Writing about St Mary's Mill Lock in Leicester last November I said: This was once a heavily industrialised area, but the mill buildings now represent a last survival of that era.This aerial photograph of the area from 1920 rather proves my point.
This is the second of Ian Christie's The Worlds of Powell and Pressburger lectures from last year: World War Two set British filmmakers a challenge: to be relevant and entertaining and to inspire without patronising. Powell and Pressburger brought wit and imagination to their task, questioning what Britain stood for, warts and all. Notoriously, Churchill hated The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp. But many ordinary cinema-goers were grateful for The Archers' poetic patriotism, in this as well as in A Matter of Life and Death. Britishness redefined in the stress of war is the theme of this lecture.
A year ago, the Liberal Democrat gains in the local elections were our best ever local election results. Not just our best ever, but better even than the Alliance, SDP or Liberals managed going all the way back to 1945. All that happened even though the seats up for election were more Leave-leaning than the country overall. No wonder these victories triggered a surge in party members, a rise in the party's poll ratings and pushed the party firmly to the centre of the national political stage. I like Sunderland#LibDemSurge pic.twitter.com/RcxnCh3WFu — Mark Pack [IMG: 🔶] (@markpack) May 2, 2019 ...
The French Connection won the Oscar for Best Picture of 1971, and picked up another four - Best Director (William Friedkin), Best Actor (Gene Hackman), Best Adapted Screenplay (Ernest Tidyman) and Best Film Editing (Gerald B. Greenberg). Roy Scheider lost Best Supporting Actor to Ben Johnson in The Last Picture Show, and it also lost to Fiddler on the Roof in two other categories. The other Best Picture nominees were Nicholas and Alexandra and the Hugo-winning A Clockwork Orange, both of which I have seen, and Fiddler on the Roof and The Last Picture Show, which I haven't. IMDB users ...
I have mentioned before that I have been starting most mornings with Joe Wicks. Given my age and general state of fitness, I haven't been following the daily PE with Joe sessions, although a million other people have. Instead I have been following his videos for seniors. Each of the five different workouts takes you through a 10 minute set of exercises, which can be varied to suit your capabilities. I bought a Fitbit a couple of years ago to encourage me to get out for a walk each day. My daily step rate was never very high, reaching 8k ...
Sat 2nd
16:22
Another success for pressure over coronavirus: support for small businesses who pay council tax
A video today from Tim Farron, whose book by coincidence I've just finished reading, brings news of another success from campaigning over coronavirus. This time, it's support for small businesses who pay council tax rather than business rates: Great news that the Government have announced £617m for small businesses like B&Bs who had previously missed out on support. This looks like a big step forward in our campaign but we won't stop fighting until we get support for all businesses that are falling through the cracks. pic.twitter.com/GIqOHeF4cg — Tim Farron (@timfarron) May 2, 2020 This comes after successes over better ...
As a start: Introduce UBI Decent wages & benefits for key workers Proper investment in public services— Layla Moran 🔶 (@LaylaMoran) May 1, 2020 Layla Moran, who will be a candidate when the Liberal Democrat leadership election is eventually held, sent these tweets yesterday. I welcome them, not just for their radicalism, but because they reflect what we have learnt about British society from the Covid-19 pandemic. This agenda, or something like it, may well form the long-term challenge to Conservative thinking. So the sooner the Lib Dems identify themselves with it the better.
A fair society is one that can best protect and nourish us in the face of the challenges of the age, immediate ones such as coronavirus, long-term ones such as climate change, and endemic ones such as social injustice.
Sat 2nd
13:00
Dick Newby: Individual stories of Windrush victims shame politicians who use pejorative language and...
In the Lords recently, Dick Newby talked about the lives of Windrush Generation people damaged because of the actions of the Home Office and the need for a compensation scheme. Individual stories from #windrush victims. They shame @ukhomeoffice. Decent people destroyed. #BAME @NHSuk staff lives on line during #COVID19 crisis. @LibDems @THLDs @LibDemLords @OpBlackVote @WindrushAction @ppvernon Thanks to @RichardNewby3 @markpack pic.twitter.com/e0QjAuvjZf — Lib Dem Campaign for Race Equality (@LDCRE1) April 30, 2020 His whole speech is below: The individual stories of victims of the Windrush scandal are of lives damaged and destroyed because of the actions of the Home Office. ...
One of the things that has pleased me most over the past three years is that no matter how stupid and boorish UK political leaders have been, and they have been bad, there have always been Countries that have suffered ... Continue reading →
A party press release brings the news of some welcome signs from the government, although much more still needs to happen, especially regarding the disproportionate impact coronavirus is having on our BAME communities: Responding to reports that the Government is seeking to join the EU pandemic early warning system, Liberal Democrat Brexit Spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said: This is a positive step from the Government. The UK should always cooperate with our partners in the EU when it is in the national interest. It was extremely disappointing that the Government failed to take up the opportunity to work with the EU ...
Today is the 40th day of lockdown in London and I am beginning to feel the itch. I have been dreaming a lot lately — far more than usual — and last night in my dreams I went to Azerbaijan on a press trip (as I did in real life in February) before suddenly finding [...]
In a post on Facebook on Thursday, Christine Jardine told Scottish Lib Dem activists that she wasn't going to go for the Lib Dem leadership. The Edinburgh West MP's remarks were reported in the New Statesman: "After considering all the suggestions and requests, I have opted not to go for the leadership," Jardine wrote. "Perhaps it's lockdown but I realise my personal and family life has taken quite a hit in the past three years, and perhaps the people around me deserve a wee bit more of my time. I also don't have a burning desire to be leader. I ...
Fri, 12:56: Why a true "exit strategy" from the coronavirus lockdown is not possible https://t.co/rt0RL7LzLB @LawDavF: "Demands... https://t.co/wtyPvjiALy Fri, 15:29: The First Men in the Moon, by H. G. Wells https://t.co/LnAPocfg6s Fri, 15:56: Good Omens: Lockdown https://t.co/XEYfj30gQh via @YouTube Fri, 16:05: The Miserable Presidential Election of 2012: A First Party-Term Incumbent Survives https://t.co/HqxmGj0HkK A strong... https://t.co/tdWIVmobHI Fri, 17:11: RT @NathanSRuiz: Can't stop thinking about this correction in today's Sun. https://t.co/J9tsRqXYTh Fri, 20:23: Going though old photographs, I found these pictures of the Brandenburg Gate from my first visit to Berlin in 1986... https://t.co/ZzKG2B7B29 Fri, 20:48: EUvsDisinfo quiz https://t.co/Sag4InF978 Can you ...
Targets are always problematic. A good target can assist scrutiny, enabling us to test whether the government is performing as it should be. A poor target, one that has been set too far in the future or which is clearly rhetorical - such as we will end all homelessness by 2030 for example - can help a government avoid scrutiny, leaving us with little to measure progress against. All governments are prone to setting poor targets, the Welsh Government more than most. Does anybody remember the pledge to make all schools fit for purpose by 2010 for example? Or the ...
[IMG: Banner showing image of Heron Way in Chipping Sodbury, text says Working with the community for the community] LOCAL EMERGENCY GRANT FUNDSDodington Parish Council are pleased to announce that they have diverted part of their 2020 - 21 budget into an 'Covid-19 Emergency Fund' set up to help locally based organisations and charities that are supporting residents in the Chipping Sodbury, Dodington and Yate area through this current crisis.Please see guidelines and application forms at https://www.dodingtonpc.org.uk/launch-of-emergency-fund/If you are unable to print and need hard copy - don't hesitate to contact the parish council who will get paper copies to ...
Sat 2nd
08:30A longer read for the weekend: The case for an extension to the Brexit transition period
It's hard to believe that something which had dominated our lives for so long - Brexit - has almost completely fallen off the radar. After the shock of the December General Election, and the brutality of losing our jobs and heading home from Brussels in January, we former MEPs were geared up for the long haul of holding the government to account as it ground its way through tortuous post Brexit trade negotiations with the EU. And when Boris Johnson spoke of 'healing the rift' between leavers and remainers, it seemed an impossible idea. Little did any of us think ...
Alzheimer Scotland Dundee Dementia Resource Centre has a 24 hour Freephone Dementia Helpline on 0808 808 3000. It is for support, information or just someone to talk to during these worrying times and a really great resource.
