This video shows the last British Rail working on this line, which ran in 1991. It has since been reopened by enthusiasts as the Keith & Dufftown Railway.
Can't say I had a ball on question time, that's not a Cardiff/Welsh audience that I would recognise. However thanks for your support twitter— Charlotte Church (@charlottechurch) October 1, 2015 I never quite saw the point of Charlotte Church. A young girl who could sound like an adults soprano was remarkable, but why not just listen to an adult soprano? Boy trebles, by contrast, have a discrete repertoire to sing and their careers are mercifully brief. Church is still with us and has branched out into politics, aided by Question Time's mania for celebrities. It is also striking how often ...
Stephen Tall will be running naked down Whitehall. Well, almost. "The great thing about the 'new politics' - or at least the new politics we have lately been privileged to endure here in Scotland - is that it's just as fetid and grubby as the old politics it replaced." Alex Massie on life under an SNP government. Peter Ashley remembers having cider with Laurie Lee. "Though admirable, longevity is rarely a virtue of good satire. Brass Eye ran for seven episodes, causing more merry hell during that time than HIGNFY has caused in 25 years." David Waywell does not welcome ...
Fri 2nd
17:52
Most Deprived – Liverpool & Knowsley sadly continue to be high in the league table that no...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-34401236 The BBC has the story on its web site – see link above Knowsley is 2nd and Liverpool 4th in the list of the highest proportion of most deprived areas by local authority.
I was aware that Mick Henry, Labour Leader of Gateshead Council, had been in London earlier this week meeting government ministers, possibly even George Osborne, about devolution to the North East Combined Authority, a move which would require the establishment of an elected mayor. I had a meeting yesterday with Mick and he mentioned it in passing. It was a hint that progress is being made on
Fri 2nd
16:00
Catherine Bearder to Nigel Lawson: Pulling out of the EU would mean losing power and influence over ...
Liberal Democrat MEP Catherine Bearder has written to the Times (£) to respond to Nigel Lawson's article which argued that the UK should leave the EU: She wrote: Sir, Lord Lawson's argument for EU exit may be eloquent but it is fanciful. It is true that the 19 countries of the eurozone are going to have to move closer together. But that makes it even more imperative that Britain, as the financial capital of Europe, defends its economic interests in the EU's single market as a whole. Half of our exports go to the rest of Europe and even if ...
I have been fortunate, if that's the right word, to have managed to stay a councillor at various levels of local government since 1987. However, with advancing years playing a greater role, I am currently only serving on the Lincolnshire County Council. For over 28 years I have had to work with colleagues of all political persuasion and some who profess to have none, so I have a fair amount of experience of how they react to the fact that I just happen to be a Liberal Democrat. Perhaps 'true blue' Lincolnshire is not a good example from which to ...
There's something for everyone at the Gatley Food and Drink Festival running from Sunday 11th to Saturday 17th October 2015 – take a look and come along. (If the writing below is too small, just zoom in)
[IMG: A window, which has been shown to actually work] A window, which has been shown to actually work It's become quite common for political pundits and online commentators to talk sagely about the "Overton Window" when they're talking about public opinion. (Click here for a sampling of recent uses of it) It's presented as an immutable law of political science – there's a range of possible policies available on any given issue or set of issues, but only a certain amount (those within the Overton Window) are possible/politically deliverable at any given time. Thus, to make something politically possible ...
Here is a copy of one of my blogs, first published on Lib Dem Voice. The Conservatives are set to announce further details about their Counter-Extremism Bill over the course of their party conference. Countering Islamist extremism is crucial, to protect both those who are vulnerable to radicalisation and those who could be harmed by a terrorist attack. I don't want to see another child lured from the UK to join ISIS - nor do I want to see people killed and families torn apart by such reckless hatred and extremist violence. It is quite right for the UK Government ...
[IMG: bhm-logo600] Tim Farron has been writing at the Black History Month website about what the event means to him: As a Liberal Democrat, one of my most deeply held beliefs is that everyone should have the opportunity to achieve their ambitions and become anything they want to be. So many of the people who we will remember this Black History Month embody this ideal. People like Winifred Atwell, the first black artist to have a number one single in the UK or John Kent the first black police officer. People like Mary Seacole, the pioneering nurse who overcame prejudice ...
The one year delay in building the Swansea tidal lagoon that was covered in today's South Wales Evening Post is worrying on a number of levels. Chiefly, it will raise doubts as to whether the lagoon will ever be built. The fact that the company has announced that work will not now start on site until spring 2017, a year later than hoped, is worrying enough, but. the chief concern is that the UK Government are dragging their heels on making a decision over how much they will pay for the electricity. I am a big supporter of the Swansea ...
The post Creativity and Beginners Mind appeared first on James Taylor.
Fri 2nd
12:59Stephen Tall really is running naked down Whitehall - how you can help him raise money for charity
Stephen Tall is making good on what turned out to be an ill-advised pledge in 2013 that he would run naked down Whitehall if the Liberal Democrats got 24 seats in this year's General Election. He has decided that others should benefit from his immodesty and is raising money for Medecins Sans Frontieres. The charity will already be benefiting from £5000 promised by Kelvin Mackenzie, the former editor of the Sun, on live television last week. Stephen has set up a JustGiving page to augment that sum. You can find out more about the amazing work that MSF does here ...
The courtyard that was created when Maghull's Meadows Leisure Centre was constructed behind Maghull Town Hall is rather nice although sadly only rarely used. Here are 3 photos:- [IMG: WP_20150922_15_17_05_Pro r] [IMG: WP_20150922_15_17_49_Pro r] [IMG: WP_20150922_15_17_14_Pro r] When the Leisure Centre was built after 20 or more years of campaigning, which had the privilege to lead, the idea was that the Town Hall (run by Maghull Town Council) and Meadows Leisure Centre would be jointly run but from the public's perception it would be a seamless joined up indoor Leisure facility. Sadly that vision has yet to be realised and ...
[IMG: Lynne Featherstone on the doorstep] Want to know how to win election campaigns? You can learn from the very best of international experience with a free 10-week email course from myself and Ed Maxfield. Sign up at www.CampaignMasterclass.com and each week you'll receive one lesson by email, helping you become a top election winning campaigner or candidate yourself. It's a great way to make sure you don't fall foul of mistakes such as Five of the most common mistakes that Lib Dem campaigners make. We've helped, advised and run election campaigns across Europe and even further afield - and ...
Bach's cantata "Brich den Hungrigen dein Brot" got the nickname "the refugee cantata" in 1732 when Protestant refugees fleeing a clampdown in Salzburg arrived in Leipzig. The title translates as "Bring the hungry your bread". It was to be taken literally. It's a reminder of how much forced migration has shaped European history. As an island, the UK has escaped the experiences of invasion and moving of borders which have shaped so much of the history of the European mainland — though I suspect that one of the things fuelling both pressure for Scottish independence and the Scottish affinity for ...
South Wales West AM Peter Black said he is concerned that investors could take their money elsewhere following a green subsidy decision delay from the UK GovernmentHe said: ""I am a big supporter of the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon, but it is quite clear that the failure of the UK Government to agree the price for the electricity it will generate within the original timetable has led to this delay."The danger now is that the project will lose momentum and that investors will take their money elsewhere."More seriously, the fact that the UK Government is dragging its heels over the ...
[IMG: Liberal Youth logo 2014] Elections for the Executives of Liberal Youth and the Welsh organisation IR Cymru have been taking place over the past few weeks. The 2015-16 Executives will take office on 1st November and are made up as follows: Liberal Youth Chair: Michael Chappell/Charlie Kingsbury Vice Chair: Alex White Policy Officer: Emily Tester Campaigns Officer: Ryan Cairns Communications Officer: Chris Whiting Events Officer: Tara Murray/Nathan Issacson Welfare and Access Officer: Ems Simpson and Charley Hasted Membership Development Officer: Nomi Farhi International Officer: Ab Brightman Treasurer: Nathan Goldsmith Non Portfolio Officer: Callum Delhoy Policy Committee (2) Hannah Ashworth ...
You can read all the articles that have caught my attention this week here: https://delicious.com/stephentall Below are a selection... Why I was sweat-shamed as I waited for my coffee at Starbucks | Amy Roe | Comment is free | The Guardian Key point: Never make polite small-talk with a @commentisfree contributor in the queue at Starbucks http://bit.ly/1FLkEvF Why on earth are Conservatives trying to stop Uber breaking London's black cab cartel? – Telegraph THIS (Also applies to liberals) >> "Why on earth are Tories trying to stop Uber breaking London's black cab cartel?" http://bit.ly/1N3vkst Buffer – A Smarter Way to ...
On Monday morning, I chaired a fringe at Labour conference with Stephen Kinnock and Emran Mian on the panel, talking about the Nordic model and what bits of it could be taken up by the Left and what bits probably could not. It was entitled "Alternatives to Austerity", so I was hardly pushing some sort of Osborne-esque agenda. Nonetheless, Jack Monroe tweeted the following: "Nick Tyrone (Mr Centre-Right) just praised Thatcher for the state of today's unions. AT A LABOUR PARTY FRINGE." Now for context, what I said was pretty much the exact opposite of this, although admittedly couched in ...
[IMG: agenda 2020] I was one of 11 contributors to the Lib Dems' Agenda 2020 collection of essays on views on 'the Liberal Democrat philosophy, core values, beliefs and approaches'. Here's what I wrote... Liberalism is an optimistic creed. How else to explain the influx of some 20,000 new Lib Dem members in the aftermath of the party's worst ever election performance? For many, the trigger was the dignified but downbeat resignation speech of Nick Clegg: "One thing seems to me clear: liberalism, here, as well as across Europe, is not faring well against the politics of fear." Such a ...
I recall a local by-election in an inner London area many moons ago. No names no pack drill although a few might work it out. In that by-election we extensively campaigned by leafleting and knocking on doors. Our canvass was comprehensive and our campaign, by an excellent local community campaigner, was superb. On the day there we had so many people that there wasn't enough work to go round - thus, two people were telling on each polling station and knocking up was done by rota. Sounds brilliant doesn't it - we must have won, mustn't we? Well we came ...
[IMG: Poll piechart] The latest quarterly update to my spreadsheet of opinion poll data since 1943 is now up at: http://www.markpack.org.uk/opinion-polls/ You can also sign up on that page to get email notifications about future updates. Aside from another three months of data, this update includes my largest haul of missing old data for a long time, thanks to an extensive trawl through old books about British elections: 100 extra ORC polls, 41 extra Harris polls and 4 extra MORI polls from the 1960s and 1970s, for some of which only the Labour/Conservative lead is known. Several extra polls in ...
The government have responded to the petition to keep free school meals (as they have to do within 7 days if it reaches 10,000 signatures - at time of publishing it was at 35,548) in a mealy-mouthed (no pun intended) fashion: It starts: "The Government is currently conducting a Spending Review across all its programmes. Therefore, every policy across Whitehall is being reviewed as part of this process and no decisions have yet been taken." You can see the full response here and please do sign if you haven't already (and pass it on) as if it reaches 100,000 signartures, ...
The photograph below, concluding this series of the Photopolis photographic resource, shows the north side of the Hawkhill at the junction with Bellfield Lane at the left (in the west). Alexander Wilson's Dining Rooms and Coffeehouse were at No. 167. One of the advertisements on the gable end are for the Dundee Select Choir's performance of Handel's oratorio "Samson" at the Kinnaird Hall. The Dundee Directory lists the other shops as Mrs G. Harper, tobacconist, Mrs A. Boyack, draper, The Annandale Dairy Company, Isabella Miller, fruiterer, and Miss F. Sheriff, confectioner. Then comes Lowden's Alley.
At Warner Brothers' Movie World at the Gold Coast in Queensland! We're just back this week from our holiday visiting the family in Australia. I would like to thank all colleagues for their great help with assisting with constituent enquiries and surgeries whilst I have been away - much appreciated. I don't have any ward surgeries this coming Monday (5th October) as its a public holiday but surgeries will return as normal next Thursday (6.15pm at Blackness Primary School).
Moldova's Maidan Chișinău wakes up. (tags: moldova ) APCO's Party Conference Quiz Win champagne! (tags: ukpolitics ) Secret bank accounts, income inequality—and why Luxembourg matters A fascinating analysis of offshore assets. (tags: economics ) EU Council adopts roaming charges ban and net neutrality rules Though the one may weaken the other. (tags: eu internet ) Taxi tax scrutinised Uber backlash goes unexpectedly. (tags: belgium )
The scariest thing about #peeple is the $7+ million funding it has already attracted. Glad I don't have a Facebook account Get some pies down you and SCORE! FATTIES have most SUCCESS with opposite sex Why It Was Easier to Be Skinny in the 1980s NHS to begin denying people hearing aids for first time - is this the salami slice too far? Doubt it. Is There Really a "£500 Bed Under The Stairs" in London? I can confirm that this is a thing and I have done it Why no Trident? The benefits of a nuclear apocalypse - section ...
Fri 2nd
07:54
The Future Fit hospital programme has ground to a halt - now it must have a complete overhaul
Guest post by Councillor Tracey Huffer. Yesterday afternoon, the team overseeing the Future Fit programme to reshape announced that it is deferring a decision on the future of A&E services in Shropshire. After more than two years of work, the question of whether the county will be reduced to a single accident and emergency centre [...]
