WOOTTON BASSETT

Have just been watching the BBC evening news and another lot of hearses passing through the small town of Wootton Bassett which I used to pass through quite often when I lived not very far away and visited Swindon in the 1970s/1980s. Our soldiers who have been killed in Afghanistan have for the last few years been brought to RAF Lyneham (before that it was Brize Norton) and Wootton Bassett is the first town on the hearses the route. The good, decent, and ordinary people of Wootton Bassett had a tradition of quietly lining the route and silently paying their respects to the fallen. It seems to have started in a very informal way almost by accident and gradually grew as shopkeepers closed for a few minutes whilst the cortége passed. A very humbling and moving experience. Until that despicable organisation the BBC got hold of it and started to publicise it. So the event is getting the "I want to be on TV" treatment. Clearly many of todays crowds have no connections with Wootton Bassett or even Wiltshire. They are there to be on TV. Today some of them even clapped. Clapping at a funeral. What is this nation coming to? Thanks to the BBC and its mission to entertain rather than inform Wootton Bassett is now a on its way to becoming a funfair. I did read a press article just a few days ago which led me to believe that many townspeople would prefer the old informal quiet showing of respect to our fallen troops rather than publicity induced razzamatazz. A townsman pointed out that it has been suggested that "High Street" should be renamed "Highway of Heroes". The suggestion came from a person living over 300 miles away. Unfortunately my belief is that the decent people of Wootton Bassett (and England) are going to be submerged by a mass of people who want to turn a once dignified demonstration of respect for the dead into a funfair.

BBC MOSTLY

So today that wretched organization we know as the BBC is being a little snide about Royal Expenses. The BBC has just sent 400 (yes, that's FOUR HUNDRED) employees to the Glastonbury Music Festival — a small event for weirdos who like to shag a lot in rain and mud. That's not much short of what they sent to the Peking (sorry, Beijing — have to be totally PC where BBC is concerned). Of course they're all Guardian readers. The fact of the matter is that if the head of state was chosen from the ranks of the BBC or Parliament the costs would be far more. Just imagine Tony and Cherie as Lord Protector/Lady Protectress. There is no limit to the greed of many of our MPs.
And I see Madoff got 150 years. What a fool!! If he'd come here he could have killed and raped and dozens and our lily-livered judges in red dressing gowns would never dream of such a sentence. Huntly Open Prison and out in 3 (years not centuries).

GANNET ORPHAN

Have just watched the local news on BBC Scotland which devoted several minutes to the fate of a gannet marooned on Bass Rock after its parents flew off to warmer climes. I asked my wife how they knew the bird needed rescuing and was told that if I'd listened properly I'd have known that they'd been watching its every move because it was tagged. I'm surprised whoever looks after the fish hasn't been given prime air time to complain that one of their main tormentors has been saved. I expect that in recent weeks a good number of birds have died within a hundred yards of my garden. How are they being remembered? Why was nothing done to save them? I suppose if a millionaire heiress leaves all her estate to the RSPB specifically for the benefit of Bass Rock gannets that's her privilege but even so why do those BBC morons think it merits so much airtime?

RUSSELL BRAND

For reasons which I am unable to fathom Russell Brand seems to be a successful "star" and his mate Jonathan Ross is one of the BBC's most highly paid performers. This puerile couple recently put what they considered funny messages on the answering machine of Andrew Sachs who used to appear as Manuel in Fawlty Towers. The level of the one-sided exchange can be judged by the fact that Russell bragged that he had shagged Mr Sachs's grandaughter who is in her early twenties. As I don't follow the gossip columns I don't know whether he's telling the truth or not but a report today suggests that he quite often boasts on air about his sexual conquests. Under pressure the pair made an apology of sorts though it was almost an insult in its own right. But what is truly amazing is that the programme was recorded and the BBC chose to broadcast it. Are we really paying our licence fee to an organisation which thinks this sort of "prank" is OK? I'm sick of being told that the purpose of the TV licence is to ensure that the BBC can produce high quality programming. Clearly it doesn't. What sort of staff do they employ? The sooner the BBC staff get their P45s the better.

In the same vein, but not just a BBC issue, is the whole subject of foul language on television. Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay both host shows in which foul language is the order of the day. Lots of ordinary people do not like it. Complaints are coming not from geriatric prudes or virginal nuns but from normal people. Men and women who may well swear themselves at times but don't want the stuff tumbling out of their telly into their front room. Especially if they have children.

BBC GAELIC

So tonight was all set to watch Tudors — a good bit of escapism even if not historical fact. And what do I find? For 90 minutes of TV prime time (starting 9 pm) we have a Gaelic program. Of course if those bastards (I'd say c**ts) at the BBC had any any responsibility at all to their providers they would never have done this. But there they are safe in the knowledge that what ever they do they will get their cash from every household in the kingdom. Every other company has to provide what customers want but the BBC are free to follow their political agenda. Why the hell can't al-Qaeda drop a bomb on BBC centre instead of targeting the ordinary hard-working people of Britain. Simple — the BBC men (and women if under 45) are their friends.

OLYMPIC JUNKET

The British team in Beijing is just over 300 athletes. A figure dwarfed by those who are tagging along for the ride. The BBC are sending over 430 staff at a cost to the taxpayer of around £3 million. The London Development Agency are sending only 13 but again the cost is given as £3 million apparently because they have hired a private members club in the city for the duration. Then there are various government and local government contingents. And two police forces although I'm not clear why Dorset need an input; and the Met must have plenty of crimes to solve at home. I expect they'll all have a wonderful time.

BBC AGAIN

Recently it came to light that the BBC had been faking winners of competitions and other frauds. Viewers sometimes entered competitions which the BBC knew they had no chance of winning. In some cases members of staff posed as "winners" and in other cases names of winners read out on air were fictitious. In one case listeners to a radio programme thought they were responding to a live show when in fact it was pre-recorded. Viewers had been cheated. Ofcom has now imposed a fine of around £400,000 on the BBC. Except of course in reality they have fined the viewing public as the money will doubtless come out of the extortionate license fee that every owner of a TV has to pay. It would have made more sense if the wretched watchdog had ordered an immediate reduction of license fees in the future and possibly a few sackings to boot. I would have thought there were grounds for criminal prosecutions against some individuals but perhaps everyone who works for the BBC belongs to one of the "special" groups that the police are reluctant to tackle.

BBC AGAIN

Just watched the evening (6 pm) bulletin on BBC1. Gordon Brown reportedly stated that we Brits throw away too much food. That information took about 30 seconds. The bulletin then went on for a further 10 minutes with a report on food wastage in Britain. One woman courageously said she didn't feel at all guilty about ditching food she no longer wanted. Good for her because neither do I. Not all that long ago we were hearing about EU wine lakes and butter mountains because our politicians were encouraging farmers to produce crops nobody wanted to buy. Wine was converted to vinegar. But my point is that all this is documentary and emphatically not news. And it's preachy which to my mind means self-defeating. And of course it's nonsense to suggest that because someone in Tunbridge Wells throws away a carrot someone in Africa starves.

And following on from that although I live in Scotland the BBC transmitted to me the local London news from 6.30. to 6.50. But of course it doesn't matter how incompetent these people are because they get the tax (TV licence fee) irrespective of performance.

BBC SCHEDULING

So today, at least from late afternoon, all the BBC TV schedules are all to cock. If you went to to your local cinema to watch the advertised "Superman" film and then as the curtains opened you found they had decided to screen "Sound of Music" instead you could well be extremely annoyed. You might want your money back. If the cinema was in fact a complex of small screens and they announced that they'd switched "Superman" to the place next door you might still be upset. If the cinema kept on doing this sort of thing people would go to a more reliable cinema and managers at the first cinema would be sacked or it would go out of business. BBC schedulers are very incompetent but of course that doesn't matter because although nothing tonight was screened at the time advertised on the channel advertised this is not a commercial organisation. The company get their cash and the managers their salaries (+ bonuses) even if nobody gets to watch what they want to watch. English Heritage are trying to make sure BBC Television Centre gets preserved for the nation. We need to ensure this wretched organisation (BBC I mean, but much the same applies to English Heritage) comes to a quick end along with all its managers.

GOLDEN EAGLES

Just watched BBC news from the regions. The Golden Eagle is Scotland's "iconic" (their word) bird. It certainly is a magnificent creature and it would be a pity to lose it. But it seems it's not doing all that well. A pity it can't be eaten as a superior version of turkey as then we would have farmed eagle in the same way that we have farmed salmon and farmed lobster. Never mind Scottish National Heritage (SNH) is on the case and they're a bit worried about the eagles. Some smug employee came on screen to tell exactly how worrying it is. Of course if these SNH employees weren't being fed with a bottomless pit of taxpayers' hard-earned cash they might themselves be on the way out and a good thing too. People working all hours in the dark satanic mills of Scotland just so these assholes can go prancing over the hills worrying about a few birds.

BBC NON-NEWS

Not long ago watched the BBC 6.00 pm news. About 10 minutes in we had a lengthy report on the National Health Service (NHS)and were told that as it's 60 years since the 'birth' there will be a report every day for a week. Of course this is just an excuse for the BBC to roll out old footage and every minute spent on this documentary material is one minute less of hard news. Presumably all the people at the BBC have GCSEs in media studies or even degrees in media studies so it is a little amazing that they are unaware of the difference between news and documentary. Except perhaps it's not surprising as any fool can pass media studies at whatever level.

BBC & ENGLISH HERITAGE

The BBC are hoping to sell their Television Centre which was built around 1960. After all they don't make many programs now as much of their output is dreary old repeats. But there's a fly in the ointment in the shape of our old friends English Heritage. EH want to have the building listed which may well make it more difficult to sell and if anyone does go ahead and buy there could well be restrictions on what they can do with it. A new doormat will probably need planning permission in triplicate. The main purpose of EH is to make life difficult for normal people at the expense of normal people.

BBC

Just watched the BBC 6 o'clock national news. A short bit (very short and easily missed) piece about the Tory win (and Labour disaster) in the Henley byelection was followed by a long piece about Gordon Brown's popularity going over the last year of his time as prime minister. Interesting in a way but decidedly NOT news. The trouble with these people at the BBC is that their noses are so far up the Labour bottom that their brains are fill of shit. What is so difficult about the concept of "news" as relating to events in the last couple of days? Their lapses into documentary means that real news is not being fully reported.

And then we had a piece about the costs of the monarchy - BBC employees are republican wallahs to the hilt. I suspect the present Queen and her likely successor, Prince Charles both have a sense of duty to the nation which would be totally lacking in (say) Tony and Cherie Blair as President and First Lady. And I have no doubt that this wretched couple would be an even greater drain on the workers' purse.

BBC AND THE QUEEN

Reports in yesterday's press claim that the BBC is preparing for the death of Elizabeth II by seeking out people who will be prepared to mount a critical attack on her on the night of her death. I am pleased to say they are not having much success so far. It seems even some famous people well known for a republican political stance are refusing either because of the personal qualities of our present monarch or because they find the timing distasteful. Perhaps they judge the likely mood of her people better than those smug BBC apparatniks. For myself I believe she has served this country well. I think Charles will do the same. President Tony with Presidentess Cherie would not only be a disaster but also a very expensive one.

BBC

The BBC sinks further into the gutter by the hour. Earlier this week it was announced they had been fined £50,000 for rigging a children's phone-in show. As a letter to the press pointed out no-one got sacked and the fine comes out of licence money. The great British Public has to pay for the sins of this wretched corporation. The latest scandal was a film of a Year with the Queen. One episode dealt with a photo shoot by Annie Leibowitz. A trailer was produced to market the film. Peter Fincham, Controller of BBC, had the trailer shown to press and sure enough the next day the UK papers had images/stories of the Queen stomping out of the session in high dudgeon after Annie had suggested she remove her crown. Except the trailer was in the wrong sequence. Queen complaining about heavy, hot, ceremonial dress came before she met Annie. Of course Peter doesn't regard it as a resigning matter — why should he when he's on such a cushy number? The BBC just don't get it: nobody trusts them as impartial purveyors of truth any more.