Jane Austen's novel Emma was a set text in my 'A'-level English Literature course; as the author intended, doubtless, one half-loved, half-despised, the 20-ish daughter of a devoting but hypochondriac father, Mr Woodhouse, living a life of ease in early 19th century England, with little to worry or vex her. Match-making is her favourite pastime, one of [...]
Back in the 1960s, Kettering Grammar School was celebrated for its tracking of Scoiet satellites. Click on the still above to watch a 1966 television report on the school's activities. I recognise the school buildings because I used to play in the annual Kettering chess tournament there a decade later, but they have since been demolished.
Forgot to do this when they were announced last week.Best Novel Goodreads LibraryThing owners av rating owners av rating The Ten Thousand Doors of January, Alix E. Harrow 127373 4.13 561 4.17 Gideon the Ninth, Tamsyn Muir 67339 4.26 460 4.24 Gods of Jade and Shadow, Silvia Moreno-Garcia 78899 3.9 340 3.96 A Memory Called Empire, Arkady Martine 41164 4.19 370 4.13 A Song for a New Day, Sarah Pinsker 4814 4.16 63 4.28 Marque of Caine, Charles E. Gannon 230 3.98 8 4.5 This is the ninth year that I have been tracking these figures. Last year's winner was ...
More than a million homes granted planning permission in the past decade have not yet been built, according to new analysis by the Local Government Association. Latest figures show that 2,564,600 units have been granted planning permission by councils since 2009/10 while only 1,530,680 have been completed. The number of planning permissions granted for new homes has almost doubled since 2012/13 with councils approving 9 in 10 applications. While in some cases there will be a time lag between permission being granted and homes being built, new build completions have only increased by half as much in that time. Encouragingly, ...
I have been feeling grim about the prospects of the union, should there be another referendum. I'm trying to figure out what we can do to stop it breaking apart, beyond the empty soundbite of "working together for now, cross-party, towards a better Scotland, regardless of its constitutional state". Basically making some progress on "the day job" stuff for a while. To do that, we need to figure out what it is nationalists want, because like it or not, there is no Scottish Parliamentary election result in 2021 that doesn't see us having to find some common ground with the ...
Imagine you've turned up at the airport 3 hours early for your flight. It could be a much-anticipated and saved-for holiday for the whole family or a quick business trip. You've taken out travel insurance which covers you for delays - but then, just as you are getting onto the plane, you're stopped and questioned by officials for security reasons. You're not detained, all's well, and you're allowed to fly – but the length of time you were questioned for means you've now missed your flight. You might think your travel insurer will cover you for losses in buying a ...
Local councils and groups have been working with South Glos on the first year of a major tree planting programme. Across South Glos around 8,250 young trees have been planted. In Dodington Parish local councillors worked with residents to find out where they did and didn't want trees. For example they didn't want trees that would block where children play. In Lilliput Park a class of children from Raysfield School planted 100 trees, helped by South Glos and Dodington staff and by volunteers from Avon Wildlife Trust Southwold Group. Before Christmas the same partnership helped schoolchildren create a wildlife flower ...
The local party has the news: Buckingham Constituency Liberal Democrats are delighted to announce that Cllr Peter Cooper has joined the Liberal Democrats and will be a candidate in the elections to the new Buckinghamshire Council on May 7th. Peter has vast experience, having represented the Wingrave Ward of Aylesbury Vale District Council (AVDC) for twenty years. Welcoming Cllr Cooper to the party Cllr Anders Christensen. Leader of the Lib Dem Group on AVDC commented, 'As an Independent member Peter has been a model of diligent representation for the people of Wingrave Ward. He has been successful in holding the ...
Mon 24th
11:08
What Labour does not seem to understand - and why this will continue to drag them down
During the period between the EU referendum result becoming known and the December 2019 general election, a three and a half year epoch unto itself, many Remainer commentators found it astounding that no matter how many things the Leave campaign had stated were visibly disproven ("we hold all the cards" became "they are bullying us"), very few Leavers changed their minds. I think a lot of Remainers did not understand the power of the "Get Brexit Done" mantra and both Labour and the Lib Dems did not absorb the fact that they had to fight directly against it if they ...
Sun, 12:56: RT @BurpleMan: My Irish passport is so technologically advanced it allows me to live, work and study in 27 other countries 🤠https://t.co/1... Sun, 14:19: Another great thread. https://t.co/WZuP5f82oG Sun, 15:47: April 2005 books https://t.co/F5tkGRssVL Sun, 20:15: In the last 56 years and three months, not a single second of #DoctorWho on television has been set in Ireland. Just saying. Sun, 20:46: RT @H_Bettsworth: Don't split the party, you never split the party, I'm getting anxious here #DoctorWho Sun, 21:01: RT @TobiasVaughn: @VaultAusir @nwbrux The first nine minutes or so of "Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror" are set ...
If the new immigration regulations are forced through, Parliament itself could be very short of staff. That is why I've tabled questions to find out exactly how many of the present staff could on appointment have satisfied these regulations. A question that is not permitted is where new recruits will come from and how many meet the demand that they must earn £25,000! Questions about parliamentary staff would be for the Senior Deputy Speaker. However, his remit only covers matters relating to the House of Lords so he could not answer about House of Commons staff, or staff employed by ...
Mon 24th
09:30
Maghull – Heavy rain reminds us of the potential peril of building on agricultural land locall...
The recent heavy rain got me thinking about the soon to be built and vast urban extension to Maghull of @1700 houses. I went to have a look at the site on Sunday 23rd February. The photos below really speak for themselves as they start with the waterlogged site as I saw it followed by where the water eventually drains to i.e. Dovers Brook and the River Alt. Maghull East Site from Ashworth Motorway junction 23 02 20 Maghull East Site from Poverty Lane 23 02 20 Dovers Brook at Sefton Lane looking north 23 02 20 Dovers Brook at ...
I wanted to share my experience of submitting a motion defining the definitions of Antisemitism (IHRA) and Islamophobia (APPG). But I decided to not add the caveats (mentioned in this Liberal Democrat Voice article by John Kelly). You can read my speeches and the motion here. Firstly, the IHRA definition is clear that it is not anti-Semitic to criticise Israel and lastly, I did not want to single out the Jewish community over geopolitics that they have no link with, no control over, and are not responsible for. As we did adopt the APPG definition of Islamophobia without clarification over ...
From Blether Tay-Gither : Our February 2020 Blether will be on Tuesday 25th February - at 7pm at Madigan's Tearoom and Bookshop at 25 Castle Street. The Theme is "Leaps, Jumps and Dives" to mark this leap year. Interpret this how you like with whatever story the words and your imagination conjures up. Join us for a relaxed evening of stories and tales. bring a story or just come to listen. Hope to see some of you there - all welcome!
The Sunday Times reports that peers paid themselves almost one-third more last year just as the size of the House of Lords is set to swell to its largest in two decades. Their analysis has found that the cost of peers' expenses and daily attendance allowance rose by 29% in the year to last March to £23m and that taxpayers face a triple hit: The average tax-free payment was £30,827, higher than the median salary of a UK worker, while 31 lords claimed more in expenses than the standard take-home pay of an MP.Peers are set to receive an above ...
