Market Harborough Rail Users
The week's good cause: Harborough Rail Users. Sunday 10th December 2006
10:22 pm
The week's good cause: Harborough Rail Users. 10:18 pm
Going for cold
Today’s Indy notes the recent upsurge in outdoor ice-rinks in major towns and cities: Although the first rink with artificially frozen ice, the Glaciarium, was opened in London in 1876 it is only in the past 10 years that temporary ice rinks have become part of Britain's winter landscape and a new pastime for many families eager to keep their youngsters amused during the long, dark winter months 10:10 pm
Torchwood on CBBC
Got this picture before it disappeared after 5 minutes. 9:50 pm
Family, aren't they complicated sometimes?
I see that Jessica has put in an appearance (as promised/threatened)... don't ask me to explain... please? The family were, once upon a time, incredibly helpful in dealing with a series of difficult situations I got myself into, and out of, some years back, and are a great source of comfort when I become a mite intense. Don't mind Jessica though, she does mean well... I've spent today trying to 9:49 pm
Harborough woman gives birth to cat: Latest
In February of last year I reported that a Market Harborough woman had given birth to a cat in 1569. Well, news was almost slow to reach us. Now the Scotsman has more on the tale. 9:45 pm
Any Diana conspiracy theorists out there?
If so, can you answer me this question… Why on earth would the British security services choose to assassinate Princess Diana on foreign soil, where matters would be beyond their control, rather than here in the UK, where they might conceivably be able to get away with the murder of the century? 9:35 pm
Tell me if I'm missing something obvious, won't you?
I'm told that research is very important when taking on a new project, and normally I would have someone do that for me (the advantages of monarchy, I've always thought) but, on this occasion, I've paid a visit to Mark's garret in the north-east tower of the castle to see what he actually does. It gives me no great pleasure to admit that I am none the wiser after two hours of observation and 9:07 pm
Human Rights Day
Today is Human Rights Day. I joined Amnesty International even before I joined the Lib Dems - I guess that was really when I was starting to think on a wider level than just what was going on at my school/home/in my town. Amnesty has always been close to my heart, and when I ran the marathon (well, "ran" might be a bit generous) this year I raised money for them. If you do nothing else today, then please consider going to http://www.amnesty.org.uk/ and joining now from as little as £2 a month... The Charlatans were absolutely awesome on ... 8:55 pm
The cheaper way to complain about Royal Mail
Consider this a public service announcement… As I’ve mentioned before, my other gaff is one of the top Google returns for ‘Royal Mail complaints’. (There are better claims to fame, I’m sure, but I take what I can get.) As a result, I get a few e-mails each month from folk desperate to obtain some satisfaction from Royal Mail. Some are from Oxford; others from much further afield. How can I 8:45 pm
"Not in Colne - try Burnley"
This weekend I made my, now annual, spiritual pilgrimage to what many people regard as the crucible of Liberal Democracy - Colne in Lancashire. It is, of course, covered by Pendle Borough Council, and the home town of that giant of the LibDems, (Lord) Tony Greaves. Once again, we stayed in splendour at the Crown Hotel, Albert Road, Colne. It is an absolute marvel of a hotel, with a wonderful bar 8:44 pm
Tumbling and vaulting in Tolworth
After many years involved in civic life I reckon I have a pretty good knowledge of activities in the Borough, but sometimes things take me completely by surprise. I didn't know, for example, that Tolworth Gymnastics Club has an amazing 800 members. It now has its own very fine facilities in the grounds of Tolworth Girls' School. This weekend the club has been celebrating its 25th... 8:44 pm
Pinochet dead - lest Liberals have forgetten why Thatcher was so abhorrent.
Chile's present government says at least 3,197 people were killed for political reasons during Pinochet's rule while more than 1,000 disappeared and thousands more were arrested, tortured and forced into exile. Baroness Thatcher said she was 'greatly saddened' by the death of the general. 8:24 pm
Like taking your clothes off in public? Prove it.
Orpington is the HQ of the British Naturist community. Hat tip to the Bromley Times Diary for this story. The Naturist Foundation are advertising their swimming sessions. Apparently "These sessions are open to Bona Fide naturists and proof of this must be shown on the first night" Now readers, what proof may that be? As the Bromley Times says: "Isn't being naked and shivering enough evidence of 7:13 pm
Prizewinning performances
Every one of these was a winner. The Kingston Festival of the Perfoming Arts takes place over several Autumn weekends and in a number of venues around the Borough. Hundreds of children and adults compete in a huge range of competitions, arranged into five sections - Speech & Drama, Piano, Vocal, Instrumental and Stage Dancing. It attracts entrants from a wide... 6:42 pm
FAB
The FAB club meets every Saturday and has special provision for children and young people with a wide range of disabilities. It is run by the Council but could not function without the excellent involvement on a regular basis from volunteers. Yesterday was rather special because the members first had a Christmas lunch. Then I arrived and was asked to present some awards to... 
6:03 pm
Kew was like that
My House Points column from Friday's Liberal Democrat News. Carrying the banner I was never a member of CND, even in its second heyday in the 1980s. But I did end up carrying the Richmond banner on a march. That was because I had been out recruiting Liberal members. One charming family asked me in, offered me a sherry and, though they declined to join the party, made a donation. We fell to discussing the forthcoming march. I said that I had some sympathy for CND but did not support all its views. They convinced me that you ... 5:40 pm
Does God vote Liberal Democrat?
This weekend’s Focus deliveries have been spoiled somewhat by the inclement weather. Delivering in torrents of rain reduces even the hardiest of Focuses to pulp, and that was the basic scene this weekend. A number of local residents will havbe received pictures of me and Cllr O’Hanlon in various states of mush. All of which makes me wonder, why does God permit such weather-related mishaps to 4:53 pm
An extra jail place or an extra police officer?
The cost of jailing someone for one year is roughly the same as the cost of employing a full time policeman for a year. That's the starting point for my piece in this week's Liberal Democrat News about fighting crime: So when Tories and Labour thump their tubs about being tough on crime, we shouldn’t feel meek about pointing out the costs of their failed policies. Having a large prison population 4:52 pm
Princess Diana - belt up!
A few days after Princess Diana was killed, I had a letter published in the national press saying that there was one lesson that people should learn from her accident: Wear a seat belt always in a car! Now, after speculation that has laid waste to hundreds of forests, that one key lesson remains. As the Observer puts it today: "...if the Princess of Wales and her lover had been wearing 4:47 pm
Hornsey CPZ
Haringey Council has dropped its plans for a CPZ in Hornsey. 4:37 pm
Bush pickle
It never ceases to amaze me how George W. Bush gets himself deeper and deeper into an almighty pickle in Iraq. Last week, he had a superb "get out of jail" card from the Iraq study group. However, the silly sausage seems hell-bent on getting himself deeper and deeper into what his father called "deep doo-doo", by sending in more troops. He has thereby added two gallons of vinegar to his 4:31 pm
En Route to Tirana
I am "enjoying" the dubious pleasures of Stansted Airport as I wait for my flight to the Albanian capital. I am due to meet with senior figures in the government of Albania to discuss the results of a meeting that I hosted between Estonian political figures and the Albanian PMs advisor in London. I will also be discussing aspects of a potential involvement between the firm that I advise and the Albanian financial system- such as it is. However already, the extra immigration checks and the rather piratical figure of the Albanian Airlines rep are setting the usual tone: that ... 4:30 pm
Rolls Royces don't break down...
...So said a Rolls Royce salesman to a friend of mine. "They merely have operational failures", he continued. Indeed, they ceremoniously grind to halt in a very dignified way. One such case in point was on the M40 today. There was a gleaming Roller parked up on the hard shoulder while two occupants trudged to the phone. In the words of the late Terry-Thomas: "Hard cheese!" 4:22 pm
The Bank which doesn't accept cheques
There seem to be an increasing number of places these days which have signs by the till saying "We do not accept cheques". This morning I was part of a queue of 15 people waiting to be served by two cashiers at a Moto petrol station. So I had plenty of time to think while I was in the queue! They had one of those "we do not accept cheques" signs at the till. Then I thought....Moto is owned by 3:26 pm
PPC Selection. - Warwick & Leamington.
Yesterday I was selected as the Lib-Dem, Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Warwick & Leamington. This is the culmination of 12 months of training, going through the approval process and applying for my home constituency. For those not familiar with the term Prospective Parliamentary Candidate or 'PPC' (and wonder what all the fuss is about just being 'prospective' as opposed to the 'real' candidate) this is a quirk of our election law that means we cannot be called an actual 'candidate' until an election is actually called. (I think this may have changed recently, though until ... 2:55 pm
Guardian Advent 10th December
Todays link can be found here. This is a link to the Poinsettia pages. Amongst which can be found the legend of the Poinsettia. A charming story is told of Pepita, a poor Mexican girl who had no gift to present the Christ Child at Christmas Eve Services. As Pepita walked slowly to the chapel with her cousin Pedro, her heart was filled with sadness rather than joy. "I am sure, Pepita, that even the most humble gift, if given in love, will be acceptable in His eyes," said Pedro consolingly. Not knowing what else to do, Pepita knelt by ... 1:44 pm
Britblog Roundup #95 is out
A host of posts here, 1:38 pm
Pinochet's Death
I suspect that there'll not be many tears - apart from those of Margaret Thatcher - at the death of General Pinochet. What is sad is that he never properly faced justice for the 3,000-odd people who "disappeared" during his dictatorship. In this country, Pinochet will be remembered for definining the high point of New Labour's "ethical foreign policy" when he was placed under house arrest in the UK. And then the end of it when he was released by Jack Straw. 1:00 pm
Lib Dems call for Post Office restrictions to be lifted to save our Post Offices
Commenting on reports that half the country’s post offices might be shut, Liberal Democrat Shadow DTI Secretary Edward Davey MP said: “Ministers’ claims that post offices must close in their thousands are simply wrong. “These closures have been Government driven as ministers have taken away businesses like pensions, TV licences and passports. “Post offices can be viable [...] 12:47 pm
I love the Wii
Took a bit of sniffing around the shops to get one controller for each paw, but cat chasing games have never been so good now I'm fully tooled up. You can nearly smell the fear on them as you race up the tree, dodging the bird poo on the bark (minus ten points) and biffing on the head the squirrels (1,000 bonus power-up points). I've even nearly worked out how to get the cat in the attic now; if only that drainpipe was just a fraction longer... 
11:42 am
Get out and do the Post Office petition
There is no better time than now to do the Post Office petition launched by Norman Lamb last year (and in which I had a hand when I was working in the Policy Unit in Cowley St before switching over to Political Communications). Whatever the government announces (probably Monday) there will be largescale branch closures. In Gateshead we have been running the petition for the past five months. 11:18 am
More Conservative homophobia or "distortion"
Ian Duncan-Smith is claiming that comments from his policy group, which stated that same sex couples were "irrelevent" to his work shaping family policy, have been distorted. Mr Duncan Smith told the Telepgraph that Same-sex partnerships do not "register on the Richter scale of how to bring up children", Mr Duncan Smith added. Mr Duncan Smith later said a factual response had been "distorted into an alleged slur on gay couples" and that it had been taken "out of context". To be fair to Mr Duncan Smith, he has a better record than most Tories on equality ... 11:15 am
Back to basics
I have to admit that I am in two minds how to react to this latest initiative by Tory Shadow Attorney General, Dominic Grieve. The Observer has taken the line that he is diametrically opposed to David Cameron's 'hug a hoodie' rhetoric, illustrating once more how a party hooked on quick headlines and image rather than substance can lose its way so easily. However, I am more attracted by the comparison with John Major's 'Back to Basics' campaign that effectively declared open season on the private lives of Tory MPs and Ministers. Mr. Grieve is quoted as saying: ... 11:08 am
LGA Faux Pas
I have to admit that I do not normally pay much attention to the Local Government Association Magazine 'First', which arrives on my doormat through the post every Saturday morning, however this week is different. The magazine contains a regular feature profiling a local Councillor. This week it is the "Independent member of Sandwell Metropolitan Council", Simon Smith. Except that Simon Smith is not an independent at all. As this article makes clear, Councillor Smith was elected to Sandwell as a member of the BNP and continues to sit as one of that party's Councillors. I suspect that ... 11:05 am
Day 2157: Home a Loan
Thursday: It appears that the Labour are having ACUTE CASHFLOW PROBLEMS. I am a CUTE elephant, so I hope that this is as nice for Lord Blairimort! [R: groan] Two of the Labour's big donors – Sir Christopher "where's my lordship" Evans (who advanced Lord Blairimort a million pounds) and "why aren't I even a Sir" Gordon Crawford (who bunged him five-hundred thousand) – are demanding the return of their money. Nobody knows why. Another thing that nobody knows is what will happen to the Labour if they actually go bankrupt. Three-hundred and fifty-five by-elections seems a ... 10:51 am
Annoying things about Christmas - Number 4
In the fourth part of my regular seasonal series of things that annoy me about Christmas, number four is ... Santa Claus. The reason for this is nothing to do with the Christmas story and de-christianisation of Christmas, it is because we, in the UK do not hav a tradition of calling him Santa Claus. He is, in the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and any number of other commonwealth countries called Father Christmas, not Santa. I know it's not important, but "Father Christmas" is a tradition in this country, "Santa" is an American one. Let's keep our own ... 10:38 am
Another thing Tories and Labour have in common.
There is a long list of policies that Labour and Tories have in common. But the resemblance seems to go deeper. 10:19 am
Gosport makes it four: Tories lose another council
I thought now was a bad time to be a Conservative Parliamentary candidate, but it’s almost as bad being a Conservative council leader - with three four councils in a week moving out of Conservative control. The latest is Gosport, where the Conservative leader and his minority administration walked out after losing a vote. Previously, the Tories lost [...] 10:12 am
How Luntz made Cameron: Nick Cohen finally notices
The Observer's Nick Cohen notices that Cameron's "appeal" has been in part created by Republican Pollster Frank Luntz. Millenium Elephant and Liberal Review got there before him. 9:45 am
Remember Darfur-Take Action
This is the second global day for Darfur, when the broad based crisis action coalition will focus on the wide scale rape and sexual violence that has been perpetrated in this conflict - saying stop the rape, stop the killing and send the UN peacekeepers now. Surely enough is enough-it is time for action. Write letters, sign petitions, demonstrate. All that is needed for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing. 9:37 am
More Tory Troubles
To celebrate David Cameron's first year anniversary the Tories seem to have gone mad over candidates. The last week of so have seen three - yes three - Conservative Candidates resign or be removed. 8:59 am
Labour's HQ sale tax dodge
The Labour Party has been accused of depriving taxpayers of hundreds of thousands of pounds in stamp duty in the sale of its London headquarters, despite the Chancellor’s clampdown on stamp duty avoidance schemes in his mini-budget last week. The Independent on Sunday has learnt that Labour sold its Westminster headquarters this year using a specially [...] 8:40 am
Selection news: Meon Valley
Congratulations to Liz Leffman who has secured the selection for the new constituency. PPC news selections 12:33 am
Slap a hoodie
Dominic Grieve, the shadow Attorney General, has told the Observer that people should be able to slap a hoodie... Come on boys, you've only just stopped hugging them, make your mind up. You can't be all things to all people... oh sorry yes you can in the great Tory bring and buy sell out sale. Buy your flip flops here. 12:16 am
Welcome to Amaranth!
I love Mark dearly, but he can be awfully hard work sometimes... Perhaps I should introduce myself first though. My name is Jessica, and I'm a friend of Mark's from the old country. I live here, with my husband, Emperor Ludwig XIV, and I occasionally reappear in Mark's life when he shows signs of needing my help. Mark has asked me to add some glamour to his blog which, I'm told, tends towards 12:10 am
Labour go to the brink on Post Office network
This report in yesterday's Guardian is set to put the cat amongst the pigeons as the prospect of the closure of thousands of Post Offices all around the Country looms ever larger: The Department for Trade and Industry said last night the current size of the network, with 14,000 post offices, was "unsustainable". Royal Mail has said about 4,000 post offices would be the optimum "commercial" level although chief executive Adam Crozier has accepted that the social benefits of the post offices, particularly in rural areas, must also be taken into account. There is speculation that between 2,500 and ... 
