Vince Tracy's Podcasts

...The European Commission (EC) has forecast a 1.3 per cent growth for this year, followed by 1.6 per cent in 2020. The Spanish government will work to make things easier for British residents in Spain, even those without permanent residency status, in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Madrid is planning to offer new residency papers to around 400,000 UK nationals if their country crashes out of the European Union without an agreement on the future relationship. SPAIN spends 23.7 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on its state school system, the 10th highest level in the world according to a new ranking. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)’s report showed Spain came ahead of Britain, the Netherlands, the US and New Zealand. NEW figures show Spain invested 0.25 per cent of GDP on public aid in 2017, making it the third lowest-spending country in the European Union. Data compiled by the European Commission showed Spain joined Ireland and Italy in spending the least on public services, including agriculture, exports, social support, and development. SPAIN has the highest proportion of people employed for six months or less compared with 18 European countries, according to the UN’s work agency which said such contracts harm workers. The tourism boom continues unabated in Spain. The month of January set a new historical record for both tourist arrivals and spending: nearly 4.2 million visitors came to Spain, a 2.2% rise from the same month last year, and they spent a total €4.7 billion, 3.6% more than in January 2018. A 17-year-old girl scout stabbed to death on Friday was killed in cold blood as two men walked straight up to her and one of them knifed her in the back, police have revealed. Muslim children have been withdrawn from a school in protest against lessons about homosexuality and gender equality. ......... Ten sailors are facing serious disciplinary action after carrying out sickening sex acts in a country pub in full view of members of the public........... Radio 2 hasn't played a solo Jackson track since last Saturday, when they broadcast his 1979 hit Rock With You

....The European Commission (EC) has forecast a 1.3 per cent growth for this year, followed by 1.6 per cent in 2020. The Spanish government will work to make things easier for British residents in Spain, even those without permanent residency status, in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Madrid is planning to offer new residency papers to around 400,000 UK nationals if their country crashes out of the European Union without an agreement on the future relationship. SPAIN spends 23.7 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on its state school system, the 10th highest level in the world according to a new ranking. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)’s report showed Spain came ahead of Britain, the Netherlands, the US and New Zealand. NEW figures show Spain invested 0.25 per cent of GDP on public aid in 2017, making it the third lowest-spending country in the European Union. Data compiled by the European Commission showed Spain joined Ireland and Italy in spending the least on public services, including agriculture, exports, social support, and development. SPAIN has the highest proportion of people employed for six months or less compared with 18 European countries, according to the UN’s work agency which said such contracts harm workers. The tourism boom continues unabated in Spain. The month of January set a new historical record for both tourist arrivals and spending: nearly 4.2 million visitors came to Spain, a 2.2% rise from the same month last year, and they spent a total €4.7 billion, 3.6% more than in January 2018. A 17-year-old girl scout stabbed to death on Friday was killed in cold blood as two men walked straight up to her and one of them knifed her in the back, police have revealed. Muslim children have been withdrawn from a school in protest against lessons about homosexuality and gender equality. ......... Ten sailors are facing serious disciplinary action after carrying out sickening sexacts in a country pub in full view of members of the public........... Radio 2 hasn't played a solo Jackson track since last Saturday, when they broadcast his 1979 hit Rock With You.

When will people realise no-one in business is there to do you a favour....they are after your money EVERY TIME.....we are constantly being warned against scams yet some still divulge their bank account details and get cleaned out....I appreciate a lot of older folk are not computer literate but they should be strongly advised by the media to delete any Emails involving any of your personal details....we are getting ripped off all the time....I was listening to a loan company advertising on the radio prattling on about how they could solve your financial problems....you would think they are doing you a FAVOUR....what you borrow will cost you 50% more to pay back ...some favour!!....if you can't afford it forget it............and the old favourite "We have £10,000 waiting to be paid into your bank....send us the details of your account so we can deposit it".....and because they don't realise you get nothing for nothing they fall for it...and it's goodbye savings......it's a sad situation but not enough time is given to educating the public...the media seem to think baking cakes is more important. Even legal advertising is designed to kid you....I saw an advert for some face cream in Boots the Chemist...."Clinically proved to reduce your wrinkles by up to 5 years"....first off where is the clinic? and secondly "up to" can mean anything....ONE DAY is "up to 5 years"......and then we have "Cruises from £499.99"....this is designed to make initially think you are getting a cruise for £400 instead of one penny short of £500....and "from" means for £499.99 your cabin is probably in the engine room....if you want a window you can probably triple that amount....it is laughable. When I worked in Trading Standards I came across some classic legal scams........one being the receipt of a letter telling you that you have DEFINITELY won one of the listed prizes in the letter (even though you have never entered a competition}....the prizes would range from an expensive car and/or a big sum of cash to,for example,a holiday for two.....the latter would involve a returnable deposit AFTER you have been on the holiday.....this is the one you will have won and when you have paid the deposit you find out that it's a coach trip from Glasgow to Morocco which you are never going to go on....goodbye deposit............another was the indoor TV aerial shaped like a satellite dish "You can have one in every room...and you don't pay satellite fees because you are not receiving satellite programmes.....£15".....everyone rushed out and bought one (or two) thinking that they would get satellite from this ordinary indoor aerial (worth around £5)l....despite what it said in the ad....clever stuff............but the best one was a firm which offered hard porn videos for £10 "while stocks last".....cheques made out to SPC LTD........they had a few in stock and when they had gone they would send the buyer their personal cheque for the refund....the personal cheque included their full name "Sexual Perverts Club"......needless to say not many of the cheques were cashed....genius. On the news front apparently there are too many "white saviours" involved in Red Nose Day....which has raised a billion pounds for overseas charities over the years...this is according to MP David Lammy.....who is black..............TV presenter Stacey Doyle has come under fire from him for publishing her charity work in Africa apparently showing how only "white people" are seen showing where our donations go in Africa.....Lenny Henry has come out in total support of Stacey Dooley so at least some sense is being shown.... Mr.Lammy is probably quite happy to get the publicity as I'd never heard of him until now.....and I wonder how much of his nice salary he donates to the cause?.....perhaps he could supply all these poor kids in Africa with a nice expensive suit each....like the one he was wearing........obviou(continued)

With an unemployment rate of 3.5%, the Netherlands has become a European laboratory for the creation of flexible jobs for young workers. But the shadow of exploitation looms over its ability to attract temporary foreign workers, especially the unskilled ones. Spain is the healthiest country in the world, according to a study of 169 nations by Bloomberg. After climbing six rungs from 2017 and pushing Italy from first spot, Spain now ranks at the top of the Bloomberg Healthiest Country Index, which considers several factors that contribute to overall health, such as life expectancy at birth, sanitation and health services Voz agreed to support the Popular Party (PP)’s Juan Manuel Moreno as the new regional premier in exchange for concessions on education, family and cultural issues. ”The number of people who fell ill after eating at the Michelin-starred restaurant RiFF in Valencia has risen to 29, according to the regional health department. This figure includes the 46-year-old woman who died on Sunday morning after dining at the gou rmet restaurant the previous night. Her husband and 12-year-old son also suffered from food poisoning. …...... At night, Ana Valladares can hear termites scuttling around her home in Tacoronte, a municipality on Spain’s largest Canary Island Tenerife. She keeps a box of sedatives in her kitchen to help her cope with the stress. The evil killer worried there was a 'price on his head' and that publishing his name co uld make the situation worse in prison........But the judge said it would be 'naive' to thi nk that inmates in prison would not already be aware of his conviction after his name had already appeared on Facebook, Twitter andGoogle searches. A student who claimed the NHS should not be free to immigrants and lamented about the 'Islamisation' of Britain has been kicked out of his university. ..... expressed his controversial opinions during class seminars and the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) decided to suspend him after they received several complaints about his behaviour. 'The wife of the head of Stannah Stairlifts who killed a motorcyclist when she failed to stop her Land Rover at a dangerous junction has been spared jail. Acourt heard Andrea Stannah had dropped her children off at school and was heading back to the family's £1million home when she pulled across a dual carriageway in her £47,000 Land Rover Discovery. Hair follicles could in the future be 'banked', cloned and used later in life to treat bald ing by a British company. Millions of adults will be able to have follicles taken from th eir scalp and put into storage, with procedures starting within the next year, the experts hope.

With an unemployment rate of 3.5%, the Netherlands has become a European laboratory for the creation of flexible jobs for young workers. But the shadow of exploitation looms over its ability to attract temporary foreign workers, especially the unskilled ones. Spain is the healthiest country in the world, according to a study of 169 nations by Bloomberg. After climbing six rungs from 2017 and pushing Italy from first spot, Spain now ranks at the top of the Bloomberg Healthiest Country Index, which considers several factors that contribute to overall health, such as life expectancy at birth, sanitation and health services Voz agreed to support the Popular Party (PP)’s Juan Manuel Moreno as the new regional premier in exchange for concessions on education, family and cultural issues. ”The number of people who fell ill after eating at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Valencia has risen to 29, according to the regional health department. This figure includes the 46-year-old woman who died on Sunday morning after dining at the gourmet restaurant the previous night. Her husband and 12-year-old son also suffered from food poisoning. …...... At night......can hear termites scuttling around her home in Tacoronte, a municipality on Spain’s largest Canary Island Tenerife. She keeps a box of sedatives in her kitchen to help her cope with the stress. The evil killer worried there was a 'price on his head' and that publishing his name could make the situation worse in rison........But the judge said it would be 'naive' to think that inmates in prison would not already be aware of his conviction after his name had already appeared on Facebook, Twitter andGoogle searches. A student who claimed the NHS should not be free to immigrants and lamented about the 'Islamisation' of Britain has been kicked out of his university. ..... expressed his controversial opinions during class seminars and the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) decided to suspend him after they received several complaints about his behaviour. 'The wife of the head of Stannah Stairlifts who killed a motorcyclist when she failed to stop her Land Rover at a dangerous junction has been spared jail. Acourt heard Andrea Stannah had dropped her children off at school and was heading back to the family's £1million home when she pulled across a dual carriageway in her £47,000 Land Rover Discovery. Hair follicles could in the future be 'banked', cloned and used later in life to treat balding by a British company. Millions of adults will be able to have follicles taken from their scalp and put into storage, with procedures starting within the next year, the experts hope.

First off a warning to anyone who has one of those Coca Cola embossed glasses in their cabinets.....I decided to have a Bacardi and Coke so I took the glass out and dropped a few cubes of ice in it...as the ice touched the glass it exploded....not racked...literally exploded with bits flying all over the room.....the glass is the type which holds a pint and is quite thick with "Coca Cola" embossed on the outside....if anyone has one or a similar one...throw it in the bin. I watched a very interesting programme on American "fibs".....which looked into the wonderful heroic events in their history and revealed what ACTUALLY happened.....examples of the many items was Paul Revere who supposedly rode across the country on his own and warned everyone of the approaching British.....there is even a huge statue of him ....however ...there was three of them and poor old Paul didn't make it to the end (fell off his horse I think)....and legend also has it that when the British tried to conquer them they were beaten by untrained farmers who bravely took up weapons and won the battle...when it was actually a trained army of Americans and French ....and there was an item with President George W. Bush prattling on about the day they gained independence and rang the independence bell loud and clear......the bell never arrived until 40 years later....and the Statue of Liberty was originally designed for the middle east who couldn't afford it so it was redesigned and sold to America.......it was a very interesting programme which makes you realise why a lot of Americans live in a movie world protected by John Wayne. The BBC have been advertising the arrival of a new series featuring Alan Partridge...played by Steve Coogan....after all the hype I decided to watch it.....I must be missing something....there were a few rave reviews.....I don't think I even smiled...it was awful and that is half an hour of my life I won't get back......similarly this programme followed another half hour "comedy" called Warren....starring Martin Clunes......what I fail to understand is why these popular stars get involved in such rubbish....are they that hard up?....HOWEVER there is one saviour...it is called "Cunk on Britain" and features Diane Morgan as Philomena Cunk discussing the history of the country with top scientists and historians......the fact she knows nothing at all makes it very funny and original so the BBC must have SOME staff with a bit of knowledge about comedy. I also watched a documentary on Walt Disney.....what an incredibly talented man.....the programme went through his life from his humble beginnings to building his amazing empire....what it brought home was the detail and thought behind the cartoons....for example he would have his cartoonists sitting in a room watching a girl dancing and studying the movements of her dress and body....also he would bring animals in to study their movements.....he would even film a stone being thrown through a window then slowing it down to study what actually happens to the glass.....all this knowledge was put into the cartoons....most of which is missed by the average viewer....brilliant stuff.....it makes you realise what a genius he was.......not to mention the musicians who put the music together.....a great programme. I thought I would link the song this week with the American mentality....it is called The Ballad of John Wayne....who is regarded as a hero over here....he won wars as a marine and won the west as a tough cowboy....when in fact he never saw any active service....he did HIS bit on the silver screen......which for some seems to be good enough....so "Get on ya horse and ride" with the Ballad of John Wayne.

Officials at Spain’s conservative Popular Party (PP) are criticizing the prime minister’s choice of date for the snap general election, saying it shows little sensitivity for religious observance. The European Union, just like the markets, is ruling out a financial or budget meltdown as a result of the snap election announced in Spain for April 28. The risk of seeing Spain follow in Italy’s footsteps is creating apprehension among EU institutions, which view Spain as one of the few member states that supports European integration and remains free of extremist parties. The EU remained relatively calm, and was even relieved to a certain extent, when the previous government of Mariano Rajoy, of the conservative Popular Party (PP), was brought down by a no-confidence vote led by Sánchez. Rajoy’s administration had been marked by an unprecedented territorial crisis in Catalonia Of all the foreigners who live in Spain, the British community is one of the most close-knit. Britons tend to recreate on Spain’s Mediterranean coast the life they had in the United Kingdom before they retired – complete with the same traditions, language, restaurants and pubs, and little relationship with the Spanish community. Barcelona has entered the New Year without resolving one of its most pressing issues: rising crime rates. According to the Spanish Interior Ministry, criminal infractions increased by 17.2% in 2018, making the Catalan capital Spain’s leader in rising crime rates. The European Parliament's 'grand coalition' of centre left and centre right parties could lose its majority for the first time in 40 years, it has been reported. The UK Parliament has seen resignations from both Labour and Conservative ranks. Is this the start of a new centre party? Home Secretary Sajid Javid has revoked the British citizenship of 19-year-old ISIS bride Shamima Begum, according to a letter from the Home Office to her family today. The UK Business Secretary warned the car industry needs MPs to vote for the Brexit deal today as he scrambled to respond to Honda planning to close its Swindon plant.

I watched a programme about how much the royal family cost the taxpayer....it was very interesting and threw up a few facts I didn't know.....when you see the unbelievable amount spent on banquets for example it is quite staggering.....with the gold cutlery and gallons of wine and champagne and well over hundred guests.....it does beg the question is it really necessary?.....and the royal train which costs 20 grand a trip....not to mention Prince Andrew's helicopter flights to and from his golf games.....apparently the family cost us 70 million a year....and that is just what we know about..........we are then told that knife crime is on the increase and we haven't got the money for more police.....which,after the cuts,we are 22000 short......not to mention the homeless etc.....and all we hear is that the royalty bring people into the country which is good for trade....which I certainly don't go along with......what the programme illustrated to me was the sheer lack of gratitude on their part....they wander around and actually believe they deserve it....and all we seem to get for our money is the occasional royal wave......the only thing missing from that is the two fingers. 2.Our coffee machine went on the blink....a tragedy indeed....so a new one was required.....firstly I checked a few out in Argos and the one I fancied was £112......I then checked out the same model on Amazon.....£55......with free delivery to the door.....and the high street shops are complaining about falling profits ......I wonder why?.....it does pose the question as to how much profit they want to make.....whereas I appreciate there are overheads etc but if you can get the same item for half the price where are you going to go???....no brainer......it's like the music industry in the old days.....it was 10 quid for an Elton John cassette.....the raw materials cost 17 pence......of course there were studio costs etc but whichever way you look at it that is one tasty profit....then along comes modern technology which blows the greedy record companies out of the water.......I remember when I was hawking my "How To Say Llanfairpll...etc" song around the shops.....I offered them a batch for NOTHING...sale or return....they sell them and keep a third of the profit.....Oh no ...one bloke wanted 50%....needless to say the conversation didn't last long.....and boy did Mr.Greedy miss out. 3.I saw your posting on Facebook of Sinatra singing My Way....at the risk of upsetting the nation I have to confess I can't stand Sinatra....or that song.....I have to like an entertainer to enjoy their offerings.....I always found Sinatra's voice to be "dry" and he seemed to like to sing about himself......Start spreading the nooz...I'M leaving today.....Life's been good to ME....MY way...etc....I found him to be a little guy with a big suit who fancied himself as a tough guy...especially when he was surrounded by 6 foot bouncers.....I like Bing Crosby and Perry Como....Pat Boone.....good crooners and nice people.........bit like Robbie Williams...he was obscene when he started out and now we are supposed to accept him as Mr.Family Man......doesn't work with me....can't stand him. 4.I have a good pal who I meet up with in the gym.....he is a retired bobby and ex soldier who did active service in Ireland.....so he has seen it all and to me he is an unsung hero...as indeed is anyone who puts their life on the line.....but strangely he doesn't see it that way.....he says that soldiers are trained to do the job....the real hero is the passer-by who runs into a burning house and pulls people out....not the fireman who is trained to do it...which is an interesting point.....personally I still see them as heroes but he won't have it......... ....Our wonderful BBC treated us to three hours of football last Monday night....followed by two repeated programmes....three hours!!...and cons(continued)

The leaders of three of Spain’s right-wing parties managed to bring out tens of thousands of people on Sunday to Madrid’s central Colón square, to protest against Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and demand that the Socialist Party (PSOE) politician call elections as soon as possible. The latest plan to control immigration comes from Berlin and Paris involves a temporary solution, based on a mechanism for sharing out the migrants arriving from Libya. AN EMERGENCY plan to deal with accidents involving the transport of dangerous goods has swung into action in Andalucia on Monday after a tanker carrying around 30,000 litres of butane gas overturned. Accident and Incident Investigation Commission has published its final report after an incident involving a Ryanair aircraft over the Canary Islands last year left two people injured. TWO groups in Almeria and Axarquia have joined forces to push the Junta de Andalucia for changes to laws affecting homeowners. Both AUAN in Almeria and SOHA (Save Our Homes Axarquia) are working to resolve the issue of ‘irregular’ homes, often bought in good faith in and which face legal uncertainty. A nationwide school strike over climate change has been 'applauded' by the head teachers' union, leaving many furious. The mass walkout called UK Youth Strike 4 Climate currently has students in 38 cities and towns across the country planning to join them on Friday's protest. exceptional circumstances, and where this has been authorised by the headteacher. A young mother is calling for tougher sentences after learning her baby's killer could be released from prison after less than two years........... from Plymouth, Devon, has now launched a campaign to set a minimum 15 year tariff in cases where the offender kills a child through shaking. A businessman has been jailed after he tried and failed to trick a speed camera by attaching a jamming device to the front of his BMW. ...tried to outsmart a police safety camera van parked on the side of the A658 in Harrogate, North Yorkshire with his laser jamming device last February. London Zoo has insisted keepers could not have foreseen or stopped a fatal attack by a male tiger on its potential mate which unfolded 'in a split second'

Our song for Eurovision has been chosen....by the public no less....so it looks like another disaster....the song is called "Bigger Than Us" and is sung by a lad called Chris Rice who is an X Factor winner.....say no more....we were given three songs to choose from....one was sung by a girl and was instantly forgettable....similar to the one which won the vote....the other song was called "Freaks" which was very good and would have been a strong contender in my opinion....but it seems the public know best.....another "nil pwa" for the United Kingdom I think.....and no doubt we will blame politics for our lack of votes.... instead of the bad song. 2.In order to make people aware of environment change they are bringing pupils out of some schools to put the point over and to educate our young....wow what a great idea!!....this will definitely save the planet....have you ever heard such tripe....who comes up with these pearls of wisdom....all this will do is make youngsters think they are a lot more intelligent than they are....and they will probably end up coming up with stupid ideas like this one when they get older.....a better idea would be to get them to pick up the litter most of them have left there in the first place........ 3.Sir Philip Green....the owner of Top shop has been regularly featured on the news for his alleged behaviour with some of his staff....needless to say the FEMALE staff....he is accused of tapping a girl on the bottom and calling her a "naughty girl"....despite the fact he regarded it as "banter" this could obviously scar the girl for life and she may have to find a dark room to sit in after this tragedy....and this is NEWS....forget the floods and earthquakes worldwide where people are struggling to survive....this young thing obviously needs her problem solved with a chunk of Phil's billions......otherwise how will her scars and injuries heal?....so the witch hunt is underway.......however Sir Phil is going to defend his reputation which I hope is successful as this sort of nonsense needs sorting one way or another...... 4.I watched the BAFTAS on TV as there was nothing else to watch.....boring or what?.....acting is a job that's all....because you have a bit of charisma and presence doesn't particularly make you special.....it makes you lucky......I have to laugh at the ones who are nominated but don't get the award....all trying to look pleased for the winner....now THAT is good acting...........I fail to see why we have to sit and watch all the nominations....just giving us the winners would improve the programme as it would only be half an hour long...however they paid a nice tribute to Albert Finney who has just died....I thought he was brilliant in Saturday Night and Sunday Morning....and Tom Jones 5.I used to write songs for local artists and record them on my record label which they would sell around the clubs and which I would get them airplay etc...so it was a rare everybody wins situation...Paul Damian was one of the artists and a good pal....over a cup of coffee he asked me for a novelty song for his act to which I replied he could possibly teach the audience how to say that long Welsh word....he taught me how to say it and by the end of that week I had written and recorded the song....I put it out on a vinyl 45 with a B side called "Leading Lady" with the Princess of Wales in mind and sent a copy to Lady Di (to help her with her Welsh)....and got a reply from the Palace thanking me.......I then started selling it in the actual village which to my amazement it took off.....with visitors on the coaches wanting to learn how to say the word....i eventually put it on to YouTube and it has had nearly 2 million hits and has had plays on Radio One and World News and featured on TV both here and in The States...initially I even went to see the professor of Welsh at Bangor University to make sure we had it right...and all over a cup of coffee on a Mond(continued)

European member states have been trying to hammer out a temporary solution that will prevent critical situations like the ones produced by Italy and Malta’s reiterated refusals to take in humanitarian ships. Interior ministers are scheduled to meet in Romania in early February to discuss the matter further, but there is little hope that an agreement will be reached that makes everyone happy. SPAIN will on January 29 officially lower the speed limit on secondary roads from 100kph to 90kph. The Council of Ministers had approved the measure, which is designed to cut the death toll from road accidents, earlier this month. At the moment 66 per cent of road fatalities occur on secondary roads, about half of which are due to cars leaving the highway usually due to excessive speed. A 24-year-old man from Liverpool has been jailed for stealing £4,500 from his grand ad to pay for a holiday in Ibiza. Brett Bridgen reportedly used online banking to send money into his personal account the day before travelling to the Spanish island. BBC viewers have blasted 'smug' David Cameron as the 'worst diplomat ever' after watching a documentary about his failed attempts to negotiate with the EU before calling the 2016 referendum. Violence could erupt on the streets of Britain in the wake of Brexit according to a sec ret report by European officials for national leaders including Theresa May . Senior intelligence officials warned that civil unrest and rioting is almost inevitable and the UK will be left 'unstable' for decades. The NHS is hiring hundreds of 'social prescribers' to refer patients to art classes and ballroom dancing lessons. Up to 1,000 advisers are being recruited across England to carry out almost a million appointments a year. The mother of James Bulger has penned a heartfelt letter calling on the director of a controversial film about her son's murder to withdraw the picture from the Oscars, as a petition to pull it hits 220,000 signatures. The film, called Detainment, which re-enacts scenes after the murder of James Bulger, has been shortlisted for an Oscar. Criminal gangs are exploiting children as young as 11 to run lucrative 'county lines' drug networks each worth up to £1million a year, a new report warns. The National Crime Agency (NCA) believes there are now more than 2,000 individual deal line numbers in operation in the UK - more than double the number previously identified.

.Prince Philip has apologised to the lady he pulled in front of when he was driving with his eyes closed....the letter has been published which was typed but with the opening and closing line in his handwriting....so that's O.K. then......the lady in question has been on TV thanking his Lordship for the letter......which will be worth a few bob....and she will have made a nice bit of cash from the papers if she gets it right.....she also had her arm in a big sling which is a good idea.....so I applaud her....that's the way to do it.................there is a move afoot to place speed cameras on traffic lights to catch those who speed up and go through on amber.....another bright idea from someone trying to justify their job......I've said it for years the only cure for speeding is to put speed cameras everywhere.....and just have random ones working....they would pay for themselves in a week...........oh I forgot....I was once told that there has to be three fatalities in an area before they can put up a speed camera....WHY?? 2.Social media is being blamed for suicides amongst the young....we of a certain age find this hard to understand...and wonder why you can't just switch your phone off when being bullied.......but it's not as simple as that as the young are very vulnerable and have become addicted to it all....which gives a sort of imaginary "power" to those who sit in their little rooms and send out stupid messages which helps improve their sad little lives.......and as social media accelerates I'm not sure what the answer is.....it's so sad to hear of teenagers ending their lives over stuff they read on their computers.....and as always the media don't help with their constant promoting of "reality" stars with their facelifts and enlarged lips....in the constant search to be glamorous youngsters need to learn it's what's on the inside that counts......but sadly they are subject to wide world criticism unlike in our day. 3.A documentary has been made on the alleged misbehaviour of Michael Jackson.....despite appearing in court on several occasions and been found completely innocent some toad has come out of the woodwork and decided he was abused by Michael....after saying in court that he hadn't......so everyone piles in as usual and the witch hunt begins....and as Mike is sadly no longer with us he can't defend himself......obviously there's a bit of cash up for grabs.......he was an odd ball but let the guy rest..............it was the same with Jimmy Savile.....Louie Theroux did a documentary on him a few years ago and couldn't find any real evidence of the accusations hurled around about him....he went to the hospital that Savile restored for 9 million pounds and the staff were adamant that there was no truth in the ugly rumours......but of course when you have passed away you are an easy target.....what I find annoying is the accusers seem to get away scot free when they are proved wrong....they should be dragged through the courts and see how they like it. 4.On a lighter note I had to laugh at an article Billy Butler put on Facebook regarding functions where there are so many prizes that the draw takes up most of the night.........it reminded me of a gig I did with the band which was a football club presentation dance....at the particular venue we went in through back door on to the stage and set up behind the curtain....what we didn't know was on the other side of the curtain was a long table with a load of trophies to be given out......as our drummer went through the process of taking his drums out of the cases (filling up the stage even MORE)....he bent over against the curtain and knocked the table off the stage with all the cups and trophies clattering across the dance floor.....OOPS.....needless to say the organisers were not happy......still...that's showbiz. 5.The song this week is entitled "What Happened To Julie?" and harks (continued)

Angela Merkel has hailed a new Franco-German friendship treaty as being a step towards the creation of a future European Army. Spain's Ministry of Public Works has announced that it will not be taking any action against Ryanair in the aftermath of the racist incident that happened on a Barcelona to London flight back in October. A BRITISH expatriate in Benidorm has allegedly been ordered to take down Union Jack flag bunting at her bar and has been threatened with a fine if she fails to do so. Tracey Walker, 54, originally from Bradford, claimed Spanish police threatened her with an €800 fine. A 21-year-old man, originally from Uruguay, was arrested last Thursday in the Barcelona area for allegedly beating up his son, a baby aged just two months. THE boss of Puerto Banus, Marbella, based nightclub chain Lineker’s Group SL has died in a hail of bullets.The 49-year-old Marbella night club entrepreneur looks to be the latest victim of a ‘settling of scores’ murders that have struck the Costa del Sol city in the past few months. AROUND 14,000 missing people in Spain remain unaccounted for and two people a day disappear in the country, according to new data. FIREFIGHTERS were called out to an industrial estate in the Valencia Region on Monday after a fire broke out at a decorating company’s premises on a local industrial estate. Emergency services said they were alerted to the fire, which broke out on the Cova industrial estate in Manises, at around 1.15pm. The town is home to Valencia’s airport. A few days after the Duke-s car accident....A royal gamekeeper hit a motorist on the head with a stick and called him a 'f***ing peasant' on the Sandringham estate. A mother-of-two who punched a 13-year-old girl in the face then bragged about it on Facebook has been spared prison .......... Rachel Crowe, 26, of Bolton, Greater Manchester, was assaulted and stalked by James Hall on the day millions of viewers watched her become the comedian's 'unexpe cted star' on the programme. A Labour-supporting schoolboy from an East End council estate has won a £76,000 scholarship to Eton despite calling the public school 'absurd and corrupt'.

The grand Old Duke of Edinburgh has been in the news for various reasons.....he was involved in a crash while he was out driving his Landrover.....which he managed to rollover...which wants a bit of doing with a car that size....but it was O.K. the armour plating saved him and he was able to walk away.....ignoring the other car he had pulled out in front of ... which had two people and a one month old child in it....who were thankfully not seriously injured......but his subjects needn't worry....a replacement car was delivered to him next day in which he was last seen driving around without a seatbelt.....so that's O.K. then........it would be funny if it wasn't so tragic.......the woman in the other car is thinking of making an injury claim......but it does beg the question as to how fast she must have been going to hit and roll a two ton Landrover? Out of interest I watched "Celebrity Coach Trip" to see if had improved any as a new series has started.........it should be called "Spot The Celebrity" as it consisted of a crowd rejects from various reality TV programmes with zero personality travelling around on a coach with Brendan in charge...and swans around waving his wrists about making sure we all know....as if we didn't....that he is gay darling..............we are also being treated to another wonderful programme called "Five go camping" which features five "celebs" who experience the great outdoors.........and this is supposed to be entertainment?......beam me up Scotty... Weekend T.V. has definitely lost its way.....after the tripe that is on each Saturday night I am reduced to watching Dancing on Ice on Sunday night....which I record between 6 and 8 o'clock and watch between 8 and 10 o'clock....thus skimming through the plethora of adverts.....this is how bad things are.....not only is the programme a tenth rate version of Strictly Come Dancing we have to sit and watch so called celebs learning to ice skate...which is bad enough but throw in an overweight mouthy "celebrity" diva from some dreadful reality show who has no idea yet gets through to the next round on the public vote (as if)...I must say she does remind me of a couple of characters from the Viz magazine......it does make me consider going back on the road........the alternative is to watch snooker on the BBC...all night!!... The news reported the wrecking and burning of plaques and statues of war heroes.....I've never seen the point of this sort of behaviour and what possible pleasure the yobs get out of it......it goes to prove how we are still evolving with some a long way behind the rest....with the huge gap in class the the royalty don't really help as they openly distance themselves with the likes of Prince Philip's recent behaviour......which must make some feel isolated ....what is sad is the lack of imagination in the general public....they automatically follow and believe all the rubbish the media throw at them......maybe "imagination" could be a school subject? I have never done drugs despite playing in a band for 55 years.....in fact I couldn't tell what one looks like...which youngsters of today find very strange....sex drugs and rock and roll was a very minor part of the 60s but magnifying it makes it all seem a lot more exciting I suppose.....however back in the 70s I wrote and recorded a song called "I'm Only Happy When I'm Stoned" which led to a chance meeting with a wrestler called Adrian Street who was in a recording Studio in Chester (U.K.) looking for a song to enter the ring to.....he liked the song but asked if it could be changed to suit a wrestler....the song became "I'm Only Happy Breakin' Bones" which we recorded and was his entrance song to his many bouts.......we became good friends...a friendship which resulted in two albums of wrestling songs and a tour of the southern states in the U.S.A......and here it is.

As the British House of Commons prepared to vote on Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal the Spanish government has launched an information website listing the various issues that citizens and businesses will face after the United Kingdom leaves the European Union.... Air travel In the air travel section, one of the questions involves flying to Britain with a Spanish airline “that could lose its license, according to media reports.” This is an indirect reference to former Spanish flag carrier Iberia, which is fighting to prove to EU authorities that it is Spanish – it, along with British Airways, is owned by holding group IAG – in order to preserve its flying rights on the continent after Brexit. The southern Spanish region of Andalusia is getting ready for a political change that will be “calm” and “conciliatory,” according to Juan Manuel Moreno, the Popular Party (PP) politician who is set to become the new regional premier. BAILED-out toll motorways are now free to use from midnight until 6am, and from 6.01am drivers will benefit from a 30 per cent reduction in fees. Spain’s previous government began the process of ‘buying back’ motorways run by ailing toll companies, and the new socialist cabinet, which came into power in June, has continued to see the plan through. A train was derailed on the Madrid-Zafra line 500 metres from the Torrijos station in Toledo Monday. THE first flight to land this morning at the latest Spanish airport, Murcia International Airport, was a Ryanair flight from East Midlands.Twenty-five minutes ahead of schedule, the FR1824 Ryanair flight. Theresa May's Brexit deal was dramatically crushed by MPs as she suffered the biggest Commons defeat in history. The PM's grip on power was left hanging by a thread after Tory rebels joined forces with Labour to trounce the plan by 432 votes to 202. ............ When Britain stood alone urged people to grow their own food — a campaign called Dig For Victory......The Dig For Victory drive was a triumph of British resilience, ingenuity and self-sufficiency in the face of great adversity.