Letter from some chap called Gordon Brown

I went to check the mail [real paper stuff through the letter-box type] this morning, there was only one letter for my other half from someone called Gordon Brown.

On my way back upstairs with this letter I shouted and asked if he knew anyone called Gordon Brown because he'd written to him.
'No' was the reply 'Oh maybe he's a friend of Judy's' [Mallaber].


"Dear Mr DooDah

I know that people are angry about MP's expenses. I apologise - on behalf of all parties - that the political system has let you and the public down.

Whatever party they belong to, MP's should never have spent taxpayers' money on clearing their moats or swimming pools, or paying phantom mortgages - and it's even worse at a time when ordinary families are worried about the impact of the recession.

Labour are determined to put things right - not through words, but through action. This is not a time for papering over cracks - it's a time for root and branch reform. And it's not just a question of paying back money. That's why Labour have suspended MP's who are suspected of wrongdoing.

Now more than ever, families in this community need our help through this recession. Labour will stand by you and your family - not walk on by as the Conservatives did in the 1990s."

There was more in the letter about promises by the Labour party, plus more calling of the Conservatives.


Don't they get it yet? No-one trusts either party now. I hope they haven't wasted yet more taxpayers money by sending out these letters of apology to every household in the country. They're a joke!

The system of MP's expenses is a complete shambles, probably instituted years gone by when MP's did need a second home in London + the expense of keeping it because it took days rather than hours to reach London. Now with travel being so much quicker and this amazing high speed Internet thingy to keep in touch, I don't think there's the same need for second or third homes complete with an army of cleaners at our expense.

Why do they get so much expense allowance anyway? I get bugger all. I've got a second home [tin shack in an old turnip field] but I clean it myself, I must look into what expenses I can claim for it.

I think one of my [slightly] crumblier friends has got the best idea -
Put all MP's in a block of flats and bus them into work EVERY morning.

And where does Gordon Brown get the idea that "we and? the public" are "ordinary" families? Are they implying that they, the MP's are better than we mere mortals? "papering over cracks" "time for root and branch reform" Who actually wrote that drivel? I could do better writing it backwards with my left hand and with my eyes shut [am so ahem, gifted].

I'm not into politics, I put all the 'please vote for me' bumf straight into the recycling bag. I wouldn't know Gordon Brown if I bumped into him on the street. I don't even know who the leader of the Conservative party is. If this makes me ignorant, well I don't really care.

My, my getting that off my chest does feel good. this is one happy 'Grumpy Old Woman' today ...

Interesting Blog?

I received an email [25th May] from 'Tara Marinello of allvoices' inviting me to join as she'd seen my blog and ahem, found it 'Interesting'. Hmm methinks, self-indulgent - yes, even amusing at times but INTERESTING!?? She clearly hadn't read it [them] I have two blogs and no reference was made to which one was 'interesting'.

If she meant this blog then it's nothing more than a diary and although everything I write is true, it's definitely biased simply because it's my point of view, so hardly journalistic news. My other blog is about 'decoupage' but I've been far grumpier than crafty lately so it's not been updated for a while.

Who, apart from my equally barmy friends are interested in anything I write?
The complete lack of comments on my blog prove this point.
I don't know if I'll be joining allvoices, I don't suppose it'll do any harm but I'm quite happy in my own little world writing my 'not so secret diary' for me and my chums [my chums and I???].

The 'recruiting' of people to allvoices is reminiscent of Jehovahs Witnesses touting for business door to door - in my opinion if anything is good enough people will find it themselves without an invite.

I have to say I am a little confused by the 'Interest', also amazed that no-one unexpected actually showed up on the relevant date or the few days before; as having been anywhere near my blog to find it 'interesting' [statcounter] but thanks for the invite.

Cynical - I am, gullible - well, not nearly as much as I used to be ...

Asda Get Your Finger Out!

Come on Asda, hurry up with your planning application for Langley Mill, we want it passed as soon as possible so the bridge can be taken down on Bridge Street -

The reason why

Thursday night 1.30, I was in bed minding my own business listening to the DIESEL forklift trucks at PMB who work in some of the non-soundproofed Heanor Haulage buildings [tin shacks], when I heard several bangs.

I got up to have a look, opened the curtain a crack and a stone hit the window, it's a good job I have excellent bladder control for a 'near crumbly' or I'd have wet myself it was such a loud bang, in fact at first I thought it was a brick they'd used.

I phoned the police, spoke to a very nice lady who asked all the proper questions, unfortunately I couldn't give her many details as these are cowardly thugs who hide behind the bridge side so you can't see anything except the tops of their hoods and their hands throwing ammunition over.
They were raining pebbles over at the cars now that they'd run out of stones.

Obviously when the police came they'd gone over the bridge and disappeared.

Last Night 11.00

BANG!
Oh here we go again, then 3 eggs hit the front door, I watched them slide down the glass. Then the stones started, the little ba****ds must have taken a different route home this time as it was garden pea gravel they'd filled their pockets with.
Same routine - 999. Meanwhile my other half [who had planned this after Thursdays do] had got the hose pipe out and sprayed them with water, all the time they were throwing gravel at him. I went on the front then to wait for the police and they even threw it at me [how dare they?!]
The police to give them credit were very quick as they were close by.

After a bit of persuasion from us and our neighbours they gave them chase over the bridge where they were caught by more police waiting at the other end. Two police cars in the same area on a Sunday night - WOW!

My other half had gone over with the police with his little torch, he wanted to see their faces, he saw one and won't forget it, he's good at remembering people, me I have problems knowing who the woman in the mirror is in a morning.

There were 3 of them, no evidence of wrong doing on them, der! they'd used that.

Now this is the really annoying bit -

Policeman 1 who came back over the bridge with the 'thug waterer' - buying him a power washer!
"They're about 14 years old, 1 was crying, they'll be taken home and letters sent."
He then went in my neighbours house to discuss if they knew any reason why we were being targeted.

Policeman 2 who was then dropped off by the other police car -
"They're 17 & 18 but because there's no criminal damage done we've taken their names and let them go. They're not bad lads"

Me, disbelieving and spitting feathers -
"What do you mean they're not bad lads, you try living here, then tell me that!"

The conversation went on in a similar vein including that they'd thrown gravel at us and hit us but weren't hurt. I know as crimes go this is very trivial but to us it's not, it's distressing to say the least. My cat was terrified and trying to hide in a cupboard and my neighbours dog ended up with the squits.

Have you tried cleaning eggs off of a front door?? well no, me neither, I didn't clean it but I watched this morning as my grumpy old man struggled whilst muttering quite a lot, my neighbour came out and pointed out the little chips in our car windows and the bigger chip in her front window.

Anyway I'm not entirely satisfied with the police, the response was brilliant but the fact that they couldn't get their stories straight does not instil me with any sort of confidence.
I will be wanting a chat with 'cardboard Bob' at some point to see what he knows.

So Asda, get a move on before we set fire to the bridge ...

94% of residents support Asda

' 94% of residents are on our side' Asda claim, What a lovely high figure.

I really wonder why they asked our opinions at all, let's face it, it's got to be a foregone conclusion. All Asda had to do was find the grottiest bit of Amber Valley [where they so want to invest] and say "Look how we can improve this!" - as far as I can see an open cess-pit would greatly improve HH's land and the corner of Cromford road, so Asda should be well in with their proposals.

Yep, ever so grumpy today, but that's mainly because they keep persisting in giving the wrong address for Heanor Haulage - Cromford road - it's WESLEY STREET. Is this deliberate so that the only opinions sought after are from the Cromford Road residents? Quote - "people might struggle to sleep" - HOW?? It's nowhere near them. HELLLOOOO ... I'm being kept awake at night now by PMB Pallet Express in HH's crappy buildings!

Are Asda using poetic license describing Heanor Haulage as being in the centre of Langley Mill? Because if it is in the centre, then Langley Mill is very small - am feeling quite pedantic now too.

I now have to worry [as well as the other residents on BRIDGE STREET] whether our houses will actually withstand the demolition of the old buildings. Our houses shake now with Heanor Haulage and their doings. I have thought on several occasions that we'd had a mini-earthquake only to find it was just the crane moving something a few inches, plus there's the added bonus of asbestos roofing having to be removed directly across from us.

Hopefully when the time comes someone will actually get in touch with us and discuss their plans, I'd hate to wake up one morning to find the front of our house had fallen off during demolition and I wasn't wearing big pyjamas - as opposed to my playboy ones ...