(Originally written 29th November, 2013) I’ve made various references recently to this book, and meant to write something more directly about it. The main problem is that there is so much interesting stuff in it, that it’s hard to know where to start, let alone end. I might add, also, that I have some fairly… Continue reading A Good Read
Category: Politics
Signage for volunteer initiatives
Summary This is an argument for a scalable initiative to support volunteers who want to make their neighbourhoods look better. In summary, there should be some high quality, consistent but adaptable branding, to identify volunteer initiatives, and support communications with and about them. The initiative would be owned by a professional managed organisation, ideally operating… Continue reading Signage for volunteer initiatives
Brexit and Housing, London and Oxford
Something of a personal announcement here.
Flooding, engineering, planning and politics
Reposted from my local Forum, 16 Jan, 2014, with a more helpful title, and some editing. It rambles a bit, but putting here now because it touches on various questions which arose yesterday (July 25, 2018) when I attended a consultation event on ‘De-risking’ growth in the Cambridge Milton Keynes Oxford arc. I’m thinking about… Continue reading Flooding, engineering, planning and politics
South Anywhere County Development Corporation / Equity for land rights funding
Rather than purchase land for some monetary amount, compulsorily or otherwise, and load local authorities / development corporations with debt, a South Anywhere County Development Corporation (SACDC) would issue equity to landowners whose land was affected by the JSP, in exchange for rights SACDC acquired over the land.
Why I did not vote Labour in 2017
No significance in the timing here, but just putting here a comment on a Facebook post of Steve Bullock, Mayor of Lewisham, 26th May, 2017, https://www.facebook.com/sir.steve.bullock/posts/10211160522747305 As of 29th December 2017, the Labour was still campaigning against charges which unfairly target the more affluent Jeremy Corbyn joins thousands in backing the Mirror’s campaign to end… Continue reading Why I did not vote Labour in 2017
Municipalism good, localism bad
Originally published on Sydenham Town Forum, 28 January, 2015 I thought I’d get the message in the subject line, to help anyone who has problems scrolling down on whatever device they are reading this on.
My tuppence worth on Brexit
Three days to go, with all the debate going on, I wonder what contribution I can make other than voting – to Remain – on Thursday. I have helped with a few local leafleting sessions, and twice some some StrongerIn phone banking. This evening and Wednesday I hope to be doing some door knocking locally,… Continue reading My tuppence worth on Brexit
Solidarity & highway dress code
As I was cycling up Lordship Lane today, a cabbie cheerfully called out of his window to me “Watcha mate, how yer doing?” Would it have been the same if I’d been wearing lycra, rather than dressed for bagging and shifting thirty odd rubble sacks of rotted horse manure?
Uncle Jack sings the Marseillaise
I only met Uncle Jack a few times, towards the end of his life, in his family home in Dagenham, but he’d featured in our oral history – how in 1914, to the dismay of his Kier Hardy admiring mother*, he’d joined up along with his brother. He only just survived the war, having been… Continue reading Uncle Jack sings the Marseillaise