THE DOOR
The door was old, but it still functioned as a door. It opened and closed, and kept us safe and warm. As it got older, it got a bit cranky and quirky. The spring-loaded closing mechanism no longer worked as it should. If you were a small person, a cat or a delivery driver, you had to beware this big old heavy door slamming shut whether you were in, out, or somewhere in between.
Read moreI nearly choked on my favourite muesli while reading 10 ethical brands owned by unethical companies, then threw up after eating my favourite chocolate to make myself feel better.
Read moreSigns of the times…
Read moreRESPONSES TO MY OPEN LETTER TO PETER MASON
I got a reply to my open letter to Peter Mason[pdf], Leader of Ealing Council, and one of my local ward councillors. Slightly oddly, he addressed it not just to me, but also to CASH (Clean Air for Southall and Hayes, and my neighbour Angela Fonso (who heads up the campaign group. You can see a record of all Mason’s Letters to CASH, if you’re interested in the history. I’d also submitted two Freedom of Information requests(FOIs) to try to get answers, as I didn’t expect a reply (as he has never replied directly to any of my previous questions).
Read moreI learnt a new word today. Big kid complained that little kid “yeeted” his Lego Pikachu. I had to look it up. Yeet: to throw especially with force and without regard for the thing being thrown.
Read moreOPEN LETTER TO PETER MASON
Publishing this as it’s in the public interest and I’ve had no reply to my original email sent on 1st July (Mason has, as far as I know, several personal assistants who read and respond to his emails, even if it’s just a holding acknowledgement response - I’ve had one before, as well as a next day reply, and a ‘no reply at all’). I’ve also now submitted two Freedom of Information requests to get answers to my questions.
Read moreI’m about to carry a bag of sand.
Read moreBig announcement* planned for tomorrow for #tinap aficionados. *Not a podcast.
Read morePersonalised alarm call at 6:30 this morning as my little kid puked on my back.
Read moreMorning walk, ostensibly to source the kids' favourite ice lollies. Mission unaccomplished.
Read moreEnjoyed plenty of sun and relatively fresh air in our communal garden today. Kids enjoyed the beach tent, but the paddling pool kept deflating (not that we had access to any water to fill it). Cleaned out our tiny “shed”, and put up wooden blinds in the bedroom as well!
Read moreThree year old playing Scrabble for the first time. First word he tries to spell is his brother Zion’s name.
Read moreLittle kid turned on his Amazon Fire “Kids” tablet. A game asks him to enter his date of birth to play. He types in “1234”, et voilà!
Read moreThis is why I’m always frothing at the mouth.
Read moreBased on [residents'] feedback, Ealing Council has drawn up a list of ideas to reduce congestion and to make walking, cycling and using public transport easier in Southall. There are links to the survey results and to a new survey.
Read moreAdam Curtis (1984), The Great British Housing Disaster, on how local councils dealt with unsafe new housing developments. “Privately, they know that their tenants are at risk, but publicly they have to try to defend the decision to leave them…”
Read moreLocal council elections today in many areas. Don’t forget you now need to take some form of id with you (passport, driving licence, or something else from this list).
Read moreBig kid: “Dad! Dad! I killed the Ender Dragon, and I wasn’t even looking!” Me: “What are you doing?” Big kid: “Twerking backwards.”
Read moreRISKS TO HEALTH FROM REMEDIATING SOUTHALL GASWORKS
AI is more ethical than Ealing Labour Party. No money was exchanged. What are the risks to health from remediating Southall Gasworks on site in the open air? The land is highly contaminated with benzene, naphthalene and a while host of other VOCs, PAHs, heavy metals, “blue billy” and asbestos, and surrounded by residential streets. The local community is mostly of south Asian and African heritage, and it is known that people with this heritage can be genetically vulnerable to naphthalene poisoning.
Read moreFirst salad of the Sum…, er, Spring.
Read moreI AM THE LEADER OF EALING COUNCIL
I asked Google Bard to advise me on a local matter. I am the leader of Ealing Council. I have received more than 250 reports about a BAD odour nuisance and air pollution from the remediation of the highly contaminated Southall Gasworks land. We had a public meeting where 250 angry residents complained about health problems as a result of the air pollution, including eye, nose and throat irritation, respiratory problems and infections, and even cancer and death of loved ones.
Read moreUNDER POISONED SKIES
Watched Under Poisoned Skies on BBC iPlayer last night. It’s the sad and shocking story of children in Iraq dying from leukaemia as a result of toxic air pollution from mega rich oil companies burning off excess natural gas in the open air near their homes. Benzene (found in the air) and naphthalene (found in the children’s urine samples) are the main carcinogens. Levels of benzene are between 3 and 9.
Read moreSOUTHALL RESIDENTS TO GIVE BLOOD SAMPLES
After six years of campaigning for justice: “The fact that gas used to be manufactured from coal has been lost to the public consciousness, but the chemical legacy remains.” “These communities already have multiple disadvantages with air pollution, overcrowding and poor housing. This is another burden being placed on them.” Via: Scientists to examine health fears at west London luxury development
Read moreREADING FOR PLEASURE
Two years ago my then six year old took what turned out to be a permanent break from the daily fifteen minute Easyread lessons he’d been doing for six months to catch up on his reading. When he started, he couldn’t and wouldn’t read. At the weekend he asked to go to the library where he chose a book by his favourite author. The following two mornings he read a chapter to himself before breakfast instead of watching TV.
Read moreDark Star, Red Robin.
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