A NUS Protest Backfired

It was not what they had planned but it will forever be remembered for it.

The almost riotous scenes at No.30 Millbank will make the headlines tomorrow and is what will remain in the public mind when the NUS Higher Education march of November 2010 is remembered in years to come.

Tens of thousands of students, many of whom were from Aberystwyth and Lampeter, and many of those were Liberal Democrat students, travelled in good faith today to legitimately demonstrate against Government plans to increase the tuition fees cap up to £9,000.

The Militant Tendency

But despite their peaceful protests, the efforts of a few have again stolen the headlines. To me, the sight on the evening news tonight of militants causing criminal damage in the name of student activism, sickened me.

I've been on NUS protests myself so I can speak from personal experience. In 2004, we were bused direct from NUS conference in Blackpool, to London to campaign against the 3rd Reading of Labour's Higher Education Bill (the reading followed the 2nd Reading which was passed by just 5 votes if memory serves me correctly). This of course was a Labour Government inacting the concept of tuition fees in the first place which is why, 6 years on, there's a lot of rightful indignation now at what is Labour's own indignation at the current proposals. For it was Labour who opened the floodgates for what is currently being investigated by the new government.

But less of the politics.

In 2004, we had a good natured demonstration. I don't recall any odious elements that destroyed the overall vision of the day on that occasion, but unfortunately that can not be said of this occasion.

The militants who did what they did were not speaking for the majority who were there protesting today. I expect many of the small but divisive group weren't even students - they were just there to cause trouble. The problem is that they may well have tainted the views and thoughts of ordinary Britons towards students on this issue when that shouldn't have been the case.

Shame on the militant few who have wrecked what should've been a peaceful protest.

Goodbye to a Televisual legend - A Toast to Jack Duckworth

It's a sad day. Jack Duckworth is dead.

In Coronation Street's 50th year, he was one of its most iconic characters and now he's gone. He and wife Vera were one of the best comedic and well-loved double acts on TV for decades. Possibly the only couple that came near to out-shining them on the cobbles were Hilda and Stan Ogden.

A British Institution - Coronation St
I've watched the soaps since I was a child. It's a family thing. I used to watch pretty much all of them. But over the years they've slipped by the wayside. Emmerdale? Not any more. Neighbours and Home and Away? Far gone distant memories. The only two I still try and keep up-to-speed with are Coronation Street and Eastenders.

But I only have one all-time favourite - it has to be the genius that is Coronation St.

It began as a short-run 13 episode commissioned serial on December 9th 1960. It was originally to be called Florizel Street but sense was seen and it was given it's immortal title just before it was launched. It has now run for 7464 episodes and is now the longest running serial in the world after the demise, this year on September 17th, of the US soap opera 'As the World Turns' after 54 years on TV.

I find it incredible that such a long running series that has passed the test of time, could come to an as 'As the World Turns' has done. Coronation St, heading towards its 50th anniversary shows no sign of abating and long may that be the case.

A British Institution - The Coronation St Characters
What makes Coronoation St so popular in this humble fan's opinion, are the characters. For as along as 'Corrie' retains the wonderful human depth that it has showcased over the decades, it will survive well into the 21st century.

There are already some excellent, loved characters on the Cobbles who are relatively 'new' to the Street. Hayley and Roy Cropper, Norris Cole and Eileen Grimshaw are only a few that stand out. Then there's the 'old guard'. There's Rita, Gail, Deirdrie, Kevin and Sally, Emily and of course, from that very first episode 50 years ago, Ken. There's no need for me to state their surnames - we know who they are just by their Christian names such is the indelible mark that 'Corrie' has left on the British psyche.

These older characters are important because they remind those who remember, of an earlier Coronation St. These characters have over the years brushed shoulders with 'Corrie' legends, such as Ena Sharples, Annie Walker, Bette Gilroy, Elsie Tanner, Stan Ogden, Mike Baldwin, Minnie Caldwell, Derek and Mavis Wilton, Alma Baldwin, Alf Roberts, Martha Longhurst and Percy Sugden to mention but a few.

A British Institution - Jack Duckworth
Sadly, to that list of gone but not forgotten well-loved characters, we must add Jack Duckworth.

I'm too young to remember many of the oldest and greatest of 'Corrie' characters. I probably started watching in around 1990. So although Jack has 'only' been on set for 31 years since 1979, he has always been one of the most prominent characters throughout my 20 years of watching. Of course, he had his foil, wife Vera by his side throughout this period and their moments together provided some of the best comedy that I can remember.

It's the comedy, as well as the characters that sets Coronation St apart from Eastenders and the other soaps for me. Whether it was Stan and Hilda or Mavis and Derek or nowadays Rita and Norris, there's always been a rich vein of comedy running through the scripts.

Jack and Vera excelled here. Not just because of the writing, but because of Liz Dawn and Bill Tarmey's wonderful, human characterisation of these two stalwards. Jack was a loveable rogue. Well meaning and generous and caring to everyone who knew him. He was so on paper, but even more so through the acting of Bill Tarmey.

Good bye Jack

Tonight, he passed away peacefully after his 74th birthday. His 'reunion' with Vera had been talked about for some months. It was a bold move but fitting and in the event, very well done. It was lovely and rather moving to see these two old Corrie war-horses, brought back together one last time as Jack moved towards death. Yes, maybe it was a bit OTT, maybe it was pandering towards the hankerchiefs but actually, so what? When Vera died on screen in 2008, Jack and a nation mourned. Now, the scriptwriters decided to give Jack the send-off that all real Corrie fans will have wanted.

It was a final hurrah for the Duckworths. A sad day in the glorious history of Coronation St but one that must come to all of our best loved characters one day.

If they have to go, then let them go in style. Jack Duckworth went in style after swigging one final pint in the Rovers and after one final dance with Vera.

Ta-ra chuck.

My Internet Stat Porn Monthly Report (2)

Following on from the first of my monthly reports on the usage of this site at the end of September, here is my second round of blog figures for anyone who is remotely interested in who reads my little blog.

A new beginning
After a busy first month, October has been more stable with 23 blog posts as opposed to a frenetic opening salvo of 30 in September.

Here come the stats...
In October, I had 701 absolute unique visitors to my blog - up from 597 in September. The 701 visitors visited the blog on 1,107 occasions and viewed 1,711 pages.

The busiest day of the month on my blog was Thursday 21st October, when I wrote blog posts on the Aberfan Disaster, Nadine Dorries and Ian Holloway's Wayne Rooney rant.

The top 10 stories by direct page views that you've read this month were:
1. Nadine Dorries - A Blogging Hypocrite
2. I Hate Halloween
3. My CSR Response
4. A Time for Lib Dem MPs to Rebel
5. The Aberfan Perspective
6. My Internet Stat Porn Monthly Report
7. Round 2 - Nadine Dorries Vs 'Socialist Scorned'
8. My Desert Island Discs Choice of 8 (in Solidarity with Nick Clegg)
9. A Chilean Fairytale
10. The Cole Family's Royal Connection

Of all of the blog visitors, 12.92% were through direct traffic, 68.93% from referring sites and 18.16% via search engines.

My top 10 referring/search engine sites for the last month were (with change from September):
1. Facebook (No Change)
2. Google (+1)
3. Lib Dem Blogs (-1)
4. Twitter (New Entry)
5. Lib Dem Voice (-1)
6. Blogger. com (New Entry)
7. Peter Black's Blog (New Entry)
8. Mobile Facebook (-3)
9. Freedom Central (+1)
10. Welsh Lib Dem Blogs (New Entry)

The visitors to my little blog came from 40 countries this month - up from 30 in September (with a cumulative total of 50 countries having supplied visitors to my blog to date).

The top ten countries for October were as follows (with position change from September & % of total views):
1. United Kingdom (No Change) 78.5%
2. United States (No Change) 11.1%
3. Canada (No Change) 2.3%
4. Australia (+1) 0.9%
5. Ireland (No Change) 0.6%
6. India (-2) 0.5%
7=. Netherlands (New Entry) 0.4%
7=. Germany (+2) 0.4%
7=. Norway (-2) 0.4%
10=. Singapore (-2) 0.3%
10=. France (New Entry) 0.3%

Honourable mentions must also go to those countries that have provided its first viewers to my fledgling blog this October. They come from Turkey, Japan, South Africa, Israel, Serbia, Portugal, Austria, Yemen, Iceland, Argentina, Indonesia, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nepal, Uganda, Belgium and Morocco.

Fair play to them all, and to you all, for putting up with my ramblings!

My Qatar Airlines Seal of Approval

I've seen today on the news that this bomb from Yemen that was contained within a printer, had previously travelled on passenger planes with Qatar Airlines.

That's quite a scary thought. Clearly there's great issues of security continuing to emanate from the Middle East with terror levels being increased back here in the UK as a result.

It's also a sobering thought for me because I've flown on Qatar Airlines in the past. Back in early 2008, I had the great fortune to fly by Qatar Airlines to and from Manchester to Thailand via Doha, in Qatar.

They were very long 7 or so hour flights either side of Doha for a combined flight time of some 14 hours. Combined with the return flight, that's around 28 hours of travel that I've experienced with Qatar Airlines.

I was fortunate to have received a good deal for my return flight as I was under 26 at the time and got a discount. As it was, it was in my experience (and I've flown around a fair bit in all fairness), the best in-flight experience that I've ever encountered.

The service was excellent and the facilities really were first class. The choice of TV channels and music channels that I had on my own individual TV were wide and I had no problem at all in keeping myself occupied for the long travel to and from Thailand.

So it saddens me to hear that one of these bombs from the last week, had travelled on Qatar Airlines. But credit must go to the authorities for intercepting the package when they did.

I for one would love to travel again on Qatar Airlines. Today's honest announcement wouldn't change that. They have my seal of approval.

Has Mark Webber Blown It?

I was worried to read recently, Australian F1 legend Jack Brabham say how Mark Webber has blown his chance at winning this year's F1 World Championship.

It's not that I necessarily disagree with him. It's just that if a fellow Australian has his grave concerns about Webber's chances and is willing to express them publicly at such a critical stage in the Championship, then all can not be resting easily in the Webber camp.

Australian F1 Genius

Jack Brabham in all fairness, has quite a platform to speak from. The first antipodean World Champion, he didn't just do so once, but 3 times - in 1959, 1960 and 1966. Significantly, his final Championship win in 1966 was the first ever, and only to date, by a driver in his own car. His New Zealand team-mate Denny Hulme won the title in 1967 with Brabham winning the constructors title in both years. Brabham as a team went on to win more drivers titles in 1981 and 1983 under the control of Nelson Piquet.

So Jack knows what he's talking about and at 84, is one of the statesman of motor sport.

The only other Australian F1 World Champion was Alan Jones in 1980 - giving Frank Williams his first ever drivers and constructors Championship wins.

Mark Webber - Formula One World Champion?

Will Mark Webber join his comapriots Brabham and Jones to become only the 3rd ever Australian Formula One World Champion?

After his human error in Korea, Jack Brabham can be forgiven for raising serious doubts. Ferrari and Alonso have clearly got the momentum whilst McLaren have fallen back in recent races.

The relief for Webber must be his team-mate Vettel's blown engine just laps away from victory in Korea which handed Alonso the win. That unfortunate development for his team-mate has guaranteed that Webber still has the in-team advantage. Had Vettel have won, Webber's chances would've been diminished even further.

Because as we know, Ferrari's entire support is going to Alonso. Whatever Jenson Button may say, only a mad man in McLaren now would not put their resources all behind Lewis Hamilton.

Red Bull Tactics
What then of Red Bull? Webber finds himself 11 points adrift of Alonso. Vettel however now finds himself 25 points adrift with only 50 left up for grabs.

It would be wise for Red Bull to consider putting all of their eggs into the Webber basket, but then I can't see Vettel buying that.

More than likely then that Red Bull will continue to play 100% fair to both of their men. This is laudible but ultimately, my hunch is that this will help to secure the title for Alonso.

Good Luck Mate
I personally hope that Webber does win it. For as Jack Brabham says, this really could be Webber's last chance to win the title. He's not getting younger and this is clearly his big chance. I was backing Barrichello all the way last year against Button for the same reason. I hope that Webber can finish the job where Barrichello failed and can land that 3rd Australian F1 World Championship.

But I worry increasingly that he won't and it would seem that I'm in good company in coming to this conclusion.


NB. A follow up blog piece which I wrote after Mark Webber did indeed miss out on the World Championship can be found and read here - A New F1 Bridesmaid - Mark Webber