Thursday 30 July 2015

English Democrats solution to the Calais migrant problem

Steve Uncles has pronounced on the problems in Calais. This, from a candidate at the Kent Police and Crime Commissioner election.



See also:

http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/dartford_swanley/13572931.Calais_fence_climbers_should_be_shot_to_deter_other_migrants__says_controversial_politician/?ref=fbshr


and

http://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/596076/Calais-migrant-crisis-shoot-English-Democrats-Kent-Channel-Tunnel

Saturday 25 July 2015

A stupid idea, courtesy of councillor Jukes

The defining moment in the reign of councillor David Jukes has arrived with his stupid idea and attendant comments on changing bus routes through the centre of Royal Tunbridge Wells.  Before reading on please click on the link below:

http://www.courier.co.uk/Council-boss-wants-say-goodbye-town-buses/story-27471325-detail/story.html


The 281 route service was a shambles.  The twelve minute interval service was abandoned. On one occasion passengers waited forty minutes for a bus and then three turned up together.  One can but hope, but I am not holding my breathe, that Rusthall Parish Council and the two newly elected councillor for Rusthall on Tunbridge Wells Borough Council will tell councillor Jukes to make his resignation a priority.

Monday 6 July 2015

Another bank branch to close

Once upon a time the Pantiles end of Royal Tunbridge Wells was served by four banks and a post office. The post office, Lloyds, NatWest and Midland closed their doors leaving only Barclays.  Now Barclays is to close its Pantiles branch on 9th October 2015.

The main Barclays branch in TunbridgeWells has no cashiers, banking has to be done through a machine.  Bad news.  At least Santander has cashiers. Not sure what the newly opened Metro Bank has to offer.

Ah,the nostalgia kicks in for those far off days when a small overdraft could be secured by a nod from the chief cashier of a large branch and business was conducted with people who made decisions and not by computer programs and box-ticking.

Update:  the ATM machine will also go.  See:

http://www.courier.co.uk/Fury-Barclays-withdraws-cashpoint-Pantiles/story-27515017-detail/story.html#1

Wednesday 1 July 2015

Heathrow or Gatwick

I have never flown, nor do I intend to go up in an aeroplane in the future. I have collected/dropped off people at Gatwick, Heathrow, Stansted and Luton airports.

It is essential that whichever of the two airports chosen for expansion has improved public transport links.

Heathrow is connected to London via the dire Piccadilly Underground line and the line from Paddington.  It was planned originally for Heathrow to be on the HS2 route from London to the north, then it was to be served by a spur line, now it has been dropped.   The lack of direct rail connections with the north, south and west puts pressure on the road system.

See:

http://www.railnews.co.uk/news/2015/07/01-heathrow-plan-involves-rail-upgrades.html?

Gatwick is worse than Heathrow for rail connections.  Apart from the overcrowded London-Brighton main line there is nothing apart from the slow service to Reading. Quite how the addition numbers using Gatwick will be served by public transport is a mystery.