Nadolig Llawen

 Merry Christmas! 

Merry Christmas 2023

 

Turkey is in the oven. Picture from our morning walk to work up an appetite.

Picture Solomon's Tower, Buxton Country Park. Christmas Day 23

Labour Unions Christmas Shop

I have just ordered a "Labour New Deal for Working People" mug for Christmas. Check out other gifts https://labourunions-shop.org.uk/

 "Dear John,

With Christmas almost upon us, a reminder that our Labour Unions Campaign Shop carries a range of gifts for the trade unionist in your life.

Whether they’d prefer to drink their coffee out of a New Deal for Working People mug, or if they’d rather their tea to declare Never Cross a Picket Line, we’ve got you covered.

Or perhaps one of our New Deal posters will hit the spot.

Head over to our Labour Unions shop for all the solidarity stocking fillers you might need.

labourunions.org.uk/campaignshop

Yours in festive solidarity,

Helen and Robbie"

Introducing the Retirement Living Standards (& Future Christmas Dinners)

This is a really clever approach by the PLSA to encouraging people think about their pensions seriously Once you decide what lifestyle you want after retirement you can then think about what you have to do to achieve it. 

Do you want a "Minimum", "Moderate" or "Comfortable" retirement? 

Of course due to the current grossly inadequate state and employer pension provision many will be left with only a "minimum" retirement. 

Check out https://www.retirementlivingstandards.org.uk/ 

and also a seasonal variation on what sort of Christmas dinner you could afford on the different pension standards. 

https://infogram.com/9797f63c-f761-4f60-9e5c-1011e606d7bd

Nadolig Llawen: Happy Christmas!

Hat tip my favourite Welsh artist, Kyffin Williams and his painting "The Gathering" and in a 2021 post Covid world (fingers and toes) I hope to climb to the top of this same mountain Glyder Fach in Snowdonia. 

The Two Ronnies Christmas Special 1982

Off message but its Xmas and feeling nostalgic

Triangle Christmas Market - Sunday 9 December 11-4pm by West Ham All Saints Church E15 3HX

This will be a great Christmas event for the ward.

A Christmas Story. East London. 2017 (In one of the richest countries in the World)

I have just donated £50 to the Magpie Project in Forest Gate in lieu of xmas cards to friends and colleagues.

"Welcome to the Magpie Project

We can’t solve the housing crisis, but we believe in making children’s lives better during their time in temporary accommodation.

We provide practical support and advice to mothers and children under five in temporary or insecure accommodation in Newham.

We believe all children have a right to a secure, safe place to play, healthy food, engaged parents, and access support no matter what their family circumstances".

I admit to being somewhat hypocritical since I like getting xmas cards myself and to being disorganised and a little lazy with sending cards but I do prefer donating (and then sending daft e-cards).

I know people who volunteer to help in this project and I think the above caption about "this is a crisis" says it all.

It also reminds me why we need a proper Labour government in this country.

Magpie project https://themagpieproject.org/

Donate here https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/magpieproject 

Communist Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone :)

Hat tip Councillor Stroppy

Have a Merry Jezza Christmas

This new festive song 'JC4PM for me' by Robb Johnson and The Corbynistas has solved my dilemma about what present to give to Red Tel, RW and the 22 Newham Mayoral advisers for Christmas :)

"Published on 27 Nov 2016

Official video of 'JC4PM for me'.
Available for download on 9 December 2016.
All profits go to the Trussell Trust.
Filmed and edited by Roland Denning".

Hat tip Daisy Parsons

My first Christmas Card 2015

This was one of the first Christmas Cards that I received this year. I have some unusual friends and colleagues. This year I will again be donating to a good cause in lieu of sending cards. I hope people don't mind.

Festive and Seasonable best wishes to (nearly) all.

CBI says Bosses must pay workers more (is it their patriotic duty?)

No, this is not a New Year spoof but has the Spirit of Christmas finally got the better of the Scrooges union boss or is there a more practical reason for such a statement?  

John Cridland, director general of the CBI, said that businesses had to deliver "better pay and more opportunities" for their employees....still far too many people stuck in minimum wage jobs without routes to progression, and that's a serious challenge that businesses and the government must address"  BBC report here

Is this anything to do with this   "2013 will be the fifth calendar year in a row when average earnings increase by less than prices.  This is unprecedented in at least the last seventy to eighty years, and possibly for much longer".  CIPD

Check out TUC "Britain Needs a Payrise" "Depressed wages equal depressed consumer demand, which leads to less investment and productivity falls - a spiral of economic decline. Lower wages also mean reduced tax receipts, leaving less revenue for vital services".

I am by coincidence writing up a draft pay claim for my employer 2014/2015 to union stewards for their agreement. Shall I also include this statement "it is clear from the comments of the CBI and the Chartered Institute of Personal & Development that it your patriotic duty to pay your workers more".

This Christmas the future looks bleak for your firefighters

Support your firefighters who are on strike and working to rule this Christmas to save their pensions.

Christmas Sunshine Over Maeni Hirion

Off message-ish but I thought I would share my picture of the early bronze age stone circle, Maeni Hirion. It was taken on a marvellous pathfinder guide walk on Sunday in Penmaenmawr, North Wales. The far edge of the Snowdonian National Park overlooking the sea. Nowadays you may have driven past Penmaenmawr in minutes while along the A55 on route to Anglesey or Ireland. In the past it use to be a popular seaside resort. A favourite with William Gladstone.

This stone circle is better known as the "Druids Circle" yet it was built a 1000 years before the Druids first came to the area with Iron Age invaders.

Sunday was only a few days after the winter solstice.  You would imagine in the past that the midst of winter and the shortest day, would have been an important time of the year for those who built it.

It is a breathtakingly beautiful and peaceful site even if the wind whips red raw any skin you foolishly expose to the elements.

Check out the balanced and thoughtful (as ever) Jack of Kent post on the origins of Christmas here.

Nadolig Llawen everyone!

Merry Communist Christmas

Hat tip to my best ever Newham comrade Stroppy! 

Life in Nahr-e-Saraj – Winter 2011

"As most of us worry about a few extra pounds we put on over Christmas or sit here moaning about the football, many others will have far more serious things to worry about, debt, unemployment, poverty and then we also have those who are worried about their loved ones serving in Afghanistan.

To remind us of how these brave men and women were spending their Christmas, I attach an email that the Colonel of 5 Rifles ( a good friend and former colleague sent me yesterday)"....  Click here Hat tip Alasdair Ross blog. Former British Army warrant officer and now a Labour Councillor in Ipswich.

Health and Safety Christmas Myths

Check out the list of Christmas "myths" (or rather complete porkies and distortions) about health and safety. This "Top 10" list was  compiled by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). 

The same old (dare I say) chestnuts are here - such as children being banned from having snowball fights and carol singers being classified as a health and safety risk.  This is indeed a load of old nonsense but this has nothing to do with safety regulations.  Some organisations just use 'elf n' safety as an excuse. While many Tory politicians and their media just make things up about safety issues in order to make cheap political points.

If trivialising health and safety wasn't such a serious issue you would be amused by the attempt of the Daily Telegraph who covered the story here as some sort of attack on "health and safety killjoys" yet completely missing the point that the problem is not the safety regulations but myth making and grossly inaccurate reporting by...(amongst many others)... The Daily Telegraph.  See their coverage here of Brownies being banned from carol singing. Never mind the rubbish put out by its political stable mate the Daily Mail. 

Finally check out this piece of common sense written last year by IOSH Chair, Rob Strange. 

Christmas Day Walk 2011: Wanstead Flats and Wanstead Park

Off message but it's Christmas! Panorama picture overlooking Ornamental Waters, Wanstead Park from bottom of "The Long Walk". This tree on the left has been leaning towards the lake for as long as I can remember.  I've posted some more pics from this walk on Facebook here.

Merry Christmas

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Hat tip thingy Stroppybird.

Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda

Bow, East London.