Betting the House Ross and McTague

Tim Ross and Tom McTague, two experience political commentators, have published an excellent but limited account of the 2017 General Election, Betting the House, limited because the main contenders have not participated openly. The book is also written based on having an appeal to all wings of all political parties and therefore criticism is muted.

The first fact avoided is that Teresa May, perhaps the most hypocritical of post war Prime Ministers, sanctioned a dirty and unscrupulous character assassination campaign against Jeremy Corbyn just after she made her speech on the steps of Downing street in 2015.  The book also underplayed the extent to which individual members of the Labour Party in House of Commons planned to oust Jeremy from the leadership despite believing that some of their number would lose their seats. It was a perfect storm which most of us outside mainstream media and the Westminster bubble were able to see, and the sad aspect is that they appear to have learned nothing and believe that with time and mastery of the latest technique in public manipulation. The party-political class in Britain remains delusional which makes our future dangerous and unpredictable

Having said this credit has to be given to the Parliamentary Labour Party because without the open rebellion and plotting with mainstream journalists and political commentators by a number of Labour Members of the House of Commons, Mrs May would not have believed the Opinion polls and the advisers who said an early election would give her the kind of majority to secure her premiership and negotiate a form of Brexit likely to appeal to the majority rather than those in the Tory party who have been able to imprison her until she had served their purpose, together with the racists and the political morons who formed a good chunk of those voting for Brexit.

There is also not much in the book that has not already been revealed by mainstream media and Parliamentarians over the six months that have followed. There was one piece of information which helped to explain the attempt to protect May’s effective Deputy Prime Minister, Damian Green, that his wife had been her  tutor at Oxford. The second came at the end when faced with open talk of pressing her to resign, she persuaded the 1922 committee membership to give her a chance by admitting to them she had got it badly wrong, was accountable and would work to make it right and would go when they asked.  However, having played the humility card then, she is wrong to believe, along with Jeremy Hunt, that eating humble pie now about the NHS and Community Care crisis before the Commons return will save them from the wrath of their own Party and that of the majority of the House of Commons. She cannot sack or move Hunt without sacking herself. If the Tory Party is to continue in power for the rest of this parliament and then not face electoral disintegration of the order which Blair achieved in 1997, then she must fundamentally change the face of her government, and then its policies, which means getting rid of her Chancellor, Boris and Hunt and making space for Grieve, Morgan and Soubry. She lacks the mettle to do a Corbyn and appoint only those who share in her vision if she has one. The truth emerged in the book at the point when the authors commented that her closest advisers acted more like well-intentioned parents than staff, Labour's strength is now more than Corbyn’s brilliance. The Genie is out of the bottle and May and her party have a choice between a long and painful political annihilation or a quick one -Betting the House Paper edition Biteback Publishing.

A review of my 2017 experience part1

Two thousand and seventeen has become one of the most important years of my life as I come close to reaching answers to some of the great question which have dominated my seventy-eight years of self-aware existence in England, part of a country more dived than before at several level and part of a world which appears to have become more dangerous a fascism rises again in Europe and the USA is shown to have elected a potential maniac as its President. Contrary to popular propaganda his attention seeking behaviour is predictable as well as contemptible and the defence of his actions by Teresa May and the Tory hierarchy compared to their attempted character assassination of Jeremy Corbyn is yet another example of the hypocrisy of the British Establishments and which unfortunately include elements in the Labour Party and Trade Unions.

I have this sense of time running out to fulfil what I have believed is my mission in life and I am constant struggle to determine priorities and achieve a balance, needing to pay greater attention to my physical body as the problems of aging become more apparent and finding small and inexpensive ways to enjoy life and avoid debilitating stress.

I continue to be in awe, admiration and respect for those who set aside the pleasures and joys available to work solely in the interwoven causes of human and planet survival, or in providing help to those in need now.

I commenced the creation of a plan for next year with going through the records and notes on what I have done during the year against the background of what had happened in world outside the room where I have worked for many hours each day.

The year commenced with a visit to family in the midlands and on the South Coast and included a stay in Croydon over the New Year. I attended a performance of the work Amadeus at the National Theatre on the afternoon New Year’s Eve on the as preparations were underway for the annual fireworks display which I watched back at the Premier Inn close to East Croydon Station. I also saw the same production a month later relayed to the Cineworld Bolden. Before then I had experienced the imaginative use of CGI in a Royal Shakespeare production of the Tempest from Stratford also at the Cineworld Bolden and an important production of Ill Travatore relayed from the Royal Opera House in London. I went to the cinema eight times in January having viewed the last film of 2016, Passengers at Vue cinema in central Croydon on December 30^th and then on 1^st January Silence with both films setting the tone for what became my approach and has built up over the year, with the first about time, immortality and the need not to feel or be alone.  The second on the nature, power and belief of religion together with the reality and limitations of being human. This became the subject hit of the break through artist The Rag and Bone man as the title song of in fact his second album with the first unnoticed Wolves with its mixture of rap and blues before recognition and fame following appearances on Jules Holland and the Graham Norton and graduation to the festival circuit. The strength of the human of human spirit when challenged and when in a group was seen on Sky Television at home later in the month-the 33 -the Miners entombed in Chile for two months in 2010. 

The film fuss in January was an old-fashioned musical La La Land which went on to become the best film at the Oscars, but which was one of the few films which disappointed and I consider having been overrated.

Given that the about half my working time was spent on researching my involvement in the peace movements of 1959 to 1964, it will not surprise that I consider Hacksaw Ridge one of the best films of year as it portrays the true story of Desmond Doss, the Pacifist awarded the medal of honour for his rescue of wounded soldiers during the landing to take the Island of Okinawa from the Japanese during World War II.

Another film based on real events was the Australian production of Lion and which received six Oscar nominations, the story of a young Indian boy lost who became a street child and was adopted and went to live in Australia. His search to find out his biological identity mirrored   one of my priorities which became a close to being settled in November as it is now likely to be. Four of my selection of best films for 2017 were experienced in January with the other the most creative expression of what the loss of parent can mean to child, The Monster Tree.  

The fun 3D GGI video game film was the Assassins Creed now available on Sky films. Live By night was the first gangster movie enjoyed. Wild Horses seen on TV is in fact a contemporary crime western film and not to be confused with the great Rolling Stones song of the same name. Jackie the story of the impact on of the wife of President John Kennedy after the experience of his assassination. The recent release of some state papers by President Trump came to a halt without the truth coming to light. An insight into the psyche of people who have brought Trump to power is in the adventure drama set in present day Mexico- Mercury Plains a film viewed TV with the most dissatisfying film Kids in Love meant to be a truth film about being young and bohemian in London also viewed on TV.  Sadly, Trumps supporter include large sections of White United States and watching the thousands of High school young Americans who this year as well as last year in their marching bands and Cheer Leader organisations I wondered how many came from Trump enthusiast families?

The behaviour of Donald Trump continues to dominate political and media attention in Britain following the disastrous and rash action of Prime Minister Teresa May in being the first leader to hold his hand and who, as the year progressed, emerged as being a powder puff a Prime Minster governed by a need to stay in power and prevent Jeremy Corbyn leading a socialist leaning new government for the first time since 1945.  Ambitious former Labour Minister Tristram Hunt resigned as Member of Parliament to become Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum. A more significant development was the resignation of the Deputy Chief Minister in Northern Ireland Martin McGuiness and his death with a mixed media response and from the various political interests in Ireland paved the way for the disastrous impasse and where a borderline racist and fascist party has been able to do a deal with Teresa May to keep her and the Tory Party in power after effectively losing the snap General Election in June. Hundreds of thousands of women marched in various cities around the world at the potential implications of Trumps election as President. The momentum behind a petition to stop the proposed State visit of President Trump became stronger as hundreds of thousands signed after May’s rash visit and the implications of his Executive Orders and Tweets commenced to sink in.

The Prime Minister announced we would leave the Common market and Customs Union when she triggered article 50 but was prevented from taking the action without a vote in Parliament when the Supreme Court ruled against her by 8 votes to 3.  However, when given the opportunity to vote the Commons backed the decision to invoke article 50 by406 votes 10 144 including 47 Labour rebels. Tony Blair intervened again in British politics on the issue of Europe and Jeremy Corbyn as leader with positive counter consequences. He still sees himself as a young Churchill.

In January the Red Cross announced the situation in British hospitals as a humanitarian crisis. The Royal College of Nursing and separately leading doctors wrote to the Prime Minister of their concerns. I was contacted by former Directors of Social Services and sign a letter on the crisis in social care.  Despite her good intentions and fine works were first replacing David Cameron she appears to have become a prisoner to the ambitions and negativity of her Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Brexiteers.

During February and March my cultural experience was led by cinema visits as the, award’s season approached. Hidden Figures the story of a female mathematician who contributed to the USA Space programme with the added handicap of being black was impressive and the Viceroys House on tole of the Mountbatten’s in India leading to the partition was insightful with the Lost City of Z of great interest. Patriots Day was the first of two important films on the terrorist attack which killed those watching the finish of the Boston Marathon.

I am not a fan of the Danny Boyle’s film Trainspotting the film which brought Robert Carlisle and Ewan McGregor to attention and thought the second episode as the aged group reassembled OK but no more. Similarly, I thought Fences was a vehicle for Denzel Washington to get an Oscar, but he was outshone by Viola Davis. Logan was a good final episode of the X men series bringing Patrick Stewart together with Hugh Jackman with the real star the young Dafne Keen as the eleven-year-old Laura.   The Wall, Skull Island and John Wick were all good adventure films with two seen in 3D.  Disney’s Beauty and the Beast was good. The political film based on the true 1960’s situation when a couple were prosecuted because a white man had married a Black woman, the Loving’s-titled Loving rounded a very good two month of cinematic experience.

On return from my 78th Birthday visit to the Midlands I had experienced La Boheme and the Nabucco on consecutive nights at the Sunderland Empire with the young Ellen Kent Opera company. I have a CD set of the latter and have seen both the Royal Opera House and Metropolitan Opera performances of La Boheme with the latest modernish version from the ROH on BBC arts channel only a few days ago. I experienced Ideomeneo from the Met relayed to Bolden on the 15^th March and Madam Butterfly from the ROH at the end of the month, I was greatly impressed with a performance of Swan Lake from the Bolshoi at the beginning of February.

I read the authorised biography of John Le Carré early on the year who as an undergraduate at Oxford university spied on left wing students forth British government and his admission sparked a reading which continues of a jinni library of factual books on the workings of homeland security since the end of World War II. The most revelatory has been the official history of MI5 with Margaret Thatcher setting up a vetting system to prevent industrial wreckers from getting any king of public funded job which involved between three and four million applicants during her reign and with no evidence that the system was subsequently ended, and which operated alongside the intelligence work involved in monitoring organisations and individuals using undercover assets. I became even more interested on learning there was a purge in the mid 1980s of former subversives who had found their way into government positions because  the focus  involved Departments such as Health where the individuals had little or no access to information which could undermine the integrity of the state with its emphasis on the rule of law and parliamentary democracy although the recent evidence  is that the executive  aided by the civil services does its best to limit the effectiveness of the House of Commons.

The reading and rereading continues of Undercover by Joe Carter, The New Spymasters by Richard Grey, Spy Catcher, Peter Wright, Intercept Gordon Corena. GCHQ Ricard Aldrich, the Oxford handbook of National Security Intelligence, and the important Securing the State David Omand intended for politicians and policy makers. My interest in John Cornwall led to acquitting DVDs of the Looking Glass War and A most hunted man to complete my library of the films of all his books to-date.

The year has also seen some remarkable television series with SS Great Britain an ominous omen of the move back to fascism in parts of Europe in part a response to the migrations from war and poverty organised by criminal elements and where the security services are playing their usual double games. An antidote to Trump’s projection of yob America is Madam Secretary which less acerbic than West Wing nevertheless continues to provide great insight into the real White House. On its own I found the Northern Stage production of Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler engaging but of no longer term interest, I made a family visit of one week in March for birthdays which was also the opportunity for restaurant meals.

I attended an open lecture at Newcastle University on Genetics and Social mobility by Professor Leon Fenstein and I am yet to study the Encyclopaedia Britannica guides to Genetics and   also the Brain, both subjects coming to the fore again as year ended. I have a theory without any evidence that once we have learned to create artificial brains we will be able to use the knowledge to control human minds at a distance and suspect that we are already well along this road with the addiction to mobile phone one example. Films like the Manchurian Candidate, the Ipcress File and 1984, and the more recent Bourne Identity series have revealed the prospects before humanity.

I had commenced the year with having to revisit issues related to my previous work for Sunderland Council with a focus on corruption and the entanglement of organised crime in the region and politics. I acquired and read the novels of Ted Lewis Carter series Get Carter where films set on Tyneside and an American city have been made although the books have an East Yorkshire setting (also Jack Carter’s law and Jack Carter Mafia Pigeon. White Riot (Martyn Waites) is a clever book about political exploitation of race for corrupt purposes La Geordie Cosa Nostra purports to be a realistic guide to regional villains while Fog n the Tyne Bernard Mahoney is a better account of the longstanding war between Newcastle based Crime families. After attending a talk by Anne Cleeves at South Shields national Library of the Word I was disappointed that her Vera novel Telling Takes was set in Yorkshire and not Northumbria. I am yet to read Sheila Quigley’s novel The Road to Hell set in the North East.

The reality of crime came to British cities of London and Manchester with first a killing drive on Westminster Bridge followed by the murder of a policeman tasked with the protection of Parliamentarians and then the most cowardly and horrendous act ever omitted I the British Island with a suicide bombing of children and their parents at a concert at the main indoor arena in Manchester. This was then followed by another drive to kill on London bridge by the station followed by stabbing victims in the neighbouring streets and restaurants. Government claims that appropriate resources have been directed to the homeland security may be right, but I remain unconvinced that the cataclysmic reductions to the police, border controls, customs and excise, coastguard service and the British Navy have not taken their toll on the ability to prevent

Everyone must find ways of coping and in my instance, I found fresh resolve to proceed with work as well as find ways to experience a range of cultural experiences. I forgot mention the February performance of Joe Cocker as he recorded an album of his favourites in Berlin before a massive arena audience. I watched this again last. The politics of power were experienced with a relay performance of Julius Caesar from Stratford. Royal Shakespeare company and then an extraordinary performance of Salome, seen both live at the National Theatre and then in cinema relay, the farce even a political one is not something I have enjoyed but I decided to see Out of Order at the Theatre Royal in Newcastle,

My reading was directed at the two subjects which form the basis of a book to be written this year on the period in my life 1959-1964 and I also made a special day trip to catch the final day of a photographic exhibition on the Partisan Coffee bar in Soho where the former ground floor and basement centre is next to the offices of Private Eye. I had been surprised by aspects of John Charlton’s book Don’t you Hear the H Bomb Thunder about the participation of a number of local people in radical politics on Tyneside in the 50’s and 60’s and also by aspects of Richard Taylor and Colin Pritchard The Protest Makers on the British Nuclear Disarmament movement  1958-1965 written in the 1980’s and then the most expensive book  purchased to date at £75 Richard Taylors scholarly work Against the Bomb published by the Oxford University Press. When visiting the Partisan photographs at an arts centre in Bethnal Green I found that the British War Museum had an exhibition for several months on People Power Fighting for Peace and where Lyn Smith had published two books. The first Voices against War covers a century of protest and People Power associated with the exhibition and which I also visited on a day trip. The film- Iona (Sky June) where I stayed at their Community House in Glasgow in 1961 but only visited the Island in the 1990’s was of interest. The Danish language drama film, the Commune (also Sky June brilliantly exposed the inherent problems in trying to create a lifestyle choice and inviting others to participate and will inevitably impose their own vision, potentially take over and destroy.

In 1964 female friend had been murdered in Soho and her witnessed death remained unsolved. I had discovered the police file had been closed in 1969 and was lodged with national archives but had been able to obtain a copy of what was said to have been a signed information statement.  It was several months later that I was able to track down the Inquest papers which I was able to read at London archives discovering that I was already in London on the Saturday when the archives were open at the weekend. I then visited the crime scene locations mentioned in the file which I obtained a copy on payment of £100. Amazingly a novel was published in wartime England A scream in Soho (John G Brqndon) with some coincidental circumstances. The Soho of the time was well covered in Adrift in Soho a novel by Colin Wilson. Also of interest is Dog Days in Soho Nigel Richardson and Gangland Soho James Morton. And then more recently I re read the Challenor case a Penguin books special which I bought in 1966 written by a friend Mary Grigg and then found that Challenor himself had written an autobiography of his time in the SAS and the Met (Tanky Challenor) and   recently his role has been reappraised by another policeman Dicky Kirby -the scourge of Soho

I was able to make the various visits using the four open Virgin first class return ticket. I discovered that the first-class service at weekends is dismal compared to that on week days although the price is the same. The Counterfeit Traitor is a 1962 spy film based on a WW2 true story with William Holden viewed on Sky in June.

In the three months I viewed at least one film a week with Churchill, his experience of the D landings of interest but where Gary Oldman’s portrayal in a film which opens in January is said to be important. Their Finest billed as a comedy has a stellar cast with an outstanding performance from Bill Nighy and Gemma Aterton and has several moving and serious moments covering what was a real film made for the Ministry of Information to put a positive twist to Dunkirk. In the third quarter of the year I saw Dunkirk three times, including on Imax at the Vue cinema Gateshead, on a visit to Croydon London and then with family members on a visit to Worthing.

More often the experience was action 3D CGI with Guardians of the Galaxy, Pirates of the Caribbean and The Mummy enjoyable but the surprise film which is on a different level was Wonder Woman.  The Promise was the first of two romantic adventure films loosely based on historical events during the last days of the Ottoman empire with the second-  The Ottoman Lieutenant only viewed this week on Sky. A quirky film Rules Don’t Apply covered the relationship between a young actress part of the stable of Howard Hughes and her relationship with the appointed driver, unlocked appealed in part for its theme of the role of private security firms and their use of former national security figures, a subject which I covered in a brief note to many politicians with only one acknowledgement but a significant one. Central Intelligence was one of the films viewed on Sky, lightweight save America kind of film. The film Domino fascinated as it is based on the real-life story of the daughter of Lawrence Harvey who became a bounty hunter in the States where she was raised. Wild Oates was fun with Shirley MacLaine and Billy Connolly also on Sky Don’t remember Restless and saw many past films again. I watched Bridger Jones baby with two potential fathers and Lost in the Sub, the Secret of Chimneys, Our Brand of Crisis and Operation Chromite all on Sky. The star performance on TV was a documentary on the artist Sheridan Smith where I have booked to see perform during the coming year,

In April the Prime Minister decided to call a General Election having previously said she would not do this. Just arrived is Betting House, the Inside story of the General election campaign and result which surprised almost everyone although I won an over £100 successfully predicting there would be no overall majority. The book is written by Tim Ross and Tom McTeague.  A significant number of Labour Members of Parliament hoped the result would see the back of Jeremey Corbyn as Leader together with many his Shadow Ministers and their policies. Labour was expected to lose seats because of his said unpopularity on the doorstep with forecasts of an increased majority over 100 seats and higher. The opinion polls put the Government ahead by some 20 points As I have said many times I did not vote for Jeremy in the first leadership election although I supported everything in his personal manifesto. I had two reasons my knowledge then, since reinforced with evidence is that the British Establishment has been rooted in the capitalist ethic of exploitation of the masses and where in the 1980’s the groundwork was set for global power by passing the position of individual governments. I also believe the time had come to achiever a change in the power structure according to gender orientation at all levels particularly government and parliament. I also shared concerns that some of the dictatorial and mob characteristics which had flourished in some unions and became identified with the Militant tendency movements of the 1980’s would re-emerge. There was however much in Hammer of the Left John Goldings Book which I disagreed and disliked because my concern was at methods not at aims objectors and analysis of what needed to change, I had read the Candidate by Alex Nuns and a quick overview of New Labour Was the gain worth the pain by Dr Gaye Johnston who had worked for Newcastle Social Services, I am still to read Red Ellen by Laura Beers and Harriet Harman’s book A Woman’s Work. I need to re rad Robert Peston’s Who runs Britain.  My criticism of the Parliamentary Party was their belief that the electorate would vote for a Party that got rid of a leader who had remained true to his beliefs throughout his long political life in the House of Commons at time when there was great cynicism about politicians generally unwilling to put the welfare of the public in general before their personal position. However, the propaganda against Jeremy appeared overwhelming but as the election progressed a clear divide emerged between May who appeared wooden inflexible and hiding from debate and interaction with the public and the kind of crowds which were developing wherever Jeremy appeared. Then the manifesto appealed across generations. There was the work of the hundreds of thousands of recently joined members and the use of social media. The role of Momentum and its use of social media technology must be valued. I have commenced to read Betting the House which I good but so far there is no reference to how Britain is run by the state within the state and I will be amazed if the book provides information of significance not already known.

I have mentioned that I made number of visits to London including a weekend visit to the London Archives which has a tiny reception on the ground floor and where the nearest station is Farringdon which I pass every time I visit as it is a stop on the Crossrail train from Brighton to Bedford and which I use from St Pancras to East Croydon. Farringdon is also one the new stations from the new cross London Elizabeth Line service which will eventually commence at Reading in the west to Paddington and then the major new development of Tottenham Court Road with the transformed existing station and the new cross rail station a block separating with new office accommodation and retail developments above then to Farringdon and a series of stations into Essex. Oxford Street is now opened again although there was till major work going on  when I visited. During the year I also watched a programme on the transformation of Paddington station to accommodate the new Elizabeth line station as well as the daily life of this station from a visit by the Queen to a fire and disruptions on the lines.

On the weekend visit to London archives I had lunch at the Wetherspoons opposite Farringdon Station where the food was premium priced. The midlands visit at Easter included Sunday lunch at a pub restaurant close to the Travel Lodge, next to the drive in Macdonald’s which is part of the same chain as that next to the Travel Lodge at Riverside Nottingham. We also visited the Frankie and Benny’s on the same site as the Travel Lodge and that located in the retail park close to the Mansfield Football ground, another popular venue was Nando’s where on one visit when I was the first to arrive at the branch located next to the Odeon cinema in Mansfield, I saw the Olympic para swimmer whose huge photo dominated one entrance approach to the park waiting alone outside. She was joined by two members of the British selection panel to discuss why she was being dropped from the national squad. Later in the year I visited with family members a Nando’s close to Piccadilly Circus after a visit to Hamleys in Oxford Street and another before going to see Cars 3 at the refurbished Vue in Leicester Square which was in a side street close to Holborn Tube station. The advantage of Nando’s is that they are same priced wherever they are located. The new branch next to the Cineworld at Bolden is very popular even though Cineworld Unlimited members cannot get concessions given to customers at the adjacent Frankie and Benny and Pizza Hut.  There was one visit to the Pizza Hut close to the Odeon in Mansfield and on a visit to the city of Nottingham where I also visited the Wetherspoons located at a former branch of Lloyds Bank. One criticism of Nando’s and other similar chains is the cost of non-alcoholic drinks where in one instance I noted the unlimited help yourself mixes tap water with the stream. The worst price without concessions is the Mexican Tex Med chain Chiquito’s did spent more on a family outing to Food in Worthing but the food there was exceptional accompanied by pianist.  There have also been several visits to the White post just off the Doncaster Nottingham road at the Farnsfield off, the village appears besieged with new and proposed housing developments without the primary school space, roads and shops to accommodate. Properties in the village are £1000’s greater because of being in the catchment areas for the Southwell Minister school.

The surprise of the year has been the refurbishing of the café’s attached to Morrisons with some solid bright farmhouse kitchen tables and chairs and where the meal pricing is reasonable with the notable exception of breakfasts which with coffee are pricey.  This reminds of the failure to find a Wetherspoons close to London bridge station one Sunday because the line to Victoria station from East Croydon was closed for engineering works.  In the past I have used the Wetherspoons going to the far side of the station to catch a bus which takes one direct to the Lord’s cricket ground I had visited the branch across that road and discovered that they are one of only two branches that are using a machine which provides a range of coffees and milks.

Wetherspoons breakfasts are a favourite and sometime go to the Wouldhave here in South Shields close to where I live on the Lawe Top. During the year I also enjoyed their breakfast at Trent Bridge cricket ground, in Durham city before the Miner’s Gala and in Leicester Square. I was disappointed not to find a branch close to London bridge station   but was offered the English at nearby Inn for around a tenner. I ended pay what I would at Wetherspoons for a bacon roll and coffee at Hotel on my walkabout in Southwark, when visiting the Travel Lodge at Sutton ibn Ashfield there is a branch of Subway where a sausage and cheese roasted 6in Italian cheese and herb bread with gherkins, corn and black olive plus coffee costs £2.20.  Surprisingly the branch of Copelands which offered a great bacon roll and coffee deal has closed as the chain went into administration although a new branch has opened in South Shields High street of all places given that about a fifth of the stores are closed as had one of three branches of Greggs in the same street. Greenwood the large and tall clothing store also went into liquidation with the South Shields and Newcastle stores showing closure sales for several months. I purchased three pairs of trousers for £15 in total while the cost to shorten the leg length   came to £12 and included a discount. I use Sew in South Shields which makes its main money from selling Fancy dress outfits. The store which was located on the main road out of Shields to Sunderland passed the Town Hall in the direction of Cleadon Village moved to a new location, the former Lloyds bank at one end of Frederick Street.  I use the Post Office nearby and across from Lidl because of the east in parking although with the popularity of Lidl’s this is proving less easy than previously. Half of Frederick Street has been demolished is being replaced by a new housing development. The main post office in the centre of South Shields is also being demolished along with the rest of that side of the Street to make way for the new Transport Hub and which will now include a new training facility for the Nexus Tyne and Wear Travel company. This is intended to help regenerate the town centre. The post office had relocated to one of many vacant lots in the High Street. However, it is not all retail gloom because the closed B and Q has been replaced by a supersized B and M low cost main brand centre with a wide range of goods from food to office equipment, pet food to toys and household goods. The town already had the major supermarkets of Morrisons, Walmart Asda and Tesco, with many local stores including two Sainsbury, Iceland and Aldi. It also has two Lidl’s with one recently converted into a superstore. In addition, there are several versions of Pound ships although a venture to sell packaged fresh meat has failed because I suspect people were concerned at its origins and the lack of turnover despite the giveaway offers.

In the wider region the converting of one end Eldon Square of what is now part of the Intuit chain to a three-level restaurant quarter has been completed as had that at the largest indoor and retail park in Europe on the banks of the Tyne on the outside skirts of Gateshead. I have noted that both areas are well patronised and the special offers to attract late night diners has been noted. However, there has been one franchise failure with the closure of the Handmade Burger company stores in three North East locations.

My attraction to the eat as much as you like meals from around the world noted the splendid establishment at the Gate in Newcastle, but is the kind of venue to go with someone   capable of good and long conversation to best the money worth. I continue to wonder how the all the restaurants in Ocean Road continue to survive with only a couple at Community centre end appearing to thrive by offering great three course happy hour deal which seems to go on throughout the evening weekdays. A small eat as much you wanted opened at the park end of Ocean road and unsurprisingly failed to survive. Continuing to be popular is Colemans Fish and Chips which won a national award and hosted an outing of the Blair Cabinet and extended to twice its original size to accommodate coach parties.. The firm has now created a new upmarket sea food restaurant at one end of the sea front at Gypsies Green with an imaginative redevelopment the famous Temple toilet.

In addition to General Election campaigning and the horrendous Manchester arena attack the Duke of Edinburgh has stood down from making public engagements. The extent to which he influenced the approach of the Queen and controlled the lives of their children will not be revealed in my lifetime or those of my children even if the monarchy is changed although not abolished when Queen Elizabeth joins her ancestors. I am looking forward to reading Chris Bryant’s book on the role our aristocracy has played in running the country over the past thousand years. Another early read will be Collusion the relationship between Trump and Putin and the extent to which Russia joined the USA, the UK and China in the development of cyber warfare. Reading our national press or listening to the national media one could believe this had been started by Russia, despite the admission that it was developed in the USA with the capability of shutting down whole countries as Snowden admits, one of the most despicable USA traitors pretending to have the public interest while hiding away in Russia although this may provide another example of the appearance of someone or something is only one aspect of its reality. The whole issue of artificial intelligence and the potential risks and good uses will be covered in the second part of my review of the year.

A domestic event then occurred in June which ranks along with the murder of the Labour Member of Parliament, Jo Cox, the election and re-election of Jeremy Corbyn and previous expenses scandal of Members of Parliament and the subsequent attention to inappropriate sexual behaviour at Westminster which should cause fundamental change in public involvement in politics and the need for fundamental changes. This was the available massacre of families in a fire in a tower block in North Kensington one of the richest local authority in the UK and symptomatic of the obscene and planned to widen between the extreme wealth of a few and the increasing decline in the position of the majority. There was the usual expression of anger, horror and something must be done in the House of Commons, but nothing changes.

The full effect of the Brexit vote became apparent following May disastrous failure to gal control of the Commons and her Cabinet, when she announced that the Queen’s speech opening the New Parliament would also cover 2018. Worse much worse was to come.