Morning music
From the newspapers
“Four of the Royal Navy’s smallest ships are preparing to head to the Arctic to represent Britain in a major NATO exercise after the fleet’s largest ship, the £3bn HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier, was forced to pull out due to a ‘propeller issue’.
Four tiny P2000s, which normally patrol coastlines with crews of five, were seen making final preparations before heading to Norway for NATO’s largest joint exercise since the Cold War amid fears of escalating tensions on Europe’s eastern border.
Notably absent from today’s preparations was the 65,000-ton aircraft carrier, usually manned by a team of 780, which experts say could be docked for ‘a couple of months’ as engineers scramble to fix it. “
[Daily Mail]
Ha ha! “I see no ships“…
In the Second World War, little boats like that would usually be numbered, not named.
“Police broke up a snaking queue that formed outside a newly-opened NHS dental practice today, in scenes which illustrate the appointments crisis plaguing millions of desperate Brits.
One person stuck in the line outside the surgery in Bristol’s St Paul’s district was a disabled cancer patient who ‘had no choice’ but to brave the cold.
Meanwhile, a carer in her late 70s who chose to sit down on the path after waiting since 8.30am slammed the unacceptable delays.
A local news website compared the queue, eventually shut by police at 2.15pm, as being ‘reminiscent of Soviet-era Eastern Europe’, where queues for basic goods like food were an infamous part of daily life.“
[Daily Mail]
I was blogging several years ago about how basic services in the UK were gradually ceasing to work. Journalists started to catch up with me a few years ago. Now, almost everyone accepts it as a fact.
“Broken Britain”, if you like.
Talking point
https://kilburnwesthampstead.blogspot.com/2021/05/the-kilburn-gang-of-bank-robbers.html
Happened to come across the local history piece above. I was struck by the relatively lenient sentences. The ringleader (caught ripping off a bank, and in possession of gelignite, detonators etc), got 4 years. He had 10 previous convictions. Even in those days, when people convicted did either 2/3 or 3/4 of their sentence (I forget) rather than half (as today, in most cases), he would have still been out in about 2-3 years. That was in 1962. He would get far longer today.
Tweets seen
Well, I am glad that I do not live in Iran…
It becomes embarrassing for the USA. Could Biden really defeat Trump (if that is the choice)? Seems doubtful.
It would be nice were both to lose out. That’s me, always the optimist…
Raus!
The Israeli ship of state is sinking, so…
Look at that! Woollyhead Trussbanger (Kwasi Kwarteng) quite obviously drugged and incapable at the memorial service for the late Queen.
More from the newspapers
“A Metropolitan Police officer charged with multiple rapes tied up one alleged victim and threatened to ‘slit’ her with a knife, a court heard yesterday.
Cliff Mitchell, 24, came under investigation by colleagues after his alleged victim was seen trying to escape from his car, her wrists bound with cable ties, it is claimed.
His fellow officers were summoned, and after that ‘harrowing’ incident, in September last year, an investigation began, Croydon Crown Court was told, leading to a series of allegations against the policeman.
Yesterday Mitchell, who is no longer in the force, faced 13 counts of rape against two alleged victims. Six charges relate to one female – including one when she was aged just 12.“
[Daily Mail]
“The case continues”…
Late music
Europe has already been devastated within living memory. The leaders of Europe, particularly in the councils of NATO and the EU, must stop provoking another and even more devastating war.
Ian Robert Millard 