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Showing posts from July, 2011

Calder Avenue to be closed for maintenance

Calder Avenue in Whitehaven will be closed for maintenance works for approximately two weeks from Wednesday (27th July.) This is obviously going to cause a fair amount of disruption, because the one-way system funnels all traffic towards the town centre from Calder Valley, Valley Park and half of Mirehouse through this road. But anyone who has the misfortune to be forced to use this road knows that this work needs doing. For the duration of this work the one-way restrictions on the Northern half of Foxhouses Road will be suspended.

EU Referendum lock passed by Lords

The EU referendum bill has now been through both the Commons and the Lords. The passing of the 'Referendum Lock' fulfils a Conservative Party manifesto commitment to give the British people a say on further power transfers to the EU. Foreign Secretary, William Hague has welcomed the Parliamentary passage of the EU 'Referendum' Bill saying: "For the first time it gives real control to Parliament and every voter in the country over the most important decisions a government can make in the EU. "This is good news for our democracy and will significantly strengthen it. "For the first time it gives real control to Parliament and every voter in the country over the most important decisions a government can make in the EU. "Trust in the EU has been severely damaged. "It is only by giving voters proper control over any future proposal to change the Treaties - the EU's rule book - to shift powers from Britain to the EU that we can begin to reconnect p

NOTW RIP - Cameron's speech

Following the shocking allegations about the "News of the World" and the closure lf the paper, here is David Cameron's speech at the press conference he gave to explain about the action the government is taking. "Good morning and thank you for coming. Over the past few days, the whole country has been shocked by the revelations about the phone hacking scandal. Murder victims, terrorist victims, families who have lost loved ones in war, sometimes defending our country… …that these people could have had their phones hacked into order to generate stories for a newspaper is simply disgusting. I cannot think what was going through the minds of the people who did this. That they could hack into anyone’s phone is disgraceful. But to hack into the phone of Milly Dowler, a young girl missing from her parents, who was later found to be murdered, is truly despicable. But this scandal is not just about some journalists on one newspaper. It’s not even just about the press. It’s

Feedback from the strike

On the evening of last Thursday, which was the day certain public sector unions were on strike, I was at a function with a number of friends, and it happens that most of the people I was sitting with were either retired teachers or still are teaching. All were affected by the dispute over pensions. Incidentally, teachers at independent schools are on the same pension as those in state schools.) Quite a few of the teachers I was talking to were members of one of the unions which was striking on Thursday. I'm told that the head teacher of the school where many of my friends work sent an email round asked any staff member who felt they needed to strike to come and see him. The ATL representative sent an email offered to go with any such person to see the head - and by one account, also offered to provide an exercise book to go down the back of their trousers. None of those I spoke to had been on strike but they had very mixed views about the merits of the action. Some pointed out that

Festival adds £2.5 million to local economy

This year's excellent Whitehaven Festival is estimated to have pumped two and a half million pounds into the local economy. Which in the present economic climate is just what the doctor ordered. This should be something Copeland council are thinking about. Hard. Not many years ago, lack of support from the council was a major reason why the festival nearly died. That must not be allowed to happen again.