The 150th anniversary of the opening of the Hammersmith & City Line was celebrated with special workings on two Saturdays earlier this month. Metropolitan Locomotive No. 1, Metropolitan Milk Van, the Chesham Set, the 1920s Sarah Siddons electric locomotive and the restored Jubilee Coach 353 made up the special train. Thanks to BritishRailways.tv.
Tom Bateman's story on the BBC News site: Paedophile Peter Righton advised Home Office on policy gives me a reason for writing about a figure who is more sinister than anyone likely to be charged under Operation Yewtree - even Jimmy Savile. Like Savile, he seems to have enjoyed licence to visit every institution and speak to every child in the country. There was also an item about Righton on this morning's Today programme - it starts at around 1:35:00. It featured Ian Pace, whose blog is required reading for anyone interested in the revived concern over historic child abuse. ...
An elected monarch is, on the face of it, a crazy idea, but there is a presidential model that lends itself to the possibility. I'm firmly wedded to the principle of power by consent, but strongly support the idea of an individual who sits above politics as a head of state with limited political power, one who can act as a figurehead for the nation. The monarch largely fulfils this role, so I've generally supported the institution of Monarchy as a result. I've always sought to reconcile this with the argument that the institution of Monarchy enjoys popular support, and ...
A number of people have been searching for the reason the police helicopter was hovering over Newbury last night. It was the helicopter from Benson. They have tweeted: [IMG: image] Newbury Today have reported: POLICE are searching for a man in his late twenties after reports that a 17-year-old girl was sexually assaulted in Newbury last night (Sun). A spokeswoman for Thames Valley Police, Connie Primmer, said that the victim and her friend were approached by a man on his bike close to the job centre on Oxford Road. The man then followed them until they reached Bath Road and ...
Danny Alexander gave an interview in yesterday's Sunday Telegraph - that upholder of liberal principles - in which he claimed that "we would all be diminished by Scottish independence", suggested that English and Welsh people should attempt to convince their Scottish friends and family members to vote "no", and went to lengths to emphasise that the referendum decision is irreversible. The full interview can be found here. I won't repeat it in full, but the principal points he made are as follows: "Like millions of people in Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland I would be desperately sad if the ...
The Hop Garden is a community allotment in High Spen in Gateshead. Volunteers run it and I have got to know some of them over the past year through my efforts to build up a food swapping network. Yesterday they had a pizza evening, complete with pizzas made in front of their pizza oven. Locally grown ingredients were included. We were invited so we headed over at 4pm. The Hop Garden is a great
Mon 18th
19:39
Ludlow's Minor Injuries Unit to close - Tracey Huffer asks: "Is Future Fit fit for Ludlow?"
A guest post from Shropshire Councillor Tracey Huffer. Future Fit is a utopian ideal. With the financial cuts we are making, I can't see that it is viable. The plan seems to be that when A&E and other parts of the service can't cope, patients will be dealt with by GPs and nurses. But we [...]
Costa Coffee have been given permission by Cornwall Council to open in the town square in Launceston. The decision was taken this afternoon by the council's planning committee. The application was for change of use permission to allow the company to open at 24 Broad Street, a building formally known as the Health Counter and previously occupied by both Boots and Day Lewis pharmacies. The move was opposed by many in the town including the owners and operators of a number of existing coffee shops. However the committee decided that there were not sufficient planning grounds to deny the application ...
In 1995 I quit a regular (albeit wildly un-remunerative) job in publishing to come to London and temp for a few months. A year of editing had taught me extreme pedantry and how to type at 70wpm; I thought this enough to get me a choice of well paid jobs, maybe even as much as [...]
I recently purchased the photo below of a Lydiate bound 321 bus parked outside Liverpool's Lime Street Railway Station close to the long gone Skelhorne Street Ribble (then North Western) Bus Station. [IMG: rsz_img] Now compare that photo of a model of the very same bus from Exclusive First Editions. Note the Ribble vehicle numbers are the same -2470. [IMG: rsz_bus_009] I have posted about the model of this bus before at:- You can see a photo of the old Skelhorne Street Bus Station on Philip Mayer's flickr page:- www.flickr.com/photos/44435674@N00/342953842/ I recall these very buses and indeed travelled on ...
Well that just took six months, the involvement of Cllr Sarah Elliott, an official complaint and quite a few emails, but the missing road name sign on Crouch Hill is now replaced. On the upside, I did get to enjoy the moment of absurdity when Haringey Council said it couldn't see where a sign was missing from. As ever, think how much time and money all the mistakes along the way in fixing such issues adds up to for Haringey Council. Getting things right first time round is so much better for the public – and also cheaper too. [IMG: ...
[IMG: saltire scotland] With just a month to go before the referendum on Scottish independence, Danny Alexander gave an interview to yesterday's Sunday Telegraph emphasising that a vote for independence would be forever and that he would be "desperately sad" to see the UK, with its strong social and economic ties, break up. He suggested that people from other parts of the UK could urge their family and friends in Scotland to vote No on September 18th. That word forever is really important," he said. "This referendum actually for me is the most important vote I will ever cast in ...
The Independent has published "the 11 most senseless benefit sanction decisions known to man" and the list of heartless decisions to axe claimants' benefits is truly shocking. From a man who was deemed to have [...]
Brazil has long been one of my favourite countries in the world, but nowhere is perfect. The one thing about life here that I find really difficult is the absence of silence. Every cafe, restaurant and bar has either the television or radio blaring, and often both. And there is music everywhere — all very [...]
[IMG: Julian Huppert MP and science apprentices] Communicating complicated issues to a public that often has only a passing interest and via a media that loves exaggerated scares: scientists and politicians frequently face the same problems when it comes to getting information over to the public. As a result although scientists often bemoan that politicians do not pay enough attention to science, it is also some of the communications tips for scientists that politicians can usefully learn from. A great example of this is Rob Dunn's Advice For Scientists Who Want To Write For The Public: It is about the ...
Two weeks ago I wrote a long essay on Israel, which focused mainly on the Israeli government and its wider network of support. But Israel is simply an actor in a wider drama centred on the Middle East. Today I want to look at this wider drama, and to focus on the Arab world. That is because this drama has drawn in the Western democracies, and we need to see a bigger picture. My main message is that we must find a way of stepping back, and letting events take their course, apart from clear humanitarian interventions. Who are the ...
[IMG: Liberal Democrat posters - Some rights reserved by Brett Patterson] Liberal Democrat Voice has asked key Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidates to give us an insight into what they're doing in their areas and what they want to do for their communities. Ibrahim Taguri, PPC for Brent Central kicks the series off by saying that he would dedicate his first term to eradicating child poverty by 2020. Read on to find out why this is so important to him. Being a parliamentary candidate is a huge privilege. Especially for my home town of Brent. Having grown up in the area ...
Update: The deadline for applications to join the Lib Dem stream of this year's 'Next Generation' programme has now been extended to Thursday 28th August. Details: As you may know, ALDC co-ordinates the Liberal Democrat stream of Local Government Association's 'Next Generation' programme. 'Next Gen' comprises of a series of meetings and training events designed [...]
[IMG: WW1 motor buses ] The London Transport Museum will be bringing a genuine WW1 battle bus to Folkestone Town Hall, 1-2 Guildhall Street, Folkestone on 18th September. The bus will be parked outside the Town Hall for the morning. General public will be able to get on board between 10.00-10.30 and 12.40-14.00 and speak to museum staff. No bookings needed. No charge. For more information contact Rebecca on 01303 257946 or email rebecca.mccutcheon@folkestone-tc.gov.uk. Published and promoted by Tim Prater, 98a Sandgate High Street, Folkestone, CT20 3BYPrinted (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
[IMG: uni nos blog] A record number of students have been accepted into university this year, with over half a million expected to take up places despite results being slightly lower. There has been more flexibility introduced, so universities can recruit more students, making it possible for more young people to access the institution of their choice. Applications rates for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds has also risen to a record high. Thanks to the safeguards put in place by the Lib Dems, the gap is narrowing between the most advantaged and the most disadvantaged university students. The Liberal Democrats ...
Mon 18th
13:29
Opinion: If we remove prison as an option for drugs possession, savings must go to boost probation s...
[IMG: Wormwood Scrubs prison - Some rights reserved by TheGoogly] As a magistrate in North London, I welcome the recent Liberal Democrat proposal to remove prison as a sentencing option for drug possession. I have seen so many defendants who are in and out of prison, never breaking the depressing cycle of re-offending. However to keep drug addicts out of prison we will need to make sure that the alternatives work. Currently it is very rare that first time offenders accused of drug possession would be sent to prison With first time offenders, the person will usually have a community ...
Thursday Little Steel, by contrast, has a lot of explaining to do, as he was informed long ago that Smith was far from being the clean potato. "We were a political party not a detective agency," he has taken to whining about those years before we merged with the SDP Party. I am afraid conscience bids me explain why this is nonsense. In the mid 1970s, when we were at something of a low ebb, I went to Steel and said: "As the politics is not going so well these days, we need a second string to our bow. What ...
[IMG: Union flag photo credit: Some rights reserved by ianonline] Ironically, one of strongest views expressed about the size of the state in The Orange Book was by Vince Cable, subsequently more usually associated with wanting more state spending during the recession but at the time of The Orange Book wishing to see a cap introduced on the level of state spending. Jeremy Browne has more recently talked of wanting to reduce the size of the state to around 35-38% of GDP but more significant has been David Laws's comments which in effect put any push by people such as ...
Lincoln Cathedral John Prescott is widely regarded as one of the funniest politicians on Twitter. But, asks Peter Black, is he really responsible for his own Twitter feed? "As I plod through my 20s, I've noticed a strange phenomenon: The music I loved as a teenager means more to me than ever—but with each passing year, the new songs on the radio sound like noisy nonsense." Mark Joseph Stern writes about the psychological basis of musical nostalgia for Slate. The flooding of Mesolithic Doggerland and the emergence of Lincolnshire are mapped by Caitlin Green. "The tiger stalked its way into ...
I've decided that from now on any policy I expose on this blog or elsewhere will have to have to have gone through a 'people test' first. This will determine what their effects will be on people, so we can be sure these policies won't cause any harm to people. I'm not going to make any specific definition of who these people my test will apply to are, but rest assured that I am committed to supporting people despite not coming up with this gimmick vitally important test until now. Yes, I've got the idea from David Cameron's 'family test' ...
[IMG: Boy who cried wolf] During the 2005 general election campaign, the Liberal Democrats put out a broadcast about the Iraq War. No great surprise considering this was the party's leading populist issue of the time, but it took a rather odd slant on events. It tried to reframe Blair taking the country into the Iraq War as the Boy Who Cried Wolf story, something I found highly odd at the time. Was the party trying to say that Blair taking us into a war in the Middle East meant that when we really did have to go to war ...
[IMG: st Andrews flag saltire scotland Some rights reserved by Fulla T] It appears that despite lengthy discussions between Sky news and the Yes and No campaigns there will now be no third televised debate between the two campaigns. According to the Sunday Times: A spokesman for Better Together said: "We made it clear right from the start that all television debates would have to be done before the first postal votes start to go out. There are only two weeks now before around 1m people who are registered for postal votes start to receive their voting forms. It's only ...
The threat to the Old Common has grown since the decision of cabinet to press ahead with a public consultation. The public response will be critical. I have set up a site HERE which I will try to keep as up to date as possible. I also want as many people as possible to know about the risk to the Old Common and have produced a PIY (print it yourself) poster which you can download from
how voters feel about politicians - not comforting reading (tags: ) Corrected Fitness Motivational Posters (tags: ) An inflatable Julian Huppert (tags: ) Ad regulator pulls down Branson-backed magic undies (tags: ) [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
[IMG: British Museum] Another two proposals from the Liberal Democrat pre-manifesto process are being trailed in the media today: The Liberal Democrats will pledge in their general election manifesto to guarantee continuing free access to selected national museums and galleries while offering greater autonomy to the institutions. Danny Alexander, the Lib Dem chief secretary to the treasury, will say that guaranteeing free access will ensure that people from all backgrounds can continue to enjoy the "great institutions". (The Guardian) I hope all the museums can count to four. Tolls on the Severn Bridge would be scrapped if the Liberal Democrats ...
At the time you read this I will most likely be engrossed in a business law exam lasting a little under 4 hours. It is the first of what will hopefully be the last ever significant set of exams I have to sit. By now my attitude towards them something like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOaqiCBum2w It may be fatigue [...]
Although the MP for Great Grimsby has never been shy of speaking his mind before there is a certain freedom in knowing that you will not need to seek selection or election once more, and Austin Mitchell takes full advantage of it in this piece for the Times. If Cynon Valley Labour Party are any measure, together with Labour activists I have discussed this with, Mr. Mitchell speaks for many in his party when he warns of the damage being done to the party by "feminisation", which he says is making parliament boring and insular, and leaving the left less ...
First Bus has launched the first phase of its smart card programme. Instead of paper tickets, passengers will be able to use a Touch Card to store up to three FirstWeek or two FirstMonth bus tickets. The Touch Card, which is free from First's travel shops or by ordering online, will be available to adults using FirstWeek or FirstMonth inner or outer zone tickets in Bristol. In the coming months use will be expanded to include other passenger groups in the region. To enable users to track what tickets they have stored on their cards and track usage, Touch Card ...
To see the pain of the faces of Labour campaigners and councillors when Maria Bennett took a seat on Sefton Council in Formby last May was a delight. You see, in my opinion, Labour had bet on yet another 'yes' person being elected under their banner to do the bidding of Bootle Labour Party. But it was not to be as Formby rose up to defend its Green Belt and high grade agricultural land from Labour's attacks on it and independent Maria stormed to victory. Now I have got that little rant off my chest this is why I am ...
I am pictured - below - on the Perth Road pavement outside Duncan of Jordanstone. Residents have expressed concern at the state of the pavement here - broken slabs and an obvious trip hazard.I brought this to the attention of the council's Roads Maintenance Partnership, who responded as follows : "The Road Maintenance Partnership inspector is to raise an order for the re-setting of the loose slabs outside the entrance to Duncan of Jordanstone College and this will be done as soon as resources are available. A further inspection will be carried out when the inspector who usually covers this ...
[IMG: Green wind farm] This article is about how we generate electricity in the UK, and makes the case for electricity generation to be 100% carbon-neutral, and to be frack-free. Climate change remains one of the greatest risks of our age. We know that the climate is changing: we can either accept the risks and take what comes, or we can mitigate the risk by using technology to end our dependency on fossil fuels. Liberal Democrats campaign for the latter. In 2013, figures for the UK and the whole EU for electricity generation are as follows: [IMG: energy sources] On ...
[IMG: Ed Miliband at Labour conference. Photo courtesy of - some rights reserved] Jaw-dropping from Labour MP Austin Mitchell on Labour Party selections in seats where one of their MPs is retiring: Most selections are now on the all-women basis, even where hairy-arsed local politics, a major Ukip threat or a substantial Muslim population might suggest that it's better to choose a man. He's clearly no fan of Ed Miliband's approach to managing internal Labour Party matters, but goes on to claim that a switch to having a younger and more female Labour Parliamentary Party will mean: The Commons ...
Future Fit is the name for the exercise which is reshaping health services across Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin, to make them fit for the modern age and cope with rising demand and over-stretched budgets. The proposals will also affect mid-Wales and are controversial. The NHS is holding a series of consultation workshops. The full [...]
The Liberal Democrats are announcing today that the party would scrap the Severn Bridge tolls in the next Parliament. The Severn Crossings are currently managed by a private concessionaire. The concession will end when a revenue target collected from tolls is reached. Current forecasts are that the concession will end in 2018. Once the tolls are transferred into public ownership and debts are repaid, the Liberal Democrats have pledged to scrap the tolls completely. The manifesto commitment will come in the Liberal Democrats' 'Pre-Manifesto', to be published in September. The Severn Bridge tolls are the most expensive in the UK. ...
The Future History series, much like the Narnia series, presents a problem of reading order. Relatively early, Heinlein sketched out the outline of the history in which these stories take place, and then he jumped about between time periods, so for example Requiem, the story of the death of a man who wanted all his [...]
