crazyhorse

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...

I agree. In fact the American system and our NHS are probably the two extremes... In between are many other systems that we could emulate that I think the public would support if they knew more about them. In fact, some, such as the Spanish system are frequently used by expat Brits abroad. The NHS is good at some things...but poor on some clinical outcomes. It should not be sacred...but should adapt.

What really annoys me about the debate around the NHS, is the knee jerk reaction of some on the Left to any mention of the NHS using services supplied by private companies. Everything has to be done by the NHS, regardless of whether the NHS has the technical capacity to do it or any experience of having implemented it. I work for a private NHS supplier, my partner works as an NHS employee. We are both equally committed to the NHS and use only its services. The company I work for supplies IT services to NHS customers. Some NHS Trusts pay us to implement and run those services for them, because they do not have the IT resources to run high availability cloud based clinical services and we do. Same way some Trusts pay private sector companies to provide other services that they believe can be done better by outsourcing. Sure some of that may be cost (catering for example)...but in other cases it is lack of technical knowledge. The Trusts were not forced to accept our services, like a PFI contract...they put it out to tender, got demos and selected us themselves. These services include mobile clinical systems used by NHS staff by the bedside, that demonstrably improve patient care...mainly around sepsis and the monitoring of patient vital signs. What is wrong with that approach? Nothing. A majority of my colleagues are ex NHS employees. Some are very experienced clinical staff who can see that new technology can really improve patient care and reduce the mistakes they saw in the NHS. From my personal family experience of NHS care...I rate the clinicians highly...but sometimes they do seem to be fighting against the system they work within, which forces them to work the old way and kills their desire to innovate...especially the younger generation of doctors and nurses, who are tech savvy. Surely a partnership between public and private sector to deliver improved patient care is the best way forward? I for one, would give my right arm for a health service that supplies much better patient outcomes than the NHS sometimes does...e.g. the French system looks good. I would be happy paying via some National Insurance scheme for that care and getting the vast majority back...as I believe the French system currently works. Sure there is a small charge...but you get a consultation and a scan in a few days...not month like the NHS. Some on the Left however will never want to have this discussion...because of ideology. All they see is the erosion of Union power in the NHS, by the use of external non public sector employees...and private employees don't tend to strike. And the less people in UNISON / UNITE...the less power they have, to resist change to their working practices and the transformation of the current 1940s era NHS into the 21st Century model it desperately needs to become. They are dinosaurs with a vested interest in inertia...and a massive hurdle to real reform and improved, innovative clinical care. In some cases this is as simple as not being willing to use a touchscreen or a mouse...because their old green screen system used the keyboard only and that is what they are used to. Or not wanting to take blood and order from the patients bedside via mobile technology (which can be done now), because they want to continue to use a paper form, it's not in their job description or they have mates in the Phlebotomy department who may get less work to do. If you ask anyone in the NHS if they think it needs rethinking to supply more preventative and diagnostic intervention to stop people becoming ill, rather than treating them when they are (very) ill...then the vast majority would agree. I think it is changing along these lines, but far too slowly. A few years back I was sent by my GP (again a private contractor) on a very useful Anti-Diabetes course (again supplied by a private company)...that really helped me understand the condition and how to change my lifestyle to prevent it. That is what the NHS should be doing on a massive scale. Pulling people in, scanning them and actively helping them live a healthier life. Prevention, not cure is the way forward. Some on the Left need to understand that Clement Attlee is no longer Prime Minister. The NHS sometimes feels more like "Indian Railways" than the responsive health system of a modern Western state it deserves to be.

Totally agree with everything you say. All political parties would make the same hash of it...because none of them contain people with experience of fixing real life problems, in real jobs outside of politics. They are all full of career politicians. I am generally ok with controlled migration for people with skills in short supply...although as someone degree qualified and employed in the IT industry, I am skeptical of IT workers being imported because of "alleged supply issues"...when I know for a fact that the real reason is that UK companies won't hire UK IT staff over 50, especially when cheaper, younger (but less experienced) workers are available. I am also ok with a refugee program and support giving visas to Hong Kong residents fleeing state persecution and Ukrainian families, whose men are fighting against Russia...a genuine Fascist regime. As for people sailing over from France because they want to drop into the black economy or tend a cannabis farm...then they can clear off. That is just taking the p*ss...

Should nurses strike?...depends how much nurses view themselves as "professionals". "Professionals" don't tend to strike. Nurses should be very careful about striking...as it is very easy to lose public support through actions...even for professions seen as saintly. Look at GPs...they have really damaged the image of their profession amongst the public (including myself), by hiding in their surgeries during COVID and refusing to see patients. I used to live next door to a nice, fairly newly qualified GP and she only worked 3 days a week, despite being trained up at great cost to the taxpayer, GPs had much more respect in the public's eyes, when they actually visited your house (as I remember from the old days), saw you out of hours and treated the job as a vocation...not just £60,000 a year for 3 days a week. Now a lot of that respect has gone and will never return. I massively respect hospital doctors, consultants, other AHPs and support staff and the vast majority of nurses working in hospital settings, for how they carried on during COVID and during my families various stays in hospital...but nurses still need to be very careful how they play their cards. People remember that some nurses neglected basic patient care and patient vitals monitoring at Mid Staffs and other Trusts, leading to patient's drinking water from flower vases and in some cases dying from preventable conditions. They need to remember that although they have a degree and get nursing support for basic tasks...they are still responsible for monitoring their patients. It is so easy to tarnish the image of your profession for ever...

Maybe those are the reasons...but we all know that the real one is that unlike most other countries, the UK has no National Identity Card documenting your right to access services...so it is very easy to drop off the radar and into the black economy, as soon as you walk out the fire door of your taxpayer funded hotel. You will also receive free healthcare with no requirement to show any documentation...even if nominally the NHS is supposed to record "Overseas Visitor Status" in it's datasets (and charge accordingly). I keep saying it, but open borders will destroy the NHS and greater Welfare State in it's current form. Make your choice...which would you like to keep?