Paul Humphreys's Weblog

Paul Humphreys's Weblog
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Wednesday March 05, 2008

Has we gone to the Dogs?

It seems not everyone is happy about the way the Crufts dog show has developed over the years. Dancing dogs where the owner and their pooch do duo dancing to music is seen a bit too tacky for some people. The organisation are unapologetic - they see such additions to the show as increasing the show's appeal to a wider audience.

For the first time in their history some Coastguard control staff have gone on strike. Compared to their peers in the Police and other emergency stations their pay is much lower and they are asking for parity. The government is unlikely to want to bridge that gap.

Finally it seems white working class Britain is feeling a bit left out. A survey for the Newsnight program seems to indicate this portion of the UK community are feeling unrepresented, worried about crime and of course immigration. Bravely the BBC has a series starting this week called White which will look into some of these issues.

( Mar 05 2008, 11:50:55 PM PST ) Permalink

Pools in crisis

This morning on BBC Breakfast they were talking about public swimming baths and how so many are being closed. Swimming is the second most popular sport in the UK with 22% of us taking a dip on a regular basis. Even with lottery money councils are closing them. The statistics are skewed by the fact a lot of new baths are being opened in hotels and private gyms which cost money for people to use. The Victoria Baths in Nottingham are an example where locals are trying to keep them open. If the government wants us to stop becoming overweight they need to keep these amenities open.

( Mar 05 2008, 12:03:29 AM PST ) Permalink