Andersen

It's a shame but often the cost of repair is more than the cost of a new unit. I guess the choices are claim on the GPO insurance or try to DIY fix (see good advice above from @onlyme )

+1 (quoted just to make the point ) I know Newcastle very well, properties at auction can cost below £10k in some areas ... ^^ see above ^^

I don't see it as a NMW issue. It makes no sense to work unless it's financially worth while. On benefits = free housing, zero council tax, free healthcare, free childcare, and money left over for living expenses. Or work 40 hours a week NMW for £16k a year and lose 30% (> £5k) of your wages in tax & NI, then pay housing, council tax, healthcare, childcare out of the £10k that's left. How about a radical solution ... maybe something like stop giving taxpayers money to folk who don't work (or who "work" 16 hours and get a top-up from tax-payers to make £16k) ?

The site below seems to collate stats of high street retailers who have gone into administration etc. It's sobering to see so many well established names. Site was last updated just a few days ago. Partway down the page has a .XLS download listing the biggest names, there are other interesting links to the right of the page http://www.retailresearch.org/whosegonebust.php

I'm looking to relocate and I'm now based in Wales as it seemed to be nice sensible place, far away from all the enriching multi-cultural sights I've seen when visiting various large English (and a few European) cities. I dispair !

Just noticed some cities I visit are introducing "London style" charges for anyone driving into the main shopping area. Another nail in the coffin... "Birmingham is one of five cities which have been ordered to implement clean air zones by 2020. The others are Leeds, Nottingham, Derby and Southampton." https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/birminghams-new-clean-air-zone-14802158

Northumberland have been making it more and more difficult to use the council tip. First they outlawed vans (I found out about the rule when I moved house - hired a van for the day and used it to take a large window to the tip - they turned me away), then they started to charge for "commercial" waste (building rubble), now they also charge for soil etc. Then they wonder why fly-tipping is on the increase. DIY to save money, then pay the council when you're done https://www.northumberland.gov.uk/News/2015/Sep/New-charges-for-tipping-rubble-soil-and-plasterbo.aspx An ex used to work as a park ranger for Durham Council. They introduced similar charges about 10 years ago, then had to increase ranger staffing 4-fold due to the increase in fly tipping that was spoiling the local countryside. I'm now in Wales, recycling here is good but folk passing the garden keep putting their rubbish in my house bins, neighbour has the same problem. It's annoying, but better than just dropping it in the street...

I have family in Scandanavia, when I visited last Summer they were concerned that a senior Chief-of-Police in Sweden had publicly announced they could not cope with the increase in violence on the steets. 2 reports (dated 2017) : Factual : https://www.rt.com/news/375364-sweden-police-appeal-violence-malmo/ Same but with significant closing paragraph - https://southfront.org/swedish-police-appeals-for-public-help-due-to-upward-spiral-of-violence-in-malmo/ @Harley - re Police pensions. Anecdotal : a mates wife is a long-serving officer and her expected pension got drastically reduced a few years ago. She (and my mate) are both counting the last couple of years she has left as the job now is nothing like what she signed up for - and she wants out. 2013 changes : https://www.moneywise.co.uk/managing-your-pension/pensions/changes-to-the-police-pension-scheme 2018 changes : https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-45882094

Not sure if there's an app but you have 2 simple approaches, neither ideal. 1. You show voters a photo and give them a set of multiple choice answers to pick from (but what if the correct answer isn't one of your choices?) 2. You show voters a photo and ask for their suggestions (but you need to count the answers manually as "keyboard" is different to "key board" and "Kye board" - but they should be counted together)

A few links I've noticed recently ... £250k @ Aberystwyth includes 19 acres & a collapsed gable end https://www.propertypigeon.co.uk/property-search/aberystwyth-llanon-llanhystyd/sy23-1719056837?utm_source=newsnow.co.uk £50k @ Tredegar, ready stripped, open plan, "cash buyers only" (walls removed without planning??) https://www.primelocation.com/for-sale/details/48744601?utm_source=newsnow&utm_medium=network&utm_campaign=aggregator&utm_term=08#tuoQd4QmzRzFSYFQ.97 £55k @ Alston (sstc), stripped, 1st floor missing ! https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/46397299#zhqF43yFWSKhHicm.97 £100k @ Todmorten. Ad says 5 bed detatched but I'd call it a Catherderal ! https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-53842383.html Or a whole village near Powys (they've already reduced it once so put a cheeky offer in ?) https://metro.co.uk/2018/07/05/whole-village-sale-less-price-luxury-london-flat-7686935/?

I spent most of this year in the North of England (East & West) and the coastal areas from Wales down to Devon. I'm planning to relocate but not sure where yet. On my travels I saw very little evidence of immigration. Unless folk are in an area where it's visible they dimiss the reports as media hype - it's human nature. My prediction is the larger cities in the South will suffer more and sooner than smaller / more remote areas. Take our current inner city issues and add cultural enrichment and the result can't be good. Time to get a Max-max style camper van and be prepared to move often?? Looking at the changes in what is acceptable compared to 5 years ago, I hate to think what changes we will see in the next 5 - 10 years. More of a concern is that nobody I have talked with has heard of the UN Migration Compact. I only found out about it when I saw it mentioned in the Armageddon topic on here, folk I have asked to look into it for themselves soon come back very distressed.

^ Good point well made. Here it is socially acceptable to eat some types of animal (cows & sheep are for food, rabbits may be food or pets, dogs are pets and never food). Other countries have different cultures - Asia comes to mind. If I'm out for a quite meal, anyone moving into the restaurant to hold a disruptive protest would be unpopular - regardless of who they are.

I find the Tommy Robinson issue very disturbing on many levels, but it only came onto my radar when I saw it mentioned on here. The masses who rely on MSM for their world view - or don't follow current affairs at all - have no awareness of TR etc. Unless you live in an area where immigration has made a noticable change in the demographics, it's very easy to ignore the issue as "Just anther example of Media hype". I spent most of the last year around Wales & Northern England (East & West) and saw very little evidence of migrants. Expect Scotland to be impacted even less. "Global Compact on Migration" looks like a done deal that will be another nail in the coffin, but the first I knew about it was when I read this thread. Raising awareness starts with the old political question "How do you engage to large sections of the population who have no interest?"

There have been several controversial council "redevelopments" in Northumberland in the last couple of years. Council paid £78m in 2016 for a complex of shops at Cramlington https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/business/business-news/manor-walks-shopping-centre-set-11633850 Related news : "But Coun Daley claims they were given less than an hour to consider the plans before being asked to make a decision." https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/northumberland-council-chiefs-criticised-splashing-11641418 The same council committed to £38m plans to demolish the existing council HQ to build an out of town shopping center (including a school with no parking - parents were to share a carpark on the new site with a pub/McD !), and build new HQ at nearby Ashington. Presentations by the council insisted the new out of town shops wouldn't take business from the existing high street - unbelievable. Police were on standby *inside* the council offices when the final vote took place "as a precaution". Building work was started then plans were shelved at unknown cost. https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/plans-unveiled-200-new-homes-12086636 Meanwhile, shops at Cramlington and Morpeth (including some trading for 100+ years) are closing and standing empty, business rates are being reported as the main reason for closure. The number of charity shops seems to be increasing.