£30 - landfill tax

So we are all to be charged £30.00 by our local councils because they haven't been paid landfill tax owed to them by the government. Is it me or have we all gone barmy! - Not only do we now sort all our refuse out into neat little recycling bins, thereby saving our councils money - they now want us to pay twice for the privelidge.

This is an exert from Gaurdian.co.uk

Millions of people who recycle their rubbish could find it becomes a futile
exercise due to the government's failure to provide enough facilities to prevent
it from being dumped in landfill sites, a
report from a Whitehall watchdog warns today.
Homeowners and tenants could
also have to foot the bill for fines totalling hundreds of millions of pounds
because their council has fallen behind in developing recycling schemes.
The EU has set a deadline of 2013 to halve dumping in landfill sites; the
government faces fines if it misses the target and will pass this on to
councils.
The National Audit Office says there is little chance of completing
a programme of building incinerators and large-scale recycling schemes by
2013.
The government had tried to fund the programme by raising cash from
banks under the private finance initiative, but many of the schemes can no
longer get money because of the credit crunch.
Since many involve building
large incinerators, they are also running into opposition from residents,
resulting in an average delay of more than 19 months in obtaining planning
permission. It can take between five and nine years for a new plant to come on
stream.
According to the auditors, only two big waste treatment plants in
England have come on stream since the programme was launched in 1999 and another
nine projects have been approved. A further 18 are in the pipeline.
The two
completed schemes are in Leicester and east London. Other schemes for
incinerators planned in 2003 and 2006 have not even started; they include
Newhaven in East Sussex, Nottinghamshire and Cornwall.
The report says:
"England is likely to meet its 2010 landfill reduction targets but to meet the
2013 target the Department [for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs] will need
to reduce substantially the time taken to procure projects and bring them into
operation ... It will not be met if there continue to be programme delays or the
infrastructure built does not work as efficiently as expected."
Edward Leigh,
Tory chairman of the Commons public accounts committee, said: "The department
sat on its hands for four years after the EU in 1999 set England a testing
timetable for reducing the amount of biodegradable rubbish sent to
landfill."
Councils also warned that they faced problems in meeting targets.
Paul Bettison, chairman of the Local Government
Association environment board, said: "Councils are pulling out the stops to
deliver projects that will deal with waste. But the reality is the government
has hit the council tax payer with a £1.5bn bill over the next three years by
going back on its undertaking to refund money raised through landfill tax to
local authorities. This is cash that could be used to build the facilities that
are needed to divert waste away from landfill."

Estimates

Upping sticks

My heartfelt sympathy goes out to anyone who has or is in the throws of moving house 'Upping sticks'. We have just accomplished said task with out too much pain and were still sleeping in the same bedroom ' Eegh bah gum' .

However we have found things we thought were long gone and lost things we need right now. The financial cost is unbelievable and the dog wants to go back home, each time I take him out he pulls in the opposite direction to our lovely new bungalow. I feel very sorry for him poor thing we've only had him two weeks and he's moved home twice! I know. Why didn't we wait until we'd moved before getting him? Well there in lies a tale.

I had a lovely border terrier bitch a few years back called 'Bonnie', I loved that dog but due to circumstance I had to find her a new home. It fair broke my heart as I've always had dogs around me and needless to say I've winged and moaned about letting her go ever since. Well it was my birthday a couple of weeks ago and my partner Shirley asked if she could borrow my new van to go shopping as hers was in for repair.

I readily agreed and off she went. Some hours later she returned and came into the house very sheepishly saying could I take a look at my van as she had scratched it all down the passenger side. WHAT! I shouted. ' Its the first time you've driven the bloody thing', running outside - steam billowing from my ears. I took a look at the passenger side - Not a mark or a blemish. " Oh maybe it was at the front" said Shirley!

As I looked at the front of the van I noticed something inside, my throat blocked with the biggest bulge and I couldn't see properly for the tears welling up in my eyes. "Happy birthday darling" she said, "His names 'Sparky' a border terrier of 18 months". Well they say a man ain't supposed to cry - poppy cock - the flood gates opened and I now have a new best friend.

And all this from a woman who isn't particularly keen on dogs. Hows that for love. Eh? Eegh Ba Gum lad.

Brrrrh put another log ont fire

As I write - it's snowing like hell in Hornsea and I'm watching all the 'Cumfor's' scurrying too and fro in their summer frocks to escape the cold. (Cumfor's are what we in Hornsea call the tourists because they alway's CUMFOR day)

Friends were telling me a month ago to shed my thermals and go native (Not a chance) I'll wait until May.

Never shed a clout till May is out is a true old saying

That said. I don't feel as if this winter (2009) has been too bad -OK we've had a bit of snow and ice but I think in general the East coast has got away with it lightly. Indeed as I look out of the window the snow has already turned to slush. I think it's nature rattling it's last sabre to remind us we are never as much in charge as we think!

'So onto the Spring - the birds that sing

The sweet gentle smell of the flowers

The warm summer sun

The bees that hum

And the noise of the gardeners mower

The Autumnal colours of yellow and brown

The leaves in the garden all blown down

Around once again to whence we started

The snow on the ground and the 'Cumfor's' departed

Written by - B Chessman March 2009

Have a good time where ever you are Speak soon

'Upping sticks'

Well were moving house again (Upping sticks) as we say in Yorkshire. This must be the 8th time we've moved in 15 years, so you would think we'd be used to it by now! But no. The uncertainty is still with us - the 'I can't wait to get packing' - the 'what can we get rid of to make it easier?' - How much is it gonna cost?etc. etc.

I think I'm from Gypsy stock as I still get a buzz out of it - the moving I mean! LOL. Not many can boast moving 1 mile at a time though? Yes 1 mile at a time. Our last house is on the sea front 1 mile away - our next house is 1 mile further inland and YES we' crackers!

I'm off now to collect cardboard boxes - so toodle pip!

Change in weather

Hands up

I apologise to all who read this - If I hadn't rattled on about how glorious the weather was yesterday I wouldn't have put the mockers on today's weather - It's perishingly cold today in Hornsea - Not sure what it's like inland ? But I certainly went back to my winter woollies this morning
No problems with dog owners today though so that's a blessing - I went in search of vandalism & graffiti this morning around our small town and I have to say there was very little - In fact the only bit I found was on the sea front - which only requires a quick lick of paint with a roller and the villains will soon get fed up - ha ha ( Oh I only wish ) The rest of the town looks rather good - The Memorial Gardens is now complete with new paths and fencing and is ready for planting up - Elim Lodge Gardens look very nice with it's new walls, fences and flower beds.
I also strolled through Hall-garth park again, which is still very wet underfoot - However it looks very neat and tidy apart from the proverbial take away cartons strewn all over from last nights drunken feast - The cartons must be very heavy though because they can't seem to lift them into the bin - Indeed one young man said to me "The council picks them up in a morning so it doesn't matter" - Wait while he's paying for it - he''ll change his thinking then - Won't he ?
Ah well - although it's chilly outside - It's nice and cosy in here and I've a warm feeling in my heart cos spring is in the air and that means long balmy days and new life - Keep well until next time

And another one

This morning was a fantastic reminder of the things I love about this counrty of ours. Spring was in the air snowdrops were bathing in the glorious sunshine, daffodils were waiting to open and the crocuses were just ready to bloom.
I took a brisk walk through our local park to take some early morning photographs and was surprised at the lack of dog walkers. Usually it abounds with the beasts and their animals - suddenly out of knowhere a massive dog comes rushing at me gnashers ready to tear me from limb to limb, growling and frothing at the mouth. I picked up a fallen branch to protect myself from the monster.
"Don't worry shouted it's owner - he's only playing - don't hurt him". 'Playing'! I screamed. "Playing - I wouldn't want to meet him when he's angry then - how do you think I could hurt him - he's the size of a Rhino?"
Off she wandered with not a clue of the panic inside my chest and I love dogs -it's the owners who need training.
Further along the track I encountered my first half empty person of the day. "Good morning - what a glorious day," Says I. "It's very nice indeed," he replied with a smile. Just when I thought I'd met my first half full person of the day, he said. "We never get two the same though do we?" So I responded. "Aye but it'd be a boring life if they were the same would it not". "Aye suppose so," he said as trundled on his way. You could physically see his shoulders drop as he realised I wasn't going to share in his gloom.
Ah well another walk tomorrow!

Half empty - half full

Take note of how many 'half empty' people are in your life and start to turn them into 'half full' ones?

• Let me explain:
• I met a man on my way for the morning paper and said. "Good morning - lovely day isn't it"? - "Yeah - It's going to rain later though" he mumbled as he shuffled slowly by!
• I bumped into Maurine from the chip shop on my way back. "Mornin Maurine nice day - heard you had a bit of luck on the old pools"? "Aye but it was only fifty quid - waste of bloody time if ya ask me".
• These are what I call a half empty people, they will always find a way to try and drag you into their doom and gloom
• We live in a doom and gloom society -Were bombarded with it night and day on radio and television
• When was the last time you watched a happy soap on telly?
• When was the last time you felt inspired by a news broadcast?

I realised with horror the other day that I was also becoming a half empty person, give me the opportunity to have a good winge and I'd turn most conversations into a negative state.

So I'm now trying to become a half full person - I'm trying to take the positive stance in any given situation.

What's more It's starting to rub off on others around me!

Here's how!

• When someone starts to tell me about their doom and gloom - I totally ignore what they're saying and pick out a positive: 'Oh sorry look how wonderful that daffodil is' - ' Isn't that a good picture' - ' You look well today' - for instance.
• You'll find eventually thay will either leave you alone or start to talk to you in a more positive manner.

More on this later from a happier ee ba gum lad!