Susan Stranks on appearing in the 1949 film of The Blue LagoonTalking Pictures screened the 1980 film The Blue Lagoon the other evening. It was an adaptation of the 1908 novel of the same name by Henry De Vere Stacpoole, which tells the story of a boy and girl marooned on a desert island. Nature takes its course, as nature will, and they grow up to have a baby. The Talking Pictures screening reminded me that The Blue Lagoon was previously adapted for the screen in 1949. This was a British production, and the girl (played as a young adult by Jean Simmons) was played by Susan Stranks, who grew up ... (more) |
Whickham South Focus delivery completedEarlier this month we had an action day in Whickham South and Sunniside ward. At the end of it there were 2 patches left to deliver which I took. My plan was to deliver them a couple of days later. The "couple of days" stretched to a couple of weeks! Council meetings, meetings about the Sunniside Christmas tree, campaign meetings and the weather all conspired to delay the delivery. I (more) |
Mark Pack's November report to membersWhat other Lib Dems can learn from County Durham Ahead of the local elections in May, Liberal Democrats in County Durham were facing all-up elections on new council boundaries, requiring more candidates than the party had ever stood before. They rose admirably to the challenge, standing a record number of candidates, making a net gain in the face of a Reform wave, becoming the official opposition on the council – and continuing to make progress since, including with a by-election win off Reform. A very impressive record of progress, based in part on flipping around one of our usual approaches. ... (more) |
Sophie Crossthorn selected for Sheffield Hallam[IMG: Sophie Crossthorn selection graphic] Selection news from one of the top Liberal Democrat targets among Labour-held seats, with Sheffield Liberal Democrats reporting: We're pleased to announce Sophie Crossthorn has been selected as the Liberal Democrat candidate to win back Sheffield Hallam at the next General Election. She is currently a Councillor for Beauchief and Greenhill ward Sheffield City Council, where she has a strong record of delivery for local residents. She has been fighting to protect green spaces, has run a campaign to fix our A&E and social care crisis, and has been holding the Labour government to account ... (more) |
ALDC By-Election Report, 27th NovemberThis week saw three principal council by‑elections in England, each offering a glimpse into the shifting local political landscape. The most notable was in Pendle, where the Liberal Democrats faced the challenge of defending this council seat against the rising threat of Reform, whose presence on the ballot paper added uncertainty surrounding the contest. Beginning in the town of Barlick, we were able to successfully defend this seat with a clear and decisive victory. Polling day happened to fall on Lancashire Day, even though the town itself has sat on the wrong side of the county line for the past ... (more) |
Taxing the poor to protect the rich?The Chancellor's budget speech was strong on rhetoric and good intentions. However, with the exception of the property tax, it was almost as though Rachel Reeves was unaware of the existence of the super-rich or the rising income inequality in our society which Morris Pearl, Chair of the Patriotic Millionaires and a former Managing Director at Black Rock believes "threatens everything we hold dear: our democracies, our planet and our broader society.....". Much of her address appeared to exclude the top 10% of earners. In the Spring of 2025 Oxfam published its report "Takers not Makers" which suggested that global ... (more) |
The Joy of Six 1442"The costed tax rises at £26bn are remarkably similar to the £27bn tax increases proposed in the Lib Dems manifesto last year. ... This would suggest that the macro management of the economy is broadly going in the direction we would want, although the methods aren't necessarily of our choosing (insert gag about Morecambe & Wise and André Previn here)."Matthew Pennell gives a Liberal verdict on the budget. Diane Ray reveals the chronic miseducation of working-class children: 'As one Head of English in an academy told me in 2023: "if you are working class and in the lower sets for ... (more) |
Lord Bonkers' Diary: A young Marines officer called AshdownIt's hard to imagine Emlyn Hooson or Nancy Seear playing the shots that led to England's demise in the Perth test. Perhaps they should abandon Bazball and turn to Jezball instead. Thursday Talking of cricket, as we were, I remember the early years of the limited-overs game when the Liberal Party XI turned the world upside down by scoring at the then-unthinkable rate of three runs an over. The lobby correspondents dubbed our approach "Jezball" in tribute to our new leader Jeremy Thorpe. Our outstanding results owed much to a young Marines officer called Ashdown who proved equally adept at ... (more) |
Learning from County Durham (LDN#203)Liberal Democrat Newswire #203 came out this week and you can now also read it in full below. But if you'd like to get future editions emailed direct to you as soon as they are published, just sign up now: Welcome to Lib Dem Newswire #203, which highlights an important lesson from County Durham for Liberal Democrats all across the country. Before we get to that, congratulations to our councillors newly elected since the last edition and their agents: Sam Ammar, Ukonu Obasi, Jan Goffey, Martin Redman, Gareth Williams, Adam Thilthorpe, Hannah Griffin, Paul Harrison, Tom Taylor and Karina Parsons. ... (more) |
Labour's economic programme: hoodwinking, self-limiting, and failingIf you had asked me in July last year whether I had much hope for Labour's plans for fixing our stagnating economy, our underfunded public services, and chronically weak social investment, I might have (cautiously) said "maybe". But a year and four months later, I think I'd like to change my answer to "absolutely not". You would think that after fourteen years of being stuck in opposition, whether that be due to bacon sarnies or the Brexit bonanza, they would have had time to think. I, personally, at that time went to school, college, got a job, and fell in ... (more) |