Eurostar Go For The East Coast Franchise
I have noticed that Eurostar are bidding to run the trains to the North and Scotland from Kings Cross.
I do hope that if they do run it, they bring the excellent gluten-free food from their continental services.
Dealing With The Long Term Unemployed
Over the last few days, there has been a lot of talk about how you deal with the long-term unemployed.
In the 1980s, I interviewed a guy called Jim for a management job in Metier. He was at the time, a senior guy in the Department of Employment and told how a lot of the long-term unemployed were not in the obvious places. One thing he did say was that in London, many wouldn’t travel a few miles to get a job, especially if it meant crossing the Thames.
But one thing he said, was that if you call the long-term unemployed in regularly, a lot seem to disappear from the register and stop claiming benefits.
I suspect that some of the Coalition’s policies might have the same effect.
At about the same time, an economist from Lloyds Bank told me, that their predictions for the economy were different from the Government, as they took account of the Black Economy and the Government didn’t. I wonder how models and predictions differ these days?
I do think though, we’ll see a drop in unemployment over the next few years, as the rules get tighter and people find it much less of a hassle to work, as history repeats itself.
Do We Really Want To Save Preston Bus Station?
Preston Bus Station is an iconic building of the 1960s. As I’ve never used, let alone seen it, I can’t comment on the design, but it does evoke strong feelings.
The government has now given it Listed status, which doesn’t fit well with the local councils’ plans to demolish it. The BBC has a report.
I’m going to Manchester and Derby on October the first. I think it’s somewhere that deserves a visit! So perhaps, I’ll start in Preston and work my way down.
Looking at the map, it seems that the bus station, is not by the railway station. So perhaps the building is in the wrong place? After all the ideal railway station, should be integrated with the local buses, like say Barnsley, Canning Town or Sheffield.
In Six Days Tourists And The Posh Get New Buses for London
On the 21st of September, route 11 gets converted to New Buses for London.
This to me, is a good choice of route, as it runs along the very crowded Kings Road. So perhaps it might tempt people to hop on and off to get up and down the road, rather than use the Chelsea tractor.
But the newbusification of the route will not be popular with the tour bus operators, if this statement from the route’s Wikipedia entry is correct.
The journey from the top deck is a cheap means of sightseeing in London.
I don’t think bendy buses ever had any attractions for visitors to London.
I shall be there on Saturday.
Do We Need A Charge For Plastic Bags?
I think this is a very difficult one, and although many claim, it has good green credentials, it is a measure that might annoy lots of people.
Take myself!
I generally go to a food store every day or so, as I don’t like food waste and buy just what I need. So I perhaps get one or two bags every day I go shopping. It should only be one per day, but because I can’t buy everything I need at one shop near me, I’ll often make a double trip.
I do have a reusable bag, but because of the useless self-service tills in the Waitrose at the Angel, I don’t use it as often as I should. My bag won’t stand on the tills, and one day something breakable will fall on the floor.
I also do a lot of shopping on my way home from say a football match, or a visit somewhere, so carrying a large bag just in case I need to buy something, is a silly strategy for me.
In fact, the charge will make little difference to me, as it’ll probably cost me about thirty pence a week.
All of the plastic bags I collect are used in my waste bin, which is just a big IKEA plant pot.
I have a feeling, that this could be one of the things, that will drive floating voters away from the Lib Dems.
I do hope that some of the excessive bags, I’ve received from up-market shops will be discouraged. I got one last month, that is a large tough and strong one, that will need to be shredded with a pair of scissors to put in my green recycling bags.
Yesterday, I bought a new rucksac in Selfridges. I was offered a bag to carry it home. I declined and put the bag on my back, with my briefcase and another small purchase inside. I suppose though, I walked out of the shop, without giving them any advertising.
A better way would be to have a packaging tax, so shops found better and cheaper ways for shoppers to get goods home.
Taking the Waitrose self-service tills, I’m certain an origami expert could design a better and bigger version of the ubiquitous British Rail paper carrier bags, used to carry drinks and snacks from the train buffet to your seat. It would stand up wonderfully on the weigher of the self service till. It would probably be quicker as Waitrose’s bags are a nightmare for my hands. I don’t think I’m the only one!
A British Rail Carrier Bag
I took this picture today and I noticed thast the lady in the buffet had them all neatly stacked and ready to use. It’s a classic design!
As in everything, the problem of too many plastic bags is something that we should design and innovate ourselves away from.
After all, if a shop came up with the perfect system, they would be the winners in the shopping wars.
Goodbye And Farewell
Sadly, David Frost has passed away. I was surprised he was only eight years older than me, as I thought he was older than that.
I posted here my memories of That Was The Week That Was. Frost must have been in his early twenties, when he starred in that program.
How many comedians and performers are successful at that age now? And they say, it’s a young person’s world.
Incidentally, when I talk to my peers today, I find very few others, who at fourteen used to watch TW3. I think it shows the sort of attitude that my parents, and especially my father, had to life.
An American Import We Don’t Want
This story, entitled US shops and restaurants fight patent trolls, caught my eye. Here’s an extract.
Patent trolls take out generalised patents, often on widely available technology, and then demand money from companies who use or offer it.
Shops and restaurants have been targeted for displaying QR codes and online store-locators, say the groups.
The real trouble is that the US has too many lawyers, who think that everybody else owes them a living. I’ll update an old joke.
What do you call a million American lawyers at the bottom of the sea?
A good start!
And The Winner Is!
They announced the winner of the Carbuncle Cup this week and the story is here in the Guardian. Here’s the first paragraph.
Cramped rooms with low ceilings and one small window facing directly on to a brick wall. If you crane your neck, you can just about see the outside world. It could be a description of the cells in Pentonville Prison, but these are the conditions enjoyed just down the road from the Victorian jail in a new student accommodation block for University College London – today announced as winner of the Carbuncle Cup by Building Design magazine, for the worst building of the year.
It might appear to some, that the judges thought the student residence at 465 Caledonian Road was even worse on the inside than the outside.
This is generally unusual, as I think we’ve all stayed in bad looking hotels, where the rooms were excellent.
The Syria Debate on Radio 5 Live
I was invited to be a member of the public at this debate on College Green by the Houses of Parliament today.
I didn’t say much, but it was an interesting experience. I found it fascinating to see how they set it all up and I think I learned something, if ever I get interviewed by the media again.
I don’t think we contributed much to the debate, but then only time will tell what will happen in Syria.
Blackpool Suffers A Couple Of Tremors
This report on the BBC says that Blackpool has been shaken by a couple of earthquakes.
They must have been really major, as BBC Breakfast isn’t reporting the tremors this morning. Perhaps, they couldn’t find a reporter and film crew, who wanted to go!
I wonder though how many people believe this is all down to fracking? I did check comments on a report in a tabloid and there were a few comments, suggesting that the anti-frackers will blame fracking.
The Anonymous Widower 