Where I live in Warrington is one of the wards which gets targeted by the BNP. And ignored - I mean, 13% of the vote at the last council election they stood in, it's not like that's a worry or anything, it is three safe Labour seats (unfortunately). A couple of years ago I noticed some National Front graffiti (which I reported and was removed).

So, last week, an interim report on Digital Britain was released. I have read the report and I've just finished a letter to my MP on the subject and thought I'd share it with you for last minute comment before I send it. Some stuff is in line with The Open Rights Group initial response other bits are stuff I've added. Text is behind the cut...

Alex
x x

So, the opening night of Warrington's first gay bar and I'm sat here at ten thirty typing away on my computer with a rather cryptic title to the blog post. This was going to be a video post so my voice could do loooooots of inflection and I could gesticulate wildly, but YouTube didn't want to QuickCap from my camera for some reason and I've not had much luck with pre-recorded videos encoding correctly. So you're stuck with black and white static pixels.

NOTE: The Kandi Bar is now shut.

Kandi Bar.

Warrington is getting a gay bar. A gay bar with a genuine bad drag DJ. Warrington is getting a gay bar. Warrington.

That's my Saturday night planned this weekend. It's going to be awful. But in the best possible way.

EDIT: Not been well advertised. I wouldn't have known if I hadn't seen it in the local paper - which I don't normally buy. The "Who Wants a Warrington Gay Bar" Facebook Group didn't have the news. It's not filling me with confidence.

So, Friday night saw me bail out of work early to ensure being in a postion to be picked up to go down to Cheltenham for Judder. Considering that it was a new place, with new people and music I wasn't used to I held out rather well 8-). Despite appearances to the contrary (because of aforementioned issues) I did enjoy myself and liked the people I did meet and managed to drag me out of my shell 8-). And I hear that the music is usually better which should be good if I do go again.

I just sent this to (I hope) all my local friends but I thought I'd share it with everyone else in case they wanted to come along and sample a bit of Warrington Culture (we have our very own Cultural Quarter you know).

Hi All,

No, stop rolling your eyes like that. Warrington has it's very own
music festival and, whilst it may not have the gravitas of
Glastonbury, the celebrity of T in the Park or the chance to throw
bottles of piss at Daphne and Celeste like leeds/Reading, it does have
some bloody good fun unsigned local bands. It's happening next

Hmmm.... The weekend of July 11/12/13 could be really good fun. Friday 11th is Judder - a club night I've somehow wangled my way onto. Once I get back from Cheltenham on Saturday 12th I will be going to Warrington Music Festival (if anyone else wants to come, feel free). Now, I just need something for the Sunday and I'll be all set. UPDATE - Think I found the sunday event - Summer in the Park.

Well, thanks to our "lets stay quiet and hope no-one notices the BNP are standing" campaign strategy we have the following achievements:

• 13% share of the vote in Fairfield and Howley
• 8% Share of the vote in Bewsey and Whitecross
• Swastika graffiti in Howley

But that's alright, because, if we're really lucky, look who we might have to help us split the vote:

That's National Front graffiti in the bottom right.

Sleep tight!

Alex
x x

Thursday's Local Elections have been and gone. The results have been announced[ref:http://www.warrington.gov.uk/News/2008/May/elections.aspx#0] and I've been looking at those results - particularly those in Fairfield and Howley (my own ward) and Bewsey and Whitecross (other ward with a BNP candidate).

Fairfield and Howley

It happened. Today, we were delivered a BNP leaflet about police and crime arguing that police are too busy going on "political correctness" training to deal with crime and arguing for a "Tony Martin" law and a "Sarah Payne" law.

It doesn't seem too specifically local (no mention of Gary Newlove) although a picture of a Halton Borough Council skip can be seen in one of the photos. I have tried to find out if any BNP are standing, but the Warrington site is down. I will update when I know more.

If anyone in Warrington wants to get involved in local anti-BNP work please contact me.