New Labour leaflet and canvassing team for Stalybridge South

After reading with interest the statements suggesting Labour have a ‘strong’ candidate for Stalybridge South and reading of how their latest leaflet has been well received as have their canvassing team which has been scoring great canvass results when on the knocker I am finding it odd that I have yet to see this wonderful new leaflet or the Labour canvass team and funnily enough nobody I know in Stalybridge South has seen the Labour leaflet or canvassing team so all we can do for now is look at the blank space and imagine what wonderful news it contains because after all it must be good if they really think it will help them take a seat from the Tories in next years local elections. As for identifying a Labour canvassing team - here you will find some identifying characteristics.

Haughton Green’s newest restaurant opens today

Did anyone attend the grand opening and if so what’s the verdict? I had a glance in when passing and it looks tastefully decorated. The restaurant is in the building which until recently was a pub called The Old Dog. Sadly like many pubs the Old Dog died a death but at least it has found a new lease of life as a restaurant.

Christmas comes early to Denton

You have to admire this guy for the sheer effort he puts into his Christmas light display. It looks lively on the outside of his house and if you look in - the Christmas theme continues! This dedicated fan of Christmas is a local legend in the Windmill Lane area. Many rumours circulate as to why he makes such an enormous effort at this time of year. The story which I hear more often than not is that his wife used to really enjoy Christmas and when she passed away he started to the add lights and decorations as a way of paying tribute to her memory. I have no idea if this is true but if it is not, let the owner of this splendid Christmas display remember what Oscar Wilde said about being talked about.

My only real complaint is - Bonfire Night has not even been and gone yet and his display is up and running. By the time December 25th has arrived people will already be used to this tremendous display because it will have been up and running for the previous eight or nine weeks. Surely no sooner than December 1st would be more than adequate? Personally I wouldn’t consider putting up decorations until a week before Christmas Day.

Latest Conservative leaflet for Stalybridge South

It was good to see Doreen and the girls out this morning doing their bit for local democracy by distributing this fine leaflet. The weather was dreadful too - good on you ladies - keep SS a Labour free zone!

‘Military’ patrols hired for Tameside

I am sure the former military personnel involved in this scheme are first class individuals but there is something wrong about this plan. Now call me old fashioned - but are the police not there for this type of work? You can imagine this initiative in crime ridden places like Johannesburg or São Paulo - but Dukinfield? Come on what next - walled estates with armed sentries!(the article above was taken from the Tameside Reporter. Click on the image to enlarge)

Tameside businesses to become ID card enforcers?

The Rising Moon pub bonfire - biggest in Tameside?

It looks mighty impressive and I dare say this is where me and the tribe will be heading on bonfire night. Does anyone else know of a bigger bonfire in Tameside than this one?

Jailed Ashton ‘Satanist’ has full life term sentence reduced to 20 years despite saying he would kill again.

A psychopathic Satanist jailed for life without parole after he strangled his cellmate while serving a prison term for another murder, has had his sentence cut to 20 years. Clement McNally throttled father-of-one Anthony Hesketh with a T-shirt in September 2003 because he was Satan's 'hands and eyes'. Hesketh, who was serving four months for driving while disqualified, was found dead on the floor of the cell he shared with McNally in Manchester's Strangeways prison. McNally, 34, of Ashton under Lyne, Lancashire, claimed to worship the devil and decorated his cell with satanic symbols. He was also diagnosed as 'psychopathic, narcissistic, paranoid and obsessive-compulsive'. The killer was already serving a mandatory life term for stabbing a friend to death outside a party in July, 2002, when Hesketh was allocated to his cell. McNally told officials the killing was 'better than sex' and admitted he would kill again if he got the opportunity. He was given a life term, with a whole life tariff, for the second killing after pleading guilty to manslaughter due to diminished responsibility at Manchester Crown Court on July 12, 2004.Nevertheless petty criminal, Mr Hesketh, of Worsley, Greater Manchester, was locked up with him and met his death. Lord Justice Hughes, sitting with Mr Justice MacKay and Mr Justice Davis, said of Mr Hesketh's killing: 'McNally had no particular grievance against his victim - he simply suffered an urge to kill him. He said it was exciting - better than sex. He said Satan told him to do things and it was his job to do as he was told. The full article can be foun on the website of the Daily Mail by clicking here.

Imagine meeting up with this psycho on a dark night! I do not support the death sentence as a matter of principle. But psychopaths like McNally are the best possible advertisement for its reintroduction. Tameside Citizen

Especially for Nigella & Wilhelm

My dear Nigella & Wilhelm, as promised the recipe and cooking guide to my low fat chicken curry. Not really rocket science is it? But as you know - it is healthy and it does taste good. When choosing the oil to help caramelise the chicken before adding the sauce I would suggest a light olive oil which is suitable for frying. Homepride curry sauce can be a bit bland on its own, the reason may be that it only contains 1.7 grams of fat per 100g. Some other ‘premium’ brands like those mentioned in the film can contain up to 28g of fat per 100g. Times 28g of fat x5 and you have a horrific fat intake and that is what each jar of Lloyd Grossman or Tesco Extra Special curry can contain and as if that was not bad enough they usually are heavily laden with sugar too. If you add plenty of garlic and a whole diced onion to the Homepride curry it will add extra taste which in my opinion it lacks without - but if you have an important meeting the day after eating the curry I wouldn’t use so much garlic to avoid fire-breath when you speak to people. The wholegrain rice takes a bit of getting used to but the health benefits are definitely worth it and the taste and texture of it will eventually grow on you.

It may not be a dish Gordon Ramsey would be proud of but it is cheap to prepare, it is healthy and nutritious, the meat used is procured without causing gratuitous suffering to the chicken and it tastes good too. Do remember to invite me round when you get to cook it. ;-)

Nick Griffin on Question Time

Sorry for the lack of updates of late - times are hard and I have had to work away for longer than usual. While I was away the biggest story on the national news has been Nick Griffin's invitation onto the BBC’s flagship current affairs show Question Time. Nick Griffin, as we all know, is one of our elected MEP’s. I know many Tameside BNP supporters post on this blog - or is it just Roy West using multiple ID’s? The question I would like to put to them is: how did you rate your man on Question Time? I must say this is the first time I have watched him in detail and to be honest I found him to be a bit of a let down. When I have watched the occasional Youtube clip of him sent to me via email, he has always come across as reasonably intelligent and confident, but on Question Time he was like a nervous wreck who seemed barely capable of stringing a coherent sentence together. After watching countless videos of Dukinfield BNP candidate Roy West, I am of the opinion Mr West would have performed better on Question Time than the BNP boss.

Find out facts about Islam

Did you know that the country of origin of Islam was Saudi Arabia? If not and you are curious to find out more facts about the religion, Tameside History Club has arranged a talk on Understanding Islam: a history of black Muslims. Abdul Shakoor, a community mental health worker in Hyde, who has read widely on the subject, will be the speaker. The talk will take place at Tameside Local Studies and Archives Centre in Central Library on Old Street in Ashton, starting at 7pm on Wednesday. Entrance is via Cotton Street East and anyone interested needs to book their place in advance on 0161 342 4242. Refreshments are available.

For more details visit The Asian News

Roy West visits the Peak District with a view to moving there

Nice video Mr West. Tameside in general and Dukinfield in particular will not be the same without you should decide to relocate to the Peak district.

Great bargains to be had in Hyde

I, like most other people am struggling to stay financially solvent during these troubled times. Things I used to take for granted such as impulse purchases of unnecessary goods is out. In is frugality and penny pinching. In this vein I decided to visit Poundzone on Market Street in Hyde to buy some necessities I would normally buy from a supermarket or specialist store. The difference in price is amazing - especially for branded products like Sony batteries.

For the relatively minute sum of £9.00 I bought

8 AA Sony batteries
4 C Sony Batteries
1 x Nivea shower gel
1 x Gillette shaving foam
1 x Stardrops surface cleaner
2 x clean & fresh disinfectant
1 x aerosol of lubricating oil
1 x aerosol of computer keyboard/mouse cleaner
1 x pack of 60 DVD protective sleeves

Now you could argue that the batteries are out of date - they are not, they have expiry dates of 2012. You could say; I have seen things like that for similar prices on the ends of the aisles in supermarkets, this may be true but at Poundzone everything in the shop is amazing value - not just the ‘loss leaders’ supermarkets use to entice people into their stores. Next time you are in Hyde check it out - the staff are friendly and at attentive too which is quite rare these days!

Final Crop October 2009

Back in August I made a short video of my first crop of home grown veg of the year being harvested - well to complete the series for 2009 here is a video of the final crop of 2009. Some/many people find gardening hideously boring - as I once did, but when you actually try it - it becomes very rewarding. The food is not only 100% organic and healthier than irradiated vegetables you buy from supermarkets, but the physical labour involved in preparing the soil etc is good exercise and another health benefit of growing your own.

Droylsden man jailed for benefit fraud

A man who witnessed his father kill himself then continued to claim his pension to pay for tattoos has been jailed for five months. James Crawford, who has mental health problems, saw his dad stabbed himself at the home they shared on Baguley Street, Droylsden, in May last year. But despite his death, the 22-year-old continued to claim his father's retirement pension and attendance allowance - a benefit for physically or mentally disabled people - at post offices across the area.From last May to July this year he collected the payments on 37 occasions totalling more than £12,000. Crawford was finally caught after investigators from the Department for Work and Pensions watched him collecting the benefits from Dukinfield Post Office. He admitted the fraud, telling officers he had used the money 'to pay bills and for tattoos', and was sentenced at Tameside Magistrates Court. Defending, Angela Fitzpatrick said: "It's quite clear that he has got mental health problems. He is awaiting counselling for this. "This situation, witnessing his father stabbing himself to death in front of him, clearly has a profound impact on anyone. "Those tattoos were to do with his father, an image of his father with RIP. "That shows the opposite of frivolity, it shows a deep-seated concern of his father's death which he witnessed. "To incarcerate someone with his instability would be extremely damaging. "This is a very damaged young man." Crawford's crimes went undetected for months as an inquest had to be held into his father's death so a death certificate was not issued straight away. In total he claimed £12,375.70. Sentencing, chairwoman of the bench Sandra Marston said: "This is a deterrent sentence. "Your actions were both protracted and totally gratuitous over a period of 14 months involving a huge amount of money." Manchester Evening News

The man is mentally ill and needs treatment not jailing! This sentence is an outrage and ignoring the fact this man is mentally ill - the sentence is still massively disproportionate to the offence committed. Here is a prime example of a cheat who swindled far more and did not get a prison sentence - no need to ask why! And what about the real thieves - the Westminster Trough Meisters, this vulnerable mans crime is ‘chickenfeed’ compared to the organised theft by our political masters.

Latest Labour leaflet for Droylsden West

Love them or loath them - nobody can accuse the Tameside Labour Party of resting on their laurels and only making themselves visible to their constituents at election time. They either sincerely take pride in the work they do, or the gravy train offers such a good ride they do everything in their power to remain on it.

Paedophile butler appeal rejected

A paedophile royal butler who took one of his victims for tea with the Queen has failed to get his indefinite jail sentence overturned. Paul Kidd, 56, of Stalybridge, argued that an indeterminate order of imprisonment for public protection (IPP) was "wrong" and "excessive". But the Court of Appeal rejected his challenge, saying that he had carried out serious sexual assaults. Kidd was senior footman to the Queen Mother between 1979 and 1984. The former butler was jailed at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court in December after pleading guilty to charges including indecent assault and sexual activity with a child. Kidd's offences were committed between 1974 and 1977, 1981 and 1983 - when he was in the employ of the Queen Mother - and 2005 to 2008. BBC News