I met Ross Clark last night

Posted by on Apr 9, 2006 in updates | 4 comments Former Cambridge Evening News colleague John Gaskell, later a Daily Telegraph scribe, as well as an amusing wit and generous party host, had mentioned to me that Ross Clark lived a stone’s throw from my home. Whenever I visit the ancient kingdom of Reach, the village where Ross has set roots and is inspired to write great prose for The Spectator, The Times and The Sunday Telegraph, as well...
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My SOS call

Posted by on Apr 8, 2006 in updates | 1 comment Blogger Geoff responded instantly when I explained my problem. I had been trying to update my Norton anti virus, only infuriating messages flashed up on the screen advising me to install this programme, or uninstall that, and alerting me to errors that had occured. I became very nervous when I noticed the Norton desktop icon was suddenly marked with a red cross. It meant I had no protection. I...
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Bird flu blog

Posted by on Apr 7, 2006 in updates | 2 comments With bird flu now confirmed on our unprotected shores, I am actively encouraging my MEP Robert Sturdy to set up a blog on his new website which is due to be launched shortly. It would be the perfect platform for farmers and those in the poulty industry to openly share information and concerns and get regular updates and personal thoughts from Robert, a farmer and Conservative International Trade...
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The savvy Mike Penning MP

Posted by on Apr 6, 2006 in updates | 0 comments I still get the round robin of emails from some of the parliamentary Conservative candidates I worked with during last year’s general election, it’s always good to hear their news. One came today from the ebullient Mike Penning, MP for Hemel Hemstead, who worked his socks off during the campaign and used all his valuable contacts and media experience to swing a victory, attracting an...
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My champagne win

Posted by on Apr 5, 2006 in updates | 4 comments Still on a high after yesteday’s excitement, I headed off to Cambridge to lunch and network with an eclectic mix of businesswomen from the Cambridge Women’s Lunch Club. It’s not as twee as it sounds. Cambridge isn’t that kind of place, it’s a high calibre group of very bright, sparky women. Today was the club’s first anniversary and we were asked to donate...
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A great blogbusting day

Posted by on Apr 5, 2006 in updates | 5 comments I would like to thank the organisers of yesterday’s blogging brainstorming conference for a great day with great food and hospitality. And, of course, the chance to talk a language with like minded people that arouses blank stares from virtually everyone I meet. We certainly went off inspired. Great to hear direct from companies like Price Waterhouse and IBM about why they feel blogging is...
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Blogging conference today

Posted by on Apr 4, 2006 in updates | 1 comment Off to the Blogging4Business conference today, hope to see you there. I have an interview lined up with Guillaume Champeau, project manager of AgoraVox, on citizen journalism. He believes that in five years, the publishing world will have changed so thoroughly that informed people will look to amateurs they trust for the information they want. He says: “This phenomenon puts together a real...
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The face with no eyes

Posted by on Apr 3, 2006 in updates | 0 comments In 1970, when Brits wore bellbottoms, platform shoes, a white disco suit and danced the night away to John Travolta, unimaginable horrors were being inflicted in Vietnam. Spraying the jungles with Agent Orange, a toxic defoliant, was one of them. The legacy of this nightmare lives on as thousands of babies are still being born with horrific defects. Just like the child who has a face with no...
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The Baghdad blogbuster

Posted by on Apr 3, 2006 in updates | 0 comments The everyday life of an Iraqi woman who kept a blog has been published as a book. It gives a graphic insight into how her life has been transformed by the invasion, the loss of her job and freedom. The computer science graduate, alias Riverbend, has given an extraordinary account of life in occupied Iraq in 2003. The book, entitled Baghdad Burning, has been long-listed for the Samuel Johnson...
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Busy Boris

Posted by on Apr 2, 2006 in updates | 0 comments So it took the News of the World to tell us why Boris is too busy to write his blog. I would like to know if the whistle blower who dished the dirt also travelled on two wheels in hot pursuit of Boris, eyes firmly fixed to his or her watch. How else were all his movements timed so precisely?
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Am I pale and interesting?

Posted by on Apr 2, 2006 in updates | 5 comments Men with beards and pale, interesting ladies are being sought by a film company to star in a blockbuster sequal to the Oscar-winning film Elizabeth. Filming will take place on my doorstep and this weekend talent scouts were out recruiting extras. Between 400-500 are needed and they were not short of offers; more than 300 budding stars signed up in Ely alone. My confidence was still on a high...
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Grant Shapps MP and his “explosive” forum

Posted by on Apr 1, 2006 in updates | 1 comment Grant Shapps has given his Welwyn Hatfield constituents a visible voice. And what an “explosive” voice it has turned out to be. During last year’s election campaign, he fully embraced new technology and used webcams to get his message across. He was not short of participants. Two weeks ago he launched an online forum and has been overwhelmed by its success. This is what he told...
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