Not sure about the Union Jack bunting all around the blue trail at Swinley – as nice as it is that the Crown Estate allows us to ride there for free, this might be going too far, birthday or no birthday.
This agreement brought together the SIGINT organizations of the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand and is still in place today (see: Five Eyes). The head of the CIA station in London attends each weekly meeting of the British Joint Intelligence Committee
Makes you wonder on whose behalf Special Branch and the intelligence services were keeping files on Prominent people abusing children, then intervening in police investigations… why was it Jimmy Savile was so well protected?
Aside from that, imagine all the secrets she has tucked away from her myriad dominions…
and yet the number of people sleeping rough in London has doubled to over 7500 in the last 5 years
Fantastic idea. And what do you propose to do with the other 7300?
If I were homeless in London, first thing I’d do is use my begging money to buy a compass and then start walking North. Why on Earth would you stay in the most expensive place in the country when you’d no money? Never understood that.
The other 7300? Requisition other unoccupied properties.
London is about the warmest driest place to be in the UK. Lots of cover, pretty safe, people rich enough to give to beggars, soup kitchens, Red Cross. If I had to be down and out anywhere in the UK it would definitely be London. The worst place to be down and out would have to be a cold wet small northern provincial town on the west side of the Pennines with Torries running it and Hot Fuzz policing it.
Why on Earth would you stay in the most expensive place in the country when you’d no money? Never understood that.
isn’t it obvious? 😯
you are better off begging somewhere with high disposable income and a large footfall of people than a poor northern town with a failed industry and high jobless numbers or a seaside town full of doss houses and addicts.
If I were homeless in London, first thing I’d do is use my begging money to buy a compass and then start walking North.
Not been in Manchester city centre recently then?
This is what the aproach to Piccadilly station looks like at the moment. There are now these little villages of tents all over the city centre.
Doesn’t change the fact that the queen has hundreds of spare rooms in her multiple residences, and lots of gold plated carriages, n stuff, I suppose
I find the forelock tugging fawning of the British people to the royals really embarrassing. Even worse than watching Wimbledon. WTF does it say about us as a nation? That we’re a bunch of ****ing spineless, subservient serfs, and thats a state of affairs we’re apparently happy with
The worst place to be down and out would have to be a cold wet small northern provincial town on the west side of the Pennines with Torries running it and Hot Fuzz policing it
And I thought the Norverns were s’posed to be friendlier than those awful Laanderners? 😕
TBH I’m against the monarchy but a) she’s been a pretty good monarch and b) she’s kept out an obviously shite one. And she totally gets the privilege/duty thing, which goes a long way with me (the actual balance of it is completely screwed but that’s not actually her fault…)
Her son on the other hand I’d like to see in the jobcentre tomorrow 😆
TBH I’m against the monarchy but a) she’s been a pretty good monarch and b) she’s kept out an obviously shite one. And she totally gets the privilege/duty thing, which goes a long way with me (the actual balance of it is completely screwed but that’s not actually her fault…)
Isn’t that the whole point?
She’s been a benign presence for most people’s lifetimes. But the people who sit on the throne over the next 60 years may not be quite so benign or harmless.
It’s worth remembering that the monarchy has rarely, possibly never been as popular as they are currently – even Victoria had attempts on her life.
She’s been a benign presence for most people’s lifetimes.
Overtly benign. Who knows how much she’s meddled behind the scenes? We’ll never know, because the royals are exempt from FoI. Then there’s the £300M they cost every year, that’s not benign – and that doesn’t even include the security costs, the lavish banquets, the state events where everyone gets to wave a flag as she trundles past.