Dorchester, Charles Street Council Offices Controversy

The Dorchester controversy concerning the new Council Offices planned for the Charles Street development has finally become a national issue: it was featured in The Sunday Times on 30 January 2011.

The Sunday Times is running a Cuts Watch Campaign, inviting readers to speak out when they "spot examples of council profligacy or reckless and outrageous cuts".

It was the turn of Dorchester's West Dorset District Council to be under the spotlight.

"A modern version of the mayor of Casterbridge is facing a people's revolt over a £13.1m plan to build new council offices and a library in the heart of Dorchester..." Read on:

Kardaki Spring, Corfu

I've written about the Kardaki Spring at Mon Repos/Analipsis in Corfu on a number of occasions in the past and about the Mavilis sonnet on the subject (including in my book "Corfu Blues", 2006).

I first drank from the spring in 1967, so it was my fate to keep returning to Corfu.

Good to see an item about the spring on John's Corfu World.

I wonder if there is still a sign saying the water is polluted and not safe to drink? I have a photo of the warning sign on page 89 of my book. Here are two verses from the song "Corfu Blues" I wrote many years ago (someone else has a quite different song with the same title on YouTube):


"I once drank the crystal water from that famed Kardaki Spring,
(It) made us want to stay forever, where nymphs and poets used to sing.

Now the water is polluted, "DO NOT DRINK!"- so warns the sign,
Yes the water-source is poisoned; let's forget and drink more wine".

Events in Egypt on Al Jazeera

Maybe Al Jazeera is the place to go for reports on events in Egypt? It's an additional source of information and insight, such as this item on a Tunisian poem which has apparently become a source of inspiration for the protesters.

Muddy Waters' Early Repertoire

A fascinating posting about Muddy Waters and his early pop song repertoire.

You're Gonna Miss Me

The Laughing Policeman and other childhood 78s

"The Laughing Policeman" - one of my favourite songs as a kid. I used to play the old 78 rpm record over and over on a wind-up gramophone.

I wonder if grandchildren would still see the funny side?

No. 2 in my 78rpm hit parade at 6 years old was "Tain't no sin to take off your skin (and to dance around in your bones"). This wasn't the version we had, but it's close.

No. 3 was "The Teddy Bears' Picnic".

No. 4 was "The Runaway Train".

Those were in the days before my No. 5, "The Ballad of Davy Crockett", but then came skiffle and rock 'n' roll. Farewell childhood.

Corfu Kantounistas

Kantounistas! This could beat the Corfu Blues

A couple of other Corfu community items from The Corfu Blog

Olympic Airways and Aegean Air

Blood Bank