when it can rescue a photo.

A good example; with a before and after.  It really was a poor overcast, misty day … and I may never stand on that bridge again, ever, so:

I stopped taking a newspaper a few years ago but recent events have angered me; and today’s have caused me to post this.

The succesful libel decision against numerous titles, described as “an open and shut case” followed swiftly by the contempt of court conviction for the Sun and Mirror must surely make you question the sanity of the editorial staff that made these decisions.  Is the UK press more reckless than other countries? Maybe some overseas readers can answer this.  Whatever, rightly or wrongly, I think they are, and by a very big margin.  They’re not only more reckless, in my opinion, they also seem to consider themselves omnipotent and above and beyond the law.  Today’s “punishment” won’t change their practices one jot.  It hasn’t before; consider their loss with the Maddie McCann case; and, more urgently, they seem to be treading the same tightrope with the current Stepping Hill hospital case.  

So; why do they do it?  They’re definitely not insane, though their decisons may appear so.  It’s reasoned and calculated.  To sell papers.  To sell papers to us. No other reason.  Simple, I’ll say it again … to sell papers to us.

So, QED, it’s our fault, we’re to blame.

I am not absolutrely sure, but I think the Bank Holiday (and Sunday) trading rules for England, that feel like they were set before the War, have only recently been formally reviewed and retained.

Does anyone else find this unbelievable?  First: who reviewed them?  Who agreed to leave them unchanged? AND; most importantly, why?

I’ve always assumed that one of the main reasons for the Sunday and Bank Holiday Trading Laws was to protect workers from being exploited and to allow them to worship on a Sunday.  Surely to God (see what I did there) that’s no longer necessary in this day and age of Employment Law and in this multi-cultural, mainly secular state.

Are the Laws to protect the small business; the corner shop?  Surely a major key to success in commercial retailing is providing the customer with goods and/or services better than your competitors (if any).  Preventing competitors from trading altogether cannot benefit anyone in the long run.  OK, so some small convenience businesses may be overwhelmed by the big boys, but surely we have the guile to use other more direct (and probably more effective) controls via Planning etc. instead of this roundabout method.

Are all England’s neighbours wrong, or are they modern and enlightened?

I have an uncomfortable feeling that the Laws won’t change again the next time they’re reviewed, unless we’re more strident in our objection to them as they stand.

Rant over. (till August).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/emp/external/player.swf