Today I downloaded who lived in my current address in Woodford Road, West Ham, London in 1921. L
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“Security, prosperity, respect”: Starmer sets out ‘contract with British people’
Keir wants to unite working people to support Labour and defeat the Tories. Bringing together the economic left and the social conservatives. A powerful coalition that wins elections.
Check out Labourlist report and full text of…Read more…
Wanstead Flats Sunset
This evening I went out for a run (aka slow jog) around Wanstead Flats (aka wrongly by local estate agents as “Wanstead Heath” – sounds posher and more expensive).
It was a beautiful sunset over Alexander Lake. Tomorrow is due to be sunny …Read more…
“Royal Mail CDC pensions ‘could outperform DB as well as DC”
Recently I completed a research project into Pension Provision for Housing Association staff. In the project I mentioned the pros and cons on the new CDC (Collective Defined Contribution) schemes that have very recently been allowed to operate i…Read more…
Dame Vanessa Redgrave standing as Workers Revolutionary Candidate in Newham October 1974
Hat tip https://twitter.com/Doranish
“Worth watching Vanessa Redgrave’s dramatic speech at the result of the count for the Newham North East constituency in the October 1974 general election.
Labour’s candidate Reg Prentice, was re-elected as MP…Read more…
New Year’s day morning 1890 – Remembering the 26 Children
This morning a small group of Councillors and local historians met in West Ham Cemetery at the memorial to the 26 young boys (see below) who suffocated to death following a fire at the nearby children’s Workhouse.
Author John Walker,…Read more…
Blwyddyn Newydd Dda 2022 Happy New Year
“Blwyddyn Newydd Dda” and “Happy New Year 2022”. Boris “promised” a better Christmas than last year. Not for Gill and I since we were both stuck indoors with Covid.
Hopefully 2022 will be better.
Picture from my favourite walk of 2021,when I…Read more…
Newham Property Licensing Consultation – ends 26 January 2022
(Housing matters in Newham. Especially the Private Rental Sector. Take part in this really important consultation and let us try and keep and even extend the existing safeguards in Newham). Renewal of private rented property licensing scheme…Read more…
My home town #Buckley finally makes the “News” due to apparent “bloodthirsty rampage”
“Rogue squirrel bites 18 residents of Welsh town in bloodthirsty rampage – locals hide away”Hat tip ExpressRead more…
Got over Covid (“Unvaccinated people are up to 60 times more likely to be admitted to intensive care”)
My self-isolation according to the NHS Covid app finished 23.59 yesterday. I double checked with this Lateral Flow Test (LFT) this morning which was negative. Previous tests had been positive. It was all a little confusing since NHS Track & Trace t…Read more…
“Factional Magical-Leninism – The Festive Quiz 2013”
Facebook reminded me to day that 8 years ago I had posted on a Festive Christmas Quiz on the website “Facing Reality” which described itself as a “Satirical view from the left”. The site has stopped publishing since 2015 which is a shame si…Read more…
Remember to update your UNISON Membership details
Check out and update your personal and work details at https://www.unison.org.uk/my-unison/.
I have members complaining that they never hear anything from UNISON but when you check we have out of date email addresses, addresses and phone nu…Read more…
Nadolig Llawen 2021!
Merry Christmas everyone!
(View on way up to to Snowden, Yr Wyddfa, looking back on the Watkins Path. Now looking forward to Easter 2022 climb). Read more…
Merry Communist Christmas!
This is my traditional Christmas Eve Video. A little bit of Crimbo silliness that makes me smile at least.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you!
Hat tip Stroppybird! Read more…
“Trade unions are more vital than ever – so why is the government attacking them?”
Hat tip Frances O’Grady – TUC General Secretary “PoliticsHome”
“As 2022 begins, a pandemic is raging, nearly a million workers are on zero-hours contracts, two million workers have no right to sick pay and five million earn less than the real living wa…Read more…
Bad Regulation = Bad Landlords
Hat tip “Nearly Legal” and check out this sobering report on the regulation of private sector renting by the National Audit Office.
There are 4.4 million privately rented “households” in England. Those who have bad experiences of such renting may “fi…Read more…
Introducing the Retirement Living Standards (& Future Christmas Dinners)
This is a really clever approach by the PLSA to encouraging people think about their pensions seriously Once you decide what lifestyle you want after retirement you can then think about what you have to do to achieve it.
Do you want a “Minimum”, …Read more…
Why Join a Union and A Christmas Carol
hat tip https://twitter.com/UnisonNbriaPol
Never been a better time to join UNISON. Click here: http://join.unison.org.ukRead more…
Love E15: Help Needed – Can you lend a hand on Saturday 29th Jan 2022?
I am writing on behalf of Love E15 to invite you to our next volunteering event. We will be collecting donations of compost from Abbey Gardens, moving our 4 new street planters into location, and filling them with compost. We would love to see you ther…Read more…
Triple Jabbed but I have still caught Covid – be careful out there (But still get Jabbed)
Yesterday (Friday) I got “pinged” on my NHS Covid-19 “Track & Trace App”. As did a colleague who I had lunch with last Saturday. I felt fine except I hadn’t been sleeping that well since Wednesday. I had taken a Lateral Flow test on Thursday which …Read more…