Mr K is right (as usual) when he says I need to add the following to the sweepstake:
6. The New York Dolls
7. Roxy Music
No [*ahem*] Raymonde one hopes - a band so dire that even the mighty Google does not compute a link (lucky readers...)
ETA - rank outsiders - they're good but they're not right:
8. Linder
9. Jobriath
More Industry Props for Brighton & Hove Planners
For once, I was delighted to read a Tory press release today:*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Urban study the best in south east
A city-wide study that has analysed the special character of 32 neighbourhoods has been voted the best planning strategy in south east England.
Brighton & Hove’s Urban Characterisation Study was given the regional award by the Royal Town Planning Institute.
The study provides a wealth of information about how various neighbourhoods within the city have developed, including a description and analysis of those qualities that will guide planning decisions on future developments.
Planners will use the study to decide what types of development will best improve and fit in with different areas of the city. The study makes it easier to see the impact a proposed development would have on the individual neighbourhood, as well as the city as a whole. It also provides guidance to developers.
Brighton & Hove’s Urban Characterisation Study has analysed the special character of 32 neighbourhoods, from historic downland settlements and Victorian suburbs to the late 20th century Marina development.
Councillor Geoffrey Theobald [who he?], Brighton & Hove’s cabinet member for environment, said: “Other planning authorities have shown a keen interest in our study. Our staff have put in a lot of time and effort and have produced an easy to understand guide describing the make up of the city and the past influences on its development and identity.
“The study highlights areas that could be improved and these will be taken forward through the Local Development Framework which sets out planning policy for future years.”
The study has been written, illustrated and produced in-house by the Design and Conservation Team of City Planning. The methodology has been taken up by other planning authorities, particularly London boroughs and Southampton City Council, as a model for their own studies.
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
The Urban Characterisation Study is an excellent and inspiring piece of work, and I'm thrilled that those who've worked on it have received due acclaim. Well done to you all :)
November Spawned a Mozza*
Morrissey is on Desert Island Discs on Sunday. I am unbelievably excited - every trailer on Radio 4 has me all a-quiver with delicious anticipation. He is one of my heroes and I have loved him since I was 12 years old.I think I last heard Morrissey (who has consistently viewed the media with suspicion throughout his career) on the radio in June 1986 when he made a rare-as-rockinghorse-s*** appearance to preview The Queen is Dead on Tony "the Greek" Michaelides' *alternative show* on Piccadilly Radio, a much-missed independent Manchester station where Chris Evans began his career as Timmy Mallett's sidekick (not to mention OOH Gary Davies...).
I can remember so vividly sitting in my bedroom, hoping my tape deck was working, hanging on Mozza's every word, transported by the new songs I was hearing, counting the minutes down till I could buy my very own copy (on vinyl, natch). Ah, happy days**.
So roll on 11.15am on Sunday morning! I predict we will hear at least one if not all of the following:
1. Elvis
2. Twinkle
3. Cilla Black
4. Sandie Shaw
5. The Smiths ;)
Happy listening, readers!
PS OMG! Tony the Greek is a blogger! And he's thinking about making a radio comeback! Do it Tony, DO IT!
*I can claim no credit for this witticism - it's the name of a Brighton club night devoted to all things Smiths & Moz-related. Still, as Oscar Wilde (a Mozza idol) is reputed to have said - talent borrows, genius steals ;)
** when I wasn't busy being, erm, miserable lol ;)
Recent Interesting* Industry Stuff
And so to the Planning Committee once more this afternoon, its inexorable three-week cycle trundling on like some sort of built-environment-based menses.I actually find this frequency and regularity very reassuring - sod the summer break (when everything at the Council more or less shuts down for a couple of weeks), never mind Christmas and Easter (ditto), nothing short of a nuclear war would prevent this vital piece of local democracy in action from occurring - which is a very good thing, given the fact that the Planning Committee is pretty much the only truly democratic voting forum for elected members remaining under the new arrangements at Brighton & Hove City Council. Hats off (pink, hard or otherwise - no laughing at the back there) to the officers for keeping the show on the road, and to such a punishing schedule.
Anyway, it was a mixed bag this week as usual - no major applications, but a plethora of minors which had been brought before the Committee thanks to calls from ward councillors and residents. The most frustrating application concerned a retrospective permission for Primark on Western Road (which Cllr Jason Kitcat has blogged about as ward cllr in his efforts to support residents in their objections) - not least because Primark's representative from mega property consultants Savills was clearly very inexperienced, very nervous, and, erm, couldn't actually answer any of the Committee's questions properly. Super. Very useful. To my mind this was indicative of Primark's generally dismissive attitude towards residents and the council, and to their responsibilities towards their neighbours as a whole. Sadly my arguments suggesting tougher conditions on deliveries and the service area didn't hold sway.
Still, I always enjoy my time at the Planning Committee even if I don't always agree with the decisions made in the meetings, because I *heart* the built environment (when it's designed properly); and with this in mind I thought I'd share some recent industry stories which have caught my eye:
- Birmingham Library denied Listed status (thanks to an entirely politically motivated decision by the (*ahem*) Culture Minister - see my earlier arguments re Technocracy)
- Biodiversity loss is Earth's 'immense and hidden' tragedy (yes - and I am so glad Prof Wilson is sticking his head over the parapet to say this at a time when the economic and climate crises have diverted global attention far, far away from protecting and conserving our natural environment)
- But happily... the TEEB Report calls for more ecosystem markets (a pioneering approach which has resonance with the tireless efforts of our City Ecologist in developing the recent draft SPD on Nature Conservation & Development, due for adoption next year)
- Three London councils win Housing funding freedoms (let's hope B&H are next)
- Taskforce to turn churches over to communities launched (good - *secular face*)
- CABE launches green infrastructure campaign (can somebody tell Cllr Geoffrey Theobald?)
- Brighton planners get industry props for winning Amex office changes (great coverage for officers in amidst recent local media controversies - well done all concerned)
- Woman ranked as one of UK's top Builders (excellent news :D)
- Architecture for Pets (I have not shown this to the guys in case they get jealous and start to form ideas above their station)
By the way, in my quest to locate the pink hard hat pic above, I was simultaneously amazed, amused and astonished (not to mention a little appalled) to discover that there is an entire website devoted to Lady Builders' Tools, Equipment and Accessories. OMG. Anyone for a cerise utility belt? If I ever find gainful employment within the industry again, you can bet I'm going to kit myself *RIGHT* out ;)
* interesting to planning, built environment & design spods, that is... I can hear my sister's voice saying "BARRING" lol
Zeitgeist Face
From: A Fan [mailto:a.fan@thefourthestate.co.uk]
Sent: 12 November 2009 13:26
To:Amy Kennedy
Subject: What does a zeitgeist face look like?
Sent: 12 November 2009 13:26
To:
Subject: What does a zeitgeist face look like?
-----Original Message-----
From:
Sent: 12 November 2009 13:32
To: A Fan [mailto:a.fan@thefourthestate.co.uk]
Subject: RE: What does a zeitgeist face look like?
See attached ;)
-----Original Message-----
From: A Fan [mailto:a.fan@thefourthestate.co.uk]
Sent: 12 November 2009 13:37
To:
Subject: Re: What does a zeitgeist face look like?
> See attached ;)
Love it.
Actually, this IS serious
Having been variously damned with faint praise and savaged by a dead sheep in recent days over the lack of *proper politix* on this blog of late, I vowed yesterday to devote some time to blogging about serious matters in coming days.
But I didn't expect things to become quite so serious quite so quickly.
This afternoon I got a call from The Argus. There has been a stabbing incident at Hove Park School today.
I have been campaigning with Prestonville parents over the last few months over many issues at Hove Park - poor GCSE results, an inadequate school bus service, discipline problems - but this is a terrible new low.
Thankfully the child on the receiving end isn't seriously injured, but nevertheless this is still an extremely serious and distressing incident. I have demanded and expect to get some answers from the LEA over the next day or so regarding an urgent plan of action on this.
Very, very sad and shocking news.
But I didn't expect things to become quite so serious quite so quickly.
This afternoon I got a call from The Argus. There has been a stabbing incident at Hove Park School today.
I have been campaigning with Prestonville parents over the last few months over many issues at Hove Park - poor GCSE results, an inadequate school bus service, discipline problems - but this is a terrible new low.
Thankfully the child on the receiving end isn't seriously injured, but nevertheless this is still an extremely serious and distressing incident. I have demanded and expect to get some answers from the LEA over the next day or so regarding an urgent plan of action on this.
Very, very sad and shocking news.
Blogging, Biscuits & Bonfires
The Brighton Politics Blogger was in fine form last week, posting a handy guide to local political blogs - a snappy round-up which quite rightly mourned the recent radio-silence from eminent local blogger Neil Harding (Neil, I miss you too and I hope things are OK at your end).Eagle-eyed readers will perhaps spot an omission from the BPB's original Blogroll: but never fear, the BPB is a true lady/gentleman, and was quick to rectify this: although I can't help feeling that her/his précis of my blog makes me sound rather like the Pam Ayres of the Green blogosphere [*dons dowdy tabard in penance*]...
Meanwhile, Dan Wilson whinges that Brighton & Hove Green bloggers have been strangely silent on the ongoing pay dispute between refuse workers and the local authority, which resulted in industrial action and overflowing bins this week.
PROTIP: Dan, surely you have the wit to understand that speculative blogging about the delicate, high-level and confidential negotiations which have been taking place between the unions and the council in recent days might have been unhelpful, to say the least? Just something for you to ponder there.
Anyway, to those of you who think this blog has gone a bit soft of late, I promise there'll be fewer biscuits, less baking and more, erm, tough political opinion in coming weeks. But in the meantime...
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Regular readers will recall that I like a good bonfire, and that I was sorry that a recent bid by the Sussex Bonfire Societies to secure UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage status for the county-wide tradition failed.
So I was pleased to read that this year's Lewes Bonfire was an overwhelming success, with fewer crowds and only five arrests. Predictably, effigies of Fat Cats and Politicians were burnt on the pyres - they're nothing if not topical, those Lewes Bonfire Societies [*zeitgeist face*].Regular readers will recall that I like a good bonfire, and that I was sorry that a recent bid by the Sussex Bonfire Societies to secure UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage status for the county-wide tradition failed.However, just over the border in Edenbridge, Kent, revellers were treated to the sight of this hideous and rather terrifying effigy going up in flames. Good grief - mine eyes! I'm starting to realise why UNESCO went cold on the idea...
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
OK, I must retire to my garret to begin to ponder some serious blogging. A final thought though: is it just me, or do any other Bloggers find the tag suggestions for new posts ("scooters, holidays, autumn") exquisitely poignant?[*looks around*]
[*SAD face*]
Ah, just me then...
Carving for Samhain (or, my talented husband)
Tomorrow is Samhain - or Hallowe'en if you prefer [*Christian appropriation of Pagan festivals face*].I'll be spending tomorrow afternoon visiting households in the vicinity of Springfield Road to speak with residents about a couple of live issues in the area: the proposals to introduce a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) in the streets immediately to the south of London Road station; and the recent deeply regrettable decision by the Planning Inspectorate to allow development on a green site close by. And, or course, anything else that comes up.
The two issues outlined above raise high feelings amongst residents, understandably enough. As a councillor for Preston Park ward, I want to hear people's concerns and objections so I can represent their views at the Environment Cabinet Member Meeting next week.
Once darkness falls at, erm, 5pm [*SAD face*], I'll be joining local party friends and activists at the Open House for nibbles and refreshments (a bit of a social, in other words).
I thought it would be nice to carve a pumpkin lantern to take along with me for the social tomorrow, but finding myself elbow-deep in Equal Pay biscuit dough yesterday evening, I had to try and action Plan H (ie enlisting Help from Husband):
Me: [brandishing printed-off GPEW logo] D'you think I'm having a laugh trying to carve the GPEW logo into this pumpkin?
Mr K: No. Easy.
Me: [waving floury hands] Sweet. But, erm, my hands are floury right now.
[pause]
Me: You're so much better at this kind of thing than I am [*winsome face*].
Me: Mate.
Me: Mate.
Mr K: [*rolls eyes*] Well, I'll have a go then...
Me: [*beaming*] Thanks babe! :D
[fast forward...]
Me: OMG that's awesome sweetie. Thank you so much! [*appreciation face*]
Mr K is an artist and a craftsman :))) I knew he'd do a better job on the carving than I would have. Thank you sweetheart x
Happy Samhain one and all.
Baking for Equal Pay Day
Today was Equal Pay Day.
Women working full-time earn on average 17% less per hour than men working full-time. For ethnic minority women, the gap is even higher at 20%. For women working part-time compared to men working full-time the gap is 36% per hour – rising to 45% in London.
Today, working women effectively received their last pay cheque of the year. This is because the 17% full-time gender pay gap is equivalent to men being paid all year round while women work for free after the 31st October.
The excellent Fawcett Society works hard every year to highlight this important issue by co-ordinating a series of events across the country to raise awareness, and to put pressure on the Government to reform legislation so that this disgraceful inequality in pay is outlawed and brought to an end.
So this morning Brighton & Hove Greens converged on Brighton station, to collect signatures for Fawcett's petition on Equal Pay, and to give out free biscuits to commuters with low blood sugar - with a 17% chunk missing to give them food for thought as well.
I baked my contribution last night (above).
I used this recipe, and these handy icing pens for (*ahem*) the Propaganda, and they were very tasty biscuits indeed.
But sadly not quite sweet enough to replace the bitter taste in my mouth whenever I think about the facts of pay inequality in the UK.
We got an average of three signatures per minute :) I love proper campaigning :D
Women working full-time earn on average 17% less per hour than men working full-time. For ethnic minority women, the gap is even higher at 20%. For women working part-time compared to men working full-time the gap is 36% per hour – rising to 45% in London.
Today, working women effectively received their last pay cheque of the year. This is because the 17% full-time gender pay gap is equivalent to men being paid all year round while women work for free after the 31st October.
The excellent Fawcett Society works hard every year to highlight this important issue by co-ordinating a series of events across the country to raise awareness, and to put pressure on the Government to reform legislation so that this disgraceful inequality in pay is outlawed and brought to an end.
So this morning Brighton & Hove Greens converged on Brighton station, to collect signatures for Fawcett's petition on Equal Pay, and to give out free biscuits to commuters with low blood sugar - with a 17% chunk missing to give them food for thought as well.
I baked my contribution last night (above).
I used this recipe, and these handy icing pens for (*ahem*) the Propaganda, and they were very tasty biscuits indeed.
But sadly not quite sweet enough to replace the bitter taste in my mouth whenever I think about the facts of pay inequality in the UK.
We got an average of three signatures per minute :) I love proper campaigning :D
Who breaks a butterfly upon a wheel?
Just as I was about to switch the crackberry off on Wednesday night, I got an email from the Planning Inspectorate informing me that a recent appeal by a developer seeking to build on former allotment land adjacent to London Road station had been allowed.I can't begin to say how gutted I am about this. This site has history - as does the developer.
I was approached by the Friends of London Road Allotments (FLORA) in autumn '07, when a previous application to build nine poky flats on this previously undeveloped site (which is an urban haven for wildlife including slow worms) was the subject of a planning appeal by informal hearing. We defended this appeal successfully, and residents and councillors alike started to brace themselves for the next application.
This latest application was for four three-bedroom dwellings. When this was again refused by Local Planning Authority officers, the developer decided to take it all the way to a Public Inquiry - no doubt flushed by the success earlier this year of the Highcroft Villas PI (a site which was also former railway allotments and owned by the same developer [hmm]). He even used the same barrister - one of the top Planning barristers in England & Wales.
All that money. For four tiny houses. At the expense of not only the public purse (the council did their absolute best to defend the refusal and hired an equally top-flight Planning barrister), but also at the expense of the considerable mental, physical and emotional energies of the residents involved with FLORA, and of course to the detriment (to the point of annihilation) of the wildlife on the site, and the fact that this is a much-loved patch of urban greenery in the midst of the city.
This bitterly disappointing decision comes after years of campaigning by FLORA, residents and councillors.
Despite the fact that FLORA amassed a huge body of evidence to demonstrate that the site had been used as allotments and had never been built on, the Planning Inspector still chose to allow the appeal by Kingsbury Estates Ltd.
The Council fought hard against this, but sadly all our efforts weren’t enough to protect this site. Now this urban oasis, which is a haven for slow worms and other wildlife, will be lost forever, and I have profound concerns for the preservation of other cherished open spaces in our city.
The Inspector cited the Highcroft Villas PI and the recent granting of permission for development on a greenfield site at Princes Road as precedents for allowing the London Road station appeal.
This decision comes as Local Planning Authority officers are hard at work on the new Local Development Framework (LDF), which will replace the current Local Plan in 2010. The LDF contains an Open Spaces Study which seeks to protect urban green spaces, whether publically accessible or not.
But now I'm genuinely fearful that the Open Spaces Study will be severely weakened by this latest decision from the Planning Inspectorate, and that it will become virtually impossible for the Council to fight development proposals affecting inner-city green land.
It is deeply depressing to think that all the hard work that officers have put in to developing robust policies to protect urban open spaces has been totally undermined by the Planning Inspectorate. As a city, we are hemmed in by the sea and the South Downs, and these valuable pockets of wildlife habitat are quite rightly much-loved by the residents who live nearby.
Sadly it may now become impossible for us to protect these sites, despite the best efforts of officers, councillors and residents alike. This is a grim day for the Planning system in Brighton & Hove.
I've just heard the first firework of the Bonfire Season
Do I get a prize?But seriously (*Phil Collins face*) I was disappointed to read this week that the Sussex Bonfire Societies failed to secure UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage status for the county-wide tradition of having massive bonfires (replete with age-old and more topical effigies) and, erm, being a bit dangerous in the process.
For once I can say with a straight face "it's health and safety gone mad" :( I hope the Bonfire Societies persist. As the old saying goes: "Sussex won't be druv".
What I Did On My Holidays Part II
2. I visited Another Place
On Crosby Sands
I can connect
Nothing with nothing.
With apologies to TS Eliot.
On Crosby Sands
I can connect
Nothing with nothing.
With apologies to TS Eliot.
Green Party Conference: Day 1
The Green Party Autumn Conference is in Hove again this year. We last hosted a National Conference in September 2006, and the intervening three years have seen the local party more than double its numbers on the Council, from 6 members to 13, making us the joint second largest political group in the city, tying with Labour.
Not to mention the fact that we're increasingly set to elect Caroline Lucas MEP as the first ever Green MP to sit in Westminster on the back of our rock-solid vote in Brighton Pavilion. Exciting times indeed, and it's great to have Conference back in Brighton & Hove when the local party is riding the crest of our epic win in Goldsmid, and is brimming with enthusiasm for the forthcoming General Election contest.
However, regular readers will know by now that politics is not all about "the glamma", as is amply demonstrated by the pic below:
Cllr Sven Rufus & Cllr Amy Kennedy on Conference Stewarding Duty this afternoon
Don't get me wrong, my Stewarding stint today was ace: it was brilliant to be *meeting & greeting* people - especially as I finally got to meet JimJay (Green BlogFather) in the flesh [*shy face*]- and to see so many excellent colleagues and people I'm fond of as they arrived. I really enjoyed myself and I'm looking forward to tomorrow's stint.
But... crikey, those tabards :( If I ever get any time to dig my sewing machine out in the next few months, I may have a crack at designing something less, erm, *utilitarian*. God knows I'm not a vain woman (I wouldn't have let this pic anywhere near the light of day if I was), but there's got to be some sort of acceptable solution to this ;)
Anyway, roll on Day 2 of Conference - looking forward very much to Caroline's keynote speech tomorrow morning.
Not to mention the fact that we're increasingly set to elect Caroline Lucas MEP as the first ever Green MP to sit in Westminster on the back of our rock-solid vote in Brighton Pavilion. Exciting times indeed, and it's great to have Conference back in Brighton & Hove when the local party is riding the crest of our epic win in Goldsmid, and is brimming with enthusiasm for the forthcoming General Election contest.
However, regular readers will know by now that politics is not all about "the glamma", as is amply demonstrated by the pic below:
Cllr Sven Rufus & Cllr Amy Kennedy on Conference Stewarding Duty this afternoon
Don't get me wrong, my Stewarding stint today was ace: it was brilliant to be *meeting & greeting* people - especially as I finally got to meet JimJay (Green BlogFather) in the flesh [*shy face*]- and to see so many excellent colleagues and people I'm fond of as they arrived. I really enjoyed myself and I'm looking forward to tomorrow's stint.
But... crikey, those tabards :( If I ever get any time to dig my sewing machine out in the next few months, I may have a crack at designing something less, erm, *utilitarian*. God knows I'm not a vain woman (I wouldn't have let this pic anywhere near the light of day if I was), but there's got to be some sort of acceptable solution to this ;)
Anyway, roll on Day 2 of Conference - looking forward very much to Caroline's keynote speech tomorrow morning.
What I Did On My Holidays Part I
1. Baking
I made a delicious Annabel Karmel Chocolate Orange Marble Cake from a recipe I dug out from a pile of printed-off online receipts. Weirdly enough, this is no longer available online, but Mainly Baking kindly reproduces it here. I jazzed it up with a bit of orange drizzle made by cribbing MarsLady's epic Lemon Drizzle syrup mix. It was FIT.
In The Meantime...
Sooooo... it's four weeks since I last posted on this blog. Four weeks since our epic victory in Goldsmid, three weeks since Pride, two weeks since I "went on holiday" (aka got bustled around Cheshire by my Ma / sis / cuz in the pursuit of friends & family), one week since I came back (to an exploding Inbox).
Happy Summer Holidays! Whoever it was that said "honestly, nothing happens during August" with reference to council duties was clearly not a member of the Planning Committee and/or dealing with a lot of angry constituents who feel duped by the recent London Rd Station CPZ consultation, or frustrated residents in the Old Shoreham Rd area whose refuse and recycling collections have been non-existent in recent weeks. It's been a busy old time, all in all.
So apologies as always, dear reader, for being a less than faithful correspondent in recent days. Out of all the stuff that's been happening, Pride deserves a post all to itself, but in the meantime here's a couple of snaps of Brighton & Hove Green Party's contribution to this year's Pride Beside The Seaside:
L-R:
Captain Amy Kennedy
Dr. Caroline Lucas MEP, Admiral of the Fleet
Commander Phelim Mac Cafferty
OMG have you ever seen anyone look so happy to be this close to recycling bins? (my Mum worries my activism is "unhygenic")
More posting on all this and other stuff to follow, but my absolute favourite Argus 'Silly Season' story from this week has got to be the funky sandwiches piece: regular readers (and those who know and love me) will be familiar with my interest in Bento and Food Art, so to see such skill and expertise emanating from Littlehampton more or less made my week :D
"If I was a sculptor... but then again - no..."
(Mark Northeast, Littlehampton 2009)
[note to self: did E.John ever stay in Littlehampton? CHECK.]
My favourite ever Bento: Sardine & Red Pepper Heels.
Nom nom nom :D And ta-ra for now.
Happy Summer Holidays! Whoever it was that said "honestly, nothing happens during August" with reference to council duties was clearly not a member of the Planning Committee and/or dealing with a lot of angry constituents who feel duped by the recent London Rd Station CPZ consultation, or frustrated residents in the Old Shoreham Rd area whose refuse and recycling collections have been non-existent in recent weeks. It's been a busy old time, all in all.
So apologies as always, dear reader, for being a less than faithful correspondent in recent days. Out of all the stuff that's been happening, Pride deserves a post all to itself, but in the meantime here's a couple of snaps of Brighton & Hove Green Party's contribution to this year's Pride Beside The Seaside:
L-R:
Captain Amy Kennedy
Dr. Caroline Lucas MEP, Admiral of the Fleet
Commander Phelim Mac Cafferty
OMG have you ever seen anyone look so happy to be this close to recycling bins? (my Mum worries my activism is "unhygenic")
More posting on all this and other stuff to follow, but my absolute favourite Argus 'Silly Season' story from this week has got to be the funky sandwiches piece: regular readers (and those who know and love me) will be familiar with my interest in Bento and Food Art, so to see such skill and expertise emanating from Littlehampton more or less made my week :D
"If I was a sculptor... but then again - no..."
(Mark Northeast, Littlehampton 2009)
[note to self: did E.John ever stay in Littlehampton? CHECK.]
My favourite ever Bento: Sardine & Red Pepper Heels.
Nom nom nom :D And ta-ra for now.
GOLDSMID: EPIC GREEN WIN
GRN 1,456 - 38.5% (+17.6%)GRN GAIN FROM CON
CON 1,104 - 29.2% (-0.9%)
LAB 816 - 21.5% (-6.8%)
LD 280 - 7.4% (-7.32%)
UKIP 129 - 3.4% N/A (others 6% last time)
After an energetic and hard-fought campaign, Alex Phillips emerged victorious in the Goldsmid by-election last night, with an emphatic majority of 350 over the Tory candidate. Labour limped in at third place, with a pitiful 800-odd votes.
WHAT AN AWESOME RESULT! Sorry for shouting, but my God, if there was ever a result to utterly disprove Labour's tired lies that "voting Green lets the Tories in", this is it.
Our first ever seat in Hove.
Our first ever win from the Tories.
Thirteen Green councillors in thirteen years.
Alex deserves this success more than I can say - she worked bloody hard (tirelessly canvassing across the entire ward and ultimately encountering nearly 60% of the electorate - politics geeks will appreciate just how awesome this is) and she fought a clean fight: not for Alex the petty personal attacks that other parties sought to wage.
Alex - you go girl! As Deputy Convenor, I am thrilled to have another woman in our group, and I am so proud of Alex. Goldsmid people, thank you for putting your faith in this exceptional young woman: you now have an elected representative who has proven just how hard she will work for you, and will be an honest and fair representative for you all.
And as for the speculation as to What This Might Mean, watch this space... Suffice to say, Ben, Neil and The BPB are covering all bases at the moment ;)
Oh, sweet!
Goldsmid: final few days
Well, I've not been doing very well at keeping this blog updated over the past few weeks, and for this I apologise - just too much on at the moment, mea culpa gentle reader.
But we're now into the final furlong for the Goldsmid by-election, and the past few days have seen a couple of astonishing developments:
1. Ex-Labour councillor tells Brighton voters - Vote Green
The Labour exodus shows no sign of stopping - now former councillor Vince Meegan (who lost his place on Brighton & Hove City Council in May 2007 by just 30 votes) has publicly voiced his support for Alex Phillips.
Vince said, "As a former Labour councillor for the area, I urge all Labour and Liberal Democrat voters to back her, too. Labour can't win here now, the Greens can.
“Swing your support behind Alex and help defeat the Tories."
2. "Labour wants anything but a Green win in Goldsmid by-election"...
...according to the Brighton Politics Blogger. As Ben says, the mind truly boggles!
Good luck to Alex for the last few days of the campaign - it's clearly a two-horse race between Greens and the Tories, and I hope she gets the victory she's worked so hard to achieve over the past few weeks.
As for me - I'll be posting the result as soon as it comes in on Thursday night / Friday morning. Next week will hopefully see more time for blogging, but then again, I've got to get a job!* Which is an entire post in itself...
*eyes mounting pile of applications and tries to suppress the hideous memory of yesterday's trip to the Job Centre (the first in approximately 15 years). It smelt of wee! :0 I shan't be going there again.
But we're now into the final furlong for the Goldsmid by-election, and the past few days have seen a couple of astonishing developments:
1. Ex-Labour councillor tells Brighton voters - Vote GreenThe Labour exodus shows no sign of stopping - now former councillor Vince Meegan (who lost his place on Brighton & Hove City Council in May 2007 by just 30 votes) has publicly voiced his support for Alex Phillips.
Vince said, "As a former Labour councillor for the area, I urge all Labour and Liberal Democrat voters to back her, too. Labour can't win here now, the Greens can.
“Swing your support behind Alex and help defeat the Tories."
2. "Labour wants anything but a Green win in Goldsmid by-election"...
...according to the Brighton Politics Blogger. As Ben says, the mind truly boggles!
Good luck to Alex for the last few days of the campaign - it's clearly a two-horse race between Greens and the Tories, and I hope she gets the victory she's worked so hard to achieve over the past few weeks.
As for me - I'll be posting the result as soon as it comes in on Thursday night / Friday morning. Next week will hopefully see more time for blogging, but then again, I've got to get a job!* Which is an entire post in itself...
*eyes mounting pile of applications and tries to suppress the hideous memory of yesterday's trip to the Job Centre (the first in approximately 15 years). It smelt of wee! :0 I shan't be going there again.
Baking for Hanover Day
I love baking, and I don't get nearly enough time to indulge this passion. So when I found myself scheduled to help with the local party stall at this year's Hanover Day last Sunday, I knew there was only one way to spend Saturday night...*
Inspired by this recipe from bakebakebake, and this recipe from bakingbites, I prepared one batch of chocolate mixture, and one of vanilla (tinged with a verdant hue for fun).
Two things occurred to me as I regarded my bowlfuls of beaten batter: one, how runny it was (American baking recipes tend to use a lot of liquid compared to UK ones), and two, just how much of the ruddy stuff there was.
Undeterred, I prepared my cake cases and poured out my first batch, trying hard to create visible swirls between the two mixtures which would translate into beautiful patterns once baked:
Well, as you can see from the above pix, the intention didn't quite work: the mixture was too liquidy, so the colours merged somewhat, becoming indistinct and, erm, not very marble-like.
So I decided to scrap Plan A and plough on with making batches of single-flavour cakes. These looked a lot better both before they went in and once they were out of the oven:
Sixty (yes, sixty) of the little fellas later, I put them to cool in a safe place away from curious eyes and noses (ie Mr K & the pussycats), ready to be iced the following morning:
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Hanover Day was excellent as always (the weather was fab, the people were jolly, and as well as the Morris Men, I managed to see those Masters of Rock the Brown Stripes twice, which is a feat in itself), and I'm pleased to say that my cakes went down a treat on the stall.
Although in retrospect, I should have realised the pitfalls of scaling Muesli Mountain proffering cakes iced in an eye-poppingly vivid shade of green; hence the following exchange:
Child: Daddy, can I have a cake? Look, they're free!
Daddy: Free cakes, darling? Oh how lovely.
[Daddy looks at cakes. Then looks at me.]
Daddy: The icing's very, erm, green. What's in it?
[I look at cakes. I realise I cannot tell Daddy a lie.]
Me [sotto voce]: It's green food colouring.
Daddy: Sorry, what?
Me: It's green food colouring. But [positive voice] all the other ingredients are organic! I made them myself.
[Daddy looks at me, then back at cakes.]
Child: Daddeeee... can I have one?
[Daddy weighs up the evils of E Numbers ~vs~ the goodness of organic home-baking.]
Child: Daddeeee... pleeeeeease... they're freeeeee!
Daddy [giving up]: Oh, go on then. But don't tell Mummy.
Me: Here you go sweetheart! [hands child cake]
Me [optimistic voice]: Would you like a manifesto to go with the cake sir?
[Daddy backs away with cake-guzzling child, shaking head slowly and smiling...]
Me: Happy Hanover Day!
But fun it was. Well done to the Hanover Community Association and all the publicans, traders, businesses, musicians and artists who made it happen once more this year. Here's a pic of Cllr Vicky Wakefield-Jarrett and me (plus cakes) on the Brighton & Hove Green Party stall, in the sunshine:
* Yes, I know, rock 'n' roll or what? (or "bake 'n' roll", if you will). C'mon guys, give me a break - I'm 36 fgs.
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
As Hanover Day didn't happen last year owing to funding problems, I felt it was only appropriate to salute the return of this much-loved community event (and to sustain my Hanover & Elm Grove colleagues and the revelling crowds) with something beyond my usual scope of Delia's victoria sponge buns. I decided to make (*drumroll*) chocolate and vanilla marble cupcakes.Inspired by this recipe from bakebakebake, and this recipe from bakingbites, I prepared one batch of chocolate mixture, and one of vanilla (tinged with a verdant hue for fun).
Two things occurred to me as I regarded my bowlfuls of beaten batter: one, how runny it was (American baking recipes tend to use a lot of liquid compared to UK ones), and two, just how much of the ruddy stuff there was.
Undeterred, I prepared my cake cases and poured out my first batch, trying hard to create visible swirls between the two mixtures which would translate into beautiful patterns once baked:
Well, as you can see from the above pix, the intention didn't quite work: the mixture was too liquidy, so the colours merged somewhat, becoming indistinct and, erm, not very marble-like.So I decided to scrap Plan A and plough on with making batches of single-flavour cakes. These looked a lot better both before they went in and once they were out of the oven:
Sixty (yes, sixty) of the little fellas later, I put them to cool in a safe place away from curious eyes and noses (ie Mr K & the pussycats), ready to be iced the following morning:
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Although in retrospect, I should have realised the pitfalls of scaling Muesli Mountain proffering cakes iced in an eye-poppingly vivid shade of green; hence the following exchange:
Child: Daddy, can I have a cake? Look, they're free!
Daddy: Free cakes, darling? Oh how lovely.
[Daddy looks at cakes. Then looks at me.]
Daddy: The icing's very, erm, green. What's in it?
[I look at cakes. I realise I cannot tell Daddy a lie.]
Me [sotto voce]: It's green food colouring.
Daddy: Sorry, what?
Me: It's green food colouring. But [positive voice] all the other ingredients are organic! I made them myself.
[Daddy looks at me, then back at cakes.]
Child: Daddeeee... can I have one?
[Daddy weighs up the evils of E Numbers ~vs~ the goodness of organic home-baking.]
Child: Daddeeee... pleeeeeease... they're freeeeee!
Daddy [giving up]: Oh, go on then. But don't tell Mummy.
Me: Here you go sweetheart! [hands child cake]
Me [optimistic voice]: Would you like a manifesto to go with the cake sir?
[Daddy backs away with cake-guzzling child, shaking head slowly and smiling...]
Me: Happy Hanover Day!
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Later on, as I related this tale, a friend said "Couldn't you have said it was spinach or seaweed extract or something?" Sadly no - nothing in nature is that green, apart from, erm, radioactive waste. Memo to self: do not try to have "fun" with jazzy-coloured baking next year ;)But fun it was. Well done to the Hanover Community Association and all the publicans, traders, businesses, musicians and artists who made it happen once more this year. Here's a pic of Cllr Vicky Wakefield-Jarrett and me (plus cakes) on the Brighton & Hove Green Party stall, in the sunshine:
* Yes, I know, rock 'n' roll or what? (or "bake 'n' roll", if you will). C'mon guys, give me a break - I'm 36 fgs.
So much to blog about, so little time...
Hello readers! Sorry to be a bit on the quiet side over the past few days.I'd love to be able to say that my recent radio-silence has been due to a (much-needed) holiday, but the truth is I've just been up to my eyeballs what with one thing and another (Goldsmid, campaigns, committee work, ward case work, meetings etc etc).
The problem with being so busy Doing Stuff is finding the time to blog about it... but now I'm back! Back! BACK! (as Smash Hits used to say). For this evening and tomorrow morning at least. More to follow shortly (in bite-size chunks - no-one wants to be accused of being TL:DR).
Glastonbury Festival: a lesson in town planning?
Oh boy, what a busy week it's been - lots of committee and ward work which I'll try and do an update on in the next few days, as well as local party meetings and campaigning in Goldsmid for the by-election (all pretty punishing in this heat to be honest *wilts*).
My Inbox has been exploding as usual (the London Rd station CPZ is clearly a matter of great concern to residents, and again, more to come on that soon).
As well as receiving emails from residents and council officers, I'm also signed up for daily updates from trade and industry media, and this story from the Planning Blog really caught my eye:
My Inbox has been exploding as usual (the London Rd station CPZ is clearly a matter of great concern to residents, and again, more to come on that soon).
As well as receiving emails from residents and council officers, I'm also signed up for daily updates from trade and industry media, and this story from the Planning Blog really caught my eye:
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL: A LESSON IN PLANNING Posted on June 30, 2009 by Mark Wilding
The Glastonbury festival has been and gone. With just a few weeks preparation, the festival site is transformed from bare fields to a veritable metropolis. For the space of a weekend, once bare fields become the site of a large town.
Can you see where I’m going with this?
Assuming the majority of tents are occupied by two people, that’s 75,000 dwellings springing up over the course of a few days. In other words, almost 75 percent of the affordable homes Gordon Brown has pledged to deliver in the next two years. And you don’t get much more affordable than a tent.
All this is achieved without a regional spatial strategy, a core strategy, or any other strategy than making a shed load of money by charging people to live in a field for a weekend.
The most amazing aspect of this phenomenon is that the festival seems to work. Throughout the course of the weekend nobody died, everyone on television appeared to be having fun and if there were any major disasters then they slipped well under the radar.
Infrastructure provision copes, there’s mixed-tenure (see the contrast between the hospitality field and the man who pitched up next to the toilets) and plenty of green energy provision. The perimeter fence means there’s no chance of any urban sprawl.
Having said that, the flood risk planning policy might need a bit of work…
Is it possible that planners have got it all wrong? Maybe people should just be left to get on with it?
Then again, creating a town for three days then leaving while someone else cleans up the mess isn’t exactly ‘sustainable development’…
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
This article really struck a chord with me. My colleagues will attest to the fact that I am a bit of a broken record when it comes to holding up the Glastonbury Festival model of a sustainable community as a beacon which local authorities can learn from (particularly when it comes to dealing with waste and recycling).
The general Planning arguments outlined above are very thought-provoking, but one thing's for sure: Glastonbury regularly achieves recycling rates of 50% plus, something which councils in the UK can currently only dream about.
I have been progressing recycling and waste management at events in Brighton & Hove since I was first elected, and the local authority is now seeking to achieve the new British Standard BS8901 (guidelines surrounding sustainability at large-scale events) thanks to Green calls for action on this, but we could learn from the Glasto model for our household and commercial operations too...
Tory Tosh & Labour Lies
"Tory Tosh & Labour Lies" was the title of a classic Regency by-election leaflet, published back in November 2007 when we were fighting to keep our seat in the ward and get Jason Kitcat elected (which we did - with a massive 41.6% of the vote). The title still makes me chuckle even now :)
Anyway, recent days have seen an epic breakout of both Tory Tosh and Labour Lies across Brighton & Hove, at both national and local level electorally:
SO, FAREWELL THEN DAVID BULL
News broke on Friday that David Bull, a former doctor and TV presenter, was standing down as the Tories' Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Brighton Pavilion in order to head up a Conservative policy review on sexual health with Anne Milton, the shadow health minister.
This didn't come as a surprise to us - Brighton & Hove Greens had noticed that he'd stopped updating his campaign website months ago.
But why the (not-so-sudden) exit from the contest for a Westminster seat which the Tories had seemed to consider a relatively winnable gain from Labour? Surely not the prospect of losing to Caroline Lucas, or the lure of other, safer, seats which will inevitably become available in the wake of the expenses scandal?
Who can say? One thing's for sure, some Tory activists are pulling [hmm] faces (check out these comments - my favourite one is "this policy review smells like a fig leaf" lol), but Dr Bull is denying everything, especially a big fall-out with the local Conservative Association.
We await the announcement of their replacement candidate with interest (please, God, NOT David Van Day again. Please.*).
*Ben's blog about this nightmarish scenario is very funny.
Labour, on the other hand, just seem to be getting more and more desperate if not downright barking when it comes to the forthcoming Goldsmid by-election, and their accompanying campaign material.
First, their candidate tried to pretend that, erm, she wasn't really a Labour candidate (honest!), whilst simultaneously adopting Green policies.
Then she took up a whole photo in her next leaflet to prove just how Green she really is ("Look kids! THE PLANET IS IN MY HANDS!" - here's a protip love, it's not the kids you should be trying to educate about Climate Change, it's your colleagues in Government).
But to top it all, the most recent Goldsmid Labour by-election communication was little more than a catalogue of lies; a laughable fiction aimed solely at undermining Alex Phillips, the Green candidate for this contest (well, it would be laughable if it weren't breaking the law).
Now, I could take some time here to dissect Labour's feeble effort of a leaflet line-by-line, but to be honest it's so crap and so tired that I really can't be arsed. It's just bobbins.
Plus Ben has already blogged about this (as has Neil Harding - the Brighton Politics Blogger is also keeping a watchful eye, and continuing to urge for a tactical Green vote in Goldmid). And anyway, I understand that the local constabulary are now involved, so probably best not to speculate further on matters which may already be under investigation.
Instead, 'cause I'm feeling generous this evening, here's another tip for Labour's (*ahem*) 'publications gurus': attack other parties' policies in your leaflets, not their people.
Trying to discredit your opponents on a personal level generally goes down like a cup of cold sick with the electorate, and smacks of pure desperation. People just aren't that stupid (unfortunately for you).
Labour, you FAIL IT. Roll on July 23rd.
Anyway, recent days have seen an epic breakout of both Tory Tosh and Labour Lies across Brighton & Hove, at both national and local level electorally:
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
SO, FAREWELL THEN DAVID BULLNews broke on Friday that David Bull, a former doctor and TV presenter, was standing down as the Tories' Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Brighton Pavilion in order to head up a Conservative policy review on sexual health with Anne Milton, the shadow health minister.
This didn't come as a surprise to us - Brighton & Hove Greens had noticed that he'd stopped updating his campaign website months ago.
But why the (not-so-sudden) exit from the contest for a Westminster seat which the Tories had seemed to consider a relatively winnable gain from Labour? Surely not the prospect of losing to Caroline Lucas, or the lure of other, safer, seats which will inevitably become available in the wake of the expenses scandal?
Who can say? One thing's for sure, some Tory activists are pulling [hmm] faces (check out these comments - my favourite one is "this policy review smells like a fig leaf" lol), but Dr Bull is denying everything, especially a big fall-out with the local Conservative Association.
We await the announcement of their replacement candidate with interest (please, God, NOT David Van Day again. Please.*).
*Ben's blog about this nightmarish scenario is very funny.
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
LEAFLETS: YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG
Labour, on the other hand, just seem to be getting more and more desperate if not downright barking when it comes to the forthcoming Goldsmid by-election, and their accompanying campaign material.
First, their candidate tried to pretend that, erm, she wasn't really a Labour candidate (honest!), whilst simultaneously adopting Green policies.
Then she took up a whole photo in her next leaflet to prove just how Green she really is ("Look kids! THE PLANET IS IN MY HANDS!" - here's a protip love, it's not the kids you should be trying to educate about Climate Change, it's your colleagues in Government).
But to top it all, the most recent Goldsmid Labour by-election communication was little more than a catalogue of lies; a laughable fiction aimed solely at undermining Alex Phillips, the Green candidate for this contest (well, it would be laughable if it weren't breaking the law).
Now, I could take some time here to dissect Labour's feeble effort of a leaflet line-by-line, but to be honest it's so crap and so tired that I really can't be arsed. It's just bobbins.
Plus Ben has already blogged about this (as has Neil Harding - the Brighton Politics Blogger is also keeping a watchful eye, and continuing to urge for a tactical Green vote in Goldmid). And anyway, I understand that the local constabulary are now involved, so probably best not to speculate further on matters which may already be under investigation.
Instead, 'cause I'm feeling generous this evening, here's another tip for Labour's (*ahem*) 'publications gurus': attack other parties' policies in your leaflets, not their people.
Trying to discredit your opponents on a personal level generally goes down like a cup of cold sick with the electorate, and smacks of pure desperation. People just aren't that stupid (unfortunately for you).
Labour, you FAIL IT. Roll on July 23rd.
There's only so much dog poo readers can take
Readers may recall that last week I was angsting about doing it wrong in this blog. But lo, the Blogosphere has spoken! And it was good.In response to my plea for feedback, I received four (yes FOUR) replies:
1. A Buddhist chant from casa da poesia (I took this to be encouraging);
2. "Do not be a Politics Robot. Please!!!" - this kind comment came from rekindled, along with an equally kind offer to have a look at my crappy coding for me (mate, you're going to be sorry you offered! - and thanks!);
3. A very encouraging comment from fellow Green Cllr Sue Luxton, who has been blogging a lot longer than I have, and therefore knows of which she speaks: "I have this dilemma too, but think you're striking a good balance so far. There's only so much info about rubbish collections, CPZs and dog poo that readers can take (ooh, how glamorous the life of a cllr can be!)";
4. An email from a regular reader who shall remain nameless, but the gist was (in the timeless words of Billy Joel) "don't go changing".
So there we have it - a 100% positive steer for me to keep blogging about incidental day-to-day happenings as well as the Big Stuff (or 75% if that Buddhist chant is a special one for hopeless cases - still not bad I think).
Thanks to everyone for their encouragement and kind words! And sorry to the Politics Geeks, but there'll be more to come on baking, pussycats, and street art, as well as elections and policies. All work and no play makes for a very dull girl, don't you think?
PS As always, the ever-hilarious Encyclopedia Dramatica's entry on the different types of "blogging" had me in stitches:
- Politics
- Author Profile: Intense, angry, probably a virgin
- Typical Talking Point: The government sucks!!!
- Representative Public Reply: OMG!!! Noes u suck!
Flaming June
Our pussycats stayed at the RSPCA kennels in Patcham last weekend while we were Up North seeing my folks.We collected them on Tuesday afternoon, and as we were driving home via the Ditchling Road, my eyes were dazzled by an amazing display of scarlet fields to the east near Falmer.
"Blimey," I remarked to Mr K. "That's a sight for sore eyes." Being a responsible driver, Mr K was unable to share this with me at the time, but a photo in yesterday's Argus of the same poppy fields prompted us to venture forth this afternoon to see if we could take a closer look.
Oh man, what an amazing sight: I don't think I've ever seen anything like this in England before. I was transported and awestruck by the sheer beauty of the vast, unfolding spread of poppies covering acres of fields around us. So beautiful. Elysian fields.
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
The other thing which made my day today was watching Spinal Tap at Glastonbury on the telly. 'This Is Spinal Tap' is my favourite ever film ("rockumentary, if you will") and I was just pmsl at their performance this afternoon.
I nearly fainted with glee when they struck up the opening chords to 'Stonehenge' (the plaintive observation that "nobody knows who they were - or what they were doing" is an oft-repeated phrase in the Kennedy household, mainly uttered when gazing at Avebury and the like).
And they had a teeny-tiny inflatable lintel, replete with People of Restricted Growth. And someone right at the front was waving a Green Party flag :D
It doesn't get much better than this. Oh, I sooooo wish I was there!
The other thing which made my day today was watching Spinal Tap at Glastonbury on the telly. 'This Is Spinal Tap' is my favourite ever film ("rockumentary, if you will") and I was just pmsl at their performance this afternoon.I nearly fainted with glee when they struck up the opening chords to 'Stonehenge' (the plaintive observation that "nobody knows who they were - or what they were doing" is an oft-repeated phrase in the Kennedy household, mainly uttered when gazing at Avebury and the like).
And they had a teeny-tiny inflatable lintel, replete with People of Restricted Growth. And someone right at the front was waving a Green Party flag :D
It doesn't get much better than this. Oh, I sooooo wish I was there!
Keep On Rocking In The Free World
Neil Young is a genius. I'm not at Glastonbury this year* (although Cllr Paul Steedman is**), but I'm participating from my armchair via BBC2, and having just watched Young's set, I am kicking myself that I didn't try and get tix.Not content with delivering a blistering version of 'Keep On Rocking...' (as politically relevant as ever), Neil Young has just effortlessly trumped all the overblown and fantastic (in the truest sense of the word) eulogies which have been and will be pouring in regarding the very sad, untimely, demise of Michael Jackson with a version of the Beatles' 'Day In The Life': "I read the news today - oh, boy..." (moar lyrics here)
I *heart* Neil Young. And I feel truly sad about MJ - what a shame, what a ruined life, what a waste of astonishing talent. But others have blogged better about this. So I'll say no more.
* [*2005/07 flood trauma face*]
** I hope you're keeping warm & dry Paul! [*Mum face*]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)