We've had part 1 and part 2. What better way to finish Alexei Sayle's Comic Roots and the pub crawl of which it consists than with part 3?
I know it's the silly season, but the Leicester Mercury reports: A former Labour councillor who defected to the Tories is plotting a return to red - with a new job as a Santa for hire. Ex-county councillor Leon Spence says he is seriously looking at an unlikely career shift for the festive season.Spence represented Whitwick on the county council. He left the Labour group to sit as an independent before May's elections and has since joined the Conservatives He has been busy tweeting the sort of things that will appeal to his new friends. He also writes for the ...
Conclusion 2(a) might be beyond me, but I'm pretty confident conclusions 2(b) and 2(c) require the sorts of knowledge I have.
When it became clear that the Victorian goods shed at Market Harborough station did not figure in the plans to straighten the line and build a new car park, I went to photograph it. You can see it above. The demolition men moved in on Wednesday and this was the scene when I arrived home from work in Leicester: I usually work from home on Thursdays and was getting on happily when a possible crisis blew up and I had to go in to the office. So I was able to take this picture mid morning: And this one in ...
Embed from Getty Images We have our Headline of the Day. The judges congratulate the Guardian, though they do suggest that the emotion the townspeople are experiencing is more likely to be disgust
On a close and cloudy morning, the bees still come: The stems of lavender fall one way, cascading to the left. The yellow fir spreads otherwise around, low-set but prominent; That small red rosebush still survives, reaching for the light... The flagstone slabs are wet from rain and water overflows the butt; Those terracotta pots [...]
(Part 2 of 2) (The Messukeskus, by Ian Moore) I almost didn't make it to Worldcon 75. My taxi was 15 minutes late picking me up from home, and then encountered serious traffic en route to Zaventem airport. I was far too late to check my bag and brought it through security, where I almost came unstuck because of the Official Hugo Glue, which Dave McCarty had given me at Smofcon in December and I now needed to give back to him. (In fact we did not need it, as the artist who created the bases had engraved the winners' ...
One of the key elements in my campaign for election as Oxfordshire County Councillor was the cut in funding many of the Children's Centres throughout Oxfordshire. The closure of the Maple Tree Children's Centre, Wheatley, in my patch inflamed the local community. Many parents and carers relied on the services and support provided at the Children's Centre for health advice, parenting support, breast-feeding counselling, and meeting other local parents/carers. This has been a big local issue. Our new Oxford West and Abingdon MP, Layla Moran, secured a debate in Westminster Hall on Children's Centres. She moved that, "That this House ...
The story is linked above to the original article by Tom Brake MP. Lib Dem MP Tom Brake Maybe Bill Esterson MP, the Labour International Trade Shadow Minister, could help? He was on Radio 5 Live a couple of days ago giving the socialist 'perspective' on the matter. My previous posting refers at:-
HEB Meeting held on 13th June key items of business: Review of Planning Pre-application Service We agreed an amendment to the rate of charges to introduce an additional category to reduce the fees for smaller developments (1-4 units), formalised notification of councillors of major pre-app proposals, and asked officers to investigate whether we could publish [...]
Isn't it about time we did something to sort out the education system – a system that is failing so many youngsters and failing our economy? The Prime Minister has just announced that 100,000 students will be getting mental health support to help them cope with the stresses of the education system. This is plain [...] The post Why schools are sending pupils over the edge? appeared first on Radix.
That's a headline I never thought I'd write. Online TV channel Core TV has been interviewing new MPs. It's not a traditional political interview and is meant to be a light-hearted introduction to our new law makers. Our Jamie Stone's effort will make your mind boggle. It's hilarious and has to be seen to be believed. Enjoy. * Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings
Thu, 12:04: I'm at Coolnacran Rath in Loughbrickland https://t.co/Rwfca4f0z0 https://t.co/noiSpuhIsQ Thu, 12:56: The origin of complex life on Earth just got a little less mysterious https://t.co/t2JpGDJWSR Wow. Thu, 18:34: The Administrator's Tale - part 1 of my 2017 Hugo memories https://t.co/5cdiTMkyTd Thu, 21:58: RT @NussbaumAbigail: The Hugo in situ, with a little horsy to keep it company. https://t.co/6pXgbMOqff Thu, 22:00: RT @raulromeva: Heartfelt condolences to the victims. Thank you police, health services and citizens. We will always be a country of peace... Fri, 08:18: RT @renay: @worldcon75 So my award is okay now and all issues resolved! Reiterating again how ...
Please stop sharing pictures of animal abuse online This link inspired by someone sharing one that made me physically vomit yesterday. [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
Fri 18th
10:58
We're a party for all, not of the centre. We're a party for government, not for opposition.
The Liberal Democrats are standing in front of an open goal. We were standing in front of it in June as well, it's just we seemed to be stubbornly facing in the other direction. Never again should we campaign in a general election saying that we are not interested in power. What is the point of drafting a manifesto if you have promised not to deliver any of the policies within it as a party of government? Where is the potential to inspire in aspiring to be a party of opposition? The offering in June was dismal. The Liberal Democrats ...
The train shuddered to a halt in Preston's station and the platform passengers crowded around the doors before they had even opened. Trying to be as helpful as possible and yet failing at it, they offered James a tiny line through the crowd. James jostled through, jogged up the steps and over the bridge to exit the station. The powdered clouds covered the sky, threatening rain. The bag strap dug into his shoulder. There was no breeze. He spotted the small silver car parked right at the other end of the car park and jogged down to it, opened the ...
Kiss, the rock band from New York that I find it hard to believe is still going, have been noted over their long tenure for many things: face paint, shagging copious groupies, breathing fire, explosions.....and really, really, really terrible lyrics. In fact, when I look back on Kiss, it is the lyrics that I find most endearing. Because they aren't merely bad or even really bad; Kiss' lyrics are to rock music what the Star Wars Holiday Special is to visual entertainment. I thought it might be fun, therefore, to search out the very worst of the band's words. I ...
In the aftermath of Nazi terror in the USA I keep seeing rows about similarities and differences between the far left and right. Notice the terms here FAR left / FAR right. If you think Tories / Republicans or Labour / Democrats as institutions are no different to Fascism / Communism then you're an idiot and you may as well stop reading now. Communism does not equal Fascism. (especially in economics). Communists may even be morally superior to Nazis but they're still morally worse than 99% of the rest of society and both of these totalitarian systems have more in ...
One of the key hopes of Brexit supporters is the imposition of extensive border controls. Leaving the EU, they told us, would give the UK the ability to control who comes in to the country. An impenetrable iron curtain of gleaming razor wire, pill boxes and border guards would keep out all those foreigners intent of coming to the UK to work, pay taxes and win medals for us at international
Fri 18th
09:43
Trump's equivocating over Charlottesville Nazis embarrasses May and hurts new US Dutch Ambassador
It was interesting to read the free daily "Worldview" newsletter put out by the Washington Post yesterday. Talking about the unprecedented spectacle of an American President equivocating about how evil heavily armed, swastikas and KKK regalia-wearing racists and neo-Nazis are, the WP draws our attention to how these scary shenanigans embarrass the foreign allies and friends of the USA, especially those who (out of national interests, seldom out of personal sympathy) so far tried to get into Trump's "good allies" book. The WP takes Theresa May as its case in point in this aspect. They remind us of the spectacle ...
Gateshead are undertaking a review of bowling greens and the likelihood is that many will be mothballed if they are not taken over by the clubs currently using them. I strongly support the idea that organisations of local users are better placed to take on the running of local facilities. Gateshead is pursuing this course of action because of austerity. It is something I believe should be
The Guardian has this opinion piece on its web site – see link above Some 20 odd years ago I was given the privilege of getting to know a chap who was involved in the Second World War. Our close friendship sadly ended earlier this year when he died (well into his 90's) but I like to think that I learned a great deal from listening to Charles (Uncle Albert) Walker about his wartime RAF experiences. The piece above by Harry Leslie Smith deserves a wide audience because he can see what many of us may be ignoring i.e. ...
Raw jute fibre was first imported into Britain in 1791 by the East India Company which traded in Bengal. Tomorrow, Saturday 19th August, the links between India and the Indian subcontinent and Dundee will be celebrated again with this family-friendly afternoon of colour, music, food and dance, celebrating Dundee's international community. 12 noon to 4pm : Drop in crafts1pm to 3pm : Face-painting1pm : Bollywood performance and workshop2pm : Traditional storytelling3pm : A taste of India snacks3.30pm : Sitar music All activities included in the regular Verdant Works museum admission.
Ministers have privately admitted that the government may not start negotiating Britain's future trade relationship with the EU until the end of the year, it emerged today. This comes despite David Davis insisting back in May that talks on a future trade agreement would take place in parallel with negotiation over the UK's withdrawal from the EU. Liberal Democrat Brexit Spokesperson Tom Brake commented: "This is a humiliating climbdown for David Davis. Once again the bluff and bluster of Tory eurosceptics is being exposed to the cold reality of Brexit. "We were told the EU would be begging us for ...
Just to let residents know about recent planning applications in your area. Please just let me know if you have any queries. Change of use from public house (Class C4) to offices (Class B1a) (following 2 year temporary fle... 315 Bury Old Road, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 1JA Ref. No: 61743 | Received: Mon 17 Jul 2017 | Validated: Mon 17 Jul 2017 | Status: Registered Alterations to garage roof to form raised terrace with balustrade & new external staircase 227 Bury Old Road, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 1JE Ref. No: 61700 | Received: Mon 03 Jul 2017 | Validated: Fri 07 ...
The ruling by a judge in Northern Ireland yesterday, rejecting a challenge to the province's ban on equal marriage, underlines the need for Stormont to catch up with the rest of the UK on this issue. The Guardian reports that Mr Justice O'Hara rejected both cases challenging the ban, insisting it did not violate the rights of LGBT couples. He said it was up to the Stormont assembly to decide social policy in Northern Ireland. The two couples brought the case against the department of finance, which regulates Northern Ireland's marriage laws, on the grounds that the ban contravenes the ...
Three by-elections took place for Aylesbury Vale District Council last night. We successfully defended two seats and missed out on another by only fifteen votes: Well done Waheed Khan Raja (Liberal Democrat) has held Southcourt Ward on Aylesbury Town Council, with 478 votes (38.6%). @AylesburyLibDem pic.twitter.com/7s6rsl4PNb — ALDC (@ALDC) August 17, 2017 Sally-Anne Jarvis (Liberal Democrat) has held the Southcourt District Ward by-election, with 456 votes (36.8%). @AylesburyLibDem pic.twitter.com/HPpKFKyKaF — ALDC (@ALDC) August 17, 2017 Near miss for Lib Dem Jason Bingley in Aylesbury Riverside Ward: only 15 votes away from gaining the seat from the Tories [IMG: 🙂] — ...
My daughter, Maelo Manning, obtained 2 A*s and 2As in her A level exams. Her first choice of university and course has been confirmed. It is to read 'Philosophy, Politics and Law' at King's College London.
Four council by-elections this week, all in England: two Conservative defences, one Labour defence and one Lib Dem defence. The results? No seats changing hands with Lib Dem candidates in three of the four contests and a near-miss in gaining a seat from the Conservatives. Conservative HOLD St Mary's, Forest Heath District Council. — Britain Elects (@britainelects) August 17, 2017
