Latest posts
What I did on strike day
Way back in November, I went on strike for the first time in my life. But I didn’t just spend the day watching TV. I already belong to my local community forum and an active church, so I could have … Continue reading →...
New for 2012…
Hello again! It’s been a while, but I’ve had a lot going on that have taken me away from the online world. If you think the blog has been underused, then my Twitter silence will have come as no surprise… … Continue reading...
Rise of the technocrats
Last night I watched “Yes Prime Minister” at the Guilgud theatre in London. Hilariously funny, morally complex, EU focused, one particular element really stood out. In the prime minister’s Civil Service Bill, it proposes that the ar...
Boris, Foster and the cross-channel metro
Contingency planning. Never sexy, always worthwhile. In tonight’s evening standard, there’s a double page spread on future London airport capacity. Alongside the by now well known Boris island idea sit plans now developed by Sir Norman Fo...
Occupy London and WWJD
There’s a bit of a row going on in the CofE at the moment, and for once it is not about women bishops or gay marriage. It gave the Evening Standard one of its best headlines of recent times tonight: … Continue reading →...
Happy Halloween?
Happy Halloween? My son is obsessed. At first I blamed the food. All those mini chocolate cupcakes with little candy ghosts, strawberry-jam-blood marshmallow teacakes, pumpkin balls, themed jelly sweets… but actually he can still mainly tak...
London’s Burning…
… but why? There is not going to be a simple answer to this. The rioting is spreading: it started in Tottenham, spread to Wood Green and last night’s news reported rioting, looting and arson in Oxford Circus, Hackney, Brixton, … Con...
Airbrushed? It’s not worth it
So L’Oreal has been taken to task by the Advertising Standards Authority (and MP Jo Swinson) for airbrushing Julia Roberts and Christy Turlington to the point where they no longer look human, let alone naturally beautiful, 40-something women. G...
Who do YOU think you are?
I’ve not yet joined Google+. It’s made the headlines today, deleting the account of users who have not registered with their real names – but is this really in line with its ethos of “don’t be evil”? So with 20 &...
Pondering Harry Potter
Last week I saw the eighth and final Harry Potter film “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2“. I strongly recommend you go and see it – this is one of the many official posters… Having now seen all … Continue re...
We came, we saw, we swished!
When we’re all tightening our belts, it’s time to make sure it’s one that makes us look fabulous… So Saturday 23 July 2011 was our big day – The Big Swish! Kent Feminista, the group of feminists I’ve joined, ran …...
Euro(w)s… Democracy versus Sovereignty
Croesus Pyre urn – if only his money were available to the Government in Athens right now and not burned up… A few thoughts from watching Greece… If one sixtieth of the population turns out on the street (e.g. marching against the I...
Hungary for wider Europe…
(image copied from the excellent http://www.runawayjane.com/first-impressions-of-budapest/ until I can download ours) Jó napot! We’re back from a long weekend in Budapest. I know, leaving it late in the day for the Hungarian Presidency but...
Doctor What next?
So we guessed, did you? A few thoughts before the second half of the series starts in the autumn – I’m not interested in the “I watched the filming and overheard X” spoilers, more in clues already dropped in the shows and in...
Banking on a better system?
As DG Markt Director General Jonathan Faull writes to the FT about the lobbying of Basel III and European Commission, and politicians and protesters with their “Banker Wanker” posters (and worse) blame the banks alone for the recent crisi...
Faith and feminism: comrades or conflict? Part 1
There was an interesting article in the Guardian last month showing that women that identified themselves as feminists were much less likely than women in general to identify themselves as belonging to a particular faith. They were statistically mo...
Has Pepperberry boobed?
I own a LOT of Bravissimo clothing. I’ve been a massive Bravissimo fan over the years… at last, a company that understood that customers like me – hourglass curvy with bigger boobs – are fashion conscious, like stylish, good...
Europe Day: really a referendum?
Or how I stopped worrying and learned to love representative democracy… Thumb up with EU flag Photo: Swissmacky/Shutterstock Images Today is Europe Day. While as a good EU citizen the date is of course inscribed on my heart, the other reaso...
True Finns- what just happened?
Finnish tshirt from www.zazzle.com – election of the true Finns risks a changed position for women in Finnish society Eek. Just listened to the BBC world service programme “World Have Your Say” on which friend and fellow Euroblogg...
Comic Relief Doctor Who
Doctor Who season 6 (of New Who) starts this Saturday. But if the trailers are anything to go by, while my son’s been able to watch most of the previous series thanks to judicious use of fast forward (I’m sure he thinks all Cybermen move...
