Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms village idiot judge for yourself

Up here the snow came down as though it was winter y/day and gives me one of those looks . I thought wonder whats coming , no need to it seems she wanted to go for a walk . So off to Durham AGAIN the snow was thick but not on the roads yet they looked slippy . Being a husband I do as she tells me . "How about going down to the river and feeding the ducks "said I " Into Tesco for some brown bread grain loaf's shoved them in a carrier bag and off .On going through the city center its now a common sight to see young men and the odd couple sleeping rough . Spotted one begging for money yet drinking a tin of Harp lager . I must be coming hard and cynical. If they get money do they booze it and we all know booze makes you feel the cold more . Also why freeze when you can go to the cathedral and sit in the warmth for free all day . Still who am I to judge . Off to feed the ducks loads of them near the bridge and by hell they must have a 7th sence. No sooner we got onto the pathway they are under our feet and the bridge about 30+ , June and I remarked the poor things must be starving to take from your hands . After a good feed we off back to the car and I get approached by a chap selling the big issue . Excuse me if you think its wrong but when Johnny not British takes over ( and its a sore point with the British lads ) I have spoken to some . I refuse to give to anyone who is not British more so if pushy . Walking past where the chap was with the booze he had gone me being me could not help thinking was he just scrounging and gone home.Yet I often feel like asking them do they want some fish and chips , "but don't want to get into confrontation if they say no" and are just after money for booze or drugs . Went up to the cathedral for a coffee each.

Village idiot bit
Got home and thought I would move the Mog about in the garage it looked stunning when the cover was taken off . Do I start it up or make love to it . Better start it first would it hell start even though I heard the Weber's suck the petrol in. Now no laughing after a while it clicked I forgot its got a choke for them . Pulled it out and Broooooom 1st time ( with the choke) ran it till warm , looked it over then wrapped it up again . Starting to get that Springtime itch already and counting the weeks then its the days .

ps. It may have been that my fingers where frozen cold.

Jack if you are going to feed bread to the ducks best to soak it first. A lot of dry bread can swell inside them. Better feed them grain but Tesco may not sell that but they do have expensive sunflower seeds.

Tim

Not sure what your point is here. And not sure what's worse: the casual racism or the feeding of dry bread to ducks that may damage their insides as per TimG's post.

Never used choke on webers. two or three pumps on the throttle should be enough to fire up.

The point jack was making about Big Issue sellers is true.
In Manchester the Romanian gang masters buy massive amounts of Big Issue up to 30000 copies and transport either ladies or men in mini buses to the various point in the centre.
They cream the profit off and build large villas in their home country.
There has been numerous news items on this.
I have spoken the ordinary sellers and it really is undermining their efforts.
The same goes for doorstep charity bag collections they are involved in that also!

Interesting as I was just discussing this with my OH.

We've recently noticed a change in several towns local to us, in that the Big Issue sellers are now almost all Romanians.

SPOT ON I have known this for a good while after chatting to the lads that sell them . So whoever thinks I am racist better go back to school as I have a black mate ( who hit me with his fist so hard I still feel it cos I was taking the P out of his skin at school ) , some people I like some I don't but that's got bugger all to do with the colour of there skin its what comes out of there mouth when they TALK TO YOU .
As for the ducks been feeding them at winter for a while . But the problem is not the ducks its the BLOODY sea gulls who fight like hell to grab any food . Its like world at war they hover above the ducks then dive in the loafs are pulled into small bits . When thrown into the river its milli seconds so don't have time to get wet. There is a small area on the bank under a bridge so some is thrown on the small bit of land . We also take a large plastic bag of seed . Going again this a/noon . Last year two geese and two swans , one vanished they seemed to take over a tiny bit of land and stay on it . The nice bit was when the Swan was left by itself it started to look thin , so June started to hand feed it . I always thought they would be nasty yet it took to her . She was hurt when it went away. JUST A SOFTY WITH ALL ANIMALS







ps . This is my racist bit .
A few years ago a girl I have known for years called in for some stuff . I sorted her out popped the dosh in the machine and she said "I will leave it for my partner to pick up about 4-30pm John " . "Ok what his name " "Smith" was the reply . "That's some help whats he look like ". "Oh you will know his when you see him " How the hell will I know him when I HAVE NEVER SEEN HIM " . " You will " this went on a while till she said " BUGGER YOU I'm off "
4-30ish pm the doors opened and in walks a tall black chap and in his cockney twang say's I GOT SOM STUFF TO PICK UP MATE" I replied you must be called Smith.
He replied Black Smith Farrier I have heard and been called the f-ing lot you short arsed cold beer drinking Geordie bastard . I had gone started to Here was a lad who took no prisoners and had a great sence of humour for over an hour we took the pee out of each other and not a dry eye both hurling it at each other joke after joke . When it got to closing time he asked me " do you want to come to London with me my mates will love you , you are not afraid of colour like most whites " He was told I would have loved to as my best mate was working in a building gang their . But all work and no play and had to say no. I thought back and knew his partner had set me up knowing what I am like no doubt when he got home the pair of them must have . NOW DOES THAT SOUND LIKE A RACIST some people don't even know the meaning and often feel they are hiding something themselves.

Oh I can tell you what's worse. The casual sanctimony of your response. Are you on the right forum?

Ray petrol tank in rear, electric pump on bulk head. Weber twin 40s DCNF's so it takes a while to get the juice into them . Sounds better than a woman saying she does not have a headache . By the way the Tyne tunnels are rubbish TOTAL A Ferrari, Porka and me went through it no sound bouncing of the walls . I used to drop a gear and rev it .

Oh the subtle, and sometimes not so subtle, shades of racism.

I doubt there is one person on this planet that does not have some degree of racism, it is a natural part of being human. We all have biases for or against the "others", whether it be someone from the next town or a country on the other side of the world. These biases are often shaped by our family background, schooling, the media, and experience during our life.

Sometimes such racism can be pretty innocuous: "Scots are canny with a penny" and such like probably don't do much harm and can be seen as humorous. At other times it can be much more offensive.

I have my own personal biases and I have no intention of even trying to give them up. These biases mean that I am very careful if I have dealings with certain racial groups. If anyone is to blame for this it is not me but the way in which I have experienced previous relationships and not being cautious on a second occasion would be stupid on my part. The big difference is that I suspend my biases to one degree or another regarding my relationship with individuals until I get to know them.

I will not give money to any person begging, we have just too many of them and this too is often organised. Likewise I will not normally buy something from someone selling in the street, often it is minor, or major, organised crime behind the street sellers. I will however always give a coin to someone who is playing good music in a public place or even on the Metro. I don't care if they are Gypsies, Romanians, etc. or Italian music students. They are providing a service of entertainment.

The last couple of years Jnr. has been working at a supermarket where there is a different person (all African) every day of the week asking for money at the entrance. Most of them don't do anything but the guy that comes on Tuesdays, always helps with the rubbish, always helps older people struggling with their shopping etc. and always has a smile. As a result it is obvious that people, including the management at the supermarket, are much more prepared to give him something. We heard a few weeks ago that he had been offered a regular part time job. It just goes to prove that they are not all lazy beggers.