Liberal England in 2010: Part 2

Part 1 was posted yesterday.

July

I pointed out that, contrary to what many believe, Keynesian economics do not mean a permanent deficit and marked Little Bowden Rec's role in the history of Liberal philosophy.

The Decorated west end of the south aisle at St Luke's Gaddesby, says Simon Jenkins, "appears to have been designed at the end of a riotous 14th-century party".

Elsewhere in Leicestershire, I found a newsreel about the kidnapping of an Earl Shilton boy in 1959.

And elsewhere on film, I discovered where the video for Paper Sun was filmed.

August

On holiday in Oxford, I met a fellow Lib Dem blogger. This holiday was to be the subject of posts for most of the rest of the year. I went on to Shropshrie, of course, and visited the Stiperstones Inn, of course.

Lord Bonkers remembered Richard Dimbleby's penis gourd.

Home from the holiday I praised Bridgnorth and pondered the relationship between Roberta Blackman-Woods and the abolition of slavery.

September

I wrote about the death of Cyril Smith and discovered the best index to a book ever.

Then it was off to New York, courtesy of Oxfam, to blog about the Millennium Development Goals summit at the UN. This was the view that met me when I came out of hotel and turned the corner. Probably the highlight of the week was attending a high-level meeting with Andrew Mitchell and the leading names in British development charities.

I returned to find Market Harborough had been taken over by the Pizzamen.

October

After many years writing House Points for Liberal Democrat News I decided to reinvent myself as the paper's TV critic with the fortnightly Calder on Air.

Discoveries this month included the lost village of Little Oxendon and the disused Scott church St Saviour's in Leicester.

I finally got to see Steve Winwood live, pointed out that the Liberal Democrats have driven the Guardian mad and tried to explain my obsession with The Stiperstones.

November

For reasons best known to itself, the Yorkshire Post quoted me extensively on the rise of Halloween and demise of Bonfire Night.

Mind you, Lembit Opik should have listened to me. And so should Judge Jacqueline Davies, but I bet she won't.

David Mitchell was trying too hard and, I wrote more in sorrow than in Ongar and Trivial Fact of the Day ended in a tie.

December

So this month, when I have called for an end to pledges, become impatient with protesting students and debated L.T. Hobhouse and T.H. Green with Richard Grayson.

The year ended with the perfect Christmas present from the Dowager Lady Bonkers.