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World Famous Expert on Suburbia Sir Peter Hall to speak on Saturday at Ealing Central Library

Hi there, just wanted to draw your attention to an event this Saturday in Ealing Central Library. Hope this works as a hyperlink:http://bloomsburyhistory.typepad.com/bloomsbury-history/2014/01/local-history-conference-suburbia-in-west-london-ealing-uk.htmlOtherwise click on "events" to the right. More info: A local history conference on the subject of suburbia with particular reference  to west London will take place this Saturday 25th January at Ealing Central Library from 2.30. A series of talks will be delivered by speakers including Ealing borough historian Jonathan Oates, the Sociology Lecturer and former Deputy Mayoress of Ealing Dr Rupa Huq and the eminent academic and previous government advisor on urbanism and planning Sir Professor Peter Hall. Professor Hall, author of some 40 books will be discussing his latest “Good Cities, Better Lives” and Dr Huq will draw on her recent two titles "On the Edge" and "Making Sense of Suburbia Through Popular Culture". Both are Ealing residents. Huq will argue that the true soul of the nation now resides in suburbia and that the tourist attractions of Buckingham Palace, Stratford on Avon and Stonehenge tell us nothing about contemporary British society whereas Ealing is a microcosm of it. Other topics to be probed include the status of Bedford Park, whether the title "Queen of the Suburbs" for Ealing is justified and why riots came to Ealing in 2011. All are welcome.To book call 020 8 825 9278 or 0203 700 1053 or email ealing.reading@carillionservies.co.uk Admission is £4Hope to see you there, do spread the word

Rupa Huq ● 4623d4 Comments ● 4614d

CYCLING TEST A 'SENSIBLE' IDEA

Letters: Ealing Gazette Friday 24 January 2014ROAD TESTS FOR CYCLISTSWhat commentators [Colin Lomas 17 January and others] either forget, or are not aware of, is that cycling on the pavement was made a fixed penalty offence by Home Office Minister of State Paul Boateng in 1999 to help the police enforce Section 72 of the 1835 Highways Act. DfT minister Robert Goodwill has just reissued those 1999 guidelines.The issues were discussed on Radio 4’s PM programme last Friday 17 January [http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03pmkb3  31.56 mins - 37.20 mins] between Tony Armstrong Chief Executive of Living Streets and Roger Geffen of the Cyclist Touring Charity (CTC). Roger Geffen speaking for cyclists said “…….. one of the options available to the police should be to send the cyclist on a cycle training course"."We send drivers who’ve offended on driver training and speed awareness courses. Surely it is even more justified to do that for cyclists, given that is effectively a punishment that not only fits the crime but but fixes it too by giving cyclists the confidence and skills to ride safely and correctly and according to the law on the roads.”Seen in this light, Jean Orman’s idea [letters 10 January] that cyclists should be required to take a test before they ride on the roads sounds eminently sensible. Because of confusion in the public mind, a police and local authority publicity/poster campaign reminding the population at large that the ‘default’ law is that pavement cycling is illegal, unless signposted otherwise [This] would go a long way to help the police enforce the law against it by making sure that those who do it do so knowingly (or ‘willingly’) as the law says. Tony Purton Ealing                    ==================================NOTE: The full transcript of the BBC Radio 4PM interview referred to above can be read under post PAVEMENTS ARE FOR PEDESTRIANS - 8The full text of Home Office Minister's July 1999 'guidance' letter can be read under post PAVEMENTS ARE FOR PEDESTRIANS - 6

Tony Purton ● 4621d17 Comments ● 4618d