Paul

In 2007 our village had 3548 residents, in 2011 it was 5760, in 2017 7069, a 99.2% increase in 10 years. There are 362 houses currently under construction and permission approved for a further 898, which will close the greenfield gap between this and the neighbouring village. Despite the increase in size there is one less GP in practice in the village than there was in 2007. In cases of emergency a paramedic takes clinic, which is almost permanent now. Additional capacity has been supplied with an additional practice nurse. Plans for a new health center have been cancelled. The land earmarked for it will become a private care home. Plans for an additional school have also been shelved with new classrooms built at both the Infant and Junior schools. This extra capacity will be insufficient by 2021, three years time. There is no rail service within 10 miles of the village, and Arriva announced earlier this year that buses to and from the village will now stop at 6pm weekdays and not operate on Sundays. What is that phrase about hell in a handcart?

I have long held the opinion that clubs finances be better controlled, and that clubs should pay a fee to the FA on a rising scale based on the level of their income. Loopholes used by the big clubs to bring in money from sugar daddy owners need to be closed. I grew up in an era where at least half of the 22 teams in (the then) Division 1 had a realistic chance of winning it. Now, at best you have to say there are three, and for the next few years it looks like that number could be reduced to the lowest cardinal number.

Absolutely right Ian, in fact nothing at all in real terms. Clubs will tell you that money from TV deals allows them to filter money down into their local grass roots game but in reality very few even make an attempt. The formation of the Premier League was all about the twenty teams involved being able to keep all of the money paid for sponsorship and TV rights and they don't let go of it easily.

Goalkeeping has been our problem for years. Still, we are Liverpool, we go again.

You didn't distract our keeper in the process did you?

if your laptop has an hdmi slot you could be really old fashioned and connect with a wire

sorry I'm not a firestick expert. On our now tv box it went straight in. I first tried casting from my laptop and it was taking forever to load. We do have a smart TV but I can't access youtube on it as some delightful little child has lost the remote

you can access youtube on your fire stick, then search bt sport

Sadly they have to, but equally sadly not enough millions to avoid our best players leaving for richer paydays elsewhere. That is why I said "something has to be done to stop rich sugar daddies pouring millions, even billions of pounds into the few "fortunate"? teams to be supported by Russian or Arab oil money under the guise of vastly inflated sponsorship deals." If clubs had to live according to their genuine means it would be a start.

19:45 precisely five hours from now, not that I'm counting

And well done Ian, btw, for your "cross party" support. What a shame all football supporters cannot share that attitude. Liverpool run out in Kiev tonight representing all of English Football.

Obscene money in the Champions League? This match will be worth around £4m to the winners. Compare that to the £160m pay day the winners of this afternoons Championship Play Off Final will receive and I think it put's the Champions League into perspective. I'm in two minds on how teams get into the tournament. As a life long Liverpool fan who has followed them through thick and thin (I was in Rome in 84, sadly in Brussels in 85, I stood on the terraces of Leppings Lane in 89 and was pitchside in the Attaturk for the miracle of Instanbul in 2005) a part of me still thinks that only National League winners should go forward, as it was in "the good old days". However the good old days were anything but, of course. Players retiring virtually crippled and penniless as chairman grew fat on the profits on an era with regulated wages. Don't kid yourself that football was ever "the working man's game", it was just different people growing wealthy off their backs. Take off the rose coloured spectacles and you'll see that the good old days were not as good as we like to think. Agreed, the game is far from perfect now and something has to be done to stop rich sugar daddies pouring millions, even billions of pounds into the few "fortunate"? teams to be supported by Russian or Arab oil money under the guise of vastly inflated sponsorship deals. The modern Champions League attempts to bring all of the best clubs together and that is exactly how it should be. Truth is there are still too many poor clubs, too many "whipping boys" in the tournament. Not all leagues are equal, the standard in different countries is not the same. As a supporter of a Scottish side you must know this. With the exception of Celtic it is unlikely that any SPL side would make it even into the English Championship, let alone Premier League. I'm not being (intentionally) derogatory, that's just how it is. Other leagues accross Europe, or the UEFA area are similar or worse. Every national champion has the chance to play in the UCL, but should Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi be involved in a tournament to find Europe's best because they are Finnish Champions at the expense of Real Madrid who could only finish third in Spain or Manchester United who finished second in England? Of course they shouldn't, no sensible person could suggest that they should. It seems likely that the Champions League will evolve in the coming years into a true Pan European Super League with Europe's sixteen best teams, regardless of nationality competing in it, and a cup competition similar to the UCL or UEFA awarding promotion in to it. That might just be one step too far for my liking. Continue to enjoy your football, and good luck to Hibs for next season. Don't get bitter just because there are other teams that compete at a higher level, life is too short. I could feel bitter towards clubs like Chelsea and Man City. I know LIverpool can never compete against their spending power and without doing so are unlikely to win a Premier League Title. Thankfully there is the Leicester City phenomenon to keep us dreaming. Enjoy your football, and if you run into Fish at Easter Road please pass on my regards.

We spend all winter waiting for the cricket season to begin, sunny days and the age old sound of leather on willow and trust the England Cricket Team to have us praying for rain after only two days. After a truly shocking winter overseas this two match mini series against Pakistan was supposed to exorcise the demons and get us back in shape for the main event, five tests against India. These generally young and inexperienced Pakistan players were supposed to turn up, roll over and restore England's confidence. I don't think they read the script. In fairness, Hoveton Old Boys 3rd XI would be causing this England team major problems. I remember England of the 70's and 80's when with the exception of the odd burst of brilliance they were truly woeful, mediocre on a good day. This shower of charlatans is probably the worst I have ever seen. I include the vast array of coaches, management etc in that too. They have become obdurate to the point of pigheadedness. So, whilst I watch the latest capitulation I shall dispense my damming opinion on the great and good of English Cricket. Andrew Strauss, Director of England Cricket. The man who has, or should have the sign on his desk, "The Buck Stops Here". A fine player and captain but living proof that just being good at something does not necessarily mean you can manage it. Obviously distracted with personal issues for which I wish him and his family the very, very best. Stepping away temporarily to concentrate on those issues. As the man at the top he has to take responsibility. Verdict: Has to go. Gardening leave then quietly out the back door. Trevor Bayliss, Head Coach. Began his tenure with an ashes series win over his native Australia but under his leadership a great England test side has gone rapidly down hill. Seems hell bent on adapting an aggressive style of T20 like test match play despite countless demonstrations that it does not work. Seems incapable of (or unwilling to) develop a proper test match ethos amongst England players. Has announced he will leave his post when his current contract expires in 2019. Verdict. Has to go immediately . Pay his contract off and escort his from the ground this afternoon. Mark Ramprakash, Batting Coach. Played 52 tests for England averaging a meagre 27. Would not have got near the England side as a player had he played for one of the shire counties or west country country teams rather than Middlesex. Repeatedly demonstrated he was not good enough as a test player and seems no different in the role of batting coach. Lack of discipline in our batting has been the largest single cause in England's recent demise and this is where the responsibility lies. Verdict. Has to go immediately . Pay his contract off and escort his from the ground this afternoon. Chris Silverwood, Bowling Coach. New to the role after England lost Ottis Gibson to South Africa in 2017. Led Essex to the County Championship last season and on paper at least has all the requirements but must get a grip on Englands failing attack very rapidly. Needs to iron out technical deficiencies which ave crept into both Anderson and Broad's actions over the last couple of years if they are to continue as a threat in test cricket. Must have more input into bowler selection and vitally has to get our bowlers pitching the ball in the right place. Verdict: Too early to tell. Joe Root, Captain, Middle Order Batsmen and Occasional Off Spin Bowler. England brightest batting talent since the emergence of Cook twelve tears ago Played 67 tests already and averages over 50 but despite starting his career as an opening batsmen is best suited to number four. Must bat there for England. Not suited to captaincy and seems to have been appointed following a long running and usually disastrous England policy of appointing your best player to the role. Verdict: Relieve him of the captaincy and return to number four. Alastair Cook. Opening Batsman. The mainstay of England's batting for the last decade and still the linchpin. If he fails England fail. Has played over 150 tests averaging better than 45 but has suffered a dip in form is recent years which coincides with a technical issue with his footwork. A batsman that has built his career on technique and timing rather than strength he could play on for several years but needs better coaching to sort his footwork. Verdict: Still England's best (and perhaps only true) opening bat but needs better support from the middle order to reduce the pressure on him. Mark Stoneman. Opening Batsman. The latest in a long line of opening partners for Cook since the retirement on Andrew Strauss. Has neither the technique nor mentality to open the batting in test cricket and at 30 is unlikely to develop into the role. Verdict: Not good enough, this should be his last test. Dawid Malan. Middle Order Batsman. Root has moved to three to accommodate Malan at four. Has shown some ability with six fifties and one hundred in his first 11 tests but like Stoneman demonstrates technical issues especially outside off stump. Could develop but the number four slot he needs is not available. Verdict: Might stay around the England camp but no place for him. Jonny Bairstow. Wicket Keeper and Lower Middle Order Batsman. Has developed well with the gloves and now easily first choice keeper offering useful runs at number six. Moved up to number five to plug the gap in this test but must go back to six. Has been England's saviour on a number of occasions following top order flops but needs stronger batsman around him. Ben Stokes. All Rounder. Accomplished all rounder his feisty character is valuable on the field. Provides valuable lower order runs as well as important wickets. Has the knack of breaking partnerships which is huge in any test side. Was poorly treated by the selectors following off field issues last year. Should have toured with England during the winter and his absence destabilised the team. Verdict: Inked in at number 7 Joss Butler. Wicket Keeper and Lower Middle Order Batsman. A white ball specialist, selected for this match on the back of a successful IPL T20 tournament, which illustrates all that is wrong with England's selection process. A decent wicket keeper he has been over taken by Bairstow with the gloves and his batting is short of test standard. Verdict: An understudy to Bairstow as keeper, otherwise should be nowhere near this test side. Dominic Bess. Off Break Bowler. A young man who has performed well for England Lions but probably only selected here because his Somerset team mate Jack Leach is injured. Verdict: One for the future, maybe. Mark Wood. Fast Bowler. Preferred to Chris Woakes because of his extra pace, Wood is the closest England currently have to a true fast bowler but has demonstrated that pace alone is not enough. A bowling average of over 40 runs per wicket is not good enough for a strike bowler. Needs greater accuracy and hostility if he is to make it. Verdict: There are better options. Stuart Broad. Fast Medium Bowler. England's second all time wicket taker and alongside Anderson part of our most successful bowling attack ever. Has the ability to demolish a test side and turn matches but hugely dependent on confidence. Has struggled recently with technical issues around the hand position and release of the cricket ball which Chris Silverwood needs to address urgently to get Broad back to his best. Showed ability during the winter to shape the ball more than he has before and being four years younger than Anderson may have to lead this England attack through an inevitable transition period. Has provided useful runs in the past including a test best of 168 but has lost all confidence since being struck on the head by Aaron Varun in 2014. Seems unlikely to recover his batting ability so will rely on his bowling. The current lack of any obvious third seamer suggests his place in the side is unlikely to come under threat. Verdict: Needs work to get back to his best but should be around until the next ashes series. James Anderson. Fast Medium Bowler. England's all time leading wicket taker and just 32 off Glen McGrath as the leading seamer in test cricket but his best days are behind him. Seems unwilling or unable in recent years to pitch the ball up and use his greatest weapon, late swing. He is not fast enough to bowl back of a length. Has been taught a lesson by the Pakistan bowlers in this test. Needs a good talking to and a kick up the ****. Verdict: Reputation and lack of competition will probably keep him in the side until next years ashes series but must get the ball in the right place.

It is shown on BT Sport, however they are streaming it free of charge. I believe you can access it via their own web page or their youtube channel.

bump..... on now

I think the biggest issue here is that the booking was taken three weeks ago with the knowledge that a Groupon voucher is being used, then just a couple of days beforehand the establishment revokes the booking. There is no other word for that than shoddy. It would terminate my patronage of said establishment ad infinitum.

Groupon works in two ways, Goods and Services. With goods then without exception every time I have googled the item being offered I have found it cheaper elsewhere, usually via Amazon or similar online retailers. With regard to services then you can sometimes make savings, there was a good offer from a boatyard a couple of years ago for fixed price short breaks that was very popular and kept most of said boatyards vessels out on the river when otherwise they would have been tied up in dock. Whether the yard in question made much money from those bookings is for them to know, but they certainly attracted a whole raft of new customers some of who will hopefully have returned. With regard to data you can instruct Groupon or any other such company that you do not want your data used or passed to third parties. They are legally obliged to comply. They cannot make their deals dependent on being able to pass your data on or use it in ways that you don't agree with. Likewise you don't have to sign up to see their deals, however you will have to supply relevant information to take up any of the offers.

We no longer have a dog, having lost Ziki last february after 17 years. I never objected to paying a charge to take her with us to cover the additional cleaning cost, assuming the boatyard actually DID the extra cleaning. Our usual yard, Pacific certainly did but I've used a few, usually larger yards where it was quite evident that they hadn't. It was obvious that they made the charge simply as a means of generating additional profit. I never understood why you paid a different cost for a dog for a short break / week / two weeks. After all, the extra cleaning is a one time requirement regardless of how long the dog was on board. Charging £70 per week is frankly taking the water. With regard to people with any kind of allergy to dogs or condition which is aggravated by them then there are plenty of dog free boats available so suggesting dogs should be banned from all boats is ridiculous. The choice is there, as marshman says. Returning to the OP, I personally wouldn't worry too much about the age of the boat. How well it is maintained and presented is much more important.

It is next on Thursday 24 May, 13:30 You can watch Talking Pictures TV on Virgin 445, Freesat 306, Freeview or Youview 81 or on the Sky digital satellite platform, channel 328.

There is an awful lot of utter codswallop being spouted in the petrol / diesel / hybrid debate, both by Governments and Manufacturers both determined to protect their own best interests. It's hardly surprising that people have no idea what the real truth is, in fact most "experts" don't either. Diesel engines produce carcinogenic particulates, we have known that for years, twenty years at least. Well before the UK government decided to promote diesel as the preferred fuel for road cars by changing the VED bands in their favour in 2005. So, we should all drive petrol cars to avoid these particulates, right? Wrong, petrol engines also produce carcinogenic particulates with the most modern direct injection engines being the worst offenders, some worse than equivalent diesels. In fact a recent study in Switzerland suggested it was more important to fit particulate filters to direct injection petrol engines than to diesel.

I understood it. Should I be worried?

I would take a few issues with the original post, based purely on what I have witnessed or learned from a lifetime of visiting the Broads and fifteen years or so of presence of forums such as this one. I have not detected any personal animosity towards the Chief Executive of the Authority, in fact quite the opposite, some of the Authorities most vocal critics have made clear that they find him a pleasant, learned and reasonable individual. Their frustration from what I have seen is based on a difference of opinion rather than any personal dislike. I have seen the pro NP lobby trying to dismiss the Sandford Principle (regardless of what name you choose to apply to it) using the argument that it has been very rarely used in other National Parks, and whilst that is true those NP's are very different to the Broads which would pose a different set of pressures for which Sandford might well be the final judgement. In such cases it is not only navigation that would lose out, but many other activities, not least angling.

No forum is perfect, this one is simply less imperfect than most others, in my opinion. That's not intended as a criticism, quite the opposite. That said, I have, as others have already commented, seen an increase of confrontation and intolerance in recent months. It started on the forum's facebook page first causing me to leave that group and has crept into the forum too. I am not sure that a facebook presence has done the forum any favours. Some comments have been made about the moderators reluctance to act against this, but be careful what you wish for. Other forums (or should that be fora?) have been all but destroyed by over aggressive moderation. The only workable solution is that we, as the plebeian rank and file consider carefully our own posts, and ensure our reactions to anything we disagree with are positive and constructive rather than critical. I have suggested on another forum to which I contribute, if my sporadic outpouring of inane dribble can be misconstrued as contribution, that good bye / I'm off type posts be outlawed by TOS, and that has been adopted on trial. They are rarely helpful, usually quite petty and often to some degree at least snide. If there are members you wish to inform of your departure a PM is the better option.

I have family who have lived in or around Poole, home to the RNLI's headquarters for many years and this thinking has been prevalent in the local community for some time.

Crikey, what a great response, I will have a good read over the weekend. Thanks for finding that for me EastCoastIPA. My original post was borne of general interest, not in anyway intended to suggest that either the author of the report, the UEA or BA were guilty of any failing. My interest was originally piqued, or at least I thought by a post on the British Canoe website, but it might have been something on the Song of the Paddle forum previously referenced which I found whilst looking for something similar conducted on another waterway around 7 or 8 years ago.