Ellee Seymour

MCIPR, PRESS CONSULTANT, JOURNALIST, POLITICAL AND PR BLOGGER.

May 11th, 2006

Striking a pose at Byron’s Pool

I couldn’t resist striking a pose at Byron’s Pool
Lunch in Grantchester

What better way is there to spend your lunch hour than popping into The Orchard in Grantchester and lounging on a deckchair under the apple blossom, especially after a hectic morning.

Time has stood still in this delightful corner of England; nobody here was talking about the A list.

This little gem is famed for its association with the poet Rupert Brooke and his illustrious contemporaries, including Virginia Woolf, Maynard Keynes, Augustus John, Bertrand Russell, E M Forster and Ludwig Wittenstein.

A stroll past Jeffrey Archer’s house and down a nearby lane took me to Byon’s Pool named after Lord Byron who used to swim there while studying at Cambridge.

Rupert Brooke and Virginia Woolf are reputed to have enjoyed some skinny dipping there too; I’m sure they were not the only ones, especially in this weather.

May and June are my favourite months and I hope I can slip away and spend some more time in this illydic corner of Cambridgeshire, famed for Rupert Brookes’ line about how the church clock stood at ten-to-three, and is there honey still for tea?

The answer is “yes”, tea and tranquility are still on the menu.

May 11th, 2006

The A list - local candidates must come first

Julian Sturdy

I called Julian Sturdy this morning to check if he was on the A list, he is still waiting to hear, the letter has not yet arrived informing him.

Last year he stood in a non-winnable seat in Scunthorpe against Elliot Morley, an Environment Minister, which is great for cutting your teeth, but now he surely deserves something more promising.

Julian has already proved himself. He made a sensational entry into politics in 2002 when he defeated the then Lib Dem Mayor of Harrorgate in the local elections, and later went on to consolidate his win by securing 78% of the votes.

Julian’s concern is that it is strong, local candidates with a background in local candidates whose names shoudl be on the A list, especially in the north.

He warned that this is a major strength of the Lib Dems. They secure good local candidates who work hard in their communities, just what Conservatives should be doing.

I am concerned that Camaroonism will soon become synonymous with everything being stage managed, which will turn off the electorate and lose their confidence.

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