I remember listening to this partnership on the radio early on a cold Yorkshire morning during my first term at university. Ian Botham, who was 23, and David Gower, 21, hurried England towards a winning position with their confident batting. In truth, this was a badly understrength Australian side. Their best players had been signed by Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket and England won the six-test series 4-1. Still Rodney Hogg, who looks very impressive here, took 41 English wickets in course of it.
Christmas 1973 saw the ultimate battle over what would be the number one single and Slade defeated my favourites Wizzard. But Wizzard got their revenge. Here is their keyboard player Bill Hunt in the Guardian long ago: Of course, Slade got the Christmas No 1 and we were No 2, but when we did it on Top Of The Pops there was a staged custard pie fight. While Slade were on, one of our drummers sneaked into the audience and hit Noddy full in the face with one. If you see the video, you'll notice that Noddy doesn't appear again ...
Mon 14th
19:30
William Powell selected as Welsh Liberal Democrat Senedd candidate for Brecon and Radnorshire
The Brecon & Radnorshire Liberal Democrats have selected William Powell as their candidate to contest the Brecon & Radnorshire constituency at the Senedd Election due to be held on 6th May 2021 Cllr Powell, who grew up and lives in the constituency, has served as the Welsh Liberal Democrat County Councillor for Talgarth since 2004 and was Assembly Member for the Mid and West Wales region from 2011-2016. During this period, he was the Welsh Liberal Democrat Spokesperson on the Environment, Sustainable Development and Rural Affairs and chaired the Assembly Petitions Committee. Before entering politics, he was a secondary modern ...
I've blogged before (in 2013 & 2017 see links below)* about the long lost Lydiate Railway Station which was actually not even in the Civil Parish of Lydiate but in Great Altcar Civil Parish. Indeed, it was a fair step from Lydiate Village Green. But the reason I'm returning to this subject now is that to my great delight the photograph collection of former BR employee Neil Reston which was recently passed on to me has a couple of photos of it. Here they are:- The first photo is dated 28th February 1960 and the second one March 1960 which ...
Brecon & Radnorshire Liberal Democrats have selected William Powell as their candidate to contest the Brecon & Radnorshire constituency at the Senedd Election due to be held on 6th May 2021.
Second paragraph of third chapter:My uncle was the first real breach I found in the great front of Bladesover the world had presented me, for Chatham was not so much a breach as a confirmation. But my uncle had no respect for Bladesover and Eastry — none whatever. He did not believe in them. He was blind even to what they were. He propounded strange phrases about them, he exfoliated and wagged about novel and incredible ideas.This is Wells' best-known non-sf novel. I say that despite the following points:Most of the plot revolves around a magical potion, Tono-Bungay. But Tono-Bungay ...
The party has been buzzing with pro and anti 'pact' debate, and some parliamentarians have been espousing contrasting views. On 11th December the Guardian featured an article 'Starmer Urged to Start Co-operating with the Lib Dems' on the necessity of a pact for Labour. A Liberal Democrat branch of the 'Compass Group' has been formed. Here I have a stab at synthesising the two Liberal Democrat arguments. The party as a whole needs to decide. Which view do you support? View 1 The lurch to the right of the Conservative Party has changed the landscape for the Lib Dems. Since ...
Mon 14th
15:43
Covid Watch: Large majority of respondents to our survey want a Covid-19 jab as soon as it is offere...
They are two of the most important questions of our time. How well informed are people about Covid-19 vaccine? Would they accept a vaccination when it is offered? Two weeks ago, we launched an online survey to test local opinion. More than 650 people responded. The results are strongly in favour of vaccination. More than four in five respondents said they would accept a vaccination as soon as it is offered. A smaller number said they would wait until more information is available. Only one in twenty people would reject a Covid-19 vaccination at any point. The survey also shows ...
On Saturday, the anniversary of last year's disastrous General Election, we published a new report. Citizens' Britain is the follow up to our previous collaboration, Winning for Britain, which was the first data-rich review of 2019. That earlier report concluded with the challenge of identifying "a distinct, progressive, liberal alternative". Citizens' Britain, a country where every voice is heard, and where we work together to solve the problems we face, is that alternative. We must be honest with ourselves: liberalism itself is now under threat in this country. A year on from the General Election, the Conservative government's approach to ...
Sun, 12:35: Packed! Not surprisingly. Better to get her a bit earlier on the second last Sunday morning before Christmas... (@ Stonemanor - The British Store in Everberg, Vlaams-Brabant) https://t.co/TgXkKrqvJf Sun, 12:46: RT @tconnellyRTE: BREAKING: CONSTRUCIVE AND USEFUL PHONE CALL WITH BORIS JOHNSON - Ursula von der Leyen Sun, 12:56: RT @monicabeharding: Thank goodness for Matthew Parris. As debate is silenced on the gravity of a thin deal and now #NoDealBrexit he keeps... Sun, 12:56: RT @vonderleyen: We had a useful call with @BorisJohnson this morning. We agreed that talks will continue. https://t.co/rZpN4PmS1i Sun, 14:48: Fascinating stuff from @nipoligraph https://t.co/BD0X9yk1h3 ...
Some while ago, I was taken to task on this site for declaring that people had been the victims of conmen before and after the 2016 referendum. Apparently this was highly insulting to leavers although I was trying to emphasise the pain that goes with being lied to deliberately and made to feel stupid. It was a generalised statement and I can't ever remember saying to an individual "You've been taken for a ride." In my own council ward two-thirds of the referendum voters opted for Vote Leave. This does not mean we treat them with contempt nor vice versa. ...
While government ministers are warning about shortages in supermarkets in the event of a no deal Brexit, a much more serious food crisis continues to develop in the UK. The Independent reports that middle-class graduates are among those queueing for food from charities this winter as the hunger crisis deepens in the pandemic - with one organisation saying members of the typically well-off social group make up around one in 10 of their service users. The paper says food poverty is cutting a wider and deeper swathe across the country at the end of 2020 than ever before: Ishraq Bhatti, ...
i) births and deaths 14 December 1926: birth of Margaret John, who played Megan Jones, the Director of Euro Sea Gas, in Fury from the Deep (Second Doctor, 1968) and The Idiot's Lantern (Tenth Doctor, 2006), a 38-year gap which is unmatched for the main TV show (spinoffs allow some flexibility) 14 December 1926: birth of Alan Rowe, who played Evans and the voice of Space Control in The Moonbase (Second Doctor, 1967), Edward of Wessex in The Time Warrior (Thrd Doctor, 1973-74), Skinsale in Horror of Fang Rock (Fourth Doctor, 1977) and Garif in Full Circle (Fourth Doctor, 1980). ...
Christmas draws closer and, it seems to me, has started in earnest a bit earlier than usual this year. Perhaps that's because many of us need a bit of cheer at a particularly trying time. The prospects of a no-deal Brexit, combined with a long winter before the various vaccines are rolled out, are not likely to lift the soul, it has to be admitted. This week theoretically sees Parliament go into recess for the Christmas break although, if some sort of deal is done, the session may run into "injury time". All three major parties will be undergoing some ...
DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL - WEEKLY ROAD REPORT REPORT FOR WEST END WARD - WEEK COMMENCING MONDAY 14 DECEMBER 2020 Hawkhill - lane closures for one week for street lighting column installation works. Riverside Drive (Tay Rail Bridge to Tesco roundabout) - eastbound nearside lane closure until mid week for new water connections. Lower Pleasance (at Lochee Road) - closed overnight (9.00pm - 6.00am) from Monday 14 December for 3 nights for BT works. Lochee Road (at Polepark Road) - overnight temporary traffic lights (9.00pm - 6.00am) from Monday 14 December for 3 nights for BT work. Thomson Street (Perth Road ...
