Portrayal Of Obama As Elitist Hailed As Step Forward For African Americans

Portrayal Of Obama As Elitist Hailed As Step Forward For African Americans

From the Independent Newspaper, London, 29th August 2008.
PA Report.

The American Dream is alive and the nation can be better than it has been during the last eight years of President George Bush, Barack Obama said as he accepted the Democratic Party's presidential nomination. Delivering the most important speech of his life to more than 80,000 people at an open-air stadium in Denver, Colorado, Mr Obama left no doubt America was ready for change and said it was time for voters to stand up and say: "Eight is enough!"

"I get it," he said. "I realise that I am not the likeliest candidates for this office. I don't fit the typical pedigree, and I haven't spent my career in the halls of Washington. But I stand before you tonight because all across America something is stirring. What the nay-sayers don't understand is that this election has never been about me. It's about you." Mr Obama confronted every criticism made by Mr McCain and the Republicans of his campaign and the Democrats head-on, from his ego and rock star status to his lack of foreign policy experience and his tax policies.

"If John McCain wants to have a debate about who has the temperament, and judgment, to serve as the next commander-in-chief, that's a debate I'm ready to have," Mr Obama declared, referring to his rival's notorious temper and criticism of his own lack of experience. "America, we are better than these last eight years," he said. "We are a better country than this." Mr Obama, who made history on Wednesday as the first African American US presidential nominee of a major party, said: "This moment - this election - is our chance to keep, in the 21st century, the American promise alive." The 47-year-old Illinois senator said his Republican rival John McCain, a former Vietnam prisoner of war, had "voted with George Bush 90 per cent of the time".

"I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to take a 10 per cent chance on change," he said. Mr Obama, whose keynote address at the party's 2004 convention shot him to fame, gave his 44-minute acceptance speech last night 45 years to the day after Martin Luther King Jr inspired the world with his "I Have a Dream" speech.

"America, we cannot turn back," he said.

The final day of the convention was moved outside to the Invesco Field stadium in a bid to show his candidacy extends beyond the politicians who have dominated the convention so far. Ten supporters, including some who donated only $5 (£2.72), were invited to join Mr Obama backstage beforehand and watched his speech from the front row. At the end of a convention dominated by the issue of unity between Mr Obama and his former rival Hillary Clinton, the Democrat received the loudest applause when he embraced the idea of coming together.

"The times are too serious, the stakes are too high for this same partisan playbook," he said. "The men and women who serve in our battlefields may be Democrats and Republicans and Independents, but they have fought together and bled together and some died together under the same proud flag. They have not served a Red America or a Blue America - they have served the United States of America." Mr Obama said America needed to restore its "sense of higher purpose" and "the promise of a democracy where we can find the strength and grace to bridge divides and unite in common effort."

The Democrat also confronted the McCain campaign's accusations over his ego and celebrity status. He said his grandmother Sarah in Kenya had worked hard so that he could have a better life and "poured everything she had into me. I don't know what kind of lives John McCain thinks that celebrities lead, but this has been mine," he said. Striving to dismiss criticisms that his lofty, inspirational campaign consisted of empty rhetoric, he set out "exactly what change would mean if I am president".

He pledged to cut taxes for 95 per cent of all working families, end US dependence on oil from the Middle East within 10 years and create jobs for Americans. America's troubled economy and its national security were his central focus. He said he had "made clear we must take out Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants if we have them in our sights" and added: "John McCain likes to say that he'll follow bin Laden to the Gates of Hell - but he won't even go to the cave where he lives." Mr Obama went on: "As commander-in-chief I will never hesitate to defend this nation, but I will only send our troops into harm's way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home." He offered details of his plans for energy and education, health and the climate crisis and pre-empted criticism he was a liberal who believed in "spend, spend, spend. I've laid out how I'll pay for every dime - by closing corporate loopholes and tax havens that don't help America grow," he said. Mr Obama added that America's failure to respond to its challenges were "a direct result of a broken politics in Washington and the failed policies of George W Bush".

It was time for Republicans to "own their failure", he said. "It's time for us to change America. And that's why I'm running for President of the United States." Fireworks erupted over the stadium as Mr Obama was joined by his wife Michelle and daughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, seven, at the end of his speech. A bid to get most of those packed into the stadium to form the world's largest phone bank - text-messaging thousands more to boost voter registration for November's general election - also underscored how the Obama campaign has harnessed modern technology to garner support in what polls indicate will be a close race between Mr Obama and Mr McCain for a place in history as the 44th president of the United States. At the end of a convention dominated by the issue of unity between Mr Obama and his former rival Hillary Clinton, the Democrat received the loudest applause when he embraced that theme.


He said some critics dismissed such suggestions as "happy talk", but he said that when rivals did not have any fresh ideas, they "use stale tactics to scare the voters. If you don't have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone people should run from," he said. "You make a big election about small things." Mr Obama used his speech to confront every criticism made by Mr McCain and the Republicans of his campaign and the Democrats.

"These are my heroes. Theirs are the stories that shaped me. And it is on their behalf that I intend to win this election and keep our promise alive as President of the United States." He also described his former rival Hillary Clinton as "a champion for working Americans and an inspiration to my daughters and to yours". He even echoed Mrs Clinton's passionate speech on Tuesday night when he said: "I stand before you tonight because all across America something is stirring. What the nay-sayers don't understand is that this election has never been about me. It's about you."

Striving to dismiss criticisms that his lofty, inspirational campaign consisted of empty rhetoric, he set out "exactly what change would mean if I am president". America's troubled economy and its national security were his central focus, with pledges to cut taxes for 95 per cent of all working families, end US dependence on oil from the Middle East within 10 years and create jobs for Americans. "We are the party of Roosevelt. We are the party of Kennedy. So don't tell me that Democrats won't defend this country. Don't tell me that Democrats won't keep us safe. As commander-in-chief I will never hesitate to defend this nation, but I will only send our troops into harm's way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home."

He also detailed his plans on energy and education, health and the climate crisis. Mr Obama then pre-empted criticism he was a liberal who believed in "spend, spend, spend". "I've laid out how I'll pay for every dime - by closing corporate loopholes and tax havens that don't help America grow," he said. Mr Obama added that America's failure to respond to its challenges were "a direct result of a broken politics in Washington and the failed policies of George W Bush".

It was time for Republicans to "own their failure", he said. "It's time for us to change America. And that's why I'm running for President of the United States."

Capri

Piazzeta, Capri Town

Few names have as much romantic associations as the “Beautiful Isle of Capri”, a byword for beauty and luxury since Roman Times. Long a hang-out of the rich and famous, who own sumptuous villas with arresting views, or who anchor their purring yachts in the Marina Grande, Capri has fixed itself in the collective imagination as a place where one might set foot for a few hours, but never settle; a place one can see but never really touch; a bit out of reach unless one has money or power. And yet, beneath the glitz, is a charming Island, with a storied history, where one can spend a day (or two or three!) and come away well-sunned, all appetites sated and the soul re-invigorated. But...in summer, Capri is swarmed by tourists, and the locals are in full "tourist" mode - professionally friendly but detached. Visit Capri in the off-season if you can.


The approach by sea whets the sense of anticipation whether you go by ferry or launch from Naples or Sorrento along the Bay of Naples overlooked by the brooding precence of Mount Vesuvius or along the chequered Amalfi Coast. Here, braced by the salt air a wondrous vista unfolds of deep eroded ravines, villages tucked into the clefts for shelter and defence, Saracen watch towers and implausibly steep terraces groaning with the heavy lemon fruits of Amalfi which make the famous Limoncello. Here we can be in awe of the spectacular coast as we head towards Capri and the Isola Gallo Lungo, once the home of Rudolf Nuryevev but in antiquity these were the islands (Sirenum scopuli; three small rocky islands) where, according to the Greek poet Homer, Ulysses was enticed and held captive by the mystical song of the Sirens. Visitors will still be seduced by the Sirens and the Amalfi Coast today.

"You will come first of all to the Sirens, who are enchanters
of all mankind and whoever comes their way; and that man
who unsuspecting approaches them, and listens to the Sirens
singing, has no prospect of coming home and delighting
his wife and little children as they stand about him in greeting,
but the Sirens by the melody of their singing enchant him."

Homer, (Odyssey XII, 39).

An then Capri comes into view, a mysterious prescence in the ocean with a definite sculptural quality which is both enticicing and mysterious, surrounded by Cliffs and sea rocks with the two (originally) fortified towns of Capri and Anacapri on the heights at the centre to protect them from the frequent visitations of Barbary Corsairs and others. And then at the end of the island facing towards the Bay of Naples you can envision the palace from which the Emperor Tiberius Caesar ran the empire which stretched from the atlantic Ocean to the Arabian desert, from the Pillars of Hercules to Judea. Here on this island in the centre of the sea which they named “Mare Mediteranea” – The Middle Sea where one man ruled from a palace named after their greatest deity Jupiter, the “Villa Jovis.” It was 2,000 years ago the largest house in the world and if it was still standing today it would still have that title. But to our modern mindset Capri was a vision of romantic escapism as epitomised by the song made famous in the 30’s by island resident Gracie Fields;

“Twas on the Isle of Capri that I found her,
Beneath the shade of an old walnut tree,
Oh, I can still see the flowers blooming 'round her,
Where we met on the Isle of Capri.”

Not to mention Noël Coward’s jolly ditty about the matronly English widow "who discovered in the nick of time that life was for living".

“Just for fun, three young men
Bowed low to Mrs Wentworth- Brewster
Said "Scusi", and abruptly goosed her,
Then there was quite a scene,
Her family in floods of tears cried, "Leave these men, Mama"
She said, "They're just high-spirited, like all Italians are"
And most of them have a great deal more to offer than Papa
In a bar on the Piccola Marina “


Capri Town

Capri is an island which some people love and some people hate. Those against the island are generally those who arrive for a daytrip, and find an expensive commercialised destination crammed to bursting with other daytrippers. Others, however, love the combination of island simplicity, natural beauty and busy glitz. And if you stay overnight, you'll find a different Capri. After the last daytrippers leave, a kind of exclusive peace settles over the island as those who are privileged to be staying overnight emerge for their evening passeggiata, or to sip drinks on the famous little square, the Piazzetta. The principal Capri tourist attraction is the island itself; its views, its rocky seashores and its scenic charm. There is plenty of good walking - or strolling - to be done as you explore the island. Top scenic panoramas include views of the Bay of Naples, the Faraglioni Rocks and the Gardens of Augustus. From the mid-19th century onwards, following the “rediscovery” of the Blue Grotto, Italian and foreign visitors flocked to the island, attracted by the climate, the inhabitants’ hospitality and the colours and magnetic atmosphere of the places. Artists, intellectuals, writers, exiles, eccentrics and wealthy visitors chose it as their permanent or seasonal residence, contributing to form the highly varied cosmopolitan international colony that has made the name of Capri famous throughout the world. Capri is a saddle-shaped island that sits about 7.5 kilometres from the tip of the Amalfi peninsula and 17 kilometres due south of Naples. Mount Tiberio rises to 334 meters at the eastern end, and Mount Solaro peaks at 589 meters on the western end. Marina Grande (big marina) sits on the north shore and Marina Piccola on the south, connected by a traversing ridge. The City of Capri clamours up the hillside around and behind the Marina Grande, and the town of Anacapri sits on a verdant plain on the western flank of Mount Solaro.

Marina Grande

There are two towns on Capri; Capri town itself, which is in the centre of the island, and is where most of the hotels are located, and Anacapri. Although the two towns are scarcely three miles apart, the centuries-old antagonism between the two sets of townsfolk endures. The Capresans no longer routinely refer to the Anacapresan women as faticatore e puttane ("drudges and whores") as they did only 50-odd years ago, but they still poke fun at the Anacapresan dialect. The Anacapresans, for their part, cling to the high ground both morally and literally, believing that even their air is superior.

On either side of Carpri Town there are two ports, the Marina Grande (large port) and the Marina Piccola (little port). Ferries from Naples, Sorrento and Amalfi arrive at Marina Grande from where you have two choices. You can take the special short island buses which twist around the windy road to Anacapri or you can take the Funicula up to Capri Town. If you take the latter option the top station on the funicular is beside the centre of Capri Town, the Piazzetta, the pedestrian square from which all the island routes radiate. From the station on top you can also take the distinctive island buses to Anacapri, they join the route from the Marina Grande about a mile down the road. Now something else you need to know about Capri. In summer these are the only roads where traffic is allowed and then only buses and taxis. Everywhere else is pedestrianied with only electric golf carts and handcarts allowed. This adds greatly to the peace and quiteness of the island but makes intra island transport akward. The small buses are painfully crowded and the taxis are special stretched softops with three rows of seats which take 7 passengers but are eye wateringly expensive. But nothing is cheap on this island, a cappucino will cost 5 euro, a pasta 20 euro and the mainly 5 star and rather luxurious hotels are upwards of 300 euro a night.

Funicular Railway

For shopaholics, Capri town is a dream, with all the big designer names and expensive boutiques. Almost every Capri visitor makes the trip to the Grotta Azzurra, the Blue Grotto. Like the island itself, it tends to split its visitors in two - those who find the blue-lit cave an unforgettable experience, and those who find the jostling boatsmen and extortionate prices a rip-off. A boat trip around the island, though, is a more rewarding experience. You can admire the coastline and the island's other grottoes in a leisurely fashion. In Capri Town, you find the Piazza Umberto I, more a courtyard than the usual expansive "main square". Around it is arrayed the Cathedral, the Bishop's residence which is now a municipal office building, the Torre dell'Orologio (bell tower) and a number of cafes, restaurants and shops.

From the Piazzetta the natural route is to head down the Via Tragara which is the most famous and best liked walking rote in Capri: along it there are many elegant villas. It ends with a panoramic terrace facing the Faraglioni Rocks (“I Faraglioni, the three enigmatic, pale-ochre limestone colossi”), the view of Capri known the world over. From Tragara's terrace you can enjoy also a wide view over island's southern side, featuring Marina Piccola, underneath the steep face of Mount Solaro, in the middle of which is found the enormous cavity of Grotta delle Felci (Grotto of the Ferns). The whole area called Tragara extends from Mount Tuoro's western slope to the plain of Occhio Marino (Sea Eye), situated behind the Charterhouse. Here also, overlooking the old Roman harbour you will find the Punta Tragara, where Churchill & Eisenhower first met. This former private villa, designed by Le Corbusier, stands above rocky cliffs at the southwest tip of the most desirable panorama on Capri. It is now a seriously 5 Star luxury hotel. It was here Eisenhower & Churchill met before the Allied invasion of mainland Italy at Salerno. Visiting Salerno today you may feel they did a fairly comprehensive job on bombarding the town

Faraglioni Rocks


Punta Tragara

On the way down there on the Via Tragara you first come to The Certosa of San Giacomo (Carthusian Monastery). It was founded in 1371 by Count Giacomo Arcucci, secretary to the Queen Giovanna I of Naples. This beautiful building is famous in its own right but the Carthusian Monastery is best known to visitors for the famous perfumes of Capri which are produced there based on the natural flora of the island.

Carthusian Monastery

Here you will also pass where Paolo Neruda lived in the beautiful “Casa di Arturo” belonging to Edwin Cerio, writer and engineer. This episode in his life is imortalised in the film “Il Positano” but obviously his exile was not as frugal or as isolated as depicted in the movie. The Chilean poet took the name of the murdered Czech socialist, Jan Neruda, as his nom de plume and he was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1971. At just 19 years of age he published his first book: Crepuscolario. In 1927 he entered the diplomatic service. He lived through the experience of the Spanish civil war of ‘36-’37 which indelibly marked the poet’s soul. Pablo Neruda came to Capri in 1952 with his lover, the Chilean singer Matilde Urrutia. On the island During his period in Capri, Neruda’s collection of love poems “The Captain’s Verses” was published. He was the Chilean ambassador in Paris in 1973 when America engineered the coup which brought down the democraticaly elected government of Chile, killed the President Salvador Allende and installed the brutal dictatorshio of Augusto Pinochet. He died later that same year.


Il Poeta del Poppolo

Heading onwards you then come to the site of the Gardens of Augustus and Via Krupp, which were by the German magnate steel Alfred Krupp. His Villa Krupp is on the height above you and it is joined to the sea and the Marina Piccola by the beautiful winding Via Krupp. The road was built in 1902 and characteristically zig-zags its way to Marina Piccola. According to architect R. Pane, it proves "that even a road can be a work of art". The Gardens of Augustus are built on the site of a villa of the Emperor Ovctavian Augustus on the "Fondo Certosa" (Certosa Estate), which Krupp purchased from the monastery. The provide a relaxing waypoint and a beautiful viewpoint on this spectacular island coastline.

View from Gardens of Augustus


Via Krupp

Anacapri basks on the hill above Capri, and is a quieter, more 'normal' town. Apparently, and despite being inland, Anacapri was hit harder by invaders than Capri Town (another source of competitiveness). The Saracens dragged the menfolk off to sell as slaves, and raped the women, the consequences of which can still be seen today in the faintly Moorish features of many Anacapresans. Their "smouldering looks" and "wild beauty" were certainly appreciated by the visiting German historian Ferdinand Gregorovius in the 1850s, and his enthusiastic, not to say libidinous reports helped to fuel an invasion, this time peaceful, of northern Europeans. Anacapri became a colony of artists and writers, and still has a bohemian vibe, even if mass-produced tourist tat is far more in evidence than original art.

The best art in modern Anacapri is in the Villa San Michele, once the home of the Swedish doctor, philanthropist and ornithologist Axel Munthe, who crammed it with antiquities. The villa San Michele is located on the north-eastern side of 'Anacapri, 327 metres above sea level. Here was an ancient Roman imperial villa, whose ruins were preserved by Axel Munthe and are now to be found in the garden. In the area there were the remains of a medieval chapel later moved to its present position by Munthe himself. San Michele was Munthe's residence between 1896 and 1910. The fanciful architecture was meant as a perfect environment for the collections of its owner, and at the same time, served to enhance the beauty of the landscape. The buildings and the collections reflect a Romantic, Symbolist taste, typical of that century. Accommodation in Anacapri is generally cheaper, although you're still not far from the hub of things, and there is a regular bus service. From Anacapri you can take the chairlift up to the top of Monte Solare and enjoy the views before the trip back down (on foot if you're so inclined).


Blue Grotto

Capri started occupying an important role in the political and military matters of the Roman Empire when Ottaviano, not yet Augustus, landed here in 29 BC and, struck by the incredible beauty of the island, took it from Naples, in exchange for Ischia. After Ottaviano, the Emperor Tiberius resided on the island for a decade and it was from Capri that he managed the interests of the Empire. The presence of the two emperors on Capri notably influenced the island architecture and the development of the urban area. The advanced engineering and building capabilities of the Romans, resulted in the construction of the port, sophisticated drainage and water storage systems, farms, habitations, and the twelve Imperial villas listed in the nineteenth century by the native historian, Rosario Mangoni. Fine examples of the Roman period are Villa Jovis, Villa Palazzo a Mare and Villa Damecuta, whilst, in a much less evident form, one finds traces of the era in Villa Tragara, Villa d’Unghia Marina, Villa del Colle San Michele, Villa del Castiglione, Villa Truglio a Marina Grande, Villa di Aiano, Villa di Capo di Monte (now Villa San Michele), Villa di Timberino and Villa di Monticello in Anacapri. Tiberius built a series of villas at Capri, the most famous of which is the Villa Jovis, one of the best preserved Roman villas in Italy. In 27 CE, Tiberius permanently moved to Capri, running the Empire from there until his death in 37 CE. According to Suetonius, while staying on the island, Tiberius (accompanied by his grand-nephew and heir, Caligula) enjoyed imposing numerous cruelties and sexual perversions upon his slaves.




Villa Jovis

The most important of the island's twelve imperial villas, Villa Jovis was built in the First Century AD and discovered in the Eighteenth Century under the rule of Charles of Bourbon. Dominating the promontory that extends from Grotta Bianca Point to Caterola Point, the villa, which covers an area of 7000 square metres, towers over the valley looking out to Cesina. Originally built as a fortress, the centre of the villa housed a number of cisterns designed to collect rainwater, used both as drinking water and as a reservoir with which to supply the baths located to the south, along with an open portico. These baths were heated by braziers and divided into the traditional frigidarium, tepidarium and calidarium. The eastern side of the villa contained a number of reception rooms, while the northern side accommodated the imperial quarters. These were completely isolated from the rest of the building, but connected by ramps and stairways to the triclinium and loggia. The latter, based on a rectangular design 92 metres in length, was primarily designed for taking the air and admiring the breathtaking vista of the Gulf of Naples, stretching all the way from Ischia to Campanella Point.

In his Aeneid, Virgil states that the island had been populated by the Greek people of Teleboi, coming from the Ionian Islands. Strabo says that "in ancient times in Capri there were two towns, later reduced to one." (Geography, 5, 4, 9, 38). Tacitus records that there were twelve Imperial villas in Capri (or Capreae, as it was spelled in Latin). Ruins of one at Tragara could still be seen in the 19th century.

The etymology of the name “Capri” comes from tle Latin “capraeae” (goats), not from the Greek “kapros” (wild boar), even though numerous fossile remains of this animal have been found on the island. Inhabited since the Palaeolithic era, when it was joined to the mainland, the island was first Greek and later Roman. In the 7th century it was raided by the Saracens and in the centuries thate followed it was dominated by the Longobards, Normans, Anjouins, Aragonese and finally the Spanish. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the island came back into fashion, in unison with Naples’ period of great political and artistic pride, thanks to an active diocese and the privileges conferred on it first by the Spanish and later by the Bourbons.

Romantic Capri!


Grand Hotel Quisisana

Capri, in addition to being blessed with an incredible natural beauty, boasts a history which increases even further the appeal of the island. isitors to Capri are often surprised by the quantity and variety of walking routes on such a small island. Along these pathways, tourists can choose to immerse themselves in the authentic atmosphere of a coastal village, inhabited by fishermen and sailors; explore the marine caves; walk through masses of sheer rock and peer over precipices which drop dramatically into the sea; saunter through the patches of land cultivated by the country dwellers, planted with olive groves and orchards of lemon and orange trees; or stroll through the center of Capri with its otentatiously luxurious boutiques, elegant hotels, artists studios, churches, and the remains of Roman villas. One of the magical things about Capri is that, even in peak season in August, when the roads are crowded with tourists, one can always find a solitary spot in which to rest, or a hidden bay where to take a swim in the crystal clear waters.

The atmosphere here, due to Capri's seductive powers, is sophisticated and cosmopolitan. It has long been a hang-out for writers and artists, a few of the top order, but most, second-raters. Somerset Maugham wrote a short story, The Lotus Eaters, about the island. Today it is still a special place with beautiful hotels filled with the ghosts of famous former guests, superb views over the bewitching Bay of Naples, romantic and perfect Bellinis sipped on terraces by moonlight and an ability to elicit your gratitude as improbable amounts of euros are discretely removed from your wallet! Capri - it's a kind of luxury and it's the kind of luxury you should give yourself at least once in this life.

See also;

Caprese.

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/06/caprese.html

Amalfi Coast.

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/02/amalfi-coast.html

travel

Wendover, Buckinghamshire.

Wendover High Street

Seen from the Vale of Aylesbury the reason for Wendover’s existence becomes obvious. It is set into a cleft in the Chiltern Escarpment providing a natural route through the hills at a point where the ancient Anglo Saxon Icknield Way which runs from the Wash to Salisbury bisects the route from London. It is framed on either side by over 7,000 acres of mature woodland criss crossed with bridle ways and footpaths including the 84 mile long Ridgeway which follows part of the old Saxon road. Nestling in a gap in the Chiltern Hills there is much to enjoy in and around Wendover with its historic buildings, many restaurants and country walks which attract visitors from London just 45 minutes away by train. On the direct rail route from Aylesbury to London Marylebone and with easy road access, Wendover is in the Metropolitan Green Belt and Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is well situated to give the city-tired visitor a peaceful interlude in the pleasant Home Counties. Wendover is situated in the Chiltern Hills just a few miles from the county town of Aylesbury. It is on the A413, 3 miles from the A41 and 17 miles from the M25 making the village easily accessible by road.


Wendover offers much to both local people and visitors with the countryside around being very popular with walkers, cyclists and horse riders. Apart from the Ridgeway Path, the National Trail that passes down the main High Street of Wendover, there are 33 miles of public rights of way and bridleways criss-crossing the parish. These paths will take you over the open chalk downland of Coombe Hill with its impressive monument to the Buckinghamshire men who died in the Boer War, or to the shaded Wendover Woods on Boddington Hill belonging to Forest Enterprise. There is a short two mile walk to the pretty hamlet of Dunsmore and in the spring you can enjoy the carpet of bluebells, or enjoy the shaded woods on Boddington Hill belonging to Forest Enterprise. Here the visitor can enjoy specially prepared cycle routes, all ability walks, barbecue sites as well as play areas for the children.

Clock Tower

Wendover was first mentioned in the Doomsday Book in 1086 where it was referred to as "Wendovre". Before then, it was also mentioned in 970 in the will of the Aeldorman of Wiltshire and Hampshire. Wendover was initially a very small market village which was mainly a base for agricultural industry. The market has been held since 1199 during the reign of King John, and is still held every Thursday. Other forms of work in Wendover would include lace making and straw plaiting. Wendover is a town full of buildings of historical interest which appear to have hardly altered over the years. Many of these can be found in the streets surrounding the High Street. The Cold Harbour cottages which exist on the Tring road date back to Henry VIII when he gave them to his wife Catherine of Aragon.

Wendover is renowned for its Public Houses which are scattered throughout the town, and seem almost disproportionate to its size. During 1577, an inventory was made of all of the public houses and Inns, and Wendover is recorded as having one tavern and eight Inns at that time. This could be due to the fact that the town was placed so strategically close to London, and yet far enough for those travelling via coach or horse back to need to stop and refresh. One of the oldest Public Houses in Wendover is the Red Lion, originally named the Lion. Records date it back as far as 1670 although it is likely to be very much older. Initially it was used as a fine Coaching Inn and as a meeting point for the local councillors. Another ancient coaching Inn is The George & Dragon which was recorded in 1578 and is placed near the centre of the town was another popular place for people to stay on their way into London.

Red Lion

In common with the Celtic village plan seen in much of Buckinghamshire the Church is outside the town as with plague and fever victims it was considered better to have the church and graveyard just outside the built up area. St Mary's is steeped in history and church has been at the centre of the community for over 700 years. Although it is certain that a church has existed on the site since the 12th Century, the present building dates mainly from the early and later parts of the 14th Century. It consists of a tower, nave, chancel, North and South aisles, North and South porches and chancel aisles (the North side now being St Mary's Centre). The building was restored in 1838-39, 1868-69 and in 1914. The fittings are mainly Victorian with some excellent examples of stained glass. More recent improvements include new glass doors, a bell ringing floor and lighting. In mediaeval times the rood cross was venerated as a place of pilgrimage. During the Civil War, Cromwell's troops camped in the church (you can still see the graffiti!) and in 1799 the first penny savings bank in the country was started in the church vestry. For generations the church has participated in the main events of life - babies are baptised, young people are confirmed and couples are married and at the end of their lives they are laid to rest in the churchyard. One pleasant tradition appreciated by visitors and walkers on the Ridgeway is tea and homemade cakes which are served in St. Mary’s on summer Sundays to raise funds to repair this venerable old church – what you pay is left to your discretion.


St. Mary's Interior




Lych Gate

Walking along the picturesque High Street visitors can be unaware that one of the most attractive features is the short half mile walk southwards on the many paths which emerge between the buildings on this ancient street. Head inwards towards St. Mary’s Church and you come across a charming area with a babbling brook, weirs and fine old houses peeking discretely over hedgerows where you can spend an unhurried afternoon strolling around Wendover taking in the 13th Century Parish Church of St Mary, Hampden Pond, Heron Path and the green parkland of the Witchell.

Thatched Cottages High Street



Hampden Pond

Walking to the far end of the High Street and over the bridge by the station over the railway line and the bypass which thankfully keeps the traffic out of the town you come to a forest path on the left for Coombe Hill. This is a hill in The Chilterns, located next to the hamlet of Dunsmore and overlooking Aylesbury Vale. It is not to be confused with another Coombe Hill on the flank of Haddington Hill, some two miles to the north-east. The majority of the hill (an area of 106 acres (43 ha)) once formed part of the Chequers Estate but was presented to the National Trust by the United Kingdom government when they were given the Estate in the 1920s.The summit of the hill is 852 feet / 259.7 m above sea level and is the highest point in the county of Buckinghamshire. Near the summit is a monument, erected in 1904, in memory of the 148 men from Buckinghamshire who died during the Second Boer War. The monument was almost totally destroyed by lightning in 1938 and was rebuilt the same year. The original bronze plaque and decorations were stolen in the 1980s and were replaced with a stone plaque and iron flag with the remainder of the decoration being created from bronze. For all its small height Coombe Hill provides an impressive viewpoint with Oxford (http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/04/day-in-oxford.html ) visible on the horizon on a clear day.

Wendover from Coombe Hill


Coombe Hill Monument

On its left flank you look across towards a church on a volcanic outcrop at Ellesbororough and an ancient Saxon fort known as Cymbeline’s mound. In the valley in between is a handsome Tudor House, this is Chequers, the country residence of British Prime Ministers which has received many distinguished guests over the years. Chequers is an Elizabethan mansion in the Chiltern hills near Wendover, and was given to the nation by Lord Lee of Fareham under the Chequers Estate Act 1917, which came into effect in 1921. Its estate contains about 500 ha/1235 acres of farmlands and woods. The mansion dates from 1565 or earlier, but was extensively altered by Lord Lee, under Reginald Blomfield. It contains a collection of Cromwell portraits and relics. Interestingly you can get a closer view of Chequers by walking the public footpath which goes through the grounds in front of the house, a slightly surreal experience as the “bushes” move as hidden cameras follow your stately progress!


Chequers with Coombe Hill in the background

On the far side of Wendover are the former woods of Halton House, once owned by the Rothschild family whose mansions surround Aylesbury Vale. Situated on the northern edge of the Chiltern escarpment this wood affords spectacular views across the Aylesbury Vale. It is owned by the Forestry Commission and managed by Forest Enterprise, an executive agency of the Commission. You can explore all of the 325 hectares of mixed coniferous and broadleaved woodland and each year it hosts a woodcraft festival where woodcraft traditions of willow basket and fence making, woodcarving, charcoal burning and bodgering (chair making) are showcased. On the far side of the woods is the Hale Valley where the vineyard owned by Anthony Chapman produces one of England’s best wines on the chalky south facing slopes which are similar to the topography of the Rhine Valley wineries.


Halton House


Salon Halton House

Mayer Amschel Rothschild, a financial wizard, started as a penniless Jewish orphan in a Frankfurt ghetto. Between 1798 and 1821 he scattered his five sons (represented by his five arrows) into the major European countries. One remained with him at Frankfurt, but others went to Vienna, Paris and Naples. Nathan, the third son and the red haired genius of the family, came to England, and set up a London bank. Wherever the Rothschild’s settled, they flourished, making good reputations and huge fortunes for themselves - the English family being amongst the most successful. The land at Halton were inherited by Mr Alfred de Rothschild, Nathan’s middle son, who almost immediately set about creating what he called 'An English Chateau modelled on modern French lines' which was built by Cubitts and finished in 1883. It is interesting to compare the house with Waddesdon Manor (http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2007/11/waddesdon-manor-buckinghamshire.html ) built at the same time by a second cousin, where the Rococo decoration on the interior walls is of wood, whereas here it is of plaster. Visitors here are often surprised lo learn that the mansion is only just over a century old Photographs are displayed in several places showing the house as it was in the late 19th century. Although praised for his taste, Alfred was a musician and a collector of paintings and objects of art many rooms appear to have been filled with a mixture of heavy, fussy, Victorian furniture, dainty gilt and tapestries eighteenth century pieces and heavy draperies and massive plants. A resident Hungarian orchestra was maintained and outside there was also a private circus, a skittle alley and skating rink to entertain the guests. Amongst who visited were Edward VII, the Shah of Persia, Patti, Melba and Lily Langtry. The Rothschild’s were the plutocrats of their day and Alfred Rothschild was famous for his house parties where he would travel by private train in the blue and yellow family colours having first withdrawn (from his own bank) £1,000 pounds in cash for expenses. The mansion is now the Officer’s Mess of RAF Halton and its impressive staircase served as the stairs of the “Presidential Palace” that Madonna descended in the movie “Evita.”


RAF Halton

The Grand Union (formerly the Grand Junction) canal, as its name implies, was designed to be part of a system of canals linking with each other rather than a single canal. Indeed, many waterways make up the integrated Grand Union Canal as it is today, forming a main artery to link the prime routes from London and the south to Birmingham and the Potteries. The main line runs effectively from the River Thames at Brentford westward to Cowley Junction (access to the Slough Arm) then north and North West to the midlands.

Tring Summit Grand Union Canal


Wendover Arm

The Grand Union Canal ascends some 380 feet from its junction with the River Thames until, after a climb of 56 locks in over 36 miles, it reaches the two and a half mile long Tring Summit. Here the descent northwards towards Braunston commences. The Tring Summit was completed in 1797, in advance of the main line to north and south. As this stretch of water was to supply the needs of the canal on both sides of the summit it became imperative to find sufficient water; the first Act of Parliament for the canal stated the need for a feeder from the north side of the Chiltern Hills behind Wendover to the summit level. The Wendover Arm became the first of several feeders to the summit level.

Work started on the construction of the Wendover Arm in the summer of 1793 and followed the 390 ft. contour line to join the summit of the Grand Junction Canal at Bulbourne Junction on the Tring summit level. After construction of the Arm had started, it was soon realised that little extra expense would be incurred in making the feeder navigable and authority to carry out this work, costing £13,000, was obtained in 1794. Although the Wendover Arm was primarily built to supply water for the locks at Marsworth and Cowroast it was served by many wharves along its length sending local produce to the London markets and also receiving coal, timber and manure for use on the land. Commercial traffic on the Grand Junction Canal increased very rapidly - the canal was the "M1" of its day - so much so that a great number of reservoirs were built in the Tring area to collect water for canal use.

Winter Woodland at Dunsmore

But the life of the Arm was short. By 1802 there was a considerable loss of water through the banks and the canal was closed for repairs to be carried out. By 1841, 20 locks of water were being lost per day through leakage, and extensive repuddling over a length of four and a half miles was carried out. To no avail, however, as by 1855 some 25 locks of water were escaping. The Arm was closed in 1904. The reservoirs remain as nature and angling reserves and have the beneficial side effect that drinking water locally is Chiltern spring water.

One such reservoir about a mile from Castle Caldwell is Weston Turville reservoir which is fed by the Chiltern springs and is home to the Aylesbury Sailing Club and the Prestwood Anglers Club. The reservoir was constructed in 1795 to supply water to the Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal. It is now owned by British Waterways and managed by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust. The reservoir contains reedbeds, which are scarce in Britain and are a very important habitat for water birds such as Shoveler and Water Rail. It is of national importance for the over-wintering Shoveler, and it is also the only site in Buckinghamshire where Water Rail regularly breeds. The reservoir was designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1986.

Weston Turville reservoir

Today, embraced by woodlands and with its atmospheric high street with thatched cottages and antique shops Wendover is an attractive and busy town which has much of interest and has maintained its sense of community. Just 45 minutes from central London it continues to be a fine place to live and to attract walkers and visitors to ramble over the hills, browse the shops and replenish themselves in the many restaurants and fine old pubs. And as you leave these establishments you may think you hear the wheels of the London stage coach and its weary passengers relieved to have travelled unharmed through the notorious highwayman infested Chiltern Hundreds and looking forward to bed and board in the coaching inns lining the High Street.

travel

A Surly Republican

Regular followers of the Celtic Sage will know that he has a perverse regard for the writer John Milton (1608-74) whose 400th Birthday is being celebrated on the Tube (and elsewhere!) this year as part of the hugely successful and much imitated Poems on the Underground public arts programme.
http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/06/poems-on-underground.html

This is part of a year-long international celebration of his writings with exhibitions taking place from Cambridge to New York. The new series of Poems on the Underground features The Expulsion from Eden – the final lines from Paradise Lost, Book 12 by Milton, which is considered by many as one of the greatest poems written in the English language.

Four hundred years after John Milton's birth, the greatest poet and polemicist of the English revolution still speaks to us loud and clear. Once disparaged by Samuel Johnson as "an acrimonious and surly republican" John Milton must be counted one of the most significant writers and thinkers of all time. Indeed when you ask people which writer has given the most phrases to the English language most would automatically answer William Shakespeare but they would be wrong. Those who track such things (a man in a the basement of a college in Oxford) reckon Shakespeare’s writings have given us roundly 229 English phrases whereas Milton’s writings have given us around 694 phrases ranging from “every cloud has a silver lining” to “Hobson’s Choice.” According to Gavin Alexander, lecturer in English at Cambridge University and fellow of Milton's alma mater, Christ's College, who has trawled the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) for evidence, Milton is responsible for introducing some 630 words to the English language, making him the country's greatest neologist, ahead of Ben Jonson with 558, John Donne with 342 and Shakespeare with 229. Without the great poet there would be no liturgical, debauchery, besottedly, unhealthily, padlock, dismissive, terrific, embellishing, fragrance, didactic or love-lorn. And certainly no complacency.

Lines from Milton pepper the phrase and fable of our modern language: "darkness visible"; "eyeless in Gaza"; "all passion spent"; "pastures new"; "they also serve who only stand and wait"; "amid the blaze of noon". Milton's influence is enormous; his rhetorical range seldom rivalled - from the limpid pastoral of the opening of "Lycidas", via the thunderous "organ-music" of Paradise Lost or the white rage of his sonnet "Upon The Late Massacre in Piedmont", to the strange, broken psychodrama of "Samson Agonistes". In L'Allegro' Milton also 'tripped the light fantastic'. Our images of Hell, the devil and the fall of man have been irrevocably shaped by Milton's versions of them.


Great deals of his tracts were political and the Puritan Cause he espoused has not worn well in our memories. It failed as a political force in an England which has proved itself in history to be generally resistant to extremism and eventually as a political creed it was exported on the Mayflower with the “Puritan Fathers” to America where its seeds fell on more fertile soil. In Ireland it is particularly reviled for the toxic mix of vicious anti-Catholicism and the brutal re-conquest of Ireland by the forces of the English Parliament, led by Oliver Cromwell during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Cromwell landed in Ireland with his New Model Army on behalf of the English Parliament in 1649 to defeat the Confederate rebellion which had controlled Ireland since 1641 and were allied with the Royalist cause. The vicious Parliamentarian campaign is estimated to have resulted in the death or exile of about 15-20% of the Irish population and its legacy of death followed by the confiscation of land and the passing of draconian anti-catholic Penal Laws is remembered to this day. In vain can you argue to an Irish person that time was not on Cromwell’s side as he vainly tried to save England from a Third Civil War for there was a definite sectarian and racist overtone to the campaign spurred on by tales of Protestants massacred in the Irish Rebellion. Ireland lives with the results of Cromwell’s actions to this day.

Bur we must also remember that by attempting to establish the rights of the people to be represented and the independence and sovereignty of Parliament, the English Puritans laid the foundation for every modern democracy. No longer would an individual rule by Divine Right and not be accountable for his actions. Or as it was expressed in America there would be no Taxation without Representation.

It is odd then that for somebody caricatured as a dour Puritan that Milton wrote a musical masquerade, Comus, albeit on the virtue of chastity and tracts in favour of divorce and free speech. His speech “Areopagitica”, which was subsequently published as a polemical pamphlet was a condemnation of the licensing of printing presses under the Stuart Monarchy. It is a foundational text in the philosophy of the freedom of speech and is famously quoted in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution: Milton denounces censorship, and argues for toleration and the free expression of ideas. It is a tract which still resonates today in the world of the Internet and the Beijing Olympics. Indeed it is the basis for the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.



First Amendment to the United States Constitution; (1791)
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

No doubt Milton would be tickled that this amendment is the reason Airports cannot stop Christian fundamentalists proselytising when you try to escape from an American airport but it is also perversely the reason why American states can’t outlaw pornography and why Americans take libel actions in London and not in their home country.

Thomas Hobson (1545–1631), was a real historical figure and he ran a thriving carrier and horse rental business in Cambridge, England, around the turn of the 17th century. Hobson rented horses mainly to Cambridge University students but refused to rent them out other than in their correct order. The choice his customers were given was 'this or none', i.e. Hobson's choice. The Spectator, No. 509, from 1712, explains how Hobson did business, which shows clearly how the phrase came into being:

"He lived in Cambridge, and observing that the Scholars rid hard, his manner was to keep a large Stable of Horses, ... when a Man came for a Horse, he was led into the Stable, where there was great Choice, but he obliged him to take the Horse which stood next to the Stable-Door; so that every Customer was alike well served according."

After his death in 1631 he was remembered in verse by John Milton in a jocular jape, saying "He had bin an immortall Carrier". That seems rather a strange thing to say just after he had died. Eighty six was a very good innings in the 17th century, but hardly immortality. The phrase was still well enough known in the 20th century for Hobson’s to be adopted then as Cockney rhyming slang for voice. The most celebrated application of Hobson's choice in the 20th century was Henry Ford's offer of the Model-T Ford in 'any colour so long as it's black'.

Here are some of the extracts from Milton’s works which give us some of these 630 Milton inspired English phrases;

Of Man’s first disobedience, and the fruit
Of that forbidden tree whose mortal taste
Brought death into the world, and all our woe.
Paradise Lost. Book i. Line 1.



How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth,
Stol'n on his wing my three-and-twentieth year.
On His Having Arrived at the Age of Twenty-three (1631).

Such sweet compulsion doth in music lie.
Arcades (1630-1634), line 68.

Blest pair of Sirens, pledges of Heaven's joy,
At a Solemn Music (c. 1637), line 1.

Where the bright seraphim in burning row
Their loud uplifted angel trumpets blow.
At a Solemn Music.

Truth...never comes into the world but like a bastard, to the ignominy of him that brought her forth.
The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce (1643), Introduction.

Truth is as impossible to be soiled by any outward touch as the sunbeam.
The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce (1643)

For such kind of borrowing as this, if it be not bettered by the borrower, among good authors is accounted Plagiarè.
Eikonoklastes (1649), 23.

Peace hath her victories
No less renowned than war.
To the Lord General Cromwell (1652).

When I consider how my light is spent,
Ere half my days, in this dark world and wide,
And that one talent which is death to hide
Lodged with me useless.
On His Blindness (1652).

Avenge, O Lord, thy slaughtered saints, whose bones
Lie scattered on the Alpine mountains cold;
Ev'n them who kept thy truth so pure of old
When all our fathers worshipped stocks and stones
Forget not.
On the Late Massacre in Piedmont (1655).

In mirth that after no repenting draws.
To Cyriack Skinner, upon His Blindness (c. 1655).

But oh! as to embrace me she inclined,
I waked, she fled, and day brought back my night.
On His Deceased Wife (c. 1658).

O fairest flower! no sooner blown but blasted,
Soft silken primrose fading timelessly.
Ode on the Death of a fair Infant, dying of a Cough.

License they mean when they cry, Liberty!
For who loves that must first be wise and good.
On the Detraction which followed upon my writing certain Treatises.

No war, or battle's sound
Was heard the world around.
The idle spear and shield were high up hung.
Hymn, stanza 4, line 53.

The mountain nymph, sweet Liberty.
Line 36. L’Allegro (1631)

And every shepherd tells his tale
Under the hawthorn in the dale.
Line 67. L’Allegro (1631)

Sweet bird, that shunn'st the noise of folly,
Most musical, most melancholy!
Line 61. Il Penseroso (1631)

Above the smoke and stir of this dim spot
Which men call earth.
Line 5. Comus (1634)

Was I deceived or did a sable cloud
Turn forth her silver lining on the night?
Line 221. Comus (1634)
Origin of the phrase “every cloud has a silver lining.”



What hath night to do with sleep?
Line 122. Comus (1634)

That power
Which erring men call Chance.
Line 587. Comus (1634)

Thou canst not touch the freedom of my mind.
Line 663. Comus (1634)

Love Virtue, she alone is free,
She can teach ye how to climb
Higher than the sphery chime;
Or, if Virtue feeble were,
Heav'n itself would stoop to her.
Line 1019. Comus (1634)

A good book is the precious lifeblood of a master spirit, embalmed and treasured up on purpose to a life beyond life. Areopagitica: (1644)

A man may be a heretic in the truth, and if he believe things only because his pastor says so, or the assembly so determines, without knowing other reason, though his belief be true, yet the very truth he holds becomes his heresy. Areopagitica: (1644)

Seasoned life of man preserved and stored up in books. Areopagitica: (1644)

• Beauty is nature's brag, and must be shown in courts, at feasts, and high solemnities, where most may wonder at the workmanship.

• Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven.

• Confusion heard his voice, and wild uproar Stood ruled, stood vast infinitude confined; Till at his second bidding darkness fled, Light shone, and order from disorder sprung.

• Death is the golden key that opens the palace of eternity.


John Milton and his father's grave. St. Giles Cripplegate, City of London.

• Deep-versed in books and shallow in himself. Paradise Regained: Book IV, Line 327

• The childhood shows the man, As morning shows the day. Paradise Regained: Book IV, Lines 220-21.

• For what can war, but endless war, still breed?

• Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to my conscience, above all liberties. Areopagitica: (1644)

• Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world.

• He that has light within his own clear breast May sit in the centre, and enjoy bright day: But he that hides a dark soul and foul thoughts Benighted walks under the mid-day sun; Himself his own dungeon.

• He that studieth revenge keepeth his own wounds green, which otherwise would heal and do well.

• He who reigns within himself and rules passions, desires, and fears is more than a king.

• Let not England forget her precedence of teaching nations how to live.

• Love-quarrels oft in pleasing concord end.

• No man who knows aught, can be so stupid to deny that all men naturally were born free. Tenure of Kings and Magistrates (1649).

• None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but licence.

• Nothing profits more than self-esteem, grounded on what is just and right.

• The mind is its own place and in itself, can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.
Satan, Paradise Lost, Book I, Line 254-255

• The stars, that nature hung in heaven, and filled their lamps with everlasting oil, give due light to the misled and lonely traveller.

• The superior man acquaints himself with many sayings of antiquity and many deeds of the past, in order to strengthen his character thereby.

Who best
Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best: his state
Is kingly; thousands at his bidding speed,
And post o'er land and ocean without rest;
They also serve who only stand and wait.
On His Blindness (1652).

• Though we take from a covetous man all his treasure, he has yet one jewel left; you cannot bereave him of his covetousness.

• Where there is much desire to learn, there of necessity will be much arguing, much writing, many opinions; for opinions in good men is but knowledge in the making.

• To be blind is not miserable; not to be able to bear blindness, that is miserable.


• True it is that covetousness is rich, modesty starves.

• Truth never comes into the world but like a bastard, to the ignominy of him that brought her birth.

• Virtue could see to do what Virtue would by her own radiant light, though sun and moon where in the flat sea sunk.

• When complaints are freely heard, deeply considered and speedily reformed, then is the utmost bound of civil liberty attained that wise men look for.

• Who kills a man kills a reasonable creature, God's image, but thee who destroys a good book, kills reason its self. Areopagitica: (1644)

And finally, this is the one George W. Bush should have memorised when he was at Yale;

• • Who overcomes by force, hath overcome but half his foe. Paradise Lost, Book I, Lines 648-49.

Latest Poll Reveals 430 New Demographics That Will Decide Election

Latest Poll Reveals 430 New Demographics That Will Decide Election

Bush watch Update - Only 152 Days to go America - Hang in there!

"You see not only did the attacks help accelerate a recession, the attacks reminded us that we are at war."

Washington D.C. ; June 8, 2005.

"I'm the decider, and I decide what is best. And what's best is for Don Rumsfeld to remain as the Secretary for Defense."

Washington D.C.; April 18, 2006.

"I believe we are called to do the hard work to make our communities and quality of life a better place."

Collinsville, Illinois; January 5 2005.

"I'm honored to shake the hand of a brave Iraqi citizen who had his hand cut off by Saddam Hussein."

Washington D.C.; May 25, 2005.

"For every fatal shooting, there are roughly three non-fatal shootings. And, folks, this is unacceptable in America. And we're going to do something about it."

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; May 14, 2001.

"Rarely is the question asked, is our children learning?"

Florence, South Carolina; January 11, 2000.

"One thing is clear, is relations between America and Russia are good, and they're important that they be good."

Strelna, Russia; July 15, 2006.

"There's a huge trust. I see it all the time when people come up to me and say, "I don't want you to let me down again.'"

Boston, Massachusetts; October 3, 2000.

"You never know what your history is going to be like until long after you are gone."

Washington D.C.; May 5, 2006.

Walktalk

Everybody has a certain degree of human courage that they can draw on in a difficult situation but human courage only goes so far. In our quieter moments we all must consider how we would cope with catastrophe and tragedy and whether the experience would crush or strengthen us. This is probably the reason most of us admire people who have experienced tragedy and instead of being crushed find an inner strength to fight back. I have thought about this over the weekend seeing the bravery of Gill Hicks, a victim of the London bombings on 7th July 2005, who lost both legs in the attack and who has completed a 250 mile walk from Leeds on her artificial limbs to publicise her Walktalk charity. She is one of a number of remarkable women who have found strength in adversity and then gone on to make a positive contribution which reinforces our common humanity and having been confronted with evil have renewed our faith in human goodness.


One such person was Diana Lamplugh who responded to the traumatic disappearance of her daughter Suzy Lamplugh by becoming an indomitable advocate for reducing the fear of crime by raising awareness of the importance of personal safety and helping to provide solutions to help people, particularly young women like Suzy, avoid violence and aggression and live safer, more confident lives. In 1986 Suzy Lamplugh, a 25 year old estate agent disappeared after she went to meet an unknown client. So far her body has not been found. However, she has been presumed murdered and legally declared dead. Her parents, Paul and Diana Lamplugh, believed that Suzy, like most people at that time - and even now - was simply unaware of the possible dangers that individuals can face in society. Paul and Diana founded the Trust to highlight the risks people face and to offer advice, action and support to minimise those risks. I met Diana when she was a member of the Police Committee of the Transport Police representing the public interest. She was a tireless advocate for improving public safety and intolerant of excuses, no matter how practical, of not doing so. I greatly admired her spirit and determination in the face of the terrible loss of her daughter and the cruel uncertainty of not knowing what had happened to her or where her body was. Diana has suffered a severe stroke since and has contracted Alzheimer’s but the work is continued by the trust and her husband, Paul who has always been the organiser behind the scenes.

The attacks by four suicide bombers on the London Transport system on 7th July 2005 were the largest mass murder in Britain in peacetime killing 52 passengers on The Tube and on the No. 30 bus at Tavistock Square and injuring 800 more, many seriously. Injured or not, and serious or not all who lived through the experience carry vivid and unsettling memories. There is a curious obscenity about suicide bombing, about the personal fascism which rationalises killing yourself and complete strangers you have first looked in the eye because you have convinced yourself it is for a greater good. There is a particular perversity, if you have religious faith, in destroying what you believe are God’s creations because you have appointed yourself as God’s representative and indeed have convinced yourself that shortly afterwards you will be personally thanked by Him.

Of the bombings the greatest loss of life was caused by a 19 year old Muslim convert living in Aylesbury (where he was not known to the local Muslim community) Germaine Lindsay who had married a local girl and had a young son. At 08.50 hrs a bomb exploded on Piccadilly line train number 331 travelling south from King's Cross station to Russell Square. The device was next to the rear set of double doors in the front carriage of the train. Twenty-six people, plus the bomber, were killed. More than 340 were injured. The Piccadilly line is 21.3 metres (70 feet) below ground at this point. Intense heat of up to 60C, dust, fumes, vermin, asbestos and initial concerns the tunnel might collapse delayed the extraction of bodies and the forensic operation. Being a single track deep tube line the force of the explosion was concentrated in a smaller area accounting for the high number of deaths as well as the number and the severity of the injuries caused.

Rachel North

One of the survivors Rachel North wrote a compelling diary for the BBC News website in which she detailed her experiences and emotions on 7 July and the days that followed. Her story is more complex as she was rebuilding her life at the time after a rape attack and since the bombing she has been harassed by an obsessive stalker who has since been jailed. Her story is told in this article in the Times Newspaper; http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/article597033.ece

She has maintained a Blog (Rachel from North London in my BlogRoll on the right sidebar) detailing her experiences, her effort to rebuild her life and campaigning for a public enquiry into the events of 7th July 2005 – here she explains why in her own words;

“Lessons 'not learnt'

It's not about blame, or politics, I say, it is about saving lives. I truthfully don't think all the lessons of 7th July have been learned and shared amongst all the agencies and people who need to prepare for and respond to disasters and terror attacks - which include the public itself. And until the learning’s are shared, as publicly as possible without compromising the safety of the realm, how can the public feel any safer than they did on 7th July?

I would love to step away from the devastation of 7th July that still haunts my dreams. Campaigning for answers is not something I do to bring "closure"; it is tiring and it is hard work. But I strongly believe that it is the right thing to do. I couldn't help the people who died and were hurt on the train but I can try to help people now, to tell what happened so that people can learn from it, understand, be safer.

I continue to write of my journey after 7th July, the personal and political fall-out, on my personal blog.”

Some have unfairly accused her of publicity seeking but in her efforts I see great honesty and openness which I am sure just doesn’t help her cope with the traumatic aftermath but also helps her co-survivors and many others who have experienced great trauma.

In that same Piccadilly Line train as Rachel North was a woman who lost both legs and who completed a 250-mile walk which she hopes will help unite communities. Gill Hicks, 38, took 30 days to walk from Leeds to London, stopping in 22 towns and cities along the way. Her Walktalk project aimed to help people of different faiths and communities to engage with each other. Arriving in Trafalgar Square on Sunday 17th August 2008, she said a "belief in humanity" helped her complete the journey. Gill Hicks walked from Leeds - the city where three of the suicide bombers lived - to London to prove that people of different faiths can live together. She was the last person to be pulled from the wreckage of the Piccadilly Line carriage in 2005 and "died" twice on the way to hospital. Despite her injuries she has learned to jump, jog and climb stairs on the prosthetic legs her doctors fitted.

Gill Hicks finishes walk in Trafalgar Square

She began the Walktalk in Leeds as three of the four suicide bombers, who killed 52 people and injured nearly 800, had links with the city. The walk first headed to the Beeston area, where bombers Shehzad Tanweer and Hasib Hussain lived and where their leader, Mohammed Sidique Khan, had many connections. At the end of her month-long trek, she said: "All of us stepped into this journey with great faith and great belief that humanity would carry us through from town to town and that's exactly what happened. "For me to walk from Leeds to London is probably the single most difficult thing I could ever have imagined. I still can't quite believe that I have achieved it but I never gave up because of the people that never gave up on me."

Her husband, Joe Kerr, 48, said: "We've come on a small journey in the scale of things, but a large journey for us, of hope, of optimism, of reconciliation. The journey to build a better and fairer and more equitable society is a journey we must all continue on relentlessly and continue on together. We can build a society that's based on mutual respect, which respects difference but recognises our common humanity."

Perhaps I should leave the final word to Rachel North describing the actions of the Piccadilly Line train driver on the 7th July;

“The train driver stayed behind on his train and once the front of carriage one, where I was, was cleared of frightened passengers, he was able to walk into the horrific aftermath of Europe's most deadly suicide bomb attack. He has never spoken publicly of what he did, what he saw. But I know now how he stayed for nearly two hours, trying to save lives. I dare not imagine what it was like. I wish I had known how many were hurt. I wish I had been able to help them.”

Here are the websites for Walktalk and the Suzy Lamplugh Trust – Organisations which deserve our support and which are a vibrant and practical testament to the courage of some very special people.


http://www.walktalk.org.uk/

http://www.suzylamplugh.org/

Farewell Ronnie Drew

Like many native Dubliners I am sadder this weekend as the world and Irish Folk music has lost the great Ronnie Drew, the legendary Irish folk singer and musician, who died at the age of 73. Drew, the founder of Irish folk group The Dubliners, had been battling cancer for some time. In a brief statement, his family confirmed he passed away at St Vincent's Private Hospital in Dublin on Saturday 16 August 2008.

Ronnie Drew was born in 1934 and reared in Dun Laoghaire on the coast of south County Dublin. At an early age he realised he was not cut out for a 'nine to five' job, especially of the a.m. variety and so in the mid-fifties he emigrated to Spain and lived there for three years. During his time in Spain he taught English, learned Spanish and studied the art of the Flamenco guitar. On his return to Dublin, Ronnie met the late John Molloy, a renowned actor, who invited him to perform in a show at Dublin's Gate theatre. Ronnie worked with John in various theatrical shows, singing, acting and playing guitar. It was at this stage Ronnie learned the discipline and art of stagecraft. In 1962 'The Dubliners' appeared from the back room of O'Donoghues Pub on Dublin's Baggot Street. Their style of music created quite a stir. In 1967 they released 'Seven Drunken Nights' entering the British Top Ten with an appearance on BBC's Top of the Pops. In 1995 they appeared once again on the show with Shane McGowan and the Pogues, with their single 'The Irish Rover'. The founding members of the Dubliners were Ronnie Drew, Luke Kelly, Ciaran Bourke and Barney McKenna and the group were the first to popularise Irish Folk music to a worldwide audience.




O'Donoghues Pub

Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Brian Cowen said Drew had been an "iconic figure in Irish music" over five decades who would be remembered worldwide for his music. "I met him and admired his music, his unique singing voice was loved by so many people," he said. "Ronnie, whether as part of The Dubliners or during his solo career, will also be remembered for his promotion of Irish music both at home and around the world.

Drew underwent six months' treatment for throat cancer two years ago. His wife of more than 40 years, Deirdre, died last year. The couple lived in Greystones, Co Wicklow. Ronnie was a champion of traditional Irish music and, with The Dubliners; he re-energised and refreshed Ireland’s unique musical heritage

Con Kavanagh, barman at O'Donoghues, where The Dubliners started out, said everybody gathering at the pub this evening was talking about Drew. "When you mention Dublin, you mention Ronnie Drew - the two just went together," he said. "Everybody loved him." Irish President Mary McAleese said it was with great sadness that she learned of Drew's death. "Ronnie was a champion of traditional Irish music and, with The Dubliners, he re-energised and refreshed our unique musical heritage," she said.


During his career, Drew recorded with many artists, including Christy Moore, The Pogues, Antonio Breschi and Eleanor Shanley. Earlier this year, members of U2 joined fellow Irish musicians Sinead O'Connor, Shane MacGowan, Christy Moore and others to record a tribute song The Ballad of Ronnie Drew. All profits from the release of the single went to the Irish Cancer Society. At the time Bono said; "This is a big fight for him. But like any fighter, it's easier if there's a crowd cheering."

Drew founded the Ronnie Drew Group in 1962, which later came to be known as The Dubliners. The change of name came about due to Drew's unhappiness with the name, coinciding with the fact that Kelly was reading Dubliners by James Joyce at the time.(http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/06/james-joyce-and-me.html)
The group included fellow Irish music legends Luke Kelly, Ciaran Bourke and Barney McKenna and they began by singing in O'Donoghues pub in Merrion Row in central Dublin. Kelly was known for singing their soulful ballads and Drew will be best remembered for his gravelly-voiced renditions of songs like Finnegan's Wake and Dicey Reilly.

The Dubliners lived around the city they had named themselves after and were local legends. They were famous (and notorious) for their drunken carousing and Ronnie used to tell the story against himself of bumping into two acquaintances in Lower Baggot Street and a consensus quickly emerged that they should retire to a local pub for a pint of the “Black Stuff.” However every time one of the company suggested the name of a pub at least one of them had been barred from it in the past for some misbehaviour. After exhausting the names of all the pubs in the area they could not find a pub where all of them would be welcome and eventually they decided to shake hands and go their separate ways! At one stage Ronnie lived in a house in the Dublin Mountains at Glencullen and reveled in the porch he had built constructed out of empty beer bottles!


Despite bumping into Ronnie a couple of times in Dublin I only ever heard the Dubliners in concert once and that was in the early 1990s at the Barbican Centre in London, England. This was when the group had some changes of membership and after Luke Kelly’s death. It was a couple of years before Ronnie left the group (in 1995) and truth to tell, whilst pleasant they were past their best with an air of contractual obligation about it all. A couple of weeks later in the same venue I heard De Dannan and Eleanor Shanley in concert and the difference was noticeable, De Dannan and Eleanor grabbed the audience and did not let go until the end of their set.

This made me all the sadder I had not caught the Dubliners live in their prime and with their original line up for in their prime they were a phenomenon which took the world by storm and ironically popularised Irish Folk music not just internationally but also in Ireland. When we think of Irish traditional music, we think of ballad groups. But prior to The Dubliners, there were no ballad groups. It took the international folk boom of the sixties, and the success of the Clancy’s and Tommy Makem in America, to legitimise Irish music to the Irish nation. A good buddy of mine, Liam Weldon who ran the wonderful music sessions in Tailor’s Hall in Dublin, used to always say “There is a big difference between people who sing folk songs and people who ARE folk singers.” The Dubliners and Ronnie Drew had Dublin and Irish Folk music in their hearts and, as we say in the auld town, they were the heart of the rawl!

Ar dheis Dé go raibh anam uasal, Ronnie Drew.




The Dubliners with Paddy Reilly at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin - Molly Malone




And here's Patrick Kavanagh's Raglan Road: An allegorical poem of unrequieted love. Luke Kelly sang the definitive version.

Temp or Perm?

The term “The Shamrock Organisation” was coined by the management guru (and son of an Irish Pastor) Charles Handy. (http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2007/08/can-management-gurus-lead-us-to-nirvana.html ) This is a form of organisational structure with three bases on which people can be employed and on which organisations can be linked to each other. The three bases or groups are professional managers; contracted specialists such as advertising, computing, or catering personnel; and a flexible labour force discharging part-time, temporary, or seasonal roles. Since Handy outlined the more flexible, responsive alternative to the traditional hierarchical organisational structure the “Shamrock Organisation” has become the norm. In 2002 the Temp Agency Manpower became the biggest single employer in the USA with over 2 M employees.



Over the last decade, the use of temporary agency work has increased markedly. Outsourcing of public services to the private and voluntary sectors has almost doubled to close to £80bn in little more than a decade and makes up a far larger part of the economy than previously thought.” (Financial Times 09.07.08) A third of all public services – far more than previously thought – are now delivered by the private and voluntary sectors, according to this report commissioned by the government. Estimates by the European Confederation of Private Employment Agencies for the UK suggest that in 2005 there were some 6,000 officially designated employment agencies operating through 14,400 branches and sourcing 1.2 million workers a day (5% of the national workforce). And these figures themselves are likely to be an under-estimate of the number of agencies and the size of their GDP. In general it is only the larger, well-established agencies that join the employment agency federations. Small agencies are much less likely to take up membership of bodies like the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), but their presence is increasingly evident in the High Streets of most UK towns. Their growth can also be evidenced by the available VAT data, which shows that over 17,000 bodies operating as employment agencies are VAT registered, suggesting that the number of agencies and consequently the numbers of agency workers is much higher than the official figures demonstrate. This growth in agency work in the UK has depended on a variety of dynamics, ranging from the nature of national regulation to changes in the labour process and industrial structure. In December 2007 the Employment Minister, Pat McFadden was unable to say how many agency workers there are in the UK. The ONS does not record Temporary and Agency workers and many more workers are thought to be working on an “agency” basis in the black economy.

According to the DTI, the UK has the third highest use of temporary agency labour in Europe, just behind France and The Netherlands, but has the highest number in absolute terms. There is mounting concern amongst UK Trade Unions that the trend is part of an increasing casualisation of the UK Labour Force and is being used both to replace permanent employees and that employees are using agency staff to negate their responsibilities to comply with established terms and conditions as workers are squeezed as part of a “race to the bottom.” The truth is probably more complex with many agency workers being “Knowledge Workers” who have taken a conscious decision to control their own careers because their services have a scarcity value. The opposite argument is that most agency workers don’t have a choice and would much prefer to be in more secure employment to allow them to plan their lives and finances better.


The UK is committed to agency working as a key element of a flexible labour force and economy but for individual employers it is no panacea. Often, it can be used to disguise poor management and planning, be wasteful and uneconomic and expose an organisation to significant Reputational and business risk. Managers and decision makers need to be properly informed as the enthusiastic amateurism which has often characterised the use of temporary resource in the past will come unstuck as legal and compliance changes increase the consequences of bad decision making and poor management. Here is some guidance on the issues;

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A WORKER AND AGENCY STAFF

What is an agency worker?

• An agency worker is somebody supplied by an intermediary (Employment Agency) to perform services on behalf of the user company.

What is a worker?

• A worker is an employee and someone who works under a contract where they are required to provide a personal service.

Holiday Pay and Holidays

• All workers are entitled to holiday pay.
• Agency is responsible for paying holidays for agency workers , Ainsworth & Others v Inland Revenue (2005)
• Holidays should be agreed with the agency and not the end user.

Disciplinary and Grievance

• Statutory disciplinary and grievance procedures only apply to employees but
• A worker has the right to be accompanied and
• A Worker has protection against discrimination
•
This is an anomaly but could, in certain cases, lead to discrimination claims. Note that a failure to follow procedures will result in an uplift (i.e.; An agency worker acquiring the rights of an employee) if it is proved that there is an implied contract of employment.

Sickness Absence

• Employees are entitled to SSP
• Workers are not entitled to SSP
• Agency workers are entitled to SSP but this is paid by the agency

Redundancy and TUPE (Transfer of Undertaking, Protection of Earnings)

• Only employees have the right to be consulted under TUPE and collective redundancy obligations.
• Only employees are entitled to redundancy pay
• Implied contracts could affect the number of employees to be consulted (see implied contracts).

DDA

• Not required to ‘make reasonable adjustments’ for agency workers but they have a right to claim under DDA regulations.

Discrimination

• Protection covers “employment under a contract of service or of apprenticeship or a contract to do any work or labour”.

Applies to those in business on their own account provided they provide personal service. Note; It is unlawful for a principal to discriminate against a contract worker. (Abbey Life Assurance Co. Ltd v Tansell 2000).


Employment Status

“Worker’ or ‘employee”?

Consider if the following apply:

• The Control test
• The integration test
• The economic reality test
• Mutuality of obligation


Latest Case Law relating to Agency Workers

James v London Borough of Greenwich (2008)

The decision of the Court of Appeal in this case was reported on 5th February 2008. The leading judgment was delivered by Lord Justice Mummery, who is a former President of the Employment Appeal Tribunal [EAT]. Whilst many legal commentators were expecting that the Court in this case would arbitrate on the conflicting decisions in earlier cases, Lord Justice Mummery denied that any real conflict exists. In the James case, the Court They held that there was no express contract of employment between James and the Council and there were insufficient grounds for requiring the implication of a contract [an implied contract of employment]. So, no contract = no basis for a claim of unfair dismissal. Provided the Employment Tribunal applies the correct legal test, then that should be the end of the matter said the Court of Appeal.

Lord Justice Mummery added a postscript to his judgment, in which he emphasised that the job of the tribunals and courts is to interpret and deal with the law as it stands. There may well be social and economic arguments in favour of changing the law in relation to the rights of agency workers – but it is for Parliament to effect such change, not the Courts.

How to avoid creating implied contracts

• Aligning HR procedures to deal with grievances, dismissals, misconduct, redundancy, sickness and holiday
• Discussing the treatment of temporary workers in the workplace: The dos and don’ts in exercising best practice
• Understanding the main differences concerning contract workers and the self-employed
• Using indemnity clauses in the employment contract and examining prevention strategies and risk mitigation

• Implications of TUPE and the new service provision rule: In some cases Agency Workers can be transferred. One of the main changes introduced by TUPE 2006 was to widen the definition of a “relevant transfer” to specifically include service provision changes, ie. The relationship between contractors and clients who hire their services. A “service provision change” can take three principal forms:
1. Where a service previously undertaken by the client is awarded to a contractor (a process known as 'contracting out' or 'outsourcing') ( http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2007/10/outsourcing-or-ouch-sourcing.html )
2. Where a contract is assigned to a new contractor on a re-tendering (as per the case of Hunt v Storm (http://www.emplaw.co.uk/researchfree-redirector.aspx?StartPage=data%2f200707041.htm )) above)
3. Where a contract ends with the service being performed 'in-house' by the former client ('contracting in' or 'insourcing')

For a service provision change to take place there must also be an "organised grouping of employees whose 'principal purpose' is carrying on the services for the client".

Issues of continuity of employment.

What are the implications of the Court of Appeal decision in Cornwall County Council v Prater? (2006)

Prater was asking for a statement of her terms and it was considered that there was no mutuality of obligation as they didn’t have to offer her work and she didn’t have to accept it. However, the Court of Appeal found that she was a worker as she had to do the work the County Council gave her and they paid her for it.

There are also pending Legislative developments: The implications of the EU Agency Workers Directive and the Temporary Workers Bill for the UK but there is still no agreement on the contents of this proposed bill.

Avoiding Implied Contracts of Employment – What are the DO’S?

• Distinguish between employees and contractors and agency staff on your email system
• Have a clear contract in place with the agency or worker
• Make sue the terms of the contract are followed
• Be careful when transferring employees on to contracts for services
• Consider a policy on length of engagement
• Ensure holidays, termination of engagement and other admin relating to an agency worker is dealt with by the agency.

Avoiding Implied Contracts of Employment – What are the DON’TS?

• Give agency workers, workers or self-employed people a staff handbook, welcome pack or invite to induction events.
• Treat workers and self-employed personas as if they were employees.
• List workers as employees on group structures, Muscat v Cable & Wireless (2006)
• Give workers a contract of employment

Operational Changes to effect possible solutions

• Change the way in which the contractors operate (i.e. lump sum payments for a piece of work)
• Agree holidays with the agency
• Ensure that contractors do not manage employees
• Bring in a policy of review for length of contract term. Cannot rely on the one year rule anymore.

Move to employment status

• Offer employment contracts to contractors who are managing staff
• Ensure difference in treatment between time as a contractor and employee.
• Use an agency which employs the contractors
• Be aware of discrimination and Fair Employment practices – Open advertising of vacancies (internally and/ or externally), objective assessment and appointment on harmonised terms and conditions

Other options

• Source directly and contract directly with personal service companies
• Recruit temporary resources directly and put through an “agency payroll”.


CONTRACTORS

Can fall into the following categories

• Contractor (worker)
• Contractor (self-employed) - DO NOT ENGAGE - HRMC (IR35) implications
• Contractor (limited company)

• Contractors can be workers but need a right of substitution, to “carry” the risk of work themselves, be appropriately insured and not be “controlled”.

HOW CAN WE “MANAGE” AN AGENCY WORKFORCE

What should an employer expect of the Agency?

• Knowing the importance of briefing their workers
• Do they understand the relationship?
• Do they ‘identify’ with the agency?
• Do they know that the agency will deal with grievances etc?

Reasons for using Agency workers
Numerical flexibility –

• Peaks and troughs in demand
• Projects of limited duration

Short-term ad hoc cover –

• Temporary replacements for permanent staff absence
• Pending recruitment of permanent staff

Strategic

• Outsourcing
• Managed services

AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES

• End assignments
• Decide disciplinary issues
• Manage grievances
• Career management

Not for prolonged use – think about resource requirements!

CLIENT SUPERVISION – DO’S AND DON’TS

DO
• Refer any disciplinary problems to the agency
• Report any problems promptly
• Inform agency of changes to assignment duration
• Refer worker to agency if pay / benefits are queried
• Understand the relationship and the risks
• Remember the rights of the ‘contract worker’ (SDA, DDA, RRA etc)

DO NOT

• Interview candidates
• Negotiate pay or benefits
• End an individual’s assignment
• Administer disciplinary warnings
• Conduct career management discussions
• Formally agree requests for annual leave

MOVING FORWARD……………………….

Need to consider the following:

AGENCY STAFF

• Tackle long Term use of agency staff.
• Engaging with managers to develop an effective resourcing plan – should those on long term engagement be employees
• Link this to wider resource planning
• Check that contracts are robust

NON EMPLOYEES (incl. SOLE TRADERS)

• Determine what the total resource capability is within the business
• Are sole traders being used and processed directly by your Management Accountants?
• Headcount will be inaccurate
• Check categorisation within your personnel management system – are the current ones correct

TRANSFER TO EMPLOYMENT STATUS

• If so – how do we transfer them – need to develop policy that addresses both HR and revenue implications – especially Fair Employment and Discrimination considerations.



STAKEHOLDERS

• Work with finance function to develop the solution in terms of revenue implications.
• Make sure that procurement teams understand the impact of what they are dealing with, particularly HMRC compliance.
• Resourcing team to develop strategy for engagement of temporary / agency staff. Look at contracts for hire and length of assignment.
• Procurement team to refer issues to correct line Managers / Directors so that all risks are assessed.

BUSINESS RISK

Given the latest case law Employers could ‘carry’ the risk and do nothing but this is unadvisable on several counts:

1. They may not know the real headcount – Often these are wrongly categorised in HR system.
2. HR / Procurement systems often don’t properly track lengths of employment e.g. go back to “Zero” when contracts / assignments are renewed.
3. Managers are confused about the meaning of:
a. Sole traders
b. Contractors
c. Fixed term etc
4. There are various contracts in use for contractors – lack of consistency means an increased risk.
5. The use of Managed Service Companies and Umbrella Companies should be stopped – definitely high risk, especially if fulfilment is by non-residents.
6. Loss of Key Knowledge - What is your Knowledge Management Strategy?

And last, but not least, employers should have appropriate strategies in place that address both legislative requirements and support the needs of their business; rather than relying on the ever changing results from case law.

Kos Town

Loggia Mosque (Hassan Pasha)


Town Hall

Built around a busy harbour which has been guarded since the 14th century by the Castle of the Knights of St John Kos Town is a wonderful mixture of the ancient and modern and a worthwhile holiday destination both in its own right as well as a base for touring the island of Kos with the other Dodecanese Islands and the Turkish mainland with Bodrum (ancient Hallincarnassus) just a short boat ride away. (http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/02/kalymnos-island-of-sponge-divers.html ) (http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2007/09/taxi-driver-of-nisyros.html )The town of Kos was founded in 366 BC, in the same area where modern Kos is nowadays found. It reached the apogee of its importance during the Hellenistic and Roman periods, being a crossroad between civilisations, between East and West, the meeting point for both culture and trade. Its public market was of great fame during antiquity and still is thriving today. All around Kos Town you can find signs of the past, reminders of the civilisations that passed through its harbour. There are numerous buildings, built in imitation of the Italian architecture of the colonies in North Africa, most typical being the Municipal Buildings and Court House as well as modern Greek and Ottoman.


Nefterdar mosque

For such a bustling town there are a surprising number of peaceful retreats among the landscaped gardens and shady squares. Traditional tavernas and cafés around the waterfront also provide a place to escape the air of business that surrounds the island's capital. Most parts have either been carefully preserved or thoughtfully developed to produce a pleasing resort full of character.



“Phoinikon" (Palm Trees) Avenue

Its ancient Mandraki (Harbour) guarded by the Castle of Nerazia provides a pleasant hive of activity and a focal point although the ferries and inter island catamarans and hydrofoils go from a landing stage on the far side of the Castle. Despite regular and devastating earthquakes throughout its history Kos Town has remained on this site benefiting from the seaborne trade. It is the last major earthquake in 1933 (when the island was under Italian occupation) which gives us the shape and form of the contemporary city which spreads out from the harbour and which is home to half the island’s population. The Italians rebuilt with wide palm lined avenues and excavated the extensive Hellenistic and Roman archaelogical remains which were revealed by the earthquake. So modern Kos Town provides a fascinating mix of the Greek and Roman, the Crusader Knights who held out here until 1522, the Ottomans who left mosques, Hammans and fountains, the Italians who laid out the modern town and endowed it with fine public buildings, mock North African, fascist Internationalist and art Deco and modern Greece of which Kos only became a part of in 1948. The maze like Ottoman Centre apart (known as Kos Old Town) this is a planned town with the pines, palms and shrubs planted by the Italians now fully matured.

Museum Eleftherias (Freedom) square


Asklepia arriving in Kos

Eleftherias (Freedom) square is the centre of Kos Town. It is the atmospheric open air "Drawing Room" of Kos where everybody goes for their evening stroll, to see and to be seen. It is overlooked on one side by the Nefterdar mosque which was built at the end of the 18th century and the ablution fountain, on the other by the Italian Colonial style Merkato, and by the Theatre and library and the Archeological Museum on the other sides. Towered over at night by the illuminated crosses of the Orthodox Cathderal and adjoined by the ancient Roman Agora it provides a superb urban set piece symbolising the rich mix of influences which have made this unique island. A good pit stop for food and drink is Ideal snack bar on Martiou Street just off Eleftherias Square. Ideal is delightful and always friendly and the Gyros (Chicken or Pork Souvlaki) are the best value and tastiest on the island. It is run by Zoë and her family; She is Greek American from Boston and totally cool. She is also an unfailing source of reliable advice on what to do and what to see but nobody can give you reliable advice in Greece on ferry timetables! Nobody stacks a Gyros like Timo, the chef at Ideal; these are not bought in but made fresh every day by Timo and Zoë’s dad, Kostaes.



Merkato

There is a “bar street” by the Agora with late night delights including a night club in an original Turkish Hamman. More satisfying though is to head up to Haluvazia, the atmospheric Ottoman Old Town. Off the pedestrianised narrow main street (Apelou Ifestou)you can see the sturdy Ottoman homes and courtyards which survived the 1933 earthquake. Following this street you come to a cross roads where you find on one side the Old Town Café and on the other side The Old Town Bar. The café is run by the much travelled and amusing Alex who plays excellent lounge music whilst selling the best Frappe on the island – essential fuel on a warm day beneath the canopy of bougainvillea. The bar on the other side is run by Mines and his Mohitos are the real deal! It is a good place to hang out and if you turn up the second time you are greeted as an old friend and free nibbles and drinks are normal hospitality. Across from the café is Olive (Elia in Greek) at 27. Apelou Ifestou, a traditional Greek Restauraunt affiliated to the Slow Food movement which specialises in authentic local dishes and local produce and which I cannot recommend too highly. At the end of the meal you will be presented with their coup de theatre, a saucer of Olives! When you eat them you will react strangely for these are sweet olives marinated in honey and taste surprisingly delicious. Indeed they are so popular and unique that Elia now sells them in jars to take away.



Old Town

What must be also said about Kos Town is it is very clean and well run – it had an energetic mayor for many years who is now the local MP and the contrast with the chaos and inept administration elsewhere (such as Kalymnos) is refreshing. There are two strips by the coast on either side of the harbour Lambi which is more down market (Sky TV and Coronation Street) and along an elegant promenade past the smart new marina Psaldi which contains more up market hotels including my personal favourite, the excellent and well managed Continental Palace. Bicycles are often seen in Kos Town and the cycle tracks are well used especially by Dutch and German visitors. Another quiet haven is Hippocrates Plane Tree and the Loggia Mosque which are in a pleasant square with an ancient Ottoman fountain.

Hippocrates Plane Tree



Kos is the most fertile of the Dodecanese blessed with rich volcanic soil and plentiful water. In the ancient Mediterranean the trade routes did not go in straight lines but hugged the coast and on the height above Kos Town occupied by the Asklepia (the Temple where one of its priests Hippocrates practiced medicine) you have a wonderful view over the straights as far as Bodrum (as Hallincarnassus home of one of the wonders of the ancient world, the tomb of Mausulos, King of Caria) on the mainland of Asia Minor and you can imagine the scene with ancient galleys. For the Roman Empire this was the stopping off point to / from Syria, Palestine and Egypt where they took on provisions (including the Cos lettuce), used the gymnasia and baths and left the sick to follow on after recovering in the Asklepia and sanatoria. And from guilt or longing they would buy their Roman ladies, Coan draperies, the somewhat saucy translucent numbers for which the island was famous!

Kos is basically a large, long narrow plain and measures 290 square kilometers, with the obvious exception of a mountainous region in the north west of the island. This region comprises of a series of peaks, the tallest of which is Dikaio Christo (which in Greek means "The Just Christ"). A castle of the Knights of the Order of St. John still survives on one of the many peaks of Dikaio near Thimiana.

Crusader House 14C

In order to get a taste of the ancient wonders that Kos has to offer, make a stop at the Archaeological Museum, located at Eleftherias square which exhibits a wide collection of archaeological treasures, such as the mosaic of Hippocrates, the Hellenistic sculptures of Aphrodite, Eros and one believed to be of Hippocrates himself. It was built by the Italians in the Fascist International style as a none too subtle propaganda exercise with a distinct Latin bias. Whilst there are some Hellenistic exhibits many of the exhibits are in fact Roman including the mosaic which shows Hippocrates welcoming Asklepios to Kos.



The Hellenistic period is the brightest period in Kos' history. In the creation of the new city (366 BC) many marble monuments were built such as the sanctuary of Hercules, Pandimou and Pondias Aphrodite, the Market, the Gymnasium, the Stadium, the Theatre, the Altar of Dionysus and the Acropolis. The relics of these monuments were brought to light by the diggings of Italian archeologists. King Ptolomeos II of Egypt was born in Kos at this time. He adored Greek literature and was know as the Philadelphos. During the Hellenistic period, the island thrived economically and culturally. Kos was not only rich in agricultural and livestock products but also started developing its export trade in wine, olive oil, fruit, perfumes, silk and wool.

It then became part of the Roman Empire and then part of Byzantium where it remained until after the 4th Crusade and the sack of Constantinople by the Crusaders and the Venetians. (http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/04/fall-of-byzantium.html )The centuries that followed were marked by the presence of foreign conquerors. After a short occupation of the island by the Venetians and the Genoans, Kos came under the control of the Knights of St John in 1314. The Order was a force to be reckoned with, with its own governors, who were constituted by the Council of the Knights of Rhodes. At the same time Kos was attacked by the Turks. The knights however successfully managed to repulse them for a time largely due to the fortifications of the Perimeter Wall and the Castle of Nerazia (city), the Castle of Antimachia, which was unsuccessfully attacked - mostly in 1457, the Castle of old Pyli and the Castle of Kefalos. Even today the restorations to the damage done by the Turkish attacks of the two most important castles, those of Nerazia and Antimachia, are clearly visible. The Dodecanese eventually fell to the forces of Suleiman the Magnificent in 1522 – This time the Knights did not attempt to defend Kos but retreated to Rhodes which they eventually left before ending up some time later in Malta. (http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/03/knights-of-malta.html )


The island slumbered in largely benign neglect under Ottoman rule for nearly 400 years being culturally diverse with Greek, Muslim and Jewish populations. Kos (along with Rhodes) was one of the Dodecanese which had inward immigration from Turks and the town has 3 mosques, four Hammans and numerous fountains and minarets. At Platani on the way to Asklepion there are still Turkish villages with restaurants reputed to have the best food on the island. Also on the way to Platani you can see the old Jewish and Muslim cemeteries side by side.

On May 20th 1912 the Italians conquered Kos from the crumbling Ottoman Empire. The inhabitants intialy welcomed them as their liberators. Soon they found out that their promise of a short occupation of the Dodecanese was insincere. The answer to the ulterior motives of the Italians was vigorous and included an upsurge in nationalist sentiments and promotion of Enosis (unification) with Greece. After the treaty of Lausanne the Italian domination of the Dodecanese was consolidated and the inhabitants of those islands were considered Italian citizens with singular citizenship. Kos became vice - governorship (Reggenza) and was under the jurisdiction of the governor (Governatore) of Rhodes. In all sectors (language, education, religion, economy etc.) there was a sweeping program under Mussolini of fascist italicisation of the Dodecanese. The people of Kos, being Greek, naturally resisted.

After the disastrous earthquake on April 23rd 1933 the new city of Kos was rebuilt by the Italians. The archeologists dug up and repaired a lot of monuments. A large number of sculptures of the Classical, Hellenistic and Roman era are kept and exhibited at the archeological museum at Eleftherias square. When the 2nd World War was declared, many volunteers took part in the "Dodecanese's Regiment". The Dodecanese Regiment fought with the Army of Central Macedonia against the Germans. After the Italian truce (03.09.1943) there was a landing of a small English force on the island, which was accepted by the Italians in order to face a potential German attack. On October 3rd 1943 the island was conquered by German troops. A new period of terrorism and brutality began. Two of the most poignant reminders of this traumatic time can be seen in Kos Town. The Jewish synagogue has a plaque outside “In memory of the Jewish Community of Kos – 16th century to 1944”. The large Catholic Church opposite the Municipal Buildings is no longer in use and the small catholic community instead uses the elegant circular church near the Casa Romana. This was originally the funerary church of the catholic cemetery and the Orthodox cemetery is behind it. Hear you can see the gravestones of the Italians executed on 3rd October including several to “Fante Ignoto” – an unknown child.

Synagogue


Italian cemetery

In 1948 after the years of war and occupation Kos, just four miles from Turkey was united with Greece for the first time in its history. The 50s and 60s were years of inertia when many emigrated from this shattered island (indeed from all the Greek islands) to America and Australia. Mass tourism, for all its woes, saved and regenerated Kos.

There is a wealth of archaelogical remains in and around Kos Town. Just some of the more notable are;

Asklepion of Kos; Situated 4 km west of Kos, Asklepeio is the most significant archaeological site on the island. Aesculapius in the Greek religion was a son of Apollo and was the God of health assisted by his two handmaidens, Hygeia, goddess of cleanliness and Panacea, goddess of pain relief. The excavations here began in 1902, by Lakovos Zaraftis from Kos and Dr. Hertsok from Germany. Asklepeio was built in a green area full of cypress trees. During the ancient years, it served as a sanatorium and it was dedicated to Aesculapius, son of Apollo, protector of health and medicine. Many significant people taught and worked here, one of them being the father of Medicine, Hippocrates. Due to the steep ground, Asklepeio consist of four connecting levels, called "andira". The first is characterized by ruins of Roman constructions of the 1st century AD. The second, where the medical school is said to have been housed, is known for its arches and statues. The spas were here and they were watered from the spring of King Halkon and the spring of Vournika on Mount Dikeo.



Asklepion of Kos

Hippocrates was born around 460 BC on the island of Kos, Greece. He became known as the founder of medicine and was regarded as the greatest physician of his time. He based his medical practice on observations and on the study of the human body. He held the belief that illness had a physical and a rational explanation. He rejected the views of his time that considered illness to be caused by superstitions and by possession of evil spirits and disfavour of the gods. Hippocrates probably had very little to do with the oath which bears his name taken by all doctors which enjoins them to “do no harm” and keep secret what is told to them by a patient. He did certainly write a treatise on healing entitled “Air, Water and Places” on the importance of environment to health whose holistic approach now seems positively contemporary.

The Agora, built right next to the harbour in order to facilitate trade, was a building 80m wide with a length of about 300m. An impressive stairway leads from the road to the internal yard. Two columns that have been restored form a type of portico. It is estimated that the first construction of the Agora was between the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C., while the few pieces from the buildings that have been preserved clearly show many construction periods.

Castle of Nerazia 12C. The castle of the Knights of the Order of Saint John is situated at the entrance of Kos harbour on what used to be an island in antiquity, communicating with the inland through a bridge that one can still see even today namely the bridge of “Phoinikon" (Palm Trees) Avenue. The castle consists of two defensive precincts. The interior one has four circular towers in the corners; the south-eastern tower forms part of the exterior precinct, which is the larger one of the two, with massive bastions on the four corners, battlements and gun ports. The two precincts are separated by a large moat and communicate with a drawbridge.

Castle of Nerazia


The western archaelogical remains contain both the Roman baths and the Hellenistic Gymnasium. The 3rd century Thermes Nymfeo or Forica are part of the bath complex. When the building was first discovered, its elegance initially led archaeologists to the conclusion that this was a sanctuary dedicated to the nymphs, but it was finally determined that the building was in fact a luxury public urinal.

Gymnasium

The Hellenistic Gymnasium (i.e. athletics gym) was known as "Xysto". The Gymnasium was thus named from the habit of the athletes of scraping (xisoun) their bodies in order to clean it from the oil they anointed themselves before the races began. A row of 17 restored columns from the ancient Gymnasium are an impressive sight. There was a water tank in the middle of the Gymnasium where athletes could wash themselves, and the western Thermes were adjacent for the same reason.

The Roman Odeon, built in the 2nd century, has been well preserved. The concave opening has nine marble rows that have been restored, a landing and then another five rows made of granite. The lower stands made of marble were for the more "respectable" citizens while the higher stand made of stone was for the remaining spectators. Other sections that were also saved are the floor of the proscenium and the wings, as well as the orchestra pit.

The Roman Odeon

Kos Casa Romana: Casa Romana, which means the “Roman House”, is an important excavation area. This house shows the architectural style that dominated on the island in the Hellenistic and the Roman Times. It is a beautiful mansion with a style similar to the buildings found in Pompeii. It dates from the 2nd century and was built on the ruins of another house of the Hellenistic period. Apart from its nice architecture, the house stands out due to its frescoes, the most remarkable of which depicts a panther attacking a bear, as well as its elaborated decoration and statues, which date from the late Hellenistic period and are currently exhibited at the Museum of Kos. This and the rest of the mosaics date from the 3rd century AD. The scale of the house can be gauged from the fact that it spreads over 36 rooms and 3 atria.


Mandraki

To understand Kos and the Dodecanese you must realise that these stepping stones en route to the Middle East and Anatolia have always been fated for invasion and occupation; too rich to be ignored but never powerful enough to rule themselves. To understand the people you must understand the history of the Balkan Wars of 1912 – 13, Greece’s 1917 -18 involvement in the First World War and the disastrous Greco-Turkish War of 1919-1922 which led to massive population exchanges – essentially regulated ethnic cleansing. Refugees from Asia Minor make up a significant proportion of the population of Kos and the wider Greek Diaspora. Kos today is not multi cultural but is still an interesting and pleasant island which has largely kept its character. Kos Town is one of the more pleasant places as a holiday base with good facilities, a fascinating history whose remnants surround and sometimes astound you and a great hopping off point for the other Dodecanese and the Turkish coast.

Location: Dodecanese, Greece.


travel

Chinese Officials: Deadly Virus Sweeping China Is Just Olympic Fever

Chinese Officials: Deadly Virus Sweeping China Is Just Olympic Fever

So here is China where land and construction costs are high spending an admitted £22 Bn. on the 2008 Olympics. On the other hand here is London where land and construction costs are cheap claiming spending on the 2012 Olympics will be only £12 Bn!

Is there something here I don't quiet understand or do I lack a conceptual mind?

Roll on London 2008, the event which will put the amateur back into the Olympics!

Ikea Tripping

IKEA MK - The Eco store where Customer Service is a priority?

The August monsoons had hit Buckinghamshire (Hey, It’s summer in England, did you expect sun?) and so in a moment of weakness I uttered the immortal words “let’s go to IKEA” as the West Wing required some new furnishings. Our nearest Ikea is Milton Keynes which is their 14th UK Store and with the new Linsdale bypass now open it is a quick trip from Castle Caldwell. Went to have a look at their MK store before and whilst slightly manic not long after its opening we came away with a favourable impression, it is certainly better designed than the older stores such as the dump near Brent Cross. It started to build in May 2005 opening just after Christmas the same year, in 31 weeks it was Ikea’s fastest build ever. It was predicted to get 50,000 customers per week - approximately 2 million a year, cost £88M to build and requires 150 trucks to fill the store and has created 400 jobs. The store is actually in Denbigh near Bletchley and you follow the signs off the A5 for Milton Keynes East. This is another advantage as with the bypass the store is actually 2 miles shy of MK Central and easier to access from our direction.

Milton Keynes is also Ikea UK’s flagship eco-store, a large bio mass unit helps the company reduce its carbon footprint and a waste-to-energy unit burns damaged wooden products and pallets. And, rainwater harvesting will soon be built into all new stores. It was also the store where Ikea promised to lay to rest the ghost of the major reason people avoid Ikea – its notoriously cruddy Customer service or “Customer Abuse” as many commentators have called it.

We were not alone in going to Ikea - Forty-five million customers will enter a British Ikea this year, close on a million a week, more than go to church, more than go to football. One-size-fits-all is the essence of the Ikea business model. To benefit from economies of scale, you can’t be tweaking products to suit local tastes. Many bemoan this homogeneity: “Products should have national characteristics, that’s what people love.” But is it? Peter Högsted, Ikea UK’s 39 year old Danish MD from his functional HQ in Wembley, thinks not. “There is this thesis that we are all so different,” he says, “but we are not.” And so the whole world has learnt to love Billy and many other Ikea products with even stranger names.


The billionaire founder of Ikea has admitted the Swedish furniture chain needs to increase prices and invest in more staff to improve its appalling image among consumers. Sir Terence Conran, who sold his Habitat chain to Ikea in 1992, revealed in an interview with The Daily Telegraph that Ingvar Kamprad, who founded Ikea 60 years ago, made the admission in correspondence between the two. Sir Terence said Ikea had an image problem because some people suffered "horrible experiences" when they shopped there. An Ikea spokesperson said; "We know there is much room for improvement when it comes to the shopping experience at Ikea. Here in the UK customer service remains one of our biggest priorities and we will continue to invest in this area, significantly moving forward."

However the opposite view is that Ikea’s poor customer service is deliberate and actually designed into the way they manage. One of the reasons products are so cheap is that they don't have that many staff on the shop floor. It is about the customers doing all the work, schlepping around the store and hauling a sofa on to the car roof.

Ikea Floor Plan
With thanks to Adam Roe

So what was our experience last Saturday on our quick trip to buy a coffee table, rug and a window blind? Firstly access and parking to MK Ikea is good. It is situated next to the MK Dons Football Stadium and a giant ASDA store but there were no undue delays in and out and both the Ikea indoor and outdoor car park were coping well. I was glad to see there were plenty of disabled spaces and unlike the increasingly arrogant Tesco, Ikea (and ASDA next door) actively police disabled spaces to ensure they are not being abused. The entrance is roomy even if it is clustered with people illegally smoking in the covered area in front (What is the law? £80 fine for them and £1,000 fine for Ikea) and there are travelators, escalators and lifts to take you to the top where your Ikea journey begins. As it was lunch hour we decided to use the “450 seater family restaurant” and I went up and organised the lunch, the Swedish Meatballs (Kottbuller) and the pasta dish. The pasta came with a choice of 4 sauces, pomodora, Bolognese, ratatouille and tuna. The problem was they were all tomato based and all looked the same, they were unlabeled and it was self service. I eventually attracted the attention of a “chef” and asked which was the Bolognese and he showed me. As I poured it onto the pasta I thought it was bit thin and sure enough it was the pomodora when it was tasted by the victim.

I then went up to the till to pay on my Ikea Homecard on which I constantly receive special offers for the restaurant only to be told “we don’t accept them anymore!” They don’t accept their own card, not a notice in sight and certainly no notice to me as a Card Holder and customer. Considering Ikea claim to have 450,000 Ikea Card holders this seems to be a sure far way of destroying customer loyalty. If you pay with any other credit card they charge you a 70p transaction fee so no doubt some Ikea Barrow Boy in their HQ Portacabin in Wembley thinks, for reasons which escape me, that alienating 450,000 of their best customers is a clever wheeze and you only find out when you get to the check out just to maximise the wind up. No notice in sight and Polish person on till can only tell you they stopped taking it a month ago, can’t give you any reason and can’t tell you if they still take the IKEA CARD in the Swedish shop at IKEA (They don’t). I wish I could tell you why there is this unannounced change of policy but during my transit through the Ikea factory I asked 3 other, what I hesitate to describe as, managerial types why this change and they couldn’t tell me. In fairness one of them told me he had only been there two days and knew nothing but he did look smart in his Ikea uniform, radio mike and headphones and has his name on the “Checkout Supervisor” badge!

Ikea Tottenham - traditional opening riots

So off we went on the Ikea chicane through the store (Top floor), took a shortcut through the self serve area (second floor) and ended up in the Self Serve warehouse (Ground Floor). I wish I could tell you more but almost every inquiry point was unstaffed and there were very few of the helpful leaflets on the ranges. We did want to enquire about Sofas but that area was unattended and the next point we came to on our solitary progress through Ikea had one Ikea person but a queue of 12 people in front of them. The person at the top of the queue was obviously highly delusional as he was under the impression that as he was spending £1,400 he was entitled to some customer service. I would like to tell you how he got on but after 10 minutes queuing I had lost interest in life and left. In an insight into Ikea’s efficiency most of my fellow victims in the queue also walked, that’s the clever way Ikea ensures its staff only deal with serious hardcore enquiries. But this is the rub, throughout you felt you were meat in the Ikea sausage machine and their attitude to you, their customer, was fundamentally disrespectful – In Ikea not only can money not buy you love, it can’t even buy you attention!

Finally we arrive at the self service warehouse where we have to pick up the coffee table who we must now refer to as “Benno.” IKEA Milton Keynes makes great play of being the first purpose built 'back-fill' racking store which it claims offers considerable practical benefits for both its staff (who are called co-workers because they are soooo empowered!) and customers. It says “The back fill system requires less warehouse storage space therefore offering more display area in store. The system also allows the replenishment of stock without ever using equipment such as fork-lift trucks on the store floor without disrupting the customer experience and making it a safer shopping environment. This means there is no need for staff to work unsocial night shift hours, leaving more time to improve work life balance.”

All very stirring and exciting I’m sure. The practice was this. Our new friend Benno was not to be found where the label in the showroom said. There are “Find It” touchscreens which should guide you but of the four that should have been there two were dead, one was missing and the strangely luminous one had (you’ve guessed!) a long queue. Indeed (with some difficulty) we found that as Benno came in four different finishes he lived in four different places in the Warehouse! Am I missing something here? Eventually we lurched to the checkout (where, amazingly, IKEA still accept the IKEA card) the checkout we were queuing at closed and we were directed to another one which was opening by one of a dynamic duo of checkout supervisors. He looked like he was working here as he had failed the audition for “The Hairy Bikers” and she was selected as she was tall and had a face permanently like thunder.

We survived the checkout and then emotion took over from experience and even though they don’t take the IKEA card (why would they in IKEA?) I decided to get some stuff in the Swedish Shop as they had a good offer on Kopparberg Pear Cider. By the time I got to check out there was a queue of 15 people, one harassed operator and not much movement. After 5 minutes I gave up, dumped my purchases and walked out. I told the tall checkout supervisor with the practiced thunder face that there was a long queue and only one operator but she was not interested, hey ho, if she was interested we probably wouldn’t be having this unrequited one way conversation. Should I take a ticket and queue to tell “Customer Services and Returns” amongst a crowd of disgruntled customers who looked like they were auditioning for the “Land of the Living Dead”? No life is too short, for the immortal words of Jim Royle came to mind!

Would you lose your self respect for Benno?

So homeward bound then but not before going next door to the giant ASDA Superstore which looks like it is on steroids. Now ASDA is also part of an evil empire being owned by Wal-Mart and like Ikea also trades on value. But there is a difference to how they make the customer feel, indeed there is no suggestion, as there was next door, that the customer must accept ritual humiliation to receive good value. As we went into this huge store we were greeted by an Asda person who volunteered information about the store. When I enquired in store about an item which wasn’t available the staff member engaged with me, apologised and explained why they had a stock out. The check out operator greeted us and smiled, was helpful and thanked us for our custom. And as we left the clean, bright and well laid out store we could appreciate that they lived up to their customer service proposition emblazoned on the entrance “Always happy to help” and indeed their policy and store ambience is not an accident for it is detailed on their website “ASDA’s reputation for friendliness is as much a part of the ASDA brand as our famously low prices.”

Contrast this with the sterile anatomic misery of the atmosphere from beginning to end in Ikea Milton Keynes, the Eco-friendly store, where Ikea were going to show us “UK customer service remains one of our biggest priorities and we will continue to invest in this area, significantly moving forward." It is a factory which dehumanises those who shop there and the sad and demotivated “co-workers” who endure its sterility. Will I return for a Sofa? No! Will I return full stop? No! Will I pay off my increasingly useless and devalued Ikea Card and cut it up when I get the statement for Benno and friends? Yes! Is Benno worth losing your self-respect for? No! Will I write and tell them? No, not on your Nelly, why should I care about a company which doesn’t respect its customers?

Ikea Milton Keynes Store Manager Mats Kotka and Ikea UK Managing Director Peter Högsted you should be both deeply ashamed of the appalling customer service proposition at this “flagship” store. And as for the Barrow Boy who thought that not taking the IKEA CARD in IKEA was a good idea sack him now. A person with such a lack of appreciation of your customers and such arrogance can only go on to do greater damage. Indeed it may be too late, he may already be Ikea UK’s new Boy Wonder Managing Director!

London Congestion Charge

Still Cruising Very Slowly Buses backed up in London traffic

The city's roads are as clogged as ever after five years of former mayor "Red Ken" Livingstone's congestion charge. London is still just as congested as it was before the introduction of the congestion charge according to a new survey, but not just because of traffic volume. The blame is now on road-works and measures to give priority to pedestrians, buses and cyclists.

Transport for London, which runs the city's transport system, said traffic volume had shrunk significantly since the charge was introduced in January 2003. About 70 000 fewer cars entered the charge zone every day than in 2003, a drop of 21 percent, but traffic still crawled because of phased traffic lights, pedestrian measures and road-works “The charge has cut traffic but hasn't solved the problem”.

London's new mayor, Boris Johnson, said: "I've always thought the congestion charge was a blunt instrument. It's cut traffic coming into London but hasn't solved the congestion." All road users, with a few exceptions such as taxis and motorcycles, must pay £8 to drive through central London but the charge has always been controversial with businesses citing lost trade.

The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry called for a review of the charge in light of the report, saying drivers were paying for no benefit. A spokesman said: "The congestion charge has increased costs and driven away trade from many firms. They will now be asking - with good reason - why their businesses are suffering."

London congestion map

What has happened to congestion in Central London has contradicted TfL’s assertions when the Congestion Charge Zone was extended Westwards on the 19th February 2007. According to TfL then, traffic in the original central congestion charge zone had fallen 20% since the scheme began in 2003 and it expected a further fall of 15% when the new charge kicked in. It also said the toll has helped fight pollution, reduce road injuries, increased the number of cyclists and caused more people to turn to public transport.

Part of the reason for increased congestion stems from the westward expansion of the Zone in 2007 as it had the effect of increasing greatly the number of residents cars which get a 90% discount on the Congestion Charge. Whereas there were not many cars in the original zone (a combination of lack of residential use and parking spaces in Central London) West London is very much a family area with high car ownership levels and as these owners have to pay the charge anyway they will use the opportunity to drive in the central area.


So this is the conundrum. If a “Congestion Charge” has not actually reduced congestion is it not then just another tax on motoring? This is certainly the view of the United States Government as the US Embassy in London now “owes” £1.5 m (that is $3.0 million) in unpaid congestion charges and fines, making the USA by far the worst offender in terms of unpaid charges and penalties. Since the US government unilaterally decided to stop paying the congestion charge in July 2005 their debts have rapidly risen. The US claimed that it did not have to pay the congestion charge because they claimed it was a tax from which diplomats are exempt.

There is the further point that very little of the “Congestion Charge” is actually going towards improving transport. The costs of the scheme eat up over 70% of the revenue (which includes a disproportionate element of penalties) on paying Capita and running the infrastructure for the charge – and that is before TfL’s own overhead is taken into account. This is a very poor way to raise money (although not for Capita). If it wasn’t for the large number of fines, the Congestion Charge would be something unique - a tax that loses money. The cost to London and Londoners is over a £1.1 billion. It was £930 million up to the end of March 2007, the annual run rate is about £250 million a year.By law all profits from the congestion charge have to be put into public transport projects. According to one set of TfL accounts, it reinvested just £280m since 2003. This omits the £265 million set up costs of the original scheme and the Western Extension. So that leaves a net benefit of about £15 million. So by any estimate the cost of the charge to the London economy has been hugely disproportionate even to the claimed benefit, let alone to the actual benefits. Here is the Audit Commision's take on the numbers.




So zero effect on congestion and very little contribution towards transport. So where does that leave the rest of us? Are we paying a Congestion Charge or merely an additional tax on motoring in the congested centre of London?

The Oyster is their World.

Vid: How to make an Oyster watch

A new craze has City Boys squaring off with Tube bosses over removing the chips in their Oyster cards (the Stored Value Ticketing System used in London) and attaching them to their watches to speed up their journeys.

Watch the vid and find out how you too could cut a mighty 10 seconds off your commute. But no doubt the real reason for this is so these macho boys can impress their mates in red braces. The secondary reason is that after a heavy night in the wine bar it reduces their chances of losing their ticket. Not for nothing are they known to the real people of London as LOMBARDS - Loads Of Money But A Right Dickhead!



Transport for London have said that the latest "craze" for melting the chip out of an Oyster card, attaching it to your watch and magically swiping yourself through London Underground Tube gates could get you fined, so you have been warned!

London’s Other Underground

Old fashioned electric Automatic Train


Beautiful Diesel Truck

Deep down beneath the choked streets of London was a railway which once ran busily for nineteen hours a day. It carried no passengers and its trains had no drivers or guards. Yet this seemingly strange system was one of the most successful railways in the world.

Mail Rail - the little known electric rail system running for 6.5 miles under the centre of the capital – closed on 30th May 2003. Royal Mail says the Mail Rail service which ran from west to east London is no longer proving viable. In its heyday the "unique" service, the only one of its kind in England, served nine stations, carrying four million letters per day. At closure Mail Rail runs along a 37km route between Paddington in west London and Whitechapel in the East End, and is staffed by 76 postal workers.

Liverpool street Mail platforms

Royal Mail says it recognises the heritage value of the service. But a massive drop in postage in the city, plus changes in how mail is distributed, mean the service has become too expensive, say its owners. With just four stations in operation on the route in 2002 and only three by the time of closure Royal Mail announced in April 2003 that the system would be closed and "mothballed" (i.e. removed from active service) at the end of May 2003. Royal Mail had earlier stated that using the Post Office Railway was five times more expensive than using road transport for the same task. The Communication Workers Union claimed the actual figure was closer to three times more expensive but argued that this was the result of a deliberate policy of running the system down and using it at only one-third of its capacity. Despite a report by the Greater London Authority in support of the continued use of Mail Rail, the system was taken out of use in the early hours of 31 May 2003.

• Trains are 8.4m long
• They carry loads of 980kg of mail
• The tunnels are 21m (70ft) underground
• Trains run on a 610mm electrified track (2 foot gauge)
• Operated 19 hours a day, 286 days a year.
• Paddington to Whitechapel, with all stops, in 26 minutes.

Cash-strapped owners, the Royal Mail, said the automated mail delivery system costs too much to run. But post bosses revealed they were in talks "with a number of organisations" about possible alternative uses. Royal Mail said the system would be "mothballed" until a partner can be found to help run it. But it declined to name the organisations that have allegedly shown an interest - or to what use Rail Mail could be put in the future. Five years on there have been no takers.




System Map

Among the ideas suggested in a recent London Assembly report were transporting:

• High-value items to shops in Oxford Street
• Same-day document delivery
• Precious metals to Mayfair's jewellers
• Wine to the capital's vintners.

The Royal Mail has not ruled out selling Mail Rail, raising the prospect of rail enthusiasts - or even a private individual - taking it over. Mothballing Mail Rail will lead to 80 extra van journeys per week, potentially putting the postal service at odds with its commitment to cut carbon dioxide emissions. But the Royal Mail insisted it would make little difference to overall pollution levels.

The idea of an underground rail service for London was first mooted in 1855 by the then secretary to the Post Office, Rowland Hill.

Trains travelled at 40mph in tunnels separate to The Tube. Although trials were conducted in small tunnels, the Post Office abandoned the scheme until early in the next century. It was eventually given the go-ahead by the government in 1913. The outbreak of World War One halted construction and the little tunnels were used to store art treasures from major London galleries, such as the Tate and the National Portrait Galleries. Work began on the tunnels again in 1923 and the first trains started delivery four years later - under the banner of the Post Office Underground Railway. It became Mail Rail on the service's 60th anniversary, shortly after the old stock was replaced with 34 new trains.


Track Diagram - Western District Office

The main line consisted of a single tube, 9 foot in diameter. The base of the tube was filled with loose ballast, on which a concrete raft, 12 inches thick was laid. Onto this was laid the track. The tunnels diverge using a step-plate junction just before the stations, into 2 single line tunnels at 7 foot in diameter. These then connect to 2 parallel station tunnels, which are around 25 foot in diameter. The platforms are built on a 'First floor level' within the tunnels, the area beneath, used to house the electrical control equipment.

Although the main tube is at a depth of around 70 foot, the stations are constructed at a much shallower depth, giving a 1 in 20 rise and fall, into and out of the station. This served two purposes; the first is that the mail had less distance to travel from the platforms to the surface. Secondly the gradient on the line, to and from the station, served to help slow the trains on their approach to the stations, and assists with the acceleration away from the stations.


When the system was first designed, it was planned that further extensions would be built at a later date. The proposal was that after a few years of operation of the first section, testing out the various systems and stock used, that 3 extensions would be built. Although nothing ever came of these proposed extensions, they were kept in mind for a surprisingly long time. Short sections of the extension were started whilst the main section was being built, most notably at Mount Pleasant, but only extended a few yards. Even in recent times, proposals were made to extend the line to the new central sorting hub at Willesden. Needless to say this was abandoned due to the estimated cost of the extension. At the time, it cost over a million pounds per mile to excavate a deep level tube tunnel.

Proposed Extensions

The Post Office Railway features in the novel The Horn of Mortal Danger (1980). In it, there is a connecting tunnel between the Railway and the secret railway of the North London System. The only other known connection is in the disused tunnel between Highgate and the disused Cranley Gardens. The railway appears in the film Hudson Hawk, but rebadged as 'Vatican Post'. Bruce Willis (as Hudson Hawk) stows away in one of the mail containers.

As for the future of this unique freight transport link in a congested and polluted Central London we cannot expect initiative from a Royal Mail which has been robbed of funds bu central government for years, left in a commercially unviable position by short sighted policies dictated by ministers and run by a team recruited to shrink the business. As the following exchange in Hansard indicates at the time of closure in 2003 HM Government would rather grow a GM Boil on its collective Bum than do anything to help, obviously “Green Guff” sound bites are cheaper than using an asset which is already built and paid for;

Lord Sainsbury of Turville (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Science and Innovation), Department of Trade and Industry; Labour)
“My Lords, as regards transport it makes very little difference. The company envisages using only a handful of extra vehicles after MailRail is taken out of service because a huge proportion of the mail it now carries will be transported on existing vehicle routes. As regards extension, MailRail used to connect nine different stations but, with the movement of sorting offices to new areas of population, it now covers only four. Extending it would make no economic sense at all.”

Lord Razzall (Liberal Democrat)
“My Lords, does the Minister agree that this is a moment for proactivity on behalf of his department? It is not for your Lordships' House to come up with ideas following the Question of the noble Lord, Lord Faulkner, but, for example, would not this be a perfect avenue for use by the retail distribution trade within London? Alternatively, what possibilities does it offer for CrossRail?”

Lord Sainsbury of Turville (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Science and Innovation), Department of Trade and Industry; Labour)
“My Lords, it is not for the House or the Government to look for opportunities. The situation requires the Royal Mail to take a commercial decision. A consortium called Metrofreight was established to look at a proposal for using MailRail tunnels to deliver goods underground to retailers in Oxford Street. It became clear that this would cost in the region of £100 million, without a proper commercial return. It looks unlikely therefore that that scheme will go ahead. But there are other commercial possibilities and it is for the Royal Mail, which is seized of the issue, to consider them.”



If this is the Minister for Science and Innovation then I’d hate to see the Minister for Ignorance and Inertia! Later the same year (September 2003) Royal Mail after 173 years, ended the carriage of mail by train and decided to carry all its post by air and road. The minister responsible for the post office, Stephen Timms, refused to comment on the change, describing it as a commercial decision for Royal Mail's board. However, in a letter to the RMT rail union, Lord Whitty broke ranks, writing: "I personally and this department also have grave concerns about the Royal Mail decision, which seems to be heading in the opposite direction from the aim of a more balanced, environmentally friendly and integrated transport system." The government's 10-year plan for transport aims to increase the amount of freight on Britain's railways by 80%, taking a billion lorry journeys off the roads by 2010 to cut congestion and pollution. On this, as in so many other areas, there appears to be little joined up thinking.


Running Tunnel

It is clear that there is no rhyme or reason to the Government’s so called “Green” transport strategy – the £4 Bn in “Green Taxes” are just a further tax grab which have been dishonestly “green washed” to catch the environmental zeitgeist. The recent changes in VED (Vehicle Excise Duty) on “high polluting cars” have been shown to be dishonest, for unlike for all the other main green tax changes unveiled in the last budget - the Treasury did not list the likely impact of its new "showroom tax" on reducing carbon emissions. Critics said it proved that the VED would have a minimal impact on CO2 cuts. And underneath congested and polluted London there lies a unique asset in the Mail Rail system lying fallow and unused whilst above there is a government engaging in token gestures of keeping its “energy efficient” light onto midnight and ordering one or two electric vehicles. Of course 50 years ago, before we discovered “De Environment” we had thousands of electric vehicles on the streets of London not to mention trams and whirring underneath we had an ingenious post office railway connected to train stations where 18 overnight TPO’s (Travelling Post Offices) delivered mail reliably to all corners of the land without cluttering up the roads. Isn’t progress wonderful?

In researching this item I’ve liberally used information on this excellent enthusiast’s site;

http://www.mailrail.co.uk/

Here is the GLA’s report on the closure of Mail Rail;

http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/reports/pubserv/mailrail.pdf

One Term in Paris

Shock! Horror!! Air head celebrity may not be so feather-brained after all!! The socialite Paris Hilton has now mocked John McCain with a retaliatory "campaign ad" – and it could just be funnier than its inspiration, the Republican presidential candidate's spot likening his rival Barack Obama to herself and her fellow denizen of the gossip columns Britney Spears.

Socialite Paris Hilton says her spoof election video is just a bit of fun and she would only run for president if she could take her dog Tinkerbell to the White House - which she would then repaint as the Pink House.

Hilton's online election spoof video has had more than three million hits since being posted on FunnyorDie.com this week. In it, she pokes fun at her inclusion in a recent ad campaign for Republican election candidate John McCain, announcing energy policies and plans to paint the White House pink.

"Thanks for the endorsement white-haired dude, and I want America to know I'm, like, totally ready to lead," she says.

Speaking in Copenhagen, where she is promoting a range of handbags, Paris said she made the video because she was a big fan of FunnyorDie creators Adam McKay and Will Ferrell.

"It was a lot of fun," she said.

Asked about the possibility of launching a real election campaign, Hilton said: "Only if I can bring (my dog) Tinkerbell to the White House.”

Under US law, Hilton - the 27-year-old star of an infamous sex tape - would not be eligible to hold the office of the presidency for eight more years.

Hilton's video has caught McCain's attention. His spokesman Tucker Bounds said: "Paris Hilton might not be as big a celebrity as Barack Obama, but she obviously has a better energy plan."

Hilton's mother, a McCain donor, had lambasted McCain's video as a complete waste of money.

"It is a complete waste of the country's time and attention at the very moment when millions of people are losing their homes and their jobs. And it is a completely frivolous way to choose the next President of the United States," she wrote on the political website Huffington Post.

McCain's original video mocked Democratic rival Barack Obama as a celebrity, similar to Britney Spears or Hilton.

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Alexander Solzhenitsyn

In the times of the Soviet Union the archetype of the ideal citizen was characterised as “Soviet Man”, men like the coal miner Aleksei Grigorievich Stakhanov whose allegedly prodigious output was used as the basis of productivity to launch Stalin’s first 5 Year Plan. Hindsight shows us that Soviet Man was a feature of the propaganda machine rather than a reality and the Soviet Union was not the most productive of society’s but did produce impressive dodgy statistics. One true Soviet Man was Alexander Solzhenitsyn born on the cusp of the Bolshevik Revolution, a brilliant academic who fought bravely for his country in the “Great Patriotic War” and found himself condemned to a labour camp for a harmless remark about “Uncle Joe.” His searing exposure of the inhumanity of the Soviet system destroyed the moral force of communism and reiterated and revealed a universal truth of all totalitarian systems; that inhumanity dehumanises not just the victims of the system but even more so, the perpetrators of the inhumanity.

Russia is in mourning today (4 July 2008) for Alexander Solzhenitsyn, the Nobel laureate whose writing helped conquer the tyranny of the Soviet Union. Solzhenitsyn, 89, suffered heart failure at his home outside Moscow last night. His wife, Natalya, said today: "He was working all day yesterday, as usual. He did not suffer for long. He just became ill in the evening when he had already gone to bed. He wanted to die at home, and he has died at home. He wanted to die in summer, and he has died in summer. He lived a difficult but happy life. And he and I were happy."

Solzhenitsyn's death robs Russia of a hero whose stature was unequalled. The last Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, described him today as a man of "unique destiny, whose name will remain". At a momentous time in Russian history Solzhenitsyn's quiet and courageous revolt against the evils of Josef Stalin's labour camps became an unshakeable force for change. His books, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich and The Gulag Archipelago revealed for the first time the horrors of the camps where ordinary Soviet citizens lived and died in unimaginable conditions of hardship and cruelty. Often, their crimes were no more than mild offences against the dictates and ideology of the Soviet system.

Solzhenitsyn after release from the Gulag in 1953

Solzhenitsyn was such a victim. He was born in 1918 in Kislovodsk. World War I had ended disastrously for Tsarist Russia and the nation plunged into civil war between Whites and Reds. Solzhenitsyn's family was white but his father died in a hunting accident before he was born. His mother was the daughter of a wealthy landowner and was persecuted by the newly installed Soviet regime. She was denied permanent employment and labouring alone, her family was forced into poverty from most of the 1920s and 30s. After earning degrees in philology, mathematics, and physics at Rostov University, Solzhenitsyn began teaching in 1941, aged 22 and seemed set for a brilliant academic career. That same year Nazi Germany launched Operation Barbarossa and invaded the Soviet Union. Solzhenitsyn enlisted and rose to the rank of artillery captain. He was decorated twice for bravery but this counted for little when, as the war was ending, he wrote a letter to an old friend in which he referred to the Soviet dictator Stalin as "the man with the moustache". This was considered an act of gross disrespect and he was sentenced to eight years in a labour camp. The Soviets who condemned him to the barren steppes of Kazakhstan could hardly have known it was a move that would contribute to the destruction of their system. Solzhenitsyn began to write, chronicling the minutiae of the camp inmates' suffering and the "crimes" for which they had been sentenced. His first book, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, was the story of a carpenter struggling to survive in a camp to which he had been sent, like Solzhenitsyn, after service in the war.

The book was published by order of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, who was eager to discredit the abuses of Stalin, his predecessor, and it created a sensation in a country where unpleasant truths were spoken in whispers, if at all. Abroad, the book - which became a major film starring Tom Courtenay - was lauded not only for its bravery, but for the quality of its unsparing prose.

The opening paragraph begins bleakly as it intends to continue;

“The hammer banged reveille on the rail outside camp HQ at five o'clock as always. Time to get up. The ragged noise was muffled by ice two fingers thick on the windows and soon died away. Too cold for the warder to go on hammering.

The jangling stopped. Outside, it was still as dark as when Shukhov had gotten up in the night to use the latrine bucket — pitch-black, except for three yellow lights visible from the window, two in the perimeter, one inside the camp. “

And it continues in the same vein, similar to James Joyce’s prose of “meticulous meanness.” The Soviet system was stripped of ideological baggage and reduced to the systems casual and uncaring callousness and one man’s attempt to cope with its inhumanity and survive one more day. Nothing needed to be added and with the raw power, honesty and sparseness of Solzhenitsyn’s narrative it was not possible to take anything away.

Soviet prisoners on the way to the Gulag

When Khrushchev was removed, in 1964, the KGB re-asserted its control and reintroduced many of Stalin's measures against so-called thought-crime. Solzhenitsyn was again persecuted. His next book, The First Circle, was about inmates in a special camp for scientists who were deemed politically unreliable but whose skills were essential. Solzhenitsyn, a graduate from the Department of Physics and Mathematics at Rostov University, was sent to one of these camps.

The novel Cancer Ward, which appeared in 1967, was another fictional worked based on Solzhenitsyn's life: in this case, his cancer treatment in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, then part of Soviet Central Asia, during his years of internal exile from March 1953, the month of Stalin's death, until June 1956. In the book, cancer became a metaphor for the fatal sickness of the Soviet system. "A man sprouts a tumour and dies - how then can a country live that has sprouted camps and exile?"

Solzhenitsyn's work gained power from the fact that no one was spared his anger. He attacked the complicity of millions of Russians in the horrors of Stalin's reign. "Suddenly all the professors and engineers turned out to be saboteurs - and they believed it? ... Or all of Lenin's old guard were vile renegades - and they believed it? Suddenly all their friends and acquaintances were enemies of the people - and they believed it?"

The Stalinist era, he wrote, quoting from a poem by Alexander Pushkin, forced Soviet citizens to choose one of three roles: tyrant, traitor, and prisoner. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1970, a move described by Soviet leaders as provocative. He was banned from travelling to receive his prize, but he wrote an acceptance speech in which he quoted a Russian proverb: One word of truth can conquer the world.

Solzhenitsyn with Heinrich Boll in exile in 1974

And so it seemed when his work gained currency not only in the West, but inside Russia. Underground copies of his books circulated widely among students and contributed greatly to the dissident movement-than sprang up in the early Seventies. He was perceived as an enemy within and in 1974 he was stripped of his citizenship and exiled on charges of treason. Solzhenitsyn went first to Germany and then to the US, where he settled in a dacha-style compound in Vermont, surrounded by birch and pine forests. He yearned to return to his homeland and although his citizenship was restored by Gorbachev in 1990, he refused to go back until the last vestiges of the Soviet regime had been removed. In 1994, he made a triumphant return, marked in a 56-day train journey from Russia's Far East to Moscow.

But if supporters of Western-style democracy believed they were owed a share in Solzhenitsyn's triumph, they were wrong. His vision was not a simplistic view of a struggle between communism and capitalism, in which capitalism was the just victor. He believed Russia to be a civilisation unique to itself, where no known system - including Western democracy - could properly work. While avoiding a partisan political role, Solzhenitsyn vowed to speak "the whole truth about Russia, until they shut my mouth like before".

He was contemptuous of President Boris Yeltsin, blaming him for the collapse of Russia's economy, his dependence on the International Monetary Fund, his inability to stop the expansion of NATO and his fostering of the new Russian billionaires, "oligarchs" such as Boris Berezovsky and Roman Abramovich.

When Yeltsin awarded Solzhenitsyn Russia's highest honour, the Order of St. Andrew, the writer refused to accept it. When Yeltsin left office in 2000, Solzhenitsyn wanted him prosecuted. Solzhenitsyn also criticised Yeltsin's successor, Vladimir Putin, in 2002 for not doing more to crack down on the oligarchs. But then the two men drew together in a move that some perceived as a contradiction. Putin, after all, was a veteran of the same KGB apparatus that had victimised Solzhenitsyn. But the author saw in Putin something more vital to Russia's future, a concept of nationalism and unique destiny. More the pity then that Putin did not read his observation that in the camps of the Gulag that the Chechen’s would die rather than submit.

It was a matter of sadness to many of Solzhenitsyn's admirers that as Putin closed newspapers and tightened the state's grip on free speech and enterprise; the great writer appeared to endorse Putin's vision of a separate political and cultural destiny for Russia. In his final TV interview last year, Solzhenitsyn made clear that Western democracy was not the solution to Russia's ills, and he expressed solidarity with Putin for reviving the country's standing.

"The main achievement is that Russia has revived its influence in the world," he said. "But morally we are too far from what is needed. This cannot be achieved by the state, through parliamentarianism ... As far as the state, the public mind and the economy are concerned, and Russia is still far away from the country of which I dreamed."

Yet Solzhenitsyn was a man of his time, and that time has now passed. For many young Russians he is a distant, historical figure but in his time he was a clarion voice crying out for the rights of humanity against tyranny and it is arguable that his efforts and those of Andrei Sakharov destroyed the central moral claim of communism that its purpose was to create conditions for human happiness and fulfilment.


From the beginning with the 1962 short novel One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, Solzhenitsyn devoted himself to describing what he called the human "meat grinder". His Gulag Archipelago trilogy of the 1970s left readers shocked by the savagery of the Soviet state under the dictator Josef Stalin. It helped erase lingering sympathy for the Soviet Union among many leftist intellectuals, especially in Europe. But his account of that secret system of prison camps was also inspiring in its description of how one person - Solzhenitsyn himself - survived, physically and spiritually, in a penal system of soul-crushing hardship and injustice.

His later years left his admirers in the West confused but his efforts in asserting the primacy of our humanity and defining Russian identity will endure long after his bones have been consigned to the earth of Mother Russia. The bravery of one man in refusing to accept his fate in the “meat grinder” led to a nation and the occupied peoples of the Iron Curtain also refusing to accept their fate. For reminding us of our common humanity this Nobel Laureate achieved a great deal and by removing the moral rationale from a system which claimed to be justified by moral purpose he changed the world. His moral righteousness will resonate forever where humans are crushed by “meat grinders”, be they in Tibet, Guantanamo, British interment camps in Ireland in the 70's, the CIA Gulag or the 5,600 Palestinian political prisoners in Israel.

South African writer and fellow Nobel laureate J.M. Coetzee today described Solzhenitsyn as “a man of immense personal courage, and, as a writer, the one indisputable heir of Tolstoy."

But his message and great polemic gift is perhaps best summed up by a character in the Gulag Archipelago, who observes; “The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either – but right through every human heart”.

Never has the soul and earth of his beloved Mother Russia claimed a greater patriot. Rest in well earned peace, Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn.

Solzhenitsyn