Responding to the news that the UK rejected the offer of visa-free tours for musicians in the EU, Liberal Democrat Culture spokesperson Jamie Stone said: "The government must provide urgent clarification on what was offered by the EU to enable visa-free touring by UK artists and their crew. Once Covid restrictions are lifted, British artists need to be able to work across the EU with the same ability that has been negotiated for other sectors. "The Government's rampage to end free movement will damage our economy, our creativity and our standing in the world. This trade deal is the first ...
It has, I must admit, been pretty cold in the Creetings of late. Alright, not bitterly cold, but certainly raw. And, with sunset at about 4 p.m., the nights are long. Thus, when the lights flickered just before the sun set this evening, it was unhelpful but not serious. We were, according to UK Power Networks, expected to have electricity again by 6.30 p.m. which, whilst somewhat sub-optimal, was hardly the end of the world. Ros and I gave up our dinner plans and ordered Turkish food for home delivery - they'd been before so could find the house, even ...
A footnote in The Quest for Queen Mary by James Pope-Hennessy (edited by Hugo Vickers) runs: Lady Sybil Grant (1879-1955), eccentric daughter of 5th Earl of Roseberry. She was a writer and designed of ceramics. In later life, she spent much time in a caravan or up a tree, communicating with her butler through a megaphone.
The House of Lords will vote tomorrow [Monday 11th January] on Liberal Democrat amendments to add crucial safeguards to the Government's Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Bill. The Bill puts into law for the first time powers for various public bodies - including the police and MI5, but also the Environment Agency, the Food Standards Agency and three Government Departments - to authorise undercover informants to commit crimes. As it currently stands, informants would be given complete immunity for crimes authorised under the Bill, rather than it being for prosecutors to decide that prosecution is not in the public ...
This is the latest post in a series I started in late 2019, anticipating the twentieth anniversary of my bookblogging which will fall in 2023. Every six-ish days I've been revisiting a month from my recent past, noting work and family developments as well as the books I read in that month. I've found it a pleasantly cathartic process, especially in recent circumstances. If you want to look back at previous entries, they are all tagged under bookblog nostalgia. My only trip this month seems to have been to Cyprus; I note in several of the book reviews below that ...
Throughout his presidency, I have waited for the moment when Donald Trump overstepped the mark, causing him to alienate a large part of his support base. There were moments when I thought he had reached such a point, but I was proved wrong each time. But the events last week in Washington are surely that ... Continue reading Trump is not a proper fascist; his coup might have succeeded if he was
I might have known that after I had written about Obama's inauguration speech earlier, how I would fall down the rabbit hole of the Obama White House You Tube Channel. I came across the unveilings of the official portraits of George W and Laura Bush. Now, I am not a fan of him or his presidency at all. It is, however, very difficult not to love Laura. Despite all that, when you watch all the speeches from the Obamas and the Bushes, you pick up a real warmth between them. There was not a lot of common ground between them ...
As we prepare to welcome Joe Biden as US President a week on Wednesday, I thought it might be an idea to look back at previous inaugurations. Let's hope that we get to 20th January without any more of the scenes we saw this week. There may well be drama in Congress as the Democrats attempt a second impeachment, but the last thing anybody needs is more injury or loss of life. I'm thinking back 12 years to Obama's inaugural speech. I will never forget it. But that is partly because our hamster Puffball died during it, not just for ...
Here's the latest instalment in my long term project to share the photographs in the Neil Reston Collection. To recap the family of Neil passed the photos on to me last year and I've already blogged about the closed Sefton & Maghull, Lydiate and Altcar & Hillhouse Stations on the former Southport & Cheshire Lines Extension Railway. Similarly I've blogged about trains on the Liverpool – Ormskirk Line at Mickering Lane/Sandy Lane in Aughton & Poverty Lane Maghull – all @1960. Here are 2 photos which I think will both date back to 1959, although I'm not 100% sure about ...
Welcome to another selection of interesting articles from this week's Sunday papers. It's been a dramatic week, but we start off with something a bit closer to home: The Observer has an article about how the huge number of elections due to take place in England could be run: Measures such as switching to postal votes or extending the time in which ballots can be cast are regarded as logistically impossible in England.However, election officials are looking at simple measures to reduce transmission, including a publicity campaign asking that voters bring their own implement to make their mark. "Voters can ...
Sat, 12:29: Jeepers. Stay safe, English folks. (Well, stay safe, everyone!) https://t.co/SmfwtPGodk Sat, 12:41: RT @JulianSmithUK: Whatever the frustrations, whatever the imperfections since @niassembly it is such a relief that ultimately everyone sai... Sat, 12:56: Q&A: Kathleen Belew on The Turner Diaries and Capitol riots https://t.co/tCbXKDMNvJ The novel inspiring the terrorists. "The fact that he can call these people to arms does not mean he can call them off." Sat, 13:34: RT @rtraister: My lengthy conversation w @RepJayapal about Wed's violence, being left in the House gallery as rioters broke windows, her ra... Sat, 15:00: The Merry Wives of Windsor, ...
The quiet of January trade combined with more direct routes being found between Ireland and the European mainland have mitigated the impact of Brexit, but that does not mean that businesses are feeling the effects nor that things are not going to get worse. As the Observer reports, leading business groups are urging Ministers to go back to the negotiating table to sort out the "baffling" array of post-Brexit rules and regulations that now threaten much of the UK's export trade to the EU. The paper says there is mounting anger among UK firms at cross-border friction they were told ...
i) births and deaths 10 January 2018: death of David Fisher, writer of four Fourth Doctor stories. ii) broadcast anniversaries 10 January 1970: broadcast of second episode of Spearhead from Space. The Doctor steals some clothes and joins up with the Brigadier and Liz. Meanwhile there are sinister goings-on at the plastics factory. 10 January 1976: broadcast of second episode of The Brain of Morbius. The Sisters threaten the Doctor, and blind Sarah; Solon wants the Doctor's head very badly, and we see the disembodied brain. 10 January 1981: broadcast of second episode of Warrior's Gate. Romana is forced into ...
Sun 10th
08:24
Christine Jardine's Bill to give NHS staff right to stay in the UK to be debated on Friday
Our NHS is under more pressure than it has ever been. As I write, brave nurses, doctors, cleaners, porters, health care assistants are putting in superhuman effort to keep people alive, to comfort them and their families when they can't and to treat more critically ill people than they have ever had to at the same time before. And all the time taking the risk that they could be next to be lying there struggling to breathe. It's exhausting. And it comes after many of them bust a gut during the first wave. Then they barely stopped to rest before ...
Get Out Get Active Tayside's Online Activity Programme starts back tomorrow - 11th January. Whether you have taken part in an activity before, coming along for the very first time or know someone who would really benefit from a friendly, supportive community during this challenging time we want everyone of all levels and abilities to get involved. The Online Activity Programme is free and offers activities 5 days a week. You can sign up here.
