Top bloke and a full life. Good on him.
Auto Gyros always look fun to fly. Whenever I'm in the Lake District I often hear and see these doing pleasure flights over Keswick, Ullswater etc. More often than not one will pass below us whilst we're on a mountain walk.
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>> Whenever I'm in the Lake District I often
>> hear and see these doing pleasure flights over Keswick, Ullswater etc.
From here perhaps: www.chrisjonesgyroplanes.com/
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My mate and I attended the 'Celebration of the life of Wing Commander Ken Wallis MBE' held at Old Buckenham airfield yesterday. Reporting on BBC local evening news, Mike Liggins said that a maximum of 500 folks were expected, but a couple of thousand had turned up to show their respect for the old boy. There were lots of glorious old cars and motor bikes and, of course, autogyros; Little Nellie (of James Bond fame) was displayed in the hanger. I expect that there will be a fuller report on BBC Look East this evening.
Three speakers, followed by Ken's granddaughter, paid warm tributes to the man and his enthusiasm for life; one particularly noted Ken's disdain for bureaucracy and red-tape; a rallying-call, no less, for UKIP.
As BT says in the op, 'Not many like him around'.
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>> disdain for bureaucracy and red-tape; a rallying-call, no less, for UKIP.
Tee hee hee.
They all say that, dontcha know?
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"They all say that, dontcha know?"
Really??? Some love it, dontcha know?
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Which party is promising to provide more red tape and bureaucracy then?
All politicians trot out the phrase when asked to quantify their spending plans.
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>> Which party is promising to provide more red tape and bureaucracy then?
>>
>> All politicians trot out the phrase when asked to quantify their spending plans.
Spot on. My entire 35 year career in the Civil Service has been against a background of politicos cutting red tape. Trouble is most of it is there because of need to justify spending or to cover all bases where people's interests conflict eg Planning Permission.
Tools like LEAN can help examine and simplify particular processes from end to end but they don't remove need for balance and propriety.
Sensible schemes to cut costs are promptly undermined to big up individual politicians' careers.
Classic example is the Government Procurement Card. This was meant to simplfy process for high frequency/low value transactions such as stationery and staff travel. Putting invoices in a few tens of pounds through an (outsourced) central payments system at £10 a throw was barking.
Of course it also gets used for other stuff like catering for meetings and one off furniture like specialist chairs for disabled staff. Now inevitably there were a few cases of egregious misuse and plenty more that had, by degrees of misrepresentation, the makings of a press hoo-hah over public servants living high off the hog.
Ministers, who will no longer explain that the misusers have been carpetted/sacked and rationalise the rest instead promise action to 'stop this abuse'. So we go back to centralised procurement.
You couldn't make it up....
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Mon 30 Sep 13 at 12:57
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>> Classic example is the Government Procurement Card. This was meant to simplfy process for high
>> frequency/low value transactions such as stationery and staff travel. Putting invoices in a few tens
>> of pounds through an (outsourced) central payments system at £10 a throw was barking.
>>
>> Of course it also gets used for other stuff like catering for meetings and one
>> off furniture like specialist chairs for disabled staff. Now inevitably there were a few cases
>> of egregious misuse and plenty more that had, by degrees of misrepresentation, the makings of
>> a press hoo-hah over public servants living high off the hog.
We use them quite a bit very hand when having to pay big bills with little cash to hand, the only problem was finding someone with one. Seemed to be a lot of faff to justify having one.
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Ken Wallis kicks the bucket - TheManWithNoName
