THE BRITISH THREAD II

@spendius,

Quote:

The larger the ponds to hold excess water upstream the less the levels rise for a given amount of rain.

True dat.

Quote:

We often see pictures of churches above the flood line which seems to suggest that the builders of them knew all about floodplains hundreds of years ago.

Probably true dat too, but I think most old churches are built on pre-christian sites. Same thing applies of course.

Quote:

There was more than a hint from an expert that water in the Thames is being held upstream to prevent London flooding.

I suspect that is so. Izzy is right that the barrier is there to stop tidal surge, and I don't think the river is tidal above Teddington Weir, but a large volume arriving from upstream would negate the effect of the Barrier, if closed. And tend to flood the City. And we wouldn't like that to happen, would we? Just think what the Lord Mayor would say.

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bum

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bump

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bumpy

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@McTag,

Congrats to Miss Yarnold and her flying bob.

A nation rejoices.

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@Walter Hinteler,

Walter Hinteler wrote:

Now, that brings back memories ...

(Vintage bus running because of the tube strike today)

A Leyland Titan PD3/5 formerly belonging to Leeds City Transport, but which is now kept in Essex.

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@Walter Hinteler,

Walter Hinteler wrote:

I've been to Clitheroe and thus passed a bit of that really beautiful part of the UK.

I was reading the story in the Lancashire Telegraph about the baby mauled to death by a pit bull in Blackburn, and below it was a link to "Picture gallery of Brawl in Burnley Miner's Club". They make their own entertainment up there.

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/photos/february_2014/burnley_miners_club/

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@McTag,

McTag wrote:

Have you ever tried to drive in Wigan?
You'd be better off in Royston Vasey.

My other half comes from Swinley, and we manage all right.

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@McTag,

McTag wrote:

Similarly, there was a punter complaining bitterly on TV this morning that the authorities had not given him any sandbags.

I saw a woman from Egham complaining that she'd "rung the council" and they'd done nothing, and now her house was flooded.

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@McTag,

McTag wrote:

We cannot hope to foster a cohesive society unless we all speak the same language.

Having heard about the "cohesive society" they had in Germany from 1933-1945 I'm not so sure I want to live in one.

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@contrex,

She was on telly contrex and likely on her best behaviour. And had she not been you wouldn't have seen it.

There's a screening process for what you see. They can't risk Kate Burley in her tastefully angled cod cloth cap empathising with the stricken and some chubby blonde coming in behind showing her bottom.

The best way to get priority for sandbags is to get a TV crew into your street. The medium actually is the message. It has nothing to do with people being flooded out. It's about photo-ops. Image ****. How the authorities are so eager to do their best for the inhabitants of the realm.

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@spendius,

spendius wrote:

She was on telly contrex and likely on her best behaviour. And had she not been you wouldn't have seen it.

I should have been clearer - I saw her words quoted in the Guardian (not sure if that makes a difference)

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Already posted this elsewhere, but it is so very British that I just had to post it here too!

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CD0QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Farticle-2558461%2FWe-open-blinds-look-day-Mothers-disbelief-council-builds-40-000-eyesore-wheelchair-ramp-TEN-LEVELS-garden.html&ei=IPr9UqvXDY2VhQfJkoDIDg&usg=AFQjCNHuYjgIc4NFa92UHi23Tdqw9XkY_g&bvm=bv.61190604,d.ZG4&cad=rja

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@contrex,

Usually, I don't read the Mirror. But I do agree with Unite's opnion here:

Quote:

Unite said it is ridiculous to employ foreigners and then insist they speak to each other in English.

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@contrex,

Quote:

I should have been clearer - I saw her words quoted in the Guardian (not sure if that makes a difference)

It is likely that the Grauniad's intrepid journalist saw the item on a TV in the warm and cosy offices.

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@vonny,

I would imagine vonny that an important member of the council has connections to the installer. A pork chop job.

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@Walter Hinteler,

If foreigners want to come here other than on a temporary basis, then I think a condition placed upon them should be that they show a willingness to be part of this society.
A first stage of that is a working knowledge of the language.

No speakee, no visee.

And not just one member of the family either.

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@McTag,

Well, I do think it's a lot easier for foreigners to talk to each other in their mother tongue than in a different language. But it's impolite when others (co-workers) can't understand them.

I'm sure that no UK-citizen visits a foreign country without working knowledge of their language ... and they only talk in Castillian when chatting with English friends?

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@spendius,

spendius wrote:

It is likely that the Grauniad's intrepid journalist saw the item on a TV in the warm and cosy offices.

The 1980s called - they want their "Grauniad' slur back. Are you a Mail reader?

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@McTag,

McTag wrote:

If foreigners want to come here other than on a temporary basis, then I think a condition placed upon them should be that they show a willingness to be part of this society.

I am afraid that is not a simple as you make out. Who defines being "a part of this society"? And what exactly constitutes "this society"? These are deeply political questions, and I know where I stand on them. I think I know where you do too. Don't try to pretend it isn't a matter open for debate.

1 Reply

THE BRITISH THREAD II

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