Bad losers.

The Seasiders played their arch enermies Preston North End last Saturday.  The Tangerine Army of 5,400 marched en-masse to Deepdale to take over the entire Bill Shankly stand. Despite what the PNE manager had to say, which  as expected was not very complimentary about our performance and how he thought his charges should have won. Yeah, right Fergie jnr, dream on. Although the score ended 0-0, it was an entertaining game with chances going to both sides but Blackpool's efforts  numbered than their opponents. Yet again we  created more noise than the sleeping residents housed in the other three stands. Considering we went into this game on the back of three defeats and without a few  star players the result was testament to the calibre of the squad. I cannot pick out anyone in particular for special praise because everyone of the team played their part. Last night we entertained Middlesboro, a team like their manager who think they have a devine right to win every game and look at Blackpool as a small tin pot town. Their arrogance was their downfall and the defeat was just what they deserved. It's been a long time since I have witnessed a worst case of losing badly than from this bunch. Strachen has paid out millions to attract players to the Riverside, he even tried to sign Charlie Adam from us, which failed. After last night I bet Charlie was glad it did, because they put in a lack lustered, third rate performance.  They were turned inside out by the boys in Tangerine, who have managed to beat them home and away this season. We beat them 0-3 at their ground and 2-0 last night. That's 5-0 on aggregate you Boro boys, so just accept that you are not as good as you think you are. Apparently one of your star players gets more in wages than our entire squad.  Yet last night after we went down to 10 men and with 30 minutes to play we even gave you a penalty and you still  couldn't  score. But were any of you gracious in defeat? Not a chance. So remember boys, it's not how you react when you win that counts, it's how you react when you lose that determines your worth. Suffice to say, yours and your manager's combined worth matches the economy of Zimbabwe. Ziltch. Wish we could play you every week.

Insurance.

Shall I tell you what industry I hate more than any other? It's the Insurance industry. I hate everything associated with it. We are constantly told that our premiums have to go up because of claims made by unscrupilous individuals, which are costing the insurance companies millions in fraudulent applications. This applies to every form of insurance apparently. The customer as far I am concerned is in a no-win situation. We cannot legally drive our vehicles without insurance. We have to take out life insurance if you have a mortgage. You have to take out house and contents insurance. There's travel insurance. The list is endless and yet in all the years I have lived in houses (approx. 35 years), I can honestly say I have only made one claim. Does this help me? Does it hell. Car insurance, the biggest rip-off ever. You don't make a claim, but you asked if you wish to protect your "no claims bonus", at an extra cost, or do you want legal protection, again at extra cost, or do you want road-side  assistance incorporated in your insurance, at an extra cost? No I don't thank you very much, just give me the minimum I need to be "protected". The biggest aggravation are these "no-win", "no fees", injury firms springing up everywhere like weeds in a garden. Have you had an injury in the last three years spiel? Hate 'em. That's why everyone's insurance premiums go up, it's down to greedy solicitors and their clients. The doctor's surgeries and staff are over-run with "whiplash" bodies trying to claim compensation. I used to laugh at the silly American compensation cases, until the silliness spread over here. Take that clown who appears on the television advert who claims he was given the wrong type of ladder when installing an alarm. Ughhh. Wrong ladder? If it was the wrong ladder (which is laughable to say the least) why did the clown use it in the first place? Would you? Still, he's the one with £7,500 in his grubby broken hand, not me, so perhaps I could be the fool. Pass me the claim darling, whilst I go and borrow his wrong ladder.

3 bed detached house for sale in Preston - Find a Property

3 bed detached house for sale in Preston - Find a Property

Favourite films.

I was just recalling some of the films over the years that had an impact on me when I first saw them. Some shocked me, some inspired me, whilst others left me disappointed. There were some like The 10 Commandments, El Cid, Ben Hur, The Vikings that at the time were very impressive with their special effects. More recently The Last of the Mohicans and Gladiator spring to mind for their action and adventure. I especially liked Daniel Day-Lewis in his role as Hawkeye in The Last of the Mohicans, along with the menacing Huron, Magua played brilliantly by Wes Studi. I found the film to be very atmospheric and the fighting scenes were very authentic. I particularly liked the way the tension steadily built right up to the final scenes.

What chance has Gordon Brown got of leading Labour to election victory?

Although I do not think Labour will suffer a massive landslide defeat at the forthcoming election, I do believe their cause is not helped by having Brown as their leader. Unfortunately, the recent "coup" to oust him by some former Cabinet ministers was such an amateur affair it was laughable. I now think  it is too late for any other minister to try and oppose Brown before the election. I also think most Labour MPs are already bracing themselves for a backlash because the government have run out of ideas and are blamed by the voters for the debt they have accumulated and also because of their involvement in the expenses scandal. Admittedly not all MPs were involved, but you tend to find that the residing government come in for more criticism when a scandal breaks out rather than the opposition parties. Even Tony Blair, with his knack of survival relieved himself of Prime Ministerial duties when it was obvious he would be asked to step down from office. Not so Gordon Brown. It is plainly obvious Brown lacks the charismatic qualities of Blair, so his chances of re-election are even more remote. It is difficult to pick out anyone in the Labour ranks who could give them a fighting chance, as happened when the Conservatives lost power. So I think Labour will have to spend quite a long time in opposition before the electorate are willing to give them another chance. I could be wrong, but I do not think Gordon Brown has any chance of leading Labour to another election victory. Only time will tell.

The Beano.

What is going on with the Beano? It appears the PC brigade has struck again. Apparently they are making Dennis the Menance, less menacing. He is not allowed to be seen with guns and has been given a girlfriend. Even Gnasher his dog, is being given a makeover, so that he no longer bites anyone. Over the years we have seen these popular comics go through a so called modernisation process in line with their TV counterparts. But for the traditionalists like me who grew up with these comic icons I find it very disappointing. As far as I am concerned some things are not always improved when updated and should be left alone.

My house sale and search continues.

Well I am 19 days into the sale of my house and although I have yet to see any propective buyers I still remain optimistic about moving. Whilst I am on the subject my property details can be seen via the on-line Estate Agents I am using a company called http://www.hatched.co.uk/. They were formed by three colleagues who have worked in the industry for several years and set up their own business.  I decided to try this approach because not only is it cheaper, a lot cheaper, than high street Estate Agents, but they use the same web sites as them to publicise your property. I have also erected two "For Sale" signs to the front and rear of my property. This is because my house is situated at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac and as such has no passing traffic, whereas the rear of the property borders the incoming road. It is amazing how when you first decide to advertise your house you get promotional details sent to you by lots of Estate Agents, all extolling their recent and past successes in selling property. All invariably produce graphs and charts backing up their claim, but in reality a sale is never guaranteed. Why not you ask them? It's put down to the seller expecting too much for their house, instead of accepting the knock down valuation they put forward. This is all well and good, but after you have spent a great deal of time and money maintaining and improving your property, it is not a lot to expect to receive as near the asking price as you originally set. If I had used the traditional approach they would have charged me at least 1.5% of my selling price. At £172,950 would come to £2,594.25 + VAT= £3048.24. If I went with the lowest valuation I was given at £165,000 their share would be £2,475.00 + VAT= £2,908.13. That means that we would lose £7,950, whereas their share would only go down by £140.11 and they then wonder why people are so disallusioned with Estate Agents. Not only are their fees higher but also the extra services are too. Such as arranging a HIP through them or using their panel of solicitors or arranging a mortgage through them. OK, we know they are a business and they need to make money, but not at my expense. I make no excuses for adding a picture of my property again because I believe it offers the propective buyer excellent value for money. Although it is early days I have gone to look a two properties a local Estate Agent had on their books to see if they would meet my requirements. The first had absolutely no redeeming features whatsoever. It would take an astronomical amount of money to put it in a habitable condition. It would take a property developer to totally gut it and start again. The second one was better, but overpriced. It still needed  quite a lot work doing to it, in particular having a central heating system installed. What amazed us most about visiting the property was the indifference shown by the Estate Agent rep. By coincidence she was the same lady who accompanied us around the first property. Not once did she try and list any good points, but more disappointedly she highlighted the bad points. We assumed that her approach to her job mirrored the salary she received. She is not the first representative we have come across seen since starting our house search to display this negative side. So our decision to try the approach we have has been boosted by  this experience. I will keep updated in the coming weeks and of the eventual outcome.

Creating a safe play area for children.

I was recently asked by  friends to create an area where their children could use their slides and swings safely. At the time of asking the equipment was situated on their driveway in front of their garage. Although the garage was no longer used to house any cars it was still used for tools and household items, therefore having the playground equipment in front of it caused more problems. In addition to this the children's stuff was on concrete, which had no soft surface under it. So you can understand their concern especially as the youngest child was only 18 months old. The garden consisted of a patio area where the adults had a table and chairs. There was also a lawn, which was surrounded with borders consisting of shrubs and plants. Right at the end of the garden  was an overgrown area, which originally had a greenhouse on it, but had since been dismantled and thrown away. My friends had thought of turning it into another seating area but decided against this in favour of a childrens play site. My first task was to clear the site, which measured 4m x 2m of grass, weeds, wild shrubs, nettles and worst of all dog dirt. Yes, the owners thought it a good idea to let their big, overweight hound  defecate everywhere. Not a pleasant task at all, but to do a good job needs good preparation. I tend to put on a pair of latex gloves first, then some rigger gloves over them for added protection. More importantly with jobs like this you need to wear safety goggles, because you will be surprised how many times soil is thrown up into your face when working in the garden. Soil carries its own infections, even more so when accompanied by what animals have left behind, so self preservation is paramount. I must admit since I agreed to carry out the work I did have second thoughts about doing it, especially with the country experiencing the worst winter for 30 odd years. One minute the ground was soaking wet due to heavy rain, next it would be frozen solid or covered in deep snow. Oh the joys of outside winter working. These conditions forced me to delay and at times postpone the work I had planned. So I was always on the phone to them either comfirming I was coming or not. What complicated this even more was the fact that my friends had some side gates installed, which they insisted on locking all the time, so I had to ensure they left it unlocked for me. I eventually cleared the site after several days and trips to the local municipal tip, which is another story in itself and one that I will write about at another time. I also cleared a pathway through the borders, so that the adults could keep an eye on their siblings from a safe distance. The next task was to flatten the surface down and lay strong plastic sheeting down called "Visqueen" over it. Visqueen is used by builders as a waterproof barrier and  comes in rolls that are 4mtrs wide. Next, I laid down 4 rubber multi-purpose endurance mats measuring 1.5m x 1m, which acts as a safety surface, so preventing the children injuring themselves should they fall. These can be obtained on-line from http://www.endurancemats.com/ at a cost of £19.99 each post free. For extra safety I surrounded the outer edge of the matting with garden bark. I laid 4 x flags on the path to the play area and finished it off with pea shingle. My final job was to transfer the children's platform and slide together with their table and chairs to the new play area. So despite my reservations, delays and difficulties I was very happy with the end result, as were my friends. My only concern was that they would continue to let their dog use the site as a toilet, but I have received assurances from them that they will find an alternative. Only time will tell? At least I have done my bit.

Blackpool Football Club

The Seasiders have been on the wrong end of some exceptionally bad refereeing decisions of late. Time and time again we seem to be penalised more than the opposition. Take the last two games we were involved in. Firstly, we hosted West Bromwich Albion. A cracking game played by both sides, which went first one way then the other. A 2-2 draw would have been a fair result considering WBA are the best side we have played this season. Unfortunately in stepped the referee and gave them a penalty, resulting in them getting all three points. Fast forward to the following Saturday when we hosted Leicester City, not a favourite team of mine. Despite going behind 0-2 with a few minutes to play, we managed to get a goal back through on-loan striker Steve Dobbie, his second in as many games. With only a few minutes remaining we started to put increasing pressure on the opposition. This pressure resulted in Charlie Adam powering into the penalty area before his leg was clipped by their full back causing him to fall onto the ball. The cry of "PENALTY" was echoed throughout the ground by the home fans. We all waited for the official to point to the penalty spot to give us our just desserts, but the only action he did apart from booking Charlie was to wave away our protests. This resulted in Charlie accumulating 10 bookings which meant that he is now suspended for the next two games, which includes our hotly contested derby match against our close neighbours Preston North End on Saturday. We are taking 5,300 fans to the game, which should generate a cracking atmosphere. 

Talent programmes

Due to the fact my wife and daughter are avid fans of the X Factor, American Idol etc, I  sometimes have to sit through them myself. I am sure many husbands experience the same thing. Having said that, I must admit some of the programmes are quite hilarious, especially the American ones. How some of these people think they've got talent is beyond me. A few have genuine good voices, but the bulk are absolute non-runners. It's no wonder the judges get a bit fractious with one another and with the contestants. Having to sit and judge thousands of wannabe instant stars must be tedious to say the least, especially the ones that will not take NO for an answer. Obviously their egos has been well and truely massaged by their close family, friends and associates into thinking they are the next Idol. This despite having no genuine talent whats so ever. So it's no surprise when you see them leaving after their performance either in tears or mouthing obscenities to all and sundry and vowing to return next year. I think I might enrol, after all my family and friends think I have a wonderful tone deaf singing voice. Here I come Simon.

Who gets my vote?

I have always voted ever since I was old enough to put my "X" on the form. In addition I have always known whom I would vote for in a General Election, that is until the forthcoming election. For once I have no idea who to vote for? I, like a good many other people, have been sickened by the ongoing expenses row in which numerous MPs have climbed onto the gravy train and have exploited the system. There has been many instances whereby MPs have "employed" several members of their own family, even though the family members did nothing to justify the salary they were paid. So when I hear an MP complaining about the money they are paid is not enough I get rather annoyed. They fail to tell you that each member gets paid a salary most of us would dream of, so when you total up how much actual money goes into the MP's household, it's a totally different picture. Admittedly my complaint is not against the many hard working MPs who do a very good job, it's aimed at the ones who have milked the system far too long and hopefully will receive their just desserts in a few months time. That still begs the question of which party do I vote for? To me Labour, as well as having the most uncharismatic leader for a long time, have run out of steam and ideas. The Conservatives too, do not instill any convidence in me to trust them with my vote. The Lib Dems, well if I thought they could muster enough national votes to form a government I might be tempted to give them a try. Let's face it they cannot be any worse than the other two or could they? The danger this apathy I and others are feeling could leave the way open to the extremist parties getting a further foothold. I will definitely vote so that my voice is not totally lost, but not for an MP who I think is not worthy of the previledge of representing me.