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At the weekend there's a reknowned outdoor market in a school playground opposite the Odeon cinema. Sat is normal trading but Sunday is the real car-boot market, where every man and his dog come and sell their bits and bobs. There are often pensioners and others trying to make a few bucks. Just love to see the kids joining in with their parents selling all their nick nacks. When it's warm I love rummaging around - you never know what you will find. Over the years I've found some amazing bargains and many things I've been looking for. Needed ...

It makes them look tough. It gives the state more power. It bypasses the local accountability that local police forces enjoy (and aren't those forces being merged so that they can tackle serious and organised crime?) It is sounds American - you know, a bit like the FBI. It sounds as though it has something to do with football (and if you are New Labour you love football or at least have to pretend you do). Even better, it sounds like what the Americans call football.

Contain your excitement, please, for Edward Garnier: Harborough MP Spends 2 Consecutive Fridays at Market Harborough Golf Club – but not to play golf

I first encountered "Chase Me Ladies, I'm in the Cavalry" in a quiet office and laughed so loudly that problems ensued... they asked me to leave. Click on link for more, but the following made me fall off my chair giggling: "Every adult must at some point have paused during some slapstick piece of debauchery and thought, "Christ, this is ridiculous". Having testicles is like being chained to the village idiot. Sad, but there it is. And when we have solved every racial, political and economic problem, we will still be stuck with that one."

Scotland seems a nice place to live, says Tony Ferguson on his blog Ballots, Balls and Bikes. Indeed it does, but I am interested in some of the examples Tony gives: Tuition fees were abolished in Scotland. Free personal care was introduced for the elderly... Now they are intoducing (sic.) free eye tests and have a plan to introduce free dental checks next year. And even more interested in his explanation of why Scotland enjoys those benefits: Yes I know the answer about devolved power and the Lib Dems being part of the administration and the sort of policies ...

Tim Worstall has posted another of his weekly round ups.

To raise as much money for Myton Hospice as we can. Myton Hospice represents a cause close to many people's hearts and has long been a respected charity not only in Wartwickshire but now also nationwide. I have volunteered to help out at the Great Western Charity Gig in Warwick on the 5th August. Two of the bands I work with shall be there, The Jonesy Band and The Shanade Band, check out the website for more info. Hopefully there shall be a CD available of the bands material for sale along with other means to raise cash for ...

No, this post’s not about squeezing the Green vote – stick a ‘Green Action’ flash on every leaflet you ever put out for that – but BBC4 again for their ‘1973 Week’. Life On Mars was such a success that they're repeating it with an entire week’s schedule fashioned around it, with many goodies on show from that year. At 7 tonight, tomorrow and Wednesday they’re showing The Green Death, a Doctor Who story that’s famous as ‘the one with the maggots’, that’s got very 1973 flashes of brilliance and moments of rubbish, and that made me a green Liberal. ...

REDCAR and Cleveland Council is delighted with the progress of talks to turn Redcar seafront into Dunkirk 1940 for a multi-million pound blockbuster this summer. The film's director, Joe Wright, who directed the Oscar-nominated Pride and Prejudice, has made his own trip to the town, which could be home to the 'film village' for several weeks in preparation for filming to start. Now the production company, Working Title Films, is to draw up its detailed proposals, which would involve the closure of the Esplanade from the Regent Cinema to the boating lake and the creation of a wartime scene. The ...

Stuart Marshall a Council Emergency Planning Officer has issued the following warning: "Bungalows due for demolition on the Lakes Estate were broken into and vandalised over the weekend. The buildings contain asbestos which was exposed during the incident, it is believed that those present in the building during the vandalism would have been exposed to asbestos fibres. "The health impact is believed to be limited, however following advice from health organisations, Coast and Country Housing intend to publish a press statement asking for those responsible to come forward. "This will allow Coast and Country to: - Dispose of clothing containing ...

Liberal Democrat Leader Sir Menzies Campbell MP has launched the Liberal Democrats' manifesto for the 2006 local council elections.

The nominations for the 2006 Local Elections closed at noon today, those nominated have until Wednesday to withdraw. In Wolverhampton South West all seven wards are contested by the Liberal Democrats, Conservatives and Labour Parties and no others (there was a threat of BNP and we have had Green and UKIP candidates before). In Tettenhall Regis I am up against the sitting Conservative Candidate Barry Findlay and David Hartley for the Labour Party.

The election commission has announced that enough results are in to declare the Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra the winner. However, they have already determined that by-elections will need to be held in 38 constituencies where candidates failed to win the 20% vote threshold. As all the seats need to be filled for a government to be formed there is likely to be a mexican stand off unless

I noticed over the weekend that glass panels on two bus shelters on the Bristol Road had been smashed and that the glass was still on the surrounding pavement. I have asked for the glass to be cleared up asap. Vandalism to bus shelters is sadly a recurring problem for certain bus shelters in the area, particularly on Bristol Road and Pershore Road. However, Centro have informed me that any

Received a shocking email on the evening of March 31st from the ‘BBC Avon team’ informing me that: “The BBC has learnt that the County of Avon is on its way back. The authority, which ceased to exist on 1 April 1996, is set to make a return thanks to a ruling by European officials” Shocking stuff, and linked to this story. I felt my blood begin to boil with parochial fury for a few moments until I scanned down and realised I had been had by an ‘embaroged’ April Fools. Those imps at Whiteladies Road! On an ...

Judging by this Guardian piece there must have been near-panic amongst the Labour spin doctors on Saturday at the prospect of a possible New Labour luvvie defecting to Cameron's Tories. A sense of humour has never been the defining characteristic of Labour's media monitoring unit. I know that Labour HQ visit this blog regularly but obviously they did not have time to do so before putting out their briefing in which the Guardian's April Fool joke was taken as fact. If they had then they would have seen from this item that there was nothing for them to worry about. ...

BBC NEWS | Politics | Lib Dems launch election campaign It is well worth watching the Video clip from the BBC website. What I saw was a coherent and candid message that I found a refreshing change from the soundbites and rhetoric that we have become used to from the other parties.

As sure as night follows day the abolition of the WDA, WTB, ELWa and ACCAC took place today and all of their functions were absorbed into the Assembly Government. I have already discussed here and elsewhere the implications of this for scrutiny and transparency and also, in terms of the Welsh Development Agency and the Wales Tourist Board, how we are now to sell Wales to the outside world. Peter Hain's view on this is markedly different to the First Minister. He told the Western Mail last October that the WDA in particular was too good to lose: "This ...

THE new lighting scheme that is illuminating Saltburn's Victorian Pier and Cliff Lift from dusk to midnight has won a national award. Redcar and Cleveland Council's scheme, part of its Lighting Our Culture initiative, won the annual Lighting Design Awards' category for Transport Lighting. The Council's Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Tourism Councillor Dave Fitzpatrick said: "I'm absolutely delighted the scheme has won. This scheme has been at virtually no cost to the Council taxpayer and has been very, very popular. Dozens of people have told me what an attractive job's been done." “Really effective lighting using simple fittings,” ...

Well the Guardian got me, on Saturday they had an article stating Chris Martin of Coldplay had switched to supporting David Cameron's Conservatives. How was I fooled, well I didn't read Saturday's paper until Sunday and forgot it had been April Fools Day but also Cameron's has talked about Fair Trade, International Development and the Environment would suit Martin (and most others), I suspect if Chris Martin knew more he would have been more cautious. However it was all a con! Well done to the Guardian!

Last Friday Cicero was speaking at the two-yearly seminar on the Baltic countries held at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies at UCL. Two years ago we were celebrating the entry of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania into the European Union and NATO. This year the atmosphere is more muted. The reforming zeal of the region continues, but a greater sense of tiredness is evident- the politicians are clearly finding that keeping focused on the complexity of change is now more difficult with the goal of EU entry now achieved. Yet as a Liberal I am heartened. The key ...

Today is Monday and as my blog readers will know, it's day the refuse men usually come - the day I dread. Just got back - walking down the street from the station to my flat, was so very surprised to notice there's not a speck of litter or garbage anywhere (Islington side of the road). All the miscellaneous junk usually left behind in each property's refuse area, gone. All the bins put back in place and not strewn around as usual (those that have bins). A flash thought went through my head, what ...

A Campaign is under way to reintroduce tree-lined avenues in Bathwick. There are now gaps in the trees that line many of the streets in the area. It is thought that 27 trees are missing on the Bathwick Estate, with Powlett Road and Forrester Roads suffering along with Forrester Avenue, where there are 12 trees missing.It is believed that many of the trees have been removed over the years, either during maintenance work or after being hit by cars. Cllr David Dixon, who represents Walcot ward on Bath and North East Somerset Council, said he was keen to see work ...

The tragic death of a Snow Hill resident in January has prompted local councillors to launch an investigation into how another tragedy can be avoided. Cllrs David Dixon and Colin Darracott, who both represent the Walcot ward, arranged a meeting with Somer Housing Group to look at the properties like the one that 24-year-old Laura Smith was staying in when she died.The Snow Hill resident's family were devastated to learn their asthmatic relation died in a flat riddled with damp.The young woman had been moved into the flat in November, and had complained to her family about the dampness in ...

After my advice bureau I visited the Yardley Photographic Societies exhibition of photos taken by their oldest member George Bate. The photos in the background are his. He has done quite a lot of work on reenactment photos. Meanwhile we have a few photos from the week campaigning on NHS and disability issues.

All in all this article about plans to provide free eye tests in Scotland got me thinking. Why is it that in Scotland they do things so much better? Tuition fees were abolished in Scotland. Free personal care was introduced for the elderly. The system for buying and selling houses is so much simpler. Now they are intoducing free eye tests and have a plan to introduce free dental checks next

The creation of the Serious Organised Crime Squad. Orwell's vision comes true. New Labour give up hope for positive change and resort only to throwing up the fortress walls. Whilst they gad about giving privilege to business and capital flows to operate in a globalized world, when it comes down to real people, enforce, enforce, enforce is the message. What a bleak authoritarian future.

What shapes a nation’s cultural and political values? I’m currently in New York, and trying to work out quite how the USA has grown up to be the same, and yet so different. Of course, this city is a bastion of liberal, Democratic values. Though its mayor, Michael Bloomberg, might represent the same party as George W. Bush, he is an Eisenhower Republican, governing from the liberal centre; for