Archaeology isn't always cosy teatime viewing. Last week the Guardian reported: The remains of children and adults found in a disused well in Norwich have been identified as victims of a bloody medieval pogrom, researchers have revealed. The team said the discovery not only underscored the horror of the antisemitic atrocity, but provided new insights into when genetic disorders often found among Ashkenazi Jews first appeared. Radiocarbon dating, says the report, has revealed that the bodies of at least 17 people were deposited in the well between radiocarbon dating analyses have revealed the bodies were deposited in the well between ...
Last November, our long-serving Clerk resigned somewhat unexpectedly. Naturally, as Chair, I sought to find a replacement but, in the absence of anyone else, I ended up acting as Clerk, Responsible Finance Officer and Chair simultaneously. It wasn't sustainable in the long-term, and I fully understood that but, if there wasn't anyone else... Luckily, our affairs are quite simple, I'm enthusiastic about transparency and, of course, I'm a professional bureaucrat. That still doesn't mean that the option of such power in the hands of one person is a good idea. But, as winter turned to spring and then summer, there ...
Rural families in fuel poverty risk becoming "forgotten victims" as they face £450 bigger hit from energy price rise Families living in fuel poverty in rural areas are set to be left £450 poorer than urban ones by October's energy price rise, research commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has revealed. The analysis by the House of Commons Library shows that the average "fuel poverty gap," the additional income that would be needed to bring a household to the point of not being fuel poor, is set to rise to a staggering £1,050 in rural areas in October. This compares to ...
Yesterday the flower and vegetable show at Sunniside Social Club was held. I popped in to see how my fellow gardeners and allotment holders were doing. Most of the exhibits were leeks (I've grown my first ever leeks this year though not to the standard and size that would get me into the show!) Well done to all the winners, organisers and those taking part.
For the first time since 2019, Autumn Conference is hoving into view, and a welcome sight it is too. Brighton 2022 will be our first in-person Conference since Bournemouth 2019, and for many members, it will be their first experience of an in-person Conference with the Lib Dems. Ever since 2015, the Lib Dem Newbies admins have hosted a Newbies Pint the evening before Conference, to welcome members to Conference, with a focus on welcoming new and first-time attendees. All are welcome – as we've found, Newbie-ness is more a state of mind than it is a date on a ...
October 2009, a Maghull Town Council historic plaque is unveiled on The Old Forge by Geoff Howe Mayor of Maghull I'm penning this note about Maghull's very own Geoff Howe because he has just stood down as chair of governors at Maghull High School following 25 years in the job. Yes, I did say 25 years as chairman! He's staying on as a governor having first joined the school in that capacity in 1992 – 30 years and counting....... In case you're not familiar with such roles they are unremunerative and filled by volunteers I've known Geoff, a retired primary ...
Helen Morgan asked a question of Liz Truss at her first Prime Minister's Questions. Helen referred to the waiting times for ambulances and said: Will the Prime Minister get a grip on this grave situation and commission the CQC to investigate the causes of and the solutions to the ambulance service's delays? In response the PM agreed that people should not have to wait as long as they are for ambulances, and stated that it was one of the priorities laid out by the new Health Secretary Thérèse Coffey. I suppose that was the least she could have said, but ...
When Boris Johnson locked us all down in March 2020, he did so on the advice of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE). At the time, the group contained no molecular virologists, immunologists or social scientists. Despite Boris' inability to attend a meeting, instead preferring to make speeches filled to the brim with vague Churchillian platitudes, practically all of his decisions throughout the pandemic were taken on the advice of SAGE. In fact, the only major instance of the PM ignoring SAGE was his decision not to increase restrictions beyond Plan B - incidentally, the COVID deaths in the ...
I like to think that my readers are the sort of people who know that the American band Death Cab for Cutie named themselves after a track from the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band's first LP. But where did the Bonzos get it from? The blog Idiotic Hat explains:The title comes from The Uses of Literacy, a rather solemn book by Richard Hoggart about working class education and the dilemma of the "scholarship boy", stranded in an uncomfortable limbo between his class of origin and his class of aspiration. I used to own (and may even have read) this book, in ...
In the comments to the previous post my "Anonymous" interlocutor challenges my dismissal of M/s Truss's two-fold plan for Britain (tax cuts and deregulation) and demands to know what I would do. Well, had I kissed hands with HM the Queen yesterday and been about to launch a programme to restore our civic harmony, political respectability and economy prosperity, this, off the top of my head, is the 22 Point Plan I would put to parliament. I'm sure I will have missed something, so further suggestions are welcome. Preamble; there is no magic lever that can be pulled that will ...
Tue, 18:34: 2022 Hugo statistics https://t.co/xEXiZtCSoR Tue, 20:05: Daily #205 1️⃣9️⃣⬛1️⃣1️⃣ 0️⃣4️⃣⬛1️⃣2️⃣ 1️⃣3️⃣⬛1️⃣4️⃣ 0️⃣5️⃣⬛1️⃣5️⃣ 1️⃣6️⃣⬛0️⃣6️⃣ 1️⃣7️⃣⬛1️⃣8️⃣ 0️⃣7️⃣⬛0️⃣8️⃣ 0️⃣9️⃣⬛1️⃣0️⃣ https://t.co/1E46GFXTgD #sedecordle Tue, 20:25: RT @itvcalendar: In this clip from 1994, Leeds student Liz Truss tells ITV News the idea of the monarchy is 'disgraceful'. Today she meet... Wed, 09:26: RT @pmdfoster: A sign of the times here... Wed, 10:45: RT @HillaryClinton: I can't believe we're still talking about this, but my emails... As Trump's problems continue to mount, the right is try...
Podcast favourite Tim Bale has a new book out about how Brexit happened - both why the referendum was called and then why it was lost.
The question of the party's stance on nuclear weapons has often been a hot topic at conference. Our most recent policy was passed in 2017. It committed the party to supporting a step down the nuclear ladder – with a move away from the current continuous patrols of Trident submarines, to a stance where submarines are not continuously deployed. The thought was that this would require the construction of three new Trident submarines, rather than the planned four. Spring 2017 now feels like a very long time ago – indeed, since that policy was passed we've had two elections (and ...
As Liz Truss settles down in 10 Downing Street and starts to put her ministers in place, a number of trends have already emerged. Chief amongst these is that there is no place for supporters of Rishi Sunak. The new Prime Minister does not appear to be interested in healing rifts caused by the leadrship election. But the Sunakistas are not the only people she has upset. The Guardian reports that the wife of former minister Johnny Mercer has called Liz Truss an "imbecile" in an outburst on Twitter after her husband's sacking: Felicity Cornelius-Mercer said the cabinet system "stinks" ...
From the City Council : THE ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14(1) THE DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL AS TRAFFIC AUTHORITY being satisfied that traffic on the road should be prohibited by reason of City Fibre duct installation works being carried out HEREBY PROHIBIT the driving of any vehicle in Milnbank Road (from Rosefield Street to Forest Park Road), Dundee. This notice comes into effect on Thursday 8 September 2022 for 3 working days. Pedestrian thoroughfare will be maintained. Alternative routes for vehicles are available via Rosefield Street / Blackness Road / Forest Park Road. For further information contact 433082. ...
