This is impressive. The find of a rubber button on the Thames foreshore leads Old Father Thames back to its place of manufacture: Market Harborough. Thanks to @solarpilchard for spotting this. Blandford's Flour Mill still stands: alone, listed and derelict, it awaits a rescuer.
Fri 4th
21:47
Gavin Williamson emerges as new contender to be the first minister to leave Sunak's cabinet
Those with money on Suella Braverman will have been brought up short by this story in the Guardian: Gavin Williamson is facing a complaint that he sent "vile" and "threatening" messages to former chief whip Wendy Morton, raising questions over Rishi Sunak's decision to reappoint the twice-sacked Tory. Morton is believed to have made a formal complaint to the Conservative party over claims of Williamson's behaviour to her in the final days of Liz Truss's government. A source told Tortoise Media that Morton had passed on "vile and threatening messages" she had received during the time she was chief whip, ...
Photo by dieraecherin at Morguefile.com I've given up writing why oh why? posts and columns about the way Halloween has supplanted Bonfire Night as a popular festival during my lifetime. Partly it's because Bonfire Night was itself formed when anti-Catholic prejudice was grafted on to earlier traditions. And partly because, as I had the sense to write four years ago: I am reaching the age where you have to be clear whether you are playing an old fogey or have really become one. Clear with yourself, that is, as well as clear with your readers. So in looking at a ...
It's been a busy week for by-elections - with 7 principal council seats up for grabs and some great Lib Dem results in Parish Councils too. There was a double-vacancy on South Cambridge District Council in Longstanton ward following a double Lib Dem resignation. The Lib Dems achieved the biggest vote share in the election and one Lib Dem candidate was elected. Congratulations to Cllr Natalie Warren-Green. The Conservatives won the second seat in the ward, pipping our Lib Dem candidate Lawrence Zeegan by just 32 votes. It is always gutting to miss out by such a small margin but ...
Getting a doctor's appointment is becoming more and more of a challenge. Whether it means explaining in detail to a non-qualified receptionist who triages requests, or having to grapple with an inflexible online booking system, or having to join a phone queue at 8am exactly, or even filling in an online form just to be put in another triage queue – the processes seem designed to make you think it's not worth it. They are particularly trying for anyone who is elderly, sick or in pain, or who has a chronic medical condition, and these, after all, take up a ...
Thu, 12:56: RT @pickwick: So much to unpack in this headline https://t.co/2aglDCQOCY Thu, 16:05: RT @Piraten34171343: @PrivateEyeNews Looks like Bravermen has been involved in controversy throughout her career. https://t.co/8qFgTd48Tc... Thu, 17:01: The Bad Christian's Manifesto: Reinventing God, (and other modest proposals), by Dave Tomlinson https://t.co/rwiF3htopf Thu, 17:11: The three 'norths' combine over Great Britain for the first time in history https://t.co/37XTJgQRSN Thu, 20:48: Where Britain went wrong - POLITICO https://t.co/C8CykQYVGh Great analysis. Fri, 09:58: RT @chhcalling: I can confirm that no Assembly election will take place in December. Current legislation requires me to name a date for an... Fri, 10:45: ...
I eat tofu. I listen to podcasts. I've appeared on the BBC. I read The Guardian. I live in north London. Both my parents were immigrants.
Fri 4th
09:55
New health service plan features in media coverage ahead of Ed Davey's "conference" speech
To replace the missed media coverage from the leader's speech at the cancelled Brighton conference, Ed Davey is giving a speech this weekend and, as is usual for conference speeches, some of the content is being trailed in advance. Hence the big story in The Independent, which reports: Patients [in England] would be legally entitled to see their GP within seven days - or 24 hours in urgent cases - under plans drawn up by the Lib Dems. This right would be enshrined in the NHS constitution, meaning the Government and health service would have a duty to observe it, ...
Former MPs have livened up reality shows – think Ed Balls on Strictly, Edwina Currie on I'm a Celebrity and Ann Widdecombe on just about everything. And dare I mention that Lembit Öpik became a Pointless Celebrity? All of those had left Westminster behind when they were invited to appear in the shows, so they were free to build their careers in other directions, however bizarre. However, some were still serving MPs when they were lured into the world of constructed reality. George Galloway famously gave us a cringeworthy performance of a cat on Celebrity Big Brother. Penny Mordaunt belly-flopped ...
Lots of seats changing hands in this week's council by-elections so let's get straight to the results. Salisbury St Paul's (Wiltshire) council by-election result: LDEM: 64.8% (+34.8) LAB: 18.5% (-3.3) CON: 16.6% (-15.6) Votes cast: 1,280 Liberal Democrat GAIN from Conservative.https://t.co/xW4dnK1Xy0 — Britain Elects (@BritainElects) November 4, 2022
Useful information from the Dundee Community Food Network on food larders, community cafes, drop-ins and community fridges in our local area in the West End and across Dundee :
I suppose we should be grateful that Suella Braverman was not appointed as Foreign Secretary becasue it is clear that she is no diplomat. The latest incident comes after the Home Secretary singled out Albanians as part of what she described as an "invasion" on the UK's south coast, remarks that were roundly condemned and led to accusations she was "dehumanising" migrants. According to the Independent, these remarks have jeopardised plans to speed up the removal of Albanians who arrive on small boats, with the country's prime minister warning Suella Braverman the UK must treat his country with "respect" if ...
