This silent video shows the Hatfield to St Albans in line in 1968, the last year that goods trains operated along it. Passenger services had ended back in 1951. Remember kids: Don't trespass on the railway, even if you are sure Dr Beeching has closed it.
I picked this up via BookMooch after it was picked for World Book Night four years ago, despite one disrecommendation, and have finally got around to reading it. It's a very gruesome crime novel, of a serial killer who is obsessed with our police detective hero and who attacks women to prove a point. It's well constructed - the love lives of the main characters become intertwined with the plot, and there is an elegantly constructed red herring. The murderer's modus operandi is very memorably horrible. Not wowed enough to seek out other Billingham novels but I won't ignore them ...
[IMG: image] The Oldham West and Royton by-election HQ has been busy this weekend as Liberal Democrats head there from all over the country are heading there. Rather than snuggling up on the sofa with a good book and Majorsrise on Twitter (which is really getting exciting at the moment, possibly even more so than when I lived through it), they've headed out into the freezing cold to help the old #libdemfightback. Among those there today are our own Paul Walter who went up all the way from Newbury. But why are they going? This video tells you. I am ...
At the end of three days of intensive campaigning, it came down to a rather nerve-wracking final hour of the thirty-sixth Annual Congress of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Europe (ALDE). Hands had been shaken, delegations lobbied and speeches made, and all that was left was the minor matter of the actual voting. As I have previously noted, ALDE has a quirky voting system - first past the post with a twist - the twist being that voters must vote for as many candidates as there are vacancies. This can potentially lead to a situation whereby you are ...
Sat 21st
17:02
As the cuts bite, we will have different sorts of services provided by Shropshire Council - protecte...
Times are tough. There are more funding cuts to come. But Shropshire Council's assumptions the worst will happen are not justified. They will damage the council's role as a civic leader and its ability to act for the public good. Shropshire Council is beginning to consult on some tough financial decisions. Since 2009, the council's [...]
The financier Jim Slater, whose rise and fall were once the talk of the City, died on Wednesday. His Telegraph obituary says: Slater remained a chess enthusiast all his life, and counted his sponsorship of British chess as one of his proudest achievements.There is more about that sponsorship on Slater's own website, which began in the aftermath of the Fischer vs Spassky world title match when the game was on the front page of every newspaper. In fact Slater played an important part in ensuring that the match took place at all: While preparations were being made for the World ...
At a meeting of Sefton Council on the 19th November at Southport Town Hall saw Liberal Democrats and Conservatives defeated in their attempt to secure a one third cut in the total number of elected members. The Labour majority on the Council blocked the move, even though it would save the hard-pressed local authority around £200,000 a year. The idea of reducing the number of councillors from three to two per ward, a cut in total from 66 to 44, was first put forward by the Lib Dems nearly five years ago. Since then Lib Dems have repeatedly put forward ...
As well as endorsing the very sensible u-turn on axing the membership incentive scheme, today's meeting of the English Council also debated the highly controversial strategy paper. For more details on why these proposals for how the Lib Dems are run are so controversial see Hello, I'm from Atos and I'm calling about your Lib Dem membership and Two important follow-ups to the Lib Dem English Party's strategy plans. A reference back on the English Liberal Democrats' strategy paper was defeated by 39 votes to 35, before the motion was then passed. That such an important decision was taken by ...
I have tried not the write about Syria because I have never been there. Sure, I am aware of its history, both modern and ancient. How between the great wars it was a protectorate of France and how the Ottoman Empire ruled. The Ottomans were smart. They did not care which tribe one came from nor which god one worships. All they cared about was service to be empire and that one did not rock the boat. Before that were Mamluks and Mongols, the Crusaders, Ayyubids, Byzantines and Romans, the Seleucids, the Persians, Assyrians, Hittites and the Phoenicians. Syria is ...
Freddie, Fiona and four-cornered liberalism To Westminster, where I run into Freddie and Fiona, who worked in the leader's office before the general election. They tell me they are now running a think-tank "to promote four-cornered liberalism". Not recalling anything about them in the conversation of my old friend L.T. Hobhouse, I ask what these four corners are. "Well," replies Freddie, "there's economic liberalism and... and... er..." "...the other three," Fiona finishes triumphantly. Lord Bonkers was Liberal MP for Rutland South-West 1906-10. Previously in Lord Bonkers' Diary We are not downheartedHow the Lib Dems won Loch Ness
As a party, the Liberal Democrats, and the Liberal Party before it, have always been very strong supporters of the United Nations. The 1951 Liberal Party manifesto (admittedly not one which met with unalloyed electoral acclaim) stated in a section entitled "World peace through law": We stand firmly, as we have always stood, behind Collective Security and the United Nations Organisation. We believe in the absolute necessity of maintaining the rule of law, and protecting British interests when necessary within the framework of international law. It is with that history in mind that we can warmly welcome the passing of ...
Tim Farron has commented on the passing of the UN Resolution 2249, which had the UN Security Council recognise that Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as Da'esh), constitutes a global and unprecedented threat to international peace and security, Tim said: I warmly welcome United Nations Security Council Resolution 2249. The fact that Russia did not use its veto is an important first step towards creating the broad coalition that the Liberal Democrats have been calling for as the only effective context for considering proposals for military action. The UK should now use all its diplomatic ...
Sat 21st
14:04
Haringey Council approves controversial development against advice of emergency services
[IMG: 2_Bounds_Green_Road.jpg] I've teamed up with my local neighbours to oppose a planning application - which Haringey Council has approved against the advise of the emergency services. I've pasted a copy of the press release below. Residents in Bounds Green have expressed serious concerns, following Haringey Council's decision to approve a planning application in a very narrow piece of land, sandwiched between back gardens and opening onto an ally way.
Sat 21st
13:31
Lord Bruce of Bennachie of Torphins in the County of Aberdeen takes his seat in the House of Lords
[IMG: Malcolm & Rosemary Bruce] Malcolm Bruce took his seat in the Lords this week. He was resplendent in the traditional robes. There was a bit of a negotiation over his title, as the Press and Journal reports: Lord Bruce previously told The Press and Journal he opted to include the famous Aberdeenshire landmark in his name because it is visible from everywhere in his old constituency. It was initially rejected on the grounds the hill is not a "habitation", but a lengthier form - Baron Bruce of Bennachie of Torphins in the County of Aberdeen - was later accepted. ...
The appropriate response to events in Paris is the subject of Nick Clegg's Standard column this week. With ominous predictability, populists from Nigel Farage to Marine Le Pen are already using the attacks to pursue their long-held ambitions — to turn countries inwards and away from each other. We must not let that happen. We must bottle the spirit of defiance and generosity seen at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday night and hold it tight. We must not turn on each other. The murderers of Islamic State are no more representative of Islam than the Ku Klux Klan are of Christianity. ...
And having reeled off a few names (Ursula K, Octavia B, three or four current ones) I thought it might also be useful to share a couple of the Goodreads Groups I lurk. Feminist Science Fiction Fans is the more serious of the two, and they do a book-of-the-month thing which I've got into the habit of just buying. They are great for exploration of feminist ideas. Girls, Guns and Grimoires is, as their name suggests, more on the funloving side. They're not explicitly feminist, but by Cthulhu they rec some awesome feminist books. They also have a book of ...
[IMG: Selection_219] The Council is currently consulting on two of the big transport schemes for Stockport Town Centre. The Transport Interchange project, run in partnership with TfGM, will replace the old bus station with a new, modern transport interchange. Phase 2 of the Town Centre Access Plan brings forward more improvements to help people get around Stockport quicker, whether by car, bus or bike. You can have your say on the schemes here. The closing date for responses to the consultation is Monday 7th December 2015.
Non-standard English on the Islands of the South Atlantic Falklands, St Helena, Tristan da Cunha (tags: linguistics english ) Sir Ian McKellen's Monologue: Shakespeare's Sir Thomas More speech Chilling. (tags: sexandgenderandsexuality migration ukpolitics shakespeare ) Syrian Refugees Don't Pose a Serious Security Threat From the right-wing Cato Institute. (tags: syria. migration waronterror uspolitics ) How globalization and emerging markets are transforming communications @bradstaples describes our working environment. (tags: communications )
If you're heading to Oldham, or elsewhere out on the campaign trail, you might want to download this wee gem from the Guardian. Just imagine being out in the cold with a bundle of leaflets with Paddy's ruminations on life, the universe, and everything helping you on your way. It's perfect delivery round length, at around one and a half hours' long. As the Guardian's accompanying notes say: The only Mandarin-speaking, trained killer to rise to prominence in British politics, Ashdown covered a lot of ground as marine officer, spy, diplomat and even failed HGV driver before becoming MP for ...
Scottish Liberal Democrats Leader Willie Rennie MSP warned the Scottish public against being complacent about racism and islamaphobia in Scotland following the recent Paris terrorist attacks. Deputy Chief Constable Iain Livingstone revealed that there have been 64 recorded cases of racially or religiously motivated hate crimes in the country in the past seven days. That contrasts... More Rennie Warns Against Racist Attacks
In the last of my present run of 1970's photos' of a number of Merseyrail Stations in the latter days of the the old Class 502 EMU here is Ormskirk. [IMG: A 502 EMU at Ormskirk] I purchased the photo (and then scanned it) from the Friends of the 502 Group. The photo is also amongst my Flickr shots at:- www.flickr.com/photos/86659476@N07/
Just when you thought that the infighting amongst Labour MPs could not get any worse, Chuka Umunna launches into his own coruscating criticism of Jeremy Corbyn. According to the Telegraph, the former Labour leadership contender believes that Jeremy Corbyn's pacifist views should disqualify him from office because he cannot keep Britain safe: In a thinly veiled attack at his leader, Mr Umunna said: "If you cannot keep the people safe, in their eyes that is a disqualification from office." Mr Umunna told the BBC's Today programme this morning that he will vote with his "conscience" on airstrikes in Syria regardless ...
Given the good ship Corbyn is going down in flames, I thought it would be fun to have a stab at who might possibly succeed him as leader of the Labour Party. Bear in mind, it's possible to see a scenario in which another leadership election happens in a year's time or less: Labour lose the Oldham West by-election, then do terribly in May 2016, and then Corbyn decides he can't take anymore regardless of John McDonnell's threats of Leninist retribution. Or, Corbyn could dig his heels in and refuse to go no matter what electoral horrors come Labour's way, ...
Keith Holloway has called for the Government to think again about the major cuts to Police funding after a leaked Home Office document revealed that the plans could make it much harder for the Police to respond to a terrorist threat. The leaked document says the ability to mobilise large numbers of officers would "reduce very significantly across the country". Keith has been campaigning on Police numbers for several months, ever since the new Government's plans became clear. "We already know that the cuts being proposed are likely to see the end of beat police and speed checks," said Keith. ...
The much missed late, great leader of the Liberal Democrats, Charles Kennedy, was routinely mocked by political opponents as "Chatshow Charlie", because of his readiness to go on popular TV programmes, including and especially the BBC's Have I Got News for You (HIGNFY). But as with schoolboys, this mocking often masked jealousy on the others' [...]
More comedy genius from Australia's Clarke and Dawe:
Sat 21st
08:45Jim Wallace's inaugural Charles Kennedy Memorial Lecture: Charles' legacy should be a call to refres...
Five days before what would have been Charles Kennedy's 56th birthday, Jim Wallace, who entered the Commons on the same day as Charles in 1983, delivered the inaugural Charles Kennedy Memorial Lecture in Fort William. Seeing Charles Kennedy and Memorial in the same sentence still freaks me out slightly. It feels very wrong. Jim has very kindly provided us with a copy of his lecture so that those of us who couldn't make it up to Fort William can hear what he had to say. His subject was Charles, the legacy he left of internationalism and an example of always ...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-34878766 For those interested in how political parties work and clearly at times don't work the link above takes you to a thoughtful piece by Iain Watson on the BBC web site. Who is going to win the battle for Labour's soul? The membership that backs overwhelmingly backs new Leader Jeremy Corbyn or the 90% of his MP's who don't back him. Ignoring my own anti-Labour bias this is a fascinating battle much of which is being played out day after day in broad day light. Just imagine what the exchanges are like behind the scenes! Thanks to Roy Connell ...
Yesterday, I had a highly informative tour of the Central Waterfront kindly provided by the City Engineer and one of his Senior Engineers. It is only when you walk round the main civic space (to be known as Slessor Gardens) that the sheer size of the new civic area becomes apparent, as does the high quality of the work undertaken and finished result - something the city will be really proud of. Here's a couple of photographs : I also had the pleasure yesterday of attending the Official Opening of the new Starter Packs premises in Forest Park Road, and ...
Introducing Doctor Who - Robot... The first story in my idiosyncratic fifty-two-week Doctor Who selection... And what a mighty first this story brings! Launching the 1975* season, this stars Tom Baker as the Doctor (and he's not the only first). There's a trail of mysterious break-ins and deaths and only the footprints of a giant robot left behind - what could it be? Well, obviously, yes, but there are more secret weapons and a fascist coup to deal with too. Can the Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith, Harry and the Brigadier stop them? And how much fun will we have watching? ...
The damning Commons justice committee report on the criminal courts charge Transgender prisoner's death prompts anger from Bradford equality campaigners "West Yorkshire Police said Thompson's death was not being treated as suspicious" - well, they're not wrong, really. It was perfectly predictable. Tim Farron responds on Vicky Thompson death in custody on Trans Day of Remembrance Partner of transgender woman found dead in prison calls for law change In Memoriam #TDoR2015 Tory MPs block bill to give first aid training to children by talking non-stop until debate ends TDoR 2015: The Longest Roll of the Dead in History Reflections of ...
New figures show that Wales is the only part of the UK where average wages are decreasing. The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings shows that average weekly wages in Wales decreased by 0.1% this year, the only region of the UK to show a decrease. The North East of England, a region often compared to Wales, had an increase of 2%, while the UK average increased by 1.8%. These figures confirm what we've suspected for a while now: the Welsh economy is suffering under Labour. It's no coincidence that Wales is the only part of the UK where pay ...
