Villagers – Liddington

Village Inn at 8am every morning!

IMG_2127[1] — Marge, Barbara, Bill, Donna, Bernard and Mike, plus the photographer, Maurice!

Summer Fete (6th June 2015)

05 06 Fete 01 (15) — Sid in fine fettle as usual

05 06 Fete 01 (13) — I visited the kitchen for all the gossip

05 06 Fete 01 (12) — Planning the overthrow of society as we know it

05 06 Fete 01 (11) — Marge smiling – unbelievable!

05 06 Fete 01 (9) — Still active just before the prize giving

05 06 Fete 01 (14) — Our own local Bobby picks the winners!

05 06 Fete 01 (8) — Rip van Winkle with a free cake!

05 06 Fete 01 (7) — Ruth and Claire put on silly faces to entice me to buy the last cake. I bought it.

05 06 Fete 01 (6) — Sandra was sitting right here last year as well . . .

05 06 Fete 01 (3) — My favourite person in the village – the wonderful, exuberant Kay.

05 06 Fete 01 (2) — Here is the man behind the renewal of the Bells. Great to meet you, Tony!

Baron Joffe retires from the House of Lords as a Labour Peer (30th March 2015)

Joel Joffe of Liddington, a wonderful and supportive villager, has retired from the House of Lords. He was a Labour peer for many years.

It is timely to note that the BBC released all the Desert Island Disc programmes from its archives recently and it was wonderful to listen to Joel Joffe’s interview again. It was first broadcast on 2 November 2007 when Mandela was alive. For those of you who don’t know the story you must read Joel’s books, The Rivonia Story and The State Vs. Nelson Mandela: The Trial That Changed South Africa and of course listen to the Desert Island Discs programme.

Born in South Africa, Joel was educated at the University of Witwatersrand (BCom, LLB 1955), and worked as a human rights lawyer 1958–65, including as defence attorney of the leadership of the ANC at the 1963-4 Rivonia Trial, helping to represent Nelson Mandela. Later he moved to the United Kingdom, and worked in the financial services industry, setting up Hambro Life Assurance with Sir Mark Weinberg as well as in the voluntary sector. He was associated with Oxfam in various roles between 1982 and 2001, including being its Chair 1995–2001. He actively pursues a range of charitable activities as chair of the Joffe Charitable Trust.

In 2006 he was awarded an Honorary Degree (Doctor of Laws) from the University of Bath.

He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1999 New Year Honours, and made a life peer on 16 February 2000, being raised to the peerage as Baron Joffe, of Liddington in the County of Wiltshire. In February 2003 he proposed as a Private Member’s Bill the “Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill”, which would legalise physician-assisted dying. After deliberation by a Lords committee, the bill was put forward again in November 2005. On 12 May 2006 the Bill was debated once again in the House of Lords and an amendment to delay its introduction by six months was carried by a margin of 148–100. There is no doubt it will eventually pass but like all complex change it required a catalyst and that person was definitely Joel.

VILLAGE BLOG – Clean Up 28 March 2015

15 03 28 Village cleanup 1 — Monica, Gordon and Sid handing out bags and protective clothing. Monica was not happy as the colours didn’t match.

15 03 28 Village cleanup 2 — Ken and David did a great job cutting out brambles in the Jubilee Gardens

15 03 28 Village cleanup 3 — Father and son team, Guy and Max, build a pile. Karen refused to have her photo taken!

15 03 28 Village cleanup 4 — Mike got stuck in with his special cutter. This is a very fit 80 year-old.

15 03 28 Village cleanup 5 — The Chair and Deputy-Chair contemplate the effect a fire might have on nearby houses. Then they disappear!

15 03 28 Village cleanup 6 — Swindon Borough Council said they would not collect so, we got on with the fire and burnt everything. David, Sid and Maurice were like little boys with matches . . .

15 03 28 Village cleanup 8 — This was the result!

15 03 28 Village cleanup 7 — Afterwards we all went to the Village Inn for bacon butties and refreshments. Thank you, Donna and Vince, for treating us. Isabel and Alex helped with picking up – seen here with their mum, Mandy. Several others helped but did not get into the picture – Christian, David, Lynda, Jane, Karen and Maurice.

Big Rugby Day (15 March 2015)

Down at the Village Inn at 8am this morning to collect the paper. Maurice (good-looking bloke on left) and Mike (small bloke with big nose) had a good chat about the Ireland v Wales and England v Scotland games today. Mike is not betting after losing a fiver two weeks ago on the Ireland v England game.

Mike said: “It’s great

to start the day with a laugh.” This from a man who starts every day looking in the mirror.