NigelFargate

There will be another series and possibly a musical too. Plot twists are integral to the series. They will continue to surprise us, which is one of the reasons it is so successful. As the time period moves closer to the fascist era, i suspect Tommy will be paid by the British government to bump off Mussolini, Hitler or Mosley.

The secret of enjoying perky blinders is not to take it seriously. It is of course preposterous to think that gun battles with machine guns could take place on the streets of Birmingham in broad daylight in the 1920s, or that groups of mafiosi who stand out like a sore thumb can prowl the streets of the city without being pick up by the police. However, the show is becoming popular in the US, so facts about Birmingham in the 1920s don't matter. I wish they had stuck with the format of the first series, but I am still enjoying the rollicking nonsense of the current series.

I doubt if they have as much flexibility as uber drivers. Can you imagine what would happen if a driver for a taxi company started to pick and choose which rides he would carry, which routes he would take on, which days he would turn up for work etc.? Many uber drivers used to work for taxi firms, but have decided that uber offers them advantages. The uber driver I used this morning told me that he used to work for a large taxi firm in Sheffield but got fed up of the best rides being given to a clique of drivers. In other words, he was saying that he didn't have control. Uber drivers by contrast can choose when, how, how often and where they work. Based on my discussions with many uber drivers over the last two years, the reasons why these drivers choose uber vary somewhat, but flexibility and being their own boss come high on the list. Some have their own business projects in mind and are using uber as a stop gap, until their business takes off. Others have part-time jobs, So are using uber to supplement their income. Others are migrants, whose work opportunities in other fields may be limited. I have met also a small number of ex-senior managers who have been made redundant and can't get jobs in their field because of their age. One guy I met in his late fifties recently said he had applied for hundreds of management jobs but had not even been given a single interview. He said that he had come to like uber because it gave him more time to see his grandkids and to pursue his hobbies.

Brilliant performance by Robert Plant at the city hall recently. No longer all, or even mostly, heavy rock, but still worth a mention. His band the shape shifters were outstanding too.

I have had many conversations with uber drivers about their employment status and almost invariably they say that they like the flexibility that über gives them, I.e. To work when they want, where they want within a city and also leaving them time to do other things. In other words, the ones I have spoken to do not want to be employees, with all the constraints that implies. The one thing they complain about is the 25% fee uber takes for each ride.

Many other large companies have had massive data breaches, including some leading banks. Uber has, I think, already addressed this problem. As for checks on drivers, I would be surprised if all other companies had an unblemished record in this regard. I do think that your last point s the crux of the problem, i.e. Some councils are out to get uber by hook or by crook.

Much of the opposition to uber stems in my view from a deep seated aversion to large American multinationals (which is essentially what uber is). Some councils, particularly ruled by Labour or Lib-Dem coalitions would, I think, try to shut down McDonalds or other symbols of American global capitalism if they could. The word 'unsafe' is a conveniently wide catch all category to justify virtually anything. Uber is certainly not unsafe for riders, as there are more safeguards than for other taxi services. Of course, given the sheer scale of the über operation, there will be a few bad apples. If I remember rightly, some black cab drivers were heavily implicated in the grooming scandals in various cities. However, that would be no reason to shut down the black cab industry. Other advantages of uber are that you don't have to fiddle with cash, or feel obligated to tip the driver. Also, I have always had very prompt service from uber drivers, normally having to wait only two or three minutes for a car to arrive. If you live out in the sticks, then obviously this may not be the case.

Well said realcockney. I am a regular user of uber in Sheffield and am pleased to say that I have always had excellent service from its drivers. The drivers have been invariably polite and efficient and the cars always modern and clean. As well as having cheaper fares than the black cabs, I like the fact that you can track the drivers as they approach to pick you up and are also given information about each driver. Details of each trip are recorded on your phone. Opposition to uber seems to come mainly from people who have never used it, combined with vested interests, such as the Black cabs, and also the Luddite tendency.

Sheffield Forum has, to a very significant extent, been overtaken by new social media technologies, particularly by Facebook and Twitter. There will always be a place for the Forum, but its heyday is long since past. Its heyday was probably between the years of 2003 and 2011, before many of the best posters disappeared, to resurface on Facebook.

I have used uber extensively and have nothing but praise for the service. The drivers have invariably been polite and courteous. The cars have invariably been clean and modern. The waiting time has always been short and the price low in comparison with black cabs. I like also the facts that the transaction is logged and that you are provided with information about the driver and also that you can trace the car as it nears your pick up point. In my view it is also a safe means of transport, providing a door to door service, with journeys always logged. ---------- Post added 25-09-2017 at 17:52 ---------- Uber sends you an invoice to your phone soon after the journey is completed,so you should know exactly the amount you have paid for the journey. I like the fact that you do not have to fiddle around with cash in the vehicle. I also like the fact that you can rate the drivers and they can also rate you as a passenger.

I would rate this at no more than 6 out of 10. I saw it an an IMAX, but despite the noise and spectacle it left me cold. There is no character development which would have added a human dimension, which is true of all of the great war films.

A wonderful production of Pete Townshend's classic rock opera at the Crucible. Great musicianship and versatile and accomplished performances throughout. Well worth seeing.

A typical Corbyn speech in a lot of ways. No concrete solutions, but a lot of rhetoric, as befits a politician who has been in permanent opposition. Would he go after terrorists? I doubt it.

Could you provide evidence that it has been the UK which has been the main obstacle to the EU signing trade deals?

Although I agree with some of Corbyn's statements on defence and foreign policy (Trident in my view is a waste of money; we should not intervene in foreign conflicts which have little to do with the UK), his track record of supporting the IRA and applauding Castro and some other nasty regimes undermines a lot of what he says.