For an hour on a sunny Saturday afternoon in Norfolk I recaptured my childhood - or at least a treasured part of it. There was a time when I refused to read anything but Malcolm Saville's Lone Pine books, and this summer the Pentabus Rural Theatre Company has turned those books into a play and toured it round five National Trust properties. I saw it at Sheringham Park, a couple of miles from the centre of that town. There is one venue left: you can still catch the play at Wallington near Morpeth in Northumberland. If you have young children ...
An explanation for our younger readers.
Mon 17th
20:07
Are you a teenager or first year student just about to go away? - you may need to get vaccinated for...
The NHS is providing a free vaccine for certain strains of meningitis to teenagers, sixth-formers and all first-year students who are starting college or university this autumn. All you need to do is contact your GP surgery to arrange a jab, if medically appropriate. The NHS Choices website says: Young teenagers, sixth formers and 'fresher' students going to university for the first time are now routinely offered a vaccination to prevent meningitis W disease. The Men ACWY vaccine protects against four different causes of meningitis and septicaemia - meningococcal (Men) A, C, W and Y diseases. All 17- and 18-year-olds ...
Mon 17th
20:03David Laws peerage "blocked" - plus new Liberal Democrat House of Lords members speculation
[IMG: David Laws speaking at Lib Dem Spring conference, Liverpool 2008] The Times (£) reports that former Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, has nominated former Yeovil MP, David Laws, for elevation to the House of Lords. However, it adds: His nomination for a peerage was blocked by the House of Lords Appointments Commission, chaired by an independent peer, Lord Kakkar. The Times says that this comes "after his involvement in the expenses scandal" without specifically nailing the expenses saga as the reason for the blocking. However, the Mail goes further saying: The seven-strong commission, chaired by the Independent peer Lord ...
Mon 17th
19:59The stars and stripes flying in Havana top a list of significant achievements by Barack Obama
I was toddling around in nappies when the US flag was taken down in Havana in January 1961. The decision to break off diplomatic relations between the USA and Cuba was taken a day earlier by President Eisenhower. So started a period of frozen relationships between the two neighbours which included years of trade embargoes. It is a very significant act of statesmanship that Barack Obama and Raúl Castro have now restored diplomatic relations. It is without doubt a good thing – the people of Cuba have suffered for long enough. This event, to me, answers the question: "What is ...
When it was decided that, by way of respite from our two big city destinations, we would probably need some oxygenated air, Ros came up with the idea of Bar Harbor, a small resort town on the coast of Maine. I was sceptical at first, but discovered that, whilst there were no trains, or even buses, there was an airport. And so, I set about finding flights, only to discover that no major American airline flies there. On the other hand, United would sell me a ticket to get to Bar Harbor from New York, with an aircraft switch at ...
Voters at the London elections next May will be given three ballot papers each using a different voting system – let no-one claim that alternative systems to First Past The Post can't work. The pink ballot paper is for the Mayor of London, and voters select their first and second choice only. The yellow ballot paper is for the London constituency Assembly member who is elected by First Past The Post. The constituencies are larger than the Westminster seats and are based on combinations of local authorities. Finally the orange ballot paper is for the London-wide Assembly members who are ...
OMOV is going to come up again at conference, and it's one of those ideas that superficially seductive, and, to be honest, I lean in favour of just from a simplicity point of view. However*, there are some arguments against which I think need to be answered before I'll consider voting for it. I'll outline them below, along with some ideas which could mitigate (although not necessarily solve) each one: 1, Entryism. Yeah, I know, we're the Lib Dems, who's going to bother? But the current system of conference reps does at least mean that someone who comes to conference ...
Led by Stockport Citizens Advice Bureau and involving several agencies, including the Council, SAIL offers high-quality online advice on a whole range of topics. Click on the image to find out more. [IMG: SAIL - Stockport Advice & Information for Life] SAIL – Stockport Advice & Information for Life
Hoping for a proper post tonight, but in the meantime here's the latest set of Goodreads reviews: Wild Tales: A Rock & Roll Life by Graham Nash My rating: 2 of 5 stars Nash comes across mostly as I'd always imagined him — by far the most decent of CSNY as a person, though not [...]
The county council's inability to deal with the simple problem of grass continues as residents across the district wonder why there are weeds growing untidily in the gutters. Local Lib Dem county councillor Chris White said: 'Residents in various streets have approached me about this – including, as examples, Flora Grove and Hart Road where [...]
Yes, I know, whatever I say they may not want to hear it coming from me, but I'm going to say it anyway. As an interested observer with no dog in the fight, I've seen a party I once considered voting for* tearing itself to shreds. There seems no prospect of this ending any time soon**. I have also seen lots and lots of people offer both sage and less sage advice to the party on what they should do differently next time they have a leadership election. - don't let people join up for £3 to troll you - ...
The Voice is only a success because of the interest and support from our readers. For many people just lurking and reading the site is all they want to do – and that's fine, we're grateful for people taking the time to read the site. You can though help us continue to produce interesting content for a growing audience. Here are four simple ways: 1. Let us have your tips for stories. Perhaps there's something outrageous going on in your local council? Or you're an expert in a particular area and have spotted a story other people have missed? Or ...
... is that it may help kill off the instinct all too common in politics (including the Liberal Democrats) to see setting up a committee to review something as the way to fix a problem. Royal Commissions have gone rather out of fashion, but seeking answers to challenges via the creation of committees of other forms is still very popular, not only with those wishing to delay issues but also with those genuinely seeking solutions. Chilcot is a good reminder of how often that latter group mismatch aims and methods in ways that fail.
Mon 17th
14:15
Are you a teenager or first year student just about to go away? - you may need to get vaccinated for...
The NHS is providing a free vaccine for certain strains of meningitis to teenagers, sixth-formers and all first-year students who are starting college or university this autumn. All you need to do is contact your GP surgery to arrange a jab, if medically appropriate. The NHS Choices website says: Young teenagers, sixth formers and 'fresher' students going to university for the first time are now routinely offered a vaccination to prevent meningitis W disease. The Men ACWY vaccine protects against four different causes of meningitis and septicaemia - meningococcal (Men) A, C, W and Y diseases. All 17- and 18-year-olds ...
The UN has revised its estimates and now thinks will India will have a larger population than China within a decade. That changes more or less everything. It's a commonplace observation that we are moving into an Asian century. Indeed it's rather trite. But that's not the same as a Chinese century. The Middle Kingdom [...]
When Brazilians take to the streets in their hundreds of thousands it is usually Carnival time — an explosion of popular music and celebration. But recently the crowds have been turning out for an entirely different reason: calling for the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff. Yesterday, in the main commercial city São Paulo an estimated [...]
Hello again. Apologies for absence - I've been on maternity leave, and though I thought that would mean LOTS of time for blogging, it er... didn't. So I am back now. My thoughts today are about the number of "women's media" outlets that are appearing. I don't have much against "The Pool" and other outlets meant to showcase women's work, but I don't find myself attracted to them, as a consumer of media. However, out-and-out feminist sites, such as Vagenda, I do agree are needed and have a role, and I want to listen to them. This I don't think ...
[IMG: agenda2020] Why are we Liberal Democrats? What do we mean by liberalism (or, if you prefer, liberal democracy)? What do our beliefs and values have to offer the country over the next five years? Every member will have their own answers to those questions, but the party hasn't attempted to describe its basic philosophy in full since the paper It's About Freedom, published in 2002. As we wrote here on Liberal Democrat Voice two months ago, given the catastrophic result of the 2015 election, coupled with the huge, and very welcome, influx of new members, the Federal Policy Committee ...
Sometimes folks you have to laugh because if you didn't then you might cry. Alex Dyke is a virtual nobody to anyone outside of the Isle of Wight and latterly the wider BBC Radio Solent region. He fronted the call-in show on Isle of Wight Radio from 1991 until his dismissal from the station in late 2008 and spent the next short while if I remember correctly working on a web based radio service on the IoW before uprooting to the USA for a bit and returning to the UK and being a staple on BBC Radio Solent. Alex Dyke ...
Like it or not democracy costs money, and in many cases I am prepared to defend expenditure on support for elected members for example, on that basis. However, the growing farce that is the unelected House of Lords is getting out of hand, and it is not just the monetary cost that is causing concern, it is the reputational damage that it is causing to our democratic processes. Yesterday's Observer revealed that a study by the Electoral Reform Society discovered that peers who did not vote in a single debate in the last parliament claimed more than £100,000 in expenses ...
Today I am supporting the NFU Cymru stall in Cardiff City centre. The idea is to bring a 'taste' of the countryside to Wales' capital city to help explain to shoppers why it's more important than ever to #backWelshfarming In what is an extremely challenging time for the Welsh agricultural industry, with lamb producers and dairy farmers in particular facing severe price pressures, NFU Cymru have organised this promotional event in Cardiff city centre to showcase the quality and versatility of Welsh produce first hand to consumers. NFU Cymru members from across Wales, including Brecon and Radnorshire, are on hand ...
We are often asked if we directly control the adverts which appear on Liberal Democrat Voice. We do have a policy on adverts as follows: The adverts seen on Liberal Democrat Voice are just that, adverts. They are not the views of the editorial team or the Liberal Democrats. They are not endorsements for any particular campaign, and anyone is welcome to speak to our ad partners to purchase their own. Each year LibDemVoice spend over £2000 on hosting and running events at Conference, and whilst we do receive some donations (and you are welcome to donate) the majority is ...
Mon 17th
10:55
Are you in favour of one-member one-vote (OMOV) for Lib Dem conference and federal committees?
The path to introducing OMOV for Liberal Democrat federal conferences and committee elections hasn't been a smooth one but now a workable package of rule changes to implement it is up for debate at the Bournemouth conference.
[IMG: Veiled (Alex Verus, #6)] Veiled by Benedict Jacka My rating: 4 of 5 stars Another solid volume in this extremely addictive series. If you like your fantasy modern and set in a believable world, the Alex Verus books are great; full of rounded characters and interesting ideas about what makes a person human - even if they are a fox or a giant spider. Caldera remains the character I identify with. I loved Vari's tutor, the wizarding world's Captain Flashheart. I would have liked the new characters to have been a bit better gender balanced, although the continuing cast ...
The cybernats were a major feature of both the Scottish independence referendum and the general election. I am speaking here of SNP supporters who would take to all forms of social media, once there denouncing anyone who didn't feel and think exactly the same way they did as a "traitor" or worse, a "Tory". Not surprisingly I suppose, Corbyn supporters have gathered on the Internet to do much the same to those who dare to question the supremacy of St. Jeremy. By the way, I desperately wanted to come up with something catchy to call these people but sadly, inspiration ...
From the Scotsman today: More than 4,000 patients have been sent for mental health treatment outside their health board area in the past five years, according to latest figures. The Scottish Liberal Democrats, who obtained the figures through parliamentary questions, have warned that mental health units across Scotland are struggling to cope with demand. The figures show that, in 2013-14, a total of 799 patients were discharged from a psychiatric hospital in a different area from where they live. This compares with 793 in 2012-13 and 855 the year before that. The Lib Dems have called for action to tackle ...
On the news this morning Lariam (or mefloquine) is still being proscribed for British troops in malarial zones. Now malaria is a debilitating parasitic infection and I fully understand why the military are concerned that the service people are well protected. Some forms can be fatal. Malaria is no joke. Unfortunately for some, neither is Lariam. I started taking Lariam for a trip to Angola. "Great," I thought. "It is effective and I only have to take one tablet a week. Of course it is the way to go." It was not even a problem when the lucid dreams started. ...
We have another strong entrant for the 'most bizarre election video' accolade, this time from Canada. The two seconds you're left thinking 'why is he holding the sword like that?' before you realise 'ah! that's why' are particularly genius: So far he has raised 1% of his fundraising goal. You decide whether that's despite or because of the film... and in the meantime don't forget to enjoy these other previous glories: Some of the strangest political adverts you've ever seen. Regular readers will understand why I also have a soft spot for this one given the moment with the books. ...
With the school holidays over tomorrow, my West End Ward surgeries start again later this week - on Thursday : These are : • Mitchell Street Centre - Mitchell Street (The Base) - Mondays - 4.20pm (prompt) (except school holidays) • West Park Centre (Old Mansion House Reception Area) - Mondays - 4.50 pm (prompt) (except school holidays) • Blackness Primary School (Staff Room) - Thursdays - 6.15 pm (prompt) (except school holidays) All West End Ward residents welcome and no appointment necessary!
2015 Hugo Awards "Jugger Grimrod" regrets. (tags: sf sadpuppies ) A Rarity Reclaimed: Stolen Stradivarius Recovered After 35 Years : NPR Fascinating! (tags: music crime ) A Somewhat Illuminating Mess GamerGate tries to convince media, fails. (tags: games internet )
1 in 2 young people say they are not 100% heterosexual 'Brummie' is the least attractive accent - Yorkshire doesn't do badly Dear Liz Kendal. An open letter about what "normal people" look like... How to speak like a Corbynite: a helpful guide Sadie Frost turns academic to highlight lack of film production roles for women [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
I find some films almost impossible to review. Some like Mad Max: Fury Road are so overwhelming that they're hard to process. Others don't seem worth bothering with; I managed to write a paragraph on Jurrasic World as part of a post about velocirapotors. By contrast, the review of Ant Man basically writes itself. I [...]
