with people way less powerful than them.

         8 likes

  44. StewGreen says:

    Posh white lady Caroline Lucas says report mainly by black people is not honest.

       10 likes

  45. StewGreen says:

    Claudia’s next bright idea will be a new global map with all the British Empire countries highlighted in pink
    .. no one has ever done that before, it was *hidden*.
    There seem to be some errors in her map anyway .. https://twitter.com/ThaZeusOH/status/1379215809453645833
    Like Spanish Sahara and Mauritania seem the wrong way around

    https://www.spiked-online.com/2021/04/06/breaking-news-europeans-colonised-africa/

       12 likes

    • Fedup2 says:

      Is she on bail ? I get confused about which of them isnt …

      Is she heading home to a mother country to put her skills to work ?

         9 likes

      • StewGreen says:

        @Fed Claudia’s harassment trial was adjourned until 27 September after her solicitor told Westminster Magistrates’ Court the last they had heard from her barrister was that he was “feeling unwell”
        It should have started on March 16th

           5 likes

        • Fedup2 says:

          Stew – yes – thanks – must be trying for an ‘abuse of process’ job to get it thrown out …

             5 likes

    • StewGreen says:

      Her tweet is misleading cos it makes it look like the European powers drew up a map in 1884
      At a glance that does not seem true, the conference talked mainly about central Africa ..only by 1911 was there a clear map.
      “1884–85 Berlin Conference to discuss the African problem.
      the conference resolved to end slavery by African and Islamic powers. Thus, an international prohibition of the slave trade throughout their respected spheres was signed by the European members.
      – The Niger and Congo rivers were made free for ship traffic.

      OK in 1882 Britain controlled Egypt
      But it was much later like 1900 when Arab were removed from the East coast countries and France got control of Morocco

      The Wikipedia page only gives a 1913 map
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Conference

         3 likes

    • StewGreen says:

      Seems Claudia’s map is #FakeNews
      A MickeyMouse map that someone has made by taking a modern Wikipedia template & paintshop
      It’s misrepresentation to say it represents reality in 1895
      more like 1905 or 1911
      Even then it’s full of inaccuracies
      https://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/regional-geography-of-the-world-globalization-people-and-places/s10-01-introducing-the-realm.html

         4 likes

  46. Docmarooned says:

    This moron is beyond stupid!

       7 likes

  47. Up2snuff says:

    BBC WEB-SITE Watch #1 – what’s in a name?

    Quite a lot apparently. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-56638260

    What Melanie is not telling us is that Melanie is not Melanie but Thandie (silent h, hard t) and Thandie (silent h, hard t) is not Thandie (silent h, hard t) but Thandiwe (pronounced h, soft t) and don’t forget the ‘weh’ at the end or you will be guilty of some offence or other.

    I assume that Melanie is not Melanie due to the demands of Equity who already had a Melanie Newton registered with them as an actress.

    It has always puzzled me – Snuffy is a bit of a simple sort – why African and Caribbean origin people love to hyphenate their surnames. This is something I think of as being ‘class-ridden’ and redolent of the 17th to 19th centuries, British imperial and colonial era. You would think imitating it would be something to be avoided.

       14 likes

  48. BRISSLES says:

    Thandie/Thandiwe Newton has to make herself relevant in this way, as she’s a rubbish actress. She has only one facial expression – stare. Her list of film credits is many, but how many are memorable ?

       12 likes

    • Up2snuff says:

      Brissles, my dear old thing (even if it is far too cold to watch or play cricket) I don’t know if I have seen Beloved Newton in a film to agree or disagree. If the US 2003/2004 seasons of ER made it to the UK small screen before I gave up TV in 2005, then I did see her on TV. She would have had a hard job making an impact on ER – apart from her beauty – because even in its later years, after some of the originals had moved on, ER had a pretty stellar cast of actors and actresses.

         1 likes

  49. Fedup2 says:

    Bris
    Im a film director / producer and ms newton is put up for a part . Would i really pick someone carrying such a chip .

    How many lovies use their real name – darllllinnggg .. ?

       19 likes

    • TrickCyclist says:

      I love the implied victimisation in the BBC report linked by Up2snuff:
      “The actress. . . said her name was misspelled in the credits to her first film in 1991, Flirting. . .
      As a result, Thandie Newton became the widely-used spelling of her name and has stuck with the actress for three decades.”
      As if she couldn’t have chosen to use her real name back then but went with what she thought was best for her career.

      On the other hand. . .
      “I’m determined not to lose my name. It’s who I am. It has neither aided my progress nor hampered it. It’s just who I am.” – Ioan Gruffudd
      Quite like him as an actor – along with John Leguizamo, Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson, Mia Wasikowska. . .

         10 likes