High Flying Around: Memories of the 1960s Leicester Music Scene Volume II by Shaun KnappIn Leicester this afternoon, I called in at the launch of Shaun Knapp's book High Flying Around: Memories of the 1960s Leicester Music Scene Vol II. As the publisher's website says: High Flying Around Volume II continues the remarkable story of Leicester's 1960s arts and music scene via the people who were there. Their memories and reminiscences bring back to life the buildings long since demolished, the groups who packed out the venues and the people who filled the halls and clubs. Find out how some of the biggest names in music performed in some of Leicester's smallest and long-lost ... (more) |
Fail Safe: the film overshadowed by Dr. StrangeloveI've popped up on a movie podcast: A 1964 film about accidental nuclear war from a legendary director and featuring a German scientist with homicidal ideas? That's right, it's Dr Strangelove... hang on, no, it's Fail Safe. Overshadowed on release because of a lawsuit from a rival film (you can guess which), this parable from Sidney Lumet has come to be regarded as a classic, with fans including George Clooney. The Ocean's 11 star couldn't be with us to make the case for it himself, so we're joined by a man known to many as the Clooney of British politics, ... (more) |
Observations of an Expat: Court with a BackboneIt has been a bad week for President Donald J. Trump. He was overwhelmingly trounced in every election held this week. The Democrats exceeded all expectations. Then Pope Leo criticised his human rights record. A former chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court said that his missile attacks on Venezuelan boats were a "crime against humanity". The government shutdown entered a record week and Transport Secretary Sean Duffy warned that he would have to start cancelling flights. But perhaps the most impactful event occurred not at the polling stations but in the dusty and cerebral corridors of the US Supreme ... (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 Opinium 17% (-1) 20% (nc) 12% (nc) 11% (-1) 33% (+3) -13% (vs Ref) 5-7/11 GB Find Out Now ... (more) |
Sheep in nappy spotted on Polish high-speed trainThe judges were in no doubt: Notes from Poland wins Headline of the Day. There will, as they observed, be dancing in the streets of Kraków tonight. (more) |
Bank of England Citizen's Forum meeting in DundeeThe Bank of England is holding a Citizen's Forum meeting here in Dundee on the 19th November and looking to add to its Citizen's Panel. The bank explains : "We launched our Citizens' Forum in 2018 to improve engagement with members of the public. Our forum consists of about 4,500 people from across the UK. Joining allows you to put your views directly to the Bank of England. It is also an opportunity for you to ask questions about our policies." You can sign up to the 19th November meeting using the QR code is on the poster or it ... (more) |
The castle that isn'tMorris Castle or Castle Graig (Castell Morris or Castell Craig) is a ruined residential building situated on the Cnap-llwyd common in the Trewyddfa area of Swansea. It was constructed by Sir John Morris to house the families of workers and is one of the earliest examples of a tenement building. This website takes up the story: In the late 18th century industry was booming in the area around Swansea in Wales. Ever more sophisticated machines were powering the various works, and coal was required to fuel the industry. With copper works and coal mines, John Morris was a wealthy man ... (more) |
Not so cosy: A podcast on Agatha Christie's The MousetrapI came across a new podcast today - Garlic & Pearls- via a really good episode on Agatha Christie's play The Mousetrap. It's thoroughly researched and emphasises how far from cosy Christie's works can be. The Mousetrap is set in a dislocated postwar world in which the class structure has been shaken and there is an air of paranoid watchfulness. The BBC's adaptations of the Miss Marple books, which starred the incomparable Joan Hickson, were set firmly in this world. And it's noticeable that when Bertram's Hotel appears to have survived the changes unscathed, it turns out to be too ... (more) |
Just back from the printersI took delivery of 2000 Sunniside Focuses yesterday. My next job is to bundle them into their patches. Tomorrow we start delivering them! They all have to be out before 26th November. That's when the Christmas tree lights switch on is happening, and the front page of the Focus is all about it. (more) |
ALDC By-Election Report 6th NovemberThis week, there were ten by-elections, of which two were on Tuesday. Three by-elections did not have a Liberal Democrat candidate. Congratulations to Councillor Jan Goffey and the local Liberal Democrat team for gaining a seat in Devon, despite beginning from a standing start. We were able to secure a decisive victory, whilst both the Conservatives and an independent were vying for second place. West Devon BC, Okehampton South Liberal Democrats (Jan Goffey): 356 (57.1%, new) Conservative: 152 (24.4%, -5.9) Independent: 116 (18.6%, - 17.0) Liberal Democrat GAIN from Green Party Turnout: 22% Congratulations are also due to Councillor Martin ... (more) |