Flatpack to the future

The slow down in house prices might be exciting some analysts but it still does little to help first-time buyers and those towards the lower reaches of the property ladder.
So the launch of the first Ikea flatpack community is being heralded by some as the first step towards a bright new future.
The Bo Klok concept has been initially [...]

Age is a state of mind

I think this is likely to take the accolade of my favourite story of the week, if not the month.
Pensioners having fun in their own purpose-built playground is a feel-good story in every sense.
Watching them negotiating the various items of equipment installed at the Dam Head estate in North Manchester also made me feel quite [...]

Agreeing with Alastair Campbell…a bit

I’m not afraid to admit it, I’m in total agreement with Alastair Campbell.
The one time No.10 spokesman has criticised the falling standards across the board within the media, as well as castigating the “sameness” of much of the output and “culture of negativity” that has gripped many in the industry.
Mr Campbell, political editor of the Daily [...]

I’m h-a-p-p-y

It appears your life takes something of a lurch towards Sadsville between the ages of 40 and 50, according to a new global research study of happiness.
We are happiest during our formative years and in our dotage, apparently, as we negotiate a U-shaped curve of our general mood and state of mind.
I only have a few [...]

When the train causes the strain

It is heartening to see West Country commuters staging another mass protest at the poor quality of local train services.
The protesting passengers have one rail company firmly in their sights, First Great Western (FGW), with a list of gripes that takes in increased fares, poor punctuality, overcrowded trains and staff shortages that all impact severely on [...]

Teenage suicides need a grown up response

A series of suicides involving teenagers and young adults in a South Wales community has prompted a predictable response, from national media interest to a complete lack of understanding about this particular generation.
There is undoubtedly more to these cases than mere coincidence, but attention appears to be focusing on one key area - the internet, [...]

Traditional Welsh lovespoons…mass produced in Borneo

It is heartening to see the Welsh craft industry is attempting to launch a long overdue fightback against authentic, traditional, handmade gifts that are actually manufactured in Asia.
It is claimed that the industry is losing out on millions of pounds each year as tourists and locals snap up Welsh souvenirs and trinkets which they mistakenly believe [...]

Friendly Facebook hates to delete

The privacy watchdog is asking Facebook to explain its data protection policies.
The Information Commission has taken up the investigation after a complaint by a user of the social network who was unable to fully delete their profile even after terminating their account.
It comes amid mounting concern about the way in which such sites store and use [...]

Tales of modern life…cont…

Another in the very occasional series of stories that sum up modern life.
More than half of teachers are worried about the rising problem of internet plagiarism amongst older and sixth form students.
The survey was commissioned by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), which is now calling on schools to introduce more robust policies to tackle [...]

Scrabulous attack earns Hasbro and Mattel no Facebook friends

The battle lines are being drawn.
In the red corner is one of the world’s biggest and best known toy and game manufacturers unimpressed that one of the internet’s fastest growing sites has effectively pinched one of its flagship products without even a handsome royalty payment.
In the blue corner we have a few hundred thousand angry Facebookers, viewing [...]