...thanks to twitter I came across a sneak preview of tomorrow's Mail's report of a great night of athletics at the Olympics...
What was meant to be a post on The Pirate Planet but is mostly about Mary Tamm. Tagged: Doctor Who, me elsewhere
The Royal Mail have another busy day and night ahead of them, and they will be making history in the process. This history making comes from the fact that the stamps that follow will be the first to be issued on a Sunday by the first country to issue postage stamps 172 years ago. But it is also the busiest day they will have. Things finished off at Eton Dorney with two more gold as Team GB topped the medals at the lake. First up when the men in the fours which is hardly a surprise as no other country ...
This is the first year in quite a few that I've been on holiday in this country – excepting Spring Harvest, which is more like a week away at an OU residential than a holiday! The last time was the best part of 5 years ago, when we spent a great week at October half term in Pittenweem. On that occasion, I interrupted my break to fly down to London for a business meeting, something I've been determined to avoid this time around. (Blackberrys don't seem to work in Somerset [IMG: :)] ) It was an unusual break (for us) ...
Judy Steel, wife of former Liberal leader David Steel, and announced her support for Scottish independence, according to today's Daily Record. She is reported as saying: ""I have always believed in Scotland as an independent country. It's an emotional thing. I suppose it's tied up with my admiration for the Scandinavian countries and the influence of my parents, who were very disillusioned by the trappings of post-imperial Britain. It may be good for Britain as a whole and give it the chance to find a level where it can shake off that very grandiose and rather pompous history." That's a ...
Achievement Unlocked: a quarter century on this planet. Go me! I've been at work all day, wishing a little that I was elsewhere (notably the annual Pirate Punting in Cambridge, and [IMG: [twitter.com profile] ] scatmania's summer party in Oxford) but full of smiles nonetheless. I'm utterly shattered, having pulled an hour of marshalling in the car park from 8am, and then being a groupie/instructor for 6hrs as some of the staff had their kids on centre for the day, followed by a 30 minute break (because I had to eat with the kids rather than have one at lunch) ...
John Mary Vianney was the son of a peasant farmer, and a slow and unpromising candidate for the priesthood: he was eventually ordained on account of his devoutness rather than any achievement or promise. In 1818 he was sent to be the parish priest of Ars-en-Dombes, an isolated village some distance from Lyon, and remained ...
Last month I wrote about plans for an archaeological dig in Leicester to look for the tomb of Richard III. (I also visited the Richard III Museum in York.) The King Richard Armitage site now says that sufficient funds to finance the dig have been secured and that it will take place this month. While on holiday I went past Middleham Castle, Richard's home, in North Yorkshire. It looks well worth a visit.
David Cameron on Lords reform during the general election TV debates: Hat-tip: Nick Thornsby
There's no prize at stake - just the opportunity to prove you're wittier than any other LDV reader... (Picture from lynnefeatherstone's Flickr photostream.) Here's Lib Dem MP and Equalities minister Lynne Featherstone out and about in her London constituency. What do you think might be said here? And the winner of our last caption comp is... Some fantastic entries for our most recent caption competition, Lumley & Clegg "Ab Fab" Edition. The winner, according to The Voice's judging panel of one, was this one by LondonLiberal: Joanna Lumley explains what the Tories are doing to the Liberal Democrats with embarrassingly ...
Britain's Surveillance Commissioner has warned about significant RIPA failings, unregulated private sector surveillance, and surveillance using the Internet, says Hawktalk. "Once again, a law intended (so Parliament was assured) to catch a small number of people with a supposedly dangerous 'addiction' to pornography of extreme violence is being used to prosecute someone's private indulgence of sexual tastes that present no harm to anyone. The pictures themselves depict nothing that is not in itself legal to perform or to watch live: but of which it is, according to the prosecution, illegal to possess a photograph or a recording." Heresiarch's Dungeon discusses ...
awkwardedmilibandmoments: Ed drags the Labour Party into the 21st century.
I'm not even talking about the fact that he has not been able to persuade his backbenchers to support a key plank of the coalition agreement, although that is pretty weak. I'm referring to how he has steadfastly refused to move George Osborne from the Treasury brief. It has demonstrated just how hidebound his political room for manoeuvre has become. I understand those who say Osborne is one of Cameron's oldest political friends. But Blair was old friends with Peter Mandelson and David Blunkett and he did what was necessary to remove them from their cabinet posts when the time ...
Sat 4th
14:24
Boundary reforms must now be dropped, but Lib Dems should avoid petulance over Lords retreat
The news that David Cameron has been unable to persuade Conservative MPs to support the House of Lords Reform Bill is disappointing, but unsurprising given the scale of the threatened rebellion. Liberal Democrats must accept this situation - frustrating as it is - and concentrate on what is now important: the party's response. Anger will be the natural reaction of many in the party - and understandably so. Liberal Democrat MPs have walked through the Aye Lobby more times than they care to remember to support Conservative measures from the coalition agreement. Yet when it comes to doing their bit ...
Sister of Sean Rigg, Marcia Rigg-Samuel, will be speaking about her quest for justice after her younger brother was killed in police custody on my show tomorrow. Tune in online to Sounds of Urban London radio Sunday from 2pm to 4pm. Watch ... Continue reading →
Yesterday, on a trip to Beamish Open Air Museum in Co Durham, with my Stroke Support Group (www.strokesense.org.uk ) I had a couple of pints in the pub at the museum. Now many pages can be written about the museum and its attractions, but I'm going to comment on the pub. Despite being in a museum, it serves drinks just like a "normal" pub. But no keg beer, no lager (except in bottles), a big jar of scrumpy cider behind the bar and no optics ... just like pubs used to be. Indeed the interior was very much like local ...
As far as I'm aware, there are no meetings scheduled next week at Blyth Town Council in the coming week. However, please check the council's website at www.blythtowncouncil.org.uk for any changes to the calendar
With the Team GB football team playing the quarter finals in Cardiff today, they should be commended on defying expectations and getting as far as they have. I for one, am anticipating them going further and possibly picking up a medal. However, we should not get carried away with their success, even if there are many voices in the media who remained confused as to what they represent and why they are doing so well. They are effectively an England and Wales Team representing the United Kingdom. They are not an English team despite lazy claims to the contrary and ...
Over at liberal think-tank CentreForum's blog, Tom Papworth has nominated Lib Dem MP and transport minister Norman Baker for the honorary title 'Liberal Hero of the Week'. The reason? Norman's libertarian stance on the proposal that wearng cycle helmets should be compulsory: I think anybody who rides a bike without wearing a helmet is taking an enormous risk. I've fallen off my bike in the past and had my helmet (rather than my head) bounce off the tarmac. I also know that cycling can be very dangerous; the chair of one the neighbouring constituency party was killed a few years ...
Before I start, I should mention that somebody saw an earlier draft of this post and made some unremittingly frank comments within it. I've reacted appropriately to that feedback. I didn't notice the comment in the title before I pressed publish, but I decided just to leave it in anyway. If it makes one person laugh.... The motto of the London 2012 Olympics is "Inspire a Generation". They practised what they preach in the Opening Ceremony when the flame was lit by the next generation of athletes. But how do you get to those geeky kids who spend all their ...
OK, Lords Reform takes a back seat. No problem. But so does the boundary review and reducing the Commons seats, thus starving the Tories of the prospect of an overall majority for a generation. As Benny Hill would say: Sirry iriots! [IMG: Post to Twitter] Tweet This Post
Tony Davis, a life long campaigner to protect the Common has managed to get agreement from the landowners (South Gloucestershire) to apply to make it a Diamond Jubilee Queen Elizabeth II Field in Trust. A bit of a mouthful - but what it means is that the Common and the Fox Covert will have extra protection from developers and others. The Fox Covert, part of what we think of as the Common is not actually common land, so it has always been particularly vulnerable. This new label will make it as safe as we possibly can get it. Now the ...
Da dah! At last Southwark Council under Labour's leadership have finally issued a formal letter to the developer of the Dulwich Garden Centre Sites saying they do want a new Grove Vale library. They've blurred this decision by claiming the library needs capital from the council to help pay for it. It doesn't. But at least they've finally acted with sense. It only taken them 12 months to issue this letter! But thank goodness they finally have. Now this uncertainty has been resolved the developer can borrow the many millions of pounds from their bank and do detailed planning of ...
Why I'm standing in Manchester Central by Loz Kaye (tags: ) Factcheck: Are poor, black, disabled boys 168 times more likely to be excluded from school? | Full Fact (tags: ) Caspar Melville - The passion of the bishop | New Humanist "An earlier version of this article mistakenly said that Bishop of Edinburgh is the most senior post in the Church of Scotland. In fact the Church of Scotland has no Bishops. The Bishop of Edinburgh is a post in the Scottish Episcopal Church, which is not linked to the Church of Scotland, except by the fact that they ...
Four quick thoughts before I go off in search of chocolate, pizza and friends (in reverse order of priority, of course): 1. The last rites on Lords reform for this Parliament have not yet quite been uttered, though it's striking how those in government I've spoken to are all now pretty much just talking about what the repercussions are rather than how it might yet go through. Will Ed Miliband be tempted to mix opportunism with principle and say, 'No problem about those Tory backbenchers; we'll support this measure?'. It would revive Lords reform and play havoc with Cameron's position ...
Sat 4th
09:05LibLink: Chris Rennard - Failure to deliver Lords reform will not threaten the coalition
Over at the Guardian, former Lib Dem chief executive Lord (Chris) Rennard has argued that the fall of Lords reform would be a blow to Lib Dems, but that it was not the key aspect of the coalition agreement to voters: Failure to deliver on the most important aspects of constitutional reform would, of course, be a bitter blow to Liberal Democrats. But the party will also recognise that the constitutional package within the coalition agreement was not the most important aspect of it to the voters, nor was it nearly as important as the state of the economy as ...
The British chess championship has been taking place in North Shields for the past couple of weeks. And the official website announces: Grandmasters Gawain Jones and Stephen Gordon have tied on 9 points and will play-off for the title of British Champion 2012. They already share joint English Champion. The play-off will be best of 2 games at 20 minutes + 10 seconds per move. If this does not separate them there will be an 'Armageddon' game of White 4 minutes, Black 3 minutes with 3 seconds per move - If the game is drawn, Black wins. The playoff will ...
Today is Belfast Pride's parade day. We are holding two events. A group of gay (and gay friendly) Christians will be supporting the parade. We will be gathering at St George's Church on High Street from 10.30. More details... (Facebook event page). If you are on the parade, give us a wave as you go past! ...
Back in January of last year, I seconded an attempt at the City Council to oppose a biomass application on the River Tay in the east of Dundee, on the grounds of the adverse impact on air quality, the impact of the plant on visual amenity and the effect of heavy goods vehicles passing through residential areas to service the facility. The SNP administration moved to simply defer consideration pending more information on air quality. This was, in my view, an unsatisfactory response, but was narrowly carried. Many constituents have asked me for an update on the situation and I ...
I was delighted to be invited to the Riverside Community Sports Club Family BBQ yesterday - at the Elliot Road playing fields, complete with disco, bouncy castles BBQ and other fun activities. Riverside Community Sports Club ran the BBQ to celebrate its first-ever summer football camp for both Riverside CSC boys and girls and in recognition of their being awarded the SFA Community Quality Mark at the end of last year. And a good time was had by all - see above right!
We are encouraged (rightly) to help third world producers by buying Fairtrade products – but surely Fair Trade should also begin 'at home'. Here's a couple of ideas for starters: ♦ A fair price for milk (and other produce) to ... Continue reading →
