Dad died in 1999, but it's not a heritage you escape. Sometimes one may feel deeply ashamed of what the police are or were - Orgreave, Hillsborough, the Birmingham 6. More often one is proud of our unarmed police who still manage to keep the streets safe, as they did when they took down the murderer of Jo Cox last year ( Read more... )

Originally posted by carlyinrome at coup (tutto)

First, I want to bring everyone's attention to this new commercialasking people to send money and, "pledge support to President Donald Trump." This scares the hell out of me, and the only word I can think of is coup.

And in case you missed it: While awful, awful things were happening in airports, some awful, ( Read more... )

Just now you have to laugh or cry. Mostly grimace through the tears. Boris seems to want to brown-nose Trump, while Farage is already doing so. Meanwhile, Trump's transition team is in a constant state of flux. It's even possible a Republican Congress will refuse to work with him (Though I'm not holding my breath, considering just how many jerks ( Read more... )

I am genuinely terrified of the possible result of Thursday's Referendum. I want my country back - not handed over to Farage, Boris, IDS, Gove and their goons. I believe we are part of Europe in every possible way, not just geographically. If we leave, we lose so much - not just economically but culturally and in domestic terms. That "red tape" the ( Read more... )

Another much-loved National Treasure has left us. Victoria Wood was only 62, and may not have been as well known outside the country as her close friend Julie Walters, but she was an amazing comedian, writer and performer. Bloody cancer.

I'm going to share a couple of pieces of her brilliance. First, Acorn Antiques, a wonderful send-up of all that ( Read more... )

A quick fic in the light of today's sad, sad news. Because you just know Spike met him sometime in the 70s.

231 words
Rated PG15 perhaps, for rude words

( In Memoriam )

I've seen lots of posts, here and on FB, about the tenth anniversary of 7/7. I wasn't living in London, or nearby, as I was during the IRA bombing campaigns of the 80s, but the sheer scale of deaths, the horror of a double decker bus peeled open like a sardine can, the stories of the survivors all made a big impact. And there was the inevitable ( Read more... )

I'm deeply saddened by the news of the death of Charles Kennedy, for many years an MP and a former leader of the LibDem party. I remember listening to entertaining three-way discussions in which he was partnered with Austin Mitchell and Julian Critchley, and remember above all his principled stand on the Iraq war. The world is poorer for his ( Read more... )

There's a report in the paper that Jeremy Clarkson has actually learned something from his bruising encounter with the BBC.

He's joining the Guardian.

Following what he described as a “dark night of the soul”, Clarkson said he hoped to “regain the trust of the British public” by dedicating his time and financial resources to sustainable energy ( Read more... )

I missed last month - still too dazed from The Wedding, I think.

Yesterday was busy, but fun. Mostly.

[Under the cut, to save your flist.]As usual, Dave brought me coffee in bed just before leaving for work. Unusually, I actually got up as soon as I had finished it. I pootled around, doing dishwasher tasks and the like, then pached a bag and left the house ( Read more... )