(15 Dec 2014, 10:55 am)Michael wrote That's good, they might come back as visitors in the future!

Least they realized that were not all posh haha! 

Did they enjoy the weather?

Ah yeah, they said they will come back, possibly in the summer. We're even considering going over there to visit them sometime.

More or less like anyone, when the weather was good they enjoyed it, but didn't when it was rotten. They did complain about how cold it's been over the last couple of weeks.

They've just touched down at Heathrow by the way if anyone's interested

(15 Dec 2014, 11:04 am)Adam wrote Ah yeah, they said they will come back, possibly in the summer. We're even considering going over there to visit them sometime.

More or less like anyone, when the weather was good they enjoyed it, but didn't when it was rotten. They did complain about how cold it's been over the last couple of weeks.

They've just touched down at Heathrow by the way if anyone's interested

That's good! 

other news:

Anyone seen this siege in Australia?, being going on since mid-night here, scary stuff

(15 Dec 2014, 11:11 am)Michael wrote That's good! 

other news:

Anyone seen this siege in Australia?, being going on since mid-night here, scary stuff

Aye it is scary stuff.

Something's up in Belgium as well. 4 armed men have entered an apartment and took one person hostage. I really hope it is unconnected to the Sydney seige.

(15 Dec 2014, 11:20 am)Adam wrote Aye it is scary stuff.

Something's up in Belgium as well. 4 armed men have entered an apartment and took one person hostage. I really hope it is unconnected to the Sydney seige.

It is, seems 5 people have ran from the one in Sydney, and the dude has become agitated, hes also turned the lights off.

I hope we don't see any killings.

Belgium to, bloody hell

(15 Dec 2014, 11:24 am)Michael wrote It is, seems 5 people have ran from the one in Sydney, and the dude has become agitated, hes also turned the lights off.

I hope we don't see any killings.

Belgium to, bloody hell

They were saying on the news earlier the Police were thinking about blacking the street out

What he hopes to achieve I dont know, The Police will just use Night Vision Goggles, whereas the hostage taker most likely wont have that aid

(15 Dec 2014, 11:27 am)MrFozz wrote They were saying on the news earlier the Police were thinking about blacking the street out

What he hopes to achieve I dont know, The Police will just use Night Vision Goggles, whereas the hostage taker most likely wont have that aid

The police know what he wants but aren't releasing it 

(15 Dec 2014, 11:38 am)Michael wrote The police know what he wants but aren't releasing it 

The way these things go is normally

A demand for the release of comrades who are incarcerated...

I say they should just say 'Fuck it, lets cut the power, send in the Marksmen and take the bastard'

Turns out the gunman has the wrong flag!
He has asked for the correct one to be given to him.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-30475110

(15 Dec 2014, 12:07 pm)Andreos1 wrote Turns out the gunman has the wrong flag!
He has asked for the correct one to be given to him.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-30475110

What a idiot.... Gonna be interesting to see how they react to hes demand, maybe an opportunity to end it?  

(15 Dec 2014, 12:08 pm)Michael wrote What a idiot.... Gonna be interesting to see how they react to hes demand, maybe an opportunity to end it?  

Makes me think they are dealing with a guy who has ISIS tendencies/thoughts/beliefs, but it isn't an 'official' attack authorised by leaders of the group.

(15 Dec 2014, 12:12 pm)Andreos1 wrote Makes me think they are dealing with a guy who has ISIS tendencies/thoughts/beliefs, but it isn't an 'official' attack authorised by leaders of the group.

Sounds like it mate, a lone nut, I feel if it was organised/authorised by the so called IS, there would be a lot more to it than a lone gunman...Remember the Al-Shabaab attack on the shopping outlet Nairobi, I reckon this would be a situation like that if it was organised by IS leaders

(15 Dec 2014, 12:17 pm)MrFozz wrote Sounds like it mate, a lone nut, I feel if it was organised/authorised by the so called IS, there would be a lot more to it than a lone gunman...Remember the Al-Shabaab attack on the shopping outlet Nairobi, I reckon this would be a situation like that if it was organised by IS leaders

Exactly. They organised all of that, whilst in Sydney, they can't even sort out the correct flag.

Just seen this on BBC. In a day of bad news, it made me smile.
Not sure I would smile if it happened to my house like!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30462825

(15 Dec 2014, 12:23 pm)Andreos1 wrote Exactly. They organised all of that, whilst in Sydney, they can't even sort out the correct flag.

Just seen this on BBC. In a day of bad news, it made me smile.
Not sure I would smile if it happened to my house like!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30462825

Supposedly videos have being leaked of hes demands.  

(15 Dec 2014, 12:23 pm)Andreos1 wrote Exactly. They organised all of that, whilst in Sydney, they can't even sort out the correct flag.

Just seen this on BBC. In a day of bad news, it made me smile.
Not sure I would smile if it happened to my house like!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30462825

Saw this yetsterday...

He really brought the house down with that proposal...

The Sydney Siege is now over, with 2 deaths reported, 1 being the hostage taker and the other one of the hostages...

While the death of the hostage is heart breaking, we can thank god the death toll was not higher, while there never will be a good time to mourn, the run up to christmas makes it hard to cope with for those directly involved...

I dont want to bash the Police, but the hostage taker was well known to Police, he was known to have written poison letters to families of dead Australian Service Personnel, absolutely disgusting and he was supposedly on bail for a string of Sexual Assaults and apparantly wanted to kill his significant other.

1 of his demands was apparantly a meeting with Tony Abbott, the Aussie PM, there was probably more chance of Nigel Farage getting a rogering off David Cameron than this fella getting an audience with the Prime Minister...

One thing I dont get, if these people who hate our society and love Sharia Law, why do they live among us, if if they want Sharia so bad, they should move to places like Saudi, Qatar or Pakistan

EDIT

3 DEAD

Horrible tragedy. When I visited the Leeds Grand Mosque on Friday, I learnt a lot from the Islamic people there. They were a lot more open and honest than I was expecting, and were very happy to answer questions relating to terrorism, etc - lovely people!

Situations like this make me so confused.

(15 Dec 2014, 6:59 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote Horrible tragedy. When I visited the Leeds Grand Mosque on Friday, I learnt a lot from the Islamic people there. They were a lot more open and honest than I was expecting, and were very happy to answer questions relating to terrorism, etc - lovely people!

Situations like this make me so confused.

Muslims I have spoke to are pretty decent, just want to be left in peace and abhor the minority who use Islam to justify terrorism...

I have seen Islamophobia first hand a couple of times...

1. Went to a an EDL rally in Newcastle in 2010, was having a crisis with my beliefs so wanted to see what it was about and the hatred was so intense I felt uncomfortable being there, while no trouble was caused, it was a powderkeg atmosphere...

2. I was talking to an EDL Organiser in Durham not long after who has handing out leaflets and walked up to a woman wearing a burqa and or whatever and stuck a leaflet in her face like he was posting a letter and was heard planning an attack on a Halal Butchers...

Thats all to much and extreme for me

Is it not like all religions though? Good and bad in each 'group'.

The catholic side of my family are lovely, kind people - ask a protestant in 1970's Northern Ireland what they thought of Catholics...

Lutherans during the second world war? Pope Benedict was in the young nazi's.

What about asking what a Palestinian Arab thinks of Jews?

It's difficult, but you can't tar everyone with the same brush.

(15 Dec 2014, 9:27 am)Michael wrote When OAP's argue that its 9:30am when its not...

I believe some operators have their ETMs setup to accept ENCTS passes a few minutes before 0930. I know GNE do, as a few years ago, it was queried on Facebook. The same rule didn't apply to someone wanting an off peak Get Around at the same time, and they were told they'd have to wait for the next bus.

(15 Dec 2014, 7:18 pm)MrFozz wrote Muslims I have spoke to are pretty decent, just want to be left in peace and abhor the minority who use Islam to justify terrorism...

I have seen Islamophobia first hand a couple of times...

1. Went to a an EDL rally in Newcastle in 2010, was having a crisis with my beliefs so wanted to see what it was about and the hatred was so intense I felt uncomfortable being there, while no trouble was caused, it was a powderkeg atmosphere...

2. I was talking to an EDL Organiser in Durham not long after who has handing out leaflets and walked up to a woman wearing a burqa and or whatever and stuck a leaflet in her face  like he was posting a letter and was heard planning an attack on a Halal Butchers...

Thats all to much and extreme for me

That's sick.

I wish certain people/groups would bloody Recognise not all Muslims are terrorists, most of them just want peace!!

(15 Dec 2014, 7:24 pm)Andreos1 wrote Is it not like all religions though? Good and bad in each 'group'.

The catholic side of my family are lovely, kind people - ask a protestant in 1970's Northern Ireland what they thought of Catholics...

Lutherans during the second world war? Pope Benedict was in the young nazi's.

[/b]What about asking what a Palestinian Arab thinks of Jews?[/b]

It's difficult, but you can't tar everyone with the same brush.

Whenever I try to explain the rivalry between Newcastle and Sunderland to foreigners, I will always say 'Think Israel and Palestine or Catholics and Protestants in N.Ireland without the guns and bombs'

In all seriousness, Muslims are our generations Irish People, as far as people were concerned if you were Irish, you were a terrorist,

Couple of things I want to share,

1. A funny thing happened at my uncles wedding, he met a Belfast girl when he was based in Munster in the Forces, when they got married in 1988, a load of people came over for the Wedding and the Police apparantly shit themselves at the amount of Northern Irish registered cars runnimg round East Durham...I actually found it funny when my Granddad told me, I can imagine The Local Constabulary panicking, thinking an IRA ASU was being set up in Murton

2. I have been to Belfast many times and everytime I go, I will always go on a guided tour in a taxi, I have visited The Falls, Shankill, Interface Areas and other trouble spots, people always say 'Aren't you worried about getting shot'...No I am not, a taxi driver wouldn't surely take me somewhere too dangerous...

But yes there is an extreme element in all religion and politics

(15 Dec 2014, 7:32 pm)aureolin wrote I believe some operators have their ETMs setup to accept ENCTS passes a few minutes before 0930. I know GNE do, as a few years ago, it was queried on Facebook. The same rule didn't apply to someone wanting an off peak Get Around at the same time, and they were told they'd have to wait for the next bus.

Stagecoach used to accept them at 0927, which I never agreed with. At Arriva it's bang on 0930, which is what the rules are at the end of the day. As for waiting til 0930, depends on what sort of mood I am in... So entires I'll try and get through as many as I physically can before 0930. Down here on Teesside it's only a 30p charge before 0930, hardly breaks the bank. You'd be amazed how much it takes to get it out of some of them.

It is amazing how some people will not pay the pre 0930 travel supplements. Some will go to great lengths to not have to pay the fare even though it is hardly going to brake the bank. Apparently the Woodham OAPs are terrible for this, I remember when the 8 used to go right round Newton Aycliffe it was the first bus to Darlington after 0930 and would have no seats left when it got towards Aycliffe Rail Station. Not surprising from them, they are never happy when the 7 was upped to every 15 minutes they went on a rant saying about their being no bus to Bishop Auckland after several years and went on and on about the struggles for old people in Woodham changing buses, they never thought of us poor New College students who apart from peak times have to change buses in Durham.

I think I once saw GNE accept passes on the OK1 in Darlington at 0929, although it was due to leave at 0930.

Sure enough I'm on the first 7 through Woodham after 0930 and we stopped at almost every stop in Woodham and of course they are all sat on the outside seats And you lot moaned about overcrowding on buses

Roll on Enviro 400s!

Cheaper fuel cuts UK inflation to 1% http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30493967

Wonder when we'll see our bus fare reduction.

(16 Dec 2014, 1:06 pm)aureolin wrote Cheaper fuel cuts UK inflation to 1% http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30493967

Wonder when we'll see our bus fare reduction.

Over the last couple of months we've seen fuel prices slashed at the pumps while the price of crude-oil hits a fiver-year low. 

A reduction of 10p will suffice 

(16 Dec 2014, 1:33 pm)MurdnunoC wrote Over the last couple of months we've seen fuel prices slashed at the pumps while the price of crude-oil hits a fiver-year low. 

A reduction of 10p will suffice 

Ah, but because operators buy their fuel in advance to save money...
The fuel they are using now, was bought (hedged) using prices from a year or two ago.

Hopefully the rush to buy fuel now, will reflect in a few years time!

edit: http://www.go-ahead.com/ir/busfuelpolicy.aspx

Person hit by train at Chester-le-Street.

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/nort...it-8299022

(16 Dec 2014, 5:32 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote Person hit by train at Chester-le-Street.

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/nort...it-8299022

Damn, thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends and the train drivers...

That is something nobody should have to be exposed to...as a witness or through loss of a loved one...

Seen it myself in London when I was 16 at Kings Cross Tube, wasn't near the person or see the mess, but near enough to see him jump, the most sickening thing I have ever seen, and I aint ever heard screaming like it and I have never ran away from anything so fast, Usain Bolt would have struggled to catch me over 100mtrs, add my own mental health problems to it and it really screwed me up, so much so, I hate London to this day and would not use the Tube again years, I even got paranoid in Newcastles Underground Metro Stations.

Back in 2000, a friend of mine was struck by a train after taking a shortcut over the ECML just west of Durham, on the same weekend as me turning 18

Anyone watching BBC news?

Its just showed you inside the school, was horrible to see the blood etc in the video. 

Its sad to see whats happened in Pakistan, all those poor children and teachers =(

3 days of mourning has started.

R.I.P =(