Scottish Parliament to debate local libraries.

 Here's the link, well done to all the library campaigners and thank you to CILIPS and Mark Ruskell for their support. https://www.cilips.org.uk/members-debate/

Lisa O'Neill, a new single - Homeless in The Thousands (Dublin in the Digital Age), an essential listen. When I go to Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, it's just the same. And this in two of the most affluent countries in the world. I could expect nothing better from the previous UK administration, but here in Scotland, SNP you've had years to do something about this... and what have you done? Lisa spoke about homelessness when we went to her gig at the end of last year. Brilliant music and an important topic that should be kept high on the political agenda.

 

https://lisa-oneill.bandcamp.com/

 

On a cheerier note, prolonged (no choice at 2 hours playing time) and repeated listening, to Cindy Lee have uncovered some influences. I can certainly hear both the Beta Band (3 EPs) and Television swirling around in there. I'm coming to the conclusion the album is some sort of prolonged love song(s).

 

https://cindylee.bandcamp.com/album/diamond-jubilee

Only available from Bandcamp and Geocities - a bit of genius.

Library protest Jan 2025 photos

Here are my photos from yesterday's demo in Perth. If anyone who was there would like a photo, I'm happy to send high quality jpeg please email me, you should have my email, or add a comment to this blog, but don't forget to leave your email address!

If any of these images would be useful for any of the the individual library campaigns, or for SORL please email me and I'll send highest quality jpeg that I have (plus a reduced size image). You need to include the photo reference - they are numbered (not necessarily in numerical order, please check) below each image.

I've not posted photos of children here. If your children were at the demo and you would like my photos email me. There are photos of the four children with the placards and of one of the two children who spoke.

NB photos are for private use, use by the campaign(s) - including press releases - but not for commercial use otherwise. Politicians, if you want to use my images please contact me first, thanks. If used for publication etc a photographers credit is necessary (e.g. Photo by Alastair Forsyth).

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Many thanks to everyone who attended the demo, it was bitterly cold. Special thanks to Jen for MC (despite getting me to speak) and to all the speakers. Thank you to Unison, who responded at very short notice to my email, and to the Labour Party and Green Party who both responded to my late notice Facebook messages.

I'm sure we made an impact, there were Perth and Kinross Councillors present who did not speak and will now have to think carefully about how they respond to our messages. The SNP Councillors' contribution was disappointing in my view as they do not seem to be understanding our message about the financial value of libraries to the Council and how libraries support the Social Care and Education budgets. For every £1 spent UEA research shows that libraries contribute £6 in community value, in other words libraries contribute significant savings to those Council budgets. There are local authorities across the UK who do understand this message and do not make cuts to their library provision because they understand the financial contribution the libraries make to other budget heads.

2024 lists - best album (Cindy Lee?)

 I trawl the lists, and indeed there are many of them. But it's a good way to dig out some great music. Nip over to Spotify and see if the lists have been posted there, maybe. But, you won't find this there.....

Diamond Jubilee by Cindy Lee

You're going to have to mozy on over to Bandcamp (click above) to get your fix of this wildly extravagant  madness $20 is a steal, I promise. In an age when the 37 minute album has returned (which I much appreciate, don't get me wrong), comes this sprawling, crazy, wonderful, entirely loopy and brilliant extravaganza. Have I listened all the way through? Not quite, yet.... Although the first couple tracks have had numerous replays as I couldn't quite believe they existed; and the whole album is like this. Do I love it already? Apply the affirmative. Something to lift the spirits, to play over and over, to reaffirm a positive belief in this world. So thank you, Patrick Flegel for 2 hours of wonder. You can find out more about Cindy Lee here (and please remember to send Wikipedia a couple of ££ - we need it to survive without corporate crap infestation).