The powers that be…

There was news this week that Sandwell Council have been culling the geese in Sandwell Valley and Victoria Park in Tipton. It seems, it took a freedom of information request to get them to admit it. A pest control company has been herding them up  and killing them off.

Food Banks

Do you remember those mayoral banquets they used to have years ago? They used to have things like roast duck or goose on the menu. The mayor could have a banquet and invite all the people who are in the queues at the food banks.

Libraries

Meanwhile they are considering having the libraries staffed by volunteers or closing them down to save money. I suppose before local pensioners can volunteer they have to go on a health and safety course and have a criminal record check. I think if they cut the politically correct bull shit they could get people to volunteer for the libraries, museums and parks. I might even pop in Wednesbury and help out when I’m having a good day…

NHS

The daft idea to include the Black Country into a mega-city called Greater Birmingham still raises it’s ugly head on a regular basis. They have already joined up Sandwell hospital with part of Birmingham. We are now going to get a new Metropolitan hospital in Smethwick. It will be a politically correct design and look like a space ship. We have had the pink Public with it’s bubble shaped windows and the new college with a wave shaped roof; now we are supposed to swoon at the idea of a weird new super-hospital.

I’m not against modern buildings. The Manor Hospital in Walsall is very modern, even iconic, but I like it. Well, the parking is a bit expensive, especially if you’re disabled, but maybe they will change that now in the light of new guidelines from central government. Apparently there will be new patients coming down from Stafford too, although some of those will be going to New Cross in Wolverhampton. Some of the patients from New Cross will be going to Cannock. Where will the ones from Cannock go? Stafford? They’ll need buses on a circular route…

Enterprise?

They are going to have a new enterprise zone at Walsall too, so have to do some improvements to the roads. This is worrying. I struggle to cross the M6 motorway to go down the Manor now. How will I drive past this new enterprise zone; it’ll be bloody chaos with trucks everywhere. It’s chaos now at rush hour! They will probably put speed humps down the road from Darlo to Pleck. They are already planning on more traffic lights.

It’s the Sandwell Show today. No, I aye going either…

Sunday day out

I’m not sure where to go to take a few photos today. I’ll wrap up warm wherever it is. The weather forecast said to expect an overnight frost last night. We can’t plan for the weather. I still remember photographing the Christmas Lights switch on last November. I nearly got hypothermia. I was the only photographer there last year and will probably be the only one this year. This doesn’t bode well for local politicians. They were a bit slow switching the lights on last year and made me wait over 30 more minutes in sub zero temperatures. Did they get their photos in the paper? Did they hell…

Meanwhile, the national government is doing even more stupid things. The privatisation of everything continues in the best tradition of Thatcherism (God of the Tories). Pfizer are still sniffing around Astrazeneca, which isn’t surprising as they are valued higher than the banks. So many British companies have been bought up by overseas companies there is precious little left. According to the government when they come here and buy our nuclear power stations, it’s not selling the family silver, it’s inward investment and welcomed. Dave and George even go to China and ask if they want to buy anything. They will sell anything, water companies, nuclear technology, state secrets… It’s a shame we can’t sell them Iain Duncan Smith…

You couldn’t make it up, could you?

What do you think? Is your phone company French, electricity company Spanish and pension company based in Geneva? Please share your Britishness in the comments box, unless you’re not British, then you can have a good laugh…

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