Ley lines? An old Guardian article explains:On 30 June 1920, a respected businessman and photographer was visiting the Herefordshire village of Blackwardine, the site of a Roman settlement with the distinctly Celtic name of Black Caer Dun. He noticed that a straight line on the map he was carrying passed through a number of local landmarks: a croft, a hilltop, the site of a Roman camp, a straight stretch of lane. Taking his map to the top of the hill, he observed that other similar alignments lay all around him. The man was Alfred Watkins, and the observation led initially ...
This is a review of the policy paper we will be discussing in Bournemouth. The next two months in British politics will be crowded with speculation about what Labour will propose in terms of public spending and taxation in the budget, now announced for November 26th. Kemi Badenoch has already accused the government of wanting to raise taxes, without suggesting how she would fill the gap between spending needs and resources available, and the right-wing media are full of calls for tax cuts without clarifying what spending cuts should accompany them. Nigel Farage and Richard Tice are trumpeting tax cuts, ...
Angela Rayner's downfall is not simply about tax. It is about misogyny, double standards, and the continuing failure of politics to treat women fairly. The ongoing storm surrounding Angela Rayner's stamp duty underpayment is about far more than a tax bill. It is about entrenched misogyny in politics, and the way women in public life are judged and punished more harshly than men. Angela Rayner admitted an error. She acted on faulty legal advice, believed she had paid the right amount, and when new information emerged, she immediately referred herself to the independent adviser on ministerial standards. She has since ...
This is a plug for the British Detective Series Of The 50's / 60's / 70's YouTube channel. It has Maigret, Z Cars and Gideon's Way. Above all, it has lots of Softly Softly. It's Harry Hawkins heaven. It even has episodes of Softly Softly from the pre Task Force days. When I listen to the theme music for those, I am a little boy in bed wishing I could stay up to watch it. Not everyone saw Harry Hawkins as a hero. Here's Clive James writing in North Face of Soho about his days as a television critic: My ...
Our joint weekly ward surgeries take place tonight. This week they are as follows : Blackness Library (Tuesdays 5pm - every week during school term time) Harris Academy reception area (2nd Tuesday of each month at 5.45pm during school term time) All welcome - no appointment necessary!
The Guardian reports that a trove of leaked data from Boris Johnson's private office reveals how the former prime minister has been profiting from contacts and influence he gained in office in a possible breach of ethics and lobbying rules. The paper says that the Boris Files contain emails, letters, invoices, speeches and business contracts, which shine a spotlight on the inner workings of a publicly subsidised company Johnson established after leaving Downing Street in September 2022: The trove reveals how Johnson has used the company to manage an array of highly paid jobs and business ventures. They raise questions ...
The Mirror reports that from next month British citizens travelling into Europe will have to provide fingerprints and photos as a new Entry/Exit System (EES) is brought in for non-EU nationals. The paper says that as a result there will be long delays for British travellers getting into Europe as a result of the new post-Brexit checks: New Entry/Exit System (EES) measures at the EU borders mean people have to have their fingerprints and photograph taken as well as scanning passports. The move, replacing passport stamping, will come into effect from October 12 for UK and non-EU nationals travelling for ...
