Religion In The Workplace
I think yesterday’s judgement on the cases brought at the European Court of Human Rights is a sound one.
I think it is fair to say, that if you do a desk job, crosses, head scarves, turbans and other symbols are more of less irrelevant.
But when health and safety might be involved it’s another matter. So for instance a nurse shouldn’t wear a big dangly necklace, whether it is a cross or not!
I remember that when I started in industry, quite a few scientists and engineers used to wear bow ties, as a normal tie might get in the way of what they were doing. It probably isn’t so common now, but then jobs are more keyboard-based.
I know that has nothing to do with religion, but the same principle of safety should apply.
As to people ending up in jobs that are against their religious beliefs, like the Registrar, who wouldn’t officiate in civil partnerships, then the law is the law and unfortunately for them, they must either change their employment or come to an accommodation with their employers.
The Shutting Of My Local Fire Station
My local fire station at Kingsland is slated to be closed. As can be expected there is now a vigorous campaign to save it.
In London, we’ve had closures of hospitals and A & E units, but here in this part of the capital, there doesn’t seem to have been a backlash against that. I have two large newly-rebuilt hospitals at the Royal London and UCLH, which are just a very simple journey away. And in the other direction there’s Homerton, of which I have one small good experience. Talking to local people, I’ve never heard a complaint about hospital healthcare in this area. So the reorganisation may have worked well, despite the partial closure of St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, which we used to use, when we lived in the Barbican.
Obviously, there have been a few glitches, but now that GP surgeries are bigger and much more capable, I don’t think that anybody is saying that the changes have not been positive. The planning of the changes obviously used all of the data to get the balance right.
The coverage and number of stations of the London Fire Brigade has probably changed little since I used to live in North London as a child.
These days though, you rarely see a fire engine. I think I can remember just one or two since I moved here two years ago. I’d love to see the data for how many call-outs there have been in London over the years. I suspect that the pattern has changed dramatically with more serious fires in high buildings and road accidents. After all high buildings and badly driven high-performance cars have become more common.
So does the London Fire Brigade fit the threats it faces?
I suspect not, as too much it is based on an historic map, when house and generally small fires were a lot more numerous. But now that many more houses and premises have smoke detection systems, the tragic domestic fires have been reduced. We still get them I know, but isn’t it about time, that premises had to have a fire inspection, every few years or so.
The trouble is that the man on the Dalston Omnibus, doesn’t generally believe what politicians tell them. So we get a stand off, which in the end doesn’t change anything.
The full data from all of the London Fire Brigade should be published, to see where the service needs to be changed. some of the decisions prompted by the data, will be unpalatable to some, but what we want is a better fire Service, not one designed on London’s structure of many years ago.
I doubt we’ll see the data made available, as it might point to a different decision.
Boris Gets A Statue
Boris Johnson’s father, Stanley unveiled a statue called Boris yesterday. But it is a large polar bear in front of Peter Jones in no way connected to the Mayor of London.
There’s more about the statue here.
I liked it and would vote for Boris to stay.
I doubt a lady who got on the bus towards Wandsworth would though, as she was wearing a fur coat.
Robert Peston On HMV
Robert Peston has an interesting take on HMV’s demise in this article. He asks these two questions.
Will it go the way of Jessops and Comet? Will all 239 stores be closed, with the loss of all 4,000 jobs?
And is there a rising incidence of corporate insolvencies which could actually be a good thing, in the widest possible sense (please bear with me; I haven’t taken leave of my senses or transmogrified into some kind of insane company necrophiliac)?
It is his answer to the second that is most interesting. Here’s part of it.
The evidence of past recessions is that economic growth doesn’t resume at any great velocity until unviable and inefficient businesses are put of their misery and excess capacity in various industries is eliminated.
Now, although there has been a fair old number of retailing collapses in the past year or so (according to FRP Advisory, HMV is the 32nd significant retail chain to go into administration in just over a year), there have been many fewer corporate collapses since the financial crisis of 2008 than was predictable on the basis of past economic experience.
I think he could be right.
When you clear out the living dead companies you create lots of niche markets, where those with ideas and money move in to create jobs and revenue.
I think we’ll see a very different way of selling music evolve on the High Street. What it will be like, I do not know and I won’t even guess!
Living With British Products Only
A family called Bradshaw have decided that they are going to live using only British products. Their story is here on Kent On-Line and their web site is here.
The BBC also flagged up a web site called Make It British.
Their piece also showed that you can buy tea from Cornwall. Now that is truly a British cup of tea!
Comet, Jessops and HMV
I don’t think in the last seven or so years, I’ve ever used any of these shops. I certainly haven’t since C died.
In fact, my last camera was bought in John Lewis, as was my last computer and most of the goods one traditionally bought at Comet.
And as I rarely listen to music these days, I don’t have a need for HMV or their on-line alternatives.
Now I know that my non-purchases didn’t push them over the edge, but we live in times, where every purchase is made with care, either for financial reasons or just for those of style and taste. Goods too, last longer.
A Gentle Joke About The Queen
You don’t hear many repeatable jokes about the Royal Family and especially the Queen. But this video contains a good one from Daniel Day Lewis at the Golden Globes. He is probably one of the last you’d think would make such a joke, given some of the things he’s said in the past.
Custom House Station On CrossRail
The construction of Custom House station on CrossRail is due to start soon. Read all about it here in the East London Advertiser. From this paragraph in the article, it seems someone has thought out their design.
The station is being manufactured in sections in Sheffield, then transported 200 miles to Custom House and re-assembled on the construction site in Victoria Dock Road, next to the ExCel complex, to save time and keep disruption to residents and the DLR to a minimum. The roof is being made from transparent plastic, similar to the Eden Project in Cornwall.
After the cable-car trip, I took a few photos, from the overbridges at the DLR stations.
It will be enlightening to watch as the station is constructed over the next few years.
Breaking Bad News WIth Style And Dignity
The Reverend John Graham is one of Britain’s leading crossword puzzle setters. As reported on the BBC web site, he used one of his own puzzles to announce that he is dying of cancer.
What a dignified and stylish way to break bad news!
I Don’t Watch Long Films
Some of the films released now are overly long. Skyfall at just under two and a half hours was probably my limit.
But Les Miserables is just under three hours, as is The Hobbit and Django Unchained.
I always look at the duration of a film and if it’s too long I don’t go.
Tom Brook is discussing the trend here.
In some ways though, I wonder if long films are also a turn-off for cinemas, as they must restrict the number of shows and therefore the number of paying punters.
The Anonymous Widower 