“I could deny it if I liked. I could deny anything if I liked.” Oscar Wilde
Finding tradespeople these days seems especially difficult. My neighbours and I were after a roofer as, unfortunately, birds were dropping down our chimneys all too frequently.
What followed was a bluebottle explosion if we missed the sad sound of the doomed trapped bird before The Yorkshire Post and a roll of masking tape were employed.
Neither of us fancied scaling the roof, then clambering up a stack to tackle six-foot-high pots; it would have ended badly. Many we contacted did not fancy the job either.
And then we found some local lads who assessed the job in a flash, presumably filled out a Health & Safety Risk Management Form, and before we could blink, were clambering up ladders like monkeys escaping a zoo.
I watched in awe as one simply sat on a pot without a care, legs dangling, implicit trust in the ceramics of a hundred years ago. In a world of jobs for the boys, this was one for the men.
City of Culture – Childrens Services Dept
Some children in the Bradford district remain “unprotected” after a damming report was released on child sexual exploitation over the last 20 years. See the article here.
In a city that laughably aspires to be City of Culture 2025, we remain in the dark ages so far as certain sections of society. And of those in authority, what were their responses to this scandal?
Child abuse in our city demands much more than a hand-wringing council stooge wheeled out to offer the usual “lessons learned “ soundbites. Where were the highly remunerated CEO and the pitiful leader?
Author Clare Hyde said it “makes difficult and, at times, distressing reading. The children suffered abuse no child should have to experience, and in most cases had suffered other traumas and abuse long before they were sexually exploited.”
These are children failed by the system and exposed to brutal backward thugs as a result. It shames us all.
What of the local paper? Comments were blocked on all articles and there was no editorial comment. Instead we had a story on cleaning drains so that two idiotic local councillors, presumably from the Buffoon Party, could get a photoshoot – see here.
A city down the drain.
Footnote
A week later the Government stepped in to appoint a Commissioner – see the article. Having read the report, it makes for harrowing reading and should not be swept under the carpet of lessons learned.
Suddenly, the invisible CEO and Hapless were forced to comment. If they had a shred of morality they should resign.
Cat Sitting?
As I passed one of the many local vans offering dog walking services for those who did not know that dogs moved before they acquired one, I sat at the traffic lights and studied their offering.
I had to blink twice as I read “Cat sitting”; how would you cat sit? Get a tuna pizza in for the night? Maybe a pornographic mouse DVD? Maybe light the fire and fluff up the cushions?
My old cat only needed an open flap. We are treating animals the same as kids; before we know it we will have a national pet obesity crisis.
The world has gone bonkers.
City of Culture – Architecural Merit: Retrospective Dept
Another gem here with a translation although not in braille…which is what may have helped the “architect”.
Plans have gone in retrospectively after work to an outbuilding breached planning control.
My uncle sez he knows a man!
The work on the outbuilding, in Idle Road, Undercliffe, looks nothing like the original plans approved in 2019.
Dem plans was by my Bro on ‘is phone!
Officers said the development was “detrimental to visual amenity” due to its design and appearance and ordered the work be undone or changed to what was actually approved by the end of March 2021.
We know dey kidding.
City of Culture – Dept of Utter Incompetence
Four years ago the council chopped down a perfectly healthy tree on my street – remember this blog? So consider this.
The City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council has partnered with Trees for Streets to make it easier for residents to contribute to tree planting in streets across the city.
Now if you cough up £100 Sponsor a Street Tree Scheme allows you to sponsor a tree to be planted, where possible, outside your house, or in one of your local streets
Quote of the Week
After crawling out of her bunker hoping the storm over child exploitation had blown over, Hapless was doing what she does best again – talking pie in the sky.
Making the case to blow hundreds of millions so we could get to Halifax and Huddersfield faster and boost world GDP – see here – consider this.
“This is what you get into politics to do – to make a lasting difference to people’s lives and to the economy.”
Tell that to the kids you ignored.
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