I am sure that many of us have been thinking this recently. The fact that we have left the EU institutions; the fact that a customs border will be put between Northern Ireland and Eire which may leave to NI ... Continue reading →
I was in Cambridge yesterday and found I had time to attend the first half of the Cambridge University Ballet Club's Lent Term matinee performance. I have only been to one ballet before, "Giselle" in Bratislava last year, but it happened that I had time to kill on a wet Saturday afternoon and spotted this diversion in the West Road concert hall. Unfortunately shortage of time meant I missed the main programme item, a choreography of Mendlesohn's "Midsummer Night's Dream", but I caught the first two, based around Dukas' "Sorcerer's Apprentice" and Rimsky-Korsakov's "Sheherazade", both of which are favourite pieces ...
The Tories on Shropshire Council made a formal complaint against me because I told you that they were not telling you all that is happening with Ludlow Assembly Rooms. A press release was issued saying that £1.3m additional funding had been made available to complete the refurbishment. That was excellent news. But the sting in the tail was that the proposed transfer of LAR to Ludlow was to be cut from 125 years to three years. And by the way, Shropshire Council saw the £1.3m as a loan. I knew full well I would get a code of conduct complaint ...
Sun 1st
15:11
Interesting article, and thank you for introducing me to the Three Governors crisis, which I'd...
Interesting article, and thank you for introducing me to the Three Governors crisis, which I'd never heard of before.
Sun 1st
13:00
Mass tree felling on Foldgate Lane for road access - the planning system has failed us and the envir...
In the last few days, hundreds of trees have been felled on both sides of the A49 south of the Sheet roundabout. This is to create space for a T-Junction. This will be the only road access to the controversial Crest Nicholson development of 137 homes. We have lost more than 100 trees in the last few days. New trees will be planted in their place. But it will be four or five decades before they store as much carbon. Host as much wildlife. Muffle the traffic noise from the A49. The planning system has failed us. It has failed ...
Junior Wells recorded this Blues classic in 1960. He was best known as a harmonica player in the style of Little Walter, but it not feature here. His Independent obituary from 1998 said: The virtuoso Larry Adler took the harmonica to the concert hall and gave it respectability. Junior Wells took it right back to the gutter and gave it a fire and passion that made one think the instrument would burst at the seams.
Cllr Mike Drew caught Yate Town Council estates staff out GRAFFITI BUSTING - here Rob from the team is removing graffiti from the side of garages in Yate. This is a FREE service the town council is now providing for local residents. Mike explained ' we realised that residents just don't have the kit and chemicals to do it themselves, so Alan Monaghan got the Town Council to set up this free service'. If you have graffiti on your land in Yate and want it removed, call the town council on 01454 866506. (They can't do it on business property ...
Davros plotted. The country sank or swam.The emperor paraded his new clothes and celebrated – a new heir, carried by his paramour: the sixth? or seventh?? or maybe eighth in line... Absent oppositions disarrayed. Pretty raged. Aeroplanes still flew. Numbers flailed, miscounted, multiplied,pretending they could disappear. Panics surged around the borders; trembling fevers magnified, then compounded. Davros plotted. The country sank into a [...]
Sat, 12:56: How British foreign policy lost the art of grand strategy https://t.co/26Jl7yu81m Here "lost" means "deliberately threw away". Sat, 14:32: !!!!!! https://t.co/FxZzURZJrb Sat, 14:48: The entire collection of Omni Magazine is back online https://t.co/ExwciaqUnq Old news, from 2017, but very welcome! Sat, 16:05: Earth has acquired a brand new moon that's about the size of a car https://t.co/w2Q7QgUgJE For the time being, anyway. Sat, 17:06: RT @thhamilton: Really unfair of Sir Philip Rutnam to criticise Priti Patel publicly when she's not in a position to defend herself because... Sat, 18:41: RT @Muge_Niu: THREAD: Sad day for Chinese internet users: ...
In 1962 the best days of the Liberal Party must have seemed like a long way behind them. Decline had been the order of the day for decades, byelections were not scenes of success, a lone win in 1958 at Torrington being their first gain since 1929! The National Liberals who had split way remained a separate force propped up by the Tories and despite a new leader breathing some life into the party the national share of the vote at the previous General Election had been less than six per cent with only six MPs returned. Then came Orpington, ...
Welcome to my email digest for news from the Liberal Democrats in London, combining official news stories from the region with those from London Assembly member Caroline Pidgeon and the London Lib Dem MPs.
David Hughes, chair of Western Counties Liberal Democrats and English Party treasurer, died suddenly yesterday at the party's English Council meeting in London.
As I reported yesterday, council tax for Ludlow residents will increase by 4.3%. A Band D property will pay £1,945.34. But where does this money go? Fire and Rescue receives £102.25, West Mercia Police £225.20 and Ludlow Town Council £174.27. That leaves £1443.62 for Shropshire Council. The only available detailed breakdown for where this money goes is from last year's account. This article is therefore based on 2019/20 council tax using data for Band D properties. Half of your council tax bill, £805.12, last year went to adult and children's services, mostly social care. Waste and recycling services cost you ...
The unprecedented sight of a senior civil servant yesterday, publicly resigning and telling the media that he plans to sue the Home Secretary for constructive dismissal, was so extraordinary and damaging, that Number 10 spin doctors were forced to try distract us all and attempt to mitigate the damage, by announcing the engagement of the Prime Minister, and the fact that his fiancé is expecting a baby. Nobody seems very clear exactly how many children our Prime Minister has now fathered. Speculation is that it is six with this, his seventh, meaning that maintenance payments may well be costing him ...
I fell upon this map in Crosby Library during a recent visit and fascinating it is too. It covers much of Lydiate and the north western area of Maghull. You'll have to click on it to enlarge it as much as you can to pick out the features, but here are the ones which struck me:- Bells Lane is named Wallbrook Lane Sandy Lane is Sandy Brow Lane and Rimmer's Lane The Manor House (Maghull Homes/Parkhaven Trust now private apartments) is Maghull Hall The Red Lion Inn is present then as is another what looks like a pub called the ...
We are very sad to have to report that David Hughes passed away suddenly yesterday at the meeting of the English Council, of which he was the Treasurer. As stated on the party's website, David was the current Chair of the Western Counties. He had also been a parliamentary candidate three times, and was a former chair of both the party's candidates association and its national students' organisation. As Treasurer, David also Chaired the English Finance and Administration Committee. Our heartfelt sympathy go to his family, friends and colleagues. A full tribute to David will be published later in the ...
From the City Council : THE ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14(1) THE DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL AS TRAFFIC AUTHORITY being satisfied that traffic on the road should be prohibited by reason of BT cabling works being carried out HEREBY PROHIBIT the driving of any vehicle in Milnbank Road (between Bankmill Road and Rosefield Street), Dundee. This notice comes into effect on Monday 2 March 2020 for 1 day. Pedestrian thoroughfare will be maintained. Alternative routes for vehicles are available via Milnbank Road / Polepark Road / Lochee Road / Tullideph Road / City Road. For further information contact ...
Commenting as Sir Philip Rutnam announces he will leave the Home Office to sue the government, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Christine Jardine said:"We need to be asking serious questions about the culture that is being created in the Home Office."The way these Conservatives are treating public servants and trying to undermine the rule of law is outrageous."The Tories are acting just like Donald Trump, putting ideology ahead of competence, and it's the British people who will pay the price."
