megilleland

Didn't the Nazis tattoo their concentration camp victims. There may be some idiots already sporting tattoos who think this will be one worth having. I suggest it is stamped on their foreheads in day glow ink. It won't be just your health record that is stored. All that data collected from your smart phone will be available when you are scanned by the security services when you are allowed back on the streets.

Don't worry Trump has it under control!

How many confirmed cases are in your area? Enter a postcode, English council or Scottish NHS area to find out. Wales and Northern Ireland are not currently providing localised figures There is 1 case in County of Herefordshire out of a local population of 192,107. Figures last updated 19:00 GMT, 15 March.

Carers looking after my partner at home appeared today wearing masks. They say that those who have no family to help will be the priority if the virus gets out of hand. Good job there are two of us who can cope if this happens. These carers do an amazing job looking after the vulnerable who need special assistance every day.

On the Nextdoor Blog. Seems to be saying what I said in earlier post. Community Action Response launched in the face of emerging coronavirus crisis Nextdoor is the neighbourhood hub for trusted connections and the exchange of helpful information, goods, and services. We believe that by bringing neighbours together, we can cultivate a kinder world where everyone has a neighbourhood they can rely on. Building connections in the real world is a universal human need. That truth, and the reality that neighbourhoods are one of the most important and useful communities in our lives, have been a guiding principle for Nextdoor since the beginning. Neighbours in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Australia, Denmark, Sweden, and Canada are using Nextdoor to: * Find trustworthy local services, such as babysitters, plumbers and electricians * Share information on crime and suspicious behaviour * Organise neighbourhood events, such as street parties and fêtes * Help in finding lost pets or items * Sell or give away items like an old kitchen table or bike Nextdoor is free, and it’s easy to sign up.

The lack of personal contact is a major problem. Do we know our neighbours to help out when needed. There are plenty of charities who can help, but do we know where they are and how they can help. There was a plan to build a local community centre as part of the Oval housing development - any news of this or has it slipped off the agenda? Do we know who our local political figures are at parish council, city council, county council and national levels who should be working for the benefit and well being of all. Maybe local craft centres could be built to teach us local skills. Schools need to bring back home economics, which was a first step into looking after oneself, and removed from the curriculum due to computer and technology subjects. Encourage young people to join clubs and societies which foster further knowledge and experiences beyond walking down the street clutching a mobile phone.

The way we run our lives and how we expect others to respond to our couldn't care less attitude is imposing great stress on all concerned. We need to start with our home life. Are we part of a strong family unit who can cope and help one another. Can we help other people in our street - the neighborhood watch scheme, useful for keeping an eye on each other and also crime prevention leads to a healthier living environment. Support local shops, leave your car behind and get out into the fresh air. In Newton Farm we are lucky to have a local medical centre, shops and post office. However the youth club was demolished along with the church - two facilities which encouraged benefical activities for users. On the news today we are told there are not enough people to plant trees and that carers and nurses are in short supply. Let's set up proper training schemes with decent wages. A university degree is not the answer to many simple matters which can be resolved locally. A recognised work scheme will make people of all ages feel useful and regarded. Over the years our local lives have been bundled into larger segments run by faceless bureaucrats who continually are hell bent on cutting services, transforming our simple ways of living into regional units and giving our money to corporations unable to carry out the work , but can cash the cheques regularly each month into the pockets of a favoured few. Maybe we can seek solutions to these problems and use this forum to give people the opportunity to add their point of view. After all with the government's impending lockdown there has never been a better time to think locally. Please add suggestions and concerns to do things in a better way below:

Government coronavirus plans exposed!

Still off at 16:49. Ironic it's Friday 13th.

Noticed in Tesco Belmont that the shelves have been stripped bare of Pasta products. Worried that Italy is in lockdown?

For what it's worth. YOUR ORGANISATION AND CORONAVIRUS As the coronavirus (covid-19) situation develops, your organisation should be planning how best to keep your employees, volunteers, supporters and beneficiaries informed and protected. * What’s the best way to prevent the spread of the virus? * What do you need to do to protect staff, volunteers and visitors? * Should your employees take sick leave? * Should you cancel your events? * How can you support your beneficiaries/service users? * How you can develop a contingency plan and how will your insurance be impacted? * Will there be financial implications? * How are charities helping? To help, we have collated guidance on what steps you may need to take: This information is intended to help you decide what steps you and your organisation may need to take in light of the spread of the covid-19 virus. We’ll keep this information up to date. This page was last updated on 3 March 2020.

So Hereford should be getting up to £25 million plus a share of the £9 billion given to the Marches LEP. As I have said I wonder what it is going to spent on - local authority empire building, more house building in flood zones and fighting Coronavirus!

Yes it looks like the council finances are kept in a colander. No matter how much is poured in it just keeps pouring out.

Anyone heard anything about this?

I wonder how this money will be spent here? Towns Fund Prospectus

The Guardian Sun 23 Feb 2020 Josh Halliday and Luke Barratt More than 11,000 homes in England to be built on land at high risk of flooding Exclusive Guardian and Greenpeace analysis finds areas hit by recent storms are planning houses on floodplains (extract from article) An analysis of planning documents reveals that 11,410 new homes have been planned for land the government considers high-risk in the seven English counties where thousands of properties have been devastated by flooding since November. A joint investigation by the Guardian and Greenpeace’s Unearthed news unit found that of the 11,410 new homes planned across seven flood-stricken English authorities, 1,479 are in four of the areas hit hardest by Storms Ciara and Dennis: Calderdale, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcester. In Herefordshire, which experienced unprecedented flooding last week as the River Wye rose to the highest level since 1795, 325 homes are earmarked for high-risk flood zones over the next few years. Some of this land has already been left underwater by Storm Dennis, according to the Herefordshire council leader, David Hitchiner. John Harrington, the council’s cabinet member for infrastructure and transport, described the government’s housing policy as “completely and utterly flawed” and that it was forcing local authorities to approve “idiotic” developments on floodplains so they can meet demands from Whitehall. “Central government just say: ‘There’s a housing target, now go do it.’ It’s really quite stupid. It’s devolving responsibility without giving the authority any power or money to deal with the situation. It is absolutely unacceptable,” he said.

In a quarter of a century, Amazon has propelled Jeff Bezos from online bookseller to tech titan. He's the richest man on the planet, and the company he founded is one of the most powerful. Panorama investigates Amazon's rise to corporate superpower and asks whether there is a dark side to our love affair with the company. Former high-level insiders describe Amazon's huge, obsessive data-gathering operation, which enables the company to use what it knows about us to shape not only the future of retail but the workplace and technology too. On both sides of the Atlantic, politicians and regulators are beginning to question Amazon's power and to explore ways to rein it in. But some of Amazon's most senior executives say the company is a force for good, inventing new ways to serve customers and maintain their trust. Panorama documentary: Amazon: What They Know About Us iPlayer download. Duration 59 mins First shown 8:30pm 17 Feb 2020 Available for 11 months Or watch this Shoshana Zuboff on surveillance capitalism | VPRO Documentary The average person, including myself, were always in awe how certain people were blessed in making a lot of money, paraded as successful entrepreneurs and held in high esteem by worldwide leaders. So much money that I thought they must have a unique selling point/product or were part of a gangster/protection racket. I thought that if you worked hard, maybe long hours, your efforts would be rewarded and the money would flow in. Usually this wealth was produced in manufacturing and distribution - getting your product to the marketplace. But surprisingly today that wealth is generated with little effort, 24 hours day, by using data collected from us and resold to third parties - other businesses and governments. You may not realise the full consequences of using your smart phone, but watch these two documentaries to understand what really is going on. Already on its way to becoming your worldwide identity card and a means to strip every item of wealth and privilege you possess.

Update: River Wye at Hereford Bridge - Latest recorded level 6.10m at 9:15am Monday 17 February 2020.

With this week being half term parents need to know where their children are playing.

The other organisation people might not be aware of is The River Lugg Internal Drainage Board - the only one covering parts of Herefordshire. The River Lugg Internal Drainage Board is responsible for water level management and watercourse maintenance in a defined geographical area which encompasses low-lying land within the catchments of the Rivers Lugg, Arrow, Frome and Worm Brook. This area of rich agricultural land is dependent upon well-maintained drainage systems. The River Lugg Internal Drainage Board is one of the 112 Internal Drainage Boards in England and they are a member of the Association of Drainage Authorities The River Lugg Internal Drainage Board's rateable area comprises 11,171 ha. with 219 km. of scheduled watercourses, which are generally arterial watercourses with more than one riparian owner. Most of these watercourses are subject to regular maintenance with the others receiving attention on a less regular basis, as required. The largest urban development within the district is the town of Leominster, parts of which are at risk of flooding, with smaller flood-prone settlements at Pembridge, Eardisland, Bodenham, Wellington, Withington Marsh and Hampton Bishop. Who is responsible for maintaining the watercourses running through my land? The primary responsibility for the maintenance of any watercourse rests with the owner of that watercourse. This will usually be the owner of the land adjoining that watercourse. Where a channel is marked as an IDB drain, that Board's byelaws apply to it and the Board will often undertake required drainage works. The Land Drainage Act 1991, under which the Boards operate, however, enables them but does not require them to carry out drainage works. I wonder how many landowners maintain their field drainage - not that it will make much difference in the exceptional circumstances experienced today.

Spending more than they have coming in resulted in Northamptonshire County Council having to be bailed out early this year, with other councils heading the same way. UK Column have been going on about Local Authority finances for years:

They've been laughing for years.

In The Hereford Times 25th January 2020 I pick up litter once a week in an area around where I live, usually on Monday as any cans or plastic bottle and any other recyclable items can go in my green bin before the dustmen empty it on Tuesday. It does make a difference to the street scene. The other thing that needs doing is clearing the kerbs of weeds - this does make the area looked after. To get an idea of the problem on the estates look at my previous posts under I told you it would get worse!

On the phone to council's regarding rubbish and recycling. No definite phone number on website on who to speak to so rang 260000 and went through their introductory message. Pressed the extension required and put on hold "one of our customer service team will be with you shortly". 10 mins later after being thanked for holding the message. said I could go to the website www.herefordshire.gov.uk and this put me back to where I started. A page of departmental phone numbers on one page on the website would be helpful to dial direct rather than jumping through hoops at the council's convenience. After all this would be the list of numbers their receptionists would use to put you through to.

Everyone thinking that Brexit is done and dusted should listen to The Slog on this 1st time 15 minute video explaining how the EU will have its hands in our pockets and our MPs throwing billions of pounds at these bureaucrats over many years. Time to wake up and realise how we are affected and shafted. There is a short glitch with the sound at 10:43 mins till 11:00 mins.