I did the Caledonian sleeper last summer with the family. When we booked it was pre-Covid so we'd anticipated that dining car, late whiskies etc. As it was we were stuck in our small sleeper compartment all night and having to don masks to wander shiftily to the toilet cubicle. Yes the scenery was nice coming in towards Fort William but it was raining, so overall the trip wasn't much fun. Exciting for the children though. Would like to try it again when the dining car reopens.
My favourite train journey used to be the one at the end of half term, returning home from Hereford with an overnight bag on the slow regional train via Birmingham, seemingly always on a golden sunny late afternoon as the carriages trundled past Ledbury, Great Malvern and onwards. Not spectacular, but always very relaxing, and I was going home.
Manchester always obliged on the way home from uni. It was guaranteed that as the Co-op Tower, which was still by far the biggest building around, hoved into view, it would start drizzling and it would be drizzling hard by the time the Edinburgh - WCML - Victoria pulled in on platform 11. (this was pre Metrolink and just pre the Salford Crescent link - which I forget the official name of).
It doesn't always rain in Manchester, but it reliably saved it for my returns.
After spending [REDACTED] I took the train from London to Aberdeen - and Nick Clegg was on the same train! (getting off near Sheffield presumably)
I was sitting a few seats away from Nigel fucking Farage some years back between London Victoria and West Dulwich. He alighted there, presumably, to give a talk at the nearby school.
I was on the same bus as Roy Hattersley in Birmingham in the 90s.
I saw Michael Foot at Newcastle station back in the 80s.
Wor Lass used the next door trap to Margaret Beckett in the Ladies at Derby station.
#Politiciansonpublictransport
Sat opposite Bob Marshall-Andrews MP once on way to London. Fascinating hour of political discussion. V interesting chap. This would be ≈ 2007. He told us he was standing down and that the next election was lost.
After spending [REDACTED] I took the train from London to Aberdeen - and Nick Clegg was on the same train! (getting off near Sheffield presumably)
I was sitting a few seats away from Nigel fucking Farage some years back between London Victoria and West Dulwich. He alighted there, presumably, to give a talk at the nearby school.
I was on the same bus as Roy Hattersley in Birmingham in the 90s.
I saw Michael Foot at Newcastle station back in the 80s.
Wor Lass used the next door trap to Margaret Beckett in the Ladies at Derby station.
#Politiciansonpublictransport
Had Gordon Brown at the back of the plane to Edinburgh a few years back. Shortly after he'd lost to Cameron. Didn't do much smiling.
Sat opposite Frances Maude on the tube. I know that's lame but it counts.
Also knocked Boris Johnson off his bike by accident while crossing Shaftsbury Avenue, back before he was Mayor of London and was just an amusing journalist.
Trouble is Reeves seems to make a very good shadow chancellor. Like Brown in the 1990s. We have this tendency in politics and business to promote people out of jobs they are very good at, and sometimes that's not the right answer. Labour needs someone convincing on the economic and public finances.
She is also quite serious and downbeat (again like Brown). Not a shiny smiley optimist. Given that's also Keir's problem, ideally they would have a fun loving, cheery optimistic leader supported by the clunking fist of an all-destroying shadow CoE.
I agree with pretty much all that. Brown's leadership ambitions were his eventual downfall. Reeves should stay where she is and give substance to Labour's economic ambitions.
It's similar for the Tories, with people talking up the chances of Sunak, and to a lesser extent Truss, as next leader. Just because they're perceived as good in their current jobs doesn't mean that they'd make good leaders. In Truss's case, I think it's highly unlikely.
It's a bit like promoting the most brilliant teachers to be head teachers. It's often a disaster. Different skill sets and all that.
Or scientists or engineers or doctors or lawyers into executive leadership. The problem is we pay executives more, when we should pay the best scientists etc... the same to keep them in the jobs where they contribute the most value.
Being a headteacher is a thankless task, particularly at primary school level. I’m always amazed that any teacher wants to be more than a head of department (and that only so they can pick which classes they teach). If teachers could earn more and stay as teachers then I’m not sure anyone sane would want the job.
And perhaps then it would evolve into a separate profession of education management, distinct from pure teaching, with more relative emphasis on leadership, management and organizational skills - just as public health and medicine have evolved into separate disciplines [Edit, or perhaps a better analogy would be surgeons and hospital administrators - no self-respecting surgeon would want to become a hospital administrator]
After spending [REDACTED] I took the train from London to Aberdeen - and Nick Clegg was on the same train! (getting off near Sheffield presumably)
I was sitting a few seats away from Nigel fucking Farage some years back between London Victoria and West Dulwich. He alighted there, presumably, to give a talk at the nearby school.
I was on the same bus as Roy Hattersley in Birmingham in the 90s.
I saw Michael Foot at Newcastle station back in the 80s.
Wor Lass used the next door trap to Margaret Beckett in the Ladies at Derby station.
#Politiciansonpublictransport
Had Gordon Brown at the back of the plane to Edinburgh a few years back. Shortly after he'd lost to Cameron. Didn't do much smiling.
Sat opposite Frances Maude on the tube. I know that's lame but it counts.
Also knocked Boris Johnson off his bike by accident while crossing Shaftsbury Avenue, back before he was Mayor of London and was just an amusing journalist.
Independent carrying stories of major salami slicing, which will kill quite a few of the benefits. Including killing the Nottm/Derby station, and putting chunks of it on existing tracks.
Is it true? Problem I have is that the Indy is not reliable.
There seems to be a lot of issues round the eastern leg where they seem to have missed the fact, a train route isn't much use if it doesn't stop at important towns / cities on the route.
Leeds - Sheffield - Nottingham / Derby - all add millions of potential customers to the route.
The reality is that for reasons unknown they seem to want to save costs without thinking through the consequences of those cuts.
Must admit I'm surprised to see the @Anabobazina meme from yesterday getting the OGH treatment.
What meme was this?
Rachel Reeves playing a blinder.
As a Corbynite you might expect me to disagree, but I think she's good, and also that others of my ilk are sufficiently fed up with the Tory lead that they'd be open to her if Starmer fell by the wayside.
I hadn't put you down as a Corbynite.
I agree that she's good.
There was a lot of pro Rachel Reeves comments a couple of days ago which @Anabobazina wrote off as her Vocals.
Must admit I'm surprised to see the @Anabobazina meme from yesterday getting the OGH treatment.
What meme was this?
Rachel Reeves playing a blinder.
As a Corbynite you might expect me to disagree, but I think she's good, and also that others of my ilk are sufficiently fed up with the Tory lead that they'd be open to her if Starmer fell by the wayside.
I did the Caledonian sleeper last summer with the family. When we booked it was pre-Covid so we'd anticipated that dining car, late whiskies etc. As it was we were stuck in our small sleeper compartment all night and having to don masks to wander shiftily to the toilet cubicle. Yes the scenery was nice coming in towards Fort William but it was raining, so overall the trip wasn't much fun. Exciting for the children though. Would like to try it again when the dining car reopens.
My favourite train journey used to be the one at the end of half term, returning home from Hereford with an overnight bag on the slow regional train via Birmingham, seemingly always on a golden sunny late afternoon as the carriages trundled past Ledbury, Great Malvern and onwards. Not spectacular, but always very relaxing, and I was going home.
Manchester always obliged on the way home from uni. It was guaranteed that as the Co-op Tower, which was still by far the biggest building around, hoved into view, it would start drizzling and it would be drizzling hard by the time the Edinburgh - WCML - Victoria pulled in on platform 11. (this was pre Metrolink and just pre the Salford Crescent link - which I forget the official name of).
It doesn't always rain in Manchester, but it reliably saved it for my returns.
Trouble is Reeves seems to make a very good shadow chancellor. Like Brown in the 1990s. We have this tendency in politics and business to promote people out of jobs they are very good at, and sometimes that's not the right answer. Labour needs someone convincing on the economic and public finances.
She is also quite serious and downbeat (again like Brown). Not a shiny smiley optimist. Given that's also Keir's problem, ideally they would have a fun loving, cheery optimistic leader supported by the clunking fist of an all-destroying shadow CoE.
I agree with pretty much all that. Brown's leadership ambitions were his eventual downfall. Reeves should stay where she is and give substance to Labour's economic ambitions.
It's similar for the Tories, with people talking up the chances of Sunak, and to a lesser extent Truss, as next leader. Just because they're perceived as good in their current jobs doesn't mean that they'd make good leaders. In Truss's case, I think it's highly unlikely.
It's a bit like promoting the most brilliant teachers to be head teachers. It's often a disaster. Different skill sets and all that.
Or scientists or engineers or doctors or lawyers into executive leadership. The problem is we pay executives more, when we should pay the best scientists etc... the same to keep them in the jobs where they contribute the most value.
Being a headteacher is a thankless task, particularly at primary school level. I’m always amazed that any teacher wants to be more than a head of department (and that only so they can pick which classes they teach). If teachers could earn more and stay as teachers then I’m not sure anyone sane would want the job.
And perhaps then it would evolve into a separate profession of education management, distinct from pure teaching, with more relative emphasis on leadership, management and organizational skills - just as public health and medicine have evolved into separate disciplines.
Too many heads are already too far gone from their classroom days; it’s a profession where you really need to understand why asking a French teacher to teach Spanish (as they are both languages after all: how hard can it be?) is a really bad idea. And that is not something off the top of my head, but a real example I heard off from a teacher who had been asked to do just that (not at my school though).
I think Sandy Rentool’s wife using the next door cubicle to Margaret Beckett in the Ladies at Derby Station is completely unbeatable as a lame-encounter-with-a-politician-on-public-transport, TBH
Must admit I'm surprised to see the @Anabobazina meme from yesterday getting the OGH treatment.
What meme was this?
Rachel Reeves playing a blinder.
As a Corbynite you might expect me to disagree, but I think she's good, and also that others of my ilk are sufficiently fed up with the Tory lead that they'd be open to her if Starmer fell by the wayside.
I hadn't put you down as a Corbynite.
I agree that she's good.
There was a lot of pro Rachel Reeves comments a couple of days ago which @Anabobazina wrote off as her Vocals.
Partly I just like Corbyn personally (I've known him on and off for 50 years) - my allergy to ranting characters like Scargill is matched by my affection for quiet persuaders with modest lifestyles. But anyway I do want Labour to mean something more than not-the-Tories. If Rachel (or indeed Keir) are prepared to come up with it, I'm all ears.
After spending [REDACTED] I took the train from London to Aberdeen - and Nick Clegg was on the same train! (getting off near Sheffield presumably)
I was sitting a few seats away from Nigel fucking Farage some years back between London Victoria and West Dulwich. He alighted there, presumably, to give a talk at the nearby school.
I was on the same bus as Roy Hattersley in Birmingham in the 90s.
I saw Michael Foot at Newcastle station back in the 80s.
Wor Lass used the next door trap to Margaret Beckett in the Ladies at Derby station.
#Politiciansonpublictransport
Sat opposite Bob Marshall-Andrews MP once on way to London. Fascinating hour of political discussion. V interesting chap. This would be ≈ 2007. He told us he was standing down and that the next election was lost.
I did the Caledonian sleeper last summer with the family. When we booked it was pre-Covid so we'd anticipated that dining car, late whiskies etc. As it was we were stuck in our small sleeper compartment all night and having to don masks to wander shiftily to the toilet cubicle. Yes the scenery was nice coming in towards Fort William but it was raining, so overall the trip wasn't much fun. Exciting for the children though. Would like to try it again when the dining car reopens.
My favourite train journey used to be the one at the end of half term, returning home from Hereford with an overnight bag on the slow regional train via Birmingham, seemingly always on a golden sunny late afternoon as the carriages trundled past Ledbury, Great Malvern and onwards. Not spectacular, but always very relaxing, and I was going home.
Manchester always obliged on the way home from uni. It was guaranteed that as the Co-op Tower, which was still by far the biggest building around, hoved into view, it would start drizzling and it would be drizzling hard by the time the Edinburgh - WCML - Victoria pulled in on platform 11. (this was pre Metrolink and just pre the Salford Crescent link - which I forget the official name of).
It doesn't always rain in Manchester, but it reliably saved it for my returns.
After spending [REDACTED] I took the train from London to Aberdeen - and Nick Clegg was on the same train! (getting off near Sheffield presumably)
I was sitting a few seats away from Nigel fucking Farage some years back between London Victoria and West Dulwich. He alighted there, presumably, to give a talk at the nearby school.
I was on the same bus as Roy Hattersley in Birmingham in the 90s.
I saw Michael Foot at Newcastle station back in the 80s.
Wor Lass used the next door trap to Margaret Beckett in the Ladies at Derby station.
#Politiciansonpublictransport
Sat opposite Bob Marshall-Andrews MP once on way to London. Fascinating hour of political discussion. V interesting chap. This would be ≈ 2007. He told us he was standing down and that the next election was lost.
After spending [REDACTED] I took the train from London to Aberdeen - and Nick Clegg was on the same train! (getting off near Sheffield presumably)
I was sitting a few seats away from Nigel fucking Farage some years back between London Victoria and West Dulwich. He alighted there, presumably, to give a talk at the nearby school.
I was on the same bus as Roy Hattersley in Birmingham in the 90s.
I saw Michael Foot at Newcastle station back in the 80s.
Wor Lass used the next door trap to Margaret Beckett in the Ladies at Derby station.
#Politiciansonpublictransport
Not politics, but football. I sat opposite Rio Ferdinand on the Manchester to London train. Proper charming gentleman he was, too. In a quiet carriage, he was silent. Gave the ticket collector his autograph without demur. #footballersonpublictrasnportinfirstclass
After spending [REDACTED] I took the train from London to Aberdeen - and Nick Clegg was on the same train! (getting off near Sheffield presumably)
I was sitting a few seats away from Nigel fucking Farage some years back between London Victoria and West Dulwich. He alighted there, presumably, to give a talk at the nearby school.
I was on the same bus as Roy Hattersley in Birmingham in the 90s.
I saw Michael Foot at Newcastle station back in the 80s.
Wor Lass used the next door trap to Margaret Beckett in the Ladies at Derby station.
#Politiciansonpublictransport
Sat opposite Bob Marshall-Andrews MP once on way to London. Fascinating hour of political discussion. V interesting chap. This would be ≈ 2007. He told us he was standing down and that the next election was lost.
I think Sandy Rentool’s wife using the next door cubicle to Margaret Beckett in the Ladies at Derby Station is completely unbeatable as a lame-encounter-with-a-politician-on-public-transport, TBH
Yes, if only they'd used the same cubicle at the same time.....
I think Sandy Rentool’s wife using the next door cubicle to Margaret Beckett in the Ladies at Derby Station is completely unbeatable as a lame-encounter-with-a-politician-on-public-transport, TBH
The thing is, if I hadn't been waiting outside she'd never have known about the encounter.
Of course, some people have spent many an hour in public conveniences waiting for an encounter with a politician...
Trains can also travel through the night, which saves you a day a la the Caledonian Sleeper*.
*again a very popular option.
Ah, this must be some new definition of the phrase "very popular" that I was previously unaware of.
Popular as in 'well-liked'. Not as in 'well-used'.
I’ve done it several times. Only an idiot gets off at Edinburgh. Sorry Robert
For the full Euston-to-roaring-stags experience you should go to Inverness or, even better, Fort William
Magical. Go first class if you can, of course, but any class is brilliant
It is extremely popular and extremely well-used. They charge a fortune because people will pay it
Eg I see lots of trains next week - November - are nearly sold out
If you have mates who live at the scotch end ask them to sell you a ticket - they are much cheaper if you buy them in blocks of 10. Saves £100 I think.
Leon's mates are all scotch. And they're all called Glen something.
But a powder keg without Hitler, the Nazis, and the Holocaust. That was a uniquely evil aberration, and any alternative history that avoids Hitler (all of them?) is surely ‘better’
You'd have still had the fundamental tension between the Communists and Conservatives in Germany. The fundamental conditions for the rise of Nazi's (Conservative willing to side with the far right to achieve short term aims) would still be there.
After spending [REDACTED] I took the train from London to Aberdeen - and Nick Clegg was on the same train! (getting off near Sheffield presumably)
I was sitting a few seats away from Nigel fucking Farage some years back between London Victoria and West Dulwich. He alighted there, presumably, to give a talk at the nearby school.
I was on the same bus as Roy Hattersley in Birmingham in the 90s.
I saw Michael Foot at Newcastle station back in the 80s.
Wor Lass used the next door trap to Margaret Beckett in the Ladies at Derby station.
#Politiciansonpublictransport
Sat opposite Bob Marshall-Andrews MP once on way to London. Fascinating hour of political discussion. V interesting chap. This would be ≈ 2007. He told us he was standing down and that the next election was lost.
I came across that randomly whilst cycling in Pembrokeshire. Had no idea it belonged to an MP. It looks quite good, although I'm not sure the design would work very well in the Flatlands...
Trains can also travel through the night, which saves you a day a la the Caledonian Sleeper*.
*again a very popular option.
Ah, this must be some new definition of the phrase "very popular" that I was previously unaware of.
Popular as in 'well-liked'. Not as in 'well-used'.
I’ve done it several times. Only an idiot gets off at Edinburgh. Sorry Robert
For the full Euston-to-roaring-stags experience you should go to Inverness or, even better, Fort William
Magical. Go first class if you can, of course, but any class is brilliant
It is extremely popular and extremely well-used. They charge a fortune because people will pay it
Eg I see lots of trains next week - November - are nearly sold out
If you have mates who live at the scotch end ask them to sell you a ticket - they are much cheaper if you buy them in blocks of 10. Saves £100 I think.
Leon's mates are all scotch. And they're all called Glen something.
But a powder keg without Hitler, the Nazis, and the Holocaust. That was a uniquely evil aberration, and any alternative history that avoids Hitler (all of them?) is surely ‘better’
You'd have still had the fundamental tension between the Communists and Conservatives in Germany. The fundamental conditions for the rise of Nazi's (Conservative willing to side with the far right to achieve short term aims) would still be there.
Our VC has written to all staff & students today, to share that Professor Kathleen Stock has decided to leave the University. This is with regret & we thank her for her vital contributions to the University & the field of philosophy.
After spending [REDACTED] I took the train from London to Aberdeen - and Nick Clegg was on the same train! (getting off near Sheffield presumably)
I was sitting a few seats away from Nigel fucking Farage some years back between London Victoria and West Dulwich. He alighted there, presumably, to give a talk at the nearby school.
I was on the same bus as Roy Hattersley in Birmingham in the 90s.
I saw Michael Foot at Newcastle station back in the 80s.
Wor Lass used the next door trap to Margaret Beckett in the Ladies at Derby station.
#Politiciansonpublictransport
Sat opposite Bob Marshall-Andrews MP once on way to London. Fascinating hour of political discussion. V interesting chap. This would be ≈ 2007. He told us he was standing down and that the next election was lost.
I came across that randomly whilst cycling in Pembrokeshire. Had no idea it belonged to an MP. It looks quite good, although I'm not sure the design would work very well in the Flatlands...
Once met John Prescott and gang of other Labour MPs on the east coast line up to Newcastle from Kings Cross. I assumed he would be an ale man but they were tucking into the red wine.
After spending [REDACTED] I took the train from London to Aberdeen - and Nick Clegg was on the same train! (getting off near Sheffield presumably)
I was sitting a few seats away from Nigel fucking Farage some years back between London Victoria and West Dulwich. He alighted there, presumably, to give a talk at the nearby school.
I was on the same bus as Roy Hattersley in Birmingham in the 90s.
I saw Michael Foot at Newcastle station back in the 80s.
Wor Lass used the next door trap to Margaret Beckett in the Ladies at Derby station.
#Politiciansonpublictransport
Sat opposite Bob Marshall-Andrews MP once on way to London. Fascinating hour of political discussion. V interesting chap. This would be ≈ 2007. He told us he was standing down and that the next election was lost.
I came across that randomly whilst cycling in Pembrokeshire. Had no idea it belonged to an MP. It looks quite good, although I'm not sure the design would work very well in the Flatlands...
Not a game for cheapskates. Cost £1million to build. In 1998.
Once met John Prescott and gang of other Labour MPs on the east coast line up to Newcastle from Kings Cross. I assumed he would be a ale man but they were tucking into the red wine.
After spending [REDACTED] I took the train from London to Aberdeen - and Nick Clegg was on the same train! (getting off near Sheffield presumably)
I was sitting a few seats away from Nigel fucking Farage some years back between London Victoria and West Dulwich. He alighted there, presumably, to give a talk at the nearby school.
I was on the same bus as Roy Hattersley in Birmingham in the 90s.
I saw Michael Foot at Newcastle station back in the 80s.
Wor Lass used the next door trap to Margaret Beckett in the Ladies at Derby station.
#Politiciansonpublictransport
Sat opposite Bob Marshall-Andrews MP once on way to London. Fascinating hour of political discussion. V interesting chap. This would be ≈ 2007. He told us he was standing down and that the next election was lost.
I came across that randomly whilst cycling in Pembrokeshire. Had no idea it belonged to an MP. It looks quite good, although I'm not sure the design would work very well in the Flatlands...
I sat across from Ed Balls et Famille on the ECML one time when he was Shad Chan.
At Inverness Airport I noticed that Viscount Thurso MP's sunglasses had dropped out of his pocket and on to the floor. He was grateful to me for pointing that out.
The talk of enjoying taking the train when it costs much more and takes much longer than flying, makes me realise we've got a fair few Sheldon Coopers on this site.
Better views (it’s normally cloudy at 35,000ft in my experience), more leg room, wider seats, less noisy, much lower chance of having your luggage end up in Cairo by mistake, no long queues at security…
There are lots of reasons for preferring trains to planes. Particularly when journey times are comparable. I have on occasion taken a trip by train just for the journey, rather than the destination. I can’t see myself doing that on a commercial flight.
Talking of which, the Cairo Luxor sleeper train is a definite adventure. Still not as good as the Caledonian. But fun
And the old one from Paris to the Riviera, that was special. Not sure if it even runs anymore, now the TGV has unromantically shortened the journey
Mombasa to Nairobi is good.
When the young Winston Churchill did this trip, he got someone to weld a wrought iron bench to the front of the locomotive so that he could sit there with a rifle and shoot game; the train would then stop to retrieve the kills. All of that with no authority to do any of it, other than being an English sahib of the officer class.
What a wretched man
He was a man of his time, and should be judged as such.
Well, antipathy to animal cruelty is older than that. The RSPCA was around for half a century before Churchill was born.
Competently shooting game with a view to its being eaten isn't cruelty
And shooting rhinos for fun, is.
Not necessarily, back in those days thinks and elephants needed seriously controlling to protect crops. For the natives to eat with a view to not dying of starvation.
Yes, Churchill has a well-deserved reputation for fighting against starvation. No, wait. The other.
He shot animals because it pleased him. You know it, I know you know it, and you know I know you know it. Stop this sorry dancing. He was was a man who not just took pleasure out of, but made a public show of, killing animals.
Yes well so did everybody else, and the point stands: killing an animal which needs killing in the most painless way achievable is not cruelty.
I wondered for a moment if the loco story was a confusion with Teddy Roosevelt who definitely rode on the loco smokebox end on the railway from Mombasa to Nairobi, but more likely it was a done thing - sort of premium extra first class. So perhaps almost anyone who was anyone did it?
Our VC has written to all staff & students today, to share that Professor Kathleen Stock has decided to leave the University. This is with regret & we thank her for her vital contributions to the University & the field of philosophy.
She hasn't been 'cancelled'. She's "decided to leave...with regret..."
Maybe look at her own feed, where she praises the leadership:
After spending [REDACTED] I took the train from London to Aberdeen - and Nick Clegg was on the same train! (getting off near Sheffield presumably)
I was sitting a few seats away from Nigel fucking Farage some years back between London Victoria and West Dulwich. He alighted there, presumably, to give a talk at the nearby school.
I was on the same bus as Roy Hattersley in Birmingham in the 90s.
I saw Michael Foot at Newcastle station back in the 80s.
Wor Lass used the next door trap to Margaret Beckett in the Ladies at Derby station.
#Politiciansonpublictransport
Sat opposite Bob Marshall-Andrews MP once on way to London. Fascinating hour of political discussion. V interesting chap. This would be ≈ 2007. He told us he was standing down and that the next election was lost.
I came across that randomly whilst cycling in Pembrokeshire. Had no idea it belonged to an MP. It looks quite good, although I'm not sure the design would work very well in the Flatlands...
Here's one in Norfolkshire:
Looks like they had to build their hill first.
Lol, yes. I've seen a few designs like that - there's one in Glen Feshie in the Cairngorms if I recall correctly.
Grass and soil roofs work pretty well for insulation, too, although you probably need a reasonable amount of rain for the grass to grow.
Perhaps we should all live like hobbits to solve the climate crisis?
I tried a simple grass roofed hut in the garden here but it is too dry to be honest. It might have worked in Lancashire.
Once met John Prescott and gang of other Labour MPs on the east coast line up to Newcastle from Kings Cross. I assumed he would be an ale man but they were tucking into the red wine.
Apparently in days of yore the Scottish Labour MPs were a sight and sound to behold as they returned north on the chuff-chuff with John Smith holding court.
Our VC has written to all staff & students today, to share that Professor Kathleen Stock has decided to leave the University. This is with regret & we thank her for her vital contributions to the University & the field of philosophy.
She hasn't been 'cancelled'. She's "decided to leave...with regret..."
Maybe look at her own feed, where she praises the leadership:
She's obviously come to a settlement with the university so her comments about the leadership should be read in that light, but the bottom line is that she was bullied out by students and others because of her opinions.
I think Sandy Rentool’s wife using the next door cubicle to Margaret Beckett in the Ladies at Derby Station is completely unbeatable as a lame-encounter-with-a-politician-on-public-transport, TBH
The thing is, if I hadn't been waiting outside she'd never have known about the encounter.
Of course, some people have spent many an hour in public conveniences waiting for an encounter with a politician...
The talk of enjoying taking the train when it costs much more and takes much longer than flying, makes me realise we've got a fair few Sheldon Coopers on this site.
Again, it doesn’t take “much longer than flying” on the routes we’ve been discussing. Why persist in this mythology?
We were talking about examples like Manchester to Paris. That's a 90 minute flight.
How do you get from Manchester to Paris without spending much longer than 90 minutes? It'd take at least twice as long even direct.
Again, show me your working. Including faffing around at the airports, getting to/from city centres... but we've been through this, over and again now!
As I said its 90 minutes from Manchester to Paris direct. You'd be looking at least 3 hours and probably closer to four hours to do the same via trains. That's at least twice as long. There's some security beforehand in Manchester but you're not looking at 90 minutes.
I wouldn't go from the city centre since I don't live off the city centre. Quite easy to get to the airport via the M56.
I don't hate trains, I just don't hate flying either. Trains make more sense for shorter journeys, I would never fly to London unless its because I've got a connecting flight onwards from there, if I was going to London I'd take the train. But Paris is a different matter.
Trains can also travel through the night, which saves you a day a la the Caledonian Sleeper*.
*again a very popular option.
Ah, this must be some new definition of the phrase "very popular" that I was previously unaware of.
Popular as in 'well-liked'. Not as in 'well-used'.
I’ve done it several times. Only an idiot gets off at Edinburgh. Sorry Robert
For the full Euston-to-roaring-stags experience you should go to Inverness or, even better, Fort William
Magical. Go first class if you can, of course, but any class is brilliant
It is extremely popular and extremely well-used. They charge a fortune because people will pay it
Eg I see lots of trains next week - November - are nearly sold out
If you have mates who live at the scotch end ask them to sell you a ticket - they are much cheaper if you buy them in blocks of 10. Saves £100 I think.
Leon's mates are all scotch. And they're all called Glen something.
But a powder keg without Hitler, the Nazis, and the Holocaust. That was a uniquely evil aberration, and any alternative history that avoids Hitler (all of them?) is surely ‘better’
You'd have still had the fundamental tension between the Communists and Conservatives in Germany. The fundamental conditions for the rise of Nazi's (Conservative willing to side with the far right to achieve short term aims) would still be there.
Greengrocers' apostrophe there.
Glen Scotia beats both to a cocked hat.
(Though currently I drink whiskey.)
I love Glen Scotia! I have a soft spot for several Glen Morangies though. I have met the Master Blender and I'm very impressed by his skills.
The talk of enjoying taking the train when it costs much more and takes much longer than flying, makes me realise we've got a fair few Sheldon Coopers on this site.
Again, it doesn’t take “much longer than flying” on the routes we’ve been discussing. Why persist in this mythology?
We were talking about examples like Manchester to Paris. That's a 90 minute flight.
How do you get from Manchester to Paris without spending much longer than 90 minutes? It'd take at least twice as long even direct.
Again, show me your working. Including faffing around at the airports, getting to/from city centres... but we've been through this, over and again now!
As I said its 90 minutes from Manchester to Paris direct. You'd be looking at least 3 hours and probably closer to four hours to do the same via trains. That's at least twice as long. There's some security beforehand in Manchester but you're not looking at 90 minutes.
I wouldn't go from the city centre since I don't live off the city centre. Quite easy to get to the airport via the M56.
I don't hate trains, I just don't hate flying either. Trains make more sense for shorter journeys, I would never fly to London unless its because I've got a connecting flight onwards from there, if I was going to London I'd take the train. But Paris is a different matter.
You are right, it isn’t 90 minutes. It’s at least two hours.
After spending [REDACTED] I took the train from London to Aberdeen - and Nick Clegg was on the same train! (getting off near Sheffield presumably)
I was sitting a few seats away from Nigel fucking Farage some years back between London Victoria and West Dulwich. He alighted there, presumably, to give a talk at the nearby school.
I was on the same bus as Roy Hattersley in Birmingham in the 90s.
I saw Michael Foot at Newcastle station back in the 80s.
Wor Lass used the next door trap to Margaret Beckett in the Ladies at Derby station.
#Politiciansonpublictransport
Had Gordon Brown at the back of the plane to Edinburgh a few years back. Shortly after he'd lost to Cameron. Didn't do much smiling.
Sat opposite Frances Maude on the tube. I know that's lame but it counts.
Also knocked Boris Johnson off his bike by accident while crossing Shaftsbury Avenue, back before he was Mayor of London and was just an amusing journalist.
How history might have been different, were your driving a little worse.
I know the tram line to the Trafford Centre opened the day before the first lockdown in March last year, but how about the new tram services to Blackpool North station and Wolverhampton station?
I blame BrexitBoris Delta. Its just incredibly hard to open society even with reasonably high vaccine coverage. We have done the right thing in the UK, and I believe we will reap the rewards through the winter. I wish we had opened even sooner. I think some other European nations will still be using more stringent restrictions through the winter.
The talk of enjoying taking the train when it costs much more and takes much longer than flying, makes me realise we've got a fair few Sheldon Coopers on this site.
Again, it doesn’t take “much longer than flying” on the routes we’ve been discussing. Why persist in this mythology?
We were talking about examples like Manchester to Paris. That's a 90 minute flight.
How do you get from Manchester to Paris without spending much longer than 90 minutes? It'd take at least twice as long even direct.
Again, show me your working. Including faffing around at the airports, getting to/from city centres... but we've been through this, over and again now!
As I said its 90 minutes from Manchester to Paris direct. You'd be looking at least 3 hours and probably closer to four hours to do the same via trains. That's at least twice as long. There's some security beforehand in Manchester but you're not looking at 90 minutes.
I wouldn't go from the city centre since I don't live off the city centre. Quite easy to get to the airport via the M56.
I don't hate trains, I just don't hate flying either. Trains make more sense for shorter journeys, I would never fly to London unless its because I've got a connecting flight onwards from there, if I was going to London I'd take the train. But Paris is a different matter.
I recently took the train to Paris. Given the crap at both ends it isn't great as to speed. When you arrive in Paris you find yourself at what surely is the nastiest spot in France, and the most ridiculous and inefficient of arrangements for a taxi.
I ventured further (as you'd expect), and France is just wonderful (literally full of wonder).
The talk of enjoying taking the train when it costs much more and takes much longer than flying, makes me realise we've got a fair few Sheldon Coopers on this site.
Again, it doesn’t take “much longer than flying” on the routes we’ve been discussing. Why persist in this mythology?
We were talking about examples like Manchester to Paris. That's a 90 minute flight.
How do you get from Manchester to Paris without spending much longer than 90 minutes? It'd take at least twice as long even direct.
Again, show me your working. Including faffing around at the airports, getting to/from city centres... but we've been through this, over and again now!
As I said its 90 minutes from Manchester to Paris direct. You'd be looking at least 3 hours and probably closer to four hours to do the same via trains. That's at least twice as long. There's some security beforehand in Manchester but you're not looking at 90 minutes.
I wouldn't go from the city centre since I don't live off the city centre. Quite easy to get to the airport via the M56.
I don't hate trains, I just don't hate flying either. Trains make more sense for shorter journeys, I would never fly to London unless its because I've got a connecting flight onwards from there, if I was going to London I'd take the train. But Paris is a different matter.
I blame BrexitBoris Delta. Its just incredibly hard to open society even with reasonably high vaccine coverage. We have done the right thing in the UK, and I believe we will reap the rewards through the winter. I wish we had opened even sooner. I think some other European nations will still be using more stringent restrictions through the winter.
Germany also has really low levels of vaccination in the East - more comparable to US states than to the UK.
The regional split in Belgium someone told me today was really startling
Flanders > 90% Wallonia around 60-65% Brussels at 50-55%
The talk of enjoying taking the train when it costs much more and takes much longer than flying, makes me realise we've got a fair few Sheldon Coopers on this site.
Again, it doesn’t take “much longer than flying” on the routes we’ve been discussing. Why persist in this mythology?
We were talking about examples like Manchester to Paris. That's a 90 minute flight.
How do you get from Manchester to Paris without spending much longer than 90 minutes? It'd take at least twice as long even direct.
Again, show me your working. Including faffing around at the airports, getting to/from city centres... but we've been through this, over and again now!
As I said its 90 minutes from Manchester to Paris direct. You'd be looking at least 3 hours and probably closer to four hours to do the same via trains. That's at least twice as long. There's some security beforehand in Manchester but you're not looking at 90 minutes.
I wouldn't go from the city centre since I don't live off the city centre. Quite easy to get to the airport via the M56.
I don't hate trains, I just don't hate flying either. Trains make more sense for shorter journeys, I would never fly to London unless its because I've got a connecting flight onwards from there, if I was going to London I'd take the train. But Paris is a different matter.
I recently took the train to Paris. Given the crap at both ends it isn't great as to speed. When you arrive in Paris you find yourself at what surely is the nastiest spot in France, and the most ridiculous and inefficient of arrangements for a taxi.
I ventured further (as you'd expect), and France is just wonderful (literally full of wonder).
Why take a taxi? There are multiple Metro lines that go though Gare du Nord.
After spending [REDACTED] I took the train from London to Aberdeen - and Nick Clegg was on the same train! (getting off near Sheffield presumably)
I was sitting a few seats away from Nigel fucking Farage some years back between London Victoria and West Dulwich. He alighted there, presumably, to give a talk at the nearby school.
I was on the same bus as Roy Hattersley in Birmingham in the 90s.
I saw Michael Foot at Newcastle station back in the 80s.
Wor Lass used the next door trap to Margaret Beckett in the Ladies at Derby station.
#Politiciansonpublictransport
Sat opposite Bob Marshall-Andrews MP once on way to London. Fascinating hour of political discussion. V interesting chap. This would be ≈ 2007. He told us he was standing down and that the next election was lost.
I came across that randomly whilst cycling in Pembrokeshire. Had no idea it belonged to an MP. It looks quite good, although I'm not sure the design would work very well in the Flatlands...
Here's one in Norfolkshire:
Looks like they had to build their hill first.
Lol, yes. I've seen a few designs like that - there's one in Glen Feshie in the Cairngorms if I recall correctly.
Grass and soil roofs work pretty well for insulation, too, although you probably need a reasonable amount of rain for the grass to grow.
Perhaps we should all live like hobbits to solve the climate crisis?
I tried a simple grass roofed hut in the garden here but it is too dry to be honest. It might have worked in Lancashire.
One of the interesting things about green roofs is that they only fix the carbon once, when they grow their first lot of plants. Unless you organise for them to create eg a gradual peat bog.
Whilst solar PV panels save a whole new lot every year.
The talk of enjoying taking the train when it costs much more and takes much longer than flying, makes me realise we've got a fair few Sheldon Coopers on this site.
Again, it doesn’t take “much longer than flying” on the routes we’ve been discussing. Why persist in this mythology?
We were talking about examples like Manchester to Paris. That's a 90 minute flight.
How do you get from Manchester to Paris without spending much longer than 90 minutes? It'd take at least twice as long even direct.
Again, show me your working. Including faffing around at the airports, getting to/from city centres... but we've been through this, over and again now!
As I said its 90 minutes from Manchester to Paris direct. You'd be looking at least 3 hours and probably closer to four hours to do the same via trains. That's at least twice as long. There's some security beforehand in Manchester but you're not looking at 90 minutes.
I wouldn't go from the city centre since I don't live off the city centre. Quite easy to get to the airport via the M56.
I don't hate trains, I just don't hate flying either. Trains make more sense for shorter journeys, I would never fly to London unless its because I've got a connecting flight onwards from there, if I was going to London I'd take the train. But Paris is a different matter.
I recently took the train to Paris. Given the crap at both ends it isn't great as to speed. When you arrive in Paris you find yourself at what surely is the nastiest spot in France, and the most ridiculous and inefficient of arrangements for a taxi.
I ventured further (as you'd expect), and France is just wonderful (literally full of wonder).
Compare the experience to that of arriving at some vast characterless airport at the arse end of nowhere out on some distant arterial motorway (or with some airlines, at the edge of a different town entirely), standing in some lengthy immigration queue and then queuing again with thousands of others watching the circular belt go round and round without your luggage - and pitching up right in the town centre by train doesn’t seem so bad.
On its way, the only way is down realistically. American fracking etc will be getting invested in as fast as possible right now after 18 months of no investment.
After spending [REDACTED] I took the train from London to Aberdeen - and Nick Clegg was on the same train! (getting off near Sheffield presumably)
I was sitting a few seats away from Nigel fucking Farage some years back between London Victoria and West Dulwich. He alighted there, presumably, to give a talk at the nearby school.
I was on the same bus as Roy Hattersley in Birmingham in the 90s.
I saw Michael Foot at Newcastle station back in the 80s.
Wor Lass used the next door trap to Margaret Beckett in the Ladies at Derby station.
#Politiciansonpublictransport
Sat opposite Bob Marshall-Andrews MP once on way to London. Fascinating hour of political discussion. V interesting chap. This would be ≈ 2007. He told us he was standing down and that the next election was lost.
I came across that randomly whilst cycling in Pembrokeshire. Had no idea it belonged to an MP. It looks quite good, although I'm not sure the design would work very well in the Flatlands...
Here's one in Norfolkshire:
Looks like they had to build their hill first.
Lol, yes. I've seen a few designs like that - there's one in Glen Feshie in the Cairngorms if I recall correctly.
Grass and soil roofs work pretty well for insulation, too, although you probably need a reasonable amount of rain for the grass to grow.
Perhaps we should all live like hobbits to solve the climate crisis?
I tried a simple grass roofed hut in the garden here but it is too dry to be honest. It might have worked in Lancashire.
One of the interesting things about green roofs is that they only fix the carbon once, when they grow their first lot of plants. Unless you organise for them to create eg a gradual peat bog.
Whilst solar PV panels save a whole new lot every year.
How does the increased insulation (and so reduced heating cost) affect that calculation?
The talk of enjoying taking the train when it costs much more and takes much longer than flying, makes me realise we've got a fair few Sheldon Coopers on this site.
Again, it doesn’t take “much longer than flying” on the routes we’ve been discussing. Why persist in this mythology?
We were talking about examples like Manchester to Paris. That's a 90 minute flight.
How do you get from Manchester to Paris without spending much longer than 90 minutes? It'd take at least twice as long even direct.
Again, show me your working. Including faffing around at the airports, getting to/from city centres... but we've been through this, over and again now!
As I said its 90 minutes from Manchester to Paris direct. You'd be looking at least 3 hours and probably closer to four hours to do the same via trains. That's at least twice as long. There's some security beforehand in Manchester but you're not looking at 90 minutes.
I wouldn't go from the city centre since I don't live off the city centre. Quite easy to get to the airport via the M56.
I don't hate trains, I just don't hate flying either. Trains make more sense for shorter journeys, I would never fly to London unless its because I've got a connecting flight onwards from there, if I was going to London I'd take the train. But Paris is a different matter.
I recently took the train to Paris. Given the crap at both ends it isn't great as to speed. When you arrive in Paris you find yourself at what surely is the nastiest spot in France, and the most ridiculous and inefficient of arrangements for a taxi.
I ventured further (as you'd expect), and France is just wonderful (literally full of wonder).
Why take a taxi? There are multiple Metro lines that go though Gare du Nord.
Just two I think - 5&6. 5 as shut as it was a weekend. The metro I finished up on was crowded and there was a fight. It was also pretty awful. Some years ago the London tube was far less nice that the Paris Metro. The situation is substantially reversed now though.
Ahead for France is fixing that, as slightly less pressing is our true modernisation of the tube.
The talk of enjoying taking the train when it costs much more and takes much longer than flying, makes me realise we've got a fair few Sheldon Coopers on this site.
Again, it doesn’t take “much longer than flying” on the routes we’ve been discussing. Why persist in this mythology?
We were talking about examples like Manchester to Paris. That's a 90 minute flight.
How do you get from Manchester to Paris without spending much longer than 90 minutes? It'd take at least twice as long even direct.
Again, show me your working. Including faffing around at the airports, getting to/from city centres... but we've been through this, over and again now!
As I said its 90 minutes from Manchester to Paris direct. You'd be looking at least 3 hours and probably closer to four hours to do the same via trains. That's at least twice as long. There's some security beforehand in Manchester but you're not looking at 90 minutes.
I wouldn't go from the city centre since I don't live off the city centre. Quite easy to get to the airport via the M56.
I don't hate trains, I just don't hate flying either. Trains make more sense for shorter journeys, I would never fly to London unless its because I've got a connecting flight onwards from there, if I was going to London I'd take the train. But Paris is a different matter.
I recently took the train to Paris. Given the crap at both ends it isn't great as to speed. When you arrive in Paris you find yourself at what surely is the nastiest spot in France, and the most ridiculous and inefficient of arrangements for a taxi.
I ventured further (as you'd expect), and France is just wonderful (literally full of wonder).
Why take a taxi? There are multiple Metro lines that go though Gare du Nord.
Just two I think - 5&6. 5 as shut as it was a weekend. The metro I finished up on was crowded and there was a fight. It was also pretty awful. Some years ago the London tube was far less nice that the Paris Metro. The situation is substantially reversed now though.
Ahead for France is fixing that, as slightly less pressing is our true modernisation of the tube.
I have been off work over the last couple of weeks after losing a close loved one. Grief is the burden we bear for love and losing someone close is something that we all experience at some point in our lives, but that knowledge doesn’t make it any easier when it happens to you. So I can’t imagine what the family of Sir David Amess are going through, but I know they will be hurting. I send my heartfelt condolences to them. Sir David was a fine parliamentarian, a proud advocate for his constituents and above all such a kind, generous and warm-hearted man. He will be missed on all sides of the House.
As a society we need to offer better support to people who are going through bereavement, loss and other traumatic or difficult experiences in their personal lives. I hope that the fact that I took time to deal with a bereavement will encourage other people to do the same when they are going through grief or trauma.
While I have been away from the cut and thrust of Parliament I have reflected on our political debate and the threats and abuse that now seem to feature all too often.
I have also reflected on what I said at an event at Labour Party conference. I was angry about where our country is headed and policies that have made life harder for so many people I represent. But I would like to unreservedly apologise for the language I used, and I would not use it again.
I will continue to speak my mind, stand up for Labour values and hold the government to account. But in the future I will be more careful about how I do that and in the language that I choose.
All of us in positions of leadership have a responsibility for our language and rhetoric, whether towards political opponents or anyone else in society, especially those already most vulnerable. As Deputy Leader of the Labour Party I take this responsibility with the utmost seriousness and I am sure that politicians from all parties, the media and others with a prominent role in our public life will also reflect on this shared responsibility.
I want to address the threats I have received recently. In the past I have been reluctant to speak out about the abuse that I receive because I fear that doing so will only make the situation worse. However, in recent weeks the threats that I have received against my life and the lives of close family have been so terrifying and explicit that I could not stay silent and simply continue to take it as ‘part of the job’. They have had a devastating impact on me, my children and others close to me.
It shakes you when you get these threats. You worry about the safety of your home, your office and everything in your life. And it takes its toll on the people who work for me too.
My staff come to work and do their jobs with dedication and professionalism. They bear the brunt of much of this abuse and then get on with their working day. Dealing with death threats and liaising with the police about their safety should not be a standard part of the day-to-day working life of a Member of Parliament or their staff.
So I want to thank the police officers from Greater Manchester, South Yorkshire and Cambridgeshire Police who have arrested a number of people in recent days and demonstrated the utmost professionalism, courtesy and kindness both in carrying out their investigations and in supporting me, my family and my staff during what has been a very difficult time. I and my team will continue work with them to ensure that the perpetrators of these crimes are brought to justice.
After attending a funeral on Monday I will be back to work, rolling my sleeves up and standing up for my brilliant constituents in Ashton-under-Lyne, Droylsden and Failsworth – along with everyone who needs a Labour government.
After spending [REDACTED] I took the train from London to Aberdeen - and Nick Clegg was on the same train! (getting off near Sheffield presumably)
I was sitting a few seats away from Nigel fucking Farage some years back between London Victoria and West Dulwich. He alighted there, presumably, to give a talk at the nearby school.
I was on the same bus as Roy Hattersley in Birmingham in the 90s.
I saw Michael Foot at Newcastle station back in the 80s.
Wor Lass used the next door trap to Margaret Beckett in the Ladies at Derby station.
#Politiciansonpublictransport
Sat opposite Bob Marshall-Andrews MP once on way to London. Fascinating hour of political discussion. V interesting chap. This would be ≈ 2007. He told us he was standing down and that the next election was lost.
I came across that randomly whilst cycling in Pembrokeshire. Had no idea it belonged to an MP. It looks quite good, although I'm not sure the design would work very well in the Flatlands...
Here's one in Norfolkshire:
Looks like they had to build their hill first.
Lol, yes. I've seen a few designs like that - there's one in Glen Feshie in the Cairngorms if I recall correctly.
Grass and soil roofs work pretty well for insulation, too, although you probably need a reasonable amount of rain for the grass to grow.
Perhaps we should all live like hobbits to solve the climate crisis?
I tried a simple grass roofed hut in the garden here but it is too dry to be honest. It might have worked in Lancashire.
One of the interesting things about green roofs is that they only fix the carbon once, when they grow their first lot of plants. Unless you organise for them to create eg a gradual peat bog.
Whilst solar PV panels save a whole new lot every year.
True, although green roofs (and driveways) are much better at stopping flash flooding. It is the increase in hard surfaces that has caused a lot of the problems in some locations.
Fixing a solar panel on a tiled roof is definitely a win, though.
The talk of enjoying taking the train when it costs much more and takes much longer than flying, makes me realise we've got a fair few Sheldon Coopers on this site.
Again, it doesn’t take “much longer than flying” on the routes we’ve been discussing. Why persist in this mythology?
We were talking about examples like Manchester to Paris. That's a 90 minute flight.
How do you get from Manchester to Paris without spending much longer than 90 minutes? It'd take at least twice as long even direct.
Again, show me your working. Including faffing around at the airports, getting to/from city centres... but we've been through this, over and again now!
As I said its 90 minutes from Manchester to Paris direct. You'd be looking at least 3 hours and probably closer to four hours to do the same via trains. That's at least twice as long. There's some security beforehand in Manchester but you're not looking at 90 minutes.
I wouldn't go from the city centre since I don't live off the city centre. Quite easy to get to the airport via the M56.
I don't hate trains, I just don't hate flying either. Trains make more sense for shorter journeys, I would never fly to London unless its because I've got a connecting flight onwards from there, if I was going to London I'd take the train. But Paris is a different matter.
I recently took the train to Paris. Given the crap at both ends it isn't great as to speed. When you arrive in Paris you find yourself at what surely is the nastiest spot in France, and the most ridiculous and inefficient of arrangements for a taxi.
I ventured further (as you'd expect), and France is just wonderful (literally full of wonder).
Why take a taxi? There are multiple Metro lines that go though Gare du Nord.
Just two I think - 5&6. 5 as shut as it was a weekend. The metro I finished up on was crowded and there was a fight. It was also pretty awful. Some years ago the London tube was far less nice that the Paris Metro. The situation is substantially reversed now though.
Ahead for France is fixing that, as slightly less pressing is our true modernisation of the tube.
Metro 2 as well as 4 and 5. Also RER B, D, And E.
I'm sure you're right. Nonetheless it was a pain in the arse. I'm sure there are plans to make matters better, but London has done better than Paris in that respect. Quite what happens when the narrow tunnels, wavy lines, and real geological issues need to be adressed, who knows.
I have been off work over the last couple of weeks after losing a close loved one. Grief is the burden we bear for love and losing someone close is something that we all experience at some point in our lives, but that knowledge doesn’t make it any easier when it happens to you. So I can’t imagine what the family of Sir David Amess are going through, but I know they will be hurting. I send my heartfelt condolences to them. Sir David was a fine parliamentarian, a proud advocate for his constituents and above all such a kind, generous and warm-hearted man. He will be missed on all sides of the House.
As a society we need to offer better support to people who are going through bereavement, loss and other traumatic or difficult experiences in their personal lives. I hope that the fact that I took time to deal with a bereavement will encourage other people to do the same when they are going through grief or trauma.
While I have been away from the cut and thrust of Parliament I have reflected on our political debate and the threats and abuse that now seem to feature all too often.
I have also reflected on what I said at an event at Labour Party conference. I was angry about where our country is headed and policies that have made life harder for so many people I represent. But I would like to unreservedly apologise for the language I used, and I would not use it again.
I will continue to speak my mind, stand up for Labour values and hold the government to account. But in the future I will be more careful about how I do that and in the language that I choose.
The talk of enjoying taking the train when it costs much more and takes much longer than flying, makes me realise we've got a fair few Sheldon Coopers on this site.
Again, it doesn’t take “much longer than flying” on the routes we’ve been discussing. Why persist in this mythology?
We were talking about examples like Manchester to Paris. That's a 90 minute flight.
How do you get from Manchester to Paris without spending much longer than 90 minutes? It'd take at least twice as long even direct.
Again, show me your working. Including faffing around at the airports, getting to/from city centres... but we've been through this, over and again now!
As I said its 90 minutes from Manchester to Paris direct. You'd be looking at least 3 hours and probably closer to four hours to do the same via trains. That's at least twice as long. There's some security beforehand in Manchester but you're not looking at 90 minutes.
I wouldn't go from the city centre since I don't live off the city centre. Quite easy to get to the airport via the M56.
I don't hate trains, I just don't hate flying either. Trains make more sense for shorter journeys, I would never fly to London unless its because I've got a connecting flight onwards from there, if I was going to London I'd take the train. But Paris is a different matter.
I recently took the train to Paris. Given the crap at both ends it isn't great as to speed. When you arrive in Paris you find yourself at what surely is the nastiest spot in France, and the most ridiculous and inefficient of arrangements for a taxi.
I ventured further (as you'd expect), and France is just wonderful (literally full of wonder).
Why take a taxi? There are multiple Metro lines that go though Gare du Nord.
Just two I think - 5&6. 5 as shut as it was a weekend. The metro I finished up on was crowded and there was a fight. It was also pretty awful. Some years ago the London tube was far less nice that the Paris Metro. The situation is substantially reversed now though.
Ahead for France is fixing that, as slightly less pressing is our true modernisation of the tube.
Metro 2 as well as 4 and 5. Also RER B, D, And E.
I'm sure you're right. Nonetheless it was a pain in the arse. I'm sure there are plans to make matters better, but London has done better than Paris in that respect. Quite what happens when the narrow tunnels, wavy lines, and real geological issues need to be adressed, who knows.
It’s a trip I’ve done a couple of times a year since the tunnel opened (and before that I used to take the boat-train, crossing the channel on the hydrofoil).
Edit to add: if you want a really exciting time try hiring a car from the Gare du Nord…
I have been off work over the last couple of weeks after losing a close loved one. Grief is the burden we bear for love and losing someone close is something that we all experience at some point in our lives, but that knowledge doesn’t make it any easier when it happens to you. So I can’t imagine what the family of Sir David Amess are going through, but I know they will be hurting. I send my heartfelt condolences to them. Sir David was a fine parliamentarian, a proud advocate for his constituents and above all such a kind, generous and warm-hearted man. He will be missed on all sides of the House.
As a society we need to offer better support to people who are going through bereavement, loss and other traumatic or difficult experiences in their personal lives. I hope that the fact that I took time to deal with a bereavement will encourage other people to do the same when they are going through grief or trauma.
While I have been away from the cut and thrust of Parliament I have reflected on our political debate and the threats and abuse that now seem to feature all too often.
I have also reflected on what I said at an event at Labour Party conference. I was angry about where our country is headed and policies that have made life harder for so many people I represent. But I would like to unreservedly apologise for the language I used, and I would not use it again.
I will continue to speak my mind, stand up for Labour values and hold the government to account. But in the future I will be more careful about how I do that and in the language that I choose.
cont..
#RaynerApologises!
Fair play to her and let's hope we will all reflect on the way we treat each other
I have been off work over the last couple of weeks after losing a close loved one. Grief is the burden we bear for love and losing someone close is something that we all experience at some point in our lives, but that knowledge doesn’t make it any easier when it happens to you. So I can’t imagine what the family of Sir David Amess are going through, but I know they will be hurting. I send my heartfelt condolences to them. Sir David was a fine parliamentarian, a proud advocate for his constituents and above all such a kind, generous and warm-hearted man. He will be missed on all sides of the House.
As a society we need to offer better support to people who are going through bereavement, loss and other traumatic or difficult experiences in their personal lives. I hope that the fact that I took time to deal with a bereavement will encourage other people to do the same when they are going through grief or trauma.
While I have been away from the cut and thrust of Parliament I have reflected on our political debate and the threats and abuse that now seem to feature all too often.
I have also reflected on what I said at an event at Labour Party conference. I was angry about where our country is headed and policies that have made life harder for so many people I represent. But I would like to unreservedly apologise for the language I used, and I would not use it again.
I will continue to speak my mind, stand up for Labour values and hold the government to account. But in the future I will be more careful about how I do that and in the language that I choose.
cont..
#RaynerApologises!
I think that's quite a touching statement. She could have perfunctorily apologised for "any offence caused" or similar half-apologies, but she's clearly thought it through.
The talk of enjoying taking the train when it costs much more and takes much longer than flying, makes me realise we've got a fair few Sheldon Coopers on this site.
Again, it doesn’t take “much longer than flying” on the routes we’ve been discussing. Why persist in this mythology?
We were talking about examples like Manchester to Paris. That's a 90 minute flight.
How do you get from Manchester to Paris without spending much longer than 90 minutes? It'd take at least twice as long even direct.
Again, show me your working. Including faffing around at the airports, getting to/from city centres... but we've been through this, over and again now!
As I said its 90 minutes from Manchester to Paris direct. You'd be looking at least 3 hours and probably closer to four hours to do the same via trains. That's at least twice as long. There's some security beforehand in Manchester but you're not looking at 90 minutes.
I wouldn't go from the city centre since I don't live off the city centre. Quite easy to get to the airport via the M56.
I don't hate trains, I just don't hate flying either. Trains make more sense for shorter journeys, I would never fly to London unless its because I've got a connecting flight onwards from there, if I was going to London I'd take the train. But Paris is a different matter.
I recently took the train to Paris. Given the crap at both ends it isn't great as to speed. When you arrive in Paris you find yourself at what surely is the nastiest spot in France, and the most ridiculous and inefficient of arrangements for a taxi.
I ventured further (as you'd expect), and France is just wonderful (literally full of wonder).
Why take a taxi? There are multiple Metro lines that go though Gare du Nord.
Just two I think - 5&6. 5 as shut as it was a weekend. The metro I finished up on was crowded and there was a fight. It was also pretty awful. Some years ago the London tube was far less nice that the Paris Metro. The situation is substantially reversed now though.
Ahead for France is fixing that, as slightly less pressing is our true modernisation of the tube.
Best bit about the Metro is the mice on the tracks. There too on the London Tube, but always remind me of the best film ever made.
The talk of enjoying taking the train when it costs much more and takes much longer than flying, makes me realise we've got a fair few Sheldon Coopers on this site.
Again, it doesn’t take “much longer than flying” on the routes we’ve been discussing. Why persist in this mythology?
We were talking about examples like Manchester to Paris. That's a 90 minute flight.
How do you get from Manchester to Paris without spending much longer than 90 minutes? It'd take at least twice as long even direct.
Again, show me your working. Including faffing around at the airports, getting to/from city centres... but we've been through this, over and again now!
As I said its 90 minutes from Manchester to Paris direct. You'd be looking at least 3 hours and probably closer to four hours to do the same via trains. That's at least twice as long. There's some security beforehand in Manchester but you're not looking at 90 minutes.
I wouldn't go from the city centre since I don't live off the city centre. Quite easy to get to the airport via the M56.
I don't hate trains, I just don't hate flying either. Trains make more sense for shorter journeys, I would never fly to London unless its because I've got a connecting flight onwards from there, if I was going to London I'd take the train. But Paris is a different matter.
I recently took the train to Paris. Given the crap at both ends it isn't great as to speed. When you arrive in Paris you find yourself at what surely is the nastiest spot in France, and the most ridiculous and inefficient of arrangements for a taxi.
I ventured further (as you'd expect), and France is just wonderful (literally full of wonder).
Why take a taxi? There are multiple Metro lines that go though Gare du Nord.
Just two I think - 5&6. 5 as shut as it was a weekend. The metro I finished up on was crowded and there was a fight. It was also pretty awful. Some years ago the London tube was far less nice that the Paris Metro. The situation is substantially reversed now though.
Ahead for France is fixing that, as slightly less pressing is our true modernisation of the tube.
Best bit about the Metro is the mice on the tracks. There too on the London Tube, but always remind me of the best film ever made.
I sat across from Ed Balls et Famille on the ECML one time when he was Shad Chan.
At Inverness Airport I noticed that Viscount Thurso MP's sunglasses had dropped out of his pocket and on to the floor. He was grateful to me for pointing that out.
Beat that.
I was once very excited to find a load of luggage trollies at St Pancras Station (pre Eurostar) with pound coins still in them, and gleefully harvested the cash until my (then) girlfriend pointed out that Tony Benn was sat on the concourse giving me a very disapproving look. I formed a low opinion of Senator John Kerry who failed to hide his impatience as our 4 year old daughter was a bit slow going through security in front of him. I had a chat and got a selfie with Tony Blair on the Eurostar. I saw Posh Spice waiting for her twenty gucci suitcases in the arrivals hall at Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados. And I once saw Jarvis Cocker in the gents toilet at Watford Gap services.
The talk of enjoying taking the train when it costs much more and takes much longer than flying, makes me realise we've got a fair few Sheldon Coopers on this site.
Again, it doesn’t take “much longer than flying” on the routes we’ve been discussing. Why persist in this mythology?
We were talking about examples like Manchester to Paris. That's a 90 minute flight.
How do you get from Manchester to Paris without spending much longer than 90 minutes? It'd take at least twice as long even direct.
Again, show me your working. Including faffing around at the airports, getting to/from city centres... but we've been through this, over and again now!
As I said its 90 minutes from Manchester to Paris direct. You'd be looking at least 3 hours and probably closer to four hours to do the same via trains. That's at least twice as long. There's some security beforehand in Manchester but you're not looking at 90 minutes.
I wouldn't go from the city centre since I don't live off the city centre. Quite easy to get to the airport via the M56.
I don't hate trains, I just don't hate flying either. Trains make more sense for shorter journeys, I would never fly to London unless its because I've got a connecting flight onwards from there, if I was going to London I'd take the train. But Paris is a different matter.
I recently took the train to Paris. Given the crap at both ends it isn't great as to speed. When you arrive in Paris you find yourself at what surely is the nastiest spot in France, and the most ridiculous and inefficient of arrangements for a taxi.
I ventured further (as you'd expect), and France is just wonderful (literally full of wonder).
Why take a taxi? There are multiple Metro lines that go though Gare du Nord.
Just two I think - 5&6. 5 as shut as it was a weekend. The metro I finished up on was crowded and there was a fight. It was also pretty awful. Some years ago the London tube was far less nice that the Paris Metro. The situation is substantially reversed now though.
Ahead for France is fixing that, as slightly less pressing is our true modernisation of the tube.
Best bit about the Metro is the mice on the tracks. There too on the London Tube, but always remind me of the best film ever made.
I have been off work over the last couple of weeks after losing a close loved one. Grief is the burden we bear for love and losing someone close is something that we all experience at some point in our lives, but that knowledge doesn’t make it any easier when it happens to you. So I can’t imagine what the family of Sir David Amess are going through, but I know they will be hurting. I send my heartfelt condolences to them. Sir David was a fine parliamentarian, a proud advocate for his constituents and above all such a kind, generous and warm-hearted man. He will be missed on all sides of the House.
As a society we need to offer better support to people who are going through bereavement, loss and other traumatic or difficult experiences in their personal lives. I hope that the fact that I took time to deal with a bereavement will encourage other people to do the same when they are going through grief or trauma.
While I have been away from the cut and thrust of Parliament I have reflected on our political debate and the threats and abuse that now seem to feature all too often.
I have also reflected on what I said at an event at Labour Party conference. I was angry about where our country is headed and policies that have made life harder for so many people I represent. But I would like to unreservedly apologise for the language I used, and I would not use it again.
I will continue to speak my mind, stand up for Labour values and hold the government to account. But in the future I will be more careful about how I do that and in the language that I choose.
cont..
#RaynerApologises!
Good for her. So no big deal need be made of it from now on.
The talk of enjoying taking the train when it costs much more and takes much longer than flying, makes me realise we've got a fair few Sheldon Coopers on this site.
Again, it doesn’t take “much longer than flying” on the routes we’ve been discussing. Why persist in this mythology?
We were talking about examples like Manchester to Paris. That's a 90 minute flight.
How do you get from Manchester to Paris without spending much longer than 90 minutes? It'd take at least twice as long even direct.
Again, show me your working. Including faffing around at the airports, getting to/from city centres... but we've been through this, over and again now!
As I said its 90 minutes from Manchester to Paris direct. You'd be looking at least 3 hours and probably closer to four hours to do the same via trains. That's at least twice as long. There's some security beforehand in Manchester but you're not looking at 90 minutes.
I wouldn't go from the city centre since I don't live off the city centre. Quite easy to get to the airport via the M56.
I don't hate trains, I just don't hate flying either. Trains make more sense for shorter journeys, I would never fly to London unless its because I've got a connecting flight onwards from there, if I was going to London I'd take the train. But Paris is a different matter.
I recently took the train to Paris. Given the crap at both ends it isn't great as to speed. When you arrive in Paris you find yourself at what surely is the nastiest spot in France, and the most ridiculous and inefficient of arrangements for a taxi.
I ventured further (as you'd expect), and France is just wonderful (literally full of wonder).
Why take a taxi? There are multiple Metro lines that go though Gare du Nord.
Just two I think - 5&6. 5 as shut as it was a weekend. The metro I finished up on was crowded and there was a fight. It was also pretty awful. Some years ago the London tube was far less nice that the Paris Metro. The situation is substantially reversed now though.
Ahead for France is fixing that, as slightly less pressing is our true modernisation of the tube.
Metro 2 as well as 4 and 5. Also RER B, D, And E.
I'm sure you're right. Nonetheless it was a pain in the arse. I'm sure there are plans to make matters better, but London has done better than Paris in that respect. Quite what happens when the narrow tunnels, wavy lines, and real geological issues need to be adressed, who knows.
It’s a trip I’ve done a couple of times a year since the tunnel opened (and before that I used to take the boat-train, crossing the channel on the hydrofoil).
Edit to add: if you want a really exciting time try hiring a car from the Gare du Nord…
I used to do it 5 or 6 times a year. Flying, then, was better. I suspect that once again it is now.
Nothing makes you hate the French more than that awful station. I rather suspect that many of the arseholes that throw themseleves at you are in fact employees of the French state.
The talk of enjoying taking the train when it costs much more and takes much longer than flying, makes me realise we've got a fair few Sheldon Coopers on this site.
Again, it doesn’t take “much longer than flying” on the routes we’ve been discussing. Why persist in this mythology?
We were talking about examples like Manchester to Paris. That's a 90 minute flight.
How do you get from Manchester to Paris without spending much longer than 90 minutes? It'd take at least twice as long even direct.
Again, show me your working. Including faffing around at the airports, getting to/from city centres... but we've been through this, over and again now!
As I said its 90 minutes from Manchester to Paris direct. You'd be looking at least 3 hours and probably closer to four hours to do the same via trains. That's at least twice as long. There's some security beforehand in Manchester but you're not looking at 90 minutes.
I wouldn't go from the city centre since I don't live off the city centre. Quite easy to get to the airport via the M56.
I don't hate trains, I just don't hate flying either. Trains make more sense for shorter journeys, I would never fly to London unless its because I've got a connecting flight onwards from there, if I was going to London I'd take the train. But Paris is a different matter.
I recently took the train to Paris. Given the crap at both ends it isn't great as to speed. When you arrive in Paris you find yourself at what surely is the nastiest spot in France, and the most ridiculous and inefficient of arrangements for a taxi.
I ventured further (as you'd expect), and France is just wonderful (literally full of wonder).
Why take a taxi? There are multiple Metro lines that go though Gare du Nord.
Just two I think - 5&6. 5 as shut as it was a weekend. The metro I finished up on was crowded and there was a fight. It was also pretty awful. Some years ago the London tube was far less nice that the Paris Metro. The situation is substantially reversed now though.
Ahead for France is fixing that, as slightly less pressing is our true modernisation of the tube.
Metro 2 as well as 4 and 5. Also RER B, D, And E.
I'm sure you're right. Nonetheless it was a pain in the arse. I'm sure there are plans to make matters better, but London has done better than Paris in that respect. Quite what happens when the narrow tunnels, wavy lines, and real geological issues need to be adressed, who knows.
It’s a trip I’ve done a couple of times a year since the tunnel opened (and before that I used to take the boat-train, crossing the channel on the hydrofoil).
Edit to add: if you want a really exciting time try hiring a car from the Gare du Nord…
I used to do it 5 or 6 times a year. Flying, then, was better. I suspect that once again it is now.
Nothing makes you hate the French more than that awful station. I rather suspect that many of the arseholes that throw themseleves at you are in fact employees of the French state.
When did you last go? I remember being pleasantly surprised at the improvement at Gare du Nord last time I took Eurostar.
After spending [REDACTED] I took the train from London to Aberdeen - and Nick Clegg was on the same train! (getting off near Sheffield presumably)
I was sitting a few seats away from Nigel fucking Farage some years back between London Victoria and West Dulwich. He alighted there, presumably, to give a talk at the nearby school.
I was on the same bus as Roy Hattersley in Birmingham in the 90s.
I saw Michael Foot at Newcastle station back in the 80s.
Wor Lass used the next door trap to Margaret Beckett in the Ladies at Derby station.
#Politiciansonpublictransport
Sat opposite Bob Marshall-Andrews MP once on way to London. Fascinating hour of political discussion. V interesting chap. This would be ≈ 2007. He told us he was standing down and that the next election was lost.
I came across that randomly whilst cycling in Pembrokeshire. Had no idea it belonged to an MP. It looks quite good, although I'm not sure the design would work very well in the Flatlands...
I have been off work over the last couple of weeks after losing a close loved one. Grief is the burden we bear for love and losing someone close is something that we all experience at some point in our lives, but that knowledge doesn’t make it any easier when it happens to you. So I can’t imagine what the family of Sir David Amess are going through, but I know they will be hurting. I send my heartfelt condolences to them. Sir David was a fine parliamentarian, a proud advocate for his constituents and above all such a kind, generous and warm-hearted man. He will be missed on all sides of the House.
As a society we need to offer better support to people who are going through bereavement, loss and other traumatic or difficult experiences in their personal lives. I hope that the fact that I took time to deal with a bereavement will encourage other people to do the same when they are going through grief or trauma.
While I have been away from the cut and thrust of Parliament I have reflected on our political debate and the threats and abuse that now seem to feature all too often.
I have also reflected on what I said at an event at Labour Party conference. I was angry about where our country is headed and policies that have made life harder for so many people I represent. But I would like to unreservedly apologise for the language I used, and I would not use it again.
I will continue to speak my mind, stand up for Labour values and hold the government to account. But in the future I will be more careful about how I do that and in the language that I choose.
cont..
#RaynerApologises!
I think that's quite a touching statement. She could have perfunctorily apologised for "any offence caused" or similar half-apologies, but she's clearly thought it through.
I'd say the same if she was in any other party.
I'm really impressed with it and her.
I wasn't expecting much; her earlier refusal to apologise had made me think she might even double down, or that any apology would be half-hearted. As you say, though, it's been thoroughly thought through.
"The 30 Romanian locomotives (Nos. 56 001 – 56 030) were found to have a relatively poor build quality; to effectively address this, the majority had to be withdrawn from service for extensive rebuilding within their first few years of operation, after which they were re-introduced to service with better performance"
The talk of enjoying taking the train when it costs much more and takes much longer than flying, makes me realise we've got a fair few Sheldon Coopers on this site.
Again, it doesn’t take “much longer than flying” on the routes we’ve been discussing. Why persist in this mythology?
We were talking about examples like Manchester to Paris. That's a 90 minute flight.
How do you get from Manchester to Paris without spending much longer than 90 minutes? It'd take at least twice as long even direct.
Again, show me your working. Including faffing around at the airports, getting to/from city centres... but we've been through this, over and again now!
As I said its 90 minutes from Manchester to Paris direct. You'd be looking at least 3 hours and probably closer to four hours to do the same via trains. That's at least twice as long. There's some security beforehand in Manchester but you're not looking at 90 minutes.
I wouldn't go from the city centre since I don't live off the city centre. Quite easy to get to the airport via the M56.
I don't hate trains, I just don't hate flying either. Trains make more sense for shorter journeys, I would never fly to London unless its because I've got a connecting flight onwards from there, if I was going to London I'd take the train. But Paris is a different matter.
I recently took the train to Paris. Given the crap at both ends it isn't great as to speed. When you arrive in Paris you find yourself at what surely is the nastiest spot in France, and the most ridiculous and inefficient of arrangements for a taxi.
I ventured further (as you'd expect), and France is just wonderful (literally full of wonder).
Why take a taxi? There are multiple Metro lines that go though Gare du Nord.
Just two I think - 5&6. 5 as shut as it was a weekend. The metro I finished up on was crowded and there was a fight. It was also pretty awful. Some years ago the London tube was far less nice that the Paris Metro. The situation is substantially reversed now though.
Ahead for France is fixing that, as slightly less pressing is our true modernisation of the tube.
Metro 2 as well as 4 and 5. Also RER B, D, And E.
I'm sure you're right. Nonetheless it was a pain in the arse. I'm sure there are plans to make matters better, but London has done better than Paris in that respect. Quite what happens when the narrow tunnels, wavy lines, and real geological issues need to be adressed, who knows.
It’s a trip I’ve done a couple of times a year since the tunnel opened (and before that I used to take the boat-train, crossing the channel on the hydrofoil).
Edit to add: if you want a really exciting time try hiring a car from the Gare du Nord…
I used to do it 5 or 6 times a year. Flying, then, was better. I suspect that once again it is now.
Nothing makes you hate the French more than that awful station. I rather suspect that many of the arseholes that throw themseleves at you are in fact employees of the French state.
I was put off flying to Paris as the only time I tried it I lost my wallet…
Not necessarily something that can be generalised I realise.
I have been off work over the last couple of weeks after losing a close loved one. Grief is the burden we bear for love and losing someone close is something that we all experience at some point in our lives, but that knowledge doesn’t make it any easier when it happens to you. So I can’t imagine what the family of Sir David Amess are going through, but I know they will be hurting. I send my heartfelt condolences to them. Sir David was a fine parliamentarian, a proud advocate for his constituents and above all such a kind, generous and warm-hearted man. He will be missed on all sides of the House.
As a society we need to offer better support to people who are going through bereavement, loss and other traumatic or difficult experiences in their personal lives. I hope that the fact that I took time to deal with a bereavement will encourage other people to do the same when they are going through grief or trauma.
While I have been away from the cut and thrust of Parliament I have reflected on our political debate and the threats and abuse that now seem to feature all too often.
I have also reflected on what I said at an event at Labour Party conference. I was angry about where our country is headed and policies that have made life harder for so many people I represent. But I would like to unreservedly apologise for the language I used, and I would not use it again.
I will continue to speak my mind, stand up for Labour values and hold the government to account. But in the future I will be more careful about how I do that and in the language that I choose.
cont..
#RaynerApologises!
Good for her. So no big deal need be made of it from now on.
Yesterday I suggested she needed to reflect on her language and was attacked by a resident troll for saying so. But I am happy to see she has done that.
That’s statement is fair enough. Good for her. I hope her political enemies inside and outside the party will accept it and move on.
I blame BrexitBoris Delta. Its just incredibly hard to open society even with reasonably high vaccine coverage. We have done the right thing in the UK, and I believe we will reap the rewards through the winter. I wish we had opened even sooner. I think some other European nations will still be using more stringent restrictions through the winter.
Germany also has really low levels of vaccination in the East - more comparable to US states than to the UK.
The regional split in Belgium someone told me today was really startling
Flanders > 90% Wallonia around 60-65% Brussels at 50-55%
It's fascinating how big some of these differences are, and it really lays bare how places that seem reasonably well vaccinated have areas where there can be massive flare ups.
The talk of enjoying taking the train when it costs much more and takes much longer than flying, makes me realise we've got a fair few Sheldon Coopers on this site.
Again, it doesn’t take “much longer than flying” on the routes we’ve been discussing. Why persist in this mythology?
We were talking about examples like Manchester to Paris. That's a 90 minute flight.
How do you get from Manchester to Paris without spending much longer than 90 minutes? It'd take at least twice as long even direct.
Again, show me your working. Including faffing around at the airports, getting to/from city centres... but we've been through this, over and again now!
As I said its 90 minutes from Manchester to Paris direct. You'd be looking at least 3 hours and probably closer to four hours to do the same via trains. That's at least twice as long. There's some security beforehand in Manchester but you're not looking at 90 minutes.
I wouldn't go from the city centre since I don't live off the city centre. Quite easy to get to the airport via the M56.
I don't hate trains, I just don't hate flying either. Trains make more sense for shorter journeys, I would never fly to London unless its because I've got a connecting flight onwards from there, if I was going to London I'd take the train. But Paris is a different matter.
I recently took the train to Paris. Given the crap at both ends it isn't great as to speed. When you arrive in Paris you find yourself at what surely is the nastiest spot in France, and the most ridiculous and inefficient of arrangements for a taxi.
I ventured further (as you'd expect), and France is just wonderful (literally full of wonder).
Why take a taxi? There are multiple Metro lines that go though Gare du Nord.
Just two I think - 5&6. 5 as shut as it was a weekend. The metro I finished up on was crowded and there was a fight. It was also pretty awful. Some years ago the London tube was far less nice that the Paris Metro. The situation is substantially reversed now though.
Ahead for France is fixing that, as slightly less pressing is our true modernisation of the tube.
Best bit about the Metro is the mice on the tracks. There too on the London Tube, but always remind me of the best film ever made.
The rodents that inhabit the tube network are there in huge numbers. Fifty million mice perhaps? It could be ten times that. The good thing about mice is that they generally indicate that rats aren't present.
Comments
It doesn't always rain in Manchester, but it reliably saved it for my returns.
I agree that she's good.
There was a lot of pro Rachel Reeves comments a couple of days ago which @Anabobazina wrote off as her Vocals.
#politiciansonpublictranport
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windsor_Link_Line,_Salford
And that is not something off the top of my head, but a real example I heard off from a teacher who had been asked to do just that (not at my school though).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malator
Of course, some people have spent many an hour in public conveniences waiting for an encounter with a politician...
(Though currently I drink whiskey.)
https://twitter.com/SussexUni/status/1453736894601187344
Our VC has written to all staff & students today, to share that Professor Kathleen Stock has decided to leave the University. This is with regret & we thank her for her vital contributions to the University & the field of philosophy.
Looks like they had to build their hill first.
Beat that.
Maybe look at her own feed, where she praises the leadership:
https://twitter.com/Docstockk/status/1453737720316981249
Grass and soil roofs work pretty well for insulation, too, although you probably need a reasonable amount of rain for the grass to grow.
Perhaps we should all live like hobbits to solve the climate crisis?
I tried a simple grass roofed hut in the garden here but it is too dry to be honest. It might have worked in Lancashire.
I wouldn't go from the city centre since I don't live off the city centre. Quite easy to get to the airport via the M56.
I don't hate trains, I just don't hate flying either. Trains make more sense for shorter journeys, I would never fly to London unless its because I've got a connecting flight onwards from there, if I was going to London I'd take the train. But Paris is a different matter.
39,842.
Lower than I would have expected...and a big drop from last week.
https://www.manchesterairport.co.uk/help/passenger-guides/checking-in/
And they've dug up the city centre - AGAIN!
think the spur line is cleared most of the way to Dudley now.
I ventured further (as you'd expect), and France is just wonderful (literally full of wonder).
Flanders > 90%
Wallonia around 60-65%
Brussels at 50-55%
THIS IS ALL FINE.
Wholesale gas prices now ~190p/therm
They peaked at 400p. Crisis over maybe?
Whilst solar PV panels save a whole new lot every year.
Ahead for France is fixing that, as slightly less pressing is our true modernisation of the tube.
[Spending two weeks in a Zurich jail cell]
I have been off work over the last couple of weeks after losing a close loved one. Grief is the burden we bear for love and losing someone close is something that we all experience at some point in our lives, but that knowledge doesn’t make it any easier when it happens to you. So I can’t imagine what the family of Sir David Amess are going through, but I know they will be hurting. I send my heartfelt condolences to them. Sir David was a fine parliamentarian, a proud advocate for his constituents and above all such a kind, generous and warm-hearted man. He will be missed on all sides of the House.
As a society we need to offer better support to people who are going through bereavement, loss and other traumatic or difficult experiences in their personal lives. I hope that the fact that I took time to deal with a bereavement will encourage other people to do the same when they are going through grief or trauma.
While I have been away from the cut and thrust of Parliament I have reflected on our political debate and the threats and abuse that now seem to feature all too often.
I have also reflected on what I said at an event at Labour Party conference. I was angry about where our country is headed and policies that have made life harder for so many people I represent. But I would like to unreservedly apologise for the language I used, and I would not use it again.
I will continue to speak my mind, stand up for Labour values and hold the government to account. But in the future I will be more careful about how I do that and in the language that I choose.
cont..
All of us in positions of leadership have a responsibility for our language and rhetoric, whether towards political opponents or anyone else in society, especially those already most vulnerable. As Deputy Leader of the Labour Party I take this responsibility with the utmost seriousness and I am sure that politicians from all parties, the media and others with a prominent role in our public life will also reflect on this shared responsibility.
I want to address the threats I have received recently. In the past I have been reluctant to speak out about the abuse that I receive because I fear that doing so will only make the situation worse. However, in recent weeks the threats that I have received against my life and the lives of close family have been so terrifying and explicit that I could not stay silent and simply continue to take it as ‘part of the job’. They have had a devastating impact on me, my children and others close to me.
It shakes you when you get these threats. You worry about the safety of your home, your office and everything in your life. And it takes its toll on the people who work for me too.
My staff come to work and do their jobs with dedication and professionalism. They bear the brunt of much of this abuse and then get on with their working day. Dealing with death threats and liaising with the police about their safety should not be a standard part of the day-to-day working life of a Member of Parliament or their staff.
So I want to thank the police officers from Greater Manchester, South Yorkshire and Cambridgeshire Police who have arrested a number of people in recent days and demonstrated the utmost professionalism, courtesy and kindness both in carrying out their investigations and in supporting me, my family and my staff during what has been a very difficult time. I and my team will continue work with them to ensure that the perpetrators of these crimes are brought to justice.
After attending a funeral on Monday I will be back to work, rolling my sleeves up and standing up for my brilliant constituents in Ashton-under-Lyne, Droylsden and Failsworth – along with everyone who needs a Labour government.
Fixing a solar panel on a tiled roof is definitely a win, though.
Edit to add: if you want a really exciting time try hiring a car from the Gare du Nord…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_56
I was clearly having a hypomanic episode - I take my meds every day.
I'd say the same if she was in any other party.
I formed a low opinion of Senator John Kerry who failed to hide his impatience as our 4 year old daughter was a bit slow going through security in front of him.
I had a chat and got a selfie with Tony Blair on the Eurostar.
I saw Posh Spice waiting for her twenty gucci suitcases in the arrivals hall at Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados.
And I once saw Jarvis Cocker in the gents toilet at Watford Gap services.
https://youtu.be/5m7SGjJo7c4
Nothing makes you hate the French more than that awful station. I rather suspect that many of the arseholes that throw themseleves at you are in fact employees of the French state.
I wasn't expecting much; her earlier refusal to apologise had made me think she might even double down, or that any apology would be half-hearted. As you say, though, it's been thoroughly thought through.
#Respect4Rayner
Not necessarily something that can be generalised I realise.
That’s statement is fair enough. Good for her. I hope her political enemies inside and outside the party will accept it and move on.