The Sister Winifred Lavery Promoting Independence Centre was opened in Felling just last year, but has already been put into "special measures" following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission. Cllr Ron Beadle discusses the issue.
The latest edition of my weekly political polling round-up, The Week in Polls, is out. As it says: If you want to be a downer on Trump, there is an easy story to tell from the data so far. His figures are underwater, they are sinking and not only only is he the only President in this history of polling to have negative ratings this far in, but also he has now done that twice. His party is on the same course as last time – which led to being mullered in the mid-term elections and then losing the Presidency. ...
[IMG: Mark Pack and Steve White] With Steve White and campaigners from across the North East. I have been making an extra effort to travel further afield from home for this year's local election season, including to Hull and the East Riding, and this weekend to County Durham. Steve White, the candidate whose ward we were out in, was in fact Flick Rea's first winning election agent. What has been great to see in both places is that way that people from across each region are continuing to travel to help, hitting target wards even if they live in areas ...
"The miscarriages of justice are extraordinary. One victim is a gay make-up artist with no apparent gang affiliations, just some tattoos related to traditional Epiphany celebrations. Another is a 27-year-old delivery driver with a work permit who lived in Dallas, Texas, with his wife and children: he was arrested as he stepped outside his house. A former professional goalkeeper living in Phoenix, Arizona, was detained because of a tattoo showing his support for Real Madrid."John Perry on the victims of Trump's disappearing of alleged gang members. Britain is not alone in struggling to build major infrastructure projects: it's a problem ...
United States Republican Senators and Congressmen must be terrified of losing their jobs. And if they do go, they can only blame the man who helped put them in office— Donald Trump. Before the economic meltdown, the Republican legislators were facing town hall meetings filled with constituents angry about Elon Musk's chain saw approach to government, cuts in foreign aid, deportations of students and attacks on the constitution and the courts. Almost to a man (or woman) they faced the crowds with a Trumpian smile that tried to reassure the voters that the president knew what he was doing and ...
Given the current US policy on trade and tariffs, I think it may prove to be fortuitous that I recently added a penguin to the cast of characters here. This is the end of our latest visit to Bonkers Hall, but Sister Sid and all your favourites will be back in a couple of months. Sunday Back from St Asquith's, I am telephoned by Danny Chambers. I pretend at first to be a Chinese takeaway in Oakham, but when it becomes clear he's not trying to get me to foster more animals, I relent. He is after news of Sid, ...
I discovered James Taylor through a Guy Hamper Trio track that he played on, and that led naturally to the James Taylor Quartet. They are widely described as pioneers of acid jazz, but this is something different. Arcana explains: Ever felt the need for a 'funk mass'? Well James Taylor has, and this year The Rochester Mass received its premiere at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in April, before a performance in the cathedral of its home city in June. It was the South Bank who commissioned the work, which James wrote in memory of his late father Clive. The recording ...
The Seabraes viewing site has been looking superb during the past few days of lovely weather ...
The UK has received more advice on how to deal with Trump's tariffs, this time from trade economist, Simon Evenett who believes that the President seems "very reluctant to go below 10 per cent" on tariffs, and who has warned the UK government against making too many sacrifices in an attempt to get a deal over the line. The Independent adds that an adviser to the US president said it would take an "extraordinary deal" for the UK to improve on the 10 per cent tariff Mr Trump has placed on the country. The paper says that UK ministers appear ...
