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Showing posts from 2025

Music to start the weekend part three, I will survive - Weetabix advert version

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Music to start the weekend part two - I will survive, "Meet The Spartans" version

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Music to start the weekend part one: Gloria Gaynor, "I Will Survive"

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Thursday music spot: Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary (Purcell): from March to Canzona

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Quote of the day 6th February 2025

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MoD Defence intelligence update 5th February 2025

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Midweek music spot: Thomas Tallis, "Salvator Mundi"

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Quote of the day 5th February 2025

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"Keir Starmer is back in Brussels. He risks restarting the Brexit wars under the pretense of closer ties with the EU. I’ve set five tests to ensure he doesn’t undo Brexit.   Under my leadership, Conservatives will always stand up for Britain and fight for our hard-won freedoms." (Kemi Badenoch) The five tests are:

Tuesday music spot: Thunderbirds March Played Live at the Birmingham Symphony Hall

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Quote of the day 4th February 2025

"Russia has worked out how to weaken or overthrow western governments without firing a shot.  "New defences, including revealing the scale of these activities, strengthening election laws and discrediting those who are paid by Moscow, are needed urgently. "A US President who things Canada is the enemy will not help with this." "We should notice that the end of the street is on fire - and an arsonist is heading this way." (William Hague, some of the concluding lines of an article in today's Times called "Divided West is precisely what Putin wants, " which among other things lists some of the evidence of Russian interference in elections in other countries.

MoD defence intelligence update on the war in Ukraine 3rd February 2025

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Monday music spot: The Barron Knights, "Barron's fun 40"

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It's fascinating to see which of the spoof pop song names in this parody of the Top of the Pops rundown by the Barron Knights have dated, and which of the jokes are still as appropriate as ever.  Followed by the "Masochistic And Sadistic Hospital song" (the initials are a reference to a US comedy TV show called "MASH" which was set in an army medical unit in Vietnam during the conflict there. The theme music for that TV show is the melody of the song.)

Quote of the day 3rd February 2025

"Reeves bangs on about "hard-wiring growth into every Cabinet decision" yet destroys it with every decision she takes. The Chancellor is a one-woman growth destruction machine." Harvey Jones , in an express article about two of Labour's latest disasters which you can read in full at:   Rachel Reeves and Ed Miliband declare war on UK’s two biggest firms. Express.co.uk

MoD defence intelligence update 2nd February 2025

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Liturgically correct Sunday Music spot for 2nd February 2025

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I jumped the gun last week.  The feast of the presentation of Christ in the Temple is often the last Sunday in January, but it can be in early February. And it is in fact today this year, not last week.  So here is a different recording of Johannes Eccard's masterpiece written for this feast.

Quote of the day 2nd February 2025

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"Like burning bank notes to stay warm." Oliver Johnson , head of one of the country's leading University Maths departments, on the Labour government's decision to scrap the “hugely successful” Advanced Mathematics Support Programme. Running since 2018, the initiative helped state schools teach further, higher, and core maths. Delivered by the Maths Education Innovation charity the scheme is seen as crucial in the age of AI…

Saturday music spot: Johann Sebastian Bach's, Harpsichord Concerto no. 6, BWV 1057

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Labour's stunning hypocrisy

Responding to the news that David Lammy, Foreign Secretary in the current Labour government, has spent   £916,177 on flights, of which £891,719 was on private jets, since the last election , his Conservative predecessor James Cleverly had this to say: "I’m not going to criticise the PM or Foreign Secretary for air travel on government business.  I’m going to criticise them for breathtaking hypocrisy.  Labour’s criticism of me when flying on government business was relentless." Note that, because he isn't a world-class hypocrite like Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner, or most of the rest of the Labour front bench, James Cleverly is NOT criticising Lammy for doing exactly what he did himself, and not am I criticising Starmer or Lammy for something I would have defended when Conservative Prime Ministers and Foreign secretaries did it. When in opposition Labour submitted a large number of Freedom of Information requests about and made performative public attacks on, the use by...

Quote of the day 1st February 2025

“Being in a minority, even in a minority of one, did not make you mad. There was truth and there was untruth, and if you clung to the truth even against the whole world, you were not mad.” George Orwell, "1984." (Hat tip to Iain Dale who reminded me of this quote on X, formerly Twitter, yesterday)

MoD statement on Ukraine at 31st January 2025

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"The illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine is continuing.   The map below is the latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 31 January 2025."  

Music to start the weekend: "Hooked on Bach"

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Bad news for the attorney general

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 When Downing Street has to put out a message like this it is never a good sign ...

Labour costs Britain £450 million of investment

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  Mel Stride commented: "£450 million of investment cancelled thanks to Labour.  They’ve run out of money due to their ruinous Budget - now they are penny pinching and destroying our future. AstraZeneca are a vital player in UK science and tech. This, from them, is damning." Jeremy Hunt added: "This is an absolute tragedy. The government have reneged on a deal I negotiated in 2023 and the UK has lost a factory and many jobs in one of our most promising industries.  Rachel Reeves MP should pick up the phone to Sir Pascal Soriot: if she believes in growth short term penny pinching cannot be the answer."

Quote of the day 31st January 2024

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 A quote from the Board of Deputies of British Jews concerning reports that  a Holocaust Memorial exhibition was blocked from exhibiting in Westminster Hall.

Comeback of the week

ON LBC:  Rachel Reeves "I inherited a £22bn black hole in the public finances." Nick Ferrari "Why did you INCREASE public spending by over £70 BILLION then?"

Thursday music spot: Trumpet Tune, by Henry Purcell,

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Andrew Neil on why Reeves' growth plan will not work

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If Labour's election leaflets had been accurate -

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Quote of the day 30th January 2025

"Labour's suicidal Budget crippled the economy. Now, Starmer and Reeves have come up with an even more incoherent plan. The truth is, they don't have a clue." (Former Labour and trade union staffer Dan Hodges , title of newspaper article this week.  You can read it in full by clicking on this link:   DAN HODGES: Labour's suicidal Budget crippled the economy. Now, Starmer and Reeves have come up with an even more incoherent plan. The truth is, they don't have a clue | Daily Mail Online ) He also wrote yesterday on X, formerly twitter: "Genuinely don't understand what the Government thinks it's doing now. If you want to take £40 billion from business to protect public services, that's fine. That's a legitimate and defensible policy. But it's not compatible with a policy of prioritising growth. Self-evidently."

Rachel Reeves unmasks the main "Barrier to growth"

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MoD Defence intelligence update on Ukraine 29th January 2025

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Second midweek music spot: Vivaldi's Concerto in A minor for two violins

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Midweek music spot: Bach's Harpsichord concerto in A major BWV 1055

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Quote of the day 29th January 2025

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Tuesday music spot: "Winter" from Vivaldi's The Four Seasons

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Polling data on top reasons for not voting Labour

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Some interesting polling data released by Persuasion UK and apparently based on data from the latest YouGov voting intention poll, based on a survey of 3,000 UK adults, on the main reasons why those who don't currently plan to vote Labour take that view. The data provides breakdowns of the top three reasons given both by defectors - those who voted Labour in July 2024 but would not do so today - and by all those who currently do not plan to vote Labour. The two sets of results are pretty consistent although not identical. Both defectors from Labour and the group of non-Labour voters as a whole give the same top reason, the removal of the Winter Fuel Payment from most pensioners, Seven reasons for not voting Labour were cited considerably more often than the other options provided by the group of all non-Labour voters, and these seven reasons were seven of the top eight cited by the group of voters switching away from Labour. The cost of living seems to be a very serious concern, be...

Quote of the day 28th January 2025

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MoD Defence intelligence update on Ukraine 27th January 2025

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Lighten our darkness

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At 8pm today, the 80thh anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, I like many others put a lighted candle in my window to mark Holocaust Memorial day and remember all victims of genocide. Remember the past to build a safer future.

Holocaust Memorial Day: We remember

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WE REMEMBER. Today is the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. This evening at 8pm I and many others will safely place a lighted candle in the window to remember the victims of the Shoah, six million Jews and millions of other people who for various reasons the Nazis didn't like, and all other victims of genocide.  When the true horror of what the Nazis had done the world said in disbelief "Never again!" Yet, sadly and incredibly, these have been empty words because, if not on quote the same vast scale, similar things have kept happening. It is time for us all to make sure that the words "Never again" are not just empty words. It is time FOR A B£TTER FUTURE.

Quote of the day for Holocaust Memorial Day 2025

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"The law is not a moral compass. The people who hid Anne Frank were breaking the law. The people who killed her were following it." Alexander Verbeek. As we remember the victims of the Holocaust and all genocides, let us think about what we need to do to make the world better - and a place where "never again" is not a platitude but an actuality.

Holocaust Memorial Day 2025

Tomorrow, 27th January 2025, is the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Berkenau murder camp and will be marked around the world as Holocaust memorial Day. It is a day when we remember the victims of the Nazi holocaust - six million jews and millions of other innocent people who for various reasons the Nazis didn't like. We also remember the victims of all subsequent genocides from Cambodia to Rwanda, from Darfur to Bosnia, from the massacre of Rohinga Muslims in Myanmar to those of Jews by Hamas on 7th October 2023. We remember all victims whether they were murdered for their race, their religion or for some other arbitrary reason, whatever that race, religion or reason might be.  The theme of this year's Holocaust Memorial Day is FOR A BETTER FUTURE. Holocaust Memorial Day Trust | HMD 2025 Theme Each year people from across the UK take part in the Light the Darkness national moment for Holocaust Memorial Day. At 8pm on 27 January people across the nation will...

Quiz question

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Question:  What's the difference between a farmer driving a tractor which has sunk to its' axles in mud, and the latest Opinium polling data on the PM's approval ratings? Answer: One's a stuck farmer, and the other shows that PM's approval rating has dropped to a low of minus 35% . 21% of respondents approved of the way the Prime Minister is doing his job and 55% disapprove.  Full results available at  Opinium Voting Intention: 22nd January 2025 - Opinium

Swimathon 2025

Britain's largest charity swim, the Swimathon, returns on 28-30 March this year when thousands of swimmers will head to hundreds of pools around Britain to raise money for three great causes. These causes are Cancer Research UK, Marie Curie Cancer Care, and the Swimathon Foundation. Each of these organizations plays a vital role in improving lives and advancing research. On 29th March 2025 I plan to complete the Swimathon 5000 metres challenge, swimming 200 lengths of Hensingham pool to raise money for these excellent causes. I have been taking part in Swimathon for thirty years. Thank you if you have supported me before. Please join me in backing these excellent causes. Your support makes all the difference! You can sponsor me online on my Givengain page, which you can find by clicking on the following link: Swimathon 2025 - Please support these life-changing causes

Cumberland Labour councillor resigns

The Vice-Chair of Cumberland Council, Linda Bulman, has posted on Facebook that she has resigned from the Labour party. This is the statement that she posted today: "After over a decade as a Labour member and a Labour Councillor, I've taken the very difficult decision to leave the Labour Party because of the national leadership; and their parachuted yes-men here; Josh MacAlister MP and his right hand man, Kevin Peel, who have changed our party beyond recognition, abandoning the socialist democratic and socialist principles that are needed to improve living standards for ordinary people and support our local communities, I fully respect the decision of friends and colleagues who have chosen to remain in the Labour Party to try and change things for the better from within. As an Independent Councillor I will be an independent voice, standing up for real Labour values; supporting working class communities, pensioners, unemployed people, farmers, the disabled and low income famili...

Sunday music spot: "When to the temple Mary went" (Johannes Eccard)

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To mark the feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, here is Eccard's haunting anthem written for this festival. POSTSCRIPT: I jumped the gun slightly above, see next Sunday's music spot post!

Quote of the day 26th January 2025

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Quote of the day 25th January 2025

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MoD Defence intelligence update on Ukraine 24th January 2025

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Quote of the day 24th January 2025

"You always own the option of having no opinion."  (Marcus Aurelius)

MoD defence intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine 23rd January 2025

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Quote of the day 23rd January 2025

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Midweek music spot: Vivaldi's Concerto for four violins in B minor

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Quote of the day 22nd January 2025

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MoD Defence intelligence update 21st January 2025 (on the Russian presence in the Mediterranean)

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Quote of the day 21st January 2025

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Quote of the day 20th January 2025

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Quote of the day 19th January 2025

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Saturday Music spot: Handel's Overture from Solomon (a.k.a. The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba)

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Music to start the weekend - "In the Navy," original and "Down Periscope" music videos

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  The above YouTube clip is Village People's original 1978 official music video version of their song "In the Navy."   And below we have the same song as the end credits of the 1996 Kelsey Grammer nautical comedy "Down Periscope" in which Village People joined Kelsey Grammer and the rest of the cast of the film to spoof their own video.

Kemi Badenoch’s keynote speech today

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The above video shows the keynote speech given today by Kemi Badenoch, Leader of the Conservative Party. (She was introduced by Simon Clarke, Director of the "Onward" group. Here is the text of the speech. "We are all getting poorer. Politicians across all parties have not told the truth about this and instead keep prescribing quick fixes that are actually making things worse. This problem is broader than one party, one leader, or one period of government. Generations of leaders and entire ranks of senior managers have been trying and failing for a long time. Many have not been honest with the public about the challenges we face. And others have not even been honest with themselves. We are a great country, but we’ve lost our way. The truth is that Britain is failing to compete in a world that is changing. And it is not working for its citizens, certainly not the way it used to. Back in the 1980s it took just months to save up for a house deposit. Now it is over a decade,...

Thursday music spot: G. F. Händel's "Sarabande" transcribed for Organ.

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Quote of the day 16th January 2025

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More thoughts on Labour's Devolution Proposals

As I have previously written   here , having supported elected Strategic Mayors with powers devolved from Central government (NOT taken from local councils) and unitary authorities when the Conservatives were putting them forward, I'm not going to do a U-turn and change that position just because Labour has come round to it. I argued at the time that a directly elected Strategic Mayor for Cumbria would have been a good thing, and provided that a decent devolution settlement comes with the creation of a strategic mayoral authority and they don't do anything daft like trying to cover too big an area it still would be. I would strongly support a Major for Cumbria and also a Mayor for Lancashire, but trying to have one mayor for both counties would in my opinion not work as well because the area concerned is so huge and so diverse. Mayors are supposed to be local. We shall see what they come up with - the numbers quoted for the minimum size of a Mayoral authority in the Labour pro...

Midweek music spot: "Danse Macabre" (Saint-Saëns )

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Cumbria Chronic: "The MP Won't See You now."

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I have been reading sone of the satirical columns extracting the Michael from the various power that be in Cumbria and Westminster published by "Cumbria Chronic." No doubt I will not agree with all their opinions, as they seem to have taken pot-shots at politicians of every political party except Reform UK, (that's probably coming) not to mention various of their fellow journalists or "Churnalists." Indeed, "Cumbria Chronic" seem to reserve the worst venom for their fellow "churnalists." Reading these articles did rather remind me of the cushion owned by US President Teddy Roosevelt's daughter, Alice Roosevelt Longworth, on which was embroidered the slogan    (This quote is also often attributed to Dorothy Parker, but the  Quote Investigator® website confirms it's provenance as having been on Alice Roosevelt Longworth's cushion .) The latest bucket of cold water dumped today over the ego of a Cumbrian politician by Cumbria Chronic...

Quote of the day 15th January 2025

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Quote of the day 14th January 2025

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Quote of the day 13th January 2025

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Quote of the day 12th January 2025

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Quote of the day 11th January 2025

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Quote of the day 9th January 2025

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Of Voodoo polls and more substantial ones.

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One should not put too much faith in Voodoo polls on the internet like this one, however much amusement a poll may cause to politicians from the other party or who come off better. The reason for posting this is the astute comment underneath from Pete Forrest. Yes, he's right. The current PM and government always gets the most flak. Nevertheless, for a Prime Minister's support to drop so catastrophically six months after winning the largest parliamentary majority in UK political history does represent quite an enormous achievement in hacking people off. Much more robust and properly conducted polling also finds an extreme drop in Labour's popularity, such as the YouGov poll which found that " Labour crashes to embarrassing -45% approval rating ." "Even Labour voters are now divided on the government they elected, with 38% having a negative view and 34% a positive one," said YouGov. Sir Keir's approval rating has also fallen to a record low of -41%, ...

Quote of the day Wednesday 8th January 2024

"Saying “ not a good look ” is not a good look" This week's Bagehot column in The Economist, which describes the saying as,  The four worst words in British politics 

Tuesday music spot: Palatine Electric String Quartet perform Palladio by Karl Jenkins

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The big freeze continues

There has been a further Yellow warning of Snow and Ice from the Met office for many parts of the country including much of North West England. They predict icy stretches and sleet/snow showers developing overnight, bringing some disruption, especially to travel. What to expect • Some roads and railways likely to be affected with longer journey times by road, bus and trains • Probably some icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths • Some injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces Further Details Icy stretches are expected to develop this evening, due to ongoing wet surfaces following earlier rain and, in places, snowmelt. Frequent sleet or snow showers are also expected to affect Wales and parts of northwest England this evening, moving into southwest England, the Midlands and parts of southern England in the early hours of Tuesday. In addition to the ice, these are likely to produce snow accumulations of a few cm above 200 metres, with a small chance of g...