Archive for July 13th, 2008
posted by Cptn
It may be time to say your prayers to saying your prayers, at the start of council meetings at least. The Devon Humanists have launched a campaign to end to what they call ‘the discriminatory practice of having prayers at council meetings’.
Spokesman for Devon Humanists, Keith Denby, told the PRSD: “The history of local councils in Britain goes back to Saxon times and in the distant past the church was very much a part of local administration, so to begin a Council meeting with prayers would have been very natural. But now in the 21st century, council taxpayers come from many cultures and belief systems and a large proportion of them do not think that religion should have influence in politics.
“According to an IPSOS/Mori poll in 2006, ‘more people think that the government pays too much attention to religious groups and leaders than to any other domestic group’. Having prayers at council meetings is discriminatory even if there is an attempt at multicultural prayers because one or another group will always be left out. The only sensible thing is to do away with them altogether and for people of faith to express that faith in private, not in the public domain.”
Keith Denby continued: “Having prayers at meetings is genuinely off-putting for many people, from the outside it looks as if you need to be part of a special clique to participate in local government either as a member of the public or as a prospective councillor for election. The standing of local councils is diminished by this gulf of understanding between tax payers and their governing councils.”
According to the press release members of Devon Humanists will be writing to local councils to ask them to stop having prayers at meetings, and modern equality and anti-discrimination laws will be cited to show that Councils that continue with prayers at meetings are in breach of the law and of guidance from their own advisory bodies.
It also says that many councils now expressly state an equality and discrimination policy that is directly at odds with continuing to have prayers at council meetings. In many parts of the country, councils have taken note of their own policy statements and have ceased prayers but a surprising number – even the new unitary authorities - have retained prayers as ‘being traditional’.
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July 13th, 2008
Matthew Robinson’s entry from Inhale and Hold’s second day of performance (July 11).
Today was the second day of performances, another interesting day. I left the B&B with Sarah and we eventually made our way to the canal basin at Tiverton. I sat in the back of the car entertaining Ernie (Sarah’s son) until we got there, slightly late.
On arrival we began setting up the performance space, but were told we might scare a horse?! We weren’t to keen on having a horse running us down, so we decided to move a bit further up the canal. Although this did mean my lane in which I first dance turned into pretty mountainous terrain (ok, I’m exaggerating slightly). We got ready in the country park ranger station and I dosed up on coffee and ibuprofen (my back/shoulder was bad this morning) and covered my back in tiger balm before getting the swimming cap on for the first time today – it doesn’t get any easier.
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The performance went well. It was a great setting; Sarah described it as ‘very English’. The audience was very welcoming and I enjoyed Ernie trying desperately to join in. After the show we were called in for the obligatory press shots, fun as always, before de-rigging and packing up to move onto Hatherleigh this evening.
Between shows we found an M&S Simply Food. I think I bought half the shop, I was starving and have been living on pretty rubbish food for the last couple of days. We then headed for our new B&B, an interesting place called ‘Betty Cottles’, it’s full of comedy moments and the mention of the name makes me laugh every time. On arrival the B&B had not booked us in, so there was lots of confusion. Then we got to our rooms, and Chris had been given one the size of a small wardrobe, unlucky Chris! On using the bathroom (the one which about five rooms share) I got stuck and almost had to call for help – I did manage to get myself out though.
Moving on, we got back in the cars and headed for Hatherleigh. We arrived at the community centre where the local festival’s ‘day of dance’ has been taking place and set up again to be the opener for their evening mixed bill of dance. I really enjoyed this performance. The conditions were perfect and the surface we were dancing on was really good. I felt this was definitely my best performance yet, I felt able to take risks as my back was feeling a lot better as the day went on.
We headed for the pub after the performance before heading back the ‘Bettys’. We now think Chris’ room was the sauna when ‘Cottles’ was five stars as it has a radiator which wont turn off and Chris’ room is unbearably hot, what a place.
Anyway more performances tomorrow, these blog posts are stacking up and I really need to send them but internet access is becoming a problem. I hope this gets posted soon.
- Matthew
• To get in touch with the dancers, email: inhale_and_hold@peoplesrepublicofsouthdevon.co.uk
or just comment in the box below
Sunday July 13, 2.00 pm - Moretonhampstead Swimming Pool
Sunday July 13, 5.30 pm - Tinside Pool, Plymouth
Read the earlier parts of the Inhale and Hold diary: Part One; Part Two: Part Three; Part Four.
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July 13th, 2008
Message from Matthew Robinson from the Inhale and Hold dance tour, for July 10.
This entry might arrive a little late as internet access is a bit of an issue. I could probably find some but I’m really tired and would rather write this and then go to bed…
So today was the first day of performances. I got up where we’re staying and had a great breakfast, the full English (although no fried bread… who likes that stuff?!) and plenty of coffee. I’ve been missing my fresh coffee lately, I swear I drink it like water in London. Anyway, we left and headed to Brendon to pick up all the equipment and load it into the production van, which is driven by the Claire (the project manager who I met for the first time yesterday at a late-night planning meeting for today) and then we head straight for Lynmouth, at which point the rain started.
At Lynmouth we set up, and then the clouds came over and it gradually got worse and worse. So we headed back to Sarah’s house to prepare for the performance. Conditions just seemed to get worse, and we walked to the pre-performance holding place all suited and booted in the rain. We held off for a bit and the rain seemed to slightly clear so we just went for it, thinking the worse had passed. But as we ran towards the performance area another downpour started, which made the experience interesting, but I actually really enjoyed it, even though I was soaked.
We did some post-show stuff for the BBC then headed back to the house, where I got my soup out. All the costumes needed washing and drying, so they were ferried off somewhere for that while we went back to Lynton to have some lunch before heading to Ilfracombe.
On arrival in Ilfracombe we set up again and then got ready in a corridor by the toilets in the Landmark theatre. Classy. This performance was another interesting one for a few reasons. One was the surface, which was sand so balancing was a bit of a challenge, and two was the crowd, who I don’t think had much idea what was going on, but we got through it and I had a good laugh to myself afterwards, covered in sand walking through a coach party.
So it was a late finisher of a day, I got back about 7.30pm. Had some dinner, which I’ve got to say was pretty nasty, and now I’m going to bed. We’re on the road tomorrow, and staying somewhere else tomorrow night. Lets hope the weather holds out for us. See you at a performance. I’ll be in the blue cap.
- Matthew
• To get in touch with the dancers, email: inhale_and_hold@peoplesrepublicofsouthdevon.co.uk
or just comment in the box below
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July 13th, 2008
posted by Cptn
Women’s voices will be raised in the south west on Monday (July 14) with an event called Women’s Voices, which takes places at Somerset College of Art and Technology.
One of the speakers is Holly Dustin from End Violence Against Women, who will remind local authorities of their responsibilities under the Gender Equality Duty.
Holly Dustin said: “Violence against women is far more common than we think and when it happens to someone we know we expect there to be support to help them flee the violence and rebuild their lives.
“Yet, the reality is that one in three local authorities across the UK do not have rape crisis centres, refuges or other specialist women’s services - those authorities who fail to ensure that women have the support they need are at risk of court action.”
Women’s Voices, is organised by Equality South West and the Women’s National Commission.
Equality South West Chief Executive Paul Dunn said: “This is an opportunity for women in the South West to discuss and address the issues that are important to them, such as equal pay.”
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July 13th, 2008
