Awoke this Morning to find I'm

[GrahamPonty]

Hi Frank, I'm only eight years behind you but you could be right I have only lived in Cil for 25 years.

Was the club the Commercial Hotel, or the rugby club, the hotel has all been done up now you probably would not recognise it now. Lot's of things changing with age including us me old mate LOL.

All the best

Graham (Ponty)

 

[colin(bridgend)]

Here in Wales all over 60s have free bus passes and unlimited travel throughout the Principality. We can even use it if we catch a bus from within Wales to eg Hereford, Bristol, etc. but once over the border it is only accepted for travel back into Wales. I have also had half price train fare with the bus pass - gaurd did not know what we were entitled to so gave us half price fare. We also have free prescriptions for all ages and also reduced student universaty fees with the aim of free tuition in the not to distant future. All this and partially funded by English, Scottish & Northern ireland tax payers as well as the Welsh. You give us the money and we will accept it with open arms.

 

[Guest]

Colin, You need to keep quiet or you will get the English upset again.

They still believe that central government is the way forward, when we at the edges know differently. We also know that you never give the ruling Party a big majority as it only makes them go totally Ga Ga with mad Policies. Just look at TB (remember him??) and his crowd. We have a minority Government and they have to think everything through carefully to make it work. I believe it is called democracy, not dictatorship.

 

[colin(bridgend)]

SL I am also of the opinion that central government is the way forward - I do not agree with devolution. The only drawback with central government as we know it in the UK is that the cream of the financial cake always goes to the south east corner of England. Northern and western England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland then have a divide of what is left.

 

[Guest]

Sorry, disagree. Central government never works, just ask the Soviets. The only way it can work is if you have a 2 tier system a' la USA or Australia where 90% of government is at a local level and only certain national matters are kept centralised. Even then Government control should never exceed about 20% of people's lives or it becomes totalitarian. People must ahve ther right to make their own decisions, or they opt out, as has happened here, and you get chaos.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Colin, You need to keep quiet or you will get the English upset again.

They still believe that central government is the way forward, when we at the edges know differently. We also know that you never give the ruling Party a big majority as it only makes them go totally Ga Ga with mad Policies. Just look at TB (remember him??) and his crowd. We have a minority Government and they have to think everything through carefully to make it work. I believe it is called democracy, not dictatorship.

⇦ Gets a bus pass and so does the better half :O) so will not be upset. As I understand it theres a new system coming in in April.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Colin, You need to keep quiet or you will get the English upset again.

They still believe that central government is the way forward, when we at the edges know differently. We also know that you never give the ruling Party a big majority as it only makes them go totally Ga Ga with mad Policies. Just look at TB (remember him??) and his crowd. We have a minority Government and they have to think everything through carefully to make it work. I believe it is called democracy, not dictatorship.

That should have read we have got bus passes.

 

[colin(bridgend)]

Sl it must be a two tier system as we have now - The House of Commons and the House of Lords. Russia is not a good example of central government - especially with Putin as leader - as they still have tendancies to communism. True communism is utopia but man would not let it work and when it becomaesa abused as in eastern Europe, China, etc. it is the worst state to be in. Similarly ditatorship is also not an ideal situation as demonstrated at present in Zimbabwe.

 

[Guest]

The way this current lot of cretins want it, the 2 Houses will be staffed by the same imbeciles. So where is the difference? Any Party that made Kinnock a Lord has got to have its head examined.

 

[colin(bridgend)]

I may be wrong but I think tradition has it that when a party leader retires as an MP he/she has the oppertunity of becoming a member of the upper house purely by way of honour for leadership of a party.

 

[Guest]

Exactly, Where is the difference between that and the old system where you 'inherited' it from your Pa? Both mean useless idiots still get to cause mayhem, except as the inherited ones normally didn't attend, less damage was done. The current crop are more interested in their expenses. can you imagine letting Prescott loose?? The secretaries will want protection.

 

[ThePlotter]

Happy birthday Frank just thought I would get back on track!

 

[colin(bridgend)]

We had a local engine cleaner who worked at Duffryn Yard engine shed in Port Talbot (good old GWR steam days). He became a Labour councilor, county councilor and then elevated to the House of Lords. He would attend the borough council and sign it, then off to County Hall and again sign in and eventually to London and sign in. He claimed expenses from each level of government and travelled free on the trains using his BR train pass. He was also granted time off from work for carrying out his "civic" duties.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

We had a local engine cleaner who worked at Duffryn Yard engine shed in Port Talbot (good old GWR steam days). He became a Labour councilor, county councilor and then elevated to the House of Lords. He would attend the borough council and sign it, then off to County Hall and again sign in and eventually to London and sign in. He claimed expenses from each level of government and travelled free on the trains using his BR train pass. He was also granted time off from work for carrying out his "civic" duties.

They only had shunting engines shedded there colyn ap brydgynd.

 

[Pat_374304630]

Happy birthday Frank!!!!!!!!!!

Only 6 years behind you.

 

[gavin_5121842]

Belated Happy Birthday Frank. I missed this yesterday. I hope Mr Walker hasn't left you with too much of a sore head!

all the best,

Gavin.