Gedling Colliery : Twenty Five Years On

Back in 2011 I posted about my childhood links to Gedling Colliery, visit that post here.

And today is the twenty fifth anniversary of the pits closure, you can read about it on the BBC here.

The point of interest being, the paragraph:

"Although production ended in 1991, Gedling has been identified as one of three mines in the early 1980s that could have had a 'long term' future".

They mention Calverton & Corgrave along with Gedling as being in that field.  And I remember seeing men crying when it closed, and my own father telling me there were at least 90 to 100 years more coal down there ripe for the picking, cleaner burning, locally produced coal of higher quality.

Because that is the difference, we import vast amounts of coal; the last time I looked mostly from Ukraine; and everyone I've ever spoken to about it has described it as a dirty burning sludge laden coal.  It was formed differently, coal here was formed from flora in pre-history and burned cleanly, making carbon collection from the burning easier, and toxins like sulphur a lot less prevalent in fume content.

Coal is of course a fossil fuel, and needs temperament when using it, but British Coal was strictly speaking the better of possible environmental impact, and would have been easier to scrub the waste gases clean for than the junk being brought in, and still being brought in, cheaply from overseas.

All three of the mines mentioned are now gone, ALL the mines are in fact gone, but the coal is sitting there.

My only question for future generations being, if they need fossil fuels still in the future, will they open up and go back down for that sitting, high quality coal, will the mines and the learning curve for all that industrial knowledge need to be covered again at huge, huge cost, when it was just there, ripe for the taking when I was a boy?

Great British Bake Off... All Hands to the Pumps!

With the bake off heading over to Channel 4, it's been interesting to see one of the most talked about programmes in our office be re-discussed... It's also extremely interesting to get the inside track on some things, since I work with an Bake-Off contestant... Jordon Cox

So this morning, as we stood in the kitchen getting our coffee talking Networking issues, it was very interesting to see his reaction of non-surprise that Mary Berry would be staying with the BBC rather than going over to Channel 4.

We can all guess she was offered a large slice of the millions Channel 4 are going to be paying for the show, but what did Channel 4 think they were paying for?... TGBBO is a format, the music, the set design, the title, the sections, the format is the concept Channel 4 are paying for.  Indeed it was a little farcical recently when Jordon here appeared on BBC Radio Nottingham, but they couldn't play the theme tune to the show as the BBC don't have the rights.

But were Channel 4 paying for this format, for the crew of camera, set and sound operatives of so many shapes and sizes?... Or where they bidding for the whole package, where they bidding for Mel & Sue, with Mary & Paul?  I think they were.

I think there may very well be some squeaky bums over at Channel 4 towers right now, as they realise that not only have they potentially ruined the show, but that the millions whom will be tuned into slate the very hard acts to follow.

Paul Hollywood has, as yet, to comment on his position.  Jordon assures me he's not as dour as he is portrayed in the shows editing, he's a quite bright, funny guy.... I of course know this, not for his cakes or bread, but for his excellent taste in dogs (Labradors)... I'd like to think his announcement has not come because he will stick with the Beeb, and he has allowed, in his gentlemanly way, ladies to go first.  But he may just be wasting the cash register light up as more dough is coughed up for his approval and perhaps the last shred of a link to what was "The Great British Bake Off".


Addendum: Nope, seems Paul went with the Money... Humpf, gallantry is not in the pantry.

Matthew James : George Cross?

In the aftermath of the despicable attack on holiday makers in Tunisia last Friday, here in the UK we are of course looking at both the serious implications of the attack; asking when and where one might be safe to let ones guard down; but we're also looking, desperately for a good news story out of the tragic events.

It's all part of the British Stiff Upper Lip, I believe, we're told the British Death toll is to rise above 30, and all we can do is hold those families in our minds eye and wish them as well as we can.

However, the stiff Upper lip, and saving grace story, seems to be that of Mr Matthew James, a seemingly ordinary 30 year old father on holiday with his fiancée and in the midst of the attack he used his own body as a human shield.

One can only suppose his girlfriend's blond hair would have attracted attention of the gun man, and this man stepped in and took those shots for her before allowing her to escape.

Reportedly today, safe and stable in a Cardiff hospital one has to ask should he receive an honour?

The George Cross perhaps "For acts of Heroism and courage in extreme danger"?...

Beagle 2 - Found!

On the 8th May last year I had the sad post regarding Professor Pillinger passing away, at the time we could only say his enthusiasm was a shining star and it got Beagle 2 to Mars.

Very happily, but tinged with a little sadness, we've heard that not only did the Professor get the probe to Mars, but it landed intact...

It does appear the  petals didn't open, quite why we don't know as yet, however, it got there.

Lets hope if Professor Pillinger did go anywhere when he departed this mortal coil, he took a jolly up there and took a look for himself, I'm sure he spotted whatever went wrong.

Full Article - From BBC - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-30784886

British Gas's Zero Bills

On the 27th October, I sent a post out putting a shot across the bows of British Gas, so tired am I of them.

Today however, my post bore fruit, for after paying everything, sorting everything and being assured their systems are in order, I've not only received an email bill, but a red reminder to pay...

You want to see the bill?....

You Ready?...

Wait for it.....

Yes, its a bill for zero... And a demand for zero... and after giving them a call and explaining the operator, a lady whom I could hardly hear because of the background chatter, said... "Well you have to pay the bill"...

Right, okay, an envelope of absolute vacuum will be winging it's way to you now.  Fucking ass clowns.

We move next week, so I'm excepting to give them the tennant of the other house's final reading and then just dump them like hot shit.

Dangerous Dogs

I have to say this ladies experience is similar to the problems I dealt with last year, having to tackle staffies attacking a neighbours dog and also the persistent straying of a dog from a rented property on our street.

The police in our area were totally in effective in the second case, but in the first the woman bitten in the scuffle with the dogs refused to press charges, they let that dog get away with attacking theirs unprovoked, now you can see the struggle these people had with that large dog in that report.

I was riding the back of such a dog, and at the time I'd punched, pulled and tried to control that animal, and I have a black belt in karate, my punches get attention.

My only options were to stick a screw driver into the things brain, or throttle it... I was reduced to strangling the thing to death.

As the owner of four dogs, one an older lab, and three young, small, dogs... if any of them were now attacked I'd simply have to kill the attacking dog, because these pitbulls and staffies are trophy dogs they're not under control, many times - like that one reported - they have no lead, no collar, or collars which can be slipped, and never any muzzle.  Because people, mostly - but not exclusively - young men are using them as weapons.

Because if two dogs are fighting and you intervene, and the dogs bite you, the law says its your fault, its not a dog attack, it was animal on animal... But that is such a shaded area, for a large dog attacking my little dog, my little dog is 3 kilos... a large dog would kill him... I'd have to kill that dog.  And I'm afraid to say what else I'd do to its owner with the grief.

But, I should not have to have that worry, people should self control their dogs, they should not be a burden on me for their life choices.  And if their life choice is stupid, like having these huge uncontrollable dogs, then the law and society should protect me, not reinforce their right to stupidity... The laws current stance smacks of being too softly softly touchy feely, and it leaves me for one feeling very exposed.