Think one of the problems is that the MP’s don’t ‘live’ in the world we do, they live in a bubble of generous salary, generous expenses, freebies and back handers centred around Westminster. They say a lot, do very little and basically don’t care. Yes, decline is everywhere. It’s tragic.
Honestly, you’re being way too generous to politicians. I promise you, they beeping well do know that what their government is doing is downright harmful. I no longer subscribe to the view I too used to hold, that they’re incompetent. The reality is shocking. They’ve been “captured” to an increasing extent. This is true of almost all countries, most importantly for us, in The West. By captured I mean by global capital. A relatively small number of extraordinarily wealthy & powerful institutions, foundations and individuals have collaborated with each other, the majority of the worlds largest corporations, the world’s central banks and a group of ghastly authoritarians. They corruptly send money at rates / amounts so large that few people would be able to resist this bribery, to do what they & their stakeholders want. The globalists have additional levers, the other being threats. Most key people didn’t climb to upper echelons without assistance. Along the way, they were compromised and it’s this which provides the basis of threats if they refuse to do what they’re told. How long this has been going on, I do not know, but unfortunately I think it’s not a new or even a recent phenomenon. It is I’m afraid to say undoubtedly true. It explains why no matter how the people vote, anywhere, you still continue to get a very similar set of policies. The worst of all this is that we could easily force this evil machine to a halt, if a sufficiently large percentage of the people made it clear that “We know you’re lying, you’re working on behalf of people who have no legitimate interests in how each country is being run. You stand accused of criminal conduct at very least. After your jury trial, you should expect to spend the rest of your life locked up, if you’re fortunate enough to live in a country without capital punishment no matter how heinous & diabolical the crimes”. I’m no longer faintly surprised, but I know that the vast majority of people either have no idea why things are so bad, how this degradation is being accomplished and where it’s expected to end up. Until 2020, I was among the majority who consumed mainstream news and only rarely raised an eyebrow at implausible reports. I now realise that all official news is lies. Those “keeping their heads down and mouths shut” are every bit as important & dangerous to us all as the perpetrators themselves. Their methods would fail almost immediately if people were brave enough to say “I’m not satisfied with what you’ve told us. I believe you’re lying & you’re going to end up in prison”. I’ve been trying for almost five years to warn people. Some have woken up and are spreading important information. The vast majority however appear fully locked into the given narrative that is stripping us of our rights and freedoms. I anticipate acceleration of what can be called “de-civilisation” of The West. It’s not ever going to get better spontaneously. We didn’t get here spontaneously but as a result of a multi decade push involving what propagandists call “social engineering”. I’m resigned to total destruction of The West over the next few years to a decade at most, and along the way, we are going to be made much poorer, less outward looking, and in some considerable fraction of the population, we’re going to get demised.
Well that was cheerful. Not wrong, mind. We are being milked, like cattle. Like cattle, we have no say in the running of the farm. Like cattle, once the milk stops, we are unwanted and surplus to requirements. Unlike cattle, we voted ourselves into this.
I am a Bradfordian, my achievement in life was getting my 3 children well away from it & we leave in the Spring. Bradford has been declining for over 100 years, but the acceleration in the last 30 is astonishing. I rarely venture in, my social life is along the Aire Valley & Leeds, but when l do go it is upsetting, it's soul has gone along with it's citizens. Everywhere is not failing, l spend good time in York & Lincoln which function well, Leeds (co-joined) is another booming regional winner.
It’s all part of the grand plan, work from home,have the supermarket deliver to your door, don’t go to the pub or restaurant have a meal delivered to your door, shop online with same day delivery. Stay at home, don’t mingle and talk to people, text or ring or email so the government knows where you are what you buy what you eat what you say. The cashless lifeless society in a 15 min neighbourhood. You will own nothing and you WILL be happy.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 your monologues are brilliant. Our small family business of 35 years with 5 shops are now down to 2 and struggling to survive due to government (national and local) red tape. I’ll never vote Tory or Labour ever again.
the last 14 years have been tory, as has 54 of the 79 years since 1945. Labour does their best to keep the country going in between long periods of tory chaos. oh, and if you're thinking about reform, they're tories - they want to get rid of the NHS and cut taxes for the millionaires....
The whole of the UK is going the same way our local high street is full of charity shops hairdressers and like u say vape shops very insightful blog again Dave
@@kingfisherphil not necessarily. Councils put up parking charges, there’s ULEZ, clean air zones, some places are ridiculously expensive, councils make driving in and around towns and cities difficult with bus lanes, cycle lanes, timed zones, one way systems, enforcement cameras, speed bumps etc. They don’t want you there. And let’s raise the elephant in the room, lots of foreign groups of young men, hanging around outside coffee shops, take aways and all the rest. I’ve got a 30 year old daughter who tells me all the time she feels scared because they pester her and follow her making remarks when she goes near them. I’ve heard other women say similar including my wife, THIS is another reason our high streets are dying, but politicians are willfully blind to it.
Well Dave....you and I are of the same vintage.....born and raised in the same city.....and both pursued careers in the emergency services of West Yorkshire!! I couldn't have put it better myself......a stunning and inciteful summation of what has happened to one of the powerhouse cities of empire!! I remember Bradford's last roll of the dice in the early eighties.....for me, great times for a young man with hopes, dreams and aspirations! The politicians, councillors and, dare I say it, the senior police officers......to name but a few, all conspired to look the other way whilst a once industrial powerhouse was murdered.....all in the name of......ah, what's the point?! Too late now......and it really is. I listened to you whilst sat on my son's veranda in Darwin, Australia......having not long got here from my daughters place in Perth. Australia's gain is the UK's loss......and I wonder why!! Back to freezing Norh Yorks soon!! Ride safe bruv. Dave (normally shivering in N. Yorks!!)
@@daveh1081 served my time at International Harvesters in Idle. The plant was closed in the early 80s . Moved to South Africa to work for VW in the Eastern Cape. Ironically VW are now being killed off too. Back in Bradford now and have witnessed its managed decline into a third world economy. The wealth and skill generators now to a significant degree, long gone!
@UncleDot Because there are no doubt some good coppers out there mate. My community bobby, Ralph would be a case in point. You didn't mess about when Ralph was strutting his stuff around Heaton and Toller Lane, Bradford back in the day......he commanded respect!!It's those who climbed the greasy pole to the more, shall we say "politicised" ranks that I'm aiming at. They should be ashamed......same goes for all who had there grubby hands on the levers of power!!!
The whole of the U.K. is in decline, just some towns and cities faster than others. But, one thing is for certain, under Labour the U.K. will become like a film set off Mad Max in the next 4 years.
Hang on we have suffered under the Tories for 14 years. Largely all Dave has just said is down to policies from Thatcher. How do you come to the conclusion the labour government that has been in power for 6 months is going to make things worse?
@ Totally agree with your point on the Conservatives over the last 14 years. With regards my conclusion on Starmer and Labour, it is purely based on their actions,policies, attitude, lack of understanding of economics,, growth and their obsession with Net Zero, at a unaffordable cost to most of us. And finally, the blatant lies, deceit, and repetitive same old excuses for their own lack of direction/understanding and how they have abandoned the historic, traditional working class voter/supporter. People have always understood Labour to be the party of high tax and hight spending, but previously it was for the very people who elected them, now it seems globalist ideals and policy take priority. Just my personal opinion.
@@Dozeyish Because they are Labour. They always do. However, in that respect they are simply another branch of the UniParty. Tories are equally inept marxists.
My family was originally from Bradford before we emigrated to Australia. I visited a couple years ago and noticed clearly Bradford is in decline, we did not feel safe in the city centre. Druggos, drunk teens, shady shops etc. We found Leeds by contrast much better. We are going back, but a bit wiser.Its clear that in the UK, just like it’s happening in Australia, that the middle/working class is shifting rapidly downwards to the poor (incl. welfare bludgers), the working poor (high taxes and less real wages) and the small very rich minority. Housing, groceries, insurance, energy etc prices are going way up and real wages going down. Large companies incl. foreign companies pay little to no tax and exploit our resources and politicians support this model. Revenue raising by fines, surcharges, road tolls etc are booming. I’m not a socialist, but it is not working out well now for the majority of average hard workers in most Western countries. The young are seeing this and voicing concern, rightly so.
Same in the EU, normal people just want to earn a life, corporations evade taxes through loopholes made by greedy politicians, who are just filling up their pockets... Happy 2025 🎉
It's the same story in Preston, all the big shops are gone from town center. All there is in town now are vape shops, Turkish barbers, charity shops and cash converters. On the plus side we have two Weatherspoons :P and countless takeaways. The concil here seems determined to push all traffic out of the town center, I wonder if it has something to do with the huge retail parks just outside of town, surely they aren't trying to recoup on an investment there?
Most of those vape shops Turkish barbers and nail shops are money laundering fronts,and the police know it and do nothing about it,my local coppers actually use the local Turkish barbers the tattooed thuggish twts and that's the coppers.
Well said! I’m about a similar age to yourself and the advent of cheap transport for family or individuals meant mobility for the masses which in turn improved our lives (yes at a cost to climate) but as you said they now want to limit movement and put us back into our place where than can control all aspects of our lives. I listened to someone talking about car parking charges at hospitals, they stated that they wanted to discourage people turning up in cars!All well and good when we used to have local hospitals but now we have the super hospitals , miles away from most patients They build more properties without any increase in hospital beds,doctors surgeries, dentists! Services we expect from councils just reduce year on year whilst rates increase for these and the police precept increase with no signs of any police on the streets. I have come to detest any politician , after years of being a socialist I can’t stand their duplicity any of them or any party. Sorry for the rant.
No offence buddy, but the establishment are relying on our defeatist no hope mindsets.. The big two have had their way for far too long, in it it doesn't have to be like that. They want us to think there is no hope, as there then is less resistance to their own agendas.😉
Oh what a great and truthful video you are so right and you explain things more and better than anybody else I know in plain English I love these sort of videos you do harping back about how things were and how it’s changed love it topped off by the beautiful ride through the Yorkshire countryside keep on doing these type of videos they are so interesting and knowledgeable great stuff take care ride safe
As a retired Police Officer who also started walking the beat in Brighton in 1983, I have to agree with your somewhat depressing but realistic state of the country. It does however look like you have some beautiful countryside to ride through. All the best from one copper to another.
I do enjoy listening to your well though out and almost poetically delivered views and comments as we sit back and ride through the lovely countryside. Sometimes you even hit a nerve and open an eye.
An excellent video Dave and 100% correct although I think all our problems started not 15 years ago but in 1980. Unfettered greed and removal of checks and balances resulting in the financial crash of 2008. Banks bailed out for their greed and incompetence by taxpayers money. Icelandic bankers were jailed and ours retired with big pensions or simply carried on with business as usual. I still remember being turned down for a £500 bank loan to buy a secondhand car in 1974. I had to see the manager and when he'd finished questioning me he shook his head and that was that. Even though I'd had my wages paid into the bank for two years and was an apprentice with a large company with a regular wage and no debts. As we can see, it's all ending in tears.
Yes Jeff I had a similar interview with the bank manager in 1980 wanting £500 for an old cortina….he sent me packing. Yes the rot set in in the 80s when industry was destroyed, national assets sold off and the city of London deregulated…..criminal
I'm in agreement with you. I worked a short term contract based in Bradford about 20 years ago and then virtually every other shop was a pound shop but a little cash was thrown at the development near the town hall, from memory they were upmarket eating places . There was a Westfield shopping centre being built, but that was nothing compared to what was happening in Leeds.
Absolutely spot on, it became very clear to me back in 2008 when the banks went down. What’s happened since then doesn’t surprise me, other than, we are allowing it! This great nation that so many gave their lives for are excepting the terms and conditions being laid down! We need change, we need to demand change, less talking and more sensible direction towards making a life for our grandchildren! Just as so many did from 1939 -45. That pride, that togetherness needs to be driven with determination, we shall not except, we will have the nation we all want! True democracy, politicians serving us with transparency and honesty on a daily basis.
Hello, I fully agree with you. Today, I'm 70 years old, I firmly believe that I've lived through the best time. What you say is felt in all industrialized countries, sad that all these changes are taking place too quickly leaving no time to be understood and assimilated. I have fears for my children and my grandchildren for the future they will have. The next thirty years will be decisive. Québec, Canada.
Very good, most people not hard of thinking are with you in the realisation of what is occurring in our world, very sad and oh so avoidable. Being over 70 we are acutely aware that our parents and grandparents were poor, no free healthcare, no cars in most cases, no foreign holidays etc etc. Compare that to what the present generation expect as normal? The decline is obvious but masked, as you say, by governments and media. Strangely enough just this week something that says it all is happening, people are going on strike because their employer (us) want them to actually turn up for work 3 out of 5 days, amazing?
As a proud Yorkshire Man born in Keithley in the early 60's living in rural Cumbria since I was 8 have seen minimal decline here but now it is all around with local owned shops no longer being able to be financially viable , I have a friend who was a manager of Dewhurst In Penrith sadly closed years ago. Most of us are responsible for this sad state of economic affairs including myself with on-line purchases. It is correct that those we put in power are very much to blame and at the moment running around like frightened rabbits caught in the headlights. We worry for our children and our grandchildren's futures. You are 100% correct ,a very bleak future indeed.
A bittersweet monologue which on the one hand eloquently describes the depressing malaise so evident throughout the UK and indeed abroad as well. While on the other hand we're treated to a motorcycle ride in some of the best scenery I can imagine. Thoughtful, informed by a lifetime of experience. Good on you.
I started work in Bradford 1971. A bustling City. I saved for a mortgage wlith Bradford & Bingley B.S. and was curiously proud to do so. BUT trace the history of that once revered institution, and you find, epitomised, the downfall of Bradford and so much else.
The biggest greediest business is the Government. It’s got bigger and bigger and therefore the private sector has got smaller and smaller. Low interest rates are a result of massive inflation of the money supply which has impacted asset prices by driving them higher.
The private sector now owns the utilities. The private sector now milks funds from the NHS. the private sector now runs the prisons. The private sector now runs the railways and road conscription. Do you live in the UK?
@@Dozeyish I do. It is now a sovietised state. Almost half of GDP is the State which contributes zero, nada, nothing to economic growth. GMT debt drives out private debt. Bad money drives out good and what you describe is merely "rent seeking".
@ Water companies are franchised and controlled by the state - hence OFWAT. They are still better than they would have been in full state ownership and lower cost. I was involved in automation of many of the plants after privatisation, they were very inefficient and relied purely on costly manual labour to keep them running. Same went for British Steel and British Rail there was no money to upgrade and modernise them. They should all be privately owned, not the public private partnership, in which the regulators end up being sympathetic to the water company, because they fear the company will abandon the franchise if they have too much pressure applied to them - this happened with several rail franchises who could not make any profit, incurred losses and backed out leaving the Government in a pickle. Monopolies are the sole creation of the state. A company that dominates a particular business isn’t always a monopoly, it can be that it’s providing the best goods/service at that particular time.
@@Dozeyish The state sets out the criteria for running the businesses. It regulates them. It becomes a push pull between state and business as the state tries to get its pound of flesh, while the business attempts to achieve the highest profit. In between sit the regulators who end up on the side of the business, because in many cases these are open ended franchises and the owners can do a moonlight flit at any time. The regulators are as much about ensuring continuity of service, as they are in ensuring the states criteria are met, it’s a delicate balancing act. The state usually wants a lot more and the business wants to do the very minimum it can get away with. If it were all in private hands the bad actors would be put out of business by new competition - we had that beginning to happen in the energy sector until companies clearly decided they didn’t like the competitive market and politicians began to complain that the poor were getting a bad deal.
A very thought invoking and correct video 😞 your right the decline started in the 80’s and mass immigration has sped up our decline to a point where no Northern town/city resembles its roots😞 our last and only hope is to vote Reform and if they do the dirty on us then all is truly lost😞👍🏻
Enjoyed the video, but wish i hadn't watched it. We could sit down in what few pubs are left over a pint or two and talk about how shit the UK has become. And all we can do is get on with it and weep for our grandchildren 😢 chin up though eh.
Agree with all your observations Dave. I was born, raised and worked in Bradford and after a career in engineering, made the move to WYP at the ripe age of 38. Don’t recall our paths ever crossing during my years at Bradford North. I too saw the demise of a city I used to be proud of. Think it’s a similar story in many northern cities. Ride safe and hopefully might see you out on the road one day.
It’s interesting that so many complain about the decline of so much in our cities towns and villages…. yet most of the complainers buy from big supermarkets or online cutting out the independents for a few pounds saving… that is a great part of the death of our high streets and the breaking of our communities…. Which ends up giving all the cash to the big business owners and nothing stays local. I moved away from supermarkets for my food 12 years ago and it was the best thing I ever did using a handful of small independent food shops …. Apart from anything else, it all taste so much better. Wherever I go in this country or abroad, I buy local support local and hope it will be there the next time I visit …. Yes, it’s a little less convenient having to go to a number of places to buy your weekly shop …. But you would be surprised because you get your community back., you feel involved rather than the sterile experience in big supermarkets…. Think about it , you’ve been conned…..
Unfortunately Dave time marches on and sometimes not in a good way. I see it here in the States as well. We do the best we can with what we have. Sometimes we have a bit more to make our lives a bit better...and then those times where we have less and struggle to keep our heads above water. Some how we struggle and make it through. Take care and ride safe.
Eyup Dave. Very well scripted vid cheers. My memories of Bradford town center back in my youth still induce an involuntary smile on my face to this day. Lordy how it’s changed. Imagine if the young folk of today were able to have a brief taste of the freedom, choices and relative simplicity of life we once enjoyed as boomers. I sense that there is now a slight shift in the tide and folk are becoming ever more aware and vocal about the control that those who were elected to serve us seek to exercise. I’m mildly optimistic that change is on the horizon🤞 Thanks again Paul👍🏍
You expressed my views so much better than I could and its good to know that I am not alone with my thoughts. This video is as good as the one about your Dad
As ever, wise words indeed sir. I just traded a sports bike into a BMW dealership for a virtually new R12 nine T for an amazing deal. I never thought I’d ever get a good trade in deal anywhere, let alone a BMW dealership but they clearly overpriced the new bike at a time when dealerships are closing and the wider bike market is in decline so for once this went in my favour but I’m sad for all the people working in the motorcycle industry that will likely loose their jobs in the coming months and years. Riding a bike has and will continue to give me pleasure but future generations will be denied of this simple, liberating experience by corporate and governmental greed. What is happening in the Middle East and the US has been happening for years only now they don’t care about optics. Greed is seen as strength no matter how many lives or livelihood it costs.
You should have been an urban poet mate! I don't know where you get this idea that the 'Age of Austerity' started 15 years ago. It was way before that! Back in 1987 I was working as a youth worker in Huddersfield, where I live. It was announced that year that most major funding was to be cut by central government and youth clubs either had to find their own funding, or close. It was that simple. We said at the time that the knock on effect would be that, in 20 or 30 years, young people would be hanging around on street corners, with nothing to do and no normal disciplines, so quite naturally they will get up to mischief, that leads onto petty, then serious crimes. And sure enough, exactly as we predicted it has happened. (I wish I could be that accurate with the lottery, lol). This also has helped with the decline of younger people getting into motorcycling legally. I myself rode illegally for a couple of decades before finally passing my bike test over 20+ years ago. So I can relate to the how's & why's of this world. And finally. Do you honestly think Yorkshire people are going to stand by and watch the elites waft by in their padded luxury and not chuck the odd half charlie their way by way of 'blessing them', by Eck lad, I hope so......
Here’s one example of the austerity programme of 2010….26,000 police officers cut….there are many other examples of course. I agree that austerity in principle started a lot earlier 👍🏻
While I'm a (small C) capitalist at heart, I agree totally with your thoughts. We were once a country of the small(ish) local shops, factories and businesses fully embedded into their community. Were they all good and honest, most certainly not, but the ethics of the time was that they should at least be seen to be part of the local community. I remember the local shops where I lived slowly being taken over by the multinationals and similar home grown conglomerates. The only national brands were the like of M&S and Woolworths. I remember every August of my school life visiting M&S for my school uniform, yes slightly more expensive but able to withstand the rigours of a full term at school. Yes, this is a bit of nostalgia, but my recollections are of a much happy time (generally, if not for all) where wages were sufficient for a husband to feed and house his family and the wife able to not work while the children were young and then work once they had all started school, to enable the family to afford new and better things. This was the same whether your family owned their own home or lived in Council housing. My recollection is that it all started to change during the 70s and later with ever growing momentum, and the days of young single earner families became less and less common. Taking on debt became not only more common but actively encouraged, by Governments (of all parties), business and just about anyone that could see a way to make a few £s. I am probably (just coming into my 70s) one of the last generations where my wife and I had the ability to consciously decide that she would stay at home (I was the main wage earner at that time) with the children and I would work to earn our keep. This worked well for us, we did not have lavish holidays like some of our friends or new cars, etc. We also had minimal debt and we were able to save and use cash for most things and only used credit for things for the house, washing machine, fridge/freezer and the like. Once our children were in school my wife went to work, University and had a career as a Nurse. Looking at my children's lives they and their spouses had to both work just to have the same standard of life that my wife and I had on just my wages. Though we all have much more material things in our lives now, I'm not so sure happiness is one of them.
Real capitalism is fine and maybe what we need. The freedom to make £millions AND THE FREEDOM TO GO BROKE! If Whizz Kid A can't make a go of something, let Whizz Kid B buy it for 10p in the Pound and maybe succeed. "Too big to fail" and "reward for failure" are not the way to run an economy.
I am afraid you are absolutely right... Thank you for expressing all those things so well... Hope the people will learn... to think for themselves, but they will have to suffer much more to wake up from the Disneyworld the press is still selling! Fortunately, motorcyclists have the opportunity to think when we ride, and the slower we ride (Himalayan 😉) the deeper the reflexion is... Thank you very much for your highest quality texts and looking forward a great year 2025 ! ✌
The other problem is with dealers don't have any test rides available Appleyard i want to buy a cfmoto 450 Mt ... nope don't have a test ride or one in to sit on ... but if you want to put a deposit down on one your more than welcome ... would you buy something you haven't seen or tested .... NO, my harley-davidson had two test rides before i spent my money
Spend a little money on a trip to Nathan Milwards Dorothy's s Speed Shop. He does bike test days where you can test sub 500 cc bikes with like minded bikers . Expect to experience the CF450 MT ( I did twice in one day). Plus a Triumph 400X , Himalayan 450, Reiju 500 Adventure , CRF 300, Vogue 300, KTM 390, BMW 310 . A great day along the Devon lanes will be had , weather willing !!
Had several cars from Bradford Audi over the years. The tax regime on vehicles and ridged forcing strategy by the government on electric cars is a key issue here. Separately, Bradford is ran by fools at centre. They know nothing when it comes to wealth generation, something Bradford needs more than anything else. Great video, well done!
One thing is for sure , no politician or political party is going to stop the rot , at this late stage of the game. As far as I can see voting for any of them , is only encouraging them in their own delusions of self importance, enabling them to get aboard the gravy train & totally take the piss . Any good days we had , have been & gone & don’t look like returning anytime soon .
Interesting, your take on modern shopping. Did the down turn arrive with the late sixties pedestrianisation of High streets. l say this because where l came from, a once bustling hight street of various shop was transformed into a wilderness of charity shops, estate agents, mortgage lenders etc! plus more unsociable behavior in a pretty short space of time...Did this coincide with yet another austerity period...My first was the post WW2 version during the fifties. Since then we had Harold Macmillan saying ''You've never had it so good'' to yet another period of Austerity..ad' infinitum.....Be careful of all those wet leaves Dave...Greetings and Happy New Year from España
I was born and brought up just over t’hill in Ilkley and the joke here is everything is made into coffee shops and cafes, we have a new out of town McDonalds and The Original Factory Shop which was situated on the site of the iconic Ross Bros is to become a drive through coffee stop. Then there was more sad news last week when it was announced that another Ilkley landmark Morten’s hardware shop closed after 87 years, The household recycling site has gone, we now have a 20 minute drive to the site at Keighley. This isn’t my town anymore.
and yet ilkley remains hideously wealthy with some of the highest house prices in the UK relative to income. The Macdonalds is on the site of something that's been a cafe since the 1920s. The factory shop was another - different - chain store and ross bros were only iconic in one town. If you're so bothered about the hardware shop, buy it and un it - it's closing for a reason and the reason is the internet and people's desire to buy stuff cheaply. Ilkley managed to re-elect a tory MP recently- who do you think has caused this collapse? A party that has been in power for 54 of the 79 years since 1945, a party who sold off everything and crippled local councils (yes, they're the reason your recycling centre closed), a party who underfunded local services so that they now spend 70% of their income on adult social care - something that ilkley consumes more of, with its aged population - and vulnerable services. if all the people who bleat in an enttitled manner actually understood their culpability, it would be a start.
Well who would have thought that a comment about how modern Ilkley has changed from my childhood would trigger a political rant from someone who will take any opportunity to fly the flag for an underperforming leadership.
The way you speak of Bradford I’m sure rings true for many towns and cities. I’m a little younger than you but not much and too served time in uniform. I have never known a time where I felt so negative about the future of this country, a country I was once proud of but now don’t recognise. It feels to me that along with common sense and decency, integrity is on the endangered list. I look at out latest batch of politicians to take the reins. Just months ago they promised certain things , it was there in black and white, recorded for all to see, we’ll do this , well right that wrong. Once in power the deny it. They lie without a hint of conscience , honesty and integrity it would seem are not qualities they value or possess. When those at the top behave in this manor what do the young in society have as an example. There’s a reason most people when together discussing the current climate use the same phrase . We’re f*****
Strange that both Mercedes and Audi have closed in Bradford, however one point that wasn't considered, was theft and vandalism. The Range Rover dealership, used to have cars that were out, on display vandalised and parts stolen. Those parts no doubt put on older models, or damaged models. Clearly there are many BMWs, Audis and Range Rovers driven around Bradford, so demand for spares is high. I could be wrong, but when large companies like Sytner and Pendragon, shut a dealership, it's doubtful, its due to the lack of trade.
Debt Slavery ! , it's bad here in Australia . Not me , if I want something I save up and buy it with cash or go without . I work with many here in their 20's and 30's with 1/2 million debt hanging around their necks and they still think it's the norm ! sad .
An interesting take on current affairs, which I endorse almost completely. It is important to remember that we live in a democracy where there are choices but if people chose not to think and question what is happening to them they will be led to a place they would not choose to end up in. Remember that 'might is right', happy new year to all.
Well said Dave. I don't anyone in authority, especially the police until they have earned my trust which very few of them do. I've been that way all my life and I'm almost 70. I also say this coming from a family with many members who have served in the police, including both my parents. Many of my family who served as cops became distrustful of the powers that be because of what they experienced. When I was an apprentice in the early 70's one of my Journeymen kept telling me " this country is f**ked" and at first I didn't know what he meant....all these years later I now know!! We need to fight back and get rid of these useless B'stards that get voted into power before it is too late. Thanks for your videos and keep the rubber side down Dave.
I agree 100%. My late father had a shop in Lancaster that did very well Indeed. I once said why not open another shop in the next town (3 miles away). His reply was the business was doing very well so he doesn't need the extra cost/work etc. He retired comfortably well off. Eventually he moved into a flat overlooking Morecambe bay. One day he was talking to his neighbour who was retired and also had his own shop (grocery shop) and had done very well for himself. He told me dad that his mate had a grocery shop and had said why don't we combine them and work together but he declined saying he's doing ok as he is. They were both from Bradford, his mate was William Morrison. He said everything worked out ok and money isn't everything.
I'm sure old William Morrison will be turning in his grave seeing what's become of his company & filthy, drab shops now, asset stripped by yankee private equity firm CD&R.
I can't vouch for this story but I strongly suspect it is true. When Morrisson were heading south with their top team for the £3 billion buy out of Safeway supermarkets, Sir Ken insisted they travel second class on the train. No point in wasting money, eh?
100% correct , in Cumbria every high street has gone the same way as your city , plenty of redevelopments ie COUNCIL Offices . Over Budget and longer construction times than most Cathederals. built on carparks , extra new shop units (never let in 10 years) built on another carpark and school playing fields just as internet shopping took off , yet the clueless council still think they are correct and locals know nothing.
My son in laws shops was 3 now nothing, but have opened a new business with existing tradeing name. Overheads doubled in 5 years with a lower footfall, then the dreaded new year increases of wages and NHI contributions. Company was wound up by advice from accountants. They were a limited company fortunately. A New door has opened this new year. No longer owe any money. New year could be a recovery . Wait and see. They employed 18 staff once, labour have written them off.
lovely bike ride on a beautiful yorkshire road.....BUT....as a german married to a yorkshire woman...we left england in 1984.....we often felt it was a mistake....but looking back now i don't miss Leeds and deffo not Bradford.....occasionally we return......"but it'S not what it used to be"...sadly.
Your words are so right , people should wake up fast .. i imagen your last working years were difficult knowing and seeing the thruth wile stil having to serve your masters ...
People are waking to insanity across the globe. Perilous times we are surviving - We surfs. We must protect our avenues of communicating truth in this daily bombardment of darkness. I believe we change things one awakened person at a time. Thank you Dave for speaking truth.
Brilliant video Dave. Im very much the skeptic too, no *ahem* medications pushed by they gov for myself and Suzie. Tax system is just ridiculous, so much so i resented my previously good job giving thousands a month so they could bomb folk in far away countries with our tax pounds. Im glad in a way to be more out of the system than Ive ever been. I'd rather have less and earn less. Basically Im checked out. Cheers!
Cheers Sean yes that global war mongering with our money sticks in my craw. As von Clausewitz famously said “war is a continuation of politics by other means”. The war machine exists to feed the vast wealth and greed of arms manufacturers in whose interests it is to ensure that government policies sustain conflict somewhere in the world. Their profits are made from the blood of innocents.
The war machine and Big Pharma are industries and put massive profits into corporate pockets. The demise of travel (any travel) is to keep us in our place.
A thoughtful and accurate observation on the state of the nation, not just Bradford. However, depressing reality is offset by the beautiful Yorkshire countryside and excellent commentary. Thanks also for the discount on the Aooci TFT screen. Bargain!
Thanks for the reality check Dave there is much truth in your narrative, looks like a dry mild day here in the North East so I’m off out for some much needed therapy 👍
Last year a big car dealership that mainly sold Vauxhall cars shut down in our area of Nottingham plus a large motor cycle dealers that sold BMW and Harley Davidson bikes shut late last year. How many average wage working men can afford to pay 35-40 grand for a car.
Merry Christmas,essentially we seem to be now more aware of matters pertaining to the world;nothing has really changed its been happening for centuries,as for Westminster,ask a Scot and he'll tell you of the corruption of it.
Think one of the problems is that the MP’s don’t ‘live’ in the world we do, they live in a bubble of generous salary, generous expenses, freebies and back handers centred around Westminster. They say a lot, do very little and basically don’t care. Yes, decline is everywhere. It’s tragic.
That sums it up.
Arseholes sums it up better
Correct!
Honestly, you’re being way too generous to politicians.
I promise you, they beeping well do know that what their government is doing is downright harmful.
I no longer subscribe to the view I too used to hold, that they’re incompetent.
The reality is shocking. They’ve been “captured” to an increasing extent. This is true of almost all countries, most importantly for us, in The West.
By captured I mean by global capital. A relatively small number of extraordinarily wealthy & powerful institutions, foundations and individuals have collaborated with each other, the majority of the worlds largest corporations, the world’s central banks and a group of ghastly authoritarians. They corruptly send money at rates / amounts so large that few people would be able to resist this bribery, to do what they & their stakeholders want. The globalists have additional levers, the other being threats. Most key people didn’t climb to upper echelons without assistance. Along the way, they were compromised and it’s this which provides the basis of threats if they refuse to do what they’re told.
How long this has been going on, I do not know, but unfortunately I think it’s not a new or even a recent phenomenon. It is I’m afraid to say undoubtedly true.
It explains why no matter how the people vote, anywhere, you still continue to get a very similar set of policies.
The worst of all this is that we could easily force this evil machine to a halt, if a sufficiently large percentage of the people made it clear that “We know you’re lying, you’re working on behalf of people who have no legitimate interests in how each country is being run. You stand accused of criminal conduct at very least. After your jury trial, you should expect to spend the rest of your life locked up, if you’re fortunate enough to live in a country without capital punishment no matter how heinous & diabolical the crimes”.
I’m no longer faintly surprised, but I know that the vast majority of people either have no idea why things are so bad, how this degradation is being accomplished and where it’s expected to end up.
Until 2020, I was among the majority who consumed mainstream news and only rarely raised an eyebrow at implausible reports.
I now realise that all official news is lies.
Those “keeping their heads down and mouths shut” are every bit as important & dangerous to us all as the perpetrators themselves. Their methods would fail almost immediately if people were brave enough to say “I’m not satisfied with what you’ve told us. I believe you’re lying & you’re going to end up in prison”.
I’ve been trying for almost five years to warn people. Some have woken up and are spreading important information. The vast majority however appear fully locked into the given narrative that is stripping us of our rights and freedoms. I anticipate acceleration of what can be called “de-civilisation” of The West. It’s not ever going to get better spontaneously. We didn’t get here spontaneously but as a result of a multi decade push involving what propagandists call “social engineering”.
I’m resigned to total destruction of The West over the next few years to a decade at most, and along the way, we are going to be made much poorer, less outward looking, and in some considerable fraction of the population, we’re going to get demised.
The MP's still get energy expenses on second London home , perhaps this should be means tested!
I never thought I'd hear an ex-copper articulating revolutionary views. Well said !
It's nice to hear cold hard facts and a member of the 'establishment' seeing the whole political system mess we have been put in 😉
What other products does this dealership sell and support? How have they diversified their product range?
@@michaelreid2329 Getting the dealership would almost certainly rely on them exclusively selling Audi and no other competing brand.
Well that was cheerful. Not wrong, mind. We are being milked, like cattle. Like cattle, we have no say in the running of the farm. Like cattle, once the milk stops, we are unwanted and surplus to requirements. Unlike cattle, we voted ourselves into this.
We have always been cattle for the elite 🤷🏻♂️
I am a Bradfordian, my achievement in life was getting my 3 children well away from it & we leave in the Spring. Bradford has been declining for over 100 years, but the acceleration in the last 30 is astonishing. I rarely venture in, my social life is along the Aire Valley & Leeds, but when l do go it is upsetting, it's soul has gone along with it's citizens.
Everywhere is not failing, l spend good time in York & Lincoln which function well, Leeds (co-joined) is another booming regional winner.
Yes certainly lost its soul 👍🏻
It’s all part of the grand plan, work from home,have the supermarket deliver to your door, don’t go to the pub or restaurant have a meal delivered to your door, shop online with same day delivery. Stay at home, don’t mingle and talk to people, text or ring or email so the government knows where you are what you buy what you eat what you say. The cashless lifeless society in a 15 min neighbourhood. You will own nothing and you WILL be happy.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 your monologues are brilliant. Our small family business of 35 years with 5 shops are now down to 2 and struggling to survive due to government (national and local) red tape. I’ll never vote Tory or Labour ever again.
the last 14 years have been tory, as has 54 of the 79 years since 1945. Labour does their best to keep the country going in between long periods of tory chaos. oh, and if you're thinking about reform, they're tories - they want to get rid of the NHS and cut taxes for the millionaires....
There hasn't been a Labour party for most of the last fifty years and I'm pretty sure it's gone for good now, so that temptation is unlikely to occur
Voting is futile sadly..Its all rigged...I still cant believe that people dont know this or cant see it...
Don’t see any disagreement with you in the comments. Welcome to the impending era of the banana republic with no bananas.
Well that was a bleak and damning assessment.
That doesn't make you wrong.
The whole of the UK is going the same way our local high street is full of charity shops hairdressers and like u say vape shops very insightful blog again Dave
Turkish barbers by any chance?
the shops closed because of no demand, you and me did not support them..... we brought it upon ourselves.
@@kingfisherphil not necessarily. Councils put up parking charges, there’s ULEZ, clean air zones, some places are ridiculously expensive, councils make driving in and around towns and cities difficult with bus lanes, cycle lanes, timed zones, one way systems, enforcement cameras, speed bumps etc. They don’t want you there. And let’s raise the elephant in the room, lots of foreign groups of young men, hanging around outside coffee shops, take aways and all the rest. I’ve got a 30 year old daughter who tells me all the time she feels scared because they pester her and follow her making remarks when she goes near them. I’ve heard other women say similar including my wife, THIS is another reason our high streets are dying, but politicians are willfully blind to it.
Absolutely spot on mate. We can all see it here in the UK.
Cheers buddy yes all rather depressing and so predictable
You are 100% correct in what you say and it is also happening here in New Zealand.
Hi Don from another Kiwi who regularly tunes in to TBW.
Yes it is! (Royal Enfield in Christchurch for a start)
@@wesleyjames. You mean RE in Christchurch has closed down?
@@richardbrown9344 Yes unfortunately First European dealership has shut up shop for good. I think there's only Nelson left in the South
@@wesleyjames. I thought Royal Enfield were just kicking off again.
Well Dave....you and I are of the same vintage.....born and raised in the same city.....and both pursued careers in the emergency services of West Yorkshire!! I couldn't have put it better myself......a stunning and inciteful summation of what has happened to one of the powerhouse cities of empire!! I remember Bradford's last roll of the dice in the early eighties.....for me, great times for a young man with hopes, dreams and aspirations! The politicians, councillors and, dare I say it, the senior police officers......to name but a few, all conspired to look the other way whilst a once industrial powerhouse was murdered.....all in the name of......ah, what's the point?! Too late now......and it really is. I listened to you whilst sat on my son's veranda in Darwin, Australia......having not long got here from my daughters place in Perth. Australia's gain is the UK's loss......and I wonder why!!
Back to freezing Norh Yorks soon!! Ride safe bruv.
Dave (normally shivering in N. Yorks!!)
@@daveh1081 served my time at International Harvesters in Idle. The plant was closed in the early 80s . Moved to South Africa to work for VW in the Eastern Cape. Ironically VW are now being killed off too. Back in Bradford now and have witnessed its managed decline into a third world economy. The wealth and skill generators now to a significant degree, long gone!
'Dare I say it.' Why wouldn't you say it? The police aren't serving the public.
Lucky you in Oz there Dave don’t hurry back pal it’s grim up ‘ere 👍🏻
Tragic Dale......absolutely tragic.....I had mates who worked there and Flenders to name but two. Hope you're okay nonetheless mate!@daletown6410
@UncleDot Because there are no doubt some good coppers out there mate. My community bobby, Ralph would be a case in point. You didn't mess about when Ralph was strutting his stuff around Heaton and Toller Lane, Bradford back in the day......he commanded respect!!It's those who climbed the greasy pole to the more, shall we say "politicised" ranks that I'm aiming at. They should be ashamed......same goes for all who had there grubby hands on the levers of power!!!
The whole of the U.K. is in decline, just some towns and cities faster than others. But, one thing is for certain, under Labour the U.K. will become like a film set off Mad Max in the next 4 years.
Hang on we have suffered under the Tories for 14 years. Largely all Dave has just said is down to policies from Thatcher. How do you come to the conclusion the labour government that has been in power for 6 months is going to make things worse?
@ Totally agree with your point on the Conservatives over the last 14 years. With regards my conclusion on Starmer and Labour, it is purely based on their actions,policies, attitude, lack of understanding of economics,, growth and their obsession with Net Zero, at a unaffordable cost to most of us. And finally, the blatant lies, deceit, and repetitive same old excuses for their own lack of direction/understanding and how they have abandoned the historic, traditional working class voter/supporter. People have always understood Labour to be the party of high tax and hight spending, but previously it was for the very people who elected them, now it seems globalist ideals and policy take priority. Just my personal opinion.
@@Dozeyish Because they are Labour. They always do. However, in that respect they are simply another branch of the UniParty. Tories are equally inept marxists.
@@Dozeyish miss reeeeves is not even an economist, what could possibly go wrong.
@@DickieDark the Hunger Games portrays their agenda brilliantly !
My family was originally from Bradford before we emigrated to Australia. I visited a couple years ago and noticed clearly Bradford is in decline, we did not feel safe in the city centre. Druggos, drunk teens, shady shops etc. We found Leeds by contrast much better. We are going back, but a bit wiser.Its clear that in the UK, just like it’s happening in Australia, that the middle/working class is shifting rapidly downwards to the poor (incl. welfare bludgers), the working poor (high taxes and less real wages) and the small very rich minority. Housing, groceries, insurance, energy etc prices are going way up and real wages going down. Large companies incl. foreign companies pay little to no tax and exploit our resources and politicians support this model. Revenue raising by fines, surcharges, road tolls etc are booming. I’m not a socialist, but it is not working out well now for the majority of average hard workers in most Western countries. The young are seeing this and voicing concern, rightly so.
Same in the EU, normal people just want to earn a life, corporations evade taxes through loopholes made by greedy politicians, who are just filling up their pockets...
Happy 2025 🎉
It's the same story in Preston, all the big shops are gone from town center. All there is in town now are vape shops, Turkish barbers, charity shops and cash converters. On the plus side we have two Weatherspoons :P and countless takeaways.
The concil here seems determined to push all traffic out of the town center, I wonder if it has something to do with the huge retail parks just outside of town, surely they aren't trying to recoup on an investment there?
ever heard of the internet? it's a thing for retail, you know.....
Most of those vape shops Turkish barbers and nail shops are money laundering fronts,and the police know it and do nothing about it,my local coppers actually use the local Turkish barbers the tattooed thuggish twts and that's the coppers.
Youre right, and in my view , the likes of Ed Millibrains green shite and the boat people for instance, will shag this country completely.
Gb energy will be sucked dry by private equity will bill payers funding their profits.
The boat people? Ignoramus. How many immigrants do you think come in for every boat person? You probably have no idea and neither do you care.
Very powerful words sir... very well said
Well said! I’m about a similar age to yourself and the advent of cheap transport for family or individuals meant mobility for the masses which in turn improved our lives (yes at a cost to climate) but as you said they now want to limit movement and put us back into our place where than can control all aspects of our lives.
I listened to someone talking about car parking charges at hospitals, they stated that they wanted to discourage people turning up in cars!All well and good when we used to have local hospitals but now we have the super hospitals , miles away from most patients
They build more properties without any increase in hospital beds,doctors surgeries, dentists! Services we expect from councils just reduce year on year whilst rates increase for these and the police precept increase with no signs of any police on the streets.
I have come to detest any politician , after years of being a socialist I can’t stand their duplicity any of them or any party.
Sorry for the rant.
It’s a good rant and absolutely spot on pal 👍🏻
Agree entirely
a lovely ride and good chat.
A sad story Dave but that's how the world is these days. Fortunately, you did show a beautiful video of the area around the Bradford disaster site.
No offence buddy, but the establishment are relying on our defeatist no hope mindsets..
The big two have had their way for far too long, in it it doesn't have to be like that. They want us to think there is no hope, as there then is less resistance to their own agendas.😉
Oh what a great and truthful video you are so right and you explain things more and better than anybody else I know in plain English I love these sort of videos you do harping back about how things were and how it’s changed love it topped off by the beautiful ride through the Yorkshire countryside keep on doing these type of videos they are so interesting and knowledgeable great stuff take care ride safe
Cheers Nicholas
As a retired Police Officer who also started walking the beat in Brighton in 1983, I have to agree with your somewhat depressing but realistic state of the country. It does however look like you have some beautiful countryside to ride through. All the best from one copper to another.
Thank you Neil great to hear from a colleague
I'd have thought the main method of transport in Bradford would be Magic Carpet!
I do enjoy listening to your well though out and almost poetically delivered views and comments as we sit back and ride through the lovely countryside. Sometimes you even hit a nerve and open an eye.
An excellent video Dave and 100% correct although I think all our problems started not 15 years ago but in 1980. Unfettered greed and removal of checks and balances resulting in the financial crash of 2008. Banks bailed out for their greed and incompetence by taxpayers money. Icelandic bankers were jailed and ours retired with big pensions or simply carried on with business as usual. I still remember being turned down for a £500 bank loan to buy a secondhand car in 1974. I had to see the manager and when he'd finished questioning me he shook his head and that was that. Even though I'd had my wages paid into the bank for two years and was an apprentice with a large company with a regular wage and no debts. As we can see, it's all ending in tears.
Now you can get a credit card, max it it out and get more of them with limited checks.
Yes Jeff I had a similar interview with the bank manager in 1980 wanting £500 for an old cortina….he sent me packing. Yes the rot set in in the 80s when industry was destroyed, national assets sold off and the city of London deregulated…..criminal
we now have a former employee of one of those banks running our economy, Rachel from accounts, and badly.
....and Triumph, Meriden closed down marking the end of the British motorcyle.
Until Mr Bloor reopened👏👍👏
I'm in agreement with you. I worked a short term contract based in Bradford about 20 years ago and then virtually every other shop was a pound shop but a little cash was thrown at the development near the town hall, from memory they were upmarket eating places . There was a Westfield shopping centre being built, but that was nothing compared to what was happening in Leeds.
Absolutely spot on, it became very clear to me back in 2008 when the banks went down. What’s happened since then doesn’t surprise me, other than, we are allowing it!
This great nation that so many gave their lives for are excepting the terms and conditions being laid down!
We need change, we need to demand change, less talking and more sensible direction towards making a life for our grandchildren! Just as so many did from 1939 -45. That pride, that togetherness needs to be driven with determination, we shall not except, we will have the nation we all want! True democracy, politicians serving us with transparency and honesty on a daily basis.
Hello, I fully agree with you. Today, I'm 70 years old, I firmly believe that I've lived through the best time. What you say is felt in all industrialized countries, sad that all these changes are taking place too quickly leaving no time to be understood and assimilated. I have fears for my children and my grandchildren for the future they will have. The next thirty years will be decisive.
Québec, Canada.
Exactly…and happy Birthday sir 👍🏻
It is a bleak outlook, but unfortunately all too true, well done for putting it so well and concisely in to words. Where there is life there is hope.
Very good, most people not hard of thinking are with you in the realisation of what is occurring in our world, very sad and oh so avoidable. Being over 70 we are acutely aware that our parents and grandparents were poor, no free healthcare, no cars in most cases, no foreign holidays etc etc. Compare that to what the present generation expect as normal? The decline is obvious but masked, as you say, by governments and media. Strangely enough just this week something that says it all is happening, people are going on strike because their employer (us) want them to actually turn up for work 3 out of 5 days, amazing?
As a proud Yorkshire Man born in Keithley in the early 60's living in rural Cumbria since I was 8 have seen minimal decline here but now it is all around with local owned shops no longer being able to be financially viable , I have a friend who was a manager of Dewhurst In Penrith sadly closed years ago.
Most of us are responsible for this sad state of economic affairs including myself with on-line purchases.
It is correct that those we put in power are very much to blame and at the moment running around like frightened rabbits caught in the headlights.
We worry for our children and our grandchildren's futures.
You are 100% correct ,a very bleak future indeed.
A bittersweet monologue which on the one hand eloquently describes the depressing malaise so evident throughout the UK and indeed abroad as well. While on the other hand we're treated to a motorcycle ride in some of the best scenery I can imagine. Thoughtful, informed by a lifetime of experience. Good on you.
I started work in Bradford 1971. A bustling City. I saved for a mortgage wlith Bradford & Bingley B.S. and was curiously proud to do so.
BUT trace the history of that once revered institution, and you find, epitomised, the downfall of Bradford and so much else.
Comfort brings blindness. Blindness brings destruction.
The biggest greediest business is the Government. It’s got bigger and bigger and therefore the private sector has got smaller and smaller. Low interest rates are a result of massive inflation of the money supply which has impacted asset prices by driving them higher.
The private sector now owns the utilities. The private sector now milks funds from the NHS. the private sector now runs the prisons. The private sector now runs the railways and road conscription.
Do you live in the UK?
@@Dozeyish I do. It is now a sovietised state. Almost half of GDP is the State which contributes zero, nada, nothing to economic growth. GMT debt drives out private debt. Bad money drives out good and what you describe is merely "rent seeking".
You need only look to the water companies to see what happens to national assets in private hands….and all of them local monopolies
@ Water companies are franchised and controlled by the state - hence OFWAT. They are still better than they would have been in full state ownership and lower cost. I was involved in automation of many of the plants after privatisation, they were very inefficient and relied purely on costly manual labour to keep them running. Same went for British Steel and British Rail there was no money to upgrade and modernise them. They should all be privately owned, not the public private partnership, in which the regulators end up being sympathetic to the water company, because they fear the company will abandon the franchise if they have too much pressure applied to them - this happened with several rail franchises who could not make any profit, incurred losses and backed out leaving the Government in a pickle.
Monopolies are the sole creation of the state. A company that dominates a particular business isn’t always a monopoly, it can be that it’s providing the best goods/service at that particular time.
@@Dozeyish The state sets out the criteria for running the businesses. It regulates them. It becomes a push pull between state and business as the state tries to get its pound of flesh, while the business attempts to achieve the highest profit. In between sit the regulators who end up on the side of the business, because in many cases these are open ended franchises and the owners can do a moonlight flit at any time. The regulators are as much about ensuring continuity of service, as they are in ensuring the states criteria are met, it’s a delicate balancing act. The state usually wants a lot more and the business wants to do the very minimum it can get away with. If it were all in private hands the bad actors would be put out of business by new competition - we had that beginning to happen in the energy sector until companies clearly decided they didn’t like the competitive market and politicians began to complain that the poor were getting a bad deal.
You've truly hit the nail on the head in every respect.
Walked thru Wakefield centre yesterday afternoon, and it was so quiet. For a saturday afternoon it was shocking.
A very thought invoking and correct video 😞 your right the decline started in the 80’s and mass immigration has sped up our decline to a point where no Northern town/city resembles its roots😞 our last and only hope is to vote Reform and if they do the dirty on us then all is truly lost😞👍🏻
Enjoyed the video, but wish i hadn't watched it. We could sit down in what few pubs are left over a pint or two and talk about how shit the UK has become. And all we can do is get on with it and weep for our grandchildren 😢 chin up though eh.
Well put Dave. I'm from Wakefield and you could be describing that once great city
Once 😢
Agree with all your observations Dave. I was born, raised and worked in Bradford and after a career in engineering, made the move to WYP at the ripe age of 38. Don’t recall our paths ever crossing during my years at Bradford North. I too saw the demise of a city I used to be proud of. Think it’s a similar story in many northern cities. Ride safe and hopefully might see you out on the road one day.
Cheers David any relation to Mark Milner at Bradford Central?
@ not related Dave. Quite a few Milners in the WYP Bradford area but not related to any of them.
The 2 things I couldn't afford are a Vincent black shadow and a wife with a credit card.
As is, I have 2 children and a Harley to support.
It’s interesting that so many complain about the decline of so much in our cities towns and villages…. yet most of the complainers buy from big supermarkets or online cutting out the independents for a few pounds saving… that is a great part of the death of our high streets and the breaking of our communities…. Which ends up giving all the cash to the big business owners and nothing stays local.
I moved away from supermarkets for my food 12 years ago and it was the best thing I ever did using a handful of small independent food shops …. Apart from anything else, it all taste so much better.
Wherever I go in this country or abroad, I buy local support local and hope it will be there the next time I visit ….
Yes, it’s a little less convenient having to go to a number of places to buy your weekly shop …. But you would be surprised because you get your community back., you feel involved rather than the sterile experience in big supermarkets….
Think about it , you’ve been conned…..
Bang on!
seeing the 'Translate to English' under this comment made me chuckle somewhat.
Unfortunately Dave time marches on and sometimes not in a good way. I see it here in the States as well. We do the best we can with what we have. Sometimes we have a bit more to make our lives a bit better...and then those times where we have less and struggle to keep our heads above water. Some how we struggle and make it through. Take care and ride safe.
Eyup Dave. Very well scripted vid cheers.
My memories of Bradford town center back in my youth still induce an involuntary smile on my face to this day. Lordy how it’s changed.
Imagine if the young folk of today were able to have a brief taste of the freedom, choices and relative simplicity of life we once enjoyed as boomers.
I sense that there is now a slight shift in the tide and folk are becoming ever more aware and vocal about the control that those who were elected to serve us seek to exercise. I’m mildly optimistic that change is on the horizon🤞
Thanks again
Paul👍🏍
beautifully put
You expressed my views so much better than I could and its good to know that I am not alone with my thoughts.
This video is as good as the one about your Dad
Beautiful ride and views with a chillingly honest commentary , sadly we are all becoming red squirrels
As ever, wise words indeed sir. I just traded a sports bike into a BMW dealership for a virtually new R12 nine T for an amazing deal. I never thought I’d ever get a good trade in deal anywhere, let alone a BMW dealership but they clearly overpriced the new bike at a time when dealerships are closing and the wider bike market is in decline so for once this went in my favour but I’m sad for all the people working in the motorcycle industry that will likely loose their jobs in the coming months and years. Riding a bike has and will continue to give me pleasure but future generations will be denied of this simple, liberating experience by corporate and governmental greed. What is happening in the Middle East and the US has been happening for years only now they don’t care about optics. Greed is seen as strength no matter how many lives or livelihood it costs.
As an Englishman I enjoyed this - thank you very much for your efforts. See you on the front line.
Frontline for a plate of fish and chips? 😂😂😂
@@darumagenki6271 Sounds like a great idea to celebrate my joining REFORM. 🤣🤣🤣
Reform….no thanks….i have a brain 😂
@@thebingleywheeler Unfortunately not one that compares with mine!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
You should have been an urban poet mate!
I don't know where you get this idea that the 'Age of Austerity' started 15 years ago. It was way before that!
Back in 1987 I was working as a youth worker in Huddersfield, where I live. It was announced that year that most major funding was to be cut by central government and youth clubs either had to find their own funding, or close. It was that simple.
We said at the time that the knock on effect would be that, in 20 or 30 years, young people would be hanging around on street corners, with nothing to do and no normal disciplines, so quite naturally they will get up to mischief, that leads onto petty, then serious crimes. And sure enough, exactly as we predicted it has happened. (I wish I could be that accurate with the lottery, lol).
This also has helped with the decline of younger people getting into motorcycling legally. I myself rode illegally for a couple of decades before finally passing my bike test over 20+ years ago. So I can relate to the how's & why's of this world.
And finally. Do you honestly think Yorkshire people are going to stand by and watch the elites waft by in their padded luxury and not chuck the odd half charlie their way by way of 'blessing them', by Eck lad, I hope so......
There was no "austerity" under the Lib/Tory regime. Taxes went up, gmt spending went up, the State grew larger.
Here’s one example of the austerity programme of 2010….26,000 police officers cut….there are many other examples of course. I agree that austerity in principle started a lot earlier 👍🏻
Well said and very well observed, sir. Sad times right enough...
While I'm a (small C) capitalist at heart, I agree totally with your thoughts. We were once a country of the small(ish) local shops, factories and businesses fully embedded into their community. Were they all good and honest, most certainly not, but the ethics of the time was that they should at least be seen to be part of the local community.
I remember the local shops where I lived slowly being taken over by the multinationals and similar home grown conglomerates. The only national brands were the like of M&S and Woolworths. I remember every August of my school life visiting M&S for my school uniform, yes slightly more expensive but able to withstand the rigours of a full term at school.
Yes, this is a bit of nostalgia, but my recollections are of a much happy time (generally, if not for all) where wages were sufficient for a husband to feed and house his family and the wife able to not work while the children were young and then work once they had all started school, to enable the family to afford new and better things. This was the same whether your family owned their own home or lived in Council housing.
My recollection is that it all started to change during the 70s and later with ever growing momentum, and the days of young single earner families became less and less common. Taking on debt became not only more common but actively encouraged, by Governments (of all parties), business and just about anyone that could see a way to make a few £s. I am probably (just coming into my 70s) one of the last generations where my wife and I had the ability to consciously decide that she would stay at home (I was the main wage earner at that time) with the children and I would work to earn our keep. This worked well for us, we did not have lavish holidays like some of our friends or new cars, etc. We also had minimal debt and we were able to save and use cash for most things and only used credit for things for the house, washing machine, fridge/freezer and the like. Once our children were in school my wife went to work, University and had a career as a Nurse.
Looking at my children's lives they and their spouses had to both work just to have the same standard of life that my wife and I had on just my wages.
Though we all have much more material things in our lives now, I'm not so sure happiness is one of them.
Wise words Jim I agree completely 👍🏻
Real capitalism is fine and maybe what we need. The freedom to make £millions AND THE FREEDOM TO GO BROKE! If Whizz Kid A can't make a go of something, let Whizz Kid B buy it for 10p in the Pound and maybe succeed. "Too big to fail" and "reward for failure" are not the way to run an economy.
As long as they pay their taxes and stop concealing capital wealth offshore!
@@thebingleywheeler Sure! Sadly not the case at present.
I agree with every word ,and been saying similar for years . Keep the good work up
I am afraid you are absolutely right... Thank you for expressing all those things so well... Hope the people will learn... to think for themselves, but they will have to suffer much more to wake up from the Disneyworld the press is still selling! Fortunately, motorcyclists have the opportunity to think when we ride, and the slower we ride (Himalayan 😉) the deeper the reflexion is... Thank you very much for your highest quality texts and looking forward a great year 2025 ! ✌
The other problem is with dealers don't have any test rides available Appleyard i want to buy a cfmoto 450 Mt ... nope don't have a test ride or one in to sit on ... but if you want to put a deposit down on one your more than welcome ... would you buy something you haven't seen or tested .... NO, my harley-davidson had two test rides before i spent my money
Spend a little money on a trip to Nathan Milwards Dorothy's s Speed Shop. He does bike test days where you can test sub 500 cc bikes with like minded bikers . Expect to experience the CF450 MT ( I did twice in one day). Plus a Triumph 400X , Himalayan 450, Reiju 500 Adventure , CRF 300, Vogue 300, KTM 390, BMW 310 . A great day along the Devon lanes will be had , weather willing !!
Had several cars from Bradford Audi over the years. The tax regime on vehicles and ridged forcing strategy by the government on electric cars is a key issue here. Separately, Bradford is ran by fools at centre. They know nothing when it comes to wealth generation, something Bradford needs more than anything else. Great video, well done!
One thing is for sure , no politician or political party is going to stop the rot , at this late stage of the game. As far as I can see voting for any of them , is only encouraging them in their own delusions of self importance, enabling them to get aboard the gravy train & totally take the piss . Any good days we had , have been & gone & don’t look like returning anytime soon .
Interesting, your take on modern shopping. Did the down turn arrive with the late sixties pedestrianisation of High streets. l say this because where l came from, a once bustling hight street of various shop was transformed into a wilderness of charity shops, estate agents, mortgage lenders etc! plus more unsociable behavior in a pretty short space of time...Did this coincide with yet another austerity period...My first was the post WW2 version during the fifties. Since then we had Harold Macmillan saying ''You've never had it so good'' to yet another period of Austerity..ad' infinitum.....Be careful of all those wet leaves Dave...Greetings and Happy New Year from España
I was born and brought up just over t’hill in Ilkley and the joke here is everything is made into coffee shops and cafes, we have a new out of town McDonalds and The Original Factory Shop which was situated on the site of the iconic Ross Bros is to become a drive through coffee stop.
Then there was more sad news last week when it was announced that another Ilkley landmark Morten’s hardware shop closed after 87 years, The household recycling site has gone, we now have a 20 minute drive to the site at Keighley.
This isn’t my town anymore.
and yet ilkley remains hideously wealthy with some of the highest house prices in the UK relative to income. The Macdonalds is on the site of something that's been a cafe since the 1920s. The factory shop was another - different - chain store and ross bros were only iconic in one town.
If you're so bothered about the hardware shop, buy it and un it - it's closing for a reason and the reason is the internet and people's desire to buy stuff cheaply.
Ilkley managed to re-elect a tory MP recently- who do you think has caused this collapse? A party that has been in power for 54 of the 79 years since 1945, a party who sold off everything and crippled local councils (yes, they're the reason your recycling centre closed), a party who underfunded local services so that they now spend 70% of their income on adult social care - something that ilkley consumes more of, with its aged population - and vulnerable services.
if all the people who bleat in an enttitled manner actually understood their culpability, it would be a start.
Well who would have thought that a comment about how modern Ilkley has changed from my childhood would trigger a political rant from someone who will take any opportunity to fly the flag for an underperforming leadership.
@Andy_Bat Blimey Andy are Mortens closing? They’re an institution what a shame….bought many a quality bit of hardware there
The way you speak of Bradford I’m sure rings true for many towns and cities.
I’m a little younger than you but not much and too served time in uniform. I have never known a time where I felt so negative about the future of this country, a country I was once proud of but now don’t recognise. It feels to me that along with common sense and decency, integrity is on the endangered list.
I look at out latest batch of politicians to take the reins. Just months ago they promised certain things , it was there in black and white, recorded for all to see, we’ll do this , well right that wrong. Once in power the deny it. They lie without a hint of conscience , honesty and integrity it would seem are not qualities they value or possess.
When those at the top behave in this manor what do the young in society have as an example.
There’s a reason most people when together discussing the current climate use the same phrase . We’re f*****
Well said .
What a 100% comentry,how is it we older folk can see what’s going on.Brilliant ride thank you.
Rather than being spent in local businesses. much of Bradford's wealth gets sent out of the country.
Very true words indeed, as a nation we have become like sheep to the slaughter. I just hope that we can wake up from the malaise that’s settled on us.
Strange that both Mercedes and Audi have closed in Bradford, however one point that wasn't considered, was theft and vandalism.
The Range Rover dealership, used to have cars that were out, on display vandalised and parts stolen. Those parts no doubt put on older models, or damaged models.
Clearly there are many BMWs, Audis and Range Rovers driven around Bradford, so demand for spares is high.
I could be wrong, but when large companies like Sytner and Pendragon, shut a dealership, it's doubtful, its due to the lack of trade.
It’s the lack of business. I pass it regularly and in the last year it’s been pretty much deserted. Those cars are VERY expensive
Oh dear, all doom and gloom but your appearance on the Christmas Wallace and grommet film really cheered me up. Happy new year.
"Done Nickin" 😁
Great to hear someone talking sence for a change .Alan Northern Ireland .👍
Debt Slavery ! , it's bad here in Australia .
Not me , if I want something I save up and buy it with cash or go without .
I work with many here in their 20's and 30's with 1/2 million debt hanging around their necks and they still think it's the norm ! sad .
An interesting take on current affairs, which I endorse almost completely. It is important to remember that we live in a democracy where there are choices but if people chose not to think and question what is happening to them they will be led to a place they would not choose to end up in.
Remember that 'might is right', happy new year to all.
Spot on Dave. Viva la revolucion
😎😎😎
Well said Dave. I don't anyone in authority, especially the police until they have earned my trust which very few of them do. I've been that way all my life and I'm almost 70. I also say this coming from a family with many members who have served in the police, including both my parents. Many of my family who served as cops became distrustful of the powers that be because of what they experienced. When I was an apprentice in the early 70's one of my Journeymen kept telling me " this country is f**ked" and at first I didn't know what he meant....all these years later I now know!! We need to fight back and get rid of these useless B'stards that get voted into power before it is too late. Thanks for your videos and keep the rubber side down Dave.
I agree 100%. My late father had a shop in Lancaster that did very well Indeed. I once said why not open another shop in the next town (3 miles away). His reply was the business was doing very well so he doesn't need the extra cost/work etc. He retired comfortably well off. Eventually he moved into a flat overlooking Morecambe bay. One day he was talking to his neighbour who was retired and also had his own shop (grocery shop) and had done very well for himself. He told me dad that his mate had a grocery shop and had said why don't we combine them and work together but he declined saying he's doing ok as he is. They were both from Bradford, his mate was William Morrison. He said everything worked out ok and money isn't everything.
I'm sure old William Morrison will be turning in his grave seeing what's become of his company & filthy, drab shops now, asset stripped by yankee private equity firm CD&R.
I can't vouch for this story but I strongly suspect it is true. When Morrisson were heading south with their top team for the £3 billion buy out of Safeway supermarkets, Sir Ken insisted they travel second class on the train. No point in wasting money, eh?
@borderlands6606 sounds about right how my dad's neighbour talked about him and the family.
100% correct , in Cumbria every high street has gone the same way as your city , plenty of redevelopments ie COUNCIL Offices . Over Budget and longer construction times than most Cathederals. built on carparks , extra new shop units (never let in 10 years) built on another carpark and school playing fields just as internet shopping took off , yet the clueless council still think they are correct and locals know nothing.
Spot on Dave, couldn't agree more.
My son in laws shops was 3 now nothing, but have opened a new business with existing tradeing name. Overheads doubled in 5 years with a lower footfall, then the dreaded new year increases of wages and NHI contributions. Company was wound up by advice from accountants. They were a limited company fortunately. A New door has opened this new year. No longer owe any money. New year could be a recovery . Wait and see. They employed 18 staff once, labour have written them off.
Brilliant thanks.
lovely bike ride on a beautiful yorkshire road.....BUT....as a german married to a yorkshire woman...we left england in 1984.....we often felt it was a mistake....but looking back now i don't miss Leeds and deffo not Bradford.....occasionally we return......"but it'S not what it used to be"...sadly.
Your words are so right , people should wake up fast .. i imagen your last working years were difficult knowing and seeing the thruth wile stil having to serve your masters ...
People are waking to insanity across the globe. Perilous times we are surviving - We surfs. We must protect our avenues of communicating truth in this daily bombardment of darkness. I believe we change things one awakened person at a time. Thank you Dave for speaking truth.
I agree especially with your critique of the mainstream media. 🏍️
Brilliant video Dave. Im very much the skeptic too, no *ahem* medications pushed by they gov for myself and Suzie. Tax system is just ridiculous, so much so i resented my previously good job giving thousands a month so they could bomb folk in far away countries with our tax pounds. Im glad in a way to be more out of the system than Ive ever been. I'd rather have less and earn less. Basically Im checked out. Cheers!
Cheers Sean yes that global war mongering with our money sticks in my craw. As von Clausewitz famously said “war is a continuation of politics by other means”. The war machine exists to feed the vast wealth and greed of arms manufacturers in whose interests it is to ensure that government policies sustain conflict somewhere in the world. Their profits are made from the blood of innocents.
The war machine and Big Pharma are industries and put massive profits into corporate pockets.
The demise of travel (any travel) is to keep us in our place.
Thank you for that ❤
A thoughtful and accurate observation on the state of the nation, not just Bradford. However, depressing reality is offset by the beautiful Yorkshire countryside and excellent commentary. Thanks also for the discount on the Aooci TFT screen. Bargain!
Great video Dave, depressing but spot on 👍👍👍
Very insightful.
My city has lost most of its manufacturing work. Now it's a shadow of its former self.
Brilliant video..
a spot on observation
Truer words never spoken!
Sadly, you are correct.
The West in general is in decline. All countries are in debt. The East is rising.
Thanks for the reality check Dave there is much truth in your narrative, looks like a dry mild day here in the North East so I’m off out for some much needed therapy 👍
Last year a big car dealership that mainly sold Vauxhall cars shut down in our area of Nottingham plus a large motor cycle dealers that sold BMW and Harley Davidson bikes shut late last year. How many average wage working men can afford to pay 35-40 grand for a car.
The service I get at my local Sytner is awful. I now use a local independent BMW specialist. Self inflicted
Merry Christmas,essentially we seem to be now more aware of matters pertaining to the world;nothing has really changed its been happening for centuries,as for Westminster,ask a Scot and he'll tell you of the corruption of it.
Thoughtful video from a former Skiptonian.
Well said, bleve nothing and relentlessly question everything.
Well spoken and wise words.
So well said! 👍