Hello Everyone,
I am quite an old retired merchantile marine engineer who lives in a rather weather beaten part of Scotland. With so much inclement weather I find that the WWW is a great relief from many intruding and often unpleasant thoughts and worries that are apt to impose themselves on a inactive mind - especially when the weather makes one almost housebound.
Old age also brings its fair share of infirmities and illnesses and they rear their ugly heads from time to time.
In younger years I did have an interest in gardening but when year after year you most valiant effort are destroyed overnight by a gale it makes me despondent and fairly unwilling to keep up the battle against the elements and try to concentrate on hardy perennials which require very little TLC.
I was fairly well gifted as a child, looking back, but those who have been brought up in fishing communites will well understand that anything that had no direct interest in running or maintaining a fishingboat. the size of each boats daily catch (measured in crans of herring when I was young) was really of no interest to almost ninety percent of those around you and made you "odd" amongst your peers at school.
To those fascinated by Andrew Melville in the series "One Foot In The Grave." and who saw him being interviewed on TV will recall his bitter humour about being asked if he had always had his sights on the stage.
Forgive me paraphrasing his remarks, "Come on now, a young boy brought up in a fishing village in Ayrshire! Tell your father you want to be an actor? You must be joking. He would have murdered me. I had to run away to London and get a job acting before I dare tell them what I wanted to do."
My life was just not so severe as that although refusal to go to the fishing did have drastic consequences but these were somewhat mollified by the fact that at least I was still going to sea, albeit the Merchantile Marine.
I stayed there for over forty years achieving the top rank of chief engineer - "Doubled Barrel" to boot! ( that is I was qualified for both steamships and diesel ships.) I was the only apprentice engineer from my engineering shop to achieve the rank of chief engineer. A fact about which I am justly proud.
My talents revealled at school were leaning to a more artistic life; writing, reading (a total failure at mathematics!) drawing and painting, in watercolours, oils and acryilics - when they came along.
These were augmented by the fact that at secondary school I showed great promise in practica studies such as woodwork and metalwork
But encouragement at school was curtailed by the outbreak of world war two when sometimes we were reduced to doing classes two weeks in the forenoon and then two weeks in the afternoon owing to the high influx of evacuees.
We were taught in schools, church halls, museums, courthouses, townhouses and the local library especially after the schools were bombed. That also hastened the departure of the evacuees to somewhere else where the powers that be did not think that they would be bombed. The whole country was being bombed.
No that I have the time on my hands for the arts and crafts I find that too much of my time is taken up worrying about lack of finances and fighting the various government departments who keep advertising that "Aid is there for the asking." - untill you ask for it - then the door is slammed on your face.
My wife bought the computer before I left the sea at 68 years of age but never learned to use it. I learned to use it and use it to bombard evry single member of the government from Tony Blair downwards in an effort to just let them see through a glass but darkly the life they have condemed the elderly in Great Britain to life. The fourth richest nation in the world with a social services surplus of £3.4 BILLION but still claim they have not enough money to increase pensions?
This surplus is projected to reach £47 BILLION in the next four years AND REACH £1.00 TRILLION by the year 2050.
I do get replies no and again from underlings but the real satisfaction is seeing the huge old age pensioners demonstrations in London, which, of course, I cannot attend but know that I am with them in more than spirit.
They have a growing older generation but they themselves have created an ever increasingly bitter old generation.
As for my arts and crafts, etc. where on earth can I get the money for the pursuit of such non productive activities ? Our immoral council tax uses up 100% of my wife's old age pension.
I do sound like Andrew Melville, don't I?
randall
randall
-
Accountable
- Posts: 24818
- Joined: Mon May 30, 2005 8:33 am
randall
Welcome, old gent. Sit back and be comfortable for we would love to hear your insight.
randall
[QUOTE=randall]Hello Everyone,
I am quite an old retired merchantile marine engineer who lives in a rather weather beaten part of Scotland. With so much inclement weather I find that the WWW is a great relief from many intruding and often unpleasant thoughts and worries that are apt to impose themselves on a inactive mind - especially when the weather makes one almost housebound.
Old age also brings its fair share of infirmities and illnesses and they rear their ugly heads from time to time.
In younger years I did have an interest in gardening but when year after year you most valiant effort are destroyed overnight by a gale it makes me despondent and fairly unwilling to keep up the battle against the elements and try to concentrate on hardy perennials which require very little TLC.
I was fairly well gifted as a child, looking back, but those who have been brought up in fishing communites will well understand that anything that had no direct interest in running or maintaining a fishingboat. the size of each boats daily catch (measured in crans of herring when I was young) was really of no interest to almost ninety percent of those around you and made you "odd" amongst your peers at school.
To those fascinated by Andrew Melville in the series "One Foot In The Grave." and who saw him being interviewed on TV will recall his bitter humour about being asked if he had always had his sights on the stage.
Forgive me paraphrasing his remarks, "Come on now, a young boy brought up in a fishing village in Ayrshire! Tell your father you want to be an actor? You must be joking. He would have murdered me. I had to run away to London and get a job acting before I dare tell them what I wanted to do."
My life was just not so severe as that although refusal to go to the fishing did have drastic consequences but these were somewhat mollified by the fact that at least I was still going to sea, albeit the Merchantile Marine.
I stayed there for over forty years achieving the top rank of chief engineer - "Doubled Barrel" to boot! ( that is I was qualified for both steamships and diesel ships.) I was the only apprentice engineer from my engineering shop to achieve the rank of chief engineer. A fact about which I am justly proud.
My talents revealled at school were leaning to a more artistic life; writing, reading (a total failure at mathematics!) drawing and painting, in watercolours, oils and acryilics - when they came along.
These were augmented by the fact that at secondary school I showed great promise in practica studies such as woodwork and metalwork
But encouragement at school was curtailed by the outbreak of world war two when sometimes we were reduced to doing classes two weeks in the forenoon and then two weeks in the afternoon owing to the high influx of evacuees.
We were taught in schools, church halls, museums, courthouses, townhouses and the local library especially after the schools were bombed. That also hastened the departure of the evacuees to somewhere else where the powers that be did not think that they would be bombed. The whole country was being bombed.
No that I have the time on my hands for the arts and crafts I find that too much of my time is taken up worrying about lack of finances and fighting the various government departments who keep advertising that "Aid is there for the asking." - untill you ask for it - then the door is slammed on your face.
My wife bought the computer before I left the sea at 68 years of age but never learned to use it. I learned to use it and use it to bombard evry single member of the government from Tony Blair downwards in an effort to just let them see through a glass but darkly the life they have condemed the elderly in Great Britain to life. The fourth richest nation in the world with a social services surplus of £3.4 BILLION but still claim they have not enough money to increase pensions?
This surplus is projected to reach £47 BILLION in the next four years AND REACH £1.00 TRILLION by the year 2050.
I do get replies no and again from underlings but the real satisfaction is seeing the huge old age pensioners demonstrations in London, which, of course, I cannot attend but know that I am with them in more than spirit.
They have a growing older generation but they themselves have created an ever increasingly bitter old generation.
As for my arts and crafts, etc. where on earth can I get the money for the pursuit of such non productive activities ? Our immoral council tax uses up 100% of my wife's old age pension.
I do sound like Andrew Melville, don't I?
randall
I am quite an old retired merchantile marine engineer who lives in a rather weather beaten part of Scotland. With so much inclement weather I find that the WWW is a great relief from many intruding and often unpleasant thoughts and worries that are apt to impose themselves on a inactive mind - especially when the weather makes one almost housebound.
Old age also brings its fair share of infirmities and illnesses and they rear their ugly heads from time to time.
In younger years I did have an interest in gardening but when year after year you most valiant effort are destroyed overnight by a gale it makes me despondent and fairly unwilling to keep up the battle against the elements and try to concentrate on hardy perennials which require very little TLC.
I was fairly well gifted as a child, looking back, but those who have been brought up in fishing communites will well understand that anything that had no direct interest in running or maintaining a fishingboat. the size of each boats daily catch (measured in crans of herring when I was young) was really of no interest to almost ninety percent of those around you and made you "odd" amongst your peers at school.
To those fascinated by Andrew Melville in the series "One Foot In The Grave." and who saw him being interviewed on TV will recall his bitter humour about being asked if he had always had his sights on the stage.
Forgive me paraphrasing his remarks, "Come on now, a young boy brought up in a fishing village in Ayrshire! Tell your father you want to be an actor? You must be joking. He would have murdered me. I had to run away to London and get a job acting before I dare tell them what I wanted to do."
My life was just not so severe as that although refusal to go to the fishing did have drastic consequences but these were somewhat mollified by the fact that at least I was still going to sea, albeit the Merchantile Marine.
I stayed there for over forty years achieving the top rank of chief engineer - "Doubled Barrel" to boot! ( that is I was qualified for both steamships and diesel ships.) I was the only apprentice engineer from my engineering shop to achieve the rank of chief engineer. A fact about which I am justly proud.
My talents revealled at school were leaning to a more artistic life; writing, reading (a total failure at mathematics!) drawing and painting, in watercolours, oils and acryilics - when they came along.
These were augmented by the fact that at secondary school I showed great promise in practica studies such as woodwork and metalwork
But encouragement at school was curtailed by the outbreak of world war two when sometimes we were reduced to doing classes two weeks in the forenoon and then two weeks in the afternoon owing to the high influx of evacuees.
We were taught in schools, church halls, museums, courthouses, townhouses and the local library especially after the schools were bombed. That also hastened the departure of the evacuees to somewhere else where the powers that be did not think that they would be bombed. The whole country was being bombed.
No that I have the time on my hands for the arts and crafts I find that too much of my time is taken up worrying about lack of finances and fighting the various government departments who keep advertising that "Aid is there for the asking." - untill you ask for it - then the door is slammed on your face.
My wife bought the computer before I left the sea at 68 years of age but never learned to use it. I learned to use it and use it to bombard evry single member of the government from Tony Blair downwards in an effort to just let them see through a glass but darkly the life they have condemed the elderly in Great Britain to life. The fourth richest nation in the world with a social services surplus of £3.4 BILLION but still claim they have not enough money to increase pensions?
This surplus is projected to reach £47 BILLION in the next four years AND REACH £1.00 TRILLION by the year 2050.
I do get replies no and again from underlings but the real satisfaction is seeing the huge old age pensioners demonstrations in London, which, of course, I cannot attend but know that I am with them in more than spirit.
They have a growing older generation but they themselves have created an ever increasingly bitter old generation.
As for my arts and crafts, etc. where on earth can I get the money for the pursuit of such non productive activities ? Our immoral council tax uses up 100% of my wife's old age pension.
I do sound like Andrew Melville, don't I?
randall
randall
Wow, what a great intro. I think you found the perfect place to pass the time, Randall. Welcome to FG, I am really looking forward to hearing more from you! :yh_peace
[FONT=Arial Black]I hope you cherish this sweet way of life, and I hope you know that it comes with a price.
~Darrel Worley~
[/FONT]
Bullet's trial was a farce. Can I get an AMEN?????
We won't be punished for our sins, but BY them.
~Darrel Worley~
[/FONT]
Bullet's trial was a farce. Can I get an AMEN?????
We won't be punished for our sins, but BY them.
randall
Welcome randall. I agree, what a brilliant introduction.
Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answers...Rainer Maria Rilke
randall
theia wrote: Welcome randall. I agree, what a brilliant introduction.
Let's hope we here at FG can offer you some pleasant distractions. It is a great place to kick back and discuss just about anything. I think you would make a grand writer. Very well written intro. Cheers and do visit the mindlessness of the pub some days a person needs to just laugh at sillyness.
Cheers
Let's hope we here at FG can offer you some pleasant distractions. It is a great place to kick back and discuss just about anything. I think you would make a grand writer. Very well written intro. Cheers and do visit the mindlessness of the pub some days a person needs to just laugh at sillyness.
Cheers
�You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.�
• Mae West
• Mae West
randall
Welcome Randall. I'm sure you will enjoy it here. We could use a few sea stories.
Schooling results in matriculation. Education is a process that changes the learner.
randall
A Very Good Day To You All,
First I must thank you for all the exceptionall compliments which have been bestowed upon my introductory message telling you a "little" about myself.
I Thank Clint and Theia and the others, for their rather exuberant assessment of my writing and Theia even goes a far as saying that I should be a writer - well, I am always open to offers - but to be honest I have been "writing" since I was seven or eight (so far nothing has ever been published) and the first piece which drew modest family acclaim was a desription or going out to the "partans" with my Uncle Bob in Pittenweem, The Kingdom of Fife in Scotland.
"Partans" are a very reddish crab which was caught in "creels" made out of a stout, slatted wooden base weight down by heavy stones off the beach. It had old wooden barrel hoops forming a semicircle - about three hoops per creel - over which heavy, coarse hand made netting was stretched and fastened securely creating a net tunnel..
This "tunnel" had two small "tapered tunnels or cones" woven into the neting - one from either side of the rectangle and at opposite ends of the creel.
The partans and lobsters could get themselves into the creels to eat the old parts of fish tied inside as bait but could not get out.
My uncle Bob had a small twenty foot wooden "yole" - clinker built - with a dark brown rectangular lug sail. No motors in those days before World War Two. They depended entirely upon the strength and direction of the wind and so one acquired a fair amount of skill when operating them.
The positions of the creels, there were perhaps six to twelve shot at any one time, were marked by small wooden floats tied to them which bobbed merrily upon the surface of the Firth Of Forth. To the best of my recollections they were checked two or three times a week. Whilst underwater there was no danger of the partans or lobsters dying.
He must have always headed west from Pittenweem, where my grandmother lived and we went frequently down there for holidays, as I can remember vividly, when steering the "Pansy" back to harbour by the tiller on the rudder, I was strictly instructed to keep the Church spire in line with the bow of the boat.
Most shellfish were sent south to England by train along with almost all of the mackerel which the larger boats caught.
For some reason handed down from generation to generation among the fisherfolk in the northeast of Scotland, few ate shellfish and no one would eat either mackerel or ling, a long thin fish.
Nowadays they eat almost everything they can catch.
We used to play in the thick mud at the bottom of the lovely harbour when the tide was out whilst the fishermen used the opportunity to either repaint the anti-fouling on the bottoms of their boats lying high and dry, or repack the stern glands of the boats propeller tubes. This prevent the sea water entering the boat along the propeller shaft.
The last time I saw the town after a gap of forty years the harbour had been deepened and no longer did the tide go out completely. The boats are now much more bigger and with more powerful engines.
All the local shops I knew had vanished from the high street to replaced by numerous antique shops, arts and crafts shops, tearooms, etc all run by outsiders - "White Immigrants" we call them.
The one or two old time locals we met told us that almost all of the lovely painted houses facing the harbour were usually booked for the year by American tourists.
It gave me a very heart saddenlng feeling to think that when I played on these same streets lit by gas lamps as a young boy I had literally a dozen or more relatives in that tiny village - now there were none,
"All is change" saith the prophet.
"I strove with none for none was worth my stife,
Nature I loved and next to nature art
I have warmed both hands before the fires of life
And now I am ready to depart."
Laurence Bynion ..... I believe.
Regards to all
Randall
First I must thank you for all the exceptionall compliments which have been bestowed upon my introductory message telling you a "little" about myself.
I Thank Clint and Theia and the others, for their rather exuberant assessment of my writing and Theia even goes a far as saying that I should be a writer - well, I am always open to offers - but to be honest I have been "writing" since I was seven or eight (so far nothing has ever been published) and the first piece which drew modest family acclaim was a desription or going out to the "partans" with my Uncle Bob in Pittenweem, The Kingdom of Fife in Scotland.
"Partans" are a very reddish crab which was caught in "creels" made out of a stout, slatted wooden base weight down by heavy stones off the beach. It had old wooden barrel hoops forming a semicircle - about three hoops per creel - over which heavy, coarse hand made netting was stretched and fastened securely creating a net tunnel..
This "tunnel" had two small "tapered tunnels or cones" woven into the neting - one from either side of the rectangle and at opposite ends of the creel.
The partans and lobsters could get themselves into the creels to eat the old parts of fish tied inside as bait but could not get out.
My uncle Bob had a small twenty foot wooden "yole" - clinker built - with a dark brown rectangular lug sail. No motors in those days before World War Two. They depended entirely upon the strength and direction of the wind and so one acquired a fair amount of skill when operating them.
The positions of the creels, there were perhaps six to twelve shot at any one time, were marked by small wooden floats tied to them which bobbed merrily upon the surface of the Firth Of Forth. To the best of my recollections they were checked two or three times a week. Whilst underwater there was no danger of the partans or lobsters dying.
He must have always headed west from Pittenweem, where my grandmother lived and we went frequently down there for holidays, as I can remember vividly, when steering the "Pansy" back to harbour by the tiller on the rudder, I was strictly instructed to keep the Church spire in line with the bow of the boat.
Most shellfish were sent south to England by train along with almost all of the mackerel which the larger boats caught.
For some reason handed down from generation to generation among the fisherfolk in the northeast of Scotland, few ate shellfish and no one would eat either mackerel or ling, a long thin fish.
Nowadays they eat almost everything they can catch.
We used to play in the thick mud at the bottom of the lovely harbour when the tide was out whilst the fishermen used the opportunity to either repaint the anti-fouling on the bottoms of their boats lying high and dry, or repack the stern glands of the boats propeller tubes. This prevent the sea water entering the boat along the propeller shaft.
The last time I saw the town after a gap of forty years the harbour had been deepened and no longer did the tide go out completely. The boats are now much more bigger and with more powerful engines.
All the local shops I knew had vanished from the high street to replaced by numerous antique shops, arts and crafts shops, tearooms, etc all run by outsiders - "White Immigrants" we call them.
The one or two old time locals we met told us that almost all of the lovely painted houses facing the harbour were usually booked for the year by American tourists.
It gave me a very heart saddenlng feeling to think that when I played on these same streets lit by gas lamps as a young boy I had literally a dozen or more relatives in that tiny village - now there were none,
"All is change" saith the prophet.
"I strove with none for none was worth my stife,
Nature I loved and next to nature art
I have warmed both hands before the fires of life
And now I am ready to depart."
Laurence Bynion ..... I believe.
Regards to all
Randall
-
capt_buzzard
- Posts: 5557
- Joined: Wed Aug 25, 2004 12:00 pm
randall
Welcome Randall to FG
randall
Hello there & welcome to the FG......It will be a pleasure to read your posts!! Enjoy yourself here!!:-6
~~The Family~~
Happiness is knowing where you come from...
Who you are...
And why you are here.....
randall
Welcome Aboard Randall,
and what lovely stories you tell, look forward to hearing more x.
To those fascinated by Andrew Melville in the series "One Foot In The Grave." and who saw him being interviewed on TV will recall his bitter humour about being asked if he had always had his sights on the stage
Do you mean Victor Meldrew?
randall
Yes, yet another lovely story, randall. Thank you.
(And abbey, I just love your range of smilies! You seem to have one to fit every occasion)
(And abbey, I just love your range of smilies! You seem to have one to fit every occasion)
Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answers...Rainer Maria Rilke
randall
Dear Nomad,
If you had even the slightest idea of the finacial buden lying over my head you would not be asking me for five dollars but offering it.
I don't know about the US or anywhere else but here in Britain the general consenus is that we paid in gladly in 1948 to the government's newly founded welfare state because we were promised to be looked after from the cradle to the grave but that illusion has drifted slowly away like the mists ibn a highlanf glen. Honourable members of parlaiment like Anuerian Bevan even had to guits to resign when the government satred to charge for our medical subsciptions.
Even the people who run the companies, large and small - take "Rover/MG" as an example where when four men who "rescued" the company a short time ago first action was to set up a multi million pound pension fund for themselves and all of their immediate families! Recently they fired thousands wihtout any hope of any pension.
The Labour (Democrats to the Americans) got into power in 1997 and the first thing they have done almost every year is vote themselves higher and higher salaries and today they start out on the longest holiday know in the history of Westminster Palace - coincidentally, just after the bombers had struck; just when most other world politicians would be breaking off their holidays to head home.
It has been revealed today that Tony Blair spends more of the tax payers' money on pesonal makeup than his wife does.?????
Few of can claimed not tohave been robbed by the goverment and big business starting with Robert Maxwell but he is small fry to what is coming out of the wallpaper now.
The treasury is the biggest culprit as I mentioned in my first compisition. They say we are the fourth richest country on earth and at the same time cream off billions of pounds each year from the Union Funds of the Railway Workers, Coal Miners and Merchant Navy, all of whom had able men investing their funds so wisely that they mutiplied it many times in my lifetime. Now the treasury's covetous eyes have homed in on it as an easy source of funds without actually putting up income tax.
The social services gave bombers to be council houses, paid their rents and a £90 odd a week living expenses - my wife's old age pension is £46 pound per week which she immediately takes down to the local council office to pay the council tax on our house, water, sewage, etc.
Shortly after being made redundant by Tidewater Marine and deemed too old at 68 to be employed by anyone else. The Inland revenue told me that a few of the shipping companies I had worked for had not being paying my national insurance and income tax. or, at least, just part of it.
They then proceed to legally rob us of every penny we had in our savings bank account. The shipping companies, meanwhile got off scot free! One Nigerian company employed me for eight months and never paid me a cent at the end of it - that is when I discovered that an individual cannot sue a foreign government - it might emnarrass our government and cause them to loose trade.
Since then it has been downhill all the way.
God bless you all and lets hope that your futures are both brighter and happier.
Randall
If you had even the slightest idea of the finacial buden lying over my head you would not be asking me for five dollars but offering it.
I don't know about the US or anywhere else but here in Britain the general consenus is that we paid in gladly in 1948 to the government's newly founded welfare state because we were promised to be looked after from the cradle to the grave but that illusion has drifted slowly away like the mists ibn a highlanf glen. Honourable members of parlaiment like Anuerian Bevan even had to guits to resign when the government satred to charge for our medical subsciptions.
Even the people who run the companies, large and small - take "Rover/MG" as an example where when four men who "rescued" the company a short time ago first action was to set up a multi million pound pension fund for themselves and all of their immediate families! Recently they fired thousands wihtout any hope of any pension.
The Labour (Democrats to the Americans) got into power in 1997 and the first thing they have done almost every year is vote themselves higher and higher salaries and today they start out on the longest holiday know in the history of Westminster Palace - coincidentally, just after the bombers had struck; just when most other world politicians would be breaking off their holidays to head home.
It has been revealed today that Tony Blair spends more of the tax payers' money on pesonal makeup than his wife does.?????
Few of can claimed not tohave been robbed by the goverment and big business starting with Robert Maxwell but he is small fry to what is coming out of the wallpaper now.
The treasury is the biggest culprit as I mentioned in my first compisition. They say we are the fourth richest country on earth and at the same time cream off billions of pounds each year from the Union Funds of the Railway Workers, Coal Miners and Merchant Navy, all of whom had able men investing their funds so wisely that they mutiplied it many times in my lifetime. Now the treasury's covetous eyes have homed in on it as an easy source of funds without actually putting up income tax.
The social services gave bombers to be council houses, paid their rents and a £90 odd a week living expenses - my wife's old age pension is £46 pound per week which she immediately takes down to the local council office to pay the council tax on our house, water, sewage, etc.
Shortly after being made redundant by Tidewater Marine and deemed too old at 68 to be employed by anyone else. The Inland revenue told me that a few of the shipping companies I had worked for had not being paying my national insurance and income tax. or, at least, just part of it.
They then proceed to legally rob us of every penny we had in our savings bank account. The shipping companies, meanwhile got off scot free! One Nigerian company employed me for eight months and never paid me a cent at the end of it - that is when I discovered that an individual cannot sue a foreign government - it might emnarrass our government and cause them to loose trade.
Since then it has been downhill all the way.
God bless you all and lets hope that your futures are both brighter and happier.
Randall
randall
When I am dead my dearest,
Sing no sad songs for me.
I shall not see the skylark,
I shall not feel the rain,
But in that endless twilight,
That does not wax or wane,
Happily I may remember,
Or, happily may refrain.
Christina Dante Rossetti
Dear Nomad,
If you had even the slightest idea of the finacial buden lying over my head you would not be asking me for five dollars but offering it.
I don't know about the US or anywhere else but here in Britain the general consenus is that we paid in gladly in 1948 to the government's newly founded welfare state because we were promised to be looked after from the cradle to the grave but that illusion has drifted slowly away like the mists ibn a highlanf glen. Honourable members of parlaiment like Anuerian Bevan even had to guits to resign when the government satred to charge for our medical subsciptions.
Even the people who run the companies, large and small - take "Rover/MG" as an example where when four men who "rescued" the company a short time ago first action was to set up a multi million pound pension fund for themselves and all of their immediate families! Recently they fired thousands wihtout any hope of any pension.
The Labour (Democrats to the Americans) got into power in 1997 and the first thing they have done almost every year is vote themselves higher and higher salaries and today they start out on the longest holiday know in the history of Westminster Palace - coincidentally, just after the bombers had struck; just when most other world politicians would be breaking off their holidays to head home.
It has been revealed today that Tony Blair spends more of the tax payers' money on pesonal makeup than his wife does.?????
Few of can claimed not tohave been robbed by the goverment and big business starting with Robert Maxwell but he is small fry to what is coming out of the wallpaper now.
The treasury is the biggest culprit as I mentioned in my first compisition. They say we are the fourth richest country on earth and at the same time cream off billions of pounds each year from the Union Funds of the Railway Workers, Coal Miners and Merchant Navy, all of whom had able men investing their funds so wisely that they mutiplied it many times in my lifetime. Now the treasury's covetous eyes have homed in on it as an easy source of funds without actually putting up income tax.
The social services gave bombers to be council houses, paid their rents and a £90 odd a week living expenses - my wife's old age pension is £46 pound per week which she immediately takes down to the local council office to pay the council tax on our house, water, sewage, etc.
Shortly after being made redundant by Tidewater Marine and deemed too old at 68 to be employed by anyone else. The Inland revenue told me that a few of the shipping companies I had worked for had not being paying my national insurance and income tax. or, at least, just part of it.
They then proceed to legally rob us of every penny we had in our savings bank account. The shipping companies, meanwhile got off scot free! One Nigerian company employed me for eight months and never paid me a cent at the end of it - that is when I discovered that an individual cannot sue a foreign government - it might emnarrass our government and cause them to loose trade.
Since then it has been downhill all the way.
God bless you all and lets hope that your futures are both brighter and happier.
Randall[/QUOTE]
Sing no sad songs for me.
I shall not see the skylark,
I shall not feel the rain,
But in that endless twilight,
That does not wax or wane,
Happily I may remember,
Or, happily may refrain.
Christina Dante Rossetti
Dear Nomad,
If you had even the slightest idea of the finacial buden lying over my head you would not be asking me for five dollars but offering it.
I don't know about the US or anywhere else but here in Britain the general consenus is that we paid in gladly in 1948 to the government's newly founded welfare state because we were promised to be looked after from the cradle to the grave but that illusion has drifted slowly away like the mists ibn a highlanf glen. Honourable members of parlaiment like Anuerian Bevan even had to guits to resign when the government satred to charge for our medical subsciptions.
Even the people who run the companies, large and small - take "Rover/MG" as an example where when four men who "rescued" the company a short time ago first action was to set up a multi million pound pension fund for themselves and all of their immediate families! Recently they fired thousands wihtout any hope of any pension.
The Labour (Democrats to the Americans) got into power in 1997 and the first thing they have done almost every year is vote themselves higher and higher salaries and today they start out on the longest holiday know in the history of Westminster Palace - coincidentally, just after the bombers had struck; just when most other world politicians would be breaking off their holidays to head home.
It has been revealed today that Tony Blair spends more of the tax payers' money on pesonal makeup than his wife does.?????
Few of can claimed not tohave been robbed by the goverment and big business starting with Robert Maxwell but he is small fry to what is coming out of the wallpaper now.
The treasury is the biggest culprit as I mentioned in my first compisition. They say we are the fourth richest country on earth and at the same time cream off billions of pounds each year from the Union Funds of the Railway Workers, Coal Miners and Merchant Navy, all of whom had able men investing their funds so wisely that they mutiplied it many times in my lifetime. Now the treasury's covetous eyes have homed in on it as an easy source of funds without actually putting up income tax.
The social services gave bombers to be council houses, paid their rents and a £90 odd a week living expenses - my wife's old age pension is £46 pound per week which she immediately takes down to the local council office to pay the council tax on our house, water, sewage, etc.
Shortly after being made redundant by Tidewater Marine and deemed too old at 68 to be employed by anyone else. The Inland revenue told me that a few of the shipping companies I had worked for had not being paying my national insurance and income tax. or, at least, just part of it.
They then proceed to legally rob us of every penny we had in our savings bank account. The shipping companies, meanwhile got off scot free! One Nigerian company employed me for eight months and never paid me a cent at the end of it - that is when I discovered that an individual cannot sue a foreign government - it might emnarrass our government and cause them to loose trade.
Since then it has been downhill all the way.
God bless you all and lets hope that your futures are both brighter and happier.
Randall[/QUOTE]