July These days I have caring responsibilities for my mother, so it is harder to get away. I did manage a few days in Canterbury this month, only to be derailed at Chilham by cows. In other news, Tim Farron was elected as leader of the Liberal Democrats (with my help). With attention turning to the Labour contest, I suspected that Dan Jarvis was benefiting from Kieron Dyer Syndrome. And I suggested that the fault line between David Cameron and George Osborne runs through Eynsham Cricket Club. I explored the remains of Leicester Central railway station, while an old film ...
I've had a significant uptick in Livejournal activity this year. I'm not sure if this is because some people are returning to it who had left, or because I'm posting more interesting material; the biggest factor is certainly that the debate around the Hugos boosted LJ as a whole, thanks to grrm, and I think this particular channel was a partial beneficiary of that grim situation. Anyway, in the last 12 months, 37 posts here got ten or more comments, almost as many as the previous two years combined (18 in 2014, 23 in 2013). Roughly a third of those ...
There is still crucial work to do on the campaign to reform the pub trade, says Gareth Epps. "Dickensian would not only be inspired by Dickens's novels: in its alternating layers of melodrama and comedy, like the 'streaky bacon' effect he wrote about in Oliver Twist, its style would also be truly Dickensian." Robert Douglas-Fairhurst is literary adviser to the BBC series. "The heritage minister, Tracey Crouch, announced that Clouds Hill, the tiny home of T E Lawrence , near Wareham in Dorset has been given Grade II* status," reports David Hencke. Alwyn Turner introduces us to William Charles Boyden-Mitchell, ...
[IMG: York Flooding 1] Over recent days the news has been full of images of York underwater. Hundreds of people have been evacuated from their homes after the city's two rivers burst their banks, flooding houses, shops, businesses and threatening historical buildings. The River Ouse peaked at over 5 metres above its typical level, while the River Foss has hit record heights. We of course owe a debt of gratitude to all the staff and volunteers from the City of York Council, the emergency services, Environment Agency, armed forces and voluntary organisations, for the hard work they have put in ...
As ever, I found your votes very helpful in leading me to interesting reading in 2015, and I would once again very much appreciate your advice on what books to read next, by filling in this poll. This is not the complete contents of my unread shelf; I've stripped out Doctor Who books, Dutch-language comics and books by white men which I acquired before this year. The books are listed in each category by descending popularity on LibraryThing. With the gradual decline of Livejournal, and also as I dig down through my TBR pile to less well-known works, I wonder ...
[IMG: Houses] Too many people, particularly younger people, can't afford a home of their own. The Liberal Democrats have set a bold and ambitious target to increase the amount of homes we build in the UK to 300,000 every year, more than any other mainstream party. For decades, successive Conservative and Labour Governments have not built enough [...]
Previously...From a foe from the impossible future to an enemy from the ultimate past... Introducing... The Great Intelligence. And his cuddly toys. Viewers of the "modern" series might only be familiar with the Great Intelligence as an avatar of Steven Moffat that menaced Matt Smith's final year in the shape of Richard E Grant (who was also the cartoon ninth Doctor in "Scream of the Shalka" - which leads to all sorts of retcons, but that way madness lies). The original Great Intelligence, though, was much more spooky and much more Sixties. (art by Simon Hodges) Ten Reasons To Watch ...
[IMG: Miriam González Durántez by Cabinet Office] It's great to see Radio 4 continuing with their holiday tradition of having guest editors for the programme. Tomorrow it's Miriam Gonzalez Durantez in the hot seat. Miriam has done brilliant work with her Inspiring Women campaign, taking women professionals into schools to talk to girls about their careers. During the election, she campaigned tirelessly for our key seat women candidates. There is much to love in her line-up for tomorrow. For a start, she's talking to the amazing Great British Bake Off winner Nadiyah Hussein. What we will need the popcorn for, ...
Do you know how one often passes by without stopping and taking note? For a year to and from work, I passed by the monument on Edinburgh's Steadfast Gate, which forms a junction on the cycle and walking paths between Victoria Park in Trinity and The Water of Leith. Taking advantage of the fine weather ahead of Storm Frank, due here this evening, I was walking, only to discover the scene below. The benches have been vandalised and graffitied. Cobbles have been ripped up and moss allowed to grown between those who remain. The Stones from The Sinclair Fountain have ...
It is obvious that the UK's welfare system is in dire need of reform. Currently, it consists of a large, unwieldy, confusing mishmash of various benefits, and as a system is difficult to navigate and almost impossible to understand. In addition to this, benefits in Britain are neither particularly generous nor conducive to helping people [...]
Creating a new vibrant business hub in the town centre that will bring new jobs and opportunities to Stockport, Stockport Exchange is part of the Council's 'Investing in Stockport' programme. Due to open in late 2016, this stage of the works will bring a 115 bed Holiday Inn Express® hotel, 50,000 sq ft Grade A office building including ground floor retail space and new areas of public realm to the town centre. As the work continues, some changes need to be made to the area immediately in front of the station from early January. From 9th January, a section of ...
[IMG: richard kemp] Liverpool Lib Dems have announced that they have selected Cllr Richard Kemp to run for Mayor of Liverpool in the election in May 2016. On his blog, Richard says: You will know from your own conversations that people are tired of our Mayor. He has made a laughing stock of Liverpool time and time again. The result is that Manchester is leaping ahead of us on all fronts but especially those that relate to the economy and employment. But I am not standing just because I don't like the Mayor. I will be fighting on a range ...
We have our Headline of the Day, courtesy of the Rutland & Stamford Mercury.
Embed from Getty Images 9 July 1968 - Many belong to a species of stage boy, only related to childhood by their small size. All the other attributes of boyhood - youth, gaiety, innocence - have long since gone. Squat creatures, seemingly weaned on Woodbines, they are the boys who have been in Oliver! Lionel Bart has cut a swathe through the nation's youth like the 1914-18 war. They are the new Lost Generation. Alan Bennett Writing Home (1994) There is at present a good documentary from 2002 on the BBC iPlayer about the opening night of Lionel Bart's 'Oliver!' ...
[IMG: Maghull & Aintree Advertiser 29th May 1969 (p)] My posting of a couple of weeks ago, which can be accessed via the link below, refers:- The article that went with the 1969 photo is certainly a product of its time. The way it is written shows how much more formal those times were. Here it is in full:- [IMG: Maghull & Aintree Advertiser 29th May 1969 (3)] Please click on the Advertiser article and photo to increase their size. The first part of the article clearly refers to the other Coach & Horse shops on the opposite side ...
The morning after the Spanish General election, those of us who follow Spanish politics suffered from a sore head. The electorate gave no clear direction when the votes were counted last week, with the previous governing party winning first place, but with far fewer seats and votes and no viable combination of parties able to group together to form a stable government. Those of us who two weeks ago had dreamed that Spain's new centrist party, Ciudadanos, were about to break the mould and become, if not a governing party, at least the kingmakers, can be forgiven for being disappointed ...
There was an interesting article in yesterday's Guardian which illustrates how officials are seeking to frustrate the release of information under the Freedom of Information Act and how that mission is impacting on the annual release of historic records. The columnist, Richard Norton-Taylor says that instead of the usual treasure trove of long-held documents, next week the archives will release only a limited number. The official explanation is that the way historic records are released is being changed by "moving to a more responsive and agile programme of releases". He says that the reality is that despite the decision to ...
Embed from Getty Images Privatisation. It's a word which strikes fear into the hearts of progressives everywhere. Perhaps understandably so; previous governments have made a complete mess of privatising our NHS. From signing contracts for building hospitals without reading the small print to providing poor healthcare, privatisation has often been a failure. That doesn't mean it can't be done though and it certainly doesn't mean it isn't needed. The uncomfortable truth is that our beloved NHS is unsustainable. Expenditure on healthcare has rocketed from £75 billion in 2000 to almost £130 billion in 2013. As healthcare improves, the number of ...
[IMG: Donate now] There's still time to win a copy of Tim Ross's excellent Why the Tories Won. Just sign up by 31st December for a monthly donation to help cover the costs of Liberal Democrat Newswire and you'll be entered in a prize draw to win a copy of the book. Thank you too to everyone who is already helping cover the costs. It's hugely appreciated.
There appear to be two viewpoints within Labour if one is an anti-Corbynite. The first goes that Jeremy is a stain on the nation and the party and that all effort must be put into wresting power away from him as quickly as possible. The alternative opinion being that ultimately the Tories are the enemy and that everyone must unite against them, regardless of Corbyn's faults. I'm not in the Labour Party so it's easy for me to empathise more readily with the former group; however, it is easy to see the logic the second crew are advancing. Therefore, those ...
The Liberal Democrats are presently rebuilding. We are welcoming in huge numbers of new members and fighting back to regain or retain seats across the country. Part of the challenge of rebuilding means refocussing our message around our values. The battle over which direction the party should take on economic matters especially can be a fierce one. It is a vital one, but it can begin to obscure what we are trying to achieve in the first place. With the focus on these divisions it can become easy to forget what unifies so many in the party and that the ...
Your local library has a new collection of books that you might find helpful if you are living with autism or Asperger's, or know someone who is. The books have been recommended by people with autism and those who live or work with them, including the library service and the South Gloucestershire Autism Planning Group. They provide information and advice, support for living well, advice for relatives and carers, plus personal stories. The interactive list can be found online. The books can be borrowed free of charge for a special extended loan period of six weeks, and if the book ...
I tell myself I write this blog solely for my own amusement and without any expectation it will be read. But that's clearly not true. One way I know is that I spend time looking at the statistics bit of WordPress to see if anyone is actually reading, and am delighted when it becomes clear [...]
I have received a number of constituents' concerns about the reliability of the Xplore Dundee Service 10, particularly running from the Technology Park. I took up the matter with the Managing Director of Xplore Dundee who has responded as follows : "We are actively working towards a solution to the No. 10 Service, we are aware of the issues and are also unhappy that our customers are having problems with the service. We have had a number of staff monitoring the service to identify specific pinch points along the route to allow us to be sure any fix resolves the ...
Yesterday Iraqi government forces retook control of the city of Ramadi from ISIS/Daesh, though much of its infrastructure was trashed in the process. This was a welcome development which prompted the Iraqi Prime Minister, Haider al-Abadi, to declare that self-styled Islamic State will be crushed during 2016. Brave words, but I fear that he is [...]
Schools must teach children that Britain is a Christian country - Eurgh. Trans People Won't Be Equal While We're Treated Like Children - excellent by @auntysarah Excellent collection of helpful links for anyone involved in Calderdale flood cleanup by @jenny4mp MPs warn of 'drowned' Leeds if flood defence plans are scrapped - from February 2011 2Tone Comics in Hebden Bridge was totaled by the floods. Genuine independent. Pls give if you can. Three words pollsters would rather you didn't mention; differential non response The Guardian view on the UK floods: they will be back -"all that green crap" is backing ...
(that's Rock in Power. I can't imagine Mr Kilminster resting in peace) I'm never going to forget that gig, or having to sit at the front in lecture theatres for two weeks after it. Thank you. [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
As we're sure most even occasional frequenters of the LY Chatbox will be aware that Liberal Youth England elections are currently in full swing. With voting opening tonight, the two Chair candidates have just taken part in an online hustings hosted by outgoing LYE Chair Connor McKenzie. The hour long hustings can be watched now [...]
Christmas is over. Hooray! Today I was able to use my time constructively. I spent the afternoon doing self-sufficiency things, mainly cleaning our quail aviary. And tonight, I went to our office in Consett to fold our next Focus newsletter for the Whickham part of my ward. It will be hitting doormats shortly.
