Have your say

Have your say.

Get it off your chest, use this post to vent your spleen, post the things that annoy you, whether it be in the news, political, local, personal, or just making a point or stating your feelings about anything.

I’ll start.

The Israel Gaza war.
Nobody would doubt that Israel were severely provoked and tested by the 7th Oct attacks in their country.
They were fully justified by retaliating against Hamas.
They were right to invade Gaza to find the headquarters and leaders behind the attacks.
But, have they gone too far in their fight to bring Hamas down?
The current death toll according to the Hamas run Health Ministry in Gaza is 31,000, two thirds of which are women and children.
I suspect even if we allow for misinformation from the Gazan side and biased footage put out from there and only showing the worst situations, the ordinary Gazan population have endured an awful lot of suffering.
Having bombed the hell out of Gaza it is us other countries who are having to send aid in to the displaced population.
The unrest this war is causing throughout the rest of the surrounding countries is worrying too.
How many Hamas fighters are left in Gaza, does Israel know, and when will they know when to stop?

Looks like no one wants to unburden themselves RMJ

Lolly wrote:Looks like no one wants to unburden themselves RMJ

Indeed Lolly

I have a few more moans and groans to add  

Maybe if we changed the thread title to "Have your say" it wouldn't sound as intimidating.

EDIT - I've done it

Old people.
Don’t you just B hate them? !!!!!!!
Shuffling along in the supermarket pushing their trolleys at 1 mph, then when they get to an aisle they stop two abreast and block it.
Clogging up our doctors surgeries and hospitals with their aches and pains and ailments.
Always complaining about how things were better years ago and how things are sooooo expensive now.
Modern technology has left them behind so they can’t use a computer or mobile phone.
I’m 77 years young and don’t feel old at all

"Always complaining about how things were better years ago"

Aye! I miss, black smog, polio, rickets not to mention having to eat pobs.

And mucky petrol and diesel engines

I'm fed up of finding stuff in supermarkets that I like, and then a few months down the line it's disappeared from the shelves. I questioned this once only to be told that it wasnt selling,which was a load of rubbish as it was always selling out.

Working Class Tories - I just don't get it.

Good points, Ray, regarding the Gaza war. I have to agree entirely with you, and I'll bet that there are many more people around the world would also agree with you but will not voice it openly. This is more than revenge for Oct 7th......Hmmmmmmmmmm.....

(Nice thread by the way. I WILL be posting when I get angry at summat). Well done, lad....................

By the way, I have made this post a Sticky...(Glueon)

Thanks for your comments Admin, they are appreciated, and I look forward to more from you.
I thought the thread might create some open discussions on here, I hope a few more folk might join in.

"This is more than revenge for Oct 7th......Hmmmmmmmmmm....."
I agree, it's the total annihilation of anything anti Israeli.

People on about the railings at Woolworths. Nothing else to do. Now we have 55” TV’s showing football from around the world, horse racing from everywhere, rugby from Australia etc. I phones, I Pads and even indoor toilets. They wouldn’t waste time leaving on a rail.

The latest conflict news from Gaza is :-
“Israel’s military forces have stormed al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City with tanks and heavy gunfire, resulting in deaths and injuries, Palestinian officials have said.
The Israeli military said in a statement on Monday that it is conducting a “precise operation” at the medical facility.
Gaza’s Ministry of Health said about 30,000 people, including displaced civilians, wounded patients and medical staff are trapped inside the complex.”

Israel claims Hamas is using the hospital as a cover for military operations.
This is another is it “information or misinformation” issue, but should they be targeting a hospital knowing there are sick and injured people inside?

Train drivers are set to strike again next month as part of a long-running dispute over pay and conditions.
Aslef members at 16 rail companies will take part in rolling one-day walk outs between 5 and 8 April, along with a six-day overtime ban.
The union said the new industrial action was to "increase the pressure" on train companies for a pay rise.

The most recent pay deal put on the table was rejected almost a year ago in April 2023.
The offer included 4% pay rises for two years in a row, on condition that drivers would accept industry-wide changes to training, and negotiate changes to work patterns at individual operators.

The average salary for Train Driver is £57,406 per year in the United Kingdom.
The average additional cash compensation for a Train Driver in the United Kingdom is £2,900, with a range from £1,152 - £7,299.

If my calculations are correct, then over the next two years their salary would rise to £62,090 pa., the additional cash compensation would need to be added to this, also this is based on average salaries, some would get more.

Allowing that it is a job requiring experience, also they are responsible for passenger safety and maybe they work unsociable hours, but, is it me, or are they very well paid?

I think these are great salaries. I would be happy with one of them.

I also believe that nationalisation for some important companies, such as energy, railways, etc, would be welcomed by the populace....

Totally agree with nationalisation of certain companies Admin and I'm sure like you say it would be popular.
The beauty of this is that any profits would be returned to Government for things like social care and the NHS instead of going to into shareholder’s pockets.

I am all for free enterprise, Ray...It's a great thing, but when WE are being ripped off by companies posting millions or billions of profit for the shareholders, which seems fair enough, but it is at our expense. Think of poor pensioners who are freezing in Winter and too proud to ask for help. I am a pensioner and am living within my state pension, no private pension, so I am reasonably comfortable, but when I think I have worked from age 15 and paid into the system and all I get is a just livable income....well.......Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr. There must be a better way ......or party who will look after the retired folks in a better manner.

.....as he steps down from his soapbox..................

That’s what this thread is all about Admin, getting on a soapbox.
Good to know you’re getting by.
Me and Mrs RMJ are doing fine too.
We both have private and state pensions and now that all our debts like mortgages and car payments etc. are gone, we’ve never been better off.
That’s not meant to sound smug, but like you, I’ve worked and paid taxes for 50 years, why shouldn’t I enjoy life.
Us pensioners did get a 8.5% pay rise this year, thank you Mr Sunak, but not for much else, he did NOTHING in the budget for us silver voters !!!!!!.
Think about that at the next election folks.

This is a great thread, Ray. thank you...

A few moments ago, I stepped out into the evening. It is blowing a gale and quite cold, but reminded me of my teenage years in Norley Hall. I would leave my parents home, sitting by the fireside with a small black and white telly and walk down Lamberhead Road to my mates house. I would knock on the door and ask him if was coming out for a walk. He would say, 'Aye' and grabbed his donkey jacket, as I was wearing mine. We would walk around the estate and talk. A lovely fresh smell in the air. That's all. No mobile phones or X Boxes, etc, just each others company. Then I would walk him home and then walk home myself to Helvellyn Rd.

My goodness, so simple yet so pleasureable.

Please, feel free to write about your teenage years, growing up in Wigan...............

"This is a great thread, Ray. thank you..."

Thank you Admin, nice memories from you  and this to show that this thread is not all about ranting and raving about things that annoy you or pet hates and things that get you down, but also thoughts about life today, life in the past growing up, and life in general.
Come on folks, open up

Nicely done, Ray...

Royal Mail, a total failure, they deliver 50% of my mail elsewhere, so what have I done is have known stuff delivered to a friend who doesn't live in the Wigan distribution area but in the Warrington area and they all arrive, however just like Wigan anything that is tracked/ signed for they sign it delivered themselves but with one big difference they never update their tracking, 2 items delivered on Wednesday have still not been delivered and are running late

Unfortunately Pidgeon post delivery is not yet available, may be a thing in the far future

A screenshot from today



And Royal Mail confirm its not been delivered yet

Does anybody else have this problem with them???????

Cant say I have. It's a disgrace that you have to have stuff delivered to a friend. I'd have a word in your MPs ear'ole if I were you.