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Paul Bigland

Monthly Archives: April 2018

Monday movements, today’s rolling blog.

30 Monday Apr 2018

Posted by Paul Bigland in London, Railways, Travel

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London, Railways, Travel

It’s great to be on the move again. Much as I’ve enjoyed my time at home it doesn’t take long before I start getting itchy feet!

I’m currently en-route to London but i’m not quite sure what to expect as the weather forecast seems to be mixed to say the least. It was certainly cold when I left Halifax this morning. Despite the sun making every effort to break through the clouds, a chilly wind dispelled any temptation to think it was summer. I was very happy to see my Grand Central service hove into view so I could settle in a lovely warm coach with a coffee and soak up the scenery on the way. The trees along the lineside have really burst into life in the past week. Leaves are appearing at a rapid rate, which is making the areas Network Rail’s been busy clearing really stand out.

Despite claims in the Guardian newspaper that this has somehow been carried out in secret, it’s hard to miss where dozens of trees have vanished! Then again, the clearences have been such a ‘secret’ Network Rail had posted details on their website – as NR Chairman Sir Peter Hendy pointed out on Twitter!

The imminent arrival of summer’s not just evidenced by trees. As we raced down the East Coast Main Line I noticed dozens of bright yellow fields where the rape seed’s flowering. I can see I’m going to be busy with the camera soon…

Right now my train’s flying along the ECML South of Sandy and the closer we get to London the moodier the skies are becoming, so my photographic plans may have to change…

On the bright side, despite the weather warnings, the ECML’s behaving itself and the “knitting” (as the overhead wires are known by many) is staying firmly in place!

13.35

Now i’m passing Hadley Wood and the sky’s gone from moody to leaden! The only colours are in the PPE of the dozens of Network Rail’s ‘team orange’ that we keep passing every few minutes as they carry out a host of trackside assignments.

14.08.

‘Tis cold and wet in the capital today, so i’ve not moved far from Kings Cross, just over the road in fact – to St Pancras, one of my favourite stations.

Here’s the statue of Sir John with the latest art installation in the background, this one’s from Tracy Emin. As I was here I thought I should pop into the newly refurbished bar which carries the great man’s name. The Betjeman Bar has undergone its 3rd incarnation since it opened in 2007. Thus time the changes are more cosmetic and less profound. The bar’s stayed in place. Most of the work appears to be confined to tiling areas such as the one opposite the bar, repainting and redecorating. It does look rather smart.

I wandered on down the road to Euston to check out what’s going on with Hs2 building work. As usual, there’s constant change! Footpaths have been moved to allow construction of the temporary taxi rank

Here’s the diverted footpath which cuts along the edge of Euston Sq gardens, forming 2 sides of the square. I might add 30-45 seconds to the journey from Euston to Euston Sq tube but I’ve already seen someone grumbling about the ‘inconvenience’ on Twitter!

DG294665

With the weather remaining gloomy and cold I decided to head over to nearby Drummond St (a mini Indian quarter full of great places to eat) to sit and have a meal at an old haunt – Ravi Shankar, an Indian vegetarian restaurant I’ve been frequenting for nearly 30 years.  As it was ‘early doors’ the place was very quiet with just a handful of customers. As is often the case, none of them were local – all were from outside of London. Next to me were two Doctors from the Midlands who’d been on a course at UCH. Besides them were a couple of friends who’d also popped in to eat before catching their train – from Paddington! I couldn’t help cracking a wry smile at this because local anti Hs2 campaigners had made a great fuss about how Drummond St would suffer at the hands of the project, yet it’s clear an expanded Euston station will bring in more business, not less – and it’s not the locals who’re frequenting the place that much anyway. I saw this when the nearby pub the Bree Louise, closed a couple of months ago. Yes, there were some locals in there on the final night, but all those who moan about Hs2 on a regular basis were noticeable by their absence. A few months later there was a minor Twitter furore when a Journalist mentioned the pub had closed. The replies made it obvious none of those who were outraged at the news were regular drinkers at the pub. Funny old world…Anyways, I had a delicious Chana Masala with a couple of chapattis at Ravi’s and enjoyed a few moments to reflect on past times…

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Oh, and admire the stunning wisteria display on the building across the road…

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19:29.

Sadly, the weather’s never picked up so I’ve found myself caught in Euston’s gravitational pull. Having explored (on a full stomach) I’ve visited another old haunt, the ‘Doric Arch’ pub in Euston station. I’ve not been in here for years as other watering holes like the Bree Louise and Euston Tap took precedence, but the Doric (the former Head of Steam) used to be somewhere where I’d often arrange to meet friends when I still lived in London. Despite it being taken over by Fullers and seeing prices hiked as a result its still a busy place. The old railway memorabilia’s been preserved, so – although it’s been spruced up it really doesn’t feel that different. What has changed is the range of drinks, like most places they’ve added craft beers. The Doric shares something in common with a lot of railway station bars, it’s a popular location for ‘secret assignations’. You could often spot couples who weren’t married to each other. They may have met through work (or on the train) but there they’d be, having a smooch before going home to their respective partners! Not that I’m levelling any accusations about anyone in this picture, obviously…

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Meanwhile, one thing that I’ve always cast envious eyes at is the huge model of a BR Class 9F that sits atop the bar. I’m glad to see that it’s still here.

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Right, it’s time to head off. I’m staying with old friends in South London, so it’s off to the Victoria line I go…

The varied week (and month) ahead…

29 Sunday Apr 2018

Posted by Paul Bigland in Infrarail, London, Musings, Siemens, Travel

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Infrarail, London, Siemens, Travel

I’m expecting to have some interesting stuff to blog about this next week as there’s quite a bit of variety in my calendar. Tomorrow I head back to London in readiness for Infrarail, the 3 day railway trade show which is being held at ExCel in London’s docklands. I’ll be there for the opening but then I’ve got to hot-foot it over to London City airport in the afternoon as I’m on a press trip with Siemens to Dusseldorf, a group of us will be visiting their Krefeld plant to see the new Class 717 trains under construction. These trains will be replacing the vintage BR built Class 313’s operating services out of Moorgate and Kings Cross stations in London. After visiting the factory we’ll transfer to the test track at Wildenrath where we’ll have the opportunity to drive one of the new trains, so watch out for pictures on my Twitter account @paulbigland1 and website as well as keeping an eye out for the new blog.

Later that day we’ll be flying back to London, giving me the opportunity to spend a full final day at Infrarail before I head back up to Yorkshire.

There’ll be more variety later in May as I’m off to New York for a week. We’re going to celebrate my wife’s 50th birthday and meet up with some of her family, but I’ve arranged a bit of time to explore, so expect pictures of the New York subway as well as general cityscapes. I was last in the states in 2007, the camera technology’s changed a bit since then, so I’m looking forward to seeing what I can capture. By the way, here’s a link to the 2007 rail images.

Down memory lane. No 4, Manchester Victoria then and now.

28 Saturday Apr 2018

Posted by Paul Bigland in Manchester, Memory Lane, Photography, Railways

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Manchester, Manchester Victoria, Memory Lane, Railways

I first got to know Manchester Victoria as a teenager in the early 1970s. In those days I was growing up in Southport, some 40 odd miles away – or an hour by train, so it was easy for me to make my way over when pocket money (or summer jobs) allowed. Then the place still had a steam age feel to it as it was almost unchanged since the days ‘Black 5s’ or Stanier tanks or 8Fs would have darkened its decrepit roof with soot and steam. Instead, dirty diesels added their patina and fumes to the place. That said, it was an atmospheric place for a young rail enthusiast.

Sadly, I couldn’t afford a camera then. It was only in the late 1980s when I’d moved to London and was working as a Housing Officer in Tower Hamlets that I bought a second-hand Pentax ME super off a friend (thanks, Paul Martin! Neither of us knew at the time what that would lead to!)…

My photographic memories start in 1990, just as the station started to change with the arrival of the new Manchester metrolink tram system. Here’s a look across the old platforms 4 to 10 taken in May 1990.

01080. Manchester Victoria. platforms 4 to 10. 25.5.90.

Here’s a 21st June 1991 view of the old South side platforms used by the electric services to Bury which were operated by 2 car Class 504s. Note the staff facilities, which were reduced to a garden shed! These units, which had operated the Bury line since 1959 (the year I was born) were in the final few months of service as the line was closed in August 1991 for conversion to the tramway.

02687. 77172. 65451. Manchester Victoria. 21.6.91.

Here’s a view taken on the same day looking across to these platforms, showing work on building the new curved tram platform. The garden shed marking the cut back Bury platforms can be seen on the left…

02583. Tramway building. Manchester Victoria. 18.6.91. 02583.

Now let’s fast forward 24 years to 2015 and look at the area again. It’s unrecognisable!

DG208002.Tram 3032. Manchester Victoria. 27.3.15

Despite the impending arrival of metrolink platforms 11-16 were largely unchanged as can be seen from this shot from May 1990, looking across to platforms 12 and beyond. Two Class 47s sit in the loop that was used to stable banking engines (engines which would give heavy freight trains a push up the Miles Platting bank).

01078. 47450. 47115. Manchester Victoria. 25.5.90.

This is how I remember Victoria! A woman watches a Class 31 trundle through platform 11 from the ‘comfort’ of an unprotected wooden bench, surrounded by puddles of water from the leaking roof! People often get nostalgic about the ‘good old days’ and British Railways, but this was the run-down reality.

02625. 31420 Manchester Victoria. 19.6.91.

37371 stands in the loop whilst 47343 passes through platform 12. The sir of decay in this 1991 shot is evident with weeds growing on both track and platform, plus graffiti no-one’s bothered to remove.

02587. 37371. 47343. Manchester Victoria. 18.6.91.

Here’s platform 12 bereft of trains (and passengers) with the wooden waiting room and the buffet next door. I spent many a cold and windy day stood on the end of here, looking up the bank to see what might be approaching…

01085. Platforms 12-13. Manchester Victoria. 25.5.90.

The waiting room on platform 12 as it was in 1991. A Class 37’s reflected in a fading and peeling mirror. The room was tatty but it was somewhere to get warm in winter!

02591. Mirror reflections. Manchester Victoria. 18.6.91.

Over the far side of the station opposite platform 16 was an un-numbered bay which was used for parcels traffic or (on this occasion) stabling empty stock. On the 18th June 1991 it was occupied by 37430 and a rake of coaches.

02573. 37430. Manchester Victoria. 18.6.91.

On 19th June 1991 31420 and 31232 rest in the stabling siding by Victoria West signalbox.

02657. 31420. 31232. Manchester Victoria. 19.6.91.

On the 25th May 1990, 32427 heads one of the Southport ‘club trains’ at platform 13.

01096. 31426. Manchester Victoria. 25.5.90.

Sadly, BR decided to downsize the station after the Windsor link had opened and many services (including long-distance trans-pennine) had been transferred away. Between 1992 and 1994 platforms 12-16 were demolished and part of the area was sold to build the Manchester arena. It was an incredibly short-sighted move, but typical of the BR era. It severely reduced the capacity of the station (capacity we really could have done with now). It didn’t do much for the station’s aesthetic qualities or passenger comfort either! Here’s a series of shots of the demolition taken on the 19th August 1993. The first shows the view along platform 14, looking towards Salford and across to the other island platform (the now disused 13 and 12). The roof and buildings have already been torn down, only some of the roof pillars remain. Meanwhile, the new footbridge which will span the four remaining through tracks is under construction. In the background is the temporary footbridge that allowed access to platform 14

03469. Manchester Victoria rebuilding. 19.8.93.

Here’s the view from the Salford end of platform 14. To the right you can see the new roof on platform 11 starting to take shape. This is now platform 3.

03470. Manchester Victoria. Plat 11-12. 19.8.93.

150203 is framed by the exit of the temporary footbridge as it waits to leave platform 15 with the 17:00 to Rochdale.

03475. 150203. 17.00 to Rochdale. Man Vic. 19.8.93.

A staff member framed is surrounded by the truncated remains of the old roof supports on platforms 14-15. As you can see, there was little in the way of shelter (or facilities) for long-suffering passengers – or staff.

03476. Manchester Victoria rebuilding. 19.8.93.

Here 47576 leads a mail train through platform 14. These trains were once synonymous with the station as the vast Red Bank parcels stock sidings used to be a few hundred yards away on the Manchester loop.

03472. 47576. Manchester Victoria. 19.8.93.

1994 to 2013

This (yet to be written) will cover the years between the rationalisation of the station and it’s rebirth.

2013 to the present day

Work on a £44 million pound rebuilding of the station began in April 2013. The work included demolishing and replacing the Edwardian roof, rebuilding the tram stop with extra platforms, refurbishing the station buildings and providing a new access deck for the Arena. At the same time, work was carried out on the trackwork to allow for electrification and ease congestion. Network Rail commissioned me to document some of the work so some of the photos you’ll see in this section aren’t taken from places the public normally get to see…

Here’s one of the original T68 trams leaving the side of Victoria to head up to Shudehill. The area’s swathed in scaffolding to allow the old roof to be dismantled.

DG157861. Tram 1013. Manchester Victoria. 30.8.13.

Here’s a shot taken from atop the 1909 station building, looking down on construction of the bases for the roof piers and the new Metrolink platforms. The crash deck that was built to allow the old roof to be demolished is gradually being dismantled. The project site offices are visible in the former car-park behind the Ainscough crane which had been erected to lift the ribs of the new roof into place.

DG174391. Changes. Manchester Victoria. 31.3.14.

On 28th December 2013 engineers were busy lowering the track under the A665 road bridge at the Eastern end of the station to create sufficient clearance for electrification.

DG166905. 66152. Manchester Victoria. 28.12.13.

The ‘Big 6’ go whisky tasting

26 Thursday Apr 2018

Posted by Paul Bigland in Food and drink, Pubs, West Yorkshire

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Food and drink, pubs, West Yorkshire

One of the delights of having the ‘Big 6’ as my local pub is the chance to enjoy their regular whisky tasting trips. Tonight’s the second one of the season. The tastings are held in a hotel just outside Skipton. They’re actually arranged by the Wright Wine Co based in the same town. These evenings are very popular with well over 100 people attending each tasting. Each one is hosted by a different guest from either a distillery or a company like Berry Bros & Rudd or Diaggio who talk about the different whiskies they’ve brought along for us to sample. They can be highly entertaining and excellent raconteurs as some of the guests have a wealth of anecdotes and exerience. These evenings aren’t just dry talks about the mechanics of distilling – although there is a real depth of technical knowledge on offer for those who’re interested – especially when it’s a distiller hosting the night

Then there’s the whisky. I’ve tried (and bought) Indian and Dutch as well as a variety of Scots produce. The variety has been stunning – as has been the price! We’re given the opportunity to sample whiskies that would normally sell for £150-200 a bottle.

Tonight’s event will feature Glenglassaugh. I’ll blog more about it later. Right now 11 of us are on the charabanc from the Big 6 to Skipton.

19.31.

We’ve arrived and are settling in. Here’s the first look at what’s on tonight…

Here’s what we’re sampling and the price list (per bottle).

A few whiskies in and the discussions about the flavours and merits commence..

22:14.

Oh, did I mention that food’s included as part of the event? Lasagne and garlic bread’s very useful for soaking up the whiskies..

,,,

Pennine weather watch (No 435)

25 Wednesday Apr 2018

Posted by Paul Bigland in Musings, Weather, West Yorkshire

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Musings, Weather, West Yorkshire

I love living in the Pennines. I love the Pennine weather less. Whilst my former home in the South can be basking in sunshine and enjoying temperatures that would put the South of France to shame we can be wrapped up in waterproofs! It’s fair to say that the Calder Valley has its own microclimate. Whilst it can be raining in the valley next door we can be basking in sunshine, although it sometimes feels it’s more likely to be the other way round! I’ve come to appreciate the wisdom of Wainwright’s old saying, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.” You just have to be prepared for anything up here.

The last few days are a good example of the changing fortunes. Last Saturday Dawn and I were out walking up to nearby Norland Moor in almost perfect weather, glorious sunshine, hardly any breeze and temperatures that made you think it was summer not spring. Footpaths that were a quagmire only a few days before had dried out, making ideal walking conditions…

 

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Dawn on a footpath high above Sowerby Bridge, which can be seen in the valley below.

Even the sunset played ball!

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Sunset seen from underneath the Wainhouse Tower, back on ‘our’ side of the Calder Valley from Norland

It wasn’t to last, the arrival of a new week heralded the return of the rain, which is rather unfortunate as it’s incompatible with doing what I need to – using electrical power tools outside!  So, today I’m playing hide and seek with this little lot, rain showers sweeping in from the South-East along the valley from Ripponden – as seen from our bedroom window.

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Right, time to get tile cutting…

Down memory lane No 3: St Pancras transformed.

24 Tuesday Apr 2018

Posted by Paul Bigland in High Speed 1, London, Memory Lane, Rail Investment, St Pancras station, Travel

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High Speed 1, London, Memory Lane, Railways, St Pancras, Travel

I consider myself fortunate to have an extensive photo archive because, whilst the memory may fade as I get older, the photographs don’t. They’ll always be there to transport me back in time and allow me to relive my past – and to reflect on how much things have changed. Here’s one example…

I’ve known London’s St Pancras station ever since the early 1970’s and I’ve been a regular visitor since. It’s hard to credit now but at one time this magnificent building with its fantastic Gothic frontage was threatened with demolition. Luckily, sanity prevailed and it was saved. I remember it in its BR days when it was run-down and shabby, All the long-distance services had been withdrawn so it was often quiet with little activity compared to other London termini. As all trains were diesel operated it could be a noisy, dirty place and glorious arched roof, whilst offering maximum protection from the elements offered little in the way of natural light. Here’s a shot taken in 1991 when the local services to Bedford had already been electrified and diverted via the Thameslink tunnels.

02998. 43096. 43119. 56110. St Pancras. 1.9.91.

On the far left you can see a parcels van stabled in one of the centre roads. This would have been part of a travelling Post Office set that sat here during the day before being used overnight. The HST sets had taken over from the earlier ‘Peak’ Class diesel locos to run the remaining long distance services to Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield. The Class 56 was sat here as St Pancras was a traincrew depot and BR drivers were still passed out to work both passenger and freight trains.  The old taxi rank to the left was deserted in those days. The only time it sprang to life was in the evenings when it would be full of Royal Mail vans delivering sacks of letters to the various mail trains which left the station each night, adding welcome life to what was a sadly underused station. Here’s an October 1993 shot of the Travelling Post Office train which was always stabled in ‘siding A’ during the day before coming to life in the evening. I can’t remember where this used to run to now, maybe others do?

3546. 47606. Waiting for the night shift. St Pancras. 01.10.93

Now we move on a few years – to April 2002…

10373. 170106. St Pancras. 3.4.02. 10373.

Here’s a post-privatisation scene when services were run by Midland Mainline who took over BR services in 1996. Class 170 Turbostars had been introduced in 1999 to run the stopping services to Leicester freeing up HSTs for other work. They didn’t last long as they were transferred to Central Trains in 2004 after being displaced themselves by the arrival of the Class 222 ‘Meridian’ fleet. The station was looking sadly neglected at this point, but appearances can be deceptive, as you’d have noticed if you’d turned around from this view. The station was being prepared for its new role as an international terminus…

11195. Building the East side station. St Pancras. 17.10.02. 11195.

This view taken a few months later in October 2002 shows the new Eastern train shed being built outside the Barlow roof . The whole area was one massive building site that was constantly changing. I was very lucky to get to visit the Hs1 construction sites on a regular basis as I was documenting the project for RAIL magazine. If you want to see more of the photos of HS1 being built, visit this gallery on my Zenfolio website.

At the same time the new platforms and trainshed were under construction work was going on at the front of the station to extend the London Underground ticket offices and concourse on Kings Cross St Pancras tube station. This entailed demolishing the ramp at the front of the station, building the new entrances to the tube station, then rebuilding the ramp.

10752. Frontage. St Pancras. 19.6.02. 10752.

On 8th April 2004, shortly before the Barlow train shed was closed for conversion to the new Eurostar terminus, there was a last ‘Peak’ at St Pancras when 45112worked a special train to Derby and back.

21066. 45112. St Pancras. 08.09.04

For a while the Thameslink line was severed in order to allow construction of the ‘Thameslink box’ (which would later house the new Thameslink station. This meant that Thameslink trains from the North terminated in the new East side platforms which would later be used by the high-speed ‘Javelin’ service into Kent. Here’s the first of the class, 319001 in Connex livery and 319450 in Thameslink livery on the 29th October 2004.

DG02052. 319001. 319450. St Pancras. 29.10.04.

Finally after years of being a building site St Pancras was reopened as an international station by Queen Elizabeth 2nd on the 6th November 2007. It remains one of my favorite stations. The transformation was a superb job by all concerned. The station went from a dingy, decaying, underused space to a destination in it’s own right. Compare some of the early photos to these…

DG19899. St Pancras International. 1.12.08.

DG13604. Champagne bar. St Pancras International. 14.11.07.

DG79695. St Pancras through a fisheye lens. 3.5.11.

DG245805. 4011. Train 9004. St Pancras International. 14.6.16

DG83088. St Pancras. 1.6.11

It’s sometimes easy to forget just how much of our railway heritage has been transformed since privatisation. First St Pancras, then Kings Cross next door. Now things have moved on up the road to Euston, which is to be completely rebuilt as the London terminus of High Speed 2. I look forward to documenting that fantastic project too…

I’ll be back…

23 Monday Apr 2018

Posted by Paul Bigland in Photography, The Railway Children, Travel

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Nepal, Photography, Photojournalism, The Railway Children, Travel

Sorry folks, life’s been hectic these past few days. It’s given me lots of things to blog about but not the time to do it. I’ve been occupied with bits at home, sorting out pictures for clients, adding pictures to my website and (last but not definitely not least) spending some quality time with my wife.

I’ve a couple of blogs half-written that I hope to publish later this week. In the meantime, an article on my ‘Ride India’ charity cycle ride to raise money for the Railway Children charity has just been published in RAIL magazine which hits the newsagents on Wednesday. Here’s a teaser, you’ll need to buy RAIL to read to full article.

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The pictures I’ve been adding to my website have also been rather colourful. There’s been images from Brazil, Malaysia, India, Nepal and the UK . If you follow this link it’ll take you to the most recently updated galleries. Here’s a taster from Nepal in 1992. Do NOT try this at home folks!

 

T3300. Sadhu in the square. Bhatakpur. Kathmandu valley.Nepal.1992

A Sadhu (Holy man) shows off his yoga prowess in in the square at Bhatakpur in the Kathmandu valley. Nepal. March 1992.

I’ve a busy few weeks ahead of me which includes a press trip to Germany, the Infrarail exhibition in London as well as other jobs, so keep tuned.

 

Spring in the Pennines

20 Friday Apr 2018

Posted by Paul Bigland in History, Travel, West Yorkshire

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History, Travel, West Yorkshire

A rare event in the Pennines, we’ve had two days of brilliant weather in a row. Yesterday was glorious as it was the hottest of the year so far with hours of uninterrupted sunshine which prompted me to eschew work on our new bathroom to make the most of the good weather and go for a stroll. Here’s a few pictures from my wanderings around Sowerby Bridge.

 

DG294630

With the Wainhouse Tower dominating the skyline above, Northern Pacer 142028 pulls away from Sowerby Bridge station en-route to Leeds. These railbuses are living on borrowed time as they’ll all disappear from Northern metals in the next two years. 

 

DG294640

Magnolia flowering in the churchyard in Sowerby Bridge

 

DG294641

The 253 ft tall Wainhouse Tower dominates the local skyline. Built as a chimney for a local dye works in 1875 but never used, it’s a classic Victorian folly and reputedly the tallest in the world. When the chimney’s open to the public you can climb up to the top via the 369 step spiral staircase. 

 

If you want to visit the Wainhouse Tower and climb up to the top, check out the Visit  Calderdale website for details.

 

 

 

Bits and pieces

18 Wednesday Apr 2018

Posted by Paul Bigland in Brexit, Musings, Politics

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Brexit, Musings, Politics

The title of this blog sums up my day. It’s been a real mixture that’s not always gone to plan. I’d originally intended to spend most of it finishing off work on our bathroom which  is a project that’s dragged on for months – much to the wife’s chagrin! To ensure marital harmony I’d set aside a few days to move the project on but fell foul of the Harold Macmillan doctrine (“events, dear boy, events”) to get interrupted by a work issue. I won’t name the party concerned, but it seems a former client was still using pictures that the licence for expired years ago. To their credit the new member of staff who’d taken over got in touch with me as soon as this was pointed out and we’ve got things sorted out, but I ended up trawling through old electronic databases looking for paperwork dating from 2005. The obvious moral of the story is – be good at filing!

Dusting off the archives meant that the bathroom took a backseat. Thankfully, Dawn understood so a divorce was averted!

The frustrating thing is that spring has (finally) sprung and we’ve had temperatures up in the high teens today so my shutter finger’s getting itchy – especially as the forecast is looking great for the next few days. I may need to renegotiate the T&C’s over the bathroom…

Another frustration’s been listening to news of the UK’s never ending political fcukwittery. I can honestly say I can’t remember a worse time than this since the early 1970s. Not only are both major parties embroiled in their own particular shambles – Teresa May with the Windrush backlash and Corbyn with anti-Semitism, both have right royally screwed us over in the Brexit shambles. My only hope is that a huge number of people register their displeasure in the local elections next month and send a clear message to both Labour and Tories that we’re not prepared to jump off the Brexit cliff with them – or for them. Otherwise, I can see a reverse Windrush happening as people abandon a country in (self-imposed) isolation and decline.

What image is the UK projecting to the world?

17 Tuesday Apr 2018

Posted by Paul Bigland in Bigotry, Brexit, Politics

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Bigotry, Brexit, Politics

The more I read about the way the Government and Home Office are handling the ‘Windrush scandal’ surrounding the children of Commonwealth citizens that came to Britain In the 1960s, the more I despair of this country’s reputation.  Channel 4 news have been highlighting the problem since January. This report is (quite frankly) disgusting.

People who’ve lived here for decades and thought they had the absolute right to do so are being treated appallingly. Some may even have been deported illegally, the Home Office doesn’t know and can’t be bothered to find out as it would cost too much money!

This is only part of the problem. The other part is the plight of the EU citizens caught in limbo following the Brexit referendum. There’s about 3.5 million of them. They’ve no idea what the future holds for them as no-one has a clue what the outcome of negotiations will be. Many are already leaving due to the uncertainty and the increasing hostility towards them, not just from ordinary people but authorities like the Home Office, which by any reasonable take seems at best incompetent and at worst, to be pursuing a deliberate policy of intimidation.

We shouldn’t be surprised really, who was the Home Secretary at the time policy was changed and the poisonous atmosphere towards people from other shores began to manifest itself? Step forward our current Prime Minister, Teresa May. Her culpability is explained in this very good comment piece in the London Evening Standard, where former Chancellor George Osborne is enjoying the opportunity to settle a few old scores!

Of course, all of these problems aren’t just reported in the UK media, they’re reported around the world. Teresa May’s stupid refusal to meet Caribbean heads of state to discuss the matter has been reported too – as was her climb down and apology. But it’s too late, the damage to the UK’s reputation’s been done. It’s not just the media that’s spreading the word either. Every person who’s returned to their country of origin after suffering bigotry and hostility will be telling people too. Our reputation as a decent, tolerant, welcoming country is being trashed. What was our national broadcasters response to all this? On Saturday it broadcast (in full, for the first time) Enoch Powell’s infamous ‘Rivers of blood’ speech (despite widespread criticism) making matters worse, not better. Bigotry and intolerance is fashionable again.

It makes me so, so angry.

The situation’s not going to get any better. The bigots are in charge now, both on the streets and in Government. Brexit will continue to make things worse as the shambles will continue – with the added attraction of the scandal of Cambridge Analytica, UKIP and the Leave campaign ‘buying’ the referendum result.

Later, after writing this, came the latest revelation. That the Home Office (under Teresa May) destroyed the landing cards of 1000s of Windrush arrivals that had been kept safe for decades. Then, when people enquired, told them that no official records of their arrival existed! No, they wouldn’t – you went and bloody destroyed them!

I fear for the future of my country. What on earth have we become?

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