Grimshaw Working On New Eden Project In Morecambe
The title of this post is the same as that of this article in the Architect’s Journal.
The Eden Project in Morecambe does seem to have the look of a serious project.
Eden Project Seeks Funds For Morecambe Attraction
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
When I heard about this project on the BBC, my first reaction was – Why Not?
And nothing, I’ve seen or read changes my decision.
If it opens, I shall go, as it’s not far from areas, I visit regularly.
Plastic Bag Charge To Rise To 10p And Be Extended To Every Shop
The title of this post is the same as that of this article in the Independent.
The title says it all.
I rarely buy a plastic bag and it is usually, when I travel around and have forgotten to put a bag in my coat pocket. I suspect I haven’t actually bought one since June.
I’ve also thought it wrong since the charge was introduced, that some shops didn’t charge, so this will create a level playing field.
As to the rise of the charge to ten pence, the biggest effect could be, that people remember to take a bag more often.
I do suspect though that smaller shops will complain and will say they will have to close.
But if they don’t have to charge, the taxpayer is effectively providing them with a subsidy.
If we are widening the plastic bag charge, surely now is the time to do something similar for fast food packaging.
The latter is personal, as quite a bit seems to end up outside my house in the front patio.
How about a ten pence packaging/obesity/littering charge on all fast food meals?
Why Are There So Many Slim Female Weather Presenters?
As I travel around the country, I have probably watched BBC News or Breakfast in perhaps seven to ten regions.
Over recent years, the proportion of weather presenters, who I see on the BBC who are slim and female, seems to have grown.
It is a rare event to see a stocky male weather presenter.
I am not complaining, but after watching Alina Jenkins doing the UK weather and Elizabeth Rizzini doing the London weather, I had a thought.
Both ladies are slim and they were wearing dresses with elbow length sleeves, which showed off slim arms.
With all the pointing and waving that weather presenters do, it struck me that the reason there are no many slim female presenters could be that there is less of them to get in the way of the information on the screen. Presenters too, are often squeezed into a narrow vertical space at the side of the screen.
So is it just about getting more information on the screen?
Earlier this week Lucy Martin, who lost most of her right arm at birth was presenting the London weather in a sleeveless white dress.
She has to do everything with her left hand and her performance is as polished and confident as anybody else.
You do wonder though, that as she can’t use her other hand for balance as we all do in a presentation, she actually can give a less busy and more professional performance.
New Access To York Station As Part Of Major Brownfield Redevelopment Plans
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Technology Magazine.
This the first paragraph.
New plans including a new access point to York station and the expansion of the National Railway Museum headline groundbreaking proposals of creating 6,500 jobs in the city.
The development is a partnership between.
- Homes England
- Network Rail
- York City Council
- National Railway Museum
This page on the York City Council web site, is entitled Major Developments At York Central.
This is the first paragraph.
York Central is the large brownfield site to the west of the city’s railway station. It lies between the A19 and A59 road corridors, and is contained by operational rail lines.
The document goes on to say that redevelopment of parts of the site could include.
- 1,000 to 2,500 homes
- 60,000m2 to 120,000m2 of office, leisure and retail uses
To gauge the size of the site, this Google Map shows the area.
Note the large York station towards the right of the map.
This looks to me to be the sort of development we need to do more of in this country.
House Sparrows In Aberdeen Bus Station
I took this picture of a few house sparrows in Aberdeen bus station.
You rarely see them in London these days.
President Maduro Of Venezuela
Seeing President Maduro of Venezuela standing there in his extravagant suit with a multi-coloured sash, he looked so like one of the comic creations of Sacha Baron Cohen.
Now, I’m afraid every time I hear his name mentioned I laugh!
Canada Envisions Small Nuclear Reactors Producing Power And Hydrogen In Remote Towns
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Forbes.
The concept is you put small modular nuclear reactors of around 300 MW in a remote town or industrial site to provide electrical power, alongside wind and solar
Any excess power will be used to create hydrogen to power transport like vehicles and trains, so no power is wasted.
These reactors will be built in a factory and transported to site.
It may seem to be fantastical thinking, but I believe small modular reactors are a viable concept and used with hydrogen in remote locations could be application, that gets them started and acceptable.
Two years ago I wrote Small Modular Nuclear Reactors.
My views haven’t changed, except that adding the hydrogen generation improves the reasons to build them.
Now That’s What I Call A Growing Green Business!
I took this picture as I walked back from the bus stop to my house, this morning.
For the third of our three children, we used a nappy service, where every day or so, a guy would collect a bucket of soiled cotton nappies and return a pile of clean ones.
I have images in my mind of C unwrapping them and burying her face in the pile, as it was just one of those experiences she liked. Later in life, I saw her do it with towels in a five-star hotel in Hong Kong.
Our service was provided by a guy with a van, but surely a bicycle takes a nappy service to a new level.
So many of my generation, who used real nappies on their children, swear that the children preferred them.
Certainly, with a nappy service, they were a lot easier.
I have explored the sewers of London, which I wrote about in We’re Really In It Now. The flushers told me, that disposable nappies along with wet wipes and fat from fast food eateries, are the three major problems in the sewers
So disposable nappies might be convenient, but they have to be filtered out and go into landfill.
My best wishes for Nappy Ever After in the future!
The Anonymous Widower 