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Well the programme has finally been aired and a new star has appeared on the BBC. I refer of course to the screening tonight of Michael Portillo's Great British Railway Journeys and the guest star appearance in it by Les French, long time Maghull resident and Chairman of the Frank Hornby Trust. Getting off the train from Liverpool As a trustee of the Frank Hornby Trust I had been aware of the filming for the past 3 months, indeed back in October of last year I met with the BBC production team as they planned their work, taking them around ...
"What do those of us who support Remain offer the Left Behind? Remember that the highest votes for the Leave campaign came in England's declining industrial towns, and in the county and seaside towns that have also lost out from economic and social transformation." William Wallace asks an important question. Lucy Johnson pays tribute to her grandfather Gruff Evans (Lord Evans of Claughton). "It is hard now to imagine any circumstances under which Trump, who reportedly hoped to ride with Queen Elizabeth II in a gold-plated carriage, could travel to London without inciting massive protests." Isobel Thompson on the American ...
Sheila Gates voted for the UK to leave the European Union in the 2016 referendum. But now she feels she was misled and wants the country to stay in the EU. Writing for the New Statesman, she explains: My resulting "leave" vote was a personal protest against the unedifying behaviour of the majority of our prominent politicians. It seemed like the only way I could express my deep anger was to make it a close vote. I was totally convinced that the vote would be to stay in, and it was entirely a last minute decision to put my cross ...
Second paragraph of third chapter: Orlando's day was passed, it would seem, somewhat in this fashion. About seven, he would rise, wrap himself in a long Turkish cloak, light a cheroot, and lean his elbows on the parapet. Thus he would stand, gazing at the city beneath him, apparently entranced. At this hour the mist would lie so thick that the domes of Santa Sofia and the rest would seem to be afloat; gradually the mist would uncover them; the bubbles would be seen to be firmly fixed; there would be the river; there the Galata Bridge; there the green-turbaned ...
There's a lot of publicity at the moment saying that a million people may still have tumble dryers that are fire risks. More than 100 Creda, Hotpoint, Indesit, Proline and Swan tumble dryer models (all brands owned by Whirlpool) made between April 2004 and October 2015 could pose a fire risk. But how do you tell whether yours is one of them? There's an easy way: Which? magazine has a web page that lists the models affectedThe web pages safety.hotpoint.eu and safety.indesit.eu allow you to check both model and serial numberIf you are affected, the Which? page tells you what ...
Recently a friend and Liberal Democrat activist showed me an email from Labour Remain — formed in the last few weeks and claiming significant support. This comes on the back of a survey showing that 78% of Labour members disagree with Jeremy Corbyn's opposition to a referendum on the terms of Brexit. How should we respond? Brexit is a profound threat to British values, the economy and the very integrity of the United Kingdom. In that sense it needs us all to pull together. The country is in a crisis. We have been so intertwined with the rest of Europe, ...
Many, many thanks to residents who organised a public meeting on Tuesday night to discuss the application by Taylor Wimpey to build 250 houses on land behind Maidensfield, off Watmore Lane in Winnersh (application number 173656). St Mary's was full to overflowing and many people made excellent points and asked good questions. Over 80 people have already sent in their comments and objections. The deadline for comments is 24th January. You can make your comments here https://tinyurl.com/twcomments by clicking on the word Comments in the blue box at the bottom of the page. And here are my thoughts on the ...
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Can you name these three animals? Congratulations! Your cognitive skills could be up there with the ...
I said the other day that the "Fire and Fury" book has lowered expectations about Donald Trump: When you read of the dysfunction and chaos in his White House, it then comes as a pleasant surprise when you hear Donald Trump stringing a basic, reasonably coherent sentence together without falling over the furniture and dribbling. Well, this week the results of Trump's annual medical tests were released. There seems to be considerable relief that his tests, at least according to the lead medic, Dr Ronny Jackson, gave good results. As far as Mr Trump's cognitive abilities are concerned, Dr Jackson ...
For 5+ years Lib Dems and campaign groups have said that there is no need to build on green spaces to provide homes. Now that the Council's own figures prove this why haven't the proposals for Sefton and Calderstones Park ... Continue reading →
Lib Dem Councillors John Dodd, Daniel Lewis, and Nigel Ashton are holding their next advice centre in Churchtown. We will be at BoxTree Kitchen for Queenscourt café, Manor Road/Cambridge Road, roundabout, from 10:30 to 11.30am on Thursday 25th January. We will be there to meet you and discuss any Council problems you may have. No appointment necessary. Just pop in. We also hold a monthly advice centre in Crossens, at St John's School, Rufford Road, Crossens every month (except August) on the second Saturday of the month from 11:00 am to 12:00. We will be there to meet you ...
The mantra "EVERY VOTE COUNTS" is an article of faith for political activists everywhere. Liberal Democrats know this more than most, having won one election and lost one in the last twenty years by a margin of two votes (Winchester 1997 and North East Fife 2017). Now, from the state of Virginia, comes another reminder that every conversation with an undecided voter can swing an election, in a very unusual outcome. On election night last November, Republican David Yancey 'won' a crucial state house seat by ten votes, just preventing Democrats from overturning a 32-seat Republican majority. However, his challenger, ...
The collapse of government contractor Carillion will spread havoc. Sympathy for its creditors may not be overwhelming. But the impact on those who depended on its pension fund for their retirement income, and on its suppliers who will likely also go bust, is shocking. There are doubtless many complex reasons for the firm's collapse. It [...] The post The real reason that Carillion collapsed appeared first on Radix.
John Cage's 4'33" is a famous piece of avant-garde 'music', in which the audience experience a framed silence. Cage believed that whatever the audience heard during the silence was music, and it causes us to question 'what is music'? I've become a little bit obsessed with this glorious work, and the video below, which is of a performance at the beautiful Barbican in London. 4'33" by John Cage - John Cage Live at the Barbican - BBC Four Collections This very self-aware work encourages self-awareness: In the video above the audience are appreciating the work, reacting as though they were ...
Wed, 14:21: Fascinating. Not too far off my own proposals. https://t.co/DHbyr4Xsdh Am travelling but will look in more detail w... https://t.co/ClJwSwn0Ta Wed, 17:05: The leaked Boundary Commission proposals https://t.co/5EoWeZ1OcT Wed, 18:41: Nine Gates: Entering the Mind of Poetry, by Jane Hirshfield https://t.co/gcuuCu8h93 Thu, 10:45: Politics and Security Hold Each Other Hostage in Nagorno-Karabakh https://t.co/09LVOIRZ2e ...and nobody is really safe.
The underlying truth about the Aziz Ansari allegations: women will never be safe from criticism "In case you hadn't checked recently, the irony of using the term "witch hunt" to describe the #metoo movement still hasn't dawned on its detractors." weekly_food_challenge | Challenge #29 - Frying Tonight This week's challenge is LIVE Immigrant-friendly policies make most whites feel welcomed, too This is a USian study, but I'm willing to lay down quite large sums of money it would translate almost exactly to the UK. Let's rein in the Investigatory Powers Act! | Open Rights Group Deadline 11.45pm tonight Johann Hari's ...
Growing up, the subject of politics was often on the agenda at family gatherings. However, it was not until I was older that I realised how important and influential my Grandad was within the political arena. Gruff Evans was brought up in a Welsh-speaking family who resided in Birkenhead on the Wirral. Despite being offered a place at Oxford University, he chose to study law at Liverpool University where he graduated in 1948. After completing National Service as a pilot officer in the Royal Air Force, he established a solicitor's practice in Liverpool. Both Gruff's parents supported the Liberal Party, ...
What are the ways in which we encounter and understand Culture in London? We are never going to have a complete, comprehensive view - both the idea of 'culture' and London as a space in which to encounter it are far too large. However, we can cultivate an 'explorer mindset' and discover aspects of Cultural London wherever we look: National and International: these are large-scale companies and organisations which are well represented and easy to find, both on the street and on line, such as the National Theatre, and the Royal Opera House. National Theatre on Southbank ** Royal Opera ...
Seen In Merseyside Police HQ The Southport Visiter has the story on its web site – see link above Whilst this plea for Merseyside Council tax payers to cough up more to counter the lack of government funds for our local Bobbies is hardly going to go down well, as our Crime Commissioner Jane Kennedy obviously knows, there are some other interesting issues to look into. I covered this issue not so long ago and my previous posting is available via this link:- But one aspect of the Commissioner's press release, as quoted by the Southport Visiter, caught ...
The claim by Boris Johnson earlier this week, that Brexit can deliver even more than the widely debunked £350m a week to NHS was not just ludicrous, but completely misleading. As statisticians have said, the original claim ignores a rebate and EU funding of projects in this country. Tellingly, the Foreign Secretary is still referring to a gross figure to back up his new fantasy, once more ignoring the flow of money into the UK from Europe. I am not the only person who is sceptical about Boris' motives and his dubious assertions. As the Independent reports, Sarah Wollaston, who ...
I recently received complaints from residents that a drain is flooding near to the lock-ups at the east end of Logie Avenue. I took up this concern with the council's Roads Maintenance Partnership and have received the following feedback : "The gully was cleaned and pipework jetted as far as possible on Thursday of last week. The pipe is partly blocked due to roots which is causing the problem, which we plan to tackle this week with the root cutter."
Warning: discussion of suicide Last week in my county division, someone stood at the edge of a motorway bridge with the intention of jumping off. Fortunately, the emergency services got there in time and their life was saved. I know personally the devastation that suicide can bring on family and friends. My close relative died 26 years ago, and the ramifications are still deeply felt. As the third in this January Blues series, I wanted to discuss the often hidden topic of suicide. Suicide is the most common cause of death for men aged 20-49 in England and Wales. About ...
One anniversary which will not be celebrated by anyone at all this year is that this year marks the tenth anniversary of this blog. I'd blogged in various places before (some still up, most thankfully deleted), but 2008 was when ... Continue reading →
Responding to the National Audit Office's report into PFI and PF2 contracts, Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable said: "PFI is a useful way of financing projects in certain situations, but it has been a mixed experience. If overdone, PFI becomes a way for the government to kick the financial implications of major spending decisions down the road. It is also clear that in many cases down the years these PFIs were negotiated just to keep liabilities off the government balance sheet. "Public bodies should have the means to renegotiate particularly onerous and disadvantageous PFI contracts. Moving forward, PFI contracts should ...
