Some terrific archive footage of this unique line, which closed in 1956.
From the BBC: At least 1,600 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have now died in the latest conflict, and 8,400 have been injured, according to Gaza's health ministry. Sixty-one Israeli soldiers have died, as well as three civilians in Israel.
In an article in tomorrow's Guardian, Nick Clegg writes: Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu must now put Israel's long-term, strategic self-interest ahead of short-term, tactical military gains. It is time for the Israeli government to talk to the Hamas political leadership in Gaza. Israel's refusal to engage with President Mahmoud Abbas's new unity government, because it includes Hamas, must be reversed. In 2008, the former Israeli intelligence chief Efraim Halevy called for engagement with Hamas, recognising that, in spite of heavy losses, it would not be cowed into submission. Three military operations later, the case for direct talks is all the ...
Notes from start of hospital stay May 14 to June 4 with pneumomia includimg 16 days in ITU: Pneumonia etc May 14, 2014 we both woke early and were up by 06.30, to have a cup of tea before going to King's at 07.45 for the blood test required before every haematology appointment. Then back home for two more cups of tea and the newspapers before the haematology outpatients appointment at 10.00 which as usual turned into 10.45. The consultant Dr Aldawi said the platelets were OK, but haemoglobin was only just above the level where a transfusion would be ...
Just a quick post to wish everyone good luck for Belfast Pride tomorrow. Sorry we couldn't be there. You will all be in our thoughts and prayers.
Writing for The Guardian on the violence in the Middle East, Nick Clegg says: The daily images of human torment in Gaza have been harrowing and heartbreaking. More than 1,000 Palestinian civilians have been killed. Were it not for international aid rations, half the population would be without food. Hundreds of thousands of men, women and children are seeking shelter in UN schools - and even these offer little safety... The Israeli government may feel it has gained the upper hand with its most recent show of strength, but it should know from past experience that any feeling of stability ...
In a party that is, to paraphrase Charles Kennedy, not so much a broad church as a hexagonal cathedral, it is somewhat hazardous to refer to "the party line". That notwithstanding, the Liberal Democrats do (like any other party) have such an official line on issues of the day, and below is the one on "Israel and Palestine" today. Writing here in a personal capacity, I have to say that I strongly agree with the broad thrust of large parts of this: "Our urgent priority is to stop the bloodshed, restore the ceasefire and work towards a long-term sustainable peace. ...
Fri 1st
20:37
The economy is at last working not hurting - and young people in Ludlow are getting jobs
We have seriously good news. At last the economy, after the biggest crisis of my lifetime, is working not hurting - well, not hurting as much. And, despite what many people think, there are jobs for the young. In the last two years, unemployment in the Ludlow constituency [1] has fallen by nearly half. In [...]
Labour won the Maghull TC by-election held last Thursday but to paraphrase a long-standing and famous headline from a national paper that is never mentioned in polite company on Merseyside, 'Was it the Aintree & Maghull Champion wot won it' for Labour? The evidence is significant due to the coverage the paper gave to the Labour candidate in the weeks up to the election. Photo's and gushing reports were in a number of editions. And I know I am not the only one to think this in the Maghull area and I understand such concerns are being raised in Formby ...
From the Northants Herald & Post: A stranger grabbed hold of a boy who was trying to retrieve his football in Kettering. Police in Kettering are appealing for witnesses to the incident that took place in St Mary's Road on Wednesday afternoon. A seven-year-old boy was playing football when he ran into St Mary's Road to retrieve the ball and a man, who was walking along the footpath grabbed hold of him before letting him go and continuing on his way towards London Road. The boy was not injured in the incident and returned home with the football.Perhaps this incident ...
Read William's blog on 'Why Frack?' http://williamhobhouse.wordpress.com/2014/08/01/why-frack/
Redcar High Street was packed today when Yorkshire Day fell on Market Day but this resulted in a bumper turnout for the annual reading of the Yorkshire Declaration of Integrity. Actor/writer Chris Foote Wood appeared as Captain Cook to lead the proceedings. He was supported by Redcar's John Curr as mighty Viking Sicga Draugluin who read the Declaration in Old Norse, one of the four languages used in the area since the earliest known written reference to the Ridings of York in the Anglo Saxon Chronicles of 876. The others are Latin Old English and Modern English. Mr Foote Wood ...
[IMG: 008 (4)] The Liberal Democrats have a strong and proud tradition in local government. For the Peterborough Liberal Democrats, local government is key - localism, community politics, and a real commitment to devolved power are all hallmarks of the Liberal Democrat approach. We pride ourselves on working hard "all year round, not just at election time". If you'd LIKE to register YOUR interest in becoming a local city councillor for your area please CLICK HERE! "Every month, Liberal Democrats in Peterborough knock on hundreds of doors, deliver Focus leaflets, attend community meetings, and speak to residents to find out ...
..... aka Lifeboat Open Day .....
Earlier today, I had the pleasure of attending the Great War Dundee and BBC World War One at Home partnership event, taking place at the City Square, Marryat and Caird Halls and what an excellent, informative and interesting event it is. There is still the opportunity to visit tomorrow, Saturday 2nd August, from 10am to 5pm. The Great War Dundee Commemorative Project 2014-2018 deserves congratulations for its exceptional efforts to ensure the Great War is properly commemorated in the city,that local people get involved and that knowledge of Dundee's part in the Great War is increased. Here's a couple of ...
Fri 1st
16:40
Social Liberal Conference: Farron on the Radical challenge now the Regan/Thatcher/ Blair consensus i...
On the day Tim Farron's Beveridge lecture was a triumph. The 40 minutes speech was punctuated by warm and spontaneous applause and at the end the delegates rose to their feet without prompting to give him an extended ovation. The speech made folk feel better about themselves and their politics. It has been a rough time for those who come out of the radical tradition. Here, at last, was someone who was speaking about their dreams and hopes. The speech's great virtue was that it was forward looking. It was not picking over the bones of the coalition corpse. It ...
We know how important it is to make your money go further, that's why the Liberal Democrats are the only party of fair tax. The Tories are talking about a 'flat tax' system - where everyone pays the same rate of tax regardless of income - and Labour are talking about being in favour of a 15% 'death tax'. Thanks to Lib Dems in Government, the rich are paying more tax than at any other time under the Labour Government. Lib Dems have also given a £700 tax cut to 24 million people, which will increase to £800 in 2015. ...
South Glos Council is currently carrying out a survey on self-build housing in South Gloucestershire. They want to find out how many people are interested in building their own home, and what help is needed to achieve this. The information provided will help the council to understand the demand for self-build in South Gloucestershire and inform the development of planning policy to support self-build in the area. Self-build housing can be described as any instance where a person is involved in some way in the production of their new home rather than buying from a speculative home builder. The level ...
Tackling Climate Change isn't a new political idea. But it still doesn't have support from the right of the political spectrum in the UK. When difficult decisions have to be made about our future energy generation, issues of zero carbon or sustainability become, for some, unimportant. But, for others, me included, zero carbon and sustainability are [...]
Could you, or someone you know, be a police officer? From catching crooks to protecting the vulnerable, no two days are ever the same working for the police. If you want to make a difference to a Force which is rapidly moving towards First Class, then look no further than a career with Cambridgeshire Constabulary. With over 850 Police Staff, making a difference every day to the way we police Cambridgeshire, we can offer you a wide range of career opportunities ranging from Administration Assistants, in most departmental areas, to specialist posts, such as Fingerprint Experts and Scenes of Crime ...
In case you missed it... The government have announced their intention to exempt the travel expenses of councillors from tax. This brings a measure of consistency to their approach having excluded councillors from the local government pension scheme. In opposing the pension proposals, the LGA Lib Dems made the point that councillors were being treated [...]
The challenges that young people face today are considerably different to what the previous generations faced. The baby boomers spent much of their lives enjoying a resilient and rewarding economy, with prospects of owning a house regarded as being the ... Continue reading →
The South Gloucestershire Show takes place this weekend, Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd August, at the Windmill Fisheries off Westerleigh Road in Henfield. AA routing signs have gone up for both motorists and cyclists, but if you're travelling in the Westerleigh area be prepared for extra traffic.
A friend of mine sent me this video made by Fixers and I was so moved that I thought you should watch it. Fixers are working in and around Birmingham to raise awareness of FGM among the immigrant community - watch their video here: Fixers are one of hundreds of non-profits that are campaigning in the UK to end FGM. Their efforts are giving girls the confidence to speak out about what FGM really entails. Best, Lynne Featherstone MP
I sat in a number of scrutiny panel call-ins these past weeks where it was clear that no matter what full Council decided Cllr Barry Collin's in his previous role as the lead member for Economy & Environment was determined to push on with plans to ignore budget Council and keep evening charges in Halifax, and plough ahead with the Hipperholme crossroads scheme. If it hadn't been for Cllr Collin's attitude on these two issues then neither myself or the other Liberal Democrats on Calderdale would have supported a Conservative and Independent minority administration. The accusation from Labour is that ...
The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership is an agreement currently being negotiated between the EU and the USA to allow for freer trade between the two. We received an upbeat assessment of its progress and potential from Nick Thornsby a couple of weeks ago. It is currently Liberal Democrat policy to support it, but I have serious reservations about whether we are doing either liberalism or democracy any favours in this instance. A trade agreement that reduced barriers and increased access to markets, thus lowering prices for customers, and increasing quality would be a great thing. However, this is not ...
A while ago I blogged about a photo that I had just purchased asking if anyone knew those pictured outside Lydiate Signal Box. You can see my original post by clicking the link below:- I have had two leads since then and a new photo. Silva Bradbury has been in touch from Maghull and she thinks that two of the people could be her Grandfather George Peet and a chap called Arthur Hunter. Both she tells me were plate layers working on the Cheshire Lines. The new photo that she generously let me scan (an old postcard) is below ...
Eric was a long-serving Conservative Councillor from Formby, indeed he served as a local councillor for over 50 years! [IMG: index] Sadly Eric died this week and having spoken with his daughter I was surprised to find out that what I thought of as simply a gesture I would have made to anyone in some distress had made such an impact on him. You see Eric found himself deselected a few years ago as a Conservative candidate and this effectively ended his councillor career. I realised he was devastated by this and I fell into conversation with him about it ...
I am not one for religion, (you surprise me Reg, they say!), yet one of the most rational statements about the crisis in Gaza has come from Justin Welby. In context I select these quotes - and post a link the original statement. "..the destructive cycle of violence." That commitment from all sides and I suggest (that is me) the wider world in general to a political solution to end this succession of recursive exchanges of hostilities that is ultimately paid by the lives of innocents on either side - particularly women and children. The on screen breakdown of ...
Each year, ALDC recognises the outstanding work of local Focus teams through our Campaigner Awards. Nominations for this year's Awards are now open. The Campaigner Awards are presented at the ALDC AGM at Federal Conference (Saturday 5 October; 20.15-21.30) by a special guest. Winners in each category and our Overall Winner will receive cash prizes [...]
Source: VoxFiled under: Uncategorized
Tim Farron has written an article for the Huffington Post about his new report on youth mental health services. He describes why and how his volunteer team produced the 127 page documents, motivated by the young people who came to his surgeries in desperate need of help: There are then events that have a particularly profound and lasting effect on me – the deaths of young people who have struggled with mental health conditions. These tragic events and the circumstances surrounding them have brought to light serious flaws in the way in which we support our young people and the ...
On the 28th June 1914 a young man called Gavrilo Princip , standing beside the Latin Bridge in Sarajevo, shot and killed Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie. Thus the spark was ignited which led to the outbreak of the First World War on 4th August 1914. This 100th anniversary is NOT a cause for celebration. Obviously the interest today is the politics, personal ambitions, royal interaction, military tactics and consequences etc of the elites that wielded power. Moreover a lot of people - businessmen, politicians, & crooks, to name but a few - became very rich from ...
Apart from the Liberal Democrats the UK political establishment has no conception of 'consensus' politics and thus how you build consensus on controversial issues in order to get your preferred decision accepted. We are imprisoned by the infantile 'Tweedledum & Tweedledee' of Prime Ministers Questions & the like. Thus David Cameron's humiliation over the appointment of Jean-Claude Juncker as President of the European Commission was not, as the ' we hate Europe mob in his own party & UKIP' are so deliriously happy about, an EU plot to humiliate Britain. It was a catastrophic failure of his own negotiating skills ...
Light can travel 186 miles in a thousandth of a second ( 1 millisecond). A 'Stockmarket' is no longer a market in the sense most of us understand 'market' . Current stoock exchanges are now 'server farms' airconditioned warehouses stuffed with computers. John Naughton, writing in the Observer of 6th April 2014 reviews 'Flash Boys' indepth. It turns out that one group of investors thought it was worth spending $300million to lay a fibreoptic cable through mountains and under cities such that it would be absolutely straight so that the time for a message to travel along it from Chicago ...
LD Matt Coot 390 (53.4%) Conservative 340 (46.6%) Majority 50 Turnout 23%
When we talk about cleaning up politics, we generally mean party funding and lobbying. There is so much more that needs to be done, though with regards to the environment in which politics is conducted. Every week when Parliament is sitting we see the childish scenes at PMQs. We've had our own Julian Huppert talk about how it feels to be on the receiving end of bullying and intimidating behaviour. The tone of debate on social media often leaves a lot to be desired, especially if you happen to be a woman in possession of an opinion. The cumulative effect ...
[IMG: The Climb - Chris Froome] I suspect Chris Froome's account of his rise to cycling success didn't come out quite as he intended, but that is a boon for the reader because he doesn't come out of several parts of the book that well. Central to this is his relationship, or rather non-relationship, with Bradley Wiggins. Froome doesn't persistently put the boot in, and even at times goes out of his way to stress how the two of them are very different personalities and so were bound to see things differently at times and rub each up the wrong ...
More details of Government pension reforms were made public last week by Lib Dem Pensions Minister Steve Webb. The major change announced will be that savers are to receive free [...]
[IMG: putin-world-cup-2018 blog] Lib Dem Leader and Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg has raised the question on whether Russia should host the World Cup in 2018, considering the events taking place in Ukraine. Speaking in an interview for the Sunday Times, Nick Clegg said: "If Russia doesn't change tack on Ukraine, I'm not sure why the World Cup in Russia should go ahead in a rogue state". After being asked about his thoughts on Putin and Russia, Nick said that Putin is picking a fight with the rest of the world, which will do considerable damage to Russia in the ...
Liberal Democrat Voice is an independent website run by volunteers which accepts article contributions and allows discussion on a wide variety of Lib Dem-related topics. I don't read every article there in depth, but it's basically essential reading for Lib Dems, even if you just skim the headlines to get a sense of what's new. [...]
[IMG: clegg - tardis] Nick Clegg has used a major interview in the TES magazine to signal a turning of the page in the Coalition Government's relationship with teachers following the removal of Michael Gove from the Department for Education. Clegg on Gove's departure: "It's an open secret that Michael Gove and I did not agree on a number of important substantive issues ... It's an opportunity to turn a page on the somewhat acrimonious relationship that existed between the government - and the Department for Education in particular - and a number of teachers," he said. "We need to ...
I like a challenge. So when @post40bloggers tweeted this suggestion for something to write about earlier on this week, I started to think about what my answer might be. After all, there must be something that I'd want to change about my past? It's a dangerous game though. Consider, for example, the views of two fictional doctors: People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint – it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly ... timey wimey ... stuff. This first quotation is probably more recognisable than the ...
Charles Kennedy is not one for the sort of sloppy, casual scaremongering we've seen from both sides in the Scottish independence debate. Danny Alexander has form for it, saying, unhelpfully, the other day that independence would be worse for Scotland than the 2008 economic crash. So when he expresses concerns about stuff, we should probably take notice. He will be talking today about the effects of independence on rural Scotland, like the massive area he represents. He's particularly concerned with the costs of providing the postal service. From the Telegraph: Consumer Futures, the official postal industry watchdog, told a Commons ...
A month or so ago Cllr. Ware-Lane wrote the blog post entitled Vote Green get UKIP and I shook my head in despair. It was utter bollocks and he knew it but I thought I would let it pass. I have come to understand that Julian's knowledge of basic maths and reality isn't the best. He uses one example where had the Greens not stood a candidate in Kursaal ward then Labour may have won and therefore concludes that if you vote Green then you get UKIP. One example folks. One example. He decided to ignore other examples of where ...
We reveal the author of the new Doctor Who adventure! (tags: ) So this looks like it might be interesting (via @eruvadhril): Superhero Workout app It's by the people who brought us Zombies: Run so that gives it a bit of a pedigree... (tags: ) Comments from @BattyeJanet and @JamesDBaker1 on Ousting Labour (tags: ) The definitive answer to whether British people like thundery weather or not I was one of the people who took this survey. I am not only in the majority generally, but in the majority among Lib Dems! Unusual! (tags: ) National Orgasm Day 2014: Do ...
[IMG: 130612-black-flag] On January 27th, 1979, Black Flag played their first ever show under their new name in Redondo Beach, California. They had formed a few years previously as Panic in nearby Hermosa Beach, a guitarist named Greg Ginn and a vocalist named Keith Morris the main engine of the early group. Although Morris left very early on to form his own band (the almost equally seminal Circle Jerks), Black Flag went onto become perhaps the signature American punk band (although the Dead Kennedys would have a say in the matter). What's odd is that Black Flag (much like the ...
Here's some of the articles that have caught my attention in the past couple of days... Labour would be perfectly placed to win the election – if it were in 2017 – Telegraph Blogs True, this: "Labour is effectively 24 months behind the political curve" http://bit.ly/1o8ZzjJ BBC News – Student loans: A peculiar sort of debt V good explanation from Chris Cook on why claims the student loan system isn't financially viable are "alarmist" http://bbc.in/1odKOru Actually, this having the World Cup in England might be a good idea For Lib Dems who like football, the @libdemvoice fantasy league is making ...
Happy Yorkshire Day. You can take me out of Yorkshire, but you can't take Yorkshire out of me. Have a gradely one !!
Fri 1st
08:55
A liar and a cheat pairs up with a possessor of counterfeit goods and ex-con to raise money for UKIP
Never let it be said that UKIP is too selective about its membership. The Evening Standard reports: A former brothel madam who served time in prison has re-emerged as a Ukip fundraiser and supporter. Vanessa Coleman, 68, is organising the opening of a regional HQ in Bournemouth and has hosted events, including a sponsored slim and a £12.50 per head "VIP afternoon tea" with former MP Neil Hamilton... She was jailed for eight months in 2006 after being found guilty of running venues for prostitution and possessing counterfeit goods. Neil Hamilton is of course the former Conservative MP who was ...
[IMG: Calderdale Council] This week the Liberal Democrat group on Calderdale Council came to the decision to vote out the minority Labour administration, and vote in a minority coalition of the Conservatives and Independent Councillor. Allow me to explain why. From 2010 we had worked in a fairly successful Coalition with the Labour party. We didn't shut a single sure start centre or library, we opened up cabinet meetings with a public question time, and we had the highest recycling rate in West Yorkshire. As that coalition went on it became increasingly apparent Labour wanted to control the Council alone, ...
Since starting the secondary school debate and campaign in East Dulwich the key has always been where to put it. The only obvious space is the two-thirds of the Dulwich Hospital site that are no longer required for health facilities. So the site for both secondary schoo,l campaigns is key. I've written an open letter to Southwark Council Leader about this – Open Letter to Southwark Council Leader Peter John 25 July 2014 As things stand with Southwark Council marking out most of the Dulwich Hospital Site for housing the land values are so extremely high only a tiny portion ...
A new planning application has been received outside of Holyrood Ward but which may well be of interest to people: Application Number: 57769 Registration Date: 14/07/2014 Location: Prestwich Hospital, Bury New Road, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 3BL Proposal: Construction of a 30-bed Low Secure Mental Health Complex (Use Class C2A) with associated car parking More details are avialable on the Council's planning site here. Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you require any further information. Tim
I have welcomed news that superfast fibre broadband coverage should finally reach the most westerly part of the West End Ward which is served - for both telephone and broadband - by the Invergowrie Exchange, which also serves Invergowrie itself and parts of the Carse of Gowrie. Last year, constituents in the areas around Clovis Duveau Drive, Millbay Gardens, Millbay Terrace and Clayhills Grove contacted me to complain that this exchange was not yet providing superfast fibre broadband and I therefore contacted the government's Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband rollout team about this. I was advised that the Invergowrie area was ...
The best source I know on the personalities of the big beasts of the 1906 Liberal government is Lucy Masterman's biography of her husband Charles - C.F.G. Masterman. Here she describes Churchill and Lloyd George conversing in the House of Commons: Lloyd George and Winston Churchill were on the bench together just after the birth of Winston's daughter. "Is she a pretty child?" said George. "The prettiest child ever seen," said Winston beaming. "Like her mother, I suppose?" said George. "No," said Winston, still more gravely, "she is exactly like me."
The different way in which the Uk and USA have reacted to fairly similar NGDP pathways has occasioned some useful but high level blog commentary. The basic conclusion is that the UK suffered a supply shock as well as a demand shock; see Historinhas on the not so much Siamese twins qualities here, and Professor Sumner, [...]
Because I was on holiday I failed to notice and approve a comment from one of the greatest economists writing about money and the economy, on this very blog. I apologise. Robert Hetzel is one of the godfathers of the Market Monetarist school, and the book he has written and rightly recommended, The Great Recession: [...]
Following on from my post on Wednesday reporting on the view of the RSPCA and others thart hundreds of black cats are being abandoned because they are not photogenic enough, here is the proof that black is beautiful and capable of being captured on camera: With thanks to the Sun
I cannot think of many things more abhorrent than the recent David Cameron photo-op at the home, which had just been raided, of some alleged illegal immigrants. It was truly nauseating. What happened to the principle of "innocent until proven guilty"? The people concerned had just been arrested. What if they are subsequently proved to be innocent? And what about the issue of the warrant? Were the names of David Cameron, Theresa May and various photographers on the warrant? I think we should be told. If they weren't then I understand the whole charade could well have been illegal. David ...
Watching, with increasing distress, the events in the Middle East, I am reminded of the Northern Ireland troubles. It is all too easy to forget, but those of us of a certain age remember, the seemingly endless carnage and sectarian bitterness there. Night after night, month after month, year after year, we saw reports of bombings and shootings on both sides. This was made worse by the infuriating bickering between politicians. The Northern Ireland peace process is far from complete, but the worst of the murder has abated because people talked to each other and compromised. Talking and compromise are ...
It's over here. I didn't like it very much.
