UK Turned White!

It’s snowing again…

I am currently sat in my house, just outside Northwich, Cheshire UK about 30 miles from Liverpool and 30 miles from Manchester, looking out of my window I see a layer of ever increasing snow falling and settling on  the ground. It’s been snowing now continuously for about 8 hours.

As I am sitting drinking a much needed steaming cup of Strong coffee (it’s one of those days, when you just wish to be somewhere else or even someone else) I flicked over to one of the many 24/7 news channels and what are they talking about but “Snow”.

I don’t know, what it is about Britain and Weather

Maybe it is just me, but being born in Germany (Paderborn Barker Barracks) Where my Father was posted at the time with the British Army, snow was no great event.

You could pretty much run your life by seasons over there, expecting cold snowy winters, and warm to hot Summers and so on. But here snow seems to bring on panic attacks and over-reaction.

Many places around the world that experience snow, take it in their stride commenting “Blimey it’s a bit cold out there” but none the less just whack on a set of snow chains or a pair of sturdy boots and just get on with it. In Britain, any visitors from similar snow affected climates often look at us in amazement when they hear the stories of the Country coming to a complete halt.

Obviously there are times when snow and extreme weather cause disruption to events and public services, and I am sure this is true for all places affected around the world.

Where I live is quite rural but only 10 minutes out of town, we don’t get the “gritters” down here as it is a country lane, the council grit the main roads, so once you brave the Ice Rink that is our lane,  your on the main trunk routes your fine.

Living here you soon adapt to weather events, we still have regular power cuts in strong gale force winds, and when the lane outside is snowed up and Icy you simply re-arrange your appointments.  If you can you do if you can’t you don’t.

No Excuse for Cities and Towns though

All that said about the more rural areas of Britain, it is a price to pay for the location you live in I guess. The big cities such as London, Manchester, Birmingham surely don’t have any excuse for a complete halt in public services?

A bit of snow shouldn’t halt the motorways or main roads, but in the extreme and rare occasions it does, they should surely have a plan to get the cities moving again.

I was at Manchester Piccadilly Station during “Britain’s big Freeze” this January, a meeting I could not re-arrange, I understood there to be delays due to snow, and just gave extra time at both ends, yes the train I was due to get got cancelled and I had to get a Bus that took 4 hours to get home again. But it was what I expected in those conditions,  just put up with it and got home eventually.

But people around me where getting extremely annoyed like it was some sort of personal attack that they were going to be delayed getting home to watch the TV soaps. I met one girl who was stressed out due to choosing to go shopping on the day when there was deep snow lying on the ground already and then nearly attacking the poor station staff member who informed us on the platform that our train will be cancelled and await futher information. Who would choose to go shopping on a day when weather is bitter and slippy anyway?

The business men and ladies all forced to work that day were all resigned like myself to a rather long and uncertain journey back to our homes, the News stated “Do not travel unless it is essential” for us it was, for the shoppers determined to go to the local mall for a day out it was obviously not a good choice of day. So please if you choose to travel against national advice then don’t get aggressive because you can’t get home on time. More to the point to that girl, don’t put it all on us while we have the unfortunate luck to share a train carriage with you. Just put up with it.

This weather is not great for anyone, while snow is enjoyable to the young and to us all young at heart, sometimes we just need to say “ok it is snowing” nothing I can do about it, it will have to wait until tomorrow. For the older members of society and to people who are physically and Psychologically upset, it can feel lonely, isolating, and depressive. All we can do is look out for those people and ensure they are ok. Then just wait for it to pass.

But let it snow let it snow let it snow. Sometimes there is no other option but to wait it out.

Happy New Year!!

Well here it is early January 2010, a new decade, and another new beginning!

I hope you had a great Christmas and New Year, today in Britain we are covered in a layer of snow and have had a week of freezing temperatures, up North near Manchester where I currently live we have had a constant temperature of -2 oC to -8oC.

The weather people at the Met office in London are saying it is the coldest winter in Britain since 1987 and snow like this has been seen since 1976.  It always gets me though that as soon as it snows Britain seems to ground to an absolute stop.

I was born and lived in Germany due to my fathers posting to Paderborn with the Army, over there in mainland Europe and most of the world, snow brings a different routine rather than a complete breakdown in public services as in Britain.

Still it is a lovely experience waking up to proper snow that crunches under your feet. It really feels like winter here at the moment, people enjoy it and stop complaining about not being able to get to work or on public transport. In this weather have fun if you can’t get somewhere then stay at home.

What on Earth:

It’s only January 7th 2010, and already I think I have stumbled upon the most pathetic craze since Pokemon!

It’s called the choking game amongst other things. It’s crazy,  basically it is literally what it is says, a kid or maybe 2 or three strangles them self until they pass out.

They say they get high from it, in fact it is simply that they are cutting off the oxygen to the brain and it can cause all kinds of problems like heart failure to stroke to epileptic fits!

I mean is life really that boring?? Whats worse is it’s all over youtube at the moment with friends filming the happenings as there friends or brothers or sisters go some way to killing themselves.

Honestly if you want to kill yourself for fun, then jump of a building on to a solid surface. Or play Russian Roulette.

No I am not making light of suicide but these kids don’t realise that they are simply killing themselves and may even cause brain damage!

I’d hate to see the youtube video when someone films their friend playing this game on to realise that in fact the friend is no longer on this earth.

But kids playing with their lives is not my concern am just giving my support to the people out there who are trying to stop people from doing this crazy pass time.

This year:

I’ve made a resolution this year, I am going to write more to this site, I’ve been really busy during 2009, but now things have settled down again in to some normal routine.

I’ve had a few emails recently asking me questions about Christianity, I am not a Priest but I will do my best to answer the questions to the best of my knowledge.

Of course there will be plenty more rants and raves coming during this year, and if you have any comments I love to read them and your emails to.

Happy New Year Everyone

Here’s a video of the New Years Eve fireworks in London this year enjoy

www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdU-YUSzkUI

Till next time….

Gordon Brown and the Governement plans to Cut the British Forces Post Office (BFBO) in Mainland Europe!

Reading the Newspaper this morning I noticed an article in The Daily Telegraph, regarding the governments plans to cut/close the British Forces Post Office in Mainland Europe! Here’s the link to the article .

I agree completely with what Simon Heffer says in his article.

Having had first hand experience of the BFPO it is one of the most essential services, for servicemen and women and their familes worldwide.

My family are all ex services, and it was during my Fathers posting to Barker Barracks in Padeborn in the then (West Germany) with REME (Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers) that I was born.

The posting to Germany lasted for over 6 years, during which time you live completley in that countries territory and by their standards and laws. The BFPO enabled us to send parcels and letters home as well as receive from home.

The men and women serving out in these Countries surely deserve a first class dedicated postal system, lets face it, although you choose to join the Army, there isn’t much choice in where you are posted.

Whilst abroad on a posting you are working/serving your Country, why should a member of the Services or their dependants and families back home be forced to use that Countries existing postal services!?!

Another Cut to cover their inadequacies

The Government again, seem to be attempting to make cuts to recover some of their losses due to this so called “Credit Crunch” or Economic downturn.

They seem to have an obsession with Postal Services, they like to shut down Post Offices on Mass, maybe now they found that they can’t at present shut any more down, so to avert any political backlash they are trying it with the BFPO!!!

In my opinion

The BFPO should remain untouched! OK it may not be financially viable, but then what is in todays financial climate?

But the Armed forces are working for this Country, they are sent there by Government, The Forces are already stretched, and they seem to be asked to do more with less money!

I understand why our forces are out in Afghanistan and Iraq… and it is NOT 100% political, we are out there fighting to keep the terrorists out of Pakistan, where if they successfully infiltrated the insurgents have easy access to Pakistan’s Nuclear Weapons, this is why it is important for free elections, so that the the terrorist groups such as the Taliban and Al qaeda forcefully getting political control and forcing their way through.

But we forget the Forces on Posts in Europe, such as Germany, yes maybe originally we were and still are primarily there as an occupying force from World War II but even so we are still there ready for mobilization, they are still separated from family, and remember though it is a choice to Join the Armed Forces, it isn’t their choice to be posted where they are.

Surely considering the Government are deploying the Servicemen and Women to all corners of the world they deserve their own postal service.. Does it matter if it is down the road or in a neighbouring Country?

If the Government in the attempts at cost cutting withdraw the BFPO, and say “use the Countries service” what will they do next?? Withdraw BFBS Radio and Television and say “Use the Countries broadcasters?”

Come on… It seems that the bigwigs are more concerned about developing London’s East End for the 2012 Olympics rather than keep our Armed Forces in a bit of home comfort!!

For me the General election cannot come soon enough, agreed it is a difficult economic environment to work in at the moment, but won’t the pending increase of Value Added Tax to the minimum of 17.5% or more and another few pence on a pint of Beer or Tobacco not compensate for the running costs?

Save the BFPO Online Petition

There is a petition on the official 10 Downing Street Website asking the PM and the Government to scrap this plan!

If you live in the UK and are a UK Citizen Please consider adding your signature. To date there are 41006 signed already the more the better!

The Petition and all details can be found here

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/SaveBFPO/

Until next Time….

Whats this all About?

Welcome to

Billboblaggins.com, I’m Bill (not a Hobbit and don’t live in Middle Earth). So why Blaggins… Well life is strange, things happen and mostly we don’t notice it. We are left then to have to work with life and sometimes we have to simply “Blag it”! This is a place just to spill my thoughts about anything and everything from what really irritates me or what really makes my mind tick.

What I hope to write about?

A bit of Celebrity Happenings

News Items

Politics

Religion

Music

TV and Media

Emotions and Psychology of life!

The list is endless and will change regularly, I hope to make a place for a bit of everything if you know what I mean?

Not just another pointless place to republish news articles!

No! What makes this site different in my opinion is that each and every article you see on this site will be written by me and will be MY view on what I see, and I admit now that my opinions are sometimes not very “PC” but they ARE honest. I have no intention of “Slagging people or subjects off. I simply like to share my views and hope I entertain you in the process?!?

The site is totally organic, I intend to begin writing and see where things lead. It will have some structure but it is not a sole focused “Niche” Site. Literally taking what life throws up in my face and writing about it, whether it be A massive Rant or venting my annoyance at something. It is all real.. A Trip into my Mind.

I write a “Niche” Blog over at Great Britains Past and Present and will continue to write to the two sites. Think of this site as a personal journal with a difference.. I will aim to update this site every day or two. I would love to hear your opinions on what I am writing whether you like it or hate it you can mail me through the Contact Page RSS is all up and running also there is an option to subscribe to my updates by email.  This service is provided by Google Feedburner and a link to that is at the top of the site.

And Finally…

I really hope you enjoy visiting, reading, there are many updates to come and hope you enjoy them all if you have any ideas for content please let me know and I will add them, eventually I would like to set up a “Guest Author” section the Worlds the Oyster as they say.

“The Mind is a weird thing lets see where it takes us.

Until The Next Time…..