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As the SNP and UK Government sides sat down to talks about Independence for Scotland, I was drawn to this piece in the UK’s Huffington Post.

With it’s short review about some of what has made a United Kingdom of Great Britain successful in the past, it proves again that we are better together than separate. Yes there have been differences between the members of the United Kingdom and I think it right for each region to have more self-governing powers through their own local Assemblies, but as the article suggests, we are stronger together than apart.

It’s unfortunate that Alex Salmond’s agenda appears to be more about kicking the Westminster Government than any overall benefits independence will bring for the Scottish people – despite his well crafted rhetoric. I think it is time that we need to look at the bigger picture in an increasingly uncertain world and without wanting to too sound over the top; as the article puts it…

“We, the British people, are greater than the sum of our parts. Let us fight, wherever we are, for our shared national home.”

Technorati Tags: United Kingdom,Great Britain

Although more information is to come, it would appear that ETC agreed at the meeting last night that if local Earley residents can put forward a case for judicial review of the Sibly Hall planning decision made by Wokingham Council, the ETC Town Clerk will seek legal advice and put the matter to the next ETC Planning Committee on 6th March who would on the basis of the advice received recommend to the full council to proceed or not.

I will post more information as soon as I have it.

In the meantime you can download the Full minutes of the ETC Planning Committee of 10th Jan 2012 here.

There is a full council meeting of Earley Town Council (ETC) tonight, Wednesday.

The first 20 minutes is reserved for residents to ask questions, make statements about the recent Wokingham Councils decision to grant Outline Planning Permission to Reading University for the Sibly Hall development.

A copy of the ETC meeting minutes will doubtless be sent to WBC, together with any issues raised.  Many local residents may well have something about the decision. ETC appear to have been treated with the same contempt that local residents were over this application. The meeting starts at 7.45 at ETC offices.

Local Press coverage so far includes:

• Get Reading – University of Reading lands Sibly Hall victory
• Get Reading – Appalled and disgusted’ by Sibly Hall decision

A shock decision tonight (Wednesday 8th Feb.) as Wokingham Council Planning Committee grants outline planning permission to Reading University for their Sibly Hall development plans.

This decision, granted despite much local opposition before and at the meeting and Earley Town Councils rejection of the plan will impact many people in and around Sibly Hall.

I’ll post some more information about the meeting and what this will mean and what any next steps might able to be taken.

My BT Infinity broadband connection has really stabilised over the first month of 2012.

BT have sent a letter out all users that they are replacing the Modems in the configuration. Let’s hope that nothing happens to the speed after the changeover, except perhaps for even more speed!

A bit behind again, but here are my BT Infinity broadband performance figures for Oct., Nov., and Dec. Seems that there were a few glitches along the way, but all seems to have settled down again. Today the figure is 29MB download and 8.5 MB upload.

I wrote about this back in June 2011 and since then Wokingham Council have updated their information about the changes which will come in to effect on the 1st April 2012.

Here are the main changes which of course means that we will get less for the same amount of money we pay through Council Tax.

Here are some FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) that hopefully will cover all of the other points that may arise.

Looks like the UK Morris Dancing community is not one to cross. It seems that they will not be part of next years Olympics Opening Ceremonies.

According to the Daily Mail we could well see ‘Flash-Mobs’ of Morris dancers invading many of the Olympic venues. I wonder how security will cope with that. Are we all going to be asked to declare what were wearing under our outer clothes?

I am still waiting to be told that we can’t take our own  Camera’s or Mobiles into the venues due to the license rights being ‘sold’ to yet another over wealthy sponsor!!

I’ve liked one or two of the films that Danny Boyle has made, so as the ‘Artistic Director’ of the opening and closing show and with an extra £40 million he’s now been given on top of the original £40 million, it had better be one hell of an event. No Train Spotting I hope!

I came across an interesting article in last Saturdays Telegraph, apparently approx. 90,000 people a year have taken their UK driving test in a foreign language!
Amazing to think that all those that passed, could be driving on our roads unable to read any of the UK English Language signs!! I find that truly amazing and it may account for the drop in the standards of driving over recent years.

It seems that I forgot to post some of my recent ISP broadband performance figures.

Probably because it seems to have really settled down to a constant figure and the fact that I was away for some holidays.

Figures are for BT Infinity, top of left hand scale is 35 MB’s.

So here are the figures for July, August & September.