We bought some seats for our grandchildren from Halfords - the type that fix on points rather than using the seat belt. They were excellent quality but so heavy I couldn't lift them into the car.

We can't have both seats permanently in the car because we take my sister out every week and there would be no space for her.

Can anyone recommend some good, protective seats that don't weigh a ton? We realise we might have to go for the ones that use the seatbelts.

https://uk.yahoo.com/news/archbishop-york-says-english-people-233925162.html

FOR THOSE WHO ARE 60 yrs OLD AND ABOVE PLEASE READ THIS.
This is for you. I really like what is said here and am going to try my best to follow it. Thank you to the person who wrote this. May God bless us all as we strive to be a blessing to others at this age, especially to our children.
🚩Between 60 and death. It's time to use the money you saved up. Use it and enjoy it. Don't just keep it for those who may have no notion of the sacrifices you made to get it. Remember there is nothing more dangerous than a son or daughter-in-law with big ideas for your hard-earned capital.
🚩Warning: This is also a bad time for investments, even if it seems wonderful or fool-proof. They only bring problems and worries. This is a time for you to enjoy some peace and quiet.
🚩Stop worrying about the financial situation of your children and grandchildren, and don't feel bad spending your money on yourself. You've taken care of them for many years, and you've taught them what you could. You gave them an education, food, shelter, and support. The responsibility is now theirs to earn their own money.
🚩Keep a healthy life, without great physical effort. Do moderate exercise (like walking every day), eat well, and get your sleep. It's easy to become sick, and it gets harder to remain healthy. That is why you need to keep yourself in good shape and be aware of your medical and physical needs. Keep in touch with your doctor, do tests even when you're feeling well. Stay informed.
🚩Always buy the best, most beautiful items for your significant other. The key goal is to enjoy your money with your partner. One day one of you will miss the other, and the money will not provide any comfort then, enjoy it together.
🚩Don't stress over the little things. You've already overcome so much in your life. You have good memories and bad ones, but the important thing is the present. Don't let the past drag you down and don't let the future frighten you. Feel good in the now. Small issues will soon be forgotten.
🚩Regardless of age, always keep love alive. Love your partner, love life, love your family, love your neighbor and remember: "A man is not old as long as he has intelligence and affection."
🚩Be proud, both inside and out. Don't stop going to your hair salon or barber, do your nails, go to the dermatologist and the dentist, keep your perfumes and creams well stocked. When you are well-maintained on the outside, it seeps in, making you feel proud and strong.
🚩Don’t lose sight of fashion trends for your age, but keep your own sense of style. You’ve developed your own sense of what looks good on you – keep it and be proud of it. It’s part of who you are.
🚩ALWAYS stay up-to-date. Read newspapers, watch the news. Go online and read what people are saying. Make sure you have an active email account and try to use some of those social networks. You'll be surprised at what old friends you'll meet.
🚩Respect the younger generation and their opinions. They may not have the same ideas as you, but they are the future and will take the world in their direction. Give advice, not criticism, and try to remind them that yesterday's wisdom still applies today.
Never use the phrase: “In my time.” Your time is now. As long as you’re alive, you are part of this time.
🚩Some people embrace their golden years, while others become bitter and surly. Life is too short to waste your days on the latter. Spend your time with positive, cheerful people, it'll rub off on you and your days will seem that much better. Spending your time with bitter people will make you feel older and harder to be around.
🚩Do not surrender to the temptation of living with your children or grandchildren (if you have a financial choice, that is). Sure, being surrounded by family sounds great, but we all need our privacy. They need theirs and you need yours. Even then, do so only if you feel you really need the help or do not want to live by yourself
🚩Don't abandon your hobbies. If you don't have any, make new ones. You can travel, hike, cook, read, dance. You can adopt a cat or a dog, grow a kitchen garden, play cards, checkers, chess, dominoes, golf.
🚩Try to go. Get out of the house, meet people you haven't seen in a while, experience something new (or something old). The important thing is to leave the house from time to time. Go to museums, go walk through a park. Get out there.
🚩Speak in courteous tones and try not to complain or criticize too much unless you really need to. Try to accept situations as they are.
🚩Pains and discomfort go hand in hand with getting older. Try not to dwell on them but accept them as a part of life.
🚩If you've been offended by someone – forgive them. If you've offended someone-apologize. Don't drag around resentment with you. It only serves to make you sad and bitter. It doesn't matter who was right. Someone once said: "Holding a grudge is like taking poison and expecting the other person to die." Don't take that poison. Forgive, forget, and move on with your life.
🚩Laugh. Laugh away your worries Remember, you are one of the lucky ones. You managed to have a life, a long one. Many never get to this age, never get to experience a full life.
My valued friends, enjoy peaceful life at this point in your life ...
Don't worry... be happy. 🥰

Continuing

This very Handsome Sheepshead fish was caught in North Caroliner, what a friendly smile! Wonder what his name is....

According to the link below, Angela Merkel the current Chancellor of Germany is the daughter of Adolf Hitler, who was nominated the Chancellor of Germany in 1933.

https://blogfactory.co.uk/2017/11/26/angela-merkel-is-the-daughter-of-hitler-and-hitler-was-a-rothschild/

Have you seen this?
https://bit.ly/3mI3o1N

The government are restricting access to information that we, the public, have a right to know about. A new report has found that there's a secretive government team who can obstruct Freedom of Information requests from journalists. It’s a threat to the ability for us all to hold politicians to account.

This murky team's existence was exposed by the independent global media organisation OpenDemocracy. Media giants across the political spectrum have condemned the blocking of FOI requests. And a former Conservative minister has demanded the government explain itself. What’s missing is a huge public outcry. That's where we come in.

Imagine if tens of thousands of us came together to tell the government to shut down this controversial team - called the "clearing house". The public outcry will add to the pressure on the government and could be the thing which stops them blocking requests for information.

Will you join me and sign the petition today?
https://bit.ly/3mI3o1N

click on

I normally knock on my fridge door before I open it.

Just in case there’s a salad dressing 😳

Extra bonus -- also your swimwear will be cheaper.

https://www.which.co.uk/news/2021/07/five-changes-the-uk-australia-trade-deal-could-make-to-your-food-finances-and-data-rights/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=engagingnetworks&utm_campaign=Trade_and_Food&utm_content=Food+and+Trade+-+UK-Australia+SA+update+240721

Sean is the vicar of a Protestant parish in Dublin and Patrick is the priest at the Roman Catholic Church across the road.

One day they are seen together, erecting a sign which says:

*"THE END IS NEAR. TURN YOURSELF AROUND NOW BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE."*

As a car speeds past them, the driver leans out his window and yells,

"Leave people alone, you religious nutters. We don't need your lectures."

From around the next curve they hear screeching tyres and a big splash.

Shaking his head, Father Patrick says "Dat's da terd one dis morning’."

"Yaa," Sean agrees, then adds, "Do ya tink maybe da sign should just say ….

"BRIDGE CLOSED" ?

My grandson has one of these....I had no idea they even existed

Even tho this is for the US and not the UK, it makes for interesting reading.......

Products have been withdrawn, but people may have some in their homes: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/aug/05/toxic-cat-food-fear-as-vets-struggle-with-mysterious-illness

Is anyone else struggling to get some sort of balance between getting on with life and being Covid safe?
We had a very small close family get together yesterday for my grandsons birthday. 10 close family members, all of us don't go to any busy places, we all did LF tests that morning before meeting AND we had it outside in the garden and constantly wiped bathroom and door handles down etc. It was still very weird for me and I caught myself still being ultra observant.
Is it just me? Are you all relaxed about things now or also wary of things?

Just read around 135 from abroad, as Gareth Southgate had mentioned at press conference, and 34 from UK... these were the severe posts that were found.
Police have arrested about 11 people here so far, and have passed on the foreign addresses to their respective country’s authorities. Warning now that people can no longer feel they can hide behind social media accounts and “need to think again”.

Or just an upgrade

https://www.policeprofessional.com/news/no-intention-to-scrap-action-fraud-says-city-of-london-police/

Stories abound about the service not being fit for purpose and it being scrapped. The Police say the truth is that it was always planned!

What starts with a W and ends with a T

It really does, I swear 😁

Someone on Gumtree is advertising a wardrobe with various uplifting quotes written on it.
I think the quotes deserve a wider audience................
(these are copied directly from the ad so I can't guarantee that they're accurate)

~Remember the entrance door to the sanctuary is inside you.~ Rumi

~Blessed are those who can give without remembering and take without forgetting.~ Elizabeth Ibesco

~Nothing glows brighter than the heart awakened to the light of love within it.~ Guy Finley

~Nothing ever goes away until it is taught us what we need to know.~ Pema Chodron

~The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.~ Pablo Picasso

~If you focus on the hurt you will continue to suffer. If you focus on the lesson, you will continue to grow.~ Buddha

~See the light in others and treat them as if that's all you see.~ Wayne Dwyer

~Character is how you treat someone who can do nothing for you~

~Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is the special occasion~

~The energy you give is the same energy that will return to you. ~

~Everyone you meet is either a blessing or a lesson.~

~Not all storms come to disrupt your life. Some come to clear your path.~

~The most beautiful people are those who can live without expecting it, who can love without expecting it returned.~

~The sun is alone too, but still it shines.~

Seven-in-10 drivers would like lower motorway speed limits in wet weather

31st Jul 2021

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Nearly three-quarters of drivers (72%) would like to see the standard 70mph speed limit on motorways reduced in wet weather to improve road safety and encourage better driving habits, RAC research has found.1

Of 2,100 drivers surveyed, a third (33%) said the limit should be reduced to 60mph in the wet, while 7% think it should be cut to 65mph. Seventeen per cent of drivers would like an even lower limit of 55mph or even 50mph, while 14% would like to see the limit cut but aren’t sure by how much.

The RAC understands France is currently the only country in Europe to have speed limits that are reduced during inclement weather, with the 130km/h (80mph) limit reduced to 110km/h (68mph – a reduction of around 12mph).

While there are significantly more motorway fatalities in France,2 806 people were still killed or seriously injured on motorways in Great Britain in 2019, with around a 30% of these casualties (246) occurring when the road surface was damp, wet or flooded – a figure higher than four years earlier (208).3

Official figures also show that wet roads and drivers travelling too fast for the conditions were respectively the cause of some 259 and 242 motorway collisions in 2018.4

Of the reasons given by drivers who advocate lower motorway speed limits in the wet, 78% said they felt lower limits would encourage some drivers to slow down, while 72% believed it might save lives, so is worth trying.

Two-thirds (65%) said slower speeds might improve visibility with less spray from moving vehicles, and half (53%) felt it would reduce overall vehicle speeds, even if some people ignored the lower limit.

Among the fifth of drivers (21%) who are against the idea of a lower motorway speed limit in bad weather, a majority said it was because most drivers already adjust their speed to the conditions (54%), or because there would be difficulty in defining when the new limit should apply (60%) – for instance, whether it would apply whenever the road surface was damp, or only while rain was actually falling.

Four-in-10 (42%) said many drivers choose to ignore existing speed limits anyway and a similar proportion (41%) thought drivers wouldn’t obey a lower motorway limit.

When asked whether a lower speed limit in the wet should be posted on stretches of motorway that already feature variable speed limit signage, including smart motorways, 73% of drivers were in favour, with 15% against the idea and 11% unsure.

Advice for driving in heavy rain and floods

Motorway cameras - what you need to know

What is aquaplaning and how to avoid it

RAC data insight spokesman Rod Dennis said: “Statistically, the UK has some of the safest motorways in Europe but it’s also the case that there hasn’t been a reduction in casualties of all severities on these roads since 2012, so perhaps there’s an argument for looking at different measures to help bring the number of casualties down.

“Overall, our research suggests drivers are broadly supportive of lower motorway speed limits in wet conditions, as is already the case across the Channel in France. And while most drivers already adjust their speed when the weather turns unpleasant, figures show that ‘driving too fast for the conditions’ and ‘slippery roads’ are still among the top 10 reasons for motorway collisions and contribute to significant numbers of serious injuries and even deaths every year.4

“The overall success of any scheme would of course depend on sufficient numbers of motorists reducing their speed, but even just a proportion reducing their speed in the wet would be likely to improve the safety of the UK’s motorways.

“There would also be a number of practical hurdles to be overcome such as deciding what that lower limit would be, updating the Highway Code and fitting roadside signage to inform drivers of the new limits.

“Finally, it’s worth remembering that an increasing number of stretches of motorway no longer have permanent 70mph limits, as all smart motorways feature speed limits which are automatically adjusted to ease congestion based on traffic flow.

"With digital signs now so commonplace, arguably the means exist to conduct a trial to see whether there are safety benefits of setting different speed limits in inclement weather.”

Highway Code Rule 227 states that stopping distances in wet weather are at least double those required for stopping on dry roads. This means the typical stopping distance at 70mph in dry conditions of 96 metres (315 feet) is extended to at least 192 metres (630 feet) in the wet, the equivalent of 48 car lengths. For more information, see this page on the RAC website.

Serious casualties on Great Britain’s motorways – when the road surface is damp, wet or over 3cm flooded

2016 2017 2018 2019 Average

Killed 34 18 39 28 30

Seriously injured 220 185 199 218 206

Total 254 203 238 246 235

Snow, frost and ice excluded

1. Research conducted among 2,100 UK drivers who are members of the RAC Driver Opinion Panel. Figures are weighted to be nationally representative

2. Source: Office of Rail and Road, ‘Benchmarking Highways England: 2020 Progress Report’, figure 2.16: www.orr.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2021-02/benchmarking-highways-england-2020-progress-report.pdf

3. Source: Department for Transport, https://roadtraffic.dft.gov.uk/custom-downloads/road-accidents/reports/d3be5751-f829-484b-8bc8-0f858a471c61

Pedestrians and cyclists given right of way in new Highway Code

Pedestrians and cyclists given right of way in new Highway Code

30th Jul 2021

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Road users on foot and bike are to gain greater priority over cars at junctions and crossings due to new Highway Code changes, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced.

Currently, drivers are only required to give way when someone steps onto a crossing, while pedestrians are told they shouldn’t start to cross until vehicles on the road have stopped.

The new rules – due to be published this autumn – will strengthen right of way for pedestrians on pavements and when crossing, or waiting to cross, the road.

The updated Code will also give cyclists priority at junctions when travelling straight ahead, as well as issue guidance on safe passing distances and speeds.

Plus, a “hierarchy of road users” will ensure the more high-risk modes of transport have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger they pose to others.

This move ­– which comes as part of the government’s new £338 million fund to boost cycling and walking ­ – intends to help accommodate and maintain the increase in active travel during the pandemic.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “Millions of us have found over the past year how cycling and walking are great ways to stay fit, ease congestion on the roads and do your bit for the environment.

“As we build back greener from the pandemic, we’re determined to keep that trend going by making active travel easier and safer for everyone.”

He added that the funding package will enable more people to make “sustainable travel choices” that make our “air cleaner and cities greener”.

The investment will also be used for infrastructure upgrades, including hundreds of miles of high-quality cycle lanes, as well as walking schemes.

A guide to overtaking safely on the road

15 simple things you can do as a driver that could save a life

Road crossings – what’s the difference between zebra, pelican, puffin and toucan crossings?

RAC head of roads policy, Nicholas Lyes said: “These proposals should make cycling and walking safer, and this is to be welcomed. A concerted effort must now be made to communicate the changes to drivers because as we know, many do not read the Highway Code for long periods after passing their test.

“Ultimately, the aim should be to ensure that everyone using the roads understands the new rules, because any confusion is likely to lead to avoidable collisions.”

The updated Highway Code will affect England, Scotland, and Wales, while Northern Ireland has its own version.

Some people are so judgemental

I can tell just by looking at them 😂

"Olivia, my eldest daughter, caught measles when she was seven years old. As the illness took its usual course I can remember reading to her often in bed and not feeling particularly alarmed about it. Then one morning, when she was well on the road to recovery, I was sitting on her bed showing her how to fashion little animals out of coloured pipe-cleaners, and when it came to her turn to make one herself, I noticed that her fingers and her mind were not working together and she couldn’t do anything.

'Are you feeling all right?' I asked her.
'I feel all sleepy,' she said.
In an hour, she was unconscious. In twelve hours she was dead.

The measles had turned into a terrible thing called measles encephalitis and there was nothing the doctors could do to save her. That was...in 1962, but even now, if a child with measles happens to develop the same deadly reaction from measles as Olivia did, there would still be nothing the doctors could do to help her. On the other hand, there is today something that parents can do to make sure that this sort of tragedy does not happen to a child of theirs. They can insist that their child is immunised against measles.

...I dedicated two of my books to Olivia, the first was ‘James and the Giant Peach’. That was when she was still alive. The second was ‘The BFG’, dedicated to her memory after she had died from measles. You will see her name at the beginning of each of these books. And I know how happy she would be if only she could know that her death had helped to save a good deal of illness and death among other children."

Roald Dahl, 1986

My Doctor told me I am going deaf

It was hard for me to hear 😳

https://www.tiktok.com/@casp47/video/6986331149924568326

Olympic semi final 🤣

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMd3DvJBa/

What do members think 🤔

https://www.eurosport.com/athletics/tokyo-2020/2021/tokyo-2020-belarusian-olympic-athlete-tsimanouskaya-taken-to-the-airport-in-tokyo-to-fly-home-agains_sto8464543/story.shtml

The strong young man at the construction site was bragging that he could out do anyone in a feat of strength. He made a special case of making fun of one of the older workmen. After several minutes, the older worker had had enough. “Why don’t you put your money where your mouth is,” he said.
“I will bet a week’s wages that I can haul something in a wheelbarrow over to that outbuilding that you won’t be able to wheel back.”
“You’re on, old man,” the braggart replied. “Let’s see what you got.”
The old man reached out and grabbed the wheelbarrow by the handles.
Then, nodding to the young man, he said, “All right, Get in.”
😁

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-58040793

What an awfully pompous man, criticising the way Alex speaks. In my opinion her presenting skills have been impeccable.

I just heard about a man who had an accident playing peek a boo

He is currently in ICU 😉

Max Whitlock

https://news.sky.com/story/tokyo-olympics-gymnast-max-whitlock-wins-gold-in-mens-pommel-horse-for-team-gb-12369752

Thank you for signing the petition to support President Biden’s proposal to stop global tax dodging.

Together we have made history. At the G7 in June finance ministers agreed to a groundbreaking deal to tackle global corporate tax dodging. Over 130 countries are now on board with this approach.

But the current deal does not go far enough. The minimum corporate tax rate agreed is only 15%. We need to see 25%. And the deal doesn’t do much for lower income countries. Most of the extra money will go to the richest countries. We now need to campaign for a better deal.

Sign the petition:

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/support-president-biden-s-proposal-to-stop-global-tax-dodging

Or this could be the result..

Yet another baby for Boris

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/jul/31/boris-and-carrie-johnson-expecting-their-second-child

I love my furniture

Me and my recliner go way back

👍

Bill and Melinda Gates got divorced.

Melinda got the house
But Bill kept the Windows 😬

A gentleman died and arrived in hell. He was met by the Devil and was told that in the new kinder gentler hell, each person is offered three choices of torture. The Devil explained that these tortures run in 1,000-year cycles and you could pick which cycle to begin with.

The Devil took the man to the first room where a man was hung up by his feet and was being whipped with chains. The man said he did not think that was where he wanted to start.

They proceeded to the next room where a man was hung up by his arms and was being whipped by a Cat-O-Nine Tails. The man also declined this form of torture.

The third room had a man strapped to the wall naked and a very beautiful young blonde woman was using her mouth to perform a sex act upon him. The man told the Devil this is more like it, and this was the one he wanted.

The Devil said "Are you sure? It lasts for a thousand years!" The man assured him that this was the punishment he wanted.

So the Devil walked over to the young woman and said, "You can go now, I've found your replacement."

I'm trying to remove all the walked-in emulsion that has been on the wood flooring under carpets. One room and hall already been done by a plumber who has gone on to pastures new and I've been trying without success. So far I've used steel wool with white spirit, sandpaper and white spirit, sander, very hot flannel and scraper and achieved nothing. I've tried oiling to see if it will darken but not happening. Sanding has driven the emulsion into the cracks, I think. Every room covered by carpet is the same, how anyone can be so idle as to walk paint through the whole ground floor is beyond me. Believe the woodblock is original l960s. Not looking for perfection but would rather not put another carpet over it.

People are usually shocked when they find out I am not a very good electrician 💥

Now on ch 5. looks interesting.

https://www.fr24news.com/a/2021/07/eu-decision-to-ban-lavender-sparks-frexit-call-in-france-hands-off-our-lavender-world.html

More than half of Covid hospitalisations are patients who only tested positive after admission, leaked data reveal....
The newspapers are full of headlines to distrust data...over a year late.
What do you think, and who do you believe? Journalists or politicians?

This was the name given to the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945.

It was originally intended for Berlin, but the European war ended in May 1945 and the bomb was not ready at that time.
The Germans should be thankful the Russians got there first.

...

Did you know you can’t use
Beefsoup as a password!

It’s not Stroganoff
😳

...

A burglar broke in and stole my coffee, my lamp and my parrot 🦜

I don’t know how they sleep at night 😂

Hi
I grow various herbs from seed in flowerpots on my kitchen window ledge.
I grew some basil a while ago using a variety called Picolino.
Only two plants grew in the pot even though I sowed a lot more seeds.
The picture on the seed packet showed normal sized basil leaves but the two plants were like bonsai basil, with a very large number of very tiny leaves, which looked very attractive as a pot plant.
I eventually harvested these and sowed another pot.
The pot is the same size and type, with the same type of compost, in the same location and I sowed seeds from the same packet as before. They're watered the same amount as before with the same frequency.
BUT
This time the plants are normal sized.
Do any of you know why there's a difference between the two sowings?

Pot boiler stones are still found in Norfolk. Are there any reports of finding some in your area?