The youth parliament descended on Westminster today.
For those of you not in the know (and I was one of them), the UK Youth Parliament ‘enables young people to use their energy and passion to change the world for the better’… or so the website says.
This is no doubt an honourable venture. Take one look at our council chamber, and young, vibrant councillors are a bit thin on ground. Where the next generation will come from I don’t know.
On that note, I was delighted to see the youngsters performing a Mexican Wave in the Commons today. A healthy bit of irreverence, perhaps, but it got me thinking about other ‘bonding’ exercises that might help our council meetings go with a bit more, let’s say, zing.
Some mild physical jerks following the lead of Japanese car assembly line workers might be a good place to start.
Even better would be a bit of singsong. I can’t say I favour a tortured rendition of Jerusalem… perhaps something out of Chaz and Dave’s Jamboree Bag.
A boisterous blast of Sideboard Song may just get council business moving that bit more efficiently.
Friday, 29 October 2010
Tuesday, 12 October 2010
Adventures in the land of Cod
The infinite variety of place names in the UK always seems to amaze friends and family from overseas. Chapel en le Frith, Fishponds, Abinger Hammer and… er… Assloss… the list goes on.
These, though, are official, accepted names and can be found on maps or via quick flurry on the computer keyboard using Google (other search engines are available).
What about unofficial names, though, that have entered local vocabularies?
National mapping agency the Ordnance Survey and charity the English Project are seeking to create some order here by putting together a directory of these quirky localisms.
The project is designed to celebrate the richness of English language, but also has a practical purpose - to help 999 operators who struggle when callers use names that do not appear on official maps.
Alternative names include:
Bill Lucas, an author and trustee of the English Project, says: ‘We are throwing a very wide net in this national trawl for what we call Location Lingo.
‘Everyone knows the big national nicknames like Pompey for Portsmouth or Auld Reekie for Edinburgh, but we are more interested in the names that are not so well-known and might be used only by a neighbourhood, a village community, a workplace, or even by an extended family or group of friends.’
I grew up in the Midlands and one I always remember was ‘Cod’ for Nuneaton, Warwickshire. This term was generally used by folk from neighbouring Hinckley (over the border in Leicestershire) and, if memory serves, referred to a fish market that used take place in the town. I still hear friends using it today.
For more, see the Location Lingo website.
These, though, are official, accepted names and can be found on maps or via quick flurry on the computer keyboard using Google (other search engines are available).
What about unofficial names, though, that have entered local vocabularies?
National mapping agency the Ordnance Survey and charity the English Project are seeking to create some order here by putting together a directory of these quirky localisms.
The project is designed to celebrate the richness of English language, but also has a practical purpose - to help 999 operators who struggle when callers use names that do not appear on official maps.
Alternative names include:
- Manchester's Wilmslow Road, in Rusholme, known as ‘The Curry Mile’ because of its many Indian restaurants.
- The Festival Leisure Centre in Basildon, Essex, known as ‘Bas Vegas’ for its colourful nightlife and, on a similar theme, the Tameside town of Stalybridge known as ‘StalyVegas’.
- A street in Southampton branded the ‘Mutant Mile’.
- Swindon, in Wiltshire, known as 'Swindump'.
Bill Lucas, an author and trustee of the English Project, says: ‘We are throwing a very wide net in this national trawl for what we call Location Lingo.
‘Everyone knows the big national nicknames like Pompey for Portsmouth or Auld Reekie for Edinburgh, but we are more interested in the names that are not so well-known and might be used only by a neighbourhood, a village community, a workplace, or even by an extended family or group of friends.’
I grew up in the Midlands and one I always remember was ‘Cod’ for Nuneaton, Warwickshire. This term was generally used by folk from neighbouring Hinckley (over the border in Leicestershire) and, if memory serves, referred to a fish market that used take place in the town. I still hear friends using it today.
For more, see the Location Lingo website.
Tuesday, 5 October 2010
A hallelujah moment
I bumped into a colleague from environmental services this morning who was very animated about something he’d read… so much so that he sent me the link straight away.
I’d prepared myself to read about a new road sweeper that the council wouldn’t be able to afford but, no, my colleague was excited about chewing gum.
As many of you know, gum is (literally) a dirty word for anyone involved in street cleaning. The stuff plasters the streets of the UK and is unsightly… a streetscene tar spot if you will.
In the past, we’ve provided special gum bins and launched promotion campaigns to stop Joe Public ‘gobbing’ their gum on the pavement. Manufacturers supported responsible disposal and pledged to support work to create a biodegradable alternative… and now that moment has arrived.
Already on sale in the US, it is hoped that Rev7, designed at Bristol University in spearmint and peppermint flavours, will hit UK shops soon.
A biodegradable gum, it has the same taste and texture as normal gum, but is water soluble. Backers claim can be easily removed from clothes using soap and water.
Tests have showed that over 50 per cent can be removed by conventional street cleaning, rather than the specialist rigs currently used by councils.
Any gum washed into the drains will ‘degrade into minerals, biodegradable products and inert materials’.
Central to the gum is a less sticky polymer and the good news for councils does not end there. Other future applications could include anti-graffiti paint.
You can read more about Rev7 here
I’d prepared myself to read about a new road sweeper that the council wouldn’t be able to afford but, no, my colleague was excited about chewing gum.
As many of you know, gum is (literally) a dirty word for anyone involved in street cleaning. The stuff plasters the streets of the UK and is unsightly… a streetscene tar spot if you will.
In the past, we’ve provided special gum bins and launched promotion campaigns to stop Joe Public ‘gobbing’ their gum on the pavement. Manufacturers supported responsible disposal and pledged to support work to create a biodegradable alternative… and now that moment has arrived.
Already on sale in the US, it is hoped that Rev7, designed at Bristol University in spearmint and peppermint flavours, will hit UK shops soon.
A biodegradable gum, it has the same taste and texture as normal gum, but is water soluble. Backers claim can be easily removed from clothes using soap and water.
Tests have showed that over 50 per cent can be removed by conventional street cleaning, rather than the specialist rigs currently used by councils.
Any gum washed into the drains will ‘degrade into minerals, biodegradable products and inert materials’.
Central to the gum is a less sticky polymer and the good news for councils does not end there. Other future applications could include anti-graffiti paint.
You can read more about Rev7 here
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