I’ve been a regular visitor to the Ormskirk job centre - mainly to follow up stories for QLocal - but I must say I didn’t know that to expect with my first visit to the town's new ‘jab’ centre.

This story starts last week with an official NHS letter in the obligatory brown envelope informing me that my time had come – for a jab that is.

It took me all of five minutes to register although the promised text confirming my appointment never did arrive, leading to another short wait at the reception centre; I'd parked at the opposite end of the massive EHU car park which would prove useful later…

Soon, I was in an eerily quiet sports hall and met Vin, working with the town's Aspire Pharmacy. A very personable young man from West Bromwich, we chatted while I prepared my arm ('which one sir, right or left?') and before I knew it, I’d been done. I had a flu jab a month ago so knew what to expect but it really was painless - and I’m not a big fan of needles (is anyone?)

Getting ready to leave minutes later, as a young Asian man, Vin commented on the amount of disinformation (the polite word for lies) there is on Facebook and other social media which unfortunately he said a sizeable minority of BAME people are believing ...

“I wish there wasn’t any of that scummy information,” was his parting shot as he handed me my paperwork before I left the hall, accompanied by a lady from Parbold who was vaccinated as her mum’s carer.

I was told I’d need at least ten minutes for my 64-year-old body to acclimatise to the vaccine so cancelled a works related drive to Chorley, and also took the afternoon off from another part time job in Ormskirk.

It was this morning that I really felt the aftermath - I am usually up at 6 to post news on QLocal but was so knackered (a technical term for tired) I had my porridge and cuppa and returned to bed at around 8 and woke up at 11‘ish.

All things considered, the jab is nothing at all to worry about; what’s a few aches and pains set against Covid immunity? Jab no. 2 will be in mid-May and I can honestly say that I’m looking forward to it….

I'm so relieved you informed us that Vin is an asian man Roger, such vital information that was really imperative to this story. I look forward to hearing about all the other stories you have from your travels around the town - make sure you tell us of their ethnicity because it is clearly vitally important! (a technical example of a sarcastic response).

Originally Posted by minorityvoice

I'm so relieved you informed us that Vin is an asian man Roger, such vital information that was really imperative to this story. I look forward to hearing about all the other stories you have from your travels around the town - make sure you tell us of their ethnicity because it is clearly vitally important! (a technical example of a sarcastic response).

Did you actually read the article before you had your usual pop at the article writer?

The ethnicity of the vaccinator is relevant in the context of the conversation that Vin initiated with the article writer (note not the other way round) about the misinformation affecting vaccine take up among ethnic minorities.

By article writer do you mean "Q Local's busy Ormskirk reporter Roger Blaxall"?

I still don't agree that the necessity to specify his ethnicity is relevant. Are you suggesting only members of BAME communities can discuss this matter?

Originally Posted by minorityvoice

By article writer do you mean "Q Local's busy Ormskirk reporter Roger Blaxall"?

I still don't agree that the necessity to specify his ethnicity is relevant. Are you suggesting only members of BAME communities can discuss this matter?

You are obviously superior at choosing your words, far better than anyone else on this site. This could not be more apparent than by the name you have chosen for yourself.

Originally Posted by EDDIE12

You are obviously superior at choosing your words, far better than anyone else on this site. This could not be more apparent than by the name you have chosen for yourself.

no I wouldn’t go that far, there are a few on here who see sense and see past the tactics Blaxall employs to put across “news”.

Posted soon on QLocal 'New open all hours mini mart opens in Ormskirk'. Guess what - it's owned by a hard working Asian man and his friends from Southport! Been to see him three times and a nicer man you couldn't wish to meet; over to you minorityvoice!

Originally Posted by rogerblaxall

Posted soon on QLocal 'New open all hours mini mart opens in Ormskirk'. Guess what - it's owned by a hard working Asian man and his friends from Southport! Been to see him three times and a nicer man you couldn't wish to meet; over to you minorityvoice!

The undertone here Roger is "You'll never believe it - I've met an Asian man and he's actually quite nice!"

When you originally reported on this mini-mart potentially opening after seeing the owners being shown around, I also found it unnecessary and offensive for you to needlessly reference the owner's race in the story.

Just out of interest, why did you do that?

Originally Posted by TowerAndSteeple

The undertone here Roger is "You'll never believe it - I've met an Asian man and he's actually quite nice!"

When you originally reported on this mini-mart potentially opening after seeing the owners being shown around, I also found it unnecessary and offensive for you to needlessly reference the owner's race in the story.

Just out of interest, why did you do that?

and this here is my very point. Okay, i've been a little bit over picky with this exact article but I do find it staggering Roger that you'll respond to me in this story because you have people supporting you but you won't respond to myself or TowerAndSteeple in the aforementioned article (the one you're referring to, so you already know what I am talking about) to explain why you chose to only refer to the ethnicity of someone when they are not White British like it is in any way relevant to the story.

I wrote to you a number of years ago with a complaint of both racist and homophobic comments you had made in stories which you believe are "jokes" and your response was to not apologise. I have since seen similar comments in your articles over the years so you clearly have no intention to change.

You won't answer the query of TowerAndSteeple in this thread, like you didn't answer the queries we made during the initial incident because you don't feel like you are doing anything wrong. That is the problem.

Wake up Roger, it's not 1980 anymore.

The keyboard complainers ramp up the rhetoric totally detracting from some of the very important issues raised by the article. Totally ignoring the message the pharmacist was trying to get across, they proceed to vent their point scoring anger.
They are so very keen to show their inclusive credentials and how righteous they are they completely detract from what was written. The major concern of Vin was that some ethnic groups were more reluctant to have the injection. Being disproportionally represented in the fatalities is an obvious concern to him.


The irony is that in this case ethnicity is very important. The two main protagonists show no sympathy only utter contempt for the very group they purport to be defending. No sympathy has been expressed for their plight, no empathy towards Vin trying to make his point.



I find it mystifying why anybody who expresses such strong disdain for the content and the writer continues to view the site and then complain again and again and again.

Originally Posted by EDDIE12

The keyboard complainers ramp up the rhetoric totally detracting from some of the very important issues raised by the article. Totally ignoring the message the pharmacist was trying to get across, they proceed to vent their point scoring anger.
They are so very keen to show their inclusive credentials and how righteous they are they completely detract from what was written. The major concern of Vin was that some ethnic groups were more reluctant to have the injection. Being disproportionally represented in the fatalities is an obvious concern to him.


The irony is that in this case ethnicity is very important. The two main protagonists show no sympathy only utter contempt for the very group they purport to be defending. No sympathy has been expressed for their plight, no empathy towards Vin trying to make his point.



I find it mystifying why anybody who expresses such strong disdain for the content and the writer continues to view the site and then complain again and again and again.

I have to disagree with you - it's pretty clear to me that what has gone on here is that in the pursuit of a 'story', Roger has proactively asked Vin his thoughts about some in BAME groups not taking the vaccine, just because he happens to be an Asian man. I was also interested to see Roger pointedly refer to the fact that Vin was from West Bromwich, as if there's no way somebody of Asian heritage could ever be from Ormskirk or the surrounding area.

I stand by what I've said too - there's an undercurrent here of Roger going out of his way to make out that both Vin and the mini mart owners are 'nice', despite both being Asian. If I see racism, whether it's overt or more subtle like in this case, I'll call it out.

I suggest you take a look at this article, which is the one I referred to. Could you ever imagine the Advertiser, Echo, or other newspaper referring to the race of a business owner in this way?

https://www.qlocal.co.uk/ormskirk/ne...p-55048828.htm

The fact you find us coming back mystifying and not the drivel that Blaxall continues to push out on this site speaks volumes of why he is consistently getting away with it.

Originally Posted by TowerAndSteeple

I have to disagree with you - it's pretty clear to me that what has gone on here is that in the pursuit of a 'story', Roger has proactively asked Vin his thoughts about some in BAME groups not taking the vaccine, just because he happens to be an Asian man.

In your righteousness, you are now turning the wording of the article written on its head and simply making suppositions. It seems you and MinorityVoice(one wonders if you are one and the same person) are losing touch with reality through your obsessions.

Originally Posted by old fart

In your righteousness, you are now turning the wording of the article written on its head and simply making suppositions. It seems you and MinorityVoice(one wonders if you are one and the same person) are losing touch with reality through your obsessions.

Why? Is it too hard for your head to believe that there are multiple people who don't fall for the ridiculous tactics employed by Mr Blaxall in an attempt to portray what he believes is news?

what's your definition of drivel by the way? as an NUJ journalist that's the last thing I want to write and post - and I think our readership stats. prove that. I don't think drivel means the stories I post six days a week, many of which are not recycled press releases. I suppose the fact I live and work in Ormskirk - and not from Liverpool or Southport - helps...