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[serial-serializednovelreader]

Nova’s Notes - North and South Weekly - Chapter 7

In which the Hale family finds a new home…

“In such towns in the south of England, Margaret had seen the shopmen, when not employed in their business, lounging a little at their doors, enjoying the fresh air, and the look up and down the street. Here, if they had any leisure from customers, they made themselves business in the shop—even, Margaret fancied, to the unnecessary unrolling and re-rolling of ribbons. All these differences struck upon her mind, as she and her mother went out next morning to look for lodgings.”

Already, Margaret is noticing a stark difference between her beloved Helstone and this new town. Here, they keep themselves as busy as possible, with no time for leisure or enjoyment. Here, the colors are less vibrant and everything has a purpose: no frills. Margaret may be of a practical mind, but I can tell she won’t like this change.

“Their two nights at hotels had cost more than Mr. Hale had anticipated, and they were glad to take the first clean, cheerful rooms they met with that were at liberty to receive them. There, for the first time for many days, did Margaret feel at rest. There was a dreaminess in the rest, too, which made it still more perfect and luxurious to repose in.”

Yikes, Mr. Hale didn’t plan ahead on the hotel costs, hm? Not off to a great start, but I am glad they have rooms and Margaret is able to rest at last. For the first time in weeks, she’s able to let herself breathe and not be stressed by her parents’ problems. Good for her!!!

“One evening it was arranged that Margaret and her father should go the next day to Milton-Northern, and look out for a house. Mr. Hale had received several letters from Mr. Bell, and one or two from Mr. Thornton, and he was anxious to ascertain at once a good many particulars respecting his position and chances of success there, which he could only do by an interview with the latter gentleman. Margaret knew that they ought to be removing; but she had a repugnance to the idea of a manufacturing town, and believed that her mother was receiving benefit from Heston air, so she would willingly have deferred the expedition to Milton.”

Unfortunately, it can’t last :( I’m not sure I agree with Margaret’s “repugnance” to Milton, but I understand this is part of her arc and I’m eager to see how she’ll react once she learns more about the people of the town. ALSO, Mr. Thornton mention!!! 👀 I may not have read the book before, but I happen to know he’s an important character, hehe…

“Quick they were whirled over long, straight, hopeless streets of regularly-built houses, all small and of brick. Here and there a great oblong many-windowed factory stood up, like a hen among her chickens, puffing out black “unparliamentary” smoke, and sufficiently accounting for the cloud which Margaret had taken to foretell rain…

“…People thronged the footpaths, most of them well-dressed as regarded the material, but with a slovenly looseness which struck Margaret as different from the shabby, threadbare smartness of a similar class in London.”

The language Gaskell uses here is very negative and solemn, reflecting Margaret’s true feelings regarding Milton. Some of this may be an honest depiction of how Milton looks, but I know more of it is through Margaret’s biased and negative perspective of the town. “Slovenly” (or, “dirty”) is a lot worse to be than “shabby” (or, “in poor condition through lack of care”).

Margaret and her father take a look at the available houses in their price range and much like the drama of HGTV, they don’t know which one to pick. Every one seems wrong for some reason. However, Margaret once again activates her “problem-solving” mode and comes up with a way for them to make house #2 work, though it’ll come at the cost of ugly wallpaper and Mr. Hale having his own study (if you think I feel bad for him here, you would be wrong). Again, I absolutely love seeing her in this mode!!! She’s so in her element and it’s great to see her so at ease after the stress of these past weeks. This line in particular is my favorite, though:

“‘Oh, wait a minute. I am overpowered by the discovery of my own genius for management.’”

YES GIRL 👏👏👏👏👏 SELF-CONFIDENT QUEEN (she could just mean “penchant”, as opposed to “brilliance” but still — I’m glad she knows she’s good at this). The wallpaper is not something they want to compromise on, and they hope to have Mr. Hale charm the landlord into letting them re-papering it. Not the guy *I* would have charm people (that’s not on my list of attributes I’ve seen from him), but hey he was a pastor. He should be good with people…so I guess this makes sense.

So, Mr. Hale leaves and Margaret is hoping to get a bit of rest…but there’s no time for a petty thing as rest!!! Mr. Thornton has called for them!!! Well…her father. But still 👀

“Margaret opened the door and went in with the straight, fearless, dignified presence habitual to her. She felt no awkwardness; she had too much the habits of society for that. Here was a person come on business to her father; and, as he was one who had shown himself obliging, she was disposed to treat him with a full measure of civility.”

If there was ever a list of benefits from staying at her aunt’s house, this would likely make the top of the list. Her bearing and manner meeting a strange man radiate confidence and owning the room. You would never know the stress she’s been through in the past few weeks because she won’t let you see it. She will be polite and business-like, but Gaskell uses such…I want to say, almost sharp language here — she almost feels intimidating in this moment.

And I’m not the only one who thinks so. We get a new perspective, from the viewpoint of Mr. Thornton. Let’s hear how he feels about Margaret’s entrance, shall we?

“Mr. Thornton was a good deal more surprised and discomfited than she. Instead of a quiet, middle-aged clergyman, a young lady came forward with frank dignity,—a young lady of a different type to most of those he was in the habit of seeing…

“…He did not understand who she was, as he caught the simple, straight, unabashed look, which showed that his being there was of no concern to the beautiful countenance, and called up no flush of surprise to the pale ivory of the complexion.”

He sounds like she jumpscared him or something 😂😂 and I guess she kind of did. But yes, he does seem to find her more than a little intimidating, with how he perceives her looks (from her beautiful face, I might add) as indifferent to his presence instead of the civility she’s going for.

Oh no, she’s being misunderstood again! And predictably, I’m dusting off my neurodivergent lens to analyze this. So, a lot of times ND individuals have difficulty making the proper facial expression to reflect the emotion they’re feeling (or expected to feel, depending on if they’re masking). This can lead to others perceiving their emotions as different from what they are (not to mention many NDs have difficulty understanding facial expressions in the first place, so they don’t even know what face they’re supposed to make in a given social situation).

Speaking of masking, I would say Margaret is masking — heavily. It’s touched on later in the chapter, but she is very tired at this moment. She was expecting to rest, and she is not given the chance because of this interruption. Now, she is forced to be civil to this random guy. This might be another reason for his misinterpretation of her emotions — her “civil” mask might be cracking to reveal her “tired” or “frustrated” face. He’s still not entirely correct in what he thinks she’s feeling towards him…but it’s a bit closer. Good for him, I guess?

And because I don’t like to leave stones unturned, we could also switch this lens to Mr. Thornton and wonder if perhaps part of the reason he’s misinterpreting her emotions is because he himself is neurodivergent and has difficulty reading facial expressions…(does that mean I’d have to do the same for everyone who misreads Margaret? Maybe. I’m still keeping an eye on Thornton, though.)

“Mr. Thornton was in habits of authority himself, but she seemed to assume some kind of rule over him at once. He had been getting impatient at the loss of his time on a market-day, the moment before she appeared, yet now he calmly took a seat at her bidding.”

She’s just met him, yet already has the ability to calm him, hmmmm??? I love this 👀👀👀👀👀

“Mr. Thornton had thought that the house in Crampton was really just the thing; but now that he saw Margaret, with her superb ways of moving and looking, he began to feel ashamed of having imagined that it would do very well for the Hales, in spite of a certain vulgarity in it which had struck him at the time of his looking it over.”

LOL, him looking at the house before: “yeah, I mean it’s good. Not the best house I’d pick, wallpaper is ugly, but the Hales will like it I’m sure.”

Him, know Margaret - A QUEEN - is going to live there: “*screaming internally* that’s a horrible house for her how could I have thought otherwise 😭😭😭😳😳😳 she deserves better” <- Margaret does deserve the best, he is right about that.

Anyway, I already love this dynamic. He’s spoken one sentence to her and he’s already smitten what the heck this is so cute 😭😭

“Margaret could not help her looks; but the short curled upper lip, the round, massive up-turned chin, the manner of carrying her head, her movements, full of a soft feminine defiance, always gave strangers the impression of haughtiness.”

Ahhhh this actually makes a lot of sense! Poor Margaret being judged like that just because she has a “look” of haughtiness.

“She was tired now, and would much rather have remained silent, and taken the rest her father had planned for her; but, of course, she owed to herself to be a gentlewoman, and to speak courteously from time to time to this stranger; not over-brushed, nor over-polished, it must be confessed, after his rough encounter with Milton streets and crowds. She wished that he would go, as he had once spoken of doing, instead of sitting there, answering with curt sentences all the remarks she made.”

All my “this is cute” being said, it is funny that he’s met her when she’s in a tired state and actively wants him to leave (and he kind of knows it?). This makes any conversation more awkward, but hey, they can work from this. I’ll take “not over-polished” over Lennox’s gilded comments (which have nothing substantial underneath) any day!

“She sat facing him and facing the light; her full beauty met his eye; her round white flexile throat rising out of the full, yet lithe figure; her lips moving so slightly as she spoke, not breaking the cold serene look of her face with any variation from the one lovely haughty curve; her eyes, with their soft gloom, meeting his with quiet maiden freedom.”

It’s cool seeing this from Mr. Thornton’s eye and how he perceives her. This whole time, we’ve been told she’s not pretty or considered beautiful among society, but to him, she’s a gem. Even when we saw Henry’s POV, he didn’t mention anything of her beauty, just how she blushed in his attempts to woo her. I know beauty isn’t everything, but I happen to like that he sees her beauty. It doesn’t feel overstated, either. He’s not describing her as “the most beautiful woman ever” or anything. He just notices she does have beauty. And I do notice the use of “quiet maiden freedom”, which — to me — parallels with her earlier use of “high maidenly dignity”, used back in chapter 3. Both times were used when about to talk to men they didn’t relish talking to…I don’t think that’s a coincidence. It’s cool that Thornton can actually see this within her.

“He almost said to himself that he did not like her, before their conversation ended; he tried so to compensate himself for the mortified feeling, that while he looked upon her with an admiration he could not repress, she looked at him with proud indifference, taking him, he thought, for what, in his irritation, he told himself he was—a great rough fellow, with not a grace or a refinement about him. Her quiet coldness of demeanour he interpreted into contemptuousness, and resented it in his heart to the pitch of almost inclining him to get up and go away, and have nothing more to do with these Hales, and their superciliousness.”

Thornton, NOOOOO, she’s just tired bro 😭😭😭 at least he kind of understands he’s trying to struggle with his feelings of admiration (and maybe feelings of more?) within himself, contrasted with her “indifference” towards him (which could be considered true, she really does want him to leave and that could be considered indifferent — or worse — towards him. In that case, he’s the first to guess fairly close to what she’s actually feeling). I can understand him, though. No one wants to talk with someone who’s looking down on them, especially someone who they actually want to connect with. And I hate him dismissing himself as rough and unrefined :(((( someone get this man’s confidence up please???

“Just as Margaret had exhausted her last subject of conversation—and yet conversation that could hardly be called which consisted of so few and such short speeches—her father came in, and with his pleasant gentlemanly courteousness of apology, reinstated his name and family in Mr. Thornton’s good opinion.”

Ok, add “good at talking to people” on Mr. Hale’s bingo card. I’ll give him this, he somehow turned this disastrous meeting into…well, Thornton not running away from Margaret. You get exactly 1 point from me, Mr. Hale: don’t screw it up.

Unfortunately, Mr. Hale was not able to persuade the landlord in removing his tacky wallpaper (people like him are why Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote The Yellow Wallpaper /j) and they have to let it stay. Margaret immediately starts thinking of ways to hide it (ever the planner!), while Mr. Hale tries to invite Mr. Thornton to luncheon with them.

“It would have been very inconvenient to him to do so, yet he felt that he should have yielded, if Margaret by word or look had seconded her father’s invitation; he was glad she did not, and yet he was irritated at her for not doing so. She gave him a low, grave bow when he left, and he felt more awkward and self-conscious in every limb than he had ever done in his life before.”

Sorry, dude, Margaret is busy trying to figure out how to hide tacky wallpaper 😭😭😭 I love so much that Mr. Thornton like “it would be so inconvenient for me to eat lunch with them (and also Margaret’s been haughty/indifferent to me this whole time), but also how dare she not invite me to lunch too. 😒😠” yeah, you’re already down bad, Thornton. You’re just in denial :D and awww he’s self-conscious 😭😭

“Well, Margaret, now to luncheon as fast as we can. Have you ordered it?”

“No, papa; that man was here when I came home, and I have never had an opportunity.”

I’m glad Margaret defended herself here because…yeah, when would she have had the time??? Mr. Hale, I am TRYING to be nice to you…kindly do better so you make my job easier, PLEASE. In his defense, he didn’t press the issue or blame her after she said that.

When they detail the day’s events to Mrs. Hale, they ask her what Mr. Thornton is like. At first she’s like “I hardly know what he’s like 🙄” but then she says this:

“‘About thirty—with a face that is neither exactly plain, nor yet handsome, nothing remarkable—not quite a gentleman; but that was hardly to be expected.’”

“‘With such an expression of resolution and power, no face, however plain in feature, could be either vulgar or common. I should not like to have to bargain with him; he looks very inflexible. Altogether a man who seems made for his niche, mamma; sagacious, and strong, as becomes a great tradesman.’”

…it looks like our Margaret took a little more notice of Thornton than she let on, hm? 👀👀 I actually love that Gaskell shows us and doesn’t tell us Margaret’s notice of him; it’s far more interesting to think she was just tired the whole time and uninterested with a sudden twist of “actually he’s strong and powerful-looking etc. etc.” rather than Gaskell telling us both of them were taken with the other from the first moment. Plus it made me do this -> 🤭 IRL so that’s always fun.

“But when they removed to their new house in Milton, the obnoxious papers were gone. The landlord received their thanks very composedly; and let them think, if they liked, that he had relented from his expressed determination not to repaper. There was no particular need to tell them, that what he did not care to do for a Reverend Mr. Hale, unknown in Milton, he was only too glad to do at the one short sharp remonstrance of Mr. Thornton, the wealthy manufacturer.”

EEEEEEEEEEEE 😍😍😍😍😍🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭 this line right here is AMAZING and ICONIC. Get you a man who will get ugly wallpaper removed from your rented house. Thornton!!!!! I knew you liked her!!!! Hehehehehhee. This is what rom-coms were inspired by, I’m convinced.

[training4theapocalypse]

Finders Keepers Ch 11. (Cormac McLaggen x fem!reader)

Rating: Explicit 18+ (no smut)

Word Count: 5.9k

Warnings: Violence, injury detail

Summary: The new friend you made at the Holyhead Harpies tryouts is more than meets the eye.

A/N: If there's one thing I'm always gonna do it's announce a chapter will be posted on Sunday and post Friday instead. Sorry this took a hot minute - it's been through several drafts. McLaggen briefly channels Marc Darcy from Bridget Jones's Diary 2 and it made me swoon.

Tag list: @pretendfan, @countlambula, @ratsys, @aweidlich, @navs-bhat, @stainedpomegranatelips, @chiaraanatra, @xxvelvetxxxx, @ohnoitsrosie, @dracosisteer, @daisydark, @intense-sneezing, (let me know if you want removed at any point btw!)

Chapter 11: Blood Traitor

“Right then, here’s to the Holyhead Harpies’ two newest signings,” says McLaggen, grinning and raising his pint glass.

You beam at him, still giddy with excitement and hardly able to take it all in. You’ve done it. You’ve actually done it. And what’s more, you think you’ve made a friend in your new teammate. The only prospect at tryouts who had managed to get a goal past you was the other newest Holyhead Harpy signing and chaser, Cerys Thicknesse, who had taken McLaggen up on his offer to join you at the wizarding pub a few miles outside of Surrey to celebrate.

“And you’re sure you don’t mind a third wheel while I wait on my friend?”

And with that, the three of you apparated to The Black Dragon which was, from the way McLaggen and Cerys told it, the only decent wizarding pub in the south outside of London. When you arrived, you found it was as packed as you’d expect any pub to be on a Saturday evening. And now as the three of you sit around a small, beer-soaked table, you feel like you can finally relax and enjoy your moment.

“Here, here!” Cerys cheers, clinking her glass against yours and McLaggen’s. She twists the ends of her long, black hair, looking at him. “I’m so sure I know you from somewhere. I recognise your face.”

“Probably from Hogwarts,” he suggests.

She laughs. “I’ll take that as a compliment. How old are you?”

“Eighteen,” he says.

“Both of you? You’re just babies! I would have been in my sixth year when you started. And no offense but I didn’t pay much attention to the ickle firsties.” She pauses, drinking thoughtfully.

“Does your family live around here?” You ask. “McLaggen, your house isn’t far from here, right?”

Cerys clicks her fingers in realisation.

“McLaggen! That’s it. Crickey, you’re the spitting image of your dad. He’s the Deputy Head of Magical Law Enforcement, right?”

“You know my dad?” McLaggen looks baffled.

“He works with my dad, Pius Thicknesse, you know him? I did a bit of work experience with them at the Ministry a few years ago.”

“Oh, right! Of course… yeah. How is he?” He asks tentatively.

She hesitates. “Always at work. Yours?”

McLaggen laughs a little awkwardly. “Yeah, he’s the same. Your dad is keeping him busy.”

Wow. So Cerys’s dad was McLaggen’s dad’s boss.

There’s a bit of a grim silence when neither of them says anything. You haven’t read a copy of the Daily Prophet all summer but you know from what McLaggen’s told you that everyone at the Ministry is under a lot of pressure in the wake of You-Know-Who’s return.

“God, it’s like half of Hogwarts is here,” you say, just to break the stony silence. There are a few faces from other houses and years that you sort of recognise from Hogwarts. You suppose it’s a small world when every witch and wizard in the country goes to the same school.

“Oh yeah, all the really old wizarding families live around here. Makes sense really, they all moved out to the country hundreds of years ago when the Muggles in London started multiplying.”

“Right, yeah…” You’re pretty sure that was a note of disdain in her voice. Normally, you’d question it but you’ve only just made the team. The last thing you want to do is make assumptions about your teammate and jeopardise your position before you’ve even picked up your uniform.

McLaggen senses it too. He gives your thigh a comforting squeeze under the table in acknowledgement. Silent reassurance that he not only heard it but understands your predicament.

“So, how long have you two been going out then?” Cerys asks.

You’re glad of another change of subject but you’re not sure when to start counting from.

“Since December,” says McLaggen, looking at you adoringly and not concerning Cerys with the finer on-and-off details. His warm smile and his hand on your leg make your stomach flip. 

“And you both live down here?”

“McLaggen does. I’m about to stay with his family for a couple of weeks until we decide where to live.”

She groans. “You’re so lucky. It’s so hard to find a boyfriend from a decent family these days.” Well. Now you know what she means by that. You’re wondering why you’ve flown under her radar as a Muggle-born. Your performance at trials? Your being here with McLaggen?

Before either of you can reply, Cerys excuses herself to the bathroom. As soon as she’s out of earshot you turn to McLaggen. “What the fuck?” you half-laugh, half-exhale in disbelief. 

He looks at her figure darkly as she disappears through the bathroom door. “I had a bad feeling as soon as she said who her dad was. You’ve heard of Amelia Bones, right?” he asks in a hushed voice.

The name sounds vaguely familiar. “Someone at the Ministry?”

“Amelia Bones was the Head of my dad’s department. But she was murdered - by You-Know-Who himself apparently.”

Your eyes widen. “Murdered?”

“And then everyone assumed Scrimgeour would put my dad in charge. But for some reason, he gave Thicknesse the job.” He shakes his head and takes a sip of his drink. “He and my dad are good friends… he must have had his reasons. But now Thicknesse is making everyone work on a ‘top secret’ piece of legislation.”

You frown. “How can legislation be top secret? Doesn’t it need to go through the Wizengamot? Anyone can turn up to watch those meetings.”

McLaggen shrugs. “None of it makes sense. I guess I’ll find out more when I start working there.” He puts down his pint glass glumly.

“You alright, McLaggen?”

“Yeah! Yeah, totally fine,” he says a bit too quickly, rearranging his face into a smile.

“Are you worried about your dad?”

“We’ll talk later. I don’t want to make things about me. Not when we’re celebrating.”

“Well, I think someone’s already put a bit of a dampener on that.” You give an edgy look at the ladies’ to make sure Cerys isn’t coming back. “Tell me. Please.”

He puts down his drink and takes both of your hands in his. “I am so incredibly, unbelievably proud of you. You know that, right?” You stare into his green eyes. He means it. “And seeing your dreams come true today makes me so happy. You’re so sure of what you want and so determined to get it - and today you did. But it also made me realise… I have no idea what I’m doing.”

“You mean working at the Ministry?”

“The more I find out about the office politics the less I want to work there.”

You twist your mouth, thinking about Amelia Bones. “It sounds really dangerous. I’m surprised your dad still wants you to join.”

“Yeah… I mean, I don’t think I’d be great at keeping secrets the way my dad does. Or working in an office with all those Ministry-types.”

“You’re starting to sound like my dad.” You allow yourself a small smirk but he doesn’t say anything, he just looks at your hands in his. “Cormac,” you add quietly. “You should take him up on his offer. It would mean you could at least lie low for a bit”

He lets out a tiny exhale of a laugh. “Yeah, right. My dad would kill me. He’d say it’d bring our whole family into shame if I ditched the Ministry to play a Muggle sport.”

“Well… you don’t need to tell him. Not right away,” you suggest. “Keep it vague - you could say you’re taking a gap year in Scotland. Hunting Nogtails or whatever it is you used to do with your Uncle Tiberius.”

McLaggen pauses, considering this. “Yeah… that might work.”

“We’ve still got a few weeks for you to decide.”

“What about us, though? I thought we were going to start looking at places to live near The Harpies’ training ground?”

“I’d move back to Scotland in a second. We could always get a flat, and connect it to the Floo Network so I can travel to Wales. I mean, we’d probably spend a fortune on Floo powder. But it would be worth it if we were both happy.”

He nods, looking considerably more cheerful than he had been a second ago. “Let’s talk about it back at mine. Here comes Cerys - we’ll make our excuses and get out of here after this drink.”

Cerys stops in the middle of the pub, talking to a tall, hulking boy with black hair who has his back to you.

“We might be in for a lucky escape,” you say. “Looks like her mate has finally arrived.”

Cerys waves brightly and starts walking over to your table. Her new companion turns around to follow her and with a sinking feeling, you recognise him. And from the way his eyes narrow when he spots you and McLaggen, he recognises you too.

Marcus Flint. He was the captain of the Slytherin Quidditch Team when you first started playing in your second year. He and your predecessor Rodger Davies hated each other with a passion. And for good reason. It was no secret that Marcus was highly selective when it came to the Slytherin team - only allowing purebloods to even try out whereas Davies was Muggle-born just like you. You frown, remembering how Flint would make a spectacle of wiping his hand on his robes after their Captain’s handshake. 

Cerys sits back down. Her new companion doesn’t follow suit.  “This is Marcus. Marcus this-”

“I didn’t expect to see you keeping company like this, Cerys,” Flint snorts.

She looks up from Marcus and back to the two of you, confused.

“You’re having drinks with an up-jumped daddy’s boy and a mudbl-”

“Careful,” McLaggen cuts across him warningly. “Say that word and we’re going to have a problem.”

“Careful?” laughs Flint. “You’re the one who should be careful, McLaggen.”

“Oh yeah? Why’s that?”

“What is this?” asks Cerys, her nostrils flaring as she glares at you accusatorily. She looks at McLaggen. “Have you been confunded? Or maybe your dad just hasn’t told you.”

“Won’t be long til they’ve got them all rounded up, McLaggen. You should ditch her before they throw you in Azakaban too for being a blood traitor.”

Rounded up? Azkaban?

“I’m not going to tell you twice -” starts McLaggen, getting to his feet. You remember when you first started playing Quidditch you thought the then-sixth-year Flint was the biggest person you’d ever seen. But as McLaggen draws himself to his full height, you see the tiniest flicker of surprise in Flint’s eyes when McLaggen’s become level with his.

“Cormac, what’s going on?” you ask, panic making your heart pump wildly in your chest, all your senses telling you that something dangerous is about to happen.

“Nothing. It’s nonsense.”

“Didn’t you read this morning’s Prophet?” Flint sneers. “Times are changing. S’perfectly fine to call her what she is.” He takes a step towards McLaggen. “Mudblood.”

McLaggen takes a deep breath. “Flint, will you step outside, please?”

Marcus Flint sneers. “What? You gonna duel me, McLaggen?”

Absurdly McLaggen laughs. So loudly it attracts the attention of several other pub-goers. He looks at you as he laughs as if he simply can’t believe the punchline of a hilarious joke Flint has just told. 

He straightens his face. “No.” He turns back to face Flint and looks at him seriously. “I’m going to beat the shit out of you.”

Before Flint can even twitch his fingers for his wand, McLaggen punches him square in the face. The witches and wizards in the pub reel away from the commotion in panic. Cerys screams and Flint grabs McLaggen’s shoulders, dragging him out of the front doors onto the gravel path outside.

You abandon your bags and brooms, almost knocking the table over to push Cerys out of the way and get through the door before her. 

You burst outside in time to see Flint elbow McLaggen in the face as McLaggen drags him to the floor. They scramble on the ground, sending dust and pebbles flying. McLaggen gets up first, pushing down hard on Flint’s face against the gravel. Flint tries to lift himself up but McLaggen punches down, hitting him once, twice, three times. The sound of his fists make sickening, dull thuds as they sink into Flint’s face while he splutters on the ground raggedly.

You’d always joked you’d like to see McLaggen hit someone.

But this is brutal. 

“Cormac!” 

Your cry rips through the evening air, making McLaggen look up at you for a split second, his bloody fist raised above Flint’s head.

“Petrificus totalus!” screams a voice behind you.

You turn to see Cerys with her wand pointed at McLaggen. 

His body goes rigid and you barely have time to register her using such an unfair, underhanded tactic before Flint kicks out from under him, getting to his feet. Using all his might, he kicks McLaggen’s constricted body right in the stomach and you hear the distinct crack of ribs breaking.

A horror-stricken sob escapes your lips as Flint walks around to his head, and it’s like you see the scene before you unfolding in slow motion as Flint raises a foot, getting ready to stamp on McLaggen’s face.

You don’t have time to think. You just react.

“Impedimenta!” you cry, brandishing your wand and sending Flint flying backwards. Before Cerys can open her mouth again, you dive on top of McLaggen and extend your wand.

“Protego!”

The shield charm forms an invisible barrier between you and McLaggen’s frozen body, and Cerys and Flint who’s getting to his feet. Flint limps over towards you but you hold fast, concentrating on your shield charm with all your might - exactly how McLaggen showed you. 

“You dithgusting-” starts Flint but he stops, raising a hand to his mouth. Cerys looks at his face in shock. In the dim light coming from the pub windows, you can see that several of Flint’s front teeth are missing.

“Let’s go, Marcus,” she says, scowling at the two of you on the floor. “My father will hear about this.”

She links her arm through his and with a crack they disappear into the night.

With a shuddering gasp, you lower your wand and the shield charm breaks. You bring yourself to look at McLaggen. His eye is bloodshot and starting to bruise, and blood trickles from his nose into his mouth through parted lips.

“F-f-f-finite. Fuck! Finite incantatem,” you whisper shakily and he sits bolt upright, choking and coughing as your spell releases him from the body-bind curse. He pants, trying to catch his breath and spits out a significant amount of blood onto the dusty ground.

“Oh, Cormac,” you sob, looking at his broken nose and red welt on his eye.

“I’b alright…” he says thickly, pinching the bridge of his nose then thinking better of it with a wince.

“Do you want me to fix it?” you ask.

“Cab you?” he asks.

“You think I’ve never taken a bludger to the face?” You give his hand a soft squeeze and touch the tip of your wand to his nose. “Episkey.”

McLaggen scrunches up his face, feeling his nose resume its usual shape. 

“I’ve never done ribs before. I think you need Skele-Gro.”

Every time you blink your mind switches from Flint kicking McLaggen to McLaggen pummelling Flint’s bloody face. 

“I’m still handsome, right?” McLaggen’s voice snaps you out of it. You look seriously at his blood-strewn face, dripping down the front of his T-shirt. Flint came off worse, sure, but there’s no two ways about it - even in the moonlight you can see he’s taken a severe beating.

“Cormac, it’s not funny.”

You hear the noise of the pub revellers as the door opens and with a clatter and thud, the barmaid throws both of your brooms and rucksacks out onto the ground.

“Can you fly?” you ask, getting to your feet and extending a hand.

“I don’t think so.” He groans, accepting your hand and with a heave, you pull him up. McLaggen clutches his side and stumbles when he tries to put one foot in front of another. “It’s not far but we should probably just apparate.”

You quickly pick up all of your things and McLaggen shakes his head like a dog shaking water from his ears and nearly falls again.

“Christ, don’t do that Cormac. You might have a concussion.”

“I’m fine,” he insists. 

You put his arm around your shoulders, taking as much of his weight as you can manage. It’s not easy given his size. Then when he shuffles forward everything goes dark as the familiar feeling of all-consuming pressure encapsulates your bodies and you disapparate.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You materialise outside a gate looking onto a sprawling lawn, spilling out in front of a historic country house a few miles deeper into the Surrey countryside. 

“Wow,” you look at your surroundings as the moon streaks down, casting a pearlescent glow over the gates. “How far is the walk to yours? Not that I’m complaining,” you add, feeling his weight on your shoulders.

McLaggen gives you a confused look and points his wand at the gate tentatively. “About thirty seconds?” 

Maybe he is concussed.

“Are you sure this is the right place?” You ask gently.

“I’m pretty confident I know where I live. Flint doesn’t have that good a right hook.” 

You almost drop your brooms. You knew McLaggen was well off but this can’t be where he lives. “Tell me you’re joking.”

“Yeah, it’s just there. Woah - are you okay?”

You feel your knees buckle and it’s not to do with your strength faltering under his weight - although it doesn’t help - his house is bigger than your entire block of flats.

“This is your house?”

His wand emits a soft golden glow and the gate unlocks. He tries to push it open but lets out a wince of pain and grips his side.

“Here, let me,” you say. McLaggen holds onto the wall so you can shove the wrought iron gate. When you jam it open, you hook his arm over your shoulder so you can help him through.

You feel a trickle of embarrassment creeping through your body as you half-carry him through the open gate and up the path towards the manor thinking about your parents' little flat. Your bedroom so small that your bed is pushed up against the wall. It makes you want to retreat to the safety of your own home.

Home. With your Muggle parents.

You have a million more questions about what Cerys and Flint meant but now isn’t the time. McLaggen is in no fit state to answer them. Instead, you concentrate on helping McLaggen up the old stone steps leading to a pair of giant oak front doors.

“My dad will probably still be at the Ministry but let me do the talking if my mum is still awake.” You help him push the heavy double doors open with difficulty. 

When you step inside and your eyes widen. Until now, the only place you’ve ever been before with an entrance hall like this is Hogwarts. This house is dark at this late hour but there’s enough light that your eyes can make out objects you’ve come to associate with the wizarding world.

There are moving portraits on the walls who peer out at you as you pass through the foyer. McLaggen’s family of times gone by - a few of them look aghast at his appearance as you half-carry him in. 

In the centre of the ceiling is a giant, levitating armillary sphere, depicting the constellations around the earth. Tiny glowing stars light up the bronze ball, casting speckles of light throughout the entryway.

“You’re home!” Comes Mrs McLaggen’s voice, her heeled slippers clicking on the grand wooden staircase as she comes downstairs wearing a beautiful satin robe. 

You feel McLaggen bracing himself for her reaction. 

“So? Can I assume we have a famous Quidditch player staying with us?” She asks. “What are you doing down there in the dark? Lumos,” she says and a dozen gas lamps light up the hall. 

She claps her hands to her chest when she reaches the bottom landing and lets out a whimper of shock when she sees you both.

“Mum, I can explain-“

“Cormac, darling, what on earth happened?!”

“We ran into some trouble. Just… let me get cleaned up before Dad comes home and sees.”

“Before I see what?” Comes a voice from upstairs. 

Uh-oh. You and McLaggen glance at each other before looking up to see Mr McLaggen leaning over the balcony. 

“What in the blazes have you two been doing, Cormac?” he sighs, coming downstairs. 

“It’s my fault - not hers. I got into a fight.”

“You’ve been duelling?”

“Not exactly.”

Mr McLaggen reaches the bottom of the stairs and gets a better look at McLaggen’s bloody appearance.

“Merlin’s beard - don’t tell me you were Muggle brawling. And for goodness sake, stop using your girlfriend like a coat rack. I thought we raised you to behave like a gentleman.”

“I can manage-“ you start but your slightly strained voice gives you away.

“I think I’ve broken something,” says McLaggen.

Mr McLaggen positions himself under McLaggen’s other arm and you’re relieved when he takes the brunt of the load as the two of you help Cormac to the end of the hall and into a large, opulent dining room while Mrs McLaggen busies herself with picking up your things and lighting the chandelier with her wand. Mr McLaggen pulls out a chair so Cormac can sit down gingerly. 

“I think he might need Skele-Gro. I’ve never mended ribs before,” you say. Mrs McLaggen puts your brooms, bags and wands on the dining room table before summoning some potions and fabric.

In the bright light of the room, you can see his lip is burst too. Mr McLaggen draws a chair in front of him while Mrs McLaggen dabs some potion on his face. Cormac winces when it stings his face, healing the skin almost immediately.

“Nose looks good. Did you fix that for him?” Mr McLaggen asks you and you nod, stunned silent by how awful he looks now you can see him properly. 

“Hold this on your eye, sweetheart.” Mrs McLaggen hands him a piece of potion-soaked fabric. 

“Did you win at least?” asks Mr McLaggen and Cormac hesitates.

“It was pretty even.” You answer for him. “I had to break it up with a shield charm.”

“That’s a tactful way of saying he lost,” says Mr McLaggen. “But at least one of you can use magic.”

This isn’t the reaction you’d expected at all. And judging by the confused look on Cormac’s face, he too had expected his dad to be furious.

“Cormac actually taught me how to do them this summer,” you admit. 

“Well, it’s lucky he did,” says Mrs McLaggen, wiping blood from his face. “What a dreadful mess. Who did this to you, Cormac?”

“Dad…” says McLaggen in a strangled voice, looking past his mother warily. “It’s really bad. I’m sorry. It was a fight with Cerys Thicknesse’s friend. And she was there too. She’s going to tell her dad.”

Mr McLaggen freezes. For a moment, you think someone might have hit him with a body bind curse. “Cerys…? You can’t be serious.”

“I wasn’t thinking straight. Her friend was someone we went to school with and he -” he hesitates.

“He called me a mudblood,” you finish for him. Mrs McLaggen lets out a shocked shudder but Mr McLaggen just clenches his jaw.

“Cormac,” he says seriously, glancing at you. “I need you to tell me exactly what happened.”

He still doesn’t sound angry - just worried.

McLaggen removes the piece of fabric from his eye to look at his dad properly.

“Dad, I’m... I know I’ve made things difficult for you at work- ”

“Tell me everything - it’s imperative that I know all the details.”

McLaggen launches into the story, explaining what happened at the pub while his parents listen intently. When he gets to the part about Flint calling you ‘mudblood’, Mr McLaggen’s knuckles turn white. You fill in the gaps where Cormac’s memory is slightly hazy and Mrs McLaggen looks faint when you tell them about Cerys putting him in a body bind curse so Flint could hit him unarmed.

“And then we apparated here,” McLaggen finishes eventually. “But I still don’t know what they meant about Azkaban.”

“That’s where I come in,” says Mr McLaggen, taking off his glasses to clean them with a handkerchief from his pyjama pocket. “I’ve been trying my damndest for months to prevent something called the ‘Muggle-born Registration Commission’ coming to pass. You might have read in the Prophet this morning that it’s all but confirmed. And Rufus Scrimgeour didn’t come to work today. I fear the worst - it’s only a matter of time until they announce the Ministry has fallen.”

“Fallen? Dad, you mean-“

“Scrimgeour is either missing or dead. But the outcome will be the same.”

He says it matter-of-factly but you can see the pain in his green eyes, so strikingly similar to his son’s when he puts his glasses back on. They were good friends. Such good friends they spent Christmas together. And now he was gone.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Your father came home from work early to tell you. And when the two of you didn’t come back right away from tryouts, we assumed it had gone well and you’d be down the road at the pub,” says Mrs McLaggen. “We wanted to let you both have one last day of…” she trails off. You understand. Those precious couple of hours when all your dreams had come true were almost perfect. They wanted you to have that moment. 

“And the Muggle-born registration commission?” asks McLaggen, extending his hand to take yours and gripping it tightly. “What does it mean?”

“All Muggle-borns will soon be asked to register officially with the Ministry so the source of their magic can be investigated.” 

“The source?” Your face screws up in confusion.

“Unless you can prove that you have at least one close wizarding relative, the commission deems that you must have obtained your magical power illegally and you’ll be put on trial. But these will be sham trials - any Muggle-borns who present themselves will be arrested.” 

“Well, we’ll just say you’re my sister or something,” says McLaggen defiantly.

“Cormac, there’s no way- ” you start but Mr McLaggen beats you to it.

“You and I both know that everyone at the Ministry knows our family. And therein lies our problem with your altercation with Cerys,” Mr McLaggen looks at you. “I had made sure your name was erased from the record of recent Hogwarts graduates. But if Cerys knows, I’m sure she’ll make sure her dad adds your name to the list again.”

Mr McLaggen had erased your name. Now you understand why he couldn’t look you in the eyes when you met - he was putting his career and his entire family at risk to keep you safe. Your heart sinks realising that it was all for nought. McLaggen groans and rests his head in his hands. “Shit.”

Mrs McLaggen makes a disapproving noise at his language but she touches his shoulder gently.

“It’s not your fault, Cormac,” you say. “Flint knew I was Muggle-born.”

“Realistically, it was only a matter of time,” says Mr McLaggen. “But I thought you’d be safe here for a while. Now we’ll need to move swiftly and carefully so as not to draw attention to ourselves.”

“Dad, can’t you stop it from the inside? When I start working at the Ministry we could do it together,” says McLaggen bracingly, trying to sit upright in his chair. 

“I’ve tried to do everything I can to stop it already. And with Scrimgeour gone, we need to be seen to be cooperating. I have a feeling Dolores Umbridge will be keeping a close eye on me after your involvement with Dumbledore’s Army last year. She knows I have a son who’s sympathetic to the resistance.”

Cormac groans again. Between his actions and your presence, the two of you have put McLaggen’s family at risk.

“I should go,” you decide out loud. “You heard Flint, Cormac. It’s not safe for any of you if I’m staying here.”

The three of them protest immediately but Mr McLaggen protests the loudest and everyone turns to listen to him.

“No. The two of you can go to your Uncle Tiberius’s first thing tomorrow. When things settle, we’ll join you. But who knows how long that will take.”

“I need to be with my parents.”

“They’re only in danger if you’re with them. The Ministry doesn’t care about Muggles who have produced magical children - only the witches and wizards themselves,” says Mr McLaggen solemnly. “The best thing you can do to protect them is to keep your distance, write to them and pretend everything is as it should be.”

You feel your eyes welling up. Being brave doesn’t come easily to you the way it seems to come to Cormac and his family, so you shut your eyes and nod solemnly, hoping to stave off the tears.

Just this afternoon you were about the join the Holyhead Harpies. Now you’re going into hiding. You were going to move to Scotland near your parents. Now you’re not sure when you’ll see them again.

“How about I make us some tea?” asks Mrs McLaggen. “And then we can all get some rest.”

McLaggen nods resignedly and Mrs McLaggen conjures a teapot from thin air. You watch numbly as the teapot busies itself, filling three china teacups with the hot liquid before one of the cups slides in front of you.  

“Something stronger than tea for you, darling,” says Mrs McLaggen, conjuring two small cups and pouring Skele-Gro into one. “And something to help you sleep through the pain.” She pours a purple potion that you recognise as a sleeping draught in the other cup. McLaggen drinks the Skele-Gro with a grimace and goes to pick up the other cup.

“Not here. I’m not carrying you unconscious upstairs, you great lump,” Mr McLaggen admonishes.

“Oh, right. Yeah,” says McLaggen sheepishly.

As you drink your steaming hot cup of tea McLaggen screws his face up.

“You alright, McLaggen?”

“Yeah, it’s just the Skele-Gro. It’s definitely kicking in.”

He eventually manages to stand up and Mrs McLaggen tells you pointedly that the guest bedroom is next door to Cormac’s room. The two of you bid his parents goodnight before slowly making your way upstairs as McLaggen grips onto the bannister and you carry the small cup of sleeping draught carefully.

“This is my room.” He nods at the door and you open it, letting him in.

There’s no need for a bed to be pushed up against the wall for space in here. His four-poster sits in front of an airy bay window overlooking the vast moonlit grounds outside. With a pained exhale he sits on the edge of the bed.

“This is adorable,” you say, picking up a framed photo of a children’s Quidditch team on his bedside table. “Which one are you?”

“Wait for it,” he sighs. A small boy on a broom cuts through the group and the rest of the team scatters.

“That makes more sense,” you giggle, watching an eight-year-old McLaggen causing chaos. “It’s very cute.”

He shakes his head. “I had meant to tidy that away before you came to visit.”

“I used to think you were tough, McLaggen. This is much better,” you say, replacing the picture on the table.

“I’ve been in a pub fight today. I think that’s pretty tough.”

You sit beside him on the bed and look at his blood-stained t-shirt.

“I’ll help you get this off.” He winces as you help him take it off over his head. You help him undress and arrange his pillows so he can lie back comfortably.

“I’d hoped you’d be taking my clothes off in here under different circumstances,” he says, a little weakly. And despite his injuries, he still manages to give you an arrogant smile that makes you melt.

“Well, I still get to enjoy the view,” you shoot back with a grin as you pull the feather-down duvet over him.

“Sleep in here tonight.” He grips your hand as you smooth out the quilt and those green eyes look at you beseechingly.

“Your parents have been so good to me - I need to respect their wishes. But I’ll stay here til you fall asleep,” you say, running your fingers through his hair. He leans into your touch when you stroke his face. His stubbly chin somehow feels as comforting against your palm as your own touch reassures him. “Drink up.” You pass him the sleeping draught.

He does so and you trace your thumb over his healed lip, wiping away the purple liquid.

“Still handsome. Your dad was right - I did do a good job with your nose.”

He exhales softly and you see his eyelids getting heavier.

“I’m sorry about tonight,” he says sleepily.

You’re not annoyed at him. It would be hypocritical of you to criticise him for being hot-headed and getting into a fight. You’d have done the same in his position. And yes, it was awful - you’ve never been so scared. But McLaggen would go to the ends of the earth for you. And you for him.

“Don’t be sorry. You were standing up for me.”

“Not that -“ He stifles a yawn. “I’m sorry… that you have to… go into hiding.”

You’re trying not to think about your dreams of playing for the Holyhead Harpies shattering into a million pieces. 

“I’m just glad we’re together.”

You look sadly at the photo of the little quidditch team. McLaggen zooms in and out of frame in his yellow robes.

“You never told me you were a Wimbourne Wasps fan.”

When he doesn’t reply you look back to see he’s fast asleep - dead to the world. You kiss him on the head and inhale deeply. The beautiful, comforting smell of amber and jasmine calms all of your senses. Everything has gone wrong. But it’ll all be alright in the end.

Just then an urgent clanging sound rings, echoing through the vast hallway outside. You hear Mr and Mrs McLaggen running into the hallway downstairs, their voices raised in panic but Cormac doesn’t even stir.

You wrench your wand from your pocket and leap off the bed and out of the door. When you look over the bannister, you see the giant armillary sphere spinning wildly, the glowing stars burning red.

“The gate?” Mrs McLaggen asks her husband, colour draining from her face.

“Oh no,” you whimper and they look up at you.

You were so encumbered helping Cormac and carrying your belongings that you didn’t shut the enchanted gate behind you. And you can tell by their panic that the gate had some sort of protective enchantment.

Mr McLaggen grabs his wife’s shoulders “I’m sorry.”

He spins around and points his wand at you.

“Expelliarmus!” 

Your wand flies from your hand before you even realise what’s happening. Mrs McLaggen shrieks and backs into the wall in terror, away from her husband.

“Gregor!” calls a voice from the front doors. “I’ve received word you’re harbouring a Muggleborn.” A man with long black hair and a pointed silver beard storms through the entryway, accompanied by two others who you assume to be Aurors.

“She’s upstairs, Thicknesse. We’ve got her!” Mr McLaggen calls back.

Fuck.

Chapter 12: Cold, Hard Facts

[bobmccullochny]

History

New Year's Day - The most celebrated holiday around the world.

January 1, 1502 - Portuguese explorers landed at Guanabara Bay on the coast of South America and named it Rio de Janeiro (River of January). Rio de Janeiro is currently Brazil's second largest city.

January 1, 1660 - Samuel Pepys began his famous diary in which he chronicled life in London including the Great Plague of 1664-65 and the Great Fire of 1666.

January 1, 1776 - During the American Revolution, George Washington unveiled the Grand Union Flag, the first national flag in America.

January 1, 1801 - Ireland was added to Great Britain by an Act of Union thus creating the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

January 1, 1863 - The Emancipation Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves in the states rebelling against the Union.

January 1, 1877 - Queen Victoria was proclaimed Empress of India.

January 1, 1892 - Ellis Island in New York Harbor opened. Over 20 million new arrivals to America were processed until its closing in 1954.

January 1, 1901 - The Commonwealth of Australia was founded as six former British colonies became six states with Edmund Barton as the first prime minister.

January 1, 1915 - During World War I, the British Battleship Formidable was hit by a torpedo in the English Channel, killing 547 crewmen.

January 1, 1942 - Twenty six countries signed the Declaration of the United Nations, in Washington, D.C., reaffirming their opposition to the Axis powers and confirming that no single nation would make a separate peace.

January 1, 1958 - The EEC (European Economic Community) known as the Common Market was formed by Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and The Netherlands in order to remove trade barriers and coordinate trade policies.

January 1, 1959 - Fidel Castro seized power in Cuba after leading a revolution that drove out Dictator Fulgencio Batista. Castro then established a Communist dictatorship.

January 1, 1973 - Britain, Ireland and Denmark became members of the Common Market (EEC).

January 1, 1975 - During the Watergate scandal, former top aides to President Nixon including former Attorney General John Mitchell, Domestic Affairs Advisor John Ehrlichman and Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman, were found guilty of obstruction of justice.

January 1, 1979 - China and the U.S. established diplomatic relations, 30 years after the foundation of the People's Republic.

January 1, 1993 - Czechoslovakia broke into separate Czech and Slovak republics.

January 1, 1999 - Eleven European nations began using a new single European currency, the Euro, for electronic financial and business transactions. Participating countries included; Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.

Birthday - American Patriot Paul Revere (1735-1818) was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Best known for his ride on the night of April 18, 1775, warning Americans of British plans to raid Lexington and Concord.

Birthday - Betsy Ross (1752-1836) was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was a seamstress credited with helping to originate and sew the Stars and Stripes flag of America in 1776.

[ausetkmt]

Mass killer who ‘hunted’ black people says police encouraged him - The Apartheid Killer

A convicted South African murderer who shot dead dozens of black men during apartheid has told the BBC the police sanctioned his violence. Louis van Schoor says others should share the blame for the killings he carried out as a security guard. But in talking to BBC Africa Eye over the past four years, he has also let slip horrifying details that raise serious questions about his early release from prison.

Standing in the bedroom of a killer, your eyes naturally hone in on the details.

The Apartheid Killer Watch on iPlayer (UK only) or on Monday 22 July at 23:05 on BBC Two (Northern Ireland 23:35). Outside the UK, watch on the BBC Africa YouTube channel.

Van Schoor’s bed is immaculately neat - the duvet so flat it looks like it has been ironed. The air is heavy with the smell of cigarettes, their stubs piled high in an ashtray. Strips of sticky paper are dangling from the ceiling, writhing with trapped and dying flies.

The so-called “Apartheid Killer” has lost his teeth. His health is waning. Following a heart attack, both his legs were recently amputated, leaving him in a wheelchair, with painful scars. When his surgeon carried out this procedure, Van Schoor requested an epidural instead of a general anaesthetic - so he could watch them remove his legs.

“I was curious,” he said, chuckling. “I saw them cutting… they sawed through the bone.”

In speaking to the BBC World Service, Van Schoor wanted to persuade us that he is “not the monster that people say I am”. His enthusiastic description of his legs being removed did little to soften his image.

Over a three-year period in the 1980s under the country’s racist apartheid system - which imposed a strict hierarchy that privileged white South Africans - Van Schoor shot and killed at least 39 people.

All of his victims were black. The youngest was just 12 years old. The killings occurred in East London, a city in South Africa’s windswept Eastern Cape.

Van Schoor was a security guard at the time, with a contract to protect as many as 70% of white-owned businesses: restaurants, shops, factories and schools. He has long claimed that everyone he killed was a “criminal” who he caught red-handed breaking into these buildings.

“He was a kind of vigilante killer. He was a Dirty Harry character,” says Isa Jacobson, a South African journalist and filmmaker, who has spent 20 years investigating Van Schoor’s case.

“These were intruders who were, in a lot of cases, pretty desperate. Digging through bins, maybe stealing some food… petty criminals.”

Van Schoor’s killings - sometimes several in a single night - struck terror into the black community of East London. Stories spread through the city of a bearded man - nicknamed “whiskers” in the Xhosa language - who made people disappear at night. But his shootings were not carried out in secret.

Every killing between 1986 and 1989 was reported to the police by Van Schoor himself. But the release from prison of anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela in 1990 signalled an end to this impunity. Ripples of change swept across South Africa and, following pressure from activists and journalists, the security guard was arrested in 1991.

Van Schoor’s trial was one of the largest murder trials in South Africa’s history, involving dozens of witnesses and thousands of pages of forensic evidence.

However, the case against him largely collapsed in court. At the time of his trial, much of the apparatus of the apartheid system was still in place within the judiciary. Despite killing at least 39 people, he was only convicted of seven murders. He would go on to serve just 12 years in prison.

His other 32 killings are still classified as “justifiable homicides” by the police. Apartheid-era laws gave people the right to use lethal force against intruders if they resisted arrest or fled once caught.

Van Schoor relied heavily on this defence to maintain his innocence, claiming that his victims were running away when he killed them.

Louis van Schoor pointed out the places where he would track down intruders

The BBC’s investigation into Van Schoor scrutinised the evidence underlying these so-called “justifiable” shootings, delving deep into long-forgotten police reports, autopsies and witness statements.

The investigation was led by Isa Jacobson, and involved years of archival research in multiple cities across the Eastern Cape. The most important files were scattered among hundreds of boxes, hidden away in vaults.

“The whole scale of it is just mesmerising,” she said. “It's astounding that any court of law could allow this to happen.”

Some of the most harrowing evidence Ms Jacobson found were witness statements from people who were injured by Van Schoor, but survived. These accounts contradict the security guard’s argument that they had been running away when he shot them.

Multiple people said Van Schoor shot them while their hands were up, after they had surrendered. Others describe him toying with them, asking if they would prefer to be arrested or shot - before shooting them in the chest. Another victim described being shot in the abdomen, begging for water, before being kicked in his wound by Van Schoor.

The security guard was armed with a 9mm semi-automatic pistol, frequently loaded with hollow-point bullets, which cause severe internal ruptures when entering a victim. In one case, he fired eight shots into an unarmed man.

In a particularly brutal case on 11 July 1988, Van Schoor shot a 14-year-old boy who had broken into a restaurant searching for petty change.

The boy - who we have not named to protect his privacy - told the police he hid in the toilet when he saw Van Schoor with his gun. He says the security guard called him out, told him to stand next to the wall, and then shot him repeatedly.

“He told me to stand up, but I couldn’t,” said the boy, in his recorded testimony. “While I was lying there, he kicked me in the mouth. He picked me up and propped me up against a table and then he shot me again.”

The boy survived, but he was not believed. He was charged for breaking into the building. Many young black men and boys who gave first-hand accounts of being assaulted and shot by Van Schoor faced a similar fate.

Testimonies such as this were heard during Van Schoor’s trial, but the judge repeatedly dismissed the witnesses as “unsophisticated” and “unreliable”. There are no jury trials in South Africa. The opinion of the judge is final.

At the time of Van Schoor’s trial, many members of the white community in East London supported him. One entrepreneurial businessman printed bumper stickers with pictures of the security guard. They said “I Love Louis”, next to a heart full of bullet holes.

“There was evident racial bias in the legal system,” says Patrick Goodenough, a South African journalist who led the 1980s investigation into Van Schoor. He also attended his trial.

“The support for him was massive… He would not have been able to get away with a fraction of what he got away with without it.”

There is no statute of limitations for murder or attempted murder in South Africa. In theory, there is nothing stopping the police from reopening Van Schoor’s case and re-assessing these “justifiable” shootings.

“Louis van Schoor was basically going out and murdering people for sport,” says Dominic Jones, a journalist who helped raise awareness of the security guard’s killing spree in the 1980s.

Some of the most shocking findings from the BBC's investigation came from interviews with Van Schoor himself, which strongly suggested he got a thrill from his activities.

“Every night is a new adventure, if you want to put it that way,” he told the BBC.

Journalist Isa Jacobson has spent years going through public records to scrutinise Louis van Schoor's case

Many of the businesses he protected installed silent alarms. When someone broke in, Van Schoor would receive an alert which allowed him to surprise the intruder - and identify exactly where they were inside the building. And he always went alone.

“I was barefoot. It’s quiet. You don’t have your shoes squeaking on tiles and stuff,” he said.

He would never switch the light on. Instead, he relied on his sense of smell.

“If somebody breaks in, the adrenaline gives off an odour. And you can pick that up,” he said.

Van Schoor claims he never went out “with the intention of killing black people” and says he is not a racist. But he admits he found stalking them in the dark “exciting”.

Before becoming a security guard, Van Schoor was a member of the East London police force for 12 years. He used to handle what he calls “attacker dogs”, which he used to track down and catch protesters and criminals - almost all of whom were black.

He compared this to “hunting, but a different species”.

Tetinene “Joe” Jordan, a former anti-apartheid activist who was operating in East London at the time of Van Schoor’s killings, remembers this well.

“He was hunting, literally hunting people,” he says.

Van Schoor strongly denies he is a “serial killer” and believes everything he did was “within the law”. If people feel aggrieved over his killings, he says they should blame the South African police.

He says the police never criticised or warned him, but actively supported and encouraged him.

“Every officer in East London knew what was going on… all the police officers knew,” he said. “Not once did anybody say ‘Hey Louis, you’re on the borderline or you should cool it or whatever’… they all knew what was happening.”

In the police records held in public archives, Ms Jacobson found instances of killings where officers had been present at the time of the shootings. At no point did they appear to question Van Schoor as a suspect.

In many instances, the police failed to take photos of the deceased at the scenes of shooting and failed to collect key forensic evidence, such as bullet casings. Van Schoor was often the only witness to his shootings, so this evidence could have been crucial for determining what had actually happened in each case.

“These were cover-ups… He had the backing from police officers from junior rank and senior rank,” said Mr Goodenough.

“They wouldn’t investigate. They’d sit down with him and have a cigarette while chatting, with bodies lying nearby.”

In all cases Van Schoor pulled the trigger - but between the police and the businesses that hired him, an entire community played a role in the killings which took place in East London.

“Van Schoor was a serial killer because there was a society that allowed him to be one,” says Ms Jacobson.

For the relatives of Van Schoor’s victims, his freedom, and the failure of the state to thoroughly investigate his killings, is a constant source of pain. Some never recovered the bodies of their loved ones.

“It seems like we are stuck in this phase of being heartbroken, being angry,” says Marlene Mvumbi, whose brother, Edward, was murdered by Van Schoor in 1987. His remains were dumped in an unmarked grave by the authorities without the family’s consent.

“Lots of people are still missing and not even in the graveyard… there is no closure.”

Van Schoor’s case pre-dated South Africa’s 1995 Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which gave compensation to many victims of apartheid-era crimes.

Sharlene Crage, a former activist who played a key role in pressuring the South African authorities to prosecute Van Schoor, is outraged that he was ever allowed to walk free.

“It’s a shocking miscarriage of justice,” she said. “There is no reason his case shouldn’t be reopened.”

Louis van Schoor admitted he found tracking intruders down thrilling

Van Schoor was sentenced to more than 90 years in prison at the conclusion of his trial in 1992, but the judge allowed him to serve each term concurrently. He was freed on parole in 2004.

The early release of apartheid-era killers from prison has become a contentious issue in South Africa.

In 2022, there were protests in Johannesburg over the parole of Janusz Walus, who killed anti-apartheid politician Chris Hani. A few years previously, Eugene de Kock, in charge of a death squad responsible for the abduction, torture, and murder of dozens of black activists was also freed.

Nowadays, Van Schoor spends most of his time watching rugby, smoking and playing with his pet rottweiler, Brutus. He says he has no memory of many of his killings.

Some reports have stated, without verification, that he shot as many as 100 people. Van Schoor denies this, but concedes his number of shootings may exceed the documented number of 39.

“I honestly don’t know how many I shot. Some say over a 100, some say 40… Let’s say for argument’s sake I shot 50 people,” he told us.

He says he is proud of his past actions.

“I don’t feel any guilt,” he said. “I’ve got no remorse inside.”

The BBC contacted the South African police for comment, but they did not respond. The authorities have given no explanation for why Van Schoor’s killings have not been reassessed in the post-apartheid era.

“There is too much pain, and for now I don’t feel that there is enough that is done for us to heal,” says Marlene Mvumbi.

“It’s not only the ones that were killed by Van Schoor. The ones that have similar stories from the killings of the apartheid regime.”

[mightyflamethrower]

Concerns Mount Over Exploding Electric Vehicles

1 day ago

Guest Blogger

65 Comments

From the DAILY SCEPTIC

BY CHRIS MORRISON

Safety concerns around electric vehicles continue to mount with Australian fire and rescue services in New South Wales stating they might have to make a “tactical disengagement” of a trapped car accident victim if the battery is likely to explode. Australian journalist Jo Nova covered the story, which was first mentioned in the EV blog The Driven, and commented: “They say the first responders need more training as if this can be solved with a certificate, but the dark truth is they’re talking about training the firemen and the truck drivers to recognise when they have to abandon the rescue.”

The Driven, a widely-read blog that seems highly sympathetic to a rollout of EVs, was reporting on recent testimony given to the NSW Government’s Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Batteries Inquiry. The writer suggested that first responders did not have adequate training to deal with electric vehicle collisions, and in the most serious cases, crews could be forced to abandon rescues. One particular area of concern seemed to revolve around the need to extract a trapped casualty quickly after a crash by dragging the person out in a “very undesirable manner”. Fires are a grave risk in any vehicle accident, but they can be quickly brought under control in an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle.

Worries about the potential dangers inherent in EVs is likely to grow as numbers on the roads continue to rise. EV battery explosions can occur very quickly, triggering the release of highly toxic gases. When they roar into thermal overdrive, they create very high temperatures and are very difficult to extinguish. The explosion can occur after almost any collision, or be due to a fault in the initial manufacture. The fire often takes hours to control and it can reignited days after it was thought to be out. With Net Zero fanatics desperate to drive ICE cars off the road in short order, EVs are the only mass private transport solution offered. Many of the issues, including safety, that make them an inferior product compared to petrol-powered combustion cars are often ignored.

Just what can be involved in putting out a fire in an EV was dramatically detailed in a recent press release from the Wakefield Fire Dept in Massachusetts. It was called out to deal with a burning Tesla on a snowy Interstate 95, and reported:

Wakefield Engine 1 and Ladder 1 initiated suppression operations, applying copious amounts of water onto the vehicle. Multiple surrounding mutual aid communities responded as well to support firefighting operations and to create a water shuttle to bring water continually to the scene. Engines from Melrose, Stoneham, Reading, Lynnfield as well as a Middleton water tanker assisted. Firefighters had three 1¾-inch hand lines as well as a ‘blitz gun’ in operation to cool the battery compartment… Lynnfield crews established a continuous 4-inch supply line from Vernon Street up to the highway. The fire was declared under control and fully extinguished after about two and a half hours… The vehicle was removed from the scene after consulting with the Hazmat Unit… The crews did a great job, especially in the middle of storm conditions – on a busy highway.

There is little doubt that EV fires are on the rise. In the U.K., CE Safety runs Freedom of Information checks on local fire brigades and its latest survey shows an alarming rise in conflagrations. In Greater London in the 2017-2022 period, there were a reported 507 battery fires from a number of EV types, but CE Safety found a “gigantic” 219 conflagrations in 2022-23 alone. Lancashire was said to rank second with 15 EV battery fires, but this was 10 more in a single year than recorded in the five years between 2017-2022. Overall “it was concerning” to discover that the number of electric battery fires during 2022-2023 was higher in most areas than the data showed over five years from 2017 to 2022. During that year, 14 buses suffered battery fires.

There was a substantial increase in the number of e-bikes catching fire, with CE Safety noting that lithium is highly flammable and reactive. “Over-charging presents a massive risk to households with lithium-powered vehicles,” the safety organisation observed.

Concern is also rising over the transportation of EVs on car ferries. Recently, Havila Kystruten, which operates a fleet of car ferries around the coast of Norway, has banned the transportation of electric, hybrid and hydrogen vehicles. According to a report in the Maritime Executive, it is the latest step by the shipping industry, “which has become acutely aware of the increasing danger of transporting EV and other alternate fuel vessels”.

Havila’s Managing Director Bent Martini said a risk analysis had shown a fire at sea in a fossil fuel vehicle could be handled by on-board systems. “A possible fire in electric, hybrid or hydrogen cars will require external rescue efforts and could put people on board and the ships at risk,” he said. That of course is the nightmare scenario. If fire breaks out on a ferry making a 20-mile crossing in good weather, the chances of all passengers and crew surviving are good. Less good, perhaps, if fire was to break out and fill the ship with toxic smoke in the middle of a stormy November night while crossing the Bay of Biscay. Chances of survival would be diminished if the high temperatures caused nearby EVs to explode.

Mercifully, we are less and less likely to see such accidents. The list of disadvantages of EVs is lengthening by the day. Environmental concerns about the manufacture and mining of raw materials have been raised, while ‘range anxiety’ is common among drivers. EVs are more expensive than ICE cars, while knackered batteries mean that second-hand values are very poor. For those who would see the back of them, the graph below might provide some comfort.

This shows the recent decline in the share price of the American car hire giant Hertz. Back in 2021, the company pushed ahead with huge purchases of Teslas. In January it dumped 20,000 of them, and last month pushed another 10,000 onto a sagging second-hand market. Out in the real world – the world where people create wealth by providing what other people actually want – fewer drivers seemed willing to hire them. The share price tells its own sorry story. Meanwhile, EV sales across Europe tend to be driven by unsustainable tax breaks, while the cars are mainly popular with wealthy people as a second or third city runabout. An enforced political adoption of EVs is likely to destroy vast swathes of the European car industry, unable to compete with cheap Chinese imports.

If the aim is to take away personal transport for the masses, EVs are an excellent idea. Whether that will ultimately play well at the ballot box is another matter.

Chris Morrison is the Daily Sceptic’s Environment Editor.

I would not be able to sleep at night knowing I had a ticking time bomb parked in my garage.

[scotianostra]

May 7th 1876 saw the death of the leading Scottish architect David Bryce.

David Bryce was born on South College Street in Edinburgh's Old Town in 1803, and would go on to leave his mark on the city in a variety of structures that combine iconic 19th century style with practicality and function - so much so that many of his developments remain in use.

You're likely to have been inside a David Bryce building at some point in Edinburgh and not even have known it!

Bryce studied under the architect William Burn, and later became his business partner (and co-holder with him of the Grand Architect post at the top of Scottish freemasonry). Their working relationship dissolved following a design dispute in 1845, after which Burn moved to London, leaving Bryce to contribute to Edinburgh's Old and New Towns alone.

One of his earliest surviving projects in Edinburgh can be found on George Street in the New Town, where he designed the Caledonian Insurance Company offices .

​Although the building looks outwardly unremarkable, it was typical of the 1840s style that combined elegance and simplicity, reflecting a little of the Georgian-era elements that the original buildings of George Street would have exuded., the building now houses the Intercontinental Hotel as seen in the pics.

More typical of the later Scots Baronial style, when Victorian decorative detail began to take prominence in buildings across Edinburgh, is his design for the British Linen Bank, which today is another hotel on nearby St Andrew Square.

​These grand temples of finance were intended to create an impressive visual effect, and even today this former bank building has a style and a level of detail that intrigues passers-by - as with most buildings in Edinburgh you need to look up from street level to fully appreciate its impact!

In 1848 Bryce supervised the demolition and removal of Trinity College Church, a 15th century church building which had stood in the village of Calton, and which was being removed in order to accommodate the development of Waverley railway station.

Memorably the church was never rebuilt quite as had been promised to the people of Calton - what remains of it can still be found nearby...

​In 1853 Bryce built the Surgical Hospital at the site of what had been Edinburgh's first hospital, on Infirmary Street in the Old Town. Today this site is owned and occupied by the University of Edinburgh, and Bryce's building remains as a campus structure.

Not all of Bryce's buildings have survived - having built the Freemasons' Hall on George Street, the building would later be replaced with a more modern structure, for example, and several other Bryce developments in the city would fall to either the Victorian improvements or the 20th century wrecking ball.

One significant structure which has survived is Bryce's redevelopment of the Bank of Scotland headquarters at the top of the Mound. Visitors can still explore Bryce's bank building today, as the basement has been turned into the Museum on the Mound, telling the history of banking and finance in Scotland.

Another of his bank designs, again on George Street in the New Town, is today the Standing Order pub, as I said at the begining of the post many of you will hav been in ne of his buildings!

Two of Bryce's later designs remain iconic and highly visible in the city today, Fettes College and much of the Royal Infirmary Buildings,especially the ones now facing the Meadows, how I ould love to live in one of the apartments with the balconies overlooking the lands over to Marchmont.

Bryce died in Edinburgh on this day in 1876, never living to see his Royal Infirmary project completed. He was buried in the New Calton burial ground, where his grave faces Arthur's Seat.

[charlotte-of-wales]

H&M Documentary Review: Episode 5

(my commentary in italics)

- Meghan says she felt alone a lot during her childhood and always wanted a big family so when she was pregnant with Archie she was excited that she could give him that (through the Royal Family I mean). Claims she did everything she could to make the family like her and be proud of her.

- Videos of Sandringham 2018 and scarfgate lol

- Harry claims the palace wasn’t willing to protect Meghan and the media noticed that *insert all the times the palace defended her against negative stories and all the time royal reporters claim the palace asked them not to run certain stories*

- Meghan “I wasn’t just being thrown to the wolves, I was being fed to the wolves”. Does she not realize those dramatic and clearly rehearsed lines come across as anything but genuine?

- Meghan talks about Thomas Markle again. Says his interviews talking about the family after the wedding were embarassing to the family and that she reached out to “Her Majesty” asking for advice on what to do and eventually Elizabeth and Charles suggested that she write him a letter (has this been confirmed before, that it was their idea? I find it hard to grasp why they’d suggest something that could so easily be shared with the media like a letter but I digress)

- Meghan also implies the letter would be stolen if she sent it directly to her father so she sent it to her business manager in LA first. Claims the signature from whoever received the letter did not match her dad’s handwriting. 

- Harry and Meghan say they wanted to take legal action against the Mail for leaking the palace since the start but the Palace wouldn’t let them hence them searching for private lawyers

- Their lawyer claims she has seen evidence that the Palace briefed against Harry and Meghan to the media to suit other people’s agenda.......I’d love to see that evidence girl for a LAWYER to be making these claims without proof is rather crazy

- They are now saying Meghan was used as a scapegoat by the Palace to make negative stories about the other royals go away

- Videos of them (including lots of Archie) in Vancouver in the Russian oligarch’s mansion

- while in Canada, Harry claims he called Charles and suggested they move to Canada full time in order to still support the Commonwealth and the Queen.....but I thought the Commonwealth was the Empire 2.0?

- Meghan says the royal rota is based in London so they wouldn’t care about what they were doing.......ingenuity (not to use a worse word) at its finest

- She then says “you guys can be in the front pages of all the papers, you can have it exactly the way you want it. and we can just go about doing the work in the name of the Queen” by you guys I guess she mean the royals and we, her and H. This is lowkey shady but also royals need the papers to talk about them doing the work in the name of the Queen to get attention for their charities, which means the Sussexes would still need to have some sort of relationship with the media. Going around Vancouver visiting charities and being shush about defeats the whole purpose. 

- Harry: “if you want us to go and do things on behalf on the Queen. we’ll go and do it. And we’ll pay for it ourselves. We don’t want to be dependant on any taxpayer funding. You get us, and you’ll get us for free?” WITH WHAT MONEY ARE YOU PAYING FOR IT YOURSELVES??? Yall stayed at some random shady dude’s house in Vancoucer and used public security provided by Canada AKA TAXPAYER FUNDED. That would never work, unless they were doing something similiar to what they are doing now. Which is precisely why I’m assuming Queen Elizabeth II and Charles were not having this plan. 

- gosh the lack of braincells is crazy.....Harry now says they wanted to remove the public funding because it would take the media’s claim to printing stories on them go away. Not how it works love.

- Harry says the palace signed off on him and Meghan moving to South Africa but The Times leaked the news, so the plan was scrapped because it became public debate. (it would become public debate anyway when they announced it + it makes sense to release pieces of information like this to see what the public is thinking so the leak could have been a good thing but oh well)

- Interesting. Harry says that if their move to Canada didn’t work they were willing to let go of their Sussex titles.....why are you still using them then??

- Harry says the Queen wanted to see him and Meghan when they came back from Canada and told them she wasn’t busy. Right before they got to the airport, Harry was told he couldn’t see her because she was busy. He called her and she said she was told she’d be busy all week. The implication here obviously being that they tried to keep her away from him and, once again, he sounds quite angry when he says it. They keep trying to sell this narrative that Elizabeth was this naive innocent thing being used as a puppet by Charles and William and it’s sad. Plus.......Harry, buddy, she is literally THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND. She could very well be unexpectedly be busy. 

- Meghan: “his dad say put it (their plan to move to Canada) in writing. And he did, and just five days later it was on the front page of a newspaper. “ Harry openly said the palace leaked the news.

- Meghan *once again* talking about their wishes to keep supporting the Commonwealth and for the first time they talk about their role as President and VP of the Commonwealth’s Trust........when they were shitting on the existence of the Commonwealth two episodes ago. Got it. 

- Harry said that with their instagram statement announcing they were stepping down, he didn’t blindside the Queen and he would never do that because he has so much respect for her. Says these discussions went on for months and months. *sure did but were the Queen, Charles and William aware of your statement? Did they agree to the terms y’all decided? No, huh?

- Harry and Meghan were angry she wasn’t invited to the Sandringham Summit because she is “the mother, the wife and the target”. 

- Harry: “I went in with the same proposal that we already made publicly”. HOW DO YOU NOT SEE WHATS WRONG WITH THAT STATEMENT???? HOW IS THIS NOT BLINDSIDING THE ROYALS????

- Harry complains about not being allowed to do the half in/half out thing. In his own words, to be able to have their own jobs while also working to support the Queen. 

- whoop there it is, the bit about William. King behavior (wish someone recorded the yelling bits, for science)

- gosh I’m bored how am I only half way through

- interestingly enough....Harry defends the Queen by saying her main goal was to protect the institution and that’s what she was taught. Says she will follow whatever advice she’s giving regarding the Sussexes as if this woman doesn’t have a working brain of her own and hasn’t been doing this job for decades. 

- the bs Harry is saying about the family is so much worse than I thought god

- “I think, from their perspective, they had to believe that it was more about us, and maybe the issues that we had, as opposed to THEIR PARTNER, the media, and themselves, and that relationship that was causing so much pain to us” calling the media the royal family’s partner is WILD

- Harry says one of the saddest parts in all of this is the break of his bond with William and William has chosen the institution’s side. 

- THE HYPOCRISY OF THIS MAN, complaining about William putting out a joint statement with Harry’s name saying that William did not bully him out of the family because he never agreed on it WHEN HE RELEASED A STATEMENT ON INSTAGRAM ANNOUNCING HE WAS STEEPING DOWN FROM THE FAMILY THAT THEY NEVER AGREED ON 

- “in four hours they were happy to lie to protect my brother and yet, for three years, they were never willing to tell the truth to protect us” my brother in Christ YES THEY DID MANY TIMES (also William is literally the heir????)

- the way they edited this doc made this whole thing seem so petty because it’s almost like Harry saw the palace protecting his brother and said “yeah?” and left in retaliation like a child

- oh my god, the white man got tired of lecturing us on racist and started us on misogyny. Go on, king, keep telling us about things you have 0 knowledge on x

- gosh all these two do is sit around in other people’s homes

- talking about bots and online hate

- this one woman saying that by targetting “symbols of social justice” it tells other people to stand down???? girl

- footage of them meditating and crying over this audio of someone telling them they are not who the media says they are I’m uncomfy

- lots and lots and lots of pictures of them at Frogmore Cottage during their farewell tour and why even bring a professional photographer along??? so odd?

- Meghan “until that last week in the UK I rarely wore color  why are we still talking about this yes you did

- they say they would come home after engagements in the farewell tour and think they could do this forever. They both say they miss the British public but not the press.

- Meghan says on the plane back from the farewell tour, a crew member kneeled next to her seat and said “I appreciate everything you did for our country”. She says it was the first time someone noticed the sacrifice she made. Meghan says she tried so hard but it still wasn’t good enough and she still didn’t fit in.

- oh yikes pictures of the Waleses’ Carribean tour, including the fence pictures

- Harry: “anyone inside that system, whether it’s my family, whether it’s staff, whether it’s PR, whoever it is, have already miss an enormous oppurtunity with my wife and how far that would go globally” I see Harry missed the lesson on tokenism when he was taking his ‘white savior and racism 101′ crash course. That’s what you’re describing here, buddy, to use a woman of color to prove a point. 

- by the way, they’re talking again about the disconnect between most people in the Commonwealth (mainly black and brown people) and the Royal Family. They talked about Barbados and how many countries should follow etc. (again I can’t miss the irony in H&M getting these clearly anti-monarchist to talk in their docs because the only reason they even got a doc or a platform in the first place was because of the family)

- “their departure felt like the death of a dream” the dramatics goshhhh

- Harry complaining about the palace removing their security but.....I thought you didn’t want to live on taxpayer funding? I thought you could pay for everything yourself? What’s the issue bud?

- episode ends with them talking about covid, and fears of the border being closed which led them to LA.

They somehow manage to make this more boring and yet more frustrating with each episode? Anyway can’t wait to get this over with lol

[lasersquid]

The greatest player...

[A woman wearing a Khaganian military uniform in subdued red emerges from a building onto a busy, hot, crowded street. The burgeoning jungle threatens to reclaim everything. She pauses in the street, and removes a glass eye to polish the humidity from it. Pedestrian traffic parts around her. Through the eye, sigils are visible on a door, a coruscating shower of brilliance. one is shaped like a hambone.]

...in the Great Game...

[a star chart lies atop a sheaf of papers on a coffee-ringed table. outside the window, the morning sun flickers. a breeze rustles the papers, revealing scraps of a dossier. the words intercepted, unknown, survivors, faction, and counterpart are visible]

...doesn't play by the rules...

[a cruiser, docked in a port, explodes in spectacular fashion, immolating the buildings nearby. several men scream in agony and foreign tongues. the pressure wave roars outward with a hellish, pink-accented fury]

...offers no quarter...

[a child in nightclothes holds a lantern covering their face as they creep in terror down a stone basement staircase. the walls drip a viscous liquid. A woman's joyous peals of laughter overshadows the growing thrum.]

...and plays every side...

[a dash of cassowaries burst out of a forest onto a lush savannah plain. they race to a small creek, and pause to drink. one looks up, as if startled by some imperceptible sign. it takes off at a dead sprint. towards the desert. the dash hurries to catch up. the sun beats down under a clear sky.]

...against the middle...

Ice T: Man, hold up. Are you tellin' me this whole story is about that damn-

Narrator: Don't you dare ruin this for them, T.

T: It doesn't make sense! How's a-

N: One more word, T. Say one more word and by God I will personally put you back in that bear.

Ice T: Man [an exasperated sigh] Whatever man. Just-this better be good is all I'm saying.

N: Doing our best here, mister 'renowned for his exacting cinematic and storytelling standards'. [a dolphin clicks excitedly] Not now, Jones.

[Jones clicks disappointedly]

[clears throat] ...and the middle...

[a red table in a dimly lit room, a key rests on a hook by the door. seven typewriters are arranged in a circle around the table. one at a time, they each begin to chatter away. no one is visible

...against itself.

[voices: an older, very En*lish man] Your instructions are clear! I want-

[a woman's lustrous and accented contralto]: -Him

[a man, distinctly Chinese] -Off

[a child of the American South]: -The

[in unison: -Board!

[Title Card: Frilliam and Thwoop Present: Of Moth And Men: A Fallen London story.

[a poorly-kept yet well-maintained home, electric lamps vie with firelight to cast shadows across the tables groaning with papers adorned with sketches and figures.

a moth alights on one of many mostly full and entirely neglected coffee cups. this particular cup is shorter than the others, and has the word Hasbro inscribed upon it. a morin khuur begins to play the opening chords of 'Dr. Feelgood' as the image fades]

[internationalremovals23]

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[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"Bus Drivers Carry Fight To Ottawa," Windsor Star. December 5, 1942. Page 5 & 8. ----- 16 Laid Off. Many More Will Be Because of 50-Mile Limit on Each Trip ---- Incensed over what the term a direct attempt to destroy the bus transportation business between 40 and 45 employees of the Canadian and Toronto Greyhound Bus Lines facing loss of employment as a result of government transit control order, planned today to appeal to the government for removal of arbitrary restrictions.

DRIVERS LAID OFF Sixteen by drivers employed by the Greyhound company were laid off yesterday, following a meeting attended by 75 employes at which Manferd Burleigh, general manager of the bus company here, announced that government restriction had forced curtailment of operation.

Within the next few days the number of men laid off is expected to be increased to from 40 to 45 employees.

Confirmation of the lay-off was given The Star today by S. L. Springsteen, KC president of the Canadian and Toronto Greyhound Bus Lines. Mr. Springsteen stated that he and other officers of the company had been in Toronto this week to discuss the situation affecting bus transportation with Norman D. Wilson of Toronto, Ontario Regional Trans. Controller.

NOT SATISFACTORY Mr. Springsteen, declined to discuss details of the discussions carried on in Toronto, but it was apparent that insofar as the bus companies were concerned, the conferences had not been satisfactory.

Employes said today that immediate discontinuation of service between London, Ont, and Toronto had been ordered by the transit controller.

At the same time, an exemption from the 50-mile restriction on buses operating between Windsor and London, Ont., permitting trips of 70 miles,was removed by order of the transit controller yesterday. As a result, the bus companies were returned to a limit of 50 miles on a trip.

A. E. Cook, bus driver here and a committee member of the Western Ontario Bus Employes Association, declared that the transit controllers order was "a deliberate attempt to destroy the bus transportation business."

SEES DEFINITE WASTE He based his remarks on the fact that the 50-mile limit was an arbitrary figure established without consideration for the convenience of bus passengers. He said it did not save any gasoline or rubber but caused a definite waste.

Supporting his latter statement, he declared that passengers were at off buses at the completion of the 30-mile limit allowed by the controller and were picked up by private automobiles which had to travel from the centre to where the passengers were let off and then turned about and followed the empty bus into the cry carrying the passengers who were denied passage on the bus.

It was explained that passengers en route to Chatham, including many soldiers, were let off at the end of 50 miles from Windsor, at a point known as Drake Road. Soldiers then had to either hitch hike into Chatham or walk, while the bus proceeded empty into Chatham.

G. Morand, a driver for many years, normally employed on long runs, and he had taken shorter runs at less money, because he wouldn't insult his normal long-run passengers by putting them off the bus at the end of 50 miles.

He explained that the Toronto and Buffalo runs were cancelled forthwith and without warning yesterday. The two Buffalo runs affected six men,he said, and the three Toronto runs affected nine men.

Many American passengers took advantage of the Detroit to Buffalo in because it offered a shorter route south of Lake Erie in the United States. Now under the transit order, persons served by the Buffalo run are forced to travel via the United States, he explained. OFFER REFUSED LH. Mindon, despatcher, said the bus companies had offered to the gasoline and tires from the United States on the Buffalo and Toronto runs but the offer had been reused. The offer had been made to provide service for American travelers.

He said it as apparent consequently that the Transit Controller was not concerned with providing service.

Insofar as the London, Ont, run was concerned, the bus company was told by the Transit Controller that the run must be maintained However,Mr. McIndoe said, under the 50-mile restriction, this is strictly an inconvenience to the public and a waste of gasoline."

NO CO-OPERATION Mr. McIndoe said that George S. Gray, Dominion Transit Controller, would not give any objective of the savings in gasoline and rubber sought by the imposition of the 50-mile restriction. Had the Transit Controller told the bus companies what their objective was, he contended, the companies as a result of their experience, would have been able to work out a satisfactory service to the public.

[newstfionline]

Monday, November 21, 2022

Biden turns 80 as election talk swirls (The Hill) Questions about Joe Biden’s age have loomed over his presidency ever since he entered the White House. On Sunday, Biden will reach a major milestone when he is expected to spend his 80th birthday quietly with his family, many of whom will be at the White House to mark another occasion: His granddaughter Naomi’s wedding. His rivals want to cast the president as lacking the energy and mental acuity needed for the job. While Biden takes flack for his age from the GOP, former President Trump is only four years younger and has announced a bid for reelection. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is 89. Ronald Reagan, who was 69 years old when he was sworn into his first term, was also faced with questions about his age, but turned it to his advantage. During one of the presidential debates with Mondale, Reagan said “I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience.”

Western US cities to remove decorative grass amid drought (AP) A group of 30 agencies that supply water to homes and businesses throughout the western United States has pledged to rip up lots of decorative grass to help keep water in the over-tapped Colorado River. The agreement signed Tuesday by water agencies in Southern California, Phoenix and Salt Lake City and elsewhere illustrates an accelerating shift in the American West away from well-manicured grass that has long been a totem of suburban life, having taken root alongside streets, around fountains and between office park walkways. The grass-removal pledge targets turf that people don’t work on, like in front of strip malls, in street medians or at the entrance to neighborhoods. It doesn’t mean cities plan to rip up grass at golf courses, parks or in backyards, though some may pay homeowners to voluntarily replace their lawns with more drought-resistance landscaping.

Gang Warfare Cripples Haiti’s Fight Against Cholera (NYT) To reach the hospital, the mothers traveled the front lines of a gang war, bringing sick babies during lulls in gun battles and passing corpses along the way. They had no choice: Cholera, resurgent in Haiti, had come for their children. Cholera is soaring across the globe, as a record number of outbreaks have strained already reeling health systems in regions including Africa and South Asia. But cholera’s resurgence is a particularly cruel turn of fate in Haiti, which in February declared victory in eliminating the disease after battling it for more than a decade. Now, that triumph has been snatched away by the same forces plunging the nation into extraordinary depths of chaos and despair: armed groups that have turned vast swaths of the capital into lawless hellscapes of violence—and a government unable to take control. Now the health authorities cannot deliver the most basic care in poor neighborhoods where gangs have choked off access to the outside world, preventing doctors from entering and leaving the sick to die at home.

As Climate Protests Get Bolder, British Police Strike Back With New Powers (NYT) When environmental protesters recently stopped traffic on the M25 freeway that circles London, one journalist, Charlotte Lynch, was standing on a bridge above reporting on the latest of the group’s disruptive demonstrations for her radio station, LBC. But not for long. Ms. Lynch was swiftly handcuffed, searched and arrested after being questioned by two police officers about how she knew that the demonstration was taking place. Ms. Lynch said that she had shown a press card carried by journalists in Britain to identify themselves to the police, and explained that she had learned about where the protest would be held from social media. Nonetheless, she was held for five hours at a police station, where her DNA was collected and fingerprints were taken. As environmentalists and climate change activists ratchet up their protests in Britain, the authorities are responding in kind with robust actions that have raised concerns that long-enshrined freedoms are being eroded. Determined to crack down on the demonstrators, the government is giving the police new powers to tackle groups that have brought busy highways to a standstill, delayed infrastructure projects by tunneling beneath them, thrown soup at artwork and deflated the tires of SUVs. “What I’m seeing now is, I think, a sort of spiral—I’d almost say a radicalization,” said Adam Wagner, a civil liberties lawyer and author. “I think there’s a hardening on both sides—the police and the protesters—both of the actions and the reactions. I can see that dynamic and I’m pretty worried about it.”

As the War Rages, Ukraine Wages a Daunting Battle to Rebuild (NYT) Ukrainian efforts to stabilize some of the country’s battered electricity supply and make a dent in the seemingly endless task of demining swaths of the country offered a glimpse into the Herculean task that lies ahead off the battlefield. For the first time since Moscow this past week carried out its largest assault on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, the national energy utility said on Saturday that it was again able to use planned, coordinated blackouts to keep the national grid stabilized rather than resorting to emergency power shutdowns. The first traces of power were also restored to the recently reclaimed southern city of Kherson, which was left without heat, running water and electricity by Russian troops, as they blew up and tore down critical infrastructure before retreating to territory east of the Dnipro River. Across fields strewn with mines and at power plants under the threat of Russian missiles, workers with the Ukrainian utility company, Ukrenergo, have raced to fix damage caused by attacks intended to heap suffering on the Ukrainian people. But repairs made this week can be destroyed by a new Russian assault the next. Ukraine’s government says that nearly half of Ukraine’s energy grid has been knocked out by recent Russian missile strikes. Kyiv also estimates that nearly 61,000 square miles of the country could be littered with land mines and other explosives. Some cities and towns lie in ruins.

Kyiv’s mayor: Extraordinary, in extraordinarily tough times (AP) The body armor propped against a radiator, ready for use, the spent shell casing adding to clutter on his desk, the boxing memorabilia and the sign asking visitors to leave firearms at his door: All shout that this is the office of an extraordinary mayor, in extraordinarily difficult times. And then there’s the plastic toy figure of a muscular boxer, with clenched fist raised—a reminder of how physically imposing, fearsome even, Vitali Klitschko was in his world title-winning, opponent-pummeling heavyweight boxing prime. As was also the case during his years as a professional prizefighter, the fight for survival he’s engaged in now is primal. But it’s more essential, too: To prevent power from going out entirely in his city of 3 million people, to ensure that families don’t freeze in the cold that winter’s onset is bringing, and to keep Ukraine’s hyper-digital capital hooked up to the outside world. In blacked-out Kyiv restaurants, diners feel their way through meals in near-darkness, served by waiters carrying candles. Residents wake in the dead of night—if that’s when it’s their turn to get a few hours of power again—to shower and do laundry. “Huge challenge,” Klitschko said.

Malaysia faces new crisis as poll delivers hung Parliament (AP) Malaysia tumbled into fresh political turmoil Sunday after a tightly contested general election delivered a hung Parliament with no clear winner and a surprising surge of support for an Islamist party. Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s reformist alliance secured the biggest gain with 82 out of 220 Parliamentary seats, but fell far short of a majority. Trailing close behind was former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s Malay-based Perikatan Nasional, or National Alliance with 73 seats. Among other key election losers was two-time former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who at 97 is leading a separate Malay movement. The outcome will now see horse-trading as both Muhyiddin and Anwar scramble to form the government.

For rivals Japan and China, the new space race is about removing junk (Washington Post) When China successfully towed a dead satellite into a “graveyard orbit” this year, it alarmed experts in Japan who have been trying to put their country at the forefront of the world’s expanding market in space-junk removal. Some interpreted the Chinese feat as a demonstration of an orbit-offensive capability—the ability to make unwelcome, close approaches to other satellites. The technology involved is a precursor to what Japan is racing to build. With commercial space activities taking off, the amount of junk orbiting the planet poses an increasing threat of collisions. Companies around the globe are working to develop the means to send this junk tumbling toward Earth so it will burn up in the extreme temperatures of reentry. No rules govern who is responsible for cleanup—or space-debris mitigation, as it is called—but Japan intends to play a key role in their development. The nation has stepped up cooperation with the United States in response to China’s growing space capabilities. Low Earth orbit is full of litter. Decades of exploration have left thousands of pieces of now-useless equipment and satellites that circle the planet at 17,500 miles an hour. Some are the size of a marble, others as big as a school bus.

Qatar to open Mideast’s first World Cup before leaders, fans (AP) Qatar prepared Sunday to open the Middle East’s first FIFA World Cup before global leaders and soccer fans now pouring into this energy-rich nation after being battered by a regional boycott and international criticism. Regardless of the outcome of Qatar versus Ecuador on the pitch, Doha already has drawn Saudi Arabia’s powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the opening ceremony and inaugural match of the tournament. That Prince Mohammed, whose nation had closed Qatar’s only land border to the world through the kingdom over a yearslong political dispute, will attend shows how far the rapprochement between the two nations has gone. Qatar’s state-run news agency announced Prince Mohammed’s presence in the country, as well as other world leaders. It said U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Senegalese President Macky Sall and Rwandan President Paul Kagame had arrived in Doha.

World’s longest-standing president seeks to extend 43-year rule (Reuters) Equatorial Guinea votes on Sunday in a general election in which President Teodoro Obiang Nguema, the world’s longest-standing president, is expected to extend his 43-year rule at the helm of the tiny oil-producing West African nation. Over 400,000 people registered to vote in the country of around 1.5 million. Voters will also cast ballots to elect 100 members of parliament for the lower house, 55 of the country’s 70 senators, and local mayors. Observers expect no surprises. The 80-year-old Obiang has always been elected with over 90% of votes in polls whose fairness international observers have questioned given longstanding complaints by rights groups over a lack of political freedom. Equatorial Guinea has had only two presidents since independence from Spain in 1968. Obiang ousted his uncle Francisco Macias Nguema in a coup in 1979.

[leonsdrycleaners]

Effortless Laundry Solutions with Leon’s Laundry Service Victoria, South West London Residents Love

The Modern Dilemma: Balancing Time and Cleanliness

In a bustling city like London, where time is a premium, maintaining a spotless wardrobe can be daunting. The residents of Victoria, South West London, face this challenge daily. With hectic schedules, tight deadlines, and social commitments, they’ve sought a solution that balances quality with convenience. Enter Leon’s Laundry Service — a service that seamlessly blends efficiency with excellence.

The Allure of Convenience: Why Leon’s Laundry Stands Out

Convenience is king in today’s fast-paced world. Leon’s Laundry Service caters precisely to this demand, offering timely and efficient solutions that allow residents to focus on what truly matters. With just a few clicks or a quick phone call, laundry day becomes a hassle-free experience, making it a go-to service in Victoria.

Unrivaled Expertise in Wedding Dress Dry Cleaning

A wedding gown symbolizes one of life’s most precious moments, and preserving it requires expertise. Leon’s specialized wedding dress cleaning Victoria, South West London service ensures that each gown is handled with the utmost care. From intricate lacework to delicate beading, every detail is protected, allowing brides to keep their treasured memories intact for years to come.

Comprehensive Wedding Gown Dry Cleaning for Every Occasion

Wedding gowns come in various fabrics and styles, each demanding unique care. Leon’s wedding gown dry cleaning service offers a comprehensive approach tailored to the specific needs of each dress. Their attention to detail ensures that stains, dirt, and even time itself have no lasting impact on your cherished gown.

Preserving Perfection: Wedding Dress Cleaning Techniques

Traditional cleaning methods may fall short when dealing with a wedding dress. Leon’s wedding dress cleaning techniques combine modern technology with age-old practices to ensure flawless results. With non-invasive procedures and specialized solvents, they meticulously restore gowns to their original splendor without risking fabric degradation.

Bridal Dry Cleaning: Ensuring Gowns Remain Pristine

Bridal attire is more than just a dress — it’s a statement. The bridal dry cleaning service at Leon’s goes beyond standard cleaning. They understand the significance of each bridal garment, offering deep cleaning processes that revive the gown’s radiance while safeguarding its structure and embellishments.

Suit Dry Cleaning London Professionals Trust

In the world of business and formal events, first impressions matter. Leon’s Suits dry cleaners Victoria, South West London service is designed for those who demand perfection. From tuxedos to tailored suits, each garment is treated to preserve its sharpness and elegance, ensuring that professionals always look their best.

Dry Cleaning a Wedding Gown: Expertise Meets Precision

dry cleaning pick up and delivery Victoria, South West London requires more than just knowledge — it demands precision. Leon’s laundry specialists are trained to handle even the most delicate materials, ensuring that each gown emerges from the cleaning process looking as breathtaking as the day it was worn. Their meticulous attention to fabric composition, stitching, and design details sets them apart.

Dry Cleaning Wedding Gown Service: A Lifesaver for Brides

Post-wedding, many brides are left wondering how best to preserve their gowns. Leon’s dry cleaning wedding gown service answers this need with a bespoke approach that includes stain removal, fabric protection, and safe storage recommendations. Brides can rest assured that their gowns will remain as stunning as the memories they hold.

Duvet Cleaning Collection Service: Hygiene Meets Comfort

Leon’s offers more than just garment care. Their Duvet cleaning service Victoria, South West London addresses the often-overlooked need for deep cleaning household essentials. With pick-up and delivery options, residents of Victoria enjoy the comfort of freshly cleaned duvets without the inconvenience of transporting bulky items themselves.

Leather Jacket Dry Cleaning Service for the Fashion-Forward

Leather jackets are timeless fashion pieces, but they require special care. Leon’s leather cleaning service Victoria, South West London caters to those who want to preserve the luster and durability of their leather garments. Their process carefully cleans and conditions the leather, ensuring it remains supple and stylish for years to come.

Why Dry Cleaning London Residents Trust Leon’s

In a city where numerous options abound, Leon’s stands out as the dry cleaning London residents trust most. Their combination of expertise, advanced techniques, and customer-centric service creates an unmatched experience that keeps clients coming back. From bridal wear to everyday garments, Leon’s consistently delivers exceptional results.

Conclusion: Time-Saving Laundry Solutions for Victoria’s Busy Residents

For the residents of Victoria, South West London, time is precious. Leon’s Laundry Service not only saves time but also offers unparalleled quality. Whether it’s a cherished wedding gown, a business suit, or a cozy duvet, every item is treated with meticulous care and returned in pristine condition. Experience the convenience and expertise that Victoria residents can’t stop raving about — where laundry is done right, every time.

[waste-removal-south-west]

The Importance of Recycling in Waste Removal Services

Recycling has become a cornerstone of modern waste management, playing a crucial role in preserving our environment and reducing the burden on landfills. As awareness around sustainability grows, more businesses and households are recognising the importance of incorporating recycling into their waste removal practices. In this blog, we’ll explore why recycling is vital in waste removal services and how it benefits both the environment and the community.

1. Environmental Protection

One of the most compelling reasons to prioritise recycling in waste removal services is its positive impact on the environment. Recycling helps to conserve natural resources by reusing materials like paper, plastic, glass, and metal, which would otherwise end up in landfills. By diverting waste from landfills, we reduce the emission of harmful greenhouse gases, such as methane, which contribute to climate change.

For residents and businesses seeking waste removal solutions in South East London, choosing a service that emphasises recycling is an effective way to contribute to environmental conservation. It ensures that a significant portion of waste is repurposed rather than discarded, reducing the overall environmental footprint.

2. Reducing Landfill Usage

Landfills are not only eyesores but also significant sources of pollution. They take up valuable land space and pose risks to both the environment and public health. By recycling, we can dramatically reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills, thereby conserving space and mitigating potential environmental hazards.

Waste removal solutions in South East London that include comprehensive recycling programmes can help to alleviate the pressure on local landfills, promoting a cleaner, more sustainable community.

3. Energy Conservation

Recycling is also an effective way to conserve energy. Manufacturing products from recycled materials generally requires less energy than producing them from raw materials. For example, recycling aluminium saves up to 95% of the energy needed to produce new aluminium from bauxite ore. This energy saving translates to fewer carbon emissions and a reduction in the reliance on finite natural resources.

When you opt for waste removal solutions in South East London that prioritise recycling, you’re supporting energy conservation efforts that benefit both the environment and the economy.

4. Economic Benefits

The recycling industry creates jobs and stimulates economic growth. From the collection and sorting of recyclable materials to the manufacturing of new products, recycling processes require a significant workforce. This creates employment opportunities in various sectors, contributing to the local economy.

Furthermore, recycling helps to keep material costs down. By reusing materials, manufacturers can reduce production costs, which can lead to lower prices for consumers. When businesses and individuals in South East London choose waste removal services with robust recycling practices, they’re supporting a cycle that benefits both the environment and the economy.

5. Community Impact

Recycling is not just about protecting the environment; it also has a positive impact on the community. Recycling programmes can foster a sense of responsibility and environmental stewardship among residents. By participating in recycling initiatives, individuals can contribute to the well-being of their community, creating a cleaner, healthier living environment.

For those looking for waste removal solutions in South East London, selecting a service provider that actively promotes recycling can strengthen community ties and encourage a collective effort towards sustainability.

6. Compliance with Regulations

As governments and local authorities increasingly recognise the importance of recycling, regulations around waste disposal are becoming more stringent. Many regions now require businesses and households to recycle certain materials, with penalties for non-compliance. By integrating recycling into waste removal services, businesses can ensure they remain compliant with these regulations, avoiding potential fines and contributing to a more sustainable future.

If you’re searching for waste removal solutions in South East London, opting for a service that prioritises recycling will help you stay compliant with local waste management laws while supporting broader environmental goals.

Conclusion

Recycling is a critical component of effective waste removal services, offering numerous benefits that extend beyond simple waste management. From protecting the environment and conserving energy to supporting the local economy and fostering community engagement, the advantages of recycling are clear. By choosing waste removal solutions in South East London that emphasise recycling, you can play a part in creating a more sustainable and responsible future for all.

[influencermagazineuk]

Deaf Man Tricked into £28,000 Loan by Gang: Metro Bank Faces Questions

A deaf man, Peter James, was manipulated through a gang into casting off a £28,000 loan from Metro Bank. Despite having no property and unique needs, he changed into authorized for the loan. After intervention by Guardian Money, Metro Bank agreed to write down off the debt, however questions remain approximately their safeguards. A deaf man named Peter James became tricked by way of a gang into removing a £28,000 commercial enterprise mortgage from Metro Bank. His family is traumatic to realize how someone with unique wishes and no large assets might be allowed to borrow one of these large sums.Peter, who communicates simplest via British Sign Language and has special educational wishes, became almost bankrupt and pursued with the aid of the financial institution’s debt creditors before Guardian Money stepped in to assist. This case increases serious questions on how banks guard susceptible human beings from being exploited and the safeguards they've in location.In 2020, Peter changed into taken to the Ilford department of Metro Bank in London. He became followed by way of a person who claimed to be appearing on his behalf. They opened a bank account in his name, provided his ID, and once the bureaucracy were signed, the partner took his debit card and disappeared. Later, they implemented for a business bounce back loan, which become deposited into the brand-new account.Peter, residing in a council flat in south London along with his deaf wife, faced identification robbery problems in the course of the lockdown. His father-in-law, Steve Hall, explained that while HMRC recognized the fraudulent Covid aid furnish applications and stopped chasing Peter for repayments, Metro Bank did no longer. Despite explaining the state of affairs to the financial institution, they held Peter answerable for the loan and refused to offer records or prevent worrying compensation. Steve Hall said getting information from Peter became difficult, however it seems he turned into groomed by means of a gang promising him paintings in a new enterprise. He changed into advised to carry his passport to a meeting, picked up in a Mercedes, and forced at hand over his telephone. He was later dropped off at a tube station, handed over his bank card in trade for his phone, and changed into instructed to keep quiet. He by no means heard from the gang once more.The circle of relatives doesn’t understand how Metro Bank decided Peter turned into eligible for this sort of big mortgage. Despite having a steady activity, he lives in social housing with no tremendous belongings. They additionally wondered why the financial institution did no longer ask for the ID of the person who followed Peter.After Guardian Money got concerned, Metro Bank agreed to write down off the loan, declaring that the new information found out how scammers prey on vulnerable human beings. They reminded readers to be cautious approximately sharing non-public information, establishing accounts, and being rushed or compelled into financial selections. The financial institution admitted it does now not require ID from humans accompanying clients, even for sizeable loans, that may permit such incidents to appear once more. The circle of relatives hopes Metro Bank learns from this case. They are relieved the mortgage has been written off and might now circulate on. Steve Hall referred to that he values the Guardian’s assist, even renewing his subscription as a token of appreciation.Peter’s tale highlights the want for higher safeguards in banks to shield vulnerable humans from scams. While the circle of relatives is relieved, they consider Metro Bank need to improve its strategies to save you similar instances inside the future. Read the full article

[novumtimes]

Victoria Bridge opens after two long years of construction London

Londoners frustrated with north-south travel in the city can rejoice, as the new Victoria Bridge has finally opened. The bridge, which runs over the south branch of the Thames River on Ridout Street, officially opened Thursday. Hundreds of Londoners attended the opening ceremony, which featured free snacks, music, and family activities. Gary Brown, who lives near the bridge, says he’ll miss the peace and quiet on Ridout Street, but recognized the bridge needed to be opened as soon as possible. “You have a small, quieter road like Wortley for people to spend time on and be out on, then you have a more car-orientated road like Ridout,” Brown said. “Driving through Wortley Village is not what we really want in this city. This is meant to be the thoroughfare for cars to this part of the community, and that’s fine, that’s the way it should be.” Story continues below advertisement The original bridge was built in 1926, connecting Old South to Downtown London. It’s estimated 12,000 vehicles a day use the bridge, along with countless pedestrians and cyclists. The email you need for the day’s top news stories from Canada and around the world. Work to replace the previous 96-year-old bridge began in the summer of 2022, and cost $22.8 million to build. The new design includes measures to make it more resistant to climate change, such as an elevated deck design and the removal of a centre pier. The new design includes measures to make it more resistant to climate change, such as an elevated deck design and the removal of a centre pier. Ben Harrietha/980 CFPL London Mayor Josh Morgan says the bridge is a critical connection between downtown and old south, and it’s a “monumental step forward in paving the way for a healthier, more connected community for all.” Trending Now A ‘living hell’: More disturbing allegations made as QMJHL hazing lawsuit filed Hurricane Beryl forces Canadian airlines to cancel flights. What to know “The ability to walk in and out of the downtown, to cycle, to use these active transportation options to come into the downtown, especially at this time of year,” Morgan said at the opening ceremony. Story continues below advertisement “Coming in and out of the downtown without having to take that long, convoluted way around, and I’m sorry for everybody who lives on the (south) side and has had to endure that.” The new bridge has a bike path on the east side of the bridge and a multi-use pathway on the west side. The multi-use path connects directly to the Thames Valley Parkway (TVP). Ward 11 Councillor Skylar Franke, who’s ward the bridge’s south end falls in, says residents are excited to start using the passage again. “(Residents) have found that people were using their sidestreets as cut-throughs, because Wellington street was under construction and Wharncliffe Road is always busy,” Franke said. “People are hoping that it alleviates some of the neighbourhood traffic. Plus, it’s a beautiful bridge.” As part of the project, the TVP north of the Thames River was widened, and tennis courts in Thames Park were reconstructed and will be open in the coming weeks. The city also plans to extend bike lanes from Horton Street to King Street to improve active transportation in and out of the core. &copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc. Source link via The Novum Times