Liberal Burblings

Archive for November, 2006

How remarkable that Reading has provided more than its fair share of fodder for chortling and Diary columns, via Martin Salter MP for Reading West and Jane Griffiths, former MP for Reading East!

Both have been regulars of the Guardian Diary.

Yesterday we were treated to another Salter Classic (my asterisks):

Overheard, waiting to board the 8.34 from Reading to Paddington on Tuesday morning, the perennially potty-mouther Labour member for Reading West, Martin Salter, responding with characteristic politesse to a constituent who rashly tried to introduce himself: “Don’t shout at me like I’m in a f**king supermarket. Show some f**king manners!” Good man.

In the other corner, even though Ms Griffiths has long departed the Westminster corridors, I was delighted to alight, en passant, on her blog. It seems that the multi-lingual rat-fancying former MP still has an obvious ardent passion for Mr Salter.

She reports a resident saying of Mr Salter: “We’d have liked to see our MP, we don’t see very much of him.” In another posting, she accuses Martin Salter of “political ineptitude of the first order” in “voting” for the LibDems at the recent Tilehurst by-election (I thought he lived in Theale?)

All good clean fun!

Strangely enough, as a Christian I don’t feel discriminated in this country, as the Daily Express tendency seems to have suggested. In fact, with Christianity as the established faith, the very idea that Christianity is discriminated against is laughable.

It has already been mentioned that wearing a cross is not a religious requirement of Christianity. What hasn’t been mentioned is that, according to Matthew, Jesus actually spoke out against Christians advertising their faith at all (“So what are you doing writing a blog saying “as a Christian”?”, I hear you ask – “It’s a fair cop, gov”, say I). These three quotes from Matthew 6 make this pretty obvious:

“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.

…And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full

…When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.”

I really think that the Christian thing to do is to quietly wear a cross under your shirt, if you want to wear a cross with a uniform when you are representing a major corporation dealing with clients from all faiths and none. Having said that, I have enormous sympathy for Nadia Eweida who wants to wear a very tiny cross outside her uniform. But I don’t think BA have done anything wrong and their policy is shared by other airlines. She can wear a cross – under her clothing if she continues the uniformed job or outside her clothing if she takes the non-uniformed job that has been offered.

I am afraid that any sort of Daily Express story like this (last week it was the poor headteacher who made a minor menu booboo with halal chicken) immediately puts me into laid-back, couldn’t-give-a-proverbial mode. There is a fraternity in this country who seem to be sitting around waiting to be outraged about something which they think is an attack on “traditional British values”. I say: “Get a life”.

It’s a big day in Northern Ireland today. Either the “Big Man”, Ian Paisley, says “yes” to reigniting the Assembly, or it’s Plan B – direct rule continues indefinitely. Paisley’s party has to nominate him as First Minister today, in order to keep the devolution plan on track.

I have visited Belfast three times in the last year. After years of hatred, it really is remarkable that the people there are putting the past behind them and getting on with peaceful life. Belfast is blooming into a wonderful city once more. The people there really do richly deserve a continuation of the peace process, and that surely must mean devolution on the St Andrews’ timetable.

It will be utterly staggering to see the DUP and Sinn Fein in government together. But after all the years of violence and hatred, it will, for once, give hope for mankind. If DUP and Sinn Fein can sit down together after all that has gone on, then there is hope for peace and reconciliation in all spheres of conflict.

Let’s hope and pray that the “Big Man”, who has made a long and richly rewarding career out of saying “no”, says “yes” for once today!

I see that Brakspears of Henley has been bought by the JT Davies group. More correctly, it is being “taken private” by its largest shareholder. There is a lot of history in both these firms, as the Times reports:

Alfred Davies, the son of the founder and grandfather of the current chairman, Michael, was personal private secretary to Lloyd George during the First World War, became MP for Lincoln and was knighted in 1933.

The Brakspear family history goes back even farther. One distinguished forebear, Nicholas Breakspear (sic), was the last Pope to hail from Britain, being anointed as Pope Adrian IV in 1154. A descendant, Robert Brakspear, founded WH Brakspear & Sons Brewery in 1779.

The Liberal Democrat History group records: Sir Alfred T. Davies (1861-1949). Permanent Secretary to the Welsh Department of the Board of Education, 1907-25.

When I arrived in Berkshire nigh on 30 years ago, one of its huge attractions was the plethora of Brakspears pubs all over the wonderful central Berkshire and South Oxfordshire countryside. They still exist. Sadly the old brewery in Henley was turned into swanky flats a few years ago. The wonderful Brakspears beer is now brewed by Wychwood in Witney. While Wychwood, home of the gorgeous Hobgoblin beers, is a marvellous brewery, beers are never the same when they are moved from their home brewery. The local water is the basis of a beer. Move the beer and the water changes and the basis is gone. But at least Brakspears didn’t end up at some huge mass-brewery.

The pub chain is what is left of the original Brakspears. It looks like it has gone to a good home. It would be a very great shame if a significant number of the Brakspears pubs were tampered with. They are a very rich part of our country’s heritage.

Last night we went to see the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain at the Corn Exchange, Newbury. It really was a wonderful evening – full of fun and laughs. It was wonderful to see and hear six people all with their hands going up and down rapidly (strumming the strings!) and hearing the rapid plinkity, plink of the ukuleles together. (Although, they explained that the different sizes of Ukuleles have different sounds – one goes plink and another goes p-l-i-n-k for example. And the thing I thought was a guitar at the end was actually a bass ukulele.)

They did some wonderfully original routines. Their one genuflection to George Formby was “Leaning on the Lampost” in the style of a group of Russian balalikas, complete with Russian-style chorus and a Russian-accented lady responding. Sounds strange. But it was hilarious.

If you get the chance to see them, grab it.

I attended the public meeting about Newbury Market last night at the Town Hall.

A Conservative councillor wrote-off the value of this meeting before it took place, saying it would be “stacked with the usual suspects”.

I didn’t notice any “usual suspects” at the meeting. There were a good number of residents who I have not noticed at public meetings before. They all expressed their views in a lively discussion. It was a great shame that West Berkshire Council declined the invitation to attend the meeting.

There has already been a survey of 1400 signatures, with 92% saying they wanted to see some market stalls remaining in Northbrook Street. Also, the Farmers’ Market organisers had an independent survey conducted which showed overwhelming support for some market stalls to remain in Northbrook street. Another survey of the businesses based in and around Northbrook Street, found that 72% wanted the market to remain there, while 28% wanted it to go back to the Market Place. There has also been resounding feedback from the public to councillors through the Saturday surgery and elsewhere saying that they like the market in Northbrook street.

The Town Council proposal builds on this groundswell of local opinion. It proposes a two site solution – stalls both in Northbrook Street and the Market Place. This was unanimously supported at the public meeting. Five options for bus routes were discussed and all but four people supported option d) which is:

“Re-route the buses on circular routes that include drop-off points on Broadway outside MacDonalds for the north of the town and at Bartholomew Street (South)/Market Street junction and adjacent to Post Office for south of the town…this would allow Wharf Street to stay open, easing congestion on Parkway Bridge.”

Option (e) got four hands in support and was:

“As (d) but allow buses to travel up Bartholomew Street (North), Mansion House Street and the Market Place, with drop off points much closer to the centre of the town. This would free Northbrook Street for market stalls and would be safer for buses in the Market Place due to a reduced number of stalls there. This would also allow Wharf Street to stay opne, easing congestion on Parkway Bridge.”

It was emphasised that the Town Council proposal is not a solution to replace what is happening in a few days time, but for the longer term, for example from January 2007.