A full six months have elapsed since Britain's EU Referendum, yet the public is still being kept in the dark about what Brexit would mean. Prime Minister Theresa May refuses to divulge her "plan" (even to the Queen, which is surely a violation of convention). But many of us suspect that Mrs May still doesn't [...]
January New Year's Day saw me at Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem in Nottingham, one of many pubs that claims to be the oldest in England: At the bar the locals were discussing cricket with a barman from Australia or New Zealand. All was right with the world.It was not to last. Nick Clegg, I argued, had last an empire but not yet found a role. Happily, he found one as a party spokesman in the aftermath of the European referendum. I reported that Nick Rushton, Conservative leader of Leicestershire County Council, had had his Twitter account hacked by someone ...
So, President Obama and his former campaign adviser David Axelrod were chewing the fat about the Labour Party and whether the Democrats could go the same way. Of course, Axelrod knows Labour well, as he was hired to try to get us to love Ed Miliband at the 2015 General Election. That didn't work out so well. Axelrod was talking about Labour disintegrating after the defeat, and Obama responded that he didn't see the Democrats going the same way as Labour after losing the presidency to Donald Trump. Tim Farron took advantage of the President's comments to hammer home that ...
Introducing Doctor Who - Home Truths... A ghost story for Christmas featuring one of Doctor Who's shortest-lived companions as the heartbeat of one of its most intimate and personal tales. Jean Marsh recreates Sara Kingdom for this creepy Big Finish audio two-hander (3.05 in their Companion Chronicles series) where she poses a challenge to church, state and listener simply by being there. For all that she and the visiting Night Constable scoff at fairy tales, she embodies perhaps the oldest fairytale lesson of all... "There's a house across the waters at Ely where an old woman tells a strange story." ...
Nominations are open for the first round of the BSFA Awards, until 31 December. You can nominate up to four works in each category (Best Novel, Best Short Fiction, Best Art, Best Non-Fiction) and you can do it here. You can also see some of what has been nominated by others so far here. (Both Best Artwork and Best Non-Fiction currently look a little underpopulated.) You do have to be a member of the BSFA to vote. The shortlists in each of the four categories will then be selected during January by further online vote of the BSFA mambership - ...
Embed from Getty Images Bob Monkhouse was around before any other post-war British comedian. He began writing for some of the top acts while he was still a schoolboy. That means he was on the scene while the Goons, Eric Sykes and Benny Hill generation were still in the Army. In the 1950s he was a television star. IN 1958 e shared top billing with William Hartnell in the first Carry On film - Carry On Sergeant. Yet from the 1960s onwards he was best known as a quiz show compere. Tucked away on BBC4 last night was a remarkable ...
A walk around this lovely woodland today revealed that Christmas decorations had been added to some trees, information boards and even to a carved owl. [IMG: xmas-decs-in-ruff-wood-3] [IMG: xmas-decs-in-ruff-wood-1] [IMG: xmas-decs-in-ruff-wood-2] Very festive and I thought the owl looked particularly fetching with its blue tinsel scarf. The owl shot is also amongst my Flickr photos at:- www.flickr.com/photos/86659476@N07/
Second paragraph of third chapter:One hundred and thirty miles - a surface of packed, crusted snow going across barren plains and through frail birch groves. At every relay they drank scalding tea at the inn, hung thick with the smell of smoke, leather and cabbage. Grandmother's coach was in the lead, hoisted up on its high wheels, as comfortable as a house. There was food inside to last for ten days, a medicine kit, dressing case, and a night commode, so that the passengers might relieve themselves without getting out of the coach. Frozen by the wind, footmen clung to ...
Speaking in response to the Christmas message from Dr Peter Bennie (chair of the BMA in Scotland) the leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats Willie Rennie MSP said: "The BMA are right to highlight the enormous challenges that the NHS faces. "The huge demand for services and the changing nature of that demand means the ... Continue reading Rennie: 'BMA Right to Highlight NHS Challenges'
So I said something ill-thought-out on twitter, and it caused an argument with someone I really care about, and I just wanted it all to go away, but it didn't because while I was having the argument lots of other people were joining in on both sides, and the original ill-thought-out-tweet was being retweeted and it's all got too much. So I've deleted my twitter account, apart from anything else, just to stop people RTing that tweet. I've got 30 days. I may reconsider. YAY happy birthday to me. [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
Second paragraph of third chapter: She woke in a sweat, her cotton nightshirt soaked and clammy. Her mouth was dry. Light streamed through the window, and there was the sound of raised voices outside. Morning. So much for a good night‟s sleep. Draining the glass of water by her bedside, she stumbled to the bathroom for a long, long soak. When she returned, she pulled on fresh clothes and towelled her hair, feeling far more human. The noises could still be heard outside, so she walked to the window and pulled open the curtains. This is the very last of ...
As a pre-Christmas treat I've been reading Alan Bennett's latests volume of diaries, "Keeping on Keeping on." I'm happy that I share a lot of his views and prejudices, not least his irritation at being called a "customer" by the railways and local government, and loud mobile phone conversations on public transport and the streets. For me the issue re-arose recently when, trying to be helpful, I rang my local authority to point out that a replacement lamppost installed on the terrace where I live didn't actually light (it still doesn't). The following letter to my (Conservative) councillor explains the ...
As the Leeds Liverpool canal winds its way through the south and east of Sefton Borough a number of swing bridges are encountered. [IMG: Barge at Green Lane (Methodist Turn Bridge), Maghull] Barge at Green Lane (Methodist Turn Bridge), Maghull They were constructed in this way to save money; the alternative being far more expensive stone bridges. Thinking of the stretch of the canal through Sefton's East Parishes communities there are swing bridges for example at the following locations:- Wango Lane, Hall lane, Shop lane, Green Lane, Bells Lane It is not unusual for the bridges to be out of ...
There was a huge amount of controversy in May of this year when Plaid Cymru leader, Leanne Wood was nominated for First MInister against Labour's Carwyn Jones and forced a 29-29 stalemate after she attracted the votes of UKIP and the Tories. As Politics Home reported at the time, Labour were particularly vehement in their criticism. accusing Leanne Wood of "prancing about wanting to be First Minister" without having a programme for government that could attract majority support and of "unbelievable hypocritical behaviour" for seeking a deal witb UKIP and the Toriee despite claiming to be more anti-austerity than everybody ...
[IMG: day-3] On the third day of Christmas, ALDC gave to me... a great discount for the next Kickstart event. If you're an active Liberal Democrat campaigner looking to win in 2017 or 2018 (or in fact any year) then attending our Kickstart weekend is a must. Kickstart is our highly regarded residential training weekend, which we [...]
miss_s_b | On DRIP and the wider implications for Lib Demmery, or how Julian Huppert broke my heart My shame at my party's complicity in this isn't gig to go away any time soon Revealed: British councils used Ripa to secretly spy on public | World news | The Guardian RT @AnnieMachon: #RIPA abused by UK councils: As I wrote in 2008: What hope with #snooperscharter ? "I went to a feminism class for boys" How George Michael became one of the world's most important LGBT rights campaigners | The Independent RT @THTorguk: Thank you to George Michael for all ...
There is only one world. Internationalists like the Lib Dems understand that and want to work in partnership with others to preserve it and support all who live on it. Supercharged by my newly found cosmic role as 'Best Grandpa ... Continue reading →
For the last couple of years, around this time, we've asked you to name your Liberal Democrat Stars of the year. Little did we know that in 2013, what we thought might be an interesting comments thread for a day or two would turn into a six part Liberal Democrat Roll of Honour with some really lovely tributes to some fabulous people. This year, we've had a few nominations already! Last year, my introductory post talked about 2015 as the worst year ever to be a Liberal Democrat. It certainly was a stinker. This year, we find our own fortunes ...
Find out more about volunteering and activities in the West End! Drop-in sessions at Blackness Library in the New Year :
This article first appeared in the Shropshire Star on 22 December 2016 as part of a feature on Ludlow. It's the time of year for publishing lists. Lists of the top Christmas tunes. Compilations of the best ways to cook brussel sprouts - if there are any. And, courtesy of the Halifax Bank, we have a gazetteer of the top 50 places to live in Britain. But where, oh where is Ludlow in the Halifax list? It is nowhere to be seen. Surely this is an oversight? We must be better than Winchester, the overcrowded and fast expanding town that ...
Looking back at my writing this year is bittersweet. Much of what concerns me about the current state of the world was also a great spur for writing. In previous years I often had to look hard for topics to write about. In 2016, they seemed to come in waves, each hitting me in [...]
Brexit: Six Months On (PDF) Comprehensive analysis from the LSE. (tags: brexit eu ukpolitics ) It's the Settlements, Stupid: Security Council Failure Is Entirely Netanyahu's @barakravid nails it for @haaretz. (tags: ) The Tom of Finland biopic "The whole Nazi philosophy, the racism and all that, is hateful to me, but of course I drew them anyway—they had the sexiest uniforms!" (tags: sexandgenderandsexuality finland ) Is this Trump's nuclear weapons policy? Or is it overanalysing? (tags: uspolitics russia nuclear )
