Putting aside the GLA selection for the day, I spent a sizeable chunk of time at English Candidates Committee, preparing for the European selection that goes live on Friday, in my triple role as a member of the committee, Returning Officer for South East England and member of London's Selection Committee. Part of the meeting was spent considering protocols addressing particular circumstances
I suspect this is not the year to launch a defense of Big Brother. Never the less for lots of people aged 18 to 35 ( only just) it just seems now like one more summer ritual. I see no contradiction between enjoying two hours of superb Lutheran liturgical music from Bach ( Radio 3 ) on Wednesday night before tuning in for the start of the annual Gorm Fest. I work hard and some mindless light relief on a week day evening in my view does no harm. It seems we have got to the point where being a ...
York Minister have launched there "One in a Million" development campaign. ( Follow the links at www.yorkminster.org ) I imagine if you are the Archbishop of York flogging 1 Million gift certificates must be slightly tawdry but that's the price we pay for saving our medieval heritage. The Minster is a Yorkshire Icon and my small cheque is in the post. Have a look and support if you wish.
The Archbishop of Cardiff has joined with the head of the Catholic Church in Scotland to try and break down the longstanding separation of Church and State. In an apparent attempt to intimidate catholic politicians into voting for the Vatican's position on abortion, these clerics are now suggesting that those who do not do so should absent themselves from communion: Archbishop Smith rejected arguments that MPs had to represent a larger constituency, including people whose views on abortion were at odds with the Catholic Church. "A politician in these circumstances has a real difficulty, which I ...
Anthony Fairclough (who penned the original letter to Stephen Hammond MP whose reply drew my ire) has alerted me to the fact that the post has vanished from Hammond's website, along with Hammond's own reply. Fortunately, the original is archived here. While it's nice to know you're being listened to - it would be nicer if Mr. Hammond or his web team could have a) published my letter, or b) replied to it, or c) contacted me with an explanation for the post in question... Frankly, this just looks like he's covering his tracks. Thankyou ... 
Anthony Fairclough (who penned the original letter to Stephen Hammond MP whose reply drew my ire) has alerted me to the fact that the post has vanished from Hammond's website, along with Hammond's own reply. Fortunately, the original is archived here. While it's nice to know you're being listened to - it would be nicer if Mr. Hammond or his web team could have a) published my letter, or b) replied to it, or c) contacted me with an explanation for the post in question... Frankly, this just looks like he's covering his tracks. Thankyou ...
I haven't been blogging for a few days because I've been in New York. And, of course, that would be just the time that mobile blogging stopped working - it's OK now, so although I'm using my host's laptop I'm back in business for the rest of my trip. I'm here with Kingston Choral Society on a shopping singing tour. It's my first visit to New York but everyone who's been before says...
I have made a couple of comments recently on the demise of XFM As people will know my birthday didn't quite go to plan, today I finally got one of my presents from Grace (thank you!) out of the box and set it up. A Pure Chronos DAB radio alarm. This means I have far more choice than we had with our FM radio alarm as to what to wake up to. Radio 6 Music is going on trial following Ed Maxfield's
So at first glance, West Bromwich and West Hollywood have very little in common. West Bromwich, population 137,000, an industrial area of the West Midlands famous for its football team and subject of national derision thanks to the BBC and Omar, Abdul and Shafiq. West Hollywood, population 35,716, famous for its gay village, creative heartbeat and its [...]
On the subject of travel, I am shortly off to Los Angeles for a few weeks, so blogging will continue to be rare through June. I shall be staying with my friends Ron at Venice Beach and Duane in West Hollywood and also taking a 3-day road trip up to Death Valley, where the temperature [...]
Finally, a day when I can relax! I’ve just returned from We Are Mud, just across the road from my flat, where I put my feet up with a panini, a coffee and a copy of the Guardian. I always seem to read the Travel, Work and Money sections first on a Saturday. The Travel section [...]
My House Points column from today's Liberal Democrat News. Details of how to subscribe to the party's weekly newspaper are here. School choices Until Tuesday the most remarkable thing about Graham Brady was his resemblance to Harry Enfield's Tim Nice-But-Dim. Now Brady looks nice, dim and principled after resigning over his party change of education policy. David Willetts was right when he said that grammar schools are dominated by the middle classes. But he could have added that the same is true of the best church schools and comprehensives too. And it is true in spades of ...
The reports of hooliganism at Skewen station bring home how little regard is paid to this vital facility. We have previously drawn attention to the state of the road bridge and to the lack of passenger information (the speaker system has long since been vandalised). Llansamlet station, just along the line, has a volunteer manager and more facilities. Why not Skewen? Do Network Rail and the council see it as an embarrassment?
The price for keeping our schools open is now revealed by the Evening Post. It is to be hoped that the county borough is not to lose the services of its most experienced and qualified teachers.
I don't often keep an eye on CommentIsFree - there's just too much "comment" for me to get into. But Tim Worstall today highlighted this little one from Peter Tatchell ahead of today's "Republic Day". With uncharacteristic hubris Tatchell says: "But we democrats celebrate June 2 with a vision of what Britain could be: a democratic republic with an elected head of state, a representative of the nation who is chosen by us, the people." By happy coincidence this week also sees the annual knees-up of the "G8", an event that supremely highlights the error ...
To the person who just clicked through to my blog after doing a Google search for "Safe to buy skunk in Brixton": Yes, it is safe to buy skunk in Brixton. Just walk out of the tube and down to the bus stop and there will be at least one person offering to sell you "skunks". If you say yes, he will take you to one of his friends, who may well be standing outside KFC having a laugh with his mates. There the transaction will take place. Assuming you don't mind using drugs that have been stuffed down ...
From today’s Daily Telegraph: The rebellion has also reached the Tory grass roots, with activists preparing to stand against the party at the next election as “pro-grammar school” candidates. Brian Wills-Pope, chairman of the National Grammar Schools Association, said he had been approached by four people preparing to stand as candidates on a pro-grammar school ticket in [...]
Monday: Oh very fluffy dear, Poland! We were all very happy when Poland got to join the European Union especially when it turned out that they were all hard-working, qualified plumbers which was just what we needed. Unfortunately, it seems that the government that they have left running the country while they are all out has gone a little bit – and this is putting it kindly – strange. They have already had a go at bringing in their own version of Nasty Old Conservatory policy, "Section 28". And the MEPs of the Union ...
I found a list here entitled "The Top 100 Things I'd Do If I Ever Became An Evil Overlord". For example: No. 65. If I must have computer systems with publically available terminals, the maps they display of my complex will have a room clearly marked as the Main Control Room. That room will be the Execution Chamber. The actual main control room will be marked as Sewage Overflow Containment.
An article in Thursday's Southwark News highlights that Richard Taylor, father of murdered ten-year old Damilola Taylor, "has expressed his dismay at the race led protests that surrounded the recent Southwark Mayor making ceremony." He comments: "I don't think it was in the interests of the majority of the community for [the protestors] to show the behaviour they portrayed. The Mayor has openly apologised and I think he has done a lot to say sorry for the statement he made. To allow peace to reign his apologies should have been accepted. This is not the time for us ...
Oh, for the joys of new technology. The Assembly intranet site has been down for a week, meaning that I cannot access the agenda for next week's Plenary other than through the main internet and am barred from a whole host of other information and forms I need to do my job as an Assembly Member. The idea that the process of separating Executive and Parliament should be painless has obviously fallen down already. In addition to that my Assembly e-mail account has been bombarded with over 2,000 messages overnight telling me that e-mails I did not send could ...
This story (see link) from New York is one where a child was removed from parents by a paediatrician "on a crusade" because of false medical allegations of child abuse. The things to note about this are: a) The typical rush to judgment of the court unwilling to hear a range of medical experts. The court in the US (much like many Family Courts in the UK) only want to hear the experts that say "
What has been missing from Glamorgan cricket, leading to the county's position in the basement of the county championship, is now starting to be made up for. James Harris (Pontardulais) took 12 for 118 in Bristol, Gareth Rees (Swansea) scored a solid 107 and took a great catch at "boot hill" in the current match against Essex - and there's a promising local off-spinner named Croft doing well, too. ;-) - Frank Little | < | June 2007 | > | ||||
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