Campaigning has helped to shape transport's rich history. For instance, in the 1970s, under our old name of Transport 2000, we helped see off plans to halve the British Rail Network from 11,000 miles to just 5,000. I am looking forward to exploring the impact of campaigns like this, as well as high-profile anti-road campaigns, bus campaigns and more.
Monday, 7 July 2025
First 16" wheel Brompton bike on 'The Three Castles Walk'!
This was my old man's crazy idea to cycle on a Brompton folding bike on the exact line of the footpath to take in every stile, gate and footbridge to cycle or walk between the three castles I had never heard of before! One problem was its length of 19 miles over remote but beautiful farming land and countryside.
The inspiration for the attempt was a small concertina map, laminated on both sides, at a large scale of the route between Skenfrith, White and Grosmont Castles in Monmouthshire. I had only just come across it and paid the £5 for its shirt pocket size.
By Brompton because I had been borrowing my sister-in-law's six-speed folder for a little cyclo-cross. It was great, for its small size, for lifting over stiles and gates. But even better to quickly get over the boring tarmac between the footpaths.
I set off at 3.30 pm and, almost immediately in Skenfrith, I had a local man saying he greatly respected my attempt at doing the round. What a nice guy and a great encouragement.
Later, on the ride/walk, I met a man who, on hearing what I was up to warned me of a gorge coming up. "If you want to leave the bike it will be safe in the shed." His niece and her husband had done the 19 miles in eleven and a half hours - properly, on foot.
On a tarmac stretch, a 92-year-old guy was very slowly walking with two sticks to feed polos to his horse up the lane. We had a lovely chat for 10 or 15 minutes about love, life and events. He spoke about having had enough of life but knowing he had no control of such things.
I arrived at White Castle at 7.30 pm, to make 4 hrs of hard labour. I used the bike to cycle round for the best site, out of the wind, for the night in my bivy bag. A niche in the castle wall of the Outer Ward was ideal. On the other side was Offa's Dyke path.
What a good night's sleep I had! No sleeping bag but I had sufficient clothing to put on, got up only once and slept until 8 am.
DAY 2
A sheep farmer on his quad bike got my explanation for seeing my very different bike. He had never seen anyone using one before. Later on, I abandoned the ride when confronted with a steep bank above a lane I had to surmount, to then lift the bike over the stile. I was tiring quickly after my exertions of the previous day and decided to cycle back to the start on the road and to turn the walk/cycle into a three-stage affair. I had proved it could be done on a bike but I was undecided whether the bike was more of a help or a hindrance. The little Brompton, however, was a great help in cycling back to the car!
I crossed two such narrow footbridges that on one I had to fold up the left pedal and, on both, push the bike in front of me!
The rest of the day was visiting the church, finishing my Robert Harris novel and exploring Skenfrith Castle and village.
DAY 3
Not nearly such a good night's sleep in the car for stupidly not bothering with my sleeping bag, right beside me! I used the bivy bag again - not a good idea!
The bike took me to where I needed to cycle up the path and tracks to Grosmont. It was a pain on the uphill sections but brilliant downhill! On the road at Grosmont I had a chat with three walkers which was fun. 7 am start to 10.30 to that point, a little short of Grosmont itself. Then an easy uphill incline on the tarmac, and fast down into Skenfrith.
Three days of no punctures or accidents and the most amazing, desolate, wild countryside! And only a 2 mins rain shower at Grosmont!
NEXT TIME:
One stage left - from Grosmont Castle to where I left off the first time. But then, with the bike again, it will be up to 380 metres to the high point of the 'Three Castles Walk'.
I'm left wondering if I'm up to having a long day of 12 hrs walking and not bothering with the bike. Should I try it? I had 13.5 hrs at the end of May for my final Donald summits in the Galloway Forest Park.
Friday, 4 July 2025
Johnnie Moore and the Gaza Humanitarian Aid Foundation
Many thanks, Paul for your invaluable thoughts and new email address. The following may be of interest to you and Ruth. Do put me right with your own insights, please.
The following may be of interest.
On 29 June, 'Sunday' on Radio 4, first item, covered Israel's war on Gaza. It seems that some evangelicals believe the Lord's coming is linked to the fulfilment of Israel taking land and the warfare that is inevitable in the unHoly Land before Christ's return.
On the programme, an excellent woman, a former co-Chair of Kingston Liberal Synagogue and recently suspended from the Board of Deputies of British Jewish, spoke so well. She said she really loved Israel, was a proud Zionist but was deeply critical of the actions of the current government which was being governed by the extremists in the governing coalition. She said she is speaking up against the horrendous actions that are taking place in Gaza because of the extremist elements in the Israeli Coalition.
The evangelical Christian, Johnnie Moore is Executive Chair of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, Delaware, spoke to the BBC, as did the author of 'Before the Religious Right', Prof Gene Zubovich who said,
"Johnnie Moore is a protege of the religious right man Gerry Falwell. Moore believes in religious Zionism. Most evangelicals believe that the restoration of Israel/Palestine to the Jewish people must precede the Second Coming of Christ. The technical term for this is premillennial
"Johnnie Moore is very close to Donald Trump."
Thursday, 3 July 2025
Third annual walk or cycle of the major Black Country Active Travel Route - but not the dreadful Dudley section!
Invitation to walk or cycle a magnificent, nature-rich cycle-walkway!
Please join our Nature walk/cycle for health and future on:
Saturday 2 August at 10 am.
Meet at the Woodland Trust, Himley Plantation car park. Enter from Himley Lane, immediately after going under the old railway bridge if approaching from the main road, B 4176 towards Swindon. See blue 'P' on the screen shot map, below.
PART OF THE 20 Kms BLACK COUNTRY ACTIVE TRAVEL ROUTE on two former railway lines:
It runs from Fens Pool Avenue, Brierley Hill to the canal towpath in NW Wolverhampton. The route is good, going north from Dudley's boundary with South Staffordshire, near Himley Hall. From there, it is a smooth, free draining surface, of even tarmac in places.
2 miles (3 Kms) walk for coffee at The Platform in the old Wombourne railway station. Then 2 miles back or 3 miles back via canal towpath coming off at Swindon to walk along Himley Lane to the car park.
Or, cycle to Wolverhampton on the same railway path, under the guidance of Chris Barnett for the next coffee stop in the former, revamped railway station, now a cafe, at Tettenhall. Then cycle back.
The fog of war, the hatred and violence generated by violence.
Hamas is controlling their people, rewarding those who kill Israelis, syphoning off the food aid and selling it at inflated prices, living in grand homes and killing Gazans themselves. Hamas are bounty hunters.
Hamas shoot at their own civilians at a distribution centre in Rafah. They treat their people like thieves and take the food off them.
On 7.10.23, Hamas put Israeli babies in ovens to kill them that way.
Wednesday, 2 July 2025
Circumnavigation of Earls Hill and Pontesford Hill by 16" Brompton bike.
Circumnavigation of Earls Hill and Pontesford Hill, Shropshire by 16" wheel Brompton bike.
On bridleways and one footpath with a kissing gate at either end which meant lowering the saddle to squeeze through. As a friend has found on the 20 Kms Black Country Active Travel Route, a folding bike works perfectly well.
The bike is more compact, even unfolded and that makes it easier to lift over stiles, not that there were any on my route today.
The worst section was near Pontesbury Rocks, a BMC approved rock climbers' site but, not between 1 March and 15 July when Peregrine Falcon are nesting and bringing up their brood. On that section, rocks on the path meant carrying the bike unfolded, holding the useful triangle part of the frame (by the seat post).
MY CONCLUSION: Brompton Cyclo-cross works brilliantly well!
PROTEST: Our side is responsible for a 21 month holocaust
Our side is responsible for a 21-month holocaust of tens of thousands of mainly women and children from our military products supplied to our major, powerful, friend and ally, Israel.
"destruction or slaughter on a mass scale" Google definition of holocaust.
Our side ended the March ceasefire.
We broke the Peace Agreement with Hamas when air strikes resumed by the Israeli Death Force.
Very many more innocent citizens, medics, aid workers and journalists have been slaughtered since then.
One of two films made in Gaza, banned by the BBC as being anti-semitic and prejudiced against our side, is to be shown on Channel 4 this evening.
Louisa Compton, Channel 4’s head of news and current affairs and specialist factual and sport, said in a statement: “This is a meticulously reported and important film examining evidence which supports allegations of grave breaches of international law by Israeli forces that deserves to be widely seen and exemplifies Channel 4’s commitment to brave and fearless journalism.”
Protest to your MP that boycott, divestment and sanctions must now be imposed on Israel.
Tuesday, 1 July 2025
Our evangelical friends want the lot - from the river to the sea and more!
TRANSCRIPT
Yesterday, 29 June 2025, Radio 4's 'Sunday' covered Israel's war on Gaza.
"500 people killed and 4,000 injured. Those are the casualty totals stated by the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza for people waiting to get aid from the American and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation." Thought to be registered in Delaware but, from the address given, it was not found there.
Some evangelicals believe the Lord's coming is linked to the fulfilment of Israel taking land and the warfare that is inevitable in the unHoly Land before Christ's return.
An excellent woman, a former co-Chair of Kingston Liberal Synagogue and recently suspended from the Board of Deputies of British Jews, spoke so well. She said she really loved Israel, was a proud Zionist but was deeply critical of the actions of the current government which was being governed by the extremists in the governing coalition. She said she is speaking up against the horrendous actions that are taking place in Gaza because of the extremist elements in the Coalition.
The evangelical Christian, Rev Johnnie Moore who is Executive Chair of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, Delaware, was referred to.
Author of 'Before the Religious Right', Gene Zubovich said,
"Johnnie Moore is a protege of the religious right man Gerry Falwell Snr (from the 1970s). Moore believes in religious Zionism. Most evangelicals believe that the restoration of Israel/Palestine to the Jewish people must precede the Second Coming of Christ. The technical term for this is premillennial
"Johnny Moore is very close to Donald Trump ... He picks and chooses who gets invited to meetings with Trump. So somebody with a lot of access and political power in the way of connecting evangelicals to the Trump administration."
Monday, 30 June 2025
Action needed on HEL
Many thanks for your kind words, Ian.
Do you feel able to ask for the Himley Environment Ltd (HEL) landfill site to be looked at by your officers, please after approval from your Cabinet colleagues? The serious issues are:-
- I suspect, from my own site visit earlier this year, that the obvious neglect, broken fences, polluted stream, 4x4s and dirt bikes riding over it, that all this has gone on for many years, if not decades.
- The vast area of slag and landfill heaps/hills is adjacent to the two disused railway lines from Pensnett Nature Reserve to Baggeridge Country Park which were converted to, definitely, a walkway and in the 1980s - possibly. But no maintenance since then or, so it appears.
- Dudley's section of 5 Kms is in a disgraceful condition because it is used by the same 4x4s and dirt bikes that roar all over the hills of the landfill site alongside it.
- Yet, our section is the south section of the full 20 Kms Black Country Active Travel Route through three nature reserves, two cafes in old railway stations and one Woodland Trust property.
- It runs from Fens Pool Avenue, Brierley Hill to the canal towpath in NW Wolverhampton. North from Dudley's boundary near Himley Hall the cycle-walkway is fine. A smooth, free draining surface of even tarmac in places. Far worse in Dudley!:-Full set of photos:
Best wishes Tim
Chant: 'Death, death to the IDF' - Bob Vinen
Chanting 'death, death to the IDF' is simply not in the same league as the IDF's actions in bringing death and annihilation or genocide! And extermination is the whole aim of the war, as Netanyahu has made clear from the outset. The Palestine side chants the wish in anger at being wiped off the map but our Israel/USA/UK side actually does the wiping out. A very different matter altogether!
These Israeli men and women, part of our Judeo-Christian Western world, have brought so much death, death and destruction to tens of thousands of mainly women and children.
Death, death and destruction as they have cowered in the world's biggest open-air prison camp controlled by Israeli guards - by US lot of shameful humans. Done by OUR side which is firmly on the side of Israel/USA/Germany in slaughtering our fellow humans just as WE did, our side in OUR 'Christian' German and Polish concentration camps in the 1930s and 40s.
Chanting one's disgust at what OUR authorities are doing in a modern-day, 21st-century holocaust, seems pretty tame in comparison. Nothing changes.
Sunday, 29 June 2025
Inability to Share - so the unHoly Land
Dear Leon
How do you explain the shameless support that so many good and faithful, Bible-believing, born again Christians give to Israel/Jews/Zionists in their terrorism against the Brits from 1945 to 1948 and, ever since from time to time, against the people of Palestine, Gaza and the West Bank?
Have you preached a sermon on the Christian view of how to deal with this over 100 year old, intractable problem of Jews and Arabs resorting to violence to keep the land both sides are convinced is theirs and, given to them by the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob?
Apart from prayer for "the peace of Jerusalem", how should Halesowen Christians be lobbying for the end of, at least, the onslaught on Gaza, now that our close friend and ally has stopped bombing Iran but, is still armed to the teeth by the Judeo-Christian West?
Should there be any personal boycotting of Israeli goods in the shops? Or, writing to our MP?
Best wishes and every blessing to you and Alison
Christ will return when Israel has the lot - do you believe that cousin Paul?
There is the most enormous credibility chasm between evangelical Christians wanting Israel to have all of the Greater Promised Land or, at least, Gaza and Judea/Samaria, and the way they are going about it in fully supporting coercion, force, violence, starvation, murder and killings.
Trying to find an apt parallel
For the BBC to have any connection with Hamas is as unacceptable as the 13 year old son of the Russian or Iranian or Chinese Deputy Minister of Agriculture or a KGB official, narrating an hour long film giving us three children's view of Gaza's death and destruction. It is seen as the BBC being thoroughly treacherous in seeming to allow Russia or Iran or China space on the airwaves! It is seen as helping our No 1 enemies, Russia, Iran, China, in some way!
Saturday, 28 June 2025
This invites laughter of derision
An absurd, far-fetched reason for censorship. It invites derision. In my view, the boy’s family links to the agricultural wing of Hamas are irrelevant. If the film was about the suffering children of Israel, having to endure a sudden dash to a nearby air raid shelter day or night, and the narrator was the 13-year-old son of the Deputy Minister of Agriculture in Israel's government, I would not have dreamt of complaining. Let them make such a documentary and broadcast it, as long as the one featuring the three children of Gaza is also broadcast.
We must have anti-Israeli love speech to put them right!
Direct citizen participation in existing democratic processes is nothing new!
Hi Tony and friends
Thanks for your email. My reply is in blue.
YOU WROTE:
There could be mileage in your idea, and I feel it is something that should be encouraged.
Yet you would have to be able to point to an ongoing engagement with a council or similar.
It would either have to be tried at the local level where you are through your XR local group.
Direct involvement with our local Dudley Council from Halesowen Wildlife Group, Dudley Green Party and Dudley FoE has been going on, intermittently, since the 1980s. Over the decades, from time to time, one or two of us have even been on Dudley committees as non-voting members.
Direct citizen participation in existing democratic processes is nothing new!
The only alternative would need you to become part of one of the XR UK central groups, to influence policy.
Again, you would do that only through your local group..
Again, you would do that only through your local group..
You should know that many individuals regularly present us with "golden bullet" and other useful ideas and our answer is always the same, if you want XR to take on your idea you have to present it to a local XR group, enact it as XR, and thereby demonstrate it is a viable idea. It is XR that is pioneering imaginative and creative protests but it is direct engagement with existing democratic and consultative processes that is urgent for XR to take on board. Councillors' surgeries, replies to emails and phone calls/texts in Dudley borough, where I live, are rare.
We must take advantage of our right to attend council meetings open to the public and make the most of our right to occasionally speak. Or, to talk - just a pleasant chat - with decision makers before and after council meetings.
I also use this helpful email address: dudleycouncilplus@dudley.gov.uk
TIM WELLER
Friday, 27 June 2025
Guardian article on the banned/censored Gaza film
Have you ever wondered what you’d do if your world is destroyed?” asks 13-year-old Abdullah, speaking at the beginning of an intimate BBC Two documentary, Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, that airs on Monday night. “Most important, could you stay alive? After all this, you could say we’re experts.”
Abdullah, now 14 and heading back to his prewar home in the north of the shattered territory, is the English-speaking narrator – one of three children whose stories of hope and endurance are at the heart of an hour-long film, a distinctive and deliberate choice intended to make the film resonate after 15 months of war.
In an email exchange via the BBC, Abdullah said he wanted to be part of the programme “to explain the suffering that people here in Gaza witness with the language that the world understands, English” – and so that viewers learn about the situation on the ground without being “blurred by misinformation”
FROM:-
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/17/gaza-how-to-survive-a-warzone-bbc-documentary-children
Open letter signed by more than 600 industry figures says corporation is failing in its journalistic responsibility
The Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon and the British film-maker Mike Leigh are among hundreds of figures from the cultural world accusing the BBC of censoring Palestinian voices, after its decision to delay the broadcast of a documentary on medics in Gaza.
Tim Davie, the BBC’s director general, has received an open letter signed by more than 600 industry figures – including some of his own employees – stating that editorial caution over the subject has spilled over into “political suppression”.
The signatories demand the immediate release of Gaza: Medics Under Fire, claiming it has undergone extensive editorial reviews and fact-checking and has been ready for broadcast for months.
"13-year-old who narrated the film, Abdullah al-Yazouri, was the son of the deputy minister of agriculture in the Hamas government."
In my view, the boy’s family links to the agricultural wing of Hamas are irrelevant. If the film was about the suffering children of Israel, having to endure a sudden dash to a nearby air raid shelter day or night, and the narrator was the 13-year-old son of the Deputy Minister of Agriculture in Israel's government, I would not have dreamt of complaining. Let them make such a documentary and broadcast it as long as the one featuring the three children of Gaza is also broadcast. It is called Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone.
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2025/feb/21/bbc-pulls-gaza-documentary-iplayer-hamas
Truth, honesty, accuracy and fair reporting must trump association
In any documentary film, does truth, honest and fair reporting of all sides and, accuracy, override, rebut, answer charges of bias, partiality and anti-semitism by Israel? Tim
https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/complaints/make-a-complaint/#/Your%20Complaint
I've made a complaint to the BBC, writing this:
Two documentary films on what is going on in Gaza are not being allowed to be broadcast on the BBC. With one film, the 13-year-old son of the Hamas Deputy Minister of Agriculture is the reason for the BBC excluding the film from its sites.
Is the charge of bias, partiality and anti-semitism properly addressed by the BBC insisting that it has verified all facts, checked everything that was said and has concluded that every word, phrase, sentence uttered was true, correct, accurate?
Should TRUTH trump ASSOCIATION?
Should accuracy of every word, phrase, sentence spoken by 13-year-old Abdullah be more important than his dad being a government minister in the agriculture wing of Hamas?
Was the dad ever in the military wing of Hamas as a young man?
Is the charge of bias, partiality and anti-semitism properly addressed by the BBC insisting that it has verified all facts, checked everything that was said and has concluded that every word, phrase, sentence uttered was true, correct, accurate?
Should TRUTH trump ASSOCIATION?
Should accuracy of every word, phrase, sentence spoken by 13-year-old Abdullah be more important than his dad being a government minister in the agriculture wing of Hamas?
Was the dad ever in the military wing of Hamas as a young man?
Was Benjamin Netanyahu ever in the IDF as a young man?
Do you allow the broadcasting of clear and obvious inaccuracies by the Israeli government?Or, is this only done after you have fact-checked/verified Israeli government statements?
Why was the other film disowned by the BBC?
Wednesday, 25 June 2025
Failing miserably for 40 years!
Since the 1980s, I've been a hopeless, useless failure in trying to stop the destruction of the Black Country Railway section of the London to Edinburgh mainline for everything but the kitchen sink. Brownhills to Lichfield section is to be a dog walkers' paradise of a cycle-walkway - the ultimate insult/indignity/folly - as roads clog with traffic!! But what fun I am having!
Tony Marone XR Public Engagement Working Group
Hi Tony
Fantastic to hear from you.
The good news is that we don't have to wait for Citizens' Assemblies. We already have committee and Board meetings to attend! If we cannot attend those meetings specifically organised for the public to attend, will anyone attend Citizens' Assemblies?
Would the elected members of councils and regional Combined Authorities, plus the officers attend their own meetings AND new Citizens' Assemblies?
I was writing about whether my friends in XR Brum believe it is worthwhile to attend local council and/or our region's own Combined Authority committee and board meetings that the public are invited to, to try and influence the decision makers.
Does anyone do so?
If not, why not?
I do attend from time to time to try and influence members and officers and it is most worthwhile. In particular, I attend those local council committee meetings which have a public forum item on the agenda. I can then speak on any subject relevant to the committee for a maximum of three minutes. It is great fun to take part and even to read out something prepared beforehand. Has anyone in XR done that?
Would you like to try it?
Do you think it worthwhile to engage with those who make the decisions to try and get them to do what we want? Direct citizen participation in existing democratic processes.
Please let me know your thoughts over this tactic for XR. Bob Whitehead is in XR and has written this:
Are you, personally, in agreement with these points?
If so, can you read them out in the public forum item on the agenda of your own council meetings, perhaps? Or, send them direct to your local council and Combined Authority?
All the very best
Tuesday, 24 June 2025
John Rees, co-founder Stop the War - TRANSCRIPT
Rees: "Israel has a secret and illegal nuclear weapons arsenal of perhaps 200 warheads. It is not open to any international inspection. It is not part of any international treaty about nuclear weapons.
"Iran has never invaded even one of its neighbours in hundreds of years of history. Israel has invaded every single one of the neighbours which border it. It is in breach of more UN resolutions than Saddam Hussein's Iraq was. If we are talking about violent intent towards one's neighbours, I think we should be concerned about Israel's nuclear weapons programme and not be so concerned about a programme which might at some point, if the intelligence is right about WMD - and haven't we heard that one before - only might be right about Iran.
"What we are absolutely sure about now because it was carried in your news report earlier, is that the bombing has now, according to the IAEA, breached the containment vessel for nuclear material in Iran. That is an immediate danger which wasn't there before America entered this war, with the aims of both the Israeli military operation and according to Pres Trump's tweets, that regime change is a good idea. We are back into a land that we have been in before, with Afghanistan, with Iraq, with Libya and which have proved to be absolutely disastrous on every single occasion. Perhaps worse than those cases, the so called 'Rules Based International Order', probably more observed by weaker states than stronger ones in the past, is now in shreds. Why should anyone - China, Russia or anybody abide by a rules-based international order now if all that matters is that you've got a big bomb and can drop it on someone - hey why not?
"Iran was part of an agreement to control their uranium enrichment and Donald Trump tore that agreement up in his first presidency. His own Secretary of State, weeks ago made a statement that the Iranians were nowhere near getting a nuclear weapon and this was the view of the USA security establishment that the Iranians were "nowhere near a nuclear bomb". We have all been through these propaganda barrages before. We all remember the dodgy dossier. We all remember what was said about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Just swallowing whole this kind of stuff is not good enough.
"In Vietnam it was said, in the beginning, that we were only sending advisers there, the American told us. Mission creep is part of war. If the Iranians follow through with the suggestion of their Parliament that they close the Straits of Hormuz and oil prices jump by some 15% as is predicted, I absolutely guarantee that we will have American spokespeople on the media saying, "Oh well we didn't want to go there but look what the Iranians have done. Now we will have to respond to that. If they hit an American base in the Middle East, oh it was only going to be a one-off but now we will have to have a long military engagement. If you can't see that coming you can't see very much coming, I'm afraid."
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