General News Thread

(09-04-2025 11:08 )Tumble_Drier Wrote:  ^I may be imagining this, but didn't they announce that a few years ago ?

You may be thinking of the supposed Paramount theme park that was announced about ten years ago for a site in Kent near Dartford.

That was supposed to include attractions by Aardman Animation and the BBC, along with major paramount properties like Star Trek, Transformers and Mission Impossible.

It got everyone around here terribly excited until they realised that the land they bought was way too expensive to build on. In fact, the whole thing reminded me of that guy in Monty Python’s Holy Grail who keeps bragging about the fact that he built his castle in a swamp.

Anyway, that insanity was finally cancelled earlier this year. But the Universal one sounds more credible to me. A proven operator with a decent site — this one could really happen.

(13-04-2025 18:21 )Snooks Wrote:  

(09-04-2025 10:27 )Charlemagne Wrote:  Universal Studios plan to build a new theme park at Bedford.

I would have thought using the space to build sustainable housing would have been a far better use of funds but hey what do I know?

Universal Studios aren't going to be funding housing for the great unwashed.

If the government tries to make them, as part of the deal, they'll just take their money elsewhere.

Police playing whack-a-mole with imported Terrorists...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2wqy5ejdjo

£30K compensation after being compared to Darth Vader, she should consider herself lucky it wasn't Jabba The Hut! For 30 grand they could compare me to Palpatine

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/m...arth-vader

(15-05-2024 15:15 )Charlemagne Wrote:  The two men charged with felling the Sycamore Gap tree have appeared in Newcastle Magistrates Court today.
They pleaded not gulity. The tree is valued at £622,191 by the National Trust.

The two men were found guilt of chopping down the tree this morning.

BBC News - Man jailed for 1986 murder acquitted after 38 years
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce809e3gd1xo

One existing reason for not having the death penalty I suppose. But no real winners here either. Innocent man robbed of 38 years of prime life. The victims family now feeling justice has not been accurately served due to the real perpetrator not known. All deeply troubling.

I would agree a troubling miscarriage of justice. I just wonder now you probably now have a trail gone cold if it turns out that the real killer is no longer alive, I certainly would question the handling of the investigation and wonder how they made such an error with the DNA, and there are going to be questions that need answers.

(09-05-2025 10:20 )Charlemagne Wrote:  

(15-05-2024 15:15 )Charlemagne Wrote:  The two men charged with felling the Sycamore Gap tree have appeared in Newcastle Magistrates Court today.
They pleaded not gulity. The tree is valued at £622,191 by the National Trust.

The two men were found guilt of chopping down the tree this morning.

I would say five years in jail is enough when they are finally sentenced. But one thing I would say to them would be Why did you cut that tree down if you knew of it's significance?

There are reports suggesting - I think it was either immigrants or immigrant criminals - could take on unpaid work in local communities like bin collections etc as part of their sentence or as employment.

It's reported that James Corden is concidering going for the Mayor of London gig....