At the time of railway denationalisationand for some years afterwards, support for the idea of privatising the railways was shouted down - political correctness comes to mind.
The type of political correctness on this topicwas imho at its nadir a few years back when SirDavid Hare produced his play "The Permanent Way",claiming that private rail companies and politicians not only presided over declining safety standards but maltreated the victims of the resulting crashes. A most misleading point imho;
the suffering from railway disasters, of the injured the bereaved and their families, is always dreadful irrespective of who owns the trains at the time. Just like the suffering caused by a motorway crash is as bad whether Tesco's or The Royal Mail'slorries are involved.
"The Permanent Way" was the worst play I have ever seen. Politcally biased too. The play includedRailway bulletin boards showing the casualty lists from the Paddington, Potters Bar and Ladbroke Grovecrashes but singularly failed to balance this withBritish Railways crashes at Clapham Junction, Hither Green, Invergowrie, etc.
In the interestsof fairness I should add that David Hare's otherplays criticising, the Church, the Law and the Media were all great.
The way in which the Railways were denationalisedof course left much room for improvement. However the comparative brightness of today'sRailway terminii and their cafes and shops, are peferable to the grey drabness prevailing in British Railways' era. Having several railway companies to use today and swap between when one is down, is far more convenient for the actual passengersthan the one monolithic Board we used to be stuck with.
SWTrains had its first full strike in 10 years today. Pre-privatisation commuters, including yours truely, would have had no option but to get on their bikes to work. All the trains would have been stopped more or less over the whole country.
Today however other companie's trains, like those on District Line, Thames Link, Southern and/or South Eastern still ran.
Strikes apart, there are other benefits eg annual season ticket prices are reduced if the train company is slow. These benefits are for the actual users of the railways rather than the politicians, or playrights or for that matter unions. British Rail fare discounts for slowness
would have bankrupted the railways in pre-pivatisation days or resulted in tax increases
yet again.
The reason for today's strike is unclear. What reason that can be gleaned has the ring of pre-Maggie Thatcher union power about it:
The unions object to qualified train driver managers driving the trains so are apparently striking until management promise not to use managers again.
Today's skeleton SWTrain Service was run by manager drivers, so this strike is set to run and run
The given reason for the strike raises a question of principle however. Whose trains are they? The proponents of Railway Nationalisation argue that they are for the community and thereforethe community should have them. If the railway unions can veto who drives and who doesn't, rather than say the matter being referred to theHealth and Safety Executive if SWTrains say that their managers are fine drivers, then the "community" ownership argument was and is a sham.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Monday, August 28, 2006
London's Country and Bicyles
Cycling across Wimbledon Common past Beverley Brook
currently in full flood (despite ongoing Thames Water restrictions allegedly
caused by lack of rain)
then by way of over bridge into Richmond Park, I was struck how much
unspoilt green space there is in and around London. The Richmond
Park cycle path (doubles up in winter as the Jesuit Missions London
Marathon training track) is a circuit of almost 8 miles. The earlier
rain and hailstorms, made the bike circuit and return trip to SW20, muddy
but enjoyably challenging.
Debating whether to cycle into work tomorrow to beat SW Train drivers strike.
Rush hour roads are no fun for cyclists.
currently in full flood (despite ongoing Thames Water restrictions allegedly
caused by lack of rain)
then by way of over bridge into Richmond Park, I was struck how much
unspoilt green space there is in and around London. The Richmond
Park cycle path (doubles up in winter as the Jesuit Missions London
Marathon training track) is a circuit of almost 8 miles. The earlier
rain and hailstorms, made the bike circuit and return trip to SW20, muddy
but enjoyably challenging.
Debating whether to cycle into work tomorrow to beat SW Train drivers strike.
Rush hour roads are no fun for cyclists.
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Age, Agelessness and Examinations
GCSE public examination results, despite much talk of grade inflation cause as much
interest and excitement in the current generation of 16 year olds,
as they did in previous ones. The results for youngest in the maytrees
household were as keenly awaited by her as those of older brothers and sister
were before her. The difference in the current age however is the
hassle of retrieving the results from school in her absence on holiday in France
with friends -Data Protection -this is called though quite who is protecting
whom from what, especially given that GCSEs are public examinations, is never clear.
The results when eventually they could be read, were a credit to her school
the Ursuline teachers and herself.
While on the topic of Age, big brother telephoned from on board the Holland to Hull
ferry to announce his retirement next month - unbelievable - or at least his
ability to access his pension pot, so a big party is planned but in Hull.
He says Hull is a changed place now from the fishing town of yore. I
look forward to my first visit there for ages.
interest and excitement in the current generation of 16 year olds,
as they did in previous ones. The results for youngest in the maytrees
household were as keenly awaited by her as those of older brothers and sister
were before her. The difference in the current age however is the
hassle of retrieving the results from school in her absence on holiday in France
with friends -Data Protection -this is called though quite who is protecting
whom from what, especially given that GCSEs are public examinations, is never clear.
The results when eventually they could be read, were a credit to her school
the Ursuline teachers and herself.
While on the topic of Age, big brother telephoned from on board the Holland to Hull
ferry to announce his retirement next month - unbelievable - or at least his
ability to access his pension pot, so a big party is planned but in Hull.
He says Hull is a changed place now from the fishing town of yore. I
look forward to my first visit there for ages.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Markets and Market Makers
When stallholders display their produce in a market they use several ruses
to tempt you to buy say their fruit and veg. Their displays can be brilliantly
beautiful; their prices can be adjusted to be cheaper than the stall down the road,
or Tescos. The stall holder's income is dependent on the ruses working.
My plan at present is to save for the two times a year that I need to pay
Gordon Brown by buying a few shares rather than leaving it to earn the paltry
interest the banks deign to pay their customers. Putting this plan into effect
brings me into online
contact with the Market Makers (MMs) at the London Stock Exchange.
They earn rather more dosh than our local Pimlico produce stall holders - I assume -
but their ruses are not much different.
A post on the Sharecrazy bulletin board
earlier today (mine!) illustrates how one of their ruses worked for
share buyers in the Blackrock Oil company:
"MMs still play games:
I bought some BLR earlier at 1.08 when the bid had
fallen 6%. Published offer at the time
was 1.15p MMs pushed the bid down again to 10% with
published offer still 1.15p so
naturally I assumed actual offer buy price
would be cheaper too. Not a bit of it - a couple of dummy
buys then both gave 1.12p :shocked:
PIs need to be wary of such games :p"
What all that means is that the MMS showed a 10% fall in their price
for the Blackrock Oil shares (BLR). This tempted buyers in at the apparently
cheap price. The reality is that the 10% fall affected only the price to
sell the shares at not to buy them. Once you had bought at what you though
would be the cheap
price you would be bound to make a loss on them if you tried
to sell in a hurry.
Meanwhile the MMS had their profit booked if not
banked.
Still shares investing these days is almost fun especially with the masses of assistance
both technical and personal with bulletin board poster communities,
available from sites such as Sharecrazy.
to tempt you to buy say their fruit and veg. Their displays can be brilliantly
beautiful; their prices can be adjusted to be cheaper than the stall down the road,
or Tescos. The stall holder's income is dependent on the ruses working.
My plan at present is to save for the two times a year that I need to pay
Gordon Brown by buying a few shares rather than leaving it to earn the paltry
interest the banks deign to pay their customers. Putting this plan into effect
brings me into online
contact with the Market Makers (MMs) at the London Stock Exchange.
They earn rather more dosh than our local Pimlico produce stall holders - I assume -
but their ruses are not much different.
A post on the Sharecrazy bulletin board
earlier today (mine!) illustrates how one of their ruses worked for
share buyers in the Blackrock Oil company:
"MMs still play games:
I bought some BLR earlier at 1.08 when the bid had
fallen 6%. Published offer at the time
was 1.15p MMs pushed the bid down again to 10% with
published offer still 1.15p so
naturally I assumed actual offer buy price
would be cheaper too. Not a bit of it - a couple of dummy
buys then both gave 1.12p :shocked:
PIs need to be wary of such games :p"
What all that means is that the MMS showed a 10% fall in their price
for the Blackrock Oil shares (BLR). This tempted buyers in at the apparently
cheap price. The reality is that the 10% fall affected only the price to
sell the shares at not to buy them. Once you had bought at what you though
would be the cheap
price you would be bound to make a loss on them if you tried
to sell in a hurry.
Meanwhile the MMS had their profit booked if not
banked.
Still shares investing these days is almost fun especially with the masses of assistance
both technical and personal with bulletin board poster communities,
available from sites such as Sharecrazy.
Monday, August 21, 2006
Interfaith
Very reassuring to experience first hand, how the secular legal problems of charities of
non-Christian faiths, mirror those of the more established Christian ones in England.
Even more reassuring in these days of threatened violence in the name of religion,
to witness how ordinary people from the religion in question, abhor the threats as
much as any one else.
What mankind holds in common is so much more important
than the things which tear us apart.
non-Christian faiths, mirror those of the more established Christian ones in England.
Even more reassuring in these days of threatened violence in the name of religion,
to witness how ordinary people from the religion in question, abhor the threats as
much as any one else.
What mankind holds in common is so much more important
than the things which tear us apart.
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Grey Sunday
The teccie side of blogs is still limiting my attempts
to get this one going. Attempts to post links are so far not successful
and even new posts do not seem to appear despite use of "publish post"
button.
Great jog over the Common in early morning summer sunshine
has now given way to imminent rain and viewing grey skies from
indoors.
to get this one going. Attempts to post links are so far not successful
and even new posts do not seem to appear despite use of "publish post"
button.
Great jog over the Common in early morning summer sunshine
has now given way to imminent rain and viewing grey skies from
indoors.
Saturday, August 19, 2006
HCPT and Work Happenings
Still finding this idea of blogging strange but am not one to give up easily.
It seems like only last week that I returned with the HCPT groups from our
annual trek to Lourdes with young people (in fact it was late April) and already
preparations have to be made for the 2007 pilgrimage. Reactions so far
from the great team of helpers seem good.
In work life, arrangements for the merger of the long established Catholic
firm of solicitors with its counterpart Methodist firm are going very well.
The whole venture is reaching an exciting stage with the professional
marriage date scheduled for 1st October.
An example perhaps for Church spiritual leaders to follow.
I'll try to add links when I've mastered the HMTL.
It seems like only last week that I returned with the HCPT groups from our
annual trek to Lourdes with young people (in fact it was late April) and already
preparations have to be made for the 2007 pilgrimage. Reactions so far
from the great team of helpers seem good.
In work life, arrangements for the merger of the long established Catholic
firm of solicitors with its counterpart Methodist firm are going very well.
The whole venture is reaching an exciting stage with the professional
marriage date scheduled for 1st October.
An example perhaps for Church spiritual leaders to follow.
I'll try to add links when I've mastered the HMTL.
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Day 1
Hmm. Is this blog creation thing a good idea? Nothing ventured nothing gained so here goes.
Sunday Mass was a good start for day 1 especially with some rousing singing at the end.
Main preoccupation for the remainder of today will be whether our two vistor relatives from
Dublin will be able to catch their flights back from Heathrow to Dublin.
Thereafter a jog over Wimbledon Common would be good.
Sunday Mass was a good start for day 1 especially with some rousing singing at the end.
Main preoccupation for the remainder of today will be whether our two vistor relatives from
Dublin will be able to catch their flights back from Heathrow to Dublin.
Thereafter a jog over Wimbledon Common would be good.
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