The Criminalisation of an Entire Nation!

I drive too fast! I ride my motorbike too fast! Therefore I am a criminal in the eyes of the UK Government and the wonderfully justified quango's that are the local Camera Safety Partnerships, who for some time now have led the voters of this once great country to believe that excessive speed is the root of all evil! That it is the one factor alone that leads to hundreds of deaths each year on the UK's roads. It is this belief that has led to immense numbers of fixed and mobile speed trap cameras being used up and down the country to catch innocent motorists and turn them into 'criminals'.
I was driving home recently and spotted a mobile camera on the side of the road - but too late! I glanced at my speedo - 37mph, oh no, I thought to myself. I was in a line of about 6 cars, I was at a safe distance from the car in front of me, it was a dry and sunny day and my car was in good working order. SO WHAT THE HELL IS THE PROBLEM?!!
The whole line of traffic must have received their NIP's in the post - so that is 6 of us who will be expected to pay a fine and accept 3 points on their licences. 6 of us who will see our insurance premiums increase and perhaps have to explain to our employers why we don't have a clean licence. Some of us may even struggle to test drive or hire other vehicles.
Yes we were all travelling over the speed limit for that road but no one was driving dangerously or erratically.
What I don't know however is what proportion of the 6 were talking on their mobile phones whilst driving, smoking banned substances, a little worse for wear following a drinking session, joyriding in a stolen car or tuning their radio. I think that all of these actions ARE VERY DANGEROUS, and yet are not targetted by our wonderful law enforcement services.
The obvious answer to why this is the case is simple - INCOME GENERATION! Most of us drive a little over the speed limit now and again and therefore are easy targets for the Safety Camera Partnerships to catch and fine.
The joke is that even the Department of Transport's own analysis shows clearly that speed has very little to do with their own national accident statistics, the traditional justification for the proliferation of cameras.
The NIP came through the post just the other day. GUILTY! Then I got to thinking. I was being informed that I was guilty of an offence and that I was to be prosecuted. But I thought that under UK law a defendant had a right to a formal reading of his or her rights, and that a fundamental right was the right to remain silent. If a defendant does not receive confirmation of these rights then any subsequent evidence gathered is inadmissable in a court of law, and therefore the threat of prosecution would have to be dropped. But surely all of the thousands and thousands of speeding fines already gathered up and down the country have been collected under sound and just UK law? Surely the government of this land know what they are doing?
Well that is the question that was put to the European Court of Human Rights last month by two motorists who have taken on the system to uphold their rights.
We await the judgement of the European judges. The signs aren't good however for the British Government as a precedent has already been set by a similar case brought against the Austrian Government which they lost. It would mean that speeding could only be upheld against motorists using civil law and fines - therefore no more criminalisation of the masses!
I will be writing to the Chief Constable shortly just to let him know that the information I have given him will be inadmissable in court under the Police & Criminal Evidence Act!
Lets see what happens!?

'A Matter of Life & Death'

It's strange how some things stay with you all of your life. For me it has been birding, Bolton Wanderers FC & Iron Maiden. What a mix some may say, but as a frustrated rock musician (in that I basically have no musical talent whatsoever!) I have always liked the music of Iron Maiden. They were one of the first 'metal' bands that I got into in my teens & I have grown alongside their own evolution into one of the worlds biggest & best rock bands.
Going to an Iron Maiden concert should be on everyone's '100 things to do before I die' list. It is awesome!
It is interesting how heavy metal is trendy these days & with it Maiden! Although Maidens' appeal is and always has been based largely on the fact that they spurn trends & fashion and simply do things their own way!
I have just bought the new album after a couple of months listening to taster tracks on their website. I have been especially been impressed with the last three albums since Bruce Dickinson & Adrian Smith returned to the fold in 1999. Each album has been powerful, melodic, progressive & loud!
'A Matter of Life & Death' is absolutely incredible! Not only does it combine the Iron Maiden sound of their earlier career with the harmonies and powerfully contemporary lyrics of more recent years, but it has once again set a new standard for all the young 'wannabees' out there to aspire to.
I am looking forward immensely to the Manchester concert in December. Up the Irons!

The UK Crafting Industry - Is there room for the independents?

As you will see from my profile my wife & I run a moderately successful (we're still trading!) independent craft retail business in East Lancashire. We have been going for over three years now. It all started when we received a handmade Christmas card from a work colleague. Lorna, as she has always been the 'arty farty' type was curious about how the card had been constructed. "I could do that!" she exclaimed somewhat surprised that making greetings cards had never occurred to her before.
So in the fine tradition of 'cottage industries' up and down the land we developed 'Handy Crafts' and Lorna set about making cards & teddy bears. As this was four or five years ago the UK crafting industry was in it's infancy, certainly when compared with today, though QVC was gaining momentum with it's famous (infamous?) blonde crafting presenter convincing all and sundry that card making was the future - a bit like garlic bread, eh, eh!
People that received handmade cards from friends & family still had the attitude of, "Huh, look at that, she couldn't even afford to get me a proper card!"
Lorna was doing well with lots of commissioned orders for her wares. She often likes to reminisce about a training day for retailers that she attended at the time, where she was told in no uncertain terms by the facilitator that she would never make a business out of her hobby!
One of Lorna's friends was closing a small beauticians boutique in Bacup and asked Lorna if she would like to take it over. For us this was a big step and a sizeable investment. We had an initial idea of running a small gift shop that would sell Lorna's handmade products. But we soon migrated our thinking to craft supplies mainly because of the shortage of available outlets.
The rest as they (whoever 'they' are) say is history and despite a large, local fabric company's (run by a balding egomaniac who thinks he is a Romany!) best attempts to wreck it, our business is going from strength to strength.

But for how long?
As the UK crafting industry has moved into overdrive many small independents, the very businesses that have created the surge in crafting interest and have enabled the suppliers to grow in the UK market, have found themselves in competition with largescale retailers that have leapt onto an increasingly speeding bandwagon, those who normally would be more concerned with selling you your daily bread and milk, or discount books, or household appliances, or catalogue goods, or - well you get the picture.
As retailers we can see pros and cons for such expansion into the mainstream.
The advocates of such commercialisation, which includes some suppliers and distributors would have us all believe that it enables new customers to have wider access to crafting products, it lowers prices and raises the profile of crafting generally, all of which may or may not be true. One thing that has happened is that it actually has enabled the 'big boys' access to the perceived 'gravy train' and short term profits which has done the participating suppliers no harm at all - or so they would prefer to believe.
Now everyone likes a bargain and it would be self destructive for small craft businesses to pretend that craft retail is anything more than simply a money making enterprise and a way of making a living. Crafting however means far more than that to our customers. To them it is a hobby that allows participants to socialise, to seek out ideas, to share knowledge, to give beautiful hand made creations to others and to be excited about innovative products, all of which encourage and enable that one thing that many of us believe is the privilege of others more gifted - CREATIVITY!
Retail competition can be a positive thing. It provides customers with choice, maintains sensible prices, prevents retailer complacency and strengthens the profile of the industry as a whole. However it is when competition leads to a glut in the market of cheaper, poor quality products masquerading as the latest thing, as is inevitable when everyone is trying to 'out do' everyone else and capture a finite customer base. This is when competition become damaging to the retail industry. How many of us who likes the aforementioned 'bargain' are actually willing to accept poor quality or customer service.
For the small independent business competition often means having a different product range, something that is a bit unusual in order to whet the creative appetite of the crafter (customer). That is the ultimate challenge to the manufacturers and distributors and in fact is the prime factor that is likely to maintain the upsurge in crafting generally. The type of competition that the larger retail companies are interested in is finding cheaper (to maximise profit), though similar to mainstream product lines that they can shave a little off the market influenced RRP, thus making the customer believe that they have bought the same product from the superstore for a lower price than the local craft shop - often they have not!
How many crafters would like to see their favourite pastime swallowed up by, and exclusively available at the superstores?
Many small independents have gone out of business over the past 12 months and many more may unfortunately follow suit. Whilst I am not blaming the over-commercialisation of crafting for their demise I would point out that the market place can only cater for so many business's supplying so many customers.
It will be a crying shame bordering on a travesty if the only victims of the current abundance of outlets were the smaller shops.
As always it is likely to be up to the customer, the nations crafting community to decide the future of the UK crafting scene. Do they simply want cheap imitations and bargains or are they prepared to pay the market price for a product that comes along with much added value such as the specialist advice, the demonstrations, the workshops and the personal attention that will only be available at those remaining small independent craft retailers that essentially are run for crafters by crafters!

'Newbie Blogger'

Although pretty competent with PC's, I am a complete newbie in terms of 'blogging'. I know that it is massive in other parts of the world, but as with many things it is just taking off in the UK.
I like the idea. I think that I need the idea!
To communicate 'me' to the world is an exciting prospect regardless of whether or not anyone actually wants to listen.
So I'm going to give it a go! I will endeavour to update regularly and add some personal bits to the site.
You never know, it may be just the place for me to post that book text I have always wanted to write - serialised of course!