Following the course of the River Leen through NottinghamOur History Underfoot - like and subscribe, my children, like and subscribe - follows the course of the River Leen through Nottingham. Just as in John Rogers' London river walks, we are taken to parts of the city we wouldn't normally see. Except that I have been to some of these places. To prove it, here are my photographs of the railway bridge - I was surprised at how low it was, but didn't guess the reason - and the start of the Tinker's Leen beside the Nottingham Canal. (more) |
The Lib Dems created the triple lock - we should be the ones to set the terms for its endWhen Sir Steve Webb introduced the triple lock as Lib Dem pensions minister in the coalition government, the aim was to close the gap between the state pension and average earnings and reverse years of real-terms decline during which the state pension had not kept up with living costs. In 2010, the basic state pension was just £97.65 per week, or just over £5,000 per year, for a single person - a truly pitiful amount for someone who had worked for at least 39 or 44 years (depending if you were a man or a woman), even when you consider ... (more) |
Joe Jackson: It's Different for GirlsRecorded live in 1979 for BBC2's Rock Goes to College. (more) |
Trumps' White House thuggery appals the world including most AmericansOne of the things that makes me happy when I see the declining state of our political life is that 'at least we're not as bad as America!' That thought kept going through my mind when I read accounts of the UFC fight which took place at the White House at the weekend. Four things struck me when I read them: Firstly, this is supposed to be the home of the Head of Government of the Country and to that extent it belongs to all the people of the Country. Could you imagine Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle being opened ... (more) |
We are being held hostage by the Tory voters who have lent us their voteHow many people reading this article have been sat at a house party in the north - and when the conversation gets onto politics (which it usually does), no other attendees know a single thing about the Liberal Democrats. Attendees aged eighteen, nineteen, twenty who have not got a clue about what we stand for, a single policy, except, maybe Davey's stunts. I tell them I support the Liberal Democrats, and a true response I once got was, "is that the orange one?". This is where we are standing with the youth, and hey, a lot of the older generations ... (more) |
The Joy of Six 1534Keir Starmer should set a timetable for his departure from Number 10 and give his successor the opportunity to prepare for becoming prime minister, argue Hannah White and Alex Thomas. "Digital spaces should be safe for people of all ages. But I don't believe bans are the answer. Technology companies need to be held to account and required to block harmful content and build safety into their designs."Lisa M. Given on what Britain can learn from Australia's attempt to ban under-16s from social media. Ben Mayfield has seen a new film on the countryside access debate in England and Wales: ... (more) |
Dear United Kingdom: Anti-white racism and the attack of diversity, equity and inclusivity (DEI)On the day of the 10th anniversary of the tragic passing of Labour MP, Jo Cox, who will poignantly be remembered for her maiden speech in which she said "We are far more united and have far more in common with each other than things that divide us." We contrast that with the juxtaposition of what emerged on Sunday when Nigel Farage had taken to social media and laid claim to Anti-white racism after he said that Britain was now a "two tier state against white people". Tragic events over the last fortnight have triggered memories for me long since ... (more) |
The toxic legacy of BrexitThe Guardian reports on the view of Kim Leadbeater MP, the sister of Jo Cox, who was brutally murdered ten years ago yesterday, that political hatred and division in the UK is probably worse now than during the Brexit referendum. Speaking to the Guardian's Today in Focus podcast Leadbeater, who was elected to the same Yorkshire seat held by Cox in a 2021 byelection, said everyone in public life had a responsibility to try and ease tensions. Referencing the response of some politicians to the murder of Henry Nowak, which was followed by disorder in Southampton, Leadbeater said people should ... (more) |
No Carry Ons: Kenneth Williams's other filmsThis is fun. A compilation of 11 short clips of Kenneth Williams in films that aren't Carry Ons. Williams, as he frequently pointed out on Round the Horne when he wasn't being properly serviced, was classically trained. When he was young he was highly regarded as an actor, and Maggie Smith acknowledged him as an influence on her own work. (more) |
Three Lions but no St George's flagsI went for a walk across the town after lunch today and saw this Three Lions flag. What I didn't see was any St George's flags. Twenty years ago, I was in Shropshire during the 2006 World Cup and I can remember St George's flags in the upstairs windows of houses in some very leafy streets in Shrewbury. I expect the children of the house demanded them for their bedroom windows. This year in Market Harborough, there's nothing. It looks as though the far right has put us off our national flag by making it a symbol their thuggish politics. ... (more) |