In which I look at Lawrence Miles' Dead Romance
Last night and on quite late at 11pm there was a programme on Channel 4 presented by The Last Leg's Alex Brooker in which he sought to gain his perfect body in just 8 weeks. It was a look at the male perception of body image and how in the past 20 years of so men have become as obsessed, if not more so, than women to achieve the perfect body as sold to them to the media. It appears that a lot of men, and male adolescents actually are unhappy with the shape they are in. The programme if ...
Kelmarsh village has dwindled over the centuries - I suspect much of it has disappeared as the grounds of the Hall have been landscaped. All that remains are Colonel Lancaster's cottages, St Denys where his grave is and a dozen houses along the road to Harrington. But they are worth looking at, because you will there find what was once the village school and institute, though they have long since been converted into private houses. Once more, the Welcome to Kettering page on the village has the story: One of the first line of cottages on the Harrington road has ...
An email about next week's East Midlands Euro evening with Lorely Burt reaches me. It is signed by Tony Rogers, chair of the region, but has a PS from my old friend Phil Knowles. Phil tells us that, delivering in Chesterfield yesterday, Tony tripped over a fence wire close to the ground and fell. He broke an elbow, as well as sustaining some other injuries. Phil continues: What did Tony do after he fell? He got up and finished his delivery round! Then he drove home. Then he phoned me and dictated two emails before Sharon came home and forced ...
I'm planning to write a political post and a Doctor Who one tonight. But that's dependent on me not dying of the heat. I've also been sent some very interesting stuff to read, so that might get read instead of me writing. So in case I don't do any writing, some links: Your app makes [...]
East Midland Liberal Democrats are holding a European evening at Lubenham village hall (near Market Harborough) on Friday 9 August. The speaker will be Lorely Burt, Lib Dem MP for Solihull, and there will also be a chance to meet some of the candidates who will be on the party's East Midland's list at next year's elections to the European parliament. To add that continental touch, gateaux, coffee and wine are promised. The event is open to all Lib Dem members and supporters. Tickets cost £5 and you can pay with Paypal via the East Midlands Liberal Democrats site.
When I left Cowley Street in 2009 to pursue a life of self-sufficiency, a sort of 21st century version of "The Good Life" in Gateshead, we knew we would have to set a date from which we would no longer buy food from shops. Well, that day arrived today, 1st August 2013. From now on, our food has to be grown by us, foraged for from wild sources, or traded with other local food growers. There are
Amey are finally resurfacing Shaftmoor Lane between Cateswell Road and Olton Boulevard East – following the previous false start. Its great news that the work is finally being done, but initially there were major safety issues with the poor signage for the work. Councillor Iain Bowen witnessed cars, which had 'stumbled across' the work making dangerous manoeuvres in the road to avoid them. Iain quickly fired off and email to Amey expressing his concerns. They quickly visited the site and improved the signage so that drivers would be fully aware of the work at all approaches.They also agreed to keep ...
"Today's announcement has shown three things: a) that the House of Lords is a needlessly ever-expanding, over-expensive chamber, b) that the appointments system rewards those with either a vested interest in the status quo or who are part of their party's 'establishment', and c) that the Liberal Democrats still don't understand the real meaning of diversity." A Scottish Liberal gets it right. Policymic shows that President Obama's old campaign website has quietly removed his pledge to protect whistleblowers. "Incredibly, Pathfinder, the policy of managed decline in our northern cities, which accounted for the demolition of tens of thousands of homes ...
I'm really worried about Dan Hodges, he has a successful career as a commentator, but he seems to be picking fights he just can't win. Just today he has had a go at feminists. Not in a "why don't women just get on with it way", you understand. No, Dan is far it's far more ...
About a year ago, Park Road in Gatley had a surface dressing (a form of resurfacing) to improve the surface. Unfortunately, it wasn't done correctly and the new surface soon started wearing away. The Lib Dem team got on the case, and have been pressing for the work to be redone – at no cost to the taxpayer. Surface dressing can only be done over the summer months, so we've had to wait a few months – and make sure no-one forgot it was needed. We now have a date for the work. It's weather dependent so could slip a ...
This is not what I wanted! What you may ask? Well Tony and Barrie Drewitt-Barlow are going to take the Church of England to court to make them have to carry out same-sex marriages. You may remember them as the first same-sex male couple in the UK to legally be both named of fathers of their children. But what are you opposed to them doing that, you may ask, aren't I a gay Christian too? Well yes I am, but I don't want to coerce any faith group into having to carry out marriage irregardless of the sexuality involved, I ...
I will start by getting it out there that I just hate having to write this post. The very idea that the power of patronage exercised by 3 men, with a tiny fig leaf of scrutiny by a committee can choose people who make the laws I have to obey almost brings me out in hives. I can forgive Nick Clegg, because at least he tried to do something about it before he was defeated by the combined forces of Britain's two conservative parties. While we're stuck with an appointed second Chamber, it would be foolish for us to decide ...
I'm not the world's greatest admirer of the House of Lords. I find "the other place" such an affront to democracy and, indeed, fairness and equality that it's a principal reason for my decision to vote "Yes" in next year's independence referendum. Some long-held liberal aspirations can be best met only through securing independence, given that any other imminent constitutional reform is as likely as a James Anderson double-century at Old Trafford tomorrow. At least in the eventuality of a "Yes" outcome, Scotland will not have to concern itself with a bloated, self-important, non-representative relic of the distant past. It's ...
Bus Garage Collisions London 8,600 buses travel an amazing 490 million kms a year across 700+ bus routes. Last year 2.35 billion bus customer journeys. So bus trsavel is safe but then the drivers are professionals. The following is table of buses that crashed and needed repaits. Major crash requires more than 40 hours of repairs, minor crash less than 40hours of repairs. Apparently the higher rates such as at Perivale, which is an engineering centre, and Stamford Brook, which is a London United refurbishment centre, indicate where the buses are taken for repair or renewal rather than the depots ...
I'm one of a panel of five — alongside Ruth Porter, Max Wind-Cowie, Jonathan Isaby, Kathy Gyngell and Nick Faith — who offer entirely unsought advice to Ed Miliband today on ConservativeHome. A Lib Dem writing on a Tory website to advise the Labour party... They're bound to listen, aren't they? You can read all five over at ConHome here. But below are my thoughts about what Labour should do next... It's hard not to feel sorry for Ed Miliband. And that's his first problem: pity is not the response you want to trigger if you want your next promotion ...
Thu 1st
18:06
Are The Drewitt-Barlow's Striking A Blow For Equality Or Fighting Against Religious Liberty?
Though they have mentioned this before it would appear that the Drewitt-Barlow's, regulars on day time television and same-sex parenting pioneers, really are going to sue the Church of England in order to enable them to marry in a CofE church. Among a certain kind of Twitter user this has already evoked the reaction one would expect. Not only are there grumpy statements of "we knew this would happen" but some are already acting as if the Drewitt-Barlow's have won the case and churches all over the country are now being forced to marry people they don't want to. To ...
As part of our series on science and the green movement, WWF's Dave Tickner considers the environmental challenges facing Ruaha in Tanzania You may not have heard of Ruaha. Situated in southern Tanzania, it's one of Africa's best kept secrets. It's a region, a river, a national park and, increasingly, a problem. Put simply, the Ruaha problem is this: Rural economies in the headwaters rely on ever-expanding irrigated agriculture. Pressures on the river are increasing. The flow to Ruaha National Park (one of the largest in East Africa) is diminishing. Impacts on wildlife are unquantified but probably substantial. The operators ...
Earlier today, we told you about the ten new Liberal Democrat peers. We thought you might like to know a little more about them. Cathy Bakewell Cathy was first elected to Somerset County Council in 1993 and has since gained expertise in a number of fields: fire and rescue, policing, equalities, safeguarding children and further education. Her appointment bolsters our local government experience in the Lords. She also served on Ruth Kelly's 2007 commission which looked at the barriers to people becoming councillors. She may have similar ideas about addressing our under-representation of women in other areas. Olly Grender Olly ...
In 1958 Christopher Lee played a radically different Dracula from any that had been seen before: sexy and urbane, he broke the mould and refashioned it around himself. In countless movies, Christopher Lee played an intelligent, saturnine villain. The Hollywood stereotype of the aristocratic British villain undoubtedly sprang from this. This year, at the age of 91, he released his third metal album, to a reasonable amount of acclaim. And now other actors are getting in on the act:I had a fantastic time with @MANOWAR in the studio yesterday, re-recording the Warriors Prayer. DEATH TO FALSE METAL!!!! — BRIAN BLESSED ...
I noticed this article about Tory peer Lord Howell and how he confused the North East with the North West. It is easily done and he did apologise for any offence caused. So far so good, but I don't think the population of the North West or East will be upset about any error which is simply a slip of the tongue. I am sure that Lord Howell knows the difference between west and east and I am guessing that he has visited both parts of the country. It's no big deal that he made a simple mistake and even ...
There have been some changes to Liberal Democrat Conference in Autumn 2014. We had originally been due to go back to Liverpool next year. However, our conference fell immediately before the Scottish referendum on September 18. In view of this we have had to move our conference to a different date so as not to interfere with campaigning for the referendum. This has also meant changing venues as Liverpool did not have any suitable availability. Instead, Glasgow are able to accommodate us, so we are pleased to be returning there. Federal Conference Committee didn't take this decision lightly and we ...
I have applied and failed to get a job that I'm not only completely qualified for, but is the one of the ONLY jobs that my very specific skill set prepares me for, and I have no idea what I'm doing with my life. So obviously I'm perfect for a high pressure job where my only qualification is having a lot of opinions about Batman. Back in 2011, when we first heard the news about DC doing a universe wide reboot, many of my fellow fans were shocked, but also many had ideas, and a few people in the blogosphere ...
Thanks to the work of some admirable women, many of us are becoming increasingly aware of the extent to which women are harassed, groped, and intimidated in their everyday lives. Social networks and blogs are becoming spaces where people can share disturbing experiences, find solidarity, and open the eyes of men to just how odious other men can be. My eyes have been opened, and having been disgusted by what I've been seeing, I did what I do these days when I find an aspect of our culture or society that needs changing. I reached for my laptop to start ...
Amongst the usual dose of donors and club of cronies, there is some serious talent in the newly appointed peers. Today a whole new set of Lords and Ladies have been appointed by the parties, leading to the renewal of calls for an elected second chamber. This has long been proposed by the Lib Dems, ...
[IMG: petrol pump] In 2010, Danny Alexander made sure that there was a commitment to fair rural fuel duty in the Coalition Agreement. Last year he was able to deliver on that, securing a 5p reduction in duty for remote island areas. Now he wants to see if that can be extended. As a first step towards that, petrol retailers are being asked to supply details of the prices they charge .The Government will then use that information as the basis s of a further application to reduce the duty in those areas. If you live in a remote part ...
I had to fill in a whole new set of security thingies for a well known online credit card company. (Why?) Included in it were three security questions from a limited list. I've often felt a slight sense of dis-ease when doing things like this before, and today it suddenly struck me why. I did not have the happiest of childhoods. No abuse, not poor, nothing like that, just not happy, for a variety of reasons. And I prefer to forget the place where I was born, the first pet I had, what my mother's maiden name was. But nearly ...
Thu 1st
13:34
Do you want to make the laws of the land without bothering to win an election? Follow my six point p...
A new clutch of people have been elevated by party leaders (well, technically HM The Queen) to make laws that the rest of us will then have to obey. They won't have to bother getting elected, listening to the public or doing any of the other things you would expect in a well functioning democracy. They are there now. For life. If you don't like the way they vote, what they stand for or even who they are, tough. We are stuck with them until they croak. So how does one become an unelected legislator in one of the longest ...
Here's today's hand-picked selection that caught my interest... Willetts' special adviser takes helm at Hepi | News | Times Higher Education Many congrats to David Willetts' SpAd @NickHillman on apptmt as Director of HEPI. Good guy. (As is Willetts, btw) http://bit.ly/13CtuCo What must Labour do next? Left Watch "What must Labour do next?" http://bit.ly/1ed4JTm < Me, @ruthoporter @MaxWindCowie @isaby & @nickfaith with some unsought advice @ConHome
Follow Sam on Twitter - @SamPhripp I'm a child of the nineties. By the time I was born, the age of great peril had been forgotten. There was no major aggressor, extremist Islam hadn't really happened yet and the Cold War was effectively over. Of course, we know that the relative calm wouldn't last long, but the threat of World War was largely over. In that same sense, I find it intriguing to imagine that in 1983 the Government took part in War Games, modelling responses for Nuclear Warfare - even down to possible newspaper headlines. It's almost a novelty ...
Today's press is full of the excellent news that the government is funding Christie's ground breaking "proton beam" therapy. £250 million of government money is to be spend at two Centres [...]
Humankind is made for greater things than circulating plastic tat. Science can help us see this "What's this?" I asked my nephew. He was soon to turn two, and I thought, perhaps, he would be able to identify the plastic toy in my hand as a "dinosaur". "Edmontosaurus", he told me. I checked the label on its foot. He was right. Just before his fifth birthday, he corrected me on a question of astronomy: "No, Venus is hotter than Mercury. Mercury is closer to the sun, but Venus has poisonous gases which keep the heat in". I used to know ...
We heard this morning of new members swelling our ranks on the red benches in the House of Lords. It seems only yesterday since I arrived in January 2011, fully expecting to serve only five or maybe ten years before standing down for those elected to the Upper House. We now know that it is not to be (yet!) but it was not for want of trying. If I were to give advice it would be to get involved in something you know something about and something you know nothing about but find interesting. Join some all-party groups. Challenge our ...
Finally, after several false starts, the list of new life peerages has been announced. There are ten new Liberal Democrat peers. How does this list compare with Liberator's predictions on 16th June? Well, we correctly predicted that there would be ten new peers and we correctly predicted seven of them: Olly GrenderChristine HumphreysBrian PaddickJames PalumboAlison SuttieRumi VerjeeSir Ian Wrigglesworth We also predicted an unnamed Scottish Liberal Democrat, who turned out to be: Jeremy Purvis We failed to predict two: Cathy BakewellZahida ManzoorMeanwhile, two of our predictions went away empty-handed: Liz LynneJulie Smith In any event, there is an equal number ...
Saturday: What strikes me about "The Mind of Evil" is that otherwise perfectly sensible people - Lawrence and Tat in About Time 3, Jack Graham on Shabogan Graffiti, Sandifer on the TARDIS rude room - write long essays trying to explain or taking to task this idea that "evil" is some innate quality or substance in people that the Keller Machine extracts, when self-evidently it does nothing of the sort. That's what the Master says it does but... well... he's the Master! It's quite clear that, spoilers, the "machine" is a Mind Parasite that simply, crudely and painfully lobotomises people! ...
I welcome the imminent appointment of Doreen Lawrence to the House of Lords. She has fought bravely for justice for her murdered son and supported many campaigns for race equality for 20 years. She will [...]
There has been a lot of coverage today about a report which lists Cornwall in the top ten councils for parking income in the UK. Comparing Cornwall with London boroughs or Brighton and Hove is misleading. Cornwall has three times the population of the average London borough and twice that of Brighton and Hove. We are also a very popular visitor area and have a lot of car parks so it is not surprising that we have a lot of money coming in from them. Without the income from parking, the council could not afford to provide the services that ...
A couple of days ago I re-read the "Liberal Democrat Manifesto for Europe". On the summary page it says "Liberal Democrats don't believe in one-size-fits-all solutions. This is because Liberal Democrats believe that individual people, families and their communities know best about the things that affect them, so decision should be taken by them, not by distant politicians and bureaucrats in Westminster or Brussels. That is why we insist that Europe does not act when national, regional or local action is more effective." I assume that is still the party position (given that the web site is still live). I ...
Last week the Guardian published a fulsome panegyric by Estelle Morris in praise of OFSTED. It is, she claims, "the most respected of all the inspectorates," has "become a driver of change and force for good," the days when many teachers opposed it " are largely gone" and she has talked to teachers who acknowledge that "their inspection, whilst challenging, was a thoroughly professional event that made a real contribution to their school's progress." Well, teachers, especially those now called "school leaders" and those who aspire to such exalted status,would say that, wouldn't they. Only in the last few lines ...
Let us be frank. Russia has not just overnight turned into a monstrously evil state. It has been that way for a long time. Though they are understandable, calls to boycott Russian goods and next year's Winter Olympics over LGBT rights abuses can seem somewhat selfish and hollow when you consider what else Russia has been up to. Press freedom has been severely curtailed for years, perhaps it never stopped after the end of the Soviet Union. Though Reporters Without Borders expressed concern over Russia's own Great Firewall of Cameron, we aren't just talking about some censorship here and there. ...
Here they are: [IMG: House of Lords. House of Lords. Parliamentary copyright images are reproduced with the permission of Parliament] Cathy Bakewell – former leader of Somerset County Council Olly Grender – former Director of Communications for Shelter, former Director of Communications for the party and former Special Advisor Christine Humphreys – former Welsh AM and President of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Zahida Manzoor – former Deputy Chair of the Commission for Racial Equality Brian Paddick – former Deputy Assistant Commissioner in the Met and London Mayor candidate James Palumbo – co-founder and chairman of Ministry of Sound Group Jeremy ...
[IMG: Liberal Democrats Winning Here poster] Edition #37 of Liberal Democrat Newswire came out last week, looking at how the new Liberal Democrat message is doing. It's now also available online to read here. If you would like to receive the next edition of Liberal Democrat Newswire direct to your own inbox as soon as it is published, just sign up here. It's free! You can unsubscribe whenever you want using the link on the bottom of all the emails, and I won't pass your email address on to anyone else (except if required by law). If you're not a ...
In the early 80's I was at an education conference where someone was talking about youth unemployment and the devastating impact it was having in his community in the North East - his words still ring in my ears "that...Read more ›
A God-fearing American Christian - let's give him a nice stereotypical name like Billy-Bob - decides he is going to spend his vacation in England, touring historic cathedrals. He starts at Winchester. Having taken in the glorious architecture, and been suitably humbled by the age of the building, he notices something strange. In a hidden corner is a golden telephone, and above the phone is a discreet sign which reads "Direct telephone line to God. Please deposit £1 million per call. Credit cards accepted." Billy-Bob can't quite believe what he's seeing, so he finds a member of the cathedral's staff, ...
The new Liberal Democrat Peers, announced today, are: Catherine (Cathy) Mary Bakewell MBE - former leader of Somerset County Council Rosalind (Olly) Grender MBE - former Director of Communications for Shelter and former Director of Communications for the Liberal Democrats Christine Mary Humphreys - President of the Welsh Liberal Democrats and former Member of the National Assembly for Wales Zahida Manzoor CBE - Former Legal Services Ombudsman and Deputy Chair of the Commission for Racial Equality Brian Paddick - Former Deputy Assistant Commissioner in the Metropolitan Police Service James Palumbo - Co-founder and chairman of Ministry of Sound Group, the ...
Firstly, it is the first day of Armpits 4 August. I am actually feeling a lot more nervous about it than I thought I would, me being a card-carrying feminist and big-booted butch person. If you'd like to sponsor me to go hairy you can do so here: http://www.justgiving.com/Jennie-Rigg Secondly... ... it's Yorkshire Day. Ways to celebrate are numerous. If you're brave, you might be able to watch Brian Blessed rap Ilkley Moor B'aht 'At without cringing to death. Slightly less buttock-clenchingly terrifying is the Yorkshire Films hashtag on twitter. Or you could just have a nice cup of Yorkshire ...
On John Humphries and his bias (tags: ) Doctor Who: read the fan letter bookies' favourite Peter Capaldi wrote to Radio Times aged 15 | Radio Times (tags: ) [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
Lib Dem Voice has polled our members-only forum to discover what Lib Dem members think of various political issues, the Coalition, and the performance of key party figures. More than 600 party members have responded, and we're publishing the full results. Lib Dem members swing in favour of Coalition's economic policies Thinking of the current state of the economy and the Coalition's approach, which of the following statements is closest to your own view? (Comparisons in brackets are with the last time we asked this question in March 2013.) 15% (-5%) – Cutting the deficit isn't enough: alongside public spending ...
[IMG: Talking on the phone] Perhaps when ringing your local council you hope for your call to be answered quickly, handled well and the appropriate action to follow swiftly and effectively? Good luck then if the council is Haringey as you've got a 1 in 3 chance of falling before even the first hurdle, with your call not only not being answered quickly but not being answered at all.
Yesterday's Telegraph has a fascinating article on the problems besetting Ed Miliband. However, it is not from one of the usual suspects but written by the consummate Labour insider, Dan Hodges. Drawing comparisons with Three Days of the Condor, Mr. Hodges says that in contrast to the Robert Redford character, Ed Miliband has few friends within the Parliamentary Party. Indeed he cannot think of a leader who has seemed so politically isolated at this stage of the electoral cycle: A popular refrain among Labour commentators is "Ed doesn't have outriders". But in truth, Labour's leader doesn't even have anyone prepared ...
Today's Western Mail says that concerns are growing over the future of the £11m Wales National Swimming Pool after a multi-million pound cut in British Swimming's budget: They say that Swansea-based South Wales West AM Peter Black is demanding assurances over the future of the elite training centre overlooking Swansea University's sports centre at Sketty Lane in the city. British Swimming's budget was slashed by around £4m after a poor showing in the London 2012 Olympics. Swansea is not guaranteed funding as Wales' only intensive training centre beyond 2013. British Swimming has stopped funding its former ITC in Stockport which ...
Today, in Minnesota and Rhode Island, marriages began to be performed for same-sex couples. The relief and happiness of the couples involved must be something to behold! Though recent puritanical campaigns have cooled me somewhat towards the conservative institution of marriage, I am still very happy to see progress towards ever greater liberty. And I'm pretty thrilled on a personal level for all those having their big day today! And the good times just keep on coming. On August 5th same-sex marriages will begin in Uruguay (fast becoming a bastion of liberty as it moves towards cannabis legalisation). And on ...
[IMG: ldv coalition lessons] LibDemVoice is running a daily feature, 'Lessons of Coalition', to assess the major do's and don'ts learned from our experience of the first 3 years in government. Reader contributions are welcome, either as comments or posts. The word limit is no more than 450 words, and please focus on just one lesson you think the party needs to learn. Simply email your submission to voice@libdemvoice.org. Today Gareth Epps shares his thoughts ... Government: What's Occurrin? A couple of years ago I took a trip to Barry Island and went on one of the rides in the ...
Good news, congratulations to the Maghull team who last Thursday gained two seats for the Lib Dems on the town council, missing a third by just 9 votes. CHRIS DAVIES MEP [IMG: mainheader]
There were 4 very clear messages coming across from the electorate in the three Maghull wards where by-elections were held last week. Sick of Labour's internal warfare Firstly, residents are heartily sick of Labour's local infighting and the consequent 7 Labour councillor resignations. One thing the electorate does not like is political party splits and this recent long-running one has really damaged Labour's credibility. Green Bin Tax Secondly, Labour's proposed Green Bin tax for Sefton Borough has clearly been binned by the electorate. There can be little doubt that it has really got people upset as they see it as ...
I have long advocated the "pooling" of the various housing waiting lists in Dundee run by housing associations and the City Council's own housing waiting list to maximise the choice of housing and the chances of being given an allocation for all those applying for social housing in Dundee. This is your chance to have an influence in the review of Dundee's Common Allocation Policy. This policy will be used by Dundee City Council and Housing Associations in the city who may decide to join a Common Housing Register. The policy will be used to decide who receives the offer ...
Hip-hop, street dance and comedy are in the line-up for the Living the Dream Summer Showcase that takes place in St Albans later this month, thanks to a helping hand from a local county councillor. Councillor Chris White (St Albans Central division) has allocated £500 from his locality budget to Living the Dream School of Performing Arts to go towards their Summer Showcase. The Living the Dream provides affordable classes and after school clubs in all forms of performing arts to over 500 five to 21-year-olds in Hertfordshire, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds who may not have access to the ...
