Literary characters are usually created from a wide range of sources, but I can claim to have worked with the model for someone in Malcolm Bradbury's Eating People is Wrong. And on the Guardian website today Nicholas Blincoe advances the claim that Oliver Twist was based on his ancestor Robert Blincoe. Robert Blincoe became famous on the 1830s after publishing his autobiography, A Memoir of Robert Blincoe. It told of a childhood spent in a workhouse and as a worker in a cotton mill from the age of seven. Nicholas Blincoe writes: Robert Blincoe's memoir has remained in print since ...
In Nottinghamshire, decommissioned cooling towers still stand at West Burton and Ratcliffe-on-Soar. There are no plans to preserve any of them, but BBC News reports that the Twentieth Century Society wants to see at least one set of towers preserved. Catherine Croft, the director of the Society, says: "I feel really sad when I see cooling towers come down. "It's just something that has been part of our landscape, part of the history of the 20th Century that's going to be gone forever. "We've had a really positive response to the campaign with people saying how much they like cooling ...
Max Beerbohm, essayist, caricaturist, and parodist, was born on this day 1872. Here is "Mr Lloyd George and his Guardians", from his 1914 book "Fifty Caricatures". David Lloyd George is seen between Charles Masterman and Rufus Isaacs. Masterman had worked closely with Lloyd George on the People's Budget of 1909 and the National Insurance Act 1911. Isaacs, later the 1st Marquess of Reading, was Lord Chief Justice of England, Viceroy of India, and Foreign Secretary, the last Liberal to hold that post. The second practising Jew to be a member of the British cabinet (the first being Herbert Samuel, Isaacs ...
Following a letter from Joe Harris, Leader of the Lib Dem Group on the LGA, and Heather Kidd, chair of ALDC, to myself and Party President Mark Pack, we have had a very constructive series of discussions. We all agreed on the need to ensure the brilliant work of our local authority groups is properly recognised at Conference. Some of the steps we discussed will require agreement also from others, but following the discussions this is the plan: For this year's Conference: Rally: HQ have confirmed there will be a strong local government focus. Conference Showcase: The programme includes the ...
Orange Bicycle, under various names, followed the well-worn path from skiffle to psychedelia in the Sixties. As Robb Storme and the Whispers, they were the first group to play behind the Iron Curtain. An early member of the band was Lewis Collins, who became famous as Bodie in The Professionals. Hyacinth Threads, a 1967 single, continued their pattern of being more notable in mainland Europe than at home, and made number one in France. They folded in 1971. Their keyboard player, Will Malone (who certainly earns his money here) became a producer and arranger - he was responsible for the ...
Today, the Ukrainians celebrate their Independence Day. How fitting that it comes just over a week after that meeting in Alaska between Trump and Putin and the subsequent meeting at the White House between Trump and European Leaders - where the independence of this heroic nation was the main topic for discussion. I am sure that many Lib Dems will have joined in the celebrations this weekend - a reflection of the strong friendships that have been formed with the Ukrainians living in the UK. As liberals we recognised early on that the Ukrainians were fighting our war against the ...
With thanks to SJ Bogue and Dundee Memories, an air traffic controller at Dundee Airport in 1986.
The Independent reports that Tory leader, Kemi Badenoch has been branded a "hypocrite" for calling for Conservative councils to challenge the use of hotels to accommodate asylum seekers in their local areas. The criticism came after Badenoch said in a letter on Wednesday that she was encouraging councils to take the same steps as Epping Forest District Council "if your legal advice supports it", with a Labour spokesperson accusing her of spouting "desperate and hypocritical nonsense", given the Conservative's own record with asylum hotels: At the peak of their use in the summer of 2023 under the Conservative government, there ...
