Anthony

A happy ending for the Brighton banner-wavers

A touching follow-up to an earlier post.

The Nicky Line

A Wikipedia article on the Nicky Line, the former Harpenden to Hemel branch line, closed (surprisingly early) in the late 40s. Interesting how a potentially useful link line was run down because of stubborness by the competing companies.

Public information films

The National Archives present a selection of public information films from the 40s and 50s, including the famous ‘coughs and sneezes spread diseases’. BBC News magazine considers the genre.

The lengths people will go to for a beer

The Stranger (Seattle) reports an art/beer project, of a quite … er … intimate nature. Link (not necessarily safe for work) via MeFi.

Tory leadership – a three year old speaks

Dialogue at the breakfast table, with David Davis on Today in the background:

Tom: What are they talking about now?
Me: There’s going to be an election, and they’re talking to one of the people who’s in it.
Tom: Oh no, not again! (pause) Like in Vote for Duck?

Foreign office FoI site

Lots of interesting historical material, from Zola Budd to Kosovo, on the FCO’s Freedom of Information site.

Gilmour on Tory leadership elections

The London Review of Books has two excellent articles by Ian Gilmour, one from post-election 2001, and one on the Tory leadership race of today. .

The value of investments can go down as well as up

A good result in the High Court today. Shareholders in the collapsed rail network company Railtrack lost in their bid to sting the taxpayer for millions of quid. And the lesson is: sometimes, when the Government says there isn’t a state guarantee, there isn’t. Deal with it. Move on.

Belgium!

Ten famous Belgians? Hah! Here’s twenty!.

Apna Hi Ghar Samajhiye

The BBC recalls a pioneering programme aimed at South Asian immigrants, that aimed to explain to them the mysteries of British life, and how to make themselves feel at home. It ran from 1965 to 1979. Is something similar needed today?