A documentary on how the railways moved freight in the 1950s, complete with period touches of "Women: Know your place" in the commentary. As the BFI page on the film says: At the time, the film would have been seen as a triumphant demonstration of the efficiency and efficacy of British Railways' freight services, and the commentary implies that the system was so vital to the running of the economy that it would probably need to expand indefinitely to keep up with consumer demand. However, hindsight reveals that the freight express's days were numbered even then. Many services were axed ...
Was in Derby today for work and visited the Intu Centre and came across a small exhibition of the history of the shopping centre. In 1975 when the centre was orginally built this man formally opened it: When it was revamped and enlarged in 2007 this woman opened it:
Iain Dale has been doing sterling work predicting the result in May's general election for each constituency. When it came to Scotland, I thought his forecasts showed some distinctly fanciful SNP gains. And yet Iain writes: Others are projecting that the SNP could win upwards of 40 of Scotland's 59 seats. I regard that as completely fanciful and it shows why making any sensible prediction has to be done on a seat by seat basis. In truth, when I did my Scottish predictions I had the SNP on 13 seats. I went back and looked at some of their other ...
With Chris Mack, January 9. I was the first Oxford boxer to be trained by Alf Gallie in 1946, and he was the last 39 years later, in 1977.
[IMG: martin horwood] The Gloucestershire Echo has somehow got hold of a campaign email sent round Cheltenham Lib Dem MP Martin Horwood's team. It says two main things: ... that the Lib Dems should have two "core messages" in Cheltenham: That Martin Horwood is the "best person to represent Cheltenham" and that it is "going to be a two horse race". Adding later: "We think that we have got a very good local MP in Martin Horwood who is a great asset to the town." Secondly, there's this highly surprising fact: is "important to ruthlessly squeeze Green-ish voters who may ...
From the Shropshire Star: They've been seen all over Shropshire and Mid Wales. There have been photographic images, shadowy CCTV images, and a whole host of convincing sightings by reliable witnesses which might give you the impression that the countryside is crawling with panthers, pumas, lynxes and other exotic big cats. But the question still hangs in the air. Where is the absolute proof that they exist?The accompanying illustrations suggest it can be hard to tell the difference between a photograph of an ordinary domestic cat close to the camera and one of a big cat further away.
It seems that David Cameron's enthusiasm for mass surveillance comes from watching TV dramas, says Paul Bernal. Nick Tyrone asks a question that has long puzzled me: Why is Scottish nationalism somehow "nicer" than English nationalism? "Thirty-three children have died in custody since 1990, 31 of which were self-inflicted. After each death, the state, in the guise of the Ministry of Justice, claims to have learned lessons from the fatality and assures the public that steps have been taken to prevent further young deaths. And that is it, until the next death, when these tired, weasel words are dragged out ...
I've read a couple of really interesting and illuminating articles recently in which people who don't identify as either male or female talk about what that means for them. In yesterday's Daily Record, there was an interview with NUS Scotland's transgender representative Drew O'Donnell. And while Drew says they know many people may find their ever-changing gender difficult to understand, they say people need to learn to be more understanding. Drew, 23, of Paisley, said: "I've been told there are 37 different types of gender - a lot more than simply male and female. "Even I can't remember them all ...
Earlier today, I took part in the Mary Slessor Commemoration at the Steeple Church at which, on the centenary of the death of Mary Slessor, a commemorative plaque and standing stone was unveiled to celebrate the huge achievements of Mary Slessor during her extraordinary life. The event outside the City Churches started during a significant snow storm, but, appropriately, as the stone and plaque were unveiled, the sun broke through. The Mary Slessor Foundation has organised events throughout 2015 and you can read more about these here. Here are two photographs from today's commemoration : The unveiling ceremony Doug Binnie ...
[IMG: Computer at desk] Douglas Bolton has written a really interesting account of his experience doing comment moderation at The Times. Some of his experience sounds very similar to mine when I used to moderate comments on Lib Dem Voice especially people's love of a conspiracy theory to explain why their comment didn't appear: If your comment still doesn't appear an hour after you posted it, it's because you broke the rules, not because the moderators want to silence you or because I'm a member of the left-wing London media elite (although I hope to be one day)... I think ...
As the House of Lords settles down to begin its deliberations on the Counter Terrorism and Security Bill, Brian Paddick has given his impressions on the party website. His piece is very much a descriptive narrative of what the Bill aims to do. There's no facility to leave questions on the website, but if you leave them here, we'll see if we can get him to answer them. Brian outlines the rationale behind the Bill: More and more impressionable and disaffected young people are being brainwashed into travelling abroad to join groups such as the so-called 'Islamic State' where they ...
MP Julian Huppert, who has been lobbying the government to reduce rail fares, will join a cross-party debate on Friday (January 16) on the issue. He has been invited to take part in the panel discussion organised by Cambridge University Railway Club. It will include prospective parliamentary candidates for the parties fighting the May general election and representatives from Network Rail, Passenger Focus and the Campaign for Better Transport. Julian, who recently tabled a Commons' motion ahead of the latest rail fare increase, has been fighting to make train travel more affordable. "Our train fares are among the highest in ...
Despite the fact that I am usually eighty miles from London, I do read the Evening Standard fairly regularly - the 18.25 service from Ipswich to Stowmarket (the 17.02 ex-Liverpool Street) is usually littered with them. Yesterday, my eye was drawn to a piece by Douglas Alexander, calling for the City of London to take a lead in fighting for our future within the European Union. And whilst he doesn't say an awful lot about what the Labour Party will do in any future referendum campaign - presumably, if they win on 7 May, there won't be one - he ...
As you know, we've been following the parliamentary ping pong on the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill. Today it comes back before the Commons and, as the Guardian reports, the Government has made concessions on three points: The first concession, not related to judicial review, was over the introduction of disciplinary powers to be used for confining convicted boys under the age of 15 and women in secure colleges. The Ministry of Justice amendment has accepted that there would have to be a further vote on a statutory instrument before the powers could come into force - a safeguard that ...
I was delighted to be able to announce earlier today that six-figure redundancy packages in the public sector would be a thing of the past if the Welsh Liberal Democrats were to win power at the next Welsh Assembly elections. My view is that pay-outs should be capped at £90,000 for people working in the health service, government Quangos and Local Government. Only last week it was reported that disgraced Carmarthenshire County Council chief executive Mark James could be in line for a severance deal worth £446,000. This followed the announcement last year by Pembrokeshire Council that it paid its ...
Last night the Planning Committee of Sefton Council voted through the latest draft of the Local Plan for the Borough and within it significant building on Green Belt and high grade agricultural land. [IMG: Sefton's Planning Committee meeting 12th January - Bootle Town Hall] Sefton's Planning Committee meeting 12th January – Bootle Town Hall [IMG: Lydiate campaigners and councillors fighting for their Green Belt] Lydiate campaigners and councillors fighting for their Green Belt Two petitions from Maghull and Southport residents implored the Committee not to take this course of action but the Labour dominated Committee voted by 9 votes to ...
Scotland's Assisted Suicide Bill has been considered today by the Health and Sport Committee of the Scottish Parliament. This is the Committee which is taking the lead on the Bill, although the Justice Committee has also taken evidence on the legal aspects of the proposed reform. The Bill was introduced by Margo MacDonald in November 2013 and has been taken forward since her death last April by Green MSP Patrick Harvie. The Committee took evidence this morning from legal and medical professionals. I was surprised to see the Scotsman report say that the Law Society of Scotland is suggesting that ...
On the 20th January 2015, The independent Local Government Boundary Commission for England will be publishing it's FINAL recommendations on new council ward boundaries for Peterborough. The consultation ended on 6 October 2014, and the Commission's draft recommendations propose that Peterborough City Council should have 60 councillors in the future, thee more than the current [...]
Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie will tonight attack the SNP campaign in a lecture to the David Hume Institute. The Scotsman, having obviously had sight of Mr Rennie's script, reports that the Lib Dem leader will warn of the SNP "gaining independence by the back door" via "ultra-extreme devolution". "As a minimum [the SNP] say they want a form of ultra-extreme devolution that doesn't exist anywhere else in the world and which would inevitably tip Scotland into independence." Mr Rennie will say. He is also expected to accuse the SNP of redefining the purpose of the referendum, criticising them ...
Housebuilding and population growth back to 1851 pic.twitter.com/NvJ2KUVLpK — Neal Hudson (@resi_analyst) January 9, 2015 Three things strike me about this graph: There is a problem with the housing stock growing less quickly than the population, but... ... this has only happened in the very few most recent years. Most of what people say is wrong with the housing market in Britain was happening even when the housing stock kept on growing faster than our population. In particular, this highlights how important falling average household size has been as a factor in the UK, yet it's a trend that politicians ...
The Children, Young People and Education Committee recently published a critical report that painted a stark picture of the state of mental health services in Wales. The report found that young people in particular were facing a service that "cannot cope with demand." Figures show that far more young people were waiting for mental health treatment (2,410) in May 2014 than the elderly (634) or other adults (1,291). It has also been disclosed that while £58.18 per person is spent on elderly mental illness, only £13.94 was spent per person on child and adolescent mental health. People in Wales suffering ...
Last night, Liberal Democrat Justice Minister Simon Hughes expressed his opposition to David Cameron's plans to legislate to give security services the right to intercept the internet communications of suspected terrorists. He said: It is vital that the police and intelligence agencies are able to investigate and prosecute terrorists, including surveillance of communications. The Liberal Democrats have moved quickly in Government to plug the gaps in existing legislation to bolster these abilities. Future security measures must be proportionate, justified and necessary – and not trample on our civil liberties. The so-called Snoopers' Charter, which would see the internet browsing of ...
It was inevitable after recent events in Paris that the Conservatives in the UK would try to breathe new life into the Snoopers Charter — specifically seeking the right for the government to read everyone's emails, in principle on the grounds of national security and the fight against terrorism. Nick Clegg quickly countered that the [...]
Tue 13th
11:35
"Breathe another word and I'll kill you" - police appeal after man is threatened in Ludlow
West Mercia Police are appealing for witnesses after a man was threatened in the grounds of St Laurence's Church, Ludlow. Perhaps you were the person who stopped to help? The incident occurred at around 4.30pm on Friday 9 January, when a man in his 60s was threatened by a man who said: Breathe another word [...]
Some people will take this question to mean that we really should find a better leader, others that we have a good one already. Perhaps unlike some of those who contribute to this website, I do not know Nick Clegg personally and can therefore only judge him from his television appearances, writings and what is written about him in the press. He appears to come in for considerable criticism largely, as far as I can see, for being in coalition with the Conservatives, although some threads on this website also seem to have other reservations about his leadership. As far ...
Only one company exists from the original Dow Jones Index from a century ago (General Electric). It is certainly uneasy at the top. People eventually assert themselves against their overlords and overthrow them. This is a medieval image of the way competitive markets are supposed to work, but it is the one I gleaned from this morning's rather self-satisfied editorial in the Financial Times. It is a case of The King Is Dead Long Live the King, as Tesco gives away a a slightly bigger oligopoly of identical formats. It is comforting to know that, in the end, the great ...
As the dust settles from the Charlie Hebdo shootings in Paris, an ugly picture emerges. The consensus that holds society together is breaking down. We may all agree that murder is wrong, but we disagree on how to combat extremists, how to live with foreign cultures and, indeed, the scope of free speech. The cosmopolitanism that prevails amongst society's elite is challenged. And yet the only solution is to embrace cosmopolitan ideas yet further. On the one hand we have the Islamic extremists themselves. We haven't learnt much new here. Their alienation is such that they feel at war with ...
During the independence debate, I found it strange how Scottish nationalism was portrayed in the left-wing press. It was as if it were a force that was unimpeachable; the good guys railing against the bad. The unionist debate was always put forward in a way that was meant to emphasise what they saw as the positive reasons for the continuing existence of Scotland in the United Kingdom (keeping the Tories from eternal power) and downplaying the positive reasons for independence - namely, self-determination as an inalienable right. The problem came down to the Left having conflicts of interest internally in ...
The LocalFocus blog is now EIGHT! Eight years, nearly 1400 stories, and 100,000 hits. Obviously most of the hits are local, but we've had readers from 186 countries. Here's a big hello to our one reader each in Kazakhstan, Burma and Belize - we hope you found the blog interesting. If you know anyone in Greenland, please tell them what they're missing. The countries where the LocalFocus blog has readers Seriously, please comment below or email the editor on paul.hulbert@gmail.com to tell us what you particularly like reading about on this blog, and what you would like us to cover ...
[IMG: environmental agency logo] It may have been the driest September on record, but we still saw flooding in Hertfordshire well away from rivers, with heavy storms causing flash floods across the county. Residents should check if their property may be at risk of flooding and think ahead about how they can protect themselves and their property. The most important thing is to plan ahead and not wait until your property is about to flood before taking action. The water still has to go somewhere and heavy downpours like those we've seen recently can overwhelm the sewers and soakaways the ...
I'm currently in India – here's my first blog from the visit, also available here. Since 2010 I've served as the UK's first ministerial champion for tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) overseas, and developing this role has kept me quite busy. From the UN to the UAE, I've compared notes with ministers, officials and civil society groups in capital cities and with community groups in the most rural villages on how we can end this global epidemic. Yesterday I began my final foreign mission on this important agenda - to India and Burma - and it was a ...
Residents will no doubt have seen news about the extreme pressure Accident and Emergency (A&E) services are experiencing at the present time. With the weather getting colder this is likely to get worse. Our local NHS hospital provider has seen it's busiest time at A&E ever in the last month and staff will be working very hard to meet the demand. Pennine Acute does report that in the year since last April that 94% of patients at A&E are seen, treated, discharged or admitted within 4 hours. The NHS in Greater Manchester has produced a website to give us all ...
Some good news for pedestrians who cross Bury Old Road at its junction with Heywood Road. A number of people have been in touch telling us that crossing on the 'northern side' can be a challenge, because when the Bury Old Road lights are on red, traffic still comes up off Heywood Road at speed and cannot easily be seen because of the corner. We have raised this with the Highways team at Bury Council. In an ideal world it might be useful to remodel the whole junction, but that is not something that is immediately on the cards financially. ...
I've just dropped in on a debate on Twitter between Kilian Bourke and a Labour activist, in which the Labour activist claims that the Coalition have privatised 70% of NHS services since 2010. Welcome to the dark world of political statistics... My father, who built his career on a very astute nose for bullshit and a firm grasp of numbers, once told me that 69.3% of all statistics are made up. At the time, the joke evaded me to an extent, although years as a fully paid-up sceptic have led me to appreciate just how right he really was. Bar ...
The annual consultation into Stockport's school holiday dates is open until 8th February for everyone to have our say. In addition, changes to admissions and catchment areas for St Thomas', Norris Bank and Tithe Barn primary schools in the Heatons are being consulted on. You can find out more and have your say here.
Charlize Theron Negotiates $10M Raise After Sony Hack Reveals Male Costar Was To Be Paid Millions More (tags: ) WhatsApp and Snapchat could be banned under new surveillance plans "In our country, do we want to allow a means of communication between people which [...] we cannot read?" - what, like speaking to someone in your own home? Jesus wept. (tags: ) US owners of Cadbury's Creme Egg admit they've changed the chocolate (tags: ) Adulterated Signage in NHS hospitals. I think I like "punchable effigy of Jeremy Hunt" best (tags: ) Internal exile returns to Britain :( (tags: ) ...
With the recent tragic developments in France I urge the government and political leaders to re-think our approach in facing fundamentalism and terrorism. The concept of security and defence alone is the traditional tested & failed approach. So is our approach in seeking alliance with suppressive regimes in the Middle East that prevent decent or religious movements that would allow their ideology to evolve in a non-violent manner. The end result is Middle East instability spilled onto our streets and politicians starting to take sides. This is the wrong approach and does nothing to help keep such conflicts away from ...
The biggest industry and businesses in the Dulwich area are in education. Not just the required schools for local children – the 3 out of the 4 state secondary school or 11 infant and primary schools but also the private schools – 3 secondary schools and 5 infant and primary schools. (Kingsdale with it lottery admissions is no longer a genuinely local school). These private schools and Kingsdale do attract many local children but they also have huge catchment areas. They support a private school bus network required to support such hugely expanded schools. And their expansion has been marked ...
A new planning application has been received in Holyrood Ward as below: Application Number: 58328 Registration Date: 06/01/2015 Location: 145A Simister Lane, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 2SF Proposal: Change of use from dwellinghouse (Class C3) to multi occupancy assisted care home (Class C2) Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you require further information or help with this. The details will be on the Council's website here. Tim
UPDATE AT 3.40pm : Tonight's meeting has been cancelled due to the weather. I have today launched my West End Community Council Update for January 2015 - you can download this here. Subjects covered in the update are : Bin collection and recycling, sight lines at the Marchfield Road and Jedburgh Road junctions with Blackness Road, repairs to the Tay Square mosaic and Electric Car Charging points. The Community Council meets at 7pm tonight at the Logie & St John's (Cross) Church Hall in Shaftesbury Terrace - all welcome!
Three suggestions for good pieces to read about our civil liberties in the face of terrorism... First, Paddy Ashdown on the risk of panicking in reaction to terrorism: If we are to react as we should, then it is as well to remember that what we face is NOT new. And it is not unique and it is not just Islamic and we have been through this before and we should not panic or over-react. Almost every recent generation has had to respond to these kind of phenomenon. And almost every recent generation has managed to do so without fundamentally ...
A 3-monthly Sefton Central Area Committee came around again last Thursday. This time the mini-conference (for that is what it is) was held in Maghull Town Hall yet all of the items of substance for residents were with regard to Formby and Crosby! I was only able to stay for half the meeting as I needed to go to see an elderly chap whom I help to look after. I have the feeling that I was the lucky one though as others sat through more than I. [IMG: Participants in last Thursday's Sefton Central Area Committee] Participants in last Thursday's ...
MP's want some of the companies that are responsible for litter on Britain's street to contribute towards the cost of its removal. Leading figures from the Wrigley Company, the Tobacco Manufacturers' Association, and McDonald's will face the House of Commons' Communities and Local Government Committee this week. Committee chairman Clive Betts said that it was too soon to judge exactly what financial burden could be transferred to the private sector, but a committee source said these businesses could "absolutely" end up footing a significant part of the current £1bn clean-up costs. The Local Government Association singled out the chewing-gum industry ...
First of all let me put this one there, I freaking love Test cricket. Like can hardly get enough of it. A couple of weeks back it was possible to watch non-stop Test cricket from 9:30PM to 7AM and then have the South Africa v West Indies Test start up an hour or so later. I watched a lot of this. Watching good Test cricket is the pinnacle of sport watching in my opinion. However this blog post isn't about fixing Test cricket (which doesn't need a root and branch fix but is clearly struggling in many parts of the ...
