Six of the Best 286

"An independent cafe has little in the way of clever ruses to dodge taxes.  But multinational chains can siphon off profits via various company charges to head office for use of the brand name, loan interest or inflated prices for raw materials." Stephen Williams MP will not be buying his lattes from Starbucks for a while.

A Lanson Boy describes his part in the downfall of Alec Robertson, Conservative leader of Cornwall council...

...and Computer Weekly gives the background to Robertson's demise.

Where now for Public Service Broadcasting? Professor Peter Lunt, Head of the University of Leicester's Department of Media and Communication gives his answer on Leicester Exchanges.

"It is often stated that the Union Flag should only be described as the Union Jack when flown in the bows of a warship, but this is a relatively recent idea. From early in its life the Admiralty itself frequently referred to the flag as the Union Jack, whatever its use, and in 1902 an Admiralty Circular announced that Their Lordships had decided that either name could be used officially. Such use was given Parliamentary approval in 1908 when it was stated that 'the Union Jack should be regarded as the National flag'." Cdr Bruce Nicolls OBE RN (Retd) nails a modern myth for the Flag Institute.

The Passion of Former Days has some photographs of St Andrews in the 1840s.