Six of the Best 232

"When I was young and broke at Liberal Assemblies Viv often took me out for a meal. We kept up our conference meals almost without a break up to and including the Conference at Birmingham in 2011. I know I was not the only one who benefited from his support and encouragement and it is sad that no more young folk will profit from Viv buying them a good meal and listening to their ideas." Birkdale Focus remembers Viv Bingham, who died this week.

Mark Pack is right to say that Chris Rennard is right to say that we should have power to choose MEPs.

A new law proposed in Western Australia would allow children as young as 12 to consent to sterilisation, electroconvulsive therapy and psychosurgery without their parents being told. Lester Holloway is rightly concerned.

Spiderplantland spent yesterday waiting for her uncle to die.

Perhaps not one for the squeamish: National Public Radio has the story and photographs of the world's heaviest flightless stick insect, rediscovered after being thought extinct for almost a century.

One of this blog's heroes is Richard Jefferies, but we are not biased. So here is a link to a site devoted to Swindon's other great literary son, Alfred Williams. A play devoted to him will be performed at the town's Phoenix Theatre between 15 and 17 March.