Category: Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland’s First Minister had Question Time. Firstly the questions had to be submitted days in advance, and answering the question was less important than unrelated views and policies. This meeting coincided with a deluge providing the worst flooding we have seen in Northern Ireland for a considerable time. The Minister for Development made a statement as to why the conditions were as bad as they were. It was clear that he had not done his homework as he constantly referred to The Water Service as the Water Company. One would have expected better, as the Water Service replaced the Company in 1973.

A VERY SERIOUS WARNING TO THE UK. Aspects of Drainage the Populace should know. This is a UK matter, not one confined purely to Northern Ireland.
Flooding was inevitable through the demand to increase housing, and the fact that gardens and driveways have been paved over. We should not be surprised, if the outcome is flooding, – although everybody seems surprised.

I have no wish to be boring, so I will try to explain simply how this has come about, and how those responsible for maintaining the drainage, had not and have not a hope in hell of keeping up with progress. To demonstrate the problems the drainage engineers have to face I will use the analogy of the tree. Consider the trunk of a tree, the branches and twigs, starting small and year on year growing taller, the trunk gets thicker and so do the branches as they extend. The drainage of a city started when it was possibly a small village and while the configuration of the pipes of the sewer is like a tree, as time progresses with the city getting bigger the sewers have to be relaid or duplicated; this creates drainage problems, disruption, inconvenience and controversy. House extensions, including conservatories have aggravated the conditions. It is therefore obvious that some trunk sewers will inevitably lag behind the progress of the city. This is a prescription for flooding.

In Victorian times surface water and sewerage were combined, and constructions called storm overflows were later inserted, so that in heavy rainfall the surplus water overflowed into a storm drain and ultimately into the rivers or sea. Unfortunately some of those systems are still in place or being got rid of as fast as possible, but much of the old housing built before the 60s is probably still on a combined system. Engineers designing drainage used to use parameters based upon decades of experience and records, designing in the past for a storm arriving once in a century. Rain falling on hard surfaces has a very fast run off, the rate determined by the gradients. Rain falling on cultivated areas is first of all absorbed and then with saturation, run-off is slow due to the nature of the ground and what is growing there. This is what the minister should have been explaining, especially that no one could have anticipated the rate of rainfall experienced.

Some years ago there was severe flooding in the south of England caused by heavy rainfall and the failure of river revetments. This was not an isolated case and caused me to examine the possibility of designing attachments to the access doors of properties that could be quickly erected by even the most infirm, to hold out the floodwaters. This was possible, however, it didn’t prevent water and sewerage backing up into the house through the toilets and the ventilators.

Water does not flow uphill, but it can be driven uphill by pumps. Totally improving the drainage system of the whole country in areas likely to flooding from downpours similar to those encountered this June, 2007, will never be eradicated using simple drainage methods, it is too vast a problem, especially with global warming, and also rising tidal levels. Pumping in low-lying areas may be the only solution. One of the problems presented with this solution is the plethora of underground piping, cabling, and culverts, that will make this work both difficult and very expensive.

It is therefore possible to appreciate not only the problems to be faced, the urgency of viable solutions, the vastness of the problem, but the timescale and the incredible costs for remedies. The latest intensity of flooding shows that new areas are now vulnerable. I believe the solution lies in segregating areas so that the aggregation of run-off is reduced, with the excess water from these areas being pumped when the rate of flow requires it, to other secure systems of trunk sewers and storm drains. Floodplain problems require different solutions.

I have never understood why Art afficionados condemn members of the general public when they are standing in front of a picture, saying ‘I know nothing about art but I know what I like’. To me this is a fair enough comment, they don’t need to know that chrome yellow with flake white in years to come will go black, that the subject of the picture should have been at the one third point on the diagonal, and that that highlight on the edge is a distraction to the eye. The fact that they like the picture is adequate.

Music of most sorts can affect me, but unfortunately I have a very bad memory for names and so I can’t reel off all the pieces that I know that I like, and get into erudite discussions on this composer or that. I have a large, catholic collection of music gathered since I was a young man, and I find the music can often smooth away some of the rough bits of life. Once in a while one comes across something so superior, so unusual that one never forgets it. Many many years ago I watched a film set in one of those states on the eastern seaboard of America, where the main industry is making moonshine in the backwoods. In this film, two people who I believe didn’t like one another very much, initially, started to play a conversation on two banjos, and every nuance of their association became readily apparent in the music.

Some years ago, my grandson, Steve Jones, together with some friends, including Leo Abrahams, put on a gig in The Old Museum in Belfast. Needless to say we all turned up and were well rewarded. As a final encore, Steve and Leo came on stage, sat down, each with a guitar, and started to play. They played and extemporised a conversation in music which was mind blowing, there were the nuances one has in conversation, the highs and lows, the colour and contrast. It was totally memorable., but unfortunately never recorded. I know that from time to time Leo dips into this blog, I just want to say thank you to him and Steve, for a wonderful experience of a musical art form which needs repetition.

It must have been an April fool’s joke it could not have been anything else, or so I thought, it is so ridiculous. I have been fishing from childhood, in lakes, in the sea and now, years later, the government suddenly wants to charge me for fishing in the sea. The fact that it’s a ruse to get more money to pay for the war, which none of us wanted, is believable, and if true would only add salt to the wound. As far as I know the government has only jurisdiction on the coast between high and low tide. I remember having to get a way leave for doing work below high tide. If it wasn’t a joke, I would have thought that the legal departments of the government would have pointed out that the government has no jurisdiction beyond low tide and therefore no right to charge for fishing from boats. I was not aware that fleets of foreign trawlers, fishing off the coast are paying dues to this country for the privilege of doing so. But even if they are, to charge a man for the standing on the shore on his day off to put a piece of string with a hook on it into the sea, with no guarantee of a return, is ridiculous. Is it so vital, that the government is prepared to waste our taxes supervising this farce, collecting the money, and running it? I could only believe, in view of the month, that it was an April fool’s joke, and should have been promulgated on the first of April. However, because last evening, 11th of April, it reappeared on the Northern Ireland News, one has to believe it is fact. I have long been convinced that there are people working for the EU and Number 10 who have so little to do they think up asinine legislation, rather like others might do the crossword puzzles.

It would be rather interesting if on a given day, right round the country, those living within easy access to the sea, should all take rods and pieces of string with a weight on the end of some, bait-less hooks on others, and put their lines in the sea to confuse this vast band of men who are going to be policing this heinous activity of murdering, if they’re lucky, a few fish

The bane of the elderly. I don’t know precisely what people are being paid today who are doing the job I did when I retired, but I suspect that it is five or six times what I now receive as a pension, which is allegedly half pay. What is happening to pensioners and the people on lower incomes shouldn’t happen to a dog.

The incredible rise of single-parent families within the country, together with the fact that a lot of young women become pregnant so that they are entitled to a small dwelling, and get away from home and the environment that they don’t like, is putting a tremendous burden on our housing stock. This in turn has the knock-on effect of making housing so expensive, that the young married people cannot get on the housing ladder, and the pensioners are penalised to such an extent, that they can’t help. The pensioners are in a Catch-22 situation. When they fall ill, as a fair proportion do, the money they had scraped and saved to help the families will be eaten up paying about 500 hundred pounds a week for sheltered accommodation, or taken at 40% in inheritance tax when they die, because their houses have risen in value to such an extent. Those pensioners on low incomes, with little savings, are finding that their take-home pay has diminished appreciably, because for long periods their dividends and pensions have been tied to bank rates which have been lower than the cost of living index.

The Conservative Party in Northern Ireland. Recently a questionnaire came round to the houses in our district, asking our political views. Clearly the Conservatives feel that they can offer an alternative solution to our problems if they are selected. Whether this is true or not is beside the point, because politics here have devolved into nothing more than a bipartisan system on tribal lines. I personally found it ludicrous that Eire is subsidising the British economy by several million pounds, indeed I’ve found it degrading and Blair should be taken to book for allowing it to happen.

For almost 40 years we have been hoping to get back to those halcyon days of 1968, when politics was the last thing on the mind of the major portion of the population, and Catholics and Protestants were living side-by-side amicably. Instead of which we’re back into the bad old days of charge and counter-charge, rhetoric and the blame game. We need yet another party like a hole in the head, the more parties we have the more the vital votes are split and manipulation and tactical voting produce the same old results.
When you consider that the Unionist party, which used to dominate the horizon for eons, only now fields one member of Parliament, the writing is on the wall. I find it incredible that David Cameron would allow his name to be used on a circular, when anyone with any political knowledge of Northern Ireland would know that at this time it was a total non-starter

Am I wrong in Thinking we are having our pockets picked day and daily, in every sphere? Take Computing, what with broadband, the vast Internet and the improvement in artwork currently available on the home computers, it is a new and wonderful world, but expanding at an unnecessary rate. I wrote novels, on the BBC. B computer, that only had 32 kb. of ROM. I was able to conduct all my affairs, draw graphs, and do my accounts. Now it seems that on a regular basis everything is upgraded, particularly Microsoft, as are the programmes that go with it. When they introduced XP, after Windows 98, there were constant problems and we are still getting updates, Perhaps we need another company which will manufacture a computer for our basic needs, will talk one with another, communicate across the board, and not need upgrading on a regular basis with downloads arriving daily. My old computers, including the BBC are still working, but they no longer relate to other computers, like Appl;e, and some programmes from the past, and so I will soon have to upgrade again. I believe that very few of us need the vast memories and the high complexity we are now forced to purchase, although some companies will go out of business if we don’t continuously upgrade. So it is not being done for our benefit, but their bank balance. Is there no way that the man in the street can assert himself, stop this exponential upgrade? Thank God we can’t upgrade the kettle any more!

Television has now joined the bandwagon, through the programme supply industry and some of the hardware suppliers. The former, I suspect because its programmes are not being accepted in the quantity they had hoped. I refer to the in-house rented films, each at a price for which one could rent three, for three days, from a DVD rental. Someone taking the full package will be paying more than £600 per annum, without paying for additional material. There is now a new alternative which also costs more. Some of the better films can now only be obtained on ‘High Definition’ requiring a telephone call. I believe this may also involve upgrading the receiver. Then there is Plus, containing a ‘hard-drive’, which allows one to pause during viewing and return later and pick up where one left off. The manufacturers are now offering equipment which not only gives the hard-drive service, it enables people to download and play later, on disk, material of their choice – breaking copyright? Unfortunately the repair and installation companies on the ground are lagging behind this technology and are insufficient to maintain the industry.

Parking is another case. We all realise the new policies are merely moneymaking schemes, without regard to the individual’s acceptance of these policies. The changes are causing the cost of parking to be ever dearer, and wider in application, to the point where the individual will have no freedom to use his car without risking penalty. As to pay as you drive, this seems iniquitous! The unfairness of all this, which started with Beecham, with no real reference to public opinion, or a true assessment of the growth of need, has placed us in a situation where public transport, an essential alternative to mass parking, is needed both in cities and even more in rural areas, but is almost non-existent. This too, it would seem, is costing ever more, instead of being subsidised as a National need, precisely to reduce congestion. There seems to be no move to upgrade public transport on a national level.

Taxation is no longer straightforward, we know our taxes are increasing year on year, we are not always sure precisely what proportion of what we spend is tax and what the money is intended for. In Northern Ireland, for years our annual council tax included water rates . It is believed, that money was never used for the purpose intended. Now Imperial Government demands our water rates will double year on year, to include all the updating, renewing and maintenance not previously done, as well as an enlarged supply system, hence we will be paying twice for the same service. Road tax is not, I believe, used to improve roads. The basic principle of the return of surplus money, destined originally for specific work, and accruing through not being spent, but needed later, which is now returned to the treasury at the end of each financial year, only goes to confuse the bookkeeping at the end of the day. We should all demand from our MPs that tax is separated from all other spending, (except import duty,) up front, so we know what we are paying and what it is applied to. It is a matter for our representatives to take up, urgently. I realise that this is more complicated than it will appear, as manufacturers and suppliers will include their taxation in the cost of what we purchase. We can all bleat away, but when Government has an overall majority, and apparently no one is individually responsible, let alone culpable, change is unlikely.

Social Mores. I have previously written about religion, but this spate of worldwide brutality and lawlessness, causes me not only to take a wider view of religion but relate it to some extent to our current problems. I wrote that I had been an interested believer until I was rudely awakened. At which point I steadily shrugged off my previous beliefs, but not the tenets which the religion had instilled in me When my girls were growing up, and as their mother was a churchgoer, I asked them to attend Sunday School until they were old enough to make their own decisions with respect to religion.

The 10 Commandments are basic social mores which are not confined to Christianity, but all religions with respect to social co-existence. They have been ignored on copious occasions by religious leaders throughout the centuries for secular reasons. What with the change in general attitudes of the 60s, it is unsurprising that in all religions, and probably especially Christianity, the silent majority has turned away from worship. I wonder how many children can now reel off the 10 Commandments without coaching, or even adhere to those tenets.

Having lived in Northern Ireland, in an allegedly religiously divided society, apart from the members of the paramilitaries, until recently the young were not seriously involved. Over the last few years it has become apparent that the young, in the more deprived areas, are increasingly out-of-control and are seeking excitement at any cost, possibly with pseudo, quasi paramilitary leanings For example – children light fires, with the sole intention of stoning the firemen when they answer the call. Currently the firemen are refusing to attend small blazes. This is clearly a breakdown in family responsibility through not adopting sound social mores. It is necessary that those basic values shall be indelibly printed on the minds of the young, but the question then is posed as to who should do this, as clearly the parents aren’t. Recently I demonstrated, by quoting my own experience, just how much teachers influence their charges, but they have enough to contend with. The solution would appear to lie solely with the parents. It seems totally illogical that bad, uncaring, parents, who allow their children to rampage, causing damage and mayhem, are not brought to book. These children, now and also when they become adults, place a burden on local authorities. It would therefore seem reasonable that the parents of the children should be brought to book for the damage these children commit. As it is likely, they have no money, and probably no job, then they should be given community service. Those who can afford to pay fines should be made to.

I find it strange that I have been banging on about single parent families, latch-key children, lack of extended families, lack of adequate recreational facilities for the young and teenagers and had just written this page, when, two hours ago, on the lunchtime News, I discovered we were 21st out of 21 European wealthy countries, when it came to assessing the aspects of the care, education, and welfare, etc of children.

Comic History. I’m not referring to history which has a funny side, but history gleaned in childhood from reading comic papers. In the 30s the comics were the children’s television of today, and every publication was awaited with anticipation. We knew the stories were rubbish, but they were exciting and had sufficient fact to make them real. Many were about wars of the past, and current wars. There was one in particular which was based on the British Raj trying to subdue warring tribes in the Khyber Pass. It was evident to us that the British were getting nowhere, because the story went on forever and was backed up by pieces in the Daily Press. Similarly we learned at school about the wars in the Sudan, the Middle East, and later we would learn all about how the British installed the Israelis in Palestine.

I am aware that the breadth of education that I received in the 30’s, is now arbitrary, and history and geography are no longer key subjects. So when our politicians, decide to send armed forces into those very places, which caused such problems in the past, without considering all the tribal problems that these various factions have maintained since the dawn of time, I put it down to them not having read very much history, or having ignored reasoned advice.. Not only in the comic books, but in our lessons in school, we were given to understand that on these various frontiers particularly in Afghanistan, the fighters were fierce, and almost impossible to winkle out from their  burrows. Need I say more!

I’m not sure if irresponsibility has exactly the same connotation as not taking responsibility or indeed negligence. I propose to assume they do.

Banking. On Tuesday the sixth of February, Watchdog on BBC1, TV, presented a piece which irrefutably showed that some major Banks are considering that if money is withdrawn, using a valid pin number, but without the approval of or even knowledge of the account holder, the Bank will hold the account holder responsible for the loss, due to “negligence”, even if the account holder has not been in the same County at the time of the theft. They even go so far as to suggest that the account holder may have passed on the pin number to someone else, written it down, or made it available in some other way. There was the case quoted, of an elderly woman who never used her pin number. £20,000 was withdrawn from her account without her knowledge and the Bank refused to honour the loss, and suggested that she should take out an overdraft. I can only draw the inference that the Bank considers that she withheld using her pin number to build up a case for fraud, which in my view is tantamount to slander.

I have written to my Bank with a list of questions, at the head of which is whether it too has or is adopting this heinous policy. If it has, I can see considerable difficulties ahead, in conducting my financial affairs both conveniently and safely.

Irresponsibility In Areas Of Our Welfare. In a previous article I mentioned the case of the Chancellor who inadvertently gave information that he was about to publish in his budget. Without inducement he resigned. It seems today that those who control our destiny at every level, negate any responsibility for their actions and are not brought to book. This would appear to be the case from the highest level down to those managing the affairs of local councils. I don’t think there is a need for me to hack over what has been happening in the last few years with respect to major decisions, reversals, and incredible wastage of public money with no return. It is all well documented in the press.

I highlight what has happened in Northern Ireland where, we are told, our rates will be increased as a result of European fines, for not having carried out work as and when instructed, to minimise marine pollution by sewage. The ratepayer, once he has elected politicians and councillors, has very little ability to take steps to control their management. In this case Councils were fully aware that the system was overloaded, they could not have been otherwise, as regular testing of the seawater constantly proved it so. Vested interest in the form of spec building, has been allowed to progress at an alarming rate, in spite of everyone knowing that the sewerage system would not and could not cope. Planning was corrupted, which should have staved off the situation, and when it was evident that the EU would be clamping down, the rate of building increased. I find it incredible that those who were acting on our behalf, had the audacity to plough on in the face of evident disaster, fully knowing that any fines will be deducted from the overall Northern Ireland budget, and yet they continued to allow what amounts to a criminal act to be perpetrated. There has been no word of censure, reproof or indeed some form of legal action against them.

Today too many people in positions of responsibility, are taking unwarranted chances in their administration, for reasons which cannot be justified, and proposing actions based on untried theories and often against professional advice – all apparently with no chance of any serious comeback, such as impeachment, criminal charges, or even the sack. We are told that, due to the changes in the voting boundaries, a hung Parliament is likely at the next election. Let us hope so! We will have a period of considered government, which we can hope will slow the race to ‘lead the world’ ( Margtet Beckett’s words – among others), when we can’t govern ourselves adequately, to the levels and higher standards of the past,.