Has anybody else read the latest Tim Dowling piece in the Guardian? complaining about power supply in their holiday home? The statement about it not having been used for a year...
I'm not from Cornwall but there is exactly this situation in my home area of Yorkshire - no availability of affordable housing for the low paid.
Socialist paper ?!?
Link, not seen it.
(Guardian socialist! Lmfao. There's only Toynbee this month that I've seen still confused why Starmer is being a cowardly right wing dope. It takes a lot of evidence before the Guardian figures anything progressive out.)
I was going to call them champagne socialists but that's not even it. They are socially progressive, which handily doesn't require you to be an actuql working class socialist.
Still, there's only so much anger and injustice you can put in a paper before people won't want to reduce it even if they agree with it. Aomyou have to write about something else. I do agree though that writing about your holiday home is pretty tone deaf.
I read it because generally I quite like his articles. I don't think it's a holiday home as such, it's the old house of a dead parent which they clearly hate, so not sure why not just sell it.
Socialist paper ?!?
Nope. They are traditionally a liberal paper which switched to new labour but then ran away once Labour went back to the left before rejoining when Starmer was more aligned with them.
They also have a range of columnists from token leftwing (owen jones) to token rightwing (simon jenkins) to token idiots/nepo husbands (Adrian childs) but the main position definitely isnt socialist.
Tim Dowling just rights middle class toss, so no real change.
The Guardian is what most of Britain consider “Left Wing”, and what many socialists consider “Tory Light”.
[ that’s a joke - but tinged with truth ]
It does what I’d rather all papers did… report the news and reflect on it from many different positions. It only looks Left Wing compared to other papers because that breadth of coverage includes people left of centre. The Independent used to do the same before it was wrecked, and the Times sort of still does (but with a narrower range and more right wing weighting than the Guardian). Other papers just pick a position and ram it home, hard… with most doing so from a position to the right of whoever is in government, whatever the party or parties in power.
The Guardian is what most of Britain consider “Left Wing”, and what many socialists consider “Tory Light”.
[ that’s just a joke – tinged with some truth ]
Many a true word spoken in jest!
But I agree - always thought of it as more liberal than socialist, but offers a wider range of opinions and voices, not quite the echo chamber that many are used to or wish for.
The Guardian is what most of Britain consider “Left Wing”, and what many socialists consider “Tory Light”.
[ that’s a joke – but tinged with truth ]
Roughly equivalent to the American Democratic Party, then? Or The Extreme Left, to most Americans in the Red States.
I had a look earlier. There was the usual slagging of of Europe one way or another. Germany is apparently in trouble because of a lack of growth, shit education etc. etc.. Come now, Guardian, have a look at GDP per capita because that's a much better indicator than growth. Have a look at all those negatives you raise and compare with the UK because you'll find that if Germany is the sick man of Europe most of the rest of the continent (UK included) is a ****ing basket case.
Then there are holiday articles which assume big buck budgets and a complete disregard for ones carbon footprint.
Still there are the blind date articles which raise a smile and it's free, which is just as well because there's no way I'd pay for it.
I find George monbiots columns great. They usually provoke thought and i think he broaches subjects when there is a deafening silence from the wider media. A good example being the latest one about erosion of public freedoms and the dangers of the major outlets (beeb included) giving a voice and appearance of impartiality to llobying junktanks funded with a clear aim.
And im not sure chiles would have a column if he wasn't married to the editor 🤔
The weekly column by Chiles, with his face like a sellotaped bawbag, is weirdly compelling in that always feels like it’s generated by an AI programme run on a ZX81. The fact that a semi-literate dimwit like him has managed a career in broadcasting and publishing has always remained a mystery
I’ve had a subscription to the Guardian my whole adult life and I love it but it infuriates me in equal measure with its wishy washy North London bollocks
The Saturday food supplement is a running joke in our house. It exclusively features reviews of high end London eateries where 3 courses would cost half our annual household income and Ottilengi recipes involving ingredients nobody outside Islington has ever heard of, but some insufferably smug vegan has had flown in from South America (don’t mention that carbon footprint eh?).
I don’t read Tim Dowling as he disappeared up his own arse years ago, but there are loads of great columnists on the paper, including the absolutely brilliant Marina Hyde
The fact that a semi-literate dimwit like him has managed a career in broadcasting and publishing has always remained a mystery
He's married to the editor 🙄
The Graun talks a good game on nepotism but doesn't walk it! See also Bella Mackie, given her career break by the previous editor Alan Rusbridger, aka her dad.
Exactly!
Wasn’t his first wife the commissioning editor at the BBC?
Nothing has me reaching for the off button quicker than the sound of his god-awful monotone drawl. The man can barely string a coherent sentence together
Yeah, Marina does satire rather well but John Crace which pronounces much better in French has run out of ways that are even vaguely clever to slag off Rishi and his party members. Monbiot can be perceptive or in a parallel universe, never read Chiles, Zoe thinks I should be interested in things I'm really not. The agony Aunt needs to learn the phrases "grow the **** up" and "(wo)man the **** up".
But what's the English language alternative? None I can think off that's of use for anything other than lighting the fire.
The Saturday food supplement is a running joke in our house. It exclusively features reviews of high end London eateries where 3 courses would cost half our annual household income
A few years back Jay Rayner reviewed a rather good (and very reasonably priced) Chinese place in Blackpool which I make a beeline for when I have reason to go there. Sadly my visit is usually mid-Feb when it's often shut for the Chinese new year.
But anyone who reads Chiles and that dim Tim person more than once deserves what they get.
The Saturday food supplement is a running joke in our house. It exclusively features reviews of high end London eateries where 3 courses would cost half our annual household income
This is total bollocks. Lots of places reviews are not high end, and I believe Jay Rayner makes sure more than 50% are outside London.
Todays high end review; https://www.theguardian.com/food/2024/feb/04/levante-london-a-very-happy-find-restaurant-review
Ottilengi recipes involving ingredients nobody outside Islington has ever heard of
"Available in most Asian supermarkets" is a running gag here...I read Tim Dowling's column, I think the OP is being a bit harsh, as it's his wife dad's old house, but I think holding the editorial to account for just one Saturday columnist's housing situation is a bit of a stretch?
[Ottolenghi] recipes involving ingredients nobody outside Islington has ever heard of
Not entirely fair - we make one of his recipes and if you can find the ingredients in Alnwick Sainsbury's you can find them anywhere. "Asian supermarkets"? - you're 'avin' a larf mate!
hotbed of socialism, probably not, small c conservative middle class elitist liberati much like the bbc yep , great crosswords though 🙂
He (his wife) may have inherited it but they can still sell it for someone to live in rather than leave it there rotting away while he whines about it.
It's 'lefty/liberal' during peacetime but once there's crisis, particularly in the ME, then you see its true colours. The Guardian wrote more lies about Corbyn than any other paper. Craig Murray decribes it as the paper of MI5. Rusbridger was a much better editor, these days they'd never give a job to Nick Davies, Paul Foot or Steve Bell. I prefer the puzzles in the Times but they're both ethno-centric conservative organs requiring much 'filtering'.
You all ride flying pigeons, yeah?
I'm a regular reader. Always cracks me up the 'left' opinions on stw. I'm not even sure if anyone actually knows what socialism is?! It's evolved somewhat since it's origins!
Totally agreed on Chiles! I like Monbiot, Hyde, agreed that Grace is a bit samey. What I love though is the sheer variety of experts that have guest columns. Mark Maslin, Michael Jacobs in the past couple of weeks at the very leadings edge of thinking around Climate Change issues. The was a great piece yesterday about the problems of peer review in academia....might not be that interesting if you're not involved in academia I suppose!
It definitely feels both very centre left overall, but with a broad enough scope to maintain a credible amount of impartiality when it comes to it's new rather than opinion pieces.
It’s ‘lefty/liberal’ during peacetime but once there’s crisis, particularly in the ME, then you see its true colours.
Yup, sums the Guardian since Peterloo. Awfully radical, don't know. Until push comes to shove - then it lays its cards on the table and ALWAYS takes the pro-establishment side.
It was specifically founded to undermine radical politics and two hundred years on it is still doing precisely that.
If anyones interested, the Ottilengi recipe this week is crempogau with persimmon compote.
No…. me neither…
Grace Dent is reviewing a new London restaurant called Eggslut, where it costs 45 quid for 2 fried egg butties
🤣 Agree with you Binners on the hilarity of the food stuff, and how annoying the North London culture focus in general is. (Hint to Gruniad writers, to most people London is just London, and not prefixed by North, South, East and West!)
So the slut in Eggslut doesn't denote cheap?
...nor does it cost £45 for '2 fried egg butties' though if we're being totally honest.
The whole thing is just so far up it’s own arse that it’s now completely beyond parody
Having said that, I always read it, so maybe that’s the point
Theres few things more majestic than Jay Rayner absolutely slating some high end gastronomic palace
Out of interest I have googled the owner of Eggslut, Alvin Cailan, judging by the photos I would suggest that he might have an issue with cholesterol.
persimmon compote.
Yep. Willing to bet that’s not available locally.
Polly Toynbee led the charge against Corbyn and more recently the Grauniad has been parroting unsubstantiated claims about The Place That Must Not Be Named, so while it may be better than the Telegraph I’m not inclined to support them with cash.
always thought of it as more liberal than socialist
Useless stat - a few years ago Guardian readers who were actually members of a political party were more likely to be Lib Dems than Lab, which should surprise approximately no-one except Owen Jones.
Chiles is not there on merit but much of the rest of it is good, and frankly there aren’t many other options.
DOI Guardian subscriber… and Lib Dem.
Do you actually read the physical paper Binners?
I just read online, so only click on the stuff that I'm interested in really, this avoiding most of the restaurant/food stuff and Chiles being bewildered by life in general etc
I’m not inclined to support them with cash.
I cancelled my online subscription when they jumped on the Corbyn-is-an-anti-semite bandwagon. I take great satisfaction when pressing the 'No Thanks' button when they're begging me for money every other day.
I’ve got a digital sub so generally read online but I like to go old school at the weekend and get the paper and just browse all the nonsense like food, restaurant reviews and there’s a really good photography article in yesterdays
If anyones interested, the Ottilengi recipe this week is crempogau with persimmon compote.
Pancakes with homemade jam?, my gran was making that for me in the 70’s,
I like the sound of it, I’ll have a read. Who doesnt have easy access to Persimmon? Next you’ll be saying Murrh is hard to come by.
small c conservative middle class
Pretty much.
Out of all the rags it's not the worst.
which should surprise approximately no-one except Owen Jones.
You think Owen Jones is delusional about his fellow Guardian columnists and the sort of readers they attract?
Out of all the rags it’s not the worst.
I think the damage the Guardian is able to inflict is sometimes underestimated.
A lot of people, incl. typically on stw, automatically dismiss anything in the Daily Mail without giving it much thought.
In contrast they will often automatically accept something written in the Guardian because it is the Guardian. Which is why wherever possible if I want to provide a link on here I try do it to an article in the Guardian.
For that reason when the Guardian is coming out with nonsense it can sometimes be more damaging than the Daily Mail. If the Daily Mail is generally more damaging that is likely to simply reflect the huge circulation it has compared to that of the Guardian.
I mean, just read Rawnsley's column this week.
Puke inducing Osborne speak about Starmer.
#middleclasshaton Jay Rayner's bits I find entertaining to read. Peter Bradshaw's films reviews have never been good in my opinion.
Owen Jones is the one person mostly on the correct side of the argument. FWIW.
Guardian loves change until it's offered.
I can only speak for myself but:
A lot of people, incl. typically on stw, automatically dismiss anything in the Daily Mail without giving it much thought.
In contrast they will often automatically accept something written in the Guardian because it is the Guardian. Which is why wherever possible if I want to provide a link on here I try do it to an article in the Guardian.
I take anything I read as the writers/publishers opinion/interpretation of events including the Guardian. I've never relied upon a single source for information, nor am I tied to any particular source. I may well be part of a minority group in this!
I was also pleased to hear the problems with bias are taught at secondary school level now-a-days, something which didn't happen in a meaningful way when I was at school!
Owen Jones is the one person mostly on the correct side of the argument. FWIW.
I think that’s a bit of a generalisation. Sometimes he is, just as often he isn’t. But we’re all entitled to our opinions and I doubt we’ll agree.
