We've had a lovely Christmas time with family, but you don't want to know about that. We have managed to escape politics as people have been getting on wih signing the Preston Park petition and the upset messages from them have been coming by e-mailwe find when we turn the computer on. Regular updates from the Coucnil leader have been very helpful in informing us about the gritting process. At...
The Daily Mail reports: Fights broke out at some of Britain's top stores yesterday as shoppers jostled for the best bargains at Boxing Day sales. Police had to be called to Gucci's flagship store in Knightsbridge, West London, after a fracas just before the doors opened at 10am, and there were also scuffles in Milton Keynes. According to shoppers at Gucci, where £500 handbags, shoes and other goods were being sold at half price, a police van and four patrol cars raced to the scene after reports of punches being thrown. All very depressing. Personally, I feel that if the ...
How remiss of me, of course today is the first day of week-long Kwanzaa celebrations dedicated to Umoja or Unity, specifically of family and community. I was reminded by my friend Lester, thanks for that and Happy Kwanzaa to you and your family.
Just before Christmas I suggested that the 1962 Hammer film Captain Clegg could provide a new poster for the Liberal Democrats and inspiration to its leader on enforcing party discipline. A tweet from Duncan Stott kindly points out that the whole film is available on YouTube. I can't embed it, but part 1 is here.
Every Christmas Eve we have a Carol Service(ish) in St. George's Square here in Hebden Bridge. It's brilliant! Hundreds, nay thousands, of people brave the wintry conditions though thankfully it was dry this year, but the snow did lie ...
Here at 'Liberal Bureaucracy', we've grown used to reviewing the year gone by, and 2009 is no exception... The year began with a dawning realisation that life was about to become very different. The unique role of Presidential husband - yes, I am the first (or should that be "no, I'm Spartacus") - was likely to be a bit of challenge to a slightly impulsive bureaucrat. I didn't realise just how much of a challenge it would turn out to be. However, there were trips to make, conferences to attend and travel plans to make. The first of these was ...
Last of the festive uploads! Super Christmas; back to blogging tomorrow!
While most people have been raving about Doctor Who; for those willing to stay-up ITV has been replaying the Matrix trilogy. When it was first released in March 1999 the first Matrix film was groundbreaking and from my recollection enjoyed a very slow first week followed by successive weeks of people queuing round the bloc as word-of-mouth travelled fast. What caught ...
Well, that's it for another year. We actually had a proper white Christmas, too. Of couse we did, white is all we can see outside our window, but we had some fresh stuff fall, just for a few minutes, but that's all it needs, around 10 yesterday morning. Anna was delighted with her presents. She had been thrilled the night before by reading Santa's tweets, particularly when he found the time to reply to her. I'm still not convinced it was the real Santa, despite the fact that he knew her name, talked to her about her letter and confirmed ...
Having a replete Boxing Day? It's a day for the most important things in life - TV and chocolate (and my beloved Richard). Richard's chewed over last night's Doctor Who, as have the lovely Jennie and Andy, and I've... scoffed many chocolates. So I'm sitting to watch Shakespeare, thinking of Christmas boxes. What are the best boxes from Thorntons? What's the box set to buy for Doctor Who? What's the most Christmassy box the BBC ever presented for us to wolf down? And are you looking out for Radio Four's three Doctor Who programmes in the next day, starting tonight? ...
We now know the UK will see its first ever televised debates between the leaders of the three major UK-wide parties in the run-up to the 2010 general election. The consenus is there have been two winners: Sky News, which, with brilliant audacity, put the issue front and centre, and by so doing ensured that (i) the debates will happen, and (ii) it muscled in on the act, instead of being excluded by the BBC and ITV. (There's a lesson there for Channel 4, which had been comprehensively outmanoeuvred). The second winner, according to the commentariat, is Nick Clegg. Here's ...
Well, you could knock me down with a feather. A double page op-ed piece singing the praises of Gladstone in your actual Daily Mail today (three days before the bi-centenary of the man's birth). And, as if that wasn't enough, on Tuesday, the Telegraph were singing the great man's praises as well: "How the great Mr Gladstone saved our fallen country – Two hundred years ago, a leader was born who puts today's politicians to shame, says Simon Heffer". Our cup runneth over! Heffer's piece includes this dubious praise: ...in the 300 and more years between Cromwell and Mrs Thatcher, ...
Another Christmas has come and gone. Amidst the hangover of wrapping paper and hearty leftovers there is an issue that pops its head above the parapet every year and is likely to make an ugly come back if the Tories win the next General with a comfortable majority. As with anything with "ban" in the title the Hunting Ban, instated under the guise of "animal welfare", has had completely opposite consequences and unfortunately this is the policy of the Liberal Democrats.* A burgeoning fox population is being dealt with using poisons that adversely affect the surrounding environment, the same environments ...
UPDATE: There are eight gritters working around the clock on roads around Stockport Borough. There's a long list of roads needing their attention from Marple to Gatley, Reddish to Woodford. I've got the roads off Pendlebury Road, around Silverdale Road/Kendal Drive/Borrowdale in Gatley and around Brackenwood Drive in Cheadle added to the list. The Council isn't able to guarantee a response time, but I'm assured everything is being done that can be done with current resources. If you've other roads that need to be added, please let me know and I'll sort it out (I'm around for the next couple ...
...but if it was. In a hour's time on BBC2 David Tennent will be starring in Hamlet with Patrick Stewart playing both his father's ghost and Claudius. Of course I'll be engrossed for all three hours 5 minutes. But Hamlet of course is rather a long play, even for its time when presented in full. Just be glad that this conversation never actually took place.
Christmas Day: Hah HAAA! Now that I, the MASTER, have possessed everyone and everything on Earth, including this Very Fluffy Diary of My Name Is The Master, I can hahahahah tell how BRILLIANT haha BRILLIANT I was in the Doctor Who Christmas Special and... OOOF! [is punched in head by elephant] Silly man! Machine was set for HUMANS! Elephants are IMMUNE! And if you are worried, Daddy Alex's head is stuffed full of all the knowledge of the Time Lords and Daddy Richard assures me that he is only half-human on his Great Auntie Fred's side. So we're all fine! ...
Civil servants are as bad as bankers ... The Telegraph trumpets Gladstone's anniversary ... Tories support Labour's school Sats Tests ... Another dodgy Tory donor exposed ... Labour split on voting reform ... Lords skim expenses cream ... BBC to make film on Thorpe tragedy ... what Chris Huhne thinks of Prince Charles ... Unions sit on money for Labour ... look at who says Hauge is Vauge ...and the only thing the final polls of the year can agree upon is that Liberal Democrat support is holding up Now Civil Servants join bankers in ludicrous bonuses - Daily Mail,, ...
I'm on a bit of a quest to prove that I'm not the only one in the world who likes to eat mince pies made with puff pastry with a slice of cheese. I have to say that I don't mind if I am the only one in the world who likes them that way because I'm not one to conform for the sake of it, but surely I can't be alone. Brief mentions of this strange habit in the Twitterverse have brought howls of disbelief and the word "weirdo" was used at one point. Not in any sort of ...
Well here were my original predictions on the first of January, most of these can now be determined. 1. There will be a General Election. I expect it around April Well we all know that didn't happen. 2. Liverpool will hold on to win the Premier League for the first time. Those guys from the other end of the ship canal (Man. United) actually equalled Liverpool's record of 18 top flight titles. 3. The Nats will start to drop in the polls as Scottish notice that more and more of their promises are not being met, and blame is shifted ...
As it says on the tin, here are 10 of the posts I've written that I've most enjoyed, whether for introducing new information to the blogosphere, the fun, the way the content has influenced the real world or just having a little rant: Winterval: the Christian media has more questions to answer than local councils What to make of Baroness Buscombe's speech as chair of the PCC? Dear Prime Minister, Can I please be your advisor? The inside story of how the Lib Dem general election manifesto will be drawn up Cabinet Office: correspondence chaos 29% of seats have not ...
It's taken me over a year but I have finally finished "To kill a mocking bird" by Harper Lee. It's a charming book which takes you to a different world. I regard it as a major achievement that I have finally finished it! Now I am on to Ted Kennedy's 'True Compass'.
So Christmas and come and gone and Epping Forest District Council are up to their old tricks. Now my bins should have been collected on Christmas Eve, but because of the snow and the icy conditons on my road, they were not. So I thought I would go on the council's web page to find out when my missed collection would be, but the information is not forthcoming.Mine and my neighbours' bins are
I know I said the next post might be a little non-political but I changed my mind. Paul Walter writes about the campaign that the Labour Party has launched to 'Back the Ban' on fox-hunting. Paul won't support it because the party tag makes him feel uncomfortable and indeed I agree this is a weakness of the ...
So, having slept on it, my theory for what will happen on New Year's Day: ( speculation based on spoilers ). We shall see if that is more or less cracky than whatever Rusty has pulled out of his arse. But what do YOU think? ( spoilery poll is spoilery ) Do feel free to add your own cracky speculations in the comments, and we shall see who is nearest the awful truth.
Inspired by Morten Morland's Cartoon in today's Times see above. PM Gordon Brown looked out On the feast of Stephen But debt still lay round about Deep and harsh unbeaten Grimmly shone G. Brown that night For the cuts were cruel When his chanc'lor came in sight Failing to lift the mood "Hither, Darling stand by me If thou know'st it, telling Yonder voter, who is he? And what his voting intention?" "Sire, he votes across the fence No party can count on. Last time he felt Iraq make sense Now he's not so certain." "Raise the VAT with Auld ...
Who exactly were the 150 people who logged onto my site on Christmas Day? It hardly suggests a rip-roaring Christmas Day. Mind you, one of them was me, so who am I to talk? So I'll just take the time to wish everyone a really good holiday for a few days before normal service is resumed. No doubt the season of goodwill will end soon enough!
Today's Western Mail contains some very important messages from Churchmen warning us not to be fooled by the BNP's claims that they represent Christian values. They remind us that Party leader Nick Griffin has previously said the BNP stands in the tradition of the Crusader knights who fought Muslim armies. He claims the BNP are fighting the "Islamification" of Britain: Writing in the BNP newspaper Voice of Freedom, Mr Griffin said: "The British National Party will never allow our children to become a minority in their own homeland. Just like our Crusader ancestors, we will fight to preserve our Christian ...
It is hardly suprising that Brown's promotion of Britishness has fallen flat on its face. To me the idea of discovering unified British values and using this to produce a code of duties and rights, seems absurd. Instead, rights should not be judged on nationality but instead on the basic fundamental right to equality and ...
Today's Times contains the news that the Labour Government's celebrations of the NHS's 60th birthday cost a little bit more than they should have done thanks to the change in the logo that accompanied the event. I think that it is reasonable to argue anyway that, whatever the merits of the anniversary celebrations they were designed as a party political event with the sole objective of promoting Labour as the party of the health service. This completely ignores the fact that the concept of the Health Service was thought up by a Liberal Party member, even if it was implemented ...
Throughout the festive season, LDV is offering our readers another chance to read the 12 most popular opinion articles which have appeared on the blog since 1st January, 2009. The eleventh most-read LDV op-ed of 2009 was by Jury Team co-founder Morus, and originally appeared on 8th April ... 'A flop'? Jury Team responds to Mark Pack May I first of all begin by thanking Lib Dem Voice readers for indulging us, and to the editors for letting me write a response to Mark Pack's post, Jury Team: so far, it's a flop. You won't be surprised that I disagree ...
SPOILERS AHEAD! Well, I seem to have come away from the whole thing a bit more positive than some others. Although I agree with much of Jennie and lizbee and various others' reactions I've seen, I did still come away from it feeling quite positive. One of the main things which bothers me about RTD-era Who is ...
@kerrymp (Kerry McCarthy) has been tweeting about "Back the ban" which is a campaign to keep the ban on hunting with hounds when they actually kill mammals with their teeth. While I support the League against Cruel Sports, I will not be backing this campaign because it is a Labour one and I am uncomfortable with the party tag. I happen to believe that the current situation is an excellent compromise, because it allows people to exercise their sport while outlawing the most vile part of the exercise. If the Tories are stupid enough to repeal the law, then so ...
I've had a reply about the lack of dropped curbs at Airedale Hospital, saying that they would look into it. So far so good. Hope to have more news before very long.
The Guardian's Michael White kicks off his series of 'Politicians of the Decade' with Vince Cable: At the start of the decade he was Liberal Democrat MP for Twickenham, a well-regarded if relatively unknown trade and industry spokesman. By the end of the decade he was the party's Treasury spokesman and deputy leader, the best known and most well-respected Lib Dem MP. ... When the Lib Dems' "Orange Book" was published in 2004 Cable was more clearly identified with the pro-market wing of the party, denounced by the more state-minded left. He has since made "fairer taxes, not higher taxes" ...
I nearly gagged on my mouthful of maltesers (okay, there were three) when I saw the Twitter message from the SNP come through - "Labour & Tory candidates must rule out dual mandate". I obviously have nothing against their message as not only have I blogged about the arrogance of people like John Lamont MSP (Conservative) and Cathy Jamieson MSP (Labour), along with Margaret Curran MSP (Labour) and Alex Johnstone MSP (Conservative) for all being MSPs but also now candidates for the Westminster general election but Alex Salmond remains the biggest culprit and hypocrite. There has been nothing stopping wee ...
Won't be putting anything up today because it still counts as Christmas in my opinion! Blogging may also be a bit sporadic until January 12th when I hand my uni essays in.
As it is Christmas I have given blogging and reading other blogs a miss. I have not, however, given up looking at twitter, a step too far, and i have spotted this story. The ever prolific Les Bonner has blogged regarding ID cards travel chaos. It seems that passengers from the Greater Manchester area, who are currently trialing ID cards for the government, have been turned away by airlines and ferry companies when they tried to use the new ID cards to travel. Simple Admin error? Maybe. Although the Manchester evening news reports that A P&O spokesman said the company ...
I've created a new page dedicated to the Epping Parking Review. Essex County Council is due to publish its proposals for new parking restrictions in January. At the moment the page contains information about last summer's consultation exercise. I will update the page with news of the county council's response in due course. [IMG: Sunnyside Road is just one local street with parking problems]
Tomorrow human rights activists around the world will be commemorating — but certainly not celebrating — the first anniversary of Israel's Operation Cast Lead against the population of Gaza. As was made clear in the report by Judge Richard Goldstone and his UN team, there is sufficient evidence to warrant investigations into both the Israeli ...
Newtonmas is over for another year, then. Spent most of it traveling home from Devon. Devon was cool, even if my new laptop charger died. After a bath, we watched James May fail to capture a world record, then Doctor Who, then new Poirot - which had Mark Gatiss AND Tim Curry in, and sent me into a frothing frenzy. Then I did the Who Daily reaction post, in which the general consensus seems to be "Cribbins was awesome, but srsly, WTF???" Did you lot have an exciting day? Tomorrow I have work. And then the day after tis my ...
I loved it and I hated it in almost equal measure. I loved ( SPOILER! ) even as I hated the ( SPOILER! ). I loved ( SPOILER! ), and ( SPOILER! ); I hated ( SPOILER! ). I ACHED with adoration for the mighty ( SPOILER! ) almost as much as I cringed with embarrassment for poor ( SPOILER! ). It wasn't so much an episode, as a fanboy wishlist, strung together with nary a scant attention to plot, and I hated it, even as I loved seeing my fannish dreams come true. ( SPOILER! ) Hurrah! But what ...
A couple of days before Chrismas I was speaking with a fisherman. In fact he is one of the few remaining fishermen on Morecambe Bay and among other things he was telling me about cockling. The beds are closed at the moment so there is no risk of anyone dying or at least this risk should be minimal. He told me that he don't want to restrict access to the bay because individuals may want to go out and pick a few cockles. Of course this access has to be balanced with safety and the greatest dangers came from the ...
