Regular readers of this blog will know that I regularly plug Action Mesothelioma Day and other events/activities aimed at raising awareness of issues connected with asbestos.
Action Mesothelioma Day (AMD) takes place on the first Friday in July each year, so pretty obviously this year`s event will take place on Friday 6 July 2012. The day is aimed at "raising awareness and supporting and remembering those who have lived or have been affected by mesothelioma.". For me personally my motivation is connected with "remembering those who have lived" and with "raising awareness".
Each year the theme for the day is set by the British Lung Foundation (www.lunguk.org), and the theme this year is to call for a Global Ban on Asbestos.
I`m sure the many organisations involved with this issues can make their case more effectively than I could, so here are some links which may prove helful ;
www.asbestosforum.org.uk
www.mesothelioma.uk.com
www.asbestossupport.co.uk
http://banasbestosindia.blogspot.com
If everyone who reads this posting could take a couple of minutes to check out one or two of these sites and learn more about the issues, then that would be great.
As an afterthought, perhaps I could also mention that Mesothelioma UK are asking anyone organising a local event for AMD, or anyone who knows of an event in thir own area, to inform them so they can update their site accordingly. Cheers.
Friday, 25 May 2012
Tuesday, 8 May 2012
The People`s Pledge
The People`s Pledge is a cross-party campaign for a referendum on membership of the European Union.
It takes no position on the kind of outcome it would like to see from such a referendum, but simply believes that this kind of decision needs to be made by "the people, not the politicians".
When I last checked, 65 MPs had signed up to the pledge, including Mike Hancock (Lib Dem), Natascha Engel (Labour), Nigel Mills (Conservative), Caroline Lucas (Green) and Sammy Wilson (DUP).
Just for good measure, the campaign`s Advisory Council also includes representatives of The Liberal Party and the Scots Nats.
The Pledge campaign is neither Europhile or Eurosceptic. Labour`s Keith Vaz has made it clear he would campaign for a `yes` vote, whereas Conservative Andrew `Potato Man` Bridgen opposes further Europen integration and was involved in a campaign against the euro even before he became an MP. Nevertheless, both have signed up to this campaign.
One of the more telling points the People`s Pledge team make is that no-one under 55 has had any chance to express their view over Europe. I personally would add that with both the two main parties containing both pro- and anti- wings, there is simply no dependable way to know how those party`s voters feel on the subject.
More information on the People`s Pledge can be found at www.peoplespledge.org .
Sunday, 6 May 2012
Save the Women`s Library
Founded in 1926 as the Fawcett Library, the Women`s Library at London Metropolitan University houses artefacts charting the Women`s Movement from it`s earliest days, with a wealth of material on the Suffragette movement but much more than that, including the archive of the National Women`s Register and, bizarrely, a book of Recipes for Lovers by Barbara Cartland !
Now the LMU is seeking "a new home, owner or sponsor" for the library and in the interim is looking to cut opening hours, allegedly from five days a week to one. The decision has provoked an outcry and a spirited campaign to save the collection is underway, endorsed by Sandi Toksvig and others.
Sadly this interesting campaign obliges me to draw attention to two things I particularly dislike in life, one being The Guardian newspaper and the other being campaigns which feature celebrity endorsements !
It has to be said that the campaign itself assumes it is preaching to the converted and therefore makes little attempt to detail the contents of the collection. Whether I like it or not, the best source I can find for this is Caroline Davies` article Women`s Library Campaign Boosted by Celebrity Support, Monday 30 April 2012 at www.guardian.co.uk.
There are numerous other sources of info online. Here are just a few ;
Alan Gibbons - Importance of Women`s Archive - 5 May 2012 at http://alangibbons.net
Alan Gibbons - Campaign and Petition : The Women`s Library - 6 May 2012 at http://alangibbons.net
National Women`s Register - www.nwr.org.uk .
Unison - www.londonmetunison.org.uk
Save the Women`s Library - http://savethewomenslibrary.blogspot.com
I understand that the LMU is also looking to dispose of the TUC Library but as yet I can find no equivalent campaign in respect of that - all I can suggest there is to use the Unison branch link provided above.
Clearly, the LMU is looking to either dispose of the collection or get some sort of sponsorship to help with the cost of mantaining it. There is no particular reason why it has to be in London as far as I can see. The chief issues here would seem to be preservation of the collection, sensible arrangements for public access and the future of the staff. I must be remembered that the collection`s assets are not only documents and artefacts but also the staff, some of whom have years of experience in dealing with the collection and building up familiarity with the stock.
The future, as they say, is unwritten.
Now the LMU is seeking "a new home, owner or sponsor" for the library and in the interim is looking to cut opening hours, allegedly from five days a week to one. The decision has provoked an outcry and a spirited campaign to save the collection is underway, endorsed by Sandi Toksvig and others.
Sadly this interesting campaign obliges me to draw attention to two things I particularly dislike in life, one being The Guardian newspaper and the other being campaigns which feature celebrity endorsements !
It has to be said that the campaign itself assumes it is preaching to the converted and therefore makes little attempt to detail the contents of the collection. Whether I like it or not, the best source I can find for this is Caroline Davies` article Women`s Library Campaign Boosted by Celebrity Support, Monday 30 April 2012 at www.guardian.co.uk.
There are numerous other sources of info online. Here are just a few ;
Alan Gibbons - Importance of Women`s Archive - 5 May 2012 at http://alangibbons.net
Alan Gibbons - Campaign and Petition : The Women`s Library - 6 May 2012 at http://alangibbons.net
National Women`s Register - www.nwr.org.uk .
Unison - www.londonmetunison.org.uk
Save the Women`s Library - http://savethewomenslibrary.blogspot.com
I understand that the LMU is also looking to dispose of the TUC Library but as yet I can find no equivalent campaign in respect of that - all I can suggest there is to use the Unison branch link provided above.
Clearly, the LMU is looking to either dispose of the collection or get some sort of sponsorship to help with the cost of mantaining it. There is no particular reason why it has to be in London as far as I can see. The chief issues here would seem to be preservation of the collection, sensible arrangements for public access and the future of the staff. I must be remembered that the collection`s assets are not only documents and artefacts but also the staff, some of whom have years of experience in dealing with the collection and building up familiarity with the stock.
The future, as they say, is unwritten.
Small Charities Week 2012
The grandly-named Foundation for Social Improvement is a small charity that exists to support small charities, for instance by providing free training and advice, and by helping with the costs of accessing these services.
One of the highlights of their year is Small Charities Week, which takes place during June.
This year they will be holding an SCW online sale in conjunction with E-Bay, to take place 11 - 15 June 2012. I understand that participating groups are on the look-out for items to sell as part of this, particularly items with a celebrity connection.
To find out more, visit the group`s site at www.thefsi.org , or to learn more about one of the small charities concerned, see my article Return of the Equine Quadrupeds*, posted a few days ago at http://bookshelvesandbrownale.blogspot.com.
One of the highlights of their year is Small Charities Week, which takes place during June.
This year they will be holding an SCW online sale in conjunction with E-Bay, to take place 11 - 15 June 2012. I understand that participating groups are on the look-out for items to sell as part of this, particularly items with a celebrity connection.
To find out more, visit the group`s site at www.thefsi.org , or to learn more about one of the small charities concerned, see my article Return of the Equine Quadrupeds*, posted a few days ago at http://bookshelvesandbrownale.blogspot.com.
*An equine quadruped (pic courtesy of the Fforest Uchaf Pit Pony Sanctuary, Pontypridd)
Friday, 27 April 2012
Mercury Rises as Knight Visits Brewery
Sir Peter Soulsby is no stranger to this blog.
When we first encountered him (The WAG Man Returns / Lodge House Controversy Continues, this blog, Fri 1 Oct 2010) , he was Sir Peter Soulsby, MP, heading up the Labour contingent in an excellent show of cross-party support for Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen`s `Buffer Zone` bill in respect of opencast mining.
Now he is Sir Peter Soulsby, Mayor of Leicester, and could be found recently in the pages of the Leicester Mercury visiting the derelict All Saints Brewery where he met with heritage groups and Leicester City Council Conservation and Building Control Officers.
The plan is to draw up a conservation strategy to save Leicester`s industrial heritage.
The Mercury article can be found here ;
Unsigned - "I Don`t Want our Industrial Heritage to Crumble Away - Wed 25 April 2012 at www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk .
It`s worth pointing out that a number of other sites of particular interest are also mentioned in the article.
Three heritage groups are mentioned, and I`m happy to give details of their web sites ;
www.leicestercivicsociety.org.uk
www.victoriansociety.org.uk/leicester
www.lihs.org.uk .
When we first encountered him (The WAG Man Returns / Lodge House Controversy Continues, this blog, Fri 1 Oct 2010) , he was Sir Peter Soulsby, MP, heading up the Labour contingent in an excellent show of cross-party support for Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen`s `Buffer Zone` bill in respect of opencast mining.
Now he is Sir Peter Soulsby, Mayor of Leicester, and could be found recently in the pages of the Leicester Mercury visiting the derelict All Saints Brewery where he met with heritage groups and Leicester City Council Conservation and Building Control Officers.
The plan is to draw up a conservation strategy to save Leicester`s industrial heritage.
The Mercury article can be found here ;
Unsigned - "I Don`t Want our Industrial Heritage to Crumble Away - Wed 25 April 2012 at www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk .
It`s worth pointing out that a number of other sites of particular interest are also mentioned in the article.
Three heritage groups are mentioned, and I`m happy to give details of their web sites ;
www.leicestercivicsociety.org.uk
www.victoriansociety.org.uk/leicester
www.lihs.org.uk .
Thursday, 19 April 2012
More From the Commonwealth
We looked briefly at the Commonwealth last month (Celebrating the Commonwealth, 15 March 2012).
The current issue of Global magazine features an interview with Lord David Howell, Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in which he put forward his views on the way forward for the Commonwealth.
Necessarily, the views he expresses are likely to be indicative of the current government`s position.
All I would want to say on that issue is that this blog doesn`t go in for party politics, except in the sense that I tend to prioritise campaigns and other initiatives that have cross-party support.
Other than that, the interview can be found at www.global-briefing.org .
The current issue of Global magazine features an interview with Lord David Howell, Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in which he put forward his views on the way forward for the Commonwealth.
Necessarily, the views he expresses are likely to be indicative of the current government`s position.
All I would want to say on that issue is that this blog doesn`t go in for party politics, except in the sense that I tend to prioritise campaigns and other initiatives that have cross-party support.
Other than that, the interview can be found at www.global-briefing.org .
Sunday, 8 April 2012
The Hoonaloon Big April Books Bonanza
At this point I have to interrupt all this (relative) high-mindedness to introduce a note of sordid commerce (or at the very least a note of enlightened self-interest !).
As you may know, Hoonaloon Books holds regular sales throughout the year, and one is currently underway (ends 27 April 2012).
You can view our catalogue using the link on the right-hand side of this page - the sale discounts have already been deducted from the prices shown.
Having chosen the book you want, you can either order via ABE Books or deal with us directly - our email is hoonaloon@btinternet.com.
In the meantime, here are a few of the more picturesque items to be found among the 4,000 or so books we currently have on sale ;
450 Eleanor McDougall - Lamps in the Wind
456 Derek Hudson - The Forgotten King and other Essays
As you may know, Hoonaloon Books holds regular sales throughout the year, and one is currently underway (ends 27 April 2012).
You can view our catalogue using the link on the right-hand side of this page - the sale discounts have already been deducted from the prices shown.
Having chosen the book you want, you can either order via ABE Books or deal with us directly - our email is hoonaloon@btinternet.com.
In the meantime, here are a few of the more picturesque items to be found among the 4,000 or so books we currently have on sale ;
448 - L F Salzman - England in Tudor Times
450 Eleanor McDougall - Lamps in the Wind
456 Derek Hudson - The Forgotten King and other Essays
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