Comment Time October 2022

 

October 2022 Comment.

 

I avoid being political on the blog because I do not want to labelled with being one party or another but I have seen many dubious acts by our politicians that defies belief and only confirms how corrupt they are, but our current Prime Minister has endeared no one with a reduction in tax that pretends to be beneficial to the country’s economy. Inflation that is running close to twenty percent for our food bill and energy at how many percent means that most low income people will be cold and hungry this winter. I was appalled at the budget with the decrease in higher rate of tax. It was obvious it was a reward for her mates and everyone knows if the rich get money they keep it and whinge like hell if they can’t even if they have so much money it doesn’t make any difference. Why not be benevolent if you take some off the bottom add some at the top. That is levelling up. One percent tax for the people who have nothing is still nothing. One percent added to the top is dramatic. The masses need money to survive if they have nothing the economy shrinks. This inflation we see is the result of printing money to pay for Covid. All of Europe gave people support in that time and is now being paid for. It will take years to sort out and we will all be poorer at the end of it.

I worked in the NHS for forty years doing my bit. In 2008 there was the banking crisis. Generate by unregulated greed. There is no sympathy from me but the real sufferers were the NHS and public services.  The money had to come from somewhere and since 2008 there have been successive cuts to budgets and changes in services which have come to a head now. Pay has never been good in the NHS but now the work force has been beaten into submission and can no longer cope with the expectations of receiving a very good standard of care. There are not enough people to do the work and Covid along with the government has driven them away. Those courageous people who still keep things running are martyrs but I’m not sure they can keep going much longer. There is still no money to pay for anything. I guess that borrowing more money will be the only solution because heaven knows why people who have billions need so much dosh. It is obscene. The people from our history who had that much money did something with it. All those statues of people you did not know of built schools, universities, hospitals and invested in public works that benefited the community. I see none of that coming forth from our current batch of business men.

I could go on but that could be boring and a bit more down to earth Hackney council motorcycle parking charges. I have had one rant about this along with Genghis Khan’s ULEZ and it was time for action. Organised by the Motorcycle Action Group, MAG, a protest ride around Hackney town centre took place on Saturday 8th October. About one hundred bikes gathered to make our voices heard and added to the traffic congestion in the centre of town.  It was an experience for us in promoting camaraderie but I’m not sure it had much effect other than being visible for over an hour repeatedly going by the council offices several times. The traffic was so dense it took ages to circumnavigate Hackney but when engines were too hot and clutch fingers frayed were retired to the Dark Arts cafe for refreshments and a well earned rest along with rallying speeches about what to do next. If you want to have a say email the council offices directly on their web site. Hackney is not the only council wanting to do this. If Hackney wins then we will have lost London to the unimaginative and blinkered who cannot seem to see that two wheeled transport is a solution to a problem. A little insight into Hackney is there are so many not so legal e-scooters and electric bicycles why are they so hell bent on getting rid of motorcycles? WE pay more road tax than most cars and are insured which all the bicycles, e-scooters and e-bicycles are not AND we obey the Highway Code.

September 2022

 

September 2022

 

Life has been going at a pace with interruptions from colds and infections. I’m sure I’m not right yet. In Hackney on Colvestone road is the Rebellion Blue plaque for Dorothy Levitt “Fastest Girl in the World” learning to drive in 1902 was trained as a mechanic and chauffer she got the speed bug and was winning races from the start. Not satisfied with racing cars she turned to boats and held the water speed world record in 1903. She held a number of world records up to the First World War. She wrote books on motoring and even invented the rear view mirror using her make-up mirror from her compact strategically placed in the car. Who would have thought someone so ‘dare devil’ lived just a short distance from a Primary School? A notice for Girl Power if there ever was one but I’m sure few people take much notice of the Blue plaque and its significance.

Giving the El Cid a rest and wanting to put some miles on the Burton I had a number things planned, like the 2CV Club night, the Wey Valley Advanced Motorcyclists trade faire and the model railway exhibition at Whitewebbs Museum. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday of that week all of which I missed. Sunday I was on my way to the Norfolk Broads for some quality time with my Brothers. I popped into the Museum on the way and saw four of the model engines I had built running. Number five had been working but had expired by the time I arrived. I had built them in the early eighties when working away from home. It was a real treat to see them performing again on the tracks at the museum.Arriving at the museum it turned out to be Morris Minor day and to my surprise  I was invited to display the Burton while I was there. 

The Norfolk Broads, specifically Martham, has a very good DIY store where you can get everything from tow ball covers to household fittings, rope, tools galore and paint for any job. It was a must visit place for me as I was able to replace the tow ball cover lost in Spain and another one for the Burton. It was a good escape to some fresh air with some sailing and trips out using a new lightweight outboard devised by Adrian using a 50cc two stroke strimmer engine. It worked well with a centrifugal clutch that had lighter springs that allowed the drive to disengage just above tickover instead of half way up the rev range. There was some fettling to be done to get the most out of the engine that probably needs a less aggressive propeller to make the most of the revs and power from the engine.

Back home and the fuel economy from the Burton returned 54mpg. Not bad from a thirty-five year old engine. Home a couple of days and Gita and I were off to Barnsley for an eightieth birthday party. The Burton returning 49mpg for that trip. Not quite so good but it is up hill going north.