Yep. My first was Enigma. A quick check and I’ve read 11.

1 hour ago, BobyBrno said:

Yep. My first was Enigma. A quick check and I’ve read 11.

A proper writer.

Fatherland is a cracker

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/18kLkTZZ8a/

Not sure how to share, but he's right on this, yet I disagree with loads he says 😁. Funny how working class people still revere Thatcher after all these years.

On 13/06/2026 at 10:06, Spider said:

Robert Harris has written some brilliant books.

Im afraid i wont be going any further after the second sleep dross. I love a good beach book, but that was awful.

Currently loving The Land In Winter by Andrew Miller

Credit where its due, he did say months ago that this was his plan and months went by with nothing happening, better late than never I suppose.

Fund them properly then you prick.

Well done for stopping the ship.

I see the Russians have said they'll rig their tankers with explosives and detonate them if they are impounded again.

May as well just sink the fuckers straight off then.. 😀

2 hours ago, athywhite1958 said:

Fund them properly then you prick.

Out armed forces have been decimated for over a decade and they are finally getting an uplift yet you choose to blame the current one trying to turn the ship around.

I think the MOD needs to take a lot of blame though for some disastrous procurement that has wasted billions over the years. We also need to get a better return for our money from the likes of Babcock.

3 hours ago, athywhite1958 said:

Fund them properly then you prick.

You don't need to be a cynical bastard like me to see it's Starmer trying to portray himself as an action man.... bit late in the day cocker... even the mighty Belgium siezed a ship back in March!

2 hours ago, Winchester White said:

Out armed forces have been decimated for over a decade and they are finally getting an uplift yet you choose to blame the current one trying to turn the ship around.

I think the MOD needs to take a lot of blame though for some disastrous procurement that has wasted billions over the years. We also need to get a better return for our money from the likes of Babcock.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/nov/18/boris-johnson-agrees-16bn-rise-in-defence-spending

Defence spending hasn't been good enough for a long time. It did grow somewhat under Boris' (and successors) time.

The current government has increased borrowing, increased spending in the wrong areas, and has promised an increase in defence spending which is back loaded towards the official end of their term.

Thankfully, the Chagos deal appears dead, as the payments for that were due, in part, to come from the defence budget.

Not only that, the current issues mean a greater spending is required immediately.

Of course plenty has been spent on supporting Ukraine, rightly so, but that has been the case since the war started.

UK national debt has increased in the last 25 years at a rate that is the fastest in the world, bar Botswana.

It simply can't carry on, and cuts have to be made, and re-prioritising made urgently.

On 11/06/2026 at 12:48, Winchester White said:

John Healey has resigned. Starmer really is toast isn't he?

just been talking with my mate

the Heads of all 3 servises

Resigned The nidgt before

The country wouled be fucked

so John Healey

had no choice

and its a done deal

back in is post When

King of the North is PM

6 minutes ago, little whitt said:

just been talking with my mate

the Heads of all 3 servises

Resigned The nidgt before

The country wouled be fucked

so John Healey

had no choice

and its a done deal

back in is post When

King of the North is PM

King of the North would have to sack Reeves then. Unless she resigned first of course.

As it is, the treasury is saying a big "no".

6 hours ago, royal white said:

Credit where its due, he did say months ago that this was his plan and months went by with nothing happening, better late than never I suppose.

Throw a massive trade deal in with Japan and Sir Keir has no doubt had another week to forget.

BBC News

UK and Japan agree £18bn investment deal

Japanese firms will spend billions on UK infrastructure and offshore wind, Downing Street says.

10 minutes ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

King of the North would have to sack Reeves then. Unless she resigned first of course.

As it is, the treasury is saying a big "no".

Saw all seven Red Arrows fly past today recovering to Waddo... The repacement Dart trainer has been a casualty of Ms Reeves agenda.

Last year we always saw ten (1 spare)... next year we'll see five as the RAF makes do.

Get it sorted! Without training aircraft we don't have pilots and we don't have an air force.... typical bloody labour policies

12 minutes ago, Spider said:

Throw a massive trade deal in with Japan and Sir Keir has no doubt had another week to forget.

BBC News

UK and Japan agree £18bn investment deal

Japanese firms will spend billions on UK infrastructure and offshore wind, Downing Street says.

Legacy time

9 minutes ago, Dimron said:

Legacy time

This legacy?

Anyway, went for Imperium. 1st in a trilogy.😉

6 minutes ago, BobyBrno said:

This legacy?

Anyway, went for Imperium. 1st in a trilogy.😉

No this is a separate Investment deal.

The Truss one was a trade deal. Not sure how well it went.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/nov/26/brexit-britain-japan-trade-deal-exports-slump

18 minutes ago, Dimron said:

Saw all seven Red Arrows fly past today recovering to Waddo... The repacement Dart trainer has been a casualty of Ms Reeves agenda.

Last year we always saw ten (1 spare)... next year we'll see five as the RAF makes do.

Get it sorted! Without training aircraft we don't have pilots and we don't have an air force.... typical bloody labour policies

Red Arrows are T1's. T1 trainers went out of service in 2022, but T2's will still be flying for a long while yet. I agree though, the long-term plan is severely lacking.

17 minutes ago, Dimron said:

Saw all seven Red Arrows fly past today recovering to Waddo... The repacement Dart trainer has been a casualty of Ms Reeves agenda.

Last year we always saw ten (1 spare)... next year we'll see five as the RAF makes do.

Get it sorted! Without training aircraft we don't have pilots and we don't have an air force.... typical bloody labour policies

They have answers for sure in the delay of the DIP but the replacement of the Hawk isn't one of them.

It's been a shambles for start to finish and the MOD yet again has shown itself in need of massive reform.

Just now, Cheese said:

Red Arrows are T1's. T1 trainers went out of service in 2022, but T2's will still be flying for a long while yet. I agree though, the long-term plan is severely lacking.

The Advanced Jet Trainer was put out to private industry, a UK company called Aeralis won the contract and after 10 years of development were assured they would get the green light to get prototypes up and flying as part of the DIP to be published by late summer 2025 at the latest... what happened? DIP didn't appear and Aeralis went into administration... we'll now end up panic buying Turkish jets (like Spain) to keep the EU happy or US Northrops to keep the orange man happy.

Pathetic... from what I've read and seen, the Aeralis looks a good all around aircraft and would also win export sales helping our GDP... who remembers the promise of budgets for growth?

33 minutes ago, BobyBrno said:

This legacy?

Anyway, went for Imperium. 1st in a trilogy.😉

Not the same thing.

But it’s not like I expected you to give any credit to Starmer ☺️

1 minute ago, Spider said:

Not the same thing.

But it’s not like I expected you to give any credit to Starmer ☺️

The credit for this one belongs to Milliband

2 minutes ago, Spider said:

Not the same thing.

But it’s not like I expected you to give any credit to Starmer ☺️

😊 I was replying to Dimron and his legacy quote. Would this have happened without the CEPA agreement? 🤷‍♂️

Well done Sir Kier. 👍

27 minutes ago, BobyBrno said:

😊 I was replying to Dimron and his legacy quote. Would this have happened without the CEPA agreement? 🤷‍♂️

Well done Sir Kier. 👍

I asked AI.

Would the UK Japan investment deal have happened without CEPA? This was the reply.😉 Promise no more pirate speak after tonight. 😊

Arrr, matey! Me answer be this:

“Nay, not likely in the same way.”

The UK–Japan investment deal be like a fine ship sailin’ through uncertain waters after Brexit. The UK–Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) served as the charts, compass, and favorable winds.

54 minutes ago, Dimron said:

The Advanced Jet Trainer was put out to private industry, a UK company called Aeralis won the contract and after 10 years of development were assured they would get the green light to get prototypes up and flying as part of the DIP to be published by late summer 2025 at the latest... what happened? DIP didn't appear and Aeralis went into administration... we'll now end up panic buying Turkish jets (like Spain) to keep the EU happy or US Northrops to keep the orange man happy.

Pathetic... from what I've read and seen, the Aeralis looks a good all around aircraft and would also win export sales helping our GDP... who remembers the promise of budgets for growth?

Watch this space... 😉