National Theatre ignores pleas of murdered prostitute’s mother

Posted by on Apr 12, 2011 in Blog, News | 9 comments A play about how the Ipswich community responded to the murder of five prostitutes gets its world premiere at the National Theatre on Thursday. While many Suffolk folk whose lives have been interwoven into the storyline of London Road, may be audience, the families of the murdered women most certainly will not. After the East Anglian Daily Times published a glowing review by reporter Lynne...
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How our government could help women find happiness

Posted by on Mar 6, 2011 in Blog, News | 4 comments I have always considered the Netherlands a progressive nation, impressed at how multi-lingual its citizens are (I remember meeting one 11-year-old boy in Amsterdam who could speak four languages), and they have achieved impressive household recycling solutions we can only dream about here (including an ingenious kerbside collection of soiled disposable nappies for dissemination and re-use). Now...
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Lily Cole’s Cambridge theatre debut

Posted by on Mar 2, 2011 in Blog, News | 1 comment Modelling superstar Lily Cole strove to be just another Cambridge student as she made her acting debut at the city’s famous university ADC Theatre in Chekhov’s The Seagull. Yet she knew that would be impossible as her fame would attract much attention, that all eyes would fall on her. Yes, she was nervous and stilted at times in the first half, but she also had one particular...
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Danish TV wants to speak to Chandlers re Somali kidnap

Posted by on Mar 1, 2011 in Blog, News | 6 comments Danish TV has just called me asking if I could put them in touch with the Chandlers whose kidnap by Somali pirates I wrote about here when I became concerned at the lack of media coverage about their capture and terrifying ordeal. The reporter told me a Danish family had just been kidnapped by pirates and there are naturally great fears for their well being, particularly following the fate of two...
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The latest ban for prisoners ….

Posted by on Feb 19, 2011 in Blog, News | 3 comments While the debate rages over whether prisoners should be allowed to vote, my blogging friend Winchester Whisperer has revealed the latest ban for inmates – the use of sanitising hand gel wash regularly used in hospitals and on crusie ships. She explains the reason why: “My prison visiting friend tells me it has been banned from her prison because the inmates were mixing it with rum...
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What would women march for in the UK?

Posted by on Feb 18, 2011 in Blog, News | 6 comments When did thousands of women last hold protest marches in the UK? Is there any issue they feel passionate about which would spur them into this kind of protest? I ask this question following the outraged women of Italy who did just that recently throughout their country. They made their moral stand against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi by marching through 60 towns and cities.  Smaller...
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MP warned she could lose seat over forest sales

Posted by on Feb 13, 2011 in Blog, News | 11 comments An Englishman’s home might be his castle, but he also feels very defensive about his countryside – and forests – as recent outrage has shown following government plans to sell off some of its woodland. As a keen rambler whose walks often include forests, bluebell woods and sheltered glades, I add my voice to those who have expressed concern.  On the one hand ramblers are close...
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The fuel duty stabiliser dilemma

Posted by on Feb 9, 2011 in Blog, News | 8 comments Like everyone else, I have had enough of rising fuel prices, especially as I live in a rural Cambridgeshire village. How to deal with it is a complex issue which the government is currently grasping with. On the one hand, a fuel duty stabiliser might seem an attractive option, but it is a short-term fix as it would work by cutting fuel duty at a time of rising pump prices – as well as...
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Westminster Abbey’s special treasures

Posted by on Feb 4, 2011 in Blog, News | 10 comments I had a couple of hours to spare in Westminster this week and decided to visit the Abbey where Prince William and Kate Middleton will tie the knot this April. Whenever I pass by there are usually long queues outside of tourists from around the globe who are keen to see the many splendours of the final resting place of some of our famous monarchs and poets, including Elizabeth 1 and Chaucer....
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How safe is your street?

Posted by on Feb 2, 2011 in Blog, News | 5 comments Have you checked out your street yet for reported crime on the police website, www.police.uk? The police knocked on my door a few weeks ago and I immediately panicked and feared the worst! The community beat bobby reassured me that all was fine, and told me that a neighbour had had a Mercedes badge stolen from the front of his car and asked if I had seen anything suspicious. Phew! I hadn’t,...
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Living with a monster child

Posted by on Jan 27, 2011 in Blog, News | 13 comments I was appalled to read a shocking court case in my local paper today about a mother who was too frightened to wake her violent teenage son to send him to school; he has only attended 22 out of 175 sessions and she pleaded guilty to one charge of failing to secure his regular attendance at school. The sympathetic magistrates in Ely gave the bullied mother a 12-month conditional discharge and...
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Tackling global food shortages and GM crops

Posted by on Jan 24, 2011 in Blog, News | 6 comments The chances are I might not be around in 40 years time, but my sons will, and their children too. I want to know they are going to have food to eat. I also want to believe that others in the world will be able to eat as well. According to a report by Sir John Beddington, the government’s chief scientist, called “The Future of Food and Farming“, that may not be the case. He has...
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The Court of Protection Deputies

Posted by on Jan 18, 2011 in Blog, News | 3 comments One of my blog posts which still attracts huge interest was about the Court of Protection. Many people have posted comments describing their terrible experiences, but I wondered if it was all bad, if there were some helpful deputies appointed by the court to help families. If so, could they please let me know. This is the most recent comment posted last week from a woman who seems traumatised by...
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Bankers and those bonuses

Posted by on Jan 12, 2011 in Blog, News | 20 comments I admit I am not a financial expert, but what puzzles me about bankers is why they are very well paid to do a job and rewarded with a huge bonus on top of it, sometimes several million pounds. Is it too simplistic to expect them to enjoy their work in which they should strive to succeed, and that they should do it for an agreed salary like the rest of the working population. If the salary needs...
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Blood money for England’s Hepatitis C and HIV victims

Posted by on Jan 11, 2011 in Blog, News | 7 comments It’s too late for some, for those trusting patients who died after being infected by contaminated haemophilia blood products from the NHS during blood transfusions in the 1970s and 80s. But at least some justice is finally being seen to be done. Even if victims and their families have had to wait decades – and 2,000 have tragically died waiting for this moment out of 4,670 people who...
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The King’s Speech

Posted by on Jan 9, 2011 in Blog, News, updates | 15 comments I absolutely loved The King’s Speech, which has been nominated for a host of screen awards. It made me realise how fortunate we are today to have supportive public speaking organisations like Toastmasters, which I belong to in Cambridge. Although none of our members have a stammer, a couple are deaf with a speech impediment. Speech therapy is vital, of course, but being able to speak in...
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EastEnders, cot deaths and and baby swaps

Posted by on Jan 7, 2011 in Blog, News | 5 comments My friend’s neighbour in Cambridge is an EastEnders’ scriptwriter. I was told that he heads off to Cambridge University Library each day to draw on his creative juices, away from the distractions of his demanding young kids, where he sits in the midst of one of the world’s greatest collections of  books and manuscripts. I used their fabulous facilities once, surrounded by rows...
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In tribute to Pete Postlethwaite

Posted by on Jan 3, 2011 in Blog, News | 6 comments I was saddened to hear of the unexpected death of Pete Postlethwaite, one of our finest British actors, and a favourite of mine who I was lucky enough to see in his one man show, Scaramouche Jones, at the Arts Theatre, Cambridge, a few years ago. He was only 64 and had been having treatment for testicular cancer. I loved his quirky features and all his thunderous perfomances were tremendous and...
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Honours, disappointments and a New Year

Posted by on Dec 31, 2010 in Blog, News | 4 comments Congratulations to Labour MP Anne Begg who is to be made a dame in the New Year honour’s list. She has been rewarded for her services to the disabled and her work on equal opportunities; she was vice-chair of the rarely held Speaker’s Conference which made recommendations on promoting more disabled parliamentary candidates, as well as women MPs. I have met Anne a couple of times and...
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Tonight’s royal Thursford Show

Posted by on Dec 18, 2010 in Blog, News | 5 comments I hope Kate and Wills wore their thermals this evening at the spectacular Thursford Show as it’s freezing there! They are likely to be sitting on hard tiered seating, and can count themselves lucky if they are close to any heating, if their experience is anything like mine. Brrrrrr! Despite this, Thursford is a magical place which everyone should experience in the festive season once in...
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Did Shrien Dewani kill his honeymoon bride?

Posted by on Dec 12, 2010 in Blog, News | 27 comments I find it impossible to believe that beautiful Anni Dewani was cold bloodily murdered by her newly wed husband on their honeymoon in Cape Town. They looked the perfect couple, so happy and in love. Anni was brutally short dead after she was shot dead when the car she was travelling in with her husband was carjacked by two men. Courts rely heavily on forensic evidence, and yet the body of Anni...
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On the 1st Day of Cutmas ….

Posted by on Dec 9, 2010 in Blog, university, video | 10 comments I have just spent two days in London and, although I missed the rioutous student demo against tuition fees, I did stumble across some festive students yesterday outside Somerset House who were singing their protests with a parody on our favourite carols.  It’s very mild compared to some of the scenes from today, though I feel students have every right to feel angry as they face a future of...
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Missing out on meeting Julian Assange

Posted by on Dec 7, 2010 in Blog, News | 7 comments Every now and again I think it would be useful to have membership at a London club, but I don’t think I spend enough time in the City to justify it – though I will be spending the next couple of days there. One that appeals to me is the Frontline Club – a haven for media folk, particularly journalists, and it would be right up my street as their speakers and events sound...
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Government urged to review family law and secret courts

Posted by on Dec 6, 2010 in Blog, News | 8 comments I was invited to attend the a parliamentary meeting regarding family law last week, but was unable to attend. Sam Smith went and has contributed the following report – and concludes that much needs to be done to overcome secrecy regarding family court hearings. Guests at a meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Family Law last Tuesday were left uninspired after questioning members...
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Why don’t we support young people?

Posted by on Dec 4, 2010 in Blog, university | 13 comments I remain convinced that the tripling of university tuition fees is regarded as an easy option for government to recoup funds towards the deficit, that today’s brightest young people are being unfairly targeted. I was also unconvinced by Danny Alexander’s defence of this massive increase on BBC Question Time, and a superb John Sergeant claimed that our government had coped before when...
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