I loved the Outer Hebrides. When I was there in the summer of 2008, the colours of the sea and sand rivalled the Caribbean and the drowned landscape made it feel like, in the words of the Runrig song, the end of the world. While I was there, I read Finlay J. Macdonald's three books about his boyhood on Harris in the 1930s. I remembered these from the 1980s, when his readings of them had been popular with Radio 4 listeners. MacDonald is the narrator of this leisurely film from 1977 about crofting on the neighbouring island of North Uist. ...
Ludlow town centre is still doing well but some areas look a bit down of heel of late. We have too many empty shops. Too many blank windows. The reasons for this are complex. Online retail. Supermarkets. Parking charges. Rents. Rates. And retirement of owners of independent businesses. Empty shops are not good for the people who live in our town. They are not good for our visitor economy. As citizens, as artists and as councillors we have no powers to fill empty shops. But we can smarten up our town centre. That's why we are launching Brighter Ludlow, an ...
Today, the number of signatures of the petition to save the household recycling centre (HRC) passed 8,000. Thank you everyone. If you haven't signed there is still time: https://bit.ly/cravenarmsrecyling. Shropshire Council has now said that the closures, approved by Conservative councillors on a five vote majority, may not happen. Ian Nellins, the portfolio holder for waste and recycling has now said all options for cutting the costs of the HRCs rather than closing them are being looked at. I have proposed increasing the proposed charge for green waste by £8 a year to pay to keep the HRCs open. The ...
At least one national politician is concerned enough about the way that political parties rely on substantial donations from businesses and businessmen with a financial stake in government that he wants to do something about it. The Guardian reports that Liberal Democrats leader, Ed Davey has used his spring conference speech to call for a cap on donations to political parties so that "even the wealthiest racists cannot buy power and influence": In his speech in York on Sunday, Davey said the prime minister - whose government unveiled its new definition of extremism on Thursday - was "right to warn ...
Closing the educational achievement gap should be a priority for the next government, argues Kevin Latham: "This includes ... making a long-term commitment to funding a national in-school tutoring programme, like that set up during the pandemic. It includes reversing real terms cuts to key educational budgets targeting disadvantaged pupils in schools through the Pupil Premium, and reversing changes made to school funding in 2018 that disproportionately benefited schools in less deprived areas." Caspar Hughes became a human bollard to enforce a bus gate when the authorities wouldn't: "We don't need one LTN in Exeter, we need every residential neighbourhood ...
He lives high on the wall of the passage that leads from the chancel to the vestry at St Peter's Church Langton. You have to turn a light on to take his photo - and they ask you to remember to turn it off afterwards. The guidebook say he dates from the 10th century and likens his style to the Saxon carvings at Breedon on the Hill. Could he be a relic of an earlier church on this site? The fact that he is wielding a hammer may mean he represents St Dunstan, who is the patron saint of blacksmiths. ...
There has long been a split in Shropshire Council between councillors who want to keep Shirehall and this that want to demolish it and move to the town centre. Last December, the council agreed to dispose of the building in the next few years after work on Civic Hub in the town centre is completed. That Civic Hub is still in the ideas stage and there is no clear idea of where the money will come fund it. Unless the council sells the 3.5 hectare Shirehall site for housing boosting its capital reserves which were depleted by the £51m purchase ...
DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL - WEEKLY ROAD REPORT REPORT FOR THE WEST END WARD - WEEK COMMENCING MONDAY 18 MARCH 2024 Blinshall Street (Douglas Street to 50 metres south) - closed from 27 November 2023 for 6 months for road safety concerns. Douglas Street (Blinshall Street to Brown Street) - temporary traffic lights until June 2024 for construction works. Brown Street (south of Douglas Street) - closed until May 2024 for construction works. Seafield Road, Dundee - closed from its westmost end (in cul-de-sac) extending for a distance of no more than 20 metres in an easterly direction to facilitate a ...
