Archive for June, 2006
Mill Communication # 3
Trago Mills… Come on down!
UKIP… Come on doooown!
Yes, it’s time for another episode of Mill Communication, where we pick the juiciest tidbits from those Trago Mills/UKIP local newspaper adverts so you don’t have to.
Slim pickings this week, folks, but here’s today’s bile muffin:
MILL COMMUNICATION #3
“£1,900 million of Britain’s annual contribution [to the EU] subsidises Continental European tobacco farmers ‘whose crop is so foul that Europeans refuse to smoke it’.”
Goodbye now, and remember: if the answer’s there, we’ll give you the money ourselves.
Posted by Thin White Duke
June 30th, 2006
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Awards for all
You may think that dishing out British Renewable Energy Awards in a climate of the nuclear summer of our discontent is, well, like pissing in the wind(farm). I disagree. Not least because Regen SW, those super catalystic supporters of the renewable sector, did so well.
The group came runner up to Merton in the regional section of the awards for
‘Initiative or policy by local authorities or regional agencies to encourage the take-up of renewable energy in a specific region of the UK’.
The south scooped another couple of prizes - Somerset County Council for its Biofuels project, Windprospect, and npower for its Juice fund - according to the Regen SW press release.
So congratulations all round, but I’m confused, aren’t we all one big nuclear family now?
Posted by Cptn
June 30th, 2006
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Can the can
This Saturday, some 80 million aluminium drinks cans will be tossed at tellies across the country by England supporters disgusted with yet another perfunctory performance by the national ‘team‘.
But did you know that if you were to pile these empty cans onto the kitchen scales they would weigh over 1,300 tonnes?
Of course you didn’t. You’re more interested in complaining about Ian Wright’s sweaty pits.
Nevertheless, these discarded cans are worth over £1 million pounds to the UK-based Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro).
Which is why they’re urging England fans to make like a Dorothy Perkins t-shirt and ‘recycle’ their used aluminium cans in kerbside boxes, can banks or at their friendly-neighbourhood aluminium recycling centre.
Yes, yes, we know you all do that anyway (like good little citizens of the People’s Republic), but we also thought you might like to know that all recycled cans in the UK are currently helping to plant trees in Africa through Alupro’s Trees For The UK - Trees For Africa campaign.
Alupro haven’t proffered any more details about how this magical process works so we’ll have to take their word for it.
Granted, there’s probably more in-depth information on their website, but frankly we’re too busy saving the chuffing world to find out.
What we do know is Alupro can’t do anything about Wrighty’s runny ridges. We know, cos we asked.
Posted by Thin White Duke
June 29th, 2006
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T set
Perhaps inspired by PRSD’s ‘all-singing, all-dancing’ ethical t-shirts, Dorothy Perkins is all set to launch its first organic cotton range.
A capsule collection (whatever that means) of two t-shirt and two vest designs, the cotton in each garment is 100 per cent dolphin-friendly organic, having been grown without the use of pesticides or genetically modified seed, blah-de-blah-blah.
Each garment also boasts one of the following beezer slogans - Turn Off The Taps, Recycle, Plant More Trees, Save Energy and (possibly) Stick A Brick In Your Bog.
All of which sounds ‘a bit early 90s’ and ‘a bit crap’ but it’s a step in the right direction, non?
The collection will be available from the end of July, on the website and from those shop-thingies no-one uses anymore.
Posted by Thin White Duke
June 28th, 2006
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Sold off, sold out
If, like me, you were an avid watcher of The Apprentice, you may have noticed a task that was curiously missing - winning council contracts.
Well, all you proto-capitalists out there, now’s your chance. Devon County Council is looking to sell-off (sorry ‘rationalise’ or ‘increase primary user choice’ in) its care sector.
The tendering process may well have begun, and if you’re quick you can get in there and secure what could be your pension fund (heaven forfend that you would ever rely on the council for old-age care).
Apparently the council can’t afford to run them itself. But it if can’t, who can? What frivolous luxuries is money being wasted on? Would it be a decent care provision, by any chance? Why would a company want to do it unless it could make money, and how can you really think of making money out of those who are vulnerable?
If you can’t answer these questions, then quite frankly you’re a lightweight, and you’re fired!
Posted by Cptn
June 27th, 2006
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Give Greenpeace a chance
Worried about the nuclear road we’re being led down? Ready to hear about alternatives and a decentralised energy plan for Devon? Then go along to the Totnes Greenpeace meeting at the Methodist Hall, Fore Street, Totnes tomorrow at 7.30pm.
For more details contact Claire Insley on or email for more information or with queries.
Posted by Cptn
June 26th, 2006
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RE4Dy for anything
What about RE4D? No wonder you’ve never heard of it (but can you say it?), those silent but deadly denizens of Devon’s renewables - Dare - have been involved in its inception.
You see, it’s all about promoting renewable energy in Devon (Renewable Energy for (4) Devon - geddit?). But how can you promote it if no-one knows about it?
Well, the free telephone support to move to renewable energy in Objective 2 regions is certainly worthy of note, and on-site advice for schools and larger businesses is also a ‘good thing’. But when you start talking about grants and what-nots for small to medium sized businesses (or what those in the know call SMEs), then surely you’d be shouting it from the highest building - but could you be heard above the low-level persistent noise of the wind turbine? Phone up and find out. And could you be seen through the reflective glare from the photoelectric cells? Likewise.
It’s only fair to mention the other partners in this innovative initiative that will be running for the next two years - WCEAT (West Country Energy Action Trust), GAP (Global Action Plan), the University of Exeter’s CEE (Centre for Energy and Environment) and Trans-Send, a social enterprise company. The project will also work alongside our (not so) old friends Regen SW (the regional renewable energy organisation).
You want more information visit the. . . wait, no website - these are people with an innovative initiative, you’d best phone them on 0800 512 012, or email
Posted by Cptn
June 25th, 2006
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Yoke’s on you
We all know that being a true citizen of the People’s Republic involves a fair amount of leftist guilt and pinko posturing. But can you take things too far?
Well, why not ask Andrew Hawkins of Plymouth. According to Wednesday’s Evening Herald, he recently travelled to Gambia to say ‘Sorry’ for European involvement in the slave trade. Which was nice of him, wasn’t it?
The double-page spread was accompanied by a lovely photo of the over-wrought chap wearing chains and kneeling in front of the Vice-President of Gambia.
Apparently, Andrew ‘believes’ he is related to Sir John Hawkins, who is known as England’s first slave-trader. The evidence for this ancestral link was attributed, rather vaguely, to his family’s ‘verbal history’.
As you might expect the tale provoked much intelligent debate on the This Is Plymouth website.
Unfortunately, it also attracted this effort from Ian Stabb in Ivybridge:
“When will the politically correct minority realise… they do not represent the majority!
“I, for one, am hugely proud of my country’s history - warts an’ all!
“If you are ashamed of my country… leave.”
‘Hugely proud’ of our involvement in slavery, eh? Suddenly Mr Hawkins doesn’t seem quite so loopy after all.
Posted by Thin White Duke
June 24th, 2006
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Mill Communication # 2
Hello, and welcome to another great episode of Mill Communication.
Yes, we pick the juiciest quotes from those Trago Mills/UKIP local newspaper adverts so you don’t have to.
So, what are we waiting for? Let’s get on with the ‘show’.
Here’s today’s tasty morsel:
MILL COMMUNICATION #2
“Let’s hope David Cameron is reading this, and not off hugging icebergs somewhere.”
See you next week. B’bye now.
Posted by Thin White Duke
June 23rd, 2006
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Simply the fest
Doncha know you’re nobody these days unless you have your own film festival? Heck, even Plymouth is getting one in November. So what should you do to stand out from cine-maniacal crowd?
Well, you could get yerself a new website for ’starters’ - which is exactly what the organisers of the Cornwall Film Festival have done. According to the site, this year’s programme is set to include the very best Cornish drama, documentary and animation; feature films; student films; artistic moving image and (bleugh!) surf skate screenings.
There’ll also be an extended Young Persons’ Film Festival, as well as a variety of seminars, workshops and discussions about filmmaking and the filmmaking industry.
The festival is taking place from November 16-19 at a variety of locations across Falmouth - and guess what? They’re after your feeble efforts too, so why not send them that five-hour IRA zombie musical you’ve been working on?
The closing date for film applications is August 15, and all selected flicks will be entered into the - da-da-daaa! - Delabole Slate Audience Choice Award, for best film in the festival and best student film.
Check out the website or call for more details or to find out about becoming a volunteer at the festival.
Posted by Thin White Duke
June 23rd, 2006
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