A precis of some parts of my story; by no means complete. No woman should inherit the same fear, pain and humiliation that my generation and countless before me have had to endure.
It stops; it stops now.
Took the lady I volunteer for shopping yesterday; she is in her 90s and doesn't have a Tesco clubcard. Her bill came to £99; when I dug out my clubcard and added it to her shopping it reduced the bill to £49.
Something about this just doesn't seem right.
My student daughter has just been attacked, and one of her friends put in hospital.
Some misogynistic creep began harrassing her in a bar, then began 'auctioning' her off to his similarly single-celled friends in a restaurant afterwards.
I am alone in thinking that this current govt' are actually prepared to let a man die on their doorstep rather than admit their Glorious Leader's role in the situation and intervene?
#FreeNazaninNow
Anyone know which Cornish distillery is producing N Far
@ge
's new gins?
Because I really, REALLY don't want to ever accidentally purchase anything from them.
And scared. And pissed off that a woman cannot go for a drink and a meal without being verbally and explicitly abused, physically assaulted or worse by toxic bastards who see women as fair game for their fucking amusement.
And I am fucking raging. When will this ever end??!
@PippaCrerar
I had 'wine Fridays'. I raised a glass for my dead schoolfriend, my lonely aged parents, my shielding isolation, my fear, my hope that my loved ones would survive. I did it alone, in accordance with the rules, and often - I wept quietly.
I cannot now adequately express my anger.
Apologies for the language.
The police are involved, but whatever happens to him, if they even catch him, won't address the rot that starts much earlier. And the male friend, who had the conviction to not let it happen? He will never be the same either.
I'm crying with anger.
Hatred is a draining emotion. Possibly the most draining.
And never in the past would I have believed I would feel So. Much. Hatred. towards a PM. Intense dislike, yes. Disagreement, yes.
But what I feel now is pure, unadulterated hatred to the extent that I can't even view him.
Post Brexit referendum I lost long-standing friends, was called 'a f**king German' in the street (I'm from...erm...Sussex), seen my children lose Erasmus, watched friends give up their small businesses, and suffer family rifts that will never fully heal...1/
An open letter to Ms Bruce and her enablers.
I am going to take the liberty of speaking on behalf of all the millions of women, and men, who have lived in fear of the one person who is meant to love and protect them.
Those who have hidden under a bed, biting their lip until...1/
I cannot help but contrast 2012 (60th Jubilee) with 2022 (70th Jubilee.)
No real monarchist, me, but I was happy to join in with the fun sense of community 2012 generated.
This year? No enthusiasm. Just mistrust of the nationalism, despair at the waste.
Brexit damaged SO much.
Whilst daughter at A&E, young man brought in beaten badly whilst walking home with his boyfriend, and young woman punched in face whilst walking home alone.
Pointless anger, toxicity and violence are becoming endemic; I feel impotent in the face of it.
But again, thank you all.
She asked him what he thought he was doing, and then a courageous male friend told them to stop. Ended with them punching her friend in the head repeatedly and her too when she tried to break it up.
He has been kept in hospital, and she is at home and in shock. And angry.
My monthly mortgage payment will rise in March by just under £300; a 43% rise.
12 yrs ago, I survived an abusive marriage break-up, and brought up my children and paid my mortgage and bills with no help whatsoever from my ex.
Today, I'm broken. The Tories have broken me.
Friend has been given all clear from hospital; should be discharged soon. Physical injuries will heal; emotionally, not so quickly.
Thanking everyone for their supportive comments, and partic for the pointers to the Middlesbrough Street Watch and the White Ribbon movement.
UPDATE: this happened in Aberystwyth and CCTV is being actively sought. Daughter sounds broken; she recently had her parked motorbike written off in a hit and run, and just yesterday was verbally abused in her part time job as retail asst., because store short-staffed.
Oddly enough, I don't like this feeling. I don't enjoy being unmoved by his lament.
But - he wasn't a voter, pushed into a referendum that was wrapped in ignorance and tied with fear, he was a major architect of other's misfortunes.
He made the hard bed that we have to lie in.
Is anyone just sitting here, reading the news, absorbing the death of democracy, and asking themselves in a despairing tone..."What can we do?"
WHAT CAN WE BLOODY WELL DO??
You do NOT get to defend their abusers. You do NOT get to present their excuses. You do NOT get to nullify brutality because it was a 'one off'.
Sometimes, Ms Bruce, once is all it takes.
The empty platitudes of yr employer do NOT excuse you.
I am angry; WE are angry.
Apologise.
...he won. He got what he wanted. He damaged millions without a backward glance. He was gleeful at the rise of divisive politics, culture wars, hate crimes.
He WON.
So excuse me as I struggle to comprehend why he asks for sympathy re the harsh effects his pyrrhic victory 3/
Sir Chris Hoy is forced to go public with his cancer diagnosis - due no doubt to some bottom-feeding media hack about to publish.
And the irony of the BBC announcing it, including his wish for privacy, and then ending it with 'More to follow...'
No. No more needed. Let him be.
The far right are attacking a hotel housing asylum seekers because, allegedly, one of them propositioned a 15 yr old girl.
As a schoolgirl, I was propositioned countless times. I was raped at 14. It's all wrong; none of it is right.
And - all were white British.
My mental health did suffer, yes, because overnight, due to lying shysters and xenophobic bigots, I watched the biggest peace initiative in my lifetime wiped out.
I voted Remain, and I lost. I will never move on from it.
Steve Baker, now...2/
...gave him.
He won. He got everything his greasy little heart desired. He left emotional carnage in the wake of his crusade without regret.
Forgive me for my sympathy not being quite up to its usual standard.
My angry tweets sometimes run away from me, but if people wish to retweet this, please feel free. Not for me, but for all those still going through this hell.
Fiona Bruce needs to know that words have consequences; domestic abusers have victims.
"One off" or not.
I've tried; I have actually tried really hard. But I still find it so difficult, deep down, to forgive those who voted for Brexit almost 7 years ago.
The truth was out there; despite being overwritten by oily chancers and frothing xenophobes, it WAS out there.
...it bleeds to stop them from making a noise. Those who have become skilled in the use of clothing and make-up as camoflage. Those who stop seeing their friends, their families, because they are ashamed. Those who watch carefully, always alert, waiting for the mood to change. 2/
Those who, even when they 'win', will never sleep easy again, will never regain that confidence, will never forget the pain, the hurt, the degredation.
Especially, this is for those who are now silenced forever. Their voices are the most important. 4/
Those who hold their children to protect them, those who run, those who hide in one room, terrified of being found, flinching at every noise, forever ready to flee again, reliant on the kindness of strangers. 3/
@IoWBobSeely
@PBottomleyMP
@RhonddaBryant
Sooo, what you are saying is - if you saw a person being attacked in the street, you wouldn't *actually* join in with the attack, but at the same time you would step around it and allow the attacker to proceed?
Spineless.
I'm not really one for deities anymore, but if anyone is...please say a quick one for my granddaughter. She's 7 months old and has just been blue-lighted to hospital, with high fever and ice-cold extremities.
She's so little 😢
...and it's so good that it has. The continuation of this constant, wearing, dehumanising toxicity needs to be dragged out and examined in harsh daylight; in no circumstances EVER is it acceptable for a group of men to mock auction, AUCTION a woman just because she is nearby!
Going to miss you, Benny. 17 yrs was a long time to be purring away in our lives.
He passed gently and peacefully whilst I held him; his organs had failed and it was time.
But, oh God it hurts.
Quick update just to say again thank you to everyone who has replied to this with messages of support; I will try to respond but it may take some time! I wasn't expecting my absolutely furious, frustrated early hours post to garner such a response...
So...where's the riots against white men, folks? Where's the indignation? Where's the organised gatherings?
Fuck you and your racism and bigotry disguised as 'patriotism'. Fuck you and your intimidation of those fleeing war.
Just fuck you and the xenophobic horses you rode in on.
God, I am so, so tired of this.
Can the whole shooting lot of them just resign, and for the sake of the nation let some grown-ups into government??
We're a damned laughing stock, and it's all just too much. Has been for a very long time.
Just...GO.
(As an aside; last night I drank a cup of hot, sweet tea. I don't drink tea; it's coffee all the way for me usually, but at stupid o'clock in the morning, with a distraught daughter and growing rage and shock, nothing else fitted. I may have to reevaluate my habits...)
My strong, feisty daughter deserves better. Her friend deserves better.
Again, thank you all; both for your support in this incident, and for sharing the view that I and so many others share - this ends NOW.
Well now, looks like Kevin deleted his tweet. Never mind; I've kept a copy just in case.
To repeat- those fleeing war are allowed sanctuary if they pick fruit.
...and one day it should be the last. For everyone's daughters, and for everyone's sons.
And to those who have shared their own experiences, or those of their friends and family, I am so sorry these things happened to you and yours x
I should also add - I love Aber. I have been there many times and in no way am I criticising the majority of good people who live there. I think pretty much everywhere has a growing, squirming underbelly - this isn't the 1st time any of my daughters have faced it...
As I understand it, Hugh Pym has just spent time in a frontline ward. His question was completely valid; and wow - how it has brought out the rabid Tory bootlicker ire!
And pretty much every fair-minded woman, and tbf most men, will understand what it took for me to write about this, so I will be brutal with the blocking.
@eastmorton
It's the experience of so many, and it never fully goes away.
To have it dismissed by such a major corporation as the BBC is...beyond hurtful. Beyond anger.
Thank you for your words.
Yay!
@Tesco
will now become a much safer place to shop, now that the science-hating, cruel, NHS-attacking anti-vax brigade are (allegedly) steering clear.
#BoycottTesco
? Go ahead. So much safer for the rest of us.
Sorry; say what now? People are actually travelling to take selfies by the bench involved in the Nicola Bulley case??
Jeez. One can be forgiven sometimes for thinking eventual annihilation by asteroid is too good for us.
A rather subdued, grim
#FollowBackFriday
.
If you too believe we deserve better than to be governed by grimy self-servers with their arms elbow-deep in a swill bucket of dirty, blood-stained Russian money, then...welcome.
#FBPE
#GTTO
#IStandWithUkraine
I don't want to judge Carrie Johnson for her tangled love life; I mean, some go for those with humour and integrity, some go for cheating liars. Love is love...
No, what I judge her for is that she truly appears to have gleefully joined in with the lawbreaking on show.
Forgive me for the language, Sky, but when it comes to serious commentary re the absolute state of UK politics right now, I don't immediately fucking think of Rod Stewart!
Jeez, MSM is a mess.
@PippaCrerar
I'm just not sure how much more of this I can take. Nothing will be done; the corruption will prevail as is the norm nowadays.
It just all feels...hopeless.
Thank you all so, so much. She has been seen, and she has a chest infection, and infections in both ears, but her temp is coming down now and with antibiotics and painkillers she should make a full recovery.
I'm all tearful now...
Seriously - thank you xxx
@RhonddaBryant
We DO weep!
They are making a bonfire of everything honorable and decent, and dancing around it; gibbering and cackling in the light of the flames.
And we don't know how to stop them.
@ashawolves
It was Christmas pressies, so gift sets etc? On a lot of them, the clubcard price is roughly half the 'normal' price.
Not sure what she'd do with 10l of JD - although I could offer to help, I'm sure 🤣🤣
Whilst I have been enjoying the popcorn moments the disastrous actions of the BBC management have caused, I can't help but feel sad, too.
This was the BBC! The most highly-respected broadcasting org. on the planet! My go-to for news and current affairs. Part of my morning...1/
@Ern400
Jesus, you absolute bastard! My mortgage has doubled - DOUBLED - in the past two years, and I am stretched to the point where I cannot see a way out.
Did your best? You lying, smug, pharisiacal git!
Soooo, Home Office...just how many points does 'fleeing from an aggressive invasion" merit on your points-based visa scheme? Tell me - is it higher for injury/loss of blood, or does that reduce their financial value to this Tory-poisoned septic isle?
You are shameful.
I think I may go quiet for a while. The cursed black dog has not only followed me, but has reached my ankles and gnawed through to the bone.
I would say I will see you at the end of the tunnel...but right now I can't see the end.
Apologies for the whining.
@coopuk
You're my nearest shop (brand new one, too.) I am fully behind the support you give to local charitable causes.
And yet - advertising on far-right TV? Really??
Leaves a bad taste in the mouth, and sends me very sadly back to the supermarket you had replaced. ☹️
I helped a vulnerable adult with learning disabilities fill in their form for free voter ID today - they didn't know they needed it.
What went through my mind? Their humiliation at the polling station if they had been turned away.
This unnecessary law stinks.
OMG - I am educating myself, too! Thank you!
The ability to take a guitar (or any instrument) and make it sing, sob, cry and shout is a talent I both envy and admire.
My neighbours, however, may not agree right now 😀
It's my dad's 87th birthday today. He's the sole carer for my 91 yr old mum, and my disabled brother, and though we have spirited disagreements about the Daily Mail - I love him dearly.
Happy birthday, you argumentative git. From your your left wing Guardian-reading daughter xx
@AldiUK
I visited Aldi yesterday to buy ham for sandwiches, and came out with a kit to knit a badger.
Is there a support group for this sort of thing??
Can anyone appreciate just how dispiriting it is to get home after a hard day and find that f*cktard Stanley Johnson is trending yet again? Can we not just ignore this boorish, freeloading piece of aged detritus?
*Too early to turn to strong drink*
Quick question for anyone working in A&E - would it appropriate, allowed, and indeed welcome, for someone to drop off a parcel of comforts, e.g. tea, coffee, biscuits etc?
@bbclaurak
"Fascinating "??
These aren't organisms put before you for your entertainment, you know. Maybe try, ohhh let's see now..."brave", "inspirational", "courageous"?
Just booked vet's appt. for my cat, Benny. In the past week he has slowed right down, lost weight and just seems to be...giving up? He's 17, so not unexpected, but...😪
It may be something fixable; fingers crossed.
They wiggle their way into your heart, don't they?
@Loobeeloo1980
@PaulBrandITV
Not pathetic at all! A sincere and loving gesture can never be that.
The failures are those who decided they were above the law, not you.
Well, what a funny old day politically.
If you are looking at the Tories with guffaws of laughter tinged with intense despair and existential dread, I would like to follow you! (FBs would be good too - one day I will break that 7k barrier!)
#followbackfriday
@KentishExpress
@MarcelloRuffini
My sympathies are with those in Kent who voted Remain; this is a shitstorm not of their making.
The Leave contingent? Own it. Enjoy.
I accompanied an elderly lady to lunch today, and at one table a lady was braying to her friend how the NHS have plenty of money, nurses are greedy, and spending any more on the NHS will just be wasteful.
In other news, my self-control is legendary, it seems.
All Ukrainian men aged 18-60 are ordered to remain within Ukraine; blood-chilling.
I have 6 sons within that age group; if I close my eyes I can still only experience a tiny fraction of the fear & pain every parent/spouse/etc. there must be feeling tonight.
#IStandWithUkraine
@FranCarnell
This was a one-off Christmas present shopping trip; she doesn't leave her home unless someone takes her, and hasn't been to Tesco for years. Tbf, I don't think she actually 'got' the concept of the clubcard savings yesterday?
I have just accompanied a 93 yr old lady out to replenish her make-up, and the young assistant in
@BootsUK
made her feel like a Queen.
Humans can be good, sometimes.
@stuspawton
@sainsburys
@ImmuneSuper
I have severe asthma; so much so that I am on the shielded list. When I do go out, I WILL wear a mask. I need others to do so to protect me; it would be churlish of me to not do the same.