UK UK Newswire Archive
Mr
10-01-2011 04:22
First Great Western leaves a five months pregnant freezing cold and helpless.This is the nightmare of what First Great Western has caused to my five months pregnant girlfriend and I today.
As a usual commuter using First Great Western every week to got to work, today, I saw the true image of this company.
As usual, I always book my ticket in advance. This week,my five months pregnant girlfriend and I were on a little trip to Yorkshire to visit her family.
Yesterday, Sunday 9th, we were meant to go back home which is in Frome, Somerset.
At 14:45, we were in Goole station. Waiting for our train to Doncaster. At 15:10, the time when they train was supposed to arrive, simply didn't arrive. There was no staff. We were told by a random lad that there was engineering work going on. So I decided to call F.G.W Customer Services. The reply was rude 'Sorry, we can't help you with this matter, you should call Northern Line'. I wasn't really happy due to the fact I bought my ticket on their website and they were unable to help me. So I eventually called Northern Line which wasn't really helpful as they failed to tell us where to get the bus. Anyway, We decided to get a local cab. £40 from Goole to Doncaster,that's what it cost us. Once upon our arrival, we were unfortunately late to get our 16:50 service to Birmingham. And the nightmare began. We rushed to customers services and were nicely told to wait at platform 8 for the next train to Birmingham. Departure time: 17:50. As we sat there in the freezing cold with a group of people, the train never arrived. We all went back to the customer services where we were told 'Sorry there was no announcement, the train came on a different platform and left, you will have to change at Sheffield'. Waiting time: 15 min. Puzzled, I went back to our of the staff to ask for advice on how to get to Frome. As he saw me coming towards him, he turned his back! I had to speak to another staff who was next to him. Few people witness it.
15 minutes later, we were on the train to Sheffield. Once we got there, we headed to a member of staff. He recommended us, to take the Plymouth train which calls at Bristol Temple Meads. I also took the opportunity to ask him how to get to Frome. He checked on his computer and told me there were no trains going to Frome. But if I tell the customer services in Bristol, they definitely have to sort a cab out for us. I thought we were getting somewhere. Two hours later, we arrived at Bristol Temple Meads, it was freezing cold, my pregnant girlfriend was absolutely knackered. We rushed to the customer services. There was 5-6 of them. I started giving a brief description of the trouble we have had and I was shocked on how rude they were. They simply told us ''The next train to Frome is....hmmm Tomorrow mate'
I replied 'What do want us to do? I've my girlfriend with me who is actually FIVE MONTHS PREGNANT''
SHOCKINGLY the man replied ''It doesn't matter'' The other one at the back added ''We don't have to know if she is pregnant or not''
And the first one concluded 'Sorry, there's nothing we can do for ya'
My girlfriend was left in tears as we walked out of the room.
She explained to me how knackered and freezing she was. I then rang F.G.W Customer services to see whether they could get us out of there. The lady on the phone to me to hold on 2 minutes. I asked her if there were any chance she could call me back. She agreed. 10 Minutes later, the phone never rang, leaving me no choice than calling back again. To my surprise 'Sorry, our offices are now close'.
Where was the help we were promised? They saw us with a few heavy bags. No sympathy.
I couldn't stop my girlfriend from crying as she was now in pain. So I went out and found a cab. £50 from Bristol to get us to Frome.
Total price; £50 train tickets + £40 cab from Goole to Doncaster + £ 50 from Bristol to Frome.
When we were supposed to get to Frome at 21:47 we arrived at 2am. My girlfriend has now caught a cold. Thanks to First Great Western superb customer services.
Treat people the way you want to be treated.
W.L
Ruthless Treatments of Australian and New Zealand Sheep
10-01-2011 04:10
mulesing, sheep dog bites, whips, trampling by horses, freezing to death from early fleecing, being slammed on the ground by shearers and crammed into boats, thirst, choking todeath on their own blood,
Full article | 1 addition | 26 comments
Ratcliffe trial collapses!
10-01-2011 02:36
Miss England Competition near you
09-01-2011 22:52
Regional competitions are soon taking place throughout England for the final Miss England 2011. The website has details of all the regional heats, so find out if there is one near you!
http://www.missengland.info/ It would be great if there was resistance to Miss England throughout the country.
HOST Nottingham open evening 16th February
09-01-2011 22:24
HOST NOTTINGHAM- serving destitute asylum seekers
Could you provide a safe place for a homeless asylum to stay tonight? seeker
If you could offer a spare room to a destitute asylum seeker for a few days, weeks, or even months, please consider becoming a Host.
For anyone interested in getting involved as either a host or a volunteer, please come along to our open evening on Wednesday 16th February, at 6pm at The Square Centre, Alfred Street North, Nottingham NG3 1AA
For more information please initially emails your interest to hostnottingham@gmail.com
THWAC Autumn Gathering Actions
09-01-2011 20:22
Short video about actions that happened as part of the Hapendon Wood Action Camp Autumn Gathering.
Visit the camp and take action against Scottish Coal!
Jeff Marsh and Alan Lake Confirm the EDL Are Racist
09-01-2011 19:06
Notts Cuts Watch #12
09-01-2011 18:24
New year, new cuts. After an unplanned two week break, Notts Cuts Watch is back with a rundown of the cuts and resistance in Nottinghamshire since Christmas. As ever this is probably an incomplete list and draws heavily on reporting in the local media.
Pay particular attention to the upcoming events, of which there are many, not the least of which is the Combating the Cuts event next Saturday.
Advice
Vulnerable will suffer, bureau warns as cuts loom, Nottingham Post
NOTTINGHAM and District Citizens Advice Bureau says is trying to establish how it will maintain services when council cuts come in.
Ollerton CAB facing cuts to outreach service, Mansfield Chad
BOSSES at the Ollerton Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB) say that vulnerable people living in the surrounding villages will be hit hardest if it loses vital funding from the local authorities.
Fire Service
Fire chief’s concern over cuts, Nottingham Post
THE chairman of Notts Fire Authority is to meet with the Fire Minister to discuss Government cuts to the service.
Safety fears over plan to close down fire station, Nottingham Post
A RUSHCLIFFE councillor has raised concerns about public safety following plans to close West Bridgford fire station.
Health
Support grows for fresh hospital review, Newark Advertiser
Support is growing for an independent review into changes at Newark Hospital.
Higher Education
Open letter from lecturers to university vice-chancellors on student fees, Nottingham Post
AS university lecturers we are calling on our vice-chancellors to support the campaign against cuts to higher education.
Leisure
Calls for Meden Baths to stay open, Mansfield Chad
CAMPAIGNERS have welcomed a new report which calls for Warsop’s Meden Sports Centre to stay open at least another year.
Nottingham City Council
Nottingham City Council take out £156,000 contract for new signs at leisure centres, Nottingham Post
NEW signs are to be installed at Nottingham City Council leisure centres – at a cost of up to £156,000.
City council rent bombshell for allotment holders, Nottingham Indymedia
Nottingham City Council is holding a consultation of changes to allotment tenancies, rent levels and plot allocation. They claim that the review “aims to encourage more people to get involved with growing food in Nottingham.” In fact, the changes would involve the trebling of rents for allotments in Nottingham.
Grant for vulnerable people in city to be cut by half, Nottingham Post
GROUPS which help vulnerable people in the city have been warned their funding could end this year.
Plan to cut open times at Abbey, Mansfield Chad
NEWSTEAD Abbey, the ancestral home of Lord Byron, faces reduced opening times as part of cost-cutting drive.
No cuts to CPOs despite £60m cut in government city council funding, Nottingham Post
THE number of Community Protection Officers in Nottingham will not be reduced, despite huge cuts in government funding.
Nottinghamshire County Council
Council needs to make another £15m savings, Eastwood Advertiser
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE County Council has got to make another £15m worth of savings, it has been revealed this week.
Are library opening cuts fair?, Eastwood Advertiser
Nottinghamshire County Council has denied accusations that it is favouring more affluent areas ahead of Eastwood and Kimberley over proposed cuts in library hours following a letter from one of our readers.
Cuts threaten future of country park, Hucknall Dispatch
THE future of Bestwood Country Park could be under threat after shock, cost-cutting plans to axe the jobs of all the rangers who work there.
Families left in limbo over proposal to close Gedling School, Nottingham Post
NOTTS County Council has defended its decision to offer parents of prospective Gedling School pupils the chance to change their minds in the light of talks that could lead to its closure.
Council spending revealed, Nottingham Post
TAXPAYERS can now use the internet to keep track of how Notts County Council is spending their money.
Police
Notts police criticised for spending more than £20K a month on consultants, Nottingham Post
NOTTS Police has been criticised for the amount it spends on consultants.
Private Sector
Jobs fear as pottery firm quits Huthwaite, Mansfield Chad
CONCERNS for the local economy have been raised after a firm announced it was moving 45 jobs from Huthwaite to Derby.work there.
VAT
"It takes the biscuit" – local action against VAT increase on 3rd Jan 2011, Notts SOS
On Monday 3rd January 2011 a group of activists gave out biscuits and leaflets in Nottingham and launched a website Takes the biscuit
Mixed feelings in Nottingham as VAT goes up 2.5%, Nottingham Post
BUSINESS leaders in Nottingham declared yesterday’s VAT increase as a necessary step to tackle the national deficit, but there were mixed feelings among the city’s shoppers
How the rise in fuel prices is affecting Notts motorists, Nottingham Post
Motorists have faced a double-whammy this week with an increase in fuel duty and the VAT hike sending petrol prices soaring. Sarah Firth spoke to Notts motorists and businesses about how it is affecting them…
Voluntary Sector
Cuts will lead to more women and children ’in hospital’, Nottingham Post
MORE women and children will end up in hospital because of combined funding cuts, fears the chief executive of Women’s Aid.
Redundancy risk for 200 Framework homeless support workers, Nottingham Post
ABOUT 200 staff at homelessness charity Framework have been told they are at risk of redundancy.
’Scrooge’ movie highlights cuts, Nottingham Post
HOMELESS charity Framework hopes a short film by a Nottingham graduate based on the Dickens classic A Christmas Carol will highlight the potential effects of funding cuts.
Domestic violence service for Broxtowe women is in jeopardy, Nottingham Post
VICTIMS of domestic abuse face losing a support network because of council cash cuts.
Voluntary groups must adapt to cuts, Newark Advertiser
Voluntary organisations have been warned they need to change the way they run as the public sector braces itself for funding cuts.
Upcoming
A list of the anti-cuts events happening over the next week.
- Monday 10th January, 7.30 – Notts SOS meeting. Open planning meeting at the International Community Centre, Mansfield Road.
- Tuesday 11th January – National day of action against the scrapping of EMA. Protests and walkouts are planned in Nottingham
- Tuesday 11th January, 7.30 – Anarchists Against the Cuts. Discussion about how local anarchists can engage with the wider anti-cuts movements. Fade, Mansfield Road.
- Wednesday 12th January, 7.30 – Meeting of the Nottingham 38 Degrees group at the Mechanic’s Institute, to discuss the campaign against the government’s health white paper.
- Saturday 15th January, 10.30am-4pm – Combating the Cuts: Planning for Action. An opportunity for ant-cuts activists, trade unionists, service users and others to come together to plan a strategy for defeating the cuts. If you only come to one event this week, make sure it’s this one. The Old School, Montpelier Road, Dunkirk, Nottingham, NG7 2JW.
- Saturday 15th January - Actions against scrapping of EMA. Details TBC. Keep an eye on the Nottingham Student’s Against Fees and Cuts site.
- Saturday 15th January, 10.30am–12 noon - Stall and leafletting to promote campaign to defend library services in Beeston and Chilwell. Beeston High Rd (outside Boots the Chemist)
- Sunday 16th January, 10.30am - Leafleting of Beeston West, Beeston North and Beeston Central to promote campaign to defend library services in Beeston and Chilwell.
H&K raided by police after illegal sales to Mexico
09-01-2011 18:24
H&K illegal sales to Mexico exposed
The German HQ of arms company Heckler & Koch has been raided by police after campaigners exposed illegal weapons sales to conflict zones in Mexico.
The German government placed an arms embargo on four of Mexico’s 31 states, including Chiapas, home of the Zapatistas, due to serious human rights abuses there. However, between 2006 and 2009, H&K sold assault rifles to those states, shipping the weapons to a different state in order to disguise their final destination. Furthermore, Heckler & Koch bribed a Mexican general to get the deal.
Details of the deal were passed by an anonymous H&K whistleblower to Jürgen Grässlin, Germany’s most prominent anti-arms-trade campaigner. Grässlin informed German state prosecutors of the illegal deal back in April 2010 but they did nothing until the deal was exposed in the German media in December.
German MPs demanded action, so on December 21st, 20 police raided H&K’s headquarters searching for evidence of the deals. H&K is claiming that it only sold the weapons to central government, not to particular states. This disingenuous claim is undermined by evidence that H&K employees flew out to the banned states and trained the police in how to use the weapons.
Heckler & Koch has a long history of evading arms export restrictions and campaigners against the company believe that it has conducted many other illegal arms deals. However, this is the first time that a whistleblower from inside the company has provided hard evidence.
H&K has an international sales office and warehouse stocked with automatic weapons in Lenton, Nottingham. Campaigners continue to call for it to be shut down.
http://www.shutdownhk.org.uk/hk-illegal-sales-to-mexico-exposed/
Picket Heckler & Koch
There is a regular monthly picket against H&K in Nottingham. The next one will take place on Monday January 10th from 16:00 to 17:30 at the gates of Easter Park on Lenton Lane, NG7 2PX - the industrial estate that is home to the H&K warehouse/sales office. Bring banners, placards and lights, and wrap up warm!!
Save the Prince of Wales.
09-01-2011 18:08
Thursday 13th of January is the last chance to voice your opposition to the construction of unnecessary yuppie flats in Moseley which threaten the future of it's last true local pub, The Prince Of Wales.Israel Off Your Trolley protest, Newcastle, January 8th 2011
09-01-2011 17:57
Need for Zapatistas to spread the truth
09-01-2011 16:57
The Zapatistas and their supporters in “The Other Campaign” are being accused of kidnapping a prominent right-wing Mexican politician. An articulate denial of the kidnapping charges published in Spanish by the Zapatista movement argues that this accusation is another pretext for aggression in Chiapas. Please add your signature to the letter in support of the EZLN (below).another munity 23rd january
09-01-2011 14:22
to all that feel the struggle and want to organizing an action based period of days in bristol.did you get involved in 2009 co-mutiny?
http://comutiny.wordpress.com/2009/05/20/comutiny-call-out/
or maybe have gone to other gatherings simular.
the pressence of resitance is as vissible as ever,
the pressence of autonomy is rising.
society is becoming more aware they are getting fuked,
to converge and create affinity will strengthen the resistance.
there is no email set up yet, but if you are interested, the smiling chair, 40 stokes croft, has confirmed a meeting space.
sunday 23rd of january, 4pm-6pm is a suggested first meeting.
Jobs to go at Portsmouth City Council
09-01-2011 14:05
The scale of the cuts for the city has finally been announced with job loses to reach the 400 mark.Smash HLS: Protest Target: Aircastle Limited
09-01-2011 13:12
Campaign against animal torture company HLS- Fortress make their money; they are an investment company, and therefore rely on their subsidiaries and acquisitions to keep them profitable. This therefore widens the field considerably, and means that there are strategic protest targets across the world, from ski resorts to newspapers, which can all play a vital part in chipping away at Fortress' resolve.15,000 New Houses Shock For North Somerset
09-01-2011 11:23
North Somerset Council plans to approve 15,000 new houses over the coming years it was revealed yesterday to shocked residents. The council's North Somerset Life magazine reported that 'Planning policy is now being looked at again and estimated housing growth is expected to be lowered to about 15,000 new homes in the next 15 years'.North Somerset Council plans to approve 15,000 new houses over the coming years it was revealed yesterday to shocked residents. The council's North Somerset Life magazine reported that 'Planning policy is now being looked at again and estimated housing growth is expected to be lowered to about 15,000 new homes in the next 15 years'.
"When the Coalition Government told us that the Regional Spatial Strategy was dead, we breathed a sigh of relief that the plans for building houses on the Green Belt were over. Now we have learned that the Council plans to do it anyway" stated Anthony Butcher, who is campaigning against the housing developments.
"Long Ashton is a primary target for these new houses" continued Mr Butcher, 35, an independent council candidate for Wraxall and Long Ashton. "North Somerset Council has already agreed to build the stadium development on Green Belt land and there are planning applications for 10,700 houses in the pipe-line as part of the South West Bristol Urban Extension right next to the new Stadium".
The news comes just days after it was revealed by the Home Builder's Federation that the Government's new Localism Bill will include a payment of around £4,600 for every new house that cash-strapped councils authorise.
End of the Road Tolls Today in Greece!(LIVE broadcasting the today actions)
09-01-2011 10:45
Global Callout (Jan15/16) - to mark the first bombardment of 20 year War on Iraq
09-01-2011 08:56
STOP THE WAR ON THE PEOPLE OF IRAQ http://www.collateralmurder.com/ FREE BRADLEY MANNING
http://www.bradleymanning.org/ mass killings of penguins, manatees,dolphins,bats, pelicans, blackbirds, doves,
09-01-2011 05:43
In the December of 2010 and January of 2011 the mass killings of manyliving beings from penguins to birds and fishes has exploded.
Ratcliffe Trial - Final Statements
09-01-2011 03:25
Ratcliffe Defendants on the court steps after the crown court trial - Final Statements