This week it is Old Reekie's finest stonemason, blues artist and jobbing actor - Tam White. One of his claims to fame is to be the first person to sing live on Top of the Pops. He also attended Darroch secondary - better known in my day as James Gillespies Annexe. Here he is performing live in his home town in the year before his untimely death in 2010.
This week the full applications for Yarm School's latest developments were validated and are open to comment. The extent of them is almost, but not quite, unbelievable. Numerous sports pitches of one kind or another - 4 Senior Rugby Pitches, several junior pitches, mini pitches, training pitches, 2 all weather pitches, rounders pitches, cricket pitches for juniors and seniors, an athletics
It is a monument to the age of steam, a gateway to the breathtaking beaches of the North East and an architectural achievement that has stood firm for 130 years.wrote Helen Nugent in the Guardian in April. Now the long-neglected railway station at Tynemouth is receiving the loving touch that it deserves. A multi-million pound renovation project promises to return the Victorian station to its former glory. Close to completion, the transformation of Tynemouth station is, according to the council and planners, a "true tale of a heritage phoenix rising from the ashes".She's right you know. And another good thing ...
From This is Wiltshire: Visitors to the Miniature Railway at Coate Water could soon see the attraction double in size if a planning application is approved. The railway has submitted an application to Swindon Council for the approval of plans to change the use of nearby woodland to provide an extension to the railway and erect a station platform. In the application, Hilary Foley, secretary of the North Wilts Model Engineering Society which operates the railway, said: "We have recently been granted the inclusion of extra land within our lease and wish to extend our railway track down towards the ...
we recently went to the cairngorms and visited frinds who live by Grantown -on-spey. the highland games was on. a lovely sunny day. our little 2 yr old took part in the preschool dash (90m with lolly pop to all taking part). I took part in the parents dash (400m with lolly pop to all taking part). It was great to be in a running race again. Last did this when I was about 13yrs. I had wellies on that day so had to run bare foot on grass. Thank goodness it had rained the night before. Lovely and soft ...
At last - the Paralympics are here! During the spring I started a campaign with my partner to get equality in stamp issued to gold medal winners. The state of play was this - paralympian winning gold = stamp. paralympian with gold = no stamp. We know the mum of a multi-paralympian who has won a string of golds at the last 3 olympic games. So naturally this was a real issue of equality to someone's family who we know locally. So off the campaign started. We lobbied MPs, Royal Mail, ministers etc. In fact we wrote and contacted anyone ...
Wednesday 29th August is the church 'celebrates' the beheading of John the Baptist, granted it is a 'lesser festival' nevertheless it is good day to turn our minds to those who abuse power and wealth. No doubt this is the reason Clegg picked today to launch his proposal for wealth taxes. Liberals have for generations challenged the mal distribution of wealth in Britain and put forward schemes to remedy this state of affairs. Most famously of all Elliot Dodds chaired an inquiry into the distribution of property set up by the Liberal Assembly meeting in Buxton in 1937. The resolution, ...
The University of Leicester website had encouraging news of the dig at Greyfriars that hope to find the body of Richard III: Progress in our search for the body of King Richard III is exceeding our expectations. The first week could not have gone better. That was the message from Richard Buckley, co-director of our Archaeological Services, who is leading the dig to find the medieval monarch at the Greyfriars site in Leicester City Centre. Richard presented the latest discoveries from the site at a press briefing held today in the evocative setting of Leicester's 14th century Guildhall. Among the ...
Rather nice graphic from Liberal Martin: * Mark Pack has written 101 Ways To Win An Election and produces a monthly newsletter about the Liberal Democrats.
Many, particularly on the left, are using the Olympics and Paralympics to make political points. Today then, around 150 campaigners associated with UKUncut and Disabled People against Cuts protested outside the Department of Work and Pensions against ASOS' sponsorship of ... Continue reading →
Local LIB DEM ward councillor Darren Fower has now visited the site and reported the issue of a dumped trolley in the stream to the rear of Brookside. During the site visit, Darren, spoke with local resident who told him that the trolley had been there for some time and that reports had been made to the Environment Agency who are responsible for the stream? To ensure that work is done, Darren has used the FREE service FixMyStreet to report the problem and this will not be removed until action is taken! You can view the reported issue by clicking ...
It's Friday. It's five o'clock. Here's a fistful of lists that sum up the LDV week: 5 most-read stories on LDV this week Opinion: Britain has become a corporate state, not a free society (51 comments) by Daniel Furr Opinion: Moderates vs Radicals: the battle for the Liberal Democrat soul (56 comments) by Sean Davey Reshuffle round-up: it looks like good news for Swinson & Laws (60 comments) by Stephen Tall Nick Clegg calls for emergency taxes on wealthy (51 comments) by Caron Lindsay Tim Leunig writes... Housing priority Number 1: reversing the rise in the age of first-time buyers ...
It has been since I worked for a company whose global HQ was in Tampa, it is even longer since I actually spent part of a Florida holiday in Tampa, including a visit on my birthday to Busch Gardens. But this week after tropical storm Isaac put a delay to proceedings on Monday it has been the home for the Republican convention. Seeing as I have seen a number of very good YouTube ripostes to some of the GOP's recent stupid statements I though today would be the day to share these with you. First up the Renegade Raging Grannies ...
National newspapers are usually owned by wealthy men who, not surprisingly, don't like wealth taxes. This has been obvious in the response to Clegg's (belated) outburst of egalitarianism-well maybe that is putting it a bit strongly. Nevertheless the wealth tax proposals have been attacked on all sides (most diverting was Labour's sham moral outrage at Clegg's support for the 45p upper tax band-forgetting that it is higher now than it was during almost all Labour's period in office) . My issue with them is that they are presented as short term measures designed to get us out of a hole ...
Fast forward to 2015, and the upcoming General Election. The Conservatives are telling the country how much better they will govern if they weren't held back by the Lib Dems. Labour will be telling us that they will save the NHS and have the answers to getting Britain out of stagnation. The Lib Dems will ...
Plans by the government to change Controlled Foreign Companies (CFC) rules are threatening to deny the developing world billions of pounds in tax revenues. The current CFC rules discourage UK companies from using tax havens, by requiring them to pay UK levels of corporation tax whether they are based in the UK or abroad. This system discourages the practice of profit shifting and protects the tax incomes of both the UK and developing countries. The changes were proposed in the Budget earlier this year and will mean that companies will only be charged full corporation tax when using tax havens ...
Manchester Liberal Democrats were out in force during last weekend's Manchester Pride Festival. Marc Ramsbottom, the Lib Dem candidate in the Manchester Central By-Election and John Leech MP led the Lib Dem contingent on the Pride parade. Around 20 Manchester Liberal Democrat Councillors and activists marched in the parade to promote Liberal Democrat campaigns for Equal Marriage and John Leech MP's campaign to pardon Alan Turing, the Gay WW2 Hero and Father of Computer Science. Many other Liberal Democrat activists were also taking part in the parade with organisations ranging from Manchester University to the Village Manchester Football Club. City ...
Below are recently submitted Planning Applications in the Chorlton area. You can find out more information about any of the proposals on the City Council's Planning Portal at http://tinyurl.com/yv6lex or by contacting the South Area Planning Group Manager - Roger Hall; Tel: (0161) 234 4536; email: r.hall@manchester.gov.uk . You can also make a Planning representation (in support or opposition) to Mr Hall or the designated planning officer for each application. Please feel free to contact me on (07947383740; cllr.v.chamberlain@manchester.gov.uk) if you wish to discuss any application and please also send me a copy of any representation you make. 099927/FU/2012/S1 Carter ...
I was on the panel for Voice of Russia's debate yesterday on whether political advertising on TV in the UK should continue to be banned. The debate's been re-triggered following a legal challenge from Animal Defenders International, an animal rights group challenging a block on its 'My Mate's a Primate' campaign featuring Alexei Sayle reporting on the abuse of performing apes. You can listen to the debate here: And if you just want to know my view in four sentences... I believe in free expression and can see absolutely no justification for continuing to ban political advertising on television. I ...
I couldn't really stop the passage of time and so it was that I decided many months ago that if I must turn 30 then I may as well do so with good company and in happy surroundings. So last weekend, a group of over 30 of my friends from across the UK (including Glasgow!) got together for a Bank Holiday weekend by the sea in Tenby. As a born and bred south Pembrokeshire boy, I could think of nowhere better to stay than in Tenby and with better than forecast weather, we make the most of Tenby South and ...
By Howard of Lib Dem News
A sign of the future from the Polish air force: Poland's Defense Ministry has announced plans to replace its fleet of aging Russian Sukhoi-22 combat aircraft with armed UAVs [Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, aka drones]. The complete replacement of the Polish air force's strike capability with drones is a logical extension of the increasing popularity of the unmanned technology. It is also a symbolic tipping point on the road to the increasing mechanisation of military capability that will both raise concerns over how well controlled the robots really are – and also at some point kick off a new round of ...
We are please to announce that the regular surgery held at Birkdale Library at 2pm on the first Saturday of the month will have the added assistance of Dukes Ward Lib Dem Councillor Tony Dawson tomorrow. Tony's Dukes Ward includes large parts of Birkdale and we regularly get folk turning up to our surgery who come from Dukes Ward. It is a bit like one of those Venn diagrams you did at school. All of Birkdale ward is in Birkdale, a significant part of Dukes ward is as well as houses in Ainsdale and Kew Wards. So, at the risk ...
Conservative MP Brian Binley's complaint that the government's policy program is not simply a list of Conservative policies, but instead includes Liberal Democrat ones too (Independent, 30 August), rather misses the point that the Conservatives did not win an overall majority on their own at the last election. If Brian Binley and colleagues think they should get their way all the time, the answer is to win an election, not to demand full power in the absence of victory. Yours etc.
We only have a single by-election to report on this week, the Bettws ward of Bridgend. Despite having run the council as recently as 2008, we not only didn't stand a candidate but we hadn't run one last time either. Whilst that means our vote-share hasn't decreased, a growing reputation for not showing up is something the party might wish to avoid! Admittedly, a Lib Dem presence on the ballot might not have dented the Labour Party's eventual eighty per cent share of the vote, but there is still a principle at stake and we hope that no stone was ...
Mitt Romney's campaign have become the first of Presidential campaigns to buy a trying topic this cycle. The #RomneyRyan2012 hashtag appeared in trending topics during the final night of the RNC convention. According to Mashable: As of 8:52 p.m. ET, ... Continue reading →
For many years Blyth has held it's market on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The market has seen a decline over the years, despite the attempts to help it by both the former Blyth Valley Borough Council and Northumberland County Council. Ask anyone in Blyth and after slating (excuse the pun) the East German Parade Ground that it had become, they'd mention how more market traders need to be attracted to Blyth. It's all well and good saying this, but attempts have been made... free rents for an introductory period etc. On Monday, having been away for the weekend I was ...
[IMG: Tim Farron] There's no doubt that one of the most controversial phrases in British politics is "hard working families". Not because anyone has anything against hard working families, but because it excludes whole swathes of people who deserve the support of the state too. So, when Party President Tim Farron used it recently, he really shouldn't have been surprised to attract some criticism. As Jennie Rigg so forcefully put it; The phrase Hard Working Families purposefully excludes and marginalises anyone who doesn't have a job, and anyone who doesn't have a traditional family. This goes across well with the ...
It's a painful experience, but I do read the Daily Fail every day. I always feel that it's important to be aware of the misinformed bile it's giving out to people. On right hand side of their web page there's a column called Femail which gives an index of articles about various celebrities going out wearing clothes and either putting on or losing weight. Each are bad, apparently. Because that's what women should be interested in. They often use a ridiculous phrase whenever a pregnant woman steps out in public. They say that she's "showing off her bump". Today it ...
Hulk & Hawkeye in drag (tags: ) Sexism starts young (tags: ) Support your local anything-but-a-record-label | jwz On how kickstarter removes the last useful thing record labels do (tags: ) Why shouldn't three people get married? | Jean Hannah Edelstein | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk Depressing that all the comments on this seem to assume one man several wives. I'd love to marry my boys... (tags: ) This Impossibly Badass Prosecutor and 'Rape Kit' Advocate Is Our New Hero (tags: ) Naked Soldiers Salute Prince Harry I approve. Also, lots of them have some NICE ink. (tags: ) ...
Rich Leigh has written an excellent piece on the art, science and occasional nightmare of PRs and marketeers pitching to bloggers – including the rarely mentioned obverse, namely tips on how to respond when someone is pitching to you. The gems in the piece include this: Be friendly: I've worked with many bloggers who have, at least at first, treated me with very little respect no matter how targeted my approach. If you appreciate that marketers can be of benefit to you too, in all the ways I mentioned above and more, you'll hopefully appreciate that respect is a two-way ...
Last night, I had the pleasure of chairing the latest - and well-attended - meeting of the residents of Pleasance Court. There was a useful discussion on a number of local issues - seagulls nuisance, wheelie bins, parking issues and security to name a few - and I am most grateful to representatives from Home Scotland, Ross & Liddell, Tayside Police and Community Spirit Action Group who attended and participated in the discussion.
Another example of spin this morning, this time from the opposition with yet more calls by the Welsh Tories to scrap free prescriptions in Wales. The Western Mail reports that more than two and a half million additional prescription items were dispensed in Wales in the last year, That makes it the 11th year in a row that the number has gone up. In all 72.7 million prescription items were issued in 2011-2012, up from 70.1 million the previous year. From the point of view of the Tories, this is more ammunition in their long campaign to reintroduce prescription charges ...
Fri 31st
08:52
LibLink: Paddy Ashdown "Liberal Democrats must back Nick Clegg and let him finish the job"
[IMG: Paddy Ashdown] In today's Guardian, Paddy Ashdown responds to Matthew Oakeshott's call upon party members to consider replacing Nick Clegg as Leader in typically direct style; All party dissidents, minor or not, suddenly find themselves welcome on every front page and in every news studio. Opinion pollsters, out of business during the dead days of summer, suddenly find themselves able to use a late August poll to predict the outcome of an election still three years away. I remember one in 1995, two years from the election in which the Liberal Democrats doubled their seats, which had me losing ...
As far as I am aware, there is only one meeting at Blyth Town Council next week. Planning & Development Committee, Ebor House, Thursday 6th October at 6:30 pm
Yesterday the Guardian ran with the story of a leaked treasury memo making tentative plans for £10 billion worth of additional welfare cuts: George Osborne is drawing up plans to announce up to £10bn of extra cuts in welfare spending next year, according to a leaked account of a briefing to senior civil servantsAs Lib Dems we cannot let this happen. There's been speculation that there might be a deal for Clegg getting his wealth tax in exchange for the tories getting £10 billion of cuts to welfare but that had damn well better not happen. There is no equivalence ...
I recently mentioned the proposed temporary prohibition of traffic in all lanes of the Dudhope Roundabout and access to North and West Marketgait and Lochee Road from the roundabout for ten days from 10th September. The City Council advised yesterday: "I refer to my e-mails dated 9 August and 22 August in respect of the above Temporary Traffic Order. I would advise that it has been decided that the works will not take place at this time and therefore this Order will no longer be going ahead." This is a sensible decision, as many students will be returning to the ...
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