Oztalgian
-
Content Count
6,259 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
47
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Calendar
Posts posted by Oztalgian
-
-
15 hours ago, Brew said:
I find it difficult to believe Tasmania, who's population is only two thirds that of Nottingham, can afford a prestige project like a stadium, although the financial details are not known.
Presumably the Tasmanian health service is funded by the Australian government so the money for a stadium is taking nothing away from the bed/doctor/ambulance shortage.
The funding of the stadium is known, AU$375milion from the Tasmanian government and AU$240 million from the Australian Federal Government. this does not include the inevitable blow out in costs.
The Tasmanian and all other states/territory health services are jointly funded by both State and Federal governments. Federal funding of hospitals is round about 50% of the costs. Since 2011 the Federal government agreed to fund 45% of the growth of delivering hospital services but in 2017-18 capped this growth at 6.5% per year. This leaves the state or territory governments with increasing costs in funding health services. The state spending money on a stadium is reducing funding for other things among them health services.
-
On 3/20/2024 at 8:42 PM, Stuart.C said:
The bonus doesn't get the triple lock increase only the rate of inflation, regardless of the rate paid.
In plain English please what is the "triple lock" and how does it affect the average Joe?
-
On 9/23/2022 at 4:20 PM, mary1947 said:
You can still get Penguin biscuits not sure if the kids are thrilled by them like we used to be, never tried both, when you get to one of the meetups you must bring us so samples OZ
Mary, apparently you can get Aussie Tim Tam biscuits at Waitrose and Ocado (whatever that is) for two pounds fifty a packet and you can do your own Tim Tam Slam and a blind test to see which is best. My favourite is Salted Caramel or Double Choc.
They will be available in all major supermarkets soon.
-
County - Sadly back to their losing ways and fall to 14th position after a 1- 2 loss at Meadow Lane to now 19th placed Salford City. Conor McAleny put Salford ahead in the 32nd minute with goal that went in off the post after Sam Austin was dispossessed. Dan Crowley equalised for the Magpies 9 minutes after half time. Both sides could have added to their tallies in the second half until McAleny got his brace in the 87th minute to give Salford the points and deny Maynard his first home win since becoming Counties coach. After a brilliant start it looks like an also ran season for the Magpies and leaving the fans wondering what has gone wrong. Away at 20th placed Swindon Town next Friday
Stags - Did not fare much better with a 1-1 draw at Field Mill against lowly Colchester United. The Stags went behind to a goal by Harry Anderson in the 13th minute and a series of saves by the Colchester 'keeper Goodman saw them keep that lead until Lewis Brunt poked the equaliser home after in the 63rd minute after a goalmouth scramble. Stags were livid when they believed a justifiable penalty was turned down in the last minute when Swan was fouled as he was getting ready to shoot. With almost two thirds of the possession Stags were left wondering how they surrendered 2 points that has reduced their lead over Stockport who have a game in hand to two points. Away at third placed Wrexham next Friday afternoon.
Forest - No game this weekend, home against 14th placed Crystal Palace next Saturday when the battle for survival starts in earnest with another home game against 12th placed Fulham on Tuesday 2nd April. It is no understatement to say that these are "must-win games"
-
The State of Tasmania has voted today. Before this election Tasmania was the only state with a Liberal (Conservative) government in power. It is a third term Liberal Government and now bidding for a fourth term. One quarter of the voters used their option of a pre poll vote.
The main issues are :-
- The building of the Macquarie Point Stadium. This is planned to be a roofed stadium that is being insisted upon by the AFL football national body before Tasmania can field a team in the national competition. It is expected to start being built in 2025 and finished in 2029 at the staggering cost of AU$615 million. The Tasmanian taxpayer finding AU$375 million and the Federal Government providing AU$240 million of Australian taxpayer funds
- The state of the health system, inability to get a doctors appointment, delays of ambulance response times, ramping of ambulances at hospitals as beds are not available for patients.
- The cost and availability of housing.
As I have said before, yet again, pollies spending taxpayer monies inappropriately. If the AFL want a stadium then I suggest they pay for it and let the government spend the money on the real priorities.
The main difference in voting in Tasmania is that they are the only state that uses the Hare-Clarke method of proportional representation which is one of the best I have seen. Hare-Clark Electoral System in Tasmania (tec.tas.gov.au)
I will not attempt to explain it and I suggest that those with an interest in politics click on the link above, it is only a short read but explains it in plain English. For information there are 5 electorates across Tasmania and each elects seven members of parliament. The party that gets the most members elected forms the government. For a majority a party has to win 18 of the 35 places. The polls are indicating a labor win whilst the political pundits are saying there will be a minority government.
We await the outcome with interest.
-
3 hours ago, IAN FINN said:
Well said Jill its absolutely terrible the way she has been treated when nobody knew what was wrong.
As we all know the MSM abhors a vacuum and will fill it with any old rubbish, supposition, conjecture, and blatant lies to fabricate a story and get readers to click on them or buy a paper.
No-one royalty or otherwise deserves cancer, I hope she and Chiller both make a full recovery.
-
Can someone explain to me how someone who was implicated in the Greensill Capital lobbying scandal can rise to become Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs. 'Dodgy Dave' is now in South Australia glad handing our pollies as they give him AU$4,6 billion dollars in support to British industry to clear bottlenecks in production of nuclear reactors for ultimate use in Australia's new nuclear submarines that are likely to be obsolete before they are even started. He was also responsible for initiating the Brexit referendum that in part has left the UK in the mess it is in today.
-
6 hours ago, Stuart.C said:
Page 7 on this link sort of expains the Frozen situation.
Thanks Stuart.C
What a crock of crap the decision to freeze pensions is without regard to the impact it is having on many older people especially. It feels good to be "out of sight, out of mind". Could I have some of the money back that I contributed to NI as I am not getting the full value of those contributions? I wonder if I am still eligible for a vote?
-
Summary so far
EPL- Clubs in the EPL have only 9 or 10 games left. The champions will come from Arsenal, Liverpool or Manchester City. If it comes to the crunch Arsenal have the best goal difference. Relegation, Sheffield United and Burnley look doomed and as it stands the last spot will go to either Forest or Luton. Don't discount that Everton could be penalised some more points. It is not beyond the realms of possibility that both Manchester City and Chelsea could both be relegated for repeatedly breaking Financial fair play rules.
Championship - Promotion, any two from three, Leeds United, Leicester City and Ipswich Town. Leicester have a game in hand over the other two. Relegation, Rotherham not far from being relegated already the other spots could be filled with any two from 8 clubs, it will go right down to the wire.
League One - Promotion, I can't see it being any one else other than Portsmouth and Derby County. Relegation, Carlisle are a certainty and Fleetwood Town will probably take another spot. The last two spots will come from Port Vale, Cheltenham Town, Cambridge United or Burton Albion.
League Two - Promotion, Any three from 5 with the Stags having the best goal difference, Stockport and Wrexham most likely. Relegation, most likely Forest Green Rovers and Sutton United being replaced by Chesterfield who are storming away from the others and most likely Barnet and Romford from the play offs.
-
1
-
-
The soundtrack of my youth grows ever quieter. Make me Smile was one of my few Glam Rock favourites, released in January of the year we emigrated to OZ.
Thanks for Glam Rocks greatest song RIP Steve Harley.
-
17 hours ago, DAVIDW said:
Unfortunately I believe your pensions will be frozen at whatever rate it is currently . It apparently affects half a million expats in countries such as Australia, Canada .
If I'm reading it right those expats in Europe and a few other select countries get the increase.
More here :
Well that explains it then, not! Thanks David
Doesn't make much difference as the thieving barstewards in Australia deduct any UK pension from any payable Australian pension anyway. If I got any more it would just be taken off me.
Wonder if I moved to the Philippines would I get both my UK and Australian pensions at the full rate? I hear it is cheap to live there.
What was the logic behind "freezing" the pension anyway? Was it just to save money?
-
On 2/1/2024 at 9:10 PM, benjamin1945 said:
hope the place is not demolished....an important place full of memories for so many Notts folk...........
Sadly, I think it may well be demolished. Never get between a developer and a big bucket full of cash.
The Kinks, Come Dancing, brilliant, how come I have never heard that one before? It must be on a later album as it is not on any earlier LP's I have.
Max Bygraves "Fings Ain't What They Used To Be" comes to mind as well
-
6 hours ago, DAVIDW said:
In April those of us born before April 1951 will get £169 per week , whereas those born after April 51 get £221 per week
How bizarre, who thought that one up and what is the justification for it?
I'll await with interest the outcome.
Wonder if those of us overseas who receive a British pension or part thereof will see any changes. I am pre-April 1952 my wife is post, so we will be able to see if anything changes.
-
1
-
-
I see a male Acting Inspector and a female police constable in the Merseyside police force were caught having sex by the police constable's estranged husband, a former police officer, in a "Screwfix" car park in Feb 2021 during the covid pandemic.
-
County - "That man", Macauley Langstaff, helped in stopping the rot by scoring in the 12th minute and Alassana Jatta added a second in the 57th and a third in 90+4th minute to give the Magpies a comprehensive 0-3 away win at Valley Parade, Bradford. The home side was issued 5 yellow cards to County's one. Finally they move up the table to 13th position reversing the catastrophic slide that has seen them slip from 1st in weeks 5 and 8 through 12, until the real slide began in week 31 and this win reverses that plunge. Who knows what went wrong? Hopefully this is a welcome return to form and they could still make a play-off spot. Home against Salford City on Saturday.
-
1
-
-
7 hours ago, LizzieM said:
1959 Mary, I was there too.
On 3/17/2024 at 10:43 AM, mary1947 said:The Saturday when Forest beat Luton ?
1958
Forest 2 Luton 1
Roy Dwright Broke his leg
I was in slab square waiting to see the Forest Team on the topless bus and holding up the FA Cup, Only cup never won while Brian was manager.
Talking of Luton Town who will play a crucial part in Forest being relegated or staying up I see that Luton's goalkeeper in that game Ron Baynham has recently died aged 94. He was the oldest living England international footballer.
That mantle now passes to Frank Blunstone aged 89. Former outside left at Chelsea after starting his career at Crewe Alexandra in 1951. He played five times for the senior England squad.
-
3
-
-
Forest - After being given a 4 point penalty for infringing profit and sustainability rules they now fall into the relegation spots, third from bottom on 21 points. They are now one point behind Luton having played the same number of games and 4 behind Everton who have a game in hand. Thank goodness they did not lose at Luton last Saturday. Forest play their next two games at home against 14th placed Crystal Palace next Saturday and 12th placed Fulham on Tuesday 2nd April.
These are both winning chances. Meanwhile Luton are away at 5th placed Spurs on Saturday and the top of the table Arsenal on Wednesday 3rd April. The battle for relegation could quite different after these two games. Forest are likely to appeal the Premier League's penalty but in the interim they must continue to grab every possible point on off and stop giving away last minute goals that lose them points.
-
1
-
-
Our glorious state leader has today announced that the government is using state major events attraction funding (taxpayer monies) to bring the British and Irish Lions Rugby Union touring team to Adelaide in July 2025. Tickets go on sale from today, this means that the promoters have the punters money for 16 months interest free. Of course, as usual, he won't tell us how much it is costing, claiming commercial confidentiality. It may have escaped their notice but South Australia is not a "rugby union state". We do not have a team represented in the top level competition. The best teams are in NSW and Queensland. Why the heck they are spending our money in this way, for one game of rugby union is beyond me.
I am getting thoroughly sick of the largesse of these plonkers when our medical system is teetering on the edge of a cliff.
Me thinks yet another letter to our local member is being penned right now.
-
The Nottingham Post has just published an article about "8 Nottinghamshire pubs serving exceptionally good food
They were :-
Dovecote Inn, Laxton
The Blacksmiths, Retford
The Lambley, Lambley
Black Bull, Blidworth
Martins Arms, Colston Bassett
Tap and Run, Upper Broughton
The Reindeer, Hoveringham
Unicorns Head, Langar
Has anyone eaten at any of these and if so what was your experience? We await philmayfield's review of the Reindeer with interest.
I only have experience of two of these pubs from 40+ years ago. The Black Bull at Blidworth was my paternal grandfathers home from home, he loved a pint or two of Shippo's bitter. It was a typical pub in a mining village with locals who had their own seats and the only reason you did not see them there at lunch time or in the evening was when they were either at work or dead. I went in there with my brother on my first trip back to the UK 10 years after I emigrated and was stood at the bar having a Ship Stout, the only Shippo's beer I could tolerate when one of the locals said "I aint seen thee for a while, where's tha bin?
The Reindeer at Hoveringham was often a stop on a Sunday drive with mum and dad. Dad would park the car in the carpark and we would walk the kilometre or so to the river. My brother and I were rewarded with a bottle of pop and a bag of crisps on return. We usually ended up somewhere on the Trent, either the Bromley Arms at Fiskerton, The Star and Garter at Hazelford or the Unicorn at Gunthorpe Bridge. Often via the Magna Charta at Lowdham or the Green Dragon or the Bridge Inn at Oxton.
I recall these memories with a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye as it is exactly two years ago that my brother died, far too young. I really miss talking with him each week, putting the world to rights and discussing good beer and whisky.
-
2
-
1
-
-
On 3/16/2024 at 2:02 AM, denshaw said:
Do not ask Alexa to translate coffee bean one hundred into Welsh.
For those of us that don't have Alexa, why?
-
County - Managed to halt the run of 5 successive defeats by drawing 2-2 against the team one place above them on the ladder, Accrington Stanley, The perpetual cellar dwellers of my youth. The crowd was a paltry 2,499. The Magpies opened the scoring in the 4th minute with a goal by Jim O'Brien. Accrington levelled in the 17th minute when the County 'keeper Slocombe could only parry a header and Whalley blasted the ball into the roof of the net. Alassana Jatta gave County the lead on the stroke of half time. Accrington salvaged a point after a handball in the area by Kyle Cameron gave them a penalty. County's position in the table remains unchanged at 17th and they are away at Bradford City, two places above them on Tuesday evening.
Stags - Thump 5 past Bradford City away at the Valley Ground in a game which saw 5 different goalscorers for them. Stags were three goals up by the 18th minute with strikes from Cargill, Atkins and Keillor-Dunn. They went in 4-0 up at half time when Will Swan added on in time on at the end of the half. Former Stag, Andy Cook pulled one back for City but Aaron Lewis completed the rout 4 minutes from the final whistle. The win keeps Stags on top of the ladder 5 points clear of Stockport who have two games in hand. Stags at home against relegation threatened Colchester United next Saturday.
Forest - Yet again Forest snatch a draw from the jaws of victory by ending up 1- 1 at Kenilworh Rd against Luton Town. Chris Wood put Forest ahead in the 34th minute and it stayed that way until the last minute of normal time when Luke Berry equalised for Luton. How many times have Forest given a goal away that has cost them points in the dying stages of a game this season? Ryan Yates nearly snatched the winner for Forest in the last minute of time on. The draw keeps the position at the bottom unchanged. Home against Crystal Palace next Saturday.
Forest expect to hear the outcome of them breaking the rules on profit and sustainability on Monday, we await with baited breath.
-
1
-
-
6 hours ago, Brew said:
I would suggest voting in sufficient numbers against the trend, a protest vote if you like, can send messages of discontent or a desire for change. Then again maybe not...
At the last Federal election in Australia many of the population did what you suggested, and many seats went to the so called "Teal Factor" who are mainly independent candidates. This came as a shock to the two major parties and has necessitated some deals on aspects of legislation in the upper house but in the lower house it changed very little as they still held a workable majority. in the lower house 12 seats were held by Indpendents versus 78 Labor and 54 Opposition seats. To get legislation through our upper house the Government has to rely on support from the Independents and minor parties who hold 19 seats as it does not have a majority having only 26 seats versus the oppositions 31.
-
10 hours ago, DJ360 said:
It's ten years since I retired and at that time, we were seeing wholesale closures of Further Education colleges. Blunkett for Labour had all but neutered the World's best Career Guidance system and Gove reduced it to a rump
The experience in the UK is mirrored here in Australia'
In 2019 the incoming Liberal State government closed seven TAFE (Technical and Further Education) campuses across South Australia and privatised the system leading to widespread rorts and students being ripped off. This was done under the guise of "operating efficiencies" and effectively gutted the system and left it as a shell.
Fast forward to 2023/4 and we now have 10,000+ fee free places and they are building five new technical colleges, the first opened earlier this year.
The big wheel keeps on turning or Back to the Future.
We are in the midst of a crucial by-election in the state seat of Dunstan formerly held by the ex State Liberal (Conservative) leader who is leaving parliament after losing the last election after only one term in office. So far the debate appears to be just about mudslinging, trying to see how much sticks to which candidate and almost no policy debate. Is this what our democracy has come down to?
-
1
-
-
9 minutes ago, LizzieM said:
Forest live to fight another day.
Sadly Lizzie, I can only hope that Forest don't have a seat booked in the tumbril. I think it is just a reprieve until the guillotine falls on Friday.
Tomato seed planting
in Kat's Gardening Forum
Posted
Tomato season is coming to an end here in Adelaide, the tip here is not to plant outdoors before the soil temperature reaches 16 degrees and all threat of frost is past.
It is really strange that the best time to plant sweet peas here is in March/April as we head into our cooler months. Here they recommend a minimum of 6 hours a day sunlight.
Seems a bit strange that we are planting sweet peas at the same time as you when our seasons are opposite.