A film documenting the last days of the railway line from Penrith to Keswick. You can find a history of the line on the Cockermouth website and there is a local group campaigning to reopen it.
[First posted at LSE Impact of Social Sciences blog, 18/02/13] It's pretty difficult to miss the message that the engaged academic should be reaching beyond the academy to communicate with broader publics. And blogging and tweeting have attracted plenty of attention as powerful social media through which to foster public engagement. You've heard the message. You're willing to give it a go. But Twitter appears be a whole different world to the one you're used to. How on earth can you say anything meaningful in 140 characters, when you're used to laying out an argument meticulously over several thousand words? ...
Mon 18th
22:39
Another Marske Labour Councillor resigns from Redcar and Cleveland Council's Labour Group
Losing one Councillor from St Germains Ward might be considered unlucky but losing two is just careless of the not listening Redcar and Cleveland Council Labour Group: The following email was sent today to all Councillors from Councillor Sean Pryce: Dear George and Labour Group members, I have a duty to do what is right for the residents I represent. I stood as a councillor so that I can represent the views and wishes of residents. The Labour leadership of this council and certain cabinet members are repeatedly and consistently refusing to listen to the views of residents. This could ...
For all his ability as a classical actor, Richard Briers (whom we are mourning today) will be best remembered for his roles in situation comedies and for one in particular. Yet Briers was not a great admirer of Tom Good. He told the Daily Mail a few years ago: "I thought Tom was a very selfish person. Poor old Barbara never got any dresses, and presents, any treats. He was so obsessed. It was always about him...his ideas, his plans." And he said that Tom's green credentials were seriously undermined by the way he relied on wealthy neighbours Margo and ...
[IMG: OFarrell-things better] I wonder if Labour HQ wish they'd read John O'Farrell's 1998 book, Things Can Only Get Better, a little more carefully before he was selected to fight the Eastleigh by-election? First there was his call for Labour voters to vote tactically for the Lib Dems to beat the Tories, as uncovered by Mark Pack here: Should Labour supporters vote tactically to beat the Tories? "Go for it" said John O'Farrell. (Incidentally, the Telegraph then ran the story here without any credit.) And then yesterday, the Mail ran with the story that he'd once wished Margaret Thatcher dead: ...
Reading about someone getting hot and bothered over the changes to the housing benefits system reminded me of my earlier promise to publish a picture guide to government finance. As a reminder, this is where the hard up government is right now; 1. it has a chronic shortage of housing - some 2 million on the waiting list. 2. it has around quarter of a million people in badly overcrowded
Chipping Sodbury Lions Club is organising a free Job Fair on Friday 22 February from 7.00 am to 11.30 am at Chipping Sodbury Town Hall. The Fair will offer a chance for local employers to chat informally with those attending the event over a free breakfast. The secrets of job hunting will also be revealed in a presentation: How to find your ideal job. The event is open to job hunters of all ages. It will specifically highlight opportunities and support for 18 to 24 year olds, with details of the latest government schemes designed to encourage employers to invest ...
If you are out of work or college and aged between 16‐25, then the 'Get on Track' programme is for you. 'Get on Track' provides you with the self‐discipline, motivation and confidence you need to enhance your chances of employment. This FREE programme is run through the Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust - you will be mentored by world class athletes, who have experienced the highs and lows of world class competition. Financial support and transport to the course are available. Get On Track will include Team Building and Problem SolvingCommunity Give backCV and Interview SkillsWork ExperienceConfidence Building Activities"The whole ...
Latest from Nick Clegg on Eastleigh and Africa Dear Chris, [IMG: Nick_and_Lynne_in_Mozambique.JPG] Like so many of you, I've been to Eastleigh this week. I was there to visit a local college with our excellent candidate Mike Thornton on Monday, and after a brief stop off to see the kids, I headed straight there again this afternoon after landing at Heathrow from Ethiopia! I've spent the latter part of the week in Mozambique and Ethiopia leading a government delegation as part of this year's UK Presidency of the G8, where we are making 'the three T's' - tax, transparency and trade ...
South Glos Council has announced a major employability event at Filton Community Centre, 2 pm - 6.30 pm on Thursday 7th March 2013. Local businesses, organisations and employment agencies -vacancies, apprenticeship and volunteering opportunitiesWorkshops on CV building, dressing for success, confidence building, assertiveness and interview techniquesWelfare advisers - benefits, tax credits, child care and other entitlementsInspirational female speakers will share their journey with aspiring women throughout the day in honour of International Women's DayCrèche available
Unlock Democracy Leicestershire is holding a a public meeting on the state of politics at the Secular Hall in Leicester on Thursday 7 March. Held under the title "Politicians: Only in it for themselves!" it will feature a panel comprising: Jon Ashworth MPAndrew Bridgen MPProfessor Steven FieldingRoger Helmer MEPSo no Liberal Democrat then (unless I have misjudged the politics of the admirable Steven Fielding). Still, the organisers say the audience will get the chance to contribute and promise tea and biscuits. You can read more about the event on the Unlock Democracy website. And more about Leicester Secular Hall on ...
Mon 18th
19:05
Last February's Bolton News | News | GMP to recruit more staff despite budget cuts - Bolton Spotligh...
Bolton News | News | GMP to recruit more staff despite budget cuts – Bolton Spotlight.
Because of my mum's cancer last year, I've been referred to the local family history clinic, and I'm now in the process of filling in an exceedingly long form about the various things that have ailed and killed family members up to great grandparents, aunts and uncles. I've just had a chat with my aunt on my dad's side, who told me that my great aunt died of kidney failure. This isn't such a big deal in itself, except it turns out that her doctor's attitude was apparently "people can survive with one wonky kidney so we're not going to ...
Campaigners have today called for a 100% tax on the nonsense spouted by lecturing doctors calling for illiberal, regressive taxes to tackle just about every problem the country faces. The call comes after a spate of examples of medics forgetting ... Continue reading →
Day 1 - 6x800s w/ 400m rest Day 2 - Skating session Day 3 - 5M at tempo (10:07 pace) with 1M each for warm-up and cool-down Day 4 - 5M easy run(ish) (10:31 pace) Day 5 - 6M easy (11:11 pace) Day 6 - 4M easy (5.3 pace on the treadmill) Day 7 - 11M long (10:56 pace) I really struggled this week, mentally. It's been three weeks since my plan bumped up to 6 days of running per week. I haven't really been "resting" on my "rest" day, either, since it's a good day to get my gym ...
[IMG: Tube station corridor] The odds are pretty good that if you're a regular user of Oxford Circus tube station during rush hour you are also a regular stander in the rain / cold / sun (delete according to season) as the station is temporarily closed due to over-crowding. In the past I've tried checking Transport for London's information whilst stood outside, not knowing how long the station would be closed. The picture is always the same. Call them up? You're told there's no problem at Oxford Circus. Check their website? You're told the tube lines running through the station ...
Mon 18th
17:31
Eastleigh by-election: 18 February round-up - "There's increasing panic in the Tory campaign headqua...
[View the story "Eastleigh by-election: 18 February - \"There's increasing panic in the Tory campaign headquarters\"" on Storify] Eastleigh by-election: 18 February – "There's increasing panic in the Tory campaign headquarters" Storified by Mark Pack· Mon, Feb 18 2013 09:26:14 No prizes for guessing where today's Eastleigh by-election round up starts: with continuing controversy over the views of the Conservative candidate, Maria Hutchings. Tory Eastleigh candidate angers doctors with state school commentThe Conservatives have been forced on to the defensive in Eastleigh byelection campaign after doctors signed a letter condemning its cand... Tory candidate attempts to defuse state schools row ...
Way back in the mists of time, my first awareness of an MP making themselves available to their constituents came through the pages of the John O'Groat Journal. Robert Maclennan, then a Labour MP but soon to join the SDP, held regular "phone-in clinics." This was a sensible approach to dealing with his vast constituency of Caithness and Sutherland. He had the face to face version as well, but the regular phone surgeries, accessed by a freephone number so there was no cost to the constituents,made sense to me. That was more than 30 years ago. Today, MPs are always ...
BBC 1′s "Inside Out" at 7.30 will feature the sale of Windlestone Hall by DCC. There has already been quite a lot of press coverage of this process, and it is on the agenda of the Audit Committee on Thursday this week which will no doubt provoke some attention.
Hollywood star Tom Cruise visited a curry house in St Albans last August. This momentous event has now been made into a movie: A video about his curry night has been entered into the inaugural St Albans Film Festival's short-film competition.Festival director Leoni Kibbey said: "Everyone in the film is wearing a Tom Cruise mask. It's very funny."I'm sure it is. The title of the film is not revealed so let us guess: 'Days of Thunder'?
The littlest Angel Stephen, One, Dodo (Team TARDIS of mid-1966) We Dodo fans are a hardcore minority Barbara as Yetaxa Snowman and Adipose followed by K1 the Giant Robot There is, in fact, a cosplayer in there Two cats tease a dog Why Who is different from those other shows Sam and her leggings Stephen Thorne (Omega, - he's really tall) Daphne Westbrook (Grace in The Movie) Mark Strickson (Turlough) Who she? Who he!
[IMG: View from Launceston Castle] I am not a politician or economist, nor am I some great thinker of our age. I am just a normal man, single, living in rented accommodation, in a well-paid job, for my part of the world. Yet I still have to rent out my second bedroom to afford normal things like the internet, satellite TV and the occasional visit to a good restaurant. I have to pay out £830 a month just for my Council Tax, rent, petrol and energy before I even eat, let alone pay for the internet or satellite TV! Here ...
The European Parliament has agreed proposals that would prevent banks paying bonuses that are more than their fixed salary, unless shareholders holding two thirds of the bank's shares attend a meeting and agree to override that. Tuesday will see a needle negotiation between the Parliament and EU government representatives. It's behind closed doors, but right now the UK is trying to get other governments to side with it to block the bonus ban. Go
It is my great pleasure to announce that Camborne Town Council will soon be launching a brand new website. I am the Chair of the Website Redevelopment Task and Finish Group, and our main aim is to create a new site that is really user-friendly and engaging for local people. We are currently discussing the Council's requirements with a range of local website developers. So now is the time to have your say! We would love to hear the kinds of things you would find useful on the website and what you would like to see. Please use the contact ...
[IMG: Shelter-logo4] County Councillor Ron Tindall (Hemel Hempstead St Pauls) has today called for action from Herts County Council following the news that Shelter Hertfordshire is to close. Councillor Tindall said " I have today learnt of the closure of Shelter Hertfordshire which will be a serious loss to the county in terms of advice and advocacy to the vulnerable members of our communities across Hertfordshire. "Shelter has since 1976 provided an essential service to those needing help, particularly families and adults with learning difficulties and mental health issues. What is Hertfordhire County Council doing about the situation? Who is ...
With Labour's announcement of proposals for a mansion tax, the two Eds – Miliband and Balls – seem to have got their inspiration from the Lib Dems. However, as Danny Alexander pointed out in a recent Guardian article: We should remember what the Labour leader and Ed Balls actually did with the tax system when they controlled it. There was no fairness, just a complex series of loopholes for the rich to avoid tax, and a complex tax credit system that too often trapped the poor in debt. The 10p income tax rate – which was abolished by Gordon Brown ...
Here's today's hand-picked selection that caught my interest... We need a consumer revolution to deliver lower utility prices | City A.M. Need a closer read but interesting ideas > We need a consumer revolutn to deliver lower utility prices @allisterheath | http://buff.ly/YBmJ1v The invasion of Iraq did many things, putting young people off politics wasn't one of them | Ballots & Bullets This > 'The invasion of Iraq did many things, putting young people off politics wasn't one of them' | Ballots & Bullets http://buff.ly/XfSNeh Italian politics: Mario Monti and Ipson de la Boccon | The Economist Yet another use ...
Mon 18th
13:12
The power of the first hour - Nick Clegg and Lynne Featherstone, are you listening? #firsthour
So, it looks like my post yesterday about the importance of breastfeeding and a missed opportunity for Nick Clegg during his African visit was part of a cleverly crafted plan to build up to the launch of Save the Children's Power of the First Hour campaign which is being launched today. It was in fact a complete coincidence. I'm still catching up after having Flu and I found out about the new campaign from, of all places, the Daily Mail. I was glad to see their new report, Superfood for Babies, recommend a very tough line against the antics of ...
EMLD held a successful AGM on Saturday (16th February). The turn-out of 30 members was encouraging considering that the main attraction - a conference on race equality - had been postponed in order to take ...
Excellent news came out of Libdem HQ and Westminster last week; Yesterday the Coalition Government announced an historic reform to the way we pay for long-term care. This package of measures will end unlimited care costs and provide more help for those who are less well-off. There are two key reforms: · A cap of £75,000 on the amount that anyone will have to pay for care · A massive increase in the means test threshold from £23,250 to £123,000. This means that more people with modest wealth will get help from the state with the costs of care. Anyone ...
[IMG: Sellafield - some rights reserved by dog on wheels] On Wednesday 30th January Cumbria County Council voted not to proceed with a consultation to explore Cumbria being the host of a high level radioactive waste repository. This left Ed Davey with a problem. The problem is very substantial and urgent as there are facilities at Sellafield full of decaying and highly toxic waste including B30 and B38, which are considered to be the most hazardous buildings in Western Europe. These structures are in a deteriorating condition and are in very urgent need of decommissioning. In addition the UK also ...
EMLD made a big impact at the Eastleigh byelection on Saturday, taking a large contingent of members to Hampshire on Saturday (16th February) to canvass for candidate Mike Thornton. We drove to the constituency in ...
Do you ever sign up for something, forget about it, then get pleasantly surprised when a parcel turns up at your door? No? Just me? Last year, I noticed that the SamKnows website were looking for volunteers to take part in their European broadband survey. The product is the rather uninspiring named "Whitebox". The SamKnows Whitebox is an industry-approved measuring device, designed to measure performance of your broadband connection. It has been developed to enable you to accurately measure the performance of your ISP. The European Commission selected SamKnows in 2011 to measure broadband performance across all member states within ...
Mon 18th
11:39
Top for price, bottom for customer satisfaction - the double whammy for st albans commuters
"Today's 'Which? ' survey putting First Capital Connect bottom of the UK league for rail passenger satisfaction is no surprise after months of wholly inadequate performance," said Sandy Walkington, Liberal Democrat candidate for St Albans. "Yet mile for mile the London-St Albans commute is about the most expensive in the country. Top for price, bottom for performance - it's a double whammy for St Albans commuters. "It is urgent that First Capital Connect start delivering a reliable service with adequate seating. In the meantime, my campaign for a long overdue thorough overhaul of the compensation scheme for season ticket holders ...
I note that two Labour loyallists are asking the First Minister questions about his recent trade mission to San Francisco. Clearly that is a spontaneous act on their part, independently reached and with no idea what answer they might get. Will Carwyn be wearing flowers in his hair?
Lynne Featherstone writes on Huffington Post about the exciting innovation of mobile money: There is money in the air in Mozambique. The deputy prime minister Nick Clegg and I have just watched Nilza and Herculano transfer 100 meticais (about two pounds) via mobile phone. They may both be standing in front of us for this demonstration, but in a country where less than 12% of adults have a bank account, the benefits of these mobile money systems can be large. The Department for International Development (DFID) supported the launch of M-Pesa mobile money transfer when it was first launched in ...
[IMG: Stop the War march 01] Inspired by various articles and discussion on social media I ended up spending a part of last Friday evening looking through the photos I had taken on the 'Stop The War' march ten years ago that day. I ended getting a little lost in nostalgia. Looking at pictures of Liberal Democrat friends and colleagues all wrapped up in scarves and gloves against the cold and thinking about what has happened to them, and to me, in the following ten years will do that. I found that I have one or two pictures of people ...
On Thursday, Kudos Television (as part of their new drama "The Tunnel") are staging a bomb disposal sequence in folkestone involving emergency vehicles including police cars and a bomb squad running flashing lights as well as actors in uniforms. Filming will take place in the Rotunda Car Park at Folkestone Harbour on Thursday 21st February 2013 between 7am and 5pm approximately. So if you see lots of what looks like police / bomb squad action in the Folkestone Harbour area on Thursday, please don't panic... Published and promoted by Tim Prater, 98a Sandgate High Street, Folkestone, CT20 3BYPrinted (hosted) by ...
I admire Iain Duncan-Smith, both for his determination and his commitment to the central issue - which is how the welfare system can undermine individuals and communities at the same time as rescuing them. I have no problem with the idea that we should expect people on benefits to do something useful - that is a major improvement on the old idea, which is they should moulder away idle and 'available for work' without actually doing any. But what was he thinking about in his outburst over the weekend? When you require somebody to stop working with a museum and ...
Today's Independent runs a story under the banner 'Lib Dems could back Labour's 'mansion tax'. What world do they live in? Even Labour admit that they nicked the idea from the Liberal Democrats. Perhaps somebody should tell the Independent. If we do decide to support the idea at this moment, then it will be 'Lib Dems back Lib Dems' mansion tax'. DOH!
[IMG: Ilikecomp] Once again it was a pleasure to help at Eastleigh yesterday. After absorbing about a gallon of the Eastleigh downpour last week, my coat was treated to a final drying in the Eastleigh sunshine yesterday. It was sheer joy to walk into the busy HQ and particularly see all the hard-working youngsters. The by-election machine is tweaked at each outing, with new little twists. Yesterday, we were actually pre-screened by two young gents before we got to the desk, so that I reported to the desk with labels on me saying "Delivery" and "Driver". But it was a ...
Yesterday on Newark North Gate Station I saw a huge poster which advises young people with degrees in physics that, if they become teachers, they could rise to management positions within four years. This is offered as an enticement rather than a threat. I find this bewildering. Surely the people we want to become physics teachers are those who are terribly keen on physics and wish to impart their enthusiasm to others, not those who want to get out of the classroom and into "management" as quickly as possible. I have long argued that to be a good teacher you ...
The Garston Community House (that's the building on the corner by the bridge) has space available for hire. It might suit local organisations looking for a work base. There are two rooms going and the organisation says that it's prepared to hire them out on a daily, weekly, monthy or annual basis. The benefits include a staffed reception (this is the same building as the CAB), a fully accessible building and access from 8 30 in the morning Monday to Friday. (closes at 5) The person to contact if you are interested is Angela Taylor on 0151 427 5437 Or ...
The police.uk site has up to date crime information for the whole of the UK. As councillors, we find it very useful to see where the issues are and to understand how reported crime levels are changing. Take a look – you can search by postcode, and draw a box around the specific area. You can look at crimes, the outcome of those crimes and see how figures have changed over the last few months. As an example, here are the burglary figures for Cheadle and Gatley, first a map showing (approximately) where burglaries were reported in December 2012, and ...
Working out the likely effects of global warming is extremely complicated. Paleoclimatologists have been looking for past earth climates that closely match the expected climate of Earth in 2100. As ice-sheets melt the weight of then decreases and the earths crust can 'bounce' back. This then impacts. Water takes up more volume as it heats up toward 4 degrees C. The period most like the atmosphere mankind is creating is the Pliocene (5.332 million to 2.588 million years before present). During this period CO2 concentration in the atmosphere was 350-400 parts per million. remoter parts you can see where the ...
The penultimate weekend's campaigning was frenetic at the Lib Dems' Eastleigh HQ... Over 530 Lib Dem volunteers passed through its doors in just this weekend (to add to the 1,000+ who'd visited in the previous week). Visitors included an upbeat Nick Clegg (BBC report and video here) and others — as this video shows: >> A reminder of how to get to Eastleigh in person. But activity isn't limited only to those able to get to Eastleigh. The party's virtual phone bank has been enabling Lib Dems around the country to join in getting Mike Thornton elected: #SheffieldLibDem @mike4eastleigh phone ...
Liberal Democrats have attacked Conservative-controlled Hertfordshire County Council's response to the pothole crisis that has arisen from the recent snow. Because many of Hertsfordshire's roads are now a mass of holes of varying degrees of danger, Lib Dem county councillor Malcolm Cowan has asked for a special exercise to spot and record the faults. Malcolm Cowan says: 'Astonishingly, the response I got was that they would only be looking at main roads and so presumably they will rely on residents to report the faults on the rest. 'This is a poor attitude: special exercises were mounted in the recent years ...
The Guardian reports: The Conservatives have been forced on to the defensive in Eastleigh byelection campaign after doctors signed a letter condemning its candidate for suggesting the local state schools were not good enough for her son who wanted to become a surgeon. A letter from cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra, another surgeon and six named GPs states: "As GPs and surgeons who all started their education at state-funded schools, we are proof that Maria Hutchings' assertions are not true. The education system in this country provided us with the knowledge and skills we needed to follow our dream career. "It's ...
Just before the start of the last meeting of the Remploy Action Group last Monday, I had the pleasure of speaking with the City Council officer who happened to be sitting next to me. She is from the City Council's Employment Support Service and she spoke with great enthusiasm and knowledge about what is a really good service. The purpose of the Employment Support Service is to provide support to people living in Dundee who face challenges in securing and sustaining employment and it also provides an Advisory Service to local employers, voluntary organisations and individuals, offering information and advice ...
I was on Radio Tay News yesterday about the SNP cuts to part-time places at Dundee College and right across Scotland. Click 'play' below to listen:
The BBC report that fewer than 800 people found jobs through a back-to-work scheme that faces being wound up a year early. They say that the Welsh government hoped Genesis Cymru Wales 2 would help 20,000 people find work or get qualifications. But only around half that number took part and only 7% of them found work: It emerged last month that ministers were considering winding up the scheme in June, instead of 2014 as originally planned. At the time they said an internal review had found the project was "under-performing" on some targets. Documents obtained by BBC Wales' Sunday ...
