Last updated Saturday 24th September 2016 23:30 BST
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As she revealed on Danny Baker's show last Saturday, Petula Clark sang on the Plastic Ono Band's 'Give Peace a Chance'. You can read how it cane about in an old Guardian piece. Petula Clark rang me once, you know.
Getty Images has introduced a new feature. You can choose five images, turn them into a slideshow and embed it in your blog. So, to see if it works, here are five photographs of musicians in Leicester... Embed from Getty Images
For two decades following the ousting of President Siad Barre, Somalia was written off by the West as a failed state. Yet somehow parts of the capital Mogadishu survived and braver members of the large Somali diaspora in Europe and North America returned, to set up businesses or attempt to reconstruct a shattered country, despite [...]
Shropshire Council planners have approved a reduction in the area of the solar farm due to be constructed off Squirrel Lane. The new plans are an improvement and will reduce the visibility of the scheme, which was approved by a planning inspector after the original plans were rejected by the South Planning Committee. Under plans... Continue reading Henley Hall solar farm to be reduced in size →
George Osborne is not a popular figure in the Liberal Democrats. He has never shown compassion of the poor and since the 2015 General Election followed an economic policy we disagree with – failing to invest and take advantage of low interest rates. Many of us who gave all we had for Remain feel he let us down. His foolish threat of an "emergency budget" drove voters into Leave's hands. Like Cameron, he contributed over years and years to the anti-immigrant, anti-Europe mood music that entrenched euro-scepticism in many people's minds. However, he has now made a speech clearly criticising ...
All children should attend great schools. But they and their parents shouldn't need to be concerned about basic food hygiene of school kitchens. When I first raised the issue of poor school hygiene in Southwark in 2013 12 of our schools had only 3 star ratings. A year ago July 2015 it had broadly improved with the lowest ratings with 2 schools with 3 stars but 2 x 1 stars Major Improvement Necessary. Currently no Southwark school has 3 stars and one has only 1 star. So big improvement needed. [IMG: 1 star] But the Southwark website listing all Southwark ...
[IMG: Sal Brinton Liz Leffman Paul Walter Charlie dog at Witney by-election 24th Sep 2016] (R-L) Party President Sal Brinton, Witney candidate Liz Leffman and Paul Walter with veteran Focus delivery dog Charlie at the Witney by-election campaign HQ today The Lib Dem Witney by-election HQ was abuzz with activity when I visited to help today. I was astonished by the busy team all set to work so early in the campaign. It was great weather for delivering leaflets. I enjoyed doing my very large bundle in Carterton, with the sound of the aircraft at Brize Norton in the background. ...
Current The Collected Stories Of Arthur C. Clarke Unquenchable Fire, by Rachel Pollack Last books finished In The Blood, by Jenny Colgan A History of the World in Twelve Maps, by Jerry Brotton Last week's audios Aquitaine, by Simon Barnard and Paul Morris Next books Nemesis, by Philip Roth The Dinner, by Herman Koch Songs of the Dying Earth: Stories in honour of Jack Vance, by George R. R. Martin Books acquired in last week Toch Een Geluk, by Barbara Stok
Corbyn has won today and with a greater share of the vote, so Labour just needs to get on with being the socialist party which is surely what it is now supposed to be. It was all but Christian Democrat under Blair in European terms. And what's all this fuss about right wing Labour MP's potentially being deselected? Surely they are not socialists (the left, and I include myself here, call them Red Tories) so why do they want to stay in a socialist party? And yes it is legitimate for Labour members to deselect them as they don't believe ...
There was a big difference between Tim Farron's frst two conference speeches as leader. The first came 3 months after a brutal general election at a time of existential crisis for the party. The second, at a time of existential crisis for the country, enabled him to set out our party's mission: to fight for the values we hold dear and not to let the Tories away with 25 years of untrammelled rule while Labour fiddle on the sidelines.. He's written about that for PoliticsHome. I said on the night of my election as Liberal Democrat leader: "Our survival, revival, ...
Although I do not get many handwritten letters from constituents nowadays (mainly emails or phone calls), one I received made me very sad to read. It was written by a very elderly lady who, in her own words, cannot get about easily. The block she is in, is not rated very highly by her or fellow residents. Getting around in her wheelchair is not going to be comfortable as we see so clearly with many of the life stories of the athletes in the Paralympics. She wrote to her three Labour Councillors, and when ignored, then wrote to her MP. ...
Questions are invited for Thursday's public discussion of health and council services in the Ludlow area. We are very pleased that Ludlow MP and Health Minister Philip Dunne will attend the meeting. The line-up includes Councillor Cecilia Motley, a nationally recognised champion of rural services. They'll be joined by Shropshire Council's director of place and enterprise, George... Continue reading Questions are invited for Ludlow health and services debate - 29 September 2016 →
Knowing that there may be a lot of unhappy Labour members once the leadership result is announced, Richard Kemp and the Liverpool Liberal Democrats are setting up a stall outside Labour's conference to offer them a home if they are feeling that their party has moved too far from them. They will be outside the Liverpool Museum at the Pier Head between 11 am and 1pm. They will be looking for people like Mark Robinson: I left @UKLabour in 2006, took me nine years to find @LibDems, if you #leavelabour after lunch today join the #LibDemFightback for tea! — Mark ...
The Independent reveals that "How to leave the Labour party" is currently the most searched for question about the party on Google on the eve of the leadership election result. They say that the party faces a potential exodus of its more moderate supporters who have become disillusioned with the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, who is expected to beat Owen Smith to stay as Labour leader: The revolt by the PLP has exposed tensions between the majority of Labour MPs, who occupy the centre ground and have dominated the party for the past 20 years, and a small group of ...
One federal conference done, the next is on the horizon already. The deadlines for motions and the like to the spring 2017 conference in York have been published.
Frederick Cook; Robert Peary; Roald Amundsen. They all have claims to be the first to the North Pole, and they can all be disputed.
[IMG: ALDC Master Logo (for screen)] This week has seen ten prinicipal council by-elections across the country - nine on Thursday and one on Tuesday night. Lib Dem candidates contested seven of the ten. In the Tuesday night by-election in Plasnewydd (Cardiff) Lib Dem candidate Robin Rea had a spectacular win, gaining the ward from Labour with a 48.1% share of the vote (up +15.4% since the ward was last contested in 2012). Labour were pushed into second place on 34.8%, and Plaid Cymru, the Conservatives and the Greens all saw a drop in their vote share. Congratulations to Cllr ...
The LGBT Foundation have been sharing some bi stories, and one of them was mine; this what what it said... When did you first realise you might be bisexual? My sister came to visit and left a copy of Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit on our kitchen table. I was 15; within a week it was read and something I'd known since I was about 12 started to develop a word to go with the feeling. How did you come out? What were people's reactions? I came out to the whole of my sixth form shortly after - it ...
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending an event at the Queen Mother Building in the University of Dundee to celebrate the work of the pioneering User Centre over the past decade and to unveil a plaque in memory of John Gibson, the first Chair and founding member of the centre, who passed away last year. The User Centre has done much over the past ten years to bring the benefits of modern technology to the elderly and to adults with communication disabilities, and the celebration yesterday was also marked by the announcement that Brian Cox has accepted the role ...
An ode to the night train How the EU has unintentionally killed romance. (tags: travel rail eu ) The Real Power of Putin by Benjamin Nathans Fascinating on the leader and his country. (tags: russia ) The Eruditorum Press Doctor Who Poll Vote! Vote! Vote! (tags: doctorwho )
Before I start, a brief apology for not being around much the last few days. I've been wrangling home studio software to get some music done for Plok (very soon! I PROMISE!) and also getting some work done on the ... Continue reading →
I remember Brightside from my journeys to and from York as a student. It survived until 1995, as did the nearby Attercliffe Road (which was a different station from the Attercliffe shown here). In my student days too, the train from Sheffield to Penistone and Huddersfield ran through the disused Victoria station and up the Don Valley. You tell young folk now and they won't believe you.
The alarm clock broke the silence at 6 AM. Instead of automatically hitting the snooze button I shook off the webs of sleep and went straight to my Twitter news ... Continue reading →
[IMG: The Bog] "There are those who dislike the term Left. I am not one. It is a short hand for those dissatisfied with the status quo. For a season it came, somewhat perversely, to mean political ideas that championed state ownership and regulation." Iain Brodie Brown attended the Social Liberal Forum's Brighton fringe meeting on the realignment of the left. Dirk Singer offers two questions you should ask Labour MPs who suddenly oppose freedom of movement. Donald Trump is the second coming of Joseph McCarthy, says Jelani Cobb. "'Don't worry, I'll be back by lunch.' Those were the last ...
It was a pleasure to be interviewed by Chicago Now about bisexuality and mental health issues as well as the wider Bi Visibility Day vibe this week. They asked some good questions about bisexual life, and I hope I gave some good answers! Pop over here to find the piece.
Two questions actually, put to the legal section of Durham County Council more than a week ago and answered yesterday: With Wednesday's meeting of the council in mind, can you confirm whether: 1) you are aware of any successful equal pay claim in County Durham in which the role of classroom assistant has been used as a comparator 2) you are aware of any successful equal pay claim nationally in which the role of classroom assistant has been used as a comparator Both were answered with a straight No. In fairness to the council I will include the rest of ...
Freedom of speech and all that, but I rather do hope this book isn't getting many readers any more.
Here's the new film from the Liberal Democrats, featuring party leader Tim Farron talking about what an opposition party really should be doing.
Second frame of third chapter ("In With the Tide", art by Mike Collins): One of the 50th anniversary publications that I had missed, this is a great romp of a plot line across the timestreams of the first eleven Doctors, with due homage to the characterisations and in particular bringing back a slightly forgotten but entirely appropriate character to ask what the role of the Doctor's companions actually is. These multi-Doctor adventures (of which there are now quite a number in different media) are always a bit dangerous to do, but the format of giving each Doctor an adventure for ...
At my suggestion Blyth Town Council have agreed to fund commemorative plaques ( often called Blue Plaques, but they don't have to be blue) in Blyth. There will be a consultation on where these plaques should be placed, either to commemorate a famous building or resident. The consultation will be formally announced soon, in the likes of the News Post Leader or NE24 magazine, but as people outside Blyth may not receive either publication, nominations may be made direct to BTC. Letters should be addressed to Blyth Town Council, Arms Evertyne House, Quay Road , Blyth, NE24 2AS, or EMail ...
Realignment of the Left is back on the agenda. It is not hard to understand why. Already the idea has spawned books, public meeting and a lot of debate. This was the great project of Jo Grimond's leadership of the Liberal Party. Today with a Corbyn led Labour Party few people can see that party winning seats from the Tories at the next elections. They may well pile up bigger majorities in some of their existing seats but it is hard to see where they can win seats especially after the boundary review. Our first past the post electoral system ...
LD Julie Philips 451 [48.3%] LD Roy Gordon Philips 399 Conservative 355 [38.0%] Conservative 326 Labour 128 [13.7%] Labour 119 Majority 96 Turnout 24.9% LD gains (x2) from Conservatives
I've been ticking along on the challenge quite nicely for the last three days. No big dramas, although I did need a short walk in the dark on the 21st to reach my target. The last three days have been busy, so this post is a bit of a miscellany. 21st – ARIS User Group, London A really well attended ... The post 10,000 steps a day – days 21, 22 & 23 – miscellany appeared first on ten pence piece.
The Prime Minister claims that her plans to create more grammar schools will enhance social mobility and will help to bring about a truly meritocratic society. They will, she says, create 'a country that works for everyone'. Sure. Because grammar schools proved so good at doing just that the first time around. What Mrs May's proposals will do, of course, is appeal hugely to the seething mass of baby-boomer Tory voters who just can't wait to get us back to the good old days of the 1950s and serve as a temporary distraction from the Government's shambolic approach to all ...
A Conservative government has caused the greatest political and economic disaster in 50 years. The Prime Minister responsible, David Cameron, has resigned. Theresa May's ministers are consistently suggesting that the vote to leave the European Union means the withdrawal from all EU mechanisms- the "Hard Brexit". The result will be the exit of the car industry from the UK and severe damage to the City of London. It is totally irresponsible. It will cost the country millions of jobs and billions of pounds. The Tories now own the Brexit fiasco. Voters are noticing: some major shifts in local elections suggest ...
Yesterday, the Chopwell and Rowlands Gill by-election was held in Gateshead. This has, for the past one and a half million years, been a Labour held seat and few realistically expected a change yesterday. I was still delivering leaflets in the afternoon, in between attending the accounts committee in the morning and full council in the afternoon. I had a patch were large numbers of houses had
I had written a speech for the European motion at conference, and I wanted to share it with you all: I was going to tell you about... Read more "A voice for the voiceless"
Labour 577 [59.7%; +33.7%] Conservative 390 [40.3%; +1.7%] Majority 187 Turnout 22.8% Labour gain from Conservative Percentage change since 2015
Let's turn Brexit on its head. Let's not only lobby to remain members of the European Union's single market, but have free movement of goods, capital, services and people included in our future free trade agreements with some non-EU countries. After all, as liberals we're not only Europeans, but internationalists. Let's turn crisis into opportunity by breaking down borders between this country and others around the world. Wouldn't it be great if Britons could live, work, study and start a business in Japan, South Korea or Australia with the same ease as we can in Spain and Germany today? It ...
Northern the new franchisee running trains all over the north of England (outside of areas like Merseyside which has its own Merseyrail) agreed to do something quite positive recently and then in the words of one rail traveller ballsed it all up on the day. [IMG: Ormskirk Station - The train in the foreground is Preston bound. ] Ormskirk Station – The train in the foreground is Preston bound. The good move was to agree to run trains on the Ormskirk – Preston line on the Sunday of Ormskirk Motor Festival a couple of weeks ago. Normally no trains run ...
"We want politicians who are neither populists like Farage, or "born to rule" types like Cameron.....we want politicians who are more like every day people." I am paraphrasing above something I once heard in a focus group discussion several years ago. You hear similar things all the time from people when asked about the current state of politics. Which is strange given the most successful politicians of our age are either demagogues or people who have been around power for most of their lives and are comfortable with it, i.e not "every day people" in the slightest. A great example ...
Govia Thameslink Railway is consulting on a major timetable change for 2018 planned for our Thameslink, Southern, Gatwick Express and Great Northern routes that will boost capacity and link new communities in the south of England to stations across the heart of London and beyond, to Bedford, Peterborough and Cambridge. The new timetable is needed [...]
The Economist's Bagehot column shows the progress made by the Liberal Democrats in re-establishing credibility with the media.
LD Rebecca Hanson 228 [41.1%] Labour 189 [34.1%] No Description 138 [24.8%] Majority 39 Turnout 36% LD gain from Conservatives Last contested 2015
More good news from our friends in the West Country: Teignmouth Central (Teignbridge) result: LDEM: 51.1% (+28.3) CON: 29.8% (-12.6) UKIP: 11.6% (+11.6) LAB: 7.5% (-8.7) — Britain Elects (@britainelects) September 22, 2016 This is another gain from the Conservatives with a massive 28% leap in the vote. Tories and Labour both slumped. It was the only win for us last night, but we had some very good results: Up almost 8% in Gateshead: Chopwell & Rowlands Gill (Gateshead) result: LAB: 59.1% (-3.7) UKIP: 15.6% (+1.3) LDEM: 12.3% (+7.9) CON: 8.6% (-2.3) GRN: 4.4% (-3.2) — Britain Elects (@britainelects) September ...
My letter to Clive Selley, Chief Executive of BT Openreach, has been delivered today, Private and Confidential – Addressee only. Obviously I can't disclose to you what is in it. [IMG: Cabinet 49 story] If you want to read the story from which this picture was taken, click here . If you live on The Links Estate you will know that the headline is a promise still to be met.
It is a peculiar thing about robots and fake humans of all kinds, but the motives of those involved in developing them can be deeply paradoxical. Like Mary Shelley dreaming up Frankenstein as an act of revolutionary imagination, those involved in the debate about artificial intelligence are sometimes motivated by a need to remake humanity along more rational lines. Or perhaps not so rational. Alan Turing, whose Turing Test I described in the Guardian today, was motivated partly by the incomprehension of those around him about the way he behaved. And I don't primarily mean his sense of logic, wearing ...
The Labour leader has plunged his party into more controversy when his campaign released a video showing his supporters dismissing a number of attacks on him. In particular they have once more riled the British Board of Deputies, which represents many UK Jews with the claim that accusations of antisemitism are simply a result of his detractors 'losing the political argument'. The President of the Board Jonathan Arkush said the Labour Leader must now make clear publically if he agrees with these comments: He told The Independent: "I want to put over my bewilderment and deep concern at how Jeremy ...
You can read all the articles that have caught my attention this week here: https://delicious.com/stephentall Below are a selection... Sponsored: 64% off Code Black Drone with HD Camera Our #1 Best-Selling Drone–Meet the Dark Night of the Sky! Robert Peston – Timeline | Facebook Do read @Peston on Liam Fox and whether the UK remainins in the EU customs union. Important stuff. http://bit.ly/2cNJT98 Brexit: the problem with promising a second referendum | Stephen Tall Beware hasty pledges, fellow Lib Dems: "Brexit: the problem with promising a second referendum" http://bit.ly/2cJnabh 7 inspirational moments you may have missed from Tim Farron's barnstorming ...
[IMG: age-innocence] The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton And so I plunged in. For no particular reason, I selected The Age of Innocence as the first from my #40booksby40 list. It turned out to be a strangely apt mid-life choice, all about the dutifully dull transition from energetic youthful idealism to reflective sober making-do. Newland Archer loves May Welland. Or at least he's romantically devoted to the idea of being in love with her. But also worried that she's too staid, stultified by the conventions of 1870s' Manhattan. Enter stage left his cousin, the quixotically European, Countess Ellen Olenska, suffused ...
Have you ever been called names because you are disabled?Have people attacked you or your possessions?Find out what is happening and how you can help to stop itJoin SARI (Stand Against Racism and Inequality) for an afternoon to find out more about disability hate crime and the organisations that can help: Wed 12 October, 12.00 pm - 4.30 pm at the Vassal Centre, Gill Avenue, Fishponds, Bristol BS16 2QQ. Click here to book your place, phone SARI on 0117 9420060, or email sari@sariweb.org.uk
[IMG: Bi Visibility Day 2016] Since 1999, 23 September has been a day to recognize and celebrate bisexuality, bisexual history, bisexual community and culture, and all the bisexual people in our lives. The day has gone by various names: Celebrate Bisexuality Day (or International Celebrate Bisexuality Day), Bi Pride Day, but has really become well-known to a broader audience in recent years as Bi Visibility Day. This has been extended in America to the whole week being known as Bi Awareness Week (and to some extent internationally, thanks to the internet; it's been #biweek all over Twitter). So Why Do ...
Role models. They're on my mind for one reason or another right now. For a long time I've been talking about biphobia. Back in the mid 1990s, as I have surely written here before, someone asked me to define biphobia for them. They wanted a snappy soundbite: treating bisexuals as lesser or something like that. Instead I talked about four flavours of biphobia. There's institutional biphobia. The way organisations work can marginalise bi people. You have an LGBT group, and it holds gendered meetings... the bi attendee wonders whether they can bring their other-gendered partner along to a social. When ...
From Sheena Wellington : Saturday, 24th September, 11am (doors open 10.30am) at the Wighton Heritage Centre, Central Library Cappuccino Concert with Caim - Heather Innes & Pauline Vallance Tickets £5, (coffee/tea available for small donation) Heather Innes (vocals, bodhran) and Pauline Vallance (vocals, clarsach, flute) first played together for an impromptu song on Ciaran Dorris' live Christmas show on Celtic Music Radio December 2013. They enjoyed working together and decided to continue if the occasion arose. It has a number of times and as well as singing in the Caim trio for concerts and festivals in the last few years, ...
Last month at a Superbia event for Manchester Pride there was a question from the floor to a panel I was on. We were pressed for time toward the end of the event so I didn't get a chance to speak, but the questioner asked, and I paraphrase: I'm the trustee of an LGBT charity, when we put out calls for volunteers to take on this or that role what we get coming forward is a bunch of white, cis, gay, men. Why? Well, it is an interesting question. Why don't all those people from other backgrounds come forward? Why ...
Blyth Town Council has the following meetings scheduled for October 2016:- Tuesday 4th October Allotments Committee Tuesday 11th October Environment Services Committee Thursday 13th October Community Grants Committee Thursday 20th October Planning & Development Committee Tuesday 25th October Events Committee Thursday 27th October Staff Committee ( This meeting is largely held in Part II , closed session) All meetings are held at Arms Evertyne House, starting at 6:30 pm As ever, please contact the town council beforehand to confirm if you intend to go to any of the meetings
Why You Can't Trust Yourself Very good psychological exploration of motivation. (tags: psychology ) Some thoughts on my suspension Roz Kaveney and the Labour Party. (tags: ukpolitics ) Internet Trolling as a hybrid warfare tool The five trolls you meet online in Latvia. (tags: russia internet ) 4 maps that will change how you see migration in Europe Pesky facts. (tags: migration eu )
Conservative run Kingston Council likes to consult its residents. So much so it launched more than a dozen important consultations over the summer holidays. This of course has the advantage of making it as difficult as possible for residents to participate. And when your council leader enjoys a symbiotic relationship with some of the biggest property developers in the country, local residents just get in the way of maximising corporate profits. So I was somewhat surprised to receive the other day a letter from the council asking for my views about a local housing issue. The letter however includes a ...
