Local resident Di has collected a large petition - mainly from residents in Haycombe Drive, Rosewarn Close and Blagdon Park asking for the area to be made into a 20MPH residential zone. We are completely supportive of the idea of residential areas being 20mph as it makes the area much safer and reduces the number of car accidents significantly. We are working hard to convince the Council to...
The Friends of Roundhill AGM was held at the Mount Road YMCA during the week. A lot of progress has been made by the Friends during the year with a number of of events being put on and improvements made. Events coming up over the summer are Big Lunch, Star gazing, bat walks. For more information on all these please see their website at this link Friends of...
We have asked the Parks Department to cut back the summer growth along the pathway from Sladebrook Road to Parry Close. AT the same time we have also alerted highways to some hedges that are obstructing footpaths around the area. We are also pleased that Highways have now fitted a bike barrier at the bottom of this lane which will hopefully reduce the amount of...
As part of the safe routes to school project the Council is gradually fitting 20mph alerts for all schools. This is a project that has been in progress for several years now. We are delighted that Southdown Infant and Junior schools now have theirs in place. However we recognize that the school run coupled with the successful Bath Spa link up with Culverhay School continues to add to parking...
Perhaps this is very curmudgeonly of me, but we seem to be slowly drowning in that dreadful version of English nationalism called The-Best-In-The-World-Syndrome (after the well-known cliché about British bobbies). Why is it that our commentators assume that England is always set to win every World Cup, and that everything less than that is a crime for which somebody needs to be disembowelled in the tabloids? It isn't as if we have much of a track record for the past four decades or so. Where did this strange idea emerge from that we somehow deserve to win? Worse, this bizarre ...
We are pleased that after a long time of asking Hillcrest Field is to get some better access. Over the last few years there have been several slips on the steep path from Hillcrest Drive into the field and also access is difficult for buggies and wheelchairs. Now the access from Hillcrest Drive is having a ramp fitted and an improved entrance. The entrance from Englishcombe Lane...
I want to be a superhero. When the girls all put pillowcases on their heads and pretended to be brides, Bethany threw hers over her shoulder and said she was Power Girl. "You can't do that," she was told. "Superheroes is a stupid kiddies' game. We're being brides." The other girls grew out of it; Bethany didn't. The pillowcase was always a cape. Sometimes it was Power Girl's, sometimes Batwoman's, sometimes Wonder Woman's (she always wore a cape when Bethany played the game). All that happened was that Bethany stopped talking to people about her dream, after people kept telling ...
Nick Clegg was the star speaker at today's Liberal Democrat local government conference in London. Nick gave a good speech telling a packed and appreciative audience about the progress with the coalition to date and the difficult decisions that are coming up in the near future. The funniest moment of the event was when Nick was asked about the timing of the AV referendum. He started his answer by saying: "I hope to be able to make an announcement about that sometime in the..." At that point, he stopped and apologised for sounding just like ministers always do. He then ...
View Poll: #1580666 Current FIFA rankings: arwel_p, feorag, gisforgreen and wowou on calling all three of today's matches correctly!
We had a good public meeting yesterday at Kings Stanley Village Hall on the question of the future of the Kings Head pub just the other side of the road. During the general election campaign, it was pointed out to me that the pub had recently closed. After the election, and fearing a planning application if the pub remained empty, I set up the meeting and publicised it in the post-election Focus leaflet. As soon as we started delivering them, it was pointed out to us that it clashed with a vital World Cup tie. However, the village hall is ...
What he said.
Howard's cartoon from yesterday's Liberal Democrat News.
Yate Town Council's free 2-day Community Music Festival will take place in Kingsgate Park, Yate on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 June. The event starts at 1pm on Saturday afternoon with lots of local bands. There will also be a performance area for local dance groups and clubs. Plus children's rides, side shows, craft and food stalls, face painting, play areas and a beer tent. Kingswood Bus Project will also be there for the afternoon providing a range of activities for young people. On Sunday there will be a Praise in the Park event at 10.30am, organised by local Churches. ...
A few photos from this afternoon's parade. Well done to Chipping Sodbury Lions and everyone who took part! If you would like to see one of the pictures enlarged, just click on the photo when it comes up.
It had all been going reasonably well. Lots of candidates out there making the case for their election, plenty of interest, my e-mail had been pretty quiet, and I was just beginning to relax... Big mistake. The most frustrating part of last year's round of Liberal Youth elections was the sense that individuals felt themselves free to write and propagate attacks on opponents, bystanders and, to be honest, anyone who took an interest. Leaking selectively to a prominent Conservative blogger (although not always accurately), endorsements made on behalf of groups without even the faintest veneer of proper consultation and a ...
From the BBC: Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne has confirmed he is separating from his wife and is in a relationship with another woman. The 56-year-old Liberal Democrat MP for Eastleigh, Hampshire, has been married to Vicky Pryce for 25 years. They have five children and one grandchild. "I am in a serious relationship with Carina Trimingham and I am separating from my wife," he said in a statement. Ms Trimingham works in PR. Downing Street did not comment. You can read the full report here.
From the Press Association: Energy Secretary Chris Huhne has said he is separating from his wife because of a "serious relationship" with another woman. I am in a serious relationship with Carina Trimingham and I am separating from my wife," the senior Liberal Democrat MP announced. Mr Huhne, 56, has been married to Vicky Pryce – chief economist at the Department for Business Innovation and Skills – for 26 years. The couple have three children and two step-children. Ms Trimingham, a former journalist who works in PR, was part of Mr Huhne's campaign team when he took on Nick Clegg ...
At least most of our politicians aren't this bad! There's no way that this guy can carry on in his position is there? Is he drunk or is he just really angry?
Following the two successful days last month when residents, councillors, council staff, police and others did a great voluntary effort to clean off graffiti across the West End, we held another "anti-graffiti" morning today, getting rid of graffiti at sites adjacent to parts of Perth Road - such as this (see right). Another highly successful and productive morning, ridding the area of much graffiti mess.
The British media's obsession with politicians' private lives has always left our continental neighbours scratching their heads in disbelief. Why should the state of someone's marriage or the relationship that X is conducting with Y be of any legitimate interest to anyone other than those immediately concerned? The claim by newspaper editors who ought to know ...
The first tranche of games were disappointing but things have opened up for the second with a handful of real upsets. I am looking forward to the knock out stages when real cup footie will be played. So far the teams that have impressed have been Chile, Argentina, Mexico and the Dutch. France have bombed and hot favourites Spain were banjoed by the Swiss while an initially sprightly looking Germany were surprise victims of the Serbs last night. Then there is England....oh dear. They may still qualify I just don't see them getting beyond the last 16. It can't help ...
Dear Chief Constable I write following the high speed car drive across the city that saw the car speeding dangerously across parts of the West End Ward and further east, but including the busy Perth Road, and eventually being abandoned in Clayhills Drive. Following concerned residents contacting me expressing concern about the stupidity of the driver who drove recklessly at excessive speed and with no concern for public safety, I write to ask what steps Tayside Police can take to minimise the possibility of such a lengthy dangerous driving in the future. Specifically, what role can CCTV make in assisting ...
I'm sure our minds are now turning to the decisions that will be made in next weeks budget. I think none of us should be under any illusion that painful cuts that will be made will affect us all. As we are all aware the last Government went on a spending binge over many years which has left us a legacy of debt. If we don't face up to this now then we will simply be passing the burden to our children and our grandchildren. Not since the last Great War have we amassed such debt. This debt in 2010 ...
I've just finished rewatching the 1970 season of Doctor Who (my thoughts on it will be posted on Tuesday when I've finished Terror of the Autons) and so the time was right to dig out the PDF of the 1971 Doctor Who annual from the Inferno DVD set. I must say I found this to be the best written, and one of the best illustrated, of the annuals so far. Somehow tying the format down to Earth, with the threesome of Brigadier, Liz and Doctor, must have prevented the writer(s) from turning in naff space opera tales. The stories (eight ...
Here's a picture taken earlier and some more
Congratulations to Iain Dale for biting the bullet and removing himself from the gene pool of approved Conservative parliamentary candidates. I did the same with respect to the Liberal Democrat list in 2001 and I have never regretted my decision. Quite frankly being an MP is a rubbish job. I think Iain has much more to offer the world spreading his wings as a publisher, broadcaster and writer than having his wings clipped as an MP. And may I just say as an extremely ex-broadcaster myself, what a great job Iain does as a phone-in presenter on LBC? It is ...
The printed version of the Eastern Daily Press has a small story about the County Council Greens demanding that Norfolk County Council's Pension Scheme should no longer hold any investments in BP following the oil spill in the Mexican Gulf. This is typical Green Party grandstanding with no concept of the economics involved. Aside from the fact that The Green Party has very much taken the US line of "attack BNP" rather than accept that whilst BP have ultimate responsibility, the Rig was owned and run by Transocean, a US firm, it is worrying that the Green Party in the ...
Thankfully - when my two were born - everything was OK. I certainly spent a great deal of time when I was pregnant worrying whether that would be the case - and happily for me it was. But it's not always the case - and that devastating moment when a new parent is told there is a problem - changes your life forever. For the rest of your life - depending on the degree of that special need - parents will become the ultimate experts in whatever the disability or need their child has. They will take on a level ...
Yesterday, there was another tragic accident on the A339 in Newbury - this time at the opposite end of the stretch along Victoria Park (there was a fatality just by the back of the library in January). I can only pray for the family and friends of the lady who was killed. I also hope that any appropriate further safety measures are taken to further minimise the risk of accidents involving pedestrians on this stretch of road.
This morning's Western Mail reports that Labour have been accused of branding their AMs as "second class parliamentarians" by not giving them a dedicated vote in the party's UK leadership election. Under Labour's electoral college voting system, one third of votes go to ordinary party members, another third to affiliated organisations - mainly unions - and the remainder to parliamentarians. The mathematics mean that the votes of Labour MPs are worth considerably more than those of ordinary party members. However AMs and MSPs [Members of the Scottish Parliament] are not included in the electoral college as parliamentarians - this only ...
I posted a Sun article earlier today concerning David Ruffley MP and what looks like an attempted suicide. I can only express my great sympathy for Mr Ruffley. To even consider taking one's life, one must be in a hellish state, which most of us cannot even imagine. I hope David Ruffley is able to have the time, space and support to recover fully – I really do.
Fresh Squeezings From the Veins of the Internet. Well, mostly from Andrew Ducker's Delicious Glue feed, actually.Hyperbole and a Half tells the story of my Life. I love this bit:The longer I procrastinate on returning phone calls and emails, the more guilty I feel about it. The guilt I feel causes me to avoid the issue further, which only leads to more guilt and more procrastination. It gets to the point where I don't email someone for fear of reminding them that they emailed me and thus giving them a reason to be disappointed in me. I recognise this so ...
There is an interesting post on the Degwm blog concerning the growing split within the One Wales Government over the First Minister's decision to veto the closing down Lansdowne School in cardiff so as to make way for a new Welsh-medium school. The author says that Plaid Cymru have been distributing a leaflet in Cardiff West urging residents to attend a meeting about the decision. He says that the leaflet goes on to attack the Labour Assembly Government for its refusal to close down the schools and then says: The fact that Plaid Cymru are its coalition partners is only ...
I noticed Jonathan Fryer had a post on Aung San Suu Kyi. For those who missed it Radio 4 marked her 65th birthday with a half hour documentary which is on iplayer for a week. Well worth a listen.
There is a public meeting called Con-dem-ned to cuts, How can we organise the fight back. It's in Bracknell at Room 2 in the Coopers Hill Youth Centre on Thursday, 24th June at 7.30pm. The main speaker is Terry Pearce who was involved in the save the Look In Cafe and is organised by the Socialist Party. The Socialist Party were in town today to promote this event among other things. I'm expecting many more such events and many more unhappy workers across Europe to the cuts caused by the deficit and the banking crisis. Its very interesting to see ...
Ed Balls seems to know so little about the constituency that he represents that he is claiming Labour knocked the BNP off Leeds City Council. This is simply not true. It was the Morley Borough Independents who knocked out the BNP, not the Labour Party. I suppose people like Ed are so used to spinning that the truth is too hard to actually get your head around sometimes! This isn't to say I'm not still supporting him for leader by the way. I think he would make an excellent leader of the Labour Party, in fact I think he is ...
I am currently at the Lib Dem local government conference in the LGA HQ in Westminster. The presence of my cameras shows I am here in my capacity as video-maker. The Deputy Prime Minister was our first speaker. Nick spoke extremely well and gave an excellent and superbly reasoned case for the Coalition and what it is seeking to achieve. I got the speech on video and it will be posted to YouTube
Lib Dem Councillor Alan Taylor is asking people to support refugee week and support refugees and asylum seekers living in Leeds. The Guardian Leeds site has a bit more info but these seems like a great way of bringing together many of the diverse communities in Leeds.
Without downplaying the extent of the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico in any way I am enraged, but not surprised, by the bullying reaction of Obama & the United States mouthpieces in general. BP have handled this all wrong by grovelling. The way you handle bullies is to be aggressive. Of course BP should, & did, apologise. But the USA should be reminded that when the American owned Piper Alpha platform in the North Sea blew up on July 8th 1988 killing 167 people the British Government didn't go in for hysterical US bashing. And what about Bhopal where, ...
Wordles aren't always as useful as they could be, but this summary of comments over the last few days about what topics the Social Liberal Forum should propose motions on at autumn conference seems quite clear: [IMG: Wordle: SLF Autumn Conference priorities] Schools is a clear priority, although local, government, housing and tax also score quite highly. Prateek Buch advises against making any decisions before budget day and while there is certainly merit in that, it certainly seems that there is already a lot to go on regarding education policy. Any suggestions of specific wording?
The report that my local MP, David Ruffley, threw himself under a train at Victoria on Thursday, comes as particularly unwelcome news. In truth, there had been rumours about his state of mind for some months, and his public appearances were said to be increasingly rare, but I cannot imagine that anyone had expected events to take such a dramatic turn. So let me put on record my hope that David recovers quickly, and that those who care for him are able to rally around quickly. Issues surrounding depression are still very much taboo in the Westminster village, and it ...
The Yate Minor Injuries Unit opens at the Yate West Gate Centre this coming Tuesday, 22 June 2010. It has lots of extra facilities for the town, including X-ray equipment. This could save you a VERY long wait at Accident and Emergency! It will be open every day including bank holidays (Monday - Friday 2.30am - 7.30pm, Saturday & Sunday 10am - 2am) The MIU treats: sprains and strainscuts and grazesarm, lower leg and foot injuriesbites- human, animal or insectminor burns and scaldsminor head injuriesbroken noses and nosebleedseye problems such as scratches, foreign bodies in the eyesThey have a very ...
At the Abbotswood Week of Action drop-in morning today real "members of the public" were very few on the ground. Almost everyone seemed to be representing an agency, a committee member of a residents association, a councillor, or had some other official role (apart from the young lady making the excellent tea and coffee - many thanks!) We all did some useful networking but it reinforces a view that consultations have to be taken to places and events where people are already going. South Glos had done some pre-publicity. They had leafleted the surrounding properties, but the leaflet was a ...
25) Dorothy C. Bass, Receiving the Day: Christian Practices for Opening the Gift of Time (Kindle edition, 1999, Jossey-Bass). I was a bit disappointed in this - the practices turned out to be the Daily Office, Sabbath and the liturgical year, all of which I'm quite familiar with. It was interesting to see how many of the customs of the Catholic and Anglican liturgical year are now shared with US Lutherans, though. 24) Rosemary Sales, Understanding Immigration and Refugee Policy: Contradictions and Continuities (Bristol: Policy Press, 2007, ISBN 9781861344519). I used this when drafting my immigration policy motion for Autumn ...
I, like most of England yesterday was utterly fed up with the lacklustre performance by the England football team in the World Cup match against Algeria. You only have to look at the Fifa world rankings to see that the squad should not have had approached the game with any form of complacency. England are ...
Just strolling around Ramsgate yesterday noted a fading sign above a hairdressers for some long forgotten brand of beer "Allbright Pale Ale" no doubt from a time when it wasn't thought normal to get drunk, guzzling copious amounts of foreign lager in order to support the national football team. Anyhow the thought struck me, that had, the likes of today's Ramsgate Society been stalking the streets when this sign had been painted, upholding their views on good taste I'd not have been pondering on our past, because it would been most likely erased long ago. [IMG: ramsgate hairdresser poster] The ...
Thanks to Evan Harris on Twitter for pointing me in the direction of this speech to the UN by Magali Prince of the International Humanist and Ethical Union. She got a laugh when she suggested that it might be more appropriate to ensure men learned self control rather than force women to completely cover themselves when out in public in case they provoked men's lust. A simple point, well made! And it also goes to show that an effective speech doesn't have to be very long. Here it is in full: Mr President, Women's enjoyment of their human rights, including ...
Do you think that Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) should be taught to 5 year olds? I say "NO" let them have a childhood and teach them Reading, Writing etc in the first instance. Sure if questions are asked let's give honest answers, just my opinion!
With the current scramble by the new coalition to find savings and reduce the size of government, it is perhaps a strange time to be proposing that, in one area at least, the state should expand its remit, but the case for renationalising the railways has never been stronger. I am certainly not a fan generally of nationalisation of anything, and still think that the coalition should flog the Tote, Channel 4, the Channel Tunnel Rail Link etc, but think that the British Railways must return to public ownership, not for reasons of ideology or sentiment, but simply because there ...
Take a look at some of these Exam Howlers, it reminds me of a lad in Aberconwy, who whilst taking his Welsh exam entered "Enw" at the top of the paper where it asked for his name.
You can see the manifestos for all the candidates for Chair here. I think that Phil Jarvest and Richard Heinrich have a very well thought manifesto but I will not be voting for them because of the stance they have taken on tuition fees. I believe that it is key that we retain our opposition to fees to keep the Lib Dems distinctive. This is a shame because I really like a lot of what they have to say. Richard Wilson's main idea seems to revolve around improving communication within the organisation but apart from making one policy pledge to ...
I am on my way to today's Liberal Democrat Local Government Conference and thought it was about time I got round to posting my thoughts on last month's Special Conference held at the NEC in Birmingham and called to discuss the coalition deal. So here it is: Politics is always about both head and heart. Political decisions are made either through a process of rational thought, or by the emotional reactions of the human beings involved, or more usually by a combination of the two. The 'head' of the Liberal Democrats on display at the special conference had made its ...
In recent days I've been troubled by the cover the Lib Dems are being forced to give to the Tories for the "cuts now" agenda. In truth, I'm probably deeply unsure myself, having argued in the past that we do need to make mega cuts in budgets all over the place, before then saying that ...
Following the successful takeover of Stockport County by the 2015 Group, bringing the Club out of administration and launching the campaign for the 2010/11 season, the Club will be holding a Celebration Day and launching their new kit at Edgeley Park this Sunday from 12.30pm. The details are as follows: 12:30 Gates Open 12:30 - 13:15 DJ 13:15 - 14:00 Band - Brass Routes 14.00 - 14.30 World Cup tour Bus 14.30 - 14.50 Introductions to Staff, speeches by key figures etc. 14.50 - 15.00 Presentation of Blue Plaque 15.00 - 15.20 Kit Launch 15.20 - 16.00 Band - Brass ...
Reading some American blogs, I came across a controversial advert that had been played in the States during the USA vs England World Cup match. Surprisingly, it has received very little attention here. The timing was extraordinarily bad. I could not ever imagine a one minute advert being allowed to play in Britain showing British Landrovers or Aston Martins smashing into German or Argentine troops during halftime. It is just not in the spirit of the World Cup. In a wider context, it was being played against the background of the biggest oil spill in US history. The message of ...
All across the country this week thousands of people who care for elderly, sick and disabled people have had their work celebrated through the awareness campaign of Carers Week. As someone who has seen first hand the simply astounding work that these people do, often for free and at great expense to themselves, I would ...
I have just had a week in London. I came down as my father has had a new knee and I have spent much of the last week making tea for him and ensuring he had ice-packs and took his pills at the right time.
Jon Gnarr is an Icelandic comic. In late 2009 he started a political party – The Best Party – as a satire on Icelandic politics. In this month's municpal elections in Reykjavik his party emerged the largest (with 6 of the 15 seats) and he is now Mayor. This was his campaign video: I'm not sure how he's getting on with some of those election promises....
On Thursday there were some claims that a prearranged clandestinely was left in the government spending plans by Labour. Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander told the commons that certain recently planned projects will be cancelled. This list can be viewed on the BBC website here. The argument goes that Labour was expecting to lose and left extra spending plans which they knew the New Government would have to cut, thereby making the new government look bad. I like to think that this is not the case. I like to think that politicians don't do that sort of things. ...
The long running saga of the demolition of the multi-storey car park in central Gateshead that was made famous by its appearance in the iconic film "Get Carter" looks as though it has a happy ending. The demolition had started last year (it was initially planned to take place in 2007) but was stopped by the Council. The cause was the need by the developers to bring forward an acceptable
According to Rachel Williams, these were the biggest hit of the baking at the Norwich North by-election. So especially for her here they are. Makes approximately 24 cookies. 400g plain flour ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda ½ tsp baking powder pinch salt 1/2 twp vanilla essence 160g unsalted butter (at room temperature) 85g light soft brown sugar 85g caster sugar 2 medium eggs, lightly beaten 200g white ...
On Thursday evening David Ruffley MP jumped in front of a Gatwick Express train at London Victoria Station during the rush hour. Incredibly, the train passed right over him and miraculously he also missed the live electric rail. Following the incident, where the train was backed up and David pulled from the track he was then taken to St. Thomas's Hospital for checks. David Ruffley has been the Conservative MP for Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, since 1997. A British Transport Police source told The Sun: "It was not believed to be an accident. Witnesses said he deliberately tried to jump ...
From the Sun: A TORY MP has miraculously survived after throwing himself under a train at a busy station. David Ruffley, 48, was shadow minister for Policing before the election, but missed out on a ministerial post. He jumped in front of the Gatwick Express at London's Victoria Station during the rush hour on Thursday. Incredibly, the train passed right over him and he also missed the live rail. He was pulled back on to the platform suffering cuts and bruises by emergency workers after the train was backed up. Mr Ruffley was then taken to St Thomas's Hospital for ...
I will be on LBC again from 11am today with Ken Livingstone reviewing the papers and talking about politics. You can listen to it on 97.3fm if you're in or near London or via this link online if you aren't.
Labour can hold its increasingly bizarre leadership election but whoever they pick-be it someone called Ed, a Miliband, an Andy or a Diane, it won't begin to regain public trust until it first of all apologizes for the mess it helped to create and state where it would have cut if it had been elected to office.
Congratulations to Port of Leith Housing Association whose Goosander Development won large (over 100 units) Affordable Housing Development of the year last night at the annual Housing awards. Congratulation also to Craig Sanderson's Link Housing Association who scooped the top Housing Association award! Since I last posted the Film Festival has kicked off with the wonderful Illusionist opening jamboree. The film is terrific with a script by Jaques Tati and Sylvain Chomet with direction by Oscar Winner Chomet. It looks great and has shed loads of running gags that will appeal to anyone who knows the city. Already dubbed the ...
Following on from yesterday's blog and how to save money in the NHS, you often hear about medical interventions that save lives or prolong life. I don't suppose it is rocket science to assume that if we are not dying from these complaints then we have to die from others. In fact if we are living longer then we are much more likely to live with chronic disease and put NHS bills up. One example of an intervention that caused more morbidity is the safety belt legislation. When we could drive without a belt the chances were that we would ...
Earlier today I joined several of my fellow members of English PEN's Writers in Prison Committee, numerous red-bandanna'd young Burmese and other well-behaved protesters outside the Burmese Embassy in London's Mayfair, marking Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's 65th birthday, which actually falls tomorrow (19th June). I'll be taking part in a big commemorative gathering ...
