Britain - The Official Thread

[mustafur]

Was watching ITV News talking about Trump's nuclear button then the fire alarm went off and they had to evacuate the building Thankfully it was a false alarm. Tom Bradby cool as a cucumber, honestly I've never seen this happen before to a live news broadcast in the UK.

Possibly the most British thing I have ever seen.

 

[Robin]

Possibly the most British thing I have ever seen.

It really was, Bradby sitting there like...

 

[TenEightyOne]

There's pre-apocalypse panic buying north of the border due to the impending national tragedy.

 

[polysmut]

There's pre-apocalypse panic buying north of the border due to the impending national tragedy.

Without even clicking, I guess it's the Irn Bru story. The Greggs near me stopped selling it last year and I was devastated.

Not devastated enough to stop going in of course. Then the same branch Whammed me.

 

[Robin]

I hate this war on sugar, particularly in drinks and its not like you can even choose to pay more. You are forced to drink sweeteners instead. Why should I be punished because some people can't control themselves.

 

[Touring Mars]

There's pre-apocalypse panic buying north of the border due to the impending national tragedy.

 

[adamp93]

'Inside No. 9'

I really enjoyed the new one, it's slightly confusing but very clever and funny. If you don't get chance to watch the first 2 series while they're on iplayer they are on Netflix. "A Quiet Night In" is probably my favourite, simple yet utterly brilliant.

 

[TenEightyOne]

I really enjoyed the new one, it's slightly confusing but very clever and funny. If you don't get chance to watch the first 2 series while they're on iplayer they are on Netflix. "A Quiet Night In" is probably my favourite, simple yet utterly brilliant.

Just had a LoG binge, never seem No.9 so working through those next.

 

[Dotini]

British spook Christopher Steele faces investigation, possible criminal referral.

POLITICS
Republican Senators Raise Possible Charges Against Author of Trump Dossier
By NICHOLAS FANDOS and MATTHEW ROSENBERGJAN. 5, 2018

WASHINGTON — More than a year after Republican leaders promised to investigate Russian interference in the presidential election, two influential Republicans on Friday made the first known congressional criminal referral in connection with the meddling — against one of the people who sought to expose it.

Senator Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a senior committee member, told the Justice Department that they had reason to believe that a former British spy, Christopher Steele, lied to federal authorities about his contacts with reporters regarding information in a dossier, and they urged the department to investigate. The committee is running one of three congressional investigations into Russian election meddling, and its inquiry has come to focus on, in part, Mr. Steele’s explosive dossier that purported to detail Russia’s interference and the Trump campaign’s complicity.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/05/us/politics/christopher-steele-dossier-judiciary-committee.html

Christopher Steele, the former British spy, had repeated contacts before and after the election with F.B.I. counterintelligence agents who were investigating links between the Trump campaign and Russians.

 

[TenEightyOne]

British spook Christopher Steele faces investigation, possible criminal referral.

I'm still not clear what the accusation is? It isn't about the dossier's contents although we don't know the full content or how true it was (as noted in your link). Is the charge that he passed information from within the dossier to parties who weren't cleared/suitable to view it?

 

[Dotini]

I'm still not clear what the accusation is? It isn't about the dossier's contents although we don't know the full content or how true it was (as noted in your link). Is the charge that he passed information from within the dossier to parties who weren't cleared/suitable to view it?

Putatively, the charge could be something like lying to the FBI, although those details are within a classified portion of the Grassley/Graham letter. Or maybe it could involve the delightfully nebulous term "collusion". Ha! But IMO it smells of political payback for meddling in the election. I've read enough John le Carré to know that spying involves a lot of rolling around in the dirt. "What do you think spies are: priests, saints, martyrs? They're a squalid procession of vain fools, traitors, too, yes; pansies, sadists and drunkards, people who play cowboys and Indians to brighten their rotten lives."

 

[polysmut]

Pubs to stay open late on FA Cup Final and Scottish Cup Final day!

It's because of a wedding in the royal family. Are there real people, outside of friends and family of the couple, who actually care about these weddings? I'm in favour of the extra time in the boozer but I do suspect politicians and institutions just pretend that anyone gives a 🤬.

 

[PeterJB]

I swear there was far less coverage when THE ONE THAT'S ACTUALLY GOING TO BE KING married a commoner seven years ago...

 

[polysmut]

I swear there was far less coverage when THE ONE THAT'S ACTUALLY GOING TO BE KING married a commoner seven years ago...

I noticed more coverage back then than now.

 

[PeterJB]

I noticed more coverage back then than now.

This time it seems to be focusing on loads of tiny little details that don't matter. There's hardly any reason to care about the marriages of monarchs who have little to no chance of ever being crowned. What they should do is knock out a couple of princes and princesses and then have a nice scandalous, high-profile divorce like all the others to keep the tabloids happy.

 

[UKMikey]

Are there real people, outside of friends and family of the couple, who actually care about these weddings? I'm in favour of the extra time in the boozer but I do suspect politicians and institutions just pretend that anyone gives a 🤬.

The last one was better. They gave us a day off work. This time they tell us the country can't afford it. Flippin' cheapskates.

 

[polysmut]

The last one was better. They gave us a day off work. This time they tell us the country can't afford it. Flippin' cheapskates.

Lobby the DUP to ask for one.

 

[UKMikey]

Lobby the DUP to ask for one.

Not likely. I shudder to think what they'd demand in return.

 

[polysmut]

Not likely. I shudder to think what they'd demand in return.

They'd probably get it though.

 

[UKMikey]

They'd probably get it though.

Whatever they're asking for, they won't get any help from me. Never surrender (to coin a phrase).

 

[polysmut]

On a friend's recommendation, I watched 'Inside No. 9' on BBC iPlayer last night.. I can't believe I've never watched it before, not least as it is written by Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton from 'The League of Gentlemen' - it was an absolute revelation.

The new series started on Tuesday and it would appear that the BBC have put the entire back catalogue (the first three series) on iPlayer for the next two weeks - so if you haven't seen it before, now is the time to check it out! I watched Series 3 and they were all brilliant, though 'The Devil of Christmas' is particularly dark. Two episodes, 'The Bill' and 'Diddle Diddle Dumpling' are especially great, not least because they are (seemingly) based on ridiculously simple ideas (the latter involves a man finding a shoe in the street and then trying to trace its owner). The amazing thing about the series is that each episode is completely stand-alone - the level of creativity involved is quite breath-taking.. the only common threads are Shearsmith and Pemberton themselves, their unique brand of dark humour, and the number 9.

I really enjoyed the new one, it's slightly confusing but very clever and funny. If you don't get chance to watch the first 2 series while they're on iplayer they are on Netflix. "A Quiet Night In" is probably my favourite, simple yet utterly brilliant.

Just had a LoG binge, never seem No.9 so working through those next.

I'm watching it now too & liking it enough to make a signature with a quote from it. 10 points to whoever knows which episode it's from.

 

[Touring Mars]

I'm watching it now too & liking it enough to make a signature with a quote from it. 10 points to whoever knows which episode it's from.

The Trial of Elizabeth Gadge?

'A Quiet Night In' is superb - looking forward to the next new one tomorrow night!

 

[polysmut]

The Trial of Elizabeth Gadge?

10 points to TM.

 

[Touring Mars]

Just had a LoG binge, never seem No.9 so working through those next.

Better get your skates on as the first three series are only on iPlayer for another 6 days. I'm planning to buy the Blu-rays, but might wait until the new/current series is finished, as I suspect there may be a box set on the way.

 

[UKMikey]

^Sounds like this should be on the Movies & TV forum but I've only seen the first two series of the show. The Laurel & Hardy inspired one and the Twelve Days Of Christine one were my favourites followed by Tom & Gerry and the railway carriage one. Overall I much prefer it to the horror show of the later League Of Gentlemen series and the mischief demon one is probably my least favourite for similar reasons.

Happy to watch seies three on Netflix should it ever surface.

 

[DesertPenguin]

Is this thread specifically about political stuff or can we post anything generally relating to Britain?

A friend of mine has a sport that he created and is now officially being started in Britain so I was wondering if anyone has heard of it yet or could look into it over there for me. It's called Zone Ball and his name is Steve Strangio.

 

[Famine]

his name is Steve Strangio

Is he a neurosurgeon whose hands were injured in a car crash, so he became the Sorcerer Supreme?

 

[Keef]

What's the deal with all these neighborhoods in British cities which are apparently private, with no Google access, and where it seems the houses all have their own gardens or tiny farms? They almost look like slums from above, with dirt roads, but they're clearly growing vegetables or something like that. They also seem to be single-family homes instead of the outrageously monotonous flats and duplexes. Is this community garden neighborhood concept a thing in Britain and Europe? It's common enough to notice it from above but I can't say I've seen anything like it here in the US. Are these areas part of the city or are they on their own?

 

[Famine]

What's the deal with all these neighborhoods in British cities which are apparently private, with no Google access, and where it seems the houses all have their own gardens or tiny farms? They almost look like slums from above, with dirt roads, but they're clearly growing vegetables or something like that. They also seem to be single-family homes instead of the outrageously monotonous flats and duplexes. Is this community garden neighborhood concept a thing in Britain and Europe? It's common enough to notice it from above but I can't say I've seen anything like it here in the US. Are these areas part of the city or are they on their own?

Allotments?

 

[MatskiMonk]

What's the deal with all these neighborhoods in British cities which are apparently private, with no Google access, and where it seems the houses all have their own gardens or tiny farms? They almost look like slums from above, with dirt roads, but they're clearly growing vegetables or something like that. They also seem to be single-family homes instead of the outrageously monotonous flats and duplexes. Is this community garden neighborhood concept a thing in Britain and Europe? It's common enough to notice it from above but I can't say I've seen anything like it here in the US. Are these areas part of the city or are they on their own?

Google maps link?