crazyhorse

I bet the lifts in his apartment work, that he can turn off his telescreen, has access to wine and has an Asiatic manservant called Martin? Perhaps he could give you an Inner Party job rooting out Thought Criminals? Don't appear too clever or speak too freely though...as you to could end up in the Cheshnut Tree Cafe before becoming an "unperson"... Still fancy it? Or would you prefer to live in a flawed democracy?

Not sure what Tucker Carlson expects to achieve with this interview? His 15 minutes of fame perhaps? To support Trump's quest for the White House perhaps? Personally I reckon Putin has something on all of them from some historical, debauched weekender in Moscow perhaps and therefore they do his bidding when asked? He is a KGB thug after all. Who knows. None of it will make a difference. Even if Trump is elected and decides to abandon NATO it will make no difference...Europe will unite (except the usual suspects) and ramp up it's own defence...which will be more than sufficient. We might even reclaim our airbases in East Anglia from the Americans if they get arsey...which won't go down too well. As a result it is all bluster and will never happen. America needs Europe more than ever...we are fellow democracies and democratic allies are thin on the ground these days.

Russia is heading deeper and deeper into the darkness. Am reading 1984 at the moment and nothing about Russia seems to have changed since Orwell wrote it. Navalny has become an "unperson" in Russia in a similar way to Winston's colleague Syme at the Ministry of Truth. Difference is, the West will remember him and he will have a place in history, that Russia can never erase. For the average Russian citizen, all they can really expect for their future under Putin is "A boot stamping on a human face forever..." There is no way back for them until Putin goes. Anyone with meeting access to him, a sharpened pencil and a desire to be forever remembered as a Hero of Mother Russia, could achieve this and give decent Russians a chance for a different destiny. Until that happens the West must spend, spend, spend on their militaries and outlast them how we outlasted them last time. Stand together until their whole system collapses under the unaffordability of competing militarily with the West. Isolate them and their friends, constantly beam a freedom loving Western consumer lifestyle into their hermit kingdom, corrupt them from the bottom until their system collapses.

Can't they have the decency of killing each other in the privacy of their own home? ...rather than killing this city in the process.

Was on a plane once arriving in Penang and just before landing the crew handed out a leaflet which said: "Do not traffic drugs into Malaysia- drug smugglers will be executed" My kind of country...and I felt nice and safe there. Much as I love Sheffield folk having lived here since 1999 and my kids being born here, I am really starting to dislike Sheffield City Centre and beginning to think of moving out the city. Walked down Chapel Walk in the rain yesterday and was passed by three dodgy looking blokes staggering past off their heads on something and moaning that they should have got more bottles. It is so depressing down there at the moment and getting worse and worse.

Hi If you like, you can photograph my 2005 Ford Focus 1.6... It's been a "super-car", and carried me on many happy adventures. It is also super cheap to fix when it repeatedly fails its MOT. It has a custom paint job, from when I resprayed the front wing last week, due to a potato sized hole in it.

Are there no engineers, are there no medics, are there no business people? You know, people who contribute to society outside politics? All we ever seem to have as candidates for these important jobs are the usual suspects... ..."ideologically well trained", but with no life skills or track record in useful jobs in the real world... Someone will no doubt say, why don't you stand yourself then? Probably because I wasted my education in a mickey mouse degree, when I could have done something really useful like Politics, Philosophy and Economics (a psuedo science by the way). Therefore I am no good in front of the media...because I think the media is a waste of space as well. It's depressing. I think anyone with Olivers qualifications and experience should automatically be banned from standing as a candidate... Perhaps we need a Jury Service type system, where normal working people are chosen for high office, rather than people who actually want the job? Probably get a better outcome.

I dare say that the situation is so difficult to resolve, that in 50 years both sides will be fighting over water and desert as well as existing issues. Then the country will no doubt become too hot to live in and both sides will set sail for Britain to fight it out over here. It will still be our fault no doubt...

Probably a council member on their lunch break... The Council does seem to waste Council Tax payers money by indulging these far off causes that have nothing to do with us (at least when I made my solitary trip to see local "government" in action in the Council chamber). We left that part of the world nearly 80 years ago...but I suppose someone will say it is Britain's fault again. No idea how to fix this perpetual Middle Eastern problem...but the current actions by Hamas are building only one possible future for Gazans....coffins. Happy to build tunnels and rockets in Gaza all these years, it seems...whilst "their" people starved. They really have lost the plot if they think this will increase support for them. It will just hasten their demise. These neo-ISIS, religious fanatics are very dangerous and as someone said would give no quarter if were more powerful militarily. Like Russia, Iran and the "Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea", they should be contained and ground down. One day their people will kick them out and rejoin the 21st Century.

I haven't paid any ground rent in the 18 years I have been here, because beyond the single letter I received back in 2007 asking if I was interested in purchasing the freehold...I have never received any request for it. Will ask my neighbours...who I believe have the same freeholder, if they have received any such request. Perhaps one of my neighbours is paying my share of the £8 ? Yes this is what I am concerned about. I have done a bit of research on the solicitors used and it appears the solicitor who sent the letter retired back in 2009...although the company still exists. I think I will ask my neighbours if they have had any contact (I believe all 4 houses are on the same freehold) and if not, will send the solicitors a query, to see if they still act for the freeholder for mine and my neighbours houses. Thanks for the link Jeffrey. That was the one I was using before however and only shows leasehold documents. Perhaps as you say, the freehold has not actually been registered with the LR....

Hi Just after some advice if possible on how I might go about locating the current freeholder of my leasehold house. My house has 674 years left of an 800yr lease (for either £8 a year or £2 a year). I say either £8 or £2...as I believe the freehold also covers the neighbouring 3 terrace properties. The land registry title documents for all 4 houses refer to the same 800 year lease and the same original freeholder. There is something about the rent being apportioned to £2 on those other leases, so I am assuming it may be split into 4 x £2 a year...but I have allowed a worse case value of £8. Back in 2007, a couple of years after I bought the house, I received a letter from a solicitor down in Norfolk, saying they were acting for a lady, in whom the freehold was vested and offering me the chance to buy it for £250 plus her legal costs. My neighbours may well have received similar letters when they moved in over the next few years...I will check with them. I probably should have taken her up on her offer at the time, but didn't have the spare cash at the time. These days I am more interested in the idea, but do not know if the solicitors mentioned in the letter still act for her, or whether she even currently owns the freehold. I was thinking of sending an email to the solicitors down there to ask if they still act for her...but they might not respond. I thought I could get info about the freeholder by buying a copy of the Title Register from the LR for £3...but it doesn't mention it on the Title Register docs for any of the 4 houses involved. Is there a more detailed register at the LR that states this, does anyone know please? Or could it be that the LR have no idea who owns the freehold? If a solicitor was acting for me, then how would they track the freeholder down? I have never received a notice of arrears for any ground rent and as far as I am aware, neither have my neighbours...so no ground rent is currently being paid by any of us 4 households, as far as I am aware. I would like to rectify this situation with the ground rent and get a quote to buy the freehold reversion...but am wondering if it is better to let "sleeping dogs lie"...based on the amount of rent, the length of the lease and the fact that there are no constraining terms in my lease. Just like the idea of tying up loose ends and actually owning the freehold. Any thoughts anyone please? Steve

I agree Anna. There is a malaise about and people seem to be struggling through these months of "perma-crisis"...often with lingering health problems since COVID and renewed fear of getting nuked. I myself have sat in a cold house all winter, basically to "stick it" to Putin, for forcing me back to the dark days of the 1980s...and Spring is still not quite yet here. With that and paying the bills and the other constant bad news, it does get you down. Two days ago, was on a work Zoom call and the new head man casually said that we were losing money and a number of jobs had to go, and that the ones at risk had already been notified. As I wasn't notified, I am still here...but the casual brutality of today's world of work, gets me down and you think why bother? On the other hand, I think some good weather would really help lift everyone's spirits... As an example, I went for a bike ride in the woods the other day and peoples spirits seemed to visibly rise when the sun came out and people could sit outside the cafe at last. Life didn't feel so bad then. I try to stay positive...I am still alive and if you take the time to look around, you realise you do still live on a wonderful, beautiful planet.

Plus it usually has a pretend homeless person or two, hassling the students for drink money...or a large beggar women pretending she is hungry. On foot I always go past Waitrose and cross above ground at the lights. On a bike, I will use that sad naïve, stained relic of 70's town planning, but I keep my hand near the bell, as there is no line of sight on the approach and stay clipped in for a hasty escape if needed, as you never know who is around the corner. Saw a huge brown rat down there once...lurking in the scrappy old shrubs, still clinging to life. Nice introduction to Sheffield for the families of students who make the mistake of wandering too far down Ecclesall Rd... Welcome to Sheffield...City of the Future. Come and view a post-apocalyptic wasteland a few months before it becomes reality.

Go straight to Jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect £200...

I live in Sheffield Hallam and this tool has made us a national laughing stock. Can see why it happens though...most of my street live in fairy land, being right on types working in the Education and NHS sectors (usually part time as well). Some of the daft ideas people have in this street have to be seen and heard to be believed. They would quite happily have voted for this tool of a candidate. Still amusing how despite their leftie pretensions, they go massively hard right when car crime rears it's ugly head on our street or a dog turd appears on the pavement. Am eagerly awaiting an amusing conversation about background checks on candidates, with the next Labour canvasser who mistakenly knocks on my door...