Tag Archives: Metropolitan Police

Monday 5th August 2013 – I’VE BEEN HAVING …

… a bad day today.

Yes, I do have them every now and again. even though I had a restful day yesterday and a decent night’s sleep, I just couldn’t get going today and I’ve no idea why.

Not only did I not do the things that I was going to do, I didn’t do any of the optional stuff either.

I really need to get a grip and sort myself out otherwise I’m going to be here for ever at this rate.

However, my adverts all over cyberspace are coming up trumps and I’m fielding loads of enquiries about the apartment and the stuff that I have to sell, although I’ve yet to have any visits, let alone any sales.

Hopefully this might improve as time goes on, especially as the agent immobilier wants to bring people round on Wednesday.

I’ve also been thinking more about my mega-voyage in … gulp … just 3 weeks time. I have to sort that out too.

In other news, a Press Release from the Metropolitan Police says that they have accepted responsibility for the death of Ian Tomlinson, the newspaper vendor attacked by a policeman with previous convictions for violence.

“I apologise unreservedly for Simon Harwood’s use of excessive and unlawful force which caused Mr Tomlinson’s death, and for the suffering and distress caused to his family as a result.” says the Deputy Assistant Commissioner (not the Assistant Commissioner and not the Commissioner either) of the Metropolitan Police Force.

Harwood, by the way, was found not guilty of Manslaughter.

Meanwhile, in other news, a nightclub bouncer who saw an off-duty policeman hit a woman and so pushed him to the ground – hitting his head and killing him, and who was told by a Judge that “I am absolutely certain that you meant no serious harm to (the victim)” – he’s just received three and a half years for Manslaughter.

“One law for the rich, and one for the poor …”

Wednesday 20th January 2010 – I see that some kind of wiser counsels have prevailed.

One of the “High Wycombe Two” has been released on appeal. He’s had his sentence reduced to 12 months (which is still 12 months too long) but suspended for two years, which is two years too long too. His brother is still inside though, but his absolutely ridiculous 39 months has been reduced to a just-as-absurd two years.

But the final (at least in the short-term) words must go to Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson. Now as you know if you have been following my outpourings for any length of time, there is no love lost between me and the Met, but I think that Stephenson’s words deserve full attention. He said that “people who put themselves in danger to tackle criminals should be celebrated as heroes. Courageous members of the public make our society worthwhile“. Now that statement is giving out a clear message to three groups of people – firstly the victims, who now seem (in Greater London anyway) to have some sort of licence from the police to beat villains to a pulp, secondly to the villains, that the victims are likely to beat them to a pulp with police encouragement, but thirdly, and most importantly, to the Judges. “Up yours, m’lud”.

In other news, I turned the place upside down this morning and found one of the missing papers. And so I went chaud-pied down to Pionsat to post my parcels of unwanted electrical goods. They are doing no good around here and I might shame the various suppliers into replacing them. It’s worth a try.

When I got back Liz called me and we had a mega-discussion about our forthcoming radio programmes. While she was on the phone Terry turned up – he’d been to Brico-Depot – and we had a chat about our future income-generating projects. And as I am in the middle of a culinary crisis (I’ve run out of vegan christmas cake) I tried my best to stimulate him into needing a helping hand round at his house. You never know – Liz might be baking!

Terry had also developed a flat tyre on his van so we had a tyre-changing session. He has 16″ wheels (Caliburn’s are 15″) and you’ve no idea how heavy they are. And I dunno who fastened his wheels on last time but I wouldn’t like to meet him up a dark alley late at night – it took a power bar and a long length of pipe to free the nuts off.

After Terry had gone I started work on the last bits of the studding for the false wall in the bedroom. And when it got too dark to work up there any more I glanced at the time – 17:58. Yes, the days are definitely lengthening.

And following my crowing about the weather last night, I was woken up at 04:00 this morning by a torrential rainstorm. Serve me right! But today was another good solar day and my batteries are fully-charged.