Hunts Cross Christmas tree

The Great Hitsearch Bakeoff

Autumn afternoon at the rugby

Real ale, committed local teams, players playing for pride and love of their clubs. Who could ask for more. For the record Waterloo lost narrowly to Sandal and it was probably a fair result but 'loo were definitely worth their losing bonus point having battled hard throughout.

Stuck on the side of the motorway earlier wondering why Ford equip cars with tyre irons made of plasticine.

Tyre iron just rounded and scraped itself into uselessness as I tried to change the wheel for the crappy 50mph space-saver wheel

50 Llamas Day

50 Llamas Day (días de cincuenta llamas) is soon to be upon us, anyone know what it is?

I was there when Hibbo scored

Top shirt

Derby day, Waterloo vs Birkenhead Park. Mens XVs then the Ladies XVs. Two great clubs

So far Waterloo on top, more as I have it

The Mersey looking decidedly Turner-esque from the Tate

Went to the Turner, Monet & Twombley exhibition at Tate Liverpool...brilliant collection. Definitely go to see it if you can

Just found this on my phone. Hibbert scored and we rioted

Brilliant to be there and get on the pitch when a great Evertonian finally scored, it wasn't some ropey penalty he got either. We got the free kick and the Gwladys sang his name as he slowly marched up to take it. The celebration when it hit the net were fabulous and then everyone just scrambled to get on the pitch. It had to happen.

Oops something landed in Liverpool

Liverpool Biennial?

Greek style columns unearthed on Camp Hill, Woolton, Liverpool?

Anyone know anything about this? We happened upon a newly uncovered site whilst walking back from The Victoria. Does this mean we've been walking past these antiquities for years and never knowing they were there in the overgrown undergrowth?

Season tickets have arrived, season tickets have arrived, season tickets have arrived...

Another year following Everton, always great when they drop through the letterbox...ask me again in November whether it's such a joyous event.

Still, today....whilst the hardcore blues are in Dundee and most of my season ticket friends are in France doing voluntary work in Lourdes with Liverpool Hospitalite I am sitting back in Hunts Cross with a smile on my face.

Another "Sky on Fire" sunset over Liverpool

Well you can never have too many

Time to take down our German Euro 2012 wallchart

Got this in Maximilians near Koblenz on a recent stag do. My wife has filled it out in German to keep in with the theme.

Great tournament overall and you have to say the best team won, the pity is that perhaps it didn't get the final it deserved because A: Italy going down to 10 men and B: The 2nd best team in the tournament, Germany, failing to turn up for the semi-final.

For England, given the awful preparation, getting out of the group as leaders represents a success but to fall to a penalty shoot-out yet again grates on your nerves.

Went for a wonder round the re-opened Garden Festival park.

Remember going there 30 years ago...nice to wonder round all these years later. Still a work in progress but very nicely restored with the pagodas making up the centrepiece.

Koblenz (with the Rhine and Moselle)

Definitely a great place to go to, haven't been to Germany nearly enough but spent a weekend there watching footy, drinking and sightseeing.

The Times Royal map of Great Britain

Loving The Times today

Royal Snakes and Ladders

And Corgis! Warming up for the Diamond Jubilee with The Times

I do love Irthlingborough

One of the funniest placenames ever

Looking through old maps and plotting the history of Hunts Cross, Garston & Woolton

Have looking through map versions going back to 1840 to find out the history of south Liverpool...in particular Hunts Cross and the area we live in. There seems to have been a place called Honey Hall and Rose Farm where we live now although I have never seen any trace of it when I walk round nowadays.

If a map OS map says it's a rough track then get ready to scramble

Spent hours stumbling through the gorgeous wonderful Scottish countryside, sad to see that the last round of storms have devastated the forests there, at times it was like witnessing the aftermath of the Tungushka Event, so many pines toppled from the roots, many of them across our intended path.

My Father and other working class heroes

One of the best sports books I've ever read, a hymn by Gary Imlach to his father Stewart Imlach who played with distinction in an era when the rewards were scant and the game tough

Brilliant atmosphere at the Sea Odyssey

Loving the Liverpool Sea Odyssey

Awesome things happening in Liverpool right now

Having a quick one in The Champion of Oxford St

Our favourite London boozer...always try to have in there whenever we are down.

Yesterday was dead loss in terms of sport but logistically a compkete success...Lime St was hugely busy but really well organised, got interviewed by Sky Sports then shuffled onto the 7:53 train to Euston, zipped along the Metropolitan Line and nipped into a cafe for a cheeky pizza and beer. Met up with some of the folk we go the game with and headed Wembley. Less said about the rest of the afternoon the better. Suffice to say it's long way to go to not turn up

Everton Pubs for the Wembley Semi-Final

The list of the Evertonian pubs for Wembley are as follows :

The Green Man
Dagmar Avenue
Wembley
 
Greyhound
324 Harrow Road
Wembley
 
JJ Moons
397 High Road
Wembley
 
Thirsty Eddie's
412 High Road
Wembley
 
Innisfree Freehouse
30 - 32 Harrow Road
Wembley

FA Cup Semi-final tickets. Check!

Phew, felt like a long wait for these but to finally have them in my hand is a relief....just got to get down there now!

Lime St is going to be a bit messy at 7am but hopefully it will all sort itself out.

We're on the march with Moysey's army

Great to see Everton get a quiet, dull, uneventful win against Sunderland today. Was fearful that Sunderland would try to kick us off the park but nothing of the sort happened...instead we had a fairly flat affair. At 0-0 going into the second half it was fairly dull but somehow we managed to score four goal in the second half (two of them pretty much identical) and run out easy winners. Great way to send the boys off down to Wembley

Hibbert Scores, we riot!

If Tony Hibbert scores the winner at Wembley our estimates show that this would be the destruction radius :



London, you have been warned.

Wembley Seating Plan for the West Stand

This might be useful for blues trying to work out where their FA Cup Semi Final seats are in the Everton end (West Stand) :

The blocks correspond with the areas either side of the aisles as far as I can tell

You can assess your view and the official Wembley website too, this will do nicely for us Wembley Stadium Block 132

Tell me Ma, me Ma...I don't want no tea, no tea.

This is exactly the same title I posted with in 2009. Hope this semi-final lives up to the last one because that was basically a perfect day. Spent a lot of time this morning looking at this :

 

 

However the system is spot on, once in you just pick your seats...allocate them to your friends and family (In this case Anne and my mates Mary & Paul) and you are done. I then had to wait a further 25 minutes because I promised another friend I’d complete his (and his 5 mates) ticket order too.

 

Done now though.

 

ALL CLEAR OPERATION WEMBLEY EXERCISE, ALL CLEAR OPERATION WEMBLEY EXERCISE.

FA Cup Semi Final Kick-Off Times

Hopefully the kick-off times for the Merseyside FA Cup Semi final at Wembley will be in keeping with the precedent set over the past 4 years and be at a sensible time. Rumours abound that the Met will insist that the Everton V Liverpool semi final on Saturday the 14th kick off at 12:45.

This would make it incredibly tricky for reds and blues to get down there and one broken down train or car crash on the M6 could mean a half empty ground. The fact that it's a derby shouldn't make any difference. In previous years United V City was at 5pm in 2011, Arsenal V Chelsea in 2009 was at 17:15 so realistically it shouldn't be any different for Evertonians and Liverpudlians.

I know these matches present a tricky problem for the police but it shouldn't be one rule for us and one rule for the rest...hopefully I am blogging un-necessarily and it'll be a nice afternoon kick-off.

Sea Odyssey Giant Spectacular in Liverpool

Just viewing details of the latest event hitting the streets of Liverpool this year. Following in the footsteps of the La Machine giant spider which was brilliant they've recycled the giant girl from the Sultan's Elephant spectacular in London and are having her go on a tour of the city in commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Titanic sinking...should be good if the previous events are anything to go by

What's that coming over the hill? Is it the Scousers? Is it the Scousers?

I have to admit I'd genuinely thought our chance to get to Wembley had gone with the original tie but Everton we immense last night. So rare for us to just put a tie to bed in such a dominant maner.

Felt really sorry for David Vaughan but even 2-0 didn't reflect the way the game unfolded :

Hugely proud of the team and the 6000 people who made their way up to back the lads.

So now Wembley against our lovable neighbours...within minutes of the final whistle Everton have said that all season ticket holders are guaranteed a ticket so that is pretty good. Means we can book transport etc and get everything sorted for another Wembley trip. I know people say the days of the friendly derby are over but this could be a fantastic day for the city of Liverpool. Let's hope so.

Cruddas asks foreign businessmen for 250k for access to Cameron

Well that couldn't look any more damning could it. Disgusting is the word for it. The Conservative party treasurer (not some rogue underling or eager young loose cannon fundraiser) telling foreign businessmen, who aren't legally allowed to donate to uk political parties remember, to pay 250k for shady private dinners with David Cameron at 10 Downing Street. Vile, vile, vile party.

Think back to all those snidey jibes about Labour being in the pocket of the unions....well there you have it, the Conservatives are in the pocket of whichever shady businessman has the cash to buy favour.

Let's be clear union donations to the Labour party are from ordinary workers who each opt-in to paying a small donation. Never let the Tories forget this, it's there in black and white on the pages of the Sunday Times. Corruption and cash for access.

Off leafleting and am attired properly

Loving the Labour campaigning in Liverpool

The football season enters the home stretch

Interesting the see the opening salvos in the mind games between Man Utd and Man City...have to say first blood to United with Alex Ferguson easily dismissing Patrick Viera's comments about Paul Scholes' return being "desperation". Coming in the wake of Carlos Tevez being welcomed back like the prodigal son it was pretty much a "hoisted by your own petard" moment for City.

Cheap shots were thrown back the other way by Rio Ferdinand by saying that you see loads more City shirts around Manchester since they've had their new owners. City fans will be particularly sensitive to that as they've always seen themdelves as the hometown club with United as the fashionable glory-hunters accesory (much the way Evertonians try to paint liverpool).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/mobile/football/17488481

For Everton our season hinges on that cup replay against Sunderland...you suspect our chance has gone now after the annoyance of the original tie (two penalties waved away, hitting the woodwork, wonder saves from their keeper and a ref buying everything Sunderland did). If we do get through a tie against liverpool on the Hillsboro anniversary will be the superb event for the city.

Pray for Muamba

Interesting piece about the spontaneous outpouring of support for Fabrice Muamba and how it manifested itself as prayer

Prayer is natural for footballers

It seems the family are Christians and so regardless of the reasons and what people think of prayer and belief in general it seems to have been spot on. Listened to a very interesting In Our Time podcast on prayer a few weeks ago and they discussed how humans seem to be hard-wired to look to the Divine. I will link to it when I get a chance.

Regardless of all that the signs for Fabrice have been more positive than we could have ever hoped for when we were watching/listening to the events unfolding at Whitehart Lane. Hope he makes a full recovery and my prayers are with him and his family.

At Goodison Park to see an old friend, follow follow follow

Everton is the team to follow...and there's noboday better than Mikel Arteta, he's the best little Spaniard we know

Funny letter from the taxman. Inland Revenue gets sarcastic

This has been doing the rounds for a while but I thought I'd blog it if only just to have it on file.

  
Dear Mr  Xxxxxxx,

I am writing to you to express our thanks for your more than prompt reply to our latest communication, and also to answer some of the points you raise.  I will address them, as ever, in order.

Firstly, I must take issue with your description of our last as a "begging letter."  It  might perhaps more properly be referred to as a "tax demand."  This is how we at the Inland Revenue have always, for reasons of accuracy, traditionally referred to such documents.

Secondly, your frustration at our adding to the "endless stream of crapulent whining and panhandling vomited daily through the letterbox on to the doormat" has been noted.  However, whilst I have naturally not seen the other letters to which you refer, I would cautiously suggest that their being from "pauper councils, Lombardy pirate banking houses and pissant gas-mongerers" might indicate that your decision to "file them next to the toilet in case of emergencies" is at best a little ill-advised.  In common with my own organisation, it is unlikely that the senders of these letters do see you as a "lackwit bumpkin" or, come to that, a "sodding charity."  More likely they see you as a citizen of Great Britain, with a responsibility to contribute to the upkeep of the nation as a whole.

Which brings me to my next point.  Whilst there may be some spirit of truth in your assertion that the taxes you pay "go to shore up the canker-blighted, toppling folly that is the Public Services," a moment's rudimentary calculation ought to disabuse you of the notion that the government in any way expects you to "stump up for the whole damned party" yourself.  The estimates you provide for the Chancellor's disbursement of the funds levied by taxation, whilst colourful, are, in fairness, a little off the mark.  Less than you seem to imagine is spent on "junkets for Bunterish lickspittles" and "dancing whores" whilst far more than you have accounted for is allocated to, for example, "that box-ticking facade of a university system."

A couple of technical points arising from direct queries:

1. The reason we don't simply write "Muggins" on the envelope has to do with the vagaries of the postal system;

2. You can rest assured that "sucking the very marrow of those with nothing else to give" has never been considered as a practice because even if the Personal Allowance didn't render it irrelevant, the sheer medical logistics involved would make it financially unviable.

I trust this has helped.  In the meantime, whilst I would not in any way wish to influence your decision one way or the other, I ought to point out that even if you did choose to "give the whole foul jamboree up and go and live in India," you would still owe us the money.

Please send it to us by Friday.

Yours sincerely, 


X X Xxx
Customer Relations 
Inland Revenue  

Thoroughly depressing derby

Really thought Everton had a chance there tonight, can see why Moyes played the formation and team he did but really that is an opportunity lost. The Cup is one thing but you should never short-change a derby...it sends out a message to the other lot and leaves you there for the taking.

Depressed....hope it pays off on Saturday but I have to say all I can see tonight doing is stealing our momentum. Ah well, we'll see

Jupiter and Venus very close

Have been loving looking at these too shining together in the night sky recently....reckon if the moon has set and you lived somewhere very dark you could get a shadow from them they are that bright

Rebekah Brooks arrested along with her husband Charlie

The blogosphere is having a field day with Charlie Brooks column in the Telegraph today ahead of the Cheltenham Festival "The happiest moment of my year is about three hours before the first race at Cheltenham on Tuesday" says Charlie...unlucky Sir. He was arrested along with Rebekah Brooks as part of the corruption enquiry lead by Lord Leveson

The BBC have put together this useful chart of all the players in this sordid mess.

Media Corruption map

Nice to see David Cameron linked so prominently in there, thick as theives with Brooks and Coulson...terrible, terrible judgement or an arrogance that he can appoint/associate with whoever he like (Emma Harrison anyone?)

Football schadenfraude: "Jelly and ice cream when Rangers die"

Have to say an apology at the start of this one to any Rangers fans reading, not a piss take more just a saluting of the bonkers inventivness of the Celtic fans schadenfraude over the Rangers administration.

"We're having a party when Rangers die"

onto "Jelly and ice cream when Rangers die" and "pass the parcel when Rangers die" and then "Doing the conga when Rangers die" (presume "Musical statues when Rangers die" is there somewhere) then we have the slightly crazy "Doing the Huddle when Rangers die" and the truly bonkers "Passing wee Andy when Rangers die" and "Lateral movement when Rangers die".


We're doing the huddle when Rangers die


Lateral Movement when Rangers die


Pass the Parcel when Rangers die


We're doing the Conga when Rangers die


The Huns are going bust

Lansley refuses to publish the NHS reform Risk Register report.

This really is sinking to a new low in this whole sorry debacle. Now Andrew Lansley is refusing to comply with a court order to release the NHS Reform risk register report. If the bill is nothing to worry about and will benefit the service overall then why not comply with the Freedom of Information request and let us all see it. Pathetic the way he's handled this whole thing.

If he continues to blithely ignore the warnings of virtually every single person involved inthe National Health Service whilst trying to bury reports on his reform bill surely his position is untennable and his bill a write-off. It's actually getting pitiful now.

NHS risk register: Ministers lose Freedom of Information appeal

Ministers have been ordered to publish a risk assessment of the NHS shake-up under Freedom of Information laws.

The Department of Health had appealed against an FOI ruling that the transition risk register, requested by Labour MP John Healey, be published.

But it lost, despite civil servants' warnings that to publish confidential advice could have a "chilling effect".

Mr Healey said the ruling gave "strong legal support to a full and open debate" about NHS plans for England.

"The judgement backs the public's right to know about the risks the government is taking with its NHS plans," he said - accusing the government of having "dragged out" the process for 15 months.

Well done to Andy Burnham and John Healey for fighting tooth and nail on our behalf. Further shame on Quisling Clegg for his pathetic crocodile tears and posturing...you can't public voice concerns about a bill you've voted through parliament at every opportunity.

Yet another Liverpool sunset pic

Sorry if these are getting dull but I don't ever seem to tire of things like sunsets, sunrises, night skies etc.

Get home and rushed upstairs and caught this just as it faded....even as I type this it's gone

Andrew Lansley runs away from a protester

Not often I post a Daily Mail link but it seems to not being reported on the BBC

Lansley runs away from a protester



What on earth is this rotten bill still doing in parliament, it should be killed off right away. The entire country wants it scrapped. What's particularly galling is the likes of Clegg writing letters about how he doesn't like it....after voting for it at every opportunity.

Liverpool bids farewell to HMS Liverpool

Popped down to the pier head to see HMS Liverpool on it's final visit to it's home city. Heck of a lot of people were doing the same. Nice to see

Good win for Waterloo at the rugby today

Nice afternoon at Blundellsands today watching Waterloo rugby Club get a bonus point win against Altrincham Kersal. Pity Everton couldn't beat QPR to really make our day

We are Evertonians...

Got this through this morning, season tickets have gone up a bit but am pretty pleased to see that kids pay the equivelant of £5 a game and it's around £10 for under 17s.

We are Evertonians, we go the game, that's what we do

The BBC World Service is 80 today

If it's ever been your lifeline back to home you'll know what a wonderful thing the BBC World Service is. I remember how it was our link back to the football when I went travelling.

It was sitting on top of a roof in Jodphur in India that we heard Wayne Rooney's first goal for Everton against Arsenal. Happy memories of being huddled round that little shortwave radio waiting for the news or the football coverage to start each week.

Angela Merkel gets beer poured on here but takes it in her stride

Have to say Angela Merkel handles this accidental soaking brilliantly :

Clumsy waiter pours beer over German Chancellor Angela Merkel

A sardonic shrug and raising a glass is probably the coolest way possible to deal with that sort of thing. Prost!

Richard Dawkins gets hoisted by his own petard

It is a good'n this



Poor Christopher Hitchens must be spinning in his grave.

Looking down on the city

Loving the view from The Panoramic restaurant.

Rangers go into administration

It really is staggering that the Scottish champions have gone bust. I suppose Celtic can argue that if they had lived beyond their means in the way Rangers had then they might have won more of those titles instead of their arch rivals.

It shows how ridiculous the whole business of football is and how an implosion could be just round the corner.

It also shows how totally uncompetitive the SPL is given that even with the 10 point penalty Rangers are still 9 points clear of 3rd place.

Should I go for mayor of Liverpool

Ha ha, worst idea ever surely....me being mayor I mean, the banning of liverpool fc (or at least making them change their name) on day one might upset a few people for starters.

All in all I think the idea of a mayor of Liverpool is a pretty pointless endeavour. Add in a devolution of power plus 130 million pound extra for the city and it's pretty much a no brainer.

I wish whoever does decide to run for mayor luck, it'll be a pretty much thankless task in a country who's population seems to have collectively adopted an "iconoclast uber alles" personality.

Where for art thou Everton

Why are Everton simply brilliant against City and Chelsea but so lacking cohesion and belief against Wigan and Bolton?

It really is weird...we've been a joy to watch in these big, big wins recently...everything you love about Moyes' Everton.

And finally, finally

What an abject object lesson in how not to handle a mess....liverpool fc have been a disaster area for weeks. Dalglish's obstinate refusal to acknowledge any wrong by his player has plunge that club deeper and deeper into ignominy.

It finally come to a head on Saturday when a player who'd previously been racially abused by Suarez tried to put in all behind them by offering a handshake and still Suarez tried to play the wounded, wronged party and refused.

Dalglish rallied to defend Suarez yet again and even up until Sunday the likes of Aldridge were still trying to refuse to acknowledge any blame on the part of the liverpool player. Only when negative press began to surface in the New York Times did Fenway Group step and and force apologies.

At last.

Stevie P, oh Stevie P. Oh Stevie P Oh Stevie P

Can't tell you proud I am of Everton today. A supposed top 4 side and we took them to the cleaners. Denis, who we all know is a limited footballer, caused MAYHEM against their weird, lopsided 3-5-2 formation with Cole as a left winger and Luis as a left half.

Everton by comparison knew what they were about from the off, set the tempo and got in amongst them at every turn........the only question remains were the f*ck has that Everton been pre-Christmas....we look so accomplished at the moment. The confidence running throughout the side is like a short in the arm to players like Denis and Donovan. A joy to behold. Went to the game with my Dad today. Pints before in the Black Horse before and after.....days don't get better

Campaigning in South Liverpool

No-one can ever accuse Liverpool Labour of only turning up in May when we want people to vote for us. We've been traipsing the streets for months contacting residents and letting them know what we are about.

It's about making sure we are doing as much as possible to let people know the problems the city is facing and, more importantly, finding out the problems they facing. It's difficult but that's why we are Labour.

Tom Watson on the NHS and the Drop the Bill campaign

Got this mailshot for MP Tom Watson

Ed Miliband calls really early. Too early. These days I have to set my alarm for 6am in order to be fully awake before he starts chasing me.

Before Ed's calls, I listen to the depressing daily news on the Today programme. Unemployment sky rocketing, the economy flat-lining, more arrests at News International. By the time Ed rings I'm usually ready to explode.

The final straw came at 6.54am last Friday morning.

Interviewed on Today, Clare Gerada, the Chair of the Royal College of GPs, was asked about Lansley's Health Bill. I don't know Clare Gerada, but she was authoritative, calm, thorough, and therefore devastating in her analysis.

As the first coffee of the day was brewing, Clare patiently said the following words:

"I think the essence is this Bill is a burden. It makes no sense. It’s incoherent to anybody other than the lawyers. It won’t deal with the big issues that we have to deal with such as the aging population and dementia. It will result in a very expensive health service and it will also result in a health service that certainly will never match the health service that we have at the moment or at least had 12 months ago."

I couldn't stomach any more of this miserable truth about Cameron, Osborne and Lansley's Britain. I'm sick of starting every day like this. I re-tuned to Smooth Radio.

But re-tuning the radio isn't enough. What makes us Labour is that we don't just look away. We've got to stop them. We've got to stop this Bill. It really will wreck the NHS in a way that hasn't been fully understood. It's a fight that patients can't afford for us to lose.

Cameron is determined to force these measures through. To defeat him, we have to build a coalition against the Bill that has never been seen before.

Sign the Drop the Bill petition here

The 6 Nations catches fire

Have to say the game this afternoon between Ireland and Wales was an absolute classic. It was a joy to watch two brilliant teams go all out for the win

For the record I thought Wales deserved it but the brilliance of the win was tainted somewhat by a really nasty spear-tackle in the second half. I imagine the citing committee will be involved because there was real intent in that and could have done some serious damage.

This was balanced, almost, by a ridiculous decision not to give Wales a try in the first half despite the ball clearly going down and there being no demonstrable evidence that it had been held up.

Anyway classic encounters always have their talking points...both teams deserve immense credit for really getting 6 Nations going for us...a joy to watch

The 6 Nations is back

Icy Saturdays are meant to be enjoyed in nice warm houses with pints of lovely beer abd the telly on. Waterloo's home game was cancelled so that left us free to do just that. There are few more beautiful trophies in world sport than the Calcutta Cup, it was great to see a young, inexperienced side lift it although really Scotland were the better side.

A Grand old Team

As hinted at in last night's post it felt like a good night to be a blue from the word go.

City always seem to fall foul of Everton's superior workrate and commitment. Players like Aguero, Villa and Nasri have added real class to go along with the brawn but where is the steel that side will need to win a title? Playing in the African Cup of Nations you might suggest. You can admire their talent but Everton's team spirit counted for more.

Cahill was a warrior, Denis & Donovan gave everything, Heitinga and Hibbert were immense whilst Fellaini and Gibson battled all night. Moyes out-thought Mancini with the inspired decision to bring in Hibbert to help do a job on Dzeko......yeah all in all a great night to be a blue

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On the way to Goodison

On the train going to the match. Things might actually be looking up for the blues with new blood coming in to freshen up a squad in danger of going stale.

Odd to have games on transfer deadline day but hopefully all our business is done with a midfielder, a striker and a defender all signed up and possibly a big earner off the books (although I can't see Saha going to Spurs).

Nice to have something none-depressing to talk about for once. The win against Fulham seems to have given everyone a boostm

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Tory attitudes to contracts

It seems the Tories simply can't get involved with altering contracts...it would be utterly unthinkable for then to intervene in RBS boss Stephen Hester's bonus. This is definitely a tricky one but the bottom line is that that bank is just not performing.

The interesting point for me is that whilst the Conservatives hold contracts in the financial services sacred they just take it as a given they can totally rip-up the contracts of all those public sector workers and their pensions agreements

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Plant an Oak in the Diamond Jubilee Woods

Have to say I do like this idea, a great way to commemorate a national event

Digging deep for commemorative woods

Organisers of a project to create a series of new woods to commemorate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee hope to plant one million trees during February.

The Woodland Trust said next month marked the 60th anniversary of the Queen's accession to the throne.

Free tree-planting packs would be available for groups wanting to take part in the project, it added.

The centrepiece of the Trust's plans will be a Diamond Park - a 460-acre site containing 500,000 trees.

Find out more about it here : The Woodland Trust

You ain't no fool if you from Liverpool. Happy Birthday to the Greatest of all Time

Do love this pic :

Daily Post Article here

Happy 70th Birthday Muhammad Ali. Asalam Alakum Sir

Flashman Cameron calls Dennis Skinner a dinosaur

Oh look, Cameron gets asked a question which irks him and straight away resorts to nasty jibes and insults. It does seem to me that Cameron sees the House of Commons as a bothersome inconvenience distracting him from gala lunches and cosy meetings at Chequers.

Nice bottle of Sheppy's Tremlett's Bitter cider for after dinner

Do love Sheppy's cider....found it in Dobby's and Booth's recently. Hurrah!

Marc Clattenberg to ref an Everton game

I know we shouldn't condone fans pouring abuse onto officials and opposition players but I do hope Mark Clattenberg gets absolute dogs abuse when he referees Everton once again.

That derby was by far the worst display of officiating I've ever seen. Too bad to be laughed off, you looked at the decisions he was making and could only conclude he was biased or corrupt. It was simply not possible to come to the conclusions impartially. The FA obviously agree because it's been half a decde before they've let him loose on an Everton game.

If you see Match of the Day and wonder why Evertonians are giving him hell just look back through the highlights and realise just how justified it is.

Huge slab of Deli Fonseca game pie to eat tomorrow

Love shops like Deli Fonseca in Liverpool....brilliant delicatesan and restaurant run by friendly, enthusiastic people who love good food.

Why no Everton blog posts

You'll notice that the sports updates on here have been few and far between...haven't been making it to the match much recently for one reason or another and to be honest there's just nothing to inspire a post. The premiership in general is pretty dull and Everton are as uninspiring as they've been in ages.

Last night was a case in point, awful, awful game in awful, awful conditions...Everton just look so listless and disparate. They depserately need someone to provide that spark of inspiration. It was nice to see Tim Howard score only the 4th premier league goal by a goalkeeper...adding that to Scheichals for Villa at Goodison a while back than it means I've seen 50% of them.

Walking back enphasised how awful the conditions were, we could barely walk and then the trains were all over the place due to fallen trees etc so by the time we got in it was well past midnight.

I could ramble and rant about the problems in the Everton side but ultimately it's just too depressing at the moment.