The amount of dodgy dealings going on in local authorities is insane. Thank god we have London Centric reporting on cases like this. The tragedy though is that this sort of journalism is so absent from the vast majority of the country. The government needs to establish some sort of local journalism endowment fund, managed by an independent board of trustees, to fund local journalism across the country in perpetuity. Locals would then have a better chance of holding corrupt politicians to account.
I lived in Bayswater for nigh on 40 years and Queensway Market gradually became a favourite place to explore for me. I have had haircuts from Belarusian barbers, Malaysian too, had my watch batteries changed cheaply and swiftly by the old Greek guy in his cluttered corner stall, made sundry food and sex aid purchases at the extraordinary range of outlets, had a reading done on the Street of Prediction, heard more languages spoken than anywhere nearby. Not to mention Taza, the terrific kebab stall on the street outside.Now Wholefoods will destroy a vibrant and unique part of what made Queensway so alluring and louche. Good luck with retaining any street credentials.
The BBC London disinfo article referenced in its reporting the obviously fake (I'd actually say satirical) videos of Croydon (e.g. the knife teddy picker). I don't think anyone actually believes them. Again the relevant question for Sadiq Khan would be, without these fake videos, would London's reputation be any better given the copious real footage circulating? (Khan has exquisitely poor timing and makes these statements just as there is more real world disorder happening.) Why is it that London (and Birmingham) are targeted by these videos, and not, say, Singapore or Geneva?
There's a famous economics paper measuring a country's level of corruption by the number of parking fines their diplomats get near the United Nations building in New York (fines they don't have to pay because of diplomatic immunity).
Behold the new councillor-parking-in-disabled-bays index
Une pénurie de cornichons?.......should we be blaming the Russians....or the Chinese? This is a surefire way of destabilising otherwise sensible commuters at their lunch - anything could happen in the subsequent half hour( cue drums and "Stingray" theme tune)😀
Any business with "capital" in its name now fills me with horror at what misery they bring. And local government now makes Westminster appear squeaky clean - if only the councils in his story were the only ones. Performing public service and having standards in public life seem adrift.
Bad news always sells; traditional newspapers and media have always prospered more from screaming headlines about murders and violence than stories about cats rescued from trees, so viral videos are merely the latest iteration of skewed reporting. Decades ago, New York and Glasgow famously mounted successful campaigns to counter deeply negative images, but Khan has an uphill struggle in today’s dispersed media world, unless he can persuade a reluctant government to invest far more in real improvements in London from street-level upwards, including housing and youth opportunities.
Parking a Lambo in a disabled bay (twice!) is surely the epitome of moral bankruptcy? Yuck.
The amount of dodgy dealings going on in local authorities is insane. Thank god we have London Centric reporting on cases like this. The tragedy though is that this sort of journalism is so absent from the vast majority of the country. The government needs to establish some sort of local journalism endowment fund, managed by an independent board of trustees, to fund local journalism across the country in perpetuity. Locals would then have a better chance of holding corrupt politicians to account.
Jim should report more on Aspire and the allegations of social housing corruption there and further into East London
I lived in Bayswater for nigh on 40 years and Queensway Market gradually became a favourite place to explore for me. I have had haircuts from Belarusian barbers, Malaysian too, had my watch batteries changed cheaply and swiftly by the old Greek guy in his cluttered corner stall, made sundry food and sex aid purchases at the extraordinary range of outlets, had a reading done on the Street of Prediction, heard more languages spoken than anywhere nearby. Not to mention Taza, the terrific kebab stall on the street outside.Now Wholefoods will destroy a vibrant and unique part of what made Queensway so alluring and louche. Good luck with retaining any street credentials.
I’d like to recommend that Pret gets in touch with Hugo Reitzel based in Aigle, Switzerland, which produces *the* best gherks in the world. https://www.hugoreitzel.ch/shop/fr/16-cornichons
Apparently Dua Lipa may be partly to blame. Pickles are now very fashionable. https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/ce3k65kq7qdo
The BBC London disinfo article referenced in its reporting the obviously fake (I'd actually say satirical) videos of Croydon (e.g. the knife teddy picker). I don't think anyone actually believes them. Again the relevant question for Sadiq Khan would be, without these fake videos, would London's reputation be any better given the copious real footage circulating? (Khan has exquisitely poor timing and makes these statements just as there is more real world disorder happening.) Why is it that London (and Birmingham) are targeted by these videos, and not, say, Singapore or Geneva?
There's a famous economics paper measuring a country's level of corruption by the number of parking fines their diplomats get near the United Nations building in New York (fines they don't have to pay because of diplomatic immunity).
Behold the new councillor-parking-in-disabled-bays index
someone should tell pret to nip along to wholefoods where there are shelves of pickles/ gherkins on sale.
(& good to see corruption in local politics is still alive and well 😐)
Some of the best pickles I've ever had were Iranian. Coincidence? 😉
Gherkin? Gherkin-out.
Is Pret looking for cornichons or cheap cornichons? There is no shortage in my Lidl or Asda.
Une pénurie de cornichons?.......should we be blaming the Russians....or the Chinese? This is a surefire way of destabilising otherwise sensible commuters at their lunch - anything could happen in the subsequent half hour( cue drums and "Stingray" theme tune)😀
What if the pickle shortage is actually just another front in the online disinformation war about London’s collapse?
Any business with "capital" in its name now fills me with horror at what misery they bring. And local government now makes Westminster appear squeaky clean - if only the councils in his story were the only ones. Performing public service and having standards in public life seem adrift.
Bad news always sells; traditional newspapers and media have always prospered more from screaming headlines about murders and violence than stories about cats rescued from trees, so viral videos are merely the latest iteration of skewed reporting. Decades ago, New York and Glasgow famously mounted successful campaigns to counter deeply negative images, but Khan has an uphill struggle in today’s dispersed media world, unless he can persuade a reluctant government to invest far more in real improvements in London from street-level upwards, including housing and youth opportunities.