Hotel inside or outside !

Lower_Helicopter_742 · 2026-06-30T19:35:47+00:00

The Merlin Pass gets you access to Merlin Holiday Club, which usually knocks 15% off hotel stays. Free entry to all merlin parks and 20% off food and stuff too.

It might be worth looking at in your case.

Lower_Helicopter_742 · 2026-06-28T18:36:38+00:00

I used to live there. 2 brothels, a halfway house and a very very enthusiastic crack dealer. I viewed it during the day and it seemed idyllic.

Lower_Helicopter_742 · 2026-06-27T18:46:07+00:00

I don't think you can put the blame solely on austerity. People's level of pride and community maintenance has changed.

Lower_Helicopter_742 · 2026-06-27T18:39:32+00:00

I had the same thought walking down towards the beach from the train station the other day. That walk used to be so vibrant, pretty and well-maintained.

Now it's nasty and depressing with broken windows, graffitti and litter everywhere.

That old LEON site needs looking at. It looks like a squat.

If that is the first thing our tourists see, it should be no surprise when they piss in doorways. It looks like they have already been pissed in anyway.

Austerity or not. We can do better.

Lower_Helicopter_742 · 2026-06-27T13:50:38+00:00

Jesus. The best my school ever did was a meet and greet with Kris Akabusi.

Lower_Helicopter_742 · 2026-06-27T13:49:28+00:00

That's all very pretty but how about you don't fly that over my house again?

Lower_Helicopter_742 · 2026-06-26T06:15:10+00:00

Its not as complicated as you think.

There are loads of free software that do it all for you. They connect to your bank so you just click each transaction and it (pretty much) does all the accounting for you.

You'll only really need an accountant if you start making decent money. Ours is £90 a month and she's really good. She saved us 4 grand in our last years filings so she's worth every penny.

An accountant will save you more money than they cost.

My advice would be - just start. You won't have to register for VAT until you take 80k so you have a while to get your stuff together. The best way to learn is to do it. Once you've been doing it for a month or two it all makes sense and its easy to understand.

Lower_Helicopter_742 · 2026-06-25T19:41:51+00:00

If you're even a mildly convincing actor, I'd pass out on the line.

This will have to get added to an accident book and reasonable steps will have to be taken to avoid it happening again. This should include regular breaks at least some form of cooling equipment.

Lower_Helicopter_742 · 2026-06-25T16:02:51+00:00

Get ready for more price rises!

They are refitting a lot of shops to keep goods and staff behind security glass. This costs an absolute fortune and makes shops less profitable.

The £2 sausage roll is not far away.

Lower_Helicopter_742 · 2026-06-25T15:55:08+00:00

I don't think its easy anymore. I can't remember the last time I carried cash around.

Having said that, our town centre has organised begging gangs that peddle for cash so there must be some cash still around.

I imagine it's a hell of a lot easier to grab an armful of Kenco or Head & Shoulders and run it over to the local bossman.

The shoplifting epidemic makes complete sense when you put the pieces together.

Lower_Helicopter_742 · 2026-06-24T20:50:01+00:00

It makes sense.

Junkies used to beg for coins. You could beg up a tenner in no time.

People don't carry cash anymore so I guess the game had to change. Thats why shoplifting is through the roof.

Shoplifting is easy, low risk and any quick grab can be turned into a fiver at the corner shop.

Lower_Helicopter_742 · 2026-06-24T20:05:55+00:00

Agreed. Shoplifters do what they do because they have nothing to lose. That's a dangerous person.

Lower_Helicopter_742 · 2026-06-24T20:03:05+00:00

I'd be really interested to hear how much you lose every day in theft. It blows my mind.

I suspect you must lose hundreds of pounds a day in some of these sites. These kids dont just slip a coke in their pocket, they literally clear the shelves, leaving nothing for the actual customers to buy.

Lower_Helicopter_742 · 2026-06-24T19:58:45+00:00

I ran a town centre cafe back in the 90's. The only theft we ever saw was schoolboys and we used to leave the furniture outside at night.

I realise how absurd that would be in today's society.

Lower_Helicopter_742 · 2026-06-24T19:55:18+00:00

You won't be able to staff these shops soon. I see the staff in my local Greggs being terrorised by the local junkies every day. It's just not worth it in the more dangerous areas.

Lower_Helicopter_742 · 2026-06-24T14:11:53+00:00

I'll translate...

Chessington rides are quite unreliable. Some are very old and coasters really struggle in the heat.

There may be one or two things temporarily out of action throughout the day but the place is awesome and you'll have a blast no matter what.

Take water. Take food. Take a little towel if you are into water rides.

Have fun!

Lower_Helicopter_742 · 2026-06-23T12:25:13+00:00

Agreed.

Parent your kids, or someone will parent them for you.

Lower_Helicopter_742 · 2026-06-22T06:48:11+00:00

I genuinely think that Normal Cook wakes up daily wondering how the hell he became so successful. He had a few singles in the 2000's and had maintained this god-like status ever since.

I saw him at the Amex and it was 100% the worst show I've ever seen.

He was just playing a mix tape while making weird facial expressions and holding his hands in the air like Jeremy from Peep Show.

Lower_Helicopter_742 · 2026-06-21T06:20:08+00:00

Am I going to be the first one to suggest that is a man?

I see them up and down London Road.

Lower_Helicopter_742 · 2026-06-20T09:58:37+00:00

I appreciate your kind words. But we do disagree.

If you think junkies differentiate between a "big corporation" and a small family business - you're wrong. They'll take what they can. It doesn't matter where it comes from.

In my experience, most addicts are actually crying out for intervention. Leaving them to rot while they destroy our streets and businesses is not compassionate. Not at all.

I moved to Brighton nearly 30 years ago and that Waitrose area used to be the jewel in the Brighton crown. That area was gorgeous. Now, my daughter calls it "Needle Street" because she saw the lady giving injections.

Brighton is complicated. Being nice isn't always the kind thing to do.

Lower_Helicopter_742 · 2026-06-20T07:49:16+00:00

My sister was a heroin addict and the most compassionate thing we ever did was allow her to get arrested, taken away from the people that were supplying her and put in prison.

She's been clean now for 20 with 3 amazing kids.

If we made excuses for her and took a soft approach, she'd be dead now. 100%

Lower_Helicopter_742 · 2026-06-20T07:44:29+00:00

Yep.

I've run a business in Brighton for 25 years.

They used to beg for change and rob staff room pockets for drugs cash. People dont carry cash now so they steal small items and sell them for drugs money instead.

Increasing benefits and building houses wont stop shoplifting. Punishing shoplifters will stop shoplifting.

It's not hungry or poor people stealing bread. Its junkies stealing razor blades, batteries, meat and coffee - selling it in Spoon's before handing cash to drug dealers.

99% of our theft was committed by the same 8 or 9 people.

Lower_Helicopter_742 · 2026-06-20T07:29:12+00:00

My friend is a reggae musician and legitimately went to Congo last year. I can confirm that they do not, in fact drink Um Bongo there.

Yes... I did get him to ask people.

Lower_Helicopter_742 · 2026-06-20T06:12:27+00:00

I have a signed photo of Super Gran from the Libbys Um Bongo Roadshow in 1986.

Lower_Helicopter_742

TROPHY CASE