Disabled People and Cycling

I attended a meeting yesterday about changes to a town centre and effects on disabled people yesterday. A representative of local disability groups commented that in his experience in focus groups of disabled people, strong fear of cyclists were commonly expressed. I found this very thought provoking, because I am a disabled person whose primary…

A Theory of Everything

Saw the Hawkins film last night so thought I would have a go 🙂   Infinity=zero   Justify! Above has three elements - the three body problem - it is unstable! Chaotic! Non-linear! Complex! We are agreed that at the quantum level "stuff" is continually bubbling in and out of existence. When we go to…

Cycling – some introductory reading

I have just discovered that some key authors seem to be unknown. I am just posting some names here and leave it to readers to use their search skills! Humboldt Gehl Don Norman Hass-Klau Steven Fleming Deming Meadows Illich Murray Bookchin

A London of villages?

I proposed this to lcc agm last year. "That all London Boroughs  and both the GLA and TfL map London into villages (Waltham forest model) with clear definitions of the purposes of areas and streets. That all primarily residential areas (the vast majority of London) shall have 8 mph speed limits and access is only…

Security and equality

The UN has written “Disasters and other crises often exaggerate existing inequalities. But they also present opportunities to identify gaps in existing policies, to innovate new practices, and initiate greater efforts to correct for the uneven distribution of vulnerabilities” The implementation of these conventions, however, will no doubt be challenged by longstanding patterns of structural…

Once upon a time in Bridlington (Or Art Nouveau trains and cycles)

After a complex and interesting journey caused by a broken rail near Newark (this caused the train crew on an inbound train to kx to be delayed meaning the service I was transferred to following the cancellation of my train could not leave causing further cascade effects probably made worse by privatisation because there are…

Siloitis and street scene issues

I have recently had a serious health incident. One of the side effects of my health is that I have been getting around slower and therefore notice things! I must confess that I have professional experience in street scene matters, having worked for Eastbourne as a road sweeper, been a housing manager, including estates manager…

Floating homes and floating eco villages

Many people cannot now afford classic land based properties, including key workers like teachers nurses and police. A major cost of property is land. How might we remove the cost of land? By not using it! I envisage putting together a full suite of options – creating new docks and lakes in appropriate places –…

Are not Tories and cycling like bread and butter?

I wrote the following to a Mr Cameron  in 2007 🙂 Today's Observer p37 has an article "Why the middle classes are getting on their bikes". May I commend you stealing what the Dutch have done, and using this as a touchstone to see if the Labour Party will steal it from you? John Major…

The Rubicon and the European Union

I understand the Rubicon to the European Union was crossed at the 1975 referendum. Everything since then - Schengen, the Euro, the principles of the single market and freedom of movement has just been putting the bits of the jigsaw in place. Is it constitutionally possible to leave the Europe Union? Law is an extremely…