Here in Somerset, the year is noticeably on the turn. It's no longer light now when I take the dog out first thing in the morning. And it's dark by the time I go to bed. In the garden, things are moving from growth to harvest. I spent an afternoon last weekend picking the ripe plums and turning them into jam, which is now stored away in jars in the larder. I'll soon be doing the same with the crab apples as they start to fall from their tree. And the eating apples, too. Before we know it, the leaves ...
A.C. MacLaren, captain of Lancashire and England, once made 424 against Somerset. He was a hero of the great cricket journalist Neville Cardus, who had watched him as a boy, but few others: The truth is that MacLaren wasn't good with people, his judgements of them often colossally wrong headed. He had a bedside manner based on the barked order, a fact traceable as far back as his schooldays at Harrow. His fag was a "quite useless" and "snotty little bugger" unsuited to the sporting life, which in MacLaren's opinion made him the legitimate butt of ridicule and ritual cruelty. ...
Stories about cyclists and motorists often generate much controversy, and relatively little meeting of minds. There is, though, one unfortunate pattern in media coverage which everyone should be able to agree is wrong. It is the way that reports about a driver behaving appalling and dangerously, resulting in the serious injury or death of someone, are often headlined in ways that downplay the central role of the awful driving. Hence the complaint I recently made to the BBC about their reporting of an angry driver pursuing a cyclist for over a mile down a narrow country lane, killing a young ...
Filmed at King's College, Cambridge, and on the Suffolk coast, Wits in Felixstowe looks at the genesis, influences and setting of M.R. James's famous story Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad. Writer and presenter Robert Lloyd Parry takes a fresh look at James's character. He finds, behind the academic and bibliophile, a man surrounded by diverse and intriguing friends: the millionaire Liberal Felix Cobbold, the prolific essayist Arthur Benson and the tragic publisher, poet and Ripper suspect J.K. Stephen.
First of all, consistent policies based on our established and unchanging values. We seek a fair, free and open society balancing liberty, equality and community, in which every citizen is valued. We have an economic vision rooted in our Liberal vision, based on being pro-EU and protecting the environment, emphasising green growth. We should be pro-growth, which requires there to be businesses and wealth creation. We are committed to ending deep poverty and promoting public services and local communities. WE SHOULD WANT to change the power structures of our society to make them more liberal to raise the standard of ...
Note that this post has been amended. Now that it is Government policy (albeit conditional) to recognise Palestine, arguments are going to be raised against it – so be prepared! Before yesterday's announcement by Starmer, two arguments had been mentioned rather tentatively by the distinguished, retired diplomat Lord Darroch on Radio 4's The World At One on 25 July. I say 'tentatively' because he felt it necessary to point out in the interview that many of his diplomatic colleagues, both serving and retired, disagreed with him. These arguments were picked up by our very own Lib Dem peer Baroness Sarah ...
Age, infirmity and other reasons make it impractical for me to join in most positive action on behalf of Gaza. So I had the idea of joining the resistance by culinary means, and cooking Palestinian at regular intervals. The first dish is makloubeh (other spellings are available), which I made last night. A bit of a challenge as I can usually make things that taste nice, but my presentational skills are pre-school, and the look of a makloubeh is quite important. Anyway, I made one that held up, and here it is. Top down view of a makloubeh. Onions and ...
It is tempting to get caught in a doom spiral of negativity. From the cost of living crisis, the social crisis and the sewage scandal, to wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, a chaotic second Trump Presidency and a looming climate crisis, there is a lot to feel negative about. But liberalism is first and foremost a political outlook of optimism, positivity and goodwill. Conservatives, nationalists and hardline socialists trade in fear and division, whereas we liberals trade in hope. The hope that things can and indeed will get better. Britain has never more needed radical liberalism. Liberalism when ...
Davey: Govt must launch full investigation into ATC technical fault Greene responds to CalMac timetable updates during 'storm' of disruption SNP are breaking another attainment gap promise Davey: Govt must launch full investigation into ATC technical fault Responding to reports that all outbound UK flights were hit by an air traffic control technical issue leading to delays, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said: It is utterly unacceptable that after a major disruption just two years ago, air traffic control has once again been hit by a technical fault. With thousands of families preparing to go on a well earned break, ...
Although our usual Tuesday surgeries at local schools and Blackness Library do not take place during the school holidays, we are holding a Thursday street surgery tonight to speak with residents on any local issues or concerns they may have. Should you have an issue you wish to discuss with us, e-mail us at westend@dundeelibdems.org.uk or call Dundee 459378 and we will be pleased to meet you - many thanks.
I don't actually know if Labour are finding it difficult to find candidates for next year's Senedd election, but Nation Cymru think that something is up, so I'm going to mention it. The news website says that members of Welsh Labour have been sent a reminder urging them to apply to be Senedd candidates, leading to speculation that the party may be struggling to put together a credible team for next May's election: Members of the Labour Party have now received a letter which states:"Our candidates will play a vital role in helping Welsh Labour win. "We are excited for ...
