My concerns about food security

Posted by on Nov 13, 2007 in updates | 11 comments The question I wanted to ask the environmental panel at yesterday’s Conservative Women’s Association conference was my concern about food security. I wanted to ask Zac Goldsmith and Lord Melchett whether simply growing organic crops will provide enough food for us all, not only in the UK, but in drought stricken countries like Africa too. However, the green-blooded Tory ladies gave...
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Helping victims of rape

Posted by on Nov 13, 2007 in Uncategorized | 5 comments There’s no doubt that David Cameron’s announcement on tightening up rape laws is long overdue. It went down a storm when he outlined them at yesterday’s Conservative Women’s Association annual conference. As things stand, I can understand why some women think twice before reporting they have been raped. It’s a legal minefield for courts of law to debate over what...
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"Creating a Better World for Future Generations"

Posted by on Nov 12, 2007 in Uncategorized | 7 comments Another cracking annual conference has been planned by the Conservative Women’s Association for today, which is where I am heading for now. Entitled, “Creating a Better World for Future Generations”, speakers include some of our leading Tory politicians, as well as: Zac Goldsmith – The Ecologist Lord Melchett – The Soil Association Tom Burke – Rio Tinto...
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Heading for a Spanish castle

Posted by on Nov 7, 2007 in updates | 23 comments My husband is a buyer for a department store and we have both been invited by a furniture company to stay at a stunning Spanish castle as their guests for the next couple of days. It is cheaper for them to hire this luxury hotel and invite buyers to Spain to view their new range on display there than hire a stand at the NEC. This seems ludicrous to me, but who am I to complain. A couple of years...
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Let’s also remember those left behind

Posted by on Nov 7, 2007 in updates | 4 comments With Remembrance Day soon here, my thoughts turn to the families left behind, how widows and fatherless children have to continue with their lives, as well as families who have sadly lost their daughter or wife too. Let’s also remember the injured soldiers maimed for life. I shall be spending some long overdue time today with the wonderful people at Headway Cambridgeshire of which I am a...
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Has anyone died in the Houses of Parliament?

Posted by on Nov 6, 2007 in updates | 31 comments Anyone who has died in the Houses of Parliament will have committed the UK’s most absurd offence – according to Suffolk’s finest political correspondent, Graham Dines. This is one of the absurd laws highlighted on his post today following a survey commissioned by satellite television channel UKTV Gold. The poll of 3,931 people asked the public to pick the most ludicrous British...
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How can a dying dog be called art?

Posted by on Nov 6, 2007 in updates | 49 comments Animal lovers throughout the world are sickened and outraged at how Costa Rican artist, Guillermo Habacuc Vargas took a dog from the street and used it as an art exhibit, causing it to suffer and starve to death in the name of art. I’m not going to post any of the offensive pictures, but have included a snapshot of Eurodogtraining, who alerted me to this. And here is an online petition you...
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My sympathies for Nadine

Posted by on Nov 6, 2007 in updates | 22 comments I lay in bed last night thinking about Nadine’s dilemma. I expressed my disappointment yesterday that she had switched off her comment facility, which I feel is crucial to a blog. Nadine indicated it was a time-issue, without mentioning that she had been targeted by hundreds of merciless "low-life" bloggers. I’m sure I would do the same in her shoes. The furore followed...
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Religion v motherhood

Posted by on Nov 5, 2007 in updates | 17 comments How can a mother choose religion above motherhood? It’s tragic beyond belief that a young Jehova’s Witness mother, aged only 22, died just hours after giving birth, having signed a form refusing a blood transfusion. How blindingly painful for doctors to stand by helpless, unable to go against her wishes. If they had, they may well have been charged with a criminal offence, and would...
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Nadine’s "cult" blog

Posted by on Nov 5, 2007 in updates | 16 comments The Sunday Telegraph waxes lyrical, it is gushingly in awe of Nadine Dorries’ blog, with its frank shoot-from-the hip style of writing. She is dubbed "Bridget Jones MP". This is what the article says: Dorries has also become something of a new-media superstar. Her blog is cult reading among MPs from all parties and her appearances on the internet television channel 18 Doughty...
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Oops! Wrong wedding and funeral

Posted by on Nov 2, 2007 in updates | 13 comments Hearing how a woman unbelievably went to a cremation she thought was for her son – only for him to turn up alive and well the following day, reminded me how I once inadvertently gate crashed the wrong wedding party. However, while I had not met met the bride, and  barely knew the groom, it is a different matter when a mother mistakenly identifies a dead body as that of her...
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The missing – Madeleine McCann

Posted by on Nov 2, 2007 in updates | 6 comments Yet another story is published today about a reported sighting of Madeleine McCann in Morocco. A woman told detectives she even recognised the distinctive fleck in Madeleine’s eye, where her pupil runs into her iris. Naoual Malhi, who alerted police about the sighting a month ago, said she had spotted Madeleine with an older woman, who tried to hide the girl. "I knew the minute I saw...
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Lessons for fitness

Posted by on Nov 1, 2007 in Uncategorized | 19 comments It sounds very impressive to say let’s make our new eco towns "fit towns" to tackle obesity, but many of these proposed facilities are already available. While it makes sense to provide more cycle lanes and safer walking routes to and from school, at the end of the day it is up to parents to decide how their kids get to school – and many prefer to drive them for various...
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Geoff’s winter retreat

Posted by on Nov 1, 2007 in updates | 7 comments I’m tempted to book a ski holiday at Geoff’s winter retreat at Les Gets. Let’s hope there will be more snow this winter, it was pretty dire last year. I had three ski holidays before I married and found them exhilarating, especially navigating my way around the moguls in Snowbird, Utah. I’ve never tried a black run though. Geoff is into snowboarding, I’m not sure...
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