Lord Bonkers' Diary: A strange episodeWas Peter the Painter at the Siege of Sydney Street? Did he survive it? Was he still alive in Rutland this summer? It's possible, if he stumped up for the potion the Elves of Rockingham Forest sell. Anyway, as the old boy says, it was a strange episode. Friday When I heard a few months ago that they had an "artist in residence" at Belvoir Castle, I determined at once that no Duke of Rutland was going to outdo the Bonkers. I telephoned Joshua Reynolds and Freddie van Mierlo to see if they were interested in the gig, but both ... (more) |
What's our fascination with accumulating money and stuff?"Christmas is coming, The geese are getting fat, Please put a penny in the old man's hat. If you haven't got a penny, a ha'penny will do. If you haven't got a ha'penny, good cheer to you." This Victorian children's rhyme came to my mind this week as we considered two major events in one week: the UK budget and Black Friday. The theme of the rhyme is simple. Give to others as much as you can and if you have nothing to give, we give you our best wishes. In many ways the response to both was remarkably similar. ... (more) |
Latest voting intention and leadership ratings opinion pollsWelcome to my summary of the latest national voting intention polls for the next general election, along with the latest MRP projections and party leadership ratings. If you'd like to find out more about how polls work, how reliable they are and how to make sense of them, check out my book, Polling UnPacked: the History, Uses and Abuses of Political Opinion Polls, or sign up for my weekly email, The Week in Polls: General election voting intention polls PollsterConLabLDGrnRefLab leadFieldwork Find Out Now 18% (+1) 15% (-1) 12% (+1) 17% (-1) 31% (-1) -16% (4th, vs Ref) 26/11 GB ... (more) |
West End Christmas afternoon concert today! #dundeewestendThere is a West End Christmas Fortnight highlight today with the afternoon concert - details below : 2pm to 3.45pm - Kindly hosted by St Peter's Free Church. Featuring Dundee Community Youth Orchestra, "The Dundee choir that doesn't have a name yet" and Loadsaweeminsingin. All welcome and no booking required - refreshments kindly provided by the church. Read about all the West End Christmas Fortnight events at www.facebook.com/WestEndChristmas (more) |
A cultural gemHaving joined over a thousand people at Swansea Grand Theatre in watching the marvellous Matthew Rhys in a sold-out Playing Burton on Monday night. There is a review of an earlier performance here, but I thought it might be a good idea to reflect on the history of the theatre itself. There is an excellent website here, that goes into some detail as to how this historic and much-loved building became a major hub of culture in Swansea. It records that Frederick Mouillot and H. H. 'Mackenzie' Morell, two entrepreneur actor managers, seized an opportunity to build a Theatre in ... (more) |
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) |