Stokesay Castle is a fortified medieval manor house (fortified more for show than for defence) standing just to the south of the Shropshire town of Craven Arms. I have blogged about it before and will no doubt do so again. I was there this afternoon, drinking tea, reading Jonathan Meades, writing a column for the Leicester Mercury and dodging the showers. A primary school party turned up to draw and paint the castle, adding to the fun of the afternoon. They were too well behaved to disrupt the local birdlife - swallows returning again and again to their nests through ...
[IMG: WatfordBoroughLogo] In the Borough Council elections held on May 22nd, 2014, the Liberal Democrats comfortably held control of their flagship borough giving the lie to media hype surrounding UKIP and Labour resurgence. Despite some success in taking two seats from the Greens, it was not a good day for Labour as just one Liberal Democrat seat fell to them. The Greens now have only one seat on Watford Borough Council but the Conservatives have made a tentative reappearance taking one seat from an independent (a former renegade Conservative rebel) to keep the beleaguered Tory MP some sort of company ...
1963 had been a year of big changes for the Beach Boys. Brian Wilson had been feeling under increased pressure by the middle of the year. Not only was he principal songwriter and producer for the Beach Boys, responsible for putting out three albums that year plus a couple of non-album singles, but he was [...]
Roya Nobakht, a 47 year old woman with joint British/Iranian nationality, is starting a 20 year sentence in one of Iran's toughest prisons – for writing a post attacking Ayatollah Khomenei. It's thought her crime was to describe the Iranian government as being "too Islamic". Local MP Mark Hunter is working with Roya's husband to help her. Roya was a part-time student at Stockport College and housewife before vanishing on holiday in Iran. When she failed to come home last October her husband travelled to Iran to find her and, after scouring hospitals, finally discovered the truth of her plight. ...
Roger Helmer, a candidate for a party with the silliest policy on same-sex marriage, has finally stopped muddying the water on LGBT issues after the tweet below came back to haunt him... Why is it OK for a surgeon to perform a sex-change operation, but not OK for a psychiatrist to try to "turn" a consenting homosexual? — Roger Helmer (@RogerHelmerMEP) January 16, 20113 and a bit years later, he has finally decided that (instead of asking silly unclear questions) to be a bit clearer about his position after an interview with the Mail on Sunday went a bit wrong. ...
Mon 2nd
19:00
Reports from the Newark by-election front line and the Liberal Democrats' spirited campaign
[IMG: David Watts and Liz Lynne in Newark] Spotted in an obscure corner of Facebook this morning was a report from London Lib Dem Julian Heather who's spending a couple of days at the Newark by-election. It's reproduced here with his permission: I'm really impressed with the spirited campaign that our Lib Dem byelection candidate, David Watts, and the rest of the Liberal Democrat team are running here in Newark – it's what one might call a small, but perfectly formed, campaign, as well as being greatly enjoyable! And it's that experience you get whenever you go and help out ...
Jonathan Meades has talked about his tweedy, Housman- and Elgar-loving bachelor uncles before, but in his new book An Encyclopaeida of Myself he is particularly damning about one of them who became town clerk of Burton-on-Trent. Speaking of his uncle's "parodic monologues", Meades says: City dwellers were targets; townies were targets (he excluded himself); towns themselves were targets, especially towns that had been built after the advent of canals and railways and which were not thus reliant on local materials for their buildings, e.g., Burton-on-Trent. Under his stewardship Burton destroyed itself. The mega-brewers, whom Uncle Hank sucked up to and ...
When talking to residents on the doorstep in Wallington South very many of you told us that you are happy with your area, with the cleanliness of the streets, the efficiency of the waste & recycling collection and the general maintenance, apart from one thing: dog mess. This was a recurring gripe from residents. Owners [...]
Contrary to what Ms Allsop says women's fertility does not decline markedly when they reach 35 and even if it did encouraging them to freak out probably isn't helpful. Now there's a good chance that sitting down to read this you are thinking: 'Mark, in what possible way are you – a law student – [...]
[IMG: pensions] We wake today to news that the Government is planning Dutch-style collective pension schemes which the minister of state for pensions,the Liberal Democrat Steve Webb, says are "some of the best in the world". The proposed legislation will include the previously announced removal of tax rules that have prevented pensioners taking more than a quarter of their savings in a cash lump sum. OK, there is no need for switch off. This piece is not going to be about pensions. It is about campaigning and in particular about integrated campaigning. The subject has been chosen purely at random. ...
It is no great secret that one of the policy areas that most frustrated Lord Oakeshott about the coalition was banking. I can't speak for him, and in any case I'm not sure exactly where he stood, except that I believe he felt - as many of us do - that the big banks were still a threat to economic stability and had failed to change their risk-taking behaviour, just as their bonuses still encourage insane and corrosive speculation. It is ironic therefore that his great friend, Vince Cable, was partly responsible for financial policy, and we might assume also ...
The election of a new president in Ukraine is not the end of the crisis, but it does mark a point of change, and hopefully of improvement. The seizure of Crimea by Russia- in contravention of all international law and all promises given- has jolted the security position of NATO as almost nothing else could. Russia now insists that anywhere where the Russian or Soviet flag once flew may be a legitimate claim for Moscow. That in principle could mean Germany or Alaska. In practice it is still a threat to NATO, since the Kremlin claims thee right of intervention, ...
[IMG: It was obviously a bit for humour aimed at the Euro and local council elections held on 22nd May] It was obviously a bit for humour aimed at the Euro and local council elections held on 22nd May Click to enlarge I would add that Mervyn, Mark and Dave run this excellent plant nursery and it does work for Maghull in Bloom as well. www.sandylanenurseries.co.uk/
Everyone will have seen the devastating effect that a stroke can have on a person and their family. Stroke is the third single largest cause of death in the UK, accounting for around one in 10 deaths. It is also the largest cause of complex disability in the UK, with half of all stroke survivors affected. Preventing strokes and their fast and correct treatment should be a top priority for any Health Minister. A recent Royal College of Physicians audit of the full stroke services available in hospitals in Wales, England and Northern Ireland showed significant problems with stroke care ...
I've been fortunate to have been spending a few days on the other side of the planet – Maui, to be precise. As tempting as it was, my notes and books didn't stay at home in rainy Derby and have accompanied me on the trip. After all, if you're going to be a distance learner, then there aren't too many other places you can travel to that are this far away from the University. Let no-one suggest that I go in for half measures ... One of the books that accompanied me out here was Colin Robson's "Real World Research"(*). ...
A new Cheadle Post Office will be opening on 25th July, in the same location as the current one but it promises to be very different – open plan and the first to combine with a WH Smith. We spoke to new Postmaster Andrew Phipson about the venture. The Post Office will be staying in its current location as residents and people alike know exactly where it is. What I wanted to do is also build on this dedicated customer base by bringing new customers into the village to show what else Cheadle has to offer. When I was looking ...
So asks The Big Issue: [IMG: Berrylands Focus leaflet for Sushila Abraham] Political parties are willing to invest a lot of money in this stuff, so long as your vote appears to be up for grabs. At the last general election, they spent a total of £25.2m on "unsolicited material" such as leaflets. According to the Electoral Reform Society, the constituency that saw the most money spent on campaigning at the last general election was Luton South. The 12 candidates spent a total of £129,687 bombarding residents with campaign materials - which worked out at £3.07 per vote. At the ...
[IMG: image] A few days ago I put forward six ideas about how the Lib Dems could improve their standing with a view to maximising its vote share in the 2015 General Election. With the party currently polling below 10% there's a lot of work to do. This left me mulling over what the other parties might be thinking. The Tories A year from the General Election, the Tories find themselves in a healthier position than either they or the media had perhaps been anticipating. Uncertain as yet whether they'll perform in the marginals sufficiently to get a majority on ...
[IMG: William Rodgers, Shirley Williams, Roy Jenkins & David Owen with funds from SDP supporters, Feb 1981] On the wall of our downstairs loo is a framed copy of the Limehouse Declaration, issued at the inception of the SDP on 21 January 1981. In the light of Matthew Oakeshott's parting contention that Nick has led us as a party without roots, principles or values, I have re-read it to test his contention. On international affairs the post-2010 Lib Dems have followed Limehouse to the letter - not just by being rooted and principled over Europe, but by our record on ...
There is a basic human need to understand the world in terms of simple stories. This is as true of politics as it is for other parts of life. Something that explains how we have got to where we are – and guides us towards what to do next. These are referred to as "narratives" in the jargon of political marketing. A narrative is a critical part of the political "brand", another useful piece of political marketing jargon, which refers to what the public understands to be the core elements of a political party or movement. And liberals the world ...
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the threat to the police front counter in Launceston. It is scheduled for closure under a plan revealed by the Conservative Police Commissioner. I wrote to the commissioner, Mr Hogg, asking a number of questions about the plan. I wanted to know how access to police services would be maintained and, in particular, what would be done to publicise the 101 non-emergency number and to make that service better. I've had a reply from Mr Hogg which I reproduce in full below. But I remain concerned that this appears to be a ...
More comedy genius from Australia's Clarke and Dawe: You can also watch this on YouTube.
Cornwall Council has launched a new scheme to give a greater return to town and parish councils on money that they hold. Our aim is to pass on some of the benefits of our size to others in Cornwall. As with many organisations, there are times during the year when towns and parishes have lots of money that they will spend as the year progresses. They need to have this money instantly available and the return they can get from their bank is very low, typically about 0.1%. On the other hand, Cornwall Council can get a much higher return ...
Sunniside Methodist Chapel's annual fayre sale took place on Saturday. I always visit it to buy plants for the garden and I'm always made to feel welcome. The cake stall is often a draw for me. The event however always results in my leaving the building with a bigger casework load than I had when entering it. Saturday was no different. As well as cakes and plants, I took home with me a list of
[IMG: join] This week, I applied to re-join the Liberal Democrats after a two and a half year absence. Back then, I'd felt deep shame at what the party was (and wasn't) doing in government: austerity, welfare reform, tuition fees, ham fisted attempts at both electoral and Lords reform, to name a few. I'm still angry, and still ashamed, about much that Coalition has done. I'm a fierce critic of Nick Clegg, and I'm not the world's biggest fan of the Orange Book. So why, you may ask, have I rejoined now? There are two answers to that question. Firstly, ...
If you read this blog regularly you'll know I'm not exactly enamoured of football. So for me the fact that its governing body appears to be impressively corrupt is just another reason to roll my eyes at it. However, one assertion running through this whole affair: that it is obvious that Qatar is the wrong [...]
[IMG: thishouse] James Graham, the esteemed playwright, wrote a piece of drama that I'm sure everyone who is in any way interested in politics has at least heard of entitled "This House". It follows the travails of the Labour Party under a razor thin majority in the mid-1970's. Having said this, I wonder how many Labour and Tory backbenchers have seen it after what I encountered this weekend. I read a piece by Mehdi Hassan on the Huffington Post about how Labour might be better off pursuing a minority administration rather than even enter into coalition talks with the Lib ...
It has been four years since we last had a contest for the Party Presidency, and for those people who might not have been around in 2011 for the Tim Farron versus Susan Kramer contest, here are some of the things that need to be borne in mind. The President is the principal public representative of the Party and shall chair the Federal Executive. The President is elected by the members of the Party for a term of two years starting from 1st January in the year immediately following the election and shall hold office until death, incapacity, resignation or ...
For those that didn't see updates on twitter the day after the elections, below are the election results for all openly trans politicians who stood in May's Local and European Elections. Spoiler: Nobody won. This ends a 14 year run of openly trans politicians being elected in the UK. I doubt this will make any direct difference to campaigning for trans rights, which is done via internal party structures and external campaigning quite separate from district and European councils, but it's certainly not good. Whilst nobody listed had been the holy grail of a safe seat, there was certainly no ...
Tom Chivers bravely advocates being reasonable in the Torygraph. comments predictable " The polite, decent, human thing to do would be to say, well, if the pronouns with which I refer to you matter to you, then I will use the ones you prefer. It does me no harm, and it will make you happier, so why would I not?" - because I'm a Torygraph reader is the obvious answer (tags: ) ATTENTION PEOPLE OF NEWARK! Are you really going to vote for this foetid wankstain? ... No, actually, don't answer that. I want to maintain SOME faith in humanity ...
[IMG: The Vine Beer Festival] If the Lib Dems are sincere about the "fairer society" as part of our slogan or elevator pitch or whatever you want to call it, then there is something tangible we can deliver in this current parliament that would have a direct and profound effect on many people's lives. We are in the midst of a major offensive against the insidious practices of the large national pub companies (pubcos), with CAMRA, politicians and other consumer groups petitioning the government for wide reaching legislation that would revolutionise the pub industry in the UK for the first ...
Part of our work at Stockport Council is to promote our area, and local companies, across the world. [IMG: We were honoured to host the Tunisian ambassador] We were honoured to host the Tunisian ambassador Last week we were honoured to host the Tunisian ambassador, who spent a day in Stockport meeting with myself, the Mayor and some local companies to see how we might work together for mutual benefit. From past experience, it's more than likely that significant contacts could be signed as a result of this visit – the seeds have been planted.
Looking through some old photos the other day I came across this one:- [IMG: Cllrs. Andrew Beattie & David Bamber] Cllrs. Andrew Beattie & David Bamber Both these chaps served as Mayor of Maghull and indeed both were also Borough Councillors for the Town. David moved to Southport and went on to be elected as a councillor there after serving in Maghull. Sadly, Andrew was taken ill and died suddenly in early 1999 at the age of just 41. As to when this photo was taken I think it was 1992 but the signs on the shops behind them, in ...
Mon 2nd
08:30
Making farmland work for biodiversity - a free talk in the University of Dundee Zoology Museum
From the Curator of Museum Services at the University of Dundee : Improving the British countryside for wildlife: Farmland birds, Farmers and PoliticiansA free talk by Dr Dave Parish, Game & Wildlife Conservation TrustTuesday 3rd June at 6pmD'Arcy Thompson Zoology Museum, Carnelley Building, University of Dundee Dr Parish Our Zoology Museum events programme continues next Tuesday with a free talk exploring the impact of farming in the UK and how it has affected birds and other species. Farming practices in the UK have evolved dramatically in recent years and have changed the British countryside enormously, not least as a habitat ...
[IMG: Voting at Liberal Democrat conference. Photo courtesy of the Liberal Democrats. Some rights reserved One thing the Liberal Democrats weren't short of during the European election campaign was media coverage of the party's European policies. But one thing the party ended up short of was votes. The usual post-European election complaints from within the party, itemising how few press conferences were dedicated to European issues or how rare European stories were in party leaflets, don't apply this time round. Nor should we simply assume that a magic new popular party leader would solve all the party's problems overnight. ...
Following my post on Saturday in which I referred to Charles Moore's concern that we are sacrificing the security of the ballot at the altar of engagement, the Telegraph carries a piece by Andrew Gilligan, looking at the chaotic and questionable conduct of the local elections in Tower Hamlets. It is a very disturbing account. He tells the story of how 2,000 supporters of the borough's mayor, Lutfur Rahman, gathered outside, effectively barricading Mr Rahman's Labour opponents in the building. The shadow justice secretary, Sadiq Khan, was told by police that he could not leave for his own safety. He ...
I have photographed the Stiperstones Inn many times, but I am rather pleased with the shot of it I took this lunchtime.
