Is it all just like The Trueman Show?

[DRiddle]

I think someone else has mentioned this before, but I'm genuinely starting to think the whole HBC thing is some sort of elaborate social experiment, or perhaps even I'm caught up in a semi-reality TV show?

These things do happen, for example in psychology a guy called Zimbardo managed to set up an entire fake prison in which everyone in it was an actor except for a few people (prisoners) who didn't know the whole thing was a set up and thought it was real. Zimbardo then studied the reactions of the people who didn't know it was staged.

Also, the CIA apparently set up fake kidnappings and things to test the resolve of would be new recruits. They then torture their 'hostages' and things in an attempt to see who is strong willed enough to tough it out.

My theory is HBC is a giant semi-reality TV show in which 99% of the people involved are actors. There are a few people, myself, Fredc, SteveL, Paul and James and some others who aren't 'in on it' and we think it's real. Similar to the Trueman show in which Jim Carrey's character is the only person in the most popular TV show in the world, who doesn't know its a TV show, he thinks it's real life.

My belief is there are millions of people watching the TV programme and they get to text and tweet in ridiculous ideas that the actors HAVE to do, in an attempt to test the reactions of myself, Paul and the others who don't know it's all a fake situation.

Notable tweets from the public which have led me to arrive at this conclusion include the following;

- Stick a joiner in charge of the whole place and pay him nearly as much as the prime minister
- Send an old drunk in there and get him to make monkey noises and bang on the tables when people have finished speaking.
- Get them to spend half a million quid on a café in a cemetery selling high end coffee in one of the most deprived towns in the country.

Those things, among others, have put this theory in my head for some time. Then on Tuesday, a member of the public (watching on TV) must surely have won some sort of prize for tweeting in - 'Get them to put the fella who can't read or write in charge of culture'.

Honestly, I'm starting to believe that eventually the show will end, what I'm thinking will be proved to be true and Paul Thompson will win a £100,000 and a car for toughing the whole thing out for the longest.

After the show has ended the actor who played Cranney (because he can't actually be real can he?) will be shown to actually be a thespian who has a really plummy speaking voice.

He'll be awarded a BAFTA for 'best actor' and go onto have a successful Hollywood career...

[akarjl]

There must be a plot of a comedy series here - bit like "the thick of it" here. Maybe we should all flesh out a plot line and sell it?

[steveL]

I think you need to get out more, David

[Lucy Lass-Tick]

I think you need to get out more, David

No ... that's the part Angie played ...

[Johnny Bongo]

Hi Mr Riddle...I originally mentioned about the social experiment and also that I thought that having dumb and dumber in the kwemlin, was  Mandleson's revenge on hartlepool!  Bizarrely enough, only today I was also thinking about Hartlepool Council similar to the Trueman show (although I've never seen it!)..so great minds think alike!    As for Cranney being a thespian....don't eat cheese and nuts before bed or you'll have more bad dreams!

[DRiddle]

I think someone just tweeted in suggesting the producers of the show make the bloke who was definitely NOT a trustee on MRA (but publicly resigned as a trustee of MRA) the new mayor.

[Land Phil]

All kicking off on Facebook.

Allan Barclay calling another councillor a drunk and another councillor unemployable.
...and he wasn't looking in a mirror at the time !!!!!

[DRiddle]

Yeah I'm the one he called unemployable lol. Strange that, given I have a job. What a strange man he is, looks like he's woken up still 'confident' from the aperitifs he's had the night before.

It's amazing, he's been deputy mayor for what? about 12 hours? and already he's seems to have made an allegation that a councillor takes bribes.

I'm telling you, it's a fake reality TV show.

It's got to be.... It CANNOT be real.

[not4me]

I believe Allan Barclay has just been made Deputy Mayor which means he is next in-line after Beck for the red robes

[Land Phil]

Just for the record, SAB has hit like for Allan's accusations.

How about that for a Labour Party endorsement.

[DRiddle]

I think the team at the post are in possession of screen grabs of Allan's allegations about a councillor taking brown envelopes and getting free holidays.

ONE day in the 'job'.... good work Allan. 

[fred c]

Lets be honest, no-one can be sure what Barclay says, he unintelligible mutterings need 'Big Blue' to de-cypher hem. DOHHHHHHH

If there are screen shots...... whoever has them get them posted on here, play them at their own game, plaster it all over social media......

What a shower of s***e we have in the towns council chamber.......... Honesty, Integrity, Morals.... all strangers to the CAB Cabal

[Land Phil]

[jawsbbc]

FULL CONVO
Shane Robert Moore
13 hrs · Hartlepool
Labour and the Tories have just appointed Cllr Alan Barclay as Deputy Mayor. I swear you could not make this cr*p up.
LikeComment
Seen by 104
2 2
Comments
David Riddle
David Riddle As I've said, it'll be proven in time to be a semi-reality tv show.
Like · Reply · 2 · 13 hrs

Marky Hewitt
Marky Hewitt Coincidentally I am a fan of Father Ted.
Like · Reply · 1 · 12 hrs

Shane Robert Moore
Shane Robert Moore I'm convinced the Akers-Belchers are doing everything they can to lose Hartlepool for Labour at the General Election.
Like · Reply · 1 · 12 hrs

Dave Hunter
Dave Hunter So if UKIP where the majority partner are you saying you would have voted against one of your own? Oh and Alan was the only candidate, so not even a token candidate from the party whose leader did not even attend tonights proceedings.
Like · Reply · 1 · 10 hrs

Shane Robert Moore
Shane Robert Moore UKIP would never have proposed him in the first place, Dave.

As Riddle said, we attempted to have a very worthy candidate selected as mayor or deputy mayor last year. John Lauderdale is the second longest serving Councillor on HBC and the longest serving never to have been granted the honour. An incredibly fair and honest man yet he was not even given the time of day as the Labour/Tory coalition voted against him.

As for John not being there. He was in London on business, just as a number of your own councillors were excused for not attending and the leader of your coalition party was also absent.
Like · Reply · 2 · 2 hrs

David Riddle
David Riddle Daves starting to see what he's dealing with Shane. I warned him early on when he was elected. Although i dont think even he could have imagined how bad it is.
Like · Reply · 1 · 1 hr

Dave Hunter
Dave Hunter Shane Robert Moore the role is a voluntary ceremonial role which takes a lot of commitment and time. Pity your party did not have an individual who wanted to support the representation of the Town across the region.
Like · Reply · 1 hr

Shane Robert Moore
Shane Robert Moore My party would not have claimed to have had anybody worthy of the honour as we are all relatively newly elected and have not yet done enough to warrant such a role. We would have, however, gladly put forward very worthy Independent councillors like John Lauderdale, Conservatives like George Morris and even a number of Labour councillors like Stephen Thomas.

All worthy candidates who would have deserved the honour more and would have carried out the duties more fittingly.
Like · Reply · 18 mins


Write a reply...
Choose File
Marie Duncan
Marie Duncan Of course its a joke

Like · Reply · 8 hrs
David Riddle
David Riddle Come on Dave, no one's going to embarrass themselves by putting their name forward against Allan Barclay and watch Cranny and the mob vote for the old rummy rather than a better candidate. I just hope any charities and organsiations that invite Allan to their functions know not to put on a free bar.
Like · Reply · 2 · 2 hrs

Allan Barclay
Allan Barclay Well at least they didn't vote for a drunk three times over the legal limit or a failed school teacher who can't get a job in Hartlepool because no school within the Borough would employ him but accepts handouts of about a Grand per meeting he attends or for tha matter a Councillor that goes on free holidays paid for by the odd brown envelope. Happy days ahead lad.
Like · Reply · 1 · 2 hrs

Marky Hewitt
Marky Hewitt Brown envelope is a common euphemism for bribe. Would you like to elaborate please Allan ?
Like · Reply · 1 · 2 hrs

Allan Barclay
Allan Barclay Make of it what you like my conscience is clear and I get Brown Envelopes almost every day (from the Council). 😬
Like · Reply · 1 hr

Allan Barclay
Allan Barclay Mr More and Mr Dribble at least have the bottle to speak to me up front b4 posting your vile diatribe on the social media.
Like · Reply · 1 hr
Shane Robert Moore
Shane Robert Moore I'll happily tell you to your face that there are far more deserving councillors than you.
Like · Reply · 1 hr

David Riddle
David Riddle I moved schools out of Hartlepool due to a promotion to a £50k a year job you fool. If that's failure i'll happily take it. As for a grand a meeting, because i actually work for a living i pay 40% tax on my councillors allowance. It's £388 a month. A grand a meeting, have you been on the whisky early doors?

Like · Reply · 3 · 1 hr
Marky Hewitt
Marky Hewitt I didn't think Labour could top the Portsmouth embarrassment but it is looking like a possibility.
Like · Reply · 3 · 1 hr

David Riddle
David Riddle Come on Allan Barclay, who are you saying has had a brown envelope?
Like · Reply · 2 · 1 hr

Colin Dunn
Colin Dunn Allan Barclay so you admitting that labour councillors accept brown envelopes then in return for favours
Like · Reply · 50 mins

Shane Robert Moore
Shane Robert Moore Allan Barclay please can you confirm that you are aware of a councillor who "goes on free holidays paid for by the odd Brown envelope"? I would hope that any Councillor, especially a Deputy Mayor, who is aware of another Councillor acting in such a dishonest and criminal manner would report the offending Councillor promptly to the chief solicitor and police. To have this information and not report it makes one as guilty as the person doing it!
Like · Reply · 8 mins


Write a reply...

Choose File
Shane Robert Moore
Shane Robert Moore "Well at least they didn't vote for a drunk" actually they did.
Like · Reply · 2 · 1 hr

Allan Barclay
Allan Barclay Not a "a soon to be convicted hypocrite"? 😁
Like · Reply · 1 hr

Shane Robert Moore
Shane Robert Moore Oh you have inside knowledge of the case do you? Have irrefutable proof against me? No, and I'll be more than happy to make you eat those words next month.

Your posts here, Alan have immediately shown why (within 24 hours of your appointment) you are unfit to assume the role of Deputy Mayor of Hartlepool.

Someone disagrees with you, without resorting to personal attacks, and your immediate response it to launch into a tirade of personal attacks filled with nonsense and half truths.

I stand by my earlier statement that there are far more deserving candidates. Stephen Thomas leaving the chamber before your nomination is pretty much confirmation that there are many within the Labour Party who agree too.

Like · Reply · 2 · 1 hr
David Riddle
David Riddle Screen grab the lot shane, the old rummy is an embarrasment to those chains.
Like · Reply · 1 hr
Stephen Taylor
Stephen Taylor Innocent until proven otherwise is the law of this fair land.
Like · Reply · 1 · 1 hr

David Riddle
David Riddle Allan is also flirting with a contempt of court situation.
Like · Reply · 1 hr


Write a reply...
Choose File
Marky Hewitt
Marky Hewitt I can feel Jeremy Corbyn cringe as his bat senses pick up on this conversation.
Like · Reply · 2 · 1 hr
Allan Barclay
Allan Barclay Ps: Byeeee 😁
Like · Reply · 1 hr
Colin Dunn
Colin Dunn Is the pub open already
Like · Reply · 49 mins


Write a reply...

Choose File
David Riddle
David Riddle Allan, tell people about the time you were so pie eyed you were cleaning the windows of your house and you chucked the bucket through your own front room window. I got that anecdote off one of your 'mates' in the Labour group by the way. I was told they let you get elected to make them look intelligent by comparison.
Like · Reply · 1 · 1 hr

[Lord Elpus]

you really could not make this up