We've all heard of The Notswolds, and an article in the Guardian today adopts my definition of Les Notswolds profonds: the Welland Valley between Market Harborough and the Welland Viaduct. Ben Lerwill visits Market Harborough: The town itself has ancient Saxon roots and is easy to like, with a head-turning mix of Jacobean, Georgian and Victorian architecture. I stumble on Quinns, a cracking independent bookshop tucked down an alleyway, then devour a curry bowl at a lively cafe called Two Old Goats. A board on the street lists notable town residents through the ages, the most recent being rugby giant ...
Liberal Democrat Newswire #204 came out last week and you can now also read it in full below. But if you'd like to get future editions emailed direct to you as soon as they are published, sign up now: Welcome to Lib Dem Newswire #204 and, first, a little favour please. You may have seen some of the press coverage about the horrendous behaviour that Lib Dem councillors and others have been on the receiving end of in Swale from racists and extremists. There has even been more and worse than has appeared in the press. So a quick request ...
Christmas is fast approaching, so it's time once again for one of my animated Christmas cards. This time I've roped in some European political leaders and a very demanding cat... New Year's Eve sees my second and final term as Liberal Democrat President come to an end, and party members have elected Josh Babarinde to succeed me. So come January, I'll be able to give my full attention to the amazing new opportunity I've had the chance to start this year: serving in the House of Lords. I've been pleasantly surprised how much modern efficiency has sneaked into different corners ...
As the schools come off for the Christmas holidays this afternoon, our weekly ward surgeries do not take place today or during the school Christmas and New Year holidays. Surgeries return on Tuesday 13th January 2026 but meantime we can be contacted at westend@dundeelibdems.org.uk or call Dundee 459378 - many thanks!
We know that Keir Starmer's ratings are in the toilet, but is restricting access to journalists really going to help turn that around, and what does it say about his commitment to open government and democratic accountability? James Heale in the Spectator is not amused. Heale explains that Downing Street has announced a major overhaul of the 'lobby' briefing system: Currently, accredited political reporters are invited to twice-daily briefings with No. 10 spokesmen. But Tim Allan - the newly-appointed executive communications director - wants to change all that. He plans to scrap afternoon briefings and host 'occasional' morning press conferences ...
Mon 22nd
19:38
Paul Scholfield and Simon Callow were Salieri and Mozart in the original production of Amadeus
Because of the new television version of Amadeus ("flat, airless and banal"- Guardian), there's been much recent discussion of Paul Shaffer's original play and of the 1984 film. A television documentary about Paul Schofield has recently appeared on YouTube. Simon Callow, who played Mozart to Schofield's Salieri in the first production of the play, talks about the experience in the video above. (Just click play to see the extract.) If you watch the whole programme on YouTube, you will see that Schofield was regarded by his contemporaries as a peerless stage actor. Because he made relatively few screen appearances, his ...
It's not just Scottish MPs who worry about island ferries: Andrew George's St Ives constituency, as well as the far west of Cornwall, takes in the Isles of Scilly, which are 28 miles off the Cornish coast. In this latest Cornish Times column, the Liberal Democrat MP reports a meeting with the transport minister Keir Mather: He says he wants to help. I've invited him to visit, to help him better understand the challenges islanders face, and then help ensure sustainable solutions are found. Scilly may be an exceptional place. But it's also a tough place to survive, especially if ...
As I biohacker I do quite a bit of self-experimentation. There is an interesting ethical question about self-experimentation. Obviously people have the right to make their own decisions. Self Experimentation has a long history in Medicine and at least five Nobel Prize winners have won a prize following self experimentation. However, it is potentially dangerous and people have died. The
In some ways, but far from all, I was a mildly precocious kid. For example I began to be a regular reader of The Economist from my early teens, long enough to see long term pictures and trends, but equally long enough to develop a brand loyalty. From the beginning, I appreciated the conceit of the The Economist: that it was a newspaper, not a magazine, like the lesser titles based in America, such as Time or Newsweek, but more, that its editorial judgement was based on a set of principles that emerged from an almost high table approach to ...
Christmas is a time for traditions, so in the run up to Christmas it is time against for this piece of comedy genius with a Christmas flavour from the Australian duo, Bryan Dawe and the late John Clarke. The authorities are having a little immigration problem as a troubleshooter for Australian Immigration reveals: Perhaps the Australian authorities need to partner up with NORAD to get on top of the issue.
Late last week, council leaders and directly elected mayors in 62 affected council areas received an unexpected letter from Local Government Minister Alison McGovern. The contents of that letter were nothing short of extraordinary: an offer to cancel the upcoming local elections in their areas — if they so choose. This sudden and unprecedented proposal carries a very clear and troubling message. Labour and the Conservatives have suffered significant losses to Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats throughout this year. Both major parties are now deeply concerned about the prospect of further defeats in May. Let us not forget that ...
Photos: Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service A bank of the Shropshire Union Canal has collapsed near Whitchurch and boats have been left in a sinkhole or teetering on its edge, reports BBC News. Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service describes what has happened:Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) is currently responding to a major incident in the Whitchurch area following a significant breach of the Shropshire Union Canal near Drawbridge, Chemistry, Whitchurch. At about 4:22am, Fire Control received reports of a canal bank collapse with large volumes of water escaping into surrounding land. Crews form Whitchurch, Prees, Shrewsbury, Newport, Albrighton and ...
In the run-up to Christmas, nice to post a few photos of Christmas in earlier years! With thanks to Margaret Speed and Dundonian History for All, a packed and colourful City Square, on 6th December 1984, for the Christmas lights switch-on.
DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL - WEEKLY ROAD REPORT REPORT FOR THE WEST END WARD - MONDAY 22 DECEMBER 2025 TO FRIDAY 9 JANUARY 2026 Old Hawkhill - road closed from approximately 50m south of Hunter Street (building defect) from 9 October 2025 for approximately 3-6 months. Forthcoming Roadworks Riverside Drive/Riverside Esplanade - overnight (7.30pm to 6.00am) lane closures on Friday 9 January for Veolia Water work.
The Observer reports that culture secretary, Lisa Nandy has given a clear signal that time is up for political appointees to the BBC board as she embarks on the corporation's charter review. The paper says that she has told them that "political appointments to the board have undermined the sense of independence and trust from the public": Nandy herself has previously been accused of leaning on the BBC's chair, Samir Shah, to get rid of director general Tim Davie over the Bob Vylan Glastonbury episode, a move she denies. She insists "my job is to make sure that the BBC ...