Happy New Year

Welcome, I hope you all had a great Christmas and not too much falling down water!

We can now look forward to a New Year filled with the prospect of a new PM and even bigger taxes. All in the name of the environment of course.

At least we have now finished paying back the Americans for the lease/lend of the last world war, so that will be a few more million they can throw down the NHS pit.

Thats enough of my ranting for this year, have a great time over new year and standby for more in the new year

Don't say I didn't warn you

Increased taxes!
As I said once before, If our leaders seem to think that adding yet more money to our already overwhelming tax burdon is going to save the world. They are living in cloud cuckoo land. It would not be so bad if we actually believed the money will go towards saving the planet. Right minded people will have already worked it out, that the last thing it will be spent on is enviromental protection. It will end up being poured into the bottomless pit called the NHS. Again no problem if it were going into front line services, but it isn't, it to goes to supporting an ever growing admin with senior officers being paid far more than they will ever be really worth.
If they really want to save the planet, why not turn off the thousands of street lights on motorways and left on all night, what are headlights for?
I read an artical in the Scotsman newspaper last Tuesday while on a flying visit north of the border, on the of subject tax, and I quote "The government want to talk about tax, lets talk about the abolition of married couples allowance, increases in national insurance, increases in tax on fuel, increased council tax (and how), raiding pension funds and savings, (50 billion) and many other stealth taxes that would take up far to much space.
To quote a prime minister from many years ago "we have never had it so good" but now it would be"so bad"
Mind you become an MP and get a gold plated pension, so who cares about the peasants who have to pay for it, they don't.

It's all changed!

As with everything that is just becoming established, the goal posts get moved. In this case it is where you can find your spooks rantings? Hopefully this will be picked up fairly soon so that I can start upsetting people again, because at the moment no one knows where I've gone.....shame!
This was not of my choosing, just an "UP GRADE" to the service, but if no one knows where you've gone, its not to great an idea. I see there is now a link from the Hundred Houses website so maybe some of my fans will find me from there.
I wont hold my breath.

TAX-TAX-TAX-TAX-TAX

You have all read it. Our masters now want to tax us out of what little bit of cash we have got left,all in the name of the enviroment.

Drive a 4x4 or a car over 1500cc,(your safe if you drive an electric car, [just where can you get one?]), live in a house with a nice view, live in a good area with good schools, throw your rubbish away?

You do, you had better put in for your £10000 a year pay rise now.
As for the rest of us? Never mind, all the extra money they are going to raise will go in paying increased benefit so we can live.

Just where do they think people are going to find all this extra money to pay for all these new taxes.I suppose it's a good thing they haven't yet found a way of taxing the air we breath. Mind you there is more than likely a "quango" somewhere working on that as well.

Pity that USA, China,India dont conform. Why should this small insignificant island pay to protect the world from global warming when no one else does!

The doom and gloom merchants have been at it for years. Some years ago we were told that by 2007 the sea would have reached Ely and we only would need to go that far to get to the seaside. I'm still waiting. Like to fly off on holiday? Kiss that goodbye, This will be for the wealthy or MP's only

Come on readers, lets see your answers to this one. Then again you might earn enough not to worry about a big rise in stealth tax. Or have you been been brain washed enough to believe all this rubbish, yes there may be a problem, but there again how many times has the earth been through the cycle of ice age/global warming and back to ice age. I bet the cave men thought the world was coming to an end at the end of the last ice age because it was getting so warm.

With all this "PC" crap going on how long before the ENGLISH people of country becomes totally BNP.
It seems a pity that the "Do Gooders" of this country seem determind to make all of us "English" become nothings. We are not allowed to be patrotic (might offened someone), cant wear religious sysmbols,(ditto) Dont fly the St George's flag and so it goes on and on. What are your thoughts. let me know!
Parents are not allowed to control their kids, the source of a lot of our anti social problems. The police can't do anything either, their hands are tied with laws that say they can't do this that or the other and the Yobs know it, even very young kids know it.
When are we going to wake up and start telling our "do gooders" where to get off and take control of our country again. Enough is enough!
There are a bunch of crooks (sorry, legal profesionals) out there making a fortune out of litigation and our judges are so out of touch as to make our legal system a joke. A bit like our political leaders really.
Never mind, if we are unable get it right after a thousand years of history, the EU will tell us how it should be done. That is unless you happen to be French,German,Spanish or any of the other member states. If they don't like it they ignore it. Unlike our lot that accept everything and then add to it.
That is my rant for this week, will be interested to see your comments on this one!

Big Brother is nearly here

As forecast in my last report, along with all the hundreds of new laws pasted by our "glorious" leaders (well in their minds anyway)
we now have our local bunch of crooks adding to the spy ring.
While I have no doubt that some of our readers are well into the P.C. thing!and enviromental issues and all that. Do they approve of what is being done by our local councils?
SPYING!
Spying you ask?
Yes there are bugs in our bins. Not the creepy crawley type either,
electronic bugs. These bugs are used to spy on how much rubbish we put in our bins, if we put too much in they are going to charge us.
As yet Cambridge dont appear to have fitted them, but Peterborough has, so it is only a matter of time, unless we take action now.
Where do you find this BUG? If you have read your newsletter there is a picture of the top half of a bin on the front page. The bug is about the size of a penny and fitted up under the front edge of the bin, at the front. These are being fitted at sometime during the day when people are at work so would not know they were there.
If you find one attached to your bin, do not destroy it (this could be classified as criminal damage)just remove it and send it back to the council. Any covering letter and what it says is your choice.
As I said they do not appear to have been fitted on Cambridge bins yet, but I keep checking and will update you if I find one.
It just gets spookier and spookier

At Last!

Yes indeed, at last I have got a response. I did wonder if the world had crept away while I was surfing the net! Now I know this is being read I will follow up just a bit more often.
There is no way I am going to give up on this, just want to get more people from our association to participate. After all everything that happens around us effects us all. I can't say that anything we say on here will make a difference but you never know. If enough of you get involved we might change the world, (well Chesterton anyway).
Stand by for some important information that will need to be dealt with by all of us in the very near future. Read your new Tenants News Letter, basic details are shown on the front page. I will go into it further shortly.

Am I wasting my time?

Just one comment since July! and even that was annon. Is it worth the time and effort taking photos, trying to instill a little interest in our association. I feel not, Cambridge apathy seems to rule, it is not just confined to this organisation but many others in this area. Wake up.....what happens around here affects you. You live here. Do something, even if it is only a rude comment on here..... DO IT.

Has summer arrived at last?

Well it's Friday and the sun is shining, don't know how long it is going to last (haven't seen the weekend forcast yet). but never the less make hay while the sun shines as they say.
Just about recovered from the USA trip, but went to Scotland just to re-adjust, well thats my excuse anyway.
Are there any golfers out there? I know someone who would like to meet up to see where to start.
Just leave a posting on here and I'll pass on the message.
Spook

The promised Photo

The old spook did say that a photo fron Maine would appear on the site and here it is.While we all agree that Chesterton is a nice pleasant place to live I really don't think that the river Cam could produce a photo that matches this scene, not unless you allow grotty old house boats that is.

We made it back, turned right at Nova Scotia

Well despite the well laid plans we got back. Horrific thunderstorms,whales,and boat trips as well as 1500 miles of driving. You could say we had a great time. Although we love living in Chesterton, there are times when other places and vast houses do seem attractive.Even more so when there is a lovely convertable to drive about in. But, we are back and looking forward to lots of comments on our blog site but that is down to you my faithfull readers.

For those that like to gloat

We arrived here in the Land of the Free with no problems, we even landed 20 minutes early. BUT, apart from our 600 mile trip across to Ohio, which was sunny, albeit a little chilly,(not warm enough to put the hood down on the car) we have had some great thunder storms! Lightning, thunder, heavy rain causing the cancellation of a local event we were going to. No big deal as it is due to run each evening through till Monday.
Looking forward to Saturday night as there is one of the best Beatles tribute bands in the US playing here in town then, so really looking forward to that. Sorry no photo's yet as the weather has not been good enough, but wait until Sunday.
In the mean time look after Chesterton for us!
P.S. Can some please tell me why, whenever We travel overseas uncle Tony has to follow us? Must be that he feels the need to keep an eye on the "SPOOK" to see what he's up to.

Well it's that time again

Due to demand of my many readers I am taking a much earned rest!!!
I'm sorry but its true, Mrs Spook and I are going to the land of the free, to soak up some sunshine, get a bit rusty in the rain and see some very dear friends.
Apart from maybe a "Letter from America" (if they will allow me the priviledge) the blog will be left to vegetate for about 2 and a half weeks. I know my readers will be gutted at this but there you go.
But watch out for some stunning photographs when we get back, well I think the're stunning and that is the important bit, you are free to make up your own mind when you see them.

How to earn big money and do nothing!

Become deputy prime minister of the UK!
Just think if you have a bit on the side and are totally incompetent you to can be paid in excess of half a million pounds a year. That does include your free car and and a couple of rent free houses but I'm sure you could cope with that.
But apart from that, the weather has been super over the last few days. The weekend is coming so that will change.
Hopefully by now there should be a link to this blog from the HHS web site, if it's not there yet it soon will be (I've been told)
In the mean time I will carry on making my useless comments and hope that someone will post a reply within the next few days, before I go off on holiday for two weeks to see how the other side of the pond put up with incompetent government and the like.
Speak to me somebody, its getting very lonely here on my own.

Whose sorry now?

With due apology to the song writers.
I guess old Tony is smarting a bit today, still never mind he got out the big stick and beat a few of his minions over the head. Does it not occure to him that maybe it could be his style that is at fault.
I guess not, egomanics always blame everyone else.
Did anyone notice the almost complete absence of auntie Prudence over the last few days? Usual ploy, keep your head down and maybe the flying brown stuff coming off the fan will pass over your head!
I am not particularly political,but I don't like be spun a load of BS and this lot have been at it since day one. I not sure if any of the others would be any better, but for sure they can't do any worse and maybe not add so many stealth taxes to our already over taxed lives.
Have you checked out some of the new proposals that have surfaced over the last few weeks.
You know the ones that aren't announced at the budget!
Our local lot are not much better, imagine the chaos on Elizabeth way with Victoria Avenue closed to traffic? Mind you if you ever get to speak to one of out local bunch of wasters, its not their fault, it's the County Council. So why do we have them I haven't worked it out yet.
I think my son summed it up several years ago when asked by one of our prospective local members how he was going to vote. His reply was "the Monster Raving Loony Party" when told by the fallguy "isn't that a waste of a vote" his reply was "No! I just haven't made up my mind which one yet!"

Out of the wood work

Isn't it strange, as soon as it gets to local election time, every Tom, Dick or Harriette suddenly pops up from where ever they have been hiding since the last election! Telling you just how good they have been and how much they have done for YOU.
If you work out how long they have been in office and how much they say they have done, it ain,t much.
OK! they spend a lot of time spending our money and then working out how much they are going to squeeze out of you next time round.
Just think, a stone has only so much blood. What with local and national government wanting more and more, it won't be too long before the stone will crumble into dust. Even quarries run out in time.
If your working, do you get an annual pay rise to cover all the increases? I doubt it, unless you are a politition that is.
Still the cat has been studying some of the gumph that has come through the door as you can see.

Newts ?

My gardener came rushing up to the kitchen door, doffed his cap as he is required to do and I gave him permission to speak.
After a couple of seconds he got his breath back and said that I really should come down to the pond as the Newts were a bit on the large size this year and kept trying to catch the birds as they come to the pond to drink.
I thought he had been on the falling down water, but what I saw was a bit of a shock to say the least as you will see from the picture.
Anybody want a new handbag?

Cambridge Spooked

Cambridge Spooked

Is any one There?

Well so far there has not been a single visitor, so I guess our tenants are a little shy.
The sunshine continues, but for how long.
The Blackbirds are still sitting and the doves are busy building their nest in the tree. How any eggs will ever stay in the nest only
time will tell but it is very "see through" just have to wait and see.

The spring continues?

To bring you up to date, the Blackbirds are busy sitting on their clutch of eggs, I don't know have many, as I wont get that close so as to disturb them.
We have also got a couple of Jenny Wrens hanging about, so with luck they might just decide to set up home here as well.
Just a quick reminder don't forget that one of our tenants under the aspices of our tenants association are holding a table top sale next Sunday the 9th at the Hundred Houses office. Doors open at 1000am.

Spring has sprung (or something)

After the whinges of the last few enties a positive note.
I've got Blackbirds nesting in my garden,the daffs are in full bloom
and I have seen about 8 different species of birds on the feeders and bird table. One sour note was a rat decided to pay a visit! So just bear in mind when you put food out for the birds, try and keep it off the ground and up on a bird table. Make it difficult for the rats and if you see any get in touch with the council, not the HHS office they can't help.
Although it's a little way ahead there will be a lack of entries on the blog during late April and again at the end of May beginning of June. Mrs Spook and I are going to spirit ourselves away for a well earned break (well thats my excuse anyway).
There will be a reminder nearer the time but with all my thouseands of readers (?) I don't want you to be too disappointed.
You never know there may even be an entry from the Great Lakes and Niagra, if your really unlucky.
May the sun continue to shine and get dark at least once a day so the Spook can come out to play.

Cambridge Spooked

Cambridge Spooked

Its spooky - I've cracked it

After all these years I have now realised that all it takes to be a a member of parliament is the ability to stand up in the the house, spout on for over an hour and says absolutely nothing other than promise to rip off a few more tax payers.

As usual old "Prudence" has got it wrong! He is going to increase the excise duty on the good old Chelsea Tractor. Big deal, but has he not realised that there are two different beasts lurking under the same skin. The truth is the difference between the V8 4.2 Range Rover and the TDV6 are as different as chalk and cheese. This applies to other models not just the ones mentioned

I had the dubious pleasure of taking two of the new Landrover sport vehicles to Glasgow several weeks ago. The first week it was the V8 4.2 and used over £140 pounds of petrol, yet two weeks later I took the oil burner TDV6 on an almost identical trip, drove it exactly the same way and arrived with over half a tank of fuel left. Yet under Prudence's plan the owners of both will have to pay the increased duty, WHY?

Don't get me wrong I am not a supporter of these vehicles. Using a small bus to take the kids half a mile to school is totally ludicrus.

Another consideration is that if you can afford £72000 to by one of these things, a extra few quid on the duty will achive absolutely nothing, except raise of few more bob for him to waste on some other pet project.

What about the pensioners? It never ceases to confuse me how quickly you forget. Only very recently He gave you a 75p rise in your pension, yet given the promise of jam tomorrow, you all vote for them again!

We all complain about rent rises, where do they come from? Not your landlord, but by direct instruction of the office of the deputy prime minister, Johnny 2 Jags, to the National Housing Federation. Who, when told to jump ask "How High". Never why!

With the number of stealth taxes introduced by this government I am suprised anyone can afford to live.

Its real spooky around here, I keep right up to date with the latest news. Has any one read the bar room banter in tonights (21st) CEN page 21?

Has the world gone mad? Everyone want more money for rent,water, gas,electricity you name it they want more.
Does our income match these demands, of course not.

The way things are going there will be more people on benefit because they earn less than £30000 a year but still need to pay the basic bills of living.

Mr Prudence Brown will no doubt screw even more of our hard earned cash out of us tomorrow. Just think what he will inflict on us when he becomes Prime Minister, god forbid.

Another bone of contention is the "Key Worker" issue. Has no one considered that the real "key workers" are the cooks, porters, cleaners that keep these essential services moving and earn a pathetic wage in return. Do they get preferential treatment when it comes to housing, not on your sweet life.
Johnny 2 Jags has decreed that all rents are to be at a commercial rate. Who decides what is a commercial rent. Is it the rip off merchants that buy up property and then charge why over the odds for what is frequently sub standard property. Or could it be that those in politics on grossly inflated incomes have totally lost touched with reality. Mind you if anyone out there has a few million that they could lend the spook for a new polictical party I'm all ears.
Spook

Its that time of year again

I guess just like us, you have received the latest demand for money from our local authorities. While we all agree that services have to be paid for, but when you look at the unbelievable degree of waste and wasted money that our councils spend, you should start to think "hang on there baby" why?
Have you ever asked a a local polition why such and such is being done in our city? If you do, I bet most of the time the answer would be "well its not us, its the county council/goverment" or any other excuse that springs to mind at the time. If its not the city council then why do we have one? Save money and just have one council to run the entire county. Look at the mess South Cambs have got themselves into and who is going to pay for it? There is only one answer and it aint difficult to figure it out.
Any thoughts contact the Spook, thats what I'm here for

The story begins

The first entry on to the Spooks blog site is are you happy if not why not?
Over the next few days and weeks we will spirit you into the world of happiness or not as the case may be.
If you are unhappy with some aspect of Cambridge life or HHS. put your comments (clean please) on here. Let us work on the assumption that if we work on and discuss problems together we might find and suitable solution to our mutial benefit.
The Spook

My mission

Hey,

My name is Spook. Well, that's not my real name. My real name is a secret.

My name is a secret because I don't really exist. I am an imaginery character, an observer of life. Specifically, an observer of life in Cambridge (UK). Even more specifically, I am a tenant of the Hundred Houses Society - a Cambridge-based social housing association.

My mission is simply to observe and report on the everyday issues of ordinary folk. The ordinary folk in this case are the tenants and residents of the Hundred Houses Society.

My objective is to establish an online presence for us folk, and hopefully to create a bit of an online community for us, and for anyone with an interest in life in Cambridge.

My (imaginery) life will be much easier and more fulfilling if other people join in. So - if you are a fellow tenant or resident of the Hundred House Society, or a Cambridge resident, or anyone at all with anything to say - please join in. Please comment, ask me questions, and contribute.

Keep checking back here, and keep in touch.

Spook