The Second Hand Clothes Racket
The Times on Friday had an article obout gangs collecting second hand clothes and then selling them in Eastern Europe. But it’s not just here, that it happens! Here’s a story from Dubai of all places on a related theme.
When I get bags asking for clothing to be donated through my door, they go straight in the recycling bin. If I have any clothes to go to a good cause, I take them to the Oxfam shop on my way to the station.
Lord Winston says nurses need good English
He’s absolutely right here, but it also applies to lots of other professions as well.
I also think, that a couple of hundred years ago, others were complaining about Lord Winston’s ancestors in the same way, when they first came to the UK!
The solution is simple. People should not be allowed to practice in many professions, without a proper knowledge of English. I rarely use taxis and never use mini-cabs. With the latter, you never know what or who you are going to get. In the case of taxis and minicabs, all drivers should be subject to various tests and checks.
Perhaps black cab drivers could also have proficiency tests in other languages they know. So let’s say a Spanish fsmily staying in Londonwanted a Spanish-speaking taxi, this could be booked over the phone. I suspect that in London, there are quite a good few taxi drivers with pretty good Spanish, French, Polish and Russian for a start. I did have a Chinese driver once somewhere in the UK.
Queen Elizabeth Visits Liverpool
Not the person, but the cruise ship. Read about it here.
There is rather a war growing up about attracting cruise ships to the various ports in the United Kingdom. Liverpool is particularly well placed in that cruise ships come in directly in front of the Pierhead with the Three Graces and within a short walking distance of the major shops and museums. London’s cruise terminal is forty kilometres down river. Even Edinburgh, which has a deep water port at Leith, hasn’t got its act together and has even discredited its position with the farce over the trams.
Tourism is going to be one of the things that help to grow the economy. Are the various ports around the country, up to scratch?
A Bridge Strike at Kings Langley
On Friday, I went to Liverpool, by train from Euston. Some idiot, then proceeds to get his truck stuck under railway at Kings Langley, which meant that we were delayed by about 30 minutes. It wasn’t as dramatic as the report, but they did have to let the truck tyres down and then drag it out.
It didn’t actually matter to me, as I had six hours to do a couple of hours work, but the companions at my table, had an urgent appointment to do some publicity over a concert I think.
I do hope Network Rail are claiming off the idiot’s insurance policy, as they should have known the height of their truck. I know from seeing the statistics, that bridge strikes are one of the more common causes of delay on the railways.
The Anonymous Widower 