megilleland

Open public toilets
The following public toilets that meet the Covid-19 guidelines are open in Herefordshire:

Hereford - Castle Green
Hereford - Gaol Street Car Park
Hereford - Union Walk

Is that all in a city of 61,400 people? 
If it wasn't for the supermarkets I would be pi$$ed off. What are other shoppers doing, especially the ladies, when you need to go.

https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/community-1/find-toilet?documentId=217&categoryId=200139
 

A message from Lord Drone:

Greetings, readers. 

I wasn’t allowed to say anything until today, but it's now okay for me to share that I have volunteered for the Covid-19 vaccine trials that Imperial College are running in partnership with Oxford University. 

It's important that we all do our part to beat this virus. The vaccine is the one that has been developed in Russia. 

I received my first dose this morning 6:20 am, and I wanted to let you all know that it’s completely safe, with иo side effects whatsoeveя, and that I feelshκι я чувю себя немного стрно и я думю, что вытл осные уши. чувству себя немго страо

https://www.dailydrone.co.uk/index.html

On 07/09/2020 at 11:40, megilleland said:

Waste still on the verge since July 18th. No one interested in sorting this out or contacting me. All sitting at home with their computers.

Still nothing happening, unfortunately Cllr Hunt sadly died as he had contacted me the week before his death. 

However 5 months have now passed. Took a short walk around the house (13th December) prior to my weekly litter pick and came across more moronic activity to brighten one's day. There is a public waste bin 2 mins away, but too much trouble for the brainless to deposit their waste sensibly.

Cat litter left around the garages. Dumped on the footpath every 2/3 months.

Drink cans left on top of hedge every week.

And now masks hung up in shrubbery.

Balfour Beatty acknowledge my reports - little done.

The kerbs still need a hoeing to get the weeds out and drains emptying - very simple, but what do you do with the waste?

Can we include the government - highly dangerous and very volatile.

Unpaid carers save UK state £530 million every day of the pandemic

With every day of the COVID-19 pandemic that passes, unpaid carers are saving the UK state £530 million in the care they provide, new research by charity Carers UK shows.

The research, released for Carers Rights Day, estimates that the care provided by people looking after older, disabled and seriously ill relatives and friends during the pandemic stands at £135 billion so far, after just eight months.

Previous research by the charity found that the majority (81%) of carers have been taking on more care since the start of the pandemic and nearly two thirds (63%) are worried about how they will continue to manage over winter.

Carers UK is calling on the Government to provide additional support for carers over winter and ensure those caring for more than 50 hours a week get access to a funded break.

With many crucial face-to-face support services such as day centres and support groups significantly reduced – or in many cases closed – because of costly infection and control measures, Carers UK is warning that people caring round the clock are going to break down after months of caring without respite.

and

Carer’s Allowance is the lowest benefit of its kind at £66.15 per week. We want to see Carer’s Allowance significantly increased for all carers in the UK.

Find out more
You can read more about the challenges faced by carers during the coronavirus outbreak in our report, Caring behind closed doors: six months on (October 2020), here.

Back in April 2020, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we also released our original, Caring behind closed doors (April 2020), which you can read here.

You can find information and advice about caring during the coronavirus outbreak here.

Here is a pick me up for all those people locked down and in need of getting back to normality.

https://youtu.be/yPDkCOJO3pc
 

I can see a problem with the number of car parking spaces needed for their planned growth as there is no extra space to expand. With the busy vets opposite, the amount of increased traffic movements could lead to accidents and delays on the Belmont Road. Will have to wait and see.

Avara not only ruining the River Wye, but also Brazil's ecostructure.

Extract from The Guardian 27th November 2020

Quote

The ship’s hold had been loaded in Cotegipe port terminal in Salvador, Brazil, with beans that had come from the Cerrado’s Matopiba region, including some from Formosa do Rio Preto, the Cerrado’s most heavily deforested community. As well as Cargill, the suppliers included Bunge (Brazil’s biggest soya exporter) and ADM (another leading US food producer).

After crossing the Atlantic, the entire shipment was unloaded into Cargill’s Seaforth soya crush plant in Liverpool, according to maritime and shipping records. The investigation tracked the way that grain crushed there is then trucked to mills in Hereford and Banbury, where it is mixed with wheat and other ingredients to produce livestock feed. From there, it is taken to chicken farms contracted to Avara.

Avara is a joint venture between Cargill and Faccenda Foods. It fattens up birds, which are slaughtered, processed and packaged for distribution to Tesco, Asda, Lidl, Nando’s, McDonald’s and other retailers. Avara thrives in relative obscurity. “You might not have heard of us but there’s a good chance you’ve enjoyed our products,” the company’s website says.

So where, exactly, is this soya originating from? Avara’s supplier, Cargill, buys soya from many suppliers in the Cerrado, at least nine of which have been involved in recent land clearance. Analysis by the consultancy Aidenvironment of the land owned or used by these companies since 2015 found 801 sq km of deforestation – an area equivalent to 16 Manhattans. It also detected 12,397 recorded fires.

As recently as last month, drone footage taken in Formosa do Rio Preto showed huge fires burning on Fazenda Parceiro, a farm run by SLC Agrícola, which is a supplier to Cargill. Satellite data shows the fires burned 65 sq km of the farm. More than 210 sq km has been cleared on SLC Agrícola land over the past five years, according to the Aidenvironment analysis. Cargill said it broke no rules, nor their own policies, by sourcing from the farm in question and made clear it does not source from illegally deforested land. SLC Agrícola were approached for comment but declined.

Despite this destruction, produce from these areas can be labelled as legal and sustainable in Brazil. This highlights the shortcomings of an international trade system that relies on local standards, which are often influenced by farmers focused on short-term economic profit, rather than long-term global good, which would incorporate the value of water systems, carbon sinks and wildlife habitats.

Is this what is going to be the New Normal? Gives a new meaning to Neighborhood Watch. I think we are going to see a lot more people questioning the rationale of what is being done by a government not using it's brain and following orders. Well worth reading the comments below:

Nice work if you know the right people:

Boris Johnson REFUSES to apologise for £18 billion 'cash for cronies' scandal and says No10 moved 'heaven and earth' to snap up PPE - as fury mounts over government's 'jobs for pals'

* National Audit Office said officials signed contracts for thousands of face masks that were actually useless

* NAO looked at 8,600 contracts awarded by Government from January to July amid claims some were flawed

* Boris Johnson told virtual PMQs: 'We shifted heaven and earth to get £32 billion items of PPE into this country'

* Alok Sharma refuses to apologise for trying to get PPE for NHS during first wave blaming 'huge pressure'

* Spanish middleman was paid £21 million of taxpayers' cash to set up PPE deal with US jewellery designer

* Suppliers with political contacts were given there own 'high-priority' lane and were ten times more likely to get Government contracts

* Companies with 'no relevant experience' pocketed £12 billion in shambolic scramble for PPE described as the 'wild west'. More than 1,300 contracts worth £10.5 billion were awarded by the Government with no competition whatsoever – increasing the chance of money being wasted

* US jewellery designer Michael Saiger was handed 'a number of lucrative contracts' worth £200 million after he started providing gloves and gowns to NHS staff. Young entrepreneur Sabia Mokeddem, 23, was handed a contract worth £880,000

* Lord Feldman's PR firm is helping a Covid testing firm given £28million contract after meeting where former Former Tory chairman was in the room advising Matt Hancock .

Where does the madness stop:

More than a few people are struggling with the name for Eli Lilly's antibody therapy bamlanivimab, which won an emergency OK on Tuesday in non-hospitalized COVID patients at high risk of severe disease. The tongue-twisting drug name even received some gentle ribbing on Fallon Tonight: 

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CHb_5oEAr62/

All the news on the gravy train.

https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/covid-19-tracker-johnson-johnson-aims-to-test-shot-kids-president-trump-talks-firing-fauci

Here in Newton Farm, although I didn’t witness it, just been told of a bizarre incident this afternoon where one member of a gang of youths walking down the street was stark naked except for a mask. He then went into the local corner shop and wasn’t confronted, maybe because he had a mask on. The police were called and are now looking for him. I think lock down has got to him. Anyone else see him?

Academy of Ideas – Free minds for a Free Society

It is often said that one cannot solve a problem if one is not even cognizant of it, and herein lies one of the reasons freedom is retreating so rapidly from our world. Many people still believe themselves to be free and as Goethe wrote: “None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.” Those who believe themselves to be free disregard the fact that to be governed in the modern world is to be . . .

“…watched, inspected, spied upon, directed, law-driven, numbered, regulated, enrolled, indoctrinated, preached at, controlled, checked, estimated, valued, censured [and] commanded, by beings who have neither the right nor the wisdom nor the virtue to do so.”

Pierre-Joseph Proudhon

https://academyofideas.com/2020/09/greater-good-tool-of-social-control/

 Anyone know who to contact on the telephone in Hereford Community Clean-Up Group as I don't do Facebook.

A Mitchell & Webb comedy sketch to cheer you up as we go into further lockdown.

https://youtu.be/UxiBywqsFcI?t=250

Notice a huge drop in people posting with their comments on Hereford Voice - any reason - are we all fed up? What are you doing to get you through these current times.

Due to sleepless nights listen to some interesting programs on BBC 5 Live (broadcasts on Hereford & Worcester local radio) between 1am to 6pm where I find the presenters raise current topics with the public and invite them to phone in with their diverse views - mainly older, mature persons - well worth a listen.

Dotun Adebayo with BBC Radio 5 live has a pleasant approach/manner which encourages people to get involved.

90 minutes to debate Coronavirus Act

And a lifetime of being consigned to serfdom.

David Ellis speaks to Ann Widdecombe, former Brexit Party MEP and former Conservative Shadow Home Secretary, and Rusty Firmin, former 22 SAS; the "man with no gloves" of Iranian Embassy seige-breaking team.

They discuss the drive for more military involvement in the civilian response to Coronavirus, defence review and military involvement in building the media narrative.

https://youtu.be/NQkCSEjdpoM
 

Read and Sign the Great Barrington Declaration. There have to be better ways to sort out the mess we are in with this government's handling of our health and economy.

As infectious disease epidemiologists and public health scientists we have grave concerns about the damaging physical and mental health impacts of the prevailing COVID-19 policies, and recommend an approach we call Focused Protection.

As at 9th October 2020

Signed by Medical & Public Health Scientists
5,902

Medical Practitioners
12,020

General Public
165,165

Add your name now.
 

It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the death of Councillor Bernard Hunt, on Tuesday 6 October 2020.

There will be a minute’s silence at Full Council on Friday 9 October 2020.

Quote

Councillor Hunt first served on the council in its “shadow” year leading to the formation of Herefordshire Council in May 1998, as a new unitary authority. He served until May 2000.  He was re-elected and returned to the council in May 2003 to 2011, where he served as the ward member for Bromyard. Most recently, Councillor Hunt was elected in May 2019 as the ward member for Newton Farm ward. He also served as a Hereford City Councillor.

Councillor Hunt was an active member of the council serving on a number of prominent committees and working groups.  He was a member of council who routinely tabled questions and motions at Full Council meetings.  He was also an influential member of the general scrutiny committee and a valued member of the planning and regulatory committee. 

Through the work of the rethinking governance working group he was an advocate of progressive and positive changes to the way the council conducts its official business.  In his role on the Covid-19 working group he actively contributed and supported local efforts to protect our communities to remain safe during the ongoing public health emergency.

Councillor Hunt was a dedicated and hardworking local councillor, a passionate advocate of local concerns and issues in the council chamber, professional in all his council duties and a friend to many of us.  He served his community and the residents of Herefordshire with distinction. 

He will be sadly missed and always warmly remembered by us all.

Bit of a shock. Had an email from him about a local matter only 10 days ago saying that he would very much like to attend that meeting. Always found him responsive. Condolences to his family over his sudden death.

Revealed: The least and most deprived neighbourhoods in Hereford

By Carmelo Garcia, Local Democracy Reporter, Hereford Times - 4th October 2020

HEREFORD has one of the most poverty-stricken areas in the UK, according to council statistics on deprivation.

The latest figures show that there are 18,500 people living in deprived households across the county – this is about a tenth of the population.

There are 11 places in Herefordshire that are within in the 25% most deprived nationally, which feature in The Indices of Deprivation 2019 report published by Herefordshire Council.

The most deprived are south of Hereford and in Leominster, Ross-on-Wye and Bromyard.

Golden Post-Newton Farm in Hereford is the most deprived area in the county and is the only one to be in the 10% most deprived nationally.

Other deprived parts of the city include Hunderton, Redhill-Belmont Road, Newton Farm-Brampton Road and Hunderton-Bishop’s Meadow.

In Leominster, 28% of people in Ridgemoor are living in income deprived households and the Grange and Gateway areas are also among the county’s most deprived places.

The John Kyrle area in Ross also appears in the council’s report along with Bromyard Central.

Newton Farm councillor Bernard Hunt says local people feel overlooked when it comes to crime and access to housing.

“Police can be very slow to respond to complaints about the bad behaviour of a minority of young people,” he said.

“They feel a bit overlooked. When it comes to drugs, they will report people who are selling drugs but isn’t followed up.

“When it comes to access to housing, Herefordshire Council have been generally good, but they are restricted due to a lack of central government funding.”

Coun Hunt said one of the benefits people have in Newton Farm is access to good transport links.

This is something he says many other rural areas struggle with.

Around 3,900 children are living in income deprivation across Herefordshire, that’s about 12% population aged under 16.

And around 6,100 older people are living in income deprivation across Herefordshire.

Of the 29 most deprived areas in the county, 15 are in Hereford city, eight are in the market towns and six are located in more rural areas including Fromes Hill, Greater Weobley, Kingsbridge, Greater Docklow, Greater Bosbury and Kington Doughnut.

Hereford city also has some of the least deprived areas, particularly in the north of the river, as do rural areas surrounding the city.

Other less deprived areas are found within Ledbury, Leominster and Ross-on-Wye, as well as rural areas in the east of the county around Ledbury and Cradley and to the south of Bromyard.

Herefordshire Lower Layer Super Output Areas that are amongst the most deprived nationally according to income domain of the index of deprivation 2019:

  1 Golden Post-Newton Farm: 29 % living in income deprived households

  2 Leominster-Ridgemoor: 28 % living in income deprived households

  3 Leominster Grange: 25% living in income deprived households

  4 Leominster-Gateway: 25% living in income deprived households

  5 Hunderton: 23% living in income deprived households

  6 Ross-John Kyrle: 22% living in income deprived households

  7 Bromyard Central: 20% living in income deprived households

  8 Newton Farm-Brampton Road: 20% living in income deprived households

  9 Redhill-Belmont Road: 20% living in income deprived households

10 Hunderton-Bishop’s Meadow: 20% living in income deprived households

Agree with Cllr Hunt concerning “Police can be very slow to respond to complaints about the bad behaviour of a minority of young people” I gave up calling 101 after 16 minutes on hold and 10 mins calling Herefordshire Housing to say that youths who regularly use the top of our garages as a meeting place are now climbing up scaffolding at Sherborne Close. Someone is going to injure themselves badly if they fall. I think the police did turn up eventually, but by this time they had moved on to somewhere else.

Noticed that two men were cutting back low hanging branches near me. It turns out that these two men are contracted to respond to all tree matters in Herefordshire. So they could be dealing with a tree matter in Hay on Wye and then have to travel across to Ledbury for another. The problem is that those above have no idea how resources and planning need to be deployed to create an environment fit to live in - just look at the state of our estates, roads and cycleways. If you walk around you may notice these things instead of sitting on their sofas at home and hitting their computer keys - that's not working. If something needs doing you are better off doing it yourself. Start at the bottom and work your way up to resolve matters

Back in 2010 this Simpsons episode makes for interesting viewing in 2020.

Waste still on the verge since July 18th. No one interested in sorting this out or contacting me. All sitting at home with their computers.

From The Hereford Times today:

People told they must book to visit Hereford and Leominster tips

By James Thomas  @JamesThomasHere
Reporter

HEREFORDSHIRE Council is set to stop people visiting tips in Hereford and Leominster if they haven't pre-booked a timeslot.

Currently, the sites in Chapel Road, Hereford and Bridge Street, Leominster are open as they were before the coronavirus pandemic, but the council has told people they will need to pre-book in a bid to cut down on queues.

From Monday, September 14, the two sites will follow a similar system to those in places at the centres in Bromyard, Ledbury, Ross-on-Wye and Kington.

The pre-booked system for the two household recycling centres will be open for bookings from today (September 4).

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, a limited number of residents are allowed on site at any one time, a council spokesperson said.

They added: "This has caused traffic congestion around the Hereford site in Rotherwas and Bridge Street in Leominster. It is hoped that the booking system will prevent queues leading up to the sites.

"The household recycling centres are only open to Herefordshire residents, and appointments must be booked online in advance. Residents will be able to book up to four slots every two weeks and will receive a pass before visiting.

"An address and vehicle registration number will be needed to secure the booking. Anyone who is self-isolating or has Covid-19 symptoms must not visit a household recycling centre."

Councillor Gemma Davies, Herefordshire Council’s cabinet member for commissioning, procurement and assets, said: “It is essential that everyone books a slot before visiting one of our household recycling centres.

"The booking system has worked well at our other sites. By introducing the system for Hereford and Leominster, we hope to avoid the queues which have been building up outside the sites.

“We continue to advise residents to take measures to avoid creating waste and manage it at home where possible. If you do need to visit, we ask that you observe social distancing rules at all times, come to the recycling centres alone where possible and wear gloves and suitable footwear.

"Most importantly, please act responsibly and respectfully towards other visitors and staff.”

To book, visit: www.herefordshire.gov.uk/hrcbooking

I suppose it will cut down on waiting time. Not sure what happens if you're in the queue and a few minutes late.

In 1988 when my wife and I converted a 14th century hall house in Eyton into a small country house hotel we had the problem of the building's waste running into a septic tank which then overflowed into the stream passing through the property. In order to cure the problem a mechanical treatment plant costing upwards of £25,000 would have to be installed according to the Environment Agency.

A chance meeting with Dr Rick Hudson of Cress Water resolved the problem for only £900 and was the first reed bed installation in Herefordshire. The reed bed sat unobstrusively in the grounds and the water coming out of the system was cleaner than the water in the stream to which we were discharging and no smells. 

These chicken farms could be dealt in the same manner.