[Archived] Blackburns Marks And Spencers

[SouthAussieRover]

Most definitely Gordon.

The Ribble Valley is affluent whereas Blackburn is effluent.

[Al]

Go on Al, give us a brief description of your sons skill levels. I think you fail to see the wider picture.

Ok. One of them has a degree but the other started work with 'O' levels only, and has been made redundant 3 times, but the point is he wanted to work and each time found a job within a month. I'm not blind I see the no hopers, shirkers and general pond life around all the time. If you can't see that you walk around with your eyes shut.

The seventies for me were some of the happiest times of my working life. I will admit that that now I have retired with a good pension and a sizeable lump sum from investments that life is comfortable but I worked hard all my life for that and I resent paying taxes to keep the bone idle in booze and drugs. I have no problem with people who are genuinly disabled but the rest can find work if they want it enough.

[JAL]

Ok. One of them has a degree but the other started work with 'O' levels only, and has been made redundant 3 times, but the point is he wanted to work and each time found a job within a month. I'm not blind I see the no hopers, shirkers and general pond life around all the time. If you can't see that you walk around with your eyes shut.

The seventies for me were some of the happiest times of my working life. I will admit that that now I have retired with a good pension and a sizeable lump sum from investments that life is comfortable but I worked hard all my life for that and I resent paying taxes to keep the bone idle in booze and drugs. I have no problem with people who are genuinly disabled but the rest can find work if they want it enough.

Cheers Al. Dont worry you cant help but see these, as you describe, 'them pond life'. For me they are third, fourth generation bottom of the classes.

Is it really their fault that they have been brought up in an environment that hasnt been as positive to the type of environment that you and your children have been brought up in?

They probably have little intelligence to escape their environment, thus they probably end up on drugs and booze and lead a relatively short life. Then theres the ones who have little or no skills or knowledge, that the lifestyle they would want in a job isnt what anyone is going to pay them hence their for benefit top ups or benefit support. The cost of living has gone up immensely over the past ten years or so if they didnt have their benefits were would they be, i'd imagine it wouldnt look too disimilar to the depression years of the 1930's.

For me Al, I lost my final salary pension three years ago and boy does that make me angry, and not only that, the prospect looms over me of having my retirement age RAISED to maybe 66/67 maybe even higher 70 at a later date.

[JC4LAB]

Blackburn in the 70s was Vibrant compared by today and I dont remember any poverty ..Certainly from the going out perspective.You could go on a dozen different pub crawls all different with no shortage of late drinking holesclubs to end up at..and that included midweek also...For live music..Regent on Mondays nights was a fav of mine,SettEnd,the Lodestar (often wonder if punk started here) .and many others had midweek stuff..

[Aberdeen Blue]

Ok. One of them has a degree but the other started work with 'O' levels only, and has been made redundant 3 times, but the point is he wanted to work and each time found a job within a month. I'm not blind I see the no hopers, shirkers and general pond life around all the time. If you can't see that you walk around with your eyes shut.

The seventies for me were some of the happiest times of my working life. I will admit that that now I have retired with a good pension and a sizeable lump sum from investments that life is comfortable but I worked hard all my life for that and I resent paying taxes to keep the bone idle in booze and drugs. I have no problem with people who are genuinly disabled but the rest can find work if they want it enough.

Al makes a good point with respect to the "no hopers, shirkers and general pond life"; these individuals have no interest in seeking employment so why should I support them via my taxes.

As this country faces years of serious cutbacks in public spending under the next Government (no matter what hue) would it not be better to force these individuals to actually work for their state cash? That way we at least get a return on our "investment".

[Al]

Cheers Al. Dont worry you cant help but see these, as you describe, 'them pond life'. For me they are third, fourth generation bottom of the classes.

Is it really their fault that they have been brought up in an environment that hasnt been as positive to the type of environment that you and your children have been brought up in?

They probably have little intelligence to escape their environment, thus they probably end up on drugs and booze and lead a relatively short life. Then theres the ones who have little or no skills or knowledge, that the lifestyle they would want in a job isnt what anyone is going to pay them hence their for benefit top ups or benefit support. The cost of living has gone up immensely over the past ten years or so if they didnt have their benefits were would they be, i'd imagine it wouldnt look too disimilar to the depression years of the 1930's.

So it's our fault that they spend their benefits on booze and drugs is it? Not their own or their parents for never having the inclination to look for work but instead to rely on you and I to support them all their lives. They should at least be forced to do community work for their money insead of spending their lives with their hands out.

I was not brought up with a silver spoon in my mouth as you insinuate. My father was in the war and I hardly saw him until I was five. However I was prepared to listen when I was at school and to get a job and pull myself up by my bootstraps when I left, unlike the layabout section of society that we see today.

[JAL]

Blackburn in the 70s was Vibrant compared by today and I dont remember any poverty ..Certainly from the going out perspective.You could go on a dozen different pub crawls all different with no shortage of late drinking holesclubs to end up at..and that included midweek also...For live music..Regent on Mondays nights was a fav of mine,SettEnd,the Lodestar (often wonder if punk started here) .and many others had midweek stuff..

Everybody was closer together in them days 'the haves and the havenots' today that gap has widen immeasurably. The 'haves' of Blackburn have floated away one by one, over the past 40 years or so that now its beginning to really show.

There was plenty of work for the lowskilled in them days. Slowly the lowskilled have been squeezed that pay today isnt relevent to leading a decent lifestyle because daily living costs have risen so much yet their pay has either gone backwards or remained static plus theres less of these type of jobs around.

Just out of interest, reading the local paper the Lancashire Telegraph, dated October 7th 2009.there ISNT ONE single job of ANY description being advertised in the paper.

[thenodrog]

Everybody was closer together in them days 'the haves and the havenots' today that gap has widen immeasurably. The 'haves' of Blackburn have floated away one by one, over the past 40 years or so that now its beginning to really show.

There was plenty of work for the lowskilled in them days. Slowly the lowskilled have been squeezed that pay today isnt relevent to leading a decent lifestyle because daily living costs have risen so much yet their pay has either gone backwards or remained static plus theres less of these type of jobs around.

Just out of interest, reading the local paper the Lancashire Telegraph, dated October 7th 2009.there ISNT ONE single job of ANY description being advertised in the paper.

There is a link there......... A point that dyed in the wool socialists like Jim will never be able to comprehend. They will take such ignorance caused by blind faith indoctrination to the grave with them.

[Al]

Everybody was closer together in them days 'the haves and the havenots' today that gap has widen immeasurably. The 'haves' of Blackburn have floated away one by one, over the past 40 years or so that now its beginning to really show.

There was plenty of work for the lowskilled in them days. Slowly the lowskilled have been squeezed that pay today isnt relevent to leading a decent lifestyle because daily living costs have risen so much yet their pay has either gone backwards or remained static plus theres less of these type of jobs around.

Just out of interest, reading the local paper the Lancashire Telegraph, dated October 7th 2009.there ISNT ONE single job of ANY description being advertised in the paper.

There rarely is in the Wednesday Telegraph JAL. Wednesday is property day. Thursday is jobs day. Have a look at today's paper. There will be pages of jobs for the ones who want them.

[JAL]

There rarely is in the Wednesday Telegraph JAL. Wednesday is property day. Thursday is jobs day. Have a look at today's paper. There will be pages of jobs for the ones who want them.

Cheers Al, three full pages of jobs in tonights edition with around 40 jobs. Interesting that four of the adds are from the newspaper itself.

40 JOBS for how many unemployed in this area, the figures simply dont balance up for this area.

Al, these are desperate times we are currently going through, the worst could yet come.

[Al]

Cheers Al, three full pages of jobs in tonights edition with around 40 jobs. Interesting that four of the adds are from the newspaper itself.

40 JOBS for how many unemployed in this area, the figures simply dont balance up for this area.

Al, these are desperate times we are currently going through, the worst could yet come.

Ok. First of all you try to distort the situation by implying there are no jobs availible by choosing a day when the Telegraph doesn't publish the adverts and now you are trying to give the impression that there are only 40 jobs availible in the area. What about the Jobcentre and all the agencies dotted around. Do they not have any?

You know very well that I am not targeting the people who are temporarily out of work. They will eventually find a job because they want to. I am talking about the lazy hard core who have never had a job in their lives and don't want one, you know, the ones you are championing.

How many of those will be sending in an application for the 40 jobs advertised? and how many of them are registered with an agency?

I don't need to give you an answer, you already know and the sooner they are made to work for their handouts the better.

[JAL]

I'm trying to point out that

1. many are incapable of work of the simplest magnitude.

2. this kind of work IS scarce.

3. and if, this work is available does it pay what these people would want to make a living - very much doubt it.

4. these people are generally bottom of the classes that have been brought up in a far from comfortable environment.

They go out and drink thinking they are the clever ones, telling anyone who'll listen how good they are at cheating the system, but the reality is, is the system just helping them move along to their final destination in life just that little bit quicker than say you or I, Al?

[Al]

I'm trying to point out that

1. many are incapable of work of the simplest magnitude.

2. this kind of work IS scarce.

3. and if, this work is available does it pay what these people would want to make a living - very much doubt it.

4. these people are generally bottom of the classes that have been brought up in a far from comfortable environment.

They go out and drink thinking they are the clever ones, telling anyone who'll listen how good they are at cheating the system, but the reality is, is the system just helping them move along to their final destination in life just that little bit quicker than say you or I, Al?

Nobody except the disabled, be that physically or mentally, is incapable of doing basic work (these I am happy to support). If this work does not pay what these people want does it mean we should give them money? If we did not they would have to at least look for work. It is their choice not to seek work. Yes they are the bottom classes but that does not mean that they should be encouraged to sponge off society. There is plenty they could be made to do for their money in the community and if that occupies their time it might keep them off the streets where they annoy the decent people who see them doing nothing and resent the fact that they are keeping them in booze.

[thenodrog]

Nobody except the disabled, be that physically or mentally, is incapable of doing basic work (these I am happy to support). If this work does not pay what these people want does it mean we should give them money? If we did not they would have to at least look for work. It is their choice not to seek work. Yes they are the bottom classes but that does not mean that they should be encouraged to sponge off society. There is plenty they could be made to do for their money in the community and if that occupies their time it might keep them off the streets where they annoy the decent people who see them doing nothing and resent the fact that they are keeping them in booze.

They do provide a terrible example for normal people trying to bring children up properly too.

[FourLaneBlue]

Not sure how this thread was diverted so quickly. Anybody with any news on whether M&S will be moving or not and also whether this will entail a smaller store?

On another note..M&S is mentioned in which seventies record written by a famous singer but which he then gave to a band to use as they were thinking of splitting up due to lack of success? It became their most popular song.

[Ray-Von]

All the Young Dudes?

[cletus]

On a slight tangent, but still on the jobs subject. My better half was interviewing all day today for care assistants in a sheltered housing project (not in Blackburn). Half the candidates didn`t show up, four of the six who did show were almost illiterate chavs & the two who impressed the most were foreign. They spoke the best english (one was Zimbabwean) had the best qualifications & really showed they wanted the jobs. My better half was shocked with the standards & attitudes.

Out of 12 arranged interviews, only two will be offered jobs & the remaining positions will be re-advertised.

[FourLaneBlue]

A few of those were probably made to go by the job centre. If they go and mess up the interview enough they stay on benefits and if they do not go at all then they lose their benefits.

[thenodrog]

On a slight tangent, but still on the jobs subject. My better half was interviewing all day today for care assistants in a sheltered housing project (not in Blackburn). Half the candidates didn`t show up, four of the six who did show were almost illiterate chavs & the two who impressed the most were foreign. They spoke the best english (one was Zimbabwean) had the best qualifications & really showed they wanted the jobs. My better half was shocked with the standards & attitudes.Out of 12 arranged interviews, only two will be offered jobs & the remaining positions will be re-advertised.

New to the job is she cletus? That attitude and culture has been around for about a generation now. Educating kids until almost middle age hasn't worked so there's no more positive thinking that we can apply now. So accept that there are so many write offs, cut the benefits, introduce good financial rewards (cash handouts) for voluntary sterilisation and deny access to the health service.

There... 25 years forward and it's almost job sorted.

[Al]

New to the job is she cletus? That attitude and culture has been around for about a generation now. Educating kids until almost middle age hasn't worked so there's no more positive thinking that we can apply now. So accept that there are so many write offs, cut the benefits, introduce good financial rewards (cash handouts) for voluntary sterilisation and deny access to the health service.

There... 25 years forward and it's almost job sorted.

Are you a disciple of Darwin Gordon?

[cletus]

New to the job is she cletus? That attitude and culture has been around for about a generation now. Educating kids until almost middle age hasn't worked so there's no more positive thinking that we can apply now. So accept that there are so many write offs, cut the benefits, introduce good financial rewards (cash handouts) for voluntary sterilisation and deny access to the health service.

There... 25 years forward and it's almost job sorted.

New to the position Gord. She`s been in the care industry for nearly 20yrs. Worked her way up from the bottom (there`s a joke in there somewhere? ) & recently moved into management.

When she told me about the people she interviewed, i said "well what do you expect, you work in Salford. You`re interviewing Mancs"

[92er]

Front page of today's LT has an article about M and S moving into the new shopping area, into a bigger store, with the knock-on effect of there being a smaller market development.

[JAL]

Front page of today's LT has an article about M and S moving into the new shopping area, into a bigger store, with the knock-on effect of there being a smaller market development.

The article doesnt compare the current square footage with the proposed 50k retail space, how then can one say if its a good idea or not.

For me, the strategy of the town would have been to allow the current M&S building to develop it upwards, and buy the buildings around it. This for me would have been the ideal plan for Blackburns M&S.

[92er]

The article doesnt compare the current square footage with the proposed 50k retail space, how then can one say if its a good idea or not.

You're right, but it does state the new store is larger.

[Ewood Spark]

Personally I couldn't care less. Blackburn is getting what Blackburn deserves. The town has deteriorated so much in my lifetime that it's difficult to comprehend. I wouldn't be at all suprised to find that the new M&S will be much smaller...... come to think further it wouldn't even suprise me to see em pull out of the dump altogether.

But don't worry though I'm sure another Pound Shop / Computer Games shop / Arcade will move in in no time. They wont pay much rent and rates of course but no matter, the council will simply look to increase the revenue from car parking and fines to cover it.

JAL do us a favour and switch the lights off when you leave would you?

It's been a bad news week for the anti-Blackburn surrender monkeys ....

M&S want a piece of the action...

...so do Sainsburys....

...and there's even a Blackburn Eye!