Low Standard in journalism

Harbinder Singh Rana on the Queen's Jubilee Barge

To judge from the activities of the British Press the Leveson Enquiry on Press standards and influence may as well not be happening – paparazzi photos are still being used and personal stories are still being run in the Yellow Press without a shred of “Public Interest” pretense.

http://daithaic.blogspot.co.uk/2008/11/paparazzi-insight.html

London’s Evening Standard which is the sole evening newspaper in the capital has never been famous for its journalistic standards. It was formerly part of Northcliffe Newspapers owned by the Rothermere family and the Daily Mail was its sister paper. The first Lord Rothermere was an enthusiastic appeaser of the Nazis prior to World War 2 and got the newspaper the nickname “The Daily Heil” for his editorial line that Herr Hitler was a reasonable sort of chappie we could do business with. His son used to lecture Britain on patriotism and family values while living in tax exile with his Japanese mistress.

Three years ago the paper was sold to Alexander Lebedev, a Russian Oligarch who emerged with unexplained millions in the murky world of Boris Yesltin’s Russia. He gave assurances on editorial independence and his “fitness” to be a newspaper proprietor which were thrown out the window during the recent London Mayoral Election when, for two weeks beforehand, it devoted over four pages a day to pro- Boris Johnson editorial – indeed so naked was its bias it even had Boris ads on the top and side of its website. Interestingly the Evening Standard is now a free paper and is distributed under a commercial agreement at Transport for London stations controlled by one Boris Johnson, Mayor of London. Dwell not on these matters now; they are the subjects of complaints to the Returning Officer and the Electoral Commission.

However a recent Standard article under Ross Lydall’s byline plummets to a new low. Under the teasing headline;

“Met police: Sex attacker on royal Jubilee barge posed no threat”

They ran a story over the Jubilee Weekend that a convicted sex offender was allowed on the royal barge for the Diamond Jubilee pageant because he was not considered a threat to the royal family, it emerged today. The Standard reported;

“Harbinder Singh Rana, 52, was a guest of the Prince of Wales on Spirit of Chartwell despite having been sentenced to four years in jail in 1986 for five counts of indecent assault, 11 counts of assault causing actual bodily harm and one count of attempted assault.

He met Charles through his work as a director of the Anglo Sikh Heritage Trail, which aims to promote awareness of the links between Sikhs and Britons, and was accompanied by his 22-year-old daughter Kamalpreet.”

I commented under the story in the Standard on the 7^thJune 2012;

“I hope the Attorney General prosecutes the ES for what appears to be a clear breach of the 1974 Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. Once a Court has tried a case and decided on punishment society's only interest is in seeing the offender is rehabilitated and does not re-offend. Harbinder Singh Rana is clearly in this category and has done much to atone for his crime.

Perhaps in the interests of honest journalism Sarah Sands can tell us how the ES got hold of this information and how publishing it complies with the PCC Code of Conduct and the Data Protection Act?”

In the best traditions the Evening Standard didn't publish this comment critical of its Editor. Good to see that the Press has cleaned up its act during the Leveson enquiry. Particularly this Russian owned, opaquely financed "Free Paper."

Mr and Mrs Queen and family on the Jubilee Barge

Lord Sugah and I

Tweets across the ocean – From a humble wage slave @daithaic on Mayoral Election day in damp London Town to the illustrious Labour Peer Lord Sugar (aka Chairman Al) @Lord_Sugar in his splendido mansion in Boca Raton, Florida.

Lord Sugar ‏ @Lord_Sugar

Take a look at what I've said about Ken Livingstone in the Sun on Sunday

http://www.amshold.com/social_media/ChairmanAl.htm

David Caldwell ‏ @daithaic

@Lord_Sugar Thank you for caring about the working people of London from your mansion in Boca Raton. Palm Trees looking OK?

 David Caldwell ‏ @daithaic

@Lord_Sugar For the record Arik Sharon led the terrorist raid on Qibya, Jordan in 1953, 69 Palestinians, mostly women & children were killed.

David Caldwell ‏ @daithaic

@Lord_Sugar The massacre of women and children at Qibya was condemned by the US State Department, the UN and by Jewish communities worldwide

David Caldwell ‏ @daithaic

@Lord_Sugar I understand your doubts about Ken but I believe he has changed and a Labour peer should not help a Tory to be elected Mayor?

David Caldwell ‏ @daithaic

@Lord_Sugar Your intervention was a betrayal of us ordinary members who have been working hard against a media blitz to get a LABOUR Mayor?

David Caldwell ‏ @daithaic

@Lord_Sugar That quality comic the Sun on Sunday, the successor to the much lamented News of the Screws? Are you not cheapening your brand, Chairman Al?

Back Ken, Sack Boris

Ken Livingstone - Better value for London every time!

The Mayor of London election tomorrow between Ken Livingstone (for Labour) and Boris Johnson (for the Tories, although he wants you to forget that) is the largest personal electoral mandate in Europe after the President of France. It is a touchstone election – here is the last word from Ken tonight on the eve of the poll.

David -- 

I wanted to take time out tonight to send you this brief message on the eve of the London Mayoral Election.

It’s been a long campaign. We’ve mobilised record numbers of volunteers, knocked on thousands of doors, pioneered new campaign techniques and fought hard for our collective values.

I’m very proud of what we’ve done. I want to thank you for your help.

Tomorrow is a clear choice between Labour and Conservative. The choice has never been clearer. Vote Conservative for four more years of fare rises, police cuts and economic mismanagement.

Or vote Labour for a fares cut, more police on the street, more and cheaper housing, the reintroduction of the London EMA, grants for childcare and cheaper heating bills.

Today, David Cameron is urging voters to elect Boris Johnson. That tells us the stakes for Londoners. Despite the incessant and relentless attacks from the right wing press, this election is going to go to the wire.

I really hope you can campaign with us tomorrow.

Best,

Ken

P.S If you can help click here to let us know 

http://www.kenlivingstone.com/gotvteam

Ken’s figures add up

Letter in the Guardian Newspaper 2^nd May 2012

I worked in Transport for London finance for over 20 years until January, producing the management reports that were used to run the underground. In my opinion Ken Livingstone has provided an accurate assessment of TfL's finances (Editorial, 1 May). His fares cut is entirely affordable. Many people cannot believe that Boris Johnson has built up such large surpluses. Why would he not use them to cut fares in an election year? My guess is that it's all about the deal Boris did with his government colleagues. It's an open secret that the Conservatives would like to slash the subsidy to TfL, on top of the £2.2bn cut happening over the next few years. But that will only work with a friendly mayor who is willing to massively increase fares – and Ken's election would stop that plan dead. Based on my knowledge of TfL's finances, I have no doubt that Ken could both cut fares and improve services, without reducing investment. Boris's needless and excessive fare increases have not provided extra investment – indeed that has fallen during his term and much has been wasted.

David Caldwell

TfL finance manager 1991-2012

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/may/01/ken-livingstone-figures-add-up

For background and context on Ken's Fare Cuts including support from 11 leading economists at London Universities see Ken's campaign site;

http://www.kenlivingstone.com/home

Boris’s Flying Circus

With the end of London Mayor Boris Johnston’s reign looming after the Mayoral Election on the 3rd May 2012 minds are being concentrated. Londoner’s are taking stock of that great classicist’s achievements as Mayor. For one thing he has got rid of 275 of the proven, high capacity, disabled friendly Bendy Buses at a third of what they cost and replaced them with 5 Boris DeluxeMasters at only £1.6M a copy! This wasn’t Boris’s only achievement, oh no! He has also hiked bus fares 55%, delivered 52 affordable homes in London last year and started his silly cable car from nowhere to nearly nowhere!

Greenwich Peninsula

On the last item you can now go along to an exciting new exhibit at London Transport Museum on Boris’s only other transport initiative the UK’s first urban cable car. The exhibition opened on Tuesday 29 November 2011, and gives visitors their first taste of the new transport link in all its glory. I’m afraid all the other Boris achievements, London Overground, East London Line, DLR extension were actually all started by somebody called KEN! Boris also has an anti-achievement to his name, cancelling the Western Congestion Charging Zone, losing the income from it whilst writing off the £55 million expenditure to set it up. All this while London is endangering its citizens by breaching EU air pollution standards.

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2007/11/londons-transport-museum.html

The interactive exhibit at the Museum will be the first chance for the public to see up close up details of the cable car and gondolas which is being branded as “Emirates Air Line” after its sponsor. Highlights of the exhibit include a fully branded cabin, similar to the cabins that will take to the skies next year and fly users across the Thames every five minutes. Visitors will be able to board the cabin and see an animated film that gives an idea of the spectacular aerial views on offer once the link between the Greenwich Peninsula and Royal Victoria Dock is complete.

The stations on the new Tube Map containing the sponsor's name - the first time branding has been allowed on this iconic design classic

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2009/11/mapping-world.html

Royal Victoria Dock station

Koblenz, Germany where a similar system across the Rhine was recently built for $20 M using similar technology. Notice the simpler "temporary" stations compared to London's showpiece stations. Built at a cost of Euros 12 million the cable car travels across the Rhine from Deutsches Eck up to Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, a distance of 850 metres, giving visitors breathtaking aerial views of the Rhine and Moselle.

There are 18 gondolas on the Koblenz cable way, each with a 35-passenger capacity. And if you’re not fearful of heights, one of the cabins has a glass floor so you can look down into the Rhine as the cable car takes you across. It is expected that 3,500 passengers can be transported per hour in each direction.

The cable car will provide a new river crossing for London, travelling between two new terminals, Greenwich Peninsula south of the Thames and Royal Docks on the Northside. Expected to take its first “flight” in summer 2012 it will have a capacity to carry 2,500 passengers per hour in each direction, the equivalent to 30 buses an hour, but of course only if they turn up. The new transport initiative will also directly link the O2 – Europe’s biggest entertainment venue – and the ExCeL – Europe’s biggest conferencing venue and provide a new step-free interchange between the Jubilee line and Docklands Light Railway (DLR) whilst complementing the existing public transport network.

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2011/08/londons-dome.html

The question that probably everyone asked was how did an estimate of £25 million end up at a final project cost of £65 million. That’s quite an overspend! When finally completed, the most striking aspect of Boris’s latest folly/innovative public transport service (delete depending on political preference) will be the three tall pylons that carry the cables over the Thames.

Interior of a Gondola

Rachel at Londonlist has commented;

“Yesterday’s news that the Thames Cable Car costs have risen to £60m didn’t surprise us that much – Caroline Pidgeon got an admission out of Boris in June that it was pushing the £57m mark, but what’s made us eye-poppingly enraged is TfL telling the BBC that they’re paying for it out of the rail budget.

If TfL were swimming in cash this would be fine, but this is the same TfL that’s just announced PAYG fare increase of 10p per bus journey and an 8% rise for travel cards. A TfL that’s committed to huge upgrades on the tube network (surely a nobler cause for raiding other parts of their budget?). A TfL that’s expanding the Overground network and involved in Crossrail.”

An expert on cable car projects Steven Dale who runs the International Benchmarking site “The Gondola Project” is harsh about what London is paying for this project;

http://gondolaproject.com/2011/09/26/exploring-the-thames-cable-car-costs/

“Over the weekend it was announced that the estimated project cost for London’s Thames Cable Car (Gondola) has ballooned to an estimated £60m. For those interested, that means the system will cost roughly $100m USD per kilometre. With the possible exception of the Caracas Metrocable, the London Thames Cable Car will easily be the most expensive gondola/cable car ever built.

The London Thames Cable Car appears to be nothing more than the latest example of largely English-speaking transit agencies’ unwillingness and/or inability to rein in costs related to transit projects. There is absolutely, positively, completely no reason whatsoever this project should cost London taxpayers ~$100m USD. Not a single good reason:”

North Pylon under construction

The completed 270 Tonne pylon

The site London Reconnections points out;

http://www.londonreconnections.com/2011/where-lame-ducks-dare-benchmarking-the-london-cable-car/

“Mott MacDonald act as project advisers to TfL on this project. They are a respected engineering consultancy responsible for similar projects such as the, much longer Ngong Ping Cable Car in Hong Kong. They are also owners of Franklin and Andrews, a household name in households where banter about project construction costs is the norm across the breakfast table. Franklin and Andrews are collators and disseminators of benchmark construction cost standards through a series of “Black Books”. Mott’s could well be able to contribute international comparator information on this matter.

Further questions also seem pertinent – at what point in the project risk register were the cost omissions and deviations recognised and what mitigation processes were put in place? To what extent do the London specific tailored features, the pylons and the stations, impact on the increases in cost? To what extent, if any, did the imperative to get something done before the Olympics influence the life cycle project procurement and management process?”

The stakes are high in the London Mayoral elections next year and despite the desperate spinning going on by Boris’s acolytes there is no confidence that dilettante Boris can win even if his Flying Circus across the Thames opens in time. How important this election is to Tory prospects is demonstrated by David Cameron who has described Boris Johnson's re-election for a second term as London Mayor as his "number one priority" for 2012. In a speech last night to Conservative backbenchers, the Prime Minister described victory in the capital city as "essential" to the party's strategy. But he warned that next year would be "tougher than the first couple of years under Margaret Thatcher" because of the state of the economy. Mr Cameron was given thunderous applause at the mention of the London election battle on May 3.

Be that as may be Daithai C believes time is running out for Bluffy Boris. The fact is in the last election people in the outer donut of London didn’t vote for Boris, they voted against Ken. In four years much will have changed. Ken learnt from his defeat and has discarded General Jasper and the hangers on who did the perception of his cause much harm. The ludicrous Americans under “Agent” Bob Kiley have largely disappeared from TfL with their platinum contracts which Londoner’s of all political hues resented. Boris with his £250,000 a year for his Rag Mag columns in the Telegraph and his many “distractions” has looked increasingly amateurish while Ken is the serious candidate dedicated to making London better for all.

We are all in this Circus together?

David Cameron has rightly identified that a push to abolish government by Old Etonians in London in 2012 will gather momentum as a campaign to abolish government by Old Etonians nationwide. When it comes to the voters of London deciding whether its Ken or Boris next May Boris will not be greatly in credit with them having expensively abolished cost efficient Bendy Buses for his 5 £1.6 million a copy DeLuxemasters – A project in the fine tradition of British Worldbeaters which won’t beat anything. His Flying Circus across the Thames has “stolen” £65 million from the rail budget and the reality of its viability will be seen in the cold winter of 2012 in the post Olympic hangover when we see if it gets anything like the 2,500 passengers an hour. Whilst much has been made of the “£36 M” Emirates sponsorship this is over 10 years and is dependent on minimum traffic levels being achieved – it is not cash up front.

"Death to the Bendy's" thundered Boris!

Then think of what Boris has not done? But he was wrong to cancel the pedestrianisation of Parliament Square, and his cycling "superhighways" are feeble - London needs proper cycle lanes. He cancelled the Cross-River Tram and the Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf Bridge - we need projects like this. Yet he abolished Bendy Buses and is building his cable car – two transport initiatives with nothing approaching a business case. I suspect at the Opening Ceremonies the London Mayor representing us will have a name beginning with K and London voters will have delivered their verdict on Bluffy Boris’s vanity projects. In the cold Winter of 2012 after the Olympic glow is well gone we'll see if this gimcrack link is really viable or if it was just another Circus Act?

What was TfL saying a mere year ago?

“TfL said it aimed to fund construction of the (£25 M) scheme with private finance, adding that discussions were being held with a number of private sector organisations. A privately funded cable car system offers a relatively quick and cost effective way of improving connections across the river for pedestrians and cyclists." Guardian – 5th July 2010

Looks like the private sector have since made up their own mind not to throw money into this?

The Great New Year Transport Robbery

This January will see rail fares rise by an average of 8% and some as high as 13% - That's daylight robbery for most passengers as season tickets rise by hundreds of pounds more each year and walk up fares reach eye watering levels. We need affordable fares, not day light robbery. Worse of all this Government sanctioned stealth tax is set to continue for the next four years - a wallet busting price hike! For many in the workforce and education who commute this will be a tax too far on employment and on education. Indeed spin doctors are already on the case and this is publicised not as a “Fare Increase” but merely as a “Fare Revision” or in an attempt at absolute minimalism as “New Fares.” Who can argue with “New Fares” – we were so fed up with those old fares!


Since Boris Johnson was elected Mayor of London bus fares have increased 55% in 3 years

Now there is a further example proposed of the “Hershey Bar Technique” – charging more for less. But this time under the heading of “Red Tape Challenge” the almost invisible “rights” enjoyed by passengers are being eroded further. The ConDem Coalition government has signalled its intentions by publishing the latest in its series about the Red Tape Challenge which is currently focused on Rail and Maritime. There are several areas of concern but one that applies to passengers, workers and communities appears under the section Rail Transport: Fares and Licensing at:

http://www.redtapechallenge.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/rail-transport-fares-and-licensing/

If you follow the link you will see a box on the left hand side that lists legislation that the ConDem Coalition government evidently considers to be red tape.

What is the Red Tape Challenge?

The government has a policy to reduce what they regard as red tape because it allegedly hurts business and, they claim, does real damage to our economy. Whilst in marginal cases this may be true, in reality what the Red Tape Challenge is about is reducing business regulation in a variety of areas so that companies can maximise profits either:

1. At the expense of workers’ employment rights, including pensions and safety, or

2. by removing passenger rights as demonstrated by the inclusion of the National Conditions of Carriage and the Ticketing & Settlement Agreement. The Rail Fares and Licensing issues clearly have an impact on both passengers and workers:

The National Conditions of Carriage gives passengers some protection around ticketing and as you will see from the Red Tape Challenge link above, a number of people have already added their comments in this area. However, it is with regard to the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement (TSA) that it is also regarded as Red Tape and the government is trying to change it drastically to attack the scant “rights” passengers have.



The McNulty Report, published in May 2011 recommended that there should be either “amendment or removal by the DfT of the obligations in the TSA relating to ticket office opening hours.” The government's formal response to the McNulty Report has been delayed into the New Year but by the inclusion of the TSA in the Red Tape Challenge it appears to be signalling its intentions.

The TSA is important because Schedule 17 stipulates that if a train operating company wants to change the opening hours of a ticket office – or simply close it altogether – it must carry out a three week stakeholder consultation via the passenger watchdogs, Passenger Focus and London Travel Watch. This means it must ask for the views of the local communities that will be affected by the proposal.

There have been a number of examples of consultations where a combination of groups and individuals have successfully campaigned to keep ticket offices open because of the service that they provide to local communities, not to mention to protect the jobs of rail workers. One of the most recent – and high profile – was London Midland’s plans to close or amend the opening hours of virtually all of its ticket offices but which resulted in over 18,000 objections from members of the public.



The TSA's three week public consultation is a very short period but if Schedule 17 of the TSA is withdrawn, there will be no public consultation at all when ticket offices are shut or their hours reduced. This will mean that communities up and down the country will be presented with a fait accompli as commercial companies put profits before public services. On my own line to Aylesbury it would mean station ticket offices at Stoke Mandeville, Wendover and Great Missenden would be closed.
Against this backdrop, there is a very real threat which comes from the recommendation in the McNulty Report that the ticket offices on all 600+ Category E stations should be shut – and the opening hours on another 300 ticket offices on Category D stations should be reduced.


Stoke Mandeville is one of 600+ stations which could have its ticket offices closed without consultation after the McNulty Report

Please click on the link above and fill in the box that appears to let the government know that you object to any change to Schedule 17 of the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement because stakeholder (public) consultation must be kept. It is a form of democracy that the government wants to remove but why should they?

You have until Thursday 8th December to participate so please hurry.

And when you have done that, please tells Together for Transport by e-mailing;

rob@togetherfortransport.org

What else can you do?

Join Together for Transport's Website is at: http://togetherfortransport.org/

Like us on Facebook at: TogetherforTransport

Follow us on twitter at: @forTransport

Great Train Fare Robbery

The two and a half desperadoes

Today Tuesday 22nd November Transport Together supporters across the country spread the word about the campaign for affordable fares with protests and leaflet drops at mainline stations. This January will see rail fares rise by an average of 8% and some as high as 13% - That's daylight robbery for most passengers as season tickets rise by hundreds of pounds more each year and walk up fares reach eye watering levels. We need affordable fares, not day light robbery. Worse of all this Government sanctioned stealth tax is set to continue for the next four years - a wallet busting price hike!



Tens of thousands of Wild West- style "wanted" posters featuring David Cameron, George Osborne and Nick Clegg, were today handed out at mainline stations across London. Given to peak time commuters arriving at Victoria, Waterloo, Euston, King's Cross and Liverpool Street stations, they launched the start of an intensified campaign against January's fare increases.

Commuter fares will rise by an average of eight per cent - though many increases on busy routes serving the capital will be in double figures, adding hundreds of pounds to the cost of season tickets. The rail companies, who make millions of pounds' profit, have been given permission to increase fares by three per cent above RPI - currently running at five per cent - for each of the next three years. It could add up to 25 per cent to peak-time fares.



The posters were produced by the TSSA transport union and backed by pressure groups including the Campaign for Better Transport. TSSA leader Manuel Cortes said: "It is simply outrageous that passengers who rely on rail to get to work should be held to ransom every year by ministers. "Here we are in the worst recession in living memory and passengers are expected to find huge sums of money when their pay is being frozen or hardly rising at all."

Adding to the pressure this letter appeared in today’s Guardian Newspaper supporting the campaign.

Fares in London just keep going up (Report, 18 November). Instead of debating how much they should go up, let's prove things can be different by cutting them. Since 2008, thanks to the Tory mayor of London, a single bus fare has risen by 56%. A zone 1-6 Travelcard is up 22%. But every year the mayor raises far more money from Londoners' fares than his own budgets say he needs. In the last year alone, the unplanned operating surplus was £728m. The mayor should be putting that money back into people's pockets. With VAT, inflation, student fees and unemployment all up, ordinary people are feeling the pinch. London already has the highest cost of living in Britain. Fairer fares would relieve some of the pressure on Londoners and put money back into the economy. Ken Livingstone is proposing a 5% cut in fares to be introduced in autumn 2012. We back a fares cut for Londoners and call for a halt to endless above-inflation rises.

Jarvis Cocker, Benjamin Zephaniah, Len McCluskey General secretary, Unite the Union, Billy Hayes General secretary, CWU, Owen Jones, Zoe Williams



At a time when economic activity has slumped and the economy is flat lining these inflation busting increases on public transport are a tax on jobs and education. Many people are being forced to change jobs because they can’t afford the train fares. At a time of economic hardship public transport should be part of the plan to help people find work not a stealth tax hitting people already hurting. If you agree that trains shouldn't just be a luxury for the rich and that they should be affordable for all; then get involved to help stop this Great Train Fares Robbery.

Here is the campaign website;

http://togetherfortransport.org/fares

Stockwell Bus Garage

Stockwell Bus Garage - A Public Transport Cathedral


I have always had a soft spot for Will Self ever since he was caught powdering his nose with Colombian snuff on the then Prime Minister’s John Major’s campaign plane in 1997. Now the writer and loyal Stockwellian has proposed Stockwell Bus Garage (designed by Adie, Button and Partners, with the engineer A. E. Beer) as his choice for London's Most Important Building. He was speaking as part of a series of Royal Academy lectures on 14th March 2011 at the Geological Society, Piccadilly. Self's appreciation of the garage as grown from passing it every day. It is, he says, "a working building, integrally connected to London’s public transport".


Will Self himself

It is certainly a good choice for this is a Titan amongst bus garages with the buses housed in cathedral like surroundings. Stockwell Garage is a large bus garage in Stockwell, London. It was designed by Adie, Button and Partners, with the engineer A E Beer, and was opened in 1952. Stockwell garage was built to replace Norwood tram depot.



It is typical of much of the concrete architecture built in the post war reconstruction period in London around the Festival of Britain. There was a steel shortage, so concrete was used to support the roof. However, the opportunity was taken to create a bravura piece of reinforced concrete design. The 393 ft long roof structure is supported by ten very shallow "two-hinged" arched ribs. Each rib is 7 ft deep at the centre of the arches, 10 ft 6 in at the end, and spans 194 ft. Cantilevered barrel vaults between, topped by large skylights, span the 42 ft between each pair of ribs. The vaults are crossed by smaller ribs to prevent torsion. Seen from the outside, the main arches are visible as outward-leaning buttresses, with a segmental curve to each bay forming a flowing roof line. The garage provides 73,350 sq ft of unobstructed parking space and could originally house 200 buses. At the time of construction it was the largest unsupported area under one roof in Europe. Since 1988 the garage has been a Grade II* listed building reflecting its importance in post-war architectural and engineering history.




So top marks to Will Self for publicising this wonderful example of inventive post-war utilitarianism. Many wonderful bus garages have bitten the dust for as part of privatisation of London’s Bus services those so clever people at HM Treasury decreed that bus garages should be sold off in another short term asset stripping drive. Clever Wallahs at the Treasury, not only have their policies messed up Britain at large and put us in hock to scores of ludicrously expensive PFI’s but their diktat on selling off garages has meant it is practically impossible to retender bus routes. As Treasury Wallahs don’t use buses they didn’t realise that they need to go asleep near to their customers at night. And bus garages are a bit like buses, BIG!

Many have already been sold off, Battersea is a spectacular apartment complex along the Thames, Victoria is a supermarket with yuppie flats over. Stockwell is a wonderful space which could be adapted to many uses in the right hands if it ceases to be a bus garage. Let us hope that Will Self’s eloquent advocacy and the Grade II* listing ensures that this magnificent space is utilised and loved for years to come.

All the world’s a circle?

Well a year ago this poster wouldn’t have been unusual because the Circle Line was what’s the word, a Circle! But then the most historic and iconic Underground line in London (and the first Underground Line in the world) will underwent a radical revamp in operations where the Line known as the Circle will became a T-Cup or Lasso depending on your preference! The Circle line was extended to Hammersmith from 13th December 2009 and which almost doubled the frequency of trains between Hammersmith and Edgware Road. On the Tube map the Circle line is shown as a single line. However it shares tracks with the District, Hammersmith & City (H & C) and Metropolitan lines and any disruption on these lines can cause delays to the Circle. As Circle line trains moved around the line without a fixed terminus any delays were compounded over time, and made it harder to offer a regular or reliable service.

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2009/12/squaring-circle.html

From December 13th last year, Circle line trains now start in Hammersmith, run along the current Hammersmith & City line to Edgware Road and then do a clockwise lap of the Circle line and head back to Hammersmith. They then do the journey anti-clockwise. That was with the exception of last weekend when the Circle Line once again lived up to its name again!



The photo above and the truly wonderful one below are courtesy of The Fact Compiler on The Railway Eye Blog which is on my Blog Roll on the sidebar and is an invaluable source of fact and gossip from the UK Rail industry.

http://railwayeye.blogspot.com

For more on the Circle Line see;

THE GREAT CIRCLE LINE JOURNEY

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/01/great-circle-line-journey.htm



Willersley Tunnel (Northern portal), near Matlock Bath, Christmas Day 2010

The Bare Tube

Well Flash Mobbing gets a whole new meaning with the second "No Trousers on the Tube" day which was held yesterday and is an import from New York (where else?) which has been holding a “No Pants on the Subway” day for the past ten years. Last year the organisers claimed over 30 Londoners took part. The 2nd Annual No Trousers Tube Ride in London took place on Sunday 9th January. 3,500 people participated in New York and thousands more in 50 cities across the globe.

Full details can be found on;

http://improveverywhere.com


Agent Eppink preaching for “Pro-Pants” in New York

The day originated in New York in 2002 as 'No Pants on the Subway' and has become a worldwide event in which travellers are invited to travel on the underground without trousers. The day of trouser-free travel was started by a group called Improv Everywhere in New York but it is now a global event. One of the places the event took place this year was Zurich, where scores of trouser less people were seen riding trams through the city's streets. For the third year in a row, there was a counter-contingent. The “Pro Pants” group was back once again to try to convert the trouser less to their pants-based religion. They went all out this year with pamphlets, sandwich boards, and free pairs of trousers.


London style

This year around 100 people braved the cold weather to ride the capital's underground system in their pants yesterday as part of the annual No Trousers Tube Ride: London. The thrill-seekers made the journey on the Bakerloo Line from Charing Cross to Paddington and back surrounded by bemused commuters who had no idea what was happening. The group event was a meticulously organised affair, with participants told to meet in front of the two fountains to the left of Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square at 3pm sharp.


Justin Timberlake Tweets in support

Organisers then divided people into groups before everyone headed to Charing Cross Tube station. Once inside, they gathered on the northbound Bakerloo Line platform and got on the front carriage, where they removed their trousers and put them into a bag they had brought with them. They were instructed to pretend they didn't know each other and not to talk to other trouser less Tube passengers.


New York style

The two requirements for taking part in the event are a willingness to take your trousers off on the Tube and the ability to keep a straight face about it. Organisers say the bizarre spectacle is to promote more silliness in the world and give people something to laugh at.


New York's finest

I need hardly emphasise that this event is entirely unofficial, is not to be encouraged, probably breaches your conditions of carriage and if you meet a Police Officer on the Tube they would be fully entitled to take down your particulars.

http://www.flashmob.co.uk/index.php/site/page/no_trousers_tube_ride_london/