Wrong type of heat: Atos demo: Isle of loos: “well done” rubbish: and some “interesting” pictures.

Warm and calm yet again at the Castle this morn, the garden is in need of a medium fettle-if the grass ever dries out, the Honda is covered in dust and I need to get the hose out. 

Up in the bit above Suffolk

Passengers donated bottles of drinking water to get their train working again after it broke down because of the heat wave.

The National Express East Anglia train ground to a halt under the baking midday sun outside Ipswich, in Suffolk, after coolant levels dropped causing the engine to cut out.

Bemused passengers sitting in the stuffy carriages heard a desperate plea over the tannoy from the driver for bottled water as temperatures “soared” over 21 degrees (70f).

One passenger reported the message as: ''Has anyone got any bottles of water we can use to get the train going again?''

The water was collected and fed into the coolant before the train restarted to finish the journey at around 12.30pm on Tuesday.

When the train returned to Ipswich there was found to be a leak in a pipe which was fixed by a technician to return the train to normal service.

Shame “they” didn’t inspect the train before it set out....

Up and down Blighty

Sick and disabled benefit claimants took to the streets nationwide on Friday to protest against welfare privateers Atos Healthcare.

Activists picketed outside Atos offices in Birmingham, Bristol, Chatham, Chester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxford, Plymouth, Sheffield and York, condemning the company's controversial business model.

The £100 million-a-year scheme, which began trials late last year, pays private contractor Atos Origin to examine claimants using a computerised points-based programme.

Those awarded less than 15 points are automatically deemed "fit for work" and lose their right to incapacity benefit.

The trials have seen a 70 per cent drop in full benefits paid and a 30 per cent drop in "unfit for work" assessments.

Demonstrators in London rallied outside the British Medical Association annual recruitment fair, where Atos reps were busy hiring their controversial "disability assessors."

 Sign of the Coalition.....

Over the Solent

 A block of public toilets is on the market for a whopping £150,000 – chain-free.

The brick building, at Ventnor, is one of five council loos being sold off on the Isle of Wight. It comes with planning permission for conversion to six two-bedroom flats.

Gavin Chambers, of Gully Howard estate agents, said: “We’ve had a lot of interest.”

Mainly from people bursting for a pee...

Up North

A council is spending £100,000 to send congratulatory text messages and "interesting recycling facts" to people who put their bins out on the right day.

The scheme by Bolton Council has been branded 'patronising' and 'preaching to the converted' as the messages, designed to improve recycling rates, are being sent to people who do it anyway.

However the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), which has paid for the scheme, praises it as 'innovative'.

Bolton have been given £110,000, a fifth of what was available from a national pot, when more than 70 local authorities applied for a share.

The borough-wide project will send texts or emails to residents who regularly put out their recycling bins on the right day.

As well as reminders and positive reinforcement, people will also be sent information by text about what can and cannot be recycled as well as "interesting recycling facts".

 Expensive bollocks....

And finally: 

Some “Interesting snaps”

That’s it: I’m orf to have a frack in Wales.

 

And today’s thought: "Traditionally, most of Australia's imports come from overseas." - Keppel Enderbery

Angus

2008 A NON-REVIEW

I suppose this is the time of year when reviews are written.

Being me I would like to do a review of things that didn’t happen, and should have.

Get out of Iraq

Get out of Afghanistan

Protect BabyP, and all the other kids being abused and being ignored by the Social Services.

Stop terminally ill patients from having a few more months with their families because of NICE and the cost of drugs.

The Government preventing the “Crash”.

Reduce poverty in this country.

Protect the mortgage holders who were sold houses at inflated prices and are now unable to keep up the payments.

Protect the sick, disabled and mentally ill people on benefits, who are going to be forced to “prepare for work”.

Force the people responsible for the “crash” including Bankers, stock traders, and Government Ministers to get the hell out of their jobs (you know who you are).

Stop the knobs at the Health service from vomiting endless, useless edicts that don’t improve treatment, but only increases the “look at me” attitude of the said knobs.

Protect the pensions of millions of people who are going to suffer, or have to keep working while spending £37 BILLION on the banks.

Get out of the EU.

Allow GPs to decide the treatment of their patients, and not the administrators.

Dump the policy to “regulate” bloggers and online journalists.

Kick the arses of the Energy companies and make them reduce the hyper-inflated cost of Gas and Electricity.

Stop protecting the wealthy and the powerful, and actually do something for the majority.

There are probably many more, if you can think of any let me know.

I know that some of the changes will come into effect next year but as usual with our useless Government and “brains” too little too late.

Angus