I loathed Liberace, though I confess that when I was a teenager I succumbed to a morbid fascination and always watched him on TV when I saw he was coming on. I hated the way he played the piano, despite his obvious dexterity. His over-the-top costumes made me squirm, all the more so when the [...]
Taken from the Beeb earlier. And likely to be the closest Hearts get to the sharp end of the Scottish leagues for some time - that is if they make it to next season at all.
I assume you've all seen the rumours and the counter-rumours and the counter-counter rumours about Doctor Who missing episodes, so I won't bother linking them. It sounds like there might be a grain of truth in there, but most of them seem to be coming from people actually taking Ian Levine seriously... Jazz Hands, Serious [...]
As you read this I shall be out on the bowling green about to START playing bowls. Yes, here as we near the longest day of the year it is possible to play bowls at midnight. In fact it has been possible to see the outline of the roof next door against the sky for a number of weeks at midnight recently. Kirkwall Bowling Club This will be a knew experience. I have played bowls at midnight in the past, but most often in some church or community hall somewhere around the country as we were getting toward the point ...
...a phone.... My simple approach to the bystander intervention dilemma is: phone 999 and ask for the police in order to report a crime being committed. There's no universal answer here. It depends on the size, fitness and people handlng skills of the potential intervener. Small grannies can make very effective interveners. But I am quite clear on my own abilities to intervene. They don't exist. I look big enough for a guy to want to knock my block off if I intervene, but I do not have any known ability to fight back. I can run with the best ...
[IMG: compostingAshfield] Hertfordshire has for a long time been collecting cardboard with green waste for composting. When the proportion of cardboard was low enough that was fine and good quality compost resulted. Now with higher quantities, and especially with the inclusion of the new plastic laminated cardboard, significant quantities of cardboard have had to be removed from the composting process and sent to landfill. But Hertfordshire had been claiming the total input into the composting process towards their recycling targets – and neglecting to subtract the rejected material sent to landfill. Now DEFRA has given them some "clarification". The rejected ...
Writing on Liberal Democrat Voice, Kate Parminter takes Owen Paterson to task: "We should use the time before any decisions need to be made about growing GM crops in Europe to get the full facts and engage impartially with the public. Mr Paterson should lay down his cheerleading pom poms and listen to what the British people say they want for their food and countryside in the future." Peter Black reports on Morris the cat's bid to become mayor of the Mexican city of Xalapa, the capital of the state of Veracruz. "In our world of voter apathy and predominantly ...
Nick Clegg isn't the villain, Charles Saatchi is. The whole fiasco stemming from Nick's appearance on LBC today somehow is casting Nick as the villain of domestic violence. There is a tendency in this country to always deviate from the issue at hand and place blame on an intervening person. During the Saville scandal the victims and the BBC were criticized for making false accusations. Suddenly, the scale of victim abuse by Saville became a side-show to what was going at the BBC. BUT, I do think Nick was foolish today by not condemning domestic violence straight off. I have ...
Wednesday One of my ancestors built the almshouses in the village. There, amid ivy and wisteria, the older inhabitants pass their declining years - I suspect Meadowcroft has his eye on a spot there when the time comes for his son to take charge of my gardens. When I visit the place this afternoon, I find a chap called Littlewood berating the inhabitants. "Go back to work!" he cries. "You'd be much healthier. Here, have a cigarette." He tries to interest me in his theories, but they merely remind me of the time that Laws tried to persuade me to ...
Earlier this year I blogged about the ridiculous decision of Rutland County Council to investigate the possibility of suing three of its own members for defamation. No less an authority than Tom McNally told the council that this was a non-starter. Today came news that those three councillors, the members of the Rutland Anti-Corruption Group, have decided to join UKIP. I wish them well, and nothing could be more calculated to annoy Rutland's ruling Conservatives. But whether Nigel Farage, his party and his beery non sequiturs have anything to do with the openness these councillors say they stand for remains ...
Acocks Green's Ward Committee meeting took place last night. It began in amusing fashion when the failure of Cllr Stacey to attend (without giving apologies) led to Cllr O'Shea (Lab) relying on Cllr Bowen (Lib Dem) voting for him to secure his election as Chair for the coming municipal year. Sensibly (and despite party differences the Councillors in Acocks Green usually are a fairly sensible bunch on such matters), Cllr Bowen agreed to do this and the main agenda of the meeting could be tackled without further ado. The issues covered were: Appointment to outside bodies: Cllr Stacey was reappointed ...
Danny visited the Morrisons supermarket in Inverness, where newly qualified butcher David Webster and baker Stuart Crombie taught him the tricks of the trades. Morrisons is currently one of the largest providers of apprenticeships in the UK. The store in Inverness, which has recently undergone a major refurbishment, employs more than 250 people and is keen to help staff develop their skills as part of their national apprenticeship programme. Danny said: "I was delighted to take part in Morrisons' apprenticeship scheme. "David and Stuart did a remarkable job teaching me the basics of their professions. It is hugely encouraging to ...
Cllr Ian Manning (LD, Cambridge City - East Chesterton) Cambridgeshire County Councillor Ian Manning wants to give residents a greater say by changing the rules governing petitions and public questions. He claims the present rule, which mean petitions have to have at least 15,130 signatures before they can trigger a debate by Cambridgeshire County Council members, is stifling democracy. Cllr Manning, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Resources wants the signature threshold lowered to 3,000 to promote open local government. And members of the public raising questions in the council chamber should be entitled to a direct reply from a member rather ...
Unwanted phone calls and texts could be outlawed if a Bill being sponsored by Cambridge MP Julian Huppert makes its way through Parliament. Julian is backing the Private Members' Bill Communication (Unsolicited Telephone Calls and Texts) which would reform the way personal data can be traded. The Bill was presented to MPs in the House of Commons yesterday (Wednesday, June 19) by Edinburgh West MP, Liberal Democrat Mike Crockart. Mr Crockart has been running a 'No to Nuisance Calls' campaign for a year and has set up and now Co-Chairs an All Parliamentary Group on nuisance calls. The group is ...
Today, on an LBC radio station 'phone-in, Nick Clegg was asked by a caller how he would have reacted if he had witnessed the incident between Charles Saatchi and Nigella Lawson, for which Saatchi has since received a police caution. He seems to have been rather thrown by the question and my paraphrase of his answer is: "I don't know. It would depend on what I saw and what others did, but my instinct would be to try to protect the person under attack". The brutal rape and murder of Kitty Genovese in New York by Winston Mosely, in the ...
Talented young people are being given the chance to take the stage and perform at South Cambridgeshire's biggest free sports and entertainment festival this summer. South Cambridgeshire District Council's Parklife event at Milton Country Park - which attracted over 4,000 people last year - has been announced to take place on Sunday 4 August and anyone with a talent they can take to the stage to share is being urged to get in touch. At the annual event people of all ages can get in the swing by trying out free sporting activities from golf, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, and paddleboarding, ...
Bar Hill Library Cambridgeshire Libraries has recently launched a new free of charge WIFI network. This fantastic new service is now available at 40 libraries and library access points for you all to use your WIFI enable devices to browse, download and enjoy online resources free of charge. Anyone with a WiFi enabled device (such as a smart phone or tablet) will be able to access the internet, select e-books, e-audio books or use the Sorcer Mobile library app (to search the catalogue, reserve or renew your items).. It's free of charge and easy to use - you just access ...
A special flag will be raised at the County Council's flagpole at Shire Hall in recognition of national Armed Forces Day. The Chairman of Cambridgeshire County Council, accompanied by Captain Victor Lucas RN, Deputy Lieutenant for Cambridgeshire, will lead the County Council's flag-raising ceremony on Monday 24 June. Cllr Kevin Reynolds will be joined by schoolchildren and cadets for the ceremony outside Shire Hall at 10am. Capt Lucas will inspect the cadets from Kimbolton School, while children from nearby Mayfield Primary School will watch the ceremony. The flag-raising ceremony event is one of many being organised to take place simultaneously ...
You may well have read that there is evidence of a "deliberate suppression" of failings at Furness General Hospital. You may also know that the cover-up was by the Care Quality Commission which is not part of the NHS but a non-departmental public body (NDPB) and ministers are ultimately responsible for these bodies. So I thought I was going to agree with my MP David Morris as the situation is "appalling" but you may have guessed - I can't. There may have been a scandal going back for some time, but the latest reports are about a cover-up that took ...
(trigger warning: discussion of domestic violence) Recently, Charles Saatchi was photographed assaulting his wife, Nigella Lawson, at Scott's Restaurant. He is shown grabbing her by the throat – he has now accepted a police caution, so there's no need to caveat this with "allegedly" or the like. The media furore has quickly turned not to [...]
A useful briefing on the European Parliament's recent resolution on standards of media freedom across the EU, from David Geary of the European Movement UK: The European Parliament adopted recently a resolution on standards for media freedom across the EU. In the context of recent debates in this area from media ethics to political collusion [...]
Thu 20th
17:00
Farron on alleged CQC Morecambe Bay NHS Trust cover-up: "Justice must now take its course"
[IMG: Tim Farron] Here's the question Tim Farron — in whose Cumbrian constituency Morecambe Bay NHS Trust falls — asked of Health secretary Jeremy Hunt yesterday, after it was reported that senior staff at the NHS regulator, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), sought to cover-up a critical review of their conduct following a series of baby deaths at Furness General Hospital: Tim Farron (Westmorland and Lonsdale) (LD): My constituents can be forgiven for wondering whether, when the watchdog chooses to muzzle itself, it is time to put it to sleep. The report shows that the CQC discovered the truth about ...
I read with despair the BBC's report about Stephen Gough, known as the Naked Rambler, embarking on yet another prison sentence. He was sentenced to 11 months in Hampshire yesterday, having spent six years in prison in Scotland as well. His crime? Refusing to wear clothes in public. He's not harming anyone. He's just walking. I also thought that people were remanded in custody before trial only for the most serious offences, if they were likely to jump bail or be a danger to the public. I first wrote about him a couple of years ago on my own blog. ...
There are few things about which we can be certain in the Syrian crisis, but there are some. We can be sure that brutal, unspeakable and unimaginable things are happening on a daily basis, particularly and most distressingly of all to the country's children. We can also be sure that somehow, someday the war will end. When it will end is anybody's guess. How it will do so is a slightly easier to guess at. We know that Bashar al-Assad is militarily strong, thanks to the supply of weapons from Iran and Russia, and soldiers from Lebanon's Hezbollah. We know ...
Devon and Cornwall's new Police and Crime Commissioner has run up a bill for consultants and agency staff of almost a quarter of a million pounds since he took office in November. The spending includes payments to a 'senior advisor' who is the wife of a former navy colleague. Police Commissioners across the country have been attacked over their spending on increasing full-time staff numbers for their private offices, but this is the first time I have seen any details of the amounts spent on consultants. As soon as he was appointed, Devon and Cornwall's commissioner recruited a spin doctor ...
Last month Lib Dem Women was launched – an amalgamation of the Campaign for Gender Balance and Women Liberal Democrats and they are imploring members to sign up and join in making the Lib Dems a party which encourages women to get all the way to the top without any barriers due to their gender. Now it may surprise one or two of you but I am indeed a member of this group and as such I got sent through nomination papers for their executive the other morning. This got me thinking. Then a couple of days ago a Lib ...
Here's today's hand-picked selection that caught my interest... Nick on Nigella / Saatchi. His LBC comments were incoherent and ill thought out. But let's keep some proportion My take on Nick's Nigella / Saatchi comments > Incoherent and ill thought out. But let's keep some proportion http://bit.ly/19UBLtD If only Russell Brand could use his cleverness for more than humiliation | Sarah Ditum | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk Sarah Ditum on Russell Brand (who, if he weren't a lefty, his casual sexism would get him a load more flak) http://bit.ly/17YV6t2 The state won't protect our children from porn - education ...
[IMG: Clegg Obama] Not content with insulting the chancellor by calling him Jeffrey on three occasions at the G8 summit, President Obama also dealt a blow to the prime minister's vanity, via his deputy. The Sun's Tom Newton Dunn reports: In a second diplomatic gaffe on the same day, Mr Obama said Nick Clegg was more attractive than David Cameron. He told the Deputy PM: "It's good to see the better looking half of the Coalition." Ouch. * Nick Thornsby is Thursday Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs here.
Nick Clegg has put himself in some hot water this morning following these comments regarding what he would have done if he had seen the Nigella Lawson/Charles Saatchi incident/assault: What a difficult question. I find it so difficult to imagine... I don't know what happened, I'm like you, I don't know what happened ... When you see a couple having an argument, most people just assume that the couple will resolve it themselves. If, of course, something descends into outright violence that is something different. I just don't know, there was this one photograph, I don't know whether that was ...
Stephen Tall has just written a post on Nick Clegg's LBC comments about Charles Saatchi grabbing Nigella Lawson's throat while they were having dinner, an incident for which Saatchi accepted a Police caution. Nick Clegg has now issued a statement clarifying his remarks: I completely condemn all forms of domestic violence. As I said on the radio, my instinct would always be to try and protect the weaker person, to try and protect the person who otherwise would be hurt. But I was asked a very specific question about how I would have reacted to a specific incident which I ...
Thu 20th
12:50Nick on Nigella / Saatchi. His LBC comments were incoherent and ill thought out. But let's keep some...
It was 'Call Clegg' this morning, and Nick's comments on the Nigella Lawson/ Charles Saatchi photographs — which show him allegedly assaulting her outside a restaurant — have sparked controversy. He was asked to put himself in the position of those near-by and to say what he would have done if he'd witnessed the situation. Here's the encounter: And here's the transcript (via the Telegraph): What a difficult question I find it so difficult to imagine... so you see a couple... I mean, I don't know what happened. I'm like you, I don't know what happened. When you see a ...
The Hampshire Chronicle reports a follow up to the allegations of electoral fraud levelled at Conservative candidate Michael Mates: [IMG: Michael Mates] MICHAEL Mates, the Conservative candidate at the elections for Hampshire Police Commissioner last autumn, is facing the prospect of being prosecuted for electoral fraud. The police have sent a file to the Crown Prosecution Service following a six-month investigation. Officers from Thames Valley Police investigated accusations that Mr Mates, 79, had broken electoral rules regarding his home address. Read the full story about Michael Mates here.
There gets a stage in every large company's lifecycle when there are too many people working on a single project. This usually manifests itself in strange internal struggles over the heart of a product as different teams compete for their "vision" to succeed. What often happens is that the user is forgotten and a manager, somewhere, has to make a compromise which sacrifices usability for intra-company harmony. Let's take, for example, Google Maps for Android. This is an app I use every day and it's becoming clear to me that it is a battleground in some internal Google war. Have ...
In 1974, when I went with my brother, Michael, in his Ford Zephyr, we always seemed to be in a traffic jam. The only jam this time was on the M3 - it delayed our arrival for the ferry by an hour. Not to worry.though, the ferry operators got us on the next ferry. The island in 2000 was now very quiet traffic-wise. But there was not much I remembered from the previous visit. This time we stayed in a self-catering maisonette at St Lawrence just outside of Ventnor. On our doorstep we had the Rare Breeds and Wildfowl Centre, ...
Thu 20th
10:39Baroness Kate Parminter writes...We need more research and public engagement before agreeing to GM c...
The speech today by Owen Paterson, Secretary of State for the Environment makes it clear that he is intent on promoting the use of GM crops in Britain - and to do so by acting as a cheerleader for an industry which has consistently promised much over the last twenty years and yet failed to deliver. It follows hard on the heels of that of the Science Minister, David Willetts, as the latest attempt by the Tories to go beyond the Coalition Government's agreed policy on GM crops. Liberal Democrats are not in principle opposed to GM, but we believe ...
Thu 20th
10:06
Willie Rennie's latest e-newsletter: Courts, Pars, a fair deal for tenants and a day with health pro...
Willie Rennie as MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife sends out a regular e-newsletter to his constituents. A copy has fallen into my inbox. If you would like to subscribe to it, email willie.rennie.msp@scottish.parliament.uk. eNews from Willie Rennie MSP Thanks for reading the latest edition of my eNewsletter designed to keep you informed about my activities on your behalf. If you have any views on the subjects raised pleased don't hesitate to get in touch. Cupar Sherriff Court I am frustrated that the SNP Government has secured the support of the Scottish Parliament's Justice Committee to close Cupar Sherriff Court ...
I blame the lawyers. It seems to be standard practice for those in the public eye accused of wrongdoing, or their lawyers, to make public statements asserting that they "refute" whatever allegations are being made. But while they might deny them, or reject them, or dispute them, they do not "refute" them. Here is the definition of that word: Verb Prove (a statement or theory) to be wrong or false; disprove. Prove that (someone) is wrong. As the lawyers that make these statements know, denying something is not the same as proving it to be wrong. So I urge my ...
posted The Blood is The Life 19-06-2013 http://t.co/YO2PeyD7yR on #dreamwidth (tags: (from twitter) dreamwidth ) http://pinterest.com/lmmyles/colinbakertiem/ Fao @sljones RT @carlminns: @miss_s_b think you'll like http://t.co/f10pYnf8HB (tags: (from twitter) ) http://pinterest.com/pin/164803667586801291/ Colin Baker and his magnificent weapon. http://t.co/DqzlSvsl8D (tags: (from twitter) ) http://www.greenpeople.co.uk/ @vulpeculiar Ethical Consumer seems to like these people: http://t.co/m16CakcPsN (tags: (from twitter) ) Kickstarting a manual for sexual assault Sooner or later kickstarter funding was going to display a dark side. This one made me go eurgh. (tags: ) [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
I have mentioned before, rather too often for my own comfort, that the coalition missed a political trick by failing to articulate the absolute failure of New Labour's regime to control and manage public services. Yes, they talked about the failures of central targets, but that was all. They did not join the dots and explain the core of the muddle they had inherited, as they could have done - perhaps because they had not quite grasped it themselves. Perhaps also because they were still half in the same mindset. A few months into the new government in 2010, I ...
For the last month, Team Christine has done a power of work in the Holyrood by-election in Aberdeen Donside. They have delivered an incredibly good campaign which has gone down very well on the doorsteps in Bridge of Don, Dyce, Danestone and Kingswells for our energetic, warm and generally wonderful candidate Christine Jardine. Today is polling day and, for the occasion, Tim Farron has recorded a video. He has been doing some phoning for Christine, which has been very much appreciated. His spies have obviously told him how fabulous Liberal Youth Scotland have been, with many of them putting their ...
A Trip to Chessington World of Adventures May 2000Ramesis Gets His Revenge!Fancy a white knuckle ride? Try this at Chessington World of Adventures.
Spotted earlier this week on Twitter: It's #AfricanChildDay and we're asking how can you help #endFGM? Join MN webchat with Int Dev minister @lfeatherstone on Thurs 1pm #DFID_uk — Mumsnet (@MumsnetTowers) June 16, 2013 Listen in live, or catch up here later. * Newshound: bringing you the best Lib Dem commentary published in print or online.
Everybody hates Michael Gove, right? But if you want to challenge his education reforms, you must do better than resort to tendentious argument. Frank Furedi has written an interesting article for Spiked examining the fad for 'Govephobia'. Leaving aside the specific pros and cons of Gove's reforms, Furedi raises two interesting points. The first is the sort of bien pensant groupthink that assumes no argument is necessary - just a knowing smirk or a right-on posture will do. This sort of lazy criticism simply plays into Gove's hands, because it displays precisely the lack of intellectual rigour that he proposes ...
Thu 20th
07:19
Sefton's Green Belt - Campaigners trying to save the Green Belt meet at Lydiate Village Centre
Last night I attended one of the meetings organised by local Green Belt campaigners at Lydiate Village Centre together with Cllr. Andrew Blackburn and Cllr. Edie Pope. As an environmental campaigner I think it fair to say that most folks who know me realise that I have been fighting for the Green Belt and high grade agricultural land not to be concreted over for many years. Indeed, I led the fight to stop Sefton Council from releasing one of the very sites they presently want to release now, back in 1998. We won that battle back then but this time ...
Thu 20th
07:13
#EqualMarriage Opponents Have Undermined Their Own Case For Religious Freedom Protections
The Lords have been discussing amendments to Government's Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Bill this week and will continue to do so next week. The vast majority of the amendments have been about protecting "conscientious objectors", i.e. those who don't like the gays. Unfortunately, for religious freedom, these amendments have been written prejudicially and are championed by people who (until this week) were deeply against allowing this bill through at all. What do I mean that these amendments are prejudicial? It seems the proponents of these amendments have a very 2D view of freedom and are astonishingly short-sighted. As evidenced by the ...
[IMG: Police helicopter last night] Police helicopter last night There was a sense of déjà vu last night as events unfolded. Another fatal stabbing in Newbury. Well, the last one at this end of town was over a year ago. This one seems to have taken place in a similar type of environment, I would guess. Not good. My prayers and thoughts go out to the family and friends of the man involved. What an appalling waste of life! Again, I am astoundingly impressed by our local police. Again, they make an arrest within hours. At first, not knowing what ...
Last night, Community Spirit Action Group, the community group for the "north" part of West End Ward, covering Tullideph, Ancrum, Pentland the Cleghorn area and surrounding streets, held a walkabout across part of its area, and I was pleased to take part, alongside Community Spirit's office-bearers. The idea of the walkabout is to look at local issues and then follow them up with the appropriate council department or other organisation to achieve repairs and improvements. We highlighted a number of issues that the group's Chair has already followed up with the responsible department or organisation. Here's some examples below: Overgrown ...
Yesterday, along with a number of councillor colleagues, I attended a briefing from City Council officers on progress with the National Entitlement Card (NEC). For many people in the city, the NEC is their concessionary bus pass, but it can actually cover a whole host of services from library card, taxi travel for disabled people, leisure membership, cashless catering in schools, council staff ID cards, on-line learning, and much more. Dundee is leading the field in Scotland as the lead authority for NEC and the update yesterday was extremely useful. I have called for swift progress to achieve roll-out of ...
I was delighted to learn that a local team has made it to the finals of Carnegie UK Trust's TestTown - a competition designed to enable young innovators (between the ages of 16 and 30) to develop and showcase truly original business ideas that will help to rejuvenate Britain's town centres. The first year of the TestTown initiative saw more than 550 young people from across the country produce over a hundred great enterprising ideas. Only the 12 best have now been given financial support and mentoring to help develop their ideas and bring them to TestTown. At the end ...
Unless significant changes are made to the Social Services and Well-being Bill, it risks being a huge disappointment to many people who rely on social services in Wales. I have concerns about the lack of detail on how the reforms will work and who will be eligible for what kind of help. I am also concerned about the lack of financial information contained in the bill, leaving local authorities in the dark about how much they will have to spend on social care. The Welsh Liberal Democrats have urged the Welsh Labour Government to provide more detail to Assembly Members ...
Despite an over-indulgence of cat postings of late, I could not resist this story from Mexico. The Guardian tells the story of Morris the cat's bid to become mayor of the Mexican city of Xalapa, the capital of the state of Veracruz. They say that this has now turned into a social media phenomenon with a serious message about political disenchantment: "Morris has become an expression of how fed up people are with all the parties and a political system that does not represent us," said Sergio Chamorro, the owner of the furry black-and-white candidate whose first campaign slogan was: ...
Here's the agenda for tonight's meeting of Bar Hill Parish Council. As always if you have a view on anything please let me know and I'll raise the issue at the meeting. You'll be more than welcome at the Open Forum if you can attend! The minutes (draft) of the previous meeting from 16th May are available here. A G E N D A Open Forum 1. To receive apologies for absence and any declaration of interest 2. Approval of minutes To approve minutes of Parish Council Meeting held on 16th May 2013 3. Matters for discussion and decisions to ...
Message from the County Council In support of Royal Life Saving Society's Drowning Prevention Week (22 - 30 June), Hertfordshire Safeguarding Children Board is encouraging those enjoying the sunshine near, in or on the water to take care and be aware of the hidden dangers water can pose, particularly for young children. More than 400 people drown in the UK each year, and thousands suffer near-drowning experiences. Shockingly, drowning is the third highest cause of accidental death in children in the UK. Chairman of Hertfordshire Safeguarding Children Board (HSCB) Phil Picton said: "Many of us like to spend time by ...
I am puzzled by the DECC commissioned study that reported a significant increase in property prices for making energy saving improvements to homes. The report makes the claim that, on average, a home which has been upgraded from category D to B, or from G to E, will sell for more than £16,000 more. Now [...]
