Carl & The Passions feels very much like the work of a totally different band from the one that recorded Surf's Up, and that's because to a great extent it is. After Dennis Wilson damaged his hand and could no longer play drums, he moved to the front of the stage and became a co-frontman ...
The revised Supplementary Planning Document "SPD" for the Woodford Aerodrome site has been published today (4th Jan) ahead of the special Executive meeting on 14th Jan when it will be discussed and voted on. The SPD cannot make new policy – it interprets local and national policies to guide developers in what's acceptable for a site and how any development should take place. The new SPD, which you can view here, has been amended following more than 700 comments from over 200 people in last year's consultation.
I won't show you Priors Holt - the Witchend of Malcolm Saville's Lone Pine Club books. Some sites are too sacred for photography. But Hamperley Farm down the lane will be known to readers of that series as Ingles Farm. When I was there last summer the farmhouse appeared to be empty and undergoing renovation. But I was pleased to see that the tiny postbox survives. And a local artist had sensed a marketing opportunity.
The previous post mentioned the Labour Party's problem with messaging and unthinking mantras. It also quoted the Power Inquiry's criticism of the political strategy of 'triangulation', "a mathematical equation that secures power but in the end drives down people's desire to be politically engaged." Right on cue, Ed Balls has launched a race to the bottom with the Conservatives to see who can be the most 'tough' with long-term unemployed people. A genuinely radical party of the left would be articulating a real alternative to the failed economic orthodoxy that has caused high unemployment. Labour is not that party. Instead, ...
Trixie Seven by [IMG: [archiveofourown.org profile] ] innerbrat Fandom: Jurassic Park (1993 movie) Rating: General Audiences No Archive Warnings Apply Category: Gen Characters: Ellie Sattler, Gerry Harding A Yuletide gift for [IMG: [archiveofourown.org profile] ] rthstewart Summary: Paleontology isn't extinct, it just needs to evolve. Ellie Sattler was half way through her doctorate when she officially decided she was sick of being asked about dinosaurs. It was probably around the fourth or fifth time she had to explain to her Aunt Heather that her work on fern diversity during the Cretaceous period was, yes, related to dinosaurs in that some ...
From the Rutland Times: Lawyers have advised Rutland County Council that it can sue three of its members for defamation following an investigation. Councillors will consider whether to take action against Rutland Anti-Corruption Group founders Richard Gale, David Richardson and Nick Wainwright at a special meeting on Thursday. The council agreed to take legal advice on the group's actions following a meeting in October and public services law firm Bevan Brittan was instructed to carry out an investigation. The law firm has advised the council that allegations made by the three councillors have damaged the authority's reputation. It also said ...
BBC radio 2 has run a competition for the nation's favourite number two single. The results include many songs worthy of the number one slot - particularly given some of the songs that stopped them topping the chart. Here's one of my favourites Sit down by James - number two in 1991 beaten to the top spot by Chesney Hawke's The one and only. Here they are a few years later on the ever excellent Jules Holland.
Whipped: From the desk of the Junior Whip I never tire of this place. From the rotting piles in the Thames mud to the bat-chewed pinnacles that pierce the Westminster sky, I have explored it all. On these wanderings I have found the rifle range and the chained Beast in the wine cellars. Legend has it he was once a Conservative backbencher who voted the wrong way over Gladstone's Home Rule bill. There are those who believe the Palace of Westminster needs modernisation. Let me put that more accurately: the place is falling down. The plumbing and wiring are antiquated ...
Earlier this evening the First Minister issued a statement, though it appears it has been issued as the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party or unionism and not as a leader of all in Northern Ireland. It appears to be largely an attack condemning those that wish to see a return to direct rule as ...
[IMG: RickyPic] Rickmansworth Waterways Trust We are very lucky to have this active organisation looking after our section of the Grand Union Canal. Its members work very hard all the year round, organising the Festival in May (20th Festival next year), offering the educational programme, the chance to go for trips along this stretch of the canal and many other things. One of the responsibilities is looking after Roger, the historic working boat. There are four aspects of this – conservation, maintenance, operations, and presentation. Fabian Hiscock would be delighted to hear from anyone interested in being involved. Either email ...
What an idiot I am, assuming that there would only be one 30 Day Doctor Who challenge. The one Jennie's doing has different questions, and because I like those better, particularly the one about writers, I'm going to go with hers, which are below: There are some in the other list that I quite like, so might throw them in as bonuses from time to time. So, today's question is favourite companion. I have loved very many companions over the years. I adored Ace. Maybe because I was in my early 20s when she came along, I didn't feel, like ...
(a list of the questions and links to all the answers can be found on this entry) Doctor Who has some pretty iconic villains. Sutekh, The Master, my beloved Davros... But if I had to choose one, it'd be Helen A, who definitely isn't Margaret Thatcher at all, oh dear me no, and is masterfully portrayed by Sheila Hancock in The Happiness Patrol. [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
Whilst rumours of a list of new Peers swirls around the Palace of Westminster, the Lords returns to work on Tuesday, and a somewhat lop-sided week continues through to Friday in order to fit in the postponed debate on Leveson. Never let it be said though that the Lords needs a gentle warm-up before asking the difficult questions. Tuesday sees oral questions on airport capacity in London, housebuilding in South East England and the effect of the 'fiscal cliff' solution on the UK economy, before the Growth and Infrastructure Bill receives its Second Reading. Yes, that's the one that proposes, ...
I'm delighted to announce that we've achieved sufficient support for the Harris Federation to apply for a new two form entry East Dulwich Primary School. The application has been submitted today. Huge thanks to the 160 local families who lent their support for this project. We needed 80 families with children due to start reception classes in 2014 or 2015 and 94 families have stepped forward. Another 66 supporters with younger children has also come forward. We've also received lots of other support from residents. Thank you. I'd also like to publicly say thank you to the Harris people who ...
And here are the first applications of 2013: 122202: Variation of condition relating to advertising sign, Culver Walk. 12230: Replacement of doors and windows, St Helena School, Sheepen Road. 122276: Listed building consent for internal alterations, Lexden Road. Please note that I am a member of the Council's Planning Committee for this municipal year. This means that I'm required to act in a 'quasi-judicial' manner with regard to applications before the Committee and as such, can't make comments in favour or against planning applications as I may then have pre-judged them before they come to Committee. I can give advice ...
Just before Christmas my Lewisham colleague, Lib Dem Councillor Chris Maines received the answer to his FOI request re the Special Administrators' budget for looking into the financial crisis at the South London Healthcare Trust. The story is covered by the News Shopper and the Evening Standard yesterday and, as the News Shopper hard copy is arriving today, it is worth ...
Stockport Council is running an initiative to recruit more foster carers for teenagers. The 'Create Memories and Foster Teenagers' initiative is running throughout December and includes powerful messages on billboards and buses. Councillor Kevin Dowling, Stockport Council's Executive Member for Children & Young People, said: "We are committed to recruiting more foster carers in Stockport. Like most areas across the country we are in particular need of foster carers for teenagers. We are always interested in hearing from anyone who is thinking of considering fostering to contact the Council for more information." An open evening is being held on 7th ...
Stockport Council is to plant 800 new trees in the borough by the end of March. The Council, in partnership with Solutions SK, is replacing missing, removed or dead street trees which were identified in a 2010 survey. Work on the priority £150,000 project starts in Hazel Grove on Monday January 7th before covering all areas of the borough. To prepare for the planting, the existing tree stumps are ground down and the ground cleared. The tree species selected, which include Hawthorn, Beech, Oak and Maple, are suitable for specific sites, and add interest to the local area. The trees ...
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 NEW POLL: Who is your Liberal Voice of the Year? (25 comments) by Stephen Tall So you think Ukip are the new third party? Let's have a look at the data... (75 comments) by Stephen Tall Which Lib Dem minister had the worst year? Here's what party members think... (9 comments) by Stephen Tall Willie Rennie MSP's New Year Message: 3 vital issues we must tackle in 2013 (1 comment) by Willie Rennie Opinion: Against liberalism (55 ...
[IMG: Eletricity meter] Residents across Greater Manchester are being encouraged to start the New Year by slashing their fuel bills by up to £250. The project harnesses 'people power' from across Greater Manchester to join a ground breaking collective energy switching scheme that could mean large reductions in the cost of heating their homes. The combined bulk purchasing scheme, administered by Oldham Council, already has over 8,000 households signed up. As the cold weather continues, residents can register their interest in the collective bulk buy scheme, to be launched on January 2nd, by visiting www.stockport.gov.uk/energyswitch or phoning 0800 009 3363. ...
Solo Blog: Vambo Rools - a heady mixture of comedy, metal and a dash of politics. Group Blog: Political Betting, mostly run by Mike Smithson, but with regular posts from other people, is still the best place to go for political analysis, mainly because these people actually make a living from putting their money where their mouth is. Twitterer: Zoe O'Connell. Yes, I know I recommended her blog not long ago, but her tweets are grand too. Pithy, politically interesting, and educational. Podcast: Verity!, a new podcast in which a bunch of international ladies discuss Doctor Who. I listened to ...
Over Christmas there were changes to the waste collection days - I want to find out whether the message got across to residents. In previous years, a leaflet was dropped off to residents to tell them what the arrangements would be for the bin collections over Christmas. This year, the Borough Council relied on a piece in the Wokingham Borough News and the council website to tell people what was happening. I don't think the message got through to everybody – it didn't get through to me, even though I am a councillor – and I would like your help ...
[IMG: cameron-europe] The Westminster village might still be in post-holiday slumber mode, but a significant political event is due to take place only in a couple of weeks - David Cameron's long awaited, 'tantric' speech on Europe. While the exact details remain unclear, Cameron could well argue that the UK's terms of EU membership require revision, and that this should include the repatriation of some powers, after which the new package will be put to a referendum. So how should the Liberal Democrats respond? It could be argued that there has already been a pre-emptive response from Nick Clegg, who ...
I've taken a bit of a break from the conference circuit. With my previous job at InMobi I was attending 10 different events per month (on average). Some were merely hosting, others were presenting. It got really tiring after a while. As much as I love the UK tech scene, it can be a bit repetitive to see the same faces and answer the same questions over and over again. It also took a toll on my personal and social life. It's rare that you take someone on a date to a mobile conference :-) So I gave myself an ...
Here are my predictions for the coming year: Bruce Forsyth will retire and hence will not be a main host on Strictly Come Dancing 2013 (although he may pop in to say hello).Despite rumours of a potential replacement, Ed Balls will still be Shadow Chancellor come the end of the year.Chris Huhne will return to the cabinet.Someone with a blog on the Lib Dem Blogs aggregator who has never been a parliamentarian will be enobled.The government will announce a timetable for the abolition of 1p and 2p coins.David Cameron will announce an in/out referendum on Europe to take place if ...
Drains cleared on Menai Avenue after heavy rainfall. If you have any blocked drains to report contact us here - further contact details are available on the website. Filed under: Ward Tagged: drains
Oh dear! Not a good start for the Greenwich and Newham Council River Crossings launch this morning with protestors out on the riverbank with a massive banner while our councillors and others attempted to promote the opposite. As local blogger 853 tweeted Amazed Greenwich Council's £125k head of press didn't check tide tables before launching ...
The Welsh Government must do more to ensure that there is a better understanding of what banding actually means. Whilst there should be no naming and shaming of schools, many are not convinced that that will be the case. Many are not convinced that banding will improve school performance, either. The Government must ensure sufficient ... Keep reading →
Here's today's hand-picked selection that caught my interest... New Year's resolutions for technology in 2013. – Slate Magazine "Forget Inbox Zero. Get off Twitter." by @fmanjoo > http://buff.ly/Zk4zqx Cdn't live with a messy inbox. Cd live without Twitter. UK Polling Report Actually @antonyjwells' headline isn't strictly accurate. But the content's spot-on > 'Well, SOMEBODY has to win' http://buff.ly/UmIml1 Unemployment: Getting out of the dole-drums | The Economist The best solution to l-t unemployment? A war > http://buff.ly/ZjXgiB Suddenly The Sun's Argy diplomacy makes sense http://bit.ly/RwpOS8 The fiscal cliff: Bipolar disorder | The Economist Really interesting Econ article w lessons for ...
[IMG: EU Parliament Brussels - Some rights reserved by Poetografie] Whilst most of the attention will be on whether or not the Euro can survive, or whether another country will need to be bailed out, there will be much else besides going on. So, for your delectation and delight, here are some of the highlights; The first half of 2013 will see the Irish hold the rotating Presidency and, at the end of their watch, the Europe of 27 will become the Europe of 28, as Croatia become members of the European Union on 1 July, just as the Lithuanians ...
Article in Bangor and Anglesey Mail regarding pedestrian safety on Ffriddoedd Road Filed under: Press Tagged: bangor, ffriddoedd road, local issuie, Media
It's a maxim of politics that you mess with the grey vote at your peril. Britain's pensioners tend to vote in greater numbers than their children or grandchildren. A switch in their opinion could easily determine an election. But several of my Liberal Democrat colleagues are beginning to challenge this psephological wisdom by suggesting that ...
Throughout his Presidency, Barack Obama has shared photos of critical moments. Today, the Daily Mail and Drudge have posted the picture of the President finding out about the shooting and Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.
There is nothing quite like the phrase "A Conservative Case For Gay Marriage" to send shivers down the spine of any even slightly radical LGBT person. I have to say that when I began moaning about marriage equality, I really wasn't considering the wider consequences. I was simply annoyed at the unfairness of civil partnerships. Later I looked at equal marriage as a step down the road to liberty, not perfect but heading in the right direction. Sadly, I realise now, many conservative supporters see it as a way of "taming" LGBT people rather than freeing them. And, before you ...
During December there were no reported incidents of theft or criminal damage in the ward. Police responded to vehicle obstruction issues in Military Road, Meadowbrook Court, Radnor Cliff Road and Castle Road. There have also been several reports of abandoned vehicles in the ward and these details have been passed to the local Council. Kent Police found several vehicles in residential streets left unlocked overnight. Vehicle crime statistics in Sandgate remain very low however by following the following tips you can reduce the possibility of theft. Lock all doors and close windows in vehicles, even if the car is left ...
There are reports today that too many road signs lead to more accidents and we could save money by reducing the number of unnecessary signs. It stands to reason that added distractions will not help concentration so all that we need to know is which signs are important and which are a distraction. It is fairly easy to decide when two signs tell us the same thing. It is less obvious in other cases but advertising should be easy to place in the distraction category. One of my favourite signs from a few years ago was one that asked me ...
[IMG: casual vacancy] The Casual Vacancy, J.K. Rowling Well of course I only read it because I'm a Harry Potter fanboy. And no, if I hadn't been I probably wouldn't have stuck it beyond the first 150 pages, which are a bit Midsomer-Murders-does-gritty. And yes, if you're looking for a pacy plot or a literary masterpiece you're probably better off elsewhere. But — and it's a big but — by the end of the book I couldn't stop reading. Because what J.K. Rowling is brilliant at constructing are characters you care about in situations you can identify with. And that's ...
Elsewhere, whilst some of us adjust back into the normal routine after the New Year, some of our tribunes are already up and running. Paul Burstow hit the headlines yesterday with his call for means-testing of the winter fuel allowance, with the intention of saving £1.5 billion, to be redirected towards paying for the proposed social care changed recommended by the Dilnot Commission. Writing in the Guardian; Some argue this is a debate we need to have at or even after the next general election. But by that time it will be too late. The research in my report reveals ...
Stockport Council Street Lighting operatives will be carrying out lantern changes on the A34 between the A555 roundabout and the Cheadle Royal junction over the weekend of 12th and 13th January between 6am and 4pm. To enable these works to take place it will be necessary to implement single lane closures on both northbound and southbound carriageways although traffic will be maintained past the works in both directions at all times. It is hoped that the works could be completed in the first weekend but if this is not achieved then it will be necessary to return to complete over ...
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog. Here's an excerpt: The new Boeing 787 Dreamliner can carry about 250 passengers. This blog was viewed about 1,300 times in 2012. If it were a Dreamliner, it would take about 5 trips to carry that many people. Click here to see ... Keep reading →
Well, given that you (and I) paid for this, it only seems fair that it gets a wider audience. It is in French, but with English subtitles, even where the person on screen is speaking English. Go figure...
This morning, the Transport Select Committee of which I am a member has published a report. You can find it here. The reports accepts that investment needs to be made on the railways, and that commuters need to be contributing ... Continue reading →
[IMG: funny concept of happy face and dollar eyes] The debate over the future organisation and operation of the banking industry seems to have spluttered back into life. Just before Christmas the first report of the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards made its appearance. The report focused on structures. Its most eye-catching and newsworthy recommendation was that the ring-fence between retail and investment banking, proposed by the Vickers Review, should be "electrified". The aim is "that banks be given a disincentive to test the limits of the ring-fence". That relatively simple statement is perhaps more revealing of the ethics and ...
I start looking forward by looking back. The past year has not always been terribly productive blogging wise. For a variety of reasons, but one that seems to be forefront in my mind is that blogging somehow conflicts with my degree course. Conflicts in the sense that I feel that I should be putting all my writing efforts into my coursework and other real world commitments. Hence you will have noticed that many of my recent posts on here have been reposts of coursework essays once I have finished them. But back at the beginning of last semester one of ...
Ian Duncan Smith, the Tory Work and Pensions Secretary has today said that it's "unfair" for benefits to rise at a faster rate than wages. To back up his argument he's wheeled out the statistic that jobless benefits rose 20% in the last five years, compared with an average 12% rise in private sector pay. And, on the face of it, that seems unfair - assuming IDS's statistics are accurate, which they usually aren't. But what he misses is that, in the economic good times, real wages rise much faster than benefits. Whereas benefits only ever rise in pace with ...
[IMG: Silver bullet - some rights reserved by eschipul] Too often people come into political campaigning searching for a silver bullet which will revolutionise their candidacy and transform the electorate into ardent fans overnight. It's the most common mistake of first time candidates. Those of us who have already spent decades stuffing letterboxes know that a quick fix doesn't exist. That isn't to say there aren't campaign game-changers - the advent of television or how some candidates have harnessed the internet, but in truth they are few and far between. Instead candidates and campaigns continue to be successful by evolving ...
Getting the source right Nick Barlow on how news scare stories can be both more and less scary at the same time, depending on how badly they are being reported. (tags: ) Knowing about science is not a trivial pursuit - Telegraph Blogs The Torygraph's sensible columnist strikes again. (tags: ) Factcheck: Are there 4,000 foreign murderers and rapists living freely in the UK? | Full Fact (tags: ) Recipe for a long life: overweight people have LOWER death risk - Health News - Health & Families - The Independent (tags: ) PCC David Lloyd: 'Make suspects pay for police ...
The Principal Councillor elections for membership of the Federal Executive and Federal Policy Committee are now open. In order to help Liberal Democrat Councillors decide who to support, candidates are invited to submit their answers to the questions below to ... Continue reading →
For those of us still struggling with left over tins of biscuits, cake and sweets from Christmas, the Independent had a rather sobering article yesterday on the impact of increasing sugar consumption on our health. But it is not the obvious foods causing the problem, rather our increased absorption of the sweet stuff has come about because of the surreptitious sweetening of other foods: According to Dr Lustig, whose new book Fat Chance: The Bitter Truth about Sugar, it comes down to a change in diets in the 1970s; a change most of us probably didn't even notice. The Seventies ...
Argentina, Britain, France, the Netherlands and Spain have all seemingly had claims on the small island which provokes big controversy. The history is quite muddy, and different sides claim history supports their claim, so I'm going to avoid such debate and focus on now - claims on territory, benefits of owning the island and the reasons behind wanting to own it. For claiming a piece of land, I'm wary of any government saying it can own land. Many in the UK seem to reject the notion of the Falkland islands being a colonial grab from the 1830's, however regardless of ...
Why an exit from EU would be bad for British business Richard Branson speaks. (tags: brexit EU ) What happened to netbooks? Apple's iPad and Macbook Air killed the $400 former future of computing. And a good thing too. (tags: Technology Internet ) My bustle's stuck!: Women vs. Victorian values in "The Snowmen" "What's wrong with Victorian values?" asks Dr. Simeon as the Doctor faces him down, and for once the Doctor (and the show) spell it out. (tags: Doctorwho ) X-rays reveal hidden secrets of Tudor portraits Walsingham more iconic than he realised! (tags: history Art ) Celebrating The ...
Last Friday's post that leaked the Liberal Democrats' 'message script' caused a bit of a splash. There were a few attempts to defend the script (in the comments both on that post and elsewhere). These responses had one thing in common; an inability to imagine any other course of action. The need for everyone to stay 'on message' seemed to go without saying; if you don't like the messages, what alternative ones would you prefer? The possibility never occurred that this sort of prescriptive messaging might actually be part of the problem. It is a problem not unique to the ...
Well, I don't know about you, but it seems as though it has been ages since we were last together, and much turkey has been eaten since then, I guess. Admittedly, not by me, as you'd be amazed at how difficult getting a turkey is when you're a sea otter. However, on with the medley, I say... so now that we've found love, what are we going to do?... As usual on a Friday, we've got a fair bit about Europe, with a video looking back over last year in the European Parliament, a preview of coming events there in ...
The BBC report that there has been a sharp drop in the number of students from Wales applying to universities in 2013. They say that the overall number is down 11.7% and that is nearly double the drop in England which stands at 6.5% over 2012. The figures also show a 3.9% drop in Scotland whereas in Northern Ireland there was a rise of 0.5%. A Welsh government spokesperson said that the "early data" would soon be out of date and that 40% of applications often come in the final month: "The decision to go on to higher education is ...
I am aware of two meetings ( at which the public are allowed to observe) next week Tuesday 8th January, 6:30 pm Planning & Development Committee (This meeting may not proceed, it depends if there are any planning applications to discuss) Thursday 10th January , 2 pm ( note, this is an afternoon meeting) Finance Committee If there are any changes I'll post as soon as I can
Fri 4th
06:30
Call for action by City Council as evidence published proving 20mph zones can cut casualties by 40%
With the new publication of evidence showing both support for and the positive benefits of Twenty's Plenty 20 mph speed limits in highly residential areas: • A report in The Independent suggests that road casualties could be cut by 40% by the introduction of 20 mph limits in built-up areas. • 20 mph zones have strong support amongst voters according to a ComRes opinion poll. I have, as reported in yesterday's Courier, called on Dundee City Council to take real action to explore the benefits in terms of pedestrian safety and implement Twenty's Plenty zones in residential areas where there ...
Having watched Bridget Jones's Diary (yet!) again over the festive period, it was good to hear the rather superb Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross hit "Stop, Look, Listen (to your heart)" from 1974: PS : The original Stylistics hit from 1971 is rather good too!
Most people have mixed feelings on the coalition, but what is not in doubt is that the Liberal Democrats entered a coalition with the Conservatives for the good of the country. This ensured a political consensus for strong and necessary action to the economy. Compare that to the inability of the Democrats and Republicans in ...
Here are some tips to help you reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. Christmas trees You can recycle your Christmas tree at your local Household Waste Recycling Centre. If the tree is small enough it can go in your green bin. Some garden centres will collect your tree for a small fee, including Aylett Nurseries on 01727 822255. Christmas cards You can also recycle your Christmas cards by putting them in specially-marked wheelie-bin containers at: St Albans City and District Council's offices at the Civic Centre, St Peter's Street , St Albans Alban Arena, Civic Centre, St Peter's ...
