Amateurs!
That is my one word response to this article on the BBC, which is entitled Michael Flynn resignation: He had to go, says White House.
Will Britain Negotiate With A United Europe?
In this article on the BBC, which is entitled EU chief Jean-Claude Juncker ‘will not seek second term’, this is said.
Mr Juncker also said the UK could divide opinion among EU leaders once Brexit negotiations begin.
I think that will be highly likely, as putting 27 people in a room and asking themany question, will give several different answers.
Last year, I wrote Brexit – Signalling Implications For The UK, which was based on an an article on Rail Engineer.
This is a paragraph from the article, which talks about implementing signalling post-Brexit.
The endless committees to discuss and agree how the standards will be implemented do not get in the way. Whilst not suitable for main line usage (at least in the foreseeable future), there could be suburban routes around cities (for example Merseyrail) that could benefit from CBTC deployment.
I know it is talking about one small part of railway signalling, but if the states of Europe can’t agree a common position on that, how will they agree a common position on how to deal with the UK during and after Brexit?
In some ways, the biggest problem with Brexit, is that we will still be arguing about the details of the settlement well into the 2030s and beyond.
I can see some absolutely silly arguments going on and on!
London’s Housing Market Is Changing
This article in Construction Enquirer is entitled Quintain launches London’s largest build to rent site.
Quintain are to build thousands of rental homes at Wembley Park around Wembley Stadium.
Reading the article, they seem to be making a professional job of it.
- 3,000 houses will start construction this year.
- 5,000 houses will be built over seven years.
- There will be a primary School, a seven acre park and a landscaped square.
- Four companies will share the building.
- Quintain have even set up their own company to manage the properties and their rental.
- Brent Council seem to have given the development their blessing.
Looking back to the 1970s, when C, myself and our three boys were looking for somewhere to live, and were unable to get a mortgage because my income wasn’t in any way guaranteed, we had no option but to rent.
We had one choice of a quality development in London, where we could rent and that was the Barbican.
I don’t think we’d have gone to Wembley, but we would have loved to have had a choice.
I suspect we could see other developments like this all over the country.
Everyone will benefit.
Trump Shoots The Messenger
This article on the BBC is entitled Trump sacks defiant acting attorney general.
This is said.
Donald Trump has fired the acting US attorney general, after she questioned the legality of his immigration ban.
I think that the only winners on this spat will be American lawyers.
Should Brexit Mean A Return To £sd?
Why not?
I wouldn’t have a problem, as I honed my £sd skills in a pub, where a bottle of Guinness was one shilling and eight pence or three for five shillings.
Those were the days!
A Visit To The Design Museum
I visited the Design Museum yesterday.
It is an interesting concept and I think as it settles down it will be worth visiting again.
One problem, I had with the Museum is getting to and from the site in Holland Park.
I went by the Underground to High Street Kensington station and took about ten minutes to walk along to the museum.
Coming back, I thought I’d go a different way after a walk.
But after emerging from the Museum, there were none of London’s excellent Legible London maps and signs to be seen.
Eventually, I walked through Holland Park, but it was the same story on the other side of the Park; no maps or signs to the Underground. There were several fingerposts in the Park, but none pointed to the Underground.
I suppose if you’re in a Chelsea Tractor, many of which were rushing around the area, you’re not interested in walking maps and are against your Council spending monry on them, as it might attract more visitors.
UK ‘Need Not Fear Electricity Blackouts’ Says Ex-National Grid Boss
This is the title of another article on the BBC.
This is said.
The UK has enough energy capacity to meet demand – even on the coldest days when demand is highest, says Steve Holliday, the man who ran National Grid for a decade.
He said news stories raising fears about blackouts should stop.
The article goes on to say how gas and coal-fired plants that would have been scrapped will fill any gaps.
They may do, but I have this feeling that energy users and especially big ones are much more savvy than they used to be and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the UK manage next winter without using coal, which produces a lot more CO2 and pollution, than natural gas.
I also think that after 2018, we’ll start to see new technologies and projects generating electricity or bringing it to the UK.
We might even have seen a start on the ICElik or Atlantic Superconnector, which will bring green electricity from Iceland to the UK.
Trump’s Executive Order: Amateur Hour At The White House?
The title of this post is the title of this article on the BBC.
The article compares President Bush’s reaction to Hurricane Katrina, with Trummkopf’s immigration executive order.
It says this.
History will judge the long-term impact of Mr Trump’s Friday afternoon immigration order, but his early praise for its implementation will not easily be forgotten.
I don’t think we’ll even need to wait until the history is long enough to judge.
I suspect the BBC article will be denounced as fake news.
But I do wonder, if his immigration policy will be good for the nice holiday places to visit in the rest of the world.
If say, you were thinking of going to Florida for a holiday, will you now be thinking about Greece or Spain?
Trump And Charles In Climate Row
This is the headline on the front page of today’s Sunday Times.
Trump is not necessarily wrong about climate change, but cutting CO2 and other polluting emissions is prudent.
If a man met a gorgeous young lady on the back streets of say Marseilles or any other port city and she offers him flavours, then he would take precautions.
Trump said as much, when Putin was accusing him of various things, when he said he was paranoid about germs or something similar.
So it’s alright for him to take personal precautions, but the rest of the world can go get fucked.
There are some things we shouldn’t do, because they may be dangerous to the planet.
Burning coal is one of them, which Trump has said he will promote.
But then, if the United States continues to mine and burn coal, the pristine air of some parts of the country will disappear, just like it has in China.
I do wonder if President Trumkokf has even been to Beijing!
What Is Happening At Old Oak Common?
I ask this question as I have just read this article on the New Civil Engineer web site which is entitled Old Oak Common Megadeck Momentum Slows.
This is said.
Momentum for the 7ha deck to be built over the Crossrail depot in the new Old Oak and Park Royal development in west London has slowed according to the chief executive of the regeneration body in charge of the work.
Sadiq Khan is blaming Boris, as any politician would.
It is truly a massive site, as this Google Map shows.
The two stations at the top of the map is Willesden Junction station.
Running across the map is the Great Western Main Line, with the various depots and Cargiant to the North.
This map from carto.metro.free.fr shows the lines in the area.
This aerial view of the area is from Crossrail.
The megadeck is needed to go over much of this area, so that housing and other developments can be built.
The Anonymous Widower 