Alternative York

This evening I was somewhat irked that Hull Road park was closed at what seemed like a ridiculously early time, causing me the great inconvenience of having to take my dogs up Millfield Lane instead of allowing them, and me, to enjoy what is actually a very nice urban park.

I assumed the early closure was due to something typical of a bank holiday weekend such as the man with the keys being at Filey or something but no! The real reason was there in black and white on the noticeboard at the Millfield Avenue gate. “Park closed due to strong winds!” Now as early as 8:00 am today I noticed that it was a tad breezy, and that as I cycled from Walmgate to Tang Hall I was forced to re-consider using sixth gear all the way up Lawrence Street, but the weather conditions were in no way, shape or form what could be described as ’strong winds’.

More to the point; what dangers to the public are there in Hull Road park even if it was a touch high on the Beaufort scale? Perhaps the council were worried that a member of the public could be struck by an errant, anorexic, drug addict who happened to be picked up on the breeze? Anyway, now that Galloway is gone it is natural to assume that their is less wind in York anyway.

Back in January the park was closed due to flooding; which I almost understood as there are many Tang Hall residents who may have claimed that their entire family had been washed away by a tsunami/typical British heavy shower and cleaned out the city coffers with compensation claims, but today was nothing more than a strong breeze. There is nothing I can think of in Hull Road park (other than flying junkies) that could constitute a potential 9/11 situation just because it’s a touch blowy. My barbecue went pretty well this evening. Nobody died or suffered any degree of burns due to out of control charcoal pretending to be Icarus.

I will be ringing the council in the morning for their explanation. It had better be good.

See you soon…

I have just witnessed scenes not seen in Britain since the hey-day of the Miner’s Strike. An unholy rabble is gathered outside The Press offices, dressed in rags and waving placards and banners of protest. I had to do a double take as it looked just like The Blue Bicycle did a few months ago when the YAFA thugs were trying to terrorise it and bully it into serving only foods they approve of.

Anyway I think I have now solved the mystery of the link between The Press and YAFA. They are in fact one and the same! All the journos are animal rights freaks and that is why debate was stifled and stories deleted.

I am very happy to have made this valuable connection.

On another note - it is interesting that despite the hacks being on strike - the website and printed paper are still as dull as ever so I reckon they’ve just striked (is that the right word?) their way out of a job, ironically, just like the miners did in 1984.

Pity that editor Kevin Booth is away on his jollies at this time of crisis isn’t it?

See you soon…

The Press “journalists” are striking for more money as they feel Newsquest don’t value their “skills” as highly as writers for other newspapers they own.

Leading York newshound Charlotte Percival has set up a Facebook group which is allegedly open to everyone to join. Unless, of course, you are me! In which case you are banned and deleted within 15 minutes of joining and asking a few questions.

I only asked why there is no investigative journalism and why nobody had investigated what Paul Blanchard jnr knew about his father’s criminal activities, and if they felt management were affecting their ability to do their jobs and THWACK! I’m gone! There you have democracy and freedom of speech in action!

Oh well never mind. I’ll stick up for Newsquest instead. They are quite right if they feel that Press journalists aren’t worth a pay rise. In fact a pay cut for most of them would reflect their journalistic abilities.

Why not join Charlotte’s Facebook group and ask some questions yourselves? We can have a contest to see who lasts longest before being deleted.

See you soon…

Whilst walking my dogs up near the Millennium Bridge this morning I discovered the remains of what must have been a very big riverside party last night. What a pity that the teenage scrotes who decided to destroy a tree, and burn it, didn’t think it necessary to take away all the rubbish they created.

Instead they clearly thought it more exciting to smash all the alcopop bottles and make as much mess as possible. Of course, the teenagers aren’t to blame for this mindless vandalism - it is society’s fault for not providing them with anything better to do. Well now there is something to do. Instead of pointless ASBO’s and probation orders for these wayward youths; get them marching up to Fulford pronto with some black bags and a shovel!

Incidentally I tried ringing York Pride’s Action Line to report this incident. It seems there isn’t any York Pride at weekends as I got an answerphone message telling me to ring back on Monday morning. Oh well, I shouldn’t have expected too much!

See you soon…

We are Leeds!

We’re going to Wembley!

The good days are coming back again!

Regular readers of my blog will know that I don’t skirt issues for fear of offending someone. I say what I think, and potentially offending people who choose to associate themselves with any individual or group that I discuss is a hazard that I live with and can handle.

I am quite aware that certain people despise everything I say and stand for. I am also aware, by checking IP addresses, that these same people read everything I write religiously, probably in order to store up hatred and vitriol (because they certainly don’t oppose me in public), and wallow in their own liberal world of niceness, where everyone loves their neighbours and welcomes Britain becoming a European parody of a country.

I have today become persona non-gratis on a website that is frequented by people who share a common interest with me. Why? Because I had the balls to say that gypsies have an unhealthy interest in my dogs and have repeatedly tried to buy/steal them. Apparently I am racist (despite gypsies being a way of life rather than a race) because I objected to their behaviour.

In retrospect I realise I was wrong to air my concerns in public. What I should have done was conduct a qualitative research project on travellers and dogs and concluded that it was only natural to expect them to want my lurchers, and accept it as part of their culture, which, as we all know, brings so many benefits to us all.

The ironic thing is that the website where I am now unwelcome purports to be full of dog lovers. I wonder what will happen if I post a question that is important to my dogs welfare? Will I be answered or judged by the moral guardians who frequent the site?

Having strong political views doesn’t automatically make someone an arsehole… (unless your name is Blair or Brown)

I often wonder if some people want to live in a democracy or some state where there is a moral judge who decides what views anyone can hold.

To be fair I should have expected the reaction I got on a site frequented mostly by housewives?

See you soon…

I almost had a heart attack this morning when I got a text telling me that Paul Blanchard had been sent to prison for six years for fraud.

As it happens it wasn’t my favourite raving loony councillor but his father, Paul Blanchard snr, who conspired with two others in a failed bid to try and steal £4.3 million from a Dublin bank. What I find most disturbing is that Daddy Blanchard looks very similar to ex-Krypton Factor presenter Gordon Burns, of whom I was scared as a child.

You may be surprised to learn that I’m glad it wasn’t Paul jnr who is now going to have to be careful when picking up the soap for the next few years as, despite thinking the guy to be an utter pillock, he at least gives me something to write about every now and then.

Will this affect his burgeoning political career though? It will probably enhance it to be honest! The Labour Party is full of liars, cheats and crooks. Being related to a multi-million pound international criminal is a positive boon!

Let’s hope Paul jnr looks at it from the “right angles” and rockets up the Labour Party hierarchy! Perhaps he can take the Ronnie O’Sullivan stance and mention his banged up old man at every available opportunity?

See you soon…

I have mixed feelings today. Joy in the knowledge that the incompetent and arrogant crook, Steve Galloway, has resigned as leader of City of York Council, but a feeling of despondency as it has been announced that “Mr Piggy”, AKA Andrew Waller, is taking his place. This man is just as big a clown as Galloway and therefore our city will continue on it’s downward spiral.

Resignations in politics are often pre-cursors for some sort of scandal emerging. I wonder if there is something lurking in Galloway’s cupboard just waiting to come out and haunt him. Did he jump before he was pushed?

Anyway let’s look at Galloway’s achievements since he came to power in 2003.

• Selling the Barbican Centre, causing leisure facilities to be taken away from thousands of council tax payers, at a price far lower than originally offered. Great business acumen!
• Pushing through the destruction of greenfields at Osbaldwick and Fulford, despite the availability of many brownfield sites across the city, in order to line his own pockets as the brown envelopes came in from Joseph Rowntree Foundation
• Encouraging thousands of immigrants into York by supporting housing schemes that are unaffordable to native Britons*
• Introducing unpopular fortnightly refuse collections while leaving many council-tax payers with no recycling facilities
• An increase in anti-social behaviour and yobbishness on the streets of York
• Turning York into a magnet for beggars and homeless drug addicts and street drinkers by showing a complete disregard for decent folk and supporting the Arclight Centre and various other futile projects for wasters and scrotes
• Dirty streets as York Pride has been a complete failure
• Evening parking charges which caused hardship for many city centre traders
• No municipal firework display to commemorate Guy Fawkes in the city of his birth
• Ordering the demolition of The Peasholme Centre just so councillors don’t have the homeless on the doorstep of their new offices
• The hideous design of the new offices on Hungate
• Wasting public money to such an extent that council tax was almost capped in 2006

Please feel free to add any more “achievements” if you think I’ve missed something out.
Waller will bring nothing new to York, despite his blustering.

If there was any justice there would be a full election where the Lib-Dems could be booted out once and for all and probably be replaced with Labour and idiots like Blanchard.

God is there no hope?

See you soon…

(* story to follow shortly)