Fake news

[elainemary]

Just listening to Radio 4 news and 2 pieces of fake news already this morning. First, 1 in 4 swimming pools have closed in last 3 years, example sited was Halifax, pool is temporarily closed whilst they build a new one and the nearest one is also relatively new only 2-3 miles away in Sowerby bridge. Complainant said they needed to travel to Bradford to swim now. Then a piece from a Sheffield beekeeper on her Organic beekeeping, nothing wrong with her advice just what a load of rubbish claiming she’s organic in Sheffield! Poor quality journalism from the BBC.

 

[The Poot]

Just listening to Radio 4 news and 2 pieces of fake news already this morning. First, 1 in 4 swimming pools have closed in last 3 years, example sited was Halifax, pool is temporarily closed whilst they build a new one and the nearest one is also relatively new only 2-3 miles away in Sowerby bridge. Complainant said they needed to travel to Bradford to swim now. Then a piece from a Sheffield beekeeper on her Organic beekeeping, nothing wrong with her advice just what a load of rubbish claiming she’s organic in Sheffield! Poor quality journalism from the BBC.

That’s what the BBC excels at. I used to be a radio 4 fan, but now never listen to it. Other than fake news, you can be sure that a statement from the “diversity agenda” appears roughly every 15 minutes or less.
Sadly even the TMS team are affected with Jonathan Agnew & co having to refer to “batters“ instead of “batsmen” - even if it’s a men’s cricket match. It REALLY irritates me.

 

[BugsInABox]

Just listening to Radio 4 news and 2 pieces of fake news already this morning. First, 1 in 4 swimming pools have closed in last 3 years, example sited was Halifax, pool is temporarily closed whilst they build a new one and the nearest one is also relatively new only 2-3 miles away in Sowerby bridge. Complainant said they needed to travel to Bradford to swim now. Then a piece from a Sheffield beekeeper on her Organic beekeeping, nothing wrong with her advice just what a load of rubbish claiming she’s organic in Sheffield! Poor quality journalism from the BBC.

I heard the 'organic' bee keeper. It really was an odd peice with no news in it beyond 'the bees have been busy zooming' - literally!

 

[blackcloud]

Just listening now with some twit wanting access to private land by any means
Soon be picking up MC Donald's packaging from around the hives then
The diversity thing is really offensive-I don't care if you want to be gay /straight /microwave oven or whatever just get on with it and leave me alone.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Poor quality journalism from the BBC.

Poor quality journalism is the norm from MSM

 

[JamezF]

Just listening to Radio 4 news and 2 pieces of fake news already this morning. First, 1 in 4 swimming pools have closed in last 3 years, example sited was Halifax, pool is temporarily closed whilst they build a new one and the nearest one is also relatively new only 2-3 miles away in Sowerby bridge. Complainant said they needed to travel to Bradford to swim now.

To be fair, this may not be fake news at all. Though it may well be poorly-researched, which does seem to be a recurring problem these days, along with poor grammar, spelling and proof-reading in written media. It's still entirely possible that one in four swimming pools have closed, permanently even, in the last three years.

I suspect that one of the reasons many swimming pools are financially viable is because of the fees paid to rent lanes or the entire pool by the likes of swimming clubs, many of which are struggling post-Covid. I know the club that I used to coach at has hugely cut back on pool time and the triathlon club that I currently coach at really ought to be reducing the number of lanes it hires because it surely can't be breaking even at the moment. Another local triathlon club has, so I've been told, ceased pool training altogether. The lane-swimming sessions that I swim in often have fewer than ten people in the pool when the capacity is around forty. Given how often I swim, I'm effectively probably only
paying about £1.30 for an hour in the water because of my membership. Ten people paying that much doesn't even cover the cost of the life guard.

The other big money-spinner for pools is swimming lessons, but again partly due to Covid there's still a shortage of life guards and swimming teachers (and people who want to train to do the job), so pools often can't take on as many learners as they'd like to. My son and daughter offered to teach at the same pool that I use during their school/uni holidays and practically had their arms ripped off. One lady who teaches there has already retired from it twice and was still working there last week.

I'm slightly surprised that the pool I swim at has remained open if I'm honest, but they're currently trying to reduce costs (and improve their environmental footprint, I guess) by reducing the water temperature, which is a bit of a double-edged sword. It's lovely for people like me who want to get in and swim hard. It's nowhere near as pleasant if you're a four year old child learning to swim or if you're a teacher working with the earlier stages and spending several hours in the water at a time.

James

 

[JamezF]

Poor quality journalism is the norm from MSM

These days a lot of the mainstream media just seems to be a mouthpiece for the political views of their owners. I don't count that as journalism at all.

James

 

[Mabee]

That’s what the BBC excels at. I used to be a radio 4 fan, but now never listen to it. Other than fake news, you can be sure that a statement from the “diversity agenda” appears roughly every 15 minutes or less.
Sadly even the TMS team are affected with Jonathan Agnew & co having to refer to “batters“ instead of “batsmen” - even if it’s a men’s cricket match. It REALLY irritates me.

Strange thing to get upset about, equality and fair representation!

 

[Mabee]

Just listening to Radio 4 news and 2 pieces of fake news already this morning. First, 1 in 4 swimming pools have closed in last 3 years, example sited was Halifax, pool is temporarily closed whilst they build a new one and the nearest one is also relatively new only 2-3 miles away in Sowerby bridge. Complainant said they needed to travel to Bradford to swim now. Then a piece from a Sheffield beekeeper on her Organic beekeeping, nothing wrong with her advice just what a load of rubbish claiming she’s organic in Sheffield! Poor quality journalism from the BBC.

BBC Scotland is always looking for an angle to make Scotland look bad, so Scotland had 8 pools closed, the reason cited was the cost of running due to energy prices, but they didn't seem to make any journalistic effort to follow up on that one though!

 

[The Poot]

Strange thing to get upset about, equality and fair representation!

I hear what you say Mabee.
I’m just waiting for some six foot six, twenty stone fast bowler to announce he’s now a she and because of equality and fair representation, takes a women’s team of “batters” apart.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I hear what you say Mabee.
I’m just waiting for some six foot six, twenty stone fast bowler to announce he’s now a she and because of equality and fair representation, takes a women’s team of “batters” apart.

Ouch! Elaine doesn’t seem to have access to the cupboard under the stairs.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

the nearest one is also relatively new only 2-3 miles away

'only' is fine if you have your little runaround Chelsea tractor and enough cash to fill it with juice.
Our nearest pool is 'only' three miles away, many families who have cars can't afford to use cars apart from essential journeys, public transport is virtually non existent, and when a bus turns up, unless you have a Senior Citizen's pass the fares are more eye watering than a dash of neat pool chlorine to the face.

 

[robinharman]

'only' is fine if you have your little runaround Chelsea tractor and enough cash to fill it with juice.
Our nearest pool is 'only' three miles away, many families who have cars can't afford to use cars apart from essential journeys, public transport is virtually non existent, and when a bus turns up, unless you have a Senior Citizen's pass the fares are more eye watering than a dash of neat pool chlorine to the face.

Just filled up (well half filled) and the woman in front of me paid for her £3.30 worth of petrol with 10+20p pieces. Hard times ahead

 

[blackcloud]

Just filled up (well half filled) and the woman in front of me paid for her £3.30 worth of petrol with 10+20p pieces. Hard times ahead

Probably a professional upholstery cleaner

Later on this morning we had a muppet whining because she had to make a wrenching choice between becoming a footballer or a club DJ
Couldn't do both because she was getting home at 3am drunk and was unable to train.

 

[JamezF]

Later on this morning we had a muppet whining because she had to make a wrenching choice between becoming a footballer or a club DJ
Couldn't do both because she was getting home at 3am drunk and was unable to train.

Should go with the football. People may not be able to afford to go to clubs, but there always seem to be plenty who are willing to cough up ridiculous amounts on replica football kits and Sky subscriptions.

James

 

[The Poot]

Ouch! Elaine doesn’t seem to have access to the cupboard under the stairs.

Ok, I’ll say no more.........unless provoked

 

[JamezF]

On the subject of the original swimming pool story, there's perhaps more detail here:

Swimming pools: Concern as closures across the UK revealed

That article does specifically say the numbers include pools closed either permanently or temporarily. It also mentions someone who used to swim at the Halifax pool but now has to travel to Bradford. The reason given for not using pools closer to Halifax is that she's an artistic swimmer who trains six to eight hours per week and her club can't get sufficient pool time anywhere nearer. The move to somewhere further away has resulted in many members leaving the club which in turn quite possibly means less income for the pools.

Whilst the Halifax pool will be re-opened, the suggestion is that it will be unsuitable for some of the previous users such as her club and a diving club. I'm not entirely surprised by that. There's a new(-ish) pool in Taunton. It could have gained a lot of income by being home to one of the local swimming clubs, but they chose a design that meant even the deep end is too shallow for safe diving and the shallow end is too shallow for many people (myself included -- I can just about sit on the bottom and still breathe at the shallow end) to tumble turn in.

James

 

[blackcloud]

Should go with the football. People may not be able to afford to go to clubs, but there always seem to be plenty who are willing to cough up ridiculous amounts on replica football kits and Sky subscriptions.

James

Many at the taxpayers expense -I can provide names......

 

[elainemary]

'only' is fine if you have your little runaround Chelsea tractor and enough cash to fill it with juice.
Our nearest pool is 'only' three miles away, many families who have cars can't afford to use cars apart from essential journeys, public transport is virtually non existent, and when a bus turns up, unless you have a Senior Citizen's pass the fares are more eye watering than a dash of neat pool chlorine to the face.

Fortunately our pools are on the bus route. V good service down and along the valley. Regularly catch it esp now hubbie now gets a free fare.

 

[JamezF]

unless you have a Senior Citizen's pass the fares are more eye watering than a dash of neat pool chlorine to the face.

Apparently the latter is unlikely to happen on the grounds that chlorine is in short supply. There was a notice up at the pool when I went swimming this evening saying that they may have to close if supplies become any more difficult to obtain. It looks like they're not the only ones.

James