Curly's Corner Shop, the blog!

………or is it the other way around?

I was inspired to make this fetching piece of art having read that Cllr. Allen Branley, the millionaire dentist and property developer, has launched an art gallery. The South Tyneside Independent Alliance councillor (twice removed) has partnered up  with Corbridge artist Andy Balman to present and promote works of art within his Complete Smile Dental business in Thomas Street, South Shields.

I wish him well, it is an innovative way to get people to wander into the former Chelsea Cat building to browse some paintings and ponder some fillings and crowns whilst they are there.

I was inspired to make this piece of artistic representation by two things, this painting found at Branley’s new Complete Art website, a fascinating little rural montage featuring a sketch of a bird and a hanging stickman,  and the interesting history of Cllr. Branley’s local political career. The new website is quite informative, and once you are finished looking around the works of art in the Customs House, spent some time in the Customs House shop in King Street, South Shields, perused Bill and Ian West’s photography in Harton Village, you can come back to learn that Cllr. Branley splits his time between South Shields and Texas in the USA as a practising dentist, lecturer, and international art collector. He is clearly a very busy man!

I am fascinated by Allen’s taste in art as illustrated and presented on his new website, the two potato heads with the joker’s hat tickled me, as did the tasteful young naked lady, I also found a couple of mad hatters surrounded by small works, all very nice.

If anyone is interested I can provide an A4 print on very plain paper of the above piece “The Road to Westoe” for only £900.

I’d like to finish this post with a piece of music dedicated to those who don’t have tow pennies to rub together, cannot afford to own properties, and to those who need a drink (or three), – just enjoy the art, it’s healthier.

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“Offensive” Scot……

….Sacked by Sky Sports after failing to arrange to get his tongue tucked in (watch the video if you are in the UK).

Reported by the same BBC who hung on to the equally offensive Jonathan Ross for two years and even aired the even more offensive Russell Brand as recently as January 19th this year!

At a press conference about the offside laws Kenny Dalglish asked if it would be OK for a Scot to remain in the room, he also asked if any of his colleagues were uploading videos to YouTube, just to be on the safe side.

Curly thinks that MOTD would be much improved for half of South Shields’ footy fans if the equally balding Alan Shearer was replaced, along with the old groaners from Liverpool.

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Johnson resignation brings promotion for Ed “blinky” Balls.

The news of Alan Johnson’s resignation probably came as a shock for most of us, including the media and front line Labour politicians,  this morning both The Daily Telegraph and The Daily Mail, reveal that Johnson’s wife has had an alleged affair with the former Home Secretary’s close protection officer Paul Rice. Detective Constable Rice has currently been employed to protect the new Home Secretary Theresa May who was out of the country yesterday, and it is reported that he has been made the subject of enquiry by the Metropolitan Police Directorate of Professional Standards, which investigates complaints about conduct.

A Metropolitan Police statement said only that “certain matters regarding a constable were referred to the Directorate of Professional Standards”, adding “we are not in a position to discuss this matter any further”.

The messy outcome of the problems in Johnson’s personal life have been nothing short of a disaster for Labour’s new Leader Ed Miliband for a number of reasons, he has lost the “balance” in his Shadow Cabinet where Johnson was seen as the moderating communicator, even though his grasp of economic affairs appeared to be tenuous, the resulting promotion of Ed Balls to Shadow Chancellor brings back a man who was deliberately overlooked as Miliband tried to put some distance between himself and the outgoing Labour administration, the quick reshuffle of portfolios gave additional strength to the cohorts of Brown supporters, Miliband will also be seen as handing a communications “gift” to David Cameron and George Osborne who will gleefully spend months reiterating that Balls was one of the principle architects of Labour’s spend and burn economy.

All of a sudden the news agenda has shifted away from David Cameron and his difficulties with the NHS and the care of severely disabled children and on to the two “Edded”  hybrid which is charged with running the Opposition, Tories will make great play of the failed ambitions of Ed Balls to win the Labour Leadership election and of the weakness of Ed Miliband in having his hand forced in appointing a new Shadow Chancellor. With new appointments for “wee” Dougie Alexander, Ball’s wife Yvette Cooper, Tessa Jowell and Liam Byrne (the man who admitted they’d spent all of the money) his team becomes almost a replica of Labour’s last Cabinet, there appear to be only two missing, Gordon Brown and South Shields MP David Miliband.  This will not be lost on the coalition government who will point out the lack of new ideas and direction within the Labour Party, they are also likely to allude to the comparisons with Brown and Blair’s fractious relationship and try to develop the wedge that separates Ed Miliband and Ed Balls’ driving obsessions on economic policy.

Additionally this morning former Prime Minister Tony Blair is back in front of the Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq war where he will attempt to tell bits of the truth, the edited truth and nothing harmful to himself about the truth.

Oh yes the boys are definitely back in town today, spelling a total communications disaster for Miliband Minor as events and circumstance move totally outside of his control.

Of course they may be some truth in the old adage that it’s better to keep your friends close and your enemies even closer!

Guess who just got back today?
Them wild-eyed boys that had been away
Haven’t changed, haven’t much to say
But man, I still think them cats are crazy

ps – Did anyone else notice last night, just after the news of Ed Balls’ appointment that Sarah Brown sent a Tweet out from Gordon about economic policy? I guess he couldn’t manage to do it himself then and didn’t want to muddy the waters by making a press statement.

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Independent Alliance to debate Government database policy at South Tyneside Council

Well, in some respects I can understand where the political sympathies lie, and the general intention to think well of South Tyneside Council and its children’s services, but to bring a motion such as this to the full council is a wee bit frivolous and entirely outside of the remit of the council’s responsibilities.

The Contact Point database set up under the last government was bedevilled with problems and fears were expressed about its security and stability as long ago as August 2007 before it was being operated:

The Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ACDS) has written to officials outlining its “significant” concerns about the new system, called ContactPoint, The Times has learnt. Confusion over who is responsible for vetting users and policing the system “may allow a situation where an abuser could be able to access ContactPoint for illegitimate purposes with limited fear of any repercussions”, Richard Stiff, the chairman of the ADCS Information Systems and Technology Policy Committee, said….

“The enormous size of the database and the huge number of probable users inevitably increase the risks of accidental or inadvertent breaches of security, and of deliberate misuse of the data (eg, disclosure of an address with malign intent), which would be likely to bring the whole scheme into disrepute”, the Lords’ Select Committee on Merits of Statutory Instruments concluded.

The database designed to hold the personal details of 11 million children in England can continue to hold this information until the “child” is 25 years old if they are care leavers or have learning disabilities, way beyond the “protection” called for by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. A large number of criticisms relating to invasion of the individual’s privacy have been expressed since Contact Point started operating prompting calls for the new government to scrap it completely. The legislation which allows officials to collate and use individuals private details where they have “any areas of concern” has been accused of using “function creep” as the state’s intrusions into private life through covert surveillance continued under New Labour.

Not long after its launch this year The Daily Telegraph carried a report criticising its security and stability:

Contactpoint, the £224 million computer system designed to protect young people, is a “frustrating” database and not “user friendly” for local authorities, internal documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show….

One official, whose details were blacked out, reported to a supervisor: “It has been a frustrating time recently which recently culminated in a breach of the system.

“The system they are accessing is not stable, it took 15 minutes for John to get into it this morning.

“The process is not user friendly. Data is an issue locally, a lot of it doesn’t match up, especially addresses. There are also issues around what needs recording for each agency to get consistency.”

Such vulnerabilities in the system leave it open to abuse by those who it was designed to protect children from, and the report goes on to detail other security lapses and breeches which raise serious concerns about its usage.

However, my main issue here is not so much the national policy agenda for these “Big Brother databases”, but the role of our local council here in South Tyneside and the issues it should be debating as we attempt to ride out this recession and the effects of dealing with the structural budget deficit left by the last Labour government. Our local councillors ought to be debating local issues of concern to local people and leave the national policy agenda to the borough’s two Members of Parliament, that is after all, what we elected them to do. Surely the group of Independent Alliance councillors could have written to David Miliband and Stephen Hepburn expressing their concerns about Contact Point rather than tying up time at the full meeting of the borough council to allow certain members to “grandstand” their own policy positions. Unfortunately this is the type of “politics” that we have come to expect from this opposition grouping – lots of hot air and very little in the way of substance.

To substantiate that point can we remind them that :

The government is considering bringing back a version of the controversial Contact Point children’s database, just months after the original project was halted.

Tim Loughton, junior minister for children and families,  admitted, “We are exploring the practicality of an alternative national signposting service which would help practitioners find out whether a colleague elsewhere is working, or has previously worked, with the same vulnerable child.”
He added, “The approach would particularly take account of the needs of children who move between local authority areas or who access services in more than one local authority.

“Social workers in particular, and potentially other key services like the police or accident and emergency departments, may need this information very quickly. Any new approach would seek to strengthen communication between these areas.”

Not much need for this debate then, South Tyneside Council doesn’t operate the database nor can it change, evolve, reinstate, or renew it, perhaps we can get back to more local issues such as the level of council tax, economic regeneration, planning, or local schools policy.

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Welcome back to the MiliTV Channel, just one of a series of initiatives which I am considering to supplement my salary for being the MP for South Shields. I consider these part-time jobs as an essential duty as I do my bit to pay back part of the £1 trillion  debt that my colleagues in the last Labour government built up for you, (and yes I know, some of you are finding it difficult to get one job never mind two or three). Don’t know if you realised but it’s building up at the rate of over £7000 per second now because David Cameron and George Osborne cannot get to grips with controlling this wonderful legacy that we left for your children and grandchildren. Every employed person in the UK now owes over £34000 to pay for our wonderful thirteen years in office, and the LibCon coalition government now has to spend nearly £43 billion a year on interest charges alone, that’s more than it costs to run the Ministry of Defence!

Anyway, back to the TV show, this is Colmans in Ocean Road, South Shields’ most celebrated chippy, couldn’t make my mind up whether or not I should treat Bill Bryson to haddock and chips the other night and not sure if he likes mushy peas. I really ought to cut out these luxuries as I help to pay back the debt with extra jobs, but looking on the bright side, they do serve them up in great boxes which recycle really well.

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First new major job for David Miliband, persuade the striker to withdraw his transfer request!

This news has come as a major shock to Sunderland fans here in South Shields, with the club confirming Darren Bent has handed in a written transfer request following yesterday’s derby match draw against Newcastle United. The news, which was announced on Radio 5 this afternoon will test the ability of the club to influence the player, and test its ambitions in finishing this season’s campaign in as high a position as possible. This is not the first time that Bent has asked to leave, and apparently the club are prepared to dig their heels in over his transfer request, especially as there could be interest from elsewhere.

It is understood that Aston Villa’s American owner Randy Lerner has sanctioned an £18m move for the England capped striker to bolster Villa’s hopes of remaining in the Premiership. Sunderland fans will be utterly shocked at the news, as it looks pretty clear that the player is bent on leaving Wearside with the lure of a probable significant signing on fee and a hike in wages.

Perhaps there is a case for South Shields MP David Miliband to test his international credentials on behalf of the club and the legions of Sunderland supporters within his constituency who do not want to see Sunderland’s campaign fall apart with the loss of it’s influential goal scorer. Miliband could well remind Darren Bent of the possibility of travel to European cities in a red and white shirt, if he was willing to forego the lucre of Lerner and see out at least another year of his contract at the Stadium of Light. Bent would be unlikely to see much European action for the midlands team next season if he decides to jump ship now.

So come on Mr. Miliband, pick up that phone and start doing what Niall Quinn really wants from you – community involvement and international influence as:

“We’re always challenging ourselves to find new ways to grow and develop the club and to make it stronger.”

On the possible non-executive director’s position for David Milband, Steve Bruce added:

“It just lifts the brand and what we are trying to achieve, and it might give a little more street cred, if that’s the right word, to what we are trying to do.”

That street cred will be shot to shreds if Quinn, Bruce, and perhaps Miliband allow Bent’s transfer request to stand, with the club currently sitting in sixth place in the Premier League one had hoped that there was an ambition to win a place in a European competition next year. If Bent is now allowed to leave a replacement bought as a panic measure might well ensue (unless, of course, that the proceeds of Bent’s sale are used to tempt Danny Wellbeck away from Old Trafford.)

So, come on Mr. Miliband, half of your constituency football supporters need your intervention – now!

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Predictable derby day result

It’s been a while since I wrote seriously about football, but seriously, as a Sunderland fan I thought we were lucky to get that point today. I never attempt to predict a win on derby day, the most predictable outcome generally is a hard fought draw.

The Toon came to The Stadium of Light well organised tight and compact at the back and Gutierrez and Barton generalled the midfield for them, up front Amoebi had a couple of chances and Best was at best totally anonymous. As for Sunderland, our midfield had no bite at all, El Mohamady’s crosses mostly went to waste, and once again we failed to rise to the occasion, both strikers Bent and Gyan looked ineffective and wasted chances.

Newcastle certainly took the game to Sunderland in the first ten minutes, but then the football came to an end and we were fed a diet of long ball stuff from both teams, and passing was at a premium in the middle of the park where very few playmakers were on display. Newcastle’s goal was hardly a joy to behold, although Ameobi always seems to be a major threat to us, his headed knock down would probably have sneaked in on its own without Nolan’s deft back heel. It was always going to be an uphill battle after that, and we can count ourselves fortunate that the Lads can at least battle on these days beyond the standard ninety minutes.

Gyan, probably knew little about his equaliser after it bounced in on the rebound from his chest, and whilst the point for the draw is always welcome I don’t think in honesty that Toon fans will be happy with a point away from home. It must have felt like a loss for them, we never really tested Harper’s goal, there was never a feeling that we might threaten a goal or two, and this was simply because when Newcastle had the ball we had nobody capable of winning it back, and only one player in the right frame of mind to put it into the box.

So, a point gained for Sunderland, a get out of jail moment.

At any rate that’s the end of derby days for this season, and putting my libertarian hat on for a moment, I find it sad that the police are having to resort to treating people like animals again (all in the name of public safety you know). Kettling is bad enough for crowds, but now they have the more formidable solid metal walls to constrain and funnel people with, rather like goading sheep, pigs, or cattle into the lorries that take them to the abattoir. Treat people like animals and they sometimes end up behaving that way, sadly the only contact between fans was inside the stadium where chairs were being ripped up and hurled at each other.

There were still a handful of arrests both inside and outside of the ground, but at least the metal “walls” will have reduced the amount of potential manpower needed to police the match. It is all a bit sad to think that the only visible contact between the fans and the police on their way to the buses would have been at the end of a metal tunnel to be greeted by a big policeman on horseback with a big stick.

It’s an intimidating thought, but perhaps that was the intention.

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Former South Tyneside Tory Leader is battling personal problems, also leaves Conservative Party.

In a statement today, the councillor says that he is a recovering alcoholic.

“It is with a deep sense of both relief and regret that I resign with immediate effect from South Tyneside Council, the Conservative Party and frontline politics.

“It will come as no surprise to many of you that I am a recovering alcoholic. I recognise that public life is of no benefit to my recovery, and in turn I am of no benefit to public life. I must step aside.

“I’ve fought many opponents in my political career. Alas, the biggest one was always staring me in the face. I have always failed to beat alcohol.

“I have represented the people of Cleadon and East Boldon since I was 21 years of age. I will always have a great passion for our villages and, indeed, our borough.

“However, it is now my focus to concentrate on saving my life and helping other alcoholics within our region to deal with this evil illness in a constructive way. There is hope for all of us.

“If you have found yourself in the firing line of my disgraceful behaviour, then I apologise unreservedly.”

Apparently his decision has nothing to do with the mounting furore caused by his Tweet describing South Shields MP David Miliband as a w****er.

One of his latest Tweets was an attack on former Conservative Party member Ian Galletley who was the party’s candidate in Stockton North at the general election last year, describing him as a moron.

This cannot have impressed the party hierarchy, or his local colleagues.

Picture courtesy of South Tyneside Borough Council

Update 13:42

Hebburn Liberal Democratic Councillor Joe Abbott “wishes David well for the future”.

Independent Alliance deputy leader Councillor Ahmed Khan gloats on three separate Twitter sites at once, proving that he writes them all.

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South Tyneside Council Conservative Leader resigns seat

+++Hot rumour+++Developing+++

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This 2011 Calendar really gets under my skin.

A man called Ray Hunter emailed me towards the back end of last year, he wanted permission to use one of my images to make a calendar with, now if you are a follower of South Shields Daily Pictures you will know that I take my photography a bit seriously!

I often give people permission to use an image of mine free of charge, but strictly for non commercial purposes and strictly with attribution, so that the viewer knows who the photographer is. It serves the purpose of spreading my name and getting more visitors to the site. However, if someone wishes to use an image with commercial intent, and wanting to derive some profit from it, then it’s only fair that I get some of the reward for my work, intellectual and artistic ability, and the hours of post production required to make my images.

I emailed Ray and gave him permission to use a low resolution copy of this image, if, and only if, it was for a non commercial purpose. I informed him that if he wished to use a full resolution image with commercial intent, then we could mutually agree a license fee for its duplication and publication. I haven’t heard from him since.

You can bet that I was less than pleased when I received from a friend a copy of the Marsden and Whitburn Taxis 2011 Magnetic Calendar recently, which is adorned with this image. You may like to compare the image with the calendar, the image has been cropped and my Curly 2010 watermark in the top left corner has subsequently been removed, but it is surely my image!

If you have a copy of this calendar, you will notice that there is no attribution at all, no mention of where the picture came from. Therefore it would please me enormously if you destroyed it, the distribution of them is seriously getting under my skin, this clearly looks like a breach of copyright and is plainly contravening both the conditions for use as stated on every page of South Shields Daily Pictures, and the related Creative Commons License which I use to protect my images, also linked to on every page.

Marsden and Whitburn Taxis have previously been known as Marsden and District Taxis and Marsden and Cleadon Taxis, they are not strangers to controversy.

I am in the process of sending Mr. Hunter a bill for my services to his company.

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