“Civilization is a race between disaster and education.”
H.G. Wells
A sad day today saying goodbye to Billy Stockdale, a fine man who left us all with nothing but good memories. As usual some of the pride of BVCC – eighties vintage – gathered once again to swap ever taller stories.
As we mused on the vagaries of age, champion fast bowler Mick tucked into three bacon and sausage butties before lathering a scone with enough cream and jam to render the new Odeon building. Almost in his eighties he was philosophical as usual.
“No point in worrying about the end for me” he said ramming down the jumbo scone “it’s not as if life is going to get any better is it? And with those words it’s time for a few cold ones and where else but…
Tales From The Scruffy
Since taking back the mike from wannabe celebrity hostess Young Bet, the inimitable Mick the Quiz has stamped his woodworm dry humour on the regulars again, despite the hysteria of the Sunday jackpot rolling over more times than a Premier League player.
His trademark quizzical look over the peak of his glasses and the sixties moustache reveal nothing. Last week there was another classic from the repertoire.
“What is the term to describe bird watchers?” asked Mick very quickly pointing out “You get no points for “perverts”…Geoffrey!” The sprightly Geoffrey was sat on the naughty step after one of his paper assault planes actually found its target the other week. In an instant he had matched the claimed RAF number for civilian casualties in Syria.
Once again nobody won although the locality did have a “winner” in Big Al last week, recipient of £1000 from the Postcode Lottery. Rumours that the local bookies danced for joy on the news are cruel.
Quote of the Year?
Announcing the cancellation of plans for the redevelopment of the King George V playing fields the T&A quoted as follows.
The letter, from the three Windhill and Wrose Councillors, said: “Following extensive site investigation works it has become apparent that the ground conditions will not support the construction of the proposed development…we want to make sure that the green space we have is used to the best advantage…”
What a pity that two of the three who sit in “executive” positions don’t seem to worry too much about green space if it’s not on their patch and can produce millions in Council Tax?
And strange that the normally publicity hungry Hapless and Comical should seek to hide behind a letter? How much have they spent this time on another folly of vanity via their pet consultants? I will tell you soon.
More “Sport”
With the cricket season weeks away what new innovations have league administrators come up with in the face of the brutal truth that the game is in serious decline? At junior level, following successful trials in Australia, pitch lengths are to be shortened at some age groups. This is a pragmatic response to falling levels of both physicality and techniques – well done.
At senior level our league has decided that teams will now lose points if they do not score games online ignoring widely varying internet signals, a mass audience of around thirty and the fact that this solves absolutely nothing re the fall in participation rates – think again.
A Bad Week For Civilisation
For those of us convinced we live in a civilised world and, indeed, a modern British city, news last week tended to counter those beliefs. The grooming trial ended with the right result, so to speak, as if any sentence could ever make up for a child’s lost innocence.
What was as vile as the crimes carried out by the perpetrators were the associates of the convicted confronting members of the Bar. What kind of society allows this kind of baseless, ignorant depravity to fester? What were these scum seeking; permission to rape and abuse at will?
Sickening too was the cross-party hand-wringing – see here. It will not save face simply for politicians to admit they might have done more; they should and did not, seeking to appease instead. They have their own consciences to juggle with.
To round off a great week came news of the gang assault on a single teenager smack bang in the city centre with a Council warden there to watch ringside.
Whilst the T&A bars comments on its own website, bizarrely it was open season on its Facebook page with several re-runs of the article and hundreds of comments. Meanwhile the Council trotted out some hopeless unknown councillor to face the music, not work for Hapless or Comical to dirty their hands with.
Most of the comments suggested the inaction of the employee should have him hung, drawn and quartered; the sad truth is nobody knows how they would react to a scene like this, far easier to hit a keyboard or mobile phone than wonder about a hidden knife.
But, unless authority lands down hard, there will be many who will retain the view that they are untouchable however young. As for the police they were quoted: “The victim has not reported the matter as a hate crime.”
So that’s okay then, wouldn’t want those stats messing up would we?
The Joy of Spin
The Council PR Dept was in full swing gearing up for local elections no doubt – see here.
…Council bosses say…an ambitious economic strategy is working…last year the Bradford district enjoyed 4,127 new business start-ups, up by 116 from 2017…and 6,500 new private sector jobs.
Hapless said: “…we have delivered some remarkable economic successes.”
Remarkable at 1.5 jobs per new business; the march of big business indeed!
Every Picture Tells A Story
Having closed Haworth’s tourist information centre our witless Council have taken a rather simplistic approach to covering over the sign.
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