Easter Weekend - 25th-28th March 2016

[PaulfromYorkshire]

Morning!

Conservatives lost Dalton (Allerdale) to Ind, coming third behind Labour

Look forward to Anatoly's full analysis later

[PaulfromYorkshire]

Lucy Powell tweeting some good stuff on academies @LucyMPowell

https://twitter.com/LucyMPowell" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[rebeccariots2]

Morning. Yes. Looks like Nick Gibb went down really well on Radio 4.

Michael Rosen ‏@MichaelRosenYes 28m28 minutes ago
So the new line from Gibb et al re academies is 'You can't have 2 systems'. Er...but English education has always had several systems.

Richard Burden MP ‏@RichardBurdenMP 28m28 minutes ago
Minister says forcing all schools to be academies is about devolution.Then he says compulsion necessary so there is"one system" #r4today

Kevin Schofield ‏@PolhomeEditor 33m33 minutes ago Ealing, London
Nick Gibb really struggling to explain how you give schools more freedom by forcing them to become academies. @BBCr4today

Dr Mary Bousted ‏@MaryBoustedATL 28m28 minutes ago
Nick Gibb on R4 today making fast and loose with dodgy stats to defend the bonkers forced academisation policy. Tory councillors v unhappy.

Dr Mary Bousted
‏@MaryBoustedATL
Tories worried that MATS won't want small rural schools and that they will close. They are right to worry.

Lucy Powell MP ‏@LucyMPowell 24m24 minutes ago
Lucy Powell MP Retweeted Dr Mary Bousted
MATs also don't want schools with poor school buildings (large or small) which may require investment.

andysearson ‏@andysearson 27m27 minutes ago
@LucyMPowell @MichaelRosenYes So are the Tories suggesting bringing Eton et al into this 'single' system?

Laura McInerney ‏@miss_mcinerney 41m41 minutes ago
Nick Gibb keeps saying 'he' for headteacher. Oh dear. #r4today

[RogerOThornhill]

Lucy Powell tweeting some good stuff on academies @LucyMPowell

https://twitter.com/LucyMPowell" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I heard Nick Gibb - same old, same old - ARK and Harris, 1.4m in good and OS schools, school-led system, autonomy blah blah.

The new one that I've heard is "we can't have two systems" - I've seen "we've reached the tipping point" too. Like 5m acads, 16m non-acads is a tipping point now?

I find it difficult to listen to him.

[danesclose]

Good morning. Superb cartoon from Steve Bell today:
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... n#comments" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[rebeccariots2]

Listening to the Radio 5 call in on forced academisation.

'Chains.' It's not an appealing concept when applied to schools IMO. Supermarket chains ... understandable.

Current caller pointing out that far from enhancing parent choice it is going to be lessened by moves such as 'through' schools which will take children from 4 through to 18. So if you don't get your child into your school of choice when they start off - you won't be getting them in at secondary level either.

[rebeccariots2]

MP John Woodcock Accidentally Offers To Give Voters ‘Head’
Bit of a cock-up
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/m ... _hp_ref=uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thank you Huff Post for giving Woodcock's latest outburst the perfect treatment.

[RogerOThornhill]

Oh dear, one of our chums thinks the marches against full academization has had no effect.

Given that the WP was only out last week and there's been no debate in parliament as yet, it wasn't very likely anyway.

I can just see Morgan and Gibb looking out of their office windows and thinking "Wow! look at the opposition to our plans which we told no-one about in the manifesto and George didn't even mention 4 months ago in the Autumn Statement! OK, they win. Let's drop it"

[AnatolyKasparov]

MP John Woodcock Accidentally Offers To Give Voters ‘Head’
Bit of a cock-up
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/m ... _hp_ref=uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thank you Huff Post for giving Woodcock's latest outburst the perfect treatment.

Puts all his effort into his anti-Corbyn tweets, you know

Btw it is claimed his profane outburst on Wed was actually intended as a private message for a lobby journalist, but went on his public account by mistake

[HindleA]

93-year-old woman who pays £1000 a month for care found to be living in squalor
http://www.itv.com/news/central/2016-03 ... n-squalor/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


The time allocation and/or cost must be wrong.

[AnatolyKasparov]

Quiet today, unsurprising given it is a holiday

Maybe make this the start of an Easter weekend "long thread"?

[HindleA]

Agree.

[refitman]

Quiet today, unsurprising given it is a holiday

Maybe make this the start of an Easter weekend "long thread"?

Updated to a weekend thread.

[ephemerid]

Twas the night before Easter......at 5pm......

.......and the Tories issued a document from DBIS on how they want to flog off the Land Registry by 2017.

The Land Registry makes money. It's worth more than a billion, made a surplus of more than £30BN last year, and paid the Treasury £100 Million.

Since Osborne took over as Chancellor in 2010, he has sold nearly £40 Billions-worth of our assets and plans another £20 Billion this year alone.

What did he do with all that money? Has it disappeared into his big black hole in the sofa?

[rebeccariots2]

johannmalawana ‏@johannmalawana 5h5 hours ago
This weekend,whilst government ministers are on their holidays,NHS workers will be desperately trying to keep the service afloat #timetotalk

[HindleA]

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cons ... ting-model" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The preferred model being proposed is a privatisation of Land Registry consisting of a contract between government and a private operator, with all the core functions transferred out of the public sector, but with key safeguards for Land Registry customers and government being maintained.

[danesclose]

Twas the night before Easter......at 5pm......

.......and the Tories issued a document from DBIS on how they want to flog off the Land Registry by 2017.

The Land Registry makes money. It's worth more than a billion, made a surplus of more than £30BN last year, and paid the Treasury £100 Million.

Since Osborne took over as Chancellor in 2010, he has sold nearly £40 Billions-worth of our assets and plans another £20 Billion this year alone.

What did he do with all that money? Has it disappeared into his big black hole in the sofa?

He probably did the same thing that his heroine did in the 1980's with the privatisation revenue & North Sea oil money, pissed it up the wall (metaphorically speaking)

[ephemerid]

Also announced yesterday.....

265 homes for the military to be sold off, and MOD land, at 10 sites in total. This is to raise £140 Million and provide space for 7,000 new homes.

18,000 school pupils chosen at random will have extra tests for Maths and English. This is to check if standards really are improving, apparently.

The Treasury will be paying out £713,063 in bonuses this year (£29,488 more than last year) to well-paid staff for just doing their jobs.

Is it me?

[HindleA]

No

[HindleA]

https://speye.wordpress.com/2016/03/25/ ... eological/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Spare Bedroom Gov? It’s Toryideological

[citizenJA]

Good-afternoon, everyone

[rebeccariots2]

Michael Rosen ‏@MichaelRosenYes 41m41 minutes ago
Gibb on academies this morning. It's nonsense.5 kinds of nonsense, actually. http://michaelrosenblog.blogspot.com/20 ... l?spref=tw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

[rebeccariots2]

Never mind politics for a mo - I feel a need to tell you that Mr Riots and I have just had fried egg sandwiches for lunch - and bloody delicious they were too.

[HindleA]

[yahyah]

Marmite & toast, followed by an orange.

[ohsocynical]

Quiet today, unsurprising given it is a holiday

Maybe make this the start of an Easter weekend "long thread"?

We've a bit of decent sunshine today, but then the weather goes rapidly downhill. Parks are jampacked. Everyone making the most of it.

[ohsocynical]

Never mind politics for a mo - I feel a need to tell you that Mr Riots and I have just had fried egg sandwiches for lunch - and bloody delicious they were too.

Mr Ohso's favourite...

[yahyah]

Doesn't the egg squidge out ?

[rebeccariots2]

Doesn't the egg squidge out ?

Yup. Essential part of it - mopping up squidged out egginess.

[ohsocynical]

Doesn't the egg squidge out ?

Mr Ohso says that's the best part of it...

[55DegreesNorth]

Marmite & toast, followed by an orange.

Soft boiled egg chopped with finely grated cheddar and a handful of freshly picked mixed leaves on toast. Yum.
I've got all the seeds in, borders prepared and the first lawn cut of the year, in time for a trip to Spain tomorrow. Hope you all have a nice Easter.

[mbc1955]

As a former Conveyancing Solicitor who had dealings with the Land Registry all his career in that role, and who's aware of the vital importance of a comprehensive and accurate record of ownership, demesne, rights, covenants etc for the whole country, free from manipulation and deformation by individuals human or corporate for their own advantage, selling off the Land Registry stinks on ice. It is an essential element of the whole point in having a government in the first place. Osborne should be shot at dawn, no blindfolds, for even thinking of this idea.

[mbc1955]

I'd be more impressed by Ted Cruz's righteous and rightful anger at Donald Drumpf attacking Cruz's wife if Cruz's side hadn't started it by attacking Melania Drumpf.

Is there anything lower than trying to get at someone by attacking their spouse?

[Temulkar]

Happy Easter, All. In case it's of interest to those of you who are close, I am doing a talk at Reading Library on April 5th on the siege of 1643 and my book. http://www.reading.gov.uk/article/9341/ ... ---5-April

I'm quite impressed by Reading Libraries, I must say, they are doing a lot despite cuts. I said I would do the gig for free even though they offered to pay as every little helps - was nice to be offered a fee though, most don't.

[ohsocynical]

Happy Easter, All. In case it's of interest to those of you who are close, I am doing a talk at Reading Library on April 5th on the siege of 1643 and my book. http://www.reading.gov.uk/article/9341/ ... ---5-April

I'm quite impressed by Reading Libraries, I must say, they are doing a lot despite cuts. I said I would do the gig for free even though they offered to pay as every little helps - was nice to be offered a fee though, most don't.

For nearly thirty years we lived in a house that had been built on land originally owned by Christchurch School? Our deeds had the most impressive, saucer sized, red wax seal. I believe the demarcation lines ran roughly where our house was. My dad was always hoping to dig up musket balls, or disturbed earth depicting a grave when he did the garden. He never did though.

[Willow904]

I only just saw this - from yesterday -
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... referendum" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Tory donor calls for leadership contest after EU referendum
Alexander Temerko says Cameron should face ballot whatever the referendum result, and that Boris Johnson should win

Cameron used to be an electoral asset but he's rapidly becoming tarnished. That recent poll where he was rated below Corbyn may have been a significant point on a downward trajectory that Tory rivals have been plotting for him since he secured a majority. Quite of few of them would probably fancy four guaranteed years in charge over just one or two. He's a dead man walking, isn't he?

[Temulkar]

Happy Easter, All. In case it's of interest to those of you who are close, I am doing a talk at Reading Library on April 5th on the siege of 1643 and my book. http://www.reading.gov.uk/article/9341/ ... ---5-April

I'm quite impressed by Reading Libraries, I must say, they are doing a lot despite cuts. I said I would do the gig for free even though they offered to pay as every little helps - was nice to be offered a fee though, most don't.

For nearly thirty years we lived in a house that had been built on land originally owned by Christchurch School? Our deeds had the most impressive, saucer sized, red wax seal. I believe the demarcation lines ran roughly where our house was. My dad was always hoping to dig up musket balls, or disturbed earth depicting a grave when he did the garden. He never did though.

Your dad would probably remember blagrave manor in southcote - which was really important but pulled down in the 30s. there were open fields between it and reading then.

[yahyah]

Enjoy your trip 55Degrees.

[ohsocynical]

Happy Easter, All. In case it's of interest to those of you who are close, I am doing a talk at Reading Library on April 5th on the siege of 1643 and my book. http://www.reading.gov.uk/article/9341/ ... ---5-April

I'm quite impressed by Reading Libraries, I must say, they are doing a lot despite cuts. I said I would do the gig for free even though they offered to pay as every little helps - was nice to be offered a fee though, most don't.

For nearly thirty years we lived in a house that had been built on land originally owned by Christchurch School? Our deeds had the most impressive, saucer sized, red wax seal. I believe the demarcation lines ran roughly where our house was. My dad was always hoping to dig up musket balls, or disturbed earth depicting a grave when he did the garden. He never did though.

The house we'd lived in previously was built by the HolyBrook on land that was originally owned by Reading Abbey. There was even rumour of a hooded monk that haunted nearby.

As it was a new build we had to get the garden up together. You should have seen the huge holes he dug when he thought he was on to something...

The garden was on a south facing slope, and he built three retaining walls to hold terraces. He used to come home with bits of stone he'd scrounged or 'liberated'. We even had lumps of worked Roman stone in it.

He used to drive my mum mad...

[ohsocynical]

Happy Easter, All. In case it's of interest to those of you who are close, I am doing a talk at Reading Library on April 5th on the siege of 1643 and my book. http://www.reading.gov.uk/article/9341/ ... ---5-April

I'm quite impressed by Reading Libraries, I must say, they are doing a lot despite cuts. I said I would do the gig for free even though they offered to pay as every little helps - was nice to be offered a fee though, most don't.

For nearly thirty years we lived in a house that had been built on land originally owned by Christchurch School? Our deeds had the most impressive, saucer sized, red wax seal. I believe the demarcation lines ran roughly where our house was. My dad was always hoping to dig up musket balls, or disturbed earth depicting a grave when he did the garden. He never did though.

Your dad would probably remember blagrave manor in southcote - which was really important but pulled down in the 30s. there were open fields between it and reading then.

We sometimes used to go to Circuit Lane to swim in the Holybrook when we were young, never could afford bus fares so walked from Wolseley St, in Coley.
I clearly remember one summer we walked around the overgrown remains of what had once been the moat. Reading University had been excavating there and some of the bits and pieces they'd dug up were laying on the foundation walls, which were all that was left. It never occurred to us to help ourselves although it was obviously unwanted.
It was a hot day, and there were dragon flies hovering over our heads. It was dead quiet and still although Southcote housing estate was quite near.
Very atmospheric, and one of those days that stick in the memory.

[frightful_oik]

A few Civil War cannonballs were found in my garden. Now in the possession of Derby Museum.

[AnatolyKasparov]

I'd be more impressed by Ted Cruz's righteous and rightful anger at Donald Drumpf attacking Cruz's wife if Cruz's side hadn't started it by attacking Melania Drumpf.

Is there anything lower than trying to get at someone by attacking their spouse?

Some rather lurid claims about Cruz have appeared in the National Enquirer.

If there is any truth to them, and the MSM runs with it, he has to be sunk surely?

[ohsocynical]

For nearly thirty years we lived in a house that had been built on land originally owned by Christchurch School? Our deeds had the most impressive, saucer sized, red wax seal. I believe the demarcation lines ran roughly where our house was. My dad was always hoping to dig up musket balls, or disturbed earth depicting a grave when he did the garden. He never did though.

Your dad would probably remember blagrave manor in southcote - which was really important but pulled down in the 30s. there were open fields between it and reading then.

We sometimes used to go to Circuit Lane to swim in the Holybrook when we were young, never could afford bus fares so walked from Wolseley St, in Coley.
I clearly remember one summer we walked around the overgrown remains of what had once been the moat. Reading University had been excavating there and some of the bits and pieces they'd dug up were laying on the foundation walls, which were all that was left. It never occurred to us to help ourselves although it was obviously unwanted.
It was a hot day, and there were dragon flies hovering over our heads. It was dead quiet and still although Southcote housing estate was quite near.
Very atmospheric, and one of those days that stick in the memory.

We were quite poor, but were always out and about on long walks during the summer at weekends and during the week.
My dad's abiding love was antiques and so he was quite good on history ... The first thing he taught me was how glass was originally made and how to tell if it was old or new by the pontiel [sp?] marks on the bottom, and if it had been ground. I was around six years old but never forgot the lesson.

[ohsocynical]

A few Civil War cannonballs were found in my garden. Now in the possession of Derby Museum.

You are lucky. My dad would have been overjoyed to find one of those.
There used to be what I think was a civil war cannon displayed in Forbury Gardens in the Abby Ruins in Reading many years ago, and we'd always detour to go and see it. Don't know what happened to it...

[Temulkar]

I think Reading missed a trick when Newark got the Civil War Museum. Reading was one of the most fought over places during the first war. It must have looked much like downtown Aleppo by 1646.

[ephemerid]

I have just had a little look at the fitforwork.org website - and I wish I hadn't.

This is the site run by Health Management Ltd. (a subsidiary of Maximus) who have the contract for the governments' Health and Work Service.
For those of you who may not know, this "service" is what employers can refer their employees to if they are off sick for 4 weeks or likely to be.

It's supposed to help people back to work sooner - by dint of a 45-minute telephone "interview" with a "health care professional" who is not only able to discuss all the employees' medical problems but deal with their barriers to returning to work, which is very good for you, apparently.

There is a section called "Blog" which is not a blog at all. It's a series of pieces by "the Fit For Work team" which are essentially idiots' guides to various illnesses and what not. You can, apparently, identify stress and anxiety by seeing whether people eat their lunch at their desk. Truly.

In the "Blog" there is an intelligence-insulting explanation of the bio/psych/social model, which the Fit For Work team opine is a wonderful thing.

No wonder the BMA unanimously passed a motion entitled - "The Health and Work Service is misleading both in name and by its claims to provide occupational health advice and support".

Mind you, this latest DWP idea to have a pop at ill people in jobs (as if they hadn't done enough to ill people without one) is the result of a report co-authored by Dame Carol Black, who has a career littered with doing governments' bidding.

[ohsocynical]

I've just remembered it wasn't Christchurch that had owned the land our house was on. It was Christ's Hospital...Knew it was something like that.

The museum was another regular stop if we were in town shopping. I can't remember seeing anything about the civil war, but there were lots of artifacts from the Roman remains at Silchester. A whole roomful of cases if my memory serves me correctly.

Funnily enough we never learnt about Reading's history at school.
I vaguely knew there had been action there, but not the extent until I was into my thirties, and dad brought home a small book on the History of Reading which was when I discovered that where we lived had been in the thick of it.
I think St Giles Church in Southampton St was utilised during the battle and think the original steeple was destroyed during it. My grandparents and our son were married there.
I have both sides of my family buried in St Mary's Churchyard in the Butts, although not many graves have survived.

[citizenJA]

From the National Audit Office (NAO) - 24 March 2016

The impact of state pension reforms on people with Guaranteed Minimum Pensions
24 March 2016

https://www.nao.org.uk/report/the-impac ... -pensions/

Concluding remarks

"The uprating of Guaranteed Minimum Pensions is a complicated area. The impact of
reforms on individuals will depend on a number of factors including their age, employment
history, earnings and future inflation. Some people are likely to lose out and they have not
been able to find the information they need.

We are concerned that the Department has limited information about who is
affected by the impact of pension reforms on Guaranteed Minimum Pensions. It is
now seeking to improve how it communicates the impact of pension reforms, and will
need to help people identify how they are affected and provide them with accurate and
more complete information so that they can make informed decisions about their future
pension arrangements."

https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploa ... ension.pdf

[Temulkar]

I've just remembered it wasn't Christchurch that had owned the land our house was on. It was Christ's Hospital...Knew it was something like that.

The museum was another regular stop if we were in town shopping. I can't remember seeing anything about the civil war, but there were lots of artifacts from the Roman remains at Silchester. A whole roomful of cases if my memory serves me correctly.

Funnily enough we never learnt about Reading's history at school.
I vaguely knew there had been action there, but not the extent until I was into my thirties, and dad brought home a small book on the History of Reading which was when I discovered that where we lived had been in the thick of it.
I think St Giles Church in Southampton St was utilised during the battle and think the original steeple was destroyed during it. My grandparents and our son were married there.
I have both sides of my family buried in St Mary's Churchyard in the Butts, although not many graves have survived.

The Roundhead cannoneers targetted St Giles steeple in the siege of 43, as it was one of the tallest buildings in the town. There was a prize for who could knock it down.

[HindleA]

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... ht-goes-on" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Ed Miliband interview: 'The thing that's important to me is that the fight goes on'