Used to like it in years gone by Frank Wrights, Bruce Moores, Jack Marshall’, Goodall and Lewis, Morrells Robert Robinson’s, Greenwells butchers, I could go on…but now it’s looking a bit …er….crap.
Drive down daily and the rough sleepers, the ‘debating society’ on the ramp, the take aways, barber shops, convenience stores give it depressing sameness in certain parts……so much for progress.

Would "regress" be more apt?

Why mention it if you can't change it?

Oh and BTW...what is 'woke' about letting the grass and weeds and wild flowers grow in front of Seaton Bus Station?
Howay Snowy...what's going on?

The bus station is an art deco listed building the grass area was part of the original design with proper lawn in front to complement the design.
It was left last year till the Tall Ships turned up and then immaculately manicured .
It appears their principles are flexible.

Who said anything about changing it….? I didn’t.
Why did you mention it if I’m not advocating changing it?

I was being…’diplomatic’.

Waltons pet shop.

its just the norm now - go to any small town even half decent sized ones like the Boro and the main high streets / busy shopping streets of old are littered with kebab shops - phone repair places and Turkish barbers ! also if there is a strong foreign neighbourhood of our middle eastern counterparts in the area the shops will be mainly aimed at them too and sell all their produce etc... Linthorpe road now resembles more Baghdad than Boro.

Not only the North East we have the same in the Southern counties beggars, big issue sellers, any change mate at most large car parks. Always remember in the 60s a guy in an invalid carriage in Lynn sstreet playing an accordion for money supposedly could not walk being seen by police getting into a jag and was followed to his home behind the park.

I appreciate the fact, time moves on, but nostalgia’s free.
Retail parks have a lot to answer for.

Yes I remember that story and apparently it happened in other places and possibly could still happen today.
The BBC the other day reckoned the building industry was being held back by the fact that it needed another 33000 bricklayers.
The railways are discussing whether to lower the driving age for trains to 18 at application as against the current age of 20 to attract more trainee drivers. They can earn more that £50k per annum. I really don't know what is holding people back. There are good worthwhile honest jobs available if people are willing to have a go.
Maybe we've lost the standards where parents said, "you're not lounging about here all day, go and get a job"

Trouble is the media and politicians mocked and looked down on anyone who doesn’t have a degree and saw people who got their hands dirty as another class.
That’s why we’re in the mess we’re in, they humour their type of people and turn a deaf ear to the plebs.

Very true but then you look at the leader of the party that is supposed to look after the workers and he is a sir. How much thought does he give to a bus driver or the bin men. His namesake Mr Hardie must be turning in his grave.

Kids these days want to be You tubers or tiktok dancers aswell - the thirst to go out and make an honest living getting their hands dirty doesnt even cross their minds - countries in for a shock in the next 10 years as the labour and skills gap is going to be even worse than it is now !

I hate to have to say this but a lot of kids are quite naive, they’re cosseted.

yes 100% agree - they also think the bank of mam and dad will rescue them or buy them a house and car forever.

I am retired and aim to do Jack shit for the rest of my life.

Don't forget Bob Pocklington, my uncle worked for him when he came out the RAF

Oscars the first ‘wine bar’ in Hartlepool, Terry Hammond with his mullet hair style was the first manager, Bobby Kerr ex Sunderland was in it for a very short period of time.

What was the name of the cinema! bingo hall where the library is now?

The "Northerns". Bit of a flea pit I remember.

Yeeees…still scratching?

Fred Gents tackle and gun shop after Musgrave St. shop shut.

There was all sorts of interesting shops that have disappeared over the years…Oxford Rd is another place that has changed from some decent little shops to the usual tosh….that could be the ‘new tenants’ that have ruined the street houses down there over the past 10 years.

Just a continuation of pre-retirement then eh!

There’s that many people nowadays who can get by on benefits & are happy to do that.

Unity House a kids clothes shop.

Our lass must have spent a bloody fortune in there on the kids.

Government been saying for years Gunna crack down on this lot.
But they never do.
Like I've said before the gap between working and having zero intentions of working needs to be widened.
Cant see benefits getting cut but could easily be frozen for a decade.
Froze the working man's tax thresholds easily enough.

I remember a course case in the Mail a few years back and this bloke of 38 was described by his defending Solicitor as a former Dyke House Pupil…..basically never had a job since leaving school.

worst thing is they are not grateful but they expect it. heard a true story of someone overhearing their daughter in law moaning about them going on a cruise and spending her husbands inheritance. could not have said a worse thing as they have gone on a viv nicholson type spend, spend, spend crusade since. good on them i say.

the problem is that as a single person living on benefits will not give you a good life. to get on the gravy train you,ll need a few kids to help you as benefits will never be cut by trying to force someone off it when there are kids to think about. its not their fault the parents are playing the system but shows them they could follow in the future for a similar lazy lifestyle.

We have gone from the sights of years gone by but now discovering people on benefits ?

Gerraway.......just goes to prove how versatile the bunker is.

Regarding its a done for Labour in Januarys GE!.
A lot can happen between now and then.
Government and BOE will cut interest rate by 75 points. Inflation down. England win Euros to boost the economy.
Autumn budget to cut NI by 2p and tax thresholds up to 15k to get workers n oaps back onside. Maybe anutha sweetener for the new tax year in April.
As it stands now Labour doing jackshit to get my Reform vote.
What will be will be.
UTP.

I want to know if Labour are going to crack on with Net zero because that’s gonna cost us a packet.
If Starmer’s bringing back the date to kick in on the earlier date he can whistle in the wind for my vote.

Can you name a party who have ever stuck by their manifesto, they sugar coat it to attract votes. The Lib Dem’s said they would abolish university fees, they won a few seats and formed a coalition with the Tories, first they did was scrap their free university fees, they have since disappeared into oblivion.

My problem is I’d be over the moon with Labour if they didn’t keep their pledge on net zero.
Speaking of the Lib Dems …I couldn’t vote for them for keeping Ed ( nowt to do with me guv) Davies after the Post Office fiasco.

whoever gets into power i doubt our individual lives will change. its just certain policies are more favourable to some voters than others. any party that gives the impression of being anti green and anti woke will bet by cross, but others would equally avoid them like the plague.

4th July GE.
Crazy decision to call it before Autumn Budget.
Ah well that's the working man paying a lot more tax and State Pension becoming taxable.

Suppose ya can shit all over the public then ride of into the sunset when your a billionaire tosser.

The billionaire tosser will be vacating number 10 and handing the keys to the millions aire tosser - very few MPs nowadays have any idea of what the man on the street wants for themselves, their families, their communities, or the country in general. All in it to improve their bank balances.

I’ll try to avoid it if possible….. it’s a foregone conclusion.

The State Pension is already taxable, the tax threshold needs to raised currently frozen till 2027.

I’ve been paying tax on mine since day one, in fact my state pension increase is a tenner as the rest has went as tax…so much forthese alleged big rises….like God, they ‘giveth and taketh away’.

Seriously mate if you have only gained a tenner there is something wrong and you need to have a discussion with the DWP as soon as you can.
My state pension went up by £1029,60 in April and after tax I am better off by £823 so Christ only knows how you have ended up with just a tenner.
I have done calculations every which way since you posted and I get the same answer every time (within pennies).

reminds me of those who refused to work any overtime due in there eyes that it all goes on tax. they only looked and compared one part of there wage slip as at worse only the base rate percentage was taken out of the extra earned.

I assume that’s in a year Derwent, Snowy might be using his weekly/monthly figures as a comparison, my State Pension went up a similar amount but HMRC take £260 more from my small private pension making me around £12 a week better off.

I'm not making any assumptions Jamie and it's Snowy I'm addressing not you. He is quite capable of answering for himself, if he so wishes. There's no need for second guessing by you or me, when the correct and exact situation can be obtained. He is the only one who knows exactly what he means.
On your assumption about my situation yes the figures are for a year, I would love them to be weekly or even monthly and I am just over £15.80 per week to the good. My gross increase to my state pension was £19.80 per week. Because any tax due is taken from my private pension, that has gone down by £17 per month equating to just over £200 tax increase for the year.
I think I have covered all bases but I'm sure you'll have a look to make sure.

The State Pension is already taxable, the tax threshold needs to raised currently frozen till 2027.[/quote]
I’ve been paying tax on mine since day one, in fact my state pension increase is a tenner as the rest has went as tax…so much forthese alleged big rises….like God, they ‘giveth and taketh away’.[/quote]

Seriously mate if you have only gained a tenner there is something wrong and you need to have a discussion with the DWP as soon as you can.
My state pension went up by £1029,60 in April and after tax I am better off by £823 so Christ only knows how you have ended up with just a tenner.
I have done calculations every which way since you posted and I get the same answer every time (within pennies).[/quote]

I assume that’s in a year Derwent, Snowy might be using his weekly/monthly figures as a comparison, my State Pension went up a similar amount but HMRC take £260 more from my small private pension making me around £12 a week better off.[/quote]

I'm not making any assumptions Jamie and it's Snowy I'm addressing not you. He is quite capable of answering for himself, if he so wishes. There's no need for second guessing by you or me, when the correct and exact situation can be obtained. He is the only one who knows exactly what he means.
On your assumption about my situation yes the figures are for a year, I would love them to be weekly or even monthly and I am just over £15.80 per week to the good. My gross increase to my state pension was £19.80 per week. Because any tax due is taken from my private pension, that has gone down by £17 per month equating to just over £200 tax increase for the year.
I think I have covered all bases but I'm sure you'll have a look to make sure. [/quoute

Derwent I was merely pointing out why there was a difference in your figures and Snowys, why you getting your knickers in a twist ? There is such a thing as opinions and discussions that’s what message boards are about, are we not allowed opinions discussions on other peoples posts on The Bunker or are we not allowed to get involved on other peoples posts which could provide useful info for others on the board. If thats the case remove the quote feature or close the comment to further comments.