Good luck to those in the path of Storm Eunice today, sounds like it’s going to be a bad one. Batten down the hatches and stay indoors.
Would be nice to have the option, but a lot of us are going to be forced to go to work in this (and the wind warning for when I'll be coming back home again later today has been upgraded overnight to Red...)
It's only about a ten minute walk but I'm still not looking forward to it. At all.
Well, that's the archbish sorted out the one person that expects Royals to be superhuman saints, now to the rest of us who'd rather they weren't self-deceiving cretinous pals of paedos..
Spectacular Tory gain from the LDs in Oadby and Wigston on a swing of 26%. This was expected to be an easy LD hold.
Not according to the Britain elects summary:
"Wigston Meadowcourt is one of the stronger Conservative wards in the district and was the only ward in either Oadby or Wigston to return a full slate of Tory councillors in 2007. However, the last Conservative seat in the ward disappeared in 2019, when the Lib Dems won here by a 52-34 margin. Robert Eaton, who passed away between Christmas and New Year, had served as a councillor here since 2011.
The Lib Dems do have work to do to hold this one. Almost all of this ward is covered by the East Wigston division of Leicestershire county council, which the Tories came just 98 votes short of winning last year."
Well, that's the archbish sorted out the one person that expects Royals to be superhuman saints, now to the rest of us who'd rather they weren't self-deceiving cretinous pals of paedos..
Is the archbish the one pushing the new ditty:
Oh the grand old Duke of York, He had ten million quid, He gave it to someone he never met, For something he never did.
Spectacular Tory gain from the LDs in Oadby and Wigston on a swing of 26%. This was expected to be an easy LD hold.
Not according to the Britain elects summary:
"Wigston Meadowcourt is one of the stronger Conservative wards in the district and was the only ward in either Oadby or Wigston to return a full slate of Tory councillors in 2007. However, the last Conservative seat in the ward disappeared in 2019, when the Lib Dems won here by a 52-34 margin. Robert Eaton, who passed away between Christmas and New Year, had served as a councillor here since 2011.
The Lib Dems do have work to do to hold this one. Almost all of this ward is covered by the East Wigston division of Leicestershire county council, which the Tories came just 98 votes short of winning last year."
It's a seriously impressive result - not just for the win, but also for the size of it.
With that said, it's also entirely possible there are local factors of which we do not know.
With each passing week every Conservative success in swing or gain is always somehow a 'special circumstances' result.
Do we ever learn anything of value, one way or the other, from poring over the results of local council by-elections?
Even when there’s wars, storms and arguments about birthday cakes going on, there’s always time on here to pore over local council by-election results.
Your first whataboutery of the morning, not your last I daresay.
An absurd story. Where on earth would Nicola get the idea of using a super injunction to stop the media from reporting a story about someone's sexual orientation and inclination on the basis of their right to privacy?
Spectacular Tory gain from the LDs in Oadby and Wigston on a swing of 26%. This was expected to be an easy LD hold.
Not according to the Britain elects summary:
"Wigston Meadowcourt is one of the stronger Conservative wards in the district and was the only ward in either Oadby or Wigston to return a full slate of Tory councillors in 2007. However, the last Conservative seat in the ward disappeared in 2019, when the Lib Dems won here by a 52-34 margin. Robert Eaton, who passed away between Christmas and New Year, had served as a councillor here since 2011.
The Lib Dems do have work to do to hold this one. Almost all of this ward is covered by the East Wigston division of Leicestershire county council, which the Tories came just 98 votes short of winning last year."
It's a seriously impressive result - not just for the win, but also for the size of it.
With that said, it's also entirely possible there are local factors of which we do not know.
With each passing week every Conservative success in swing or gain is always somehow a 'special circumstances' result.
Do we ever learn anything of value, one way or the other, from poring over the results of local council by-elections?
Something I observe is that the Conservative Party is more popular than its leader, and that Labour haven't clinched the deal. I don't think the May elections will be bad enough to spur the Tories to dump Johnson.
Spectacular Tory gain from the LDs in Oadby and Wigston on a swing of 26%. This was expected to be an easy LD hold.
Not according to the Britain elects summary:
"Wigston Meadowcourt is one of the stronger Conservative wards in the district and was the only ward in either Oadby or Wigston to return a full slate of Tory councillors in 2007. However, the last Conservative seat in the ward disappeared in 2019, when the Lib Dems won here by a 52-34 margin. Robert Eaton, who passed away between Christmas and New Year, had served as a councillor here since 2011.
The Lib Dems do have work to do to hold this one. Almost all of this ward is covered by the East Wigston division of Leicestershire county council, which the Tories came just 98 votes short of winning last year."
Your first whataboutery of the morning, not your last I daresay.
An absurd story. Where on earth would Nicola get the idea of using a super injunction to stop the media from reporting a story about someone's sexual orientation and inclination on the basis of their right to privacy?
I see you're gone full YOONon.
Was it you who put the FOI on Sturgeon's movements because you were obsessed with idea that she'd had gone on holiday to Faro to some kind of sapphic love nest?
Spectacular Tory gain from the LDs in Oadby and Wigston on a swing of 26%. This was expected to be an easy LD hold.
Not according to the Britain elects summary:
"Wigston Meadowcourt is one of the stronger Conservative wards in the district and was the only ward in either Oadby or Wigston to return a full slate of Tory councillors in 2007. However, the last Conservative seat in the ward disappeared in 2019, when the Lib Dems won here by a 52-34 margin. Robert Eaton, who passed away between Christmas and New Year, had served as a councillor here since 2011.
The Lib Dems do have work to do to hold this one. Almost all of this ward is covered by the East Wigston division of Leicestershire county council, which the Tories came just 98 votes short of winning last year."
Your first whataboutery of the morning, not your last I daresay.
An absurd story. Where on earth would Nicola get the idea of using a super injunction to stop the media from reporting a story about someone's sexual orientation and inclination on the basis of their right to privacy?
I see you're gone full YOONon.
Was it you who put the FOI on Sturgeon's movements because you were obsessed with idea that she'd had gone on holiday to Faro to some kind of sapphic love nest?
Sorry to disappoint. I have never put in a FOI request for myself in my entire life.
Note too we had a non Oxford graduate as PM just 12 years ago, Gordon Brown and just 13 years before that too, John Major.
Starmer might have an Oxford postgraduate degree but he did his undergraduate degree at Leeds
Brown never won an election and Major did not go to university
So what, they were still both PMs who did not go to Oxford University
No grauduate if a University other than Oxfords has led his party to a General Election victory since 1935
Though Brown, a graduate of Edinburgh, was not outright defeated by Oxford educated Cameron in 2010 and Oxford educated May failed to outright defeat non Oxford educated Corbyn in 2017. Note too non Oxford educated Churchill beat Oxford graduate Attlee in 1951.
However a lot of general elections have been Oxford graduate v Oxford graduate eg 1955, 1959, 1964, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1983, 2001 and 2015 or Oxford v Cambridge ie 2005, so Oxford or at least Oxbridge, could not lose those general elections anyway.
Oxford does seem to let people down. It’s graduates to tend to go on about it a tad. Life somehow seems to stop there.
Unless you also become a self made multi-millionaire or a billionaire (or indeed PM) going to Oxford is probably the highlight of your life if you get in
I had a fantastic three years at Cambridge, and I've even been back for (one of) the reunions. And I still have some great friends from my time there.
There's a certain macabre irony in a claim that Ukraine is violating the Minsk ceasefire by letting a bunch of Russian special forces shell a nursery.
On a more serious point, isn't Putin cutting it rather fine? The campaigning season is nearly over and he still hasn't invaded. Perhaps he's nervous in light of how much everyone is swatting away his risible claims? He must have hoped for more than a few of the useful idiots to swallow them.
Your first whataboutery of the morning, not your last I daresay.
An absurd story. Where on earth would Nicola get the idea of using a super injunction to stop the media from reporting a story about someone's sexual orientation and inclination on the basis of their right to privacy?
I see you're gone full YOONon.
Was it you who put the FOI on Sturgeon's movements because you were obsessed with idea that she'd had gone on holiday to Faro to some kind of sapphic love nest?
Sorry to disappoint. I have never put in a FOI request for myself in my entire life.
Spectacular Tory gain from the LDs in Oadby and Wigston on a swing of 26%. This was expected to be an easy LD hold.
Not according to the Britain elects summary:
"Wigston Meadowcourt is one of the stronger Conservative wards in the district and was the only ward in either Oadby or Wigston to return a full slate of Tory councillors in 2007. However, the last Conservative seat in the ward disappeared in 2019, when the Lib Dems won here by a 52-34 margin. Robert Eaton, who passed away between Christmas and New Year, had served as a councillor here since 2011.
The Lib Dems do have work to do to hold this one. Almost all of this ward is covered by the East Wigston division of Leicestershire county council, which the Tories came just 98 votes short of winning last year."
Note too we had a non Oxford graduate as PM just 12 years ago, Gordon Brown and just 13 years before that too, John Major.
Starmer might have an Oxford postgraduate degree but he did his undergraduate degree at Leeds
Brown never won an election and Major did not go to university
So what, they were still both PMs who did not go to Oxford University
No grauduate if a University other than Oxfords has led his party to a General Election victory since 1935
Though Brown, a graduate of Edinburgh, was not outright defeated by Oxford educated Cameron in 2010 and Oxford educated May failed to outright defeat non Oxford educated Corbyn in 2017. Note too non Oxford educated Churchill beat Oxford graduate Attlee in 1951.
However a lot of general elections have been Oxford graduate v Oxford graduate eg 1955, 1959, 1964, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1983, 2001 and 2015 or Oxford v Cambridge ie 2005, so Oxford or at least Oxbridge, could not lose those general elections anyway.
Oxford does seem to let people down. It’s graduates to tend to go on about it a tad. Life somehow seems to stop there.
Unless you also become a self made multi-millionaire or a billionaire (or indeed PM) going to Oxford is probably the highlight of your life if you get in
I had a fantastic three years at Cambridge, and I've even been back for (one of) the reunions. And I still have some great friends from my time there.
But it was not the highlight of my life.
Radiohead gig ?
Is that what they are calling “Chinese water torture” these days?
Your first whataboutery of the morning, not your last I daresay.
An absurd story. Where on earth would Nicola get the idea of using a super injunction to stop the media from reporting a story about someone's sexual orientation and inclination on the basis of their right to privacy?
I see you're gone full YOONon.
Was it you who put the FOI on Sturgeon's movements because you were obsessed with idea that she'd had gone on holiday to Faro to some kind of sapphic love nest?
Sorry to disappoint. I have never put in a FOI request for myself in my entire life.
For yourself?
Some of my clients seem to think that they are some sort of magical alchemy. In my experience they are usually disappointed.
There's a certain macabre irony in a claim that Ukraine is violating the Minsk ceasefire by letting a bunch of Russian special forces shell a nursery.
On a more serious point, isn't Putin cutting it rather fine? The campaigning season is nearly over and he still hasn't invaded. Perhaps he's nervous in light of how much everyone is swatting away his risible claims? He must have hoped for more than a few of the useful idiots to swallow them.
I think the effect on armoured warfare of a spring thaw and mud isn't what it was in the 1940s.
There's a certain macabre irony in a claim that Ukraine is violating the Minsk ceasefire by letting a bunch of Russian special forces shell a nursery.
On a more serious point, isn't Putin cutting it rather fine? The campaigning season is nearly over and he still hasn't invaded. Perhaps he's nervous in light of how much everyone is swatting away his risible claims? He must have hoped for more than a few of the useful idiots to swallow them.
Don’t also forget that the bombed nursery is in Ukraine. So he’s saying that the bombing of a nursery in Ukraine (by Russians), is evidence of Ukranian agreesion against Russia.
Your first whataboutery of the morning, not your last I daresay.
An absurd story. Where on earth would Nicola get the idea of using a super injunction to stop the media from reporting a story about someone's sexual orientation and inclination on the basis of their right to privacy?
I see you're gone full YOONon.
Was it you who put the FOI on Sturgeon's movements because you were obsessed with idea that she'd had gone on holiday to Faro to some kind of sapphic love nest?
Sorry to disappoint. I have never put in a FOI request for myself in my entire life.
It wouldn't be for yourself, it would be for...The Union!
Note too we had a non Oxford graduate as PM just 12 years ago, Gordon Brown and just 13 years before that too, John Major.
Starmer might have an Oxford postgraduate degree but he did his undergraduate degree at Leeds
Brown never won an election and Major did not go to university
So what, they were still both PMs who did not go to Oxford University
No grauduate if a University other than Oxfords has led his party to a General Election victory since 1935
Though Brown, a graduate of Edinburgh, was not outright defeated by Oxford educated Cameron in 2010 and Oxford educated May failed to outright defeat non Oxford educated Corbyn in 2017. Note too non Oxford educated Churchill beat Oxford graduate Attlee in 1951.
However a lot of general elections have been Oxford graduate v Oxford graduate eg 1955, 1959, 1964, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1983, 2001 and 2015 or Oxford v Cambridge ie 2005, so Oxford or at least Oxbridge, could not lose those general elections anyway.
Oxford does seem to let people down. It’s graduates to tend to go on about it a tad. Life somehow seems to stop there.
Unless you also become a self made multi-millionaire or a billionaire (or indeed PM) going to Oxford is probably the highlight of your life if you get in
I had a fantastic three years at Cambridge, and I've even been back for (one of) the reunions. And I still have some great friends from my time there.
But it was not the highlight of my life.
Radiohead gig ?
Is that what they are calling “Chinese water torture” these days?
Such questions are not to be answered. I'm not sure what is the policy towards those who ask them.
Note too we had a non Oxford graduate as PM just 12 years ago, Gordon Brown and just 13 years before that too, John Major.
Starmer might have an Oxford postgraduate degree but he did his undergraduate degree at Leeds
Brown never won an election and Major did not go to university
So what, they were still both PMs who did not go to Oxford University
No grauduate if a University other than Oxfords has led his party to a General Election victory since 1935
Though Brown, a graduate of Edinburgh, was not outright defeated by Oxford educated Cameron in 2010 and Oxford educated May failed to outright defeat non Oxford educated Corbyn in 2017. Note too non Oxford educated Churchill beat Oxford graduate Attlee in 1951.
However a lot of general elections have been Oxford graduate v Oxford graduate eg 1955, 1959, 1964, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1983, 2001 and 2015 or Oxford v Cambridge ie 2005, so Oxford or at least Oxbridge, could not lose those general elections anyway.
Oxford does seem to let people down. It’s graduates to tend to go on about it a tad. Life somehow seems to stop there.
Unless you also become a self made multi-millionaire or a billionaire (or indeed PM) going to Oxford is probably the highlight of your life if you get in
I had a fantastic three years at Cambridge, and I've even been back for (one of) the reunions. And I still have some great friends from my time there.
But it was not the highlight of my life.
Radiohead gig ?
Is that what they are calling “Chinese water torture” these days?
There's a certain macabre irony in a claim that Ukraine is violating the Minsk ceasefire by letting a bunch of Russian special forces shell a nursery.
On a more serious point, isn't Putin cutting it rather fine? The campaigning season is nearly over and he still hasn't invaded. Perhaps he's nervous in light of how much everyone is swatting away his risible claims? He must have hoped for more than a few of the useful idiots to swallow them.
Don’t also forget that the bombed nursery is in Ukraine. So he’s saying that the bombing of a nursery in Ukraine (by Russians), is evidence of Ukranian agreesion against Russia.
I didn't forget. That was literally the first thing I said!
Edit - ah, now I understand. No, I hadn't forgotten it was in Ukraine, I just hadn't seen the need to make that specific point. No fighting will be occurring in Russia.
Good luck to those in the path of Storm Eunice today, sounds like it’s going to be a bad one. Batten down the hatches and stay indoors.
Would be nice to have the option, but a lot of us are going to be forced to go to work in this (and the wind warning for when I'll be coming back home again later today has been upgraded overnight to Red...)
It's only about a ten minute walk but I'm still not looking forward to it. At all.
Look out for flying roof tiles and don't walk near the pavement edge. That's what I remember from 1987.
After 12 years in power, Britain’s Conservative MPs have become careless of the law and addicted to protest and rebellion. Instead of governing, they posture and grandstand https://econ.st/3v28BZ8
Note too we had a non Oxford graduate as PM just 12 years ago, Gordon Brown and just 13 years before that too, John Major.
Starmer might have an Oxford postgraduate degree but he did his undergraduate degree at Leeds
Brown never won an election and Major did not go to university
So what, they were still both PMs who did not go to Oxford University
No grauduate if a University other than Oxfords has led his party to a General Election victory since 1935
Though Brown, a graduate of Edinburgh, was not outright defeated by Oxford educated Cameron in 2010 and Oxford educated May failed to outright defeat non Oxford educated Corbyn in 2017. Note too non Oxford educated Churchill beat Oxford graduate Attlee in 1951.
However a lot of general elections have been Oxford graduate v Oxford graduate eg 1955, 1959, 1964, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1983, 2001 and 2015 or Oxford v Cambridge ie 2005, so Oxford or at least Oxbridge, could not lose those general elections anyway.
Oxford does seem to let people down. It’s graduates to tend to go on about it a tad. Life somehow seems to stop there.
Unless you also become a self made multi-millionaire or a billionaire (or indeed PM) going to Oxford is probably the highlight of your life if you get in
I had a fantastic three years at Cambridge, and I've even been back for (one of) the reunions. And I still have some great friends from my time there.
But it was not the highlight of my life.
Given you are ex Goldman Sachs and work in financial services I assume you are a multi-millionare or close to it so therefore excluded from my category of Oxbridge graduates for whom it was the highlight of their life
Good luck to those in the path of Storm Eunice today, sounds like it’s going to be a bad one. Batten down the hatches and stay indoors.
Would be nice to have the option, but a lot of us are going to be forced to go to work in this (and the wind warning for when I'll be coming back home again later today has been upgraded overnight to Red...)
It's only about a ten minute walk but I'm still not looking forward to it. At all.
Look out for flying roof tiles and don't walk near the pavement edge. That's what I remember from 1987.
I went out just now and it was a bit gusty but nothing unusual, so far. Certainly nothing like the approach of Sandy, which I remember clearly having been on the US east coast at the time.
Morning all! Still waiting for the big dump of snow - appears to have fizzled to the south of us. The boy's school is shut today due to the snow warning (primarily because getting transport for the 70% who travel by bus this afternoon could be *fun*). A bit of moaning on Facebook, but they'd have been moaning more had the school been trying to summon them to collect sprog this afternoon.
Went out for a blow yesterday in the calm between the two storms. Blustery here inland, but walked around Kinnaird Head at lunchtime and needed to hold onto my woolly hat as the wind was trying to remove it from my head (and my feet from the path). And that is calm compared to what the Severn Estuary is getting. Stay safe everyone.
Well, that's the archbish sorted out the one person that expects Royals to be superhuman saints, now to the rest of us who'd rather they weren't self-deceiving cretinous pals of paedos..
The Church of England was founded by Henry VIII precisely because he was not a superhuman Saint but wanted to divorce Catherine of Aragon to marry Anne Boleyn and the Pope would not allow it.
The Archbishop of Canterbury should live a Saintly life, the monarch does not have to, though it helps if like the Queen they live close to it
Your first whataboutery of the morning, not your last I daresay.
An absurd story. Where on earth would Nicola get the idea of using a super injunction to stop the media from reporting a story about someone's sexual orientation and inclination on the basis of their right to privacy?
I see you're gone full YOONon.
Was it you who put the FOI on Sturgeon's movements because you were obsessed with idea that she'd had gone on holiday to Faro to some kind of sapphic love nest?
Sorry to disappoint. I have never put in a FOI request for myself in my entire life.
For yourself?
Some of my clients seem to think that they are some sort of magical alchemy. In my experience they are usually disappointed.
I though the Russians had a massive force of hovercraft?
I'm afraid the worlds smallest violin is in use elsewhere; the BBC has noted 'that Donald Trump and two of his children must answer questions under oath in a New York investigation into their business practices, a judge has ruled.'
Though what the oaths will be like makes me shudder!
Note too we had a non Oxford graduate as PM just 12 years ago, Gordon Brown and just 13 years before that too, John Major.
Starmer might have an Oxford postgraduate degree but he did his undergraduate degree at Leeds
Brown never won an election and Major did not go to university
So what, they were still both PMs who did not go to Oxford University
No grauduate if a University other than Oxfords has led his party to a General Election victory since 1935
Though Brown, a graduate of Edinburgh, was not outright defeated by Oxford educated Cameron in 2010 and Oxford educated May failed to outright defeat non Oxford educated Corbyn in 2017. Note too non Oxford educated Churchill beat Oxford graduate Attlee in 1951.
However a lot of general elections have been Oxford graduate v Oxford graduate eg 1955, 1959, 1964, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1983, 2001 and 2015 or Oxford v Cambridge ie 2005, so Oxford or at least Oxbridge, could not lose those general elections anyway.
Oxford does seem to let people down. It’s graduates to tend to go on about it a tad. Life somehow seems to stop there.
Unless you also become a self made multi-millionaire or a billionaire (or indeed PM) going to Oxford is probably the highlight of your life if you get in
I had a fantastic three years at Cambridge, and I've even been back for (one of) the reunions. And I still have some great friends from my time there.
But it was not the highlight of my life.
Given you are ex Goldman Sachs and work in financial services I assume you are a multi-millionare or close to it so therefore excluded from my category of Oxbridge graduates for whom it was the highlight of their life
I don't think any of my family or friends who went to Oxford or Cambridge are millionaires and while they mostly had a good time, I cannot recall any of them speaking of it as the highlight of their life. Two friends of mine hated it there and were much happier to complete there studies elsewhere.
One of my nieces has just been accepted by Churchill college to do maths. Quite a bright lass.
Note too we had a non Oxford graduate as PM just 12 years ago, Gordon Brown and just 13 years before that too, John Major.
Starmer might have an Oxford postgraduate degree but he did his undergraduate degree at Leeds
Brown never won an election and Major did not go to university
So what, they were still both PMs who did not go to Oxford University
The point is that there hasn't been a graduate of a University other that Oxford who won a UK General Election since Baldwin nearly a century ago.
There haven't been many Tory or Labour leaders at a general election who were first graduates and second graduates of a University other than Oxford.
In fact only Kinnock, a Cardiff graduate and Brown, an Edinburgh graduate and Howard, a Cambridge graduate come under that category since Cambridge graduate Baldwin won in 1935 and Kinnock almost won in 1992 and Brown was not defeated in 2010, Cameron won most seats but failed to get a majority. Howard also slashed the Labour majority by over 100 in 2005.
Morning all! Still waiting for the big dump of snow - appears to have fizzled to the south of us. The boy's school is shut today due to the snow warning (primarily because getting transport for the 70% who travel by bus this afternoon could be *fun*). A bit of moaning on Facebook, but they'd have been moaning more had the school been trying to summon them to collect sprog this afternoon.
Went out for a blow yesterday in the calm between the two storms. Blustery here inland, but walked around Kinnaird Head at lunchtime and needed to hold onto my woolly hat as the wind was trying to remove it from my head (and my feet from the path). And that is calm compared to what the Severn Estuary is getting. Stay safe everyone.
My school was on the to of a sometimes-bleak Staffordhsire hillside, above the JCB factory. One snowy day my dad picked me up in a JCB, having cleared the road up the hill on the way. He was followed by a procession of struggling cars.
We had kids picked up n Rollers, BMWs, Mercs and some rather posh cars. My dad sometimes picked me up in JCBs and lorries...
(AFAIK it is now illegal to take passengers in a JCB.)
I remember waking up on the morning of the Great Storm in 1987 and seeing what appeared to be low-level lightening flashes. The overhead cables on the railway a couple of miles away were swinging so much they were clashing and sparking. Later on I walked to work along the A13, where had been a row of poplar trees. Nearly all of them were down, and across the road.
I remember waking up on the morning of the Great Storm in 1987 and seeing what appeared to be low-level lightening flashes. The overhead cables on the railway a couple of miles away were swinging so much they were clashing and sparking. Later on I walked to work along the A13, where had been a row of poplar trees. Nearly all of them were down, and across the road.
That was the night that Sevenoaks in Kent, became Oneoak.
Morning all! Still waiting for the big dump of snow - appears to have fizzled to the south of us. The boy's school is shut today due to the snow warning (primarily because getting transport for the 70% who travel by bus this afternoon could be *fun*). A bit of moaning on Facebook, but they'd have been moaning more had the school been trying to summon them to collect sprog this afternoon.
Went out for a blow yesterday in the calm between the two storms. Blustery here inland, but walked around Kinnaird Head at lunchtime and needed to hold onto my woolly hat as the wind was trying to remove it from my head (and my feet from the path). And that is calm compared to what the Severn Estuary is getting. Stay safe everyone.
My school was on the to of a sometimes-bleak Staffordhsire hillside, above the JCB factory. One snowy day my dad picked me up in a JCB, having cleared the road up the hill on the way. He was followed by a procession of struggling cars.
We had kids picked up n Rollers, BMWs, Mercs and some rather posh cars. My dad sometimes picked me up in JCBs and lorries...
(AFAIK it is now illegal to take passengers in a JCB.)
Kids! Would you prefer to arrive at school in a Roller or a JCB?
Note too we had a non Oxford graduate as PM just 12 years ago, Gordon Brown and just 13 years before that too, John Major.
Starmer might have an Oxford postgraduate degree but he did his undergraduate degree at Leeds
Brown never won an election and Major did not go to university
So what, they were still both PMs who did not go to Oxford University
No grauduate if a University other than Oxfords has led his party to a General Election victory since 1935
Though Brown, a graduate of Edinburgh, was not outright defeated by Oxford educated Cameron in 2010 and Oxford educated May failed to outright defeat non Oxford educated Corbyn in 2017. Note too non Oxford educated Churchill beat Oxford graduate Attlee in 1951.
However a lot of general elections have been Oxford graduate v Oxford graduate eg 1955, 1959, 1964, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1983, 2001 and 2015 or Oxford v Cambridge ie 2005, so Oxford or at least Oxbridge, could not lose those general elections anyway.
Oxford does seem to let people down. It’s graduates to tend to go on about it a tad. Life somehow seems to stop there.
Unless you also become a self made multi-millionaire or a billionaire (or indeed PM) going to Oxford is probably the highlight of your life if you get in
I had a fantastic three years at Cambridge, and I've even been back for (one of) the reunions. And I still have some great friends from my time there.
But it was not the highlight of my life.
Given you are ex Goldman Sachs and work in financial services I assume you are a multi-millionare or close to it so therefore excluded from my category of Oxbridge graduates for whom it was the highlight of their life
I don't think any of my family or friends who went to Oxford or Cambridge are millionaires and while they mostly had a good time, I cannot recall any of them speaking of it as the highlight of their life. Two friends of mine hated it there and were much happier to complete there studies elsewhere.
One of my nieces has just been accepted by Churchill college to do maths. Quite a bright lass.
Congrats to her. Best of luck. Friend of mine went to Cambridge and, not long after graduating got a job lecturing at another Uni. On retirement he was straight back to Cambridge to live.
I remember waking up on the morning of the Great Storm in 1987 and seeing what appeared to be low-level lightening flashes. The overhead cables on the railway a couple of miles away were swinging so much they were clashing and sparking. Later on I walked to work along the A13, where had been a row of poplar trees. Nearly all of them were down, and across the road.
In 1987, pylons and downed cables were quickly repaired because the CEGB could bring workers down from up north. Thanks to privatisation, that might no longer be an option.
Strong indications Putin hoped he could goad Zelensky into doing something rash, just as he did Georgia's Saakashvili in 2008 (perhaps assuming that *surely* a populist former comedian would be easy to provoke). Yet Zelensky and 🇺🇦 at large are remaining remarkably disciplined.
Ukrainian discipline + radical transparency from US and its allies (putting intel on attack plans, possible false flags etc into public domain) = harder for Putin to manufacture a pretext, catch opponents off guard and claim defensive motives. It shrinks the grey zone.
I remember waking up on the morning of the Great Storm in 1987 and seeing what appeared to be low-level lightening flashes. The overhead cables on the railway a couple of miles away were swinging so much they were clashing and sparking. Later on I walked to work along the A13, where had been a row of poplar trees. Nearly all of them were down, and across the road.
Yes I just about remember the 1987 storm and the lights going out and trees down.
Note too we had a non Oxford graduate as PM just 12 years ago, Gordon Brown and just 13 years before that too, John Major.
Starmer might have an Oxford postgraduate degree but he did his undergraduate degree at Leeds
Brown never won an election and Major did not go to university
So what, they were still both PMs who did not go to Oxford University
No grauduate if a University other than Oxfords has led his party to a General Election victory since 1935
Though Brown, a graduate of Edinburgh, was not outright defeated by Oxford educated Cameron in 2010 and Oxford educated May failed to outright defeat non Oxford educated Corbyn in 2017. Note too non Oxford educated Churchill beat Oxford graduate Attlee in 1951.
However a lot of general elections have been Oxford graduate v Oxford graduate eg 1955, 1959, 1964, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1983, 2001 and 2015 or Oxford v Cambridge ie 2005, so Oxford or at least Oxbridge, could not lose those general elections anyway.
Oxford does seem to let people down. It’s graduates to tend to go on about it a tad. Life somehow seems to stop there.
Unless you also become a self made multi-millionaire or a billionaire (or indeed PM) going to Oxford is probably the highlight of your life if you get in
Unless Oxford is radically different to and better than Cambridge I find that hard to believe. I think the people who enjoyed undergraduate life the most were people whose parents could subsidise their lifestyle and who could effortlessly become a member of one of the cliques (journalism, drama, politics) where they could pretend they were already powerful and influential people. For the rest of us it was mostly just hard work, a rather inadequate social life and counting the pennies. I'm glad I went there and I met my wife and other good friends there but it really wasn't the highlight of my life.
I remember waking up on the morning of the Great Storm in 1987 and seeing what appeared to be low-level lightening flashes. The overhead cables on the railway a couple of miles away were swinging so much they were clashing and sparking. Later on I walked to work along the A13, where had been a row of poplar trees. Nearly all of them were down, and across the road.
Yes I just about remember the 1987 storm and the lights going out and trees down.
Morning all! Still waiting for the big dump of snow - appears to have fizzled to the south of us. The boy's school is shut today due to the snow warning (primarily because getting transport for the 70% who travel by bus this afternoon could be *fun*). A bit of moaning on Facebook, but they'd have been moaning more had the school been trying to summon them to collect sprog this afternoon.
Went out for a blow yesterday in the calm between the two storms. Blustery here inland, but walked around Kinnaird Head at lunchtime and needed to hold onto my woolly hat as the wind was trying to remove it from my head (and my feet from the path). And that is calm compared to what the Severn Estuary is getting. Stay safe everyone.
My school was on the to of a sometimes-bleak Staffordhsire hillside, above the JCB factory. One snowy day my dad picked me up in a JCB, having cleared the road up the hill on the way. He was followed by a procession of struggling cars.
We had kids picked up n Rollers, BMWs, Mercs and some rather posh cars. My dad sometimes picked me up in JCBs and lorries...
(AFAIK it is now illegal to take passengers in a JCB.)
Kids! Would you prefer to arrive at school in a Roller or a JCB?
Well, that's the archbish sorted out the one person that expects Royals to be superhuman saints, now to the rest of us who'd rather they weren't self-deceiving cretinous pals of paedos..
The Church of England was founded by Henry VIII precisely because he was not a superhuman Saint but wanted to divorce Catherine of Aragon to marry Anne Boleyn and the Pope would not allow it.
The Archbishop of Canterbury should live a Saintly life, the monarch does not have to, though it helps if like the Queen they live close to it
But in the case of Andrew's father, if the stories are true, she too strayed a little....
Note too we had a non Oxford graduate as PM just 12 years ago, Gordon Brown and just 13 years before that too, John Major.
Starmer might have an Oxford postgraduate degree but he did his undergraduate degree at Leeds
Brown never won an election and Major did not go to university
So what, they were still both PMs who did not go to Oxford University
No grauduate if a University other than Oxfords has led his party to a General Election victory since 1935
Though Brown, a graduate of Edinburgh, was not outright defeated by Oxford educated Cameron in 2010 and Oxford educated May failed to outright defeat non Oxford educated Corbyn in 2017. Note too non Oxford educated Churchill beat Oxford graduate Attlee in 1951.
However a lot of general elections have been Oxford graduate v Oxford graduate eg 1955, 1959, 1964, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1983, 2001 and 2015 or Oxford v Cambridge ie 2005, so Oxford or at least Oxbridge, could not lose those general elections anyway.
Oxford does seem to let people down. It’s graduates to tend to go on about it a tad. Life somehow seems to stop there.
Unless you also become a self made multi-millionaire or a billionaire (or indeed PM) going to Oxford is probably the highlight of your life if you get in
Unless Oxford is radically different to and better than Cambridge I find that hard to believe. I think the people who enjoyed undergraduate life the most were people whose parents could subsidise their lifestyle and who could effortlessly become a member of one of the cliques (journalism, drama, politics) where they could pretend they were already powerful and influential people. For the rest of us it was mostly just hard work, a rather inadequate social life and counting the pennies. I'm glad I went there and I met my wife and other good friends there but it really wasn't the highlight of my life.
Although I didn't go to either, so not really qualified to say, university wasn't the highlight of my life. I worked hard and hadn't achieved maturity. My 30s was easily the best time of my life. Matured, had money, single. Out every night and weekend. Sailing, skiing, flying, squash, parties, girlfriends, etc.
Note too we had a non Oxford graduate as PM just 12 years ago, Gordon Brown and just 13 years before that too, John Major.
Starmer might have an Oxford postgraduate degree but he did his undergraduate degree at Leeds
Brown never won an election and Major did not go to university
So what, they were still both PMs who did not go to Oxford University
No grauduate if a University other than Oxfords has led his party to a General Election victory since 1935
Though Brown, a graduate of Edinburgh, was not outright defeated by Oxford educated Cameron in 2010 and Oxford educated May failed to outright defeat non Oxford educated Corbyn in 2017. Note too non Oxford educated Churchill beat Oxford graduate Attlee in 1951.
However a lot of general elections have been Oxford graduate v Oxford graduate eg 1955, 1959, 1964, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1983, 2001 and 2015 or Oxford v Cambridge ie 2005, so Oxford or at least Oxbridge, could not lose those general elections anyway.
Oxford does seem to let people down. It’s graduates to tend to go on about it a tad. Life somehow seems to stop there.
Unless you also become a self made multi-millionaire or a billionaire (or indeed PM) going to Oxford is probably the highlight of your life if you get in
Unless Oxford is radically different to and better than Cambridge I find that hard to believe. I think the people who enjoyed undergraduate life the most were people whose parents could subsidise their lifestyle and who could effortlessly become a member of one of the cliques (journalism, drama, politics) where they could pretend they were already powerful and influential people. For the rest of us it was mostly just hard work, a rather inadequate social life and counting the pennies. I'm glad I went there and I met my wife and other good friends there but it really wasn't the highlight of my life.
I think that our friend believes, possibly rightly, that getting accepted at Oxford, or indeed, Oxbridge, is the highlight of your life, at least to date. Whether the reality lives up to expectations is another matter.
After 12 years in power, Britain’s Conservative MPs have become careless of the law and addicted to protest and rebellion. Instead of governing, they posture and grandstand https://econ.st/3v28BZ8
With apologies to Clive Baker... 'The Parties long for each other, like men and women, in order that they may be cured of their excesses. ... Everything tires with time, and starts to seek some opposition, to save it from itself.'
Note too we had a non Oxford graduate as PM just 12 years ago, Gordon Brown and just 13 years before that too, John Major.
Starmer might have an Oxford postgraduate degree but he did his undergraduate degree at Leeds
Brown never won an election and Major did not go to university
So what, they were still both PMs who did not go to Oxford University
No grauduate if a University other than Oxfords has led his party to a General Election victory since 1935
Though Brown, a graduate of Edinburgh, was not outright defeated by Oxford educated Cameron in 2010 and Oxford educated May failed to outright defeat non Oxford educated Corbyn in 2017. Note too non Oxford educated Churchill beat Oxford graduate Attlee in 1951.
However a lot of general elections have been Oxford graduate v Oxford graduate eg 1955, 1959, 1964, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1983, 2001 and 2015 or Oxford v Cambridge ie 2005, so Oxford or at least Oxbridge, could not lose those general elections anyway.
Oxford does seem to let people down. It’s graduates to tend to go on about it a tad. Life somehow seems to stop there.
Unless you also become a self made multi-millionaire or a billionaire (or indeed PM) going to Oxford is probably the highlight of your life if you get in
Unless Oxford is radically different to and better than Cambridge I find that hard to believe. I think the people who enjoyed undergraduate life the most were people whose parents could subsidise their lifestyle and who could effortlessly become a member of one of the cliques (journalism, drama, politics) where they could pretend they were already powerful and influential people. For the rest of us it was mostly just hard work, a rather inadequate social life and counting the pennies. I'm glad I went there and I met my wife and other good friends there but it really wasn't the highlight of my life.
I think that our friend believes, possibly rightly, that getting accepted at Oxford, or indeed, Oxbridge, is the highlight of your life, at least to date. Whether the reality lives up to expectations is another matter.
My son is in first year but he’s absolutely loving it. I am not sure he’s ever going to want to leave academia after this. He’s working very hard but being rigorously challenged every day. For people like him I am not sure it gets better than that.
Reflecting, albeit only briefly on 'highlights of my life' after quite a long one, the early years of retirement were pretty good. My wife and I could travel, had enough money, neither of us had work demands. That was before bits of my bodily systems started malfunctioning!
Reflecting, albeit only briefly on 'highlights of my life' after quite a long one, the early years of retirement were pretty good. My wife and I could travel, had enough money, neither of us had work demands. That was before bits of my bodily systems started malfunctioning!
Much the same for my in-laws. Both teachers, retired a bit early (about 60 for him, late fifties for her). Good pension, lots of travel, kids grown up and at uni or in first jobs, pre-grandchildren. Pretty carefree few years by all accounts.
Note too we had a non Oxford graduate as PM just 12 years ago, Gordon Brown and just 13 years before that too, John Major.
Starmer might have an Oxford postgraduate degree but he did his undergraduate degree at Leeds
Brown never won an election and Major did not go to university
So what, they were still both PMs who did not go to Oxford University
No grauduate if a University other than Oxfords has led his party to a General Election victory since 1935
Though Brown, a graduate of Edinburgh, was not outright defeated by Oxford educated Cameron in 2010 and Oxford educated May failed to outright defeat non Oxford educated Corbyn in 2017. Note too non Oxford educated Churchill beat Oxford graduate Attlee in 1951.
However a lot of general elections have been Oxford graduate v Oxford graduate eg 1955, 1959, 1964, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1983, 2001 and 2015 or Oxford v Cambridge ie 2005, so Oxford or at least Oxbridge, could not lose those general elections anyway.
Oxford does seem to let people down. It’s graduates to tend to go on about it a tad. Life somehow seems to stop there.
Unless you also become a self made multi-millionaire or a billionaire (or indeed PM) going to Oxford is probably the highlight of your life if you get in
Unless Oxford is radically different to and better than Cambridge I find that hard to believe. I think the people who enjoyed undergraduate life the most were people whose parents could subsidise their lifestyle and who could effortlessly become a member of one of the cliques (journalism, drama, politics) where they could pretend they were already powerful and influential people. For the rest of us it was mostly just hard work, a rather inadequate social life and counting the pennies. I'm glad I went there and I met my wife and other good friends there but it really wasn't the highlight of my life.
I think that our friend believes, possibly rightly, that getting accepted at Oxford, or indeed, Oxbridge, is the highlight of your life, at least to date. Whether the reality lives up to expectations is another matter.
My son is in first year but he’s absolutely loving it. I am not sure he’s ever going to want to leave academia after this. He’s working very hard but being rigorously challenged every day. For people like him I am not sure it gets better than that.
Very glad to read that, Mr L. And I agree about academic challenge being stimulating.
Would anyone like to defend the New York Times' banning of the word "slave" from Wordle?
They've bought a word game which they now intend to destroy because of their Wokeness. It is sublime
The article says they've removed a perfectly good word like agora too. Obscure words were part of the fun. If the words in the dictionary it should be in the game.
Note too we had a non Oxford graduate as PM just 12 years ago, Gordon Brown and just 13 years before that too, John Major.
Starmer might have an Oxford postgraduate degree but he did his undergraduate degree at Leeds
Brown never won an election and Major did not go to university
So what, they were still both PMs who did not go to Oxford University
No grauduate if a University other than Oxfords has led his party to a General Election victory since 1935
Though Brown, a graduate of Edinburgh, was not outright defeated by Oxford educated Cameron in 2010 and Oxford educated May failed to outright defeat non Oxford educated Corbyn in 2017. Note too non Oxford educated Churchill beat Oxford graduate Attlee in 1951.
However a lot of general elections have been Oxford graduate v Oxford graduate eg 1955, 1959, 1964, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1983, 2001 and 2015 or Oxford v Cambridge ie 2005, so Oxford or at least Oxbridge, could not lose those general elections anyway.
Oxford does seem to let people down. It’s graduates to tend to go on about it a tad. Life somehow seems to stop there.
Unless you also become a self made multi-millionaire or a billionaire (or indeed PM) going to Oxford is probably the highlight of your life if you get in
Unless Oxford is radically different to and better than Cambridge I find that hard to believe. I think the people who enjoyed undergraduate life the most were people whose parents could subsidise their lifestyle and who could effortlessly become a member of one of the cliques (journalism, drama, politics) where they could pretend they were already powerful and influential people. For the rest of us it was mostly just hard work, a rather inadequate social life and counting the pennies. I'm glad I went there and I met my wife and other good friends there but it really wasn't the highlight of my life.
Although I didn't go to either, so not really qualified to say, university wasn't the highlight of my life. I worked hard and hadn't achieved maturity. My 30s was easily the best time of my life. Matured, had money, single. Out every night and weekend. Sailing, skiing, flying, squash, parties, girlfriends, etc.
Yep, I had fun at uni and made some good - lifelong, I expect - friends. But I wasn't yet comfortable in my own skin. Highlights for me were late 20s/early 30s after meeting my wife (lots of travel, no commitments) or now with the children. Very different experiences those too, of course, and I'm glad we had a good 6-7 years just the two of us doing what we wanted. But my life now is fuller (in good and bad ways) than it has ever been.
Your first whataboutery of the morning, not your last I daresay.
An absurd story. Where on earth would Nicola get the idea of using a super injunction to stop the media from reporting a story about someone's sexual orientation and inclination on the basis of their right to privacy?
I see you're gone full YOONon.
Was it you who put the FOI on Sturgeon's movements because you were obsessed with idea that she'd had gone on holiday to Faro to some kind of sapphic love nest?
Sorry to disappoint. I have never put in a FOI request for myself in my entire life.
not even a breeze, what a bunch of wimps. We had 70 MPH last week and they were reporting that it was breezy in Scotland. A draught down south and it is Armageddon.
Comments
It's only about a ten minute walk but I'm still not looking forward to it. At all.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/feb/07/derek-mackay-scottish-government-challenge-nicola-sturgeon-messages-the-sun
Oh the grand old Duke of York,
He had ten million quid,
He gave it to someone he never met,
For something he never did.
I've woken up in an alternate universe
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/feb/17/angela-rayner-police-should-shoot-terrorists-and-ask-questions-second
https://twitter.com/Frances_Coppola/status/1494569305324859399
Was it you who put the FOI on Sturgeon's movements because you were obsessed with idea that she'd had gone on holiday to Faro to some kind of sapphic love nest?
Edit; damn. Beaten by @DavidL
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/02/tesla-claims-sec-is-harassing-elon-musk-to-muzzle-his-criticism-of-government/
Apparently the SEC is bullying the world's richest man because of the sh*t he says on Twitter....
Edit: and he also compared Justin Trudeau to Hitler.
https://www.reuters.com/world/elon-musk-tweets-then-deletes-meme-comparing-trudeau-hitler-2022-02-17/
On a more serious point, isn't Putin cutting it rather fine? The campaigning season is nearly over and he still hasn't invaded. Perhaps he's nervous in light of how much everyone is swatting away his risible claims? He must have hoped for more than a few of the useful idiots to swallow them.
I'm not sure what is the policy towards those who ask them.
Edit - ah, now I understand. No, I hadn't forgotten it was in Ukraine, I just hadn't seen the need to make that specific point. No fighting will be occurring in Russia.
https://twitter.com/Schafernaker/status/1494573364219985921
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20170526-the-audacious-pilot-who-landed-in-red-square
Now, what’s this black and yellow thingy between my legs…?
https://twitter.com/Owl__Kitty/status/1492783828704055297
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-60421388
Went out for a blow yesterday in the calm between the two storms. Blustery here inland, but walked around Kinnaird Head at lunchtime and needed to hold onto my woolly hat as the wind was trying to remove it from my head (and my feet from the path). And that is calm compared to what the Severn Estuary is getting. Stay safe everyone.
The Archbishop of Canterbury should live a Saintly life, the monarch does not have to, though it helps if like the Queen they live close to it
Stay safe everyone.
I'm afraid the worlds smallest violin is in use elsewhere; the BBC has noted 'that Donald Trump and two of his children must answer questions under oath in a New York investigation into their business practices, a judge has ruled.'
Though what the oaths will be like makes me shudder!
One of my nieces has just been accepted by Churchill college to do maths. Quite a bright lass.
Computer being slow as a slow thing.
In fact only Kinnock, a Cardiff graduate and Brown, an Edinburgh graduate and Howard, a Cambridge graduate come under that category since Cambridge graduate Baldwin won in 1935 and Kinnock almost won in 1992 and Brown was not defeated in 2010, Cameron won most seats but failed to get a majority. Howard also slashed the Labour majority by over 100 in 2005.
We had kids picked up n Rollers, BMWs, Mercs and some rather posh cars. My dad sometimes picked me up in JCBs and lorries...
(AFAIK it is now illegal to take passengers in a JCB.)
This shows all the programs that start up with the computer. Set them all to disabled and reboot.
Later on I walked to work along the A13, where had been a row of poplar trees. Nearly all of them were down, and across the road.
Deffo the JCB...
Friend of mine went to Cambridge and, not long after graduating got a job lecturing at another Uni. On retirement he was straight back to Cambridge to live.
Ukrainian discipline + radical transparency from US and its allies (putting intel on attack plans, possible false flags etc into public domain) = harder for Putin to manufacture a pretext, catch opponents off guard and claim defensive motives. It shrinks the grey zone.
https://twitter.com/jeremycliffe/status/1494575382598672384?s=21
https://www.radar-live.com/
edit/ or here, which appears to be the original:
https://www.windy.com/?50.671,-1.189,5
Also, check it is not downloading any patches for Windows or your browser.
Wind already howling quite strongly here
There must be some explanation for this bizarre rise in sex crimes among women.
For now, it remains a mystery. 🤷♀️
https://twitter.com/TitaniaMcGrath/status/1494493549852864531
https://youtube.com/watch?v=rGkseGFQLh4
“I’m Luke, I’m 5, and my dad’s Bruce Lee, drives me round in his JCB…”
https://www.flightradar24.com/ZEUS52/2adbc19c
Whether the reality lives up to expectations is another matter.
'The Parties long for each other, like men and women, in order that they may be cured of their excesses.
...
Everything tires with time, and starts to seek some opposition, to save it from itself.'
My wife and I could travel, had enough money, neither of us had work demands.
That was before bits of my bodily systems started malfunctioning!
Southampton airport 22 gusting 34 knots at the moment https://www.flightradar24.com/airport/sou
It's all fine, all fine
No wind on the Tyne
It's all fine
All together now...