This short BBC documentary, presented by Benjamin Zephaniah, tells an unlikely but true story. Read more about the Spalding Rock Festival - rather wonderfully, it was held at the town's Tulip Bulb Auction Hall.
In view of the BBC's enthusiasm for live broadcasting the police search of Cliff Richard's flat, is is worth reminding ourselves of how they reacted when allegations were made against someone closer to home. Here is the statement it originally thought was an adequate response to the case of Jimmy Savile: The BBC has conducted extensive searches of its files to establish whether there is any record of misconduct or allegations of misconduct by Sir Jimmy Savile during his time at the BBC. No such evidence has been found. Whilst the BBC condemns any behaviour of the type alleged in ...
I guess writing that piece has not had that good an affect on me. Stirred up a few unhelpful memories and thoughts. One of the reasons I dislike talking therapies, they bring up more pain than they're worth in my situation.
Sat 16th
20:27
One child every three days on Merseyside taken for medical treatment following a sexual assault
The Liverpool Echo has the story via the link above. This must be one of the most sobering things I have read in a long while. A horrible subject that the Echo is right to bring to our attention.
Monday (18 August 2014) is the 18-month anniversary of Ludlow's town walls falling down. They date to the mid-13th century. They have suffered a lot of abuse over the years, but Ludlow still has some of the most complete town walls in England. It is 18 months after a section of the Ludlow's town walls [...]
I must say a word about fear. It is life's only true opponent. Only fear can defeat life. It is a clever, treacherous adversary, how well I know. It has no decency, respects no law or convention, shows no mercy. It goes for your weakest spot, which it finds with unnerving ease. It begins in your mind, always ... so you must fight hard to express it. You must fight hard to shine the light of words upon it. Because if you don't, if your fear becomes a wordless darkness that you avoid, perhaps even manage to forget, you open ...
As a committee member of Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel (LDFI), I strongly endorse this new statement on the current situation in Israel and Gaza, on LDFI's website:In light of the events of the past month in Israel and in Gaza, the Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel (LDFI) believe that it is important to outline our views. It should be borne in mind that LDFI is not a Jewish organisation. It is what its title says: Liberal Democrats who are friends of the State of Israel. Our membership includes people of all faiths and of none.LDFI does not subscribe to ...
I've posted before about how brilliant I think Andrew Solomon's writing about having Depression is. He draws on this experience to try and offer some insight into the tragic suicide of Robin Williams. "When the mass media report suicide stories, they almost always provide a "reason," which seems to bring logic to the illogic of [...]
Many thanks to Councillor Viv Parry for organising a public meeting this afternoon on plans for up to 150 houses off Foldgate Lane. More than 60 people attended, mostly neighbours and near neighbours of the proposed development. The meeting was called to allow residents to air views and explain how the planning process works from [...]
As I've mentioned before, "Big Bang Theory" tends to be on a constant loop on our TV. This afternoon, I noticed that there was an old guy playing "Professor Proton" in an episode we had on. After watching for about ten minutes, I said: That guy's a really good actor. He was handling his lines really well in a great deadpan way. Then I saw the credits: Professor Proton – Bob Newhart So he's not just a really good actor. He's a comedy genius. Indeed, he is The Bob Newhart, the Bobster!
[IMG: Lib Dems winning here] Here's the full list of selection contests in the coming month available for Lib Dems on the approved parliamentary candidates' list, together with the closing date for applications. They include Watford, on paper the 6th most winnable Tory seat for the Lib Dems, needing a swing of just 1.39%, as well as Redcar, where incumbent MP Ian Swales, whose majority over Labour is 5,214, is stepping down. And if anyone fancies taking on health secretary Jeremy Hunt, his South West Surrey seat is also up for grabs. The following seats have selections in progress and ...
Women and democracy in Cornwall and the World had nothing to do with my standing for election but being in the council chamber, where less than a quarter of us are women, has made me think! I've done a bit of research and here are some key facts I have discovered through the many reports and campaigns, plus local knowledge. 2/3rds of the 1.4 billion people, around the world, living in poverty are women Around the world, Parliaments have an average of 22% of women and in 2010, in the UK, 22% of M.P's elected were women In 2011, in ...
[IMG: Simon Hughes MP. Photo courtesy of - some rights reserved] Via the Financial Times comes the news: Water companies, the "Big Six" energy suppliers and housing associations would be forced to open their books to the public under Liberal Democrat proposals... Simon Hughes, the Lib Dem justice minister, is also pressing for private sector contracts delivering public services to be subject to the Freedom of Information Act... Key private sector companies that are monopolistic or "surrogate public authority providers" would be subjected to greater public scrutiny under the proposals. However, the junior coalition partner's attempts to extend FOI ...
Sat 16th
15:00
The Independent View: Could the USA's November mid-term elections herald the return of the long-fabl...
[IMG: USA Flag - Some rights reserved by freefotouk] The November mid-term elections in the United States will be vital for the future of the Democratic Party, as it not only seeks to retain its control of the Senate, but possibly reclaim the House of Representatives after four years under Republican control. If it wishes to do so, the Democrats must be clear in what it stands for in social policy, and carry out a programme of major liberal reform that fulfils the promises of hope and change that Barack Obama evoked amongst so many people on his road to ...
[IMG: Newcastle-upon-Tyne Millennium Bridge. Photo courtesy of - some rights reserved] The Newcastle Chronicle reports: Cash strapped Newcastle City Council has had to fork out £50,000 to put right an error in a letter sent to around 180,000 voters. The council wrote to all electors in the city on July 18 to inform them of changes in how they register to vote. However, it contained a blunder in the section of the letter which stated whether or not they were on the open register. Electors who were not on it were incorrectly informed that they were, and those who ...
[IMG: members forum wordle] LibDemVoice has two parallel sites. The first is our public blog, the thing you're reading now. The second is our private members' forum, which only current Lib Dem members can access. If you're a member and want to chat with fellow party members about any issue that's on your mind, then why not sign up? In addition, you'll be included in our regular surveys' of party members' views. Here's some of the most active discussions this past 10 days: Iraq: time for a reminder that most MPs voted for this mess; Osborne kills annuities; Democracy in ...
Post by Pauline Pearce (Lady P).
[IMG: Norman Lamb MP. Photo courtesy of the Liberal Democrats http://www.flickr.com/photos/libdems/2377430290/ - some rights reserved] The roll out of policy proposals from the Liberal Democrat manifesto process continues, this time with Norman Lamb talking about carers: Britain's army of unpaid carers would receive a series of perks such as free hospital parking and be given greater powers in the NHS under Liberal Democrat plans to introduce "Carers' Passports". The scheme, which will be included in the party's manifesto for the next election, is aimed at improving the lives of people who spend large portions of their days looking after their ...
Two years ago I was in Bridgend Town Centre to help Cat Protection Bridgend try and break the world record for the most people gathered in one place dressed as cats. Unfortunately, they failed to achieve their goal so a second attempt is being made today, and I have been drafted in as an adjudicator once more. As the Glamorgan Gazette reports, centre manager, Sue Dobbs hopes Catfest will not only raise much-needed funds for the 180 cats and kittens in their adoption centre, but also awareness of the plight of many poorly-treated pets: These include recent additions four-week-old Olivia, ...
Sat 16th
11:12
Assembly Member joins local residents in calling for action on Council's 'vandalism' of Caswell beac...
The Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly member for South Wales West Peter Black has joined with local residents in calling on Swansea Council to remove stones which they dumped on Caswell beach in March of this year. Mr. Black has written to the Council's Head of Culture and Tourism asking for an explanation as to why he decided to deposit stones on the beach instead of instigating a programme of sand replenishment, and constructing groynes to combat erosion as happens elsewhere on the Welsh coastline Commenting on the depositing of stones on the beach Mr. Black said: "clearly, the storms at ...
[IMG: Lauren Bacall] Here's Lauren Bacall, who died this week, aged 89, being interviewed by Larry King in 2005: KING: "Wait a minute. Are you a liberal?" BACALL: "I'm a liberal. The "L" word!" KING: "Egads!" BACALL: ... I love it. Being a liberal is the best thing on earth you can be. You are welcoming to everyone when you're a liberal. You do not have a small mind... I'm total, total, total liberal and proud of it. And I think it's outrageous to say "The L word". I mean, excuse me. They should be damn lucky that they were ...
Tuesday Not liking the sound of this Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Bill - "I am a Liberal and I am against this sort of thing," as my old friend Clarence "Frogman" Wilcock used to say - I attend a Westminster press conference where Clegg is explaining his support for it. I turn up early to be sure of a good seat, and who should I find arranging the stage set but his special advisers Freddie and Fiona? They are taking turns with a bicycle pump, attempting to get some air into a large balloon that has had a collection ...
A couple of sword & sandal films to review this week, one on the big screen, one on DVD. Hercules (12A) Director: Brett Ratnerhttp://www.herculesmovie.co.uk Dwayne Johnson plays Hercules, a demigod who, blamed for the death of his family after completing his twelve labours, is now reduced to working as a mercenary with a small band of loyal followers (Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Aksel Hennie and Reece Ritchie). He is hired by the King of Thrace (John Hurt) to train up an army to end a civil war but.. well, it's all going to go horribly wrong for ...
Local Government Minister Brandon Lewis has said that weekly bin collections could be made compulsory by law as part of the Conservative manifesto. "This move towards near-monthly bin collections is a sign of the blinkered view of municipal bin bureaucrats who don't see rubbish collections are a vital service for families. Reducing bin collections harms the environment by fuelling fly-tipping and rips off taxpayers by cutting the services they pay for in council tax," said Mr Lewis. The announcement follows Bury Council's decision last month to make collections every three weeks, an idea which has been seized upon by Somerset ...
Nick Barlow on UKIP vote shares and their chances in 2015 (tags: ) One More Reason the world is a poorer place for the loss of Robin Williams did we need another? maybe not. But this is a good illustration of the kind of guy he was. (tags: ) New report: Government must accept the case for northern rail investment (tags: ) How Americans would cover Ferguson if it happened in another country "violence could spread to oil-producing regions such as Oklahoma or even disrupt the flow of American beer supplies" - zing! (tags: ) Why do we believe in ...
A primer for non-believers on this week's most important newsmaker you've probably never heard of. Who is Vicky Beeching? She's one of contemporary Christianity's most impressive Renaissance Women. She first rose to prominence in the early noughties as a singer and songwriter but has since then become a theologian (with a particular interest in technology) [...]
South Glos Council is seeking views on diverting a length of public footpath LDO 3/20 at The Old Rectory, Wapley (near Wapley Church). You can find out more on the council's website. The deadline for commenting is 30th August.
[IMG: Sharon Bowles. Photo courtesy of Martin Tod https://www.flickr.com/photos/martin_tod/3320123499/ - some rights reserved] Liberal Democrat MEP Sharon Bowles announced that she was standing down at the May elections this year, and has now landed a new role: The London Stock Exchange has appointed one of the most senior former Liberal Democrats in Europe to its board as non-executive director... Bowles, 61, is widely seen as one of the most influential people involved in shaping EU policy on financial services regulation, including the key second Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (Mifid II). She sat in the European Parliament from 2005 to ...
A new planning application has been received within Holyrood Ward as below: Application Number: 57854 Registration Date: 04/08/2014 Location: 9 Westholme Road, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 2RE Proposal: Single storey extension at side and conservatory at rear More details (use the planning applications number to search) are available here. Any problems or questions please just get in touch. Tim
This is a delightful narrow gauge railway at Hesketh Bank between Southport and Preston. Their web site is at:- www.westlancs.org/ I undertook a 'Driver Experience' day there with my Brother-In-Law Ian a few years ago and we had an excellent day shunting up and down the tracks. It is open to the public most Sundays and is well worth a visit. [IMG: Me on the footplate of the steam engine 'Stanhope'] Me on the footplate of the steam engine 'Stanhope' [IMG: Steaming along] Steaming along These excellent shots were taken by ace Lydiate photographer Keith Page. You can see his ...
In the past twelve months, students from the Master of Design for Services Programme at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, University of Dundee have been tackling challenges from visualising health test results to developing ways to include older people in policy decisions and designing books to enable conversations to happen about significant life changes. They have worked with businesses, public and not for profit organisations using design tools including observation, visualisation and prototyping to find new ways of engaging service users and providers to design better ways of doing things. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending the Master ...
[IMG: st Andrews flag saltire scotland Some rights reserved by Fulla T] Jo Swinson, Lib Dem MP for East Dunbartonshire, is inviting those who "think Scotland should be [sic] stay part of the United Kingdom" to sign a petition saying so ahead of the independence referendum on 18th September. Here's the text of the email circulated to party members last night: In just over a month my fellow Scots and I will cast the most important vote of our lives. I'm hoping there's a resounding vote for Scotland to stay as part of the United Kingdom. Our shared values, our ...
I've been thinking a lot about Heinlein recently. I've been wanting to write more science fiction, and to write properly in any genre, you need really to understand the current debates about the literature, so as well as reading SF books, which I've done all my life, for the last couple of years I've been [...]
