tag:archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk,2009-11-13:/Things that interest a resident of WalthamstowMokoFeed2009-11-13T03:37:59+01:00tag:archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk,2009-11-12:/2009/11/12/big-chiv-in-walthamstow-7359228/technomist2009-11-12T16:55:54+01:002009-11-13T00:37:39+01:00 <p>I have a cat called Totty. That is not a comment on her sexual proclivities, or indeed mine, but a genuflection in the direction of the football club in whose shadow she was found abandonned. </p> <p>Tottenham is one of the large clubs in this area of London which, along with Arsenal and Orient, vie for the loyalties of people in Walthamstow, or at least those who like the game enough to pay to watch it and don't see themselves turning out to support Walthamstow Red Star, <a href="http://walthamstowavenue.wordpress.com/">Walthamstow Avenue </a>or even mighty Walthamstow Village. </p> <p>Nevertheless, supporting Spurs is often something of a secret vice. There seem to be more people willing to sport the red of Aresenal at Blackhorse Road for the trip down the Victoria line for a mid-week home game than there are willing to make their way to White Heart Lane, even though that ground is somewhat nearer. Don't ask me why. It is probably tribal and complicated.</p> <p>But Spurs fans there are, and I expect there will be a few who are interested to know that <a href="http://www.visionsp.co.uk/bigchiv/">Martin Chivers </a>will be in Waterstones in the Mall at Walthamstow on Saturday 14 November at 12.30pm. He's going to be there to sign copies of his autobiography, "Big Chiv: My Goals in Life". Here are a couple he scored in a losing game against Man City:</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/11/12/big-chiv-in-walthamstow-7359228/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk,2009-11-12:/2009/11/12/grayson-on-perry-7357955/technomist2009-11-12T13:23:31+01:002009-11-12T16:27:41+01:00 <p>An excellent piece has been put up on You Tube by ArtNewspaperTV. It is captioned thus:</p> <p><em>Speaking at his current show at the Victoria Miro Gallery in London, Grayson Perry discusses his Walthamstow Tapestry and the techniques and theories behind some of his pots in the exhibition including one depicting the wedding of himself and his ever present teddy bear, Alan Measles</em></p> <p>I like it because although <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/10/10/grayson-perry-and-brands-7139934/">Grayson Perry is dressed </a>in one of his trademark outfits, (which usually distracts from the subject at hand) he is actually speaking intelligently about his work, the ideas behind it and the techniques employed. I had a good chuckle at his cheeky line that 'oil paintings are second class tapestries'. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/11/12/grayson-on-perry-7357955/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk,2009-11-12:/2009/11/12/robert-auton-gandalf-7357806/technomist2009-11-12T12:54:42+01:002009-11-12T12:55:44+01:00 <p>A timely poem about a <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/11/10/the-essex-tortoise-task-force-7347960/">tortoise</a></p> <p> <small> <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/11/12/robert-auton-gandalf-7357806/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk,2009-11-12:/2009/11/12/neil-gerrard-refuses-to-speak-on-platform-with-jobbik-7357451/technomist2009-11-12T11:53:29+01:002009-11-12T12:18:36+01:00 <p>The <a href="http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/21794/labour-mp-pulls-out-pro-palestine-event">Jewish Chronical</a> calls it a pro-Hamas Rally. The Palestinian Return Centre (PRC) calls it a conference on the 16th of December 2009 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency UNRWA.</p> <p>Neil Gerrard MP, who was due to attend the event at the Friends Meeting House, 173 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ didn't seem phased by this acrimony when he was first invited to speak, but has now pulled out in a row over the other people he would be sharing a platform with. </p> <p>Mr Gerrard has told the anti-fascist group Nothing British About the BNP that he would not attend the event because of “substantial evidence” s that far-right Hungarian MP Kristina Morvai would be attending. Morvai does not feature on the lists so far in the public domain of confirmed speakers that I have found <a href="http://www.arabisto.com/article/Blogs/Sameh_Habeeb/International_Conference_to_discuss_Future_of_Palestinian_Refugees/48636">on the internet</a>. Baroness Tonge, <a href="http://www.hurryupharry.org/2009/11/11/labour-mp-will-not-speak-alongside-neo-nazi/">who will be attending</a>, says Kristina Morvai is not on the list of speakers but that does not mean she is not intending to attend.</p> <p>Morvai's party, for those of us in Walthamstow who have no idea who they are, is in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alliance_of_European_National_Movements">Alliance of European National Movements</a>, an alliance of neo-fascist political parties which I understand is being launched in the European parliament today. The alliance is headed by Nick Griffin’s BNP, Morvai’s Jobbik and Le Pen’s Front National. Pleasant company. </p> <p>I have some sympathy with Mr Gerrard. It must be frustrating to have to pull out. He is a man who has a long-standing and genuine interest in the rights of refugees as well as <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/01/17/mp-calls-for-expulsion-of-israeli-ambassador-5394856/">the plight of the Palestinian people</a>. Indeed, only last Saturday I heard him give a well-informed talk on the history of UK immigration controls at the <a href="http://www.star-network.org.uk/">STAR</a> Conference in Bethnal Green. As a genuine expert in the field he gave a very balanced, non-polemical and reasoned discourse on the portrayal of refugee issues in the media and how that has informed political debate in the UK. I don't entirely agree with him, but believe him to be a knowledgeable and sincerely principled man on these issues, someone whose views are worth a public hearing.</p> <p>He has however been presented with difficulties previously by 'over-enthusiastic' organisers of conferences to discuss Palestinian issues, for instance when some idiot from Waltham Forest Palestinian Solidarity Campaign booked Harmony Hall with <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/03/27/a-question-of-treason-and-harmony-5844152/">Daud Abdullah </a>and Neil Gerrard advertised to speak on the same platform. Interestingly, Dr Daud Abdullah was also on the bill for the conference in December. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/11/12/neil-gerrard-refuses-to-speak-on-platform-with-jobbik-7357451/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk,2009-11-11:/2009/11/11/ascham-homes-council-acts-to-remove-boss-7351460/technomist2009-11-11T14:57:38+01:002009-11-11T15:15:05+01:00 <p>The head of <a href="http://www.aschamhomes.org.uk/default.aspx">Ascham Homes </a>is finally 'stepping down', a polite formulation for being fired for not being up to the job. Attempts in the past few months, no doubt following PR advice at public expense, to improve the image of the organisation by spinning silly non-stories about <a href="http://www.24dash.com/news/Housing/2009-10-19-More-than-customer-service">staff charity </a>events have fooled no-one. The staff may or may not be lovely but the management were <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/04/29/ascham-homes-continues-to-fail-6031907/">not fit </a>for purpose. </p> <p><a href="http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/wfnews/4732830.WALTHAM_FOREST__Ascham_Homes_head__to_stand_down__following_council_pressure/">Carl Brown </a>in the Waltham Forest Guardian has a good report on the final inevitable showdown, which included a 'dignified' moment as a man whose management team told lies to the public to <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2008/09/02/qusetions-about-5d979908a1c8c89d84fa2a50917698fa-4672279/">unlawfully </a>demand money from them finally agreed to 'leave the building': </p> <p><em>"Matters are understood to have come to a head after a government inspection to determine whether the company would secure vital funding to improve housing, was postponed for fear of failure. </p> <p>The council is said to have ‘no confidence’ in the chief executive to deliver necessary changes to ensure the funds are secured. </p> <p>A source on the Ascham Homes board said Mr Auguste made a ‘dignified speech’ at a board meeting on Monday, during which he announced his decision to leave the company."</em></p> <p>Sadly for the taxpayer it seems that being incompetant is not seen as enough reason to dismiss him on the spot without any pay-off and the board has "agreed to start negotiations over chief executive Hasset Auguste’s future", while he is expected to announce his departure imminently. </p> <p>In other words, he seems to expect to be paid to go, maybe with a fat pension, despite failing to bring his organisation's properties up to the government's minimum 'decent' standards as he was employed to do. The council taxpayer is having to bail the organisation out to the tune of 5 million pounds from its contingency reserve. There are still many <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/10/17/ascham-homes-questions-continue-to-spring-to-mind-7190174/">unanswered questions </a>about Ascham Homes. It shall be interesting to see if the council seeks answers to those and corrects the deep-sated problems or if it will be content to pretend that with a new boss all will now be well. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/11/11/ascham-homes-council-acts-to-remove-boss-7351460/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk,2009-11-11:/2009/11/11/let-them-eat-gue-7351031/technomist2009-11-11T13:32:47+01:002009-11-11T13:43:12+01:00 <p>People may be surprised to know that here are quite a few French people living in the Walthamstow area. I am not sure how many. They don't generally count in official circles such as the council, mainly because the powers that be designed ridiculous 'equal opportunity' questionaires some decades ago that mean they show up as 'white' and not much else in the official stats. Nevertheless, I am aware that there are a number of French people living here among the 3-400,000 exiles who <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8350409.stm">Sarkozy</a> either keeps trying to pursuade to return home from London or (somewhat inconsistently) has decided are here to stay and therefore in need of a <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/5164254/France-mulls-MP-for-Britain-to-represent-expats-in-French-parliament.html">Deputy for Great Britain</a> to be elected to the French Parliament.</p> <p>It was not these voluntary Londoners, though, who <a href="http://gouk.about.com/b/2009/11/10/let-them-eat-cake-says-boris.htm">Boris Johnson </a>was trying the taunt the other day, when he was telling the French to eat cake. Cake from Walthamstow. <a href="http://www.gupuds.com/">Gü</a> to be precise. </p> <p>Citing the Walthamstow commercial bakery that annually exports £5million worth of chocolate cake to France as an example of "the intellect, resilience and genius of Londoners", he challenged French President Nicolas Sarkozy to stop pushing Paris as a financial capital of Europe to rival London and instead, "Look to your cake." </p> <p>Opening the <a href="http://www.wtmlondon.com/page.cfm/Link=1/t=m/goSection=1">30th World Travel Market </a>at London's ExCel exhibition centre, Boris joked, "I say, let them eat cake...made in Walthamstow." </p> <p>Actually, Gü is all very nice and gooey - I have built up a good collection of little glass dessert dishes in my time, but some of the best cakes don't go very far out of the borough as they are to be found in cafes like <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/05/21/le-fraisier-6151499/">Le Fraisier </a>on Palmerston Road, which, despite the French moniker, is Algerian-run. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/11/11/let-them-eat-gue-7351031/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk,2009-11-11:/2009/11/11/some-called-foster-has-his-picture-taken-in-walthamstow-7348478/technomist2009-11-11T01:41:34+01:002009-11-12T23:34:05+01:00 <p>Some of the poor children at Mission Grove School have recently been pestered by <a href="http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/michael_foster/worcester">Mike Foster</a>, an unremarkable politician currently taking on the guise of International Development Minister and in need of a few photo ops with children during school hours. </p> <p>The pathetic evidence of this non-entity's activities is to be found on the <a href="http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Media-Room/News-Stories/2009/Walthamstow-eco-warriors-meet-Mike-Foster/">official DFID website</a>, where the children are alleged to have "learned how their eco-friendly actions in Walthamstow can have an impact on the rest of the world" by turning off a light, walking to school or interacting with a complete political no-body before he flies off with <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/11/09/miliband-in-walthamstow-7337993/">Miliband</a> to Copenhagen, no doubt polluting the skies above the borough in the process and drowning out their enjoyment of play-time with <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/10/04/speaking-planely-in-a-democracy-7094742/">aircraft noise</a>. </p> <p>I have discussed <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/06/25/astroturfing-town-hall-meetings-and-other-games-of-deception-6386560/">astroturfing </a>and the <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/07/13/children-in-politics-it-doesn-t-stop-once-you-start-6507684/">abuse of children by politicians </a>before. </p> <p>The bowl of fruit was a nice touch. </p> <p>[<em>Updated 12 November 2009</em>] </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/11/11/some-called-foster-has-his-picture-taken-in-walthamstow-7348478/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk,2009-11-11:/2009/11/11/playing-rapunzel-at-the-plough-7348440/technomist2009-11-11T01:24:41+01:002009-11-11T01:24:41+01:00 <p><a href="http://www.playingrapunzel.com/bio.html">Playing Rapunzel</a> comprise Mich Sampson and Marilisa Valtazanou. They will be playing at the <a href="http://www.walthamstowfolk.co.uk/blog/">Plough</a> in Walthamstow at 8.00pm on Friday 13th November at a gig described as an Evening of Spooky Songs. (£6 entry, doors open at 7.30pm)</p> <p>Here they are on something which they call a London Street Piano Crawl:</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/11/11/playing-rapunzel-at-the-plough-7348440/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk,2009-11-10:/2009/11/11/repatriation-7348150/technomist2009-11-11T00:00:59+01:002009-11-11T00:00:59+01:00 <p>Repatriation of Nicholas Webster-Smith, <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/11/09/rsm-darren-chant-7334885/">Darren Chant</a>, Phillip Scott, James Major, Matthew Telford, and Steven Boote at Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/11/11/repatriation-7348150/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk,2009-11-10:/2009/11/10/the-essex-tortoise-task-force-7347960/technomist2009-11-10T23:23:21+01:002009-11-11T11:43:39+01:00 <p>In dramatic and no doubt exciting scenes of pro-active policing and daring-do not witnessed in this part of the world since, well, since as long <a href="http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/4731344.EPPING_FOREST__MP_criticises__heavy_handed__police/">as anyone </a>can remember, the police in Essex mustered a fearless squad of otherwise unoccupied officers in full bullet-proof armour to raid an RSPCA accredited animal sanctuary last month. </p> <p>It seems that the police's efforts last year in Walthamstow to <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/07/18/evil-tortoise-smuggling-gang-smashed-in-daring-police-raid-6538361/">smash an evil tortoise smuggling gang</a> had not allayed concern among the quaking populace in this part of London and Essex that the problem of tortoise crime was being prioritised or dealt with harshly enough. Essex Police mounted a daring swoop. </p> <p>Whether this was co-ordinated with the crack force which was formed to solve the testudine problem once and for all last year in Walthamstow is not clear from <a href="http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/4729322.EPPING__Animal_sanctuary_raided_by_police/?ref=mr">reports in the Epping Forest Guardian</a>. Nevertheless, I am sure that tortoises will be hibernating soundly in airing cupboards all over East London knowing that maximum priority has been given to raiding an accredited animal sanctuary on everyone's behalf. </p> <p>The woman who runs the sanctuary has for some reason spoken of her shock after her home was raided by police following allegations that she was selling rare tortoises illegally. Tracy Cooper runs the Small Animals Boarding and Rescue Centre at her house in Hobbs Cross Road, Theydon Garnon, Epping. She looks after 23 tortoises (8 of which are from rare species) as well as a number of ferrets and parrots. This is an activity she says she pays for from her own pocket or donations from the public. </p> <p>She says she was left shaken after six officers clad in bullet-proof vests turned up saying they had a warrant for her arrest last month. Ms Cooper, who has been bailed by police until December, has protested her innocence, saying that while she has given away some of the reptiles to other families, she has only ever received donations for her centre in return. </p> <p>She said: “The whole thing is just bizarre. When I realised it wasn't a wind-up or a mistake I just went into shock. </p> <p>“I run this place completely voluntarily, I don't make a penny from it and it costs me around £40,000 a year to run. </p> <p>“The police spent three hours turning my house upside down at taxpayers' expense and they treated me like a dangerous criminal." </p> <p>A spokesman for Essex Police said: “We can confirm that a woman from Theydon Garnon is currently on police bail until early December while an investigation continues into a possible breach of the Control of Trade in Endangered Species regulations.” </p> <p>The local MP, Eleanor Laing, has described the police action as "heavy handed". Meanwhile, in neighbouring Walthamstow, residents and the council are still trying to pursuade anyone who will listen (<a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/03/16/boris-on-crime-in-walthamstow-5767156/">Boris Johnson</a>, the Home Office and Scotland Yard) that the borough, with <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/10/19/crime-the-local-numbers-game-7201024/">crime</a> at well above national average rates, is short of 120 officers. </p> <p>[<em>Updated 11 November 2009</em>]</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/11/10/the-essex-tortoise-task-force-7347960/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk,2009-11-10:/2009/11/10/donizeti-haydn-shostakovich-and-sibelius-7347736/technomist2009-11-10T22:41:53+01:002009-11-10T22:43:50+01:00 <p>Donizetti, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_string_quartets_by_Joseph_Haydn">Haydn</a>, Shostakovitch and Sibelius are on offer for a tenner to those members of the public who do not qualify for a 'concession' on Thursday the 26 November 2009 at <a href="http://www.walthamsoft.com/villagemusic/2009-11-26.htm">St Mary's Church</a>. The doors open at 7.00pm and the music should begin at 7.30pm.</p> <p>Lucy Russell and Jonathan Sparey on violin, Alan George on viola and Heather Tuach on cello make up the <a href="http://www.fitzwilliamquartet.org/">Fitzwilliam String Quartet </a>who will be entertaining everyone interested. The exact programme has not yet been announced. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/11/10/donizeti-haydn-shostakovich-and-sibelius-7347736/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk,2009-11-10:/2009/11/10/robert-auton-last-impressions-first-7345746/technomist2009-11-10T17:13:16+01:002009-11-10T17:13:16+01:00 <p>There is a rather splendid website called Poem Hunter where people of a tearful and melancholic bent can go or even those who simply want a wry smile or a rhyme to flicker across their lips.</p> <p>On it are the poems of <a href="http://www11.poemhunter.com/robert-auton/poems/page-1/">Robert Auton</a>, who lives in Walthamstow. Here is one he performed earlier. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/11/10/robert-auton-last-impressions-first-7345746/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk,2009-11-10:/2009/11/10/soon-be-home-7345476/technomist2009-11-10T16:40:59+01:002009-11-10T16:40:59+01:00 <p> <small> <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/11/10/soon-be-home-7345476/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk,2009-11-10:/2009/11/10/wilkinson-s-7344082/technomist2009-11-10T12:59:36+01:002009-11-10T13:09:00+01:00 <p>I see that the hoardings in front of Wilkinson's new shop in the High Street have come down. They are not far off from opening by the looks of things - there was a cherry-picker in use yesterday afternoon by a couple of workmen giving the frontage a final spray paint, while through the still shuttered windows, the shelving systems can be seen in a fairly advanced stage of construction. It will be a great boost when the hole left by Woolworths is finally filled, though I suspect that some of the pound shops in Walthamstow will now find they will have to work harder for a sale than they did when sleepy old Woolies was their most obvious competition. </p> <p>The sight of a new neighbour to bring footfall seems to have cheered up some of the other businesses - <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2007/11/03/style_overdose~3238642/">Style Overdose</a>, directly opposite was having its own signage washed and polished yesterday as well. Style Overdose, by the way is a shop I once royally slated for stocking gangster clothes, but I do notice that they have weathered the recession. They seem to have done this by having a much more thoughtful, fashionable and also softer edge to their offerings. These have been very carefully and as a result attractively displayed. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/11/10/wilkinson-s-7344082/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk,2009-11-09:/2009/11/09/peddling-environmentalism-7339914/technomist2009-11-09T21:32:38+01:002009-11-11T01:28:45+01:00 <p>Freewheeler has been <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/davehillblog/2009/nov/05/crap-walthamstow-blogger-criticises-council">quoted in the Guardian </a> looking forward to the <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/11/09/miliband-in-walthamstow-7337993/">Coming Of Miliband</a>:</p> <p><em>"Apparently Ed Miliband is coming to Walthamstow this month, to lecture us all on climate change. I'm sort of looking forward to that, as our Labour-Lib Dem council is about to introduce five neighbourhood "improvement schemes" which involve a massive re-allocation of pavements and cycle lanes for car parking."</em></p> <p>Freewheeler's "first solitary rifle shot" in advance of "the heavy artillery" was fired in his usual style, <a href="http://crapwalthamforest.blogspot.com/2009/11/one-two-three-four-five-six-seven.html">mocking </a>the preachy local council for running pseudo-green enviro-campaigns while never quite getting round to practicing what it preaches. </p> <p>His subsequent salvos continue to hit the mark. </p> <p><a href="http://bobbelam.mycouncillor.org.uk/">Bob Belam</a>, who as the man in charge of pot holes, car-parking and bins is a much maligned man locally - with a job which his Labour partners in the council rarely try to make any easier - did respond to Freewheeler and is quoted in the Guardian, though the statement does to me have some of the bland linguistic traits of having had the life kicked out of it by a vast <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/08/15/pboris-johnson-s-deputy-chief-press-officer-is-leaving-city-6729332/">committee of council spin doctors</a>: </p> <p>"We are committed to improving the safety of all road users in our borough. The highway improvement scheme in Forest Road will make transport safer and reduce the number of injuries to all road users as it is designed to reduce vehicle speeds between Hale End Road and Woodford New Road.</p> <p>The scheme will involve reducing the width of the carriageway and adding cycle lanes on both sides of the road. Meanwhile pavement parking bays will be installed. Double and single yellow lines will be installed to eliminate parking across the cycle lanes and the white lines which mark the central reservation will be removed, as research shows this is a proven method of reducing vehicle speeds."</p> <p>As even <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/07/14/sea-fryer-fish-bar-6512922/">I have noted</a>, the roads in question can have as many cycle lanes as the council likes to spend our money on, but if the council continues to employ people to block them by deliberately parking their own vehicles across the lanes, the rhetoric will continue to be unconvincing. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/11/09/peddling-environmentalism-7339914/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk,2009-11-09:/2009/11/09/local-cinemas-7338970/technomist2009-11-09T18:54:11+01:002009-11-09T18:57:32+01:00 <p>Here is quite an interesting piece of footage from an unfinished documentary about cinemas in Waltham Forest. It includes footage of the now closed <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/04/19/cinema-battle-hotting-up-5972433/">EMD Cinema</a> on Hoe Street before its demise, the defunct Dominion on Buxton Road and the <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2008/08/30/12aba11d9139318f5da207dd3541b0e1-4659855/">St James Electric Theatre</a>. </p> <p>The captioning is now out of date in that there are no cinemas locally. </p> <p>Big hat-tip to Tilski though, who I hope will be able to complete this work one day. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/11/09/local-cinemas-7338970/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk,2009-11-09:/2009/11/09/crest-in-memorium-7338660/technomist2009-11-09T18:03:07+01:002009-11-09T19:13:44+01:00 <p>I suppose it was because I had only recently written a post about <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/11/09/rsm-darren-chant-7334885/">RSM Darren Chant</a>, but the window display at <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2007/10/16/crest~3144565/">Crest</a> really caught my eye this evening.</p> <p>The window to the left of the door now contains a Union Flag and reproduction of the Kitchener recruitment poster from World War One. In front of this is a stand with a wreath of poppies with the insignia of an unidentifed military formation. </p> <p>This is accompanied by a helmet from some non-British provenance and is surrounded by a small collection of relevant books. These include a copy of <a href="http://www.firstworldwar.com/bio/lloydgeorge.htm">David Lloyd George's </a>War Memoirs, Martin Bell's 'In Harm's Way', Tonie and Valmai Holt's 'Battlefields of the First World War', Elleston Troud's 'The Killing Ground', Gilda O'Neil's 'Our Street' and a volume of <a href="http://www.boppin.com/lorca/">Lorca's poetry</a>. There are also a number of videos, such as The English Patient, War and Remembrance, The Great Escape and Pearl Harbour. </p> <p>This ensemble is tastefully framed by some black ribbon, more silk poppies, a card of remembrance and a wooden pedestal adorned with artificial ivy. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/11/09/crest-in-memorium-7338660/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk,2009-11-09:/2009/11/09/miliband-in-walthamstow-7337993/technomist2009-11-09T16:07:37+01:002009-11-09T17:43:42+01:00 <p>The Labour Party has draughted in an Insider's Insider to Walthamstow to try and bolster its chances for the election next year and no doubt obtain a few photos of members of the out of touch elite rubbing shoulders with a carefully <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/07/13/children-in-politics-it-doesn-t-stop-once-you-start-6507684/">choreographed</a> bunch of the common folk. As with <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/07/16/nick-clegg-s-mission-accomplished-6530067/">Nick Clegg's </a>visit on behalf of the LibDems a few months back, I look forward to open invitations and/or the news that this is <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/06/25/astroturfing-town-hall-meetings-and-other-games-of-deception-6386560/">a genuinely public event</a> and not just an exercise in astroturfing. </p> <p>Thus it is that <a href="http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/wfnews/4726334.WALTHAMSTOW__Ed_Miliband_to_attend_community_meeting/#mostTabs-2">we are told</a> that Ed Miliband is to attend a "community meeting" in Walthamstow at Willowfield School in Clifton Avenue on Thursday, November 26. This is for a discussion about "the environment" between 6.30pm and 8.30pm. </p> <p>I presume this is part of the local party's <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/10/13/stella-s-defence-7159095/">attempt</a> to counter activists' perceptions that the LibDems may be out-performing them locally. Ed Miliband is an interesting choice. He is said to be quite well liked in higher political circles (unlike his stuck-up brother the foreign secretary). Nevertheless, despite also being reasonably clean on expenses, his background as an elitist does not automatically mean he will stem the rot. Ralph Baldwin in <a href="http://www.labourlist.org/unelites-broken-labour-party-rules-expenses-trust-ralph-baldwin">Labourlist</a> sums up the issue thus:</p> <p> <em>"Political assistents, think tank researchers, sycophantic suck-ups of the PM and pals with a guaranteed trip to Parliament are reminiscent of the final days of Tory rule back in 1996 when Tory candidates secured their seats by heavy donations and similar arrangements. There is consequently too little practical experience entering Parliament; the majority sweeping in from the educational establishments into the Parliamentary establishments and relying on think-tanks and PR, without the first clue of how to relate to those who they will fail to properly represent. To these institutionalised elites, the electorate have become a nuisance; they cannot afford to speak and debate with the local people for fear of being exposed."</em></p> <p>Like <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/11/04/should-we-be-prepared-for-stella-creasy-s-leadership-7305334/">Ms Creasy</a>, Ed Miliband sadly seems to fit the bill for this critique. He seems to be the type of out-of-touch and gilded carpet bagger who has wrecked New Labour: After graduating from university, Miliband had a very brief and unsuccessful career in the media, basically going straight into a job in politics as a Labour Party researcher. No doubt his father <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Miliband">Ralph's </a>reputation as an influential Marxist helped him secure a role as a speechwriter and researcher for Harriet Harman. That was in 1993. In 1994 he switched his personal allegiance to Gordon Brown. By 1997, following Labour's landslide election victory, Miliband was appointed as one of Gordon Brown's special advisers with specific responsibility as a speechwriter. Guess who paid his salary. You did. </p> <p>He rose to become one of then-Chancellor Gordon Brown's confidantes, being appointed Chairman of HM Treasury's Council of Economic Advisers.</p> <p>In late March 2005, just weeks before the General Election, Ed Miliband elbowed aside Michael Dugher, a local candidate (though also a "special adviser" to Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon) to be the Labour candidate in the safe Labour seat of Doncaster North. The shortlist for the seat was drawn up without consultation with the local party. Miliband 'shrugged off concerns of some local party members that he had no previous ties to the area', just as we are told Ms Creasy has shrugged aside the still rumbling concerns that she was also "imposed" through an exercise using a restricted shortlist in Walthamstow. </p> <p>Miliband has only 4 years experience as an MP. He was elected Labour Member of Parliament for the South Yorkshire constituency of Doncaster North in the 2005 general election. After only two years as an elected MP, Brown appointed him Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office. On 3 October 2008, Miliband was promoted to Secretary of State at the newly created Department of Energy and Climate Change in a reshuffle. He is also a Privy Councillor.</p> <p>It is presumably in his capacity as minister in charge of the Department of Energy and Climate Change that he today announced his support for <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/nuclearpower/6529657/Nuclear-power-is-safe-says-Ed-Miliband.html">nuclear power</a>. On 16 October he'd announced that the British government would legislate to oblige itself to cut greenhouse emissions by 80% by 2050, rather than the 60% cut in carbon dioxide emissions previously announced. </p> <p>It is no doubt a pure co-incidence that his partner is a lawyer who specialises in environmental, planning and international law. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/11/09/miliband-in-walthamstow-7337993/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk,2009-11-09:/2009/11/09/rsm-darren-chant-7334885/technomist2009-11-09T02:44:34+01:002009-11-11T12:35:53+01:00 <p>The Grenadier Guards are some of the most famous soldiers in the world. This is the most senior regiment of the <a href="http://www.theguardsmuseum.com/">Guards Division </a>of the British Army, and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is a regiment with a very proud 353-year old tradition, not only at square bashing and ceremonial, but at the sharp end of most of Britain's wars. Battle honours are too numerous to list in their entirety here.</p> <p>It is this august body of men that <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article6909941.ece">Darren Chant </a>rose through the ranks to become the Regimental Sargeant Major of. He has been described as a man who was “carved from the rock” that forms the foundation stone of the Grenadier Guards. His rank made him the most senior soldier in the most senior regiment in the British Infantry. </p> <p>He was born in Walthamstow on 5 September 1969. He completed his basic training at the Guards Depot, Pirbright, in 1986 and was deployed to South Armagh, Northern Ireland, in 1993.</p> <p>After an attachment to the Pathfinder Platoon from 1997 to 1999, he returned to the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards before being posted to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS) as a Colour Sergeant instructor until 2003. At Sandhurst WO1 (RSM) Chant quickly made a name for himself with his straight-talking, no nonsense approach to training and soldiering.</p> <p>After two years at Sandhurst, WO1 (RSM) Chant rejoined the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards. As the Company Sergeant Major of Inkerman Company he deployed to Bosnia from September 2004 to June 2005 as part of NATO's, and latterly the European Union's, peacekeeping operation.</p> <p>On return from Bosnia he was posted back to RMAS as a Company Sergeant Major from August 2005 until December 2006 where he met his future wife. After a year at RMAS he returned to the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, firstly as a Liaison Officer for the battalion while deployed to Afghanistan on Operation HERRICK 6 in 2007. </p> <p>On return to the UK he took up the post of Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant (Technical). In the summer of 2008 he was appointed Sergeant Major and moved with the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards to London and on to pre-deployment training. In September 2009 he deployed to Afghanistan on Operation HERRICK 11 as the Sergeant Major of the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards on operations at the town of Nadi Ali in central Helmand. </p> <p>Instead of returning, however, Darren Chant, was this weekend being honoured on <a href="http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/wfnews/4726979.WALTHAMSTOW__Fallen_soldier_honoured_at_Remembrance_Day_service/">Remembrance Sunday</a> as yet another casualty of the war in Afghanistan. </p> <p>RSM Chant leaves behind three children from his first marriage and a grieving widow who is carrying his unborn child. He died last Tuesday at the hands of an <a href="http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/138497/Massacre-won-t-be-the-last-warns-commander/">Afghan policeman </a>believed to be called Gulbuddin, who turned on him and four other British soldiers who were also killed when they were resting in a compound. </p> <p>In an interview with <a href="http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23765454-mother-of-shot-soldier-afghanistan-was-living-hell-for-my-son.do">the Evening Standard</a>, Darren Chant's mother Elizabeth said his wife had to send the London-born Grenadier guardsman a duvet because he was not given adequate bedding to cope with the bitterly cold Afghan nights.</p> <p>The 59-year-old said: "My son said Afghanistan was a living hell. They need more of everything, more equipment, more troops, more rifles and more clothes and boots which fit properly.</p> <p>"Gordon Brown is a joke. He should never have been put in power. Darren's wife had to send him a duvet - bought out of her own pocket - because it was so cold at night".</p> <p>Then let us fill a bumper<br> And drink a health to those<br> Who carry caps and pouches,<br> And wear the loupèd clothes.</p> <p>[<em>Updated 9 November 2009</em>]</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/11/09/rsm-darren-chant-7334885/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk,2009-11-04:/2009/11/04/should-we-be-prepared-for-stella-creasy-s-leadership-7305334/technomist2009-11-04T13:44:00+01:002009-11-04T15:40:40+01:00 <p>There are thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands of books on Leadership, and a google search of the word will come up with some 121,000,000 entries on the web. It might be silly therefore to argue about what makes a good leader or mock someone for their lack of leadership qualities, when there are so many different definitions. You can get Phd's on the subject apparently and still not know what it is. </p> <p>There is probably an idiot's guide to leadership suitable for everyone. Just about any self-deluded soul can find the guidance to say that they have exactly what it takes to be a good leader. Even Gordon Brown, one of the most unpopular leaders this country has had since, say, Tony Blair, no doubt has some pamphlet by his bedside from a guru or somesuch who lets him think he has the Right Stuff, if only one written by one of the sychophants and chancers who make up and support the modern Labour Party. (With some honourable exceptions, such as Frank Field MP, who once said of Gordon that his "premiership is inept and the party standing is pitiful.")</p> <p>So in criticising someone's Leadership skills and potential, I think it is good to stay away from the big sweeping vision stuff which people legitimately argue about. Nor am I going to go on in this post about style, charisma or looks or about what it is the leader wants people to follow them to do (though it is important that it makes sense, will benefit the public and can stand up to the competition of ideas which are at the heart of democracy). Instead I think it best to concentrate on something more basic.</p> <p>At a very fundamental level, leadership involves making it possible for people to follow, no matter what it is being asked of people. For instance, a leader must have basic skills of organisation and communication. A real leader needs to be able to clearly tell people where and when they want them to be in order to do what they want to ask them to do. </p> <p class="center"><strong>'Let's all meet up over there and save the world/tell each other how fine we are/decide what to do' </strong></p> <p>It's pretty basic stuff, as important as telling people what they will be doing if they decided to follow the great leader. Now, astute readers of my blog will be wondering what all this is leading up to. An analysis of the leadership abilities of <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/11/01/maybe-there-is-something-in-the-water-7283352/">Anjem Choudary </a>maybe? He is the over media savvy man who told his followers to demonstrate in Westminster against the evil forces of the oppressive British state and non-Shariah legal system last Saturday and then meekly followed the police's advice that such a demonstration might not be a such good idea and they would be safer playing their silly games elsewhere. (A rational decision by the way, and one that suggests that the guy is not so loony as he appears - he is clearly capable of taking advice from someone other than his nutty supporters). </p> <p>No. Sadly for the people of Walthamstow, whose hopes may come to rest on her as their Member of Parliament, it is Stella Creasy I find myself discussing. She is a <a href="http://scouts.org.uk/documents/PublicAffairs/WaterLetters/Wessex.pdf">professional spin doctor </a>who currently makes her living trying to convince children and the world that her boss, Bear Gryllis, AKA <a href="http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2252937/posts">Chief Scout</a> is not a <a href="http://gossip.celebritycowboy.com/bear-gryllis-is-a-fraud/">fraudulent show-off </a>but rather a 'role model' and <a href="http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article2241720.ece">wonderous</a> example of where it gets you if you would only <a href="http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article2116195.ece">'be prepared</a>' to join <a href="http://www.walthamstow-scouts.org.uk/">the scouts</a>. </p> <p>Stella Creasy, is also an aspirant to replace the honest Neil Gerrard as MP for Walthamstow. As such she spends far less time than you would think communicating <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/10/13/stella-s-defence-7159095/">directly</a> with ordinary locals but instead seems to rattle around in an echo chamber of her own tiny clique of surviving Labour supporters, she sometimes also tries to campaign via her website. This shows her as a champion of the cause of bats and the <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/02/11/the-emd-cinema-and-the-subtle-art-of-sitting-on-the-fence-while-looking-decisive-5553901/">EMD Cinema</a>. Unfortunately for the many local families affected she chose these causes over a lot of other more important issues. These include the disproportionately high numbers of <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/08/20/10-unemploment-the-politicians-weigh-in-6768532/">local unemployed people </a>or the local businesses, groups suffering as a result of Gordon Brown's recession.</p> <p>However, she has now decided to meet the public and 'take on' the BNP, despite the poll evidence that their influence locally is negligable. This is an opportunity, after all to show what a Great Leader she is and follow up on the recent leaflet drops her party has been conducting locally. I shall quote her in full. This is not just because as an opponent of the BNP and all it stands for, I do not wish people to think in any way that I might not agree with her sentiments on this topic. Even if I think her way of tackling the extremists is a tad feeble (will they will not sleep soundly knowing she is eschewing the internet to personally set up a street stall?) I think I should be fair and let people know what she is actually saying to them. I would do this for <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/03/26/challenges-for-labour-in-walthamstow-at-the-next-general-election-5836072/">her challengers</a>, the <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/09/30/the-libdems-and-religion-7069871/">LibDems</a>, Independents like <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/08/13/walthamstow-high-street-organised-loafing-challenge-cup-heat-6716632/">Paul Warburton</a>, the Greens or even <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/05/05/andy-hemsted-6062300/">the Tories </a>if they could be bothered to do any real politicking locally: </p> <p><em>"Lest We Forget: Tackling the BNP through Hope Not Hate<br> By Stella Creasy on November 3, 2009 10:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)<br> I'm organising a street stall on Saturday 7th November to tackle the threat the BNP pose to our society.</p> <p>I recognise that there are many differing and complex reasons why people consider supporting the BNP. I feel it is beholden on all of us who are involved in mainstream politics to accept responsibility for addressing this and play our part in tackling them. I'm proud to live in a part of Britain that benefits from being so diverse. I don't want to see these people claim to speak for my country.</p> <p>On the 7th, we'll be holding a leafleting session to gather support for action being taken by Hope not Hate. Organisations like Hope not Hate, and Unite Against Facism, are taking on the BNP and the politics of hate and fear that they stand for. They're bringing people together from a wide variety of backgrounds to say that this vile party has no place in modern Britain. If you feel the same, please come to this stall on Saturday between 11am and 2pm to take some leaflets to deliver to your neighbours. Together we can spread the message about what we can all do to help the fight against the BNP, both here in London and across England. Please email if you would also be able to help with staffing this stall during the day itself." </em></p> <p>So why bring up the issue of leadership and question Stella's abilities? Simple. She doesn't say where the stall is going to be she wants people to meet her at. All it says is there will be 'this stall' and it will be at 'the street'. Doesn't she have any colleagues in her team who can proof-read? </p> <p>I suspect she has many great qualities and no doubt will prove good at talking the Chief Scout up into a fine upstanding citizen, but where the demonstration of simple organisational skills and communicating the basics is concerned, all I can say is that for very basic reasons, <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/05/01/stella-creasy-6041240/">Stella Creasy </a>is currently falling short. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/11/04/should-we-be-prepared-for-stella-creasy-s-leadership-7305334/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk,2009-11-03:/2009/11/03/the-high-street-7296113/technomist2009-11-03T02:03:18+01:002009-11-05T23:01:22+01:00 <p>A major hat-tip is in order for Pietro0072000's Channel on You Tube for these atmospheric images of Walthamtow High Street last Saturday evening before the cleaning crews arrived. It starts with a left turn at the Mall (facing the Police Office) and continues down to St James's Street. I don't know who the musicians are. Ten and a bit minutes. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/11/03/the-high-street-7296113/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk,2009-11-03:/2009/11/03/sara-spade-the-joyful-noise-down-7296073/technomist2009-11-03T01:45:00+01:002009-11-03T01:45:27+01:00 <p>Sara Spade & The Joyful Noise playing 'Down' at The Plough, Walthamstow on 30th September</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/11/03/sara-spade-the-joyful-noise-down-7296073/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk,2009-11-01:/2009/11/01/maybe-there-is-something-in-the-water-7283352/technomist2009-11-01T01:22:48+01:002009-11-04T14:55:07+01:00 <p>They turned up in Walthamstow. Yes, its the nutters who think that the UK should have Sharia Law imposed on it. Anjem Choudary and his sad taggle of groupies at 'Islam For The UK'.They bottled out of trudging around in the Westminster/Parliament area, taking in Whitehall, Downing Street and Trafalgar Square as the first step in their pointless campaign to demand the full implementation of sharia law in Britain. They wasted their breath in the <a href="http://www.bdp.com/News/2004/Walthamstow-Recognised-by-BCSC/">Town Square </a>instead. </p> <p>As I have <a href="http://armchairrevolutionaries.blog.co.uk/2009/10/30/buckingham-mosque-7275648/">said elsewhere</a>, sometimes the group's demands are so bizarre you have to suspect them of being on the CIA's payroll as agents provocateurs. </p> <p>Having earmarked Buckingham Palace to be turned into a mosque, (it has better views than the <a href="http://armchairrevolutionaries.blog.co.uk/2009/03/22/holiday-inn-s-sharia-shame-5810945/">Chingford Holiday Inn</a>) they are certainly setting their sights high, but not much higher I suppose than some of the other eccentric groups who are attracted to this neighbourhood, like the Taiwanese sect who have turned the old <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/08/10/yi-guan-dao-turns-town-hall-into-temple-6695513/">Walthamstow Town Hall </a>into a Yi Guan Dao temple, the dodgy Brazilian wierdos called the United Church of the Kingdom of God who bought up the <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/04/19/cinema-battle-hotting-up-5972433/">EMD cinema</a>, or even the <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/04/08/el-shaddai-5913337/">El-Shaddai sect </a>who have infiltrated one of the local Catholic Churches. </p> <p>We love these peddlers of <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2008/10/11/1d1f7db881198e2996ecb9fc81dc39e5-4855914/">nonsense on stilts</a>, all in their wierd eccentricities and <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2008/09/04/the-marvelousmr-marouf-4682372/">charlatanism</a>, just as we tolerate Anglicans who are <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/05/18/st-michael-s-church-6137109/">more High Church than the Vatican </a>and a Church of <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/08/11/walthamstow-spiritualist-church-6697648/">Spiritualists</a> up in the village. This is, after all, a town with a centuries old tradition of nutty religious types seeking the limelight - home to dreamers and utopians like the rebellious Quaker and spoilt little son of <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/03/30/inspirational-locals-vi-sir-william-penn-5861290/">Sir William Penn</a> and even, dare I say it, <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/03/24/inspirational-locals-v-william-morris-5819384/">William Morris</a>. Maybe there is <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2008/05/27/don-t-look-up-4229034/">something</a> in the water. </p> <p>Anyway, back to today's headline act. Be aware that I have never yet actually met anyone who gave the likes of Anjem Choudary the time of day. None of his group of religious show-offs are representative of the muslims I know. The group's demands are so bizarre that one current theory is that they are really on the CIA's payroll as agents provocateurs, acting as a lightening rod for extremists, a good excuse for agents on expenses to hang about in London or even as cover for <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/world/cia-tracking-4000-uk-terror-suspects-20090104-79u6.html?page=1">the agency's alleged drive</a> to track down the real extremists. </p> <p>One clue, for the Internet Connoisseurs of Conspiracy, to this American involvement, might come from some rather odd captioning on You Tube. This is for a clip of an interview with these people today, with an error that you might think only a New Yorker would make: the Town Square is described as 'Walthamstow Central Park':</p> <p><em>"31/10/09 at Walthamstow Central Park today Islam4uk and Al-muhajiroun carrying the Call of the Deen of Allah to be implemented in Britain. Many of the Media came to interview Sheikh Anjem Choudary Head of Al-Muhajiroun UK Branch, along with Islam4uk:" </em></p> <p>Not much to go on, I admit, but the history of the moon landings has been re-written based on less. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/11/01/maybe-there-is-something-in-the-water-7283352/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk,2009-10-30:/2009/10/31/blackmasa-walthamstow-thug-7278388/technomist2009-10-31T00:53:46+01:002009-10-31T00:53:46+01:00 <p> <small> <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/10/31/blackmasa-walthamstow-thug-7278388/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk,2009-10-29:/2009/10/29/alfred-deller-black-is-the-colour-anon-7271228/technomist2009-10-29T22:57:21+01:002009-10-29T23:01:30+01:00 <p>As far as my researchs have taken me, I am fairly confident that this recording by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Deller">Alfred Deller </a>of 'Black is the Colour' was recorded for the album 'Western Wind and other English folk songs' on the Vanguard and Amadeo labels in 1958 at Walthamstow Assembly Hall. It is however difficult to be sure, as Alfred Deller recorded many times in Walthamstow, but if I am correct, he is accompanied by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmond_Dupré">Desmond Dupré</a>.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/10/29/alfred-deller-black-is-the-colour-anon-7271228/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk,2009-10-29:/2009/10/29/bni-nick-tiratsoo-the-star-robin-tuddenham-tony-jain-rachel-tiffen-iain-o-donnell-7269063/technomist2009-10-29T16:50:12+01:002009-10-29T17:54:14+01:00 <p>One of the unimpressive council officers has quit. Anyhere but Walthamstow we would all be wondering what this has to do with us. We would get on with our lives while a few sad colleagues in suits gathered round the beechwood-effect office furniture to say goodbye to him over some Morroccan red wine and peanuts. Some senior manager would make a valedictory and then the hard core of the guy's friends end up in some skuzzy pub after a suitable soujourn in a local restaurant. The departing functionary would last be seen getting into a mincab with a bunch of wilting flowers and a present bought by whip-round. Within weeks, no-one would mention him.</p> <p>So why the interest in the departure of Robin Tuddenham, head of 'community safety' at Waltham Forest Council? Why the comments about 'rats leaving ships' in the <a href="http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/4707038.WALTHAM_FOREST__Fourth_senior_officer_quits_council/?ref=mr">local paper</a> and insincere guff about "a new challenge and career progression" from the <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/08/15/pboris-johnson-s-deputy-chief-press-officer-is-leaving-city-6729332/">council's spin doctors</a>? </p> <p>Well, he is only one of a group of officers (Iain O'Donnell (head of finance), Rachel Tiffen (head of audit) and Tony Jain (head of corporate procurement)), who have left recently. </p> <p>All four ran departments which were involved in the administration and spending of funds intended to help the poorest parts of Waltham Forest under the Better Neighbourhoods Initiative (BNI). </p> <p>What is BNI? I hope I shall not be in trouble with his publishers at <a href="http://www.thestarmagazineuk.com/">The Star Magazine</a>. I think though I should let the expert on the subject, <a href="http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/BHU/tiratsoo.htm">Professor Nick Tiratsoo</a> (my <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2008/12/30/technomist-on-5300537/">Unsung Hero of 2008 </a>and the best local candidate for a knighthood I can think of), explain:</p> <p><em>"...from 2003 onwards the local Council has received substantial amounts of government money in order to level the playing field, the idea being to improve key aspects of education, employment and health in the poorest wards, and thus help them close the gap with their richer neighbours.</p> <p>So far, this programme – at first called Neighbourhood Renewal Fund and more recently the Better Neighbourhoods Initiative or BNI - has involved no less than £15.2 million of expenditure. Such a sum could have made a lasting difference. But the sad truth is that it has not. For, as recent stories in the Waltham Forest Guardian have graphically revealed, money that should have benefited the poorest people in the Borough has all too often evaporated in a fiasco of mismanagement and waste.</p> <p>The sheer scale of what has gone wrong is quite staggering. One of the Council’s basic strategies was to use third parties to deliver on the ground, based upon the assumption that they had the specialist knowledge and capabilities. It is natural to assume that such arrangements would have been closely supervised - after all, this was a substantial amount of public money. However, in fact, supervision was the one thing that was almost completely lacking. Contracts with the third parties were awarded minus the required paperwork, and in ways that completely ignored the basic anti-fraud tendering rules that are specified in the Council’s constitution. Perhaps even worse, there was little or no effective monitoring and auditing, so that no one could be sure what any of the money was actually achieving.</p> <p>Lest this be thought an exaggeration, it is worth looking in a little detail at a couple of examples. Predictably, the Council earmarked a good deal of the available cash each year to help vulnerable youth. That in itself was sensible. But when it came to actually spending the money, all common sense seems to have gone out of the window. The Council used its education provider, EduAction, to deliver, yet failed to build in normal safeguards. The result was chaos. Thus, one of these contracts, worth £340,000, apparently contained ‘terms detrimental to the Council’s position without adequate explanation’; allegedly was signed off by a single Council officer acting on behalf of both parties; and when later assessed, involved outputs that could not be verified.</p> <p>Other parallel projects aimed at strengthening community cohesion suffered a similar fate. Of the nine that were commissioned in 2006-07, for instance, none were procured according to the rules, monitored, or audited, and several seemed decidedly peculiar – for example, the 66,011 paid to a man on the Isle of Wight, which the Council later claimed was a misprint, and the £24-26,000 spent on a one day conference for perhaps 50 local teachers, fair enough if the venue had been in the Seychelles, but puzzling to say the least given that it was in fact at Leyton Orient! To be fair, some of those concerned have now held their hands up and admitted that, yes, this was, indeed, a highly unsavoury episode. And it is to his credit that the new chief executive has set up a high-powered inquiry to make sure there is no repeat. Yet few believe that the full truth has emerged. </p> <p>How could a local authority have lost its way so thoroughly and completely? What were the Council’s auditors up to? Given that several prominent Councillors appear to have known about some of the problems from a pretty early stage, why did they wait until 2008 before doing anything effective about them? Ultimately, it was the Cabinet that oversaw these programmes, and it is the Cabinet that should now do some explaining. The MPs’ expenses scandal provides a piquant warning."</em><br> <p class="right"><strong>ISSUE 10 2009 THE STAR 25</strong></p> <p>As with the <a href="http://uk.news.yahoo.com/14/20091029/tpl-labour-and-tories-connived-on-expens-81c5b50.html">MPs scandal</a>, there are a number unresolved issues about heads of these departments leaving the council without the money which is missing or has been mis-spent being fully recovered. We have not yet been given all the facts of course. No doubt a report will shed light on the entire scandal when its findings and evidence is published and a copy put through every voter's door. </p> <p>In the absence of any arrests or trials, of course, all <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/04/30/clyde-loakes-quits-6035326/">the quitte</a>rs concerned are innocent of any crime. Until proven guilty. And they have not been charged with any. But one has to wonder why no charges at all have been brought against anyone in all these years (and I am not suggesting that these four were anything other than incompetant), and no-one has ever been sued to recover the missing funds. On the assumption that whereever it is they have gone to is not run by crooks or idiots who would ignore a timely warning, I have to also wonder why senior ex-council officers were given references adequate for their future employment in positions of responsibility anywhere else? </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/10/29/bni-nick-tiratsoo-the-star-robin-tuddenham-tony-jain-rachel-tiffen-iain-o-donnell-7269063/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk,2009-10-28:/2009/10/29/origami-7265365/technomist2009-10-29T00:37:28+01:002009-10-29T00:43:54+01:00 <p>I had never heard of the East London Japanese Kids Club until I saw an advert for <a href="http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/wfnews/wfnewsinbrief/4703689.WALTHAMSTOW__Learn_the_ancient_art_of_origami/">an event </a>they are holding on Saturday November 14th from 3pm to 5pm. It is described as an introduction to origami. Visitors will be able to watch origami demonstrations and have a go at it themselves at the Welcome Centre at <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/richardandgill/378308786/in/set-72157594301128674/">St Mary's Church</a>, Walthamstow. </p> <p>Now this may not sound too exciting, kids' stuff in fact, but I would not be so sure. It could be fun. Anyway, £1 for five origami sheets to start on sounds like a bargain to me. It is not just the paper you would be buying. This should become apparent when you realise that from such small beginnings bigger and greater things may grow, as this talk by Robert Lang shows:</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/10/29/origami-7265365/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk,2009-10-28:/2009/10/28/labour-s-wet-patch-7257950/technomist2009-10-28T02:39:06+01:002009-10-28T02:43:33+01:00 <p>Labour councillors have forced a proposal through to build a swimming pool and leisure centre on <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2008/12/30/et-in-arcadia-ego-5296301/">the Arcade site </a>by selling off the Pool and Track site in Walthamstow and borrowing £35 million when the council is already broke. </p> <p>In so doing, they have also ignored the need for a financial appraisal and have conducted no studies to see whether the High Street is the right place for a swimming pool. This is all <a href="http://jamesorourke.mycouncillor.org.uk/2009/10/27/recklesswith-your-money/">against the recommendations </a>of the council's own scrutiny committee.</p> <p>What can I say? These people are an embarrassment; not financially potty-trained at all. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/10/28/labour-s-wet-patch-7257950/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk,2009-10-28:/2009/10/28/stratz-showerz-strapz-i-wish-7257847/technomist2009-10-28T01:41:14+01:002009-10-28T01:41:14+01:00 <p> <small> <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/10/28/stratz-showerz-strapz-i-wish-7257847/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk,2009-10-26:/2009/10/26/av-roe-anniversary-failure-in-manchester-7249793/technomist2009-10-26T22:32:27+01:002009-10-26T22:58:20+01:00 <p>The <a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1179235_flight_celebration_fails_to_get_off_the_ground">Manchester Evening News</a> is reporting this evening that the attempt by the Museum of Science and Industry to achieve in Manchester what AV Roe was able to manage in Walthamstow <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2008/09/01/the-beginnings-of-british-aviation-4666990/">over a century ago </a>has been a flop. </p> <p>Its all a bit disappointing, and maybe symbolic of something about modern life. The team of Mancunians who put together a replica of the first all-British plane failed to get their plane (piloted by Judy Laden) off the ground. They made only two attempts and now intend to put their 'replica' plane in a museum. This raises the philosophical question though as to whether it is a plane if it has never actually flown. </p> <p>The team, all <em>ex-workers </em>from the <em>former</em> Avro factory in Woodford, Formby spent four years constructing their version of the original Walhamstow made aircraft. It seems a sad waste of effort. I'm in no position to know the technical reasons why these modern people were unable to match AV Roe's 1909 achievement. Who knows the reason? Maybe we will never know now they seem to have decided to give up on the project to make a working replica. </p> <p>It may not see a tactful suggestion at this stage, but maybe if they carry on trying to get the plane to fly they might have more success if they try to take off closer to sea level <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/07/13/centenary-of-british-flight-6504082/">on a hot summer day </a>on Walthamstow marshes, more closely matching the likely conditions when the first flight took place. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://archipelago-of-truth.blog.co.uk/2009/10/26/av-roe-anniversary-failure-in-manchester-7249793/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>