Have Car, Can't Travel : Have Feet, Can
The "snow storms" which have hit the West Midlands, and Worcestershire in particular, in the last couple of days highlight one the core areas of the region's unsustainability : the fact that people's mean travel to work (and other destinations) distances by car are the highest (or amongst the highest) in the country. One reason - probably the main one - for this is that the West Midlands was the last region in the country to encourage a policy of population dispersal from the major urban areas, like Birmingham and its hinterland conurbation. The consequent dispersed pattern of settlement, and associated mobility (travel rather than social !) patterns leads to excessive car dependency. This problem needs to be tackled as a matter of urgency by planners involved in the West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy, which is currently subject to public consultation. So, please, let's "walk the talk" for a change, and also put some real investment into the railways.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Boris Johnson on William Hogarth
Interest in the work of the artist William Hogarth seems to have undergone something of a renaissance recently, and rightly so. The follies of our own time call for the skills of the satirist as much as those of Hogarth's age.
Conservative MP, Boris Johnson, talking about "The Rake's Progress" this morning on the radio, expressed disappointment that contemporary British art has not brought forth a satiric artist of Hogarthian proportions (even if Boris himself fulfils some of these in his own person !).
Interest in the work of the artist William Hogarth seems to have undergone something of a renaissance recently, and rightly so. The follies of our own time call for the skills of the satirist as much as those of Hogarth's age.
Conservative MP, Boris Johnson, talking about "The Rake's Progress" this morning on the radio, expressed disappointment that contemporary British art has not brought forth a satiric artist of Hogarthian proportions (even if Boris himself fulfils some of these in his own person !).
Monday, February 05, 2007
Gambling on Regeneration & The Casino Economy
People outside the regeneration community (and many on the inside !) may have found themselves, at the very least, bemused by recent announcements on the proposed siting of a "Super Casino" in Manchester. The overriding reason cited for this decision was the regeneration case put forward by local agencies in Manchester. However, the matter isn't over as Parliament has to have a say (for a change).
Outside Parliament, there has been an earnest debate on whether gambling constitutes a regeneration activity, representing as it does for some, particularly from religious communities, precisely the opposite : a sure route, for many, not to "regeneration" but to the "other place".
However, such sentiments hold little sway with Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Ms Tess "The Italian Job" Jowell. "The Italian Job" here being a reference to Ms Jowell's (?ex) husband's business dealings with folks in that country. Surely Ms Jowell should be wise to dubious financial undertaking by now, but not a bit of it, as the costs of London 2012 also show. With Gordon Brown as Chancellor, and probably the next prime minister, we have veritably entered the era of the "Casino Economy", but, perhaps, not many people know that, yet !
People outside the regeneration community (and many on the inside !) may have found themselves, at the very least, bemused by recent announcements on the proposed siting of a "Super Casino" in Manchester. The overriding reason cited for this decision was the regeneration case put forward by local agencies in Manchester. However, the matter isn't over as Parliament has to have a say (for a change).
Outside Parliament, there has been an earnest debate on whether gambling constitutes a regeneration activity, representing as it does for some, particularly from religious communities, precisely the opposite : a sure route, for many, not to "regeneration" but to the "other place".
However, such sentiments hold little sway with Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Ms Tess "The Italian Job" Jowell. "The Italian Job" here being a reference to Ms Jowell's (?ex) husband's business dealings with folks in that country. Surely Ms Jowell should be wise to dubious financial undertaking by now, but not a bit of it, as the costs of London 2012 also show. With Gordon Brown as Chancellor, and probably the next prime minister, we have veritably entered the era of the "Casino Economy", but, perhaps, not many people know that, yet !
More on Riding & Road Safety
In my previous blog I reflected on whether a compulsory road safety test should be imposed upon horse riders. On further consideration, I think the following approach would be be preferable.
In my previous blog I reflected on whether a compulsory road safety test should be imposed upon horse riders. On further consideration, I think the following approach would be be preferable.
- Equestrian "Movement" support for lower speed limits on rural roads as proposed by, amongst others, the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE).
- Better general road safety training in schools for children and young people.
- More effective promotion of the British Horse Society Riding and Road Safety Test
I intend to put forward some suggestions for a campaign by the BHS and others in respect of the above in a future blog.
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Riding & Road Safety
My intolerance to bureaucracy is on a par with some people's reaction to foods which strongly disagree with them. Nevertheless, I do wonder whether a "road safety" test should be made compulsory for unsupervised horse riders ie those unaccompanied by a qualified person, such as a riding instructor. I should point out that I have arrived at this point of view over several years, and from different perspectives. In addition to having been a qualified car driver for 27 years, although I do not use a motor vehicle just now, I am a pedestrian, cyclist and horse rider. I am also professionally involved in planning and transport related areas, and a sometime environmental activist, concerned with, amongst many other things, road safety issues. Some years ago I passed the British Horse Society's Riding and Road Safety Test (on my second attempt), and organised the test on behalf of other horse riders : an increasingly bureaucratic experience. In the meantime, there are more cars and other vehicles on the road, especially in semi-rural areas, and the standard of driving has probably declined, and this not exclusively, by any means, amongst young people. Like most horse-riders, I have had my share of near misses and have friends who have not been so lucky. Yet is has to be said that some of the same horse people who complain about conditions on the road - and in some cases will no longer ride out on it - are precisely the kind of driver you would not like to meet on a horse ie they drive too fast for the road conditions and sometimes inattentively. Equally, most horse riders have not undertaken any formal road safety training, let alone their BHS Test, and this is all too visible in an increasing amount of "bad" riding on the road. Indeed, in many cases, it is fortunate that horses have more sense than their riders. So, all in all, perhaps it is time for compulsory testing.
My intolerance to bureaucracy is on a par with some people's reaction to foods which strongly disagree with them. Nevertheless, I do wonder whether a "road safety" test should be made compulsory for unsupervised horse riders ie those unaccompanied by a qualified person, such as a riding instructor. I should point out that I have arrived at this point of view over several years, and from different perspectives. In addition to having been a qualified car driver for 27 years, although I do not use a motor vehicle just now, I am a pedestrian, cyclist and horse rider. I am also professionally involved in planning and transport related areas, and a sometime environmental activist, concerned with, amongst many other things, road safety issues. Some years ago I passed the British Horse Society's Riding and Road Safety Test (on my second attempt), and organised the test on behalf of other horse riders : an increasingly bureaucratic experience. In the meantime, there are more cars and other vehicles on the road, especially in semi-rural areas, and the standard of driving has probably declined, and this not exclusively, by any means, amongst young people. Like most horse-riders, I have had my share of near misses and have friends who have not been so lucky. Yet is has to be said that some of the same horse people who complain about conditions on the road - and in some cases will no longer ride out on it - are precisely the kind of driver you would not like to meet on a horse ie they drive too fast for the road conditions and sometimes inattentively. Equally, most horse riders have not undertaken any formal road safety training, let alone their BHS Test, and this is all too visible in an increasing amount of "bad" riding on the road. Indeed, in many cases, it is fortunate that horses have more sense than their riders. So, all in all, perhaps it is time for compulsory testing.
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