The rising cost of metals

17 February 2012

There's hardly a week go by without some reference to the rising cost of metals.  This morning Dorktown News front page has a picture St Nicholas parish church, the parish church of the town.  It dates back to 12th century and is the town's only Grade 1 listed building.  Metal thieves have struck there again and stolen lead off the roof.  The cost of repair is huge and although the building is insured it doesn't cover the full cost.  As well as replacing the lead - this time with a type of steal that is much harder to sell - but the damage to the structure of the roof and the inside of the building all add up as well.  The church receives mo funds from any government of heritage organisation so the church membership has to pick up the bill yet again.  The price the thieves get for the lead is nowhere near the price of the repair.

This is of course an ongoing problem across the country.  Moves are afoot to make the scrap metal trade a cashless industry, or at least that is what we are told.  But our Muppet Centre in London takes years just to decide to pick up the papers concerning it, let alone to actually do something.  Meanwhile, the long suffering public has to continue to pick the bill.  But will a cashless industry actually work?  I'm not so sure.  Legitimate honest traders already do as much as they can to cut down the trade on stolen metal.  One dealer in the West Midlands has begun a membership scheme where only members can sell to him.  I fear that all that will happen is the shady part of the trade will just move underground and things will not be change.  That is likely to be the case as long as metal prices are so high, detection rates are poor and penalties are so low.  We can't do anything about the price of metals;  the Prime Muppet is totally committed to cutting police budgets so detection rates are unlikely to improve;  so it comes down to the penalties but now the so called Justice Minister is looking to create jobs for prisoners.  So where is the punishment part of a prison sentence then?  Time to go back to bread and water and hard labour methinks.  Sadly the sociologists and bleeding-heart liberals we jump up and down crying human rights.  But it is these toss-bags who have got us in this mess over lack of discipline and respect in the first place. 

Today we have had a flyer through the letter box encouraging us to take up an offer to free no obligation valuation of the house we live in.  I'm not so sure about the estate agents motives - a lack of trust is behind it.  Jan however seems to be all for it saying that we would then have a clear idea as to how much the place is worth.  That way we will know roughly how much we will have to spend when we do come to move.  I can see Jan's point but I still don't trust the agents.  Yes, I know I will have to at some point, but there you go. 

Jan is out at her friend's house later this afternoon and after that she will swing round and pick up Kile for the weekend.  I was hoping to get out to do bit of snapping while she was out but the weather isn't right for it.  Well, not the weather so much but the light is dark, grey and flat.  Not good for really for photography.  Tomorrow it is supposed to be raining all day and Sunday is supposed to dry and bright.  Hopefully then I shall get out on Sunday.

Talking of which, here's today's photo ... 

I got a few of these shots a few years ago when we did an overnighter to Eastbourne.  The following day we left Eastbourne and drove east along the coast road, heading to the RSPB Dungeness bird reserve.  I can't remember just where we came this ship but it was irresistible.  I have one of Jan standing under it with her hand touching the keel.  She doesn't look happy there - I can't see why though ;-)))

And finally from the Sage ...

A lady goes to her priest one day and tells him, 'Father, I have a problem.   I have two female parrots, But they only know to say one thing'
'What do they say?' the priest asked.
They say, 'Hi, we're hookers! Do you want to have some fun?'
'That's obscene!' the priest exclaimed.  Then he thought for a moment.....
'You know,' he said, 'I may have a solution to your problem.  I have two male talking parrots, which I have taught to pray and read the Bible...
Bring your two parrots over to my house, and we'll put them in the cage with Francis and Peter.  My parrots can teach your parrots to pray and worship,
And your parrots are sure to stop saying...  That phrase...  In no time.'
'Thank you,' the woman responded, 'this may very well be the solution.'
The next day, She brought her female parrots to the priest's house.... As he ushered her in, She saw that his two male parrots were inside their cage holding rosary beads and praying...
Impressed, She walked over and placed her parrots in with them...  After a few minutes, The female parrots cried out in unison: Hi, we're hookers! Do you want to have some fun?'
There was stunned silence...  One male parrot looked over at the other male parrot and says, 'Put the beads away, Frank,  Our prayers have been answered!