Between 6:49 and 7:37 on a Sunday morning! That will be when the people of Bangor will get their change to see the Olympic torch coming through our town, on 3 June. I shall be getting up with my camera to try and capture some images of this historic day, but I wonder how many of my fellow Bangorians will be. Maybe this is what we get for not getting our Olympic sized pool ready in time to host a nation for training.
Life is becoming ever more hectic as the fortnightly void in this blog will testify but there's no better way to put that right than with a comment on Wales' wonderful Grand Slam winning achievement of the past weekend. What an achievement it was. Reading the Sunday papers yesterday was a joy, reading as I did the comments from respected commentators from the world over on what is widely seen as being not the completion of a journey, but in fact, only the beginning of one. A Childhood in the Welsh Rugby Sporting Wilderness This is Wales' 3rd Grand Slam ...
Mon 19th
22:26
The NHS Bill could hurt the coalition in the short term, but will hurt Labour in 2015.
So the Health and Social Care Bill has just about passed, barring a few formalities, the hyperbole has been cranked up to "Full on lunacy" and even Lib Dems are praying for a state ran monopoly and socialised medicine beyond anything we've ever had in this country. It all seems madness. So yes, ultimately this will hurt the coalition first, but it'll hurt Labour in the long run. You see, whilst people are "scared" (that's fear caused by Labour and the bills opponents) of what will happen to the NHS, it will be no surprise to me if they take ...
This one's on Day Of The Daleks. I have the flu, so I'm not quite coherent – I may have inadvertantly equated Nick Briggs revoicing the Daleks with the Baader-Meinhoff gang. But I may not. Why not read it and see? Tagged: me elsewhere
The Mail reports: The Liberal Democrats are resisting Chancellor George Osborne's plans to bring in regional pay bargaining for public sector workers, it emerged last night. A source close to Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said there will be nothing in tomorrow's Budget on the issue, and that Lib Dem ministers were arguing against the plans in Cabinet. [IMG: Post to Twitter] Tweet This Post
This'll wipe the smug grin off his face (or perhaps probably not). The Shetland Isles and the Orkneys are threatening to go it alone and opt out of potential Scottish independence. From the Telegraph: The Orkney and Shetland islands could remain part of the UK if the rest of Scotland votes to separate, according to a report submitted by their MSPs to the Government. The islands could even declare independence themselves, it adds. Alternatively, they could agree to join a separate Scotland only if they are granted a much bigger portion of North Sea oil and gas revenues, around a ...
My explorations on Saturday were inspired and guided by From Tollgate to Tramshed, which is a history of Leicester's London Road from 1860 to 1920. But one of the buildings I was most taken with falls outside this period. Stoneygate Court flats were put up by the Norwich Union in 1931. There are several substantial red-brick blocks, all in this baronial, almost military, style - again I am reminded of Hampstead or some other pleasant London suburb. During World War II the flats housed the medical centre of the Auxiliary Territorial Service. From Tollgate to Tramshed is, understandably, stronger of ...
From PoliticsHome: The controversial Health and Social Care Bill has been passed in the House of Lords, with a ditch attempt by Labour peers to delay its progress voted down 269 to 174. The approval from the Upper Chamber comes after the Speaker earlier granted Labour an emergency debate in the House of Commons on the Risk Register of the NHS reforms. This afternoon Labour's Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham argued that MPs should have the opportunity to debate the Government's ongoing refusal to publish the register. Also this afternoon, the House of Lords has voted to reject a delay ...
Dundee Liberal Democrats had a superb start to our local election campaign today, with a visit from Willie Rennie, Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, and Tim Farron, Liberal Democrat President. Here's some of us campaigning with Tim and Willie this afternoon: Willie was on Radio Tay news this afternoon about the Dundee Liberal Democrat campaign - click 'play' to listen:
From the Guardian's Scotland Blog: Scotland's path to independence could become far rockier and more complicated than Alex Salmond might like, if the equally independent-spirited northern isles of Shetland and Orkney get their way. That, at least, is the view of their respective Lib Dem MSPs Tavish Scott and Liam McArthur. In a paper submitted to the UK government's consultation on the independence referendum, the pair have provocatively suggested that the two island groups' willingness to stay within an independent Scotland cannot be taken as given. Nor, if it comes to that, does ownership of "their" oil, which, by one ...
I am honoured to have been selected as Liberal Democrat candidate for the Camden Town and Primrose Hill ward for the forthcoming by-election. This is a ward I have been campaigning in over many years; indeed many residents will remember I was a candidate here in the 2010 local elections. Nationally Labour has run out ...
...so says Lib Dem Voice's ever well informed Mark Pack. What is not clear is what the Lib Dems will get in return. Speeding up the increase in personal allowances would be a very poor trade off, as it was due to happen anyway. I hope to be convinced the party has got something in return that is both sound economically and politically saleable. If not then I fear it will be the last straw for many in the party sceptical of the leadership and the coalition.
One of the least creditable episodes of the last parliament was the arrest of the shadow minister Damian Green and the subsequent search of his office in the Palace of Westminster. I discussed it in rather eccentric terms in a House Points column at the time: Settle down, class. Open Calder's History of England and we shall read about Charles I and the Five Members. Tompkins, you start: Parliament then passed a law that gave members control over the King's ministers. Charles I was furious and decided it was time to take action. On 4 January 1642, he arrived at ...
The route for the Olympic torch has been announced. On Wednesday 11/07/2012 it is scheduled to arrive in Basingstoke at 12.30. It will then travel up New Road, into London Street, along Winchester Road and A30. It will only spend about 20 minutes being run through Basingstoke, before being transported to Kings Worthy (it's due there at 1.14) and Winchester on its scenic route to the games.
Nick Clegg last week made a speech on the economy to the British Chambers of Commerce. The full speech can be read here. The Deputy Prime Minister talked a lot about growth and confidence. Whether it was confidence of businesses to invest, to expand and to grow or the confidence of young people to either ...
The exact route for the Olympic Torch relay through Blyth has been confirmed. As previously posted, it'll be on 15th June, Starting at Front Street , Bebside the run goes down Cowpen Road, along Renwick Road and up Princess Louise Road to the Sports Centre ( where there should be a celebration swimming gala taking place, more later ) , then back to Broadway and along Rotary Way finishing on the edge of Plessey Ward on Amersham Road Detailed timings are yet to be given, but the Bebside leg is due to start at just before 12 noon, and finishing ...
There's going to be another Public Inquiry into the plans for a waste plant in Garston. The City Council designated the Stalbridge Dock site last year but as it is part of a bigger plan the Planning Inspectorate will organise a hearing. This is now provisionally set for mid June. I am planning to go along to speak up for people in Garston. Liverpool City Council may well be there arguing against the people in Garston. I will blog again on this when I have more details/
PoliticsHome reports: The Prime Minister and Chancellor have held final meetings with Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander to finalise the Budget. Footage of the meeting of the 'quad' was released this afternoon amid reports that the Chancellor will scrap the 50p top rate of tax from next year and replace it with a new 45p rate. George Osborne hopes the new rate, which will take effect from April 2013, will raise more money and encourage growth and investment. By 2015 the Chancellor hopes to remove the higher rate altogether, according to reports. It is ...
Now that I've read all the Rebus novels, that only leaves the short story collections (and Rankin's other books). The stories in this collection varyin in length from full novella (a variation on the opening of Dead Souls) to a few pages; about half of them have Rebus solving a mystery, and the weaker stories tend to be from the other half. Generally good and entertaining stuff, though.
Writing over on his work blog, Lib Dem Voice's Mark Pack withdraws one Budget prediction and offers us three others instead: Cunning negotiating strategy or basic mistake? Whatever the view you have of the tax motion at Liberal Democrat conference and Stephen Williams's speech moving it, my interpretation of it was wrong. Far from signalling the determination of the party's leadership to see the 50p tax rate remain, it was in fact a sideshow and the rate will go. A kind interpretation is that standing by the 50p rate so publicly was part of a negotiating strategy to extract greater ...
If you missed my appearance on the Daily Politics show you can watch it again by clicking on the picture above. My appearance is at the 41 minute mark, amongst the topics discussed were regional pay, political gaffes oh and ... Continue reading →
What I find difficult to understand is how anyone thinks it helps tweeting standard tweets at MPs that are not your own MP.All it does is to stop MPs responding to individual messages.
The South East Northumberland Stroke Support Group are holding two open days in May The first is at St Nicholas' Church Hall, Cramlington, on 4th May from 1pm until 3pm The second is at Bedlington Station Residents Associatuion, on 15th May , from 1pm until 3 pm If you are affected by stroke, or know someone who is, come and meet us and see what support we and The Stroke Association can provide. Details are at http://www.strokesense.org.uk/
Research commissioned by the BBC says that Stockport is top for new business start-ups across the whole of the North West. Over the last two years, 2,335 new firms have been established across the Borough – a 10.8% increase. Lib Dem-led Stockport Council has put a lot of focus on helping new and existing businesses in recent years and this is a sure sign that it's paying off. There are more details on the BBC News website.
The Campaign Corner series looks to give three tips about commonly asked campaign issues. Do get in touch if you have any questions you would like to suggest. Today's Campaign Corner question: Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Why yes, I've just come out of a local party campaign team meeting. Many hours, no decisions. Please help! Ah, the old favourite about how to run meetings well. It would be easy to write a book about that... but here are three quick tips to get you going: 1. Good chairing is an important skill that not everyone has: there is a huge difference ...
That old influenza virus really kicked my ass last week. From the moment I woke up last Saturday with a fever, it only took a couple of days to beat the virus down to the recovery-sniffly phase, but then I was physically knackered for the whole rest of the week. I must be getting old. Sickness never used to leave me so tired for so long afterwards. So if you're wondering where I've been: that's where. That, and finishing a class that I taught on Friday. [YouTube Link] Super Best Friends Forever! The new short from DC Nation. How was ...
Plenty of my Liberal Democrat colleagues - Gareth Epps, Daisy Benson, Prue Bray, for instance, - have come out against the NHS Bill. In fact, Prue sums up my own feelings quite succinctly: At this point few people in the wider world understand what is actually in the bill, and virtually nobody trusts it. And it has lost the support of the health professionals. That´s why I personally think it would be better to ditch this bill and start again, difficult though that would be. Prue was brave enough to be one of a stream of Liberal Democrat activists who ...
Steve Double, the new Cabinet Member for Environment and Shared Services, has received a lot of flak for the Council's proposed new bereavement policy. As part of this policy, cemetery fees in much of Cornwall are facing a massive rise. However, he has just sent out the following email to all councillors: Further to my recent email, I have today taken the decision to put the implementation of the new policy and scale of fees for our Bereavement Service on hold. As a result it will now not be implemented on 1st April. I have now had the opportunity to ...
Cunning negotiating strategy or basic mistake? Whatever the view you have of the tax motion at Liberal Democrat conference and Stephen Williams's speech moving it, my interpretation of it was wrong. Far from signalling the determination of the party's leadership to see the 50p tax rate remain, it was in fact a sideshow and the rate will go. A kind interpretation is that standing by the 50p rate so publicly was part of a negotiating strategy to extract greater concessions from the Tories on other tax changes. A less kind interpretation is that it was a mistake to put to ...
Third Reading of the Health and Social Care Bill in the House of Lords tonight - and the last realistic chance of at least pausing the Bill. As the Risk Register has not been published, the Faculty for Public Health have written and published their own. It doesn't make happy reading. If you haven't got time to read the report, there is an excellent commentary on the issues here. Please Lib Dem peers - support the Owen Amendment this evening to at least pause the Bill until the Risk Register has been published. Drop the Bill Thanks PS If you ...
Local residents living in Ambleside Gardens have welcomed the newly installed street lights, telling their LIB DEM ward councillor, Darren Fower that they are providing much more light and less light pollution! According, to Darren the lights are also far more energy efficient and are expected to last longer, which will hopefully mean less failing lights and therefore less replacement work by the Councils contractors? That said if you do ever see a light not working please contact the City Council. Does your street/road need new lighting? leave a comment below!
Today is Third Reading in the Lords of the Health and Social Care Bill. That this is one of the longest, most complex and contentious piece of legislation of this Parliamentary session barely needs restating. That it is unloved in many quarters is a statement of the obvious. And of course you only have to read the many articles and threads on Lib Dem Voice about the Bill to know that views still vary widely on whether it is necessary to address the fundamental challenges faced by the NHS. Having been a member of the Lib Dem team in the ...
Mon 19th
12:54
Opinion: EU needs to resolve the crisis over Hungary's slide to autocracy and human rights violation...
The right-wing populist policies of the Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban, have created real concern over a growing constitutional crisis within the European Union (EU). His Fidesz party secured a two-thirds majority in the 2010 elections giving Viktor Orban, total authority to pass legislation. Since then, he has been much criticised across the EU, in particular, for his new law setting unacceptable limits on media freedoms. He has also declared the country's previous constitution invalid and passed legislation with no consultation, declaring a new constitution requiring that all judges older than 62 retire - a cynical ploy thought to favour ...
On Wednesday, I appeared on BBC Newnight to talk about the green investment bank and supporting small and medium size enterprises (SME) - companies with 10-250 employees. You can watch it here. Recently Vince Cable, The Business Secretary, wrote a letter ... Continue reading →
I am on long train jourrney and have been without human company for some time. This probably explans why I have been excited beyond description by the idea that as well as saving the earth from destruction by asteroid, it's time for Lembit Opik and his harmonica to restore the UK's credibility in Europe by taking part in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2013. This shouldn't suggest that I'm doubting this year's contender Englebert Humperdinck's abilities, because we have to give him a chance, after all, but I recognise that the job may take longer than one year to complete. ...
Saw Dr Claire Harrison, who co-authored the 2008 study which included 24 patients with the W515L mutation. None of them had the combination of MPD/MDS, however, so it wasn't likely that my disease will follow their course. Dr H said there was an Italian study of MPD/MDS patients that she would refer to, and also see whether others working in the field had come across the combination with W515L. Work is going on to construct an international database of patients with these blood cancers, but that's still some way off Meanwhile, Dr Harrison was going to refer back to the ...
At full council next week, Cornwall councillors will finally be given the chance to debate the stadium. A motion has been put forward by Fiona Ferguson, seconded by Councillor M Martin and supported by Councillors Fitter, Mann and Rushworth as follows: "This Council supports the development of a Stadium for Cornwall as a private sector led project and recommends to Cabinet that if the Council receives a request for financial support, whether direct or indirect, including by way of guarantees or provision of infrastructure, that the principle of providing such support be debated by Full Council before any decision be ...
Answers to parliamentary questions are rarely revealing but every now and again something of interest turns up. The most detailed response I have ever received from the European Commission arrived this month. It's a table that lists 82 instances of ... Continue reading →
Boris Johnson's bungled black mentoring scheme has been strongly criticised by a panel of London politicians, who also raised questions about the role of the mayor's 'mentoring champion' Ray Lewis. A cross-party investigation panel of London assembly members said there ... Continue reading →
I was on the Wave 102 news this morning about the Dundee LibDem City Council campaign launch, taking place later today. Click 'play' to listen:
You can't turn anywhere in the Lib Dem blogosphere at the moment without someone announcing that they are resigning, threatening to resign, or announcing that they have decided not to resign from the party. They're all joining Liberal Left said one wag in a weak attempt to stem the stormclouds of depression. As ...
There has been much in the news about this week's Budget and Lib Dems ideas about tax. As an observer of the Liberal Democrats, and someone who regularly writes about the party, it all seems a touch confusing. At one stage it appeared that the party was heading towards a radical vision of tax reform: replacing taxes on employment to taxes on wealth. Putting aside whether one approves of this policy approach, the party has had a long tradition of supporting a land value tax (LVT). To go into the next general election campaigning against income tax and for LVT ...
Just when is minding your own business causing "harassment, alarm and distress"? Well if you are a PCSO who is a bit bored and wants to arrest someone then apparently it is what happened to Italian student Simona Bonomo in 2009 when she was filming buildings and was confronted by two PCSO's using anti-terror legislation and didn't like the fact she didn't roll over to have her belly rubbed. They claimed to have powers they did not have but who cares about that? They are PCSO's and they have a uniform so they can do whatever they want. So they ...
Gateshead is hardly likely to go down in Liberal Democrat history as a mould-breaking or even memorable conference. On the key issue of the NHS, the spoils are divided. But our image among non-committed voters is bound to rise as a result of the look-again victory on Sunday morning. Back in the real world, polls show us still struggling to reach double figures, the party's tally of councillors is at its lowest level this century, and continual calls of betrayal from some former voters leave us in urgent need of good cheer. To obtain it, it would help to ignore ...
As it's in the news, here are my three quick thoughts on the matter: 1. Regional pay already exists in the public sector; I know because I used to receive different pay from colleagues in the same job and on the same pay-scale point elsewhere in the country. In my case, it was called "London weighting". The sensible question therefore is not "should there be regional pay?" but "is our current system of regional pay perfect, and if not how should it be changed?" 2. Regional pay does not have to mean regional pay bargaining. Regional pay can go along ...
For achieving a GOOD Ofsted inspectors report. This is despite being in the middle of extensive building works as the school is remodelled completely. Quite an achievement.
Monday: This is starting to get SILLY. Apparently we're now proposing to privatise the roads. So buying large public works on the never-never is BAD when it is Hard Labour's crazy PFI schemes but FINE when it's giving the nation's vital road infrastructure over into the fluffy feet of MAMMON, is it? Because we're all so PLEASED with the way that the OTHER privatised monopolies have worked out. (So long as by "we" we mean "the foreign companies who now own our utilities".) It's not QUITE up there with slashing disabled people's benefits, but it is a VERY Conservatory-led policy. ...
An MEP who campaigned for changes to the Sunday trading laws in the 1990s will be opposing Government plans to relax them further. Chris Davies, now a Liberal Democrat MEP, was formerly the northern regional organiser for the Shopping Hours ... Continue reading →
Tachyon TV - The One That Got Away John Williams reviews Shada (this is the one to read if you read only one) (tags: shada doctorwho ) Doctor Who: Shada by Gareth Roberts | SFX Ian Berriman's review. (tags: shada doctorwho ) Doctor Who: Adapting Douglas Adams | SFX Ian Berriman interviews Gareth Roberts. (tags: shada doctorwho ) Shada, by Gareth Roberts and Douglas Adams | Sci-Ence! Justice Leak! Andrew Hickey's review. (tags: shada doctorwho ) KOOL TV REVIEW: 'DOCTOR WHO - SHADA. THE LOST ADVENTURE BY DOUGLAS ADAMS' | KOOL TV Scott Weller's review, with lots of pics. (tags: ...
A few years ago when I was studying French, I escaped from the modern languages department for a while to take a module in theology. The course followed the history of the Church of England from the Reformation. When asked by a student, not me, what, if any, were the unique contributions of the C of E to the Christian tradition the lecturer gave has his opinion that the Anglican Communion was the only "reformed" church which had avoided the splits to which Methodists , Baptists, Brethren and others have been prone. Rowan Williams has struggled heroically to hold our ...
Temporary disabled bays have been installed on Massie Street car park as part of the work to demolish Warwick Mall, which looks set to become a new Sainsbury's. Unfortunately, one of the Council's traffic wardens incorrectly handed out six tickets to people parked in the disabled bays before they had been properly marked out. The Lib Dem team contacted the Council about the issue this morning (Monday) and can confirm that all six tickets will be cancelled, with no fines payable. The new bays have now been properly marked out and so are legally in force.
The Independent reports that the Speaker of the House of Commons is responding to the recent drink-fuelled misadventures of the MP Eric Joyce by calling "last orders" on the parliamentary drinking culture. It seems that he has plans to change opening hours, bar prices and tab debts, and to instruct staff not to serve "tired and emotional" members. They say that if Mr Bercow's proposed reforms had been in place, Mr Joyce might have been refused more wine and his bill would have been steeper. The Parliamentary Commission's review is expected to be completed before the end of April. However, ...
Although I am supporting the fight by Remploy workers to keep their factories open, one really does have to wonder about the point made by Matt Withers in this column regarding the third sector: After the UK Government announced it was to close seven of the nine Remploy factories in Wales, which employ disabled workers, naturally the media turned to Disability Wales, the country's biggest charity in the area, to give its side. And yet, rather than lay into the UK Government as the Welsh Government had done, Disability Wales was more circumspect. Rhian Davies, chief executive of Disability Wales, ...
In a recent article on Lib Dem Voice, Scott Hill talked of the need for 'modernisation' of the party's campaigning mechanisms. Some of his ideas are excellent: for example, who could argue with putting more emphasis on internet campaigning? However, I think he has gone somewhat off the rails in his adulation of what can only be described as aggressively centralising tendencies. 'Message and projection is everything', he writes. 'As a party, it is vital that we sing from the same hymn sheet. Undoubtedly, debate and deliberation is necessary, but unity must be maintained right the way through the party.' ...
Mon 19th
09:43
A solution to the perception of the Lib Dems as a new nasty party: Time to get back to basics
It wasn't long ago that Clegg claimed that we needed to own everything this government did. We couldn't be in it and not own all the decisions because we wouldn't get the credit for the things that worked but we would get blamed for the things which didn't anyway. While this was a long time ...
Sometimes things just always come back and haunt you.....
The Universities of London, Oxford and Cambridge are (perhaps unsurprisingly) the UK universities which have produced most graduate millionaires, according to a survey by the financial investment firm Skandia UK: The University of London is ranked first, with almost one in 10 millionaires gaining a degree or higher from one of its colleges. Oxford is ranked second, significantly ahead of Cambridge in third. One in 13 attended Oxford, compared to one in 20 for Cambridge. Top Ten Ranked by Attendance 1. University of London 2. University of Oxford 3. University of Cambridge 4. University of Leeds 5. University of Manchester ...
I don't know who found this first – it was all over twitter yesterday. It seems Urban Outfitters have joined the ranks of retailers using casual transphobia in their products with this greetings card, described by them as "charming". (Update at 1130, 19th March: The card appears to have been pulled. The link now shows just that the product has "sold out".) In case it gets pulled down – I hope it does – here's the text: Jack and Jill, Went up the hill, So Jack could see Jill's fanny, But Jack got a shock, And an eyeful of cock, ...
Fiscal crises are actually a good time to take a strategic look at the tax system. While the books are being balanced, and some taxes increased to help do so, it makes sense to step back and think about where ... Continue reading →
From the Telegraph: The 50p top rate of income tax will be scrapped next year under plans to be unveiled in this week's Budget...George Osborne, the Chancellor, will say that the tax is undermining the British economy by deterring investors and entrepreneurs. It will be replaced with a 45p rate from April 2013, which Treasury officials believe will raise more money because fewer people will avoid it. By the time of the election Mr Osborne hopes to scrap the higher rate entirely, with Britain's highest earners paying 40p in the pound. The decision is likely to prove highly controversial and ...
The media may be focusing on the Boris v Ken show for London mayor, but Brian Paddick's Lib Dem campaign is making some noise. His hard-hitting campaign posters focusing on crime — an issue the former police commander in the Metropolitan police knows first-hand how to tackle — abound in London. And one of the reasons Brian is able to achieve this exposure is the success of the London Lib Dem fundraising effort. I understand that the total raised has, or is about to, pass the £400,000 mark — an impressive achievement for the Lib Dems, and (I'm told) not ...
What a shame it is that if you say the same thing often enough it becomes accepted wisdom. What a pity therefore that in her excellent piece "The one-trick coalition" [Observer 18th March] the estimable Heather Stewart uses the phrase " -- exodus of wealth creating entrepreneurs" in the context of the 50p tax. Similarly on BBC Breakfast a commentator reflecting on the tax said that the LibDems will find '---other ways of clobbering the rich'. If an extra 10p on people making over five times average earnings is 'clobbering' then I speak some different version of English. Doubtless some ...
From today's Guardian front page: David Cameron will clear the way for a multibillion-pound semi-privatisation of trunk roads and motorways as he announces plans to allow sovereign wealth funds from countries such as China to lease roads in England. Just 48 hours before the budget, the prime minister will give a speech calling for radical action to improve Britain's infrastructure, which is falling behind those of key competitors in Europe. In his most eye-catching proposal, Cameron will announce that the Treasury and Department for Transport are to carry out a feasibility study looking at using private-sector funds to improve and ...
A-roads, motorways and bypasses were built, in part, to provide a more direct route and to prevent traffic from driving through small towns and villages. What would happen if roads are privatised? At least two things spring immediately to mind: ... Continue reading →
The Olympic Torch Relay will visit communities across County Durham during three days in June this year. Today (07.30am Monday March 19) LOCOG has unveiled the street level map which the Olympic Torch Relay will follow (This can be viewed in full via www.durham.gov.uk/olympictorchrelay from 9am Monday ) and the names of many of the inspirational people who will carry the Torch, including some of those who will do so in County Durham. The map gives important detail about both the street level route but also the times the Relay will pass through. The Flame starts its journey through County ...
