Dateline Monday 29th September 2025

Happy Monday, I hope you and yours are all well that’s September almost done and dusted, October starts this week, I hope you enjoyed the awesome weather we had on Saturday, well it was awesome down in the south of the country and it is looking like this week will certainly be a last gasps of summerish weather dry, sunny and warmish 

Sir Keir weak, weak, weak, Starmer our weak PM has now decided that we all need digital ID cards on our smart phones, well I hope he is going to give me a smart phone and all the other hundreds of thousands of people that don’t have smart phones. Will he ever come up with an original idea, this ID schtick was floated by the last Labour Government led by two men I can’t even put their names on my screen yes both of them, surnames beginning with B who finally left office after they had spent all OUR money.

Labour party conference in Liverpool this weak (ha see what I did there) let’s see what gems the numpty party can come up with.

The UN had all the Leaders of the World attending a meeting in New York all talking at each other and it totally seems no one was listening. When The Prime Minister of Israel came to the podium what seemed like half of the delegates in the debating camber walked out, they simply did not want to hear the TRUTH, such ignorance in dozens and dozens of “leaders” of tin pot countries, leaders are supposed to set an example to their followers, those who walked out should be banned from the next UN Meeting. Is this how leaders are supposed to behave?

Last week was the Jewish New Year this week is Yom Kippur יוֹם כִּפּוּר‎ (in Hebrew) translated it means 'day of the atonements' Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year in Judaism It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei, corresponding to a date in late September or early October. It is the most solemn and holy  day of the Jewish year a day of total fasting for 25 hours, this year it lasts from 6.30PM on Wednesday evening till 7.30PM on Thursday evening no eating or drinking whatsoever. It is on this day we make Atonement  for our sins (I have lots of them ) and make repentance to God for personal sins; sealing of one's fate for the upcoming year. Alongside the related holiday of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur is one of the two components of the High Holy Days of Judaism. It is also the last of the Ten Days of Repentance. May I take this opportunity to wish those of you who are observing Yom Kippur a g’mar chatimah tovah Fast well

Soap box time

The bitter news AGAIN today, it is 722 days since Israeli and other nations’ citizens were on 7^th October 2023 wrenched violently from their homes, streets, fields, and places of leisure in Israel and taken to be held hostage as pawns of war imprisoned in squalid conditions in the Hamas terror tunnels in Gaza.

The Isreal Defence Force have recovered the bodies of two Israelis killed on 7^th October 2023 and then taken to the Hamas dungeon tunnels to be held for ransom. A total of 48 Israelis are still being held captive by the group of evil, blood thirsty, barbaric terrorists called Hamas. Sadly, out of the 48 people being kept in horrific conditions only 24 are still alive although it seems Hamas is starving some of the hostages to a slow death. Hamas took the dead bodies back to Gaza because they knew that Israel would stop at nothing to get all their citizens, dead or alive back to Israel.

Here is a thought, GAZA is 25 miles long 3-7 miles wide with 2.1 MILLION people living there and not ONE PERSON in Gaza has helped to find the 48 Israeli hostages

Off the soap box now

Good news

Congratulations to the England Women’s Rugby team who beat the Canadians 33 -13 to lift the Rugby Union World Cup for the third time 

Congratulations to the European golf team who beat the USA golf team to win the Ryder Cup

Congratulations to the citizens of Moldova who have chosen the path of democracy over the Russian version of communism   

That’s it from a David point of view for this week.

MM and Company news update

TRAVEL

The Trump administration’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency said the Electronic System for Travel Authorization or ESTA fee will nearly double from its current $21 to $40 from 30 September.

Visitors from visa-waiver countries, such as the UK and most EU members, must apply for an ESTA for entry to the US. The authorisation is valid for two years unless the traveller’s passport expires within this time. if you are planning a trip to the US in the next two years, you can avoid this fee increase by securing your ESTA before 29 September.”

The UK has its own money making scheme it increased the charge for its own Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) from £10 to £16 in April.

The phased launch of the EU’s new biometric Entry-Exit System (EES), is due to be introduced from 12 October 2025, the European Union’s (EU) new Entry/Exit System (EES) will begin. This is a new digital border system that will change requirements for British citizens travelling to the Schengen area.

The countries in the Schengen area are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. The Republic of Ireland and Cyprus are not within the Schengen area, and therefore EES is not applicable when travelling to either of these countries.

If you are travelling to a country in the Schengen area for a short stay using a UK passport, you will be required to register your biometric details, such as fingerprints and a photo, when you arrive. You do not need to take any action before you arrive at the border, and there is no cost for EES registration. After it is fully implemented, EES registration will replace the current system of manually stamping passports when visitors arrive in the EU.  ​When EES is introduced, you will need to create a digital record on your first visit to the Schengen area at the port or airport on arrival. You will need to submit your fingerprints and have your photo taken at dedicated booths. You will not need to provide any information before travelling to a Schengen area country. If you are flying to a country in the Schengen area, you will complete EES checks when you arrive at your destination. The checks may take a few minutes, so be prepared to wait during busy times.

Your digital EES record is valid for 3 years. If you enter the Schengen area again during this time, you will only need to provide a fingerprint or photo at the border, when you enter and exit.

Germany

Oktoberfest in Munich is well and truly underway, I have never attended this drinking fest it is however, on my bucket list. Oktoberfest dates back to 1810, when the Bavarian king threw a grand public wedding reception for his son. It was such a hit that they decided to do it again the next year. And the next, and the next. More than 200 years later, it’s become one of Europe's best-known festivals — a beer-fuelled frenzy of dancing, music, pretzels, and amusement-park rides, with around seven million visitors consuming nearly seven million litres of beer every year. Despite its name, the party gets underway in mid-September and ends on the first weekend of October

And that is about it for this Monday you know as much as I know, wishing you an outstanding day and an awesome week ahead.