threegee

Really really sad, but all good things do come to an end.  It's the way of retailing at the moment, and small retailers are by no means the exception: the iconic Boots is in meltdown, and who would have believed that retail analysts would ever be forecasting that now struggling retail giant M&S won't survive the next decade.  I hope Bedlington.co.uk can preserve a bit of the Keenleysides magic for posterity.

The questions are: exactly how much public money was used to gain this estimated boost, and what could have been achieved if this money had been used in a more phased and considered way? Five minutes of fame might not bring too much business to the places that really need it.

Politicos have a poor record of spending wisely, and they often can't resist the temptation to do things which they think will gain them maximum votes. This is simply an observation and not a specific criticism, but I do think this sort of thing needs a little more justification than we actually get. The chief problem we've had in our area is one party rule stifling proper accountability. Maybe times are changing, and I sure hope so!

There must be a point at which this sort of "public service" is dreamed up simply for the purpose of creating public sector employment, and a building a bigger empire (hence budget).  I can't help thinking that we passed this point a good while ago!

Chimney fires used to be a highly regular occurrence, and a certain way of getting your chimney cleaned.  They were sometimes unpleasant, but part of life in the area.  Preventing them required only a modicum of common sense, and so there was social pressure not to advertise you were a t** and/or too tight to pay a sweep!  Apparently such an event now requires the costly attendance of an average of two fire crews, and you become a victim of a failure in social policy!

All the official stuff on the incident focuses on polyurethane insulation and the possibility of an inflammable plastic back cover having helped the fire spread, but there's a curious silence about the refrigerant used.

One wonders if we will ever get the full truth here when EU legislation now permits the use of highly flammable refrigerants for "green" reasons - which are of course under pressure.  This particular model must be at least eight and possibly over ten years old.  If refrigerant ignition was in any way involved it seems vital that extra inspections and life tests are made on the pressure systems of fridges using this type of refrigerant.  So, it's a matter of vital public interest to know a ) what type of refrigerant is involved here? ; b ) did it contribute to the fire at all? ; c ) was possible refrigerant ignition the start of the fire or just a secondary effect?  Without this information being put clearly into the public domain focusing on a particular make or model is a bit of a red herring.

So... we'll be taking bookings for it on Bedlington.co.uk before too long?   It will be interesting to see the rates.

Was it the Blyth News or the Chronicle that font-paged the artist's concept of the redeveloped Bedlington Town Centre one exciting evening circa 1964?  Whichever, I really think someone should make a start on it - whilst the children of the people who marvelled at that brave new Bedlington are still around!

5 hours ago, John Fox (foxy) said:

Best thing we've seen come to Bedlington for a Generation.

Which generation would that be?

..and not too many strides from the Post Office for mail order!  If only I was 50 years younger!

Literally just a stone's throw from the exchange, so does this mean there's FTTC there?  The major complaint of many small business is lousy Internet.

You mean just like the Northumberland all-party Leave.eu campaign Maggie?  Based in Bedlington of course!!!

http://leave.eu/en/local-groups/group/northumberland-leaveeu

National membership is now well over 450,000, and it's growing by the hour.  National website and new member registration at leave.eu

Umm... the obvious question: How do you pronounce "Mrorrc"?

What no Android version?! A much bigger audience for Android than iOS these days - and the difference grows every month.

http://phandroid.com...e-market-share/

Could get you a job at the detached-from-reality Beeb though!

...and try Bedlington.co.uk on your mobile. A whole new experience that rocks!

Save a link on your smartphone's home page right now!

Brilliant!

I particularly like Bedlington, not just the dog! The sort of thing I could have come up with myself - though maybe I did!