When that bloated Grim Reaper Putin invaded the Ukraine he spun the world by its tail. And the gut reaction of many global property speculators and ex-pats was that, `particularly the Spanish market, would fail as Russian money was frozen in the world’s air like black ice. But far from it. The market in Spain… Continue reading SPAIN PROPERTY STILL SUNNYSIDE UP AS PUTIN’S BLOOD-RED WAR FAILS TO PANIC EU?

UPDATE: The Queen was advised not attend today’s (Friday) Jubilee service at St Paul’s Cathedral. She is said to be have suffered discomfort while watching Thursday’s parade at Buckingham Palace. The decision was made with “great reluctance” after considering the “journey and activity required”, the palace said. Meanwhile, the telly soap about Manchester – Coronation… Continue reading Keep on keepin’ on Ma’am in our LAND OF SOAP AND GLORY

By Andrew John Teague and Leigh G Banks By Leigh G Banks: Grooming gifts, craft beer, a chocolate tool set, new socks. And a gift set of ‘vintage cut-throat razors’. We’ve already got the meal tickets. For many decades Father’s Day was just like any of my birthdays, bank holidays and Christmas’s. I had drawn… Continue reading Father’s Day looms… let’s climb that mountain back to our children

Ronnie Hawkins has died. He was 87 years old. Robbie Robertson announced the sad news on Facebook. He wrote: “The story of The Band began with Ronnie Hawkins. He was our mentor. He taught us the rules of the road.” Hawkins was born in Arkansas, but loved Canada. He was singer and band master Ronnie… Continue reading Ronnie Hawkins is dead … he was the godfather or rockabilly

By the hormonal age of 12 I was furious. But the man who had shot white stripes of harsh reality across my young acned and blood-rush universe was even angrier. It might have been the cider he drank sprawled across the couch. But when Bob’s Like a Rolling Stone burst out of our telly –… Continue reading DAD’S RAGIN’ FURY AS BOB’S LYRICS MADE ME LIKE A ROLLING STONE

A SPECIAL INVESTIGATION BY LEIGH G BANKS and EHI EKHATOR, THE STANDARD GAZETTE A council which won an international housing award sold a 92-year-old grandmother’s home for £50,000 under its market value and told her family they’d done it to save her £7 a week, it is claimed. Newcastle City Council had apparantly been reported… Continue reading Award-winning council says police not investigating after care-home gran’s house price slashed by £50,000

Jockey legend Lester Piggott has died at the age of 86. His career lasted almost 50 years and he rode almost 4,500 winners – the third highest record in British racing history beaten only Sir Gordon Richards and Pat Eddery, He was crowned champion jockey 11 times and his name became synonymous with the Derby,… Continue reading THE LONG RIDE HOME … LESTER PIGGOTT DIES AGED 86

The Queen has been on The Throne for 70 years …hmmm, to us Northerners that has a totally different meaning. But you can wipe that smile off your face right away – don’t doubt for a second I’m logged in, pumped up and ready to poo-poo any negative toilet humour! Yes, Liz lives in the… Continue reading OUR QUEEN OF THRONES … 70 YEARS OF LIZ GETTING IT RIGHT, DESPITE THE FAMILY

By ANDREW JOHN TEAGUE, d.a.d.s. and NAAP Deliberate physical child abuse is described as non-accidental physical injury by the UK courts.The same should be said when children go through psychological abuse.The non-accidental psychological injury in the child.Child abuse is child abuse whatever the form.More and more often children are being set up to beat on… Continue reading MIND TORTURE! HOW OUR CHILDREN ARE ABUSED BY LYING PARENTS AND COURTS

I love Bob Dylan. In a manly way of course. He is the wild, exotic, mysterious roust-about brother I never had – and I didn’t know I even wanted until the day after my 9th birthday in 1962. The buck-toothed goof of a leader of our gang in the rainy back streets of Manchester in… Continue reading CONGRATULATIONS… FOR BREAKING MY HEART