OneGuyFromBarlick

Not quite sure why the PM felt it necessary to reply to Mr Skinner as he did. It strikes me as extraordinarily rude and unbecoming. Usefully, it does serve to illustrate that incivility and rudeness manifests across society, something that is often forgotten in the all-to-frequent bouts of red-top i...

I'm not entirely convinced that a blood test to identify one's risk of cancer, or indeed one's risk of any (serious) medical complaint, is a good thing per se for two reasons. The first I guess is philosophical. I would argue that a part of what makes life bearable and society functional, is that we...

Interesting. What is the One Planet Planters food growing project, is it a community food resource? I mentioned last year that here in Hoylake, an 'IncredibleEdible' initiative got off the ground last spring. This year, the numbers of beds around town containing veg etc has gone up 10-fold, and in t...

........looking forward to the Sea Odyssey event in Liverpool which starts tomorrow morning at 9.30 and then runs over the weekend finishing Sunday. Info here if anyone's interested to see what it's all about, or fancies a day out to see the thing..... http://www.visitliverpool.com/whats-on/search/s...

For God knows how long, the largest party not in Government has been known as The Opposition. By definition, its job is to oppose and as such they are under no obligation at all to come up with 'what they might do' or 'explain themselves' until the time is judged right. This has held for years and p...

Three peahens and a peacock walking in the street here in Bootle.

Not something I would have imagined ever having to commit to print.......

Richard Broughton

Have just finished 'May the Lord in His Mercy Be Kind to Belfast', by Tony Parker, published in 1995. Tony Parker was (he died 1997) an oral historian who simply interviewed people and then creates his books from their own words. Which sounds like cheating. But he is capable of letting the words spe...

There is no doubt that part of the problem is in reality a fear of being sued and then a backside covering exercise. But this fear too is somewhat overblown and misplaced. You have a pretty good and long-established defence in English law against civil claims and that is the test of 'reasonableness'...

Angela Knight was a Tory MP. And a Minister in the Major Government. No surprises for guessing her Ministerial post: Chief Secretary to the Treasury.... Interestingly, she studied chemistry at University and worked in the chemical industry for some time. I noted on another thread a few moments ago t...

.........looking forward to a meal out tonight at a Turkish 'ocakbasi' restaurant that opened 2mins walk away about 12 months ago, and which we haven't tried yet. It's getting rave reviews. An 'ocakbasi' restaurant is a grill house essentially, with importantly the grill being over proper charcoal n...

HSBC closed in Hoylake last year. Now no bank in the town at all, but thankfully there are 2 cash machines... I will stake my house and life savings and note that no 'HSE regulations' will have prevented anyone wading in to save a seagull. Indeed, there are hardly any HSE regulations that are prescr...

Well I suppose if you tinker and tweak for long enough you have a good chance of ending up back where you started. The old Joint Matriculation Board which ran from the early 20th Century to 1992 and which set O and A Levels (and predecessors) in England (originally the North), Wales and Northern Ire...

For the sake of accuracy, I should make clear that the PM noted he last bought a pasty at the West Cornwall Pasty Company on Leeds Station, and there hasn't been a West Cornwall Pasty Company outlet on Leeds Station since 2007. I understand there is another pasty outlet there. I guess when you're su...

Great 'fun' with the coalition today. The PM, on the back of 'Pastygate', waded in to note he personally loves a Cornish Pasty, holidays in Cornwall, and recalls the last one he had was bought on Leeds Station. Que an eruption on Twitter, noting there hasn't been a pasty shop on Leeds Station since ...

On the removal of national pay scales in the public sector, I would have thought that if the methodology to decide on appropriate public/private sector comparators is robust, and the resultant evidence sound, there is a good chance that some public sector roles would be underpaying. One can muse on ...

Very true Tizer. Science progresses via the falsifiability of hypotheses and theory. As one A Einstein said, ''no amount of experimentation will prove me right, but just the one will prove me wrong''. This falsifiability and implied scepticism which drives science should never been taken in its lite...

Today I shall book ferry tickets from Liverpool to Belfast for a week's break in County Down at the end of May. By the coast under the Mountains of Mourne. Never been to Northern Ireland and am looking forward to it. Am also looking forward to the first holiday away since 2010 as we have quite under...

I got married in the Church at Prestbury more or less overlooking the racecourse there. The vicar that married us, blesses the course, the festival and the racegoers each year. Not sure if all the vicars of Prestbury church have done this, might just be him.

Richard Broughton

Bradders - there are no permanent residents on Hilbre Island anymore. There was a ranger who lived permanently with his family up 'till last year, but he stepped down and it is hard to get folk to commit to this given the isolation. There are now no plans for the Council to have a permanent ranger. ...

..........looking forward to another weekend of 6 Nations Rugby Union. My sport of choice - gave up on football years ago. Breaking the habit of a lifetime, I actually now watch the England games in the local pub. Rugby is very popular on Wirrall (there are over 10 clubs in a small area), and the pu...

Watched that 'White Heat' on BBC2 last night, a sweeping drama following the lives of six flatmates from the 60s to the present day. Told in flashback - they are brought together at the funeral of one (we don't know who this is) in the present. Great cast, really well-acted - Brierfield lad Lee Ingl...

.....and there was me, with respect to Scotland, thinking it was about a country that had long had it's own church, education and legal system, it's own Parliament for centuries and independence being given a modicum of self-Government. I didn't realise it was a European plot.

Richard Broughton

''the private policemen wont have '' Are you sure about that? I can arrest someone if I want, via citizens arrest. Why couldn't privatised Private Bobby? Which is not an argument to say there's no problem then, as it's the accountability issue along with the other 'private' involvement I mention. I ...

Last night, a bowl of green/brown lentils with bits of carrot, celery and kale through it, and sliced, roasted pork fillet on top. A chicken and pepper casserole tonight (lots of peppers), with steamed cauli. Pasta with beans and kale tomorrow MOT for me a fortnight back and I have very high cholest...

It is fair to note that the major disability groups have seen Remploy as an outdated model for some time, arguing for the disabled to be employed alongside everyone else in the workplace. And so in that respect they are not against their closure, and I have a great deal of sympathy with this. Howeve...