Saturday 21 February 2009

This Should Be A Real Vote Winner

The Tory party has launched a campaign to save the great British pub. Jeremy Hunt the shadow culture secretary has stated that many pubs up and down the country were struggling to survive, particularly against rising taxes. An online petition has been set up calling for taxes to be cut on low-alcohol drinks such as beer. Mr Hunt claimed that the government had tried to tackle binge-drinking by punishing responsible drinkers. Shadow business minister, Mark Prisk, also claimed that the future of 'great British institutions' were under threat. About a third of the cost of a pint currently goes to the Treasury in duty and that is set to rise again this year. The crazy thing is that 'alcopops', aimed at the teenage market, and a contributory factor to binge drinking have gone down in price. Representatives from the pub trade were protesting about a 13p decrease in the average price of this type of drink. The Chancellor of the Exchequer last year wanted to raise the tax on spirits to off-set some of the 2.5% reduction in VAT, he announced in the face of the gathering recession. After being told, by the Scottish whisky trade, that such a move could put the industry out of business, the Chancellor then cut the duty on spirits a few days later. As alcopops are regarded as spirits, they benefited by the cut in taxes, whilst the price of beer and wine increased.

Blankney School

Blankney School (North & West Facing)

Blankney School (South Facing)
Blankney school stands on the south-east corner of Blankney crossroads. The school dates back to between 1830 and 1840. It is recorded that Mrs Chaplin (wife of Charles Chaplin) paid for the education of 22 girls of poor families. The school was closed in the mid 1970's due to a lack of pupils.

Thought For Today

One ought never to turn one's back on a threatened danger and try to run away from it. If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half.
Sir Winston Churchill

Brainteaser

How well do you know your geography of the British Isles. Today's brainteaser asks you to say which of two places is the farthest north.

01 Darlington or Middlesborough
02 Market Rasen or Louth
03 Rugby or Coventry
04 Shrewsbury or Wolverhampton
05 Oxford or Swindon
06 Bristol or Bath
07 Swansea or Cardiff
08 Penzance or Lizard Point
09 Ilfracombe or Exeter
10 Watford or Potters Bar

Good luck with this brainteaser!