Gloucester Saint

Not especially, it’s actually good to have some governance without the constant infighting and lurching all over the place we had since 2015. There’s a reason as a Lib Dem why my seat has it’s first ever Lib Dem MP on a substantial majority having overturned 24k - as a party if you don’t understand why that it is, it will be an even longer road back for you. FWIW I don’t agree with the outdoor smoking plans, but the NHS initial approach sounds sensible albeit needing more flesh on the bones and there needs to be more focus on social care to stop the hospitals from clogging which the Lib Dem’s are rightly pushing Labour on. I’m sure you’ll be honest enough to admit the Conservatives failed dreadfully on this with 5 ministers in less than 5 years. The emphasis on preventative health is also sensible. Streeting is quality and I wish we had him (Lib Dems). The winter fuel allowance issue is trickier but overall I think the burden needed to shared across the generations, I just hope the means testing is done properly. But I do respect that not everyone will agree.

Really basic error to have a go at one of the Chambers’ best orators for lack of experience - when he’s been shadowing health for 2.5 years and the Clown Car brigade had 5 Health Ministers in that time. She metaphorically watched the pie of a cricket ball she bowled disappear back over her head into the stand with a thud. Although Streeting really took her to the cleaners today apparently on the debate about the Darzi report. What a fucking legacy to leave https://news.sky.com/story/darzai-review-key-points-from-damning-new-report-into-state-of-nhs-13213159

You heard right, 23 August apparently. Anywhere that offers a minimum choice of Landlord, Vibrant Forest and Black Sheep is worth a visit https://www1.camra.org.uk/pubs/rockstone-southampton-188544

Which pub did you go to in Hamble? I was thinking Jolly Sailor as that’s never been cheap but of course there’s a nice little selection around the High St https://www1.camra.org.uk/pubs/olde-whyte-harte-hamble-le-rice-188127 Looking forward to visiting the renovated SW Arms. They always did a lovely pint of Blakes’ Gosport Bitter in there when Blake’s were brewing. A dark bitter verging on a porter/stout. I loved it but not all of my friends did, one of them tried it in the SW Arms, took a gulp and exclaimed ‘they’ve burnt the beer!’ Groups of Pompey CAMRA branch used to use the SW Arms and Dolphin on a Friday night often.

Whoever it is, they will need to avoid getting rinsed like this 😂

Douglas Hurd. Hadn’t heard of Thora but same principle.

I probably walked beneath your windows many times to go into BV! Rockstone sounds promising, we were in there once when they were having a Play Your Cards Right game with a jackpot which reached an amount well into the hundreds as nobody had won for a few weeks. One of my best mates played and won the jackpot. We’d never been in there before. Did we get some filthy stares?!

Good point Whelk, let’s get back onto the OP. Saw the full debate tonight, Harris nervous start but got into it and laid some ranting carrots which Trump couldn’t resist crunching on. It won’t move the dial for most of that country and the highly polarised support either side, but it could be a background factor in the swing states where every vote counts for the electoral college. He’s in trouble and the campaign funds are almost dry for those swing states. Whereas Harris getting both the big donations and smaller individual ones at scale. It’ll be close still but I can see a similar result to 2020.

I know from your other posts that Brexit has been horrible for you, you didn’t vote for it, you’re a good poster, one of my favourites, and really I wish it wasn’t like that for you. I hope it gets better for us all. Plenty of over 60s didn’t vote for it too. FWIW, I’ve lost far more than that from Brexit and then Covid, thousands pa, as has my wife. Whilst costs have shot up. All relative I know to each household, family and circumstances but standards of living are miles below the 00s for most people. On the train drivers and unions, I have no love for them either, in fact the unions advocated for Brexit sickeningly so I particularly loathe Lynch and Whelan but the country had to get moving again, the industrial action was clogging up the roads badly, medical appointments missed, contracts missed. It was awful to get anywhere of any distance and it’s not over until the new drivers are on stream. The doctors dispute was heading the same way. If Labour keeps feeding the unions, I’ll be angry too, one of the reasons I don’t vote for them is the unions. The public services have to get back on a even keel, I think the public will do their bit but if in 18 months time we still can’t see GPs and the trade offs aren’t emerging, there will be wider unrest and it won’t just be ex-football yobs and kids next time.

On the pensioners £300 winter fuel allowance, and that’s the maximum, some won’t even get that much, it’s not ideal but the vast majority of those who actually need it will still receive from what I’ve seen and plenty like our parents who really don’t need it as much. One of them is still moaning about it (Telegraph reader) having said in the past they didn’t need it and it should go to someone who did. If we are talking intergenerational fairness, the u55s have had to eat nearly all of the shit sandwiches arising from Brexit thus far (with a blank where the supposed benefits are) so only fair the segment of the population who voted for it in the largest numbers take at least a small bit of the burden the economic shortfall of £40bn is causing. Because without Brexit, £22bn unaccounted for hiding migration accommodation spending by the previous government and an unfunded tax cut would have caused moderate spending cuts and freezes, but not the same impact. And the new government has pledged to be responsible with the public finances, yet the tabloids want this policy retained and Rwanda policy reinstated for tens of billions. From where? They’ve stymied their grandchildren’s prospects through selfishness so if their Brexit is so brilliant, it’s a small price to pay surely. I very much doubt if Labour has thought about it in this way but I’m a Liberal Democrat and it’s about time some of the tough decisions stopped falling at the doors of working folk and the young. Apologies by the way to those over 60 in 2016 who voted Remain or didn’t vote. Unfortunately, as we found out over the last few years, we tend to get punished for the actions of others whether we voted for it or not.

In your case it certainly takes one to know one.

It’s the only way they can realistically play red ball cricket at either end of the domestic season. Makes the quicker bowlers use their brain/get their speeds up and gives the spinners a way into matches that are normally 130 plays 150 at this stage of the season where 75mph seamers are taking 7/34 or something daft on a green top.

We got pet insurance for ours from kittens with a higher ceiling and premiums, not cheap to start with but boy has it earned its keep in the long-term.

🇭🇺 is a better option for Marxism, look at Orban’s price controls on everyday groceries https://www.reuters.com/article/hungary-retail/hungarys-orban-leans-on-mandatory-food-price-cuts-to-rein-in-rampant-inflation-idUSL8N37T15F/ Imagine if a Labour PM ever did that and the headlines which would follow? But because Orban is socially conservative and authoritarian, he’s beloved by American conservatives if they ignore other things he does to limit market economics https://www.voanews.com/a/hungarian-prime-minister-shows-why-american-right-embraces-him/6687500.html The GOP has certainly shifted from the Reagan era.

Yeah, Tugendhat would the adult choice to repair some of the considerable damage but they’re still drunk as rats on Brexit, Truss and Trump populist culture wars.

Totally and stark raving mad. The interviewer is incredulous and Harris laughing her head off as I am doing now 😂😂😂

Just reading the ABC and NBC articles, did Trump seriously say those things? He is a total freak if he did. More elections conspiracy nonsense and shocking comments about abortion. In a normal Western country, he’d be heading for a record defeat with the odd Deep South state voting for him as a hangover from the pre civil rights era. But America is far from that these days.

Iran, until it can finally shake off the cack hand of the Revolutionary Guard, truly is an armpit of a country. North Korea and Russia are equally grubby bedfellows https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c75n2wnkp1vo

Certainly possible, but Cleverly would need to pick up the lion’s share of the Stride supporters to get back into contention for the final two.

Guide Dog was another pre-match SMS haunt, but if the missus was with me it was more the Alex because she found the GD a bit too busy for a small pub. They still do Flower Pots range looking at the GBG, used to offer Itchen Valley but I don’t know if they’re still trading? Funny brewer they were. Dark Star listed as well. I also note from GBG that the SW Arms is open again and refurbished (which it really did need!). That used to get away fans from all over the country looking for it but a bit further from SMS so you had to factor that in. Used that and the Dolphin a lot when lived near Bitterne Triangle (many years before Butchers Hook). Bookshop Alehouse in Portswood listed and that’s on my need to try list too. Sad about Chris up who used to run the Bitter Virtue offie not far from there on Cambridge Rd (IIRC) away a couple of years ago.

Goblets used to be Greene King but probably changed long before 8 years ago. GK IPA and Abbot Ale would fit the bill for being weak as piss/quite strong without that 4-4.5% Abv decent session bitter. Mind you, they did look after their Abbot Ale. Alex used to be a pre-match SMS pub 2005-12 for us, did a great pint of Landlord or Summer Lightning. Belgium & Blues sounds like an upgrade on Goblets, will have to try that, and that cellar environment would work for Belgian Ales. Mind you, with the strength of some of those, you’d do well to even be on the train post-match!

Poor wasn’t it? Brook has batted like a busted arse this game, and was petulant first innings when Sri Lanka finally found a disciplined off stump channel line to him. Lawrence is never an opener in any format, and should have been out a few times before he was, for an admittedly useful 35. Duckett too frenetic again. Root got a good full delivery in swinging conditions and the SL top order batted really well tonight. The bright spots were Hull again and a superb knock with the tail yet again by Jamie Smith. The difference between Smith compared to Duckett, Pope, Lawrence and increasingly Brook is that he has got a solid defence so his shot selection is far better. Brook actually has got a good defence but just won’t use it at the moment. Stokes needs to have a word. Duckett has a decent defence but notorious for playing at 98% of deliveries. It’s serving him well and makes a good combination with Crawley when his finger heals, but in Australia he is going to need to leave the rising ball a lot more at times, as that’s why Root has never made a hundred there. Lots of 50s, but plays a rising one regularly he doesn’t need to on 70-odd.

Downton Brewery in Wiltshire do a chocolate Orange beer which is good and remember drinking that mostly at one festival. The other beer I’d have stuck to if it wasn’t quite so strong at the old Gosport Winterex was Sarah Hughes Ruby Mild. They had it on recently at the Cross House Tavern in Tewkesbury, my wife agreed to drive back whilst I enjoyed a half which rarely travels beyond its native West Midlands.

It’s good to see, I was concerned that the pandemic would leave a legacy of more consumption at home. Pensioners used to be one of my pre-match places in the 1990s for the Dell, as was the Cricketers. Overdraft sounds good, I think the Shirley original opened a few years ago now or possibly I’m getting confused? Raven and Bine sounds a big improvement on how the Smugglers used to look. That’s the pub on its own over by Oxford St on the road leading to what was the East St Centre. Was the Smugglers where Terry Hurlock was drinking when he was caught drink driving? Seem to remember a sign outside proclaiming it. Didn’t know about the pedestrianisation. Belgium & Blues sounds like my sort of place too, Belgian beer has never been cheap, even when the old Soul Cellar opposite the Civic Centre sold the stuff, plus the Belgocafes in London. Don’t mind paying the extra if it’s a rare Trappist beer like a Westveleren though. You’ve whetted my appetite for a few return trips to my Southampton roots. You are certainly a 🐈‍⬛ about town!

Nowt wrong with that. I’d tried thirds of a few other beers at GBBF in 2019 but hit upon Maxim Raspberry Porter from Sunderland. I figured I wouldn’t be seeing it very often, if again, so carried on with only that. The Fullers pub next to Olympia after I left had a guest Thai kitchen night on - what a great day!