Sunset over VDNKh Park, Moscow, 2003

This picture was taken from one of the higher storeys of the hotel Cosmos which overlooks the park. The Cosmos hotel is a remarkable tall curved building which was constructed for the 1980 Olympic games.

VDNKh park is well worth a visit. There are some very impressive if rather kitsch looking fountains and numerous pavilions. The pavilions were intended to be monuments to Soviet achievement but today house stores selling electrical equipment and household items. At the furthest end of the park, from the hotel, there are two jet liners on display which are slowly rusting away. The VDNKh experience is a little surreal but a trip round the park is well worth it if you happen to be in Moscow.

Site of Meadowhall shopping centre, 1986

A grim view, indeed. This photograph, taken in 1986, shows the area where the Meadowhall shopping centre now stands in Sheffield. A steelworks had stood on this site and it had recently been demolished when this photograph was taken. Visible in the photograph is the Tinsley viaduct on the M1 and some cooling towers. The cooling towers have become something of a Sheffield landmark in recent years and it is to be hoped that plans to demolish them can still be thwarted.

The Ten Pence Tax Rate Fiasco

I rarely use my blog to talk about political matters but like millions of other Britons I feel quite incensed about the Government's decision to abolish the 10 pence tax rate for low earners. It is totally unjust that hard working people on low wages have had their taxes increased whilst those on higher incomes have had a tax cut.

Now, the Government is talking about giving some of the money back in the future via tax credits. It would be far better not to take the money from low earners in the first place as the administrative costs would be lower and many people would not know how to claim the credits. Additionally, it seems unjust that people will have to go cap in hand to the Government to reclaim their own money. I can only assume that the Labour party are trying to create more clients who will depend on them for their well being.

This proposal was announced one year ago and yet only now have we heard the howls of protests from Labour backbenchers. It was obvious at the time of the announcement that the tax change would harm low earners. Why has it taken so long for the backbenchers to realise the implications that were obvious to anyone with even a modicom of intelligence?

The whole thing stinks. Low earning workers, who often do the jobs that others don't want to do, keep many of our essential services running. They should be rewarded not punished.

Rising Universe, Horsham

This photograph shows the very imaginative "Rising Universe" monument in the Bishopric, Horsham, West Sussex. It is also known as the Shelley Fountain in celebration of the famous poet who was born in the town. It also has various other names which will not be reproduced here as they might offend more delicate readers!

The sphere moves up and down the pole and discharges water at its base. I really like this as it was installed in the 1990s before the current craze for water features began and because it actually does something rather than being just a static object.

Horsham is known for being a very conservative town so the Council is to be congratulated for commissioning such a radical piece of art.

Water feature at Sheffield station

This photograph taken in 2007 shows the large water feature built at the front of Sheffield station. It would be fair to say that the feaure gives visitors to the city a much more positive first impression than the car park and taxi rank that used to occupy much of the area. However, water features seem to be popping up everywhere and it does show a little lack of originality. The "water wall" is quite frequently out of operation and the area at its base is often flooded. The lighting of the feature at night is quite strange and makes even a sober person feel quite queasy. The square in front of the station is still largely devoid of features and is a windswept and cold place on a winter's morning. Overall, I would say the changes in this area are a great improvement but it could have been so much better.

Mariupol Park Entrance, 2005

The impressive entrance to the park in Mariupol, Ukraine. This picture was taken in the summer of 2005. The Russian inscription on the arch reads "Town park founded in 1863". The park itself is very pleasant with tree lined avenues which are interspersed with statues of various famous Ukrainians and Russians. There are quite a few attractions for children. Worth a visit if you find yourself in this corner of Ukraine.

Nevsky Prospect, St Petersburg, 1992

Nevsky Prospect as seen on a July day in 1992. These were relatively hard times in the city. There were queues for many things and very little to buy in the shops. Elderly ladies were selling beer in the underground stations for a few kopecks.

Thankfully, things are somewhat better today.

Lazonby Station, 1977

Lazonby station on a very overcast day in August, 1977.

At this time, the station was closed to passenger traffic other than the summer "Dalesrail" specials that ran occasionally at weekends. These services were intended to provide access to the Eden valley for tourists. It was by no means a regular service and I can remember there once being a notice at the station saying "Sorry - no train in August".

The station building on the northbound platform was occupied by the bakers, Bells of Lazonby. They still occupy the premises today. The offices are much neater than in the 1970s and the office workers have a view from across the platform.

In 1977 there was a disused siding on the northbound platform which has since been filled in. The platforms were too low for easy access to the trains and the levels of the platforms are now much higher than as seen in the photograph.

Happily, regular train services were restored in the 1980s and trains stop in both directions on an approximately once every two hours schedule from early morning until early evening.

The station has been much improved and has a much pleasanter appearance than in 1977.

It is to be hoped that with the expansion of Lazonby and the continued interest in the Carlisle and Settle line that the decision to re-open the station will continue to be a success.

Christianity & Atheism: Different perspectives

In my reading of "The God delusion" by Richard Dawkins, I have noticed that he has very little to say about the person of Jesus Christ but mainly concentrates on the evolution versus creation argument to make his case. In the past, I have read books by Christian authors who mainly focus on Christ and seek to prove Christianity via his death and resurrection.

It is hardly surprising that both parties seek to play to their strong points. We have good evidence of on-going evolution and the world is plainly more than a few thousand years old. Equally, Christians can say that the unrisen body of Christ has never been found despite the probablity that the contemporary Roman and Jewish authorities and others would have sought the body in order to disprove and discredit the new faith.

To be fair to Dawkins, he seeks to disprove all religion and not the Christian religion in particular. Equally, Christian authors seek converts to Christianity rather than merely setting out to prove that there is a deity.

Whilst for the purposes of winning a debate, playing to your strong suits and avoiding the issues where you are on weaker ground makes sense, it does little to help seekers of truth resolve their issues.

American contributors to the BBC's "Have Your Say"

It has become my habit to look at the BBC's "Have Your Say" pages on their excellent website during my lunch hour. One of the things that strikes me is how many Americans voice their opinions on the site. I find this surprising as I assume ABC, NBC and CBS have similar features. It is particularly surprising given the large number of disagreeable anti-American comments that appear on "Have Your Say" irrespective of the subject being discussed.

I have no idea why so many people decide to have a go at the USA. Even if people disagree with the politics of Bush, it is absurd to assume that all Americans support him. At the moment, there are few people singing the praises of the British Labour government. I would not want people overseas to assume that every person in Britain agrees with them,

I hope that our friends "across the pond" continue to contribute to the BBC as it is always interesting to get a different perspective on current events.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/default.stm